The WST Pro Series resumed yesterday with Group J.
There have been a few withdrawal ahead of this week, as posted by WST.
WST Pro Series Updated Draw
Five players have withdrawn from the WST Pro Series, and they have been replaced as a straight swap with the next available players on the Q School 2020 Order of Merit, as follows:
Yan Bingtao replaced by Hamim Hussain – Wednesday 10 March Amine Amiri replaced by Dylan Emery – Wednesday 10 March Kurt Maflin replaced by Alex Clenshaw – Saturday 13 March Alex Borg replaced by Florian Nuessle – Saturday 13 March Mark Allen replaced by Robbie McGuigan – Thursday 11 March
During the first two stages of the WST Pro Series, the group table standings will be determined by the following criteria, in this order:
1) Most points (three points for a win)
2) Net frame difference
3) Result of match between the two players in question (should three or more players be tied then a mini table will be produced using the criteria above).
4) Highest break in the group. If the highest break is also tied, the next highest break made by the players in question will be used.
The top two players from each group will progress to the next phase.
World number 103 Oliver is ranked three places below his father
Oliver Lines beat dad Peter 2-0 in their first professional meeting – and went on to top Group J in the first phase of the WST Pro Series.
James Cahill finished runner-up in the group, and joins Lines in progressing to the second phase of the world ranking event next week.
The match between 25-year-old Oliver and 51-year-old Peter Lines was the first father-and-son clash on the pro tour since Neal Foulds beat Geoff Foulds 5-0 in 1986. This time, once again the younger man was in control. Oliver took a scrappy opening frame on the colours – assisted by a fluke on the brown – then won the second with breaks of 38 and 36.
Overall, Leeds potter Lines won six of his seven matches in an excellent display in Milton Keynes. Going into the final round of matches he was still not certain to qualify, needing one frame against Elliot Slessor, but he finished in style with a 2-0 win, rounding off the day with a run of 77.
“The game against my dad was probably one of the worst I have been involved in,” said Lines, who came through Q School last year to retain his tour card. “Usually you want to keep your opponent in his seat because that means you are winning. But against my dad, every ball I potted, it felt wrong, I felt bad. There is no one I ever want to win more than my dad. It was a massive struggle, and he struggled as well. It was one to forget.
“Afterwards he just said ‘well done’ to me and said I should carry it on the same way and hopefully get through the group. During the whole day I played solid snooker, I didn’t miss much and I scored at the right times. I won two good deciders early in the day and that set me up.
“I have been practising a lot harder recently and changed a few things. I am enjoying snooker again. I have had a couple of years where I have lost too many matches and lost a bit of enjoyment. Hopefully this can be the start of something good. I would love to qualify for the World Championship – who wouldn’t?”
Blackpool’s Cahill also won six of his seven matches, securing second spot in his final tie with a 2-1 win over Iulian Boiko.
From the start, I said that this type of competition would be good for the younger players, much better than facing one top guy and go out with empty pockets after just one match, week after week. I do hope that it stays in the calendar even after the covid crisis is over. The current system is soul destroying; it’s far too brutal.
Us Norwegian fans were told on Eurosport during the Welsh Open that Kurt Maflin would return to England for the Pro series. Obviously not, it seems. Hopefully he is still playing the championship league. That would be much needed match practice for the WC after months of sub-standard training alone in Norway.
I hope he is allowed to travel Jo. I’m stuck here in Santorini (greece). My husband, who is Greek, went back to Belgum early August to take caqre of his mum who is in her 90th. He hasn’t be able to come back since. They have canceled or moved the flights already 7 times. We are hopeful for 1st of April now… no joke! I hope that Kurt can make it on “essential trip” grounds. It’s his work after all.
“The game against my dad was probably one of the worst I have been involved in,” said Lines, who came through Q School last year to retain his tour card. “Usually you want to keep your opponent in his seat because that means you are winning. But against my dad, every ball I potted, it felt wrong, I felt bad. There is no one I ever want to win more than my dad. It was a massive struggle, and he struggled as well. It was one to forget.
Ronnie O'Sullivan 
Us Norwegian fans were told on Eurosport during the Welsh Open that Kurt Maflin would return to England for the Pro series. Obviously not, it seems. Hopefully he is still playing the championship league. That would be much needed match practice for the WC after months of sub-standard training alone in Norway.
I hope he is allowed to travel Jo. I’m stuck here in Santorini (greece). My husband, who is Greek, went back to Belgum early August to take caqre of his mum who is in her 90th. He hasn’t be able to come back since. They have canceled or moved the flights already 7 times. We are hopeful for 1st of April now… no joke! I hope that Kurt can make it on “essential trip” grounds. It’s his work after all.