Neither of the top seeds progressed yesterday. Joe Perry came into the last match with two wins and only needed a draw against Jimmy Robertson, but Jimmy found his best form when it mattered most. Stephen Maguire didn’t win a match and finished last of his group…
Robertson And Hugill Reach Stage Two
Jimmy Robertson and Ashley Hugill moved through to the next stage of BetVictor Championship League Snooker on Day 12 as top seeds Joe Perry and Stephen Maguire failed to get out of their respective groups.
Robertson topped Group 4 after seeing off World Number 20 Perry In the final match of the day, 3-1.
The 2018 European Masters winner started his day off with a comfortable 3-0 win over Sean Maddocks with breaks of 61, 100, and 66 before having to salvage a point by drawing 2-2 from 2-0 down against Jimmy White. Robertson’s key moment in the match coming with the highest break of the tournament so far (140).
The closest competitor to Robertson was Perry, who began emphatically with back-to-back 3-0 wins over White and Maddocks leaving a decisive clash with Robertson. Things were not decided until the final frame, but it was Robertson who secured a 3-1 win to progress.
Robertson said: “I feel a nervous wreck. It’s brilliant to get through, I am really chuffed with that. On the whole, I am happy with parts how I played with, but I also missed a lot of balls today. tTat’s what I’d expect when I haven’t played a competitive tournament for four months, I’m just delighted to get through.
“It’s not a bad position to be in (knowing he needed to win), I didn’t do it convincingly, but a win is a win and I am through to the next stage.
“After going through that last season (nearly losing his Tour card), I don’t really want to go through that again. It wasn’t a nice experience. I’m so happy to come through what I ended up, coming through in the end and keeping my tour card. It might make me stronger this season, so I am hoping to get a few results and crack on this year.”
Hugill’s approach in Group 24 of taking on any ball that looked to be on, as well as demonstrating vision in some excellent long pots proved to be key.
The Yorkshire cueist began with a 2-2 draw against Sunny Akani, including a break of 80, before following it up against Maguire where he took all three points to move top of the group at the break with the only win of the afternoon session.
Another 2-2 draw to start the evening between Akani and John Astley kept the group wide open and an opportunity for Hugill to progress. Akani’s whitewash victory over Maguire, meant Akani moved top of the table but only temporarily.
A victory for Hugill would send him through and it was all one-way traffic against Astley. Hugill securing top spot with a 3-0 win.
Hugill: “It’s just the start to the season I was looking for. I know everyone had drawn to that point so I knew beating Stephen would get me close to winning the group.”
“I realised last season, I was being too tentative in a lot of matches, I realised I was always trying to go under the radar and not backing myself enough. This season I am just trying to play with a lot more of authority around the table.”
I would have liked to see Sunny Akani go through but it wasn’t to be and Hugill was the better player on the day.
In the other group, Sean Maddocks, who is so often presented as a promising young prospect, and is in his second year as a pro, didn’t win a frame … he was comprehensively outplayed by everyone. The most points he scored in any frame yesterday was 28. Maybe the lad wasn’t well, or maybe he had been unable to prepare properly, or something was wrong with his equipment… who knows? But if that is the level of nowadays top amateurs it’s worrying for the future of our sport, to say the least…
Ronnie O'Sullivan 
Sunny Akani didn’t play well enough anyway. He only won a match against Stephen Maguire who wasn’t trying his best (he conceded two frames needing only a single snooker with balls in promising positions). Yet another ‘dead match’ issue. Sunny looked a bit unprepared, and will probably be better further into the season and in longer matches.
With Sean Maddocks, he’s still very young and just getting used to the level. But I don’t agree with losing finalists getting tour cards – who’s to say the best two players were in opposite halves of the draw? Had he won the WST Junior title, he would have started his professional career with a bit more confidence.