Teenager Boonyarit send shockwaves through World C'ship
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Shock results have started cropping up, big names have started feeling the heat and, though creating a buzz, these are not necessarily likely to go down well with the local fans at the Bt8-million SangSom 6-red World Championship.
Those busy delivering these unexpected results at the Montien Riverside Hotel were mostly the young guns from the host country but at the same time, the Thai cueists have found themselves on the receiving end.
Boonyarit Kaettikun, an 18-year-old from Nakhon Nayok, first pipped Ehsan Hyderi Nezhad of Iran 5-4 and then upstaged Barry Hawkins, who at world No 5 is the highest ranked player the event, 5-2.
Thanawat Tirapongpaiboon, after losing two matches in a row, came back into contention for qualification to the next round by pulling off a 5-4 victory over world No 14 Joe Perry of England.
Thepchaiya Un-nooh had been playing brilliantly and had scored impressive victories over former world professional champion Shaun Murphy and reigning Asian 6-red champion Amir Sarkhosh of Iran before he was gunned down by English world No 17 Robert Milkins.
Thepchaiya, a big hit with the Thai crowds, defeated Murphy 5-3 on Monday night, and went on to beat Sarkhosh 5-2 before losing 5-3 to Milkins. He is still set to make it to the next round from Group D.
Dechawat Poomjaeng faced a similar fate as well.
After winning his second Group G match 5-2 against former world amateur champion Muhammad Asif of Pakistan in the first session yesterday morning, Dechawat suffered a 5-3 defeat at the hands of 2006 world professional title-holder Graeme Dott of Scotland later in the afternoon.
Young Ratchayothin Yotharuck rekindled his hopes of qualifying for the knockout stage with the help of a 5-1 victory over 2014 Asian champion Thor Chuan Leong of Malaysia and Noppon Saengkham did the same by edging Chinese Taipei’s Hung Chung Ming 5-4.
However, their recoveries proved only brief as Ratchayothin was routed 5-0 by Welsh professional Dominic Dale and Noppon was edged by inform Michael Holt. Both are now left with very slim chances of going through to the next stage.
World No 19 Matthew Stevens of Wales handed ageing Thai star Ratchapol Pu-Ob-Orm (James Wattana) a 5-1 defeat. This was Ratchapol’s second loss in three matches.
In another major upset, Adrian Ridley of Australia defeated former world professional champion and current No 10 John Higgins 5-3 in the first session.
Today is the last day of the first round, round robin battles. Five sessions are scheduled to be played on the third day at the same venue, with draw for the knockout stages taking place in the late night.
