Three Thais eye last 8 at SangSom Reds
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Shaun Murphy kept his cool to complete a 6-5 victory over Thailand's Ratchapol Pu-Ob-Orm (James Wattana) in the last 32 of the SangSom 6 Reds world championship at Bangkok's Montien Riverside Hotel, yesterday.
A 6 reds maximum of 75, only the fourth so far, highlighted the former world champion’s performance.
Murphy was to play Barry Hawkins for a place in today’s quarter-finals.
Local hopes bounced back though when Panompai Powises defeated previously unbeaten Irishman Rodney Goggins 6-4 to scrape into the knockout stages. The win earned the Nakhon Phanom man a shot at India’s Aditya Mehta for a place in today’s quarter-finals. The Indian reached the last 16 following a 6-4 win over Thailand’s Dechawat Poomjaeng.
The clash between the two Davis’s, the unrelated Steve and Mark, was a one-sided affair as the six-times world champion Steve suffered a 6-1 defeat.
Meanwhile, Thanawat Tirapongpaiboon won an all-Thai battle against Thepchaiya Un-Nooh 6-5 to reach the last 16. The narrow win earned Thanawat a place against fellow Thai Issara Kachaiwong who knocked out the previously unbeaten Welshman Lee Walker, 6-4.
Later yesterday, holder Mark Selby completed a nail-biting 6-5 victory over Irishman Ken Doherty.
Doherty was on fire from the start leading 3-0 and 4-1 with breaks of 36 and 56. But the world No 1 bounced back and breaks of 36 and 50 helped him to draw level.
The decider went Selby’s way 37-14, with victory assured with a clearance of 37.
Yesterday’s matches
(last-32; UK unless stated):
R Walden bt J White 6-3; S Lee bt M Stevens 6-1; M Davis bt S Davis 6-1; T Tirapongpaiboon (THA) bt Thepchaiya Un-Nooh (THA) 6-5;A Mehta (IND) bt D Poomjaeng (THA) 6-4; P Powises (THA) bt R Goggins (IRL) 6-4; I Kachaiwong (THA) bt L Walker 6-4; D Morgan bt J Perry 6-4; M Selby bt K Doherty (IRL) 6-5; G Dott bt N Saengkham (THA) 6-5; J Trump bt S Bingham 6-4; H Ayouri (IRA) bt A Higginson 6-2; D Dale bt M Williams 6-4; T Ford bt M Fu (HK) 6-4; B Hawkins bt S Mohammad (EGY) 6-5; S Murphy bt R Pu-Ob-Orm (THA) 6-5.
Today’s quarter-final line-up:
Selby/Dott v Trump/Vafaei Ayouri
Dale/Ford v Hawkins/Murphy
Kachaiwong/Thirapongpaiboon v Perry/Walden
S Lee/Mark Davis v Mehta/Powises
