Williams and Robertson progress at Welsh Open

[ASFN Admin]

You must be registered for see images attach

Mark Williams (left) and Neil Robertson have won two Welsh Open titles apiece [Getty Images]

Two-time champions Mark Williams and Neil Robertson moved into the last-16 of the Welsh Open with victories over Martin O'Donnell and Hossein Vafaei respectively.

Williams, 50, hit three half-century breaks in the second round contest in Llandudno, with a long pot on a red in the fifth and final frame being among the Welshman's highlights in a 4-1 triumph.

"I thought I played alright. Conditions were tough, it was flying off the cushions," he told BBC Sport.

"He (O'Donnell) missed a few there, he let me off the hook a few times. But overall I thought I played alright. I had a good break in the last frame."

Williams - who won the event in 1996 and 1999 - will face 2018 runner-up Barry Hawkins in the third round after the Englishman produced breaks of 69, 72 and 52 in a 4-2 triumph over Pang Junxu.

Australian Robertson - Welsh Open champion in 2007 and 2019 - came from a frame behind to beat Iranian Vafaei 4-1.

Vafaei came out on top in an opening frame that lasted 51 minutes, although former world champion Robertson won four consecutive frames, the second of which was on the black, to claim victory.

Having survived those early scares, Robertson showed his class in the final two frames with breaks of 100 and 118 to set-up a third round meeting with Jak Jones.

The Welshman hit a trio of 50+ breaks to move into round three with a 4-2 win over Scotsman Anthony McGill.

A stunning 101 break in the penultimate frame proved pivotal as Welshman Jackson Page came from behind to beat Chang Bingyu 4-3.

Bingyu posted breaks of 65 and 74 en route to going 3-2 up, although Page's century break was followed by a 70-22 win in the final frame.

Robbie Williams came from 2-0 behind to beat 2013 winner Stephen Maguire 4-3 in the second round - with a 69 break in the fourth frame being the highlight for the Englishman.

Jack Lisowski won three successive frames to come from 3-1 down and beat Xiao Guodong on the north Wales coast.

China's Xuodong looked on course for victory after following up a pair of half-century breaks with a break of 113 in the fourth frame.

But Lisowski produced an impressive fightback to win each of the final three frames, including an 83 break to force a last-frame decider, which he went on to win 56-39.

David Grace claimed a straightforward 4-1 victory over Welshman Dylan Emery while Wu Yize defeated Joe O'Connor 4-2 in a match that featured four half-century breaks.

Elsewhere, Jiang Jun outscored fellow Chinese player Yuan Sijun by 290 points to 87 to secure an emphatic 4-0 victory over his compatriot.

• A 'special' snooker player who became a TV star - John Virgo obituary
• Welsh Open 'should be in south Wales, 100%' - Page

Welsh Open day three​

Morning and afternoon session:

Xiao Guodong 3-4 Jack Lisowski

Anthony McGill 2-4 Jak Jones

Barry Hawkins 4-2 Pang Junxu

Dylan Emery 1-4 David Grace

Mark Williams 4-1 Martin O'Donnell

Jiang Jun 4-0 Yuan Sijun

Robbie Williams 4-3 Stephen Maguire

Chang Bingyu 3-4 Jackson Page

Hossein Vafaei 1-4 Neil Robertson

Joe O'Connor 2-4 Wu Yize

Evening session:

Gary Wilson v Sam Craigie

Zhang Anda v Liam Pullen

David Gilbert v Stuart Bingham

Stan Moody v Zhao Xintong

Kyren Wilson v Zhou Yuelong

Bulcsu Revesz v John Higgins

You must be registered for see images

Continue reading...