Marco Fu won the best of 25-frame match by the score of 13 frames to 9. The match was played over three sessions. Fu was ahead at every key stage, coming out of the first session 5-3 ahead, and the second with a 9-7 advantage.
Although Fu ended up 5-3 ahead, Digital Journal’s earlier assessment of the match was that McGill was playing better and was compiling bigger breaks, as seen through his smooth and fluent cue action. McGill reached the quarter-finals last year. However, as the match eases into its second stage the chance of McGill repeating this feat faded and Fu began to play better and his break building improved. The key juncture was from the thirteenth frame. Fu, who had made only two breaks over 50 at this point, produced a run of 102. It was around this time that the match produced an amusing incident. Turning around after making a shot, Fu inadvertently wiped the tip of his cue onto McGill leaving a green chalk mark on the player’s black shirt.
Another important point in the match came at the start of the third session. McGill won the opener with a break of 97, the Hong Kong man rattled off four frames without reply to progress. Fu made two further breaks over 50 to move to 10-9 and then closed out the match with breaks of 100, 55 and 69.
Fu is one of the snooker circuits most impressive break builders, with over 400 centuries to his name. While he was not at his best in this match he made eight breaks over 50. How far Fu will progress will make for interesting viewing. While Fu is often involved in the latter stages of tournaments he is not a prolific winner, with only two major tournaments to his name in his eighteen year professional career.
Three other matches were in progress on day six of the championship, although none were played to a finish. Ali Carter leads Scottish player Alan McManus 9-7 in what is a grinding game. Although half of the sixteen frames have seen breaks of 50-plus, the beaks have been inter-spaced with some good safety but also some glaring misses. Carter has made the only century of the match, with 102, and his potting has been slightly surer across the course of the game.
In another match, Mark Williams is in a strong position at 10-6 over Michael Holt. Holt surprisingly led 4-1; things became evenly balanced at 6-6, before Williams, a twice former winner, produced a four frame winning streak. Both players have made four breaks over 50 each, with an 87 by Williams being the highest.
The final match in progress sees Sam Baird and former champion Mark Selby locked at four frames each. Despite Selby’s strong track record and his opponent’s inexperience, it is Baird who looked more impressive, especially when scoring. Baird has compiled breaks of 100, 85, 58 and 53 in the session.
All three matches in progress are played to a finish on day seven, of the seventeen day world snooker championship.
