Championship League snooker: Ryan Day makes flying start to new year in Leicester with three centuries

Former British Open champion Ryan Day made a flying start to the new year with four straight wins on Tuesday, the opening day of the invitational Championship League in Leicester.

The world No. 20 enjoyed four straight wins in Group 1 against Gary Wilson (3-2), Stuart Bingham (3-1), Kyren Wilson (3-1) and Chris Wakelin (3-2) to secure his spot in the four-man play-offs on Wednesday.

He rolled in a 105 break against Scottish Open champion Gary Wilson, 70 and 92 against former world finalist Kyren Wilson and 130, 129 and 76 against former Shoot Out winner Wakelin.

Despite losing to Day, Kyren Wilson looks well placed to progress to the last four after finishing his day with a 3-2 win over Noppon Saengkham after earlier defeating Bingham (3-0) and Wakelin (3-0) which including a sparkling 130 break.

Welsh Open champion Robert Milkins needs a strong performance on Wednesday after losing all three of his Group 1 matches to Noppon Saengkham (3-0), Gary Wilson (3-1) and Wakelin (3-0).

Seven players face each other in the group stage with the top four players from each group progressing to the play-offs.

The champion from each group progresses to the winners’ group on 1 and 2 March with the other top four players continuing to Group 2 as the bottom two players are eliminated at the end of each group.

Mark Selby, Matthew Selt and Ali Carter are due to join Group 2 on Thursday before it concludes on Friday.

The winner of the Championship League earns a spot in the Champion of Champions later this year.