European Masters snooker: Mark Williams continues strong start to season as Sean O’Sullivan compiles landmark 147
Mark Williams continued his impressive start to the new season with a 5-0 whitewash of Zhang Anda in the European Masters first round at Leicester’s Morningside Arena.
Williams will make the trip to the German city of Nuremberg a year after he lost 6-2 in the semi-finals of the tournament to Barry Hawkins.
2013 world finalist Hawkins made a winning start to his campaign this time in a high-quality 5-2 victory against world No. 81 Sean O’Sullivan, who compiled the first 147 break of the new season and the 190th competitive maximum of all time in the sixth frame of the match.
It proved to be a landmark moment in defeat as Hawkins progressed to the next round after enjoying breaks of 117, 90, 64 and 53.
German Masters champion Ali Carter ran out a 5-2 winner against Welshman Alfie Davies to secure his spot in the last 64 on Friday evening.
Matches involving the top eight seeds – which include world champion Luca Brecel and world No. 1 Ronnie O’Sullivan – have been held over to the finals venue at the KIA Metropol Arena between August 22-27 (LIVE on Eurosport).
The rest of the opening-round matches are staged at the Morningside Arena between Tuesday and Saturday with several heavyweights from the world’s top 16 chasing a spot in the last 64 of the season’s second ranking event.
Kyren Wilson is defending the title he claimed with a 9-3 win over Barry Hawkins last year.
Friday’s latest European Masters results
- Mark Williams 5-0 Zhang Anda
- Robbie Williams 5-3 John Astley
- Ali Carter 5-2 Alfie Davies
- Ishpreet Singh Chadha 5-2 Ryan Thomerson
- Barry Hawkins 5-2 Sean O’Sullivan
- Chris Wakelin 5-2 Thor Chuan Leong
- Jordan Brown 5-2 Ma Hailong
- Ashley Hugill 5-1 Long Zehuang
- Tom Ford 5-1 Victor Sarkis
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