Stephen Maguire hits two centuries in comeback win at Northern Ireland Open snooker as Stan Moody stuns Zhou Yuelong
Former UK champion Stephen Maguire hit breaks of 126 and 100 as the Scotsman roared back from 3-1 behind against Fergal O’Brien in an impressive 4-3 qualifying victory at the Northern Ireland Open.
O’Brien led 3-1 boosted by a run of 68 in the third frame, but registered only five points in the final three frames as world No. 32 Maguire booked a trip to Belfast for a last-64 match with James Cahill, the player he defeated 13-12 in the last 16 of the 2019 World Championship.
Meanwhile, Crucible semi-finalist Si Jiahui suffered a surprise 4-1 loss to English Open finalist Zhang Anda in his opening qualifier of the Home Nations event at Ponds Forge in Sheffield.
Zhang finished with a century to progress to a meeting with John Astley or Rory Thor at Belfast’s Waterfront Hall.
Elsewhere on Friday, Michael White overcame former women’s world champion Mink Nutcharut 4-2, while 17-year-old world junior champion Stan Moody completed a fine 4-2 success against last year’s Northern Ireland Open finalist Zhou Yuelong.
Hailfax teenager Moody trailed 2-1 after Zhou produced 144 and 72, but Moody added to a 66 break in the third frame with further knocks of 108 and 63 seeing him finalise his spot at the finals venue.
He will meet Rod Lawler in the last 64.
Former world champion Stuart Bingham claimed a taut 4-3 victory over Ashley Hugill on the final black after clearing up from the green in the closing frame.
Bingham earlier produced 117, 55 and 70 after Hugill had led 3-2 from 2-0 down with runs of 71 and 54. Bingham will take on Xu Si in the last 64.
World champion Luca Brecel, Mark Selby, John Higgins and Ali Carter are also absent after planning to play in a rescheduled exhibition event in Macau.
Latest Northern Ireland Open qualifying results
- Stephen Maguire 4-3 Fergal O’Brien
- Lyu Haotian 4-1 Ashley Carty
- Zhang Anda 4-1 Si Jiahui
- Michael White 4-2 Mink Nutcharut
- Stan Moody 4-2 Zhou Yuelong
- Peng Yisong 4-1 He Guoqiang
- Andres Petrov 4-3 Sanderson Lam
- Stuart Bingham 4-3 Ashley Hugill
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