MARK Allen won the one qualifying match required to take part in the World Open, which takes place in Yushan, China in March.
The Antrim man was up against the man who knocked him out of last year’s BetVictor Northern Ireland Open, Estonia’s Andres Petrov, but a repeat never looked likely as breaks of 100, 68, 59 and 53 helped Allen to a comfortable win. He now faces Daniel Wells when the final stages begin on March 18.
Earlier in the week, Aaron Hill continued his fine season as he beat Joe O’Connor 5-4. O’Connor was a beaten finalist in the BetVictor Scottish Open in 2022 so it’s another good boost for the young Cork man. He now faces Lyu Haotian
Ken Doherty lost 5-0 to Sam Craigie, while Antrim’s Jordan Brown goes straight to the final stages after drawing a wild card.
