European Masters: Shaun Murphy edges Liang Wenbo on final black in nervy decider
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ByEurosport
Updated 22/09/2020 at 21:56 GMT
Yan Bingtao is safely through the first round of the European Masters with an easy 5-0 win over Barry Pinches. The top 49 players in the world were confirmed for the second ranking event of the season chasing an £80,000 first prize. Five competitors have had to withdraw from the event due to Covid-19.
Shaun Murphy | Snooker
Image credit: Getty Images
Shaun Murphy edged out Liang Wenbo 5-4 when winning a tense deciding frame of their European Masters encounter.
On a day where five players were withdrawn from the tournament over positive Covid-19 results - a decision which saw Mark Selby and world champion Ronnie O'Sullivan among those given byes to the second round - the action concluded with Murphy's nail-biter with Wenbo.
A 105 helped Murphy race to a 3-1 lead after losing the opening frame, but it was then Wenbo who was close to victory as three straight frames saw him go 4-3 up.
Murphy held his nerve to win the eighth frame 64-60 and force a decider, which he won after a safety exchange on the yellow which Wenbo missed a pot on.
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Murphy misses out on tournament-high break as red rattles the jaws
Last month's World Championship Anthony McGill overcame a spirited performance from 20-year-old Luo Honghao to win 5-3.
Luo knocked in 116 and 117 in frames two and seven but it was McGill - whose biggest break was 92 - who prevailed.
Matthew Stevens bounced back from losing the first frame to win the next five and beat Igor Figueiredo 5-1.
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How did he see that? Murphy picks out a peach of a plant
Tuesday afternoon session report
Stephen Maguire fought hard to overcome 18-year-old Chang Bingyu 5-3 in the opening round of the European Masters.
A break of 69 got Maguire off to the perfect start but Chang, who has been a pro since last year, hit back with a 117 to lead 2-1.
Maguire’s experience eventually told, however, with the 2004 winner of what was then the European Open knocking in a 93 to seal victory.
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What a talent! Chang produces classy century break against Maguire
Elsewhere, Alan McManus overcame Rod Lawler 5-3 thanks to breaks of 55, 75, 87 and 54.
Tom Ford knocked out Mark King with a 5-2 win and highest break of 89, while Robert Milkins beat 15-year-old Belgian Ben Mertens 5-0.
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Maguire crawls on his knees under the table in search for a rest
Tuesday morning session report
Yan Bingtao is safely through the first round of the European Masters with an easy 5-0 win over Barry Pinches.It was plain sailing for last season's Riga Masters champion who registered two centuries and a 90 break, finishing off with a break of 126.
Pinches tweeted afterwards: "Lost 5 0 to Yan Bingtao. Had a disastrous fourth frame but Yan played excellent and put me under pressure from the get go. Well done to him.
"Next up Championship League 30th September."
Bingtao will play Ryan Day in Round 2. The Welshman managed four 60+ breaks to defeat China's Si Jiahui 5-3.
Mark Davis also cruised through to the second round after defeating Morocco's Amine Amiri 5-1. Jak Jones defeated Jamie O'Neill 5-2 as he made a century and two 50+ breaks in his game.
Yuelong Zhou overturned an early 3-0 deficit to beat world number 79 Swiss Alexander Ursenbacher 5-4.
Nigel Bond battled back from 4-2 down to defeat world number 29 Zhao Xintong 5-4 and 16-year-old Gao Yang defeated 17-year-old Zhao Jianbo 5-4 in a tight all-China clash.
Where can I watch the European Masters?
You can watch the event live on Eurosport and the Eurosport Player on all platforms.
In addition to the live streaming, daily reports and highlights will be published on the Eurosport website and app.
Tuesday's results and schedule
Morning
- Jak Jones 5-2 Jamie O'Neill
- Zhou Yuelong 5-4 Alexander Ursenbacher
- Mark Davis 5-1 Amine Amiri
- Zhao Xintong 4-5 Nigel Bond
- Gao Yang 5-4 Zhao Jianbo
- David Gilbert (Bye) v David Lilley (In contact with Covid-19 positive Wilson)
- Si Jiahui 3-5 Ryan Day
- Yan Bingtao 5-0 Barry Pinches
Afternoon
- Antoni Kowalski 5-3 Sean Maddocks
- Tom Ford 5-2 Mark King
- James Cahill (Bye) v Elliot Slessor (In contact with Covid-19 positive Wilson)
- Stephen Maguire 5-3 Chang Bingyu
- Alan McManus 5-3 Rod Lawler
- Mark Selby (Bye) v Michael White (Covid-19 positive)
- Robert Milkins 5-0 Ben Mertens
- Xiao Guodong 5-3 Stuart Carrington
Evening
- Shaun Murphy v Liang Wenbo
- Kacper Filipiak 1-5 Peter Lines
- Anthony McGill 5-3 Luo Honghao
- Andrew Higginson 5-2 Oliver Lines
- Gary Wilson (Covid-19 positive) v Duane Jones (Bye)
- Matthew Stevens 5-1 Igor Figueiredo
- Aaron Hill 5-2 Andy Hicks
- Ronnie O'Sullivan (Bye) v Daniel Wells (Covid-19 positive)
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