UK Championship snooker 2020 - Mark Selby survives scare, Mark Williams demolishes Ben Hancorn

Updated 23/11/2020 at 22:09 GMT

Former champions Mark Selby and Mark Williams had contrasting passages into the UK Championship second round. Selby eventually ground down Michael White to win 6-4, while Williams – who last reached the final in 2010 – began his 2020 pursuit at the Marshall Arena in Milton Keynes with a quick 6-0 victory over Ben Hancorn.

Mark Selby

Image credit: Getty Images

Mark Selby squeaked into the UK Championship second round after a surprise test against Welshman Michael White.

Selby cut a frustrated figure for much of the encounter, often coming out second best in the safety exchanges, before eventually coming home 6-4.

The three-time world champion appeared to have found his groove when a brilliant long red set in motion a 140 total clearance, earning him a 2-1 lead.

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'What a brilliant pot' - Selby pots lovely red to kick-start 140 break

And a fluke at the start of the fourth frame gifted him the chance to establish daylight, but he was unable to convert as White restored parity.

After pinching the fifth frame, Selby lost a lengthy safety battle in the next as White refused to be overawed in Milton Keynes, the same venue that had just hosted the Northern Ireland Open due to Covid-19 restrictions.

Selby belatedly asserted his authority to open up a 5-3 advantage and, although White hit back, a knock of 75 finally carried Selby into the next round.

'Class all the way' - Selby makes 140 total clearance

Williams' whitewash

Mark Williams began his pursuit for a first UK Championship title since 2002 with a swift dismissal of Ben Hancorn in the first round.

A two-time winner having also lifted the UK Championship trophy in 1999, 45-year-old Williams looked in fine form at the Marshall Arena in Milton Keynes with the Welshman beating world No 118 Hancorn 6-0.

There was just the one break of over 50 for Williams, a 57 in the fifth frame, while Hancorn scored 53 in the opener despite succumbing 102-67 after a series of fouls when trying to hit the blue.

A faulty scoreboard delayed Williams’ charge, with the fifth frame halted midway through as the problem was addressed, but it did little to distract the three-time world champion from going on to claim a routine victory.

Williams, who last reached the final in 2010 and has since reached the quarter-finals just once, will face the winner of Sunny Akani v Kacper Filipiak in the next round.

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Elsewhere, world No 13 Yan Bingtao prevailed in a tight encounter against Sean Maddocks, winning 6-4.

Yan led 3-0 with a break of 130 helping him take a healthy lead, but a 107 then saw Maddocks reduce the deficit to 4-3 before Yan won two of the next three frames to advance.

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Higgins, Hawkins advance

John Higgins and Barry Hawkins cruised into the last 64 in Monday's evening session.

Higgins raced into a 3-0 lead against Fergal O'Brien with breaks of 72, 52 and 56, and while his momentum was briefly checked by his opponent getting on the board, further knocks of 123 and 70 helped Higgins to a 6-1 win.

Hawkins downed Riley Parsons by the same scoreline, making five half-centuries on the way.

Day, Hamilton out with Covid-19

Anthony Hamilton and Ryan Day have contracted coronavirus and have withdrawn from the UK Championship.

The 49-year-old Hamilton was due to play Xu Si on Monday morning and Day, who made it to round three of the Northern Ireland Open, was set to face Jak Jones in the evening of the first day of the UK Championship. Both Xu and Jones have received byes to the second round.

Hamilton withdrew from the World Championship in August due to health concerns at late notice after it was announced that the Crucible would be admitting a limited audience to the rescheduled worlds. The player, knocked out in the first round of the UK Championship last year, is an asthma sufferer.

2020 UK Championship Monday schedule

Monday, 23 November

Morning (9.30am)

Ian Burns 4-6 David Grace
Xu Si v Anthony Hamilton - (Walkover, Hamilton positive for Covid-19)
Yan Bingtao 6-4 Sean Maddocks
Li Hang 6-3 Fraser Patrick
Mark Williams 6-0 Ben Hancorn
Tom Ford 4-6 Pang Junxu

Afternoon (1.30pm)

Sam Craigie 4-6 Chang Bingyu
Scott Donaldson 3-6 Simon Lichtenberg
Mark Selby 6-4 Michael White
Graeme Dott 6-1 Zhao Jianbo
Martin O'Donnell 5-6 Jamie Clarke

Evening (7.30pm)

Ryan Day v Jak Jones - (Walkover, Day positive for Covid-19)
Daniel Wells v Gerard Greene
John Higgins 6-1 Fergal O'Brien
Barry Hawkins 6-1 Riley Parsons
Ben Woollaston v Andy Hicks

What is the format?

All matches are the best of 11 frames until the final which is contested over the best of 19 frames on Sunday, 6 December.

The UK Championship – part of snooker's Triple Crown series – was due to be held at the York Barbican, but due to the global health pandemic, all remaining World Snooker Tour events in 2020 – including the Northern Ireland Open, UK Championship, Scottish Open and World Grand Prix – will continue to be staged behind closed doors at the Marshall Arena in Milton Keynes.

HOW TO WATCH THE UK CHAMPIONSHIP – TV & LIVE STREAMING

The UK Championship is live on eurosport.co.uk and the Eurosport app.

Each day eurosport.co.uk and the Eurosport app will stream uninterrupted bonus feeds.

We will also have rolling coverage online on the Eurosport.co.uk website and our social channels.

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