UK Championship snooker - Marco Fu hits two centuries to advance, Xu records magical 147 break, Mink defeat

ByEurosport

Updated 20/11/2023 at 08:09 GMT

Marco Fu moved within two wins of qualifying for the last 32 of the UK Championship by running in two centuries in a 6-4 win against Ben Mertens, while Xu Si rolled in a 147 break in a 6-1 victory against Ma Hailong. But former women's world champion Mink Nutcharut suffered a narrow 6-5 defeat to Michael White in the second round of qualifying. White next meets Crucible semi-finalist Si Jiahui.

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Marco Fu hit two sparkling centuries to reach the third round of UK Championship qualifying with a 6-4 win against rising Belgian talent Ben Mertens on Sunday.

The three-time ranking event winner followed up his 6-5 victory against Michael Holt in the first round in Leicester with runs of 90, 51, 104, 116 and 78 after Mertens had restored parity at 4-4 with 50, 128 and 84 of his own.

Fu will meet Ricky Walden on Monday night chasing two more wins to reach the last 32 at the York Barbican.

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Elsewhere, Xu Si hit a magnificent 147 in the second frame of a 6-1 drubbing of Ma Hailong, the 193rd of the modern era since 1982, amid breaks of 65, 56, 70 and 85 with Ma preventing the whitewash courtesy of a 60 in the sixth frame.

Xu next meets Lyu Haotian on Tuesday morning needing two more victories to book his trip to York.

If Xu makes another 147 break at the UK Championship, Masters or World Championship this season, he will earn a £147,000 bonus prize.

But he is also in line to pick up the £15,000 high-break prize at the UK.

Former German Masters champion Martin Gould booked his spot in the third round with a 6-0 whitewash win against Stuart Carrington.

Gould rolled in two breaks of 62 and 52 to secure a meeting with former European Masters champion Fan Zhengyi on Monday evening.

Former women's world champion Mink Nutcharut lost 6-5 to Michael White in a taut final frame settled on the penultimate ball.

Mink missed a pink to right-centre needing pink and black to seal victory before White held his nerve to roll in the pink to the green bag as he claimed the final four frames from 5-2 behind.

The Welshman will face World Championship semi-finalist Si Jiahui in the third round on Monday night.