Welsh Open: Chadha knocks out defending champion Wilson in first round
2025-02-11
Category: sports

Welsh Open SnookerVenue: Venue Cymru, Llandudno, Date: 10-16 FebruaryCoverage: Watch live on BBC Two Wales, BBC iPlayer, the BBC Sport website and app.
India's Ishpreet Singh Chadha produced one of the performances of his career to knock out defending champion Gary Wilson in the first round of the Welsh Open.Singh Chadha held his nerve in the deciding frame to take his place in the last 32 at Llandudno's Venue Cymru.Wilson, who admitted to "not feeling well" post-match, recovered from 2-1 down to lead 3-2, but Singh Chadha cleared up in the final two frames."It feels great," Singh Chadha said, "I think he (Wilson) wasn't on it from the start of the game and then went berserk when he was down, that caught me offguard."I'm just happy I could play well from [being] down."He's always a tough player to beat, I am just happy to get through."Earlier in day one, former Welsh Open champions Mark Williams and Mark Selby eased their way into the second round.Williams made three century breaks in his 4-1 victory over Florian Nuessle of Austria, while Selby had a break of 141 as he beat English compatriot Hayden Pinhey 4-2."Surprising more than anything, three centuries in a best of seven doesn't happen to me that often," said Williams, who played down his chances of becoming a first Welsh winner since his 1999 triumph."If I haven't won it for the past 26 years, I don't think I'm going to win it on the 27th," said the three-time world champion."I'll try my best, but we haven't had a Welsh winner before, only myself, it's a shame really, it's just how tough the game is."
Neil Robertson is also through, but the 2019 winner needed to show his class in the deciding frame to see off Mark Davis."It wasn't looking that great at 2-0, I just had to stay patient," said Robertson."You just have to hang in there and accept that it's not going to be free flowing and free scoring."It was a game of stick in there, play good safety, pot the important balls when they come up and that's what I did."Welshman Jamie Jones secured a 4-2 win over China's Si Jiahui, but compatriot Dominic Dale, who was a quarter-finalist last year, was beaten 4-2 by China's Pang Junxu.In an all-English battle, Robbie Williams cruised to a 4-0 victory over former winner Stuart Bingham.Welshman Jackson Page saw off England's Jimmy Robertson 4-2 with Stephen Maguire of Scotland defeating China's Xu Si by the same scoreline.