Ford Edges Moody In Late Night Battle
World number 21 Tom Ford defeated WSF Junior Champion Stan Moody 6-4 with the clock just shy of midnight to make the final stages of the International Championship.
The qualifying round in Sheffield runs until Saturday this week, with all winners going through to Tianjin in China in November.
Leicester’s Ford had trailed tour rookie Moody 2-0 in the early stages, but turned the match around in his favour to come through with a hard fought victory. He crafted breaks of 72, 70 and 50 en route to the win.
Anthony McGill secured his spot in the final stages thanks to a 6-3 defeat of Alfie Burden. The pair were locked level at 3-3, but Scotland’s McGill took three on the bounce to ensure his progression.
Joe Perry’s difficult start to the season continued with a 6-3 loss at the hands of Dylan Emery. The Welshman top scored with 96 during this afternoon’s match.
Former UK Championship and Masters winner Matthew Stevens qualified courtesy of a 6-4 win over Lyu Hongyu, while Thepchaiya Un-Nooh eased to a 6-1 victory over Andrew Higginson.