Maflin Marches On
Norway’s Kurt Maflin booked his place in the penultimate day of Q School 2022, with a 4-1 defeat of Leone Crowley in event three in Sheffield.
Maflin was competing in the quarter-finals of the World Championship just two years ago, but a slump in form has seen the 38-year-old drop off the circuit at the conclusion of the 21/22 campaign.
The heat is on now for Maflin, who must win his next three matches to earn an immediate return to the circuit next season. He lost in the last 16 of event two and crashed out in his opening match of event one.
Maflin composed a break of 73 in the first frame of his win today and now faces China’s Liu Hongyu in the last 32.
Germany’s Lukas Kleckers made a gutsy break of 62 to edge the final frame with Martin O’Donnell and emerge a 4-3 victor. He now plays Hamim Hussain.
Thailand’s Sunny Akani whitewashed Callum Beresford 4-0 to set up a meeting with Umut Dikme of Germany, while Ukrainian Iulian Boiko beat Billy Castle 4-2 and will now play George Pragnall.
The last four professional tour cards will go to the four semi-finalists in event three, which runs until Thursday.