Saengkham Secures Cheltenham Slot
Noppon Saengkham scored a 4-1 win over tour rookie Xing Zihao at Cazoo British Open qualifying in Leicester to seal his place in the final stages.
World number 26 Saengkham made the semi-finals of last year’s event, but was denied a place in the final after a 6-1 loss at the hands of Mark Allen. Today’s result sees the Thai earn a return to the main event. After losing the first frame, Saengkham crafted breaks of 52 and 72 on his way to four on the bounce and victory.
Welshman Daniel Wells produced a sublime spell to come from behind and beat former Welsh Open champion Jordan Brown 4-3. Wells trailed 3-2, before firing in breaks of 136 and 115 to take the final two frames and snatch victory.
China’s Lyu Haotian looked impressive in a 4-1 defeat of Englishman David Lilley. He produced contributions of 72, 74, 70 and 60 on his way to the win.
Malaysia’s Thor Chuan Leong scored a fine 4-1 win over Swiss number one Alexander Ursenbacher, while world number 72 Sanderson Lam registered a surprise 4-2 win over two-time ranking event winner Joe Perry.