Big Names Fall Early in ManBetX Welsh Open

Mark Williams, Kyren Wilson, Judd Trump and Shaun Murphy have all fallen in the early rounds of the ManBetX Welsh Open 2019.

But the remaining big guns Ronnie O’Sullivan, Neil Robertson, Mark Allen and defending Champion John Higgins and Mark Selby are still in the last 32.

Big names have exited on day 3 of the @manbetxofficial Welsh Open, including German Masters champ Kyren Wilson.

World number 103 @JoeOc147 made breaks of 88, 53, 66 & 65 to beat the Warrior.

A win over Jak Jones would give O’Connor his first taste of last 16 action #WelshOpen pic.twitter.com/3eVu9nBce7

— World Snooker (@WorldSnooker) 13 February 2019

2018 English Amateur Champion Joe O’Connor had a great win over the German Master Kyren Wilson as their match went the full distance as Cardiff’s snooker fans saw some real shocks in the rounds of 128 and 64.

It was also a great win for one of the Welsh compatriots in Duane Jones, who took down a below-par Judd Trump, who Ronnie O’Sullivan said in the commentary it was a “bad day at the office” for the Juddernaut. Jones put on a steely performance during the match despite Trump not being at his best. The 25-year-old from Rhondda Cynon Taf also had a recent good run in the German Masters, reaching the semi-finals.

There was also a bad day at the office for the current World Champion Mark Williams, who struggled in his match with Zhang Anda, from China, nicknamed Mighty Mouse. It took the Chinese player a while to realise he was in with a chance of beating the 43-year-old veteran of the baize, but he eventually got the job done 4 – 2.

As ever, the ManBetX Welsh Open has provided drama of the highest quality as the soap opera continues with the last 32 and 16 rounds being played to a close today on Valentines Day 14th February.