The 2022 Snooker Players Tournament kicked off in the early morning of February 8, Beijing time at Wolverhampton, England, with Neil Robertson beating Karen Wilson 6-4 and Mark Williams beating Gary Wilson 6-3 to advance to the quarterfinals.
Robertson went into quarantine after returning positive for COVID-19 from Berlin after returning from berlin at the end of January, and his return to the field continued with his bravery of winning the Masters for the second time in London 10-4 last month. Karen Wilson, who has won four of her last five games against Robertson, is equally confident in the competition.
Robertson, the 21-time ranking champion, quickly took a 2-1 lead on a 114-point and 60-point streak after the game began, ending the first half with a 3-1 lead after taking the fourth inning before halftime.
"Warriors" Wilson showed indomitable fighting spirit, and he pulled the set to a 3-3 draw after a 15-minute break. Both sides had brilliant performances in the next two sets, with Robertson regaining the lead in the first inning with 94 points and Karen Wilson hitting a single-shot high of 141 points on the first day of the tournament in the 8th inning, and the two sides returned to a draw.
Robertson then followed by the same breaker to color, with a single shot of 100 points to let him hold the match point. The two sides fought to the color ball stage in the 10th set, and Robertson won the mobile phone with a wonderful green ball attack to kick out the coffee ball on the side of the library to open the situation, and locked the final score at 6-4 after clearing the stage. World No. 4 Robertson will face the winner between Trump and O'Sullivan in the quarter-finals.
'I think I played really well, and although I made two mistakes, I think overall my level of play is decent. Robertson, 39, said after the game.
"I'm lucky that this race started a few days after my quarantine ended. The feel and shape after the Masters is still there, and I feel like I'm still confident. Obviously I felt good about hitting the ball. ”
"Even if I still have some signs of fatigue, it's still a perfect game to play against Ronnie (O'Sullivan) or Judd (Trump). A round will end quickly, and I will get a good chance against these attacking players. It will be very good to have an audience here, there will not be too many bland moments in the game, and it is also a good fit for me. ”
In another game played at the same time, Williams, one of the "seven five three masters", defeated Gary Wilson 6-3 from a 0-2 deficit to also win the quarterfinals. The Welsh legend has already won his 24th ranking title of his career with a 6-4 win over Gary Wilson at the start of the season, and he lost to Robertson 5-6 last month to reach the Masters final before reaching the final in a one-time limited time tournament.
Three-time world champion Williams did not shoot a single shot above 50 points in the entire game, but after a 3-3 draw he still managed to win three straight sets to win. Williams will face the winner between Walton and Allen in the quarter-finals.
The Players Tournament will enter its second matchday on Feb. 8, with China's Zhao Xintong and Yan Bingtao coming on at 9pm Beijing time against England's Barry Hawkins and David Gilbert respectively.