Ken Doherty puts an end to Michael Wild’s winning streak: 2012 Australian Goldfields Open
Fourth and final round of the 2012 Australian Goldfields Open snooker event qualifying session has ended at the World Snooker Academy in Sheffield featuring 16 potters who will meet the top 16 in the televised stage of the tournament at the Bendigo Stadium
arena in Victoria on July 9. The qualifying session produced some major upsets as well as some easy wins for several potters from around the world.
Oldham’s Michael Wild put up an excellent snooker display at the academy during his qualifier run and produced some terrific fireworks against his opponents but despite his classy form, he was unable to make it to the advance stages of the event.
He set up final round clash against former World Snooker Champion from Ireland, Ken Doherty who ended his hopes of playing at the Bendigo Stadium after ousting him by the score line of 5-0. Wild had no chances to improvise during the game as Doherty swept
the table quite easily in all five frames to ensure his success and Wild’s fall.
Wild was promoted by the snooker governing body, World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA) despite the fact that he failed to qualify for the professional tour. However, his finish on the higher ranks in the final World Snooker Qualifying
School (Q School) standings bought him an opportunity to prove his talent and earn a place in the pro tour.
Wild started cashing this chance in the qualifiers of the Aussie event. He started off his qualifying campaign with his first match against the World Snooker Q School entrant, Wales’ Daniel Wells. He performed outstandingly against the Welshman and grabbed
a whitewashed victory against him by 5-0.
He faced compatriot Simon Bedford in the second round and clinched an easy win over him by the score line of 5-2. The Englishman had his biggest match of the qualifying session against the former six-time World Snooker Championship winner Steve Davis. Playing
against Davis was itself a pressure situation for Wild but he kept his cool and was able to hit another whitewash triumph to surge into the final round.
The final round did not finish in his favour as Doherty fired some terrific breaks of 68, 62 and 119 to nudge him down by 5-0. Doherty will next meet England’s Martin Gould in the initial stage of the 2012 Australian Goldfields Open.
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