Michael Wild beats Robert Valiant in the first round of 2011 Q School on Day 1 – Snooker News
Englishman Michael Wild defeated compatriot Robert Valiant 4-3 in the first round of the 2011 World Snooker Qualifying School (Q School) in the fourth session of Day 1. The Event 2 of Q School started
on Tuesday, May 17 at the World Snooker Academy in Sheffield, and will end on Sunday, May 22.
Both Englishmen displayed the best of their snooker skills to win a second round spot and finally grab the tour card, but luck favoured Wild in the end. He will go head-to-head against Mike Hallett
in the second round of the Q School on Friday, May 20.
Wild made a surprise visit on the table in the first frame as he swept the table with a rattling half-century clearance of 53 after he was 15-16 down to Valiant, and clinched the frame by 68-16 to
take a quick 1-0 lead in the match.
Valiant responded and grabbed the second frame 50-61 with a couple of decent small knocks to unsettle his opponent and pull level at 1-1.
The third frame was totally dominated by Wild, who possesses a 52.2 percent frame winning rate. He took the third frame with a comprehensive margin of 81 points at 90-9 to gain a one-frame lead again
by 2-1.
Valiant tussled again in the fourth frame to pick a strong lead but failed to capitalise due to tough resistance from Wild during the frame. However, a small break brought him 10 points up against
Wild’s 52-point run and he managed to bring the game level at 2-2 with the fourth frame win by 52-62.
Wild however, was in complete control over the next frame and proved to be too hot to handle for Valiant. He won the fifth frame with a convincing score of 73-40.
The 27-year-old Valiant played brilliantly in the sixth frame and didn’t let his opponent come at the table as he clinched the penultimate frame by the frame score of 3-54 and dragged the competition
into a decider frame after pulling level with 3-3.
Both English potters gave their best in the last frame to take the victory but Wild had a tremendous small-break run and finally got the match victory at 4-3 after winning the frame by 74-63 to book
his spot against Mike Hallett in the second round.
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