2024 English Open Snooker Day 2 Report: Fan makes 147, White and Fu also win
A former European Masters Champion, Chinese cueist Fan was 2-0 down to teenager Pullen before turning the match on its head as breaks of 68, 92 and 69 helped put him 3-2 up.
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The best was yet to come, though, as he achieved perfection in frame six, fashioning the second 147 break of the 2024/25 season and the 204th in professional competition overall. Fan is now in pole position to claim the tournament’s £5,000 highest break prize.
Several other century breaks were made on Friday at the Brentwood Centre, including two from Louis Heathcote who was involved in a brilliant encounter with Ukrainian Iulian Boiko.
Heathcote registered runs of 137 and 114 in the opening two frames, but later went 3-2 down before further efforts of 66 and 97 aided him over the line, 4-3.
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Teenage wildcard Oliver Sykes - who was one of two selections by the English Partnership for Snooker Billiards - crafted efforts of 75, 60 and 121 as he dismissed Julien Leclercq, 4-1. Paul Deaville - the other nomination from English snooker's national governing body - was eliminated 4-2 by Xing Zihao. Xing top scored with a 112.
Mitchell Mann made exactly 100 as he advanced to round two, while Liu Hongyu (128) and Zak Surety (128) also struck three figures as they progressed to the last 64 and next week’s televised stages. Liu’s reward is a showdown with World Number One Judd Trump.
Aaron Hill set up a meeting with four-time World Champion Mark Selby as the Irish number one racked up efforts of 72, 91, 51 and 122 in 4-2 victory versus Lei Peifan.
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Ben Woollaston continues to build momentum on tour; a former Welsh Open finalist, he won 4-2 against Dylan Emery, making 93, 113 and 74 in the process.
Jimmy White finished off with an 81 break as he saw off Joshua Cooper, 4-2, and Marco Fu notched up runs of 64 and 75 during a 4-1 success against Haris Tahir. Both White and Fu are set for action again on Saturday.
Joshua Thomond, Hammad Miah, Mostafa Dorgham, Ka Wai Cheung and Alexander Ursenbacher were the other round one winners on Friday.
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Joining Fan, Liu, Surety, Hill and Woollaston in round three is Wu Yize, who put behind his 5-4 loss to eventual champion Trump last week at the Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters, as he constructed breaks of 57, 81, 98 and 64 in a 4-1 verdict over Chris Totten.
Oliver Lines and Ian Burns also passed their round two assignments.
The majority of the remaining round of 96 matches will be completed on Saturday. There is no play on Sunday.
For the full draw, results and other important details, please visit our 2024 English Open Tournament Information Centre, here.
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