Grand Prix – Xiao Guodong and Yuan Sijun advance to the top 8; all 75 top players are eliminated in the first round
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After turning the game around against Robertson in the first round, Xiao Guodong faced the veteran Mark Davis in this match. At the start, Davis took control several times and secured an early lead of 82-46, going 1-0 ahead temporarily. In the second frame, Xiao Guodong took advantage of his opponent’s mistakes to score 82 points in a single shot, thus bringing the score back to 1-1. In the third set, both sides engaged in a fierce defensive battle. Xiao Guodong secured another victory with his solid defense, scoring 63-18 and bringing the score to 2-1. In the fourth game, both sides failed to take a lead several times; in the end, Xiao Guodong had the upper hand, winning 59-56 and taking a 3-1 lead with one game left to play. In the fifth frame, Xiao Guodong scored 65 points in that frame, defeating his opponent 78-0, and with a total score of 4-1 he advanced to the quarterfinals.
Chinese rookie Yuan Sijun takes on Scottish star Stephen McGuire. In the first frame, Marshall seized the opportunity to score 78 points in a single shot, taking the lead with a score of 83-0. In the second frame, Yuan Sijun was not willing to back down; he scored 76 points in that frame and brought things back level, making the score 90-8 and thus tying the match at 1-1. In the third frame, Marquez scored a 52-point break on several occasions, once again defeating Yuan Sijun 93-0 in that frame and taking a 2-1 lead. In the next three games, Marquez made frequent mistakes on the offensive end, while the young player Yuan Sijun played steadily and won three consecutive games, turning the score around to 4-2 and advancing to the quarterfinals.
Today, billiards in China is undergoing a transition from being a popular sport among the general public to one that is more professional and international in nature