Williams and Robertson progress at Welsh Open
Mark Williams and Neil Robertson, both two-time Welsh Open champions, have advanced to the last-16 stage of the tournament with wins over Martin O'Donnell and Hossein Vafaei respectively.
Williams, aged 50, produced three half-century breaks during his second-round match held in Llandudno. A notable moment was a long pot on a red ball in the fifth and deciding frame, contributing to his 4-1 victory.
"I thought I played alright. Conditions were tough, it was flying off the cushions," Williams told .
"He (O'Donnell) missed a few there, he let me off the hook a few times. But overall I thought I played alright. I had a good break in the last frame."
Williams, who previously won the Welsh Open in 1996 and 1999, is set to face Barry Hawkins in the third round. Hawkins, the 2018 runner-up, secured a 4-2 win over Pang Junxu with breaks of 69, 72, and 52.
Australian Neil Robertson, champion of the Welsh Open in 2007 and 2019, recovered from losing the opening frame to defeat Iranian Hossein Vafaei 4-1. The first frame lasted 51 minutes and was won by Vafaei, but Robertson then claimed four consecutive frames, including a crucial second frame won on the black ball.
Robertson demonstrated his skill in the final two frames with breaks of 100 and 118, setting up a third-round match against Jak Jones.
Jak Jones advanced to round three with a 4-2 victory over Scotland's Anthony McGill, aided by three breaks exceeding 50.
Jackson Page produced a remarkable comeback to defeat Chang Bingyu 4-3. Bingyu had taken a 3-2 lead with breaks of 65 and 74, but Page's century break of 101 in the penultimate frame was pivotal, followed by a 70-22 win in the deciding frame.
Robbie Williams overcame a 2-0 deficit to defeat 2013 champion Stephen Maguire 4-3 in the second round. A break of 69 in the fourth frame was a highlight for the English player.
Jack Lisowski staged an impressive comeback on the North Wales coast, winning three consecutive frames to overturn a 3-1 deficit against Xiao Guodong. Guodong appeared poised for victory after two half-century breaks and a 113 break in the fourth frame, but Lisowski's resilience, including an 83 break to force a deciding frame, secured his win with a 56-39 final frame score.
David Grace achieved a straightforward 4-1 win over Welshman Dylan Emery, while Wu Yize defeated Joe O'Connor 4-2 in a match featuring four half-century breaks.
In another match, Jiang Jun delivered a dominant performance against fellow Chinese player Yuan Sijun, outscoring him 290 points to 87 to claim a 4-0 victory.
Welsh Open day three results
- Mark Williams 4-1 Martin O'Donnell
- Robbie Williams 4-3 Stephen Maguire
- Hossein Vafaei 1-4 Neil Robertson
