Liang builds big lead over Swail

Published April 29, 2008

SHEFFIELD (England), April 28: China’s Liang Wenbo is on course to emulate his shock win over former champion Ken Doherty as he built a commanding lead in his second round clash with Joe Swail at the World Snooker Championship on Sunday.

Liang, 21, beat Doherty 10-5 in the first round at the Crucible here in Sheffield and proved that was no fluke as he stormed ahead against Northern Ireland’s Swail.

The qualifier won the first two frames with breaks of 84 and 90, with Swail failing to pot a single ball.

Swail finally got on the scoreboard with a break of 45 in the next frame but Liang won the next four frames to charge into a 6-1 lead. The Sheffield-based player even fluked a crucial red in the fifth frame without realising. He returned to his seat thinking he had missed, only to be sent back to the table by a laughing Swail.

Swail won the final frame with a break of 47.

Also on Sunday, Ronnie O’Sullivan of England led Welshman Mark Williams 9-7 and Stephen Maguire of Scotland, now one of the favourites, was 11-5 up against Australian Neil Robertson.—AFP

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