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| Date : 08 May 2009 |
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| Asian C'ship: Hosts Fancy Another Crown |
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The Chinese will be fancying to make it two in a row as Mei Xiwen and Shi Hanqing both qualified for the semifinals of the 2009 Asian Championship in Tangshan.
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What brightens the hopes of the host country is that two meet each other in the semifinals, meaning that have already earned a crack at this year’s top honours.
Last year, veteran Jin Long, now playing professionally on the World Snooker Main Tour, won the crown for China in Dubai.
Shi Hanqing (pictured above), who has been in a splendid form through out the tournament and his 138-point run in the first round is the highest break of the event so far, was once again at his best as he defeated season United Arab Emirates campaigner Mohammed Al Joaker 5-1.
Mei Xiwen showed compatriot Tian Pengfei, the most experienced Chinese player in the tournament, the exit, handing his rival a 5-2 defeat on May 8.
Former world and Asian champion Ratchapol Pu-Ob-Orm, who at one time facing first round elimination, put on an impressive show to get the better of Hong Kong China’s Fung Kwok Wai 5-3.
Ratchapol’s opponent in the semifinal will be another Hong Kong China player Au Chi Wai, who played with great confidence on May 8 to send last year’s runner-up Aditya Mehta packing 5-2.
Both semifinals are scheduled to take place on May 9.
Quarter-finals Frame Scores:
Shi Hanqing (China) beat Mohamed Al Joaker (UAE) 5-1 (100(92)-17, 58-25, 66-36, 55-66, 60-49, 60-34)
Mei Xiwen (China) beat Tian Pengfei (China) 5-2 (59-56, 65(59)-30, 64(50)-7, 0-132(123), 27-64, 56-24, 71-25)
Ratchapol Pu-Ob-Orm (Thailand) beat Fung Kwok Wai (Hong Kong China) 5-3 (81(60)-8, 81-71, 63-68, 71(62)-39, 34-67, 104(81)-27, 57-63, 106(106)-0)
Aditya Mehta (India) lost Au Chi Wai (Hong Kong China) 2-5 (55-49, 37-78, 38-51, 26-59, 8-72, 81-52, 9-84(83))
Please click here for latest knockout chart
Please click here for the list high breaks in the tournament so far
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