Open misery as duo suffer early exits

MICHAEL WILD

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MICHAEL Wild and Hamza Akbar failed in their attempts to reach the first round stages of two world ranking snooker events.

Wild, from Moorside, gave as good as he got against Dave Gilbert in the World Open qualifier in Preston.

The match was evenly-poised at three frames each ­after Wild had trailed 3-1.

Gilbert, the world number 22, then edged the seventh frame 63-50, before going on to seal overall victory.

Wild clinched frame two with a break of 67.

In the Riga Open qualifier, also staged at Preston, Wild was leading 2-1 against China's Li Hang, but went on to lose the next three frames in a 4-2 defeat.

Hang knocked in a brilliant 111 break to win frame five, before adding a 56 to see off Wild's challenge.

Akbar, who is based at the Oldham Snooker Academy, was in good spirits after qualifying for the Indian Open.

However, the Pakistani was unable to repeat the feat against Ryan Day and Zhou Yuelong.

It was definitely Ryan's 'day' in the World Open.

REGISTERING

The 36-year-old Welshman was at the top of his game in Preston, registering breaks of 107, 76, 71 and 61 in an impressive 5-1 victory.

Akbar avoided a whitewash by winning frame five.

Yuelong, from China, was equally dismissive of last year's Asian champion.

Akbar lost the opening frame narrowly, despite knocking in a break of 50. He won the third, but breaks of 54 and 90 in the next two sealed his fate.