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World Snooker
SportChina

World Snooker Championship: Yan Bingtao survives scare to progress, faces world’s best Trump in round 2

  • Chinese number two loses five frames in a row during the final session but eventually seals a 10-7 victory
  • Crucible debutant Slesson mounts spirited fightback from 9-2 down

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Yan Bingtao had to fend off a stunning comeback from Elliot Slesson in the first round of the World Snooker Championship on Monday evening. Photo: VCG/VCG via Getty Images
Paul Ryding
Chinese ace Yan Bingtao eventually made it to round two of the World Snooker Championship in Sheffield on Monday night, but it was more dramatic than he would have liked.

Crucible debutant Elliot Slesson gave Yan an almighty fright in the final session as he forced his way back into the match after going 9-2 behind.

It looked to be all over when Yan moved seven frames clear of Slesson, who turned 26 on Tuesday, but the Englishman had other ideas and hit back with a five-frame streak that included breaks of 59, 86 and a magnificent 123.
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The world No 16 Yan eventually secured his passage to the last-16 after an attritional 36-minute long 17th frame. He will face the world number one and defending champion Judd Trump on Thursday.

“I was getting a bit nervous near the end and I was very glad to win when I did,” said Asian number two Yan. “If I had lost the last frame we would have had to come off at 9-8 and I did not want to come back later in the evening.”

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Earlier, Crucible great Ronnie O’Sullivan fired off a warning to his second round opponent Ding Junhui when he broke a World Championship record to complete his 10-1 demolition of Thailand’s Thepchaiya Un-Nooh in just 108 minutes.

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