Crucible Debutants Ridley and Hancorn Progress in World Seniors
Crucible Theatre debutants Adrian Ridley and Ben Hancorn are the latest players to book quarter-final berths in the 2023 LLP Solicitors World Seniors Snooker Championship after they won their respective matches during Friday afternoon’s session.
In front of a packed audience in Sheffield, Australian Ridley produced a very impressive display to dispatch 1986 world professional champion Joe Johnson, 3-0.
The Yarrawonga cueist – who qualified by virtue of claiming this year’s Asia Pacific Seniors Championship in March – looked comfortable as he rattled in breaks of 46, 57 and 73 to set up a date with either Jimmy White or Philip Williams on Saturday.
The second match of the session between Hancorn and Peter Lines yielded the first deciding frame finish of this year’s event.
Former English amateur champion Hancorn claimed the opening frame, but 2017 title winner and current UK seniors champion Lines levelled up and then went in front. Lines held a small lead in the fourth frame and had chances to go through but was unable to convert; Hancorn punished and took the tie all the way.
In the deciding frame, Lines failed to successfully lay a snooker behind the yellow ball. Hancorn immediately potted a brilliant long-distance red from the error and went on to make a cool 78 clearance to go through.
The Bristolian is set to face Gerard Greene in the quarter-finals tomorrow.
