Lukas Kleckers became the third German after Lasse Münstermann and Patrick Einsle to earn a place on the main professional tour by beating Martin O’Donnell 4-1.
Both Kleckers and O’Donnell reached the quarter-final in a very tough draw by Q School standards. Kleckers beat two Chinamen Geng Mingqi and Ma Tingpeng while O’Donnell got through a decider against Pole prodigy Kacper Filipiak and whitewashing ‘The Welsh Whirlwind’ Jamie Rhys Clarke. But it is the German who got through a safety-dominated game to be currently one of the five continental Europeans as well as Belgian Luca Brecel, Finn Robin Hull, Swiss European U21 Champion Alexander Ursenbacher and finally Norwegian Kurt Maflin. HAPPY NOW KARLA??????????
Kleckers has been touted as someone who can represent Germany at a professional stage, but what are his strengths and weaknesses? I asked a few Germans here:
He has the right attitude. He is good in these difficult frames. Unfortunately not so much very high breaks.
— Imke Köhler (@HML1001) May 14, 2017
https://twitter.com/PseudoRolf/status/863785402322309121
In other news Allan Taylor immediately stampeded back into the professional tour by beating fellow pro Sean O’Sullivan 4-0, who made the highest break of 140 in Event 1. After surviving a scare the previous round by beating Daniel Ward from 3-2 down when a snooker was required, he weathered “The Storm” (see what I did there!?). He qualified for the third time so far, having qualified via PTC Order of Merit twice. Allan said after the match according to World Snooker: “I was in control throughout most of the match. I’m over the moon to win.”
We also have two debutants starting their professional snooker seasons for the first time. Billy Joe Castle, a cousin of fellow snooker amateur Shane Castle. He beat talented players Mateusz Baranowski and pros Zhang Yong and Paul Davison. He trains in Newbury, 24 years of age, married and has two kids so we know he is able to move quickly and settle down in no time! Lastly, one of the top English prospects Ashley Hugill by surviving a fightback from fellow Englishman William Lemons. The 22 year-old Yorkshireman was 3-0 up before Lemons fought back.
Phew! finally on the tour, it nearly went wrong 😅 Thank you to @HomeinUrmston for the support #luckysponsor https://t.co/VpDEXaj9cI
— Ashley Hugill (@AcHugill) May 14, 2017
So what now for Event 2?
Well, there are plenty of things that come up here. Not only will there be four more cherub-looking winners in Event 2 but we the tour will have four extra players via the Order of Merit – in other words the best performing losers over the course of Q School events.
The players who reached the latter stages of Event 1 (O’Sullivan, O’Donnell, Davison, Lemons) as those from the previous round (e.g. Clarke, Cope, Zhang, Vallance) have the best opportunity to qualify if they cannot win Event 2. Ng On Yee is one of those who can make it, having won three matches to reach Round 4, including beating Irish Dessie Sheehan and former World Championship semi-finalised Joe Swail.
However, for many others they have to win Event 2. Former pros such as Joel Walker, Duane Jones, Andy Hicks and James Cahill to hot prospects such as Ashley Carty, Brian Cini and Brandon Sargeant were knocked out in the early rounds and have to go in with all guns blazing. Event Two starts tomorrow on Monday 15th May – Saturday 20th May.
Who’s it going to be? Oh and there is a Qatari called Mohammed Ali in the tournament. You know, a joke about ‘fly like a butterfly, sting like a bee’ sort of thing. Thought I should point that out.
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