Walden fails to secure Crucible spot
Tuesday, 9 March 2010Ricky Walden was the notable casualty in Tuesday's Betfred.com World Championship qualifying action as Graeme Dott, Stephen Lee and Jamie Cope secured their Crucible places.
Walden was edged out 10-8 by 18-year-old Chinese rookie Anda Zhang.
Zhang - just five feet three inches tall and nicknamed 'Mighty Mouse' - clinched victory with back-to-back centuries, a total clearance of 134 in frame 19 followed by a 103.
Stuart Bingham is another familiar face who will be absent this year after a 10-2 hammering by Stuart Pettman, who knocked in five half-centuries in a dominant display.
Dott, champion in 2006, came from 3-1 down in the early stages to beat fellow Scot Jimmy Michie 10-5 - though he admitted 'there's no enjoyment in it (the qualifying competition)' after a scrappy encounter.
Lee saw off Mike Dunn 10-2 in an impressive performance. Breaks of 83, 67, 64, 63 and 56 helped the 2003 semi-finalist earn his place in the televised stages.
The break-building performance of the day, though, came from Stoke 'Shotgun' Cope, who blasted his way to a 10-5 win over Mark Joyce with the aid of a 108 and eight other runs over 50.
Gerard Greene, by contrast, was made to toil for over eight hours as he came from 7-4 down to grind his way past Rory McLeod in a final-frame decider.
