Rory Thor conquers Thunder as British Open shocks keep coming

Neil Robertson was shocked by Rory Thor on the British Open late on Wednesday night time because the upsets carry on coming in Cheltenham.

The Malaysian cueist, who beat Mark Williams within the opening spherical, edged the Thunder from Down Underneath 4-3 to set-up a fourth spherical assembly with John Higgins or Graeme Dott.

Robertson gained the English Open on Sunday night time in Brentwood and maintaining his problem for extra silverware this week as he went 3-1 up within the race to 4.

Nevertheless, the 36-year-old world quantity 81 reeled off three frames on the spin to assert the massive win because the clock ticked previous midnight.

It was a really uncommon recreation as Thor made 4 half-centuries, however three of them got here within the three frames he misplaced.

The Malaysian has been the conqueror of two prime 16 gamers, with eight already crushed in Cheltenham and Ronnie O’Sullivan withdrawing earlier than the event started.

Zhang Anda was additionally shocked on Wednesday, crushed 4-3 by 18-year-old Stan Moody, who thought-about the victory over the world quantity 12 his finest but as an expert.

‘It’s my finest win on tour,’ stated Moody. ‘My all spherical recreation is getting higher, I’m engaged on my security recreation. My debut season was very troublesome, however this season I’ve modified lots of issues each on and off the desk and hopefully I’ll get the outcomes. I’ll simply play the balls tomorrow and have some enjoyable.’

Moody had already picked up spectacular wins over Joe O’Connor and Michael Holt to succeed in this stage and meets both Oliver Strains or Sunny Akani within the final 16.

Shaun Murphy was one other prime participant to be crushed on Wednesday, though his defeat was much less of a shock because it got here by the hands of four-time world champion John Higgins.

The Wizard of Wishaw dropped out of the highest 16 after the English Open for the primary time in 29 years however may make a really swift return to the elite group with a superb run this week.

On the 4-2 win over the Magician, Higgins stated: ‘It’s a large scalp for me. The final couple of occasions in opposition to Shaun, he has outplayed me. It’s vital for me to beat one of many prime guys, and I’m happy with the way in which I closed the match out. My new cue appears to have given me a brand new lease of life.

‘The gamers within the prime 16 need to be in there as a result of they’re profitable tournaments, and I’ve not completed that. It offers me one thing to purpose for, to get again in there in time for the Masters. I’ve performed there for 30 consecutive years and I wouldn’t need that run to finish.’

Murphy stated in a social media publish: ‘That was fairly disappointing, nobody likes shedding. I don’t suppose shedding to John Higgins is a shame, I don’t suppose anybody might be upset with shedding to John Higgins on any day, I suppose I can take that.

‘Nevertheless it simply took me too lengthy to work out tips on how to spin the cue ball on that desk right now, with the humidity and taking part in circumstances, it took me too lengthy to adapt to that. By the point I did I used to be 3-1 behind and in hassle. It doesn’t matter who you might be, you possibly can’t give John Higgins a three-frame begin, definitely in a better of seven.’

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