Thai Qualifier Thepchaiya Un-Nooh Eases Into Indian Open Snooker Last 16

Representational Image of a snooker table.

Thailand qualifier Thepchaiya Un-Nooh continued his giant-slaying spree in the Indian Open World Ranking Snooker Championships as he knocked out Belgian teenager Luca Brecel 4-0 to reach the pre-quarterfinals here on Thursday.

The lanky 29-year-old Thai left hander, who shocked defending champion and top seed Ding Junhui 4-3 in the first round yesterday, once again demonstrated superb cue touch and finished off the game in high spirits with a masterly break of 137.

Thepchaiya, from his country's capital Bangkok and ranked 61st in the world, thus avenged his 0-4 defeat against the 19-year-old Brecel, ranked 49th, at the Players Tour Championships in 2012 and will meet Jamie Jones of Wales tomorrow morning for a place in the last eight.

Jones, ranked 45, had dispatched 43rd ranked Gerard Greene of Ireland 4-3 in another second round match held in the morning.

Thepchaiya, who won the IBSF world title in 2008 which earned him entry into the pro tour the next year, drubbed Brecel 65(54)-9 72-39 72-71 137(137)-0 and then said he expects to make it to the quarterfinals or semis.

"I am very happy. He beat me 4-0 in our previous meeting in England in the Players Tour event," said the Thai who said he started concentrating on the century break after crossing 70 points.

Asked about his next opponent Jones, Thepchaiya, who reached the final of a pro event for the first time at the recent Xuzhou Open Asian Tour where he lost to world no. 13 Joe Perry of England, said he had beaten the Welshman before.

In another second round match, world no. 60 Kyren Wilson showed excellent form to whip his higher-ranked English compatriot Ben Woollaston 4-1 and enter the last 16 of the pound sterling 300,000 event.

The 23-year-old Wilson, who reached the quarterfinals of the Shanghai Masters in 2013, struck two century breaks and two half century breaks to wallop Leicester's Woollaston, last month's Welsh Open finalist and the world no. 26 who is seeded 23rd.

Wilson, seeded 40th here, won 24-74 119(119)-1 69(52)-35 110(105)-16 76(75)-6.

Li Hang of China, who has beaten four-time world champion John Higgins this season, continued his impressive run by outclassing Englishman Stuart Carrington 4-1 to enter the last 16, though the loser uncorked the highest break of the tournament - 138 - to win the fourth frame.

The 24-year-old Hang, ranked 44th in the tournament, disposed off Carrington - the 47th seed here - 90(90)-33 65(55)-33 78-44 0-138(138) 66(52)-0.