World Snooker Championship: Martin Gould boosts survival hopes, teenager Ben Mertens loses
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ByEurosport
Updated 25/07/2020 at 04:02 GMT
Martin Gould boosted his hopes of avoiding losing his professional tour card with a 6-0 win over Morocco's Amine Amiri in the second round of qualifying at the English Institute of Sport in Sheffield.
Martin Gould
Image credit: Getty Images
The 2016 German Masters winner has dropped to 60 in the world rankings and could face a trip to qualifying school if he finishes the season outside of the top 64 – but took a giant step towards avoiding that fate by whitewashing Amiri.
'The Pinner Potter' made his highest break of the contest in the final frame of the day courtesy of an 83 and will face world number 53 Chris Wakelin on Sunday night for a spot in the final round of qualifiers over the best of 19 frames on Monday and Tuesday.
Gould explained why he has dropped so low in the world rankings having been as high as 11 in 2012.
"I've haven't looked at the ranking list for about four years, maybe even longer than that," said Gould. "I don't look at it.
"It doesn't interest me. All I want to do is play snooker – and I still won't be looking at the ranking list.
"I just need to make sure my performances are good enough to win matches.
"I've chosen not to play in certain events, and tried to cut down my travel. Most of the time when I have played in certain events the people I've played have been phenomenal.
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"It's not a case of me being in a bad rut or what the commentators have been saying about me lately. It's been my choice and I'm kind of at the point where my body can't do it week in, week out.
"I want to be 100 percent ready for the events I choose to play in. I don't want to go out there and make a point. I just want to make sure I keep winning matches."
Fifteen-year-old Belgian teenager Ben Mertens suffered a narrow 6-4 defeat to world number 75 Sam Baird days after becoming the youngest player of all time to win a match at the sport's biggest event.
Amateur Mertens stunned James Cahill – conqueror of five-times winner Ronnie O'Sullivan in last year's first round – 6-2 on Wednesday and certainly pushed Baird all the way in their second round qualifier.
Mertens looked on the verge of another huge shock when he rolled in breaks of 51 and 77 to lead 4-2, but Baird steeled himself with 56 and closing knocks of 52 and 51 enough to seal his progression.
Baird will meet Mark Davis in the third round of qualifying.
In the evening session, 1997 world champion Ken Doherty completed a 6-4 win over Scotland's Fraser Patrick to set up a meeting with Mark King.
Dohery had led 4-0 and 5-1, but saw his opponent recover to 5-4 behind before a closing 57 saw him over the line.
"I've played a lot of years in this Championship, but it still means a lot to me," said Doherty. "It means a lot more to the players because it is the World Championship. Sometimes you have to scrap home, and I scrapped home tonight."
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