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[Smallville22]

Brazil remains unbeaten with straight sets win over Japan

Tokyo, Japan, November 22, 2013. Brazil overpowered Japan in straight sets (25-17, 25-23, 25-18) in their round-robin match at the World Grand Champions Cup on Friday.
Brazil, ranked No. 1 in the world, just had too much power on offense and defense for the host nation. The Brazilians pounded spikes and drilled several wicked serves on the way to a comprehensive victory.
Brazil moved to 3-0 with the triumph, while Japan fell to 0-3.
The match marked the sixth time the countries have played in the World Grand Champions Cup and 40th in all competitions. Brazil is 6-0 against Japan in the WGCC and 30-10 alltime.
Luis Felipe Marques Fonteles sparked Brazil with 12 points. Wallace De Souza contributed 11 points in the win.
Yu Koshikawa led Japan with 13 points, while Yusuke Ishijima added 10.
Japan challenged Brazil in the second set, but could not muster enough force to overtake it.
Brazil passed and received well throughout the match in a clinical performance.
Japan displayed stretches of good play but they were too infrequent to make a difference.
Ishijima fired a spike long as Brazil seized a 5-2 lead in the first set. Wallace soared for a spike and Brazil went up 7-4. The South Americans led 8-4 at the first TTO. A spike by Mauricio Borges gave Brazil a six-point advantage at 11-5. A reception error by Japan ballooned Brazil's lead to 16-8 at the second TTO. A spike by Yamamura made it 18-10 as Japan tried to keep contact. It was 20-12 after a Fukuzawa spike. A block by Mauricio made it 21-12. Evandro Guerra flew in for a spike and Brazil was three points from the set at 22-13. Sidnei Dos Santos took a quick pass for a kill and it was set point at 24-16. Marques gave Brazil the set 25-17 with a quick spike. Mauricio and Sidnei had five points each in the set.
Lucas Saatkamp drove a spike down the middle to stake Brazil to a 5-2 lead. A blast by Bruno Rezende sent Brazil into the first TTO up 8-4. Eder Carbonera's spike took it to 10-6. A powerful spike by Marques Fonteles nearly leveled a Japan player and made it 12-8. A soft return by Koshikawa was tipped by Brazil and Japan moved within two at 13-11. A one-handed return by Koshikawa made it 13-12. A service ace by Koshikawa tied it 14-14 and Japan continued to surge. Brazil came back with two straight points and was on top 16-14 at the second TTO. Wallace struck another spike as Brazil stayed ahead 19-18. Japan tied the score several times, but could never pull ahead in the set. Brazil led 21-19 after Japan sent a serve long. A Yamamoto spike again drew Japan within one at 22-21. A nice dink by Maurico put Brazil within two points of the set at 23-21. A missed spike by Eder made it 23-23 but Brazil came back and took the set 25-23 on a spike by Wallace.
Japan grabbed a 5-4 lead in the third set on a service ace by Ishijima but Brazil led 8-7 at the first TTO. With Brazil up 11-8, Japan took a timeout. A spike by Marques gave Brazil a four-point margin at 14-10. Bruno's serve sent Brazil into the second TTO with a 16-12 lead. Lucas connected with a windmill spike and it was 20-15 as Brazil moved to close out the match. Kazuyoshi Yokota sent a serve into the net and it was 23-18. Yamamura then whiffed on a spike attempt and it was match point at 24-18. A block by Brazil ended it 25-18.

 

[Smallville22]

Ashes - Dominant Australia eye victory with huge lead over England

Day three, first Ashes Test: The Gabba, Brisbane - Australia 295 all out (Haddin 94, Johnson 64 / Broad 6-81) and 401-7 declared (Warner 124, Clarke 113 / Tremlett 3-69); lead England 136 all out (Carberry 40 / Johnson 4-61, Harris 3-28) and 24-2 (Harris 1-7, Johnson 1-7) by 536 runs.

David Warner and Michael Clarke drove home Australia's advantage with dominant centuries to give the hosts a lead of 560 when they declared at 401-7 before two quick wickets left England further floundering on day three of the first Ashes Test.
Put in the driving seat when their bowlers dismissed the tourists for 136 at the Gabba on Friday, Warner and Clarke gleefully grasped the controls and raced away from England in a 158-run partnership for the third wicket that took the game away from the tourists.
Warner hammered 124 off 154 balls for his fourth Test century and first against England, while Clarke's 113 came off 130 balls for the 25th hundred of his career and sixth in the Ashes.
The struggling tourists lost both Michael Carberry - for a duck - and Jonathan Trott (nine) late in the final session as Australia began to close in on what appears to be a very probable victory in the series opener.
England would need to better the best ever fourth innings run chase in Test cricket by 143 runs to win the match and more realistically will look to dig in and hope the rainstorms forecast for Brisbane materialise.

Key stats

In the last 20 years Australian and English spinners average 24.5 and 61.9 respectively at Brisbane.

Since January 2005 England have won one the opening match in 14 away Test series - Bangladesh March 2010 (lost nine, drawn three).

Only two teams have scored over 200 to win a test at the Gabba. Highest 236 In 1951 Australia v West Indies.

The wicket of Warner was Stuart Broad 50th Ashes scalp at an average of 28.54.

Clarke passed 1,000 runs at the Gabba, including four 100s and three 50s at an average of 111.11

Michael Clarke became the 17th Test cricketer to score 25 centuries. He is tied with Alastair Cook on that mark.

 

[Smallville22]

Snooker - O’Sullivan ousts Ding after impressive comeback

Ronnie O’Sullivan recovered from losing the first three frames to reach the semi-finals of the Champion of Champions at Ding Junhui’s expense.
With the scores tied at 5-5, Ding edged ahead with a half-century in the decider only for O’Sullivan to respond with a 63 of his own as the Rocket completed a remarkable turnaround.
O’Sullivan will now face Neil Robertson in the semi-finals on Saturday.
Breaks of 53 and 66 helped Ding into a 3-0 lead but O’Sullivan hit back to take the next two frames.
The following four frames were shared to leave the score at 5-4 before O’Sullivan notched a 55 in the 10th to force a decider which the Englishman then took despite Ding building a healthy 50 point lead at one stage.
Both players had earlier sailed through the group stage with O’Sullivan thrashing Mark Davis 4-0 and Ding beating Barry Hawkins 4-2.

 

[Smallville22]

Snooker - Robertson latest name in Coventry final four

Neil Robertson became the latest player to secure a place in the semi-finals of the Champion of Champions event in Coventry after a thrilling win over Ali Carter.
Robertson won the Group Four final 6-5 in a high quality match that saw five centuries in total.
Robertson had three of them in total as runs of 119, 105 and 113 saw him come from 5-4 down to secure the win.
He also closed out his semi-final with Martin Gould with two centuries (129 and 112) as he came from 3-1 down to win 4-3.
The Australian will now face the winner of Group One in the semi-final.
That Group takes place on Friday with Ronnie O'Sullivan, Ding Junhui, Barry Hawkins and Mark Davis all looking to move on.

 

[Smallville22]

Snooker - O’Sullivan and Bingham progress to set up final clash in Coventry

A century from Ronnie O’Sullivan in the decisive eleventh frame helped him beat Neil Robertson 6-5 and book a final spot at the Champion of Champions in Coventry.
O’Sullivan will face Stuart Bingham who beat Mark Selby 6-4.
The Rocket looked on course for a comfortable win after a break of 103 opened up a 5-3 lead, but the Australian responded with an 80 and 125 in the next two frames to force a shootout.
But O’Sullivan notched a timely 119 to seal his place in the final.
Bingham progressed against Selby in a match that saw just four breaks of over 50.
With the scores tied at 4-4, Bingham took his chances to seize the ninth frame before completing the win with a 56 break.
The final takes place on Sunday.

 

[Smallville22]

Iran victorious against U.S. in five-set thriller

Tokyo, Japan, November 23, 2013 - Iran scored a dramatic five-set victory over the United States 28-26, 19-25, 19-25, 27-25, 18-16 in their round-robin match at the World Grand Champions Cup on Saturday.
The result left both teams with a 2-2 record.
The contest marked the first meeting ever between the countries in the World Grand Champions Cup and only third overall. It is the first time Iran has beaten the U.S. in an FIVB competition.
Mojtaba Mirzajanpour led Iran with 13 points in the triumph. Shahram Mahmoudi and Farhad Ghaemi added 11 each.
Matthew Anderson scored a match-high 25 points for the U.S. in the loss. William Priddy and Maxwell Holt contributed 18 apiece.
Iran played very well in the opening set, but appeared unable to keep up the pace against the powerful American attack until suddenly rallying in the fourth set.
The Iranians scored seven of the last nine points in the fourth set to force a fifth set.
Both sides raised the stakes with outstanding play in the final set.
Mojtaba Mirzajanpour's spike gave Iran a 5-4 lead in the first set. A block by Farhad Ghaemi put Iran up 8-7 at the first TTO. A spike by Mahmoudi made it 10-7 for Iran. After an Anderson spike it was 13-10 for Iran. A net infraction by Iran took the count to 15-12. Iran displayed good defense and served well. Anderson served into the net and Iran led 16-14 at the second TTO.
A block by Tavana Vaafuti pulled the U.S. within one at 17-16. Carson Clark sent a serve wide and Iran was up 19-17. A block by Mahmoudi made it 20-17. Anderson's spike again brought the U.S. within one at 21-20. Rahman Davoodi's spike made it 22-20. Anderson's block made it 23-22. The U.S. equalized 23-23 on a net infraction. Mahmoudi's spike gave Iran a set point at 24-23. The U.S. tied it again on a spike. Another spike by Mahmoudi gave Iran its second set point at 25-24. The U.S. leveled again at 25-25 on a spike by Priddy. Clark served long and Iran had its third set point. Anderson knotted it 26-26 with a spike. The U.S. could not handle a spike and then Mirzajanpour made a block that gave Iran the set 28-26. Anderson had eight points in the set, while Mahmoudi recorded four.
Mohammad Mousavi twisted his ankle with Iran leading 21-20 in the first set and was carried off by his teammates. He was later taken out of the arena for further treatment.
The U.S. moved out to a 7-5 lead in the second set. The U.S. led 8-7 at the first TTO. Priddy's spike put the U.S. on top 11-7. The U.S. led 16-11 at the second TTO. The U.S. was passing better and was more aggressive from the outset of the set. Clark's spike gave the U.S. a six-point margin at 18-12. Mirzajanpour's spike made it 19-15. Vaafuti soared for a spike and it was 20-16. Priddy's service ace took it to 22-17. Another spike by Vaafuti put the U.S. within two points of the set at 23-18. Mirzajanpour served into the net to give the U.S. set point at 24-19. Anderson closed out the set 25-19 with a spike.
The U.S. established a 6-3 lead in the third set. The U.S. led 8-4 at the first TTO. Strong play by the U.S. gave it a 12-5 lead and Iran called a timeout. Mirzanjanpour smashed a spike and the U.S. led 13-8. Gholami made it 14-10 with a spike that ended an extended rally. The U.S. led 16-12 at the second TTO. The U.S made it 20-15 on a spike by Holt. Priddy's shot made it 23-16. Clark fired a spike wide and it was 24-18. The U.S. took the set 25-19 on a power spike by Priddy.
The fourth set was close from the start. Holt's spike sent the U.S. into the first TTO with an 8-7 edge. Priddy's soft spike put the U.S. in front 12-9. Gholami served into the net and it was 13-10. Another Priddy blast made it 15-12. Anderson's spike gave the U.S. a 16-13 lead at the second TTO.
Anderson served into the net and it was 16-14. Holt sent a serve long and Iran was within one at 17-16. Tavana delivered a spike for 19-17. Anderson fired a spike long and the score was even at 19-19. The U.S. then took a timeout. Tavana's block gave the U.S. back the lead at 20-19. Hamzeh Zarini fired a serve long and it was 22-20. Iran could not handle a Clark spike and the U.S. was two points from the match at 23-20. Clark hammered a crosscourt spike wide and Iran was again within one at 23-22. The U.S. took a timeout. Iran tied it 23-23 on a spike by Rahman Davoodi. Anderson sent over a soft return and the U.S. had match point at 24-23. Davoodi's spike tied it again at 24-24. A block by Ghaemi put Iran in front 25-24. Holt crushed a spike it was level again at 25-25. Gaemi rose again and smashed a spike for 26-25. Zarini gave Iran the set 27-25 with a spike. Iran serve very well down the stretch to take the set.
Gholami's block staked Iran to a 2-0 lead in the fifth set. Zarini came up with a fine block and Iran led 3-0. Another Gholami block made it 4-0. A missed spike took it to 6-2 for Iran.
Davoodi served into the net and it was 7-4. A quick tap by Mehdi Madavi put the score at 8-4. Anderson ripped a spike and the U.S. moved within two at 8-6. A Zarini spike made it 9-6. Davoodi's soft return took the count to 10-7 for Iran. Vaafuti's blcok pulled the U.S. within one at 10-9. Zarini made it 11-9 with a powerful spike. Zarini served into the net and the deficit was again one for the U.S. at 11-10. Clark uncorked a massive serve and the score was deadlocked 11-11. It was 13-11 Iran when the U.S. took a timeout. Tavana's spike made it 13-12 as the U.S. tried to hang on. A block gave Iran match point at 14-12 Davoodi served into the net and it was 14-13. Holt's spike made it 14-14 and the drama continued. Mahmoudi's spike made it 15-14. Holt again kept the U.S. hopes alive with a spike. Another Zarini spike gave Iran its third match point at 16-15. Anderson tied it again with a spike. Zarini put Iran back up 17-16. Zarini ended it with a spike at 18-16.

 

[Smallville22]

Russia reprise Olympic comeback with win over Brazil

Tokyo, Japan, November 23, 2013 - Russia denied Brazil a chance to clinch the gold medal with a five-set (20-25, 22-25, 25-21, 25-17, 15-9) victory on Saturday in the World Grand Champions Cup.
The result left both teams with 3-1 records in what was a rematch of the 2012 Olympic final won by Russia in similar fashion.
The match marked the first meeting ever between Brazil and Russia in the World Grand Champions Cup. It was the 60th match overall between the countries, with Brazil leading 32-28 alltime.
The South Americans came into the match knowing that a 3-0 or 3-1 victory would clinch the gold for them and took the initiative from the outset.
Dmitriy Ilinykh paced Russia with 21 points, while Dmitriy Muserskiy added 20.
Wallace De Souza led Brazil with 21. Ricardo Lucarelli contributed 14.
Both sides featured huge serves throughout the match, but Russia persevered and prevailed in the end.
After falling behind two sets, the Russians dug deep and went on the attack.
Brazil jumped out to a 5-1 lead in the opening set. A block by Muserskiy saw Brazil up 6-3. Bruno Rezende's spike sent Brazil into the first TTO with an 8-4 lead. Brazil boosted its lead to 12-5 and Russia called a timeout. Mikhaylov's block cut the deficit to 13-7. Nikolay Apalikov fired a spike long and Brazil was up 14-9. A block by Ricardo made it 15-9. Lucas Saatkamp sent a spike right down the middle and Brazil was on top 16-10 at the second TTO.
Ricardo soared for a spike and Brazil was ahead 18-12. De Souza's spike made it 20-15 for Brazil. Apalikov fired a serve long and it was 22-17. After Mikhaylov served into the net Brazil was two points from the set at 23-18. Lucas sent a spike wide and Russia moved within three at 23-20. Brazil then took a timeout. Ricardo's spike gave Brazil set point at 24-20. Brazil took the set 25-20 when a fortuitous return landed just inside the sideline mark. Mikhaylov notched seven points in the set, while Ricardo had six.
Russia established a 5-3 lead in the second set on a service ace by Muserskiy. The big man then fired another one and Brazil called a timeout. A service ace by Lucas moved Brazil within on at 6-5. A reception error allowed to Brazil to level at 6-6. Brazil led 8-6 at the first TTO. A spike by Ilinykh tied it 9-9. Brazil led 13-12 despite a service error by Ricardo. Lucas delivered a perfectly place serve for an ace and Brazil was up 15-12. Brazil led 16-12 at the second TTO.
A block by Sidnei Dos Santo put Brazil's margin up to six at 19-13. Russia then scored four in a row to make it 19-17. A soft return by Wallace saw Brazil in front 21-18. Wallace rose for a spike and Brazil was two points from the set at 23-19. A block by Muserskiy made it 23-21. Lucas then hammered a spike and it was set point at 24-21. Muserskiy then served into the net and Brazil took the set 25-22.
Russia led 8-6 at the first TTO in the third set. Wallace pounded a spike and Brazil trailed 9-8. Another Wallace spiked evened the score 11-11. Lucas fired a service ace and Brazil moved ahead at 14-13. Mauricio Borges smashed a spike putting Brazil up 15-13 and Russia called a timeout. A return error by Russia made it 16-13 at the second TTO.
A block by Andrey Ashchev moved Russia back within one at 16-15. Russia then equalized when Wallace's spike hit the antenna. Mauricio gave Brazil back the lead 17-16 a spike that floored Muserskiy. Ricardo put Brazil up 19-18 with a spike. Wallace made it 20-19 for Brazil with a crosscourt spike. Russia retook the lead 21-20 on a spike. Muserskiy's spike made it 22-21 as Russia fought to stay in the match. Ilinykh hit Evandro Guerra with a serve as he tried to get out of the way and it was 23-21. Pavlov gave Russia the set 25-21 with a spike.
A service ace by Muserskiy gave Brazil a 5-3 lead in the fourth set. Russia was up 8-5 at the first TTO. A spike by Dos Santos pulled Brazil within one at 9-8. Wallace served into the net and Russia led 11-10. Pavlov's spike made it 14-11 for Russia and Brazil called a timeout. A block by Ilinkh put Russia up five at 18-13. Dos Santos served into the net and it was 20-15. Muserskiy crushed a spike and it was 23-16. A Muserskiy block gave Russia set point at 24-16. Russia wrapped up the set 25-17.
A spike by Ilinykh made it 5-2 for Russia as they retained the momentum from the previous two sets. Russia made it 8-4 by the changeover. Maruico's spike made it 9-5, but Russia was relentless as it drove for the line. A block by Evgeny Sivozhelez made it 12-6 and the result was all but academic. Sivozhelez made a kick save to keep a ball alive and Russia gained match point at 14-8. Wallace fired a serve long and Russia claimed the match 15-9.

 

[Smallville22]

Italy dominate Japan in straight sets victory

Tokyo, Japan, November 23, 2013 - Italy downed Japan in straight sets (25-16, 25-21, 25-21) at the World Grand Champions Cup on Saturday.
The result gives Italy a 2-2 mark, while Japan remains winless at 0-4 heading into the final day of the competition.
The match marked the third meeting ever in the World Grand Champions Cup between the nations and 31st overall. Japan entered with a 23-7 advantage in the series.
Ivan Zaytsev was the top scorer for Italy with 13 points. Filippo Lanza and Jiri Kovar chipped in with 11 each.
Yu Koshikawa had eight points for Japan in the loss.
Italy excelled in all facets of the game in an impressive performance. Their defense was especially outstanding in the triumph.
Japan appeared flat from the outset and could never muster much of a threat against the Italian attack.
Italy took a 5-4 lead in the first set. Zaytsev soared for a spike to put Italy up 6-5. Koshikawa fired a serve long and Italy led 8-6 at the first TTO. Shogo Toimoto's spike pulled Japan within a point at 9-8. Italy moved ahead 14-9 and Japan called a timeout. Japan prevailed in a long rally but still trailed 15-11. Italy was up 16-12 at the second TTO. A block by Italy made it 19-14. It was 20-15 after a dink by Kunihiro Shimizu. Filippo Lanza's soft return gave Italy set point at 24-15. Japan struggled with receiving during the set as Italy passed well on the counterattack. Lanza gave Italy the seet 25-16 with a spike. Zaytsev and Lanza had five points each in the set.
Jiri Kovar's block put Italy in front 5-3 in the second set and Japan called a timeout. A spike by Kazuyoshi Yokota made it 7-5. Japan had trouble dealing with Italy's frontline blocking. Zaytsev's spike gave Italy an 8-6 edge at the first TTO. With Italy ahead 10-6, Japan took a timeout. Lanza hammered a crosscourt spike and it was 12-7. Italy fired a spike wide and the score was 14-10. A Lanza spike made it 15-10. A Tatsuya Fukuzawa dink pulled Japan within three at 15-12. Italy led 16-12 at the second TTO after Koshikawa sent a serve into the net. Italy remained in control, moving ahead 20-15. A huge spike by Kovar made it 21-15. A Yokota spike pulled Japan within five at 22-17. Zaytsev uncorked another spike and put Italy two points from the set at 23-17. Koshikawa sent a serve long and Italy had set point at 24-18. After Japan scored three straight to make it 24-21, Italy called a timeout. Kovar ended the set 25-21 with a spike.
An outstanding block by Thomas Beretta put Italy up 5-3 in the third set. Fukuzawa whiffed on an attempted return and it was 7-3. Ishijima fired a spike long and it was 8-3 Italy at the first TTO. At this point in the match Italy had 10 blocks and Japan had none. A spike by Japan hit the antenna and Italy was up by six at 10-4. Kovar flew in for a spike and it was 13-8. Another Zaytsev spike made it 15-10. Kovar's spike made it 16-11 at the second TTO. Beretta's spike gave Italy a six-point lead at 18-12 and there appeared little doubt about the outcome. A service ace by Shimizu pulled Japan within three at 18-15. Lanza responded with a spike for 19-15. Koshikawa blocked a Zaytsev spike and it was 19-17. Fukuzawa served into the net and it was 20-17. Kovar spiked for 22-19 and Italy had the summit in sight. Japan took a final timeout at 23-20. Shimizu sent a spike wide and it was match point for Italy at 24-21. Kovar ended the affair 25-21 with a flying spike.

 

[Smallville22]

Brazil wins World Grand Champions Cup with five-set victory over Italy

Tokyo, Japan, November 24, 2013 - Brazil defeated Italy in an epic five-set battle (25-22, 25-22, 23-25, 20-25, 15-11) to claim the FIVB World Grand Champions Cup title on Sunday at Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium.
The victory improved Brazil's record to 4-1, while Italy finished with a 2-3 mark.
The match marked the third time that Brazil and Italy have met in the World Grand Champions Cup and 51st overall. Brazil entered with a 30-20 lead alltime.
Wallace De Souza led Brazil with a match-high 28 points. Lucas Saatkamp added 21 for the winners.
Ivan Zaytsev was valiant in defeat, scoring 27 for Italy. Filippo Lanza, Emanuele Birarelli, and Thomas Beretta all chipped in with 13 each.
Coming off Saturday's disappointing five-set loss to Russia, Brazil was aggressive from the start of the match and kept the pressure on early in the contest.
Italy fought back when it appeared it was on the verge of defeat in the third set.
Brazil was three points from victory in the third set only to see Italy come back and take five of the final six points to claim the set.
Wallace fired a spike wide as Italy moved out to a 5-3 lead in the first set. Lucas served into the net and Italy was up 7-5. Thomas Beretta's spike sent Italy into the first TTO with an 8-6 edge. Lanza's spike made it 10-8 for Italy. Brazil tied it 10-10 on a nice block by Lucas. Ricardo Lucarelli's service ace moved Brazil in front 12-11. Kovar sent a serve long and it was 15-14 for Brazil. Zaytsev then equalized with a spike. Beretta served into the net and Brazil was on top 16-15 at the second TTO.
Zaytsev served into the net and Brazil led 17-16 as the match stayed close. Zaytsev soared for a spike and it was 19-18 for Brazil. A service ace by Lucas gave Brazil a three-point lead at 21-18 and Italy called a timeout. A spike by Evandro Guerra off a nice back set made it 22-19. Luca Vettori served into the net and Brazil was two points from the set at 23-20. Lanza's spike made it 23-21. A spike by Wallace gave Brazil set point at 24-21. Brazil closed it out 25-22. Wallace had eight points in the set.
Lucas put Brazil up 5-3 in the second set with a spike. A return error by Italy made it 7-4 for Brazil. The South Americans were up 8-5 at the first TTO. Italy sent a spike long and Brazil moved out to a four-point lead at 10-6. It was 11-6 after a blcok by Wallace. Zaytsev sent a spike long and Brazil was on top 13-7. Wallace followed with a spike and Brazil was starting to pull away. Wallace rose for another spike and Brazil went into the second TTO up 16-9.
Italy took a timeout while trailing 18-10. Italy responded with three straight points out of the timeout and then Brazil called one of its own. A block by Beretta pulled Italy within four at 18-14. Ludovico Dolfo fired a spike long and it was 20-14. A Lanza spike cut Italy's deficit to three at 21-18 and Brazil took another timeout. Wallace spiked again and it was 22-18. A Zaytsev dink took the count to 22-19. Ricardo responded with a spike and Brazil was closing in on the set at 23-19. Emanuele Birarelli made a nice block and Italy moved within two at 23-21. A Lucas spike gave Brazil set point at 24-21. Lucas gave Brazil the set 25-22 with a spike.
Ricardo's spike put Brazil in front 5-2 in the third set. A reception error by Mauricio Borges put Italy within one at 6-5. Italy took the lead 7-6 on a return error by Wallace. Italy led 8-6 at the first TTO. A service ace by Michele Baranowicz put Italy up 10-8. Zaytsev hammered a spike and it was 13-11 for Italy. A spike by Wallace evened the score 14-14. Zaytsev answered with an impressive spike for 15-14. Dolfo's spike gave Italy a 16-15 lead at the second TTO.
Zaytsev gave Italy an 18-17 edge with a spike. A service ace by Rapahel Vieira put Brazil up 19-18. Mario Da Silva's spike made it 20-19. Brazil made it 22-20 after a return error by Italy. Zaytsev spiked for 22-21. Beretta block evened it at 22-22 and Brazil called a timeout. Beretta's block put Italy back ahead 23-22. Wallace knotted it with a spike. Wallace missed with a dink and Italy had set point at 24-23. Italy took the set 25-23 on a powerful serve by Birarelli.
Ricardo's spike staked Brazil to a 5-4 lead in the fourth set. A Zaytsev spike made it 7-6 for Italy. Zaytsev spike again and Italy was on top 8-6 at the first TTO. Brazil misplayed a reception and Italy went ahead 9-6. Zaytsev connected again and the Italian margin was 10-6. A huge serve by Wallace caromed off libero Salvatore Rossini to make it 13-12. Italy was up 16-13 at the second TTO.
With Italy leading 18-14, Brazil took a timeout. Wallace sent a spike long and the Italian lead was 19-15. Dolfo then delivered a service ace and a fifth set seemed a certainty. A spike by Ricardo pulled Brazil within two at 21-19. Zaytsev made it 22-19 with a spike. Wallace missed a crosscourt spike and it was 23-19. Birarelli came up with a clutch block and it was set point for Italy at 24-19. Birarelli gave Italy the set 25-20 with a thunderous spike.
Zaytsev missed a spike and Brazil took a 3-2 lead in the final set. Wallace followed with an ace but appeared to sprain his left ankle in the process. A Lucas block made it 5-2 and Italy called a timeout. Ricardo's block put the count at 6-2. Lanza's spike made it 7-4. Brazil was up 8-4 at the changeover. Zaytsev's spike pulled Italy within two at 9-7. Another Zaytsev spike made it 10-9 and Italy tried to stay close. A block by Eder Carbonera put Brazil three points from victory at 12-9. A Lucas spike made it match point at 14-10. Lucas soared for a final spike and Brazil took the title 15-11.

 

[Smallville22]

Russia captures silver medal with victory over United States

Tokyo, Japan, November 24, 2013 - Russia beat the United States in straight sets (29-27, 25-22, 25-19) to capture the silver medal at the FIVB World Grand Champions Cup on Sunday at Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium.
Brazil clinched the gold earlier with a five-set victory over Italy.
The result gave Russia a 3-2 record, while the U.S. finished 2-3.
Russia relied on its strong blocking and good passing in the triumph.
The match marked the first ever meeting between the U.S. and Russia in the World Grand Champions Cup and 45th overall. The U.S. entered with a 31-13 lead.
The U.S. looked lethargic following Saturday's five-set loss to Iran.
Dmitriy Ilinykh was the top scorer for Russia with 13 points. Dmitriy Muserskiy and Evgeny Sivozhelez contributed 11 apiece in the win.
Matthew Anderson led the U.S. with 14 points. Maxwell Holt added eight in the loss.
The U.S. led 8-6 after the first TTO. The score was tied 11-11 after Priddy sent a serve long. With Russia up 14-12, the U.S. called a timeout. Anderson equalized with a spike that made it 14-14 and the U.S. pulled ahead 15-14 on a thundering serve from Anderson. William Priddy drove a spike down the middle and the U.S. had a 16-14 lead at the second TTO.
Russia evend the score on a block by Muserskiy. Anderson fired a spike long and Russia went ahead 17-16. A huge serve by Muserskiy put Russia two points in front at 19-17. The U.S. moved back ahead 20-19. David Lee's spike made it 21-20 for the U.S. A block by Lee made it 22-21 for the U.S. and Russia called a timeout. Priddy pounded a serve and it was 23-21. Sean Rooney's spike gave the U.S. set point at 24-23. Russia knotted the score, but the U.S. went back 25-24 up on an Anderson spike. The U.S. gained another set point after a block, but Evgeny Sivozhelez tied it with a spike. Nikolay Apalikov's block gave Russia set point at 28-27 and they took it 29-27 when a U.S. block went out.
Muserskiy sent a serve long to put the U.S. ahead 5-4 in the second set. Anderson pounded a spike and the U.S. had an 8-7 edge at the first TTO. Russia pulled ahead 10-9 on a spike by Ilinykh that Priddy was unable to dig. The score was even 15-15 after a U.S. service error. Russia led 16-15 at the second TTO on a block by Apalikov.
A service ace by Apalikov made it 18-16 for Russia and the U.S. took a timeout. Muserskiy's block ended a lengthy rally and gave Russia a three-point lead at 20-17. A spike by Priddy pulled the U.S. within one at 21-20. Nikolay Pavlov's spike put the count at 23-21. Russia took the set 25-22 on a net infraction.
Anderson was unable to return a shot and Russia led 5-3 in the third set. Jeffrey Menzel served into the net and it was 8-7 for Russia. A spike by Pavlov sent Russia into the first TTO with an 8-6 margin. Russia was up 10-8 after a nice dink by Pavlov. With Russia in the lead 12-8, the U.S. took a timeout. Ilinykh's block made it 15-8 and the outcome was appearing academic. It was 16-8 for Russia at the second TTO.
Anderson fired a spike long and Russia moved ahead 18-11. Ilinykh's spike gave Russia an eight-point advantage at 20-12 as they continued the march toward victory. Sivozhelez's spike made it 22-16. Priddy served into the net and it was 23-18. Apalikov's spike gave Russia match point at 24-19. Russia closed it out when Menzel sent a spike long.

 

[Smallville22]

Iran routs Japan in straight sets in finale

Tokyo, Japan, November 24, 2013 - Iran posted a straight sets (25-17, 25-18, 25-14) victory over Japan in the final match of the FIVB World Grand Champions Cup on Sunday at Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium.
The result gave Iran a 3-2 mark, while Japan finished winless at 0-5.
The match marked the second meeting ever in the World Grand Champions Cup between the nations and sixth overall. Japan entered with a 5-1 alltime mark against Iran.
It was a disappointing showing for Japan, which won just one set (against the United States in their opening match) in the entire tournament.
Hamzeh Zarini and Shahram Mahmoudi shared top scoring honors for Iran with 16 points each.
Tatsuya Fukuzawa led Japan with nine points. Kunihiro Shimizu added eight in the loss.
Iran seized control of the match early in the first set with a fine display of passing and counterattack and dominated throughout.
Japan had difficulty dealing with speed and precision of the Iranian side.
Iran was excellent in reception throughout the contest.
Armin Tashakori's spike put Iran up 5-3 in the first set. Iran led 8-4 at the first TTO following a spike by Shahram Mahmoudi. Fukuzawa botched a serve reception and Iran was on top 10-4. Yoshihiko Matsumoto made a nice dink but Japan still trailed 12-5. It was 15-6 after Kunihiro Shimizu missed a spike. Iran led 16-6 after the second TTO.
Iran led 19-10 when Yuta Yoneyama connected on a spike. It was 20-13 after a reception error by Iran. A service ace by Yoneyama pulled Japan within six points at 21-15. A service ace by Mahmoudi gave Iran the set 25-17. Hamzeh Zarini had six points in the set.
Koshikawa missed a spike and Iran led 5-1 in the second set. A long rally went Iran's way after Shimizu fired a spike wide and it was 7-2. A block by Farhad Ghaemi put Iran in front 8-2 at the first TTO. Fukuzawa cut the deficit to four at 9-5 with a soaring spike. Ghaemi smashed a spike and Iran led 11-7. A block by Matsumoto made it 12-9. Zarini's spike put Iran up six at 15-9. Another Zarini spike gave Iran a 16-10 advantage at the second TTO.
Shimizu served into the net and the Iran lead was 18-12. Yamamura sent a serve long and the score was 20-14. Another error by the host nation made it 22-15 and Japan called a timeout. Zarini's spike put Iran two points from the set at 23-16. Yusuke Ishijima served into the net and Iran claimed the set 25-18.
A fine block by Ghaemi gave Iran a 5-4 lead in the third set. A spike by Mahmoudi put Iran ahead 8-6 at the first TTO. A block by Mahmoudi made it 10-7. Fukuzawa fired a spike long and Japan was in danger of losing contact as Iran led 12-8. Another Iran spike made it 16-10 at the second TTO.
Ghaemi blasted another spike and the margin was 19-12 for Iran. An Iran serve went into the net but Japan was still down seven at 20-13. Adel Gholami's spike took it to 21-13. Another Gholami spike it 22-14. A Japan return hit the antenna and it was match point for Iran at 24-14. Ghaemi ended it with a service ace at 25-14.

 

[Smallville22]

Brazil win fourth Grand Champions Cup title, Russia and Italy settle for silver and bronze

Tokyo, Japan, November 24, 2013 – As they edged Italy in five sets (25-22, 25-22, 23-25, 20-25, and 15-11) to open the programme of the last day of action at Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium, Brazil claimed their third consecutive – and fourth overall – FIVB World Grand Champions Cup gold medal to follow on those they had seized in 1999, 2005, and 2009.
This way and though they had lost the much anticipated showdown from Saturday, the South Americans also stopped Russia’s winning streak in major international competitions after they had lost to Muserskiy & Co. the final match of the London Olympics as well as of this year’s World League Finals in Argentina. Brazil completed – similarly to what they had done in 2005 – a clean sweep of the men’s and women’s Grand Champions Cup titles to re-assert their role as the world’s leading volleyball force. In what was their first World Grand Champions Cup appearance, reigning Olympic and European champions Russia had to be content with silver after beating USA in straight sets on Sunday (29-27, 25-22, and 25-19).
Though they lost to Brazil, Italy completed the podium for yet another bronze medal after they had finished in third place at London 2012 as well as the 2013 World League Finals in Mar del Plata. This is Italy’s third medal in the competition after they had won gold at the inaugural edition held in 1993 and bronze in 2005. Team Japan lost also their last game of the tournament to finish the competition with a 0-5 record and only one set won in their opening match with USA in Kyoto. Two-time Asian champions Iran cruised past the home heroes in straight sets (25-17, 25-18, and 25-14) to settle for fourth place thereby improving on the fifth they had claimed four years ago and confirm they are their role as up-and-coming volleyball power.

Final standing: 1. Brazil 2. Russia 3. Italy 4. Iran 5. USA 6. Japan

All-Star Team: MVP: Dmitriy Muserskiy (RUS); 1st Outside Spiker: Filippo Lanza (ITA); 2nd Outside Spiker: Dmitriy Ilinykh (RUS); Libero: Farhad Zarif (IRI); Opposite Spiker: Wallace De Souza (BRA); Setter: Bruno Rezende (BRA); 1st Middle Blocker: Maxwell Holt (USA); 2nd Middle Blocker: Emanuele Birarelli (ITA).

 

[Smallville22]

Snooker - O’Sullivan crowned Champion of Champions

Ronnie O’Sullivan was crowned the inaugural Champion of Champions after a tight 10-8 victory over Stuart Bingham in Coventry.
It capped a superb week for O’Sullivan who beat Mark Davis, Ding Junhui and Neil Robertson en route to the title.
Bingham surged ahead with a 109 break in the opening frame and soon opened up a 4-2 lead but a 76 knock from O’Sullivan in the seventh halved the arrears.
The duo then traded centuries as Bingham’s 109 was trumped by a 130 from O’Sullivan before the Rocket notched a 93 break in the following frame to draw level at 5-5.
The next six frames were shared to leave the score poised at 8-8 but O’Sullivan came through a tight 17th frame before coasting through the decisive 18th for victory.

 

[Smallville22]

Motorcycling - Romboni dies in crash at Simoncelli tribute event

Italian motorcycle racer Doriano Romboni has died after being struck by another rider's bike at an event in memory of his late compatriot Marco Simoncelli.
The popular Simoncelli was killed at the 2011 Malaysian Grand Prix after he lost control and was hit by two bikes.
Romboni, 45, was taking part in the Sic Supermoto Day near Rome, when he was involved in an accident that bore tragic echoes of the one that claimed Simoncelli.
Reports say the rider ran onto the grass during a practice session but clung on to his bike, swerving back onto the track and into the path of former Italian champion Gianluca Vizziello who could do nothing to avoid colliding with Romboni.
The session was immediately stopped and Romboni flown by helicopter to hospital in the town of Latina. However, less than three hours after the incident, doctors announced Romboni's death.
The charity event, attended by other well known riders including former world champion Max Biaggi, was set to run throughout the weekend as a tribute to Simoncelli - nicknamed 'Sic' - who died aged 24 in October 2011.
Simoncelli suffered fatal injuries when, trying desperately to stay on his bike after running wide, he veered into the path of Italian compatriot Valentino Rossi and American Colin Edwards at the Sepang circuit.
Romboni competed between 1996-97 as an Aprilia factory rider in the 500cc category that is now MotoGP and was a race winner in the 125cc and 250cc categories. He also raced in World Superbikes.

 

[Smallville22]

Snooker - Wilson and Calabrese earn shock wins at UK Championship

Gary Wilson crushed 2012 world championship quarter-finalist Jamie Jones 6-0 to reach the second round of the UK Championship in York.
Despite sitting over 50 places behind the Welshman in the world rankings, Wilson destroyed his opponent and notched four half century breaks in the process.
Vinnie Calabrese sprung another surprise as he booted Dominic Dale out of the tournament with a 6-5 win.
The Australian sailed into a 5-2 lead, a run which included breaks of 65 and 90, but was pegged back as Dale reeled off three straight frames to force a decider.
Ultimately the comeback was not to be for the Welshman as Calabrese notched a 70 in the final frame to seal his passage into round two.
The evening session threw up several surprises too as world number 25 Tom Ford was stunned 6-2 by Noppon Saengkham, ranked 110 in the world.
Mark Joyce, ranked 38, was beaten 6-2 by Jamie O'Neill but world number 28 Xiao Guodong helped address the balance as he eased past Andrew Pagett 6-1.
Elsewhere, teenager Sean O’Sullivan fought back from 4-0 down to beat Anthony Hamilton 6-4.
There were also wins for Fergal O'Brien and Mark King.

Round One Results

Gary Wilson 6-0 Jamie Jones

Vinnie Calabrese 6-5 Dominic Dale

Sean O’Sullivan 6-4 Anthony Hamilton

Noppon Saengkham 6-2 Tom Ford

Xiao Guodong 6-1 Andrew Pagett

Jamie O'Neill 6-2 Mark Joyce

Fergal O'Brien 6-2 Alex Davies

Mark King 6-1 Ross Muir

 

[Smallville22]

Snooker - Liang blows 147 chance at UK Championship

Liang Wenbo blew a fantastic chance to score a 147 but still progressed after a 6-2 win over Elliot Slessor in the opening round of the UK Championship in York.
Liang potted all 15 reds with blacks in the final frame but cut a difficult yellow into the jaws to blow the chance of leaving the Barbican with the 100th maximum in snooker history and a £59,000 bonus to boot.
"I didn't know it was £59,000 and just concentrated on playing," he said.
"During the last frame I thought I could make a high break after the second red. I got a very good chance but I was unlucky.
“I potted the last red, got the angle on the last black and hit it a little bit too hard so it wasn't easy on the yellow. I still had a chance but I think I rushed it a bit. Maybe next time."
In the day’s morning session, Michael White produced a blistering performance to destroy Joe Swail 6-0.
White, the world number 34, took the opening two frames with breaks of 57 and 39 to take the lead, then edged two of the next three frames on the black before closing out the whitewash.
"Joe has been to the semi-finals at the Crucible twice so I know what a good player he is," said 22-year-old White.
"I kept him under pressure and played well. I have done everything right in practice before this event and if I carry on in the same way I can go far.
"I'm going back to Wales now for a couple of days before my second match because I want to practise on my own table and make sure I'm ready for the next round."
White will next face world number 31 Marcus Campbell, who came through an epic first round battle as he beat world number 102 Lyu Haotian 6-5.
The morning's biggest surprise came as David Gilbert lost out to 92nd-ranked Chinese star Li Hang.
Gilbert took an early 2-1 lead and went on to go 4-3 ahead, but then lost the next three frames to breaks of 53, 65 and 73 to go out of the tournament.
"I know Dave's game well," said Li.
"I watched his matches many times because he's qualified for many venues so he is a great player.
"The match today was very tight. I played him once this season in Shanghai Masters qualifiers and I was leading 4-3 but lost eventually because he played really well.
"I had good preparation for the UK Championship and practised a lot for revenge today."
Andrew Higginson was ruthless in beating Hammad Miah, stealing three of the first four frames despite his opponent getting off to good starts, then winning three frames in a row - making a break of 74 at one point - for a 6-2 victory.
In the evening session, Chris Norbury was the latest unseeded player to upset a higher ranked opponent when he came from behind to down Martin Gould 6-3.
"From 3-2 down I decided to go for everything, and they kept going in," said Norbury, whose victory meant Gould was the ninth player seeded in the top 64 to be bounced out.
"I know Martin wasn't at his best, but it didn't matter because I was playing so well.
"My last few tournaments have been poor so my confidence was low when I came here. Today it came back and it's probably the best win of my career because of the way I finished the match off."
Alan McManus beat Joel Walker 6-5 while Anthony McGill saw off Kyren Wilson by the same scoreline to reach the next round in a pair of high-quality contests.
And rounding out the day's action was China's Yu Delu, who progressed after a 6-3 win over David Grace.

First round results - Wednesday sessions

A.Higginson 6-2 H.Miah

L.Hang 6-4 D.Gilbert

M.White 6-0 J.Swail

M.Campbell 6-5 L.Haotian

L.Wenbo 6-2 E.Slessor

M.Leslie 6-4 J.Lisowski

C.Wakelin 6-5 R.Day

J.Burnett 6-4 S.Bedford

A. McManus 6-5 Walker

A. McGill 6-5 K. Wilson

Y. Lu 6-3 D. Grace

C. Norbury 6-3 M. Gould

 

[Smallville22]

Snooker - Rookie Astley shocks Doherty in UK Championship opener

Main tour rookie John Astley beat former world champion Ken Doherty 6-5 to reach the second round of the UK Championship at the Barbican in York.
Astley, ranked 99th in the world, clinched a final-frame decider against the three-times UK finalist, who had fought back from 4-2 down to lead 5-4.
The 24-year-old Astley was delighted with what he sees as a landmark victory.
"It's the biggest win of my career so far. I was nervous when it came to the decider but I felt I controlled those nerves by taking one shot at a time to make sure I potted everything," he said.
"I've been playing really well in practice over the last month or so and obviously it's a case of doing it on the match table.
"I remember coming down here as a 12 or 13 year-old to watch the UK Championship so to think I've come and won my first match here today, it's quite a special moment."
Jimmy White also booked his place in the second round, but the 1992 UK champion was made to work hard by Michael Wasley in a 6-4 win.
White appeared to be in control at 3-1 up at the interval, but Wasley came back strong to level at 3-3. The Whirlwind then reaffirmed his domination by taking three of the next four frames to book a second-round date with Stuart Bingham, who demolished Ahmed Saif 6-0.
"It wasn't a great game of snooker as there were a lot of balls missed but I'm very pleased to win," White said. "I'm ok in the balls and am scoring well but because of my foot injury, my practising has just been routines and I haven't been playing any matches.
"At 3-1 up I was in control of the match but then it went 3-3 and he touched a ball with his shirt and called a foul which was very honourable of him, and I then went 5-3 up. He won a good game to go 5-4 because he'd missed a couple of balls in that frame.
"I'm pleased to have got through to the next round because obviously I'm struggling to stay on the tour so there's a lot of pressure on me.
"I've got a few days left before my next match. I'm going to stay in York and put a bit of practice in with my coach Patsy Fagan, and hopefully I'll be in a bit more control next time."
Nigel Bond claimed a 6-3 victory over Craig Steadman. The former World Championship runner-up racked up the second-highest break of the tournament so far with a 129 on the way to a comfortable 6-3 win over world number 83 Steadman.
Graeme Dott beat fellow Scot Fraser Patrick 6-2, making two century breaks of 102 and 104, while Ali Carter - a semi-finalist last year - ousted Thai youngster Ratchayothin Yotharuck 6-1.
Judd Trump progressed to the second round with a 6-2 win over Gareth Green, Barry Hawkins whitewashed Alexander Ursenbacher 6-0 and Dave Harold downed Chen Zhe 6-1.
Meanwhile, Zhang Anda won 6-3 against Cao Yupeng in an all-Chinese affair, but Tony Drago's involvement in York was ended by Liu Chuang, who beat the former world number 10 6-1.

First round results - Thursday sessions:

Ebdon 6-1 Norman

Lines 6-2 Baird

Allen 6-1 Jones

Williams 6-2 Taylor

Davison 6-4 Greene

Chuang 6-1 Drago

Trump 6-2 Green

Harold 6-1 Chen

McLeod 6-3 O'Donnell

Anda 6-3 Yupeng

White 6-4 Wasley

Hawkins 6-0 Ursenbacher

Bingham 6-0 Saif

Astley 6-5 Doherty

Bond 6-3 Stedman

Carrington 6-2 Woollaston

Robertson 6-3 Yan

Dott 6-2 Patrick

Holt 6-1 Page

Morris 6-4 Cope

Carter 6-1 Yotharuck

Poomjaeng 6-5 Un-Nooh

 

[Smallville22]

Snooker - Fu crashes out to amateur in first round at Barbican

Australian Open champion Marco Fu was knocked out of the UK Championship by an amateur in the first round at the Barbican in York.
World number six Fu was sent packing by Sheffield amateur Mitchell Travis as the youngster triumphed 6-5.
Fu led four times but Travis kept coming back and pipped the decider after an unintentional snooker.
"I haven't got words for that yet, it's the biggest win of my life," Travis, 21, told World Snooker. "Before the match I knew I had nothing to lose. I came here as a rank outsider and thought as long as I don't make myself look like a muppet, I'll enjoy it.
"I was 2-0 down and went to the toilet and just had a word with myself to just play my natural game and not to put pressure on myself, and luckily I came through.
"The venue was absolutely marvellous and it was a dream come true to play here, I'll never forget it."
Three-times UK champion John Higgins beat Alex Borg 6-2 to reach the second round.
Higgins cruised into a 4-0 lead at the interval, but Malta's Borg made a fist of it before a 101 break sealed victory for the Scot.
"Alex didn't really start well," Higgins told World Snooker afterwards. "He's not played on the big stage for a while. He got in first during the first few frames but missed a couple of balls and I did ok from there.
"There's been a lot of talk that it would be a shock if any of the top 16 lost but Marco Fu lost earlier and he's been one of the in-form players this season.
"I'm not feeling too confident at the moment. I feel like I'm beginning to hit the ball a bit better though."
Other key results were Stephen Maguire's 6-2 win over Leeds amateur Sanderson Lam, with the world number five next facing Luca Brecel, the Belgian teenager who overcame Mike Dunn 6-4.
Matthew Stevens, the 2003 champ, also progressed, as did James Wattana and Ricky Walden.

First round results - Friday sessions:

Robbie Williams 6-2 Aditya Mehta

Matthew Stevens 6 -4 Ryan Clark

James Wattana 6-2 Ian Burns

Luca Brecel 6-4 Mike Dunn

Joe Perry 6- 3 James Cahill

Daniel Wells 6-4 Alfie Burden

Stephen Maguire 6-2 Sanderson Lam

John Higgins 6-2 Alex Borg

Scott Donaldson 6-4 Matthew Selt

Rod Lawler 6-3 Thanawat Tirapongpaiboon

Mitchell Travis 6-5 Marco Fu

Kurt Maflin 6-4 Liam Highfield

Robert Milkins 6-3 Patrick Einsle

Mark Davis 6-2 Robin Hull

Ricky Walden 6-0 Cao Xin Long

Tian Pengfei 6 -1 Pankaj Advani

 

[Smallville22]

Snooker - O'Sullivan off to a flier at UK Championship

Ronnie O’Sullivan began his UK Championship campaign with a ruthless 6-0 whitewash of Rhys Clark in York.
The reigning world champion did not have to engage second gear in his shut-out of the Scottish qualifier, but breaks of 82, 71, 54 and 72 came in a straightforward victory.
It was one of the final two opening round contests to be completed on Saturday, with world number four Ding Junhui beating another amateur, Antony Parsons, 6-3 to advance.
Meanwhile, Crucible runner-up Barry Hawkins, 2005 world titlist Shaun Murphy, and two-time world runner-up Ali Carter all advanced to round three at the Barbican.
Carter also took all six frames against 48th-ranked Jimmy Robertson, while Australia's Neil Robertson pounded amateur Dylan Mitchell 6-0 in the evening where world number one Mark Selby was forced to toil against his own unknown opponent, eventually beating Shane Castle 6-4.
Joining them was 2006 world champion Graeme Dott following an exciting final-frame decider against Nigel Bond, but the man he beat that year in the final – Peter Ebdon was stunned 6-1 by Ireland’s David Morris despite there being 64 places between the two in the world rankings.
The UK Championship is now at a field of 64 for the second round, with the final taking place on December 8.

Round One results – Saturday

Ronnie O’Sullivan 6-0 Rhys Clark

Ding Junhui 6-3 Antony Parsons

Round Two results – Saturday

Ali Carter 6-0 Jimmy Robertson

David Morris 6-1 Peter Ebdon

Barry Hawkins 6-3 Zhang Anda

Graeme Dott 6-5 Nigel Bond

Gary Wilson 6-3 Vinnie Calabrese

Xiao Guodong 6-2 Jamie O’Neill

Shaun Murphy 6-3 Paul S Davison

Noppon Saengkham 6-4 Sean O’Sullivan

Fergal O’Brian 6-3 Mark King

Michael Holt 6-4 Alan McManus

Neil Robertson 6-0 Dylan Mitchell

Mark Selby 6-4 Shane Castle

Liang Wenbo 6-3 Michael Leslie

 

[Smallville22]

Snooker - Maguire survives big scare against Brecel in York

Stephen Maguire survived a huge scare against teenager Luca Brecel in the second round of the UK Championships in York.
The world number five was 5-2 down against the 18-year-old Belgian before reeling off four frames in a row to snatch the victory.
Maguire produced a mix bag but did come up with some big breaks at key moments. While 4-1 down he produced a run of 99 and also enjoyed breaks of 68, 50 and then a final frame break of 91 during his comeback spin.
Brecel was in amongst the balls on a couple of occasions with chances to clinch the match, including in the final frame, but could just not get over the finish line.
"I didn't fancy that at all at 5-2," Maguire admitted after the match. "I'm just very relieved."
Ding Junhui progressed with a 6-1 victory over James Wattana, although the win was far less convincing than the score suggested with the normally composed Chinese player often showing signs of frustration as he presented his opponent with a host of openings.
There was no such trouble for Judd Trump who sailed past Dechawat Poomjaeng 6-0, falling short of a maximum break on the 13th black in the third frame.
"It was a good attempt; I had a kick and then got back into position but missed the black," said Trump. "It would've been nice to get it but the main thing was to get through to the next round where I'll have another chance.
"A lot of people thought there'd be a 147 in the early rounds but I think it may come towards the end of the tournament when you're getting pushed a bit.”
John Higgins hit an impressive 128 break en route to crushing Rod Lawler 6-1 to set up a third round tie with Jamie Burnett who fought back from 5-4 down to beat Chris Wakelin.
"I managed to nick the first frame. It was close but I think that sent the tone for the rest of the match,” said Higgins.
Matthew Stevens also escaped with a win as an incredible pink in the final frame saw him edge out Yu De Lu while Stuart Bingham beat the 'People's Champion' Jimmy White 6-2

Sunday's Results

Stephen Maguire 6-5 Luca Brecel

Ricky Walden 6-2 Peter Lines

Matthew Stevens 6-5 Yu De Lu

Scott Donaldson 6-5 Mark Davies

Li Hiang 6-4 Andrew Higginson

Jamie Burnett 6-5 Chris Wakelin

Anthony McGill 6-0 Chris Norbury

Stuart Bingham 6-2 Jimmy White

Mark Williams 6-3 Rory McLeod

Judd Trump 6-0 Dechawat Poomjaeng

Robert Milkins 6-5 Liu Chuang

John Higgins 6-1 Rod Lawler

Mark Allen 6-3 Dave Harold

Joe Perry 6-3 Daniel Wells

Ding Junhui 6-1 James Wattana