Jack Lisowski Advances to Last 32 of the UK Championship
Jack Lisowski secured his place in the last 32 of the UK Championship with a dominant 6-1 victory over women’s world champion Bai Yulu in Leicester. Bai, who made history by becoming the first woman to win three consecutive matches at a ranking event, could not progress further as world No. 21 Lisowski displayed impressive scoring. “She had an incredible run,” Lisowski remarked, paying tribute to Bai’s historic achievement after the match.
Bai Yulu’s Historic Journey
The 21-year-old Bai Yulu made waves in the tournament with remarkable wins over Farakh Ajaib (6-4), Jamie Jones (6-4), and Scott Donaldson (6-5) to reach the final qualifying round. Her exceptional performance included 15 breaks over 50, marking her as a trailblazer for women in professional snooker. However, Lisowski proved to be a formidable opponent, delivering breaks of 79, 69, 64, 77, 85, and 66 to book his spot in the main draw at the York Barbican.
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Despite the one-sided scoreline, Bai prevented a whitewash with a run of 59 in the fifth frame, showcasing her resilience. Reflecting on her performance, Bai admitted to feeling nervous but noted the invaluable experience she gained. “I need to get more good results to inspire more girls to play snooker,” she said, emphasizing her commitment to improving her game.
Lisowski’s Focus and Reflections
Lisowski, a semi-finalist in the 2022 UK Championship, acknowledged the significance of Bai’s run while discussing the challenges of maintaining focus during the match. “It was all about Bai,” he said. “It would have been incredible if she could have qualified, but it was just about keeping my concentration tonight.”
Other Final Qualifiers
Elsewhere in Wednesday’s qualifiers, Barry Hawkins secured a 6-3 win over Wang Yuchen with a break of 111, Ryan Day defeated Sanderson Lam 6-2 with five 50-plus breaks, and Wu Yize triumphed 6-3 over David Lilley, whose stunning 115 in the sixth frame ultimately proved insufficient. Qualifying matches conclude on Thursday, with the main tournament starting Saturday at the York Barbican. The top 16 seeds, including defending champion Ronnie O’Sullivan, will join the 16 qualifiers in the next stage.
