Chris Wakelin produced the shock of the opening day at the Mattioli Arena, knocking out defending champion Mark Selby in his home city with a 6–2 win to reach his first Champion of Champions semi-final.
Reflecting on his victory, Wakelin said: “I feel drained. Mark and I practised together for a good seven, eight years, he helped me with my own game. He’s one of the best scorers that has ever been and to the purists he is one of the greatest of the game. So I’m delighted to get the win,
“I didn’t play my best and was certainly quite lucky. I changed to my old cue this week, and trying to adjust to that so guessing a lot in my safety shots. Mark has given me so much advice earlier in my career and I’m grateful for that.”
In the group final, Selby had the chance to take the lead in the opening frame but left himself snookered, and Wakelin made him pay. The home favourite levelled in the second, but Wakelin edged an 8-point third frame with a clearance of 59. He then took full control, winning the fourth and fifth frames with matching clearances of 66 to lead 4–1.
Selby cut the gap with a 70 clearance in the sixth, but a run of 83 in the seventh put Wakelin one frame from victory. The eighth frame was close until Selby missed a pink and left it over the pocket, and Wakelin made no mistake in sealing a 6–2 win and a semi-final place against tomorrow’s Group Four winner.
Earlier in the day, Selby met Shoot Out champion Alfie Burden in a tight opener. He took it to a deciding frame and sealed a 4–3 win to book his place in the Group One final.
Wakelin joined him there after coming from behind against Barry Hawkins in the other first-round match. Hawkins took the opening frame, but Wakelin won the next four in a row for a commanding 4–1 win, including a century break of 117 in the fourth frame.
Day two brings Group Four, as Neil Robertson takes on Panchaya Channoi before Judd Trump meets Jak Jones, with a semi-final place on the line.
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