Yesterday in Hull, we saw the last 12 round of the 2019 WSS ROKiT Phones.com UK Championship played to completion, as well as two QF matches.

Here is how the day unfolded:

Last 12 – morning session

Rodney Goggins 3-0 Dennis Taylor

Sadly enough Dennis can’t play anymore, and Rodney was far too good for him.

Patrick Wallace 3-2 Cliff Thorburn

Cliff might be the oldest player in the field, he still can play and he still has that steely determination. From 2-0 down he put Patrick through a proper grinding masterclass. As a result, the match went the distance and messed up the schedule for the rest of the day! Thanks Cliff, you’re a legend! Seriously, he IS a legend.

Last 12 – afternoon session

Michael Judge 3-2 Willie Thorne

Willie played much better than anyone expected and gave Michael a real proper test. In the balls Willie is still excellent. Michael had to fight with all he has to get through.

Rory McLeod 3-1 Sean Lanigan

Rory played well and fluently in beating Sean Lanigan convincingly. After a slow, shaky start Sean showed that he can play, but it was a bit too late. Now, we should remember that Rory was a professional not so long ago, and he knows what it takes to play on television. Sean, who turned pro in 1991 – when the game “opened” – had probably never before been in that situation: one table, center stage, cameras on you. He did well and I hope that he enjoyed the experience.

Evening session – QF

Patrick Wallace 3-2 John Parrott

Patrick had to come through his second decider of the day to book his place in the semi-finals. John has always been a shrewd player and time hasn’t changed that. There was a very good crowd in the arena for the evening session, much better in fact than most I have seen in main tour events, certainly in early rounds. Quite remarkable considering this was a week day evening. The promoters clearly are doing something right here.

Stephen Hendry 3-2 Rodney Goggins

This is by far the best I have seen Stephen Hendry play in years. It was a tense match: it was clear for all to see that both players wanted it badly and felt the pressure. It was always going to get to a decider and it did. All credits to Rodney who came on social media right after this bruising defeat to thank the fans who supported him. Rodney is an excellent snooker player, but even more importantly, he’s a gem of a man, a credit to his sport and to his country. Hats off!

You can follow the tournament here