All quarter-finals wre played yesterday and here are the reports by WPBSA as posted on WST website:
Figueirdo And Wallace Into Semis
Igor Figueiredo and Patrick Wallace are both through to Finals Day at the 2021 ROKiT World Seniors Snooker Championship after they won their quarter-final matches at the Crucible Theatre this afternoon.
In a clash of current main tour players, Brazilian Figueiredo reproduced the impressive form that saw him nearly qualify for the world professional championship here last month, as he eliminated Stephen Hendry 4-1 with a string of breaks.
It was King of the Crucible Hendry who held the upper hand early on in the contest, after registering a run of 76 to claim the opening frame.
However, that was as good as it got for the Scot as the South American levelled up with the help of 31 and 41 breaks, before really finding his scoring groove and taking the lead with an effort of 100 – the third century of this year’s competition so far.
Figueiredo broke down on a break of 30 in frame four, but his opponent failed to capitalise and a returning contribution of 61 put him one away from victory at 3-1.
With his back against the wall, a determined Hendry looked like reducing his arrears in the fifth, but ran out of position on 62 and went in-off when attempting a tricky red. A clinical Figueiredo subsequently fashioned the perfect counter-attack, clearing up to and including the black for 68 to claim a 4-1 victory.
The 43-year-old is now just one match away from his second final on the world seniors circuit having been runner-up to Ken Doherty in the 2018 UK Seniors Championship in Hull.
Twenty years on from losing a tight quarter-final at the Crucible Theatre in the world professional championship, Wallace this time finished on the correct side of a close last eight affair at the venue after ousting Barry Pinches 4-2.
The Northern Irishman took a protracted opening frame on the pink, and was set fare to extend his lead in frame two whilst on a break of 43, before missing and having to watch Pinches reply with a classy 83 clearance which made it 1-1.
Wallace produced efforts of 55 and 59 to retake the lead with frame three, although Norwich cueman Pinches squared it again after a fragmented fourth frame.
For the third time in the match Wallace went in front with the aid of a crucial break of 31, before getting over the line in a nervy sixth frame.
Igor Figueiredo played really well in his quarter-final against Stephen Hendry. Stephen’s attacking approach suits him to the core. Stephen Hendry is still a long way to get his game back where he needs to be.
The Patrick Wallace v Barry Piches affair was painful to watch in the early stages. Both improved afterwards … fortunately.
White And Lilley Set For Final Day
Jimmy White and David Lilley completed the semi-finals line-up for the 2021 ROKiT World Seniors Snooker Championship with victories in Sheffield on Saturday night.
White stretched his undefeated run in this event at the Crucible Theatre to 10 matches, after a 4-1 triumph over former winner Darren Morgan.
In a rerun of the title match here in 2019, Londoner White racked up runs of 46 and 41 in taking the first frame, but Morgan lit up the stage in the next with an amazing total clearance of 134 – bettering the previous tournament high break of 112 that he crafted in round one. It is the highest break in this championship since 2015.
Welshman Morgan continued his fine scoring into the third frame, although he missed on 52. He later had another chance, but it was White who finished the frame with a smile on his face as he cleared up with 36 to pinch it by a single point.
The Whirlwind would deal another body blow to his opponent in frame four. Morgan was on the cusp of levelling the match when on a break of 49 but a miss on a difficult red allowed White to clear with 40 and win on the black ball again for 3-1.
Frame five was a scrappy affair but the defending champion held the advantage almost throughout, later claiming it to set up an intriguing last four tie with Brazil’s Igor Figueiredo.
Lilley produced a steely clearance in the deciding frame to resist a comeback from Ken Doherty and arrange a semi-final date with Patrick Wallace on Sunday afternoon.
The tone for a topsy-turvy encounter was set in frame one when Lilley cleared up with 31 to swipe it on the black. He then doubled his advantage in a low-scoring second frame.
With his opponent struggling to settle, Lilley looked like making it 3-0 when on a break of 41 and nearing the snookers required stage before an unexpected miss let the 1997 world professional champion in. It was an opportunity Doherty grasped, constructing a morale-boosting clearance of 63 to halve his deficit.
The next frame saw Irishman Doherty heading towards parity on an effort of 57 – but when he jawed a red – roles were reversed from the previous frame and three-time English Amateur Champion Lilley mopped up with 55 to chalk up his second black ball success in the match.
Momentum would shift again, though, as Doherty bounced back with the aid of 34 to pocket frame five, before forcing it all the way come the conclusion of frame six.
The six-time ranking event winner edged closer to completing the turnaround before a pink went awry on a run of 40. In what was the final swing of the pendulum, Lilley seized his chance, compiling a cool break of 69 to go through in dramatic circumstances.
Darren Morgan scored the highest break of the tournament so far in the only frame he won but didn’t otherwiseimpress me. He looked frustrated. Jimmy White was solid.
It was a disappointing evening and a disappointing performance from Ken Doherty. He fought hard but it was not enough. David Lilley played well, especially considering that he had issues with his tip.
Ronnie was around all day, watching and supporting the tournament and the sponsor
And Andy Chubb took this wonderful photograph of this wonderful arena. Shot of the tournament for me that!
The WPBSA World Seniors Tour 