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Murphy's winning start
23:45, Dec 5 2009
Defending champion Shaun Murphy made a winning start to his Pukka Pies UK Championship campaign.
Murphy was not at his best against Gerard Greene but managed to eke out a 9-5 victory at the Telford International Centre, finishing off in style with two back-to-back frame-winning breaks of 88.
The 27-year-old Englishman beat Hong Kong cueman Marco Fu 10-9 in an epic final last year which finished after midnight. And he is bidding to become just the third man to successfully defend the UK title, after Stephen Hendry and Steve Davis.
Hendry was the last to achieve the feat, winning consecutive titles in 1994, 1995 and 1996, however the tournament has seen seven different winners in the last seven years.
Northern Irishman Greene took the final frame of the afternoon session with a gutsy break of 96 after a rerack, giving him a glimmer of hope, and he had his moments during the evening. But ultimately Murphy's class told. Murphy made the only century of the match, when he compiled a run of 101 in the fifth frame, and could face Ding Junhui in a mouthwatering second-round clash.
Stephen Maguire put personal grief to one side as he beat Michael Holt to join Murphy in the second round. The 28-year-old Scot decided to compete in Telford because he was sure his late grandfather Paddy Maguire, who died earlier this week, wanted him to play.
And he produced a solid enough performance to emerge victorious from his opening-day clash, winning 9-6 to set up a meeting with Joe Perry or Stuart Bingham next. Maguire had been level with Holt at 4-4 after the first session, having lost the final three frames, but he improved in the evening and pulled away from his opponent.
Mark Williams was handed a place in the second round as Graeme Dott quit their match due to illness. Welshman Williams, the 1999 and 2002 UK champion, had taken a 6-2 lead after the first session and Dott, who was feeling dizzy, decided he was not fit to continue.
Meanwhile, Australian Neil Robertson, the World Championship semi-finalist and reigning Grand Prix champion, made two century breaks and takes a 5-3 lead into the Sunday's final session against Leicester's Tom Ford.
Elsewhere, Wales' Ryan Day was heading for a dismal early exit after being dominated 6-1 by China's Liang Wenbo, Mark King reached the second round by beating Anthony Hamilton 9-2, the all-English affair between Jamie Cope and Mark Selby were level at 4-4 and former UK Championship quarter-finalist Stuart Bingham will start tomorrow with a 6-2 lead over Joe Perry.
Charnley inspires Wigan triumph 20:45, Feb 11 2012
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Late Henry winner rescues Arsenal 17:45, Feb 11 2012
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Fleming and Hutchins put GB ahead 16:45, Feb 11 2012
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Cold snap affects sporting weekend 15:45, Feb 11 2012
The cold snap continued to wreak further havoc with the sporting calendar on Saturday after the npower Championship clash between Peterborough and West Ham was postponed due to a frozen pitch along with a number of League One and League Two matches. more
Rangers ease to win at Dunfermline 15:45, Feb 11 2012
Lee McCulloch grabbed his first goal of the season as Rangers fought back from behind to claim a 4-1 win and deny Dunfermline their first home victory of the season in the Clydesdale Bank Premier League. more
