Fu, Ding continue Asian surge

Cueists progress to second round of World Snooker Championship.

SHEFFIELD: Hong Kong cueist Marco Fu completed a wonderful 24 hours for Asian snooker as he became the third player from the continent to reach the second round of the world championships.

Fu maintained his overnight supremacy over Matthew Stevens and made the second round with a 10-7 win.

Fu joins China’s Ding Junhui, who beat two-time semi-finalist Alan McManus 10-5, while Thai rookie Dechawat Poomjaeng produced an impressive performance to beat McManus’s compatriot, sixth-seed Scot Stephen Maguire, 10-9.

Neil Robertson, though, is involved in a tight battle with Englishman Robert Milkins and has just a 5-4 frame lead to take into the final session.

Judd Trump had little trouble progressing with a 10-5 win over Dominic Dale and will meet Fu in the second round.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 26^th, 2013.