SNOOKER
THERE will be four Scots contesting the last 16 of the #30,000 Benson & Hedges Championship in Edinburgh today at the J P Snooker Centre.
Pride of place last night went to 18-year-old rookie Alan Burnett, who pipped his namesake, the unrelated Jamie, 5-4.
The 1995 World Under-21 champion kept his composure superbly in a match in which the elder Burnett, the 21-year-old world No.54, made most of the telling contributions. He opened with a 74, made a 35 clearance to go 2-1 up, and, when trailing his Ayrshire rival 4-3, stroked in a magnificent 118 to set up the decider.
However, it was Alan who prevailed 61-27 to earn a fifth-round tie against Nuneaton's Mick Price. ``I can play better than that but this was one of the hardest games I've had as a professional,'' he said.
In the other all-Scottish confrontation Chris Small, who won this event at the Masters Club in Glasgow four years ago, knocked out Graham Horne from Livingston 5-3. Small, from Leith, trailed 3-1 at the interval but found his touch when they resumed.
The two remaining Scots are Rutherglen's Drew Henry and Marcus Campbell from Dumbarton. Henry, who accounted for former world No.2 Tony Knowles in round three, defeated Ulsterman Martin O'Neill 5-4, while Campbell put paid to Robert Foxall 5-1.
title-holder Matthew Stevens came through against Patrick Wallace 5-3 while Brian Morgan, who hadn't dropped a frame in the three previous rounds, won a tense duel with newcomer Charlie Economou.
Cannock's Steve James, the world No.24 and one of the leading contenders, suffered an unexpected 5-2 defeat against Dubliner Michael Judge.
q.NIGEL Bond wasted no time yesterday in reaching the final of the Rothmans Malta Grand Prix, with a 6-0 whitewash over Canadian Alain Robidoux. Bond now awaits the winner between Welshman Mark Williams and local hero Tony Drago in the second semi-final.
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