Defending champion Neil Robertson reached the last 32 of the English Open after beating Lei Peifan.The 40-year-old won 4-3 despite Peifan hitting three straight centuries to force a decider on Tuesday.Robertson had raced into a 3-0 lead but Peifan made it 3-3 with breaks of 136, 134 and 121 only for Robertson to take the seventh frame with a crucial break of 67.Robertson is joined by Judd Trump, who beat Craig Steadman4-1, and Mark Selby after his 4-2 win over Joe O'Connor.UK Championship winner Mark Allen beat Dylan Emery4-1.Ali Carter beat Chen Zifan4-0, Ding Junhui won his second-round match against Xu Si4-1 and John Higgins eased past Mark King 4-1.Marco Fu, the 2008 UK Championship runner-up, reached the last 64 by beating Jimmy Robertson4-1 having spent two years without playing between February 2020 and April 2022 amid the Covid pandemic and surgery on his eyes."It's nice to be back competing and playing to a decent standard.
I have missed so many tournaments over the last few years," he told wst.tv."I enjoy being around the other players, they are like a snooker family.
But when the trips are too long, it is difficult mentally, I don't feel healthy."The last time I came to the UK I needed to stay for three months because of the quarantine policy in Hong Kong."