Welsh Open 2022 - Ding Junhui blitzes Gao Yang 4-0 at Aldersley Leisure Village in Wolverhampton

Ding Junhui made short work of fellow countryman Gao Yang in Welsh Open qualifying with a 4-0 whitewash. Ding got off to a good start at the Aldersley Leisure Village by posting a break of 59 to take the opener, and he didn't look back from there. Ad/> He edged the next two frames 50-41 and 55-31 respectively, before taking the fourth and final frame with a superb clearance of 134.

UK Championship'I never think I'm good enough' — O'Sullivan explains mental approach01/12/2021 AT 19:03 With an average shot time of 21.6 seconds, it was a fluent performance from the 34-year-old against an opponent — 17-year-old Gao — half his age. In Saturday's other afternoon match, Thailand's Noppon Seangkham saw off Tian Pengfei 4-2. The 29-year-old from Thailand was quick out of the blocks in Wolverhampton with a break of 78 to go 1-0 ahead.

Guodong out of Welsh Open qualifiers after being docked two frames for lateness The greatest ever snooker shot? Vafaei produces extraordinary escape and pot Pengfei wrestled back the initiative by taking the next two frames, but Saengkham got the fourth to level it up at 2-2 with a break of 68. From there, Saengkham took the next two to seal his progress. Ding and Seangkham both now advance to the main draw of the event to be held at Celtic Manor in Newport from 28 February to 6 March.

Li Hang joined them when he defeated Louis Heathcote 4-1 in the evening. After going 1-0 a break of 98 levelled things for Heathcote, before his opponent pulled away. A 66-31 break edged him ahead before two impressive breaks, the first and only century of the match (101) and an 81 took him to four frames.