Angry Swail a bit unlucky

SNOOKER/World Championship: Matthew Stevens, twice runner-up and three other times a semi-finalist here in the last six years, repelled the first-round challenge of Northern Ireland's Joe Swail, twice a semi-finalist, with far more difficulty than the 10-5 scoreline suggests.

Contributing to the drama of the match, unfortunately, were the dozens of "kicks". Swail, the most mild-mannered of players, was left fuming.

"I'm disgusted with the table," he said. "The last thing you want is to go into a shot worrying about it being a kick. It seems to be getting worse. We're playing this game for a living."

Stevens, playing freely and fluently, made two centuries in leading 6-2, but Swail, a formidable fighter, won the last frame of the opening session and the first two on the resumption, before a careless safety led to Stevens reasserting himself with a break of 112.

Then, in the next frame, Stevens fluked the last red and cleared to go 8-5. Another black-ball steal with a 39 clearance clinched victory two frames later.

Mark Williams overwhelmed Anthony Hamilton 10-1, a margin that surprised the twice world champion, who had lost their last four matches. "He played out of his skin every time," said Williams. "I thought it was the toughest draw I could have had."