Hello, Please find below a round-up from Thursday’s play at Championship League Snooke

Ben Woollaston and Elliot Slessor are the latest two players into winners’ week of BetVictor Championship League Snooker, topping Groups Three and 23 respectively at the Morningside Arena, Leicester.

Woollaston kicked his season off in fine fashion, beating China’s Zhang Jiankang 3-0 with breaks of 50, 44, 49, and 67. The Leicester potter then followed up with his second 3-0 victory of the group, coming against James Cahill in just over 30 minutes – a break of 91 his highest of the match.

Group Three’s conclusion came down to the local derby between Woollaston and four-times champion of the world Mark Selby, with Woollaston needing just a point against the Jester to book his place winners’ week.

Selby opened the first frame with a healthy 61-point lead, before an uncharacteristic mistake – a missed red from the world number three – allowed Woollaston to clear up with a break of 68 to steal the frame on the black.

The following frame went the way of Selby thanks to a half century break (50), and the third frame looked to trending in the same direction when the Jester amassed his second 50 break of the match. Forced to then play safe, Selby left a tricky red near the corner pocket, Woollaston fired it in before going on to clear up with a break of 78 and secure the group-winning frame needed.

The fourth frame, a formality now, was won by the group winner with a classy clearance of 127 – a group high break – and capped an excellent opening day to the season for Woollaston who dropped just one frame in the group.

Speaking afterwards he said: “I played really well, surprisingly. I knew the last match was going to be difficult going up against Mark [Selby], he only missed one ball all game, but I managed to play well too.

“I just tried to get on with when I had chances and clear up, when I made the clearance in the second frame, I did think that this is usually what Mark does that to everybody else.

“To be honest I’ve not played much in the off-season, I’ve played for about two weeks maximum and only putting in one to two hours a day at most, so it was a surprise to be as sharp as I was out there.

“I’d love to get back into the top 32 again this season, and the aim always every season is to win a title.”

Elliot Slessor fought through a tough group consisting of Welsh Open champion Joe Perry, Andrew Higginson, and Lukas Kleckers to book his spot in winners’ week.

Slessor started his day with a 3-1 win over Kleckers, breaks of 43 and 44 enough to secure all three points. A tough second match followed against Andrew Higginson, one that he looked to be cruising to victory at 2-0 thanks to breaks of 67 and 79. Higginson however, fought back brilliantly with breaks of 42 and 50 to share the points.

The final match of the group between Slessor and Perry was to be the decider, with Slessor needing a win and Perry requiring just a point. The Gentleman got off to the perfect start, winning the opener with breaks of 25 and 33 before Slessor won back-to-back frames and setting up a sudden death final frame.

A somewhat scrappy final frame, with both players aware of what was at stake, eventually went the way of the Gateshead man; a break of 37 proving decisive as his quest for a first ranking event win now goes on into winners’ week.