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Sam Craigie upset British champion Zhao Xintong on Saturday despite suffering a headache before the match.
The Englishman produced one of the best wins of his career with a 6-2 win over the Chinese No.1 in York.
Craigie produced breaks of 104, 83, 78 and 69 to defeat the impressive Zhao in front of a packed Barbican Centre.
“It’s a good victory. I played well, I played well in the first two rounds (of qualifying) – not like that – but it’s a good win,” said Sam Craigie on the World Snooker Tour.
“It was very important (to settle quickly) because I was not feeling well before the match. It generally did me a favor in the context of the match, letting Zhao know I was here. He was so good, he could just screw you over.’
“I know I’ve been playing well and I’ve felt good all week, but I woke up with a bit of a headache and a bit of a shake, so I took a few pills and hoped for the best.”
As the match wore on, it was clear that Craigie had the crowd on his side, who were delighted with the century break in the final frame that sealed victory.
“I’ve never experienced anything like that before, and it was hard to take it in. Every time he missed or I put the ball in, it was a big cheer.”
“It wasn’t very good for him, but I loved it.”
Ryan Day will be Craig’s next opponent in the second round after ending the hopes of British Open champion Jimmy White.
Day decisively won a couple of frames to gain the initiative and later raised his level with century breaks to see off the 60-year-old’s challenge at 6-2.
It was a disappointing end to an incredible run for Whirlwind, who had gone through four qualifying rounds that featured in the platform stages.
The atmosphere inside the Barbican Center was electrifying and Day said: “At the end I told him he was one of my heroes and it was an honor to share this story with him.”
Mark Allen and Kieren Wilson were the two players who passed the opening trials of the tournament.
Allen came from 2-0 down to beat fellow Northern Irishman and close friend Jordan Brown 6-4.
Wilson, meanwhile, survived a minor setback at the end of his match against Matthew Celt before emerging a 6-3 winner.
There will be four more of the last 32 matches on Sunday.
Three-time champion Neil Robertson takes on Joe Perry and 2021 runner-up Luca Bresel takes on Liu Haotian in the afternoon session.
Later, Tom Ford will face John Higgins, while Ding Junhui will face Barry Hawkins in the first round.
UK Championship draw and schedule
Last 32
Zhao Xintong (1) 2-6 Sam Craigie
Ryan Day (16) 6-2 Jimmy White
Mark Allen (9) 6-4 Jordan Brown
Kieren Wilson (8) 6-3 Matthew Celt
Mark Selby (5) vs Hossein Wafaei
(Tuesday, November 15 – 19:00)
Jack Lisowski (12) vs Sue C
(Tuesday, November 15 – 13:00)
Sean Murphy (13) vs David Gilbert
(Tuesday, November 15 – 19:00)
Jude Trump (4) vs Xiao Guodung
(Tuesday, November 15 – 13:00)
Neil Robertson (3) vs Joe Perry
(Sunday, November 13 – 1:00 p.m.)
Stuart Bingham (14) vs Liam Highfield
(Monday, November 14 – 19:00)
Luca Bresel (11) vs Liu Haotian
(Sunday, November 13 – 1:00 p.m.)
John Higgins (6) vs Tom Ford
(Sunday, November 13 – 19:00)
Mark Williams (7) vs Jamie Clarke
(Monday, November 14 – 19:00)
Barry Hawkins (10) vs Ding Junhui
(Sunday, November 13 – 19:00)
Yang Bintao (15) vs Zhou Yuelong
(Monday, November 14 – 13:00)
Ronnie O’Sullivan (2) vs Matthew Stevens
(Monday, November 14 – 13:00)
The UK Championship schedule continues with the second round on the 16th and 17th, the quarter-finals on the 18th, the semi-finals on the 19th and the final on Sunday, November 20.
Where to watch the UK Championship
The full schedule of the Great Britain Championship 2022 can be seen across Europe on Eurosport and Discovery+, while viewers in the UK and Ireland can also enjoy it on the BBC.
Other options are available worldwide, more information on those global networks is available on the World Snooker Tour website.
Featured Image Credit: WST
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