2015 Masters - Perry secures QF spot

The first round of this year's Dafabet Masters ends with Joe Perry's 6-3 victory over China's Ding Junhui. The result is even more important since it represents the Englishman's first Masters victory.

Although the snooker meeting started as a very balanced one, Perry taking the opener followed by Ding's 80 break to grab the next frame, by the mid-session interval the scoreline was pointing to Joe as being in control.

"The Gentleman" won a scrappy fourth frame, which had all its colours on bad spots and the reds scattered awkward on the table, but became more fluent during the next one which he conquered with a perfect 104.

Ding seemed to show more consistency after the mini-tea-break and hit a solid 67 break to pull back a frame, continuing on the same note in frame six.

However, even if Perry was left in need of no less than three snookers, the Englishman decided to try out his luck and what do you know? It paid off! Ding committed a huge mistake and handed his opponent not just a snooker, but also a free-ball, Joe clearing the table to go 4-2 ahead.

The Chinese player took revenge in frame seven, as Joe missed an awkward yellow (which was also frame ball) down on 44, but Perry used runs of 28 and 35 to re-open the two-frame gap.

"The Fen Potter" ended Ding's suffering rather quickly and booked his place in the quarter-finals after a tremendous 104 clearance.
Now, he’ll be looking forward to his meeting with Mark Allen.

Thursdays marks the start of the quarter-finals series, the first in line being:

1pm
Ronnie O'Sullivan v. Marco Fu

7pm
Ali Carter v. Neil Robertson