Josh Rock and Daryl Gurney
Northern Ireland’s Daryl Gurney stunned World No.4 Stephen Bunting to take his place in the last-16 of the Players Championship Finals in Minehead, while Broughshane’s Josh Rock produced a finishing masterclass to also progress to the third round.
Gurney capitalised on former Masters champion Bunting being well off his best, averaging just 89.15, to advance to Saturday’s evening session with a 6-4 win and a meeting with tournament debutant Adam Lipscombe.
‘Superchin’, the 2018 Players Finals champion, averaged 95.47 in response but it was on the outer ring where he was deadliest, hitting 50 per cent of his doubles to dump out the Premier League star.
Rock, meanwhile, hammered England’s Scott Williams 6-0 thanks to four ton-plus finishes to also book his place in the last-32 where he will take on Krzystof Ratajski after the Polish star stunned European champion Gian van Veen.
The Co Antrim man took out finishes of 107, 148, 100 and 123 on his way to a whitewash win that saw him average 107.36 as he looks to reach a third major Semi-Final of the year.