Yan Bingtao and David both crashed out at the opening hurdle of the 2020 German Masters Qualifiers and will miss out on the opportunity to play at the Tempodrom this season.

Day 3 of the German Masters’ Qualifiers saw two top snooker players bow out of the competition. 20-year-old Yan Bingtao was defeated in a deciding-frame match against Sam Craigie in the German Masters qualifying match on Wednesday.

Bingtao, who is the youngest player to win the Amateur World Snooker Championship, was ahead with 2-0 and 3-2 only to miss out in the last 64 when his Sam Craigie compiled a break of 51 in the ninth frame.

The Chinese number two, who also is currently ranked 13th in the world, will not be able to complete in his first German Masters this season.

Also, David Gilbert also got eliminated at the first hurdle, after he suffered a 5-2 reverse against 20-year-old Yuan Sijun in Milton Keynes. David “The Angry Farmer” Gilbert will be disappointed with his performance as he was a huge favourite to progress.

The 39-year-old English professional snooker player reached the final of the 2018/19 German Masters but lost 9-7 to Kyren Wilson.

Meanwhile, in other games, Scottish snooker legend John Higgins would also have been eliminated, but the four-time world champion was able to win the last two frames in a gruelling 5-4 win against Robert Milkins.

Reigning Masters champion Stuart Bingham and World Championship finalist Kyren Wilson both easily dismantled their opponents, after comprehensively defeating Eden Sharav and Zak Surety respectively.

Other ranking winners who were able to advance to the second qualifying match included the likes of Ricky Walden, Anthony McGill, Jimmy Robertson, and Michael Holt.

Elsewhere, 18-year-old Irish snooker player Aaron Hill saw off Billy Joe Castle to record another victory in his debut season on the Main Tour.

Written by: Collins Nwokolo