Zizins ends losing streak, advances past first Scottish Open qualifying round

Latvian snooker player Artemijs Zizins won his first qualifying round match at the Scottish Open ranking tournament, defeating England's Craig Steadman 4:2.

Match progress

The match began evenly, with Steadman taking the opening frame after a tactical battle in which Zizins left the yellow ball in a favorable position for his opponent. In the second frame, the English player built a fifty-plus break after Zizins made an error attempting to pot the blue ball, extending the lead to 0:2.

The Latvian responded with a 60-point run to win the third frame, capitalizing on mistakes from Steadman. The fourth frame leveled the match at 2:2. Fortune favored Zizins in the fifth frame, when a missed shot left the cue ball in a favorable position next to the black, allowing him to take the lead for the first time, 3:2.

In the decisive sixth frame, both players made errors in difficult moments, but Zizins managed to collect the points needed to close out the match 4:2.

What's next

By reaching the second qualifying round, Zizins secures at least 1,000 ranking points and the same amount in prize money. On Wednesday, September 23, he will face England's Liam Pullen, ranked 68th on the tour. The two players have not previously met.