Tony Drago is through to the semi-finals of the World Seniors Championship after a nail-biting 3-1 win over Stuart Watson at the Crucible in Sheffield on Friday night.
The Maltese veteran player is bidding to go one better than last year’s tournament when he bowed out to eventual winner Jimmy White.
But the Maltese Tornado was off to a storming start as in the first frame he showed his undoubted potting skills that distinguished himself during his playing career when compiling a run of 91 to go 1-0 up.
In the second frame, the Maltese player kept control of the match to double his advantage and move just one away from victory.
"WOW…"
— World Seniors Snooker Tour (@WorldSeniors) May 10, 2024
Unbelievable drama at the Crucible Theatre as Tony Drago gets over the line in dramatic fashion against Stuart Watson!#SeniorsSnooker | @Channel5Sport | @MrVegas_Casino pic.twitter.com/EZHQ6t9Gyl
The third frame saw both players having good opportunities to win it and a costly miss on the blue enabled Watson to clear the table and halve his deficit.
After a short break, Watson and Drago gave life to a nerve-racking fourth frame that lasted over 30 minutes of play.
Drago seemed to be on his way when he seized control with some excellent defensive shots.
However, the Maltese player missed a comfortable blue and seemed to open the way for Watson to force a decider.
But the English player missed an easy-looking black to pave the way for Drago to seal his win when potting the final ball and reach the semi-finals.
"THEY'RE ALL GREAT PLAYERS"
— World Seniors Snooker Tour (@WorldSeniors) May 10, 2024
Ahead of his quarter-final this evening, Tony Drago discusses the elimination of the defending champion Jimmy White and what it could mean for his own hopes of victory at the Crucible.#SeniorsSnooker | @Channel5Sport | @MrVegas_Casino pic.twitter.com/WRTkik6zNN
His opponent in Saturday’s semi-final is Igor Figueiredo who stunned defending champion White 3-0.
“This means a lot to me,” Drago said after the match.
“I will not say much but the people who are close to me in Malta know very well what I have been through during the past two and a half months and I’m happy to reach the semi-finals.
“My focus is to keep going and reach the final on Sunday, which coincides with the Mother’s Day, and I want to play for my mum who I love so much.”
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