James Cahill beaten in MrQ UK Championship qualifying
James Cahill’s hopes of reaching this year’s MrQ UK Championship are over after defeat in the penultimate qualifying round.
The 27-year-old from Marton went down 6-5 against Noppon Saengkham in a fluctuating match at Leicester’s Morningside Arena on Monday.
Cahill was 3-1 and 4-2 up against Saengkham, who responded to lead 5-4 before eventually winning the decider.
He had started his qualifying campaign with a 6-2 victory against Xing Zihao in round two on Sunday.
After winning three of the first four frames, a break of 55 put Cahill 4-1 ahead before his opponent responded with one of 73.
However, Cahill went 5-2 in front before sealing victory in a tight eighth frame.
That set up a clash with Saengkham, a four-time ranking event semi-finalist who is currently ranked 24th in the world.
Cahill started with a break of 54 in frame one, only for his opponent’s 68 to give him the early advantage.
Breaks of 56 and 57 put Cahill 2-1 up before he comfortably won the fourth as well.
Saengkham’s 55 saw him win a close fifth frame but Cahill then took the sixth and moved within two of victory.
Three consecutive frames then put Saengkham in the driving seat at 5-4 before Cahill won the penultimate one to set up a decider.
That went the way of Saengkham, who put together the match’s highest break of 78 and now faces Wu Yize in the final qualifying stage on Wednesday.
The winner takes their place in the final stages in York for the first event in the 2023/24 Triple Crown Series.