Ali Carter sees title defence ended by Liam Davies at Championship League as Gary Wilson crashes out in first round
Published 07/07/2025 at 23:39 GMT+1
The ranking event version of the Championship League at Leicester's Mattioli Arena continues to throw up some surprise results with defending champion Ali Carter seeing his title defence ended by Welsh teenager Liam Davies on Monday. Davies topped Group 6 ahead of Carter after winning all three matches, while Iran's world No. 75 Amir Sarkhosh edged out Gary Wilson and Bai Yulu to win Group 7.
Women's world champion Bai books British Open main-draw spot
Video credit: TNT Sports
Liam Davies completed a 3-1 win over defending champion Ali Carter to top Group 6 at the Championship League with three straight victories on Monday.
Carter's 3-1 wins over Jack Bradford and Huang Jiahao were matched by 19-year-old Davies, leaving a group decider with a place in the last 32 on the line in Leicester.
Despite the two-time Crucible finalist opening with a break of 93, it was Davies who reeled off the next three frames, closing with a break of 62 to seal his progress.
Both men were in fine scoring form with Carter, who defeated Jackson Page 3-1 in last season's final, producing two centuries and three 50+ breaks in his opening two fixtures with Davies making 135 against Bradford.
Meanwhile, world No. 19 Gary Wilson ended his day unbeaten on three points in Group 7 alongside women's world champion Bai Yulu, but suffered elimination with Amir Sarkhosh's 3-1 win over Alex Clenshaw providing his path to the last 32.
Wilson compiled 129 and 91 in earning a 2-2 draw with Bai, who opened with a break of 82 and rolled in 96 against Sarkhosh, who enjoyed a 106 in the second frame of their match.
The Championship League runs between June 30 and July 23, with 32 groups of four producing 32 winners, who are then split into eight groups of four.
Two final groups of four will determine who contests the final on July 23, with the winner earning ÂŁ33,000 and a place in the Champion of Champions event in Leicester in November.
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Championship League group winners
- Group 15: Stephen Maguire (Sco)
- Group 26: Yao Pengcheng (Chn)
- Group 3: Alfie Burden (Eng)
- Group 22: Matthew Selt (Eng)
- Group 25: Matthew Stevens (Wal)
- Group 18: Yuan Sijun (Chn)
- Group 28: Ricky Walden (Eng)
- Group 9: Wu Yize (Chn)
- Group 2: Zhang Anda (Chn)
- Group 32: Ng On Yee (HK)
- Group 11: Stuart Bingham (Eng)
- Group 17: Elliot Slessor (Eng)
- Group 6: Liam Davies (Wal)
- Group 7: Amir Sarkhosh (Irn)
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