Snooker: Seeds tumble in Sheffield

John Parrott and Alan McManus, with only one Embassy World Championship first-round exit between them in 27 previous Crucible visits, both crashed out at the opening hurdle today.

The duo became the first seeds to depart this year as a tournament which had been running entirely to form started to throw up some shock scorelines.

Parrott, who had only failed to reach the last 16 in 1996 since making his Sheffield debut 17 years ago, was beaten 10-6 by Dublin’s Michael Judge.

But at least the Question of Sport team captain put up some sort of fight, whereas world number eight McManus capitulated to a horrendous 10-2 reverse against Patrick Wallace his maiden first-round defeat in this arena.

McManus had made a dreadful start to the match and trailed 8-1 after the first session as his opponent, the world number 59, compiled the highest break of the event so far by knocking in a 135.

And no fightback materialised today as the eighth seed missed a brown in frame 10 which let in the Ulsterman to take a 9-1 lead.

Although the Glaswegian pulled one back, it was merely delaying the inevitable as Wallace fluked the penultimate red in frame 12 and cleared up to secure a second-round meeting with Fergal O’Brien or Mark King.

That stroke of luck was not the only one enjoyed by Wallace, as both players agreed, but McManus was more concerned with his mental approach to the match which he admitted had been all wrong.

‘‘I played pretty poorly all the way through and made a bad start,’’ said the 30-year-old Scot.

‘‘For some reason, I just didn’t enjoy being out there. It didn’t feel right. I let myself down and it’s disappointing to come here and feel like that.

‘‘I had an exceptionally bad run of the balls and my head went down, and it shouldn’t do that. I just never got my head into the game at all.

‘‘I felt good coming here and I’ve been playing well in practice but I’ve had problems starting matches for the last couple of years. It’s as though I don’t even try until I’m 2-0 down and you can’t do that.’’

Wallace, from Dungannon, was surprised at how dominant he had been and revealed that the emphatic overnight scoreline had affected him.

‘‘I found it difficult today because I never thought I’d be 8-1 up,’’ said the 31-year-old.

‘‘I was very uptight, especially with it being my first time here, and against someone of Alan’s stature this is the best win of my career.

‘‘I’ve never seen Alan miss so many pots and I think he was a bit shell-shocked. But he had a shocking run of the balls a couple of terrible kicks and the luck was totally in my favour.’’

Parrott, the oldest man competing in Sheffield this year at 36, has suffered a slump in form this season which reached its lowest ebb with his loss to Judge.

Trailing 4-5 overnight, the Liverpudlian drew level in this morning’s first frame but world number 46 Judge then produced some impressive form to book an all-Dublin second-round clash with 1997 champion Ken Doherty.

‘‘This is mostly my own doing,’’ said Parrott, who will have to try and qualify next year if his ever-present Crucible record since 1984 is to remain intact.

‘‘Michael played better and scored heavier; my highest break today was only 59 and I threw away two frames.

‘‘I had loads of chances but didn’t take them and that’s been the story of my season. I’m just sorry I didn’t do myself justice.

‘‘I’ve not scored well all year or taken my practice form into matches. The way I’ve played I don’t deserve to be in the top 16.

‘‘But I’ve no thoughts of calling it a day yet. I’ve been saying all along I’ll give it another couple of years and then see my kids grow up.’’

Judge, making his debut at the Crucible, agreed his result represented a big breakthrough for him.

‘‘It was a dream come true just to play John here and I’m delighted to have won. It’s what I’ve practised for over the years,’’ he said.

‘‘I’m definitely in the best form of my career and I knew that if I could settle I had a good chance.

‘‘Winning the first frame helped me do that and I knew I couldn’t fall behind John today because then the pressure would really have been on me.’’

Judge’s fellow Dubliner Fergal O’Brien, the ninth seed, was 6-3 down against world number 22 Mark King of Romford after this morning’s session and has his work cut out to turn their contest around tonight.