Stevens ends long wait

Matthew Stevens finally won his first match of the season after suffering four successive opening round defeats to reach the last 16 of the Malta Cup at the Hilton Conference Centre, Portomaso today.

Stevens, the world number six, defeated Shaun Murphy 5-4 to register his first victory in a best-of-nine-frame match since the British Open of November 2003.

The Welshman’s ranking position has been rescued by him winning the Travis Perkins UK Championship and reaching the last four of the Embassy World Championship, which are played over more frames.

Stevens, 27, came close to more disappointment after letting slip leads of 3-0 and 4-2 before compiling a crucial break of 53 to win the decider.

He said: “When I was 3-0 and 4-2 ahead I thought I was going to win but at 4-4 I was thinking ‘here we go again’.

“It does play on your mind when you’ve been on a run like this. I’m looking to win matches and tournaments so it’s been disappointing but hopefully I can kick on from this.”

Stevens was unable to practice for the tournament after being struck down with tonsillitis shortly after the Welsh Open a fortnight ago.

Things were looking up when he led 3-0 and again when he pieced together a run of 66 for 4-2 but Murphy, a semi-finalist at last November’s British Open, constructed efforts of 114 and 69 to force the decider.

Both players had plenty of chances in the concluding frame before Stevens made 53 to secure victory.

“It wasn’t a great match but I played well in the Welsh Open and lost,” he said.

“As long as you win in the first round, it doesn’t really matter how you play.”

Alan McManus, the world number 10, laboured for four hours and eight minutes before edging past Norwich’s Barry Pinches 5-4.

“I’ve been suffering form a heavy cold and felt like my head was in a vice, which didn’t help,” said McManus.

In the first of four matches between qualifiers and local wild cards, Redcar’s Mike Dunn overwhelmed Simon Zammit 5-0.