Welcome win for ‘skint’ Hamilton

Putting friendship to one side for the evening, Anthony Hamilton finished with a flourish to book his place in the last four of the Welsh Open at the Newport Centre tonight.

Hamilton beat close pal Ian McCulloch 5-2, coming good in the second half of the contest to reach the semi-finals of a world-ranking event for only the fourth time in 15 years as a professional and for the first time since the 2002 China Open.

“It was difficult to concentrate at the start because Ian and I are such good mates but once I settled down that was all forgotten,” explained Hamilton.

“The way I’ve been playing I’ve been waiting for something like this to happen all season. I’m glad it has because I’m absolutely skint.”

World number 17 Hamilton, now guaranteed a minimum pay-day of £8,750 (€12,754) and only two victories away from pocketing a £35,000 (€51,016) windfall, added: “I’m really happy with the way I’m scoring in the balls. That’s my big strength and if that’s working I’ve got half a chance.”

Hamilton, among the select band of players who have compiled more than 100 century breaks in professional competition, put together a run of 100 to lead 2-1 but went into the mid-session interval on level terms.

It looked set to be a closely contested affair but, on the restart, Hamilton made a 64 break for 3-2 before stealing the sixth frame with a 66 clearance during which he skilfully dislodged the black from its awkward position under a side cushion in potting the blue.

Shortly afterwards McCulloch’s misery was compounded when, in splitting the pack off the black, he unluckily nudged a red into a middle pocket and Hamilton pounced with a match-clinching contribution of 64.

The 34-year-old from Nottingham, twice beaten in ranking-event finals but still waiting to hoist aloft his first trophy, now faces Stephen Lee over the best of 11 frames.

And with world champion Shaun Murphy taking on Barry Hawkins in the other half of the draw it is the first time Englishmen have monopolised a ranking-tournament semi-final line up since the 2002 Regal Scottish Open in Aberdeen.

Hamilton, 5-2 down in head-to-head meetings with Lee, said: “Stephen’s cagey, his long potting has been good. He seems up for it but I’m buzzing as well.”