Group 3 was hotly contested on Monday as vital group points were shared across the board among a stacked field at Morningside Arena, Leicester.
Championship League Snooker returned after a four-week hiatus on Monday as Kyren Wilson, Mark Selby and Gary Wilson returned for a second week in Leicestershire. Ali Carter, who had previously competed in Group 2, was a late withdrawal after the German Masters, with the Captain set to return in Group 6 at the end of the month.
He was replaced by defending Championship League Snooker Invitational champion John Higgins, who joined Tom Ford and Neil Robertson in making up the remainder of the group.
The group proved tough to separate throughout, with nobody able to grab a firm advantage at the top. Heading into the final match of the evening session, Scottish Open champion Gary Wilson topped the group ahead of Mark Selby by virtue of Frames Lost, having recorded two whitewash wins over Tom Ford and Kyren Wilson. Selby, who lost out in the Group 2 final to Chris Wakelin last month, had himself won two matches in defeating Ford and Neil Robertson.
But it was the Wizard of Wishaw Higgins who ended the group on top having overtaken Wilson in the final match, despite losing the match to Tom Ford. A 3-2 defeat was enough to earn two frames to top the group after two wins.
Kyren Wilson also shared two victories on the first day, with his 139 break being the highest of the group so far as the high breaks fell throughout the day – a total of 12 between the seven men.
Play resumes from 11am on Tuesday, with fans able to view the action on Matchroom.live in the United Kingdom.
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