Martin Gould lost all three of his opening matches, the first of which was from 2-1 ahead in a lengthy match with Fergal O'Brien. O'Brien then came straight back out, and after losing an opening frame that lasted for close to an hour and then fell 2-0 behind to Michael Holt he came back to win 3-2.
Ali Carter then opened up with a couple of 3-1 victories against Dominic Dale and German Masters champion Gould, whilst Michael Holt came back out after losing from 2-0 ahead, only to turn around a 2-0 deficit himself against Kyren Wilson. Wilson's day did not end any better as the same thing happened against Dominic Dale so he finishes the day with one win, when it could have easily been a clean sweep of three wins from his opening three matches.
Ali meanwhile managed to see off Fergal O'Brien 3-2, before losing his final match of the day to Michael Holt, who made a 77 break to win the decider.
What it all means is that Carter is looking very good for qualification, while Gould and Wilson are in a little bit of trouble but nothing they cannot get out of with three group games left to go. Holt, Dale, O'Brien and Mark Davis are all evenly matched in the middle of the table with two points, with O'Brien and Davis having played one less game to arrive at that total.
Dominic Dale and Michael Holt still have work to do with their two wins coming from four games and with them set to play each other on the final day one of them is going to be in a much better position than the other coming into the final game. Holt's other fixture is against bottom placed Martin Gould while Dale will play Fergal O'Brien.
O'Brien's other two games on the final day come against Kyren Wilson and Mark Davis in what will again be key games for both players with Wilson looking to make a comeback and get out of the bottom two while Davis is the Irishman's neighbour with two wins from three which again means the loser of that game could be thrust into trouble.
Seniors champion Davis will also face bottom placed Martin Gould and top boy Ali Carter in his search for another win or two to qualify for the knock-out stages so it will certainly not be easy for him.
As Martin Gould eyes a turn around in fortunes he faces sixth placed Kyren Wilson in his final match after playing Holt and Davis and that match could well be a relegation play-off between the two.
Before facing Gould, Wilson has matches against O'Brien and Ali Carter as he looks to get out of any trouble without relying on a win from his final match with the former Championship League winner.
Ali Carter is certainly the man sitting pretty on top coming close to a clean sweep on day one, but he will not want to let his intensity drop for his final two games before playing in the winners group.
Whatever happens these seven guys will quickly hop onto the plane out to Gdynia with some playing on Friday and others on Saturday in the season's final European Tour event, though Carter is the only one of the seven who will not be there having decided not to enter.
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