LIVE BLOG: Harvey Chandler vs Ashley Carty

Ashley Carty 4-1 Harvey Chandler - After Carty left the last red over the corner, Chandler was able to get in and clear down to a difficult pink which he missed. That left Carty a half chance at a cut which he rattled and left in the jaws for his opponent. Chandler potted it but ran too far for the black playing safe, but still inviting a cut which Carty missed. Chandler then took a risky long attempt on, leaving it safe though but a few shots later Carty landed the cross double for victory. A good first outing for Carty then and a learning experience for both players, with positives for Chandler to take into his World Open qualifier against Michael White. Carty though will be delighted to get off to a winning start in what felt like a nervy match.

A safety error from Carty has left Chandler in with a chance to reduce his deficit in this frame. The last two reds on the bottom cushion could prove troublesome and Chandler plays safe.

Helped by a small fluke Carty adds another 9 to his lead before laying a snooker, from which he gets a third chance in this frame straight away. Only another 8 points is added though and he'll need a fourth opportunity in order to close this out.

Carty breaks down initially on 30 but a nice long pot rolled in for black ball position has him back at the table, but again there are not many loose reds to go at.

Frame 5 - After a quiet start to this frame the first real chance has fallen to Carty. There are not many loose reds at this stage but he'll certainly be able to edge closer to victory here.

Frame Chandler - It may have taken four chances there in the end to leave Carty needing snookers, but Chandler should not care. He has a frame on the board and may settle a little more now and make a fightback, as he did look more solid in parts of that frame.

It would not be the most settling first experience as a pro to lose 4-0 and Chandler now has a second chance in this frame to make sure he avoids that. It is not clear cut but he should build a commanding lead. Having said that he's over hit a positional shot on a red to middle and snookered himself behind the blue so has to play safe.

Frame 4 - Chandler is on the brink now and has not been able to yet in this match. He gets the first opportunity in the fourth but breaks down after losing position for a speedy 27.

Frame Carty - After Chandler's missed blue, Carty was able to open things up a bit, clearing the remaining reds and left Chandler needing a snooker on the blue. The European Champion failed to make any inroads on this occasion and Carty is just one away from taking out the match. 3-0 Carty.

Carty pots the green at the back end of the third frame.

Well that's a first. Carty manages to pot three reds in one shot after knocking a plant in and now has a nice little opportunity to turn around his slight deficit in the frame, before missing the pink off the spot. That allows Chandler back but with the colours scrappy it was not the best chance, and he's missed the blue to allow Carty back. There's still a long way to go in this frame.

Frame 3 - It's getting towards make or break time in the match for Chandler now. This is what makes the best of 7s so tough. He's in now though but is not able to construct much from the early opening.

Frame Carty - He did not get the frame won at the visit I initially thought he would but it was not long before another red went down to leave Chandler needing snookers. The attempts did not mount to much and while it was not a flashy frame, Carty won't care at all. 2-0 Carty.

Carty's break ended on 30 after a mis-judged positional shot. Now though he has Chandler snookered and from the escape he has earned another chance and should clinch this frame.

Carty broke down early but is in again now. The table had gone a bit scrappy but Carty can soon change that and make this into a really good opening, if he plays his cards right.

Frame 2 - It's been a bit of a slow start to frame two here, both players have potted reds but not been able to get on colours, with the black tied up for now. What is a good sign is seeing both players knock in reds from range and get close to almost all long attempts, as there must be some nerves. The first decent look has now fallen to Carty after Chandler gets close to a long red but leaves it over the corner.

Frame Carty - Carty takes advantage adding another 31 after a good red with the rest and extension to leave Chandler needing snookers. Chandler played on and despite a bit of success Carty held firm and clinches his first frame as a pro. 1-0

Chandler does indeed force the mistake from Carty but a missed black means he will not take full advantage. Carty is in now from Chandler's error and is not far from taking the frame.

Carty's first break would end after this pot on the blue. 

Carty's break comes to an end on 36 after losing position and he gets a good safety in. Chandler meanwhile has had the perfect pace on almost every safety shot he's played so far, finding the baulk cushion each time and Carty is now in a spot of bother.

Frame 1 - Chandler has an early chance and from his very first shot he had the pace of the table, before smashing a long red in with his second. A tricky miss though has left Carty in now though for his first opportunity but he'll need to get into the pack soon.

The second live blog today is an all-rookie clash between Ashley Carty and Harvey Chandler.

Readers of the blog should have seen my interview last week with Chandler, where he spoke about how he'd gotten to this point in his career, winning the European Championship, but also how he had pretty much given the game up at one point. He also mentioned that himself and Carty know each other from their junior days which adds a nice dynamic to this contest. Expect some nerves from both guys in what is their first outing on the tour but hopefully it will still produce some high quality.

Carty has come close to being on tour a few times before winning his tour card in May. He's reached the last 32 in a couple of events as an amateur and is a good scorer so he will hope to show all that again now that he is a pro, while continuing to progress. In my season preview Carty is selected as one of three rookies to watch, so my expectations for him are high.

This is definitely a tough match to call and it may be who settles the quickest, and handles those first pro game nerves the best that comes out on top.

LIVE BLOG: Liam Highfield vs Sean O'Sullivan

Liam Highfield 4-0 Sean O'Sullivan - Very clinical stuff there from Highfield. An additional 42 gets the job done nicely and shuts O'Sullivan out. Apart from the second frame it's hard to say that he had many clear cut chances and that is testament to how well Highfield played. His long potting and positional play were good, his safety was pretty good and that will stand him in good stead against plenty of players if he carries that on. For O'Sullivan it's just a case of trying to keep his head up, because despite his visible disappointment, he did not do a load wrong.

Still lots of safety going on at the moment and it's largely been good from both players, but as in most aspects today Highfield just has the edge and now has O'Sullivan in real trouble. He's snookered behind the yellow with plenty of reds open, and he's left an opportunity now with Highfield already ahead by 32.

Frame 4 - It's been a scrappy start to this frame but crucially it is Highfield that has the upper hand again as he looks to prevent any chance of a fightback from his opponent.

Frame Highfield - That was sublime stuff from Highfield there. The left hander made easy work of the loose reds and then potted a great red with the rest down the side cushion to help clinch the frame. The rest of the reds on the bottom cushion were easy work as well and just a tough miss on the blue prevented a century. A magnificent 93 puts him one away now at 3-0.

Highfield on the way to his excellent 93 break in the third. 

Another long red leads to another opening for Highfield and despite a few reds being on cushions from the scrappy start to this frame, this is a nice chance to build a lead.

Frame 3 - The best chance of this third frame so far has been earned by Highfield after a good mid-range when he was stretching over the colours. He quickly gets the black back on its spot from the position in baulk but fails to find position on the next red.

Frame Highfield - It was O'Sullivan that potted the final red after Highfield left it over the corner, but he missed the following pink. That left Highfield needing yellow to blue for the frame, but he came up a bit short on the brown. After a long deliberation he decided to cut it in the middle, executing it perfectly and landing perfect on the blue to double his lead. 2-0 and O'Sullivan may have missed the boat.

O'Sullivan played a little cannon to the two reds in the middle of the table, leaving one down the cushion which he wobbled, and you could see a lot of frustration come out afterwards. That let Highfield back in but he's failed to move the last red from the side cushion and plays safe leading by 9 points but has O'Sullivan snookered too.

Highfield looks to pounce on O'Sullivan's error in frame two. 

After saying it was a good chance Highfield went into the pack again from the black with much more force, landed on a red but needed a cannon to stay on the black. It didn't quite come off and he clicked his fingers with disappointment as he snookered himself on it. O'Sullivan is in now after a nice red in the middle and this is his chance to get a foothold in the match.

Frame 2 - With a beautiful long red Highfield is straight back amongst them in the second. A soft cannon into the pack from the blue has opened things up pretty well and this is now an excellent scoring chance.

Frame Highfield - A really sharp start there from Highfield. Other than the early miss on the black he looks in good form, confident and his positional play has been sharp too. With a run of 56 he's taken the opening frame. 1-0

O'Sullivan's chance falls away after leaving a thin yellow in the jaws of the pocket, allowing Highfield back to the table. With some good shots to keep the break ticking over he now looks in good shape to clinch the opener.

Highfield earns another chance after dropping a red in the middle and coming down perfectly for the black, only to then miss the black a couple of shots later and leave a chance for O'Sullivan.

Frame 1 - First chance of the match has fallen to Highfield and he shows good touch on the opening red, rolling it in from mid-range to hold for the black. Early signs are that he is in good touch, though his pack split from the black leaves the cue ball in baulk and he has to play a containing safety.

Today is the penultimate day of Riga Masters qualifying and my final day in Preston for this week. The opening session has a couple of good ties but the focus will be on Liam Highfield against Sean O'Sullivan.

I watched Liam Highfield quite a bit when I was in Cardiff earlier this year, as he reached the last 16. He should have gone even further having had Ian Burns needing snookers at 3-2 to Highfield, for what would have been his second quarter final of the season. His first last 8 appearance came in India and there are enough signs to make you think plenty more big runs could be on the cards. Highfield ended last season well by qualifying for his Crucible debut at which point a lot of people started to sit up and take notice, so it is certainly worth following his progress closely here.

As for Sean O'Sullivan he had quite a quiet year last season, with his best finish being the last 32 in India, so he needs to get out of the blocks quickly in this campaign to stay on tour. This game will not be easy for him though and he will have to hope that Highfield is not on top scoring form.

LIVE BLOG: Gerard Greene Vs Chen Feilong

Gerard Greene 4-1 Chen Feilong - Some of his positional play towards the end was a little around the houses and scruffy but Gerard Greene is comfortably over the line 4-1. He did what he had to there and took his chance well at the end with Chen half-threatening a fight back. There were small signs from Chen Feilong but his nerves seemed to hamper him badly today and that will need to improve for his World Open qualifier next up. Overall, a comfortable afternoon for the Northern Irishman and a learning experience for the Chinese rookie.

Greene makes 32 before having to play safe, though it is not a good one as Chen knocks a long red in. He misses the next brown though to let Greene off and leave him right in with a match clinching chance.

Frame 5 - I don't know whether this is through nerves as well but Chen is not the quickest player, though his AST might say differently when I look later. He has the first chance in frame five and is starting to play a couple of nice shots. He's still only able to build a lead of 19 before playing safe and it would be the mother of all comebacks if he won from here, given how he started. A thick safety has now let Greene in with a decent look.

Frame Chen - Chen has actually managed to get the upper hand in this frame, but whether he can convert is an entirely different question. His lead is 6 as he plays safe on the yellow, unlucky really not to land on it, but he is soon able to pot it from distance. The green, brown and blue follow and remarkably after how he lost the last, Chen has a frame on the board. 3-1 Greene now.

Opportunity knocks once more for Chen and this is probably the best he's had so far, at least in the middle of a frame that is. He should have closed the gap a lot more than he has before missing a thin red with the rest, and Greene is still in charge.

Frame 4 - It's not getting any better for Chen out here at the start of the fourth. Greene is now on his third chance and with reds nicely open and the pink and blue open he should at least build a lead that his opponent would struggle to come back from. That is until being unlucky with a cannon, and his break ends with just a 33 point lead.

Frame Greene - Chen has had nothing short of an absolute nightmare in this third frame. Greene potted the final red but missed a thin green to leave the yellow on. Chen misses a tricky yellow but Greene then misses the brown and double kisses it to leave it on. Chen potted that but then missed the blue trying to power it in and Greene was out of his chair before the blue went in for the fluke. He wobbled the pink in the middle and then had another chance but over powered it. Greene potted pink but missed the black, leaving it safe, only for Chen to go in off and lose the frame. Somehow Greene has a 3-0 lead and must be laughing on the inside at how good a result he's had in that frame.

Chen would pot this red but miss the one he was stretching over soon afterwards in a dramatic third frame.

Chen has managed to get ahead in the frame but misses the final red, trying to power it in with the rest down the side cushion. His lead is a slender 9 points, making it vital that he wins the safety on this final red, with all the colours in the open.

Greene's run comes to an end on 37 after a poorly judged positional shot for the blue leaves him a tough green with the rest which he misses, but he is still well in charge. Safety battle ongoing now where a missed long attempt by Greene has left Chen another opportunity.

Chen's break comes to an early end on 26 and a poor safety shortly after leaves Greene a chance. He plays a good red near the cushion with a nice cannon to hold for the black and is now nicely in and hoping to take any remaining danger out of this contest.

Frame 3 - A good long pot from Chen gets him the first chance in the third and one he has to take advantage of. Given the fact he's beaten good players before, you have to put the start down to nerves. They can quickly be erased though if he can focus and take this frame.

Frame Greene - Despite a couple of misses from the left hander in that frame, Chen has missed much more and may have missed the boat too. In the end a failed pot to the middle leaves a much simpler one for his opponent who, with the black over the corner pocket, is quickly able to stretch his lead. 2-0.

Now Greene has made a second error in the balls and allowed Chen another chance to get his hand on the table. After potting the black which was on the yellow spot he leaves his next red from distance, powers it in but also puts the black safe to run out of position. He still goes for it along the cushion in risky fashion, missing but leaving nothing more than an unlikely double for Greene. Chen though still trails by 34 with just two reds left. 

Greene on the way to his break of 52 in the second frame.

Greene does build a nice lead with a break of 52, but by that point he looked set to take frame in one visit and now the door has opened for Chen. He makes a nice plant but then misses a mid-range green to let his opponent off the hook.

Frame 2 - After a miss from long range this time by Chen, Greene has the first opening in the second frame. If he can build a good lead here then Chen will be right up against it and Greene should be able to sense that.

Frame Greene - From the chance Chen left Greene clears the remaining reds comfortably and does more than enough to take this opening frame. The Northern Irishman looks pretty sharp, but Chen needs to get the next frame and settle his nerves otherwise he'll be giving his opponent an easy afternoon.

Greene breaks down after a failed pack split and with just a 5 point lead. Chen soon plays an excellent long red, stunning round for the black but then misses his next red and letting Greene back in from close range. A nervy start for Chen. 

The split on the reds from this blue would not work out for Greene. 

Greene soon knocks in a thundering long red only to be able to roll up to the black and try to cover the two reds over the opposite corner. He falls short though, giving away 7 points and more importantly a golden opportunity to Chen, but he misses an easy brown early in the break. Looks like some first game nerves for him.

Frame 1 - The first meaningful chance here has come to Chen after a thunderous long red and an equally good brown cueing down on the white, close to the side cushion. He's now got the reds open nicely and I thought he was on one, but he clearly was not after playing safe.

My final live blog before tonight's football (And I'll be cutting this one short if it isn't over by 6.30pm) sees Northern Ireland's Gerard Greene against new Chinese pro Chen Feilong.

When you think of new Chinese pro's you think of a young player who is in his late teens but Chen is now the oldest on the pro tour, by two days of Mei Xiwen. He does have some big name scalps in the past including John Higgins and Martin Gould, both in the same event on the Asian Tour, as well as wins against Zhang Anda and Fergal O'Brien, so he can clearly play.

Gerard Greene meanwhile is in the second year of his tour card so will be eyeing a fast start to the season, targeting a top 64 place. We know Greene is capable of big results having been a former finalist at the PTC Grand finals as well as the Paul Hunter Classic. The last time I was at an event, Greene took down Shaun Murphy 4-0 and should have gone further than the eventual last 32 exit he suffered that week in Cardiff.

All in all Greene's added experience could prove a big factor here unless Chen gets off to a fast start.

LIVE BLOG: Kurt Maflin vs Lu Haotian

Kurt Maflin 4-2 Lu Haotian - From the start that was a superb performance from Kurt Maflin and easily one of the best of the week so far. He needed a bit of fortune in the final frame, after potting one red onto another, the one that ran free cannoned the black, but still left it pottable into the opposite corner than the one Maflin had played for. Otherwise it was an imperious run to the line with yet another big break, 88 this time, booking his place in the final stages of the Riga Masters. When you watch Maflin play like that you have to think the former ranking semi-finalist is still well capable of picking up a ranking title. As for Lu, there was little he could do. When his chances came he too made a couple of good breaks and has some positives to take into his World Open qualifier.

Frame 6 - Maflin has been dominant in the last half hour here and now he's in first in the sixth to try and complete this match. A brutal pack split from the blue opens everything up after pin point positional play helped him get the black back on it's spot a couple of shots previously. This could well be his run to the line now

Frame Maflin - Yet again it's a quick kill for the Norwegian with a flawless initial break of 72 leaving Lu requiring a snooker. That battle only lasted one shot before Maflin had his opportunity to absolutely clinch the frame, doing so with ease and moving ahead again. 3-2 Maflin.

Frame 5 - It's crunch time now in this match and Lu's early chance only amounts to 19 after an unlucky pack split. A later miss from the Chinese youngster leaves Maflin right in and after his smooth break in the last, there could be plenty to come here as well.

Frame Maflin - All that was missing from this match was a century and now that has been delivered. An excellent total clearance of 133 from Maflin where once more he looked in full control and in confident mood. After four frames it's all square again at 2-2.

Frame 4 - After a superb long red the first chance in this fourth has fallen at Maflin's door and he needs to take advantage and steady the ship. A nice mid range pot takes him to 21 and keeps things moving into a nice position for him.

Frame Lu - Maflin's counter chance didn't last long after a cannon on the blue left him in a tricky spot on either that or the pink. Upon missing the blue he was left needing snookers, and despite being able to tie at one stage Lu would ultimately claim the frame and move in front. 2-1 Lu.

Lu also looks in good form as he takes a commanding frame three lead.

Maflin is still alive in this frame but only just. Lu makes a nice contribution of 61 but leaves himself a tough frame ball, so when it fails to drop Maflin is 56 behind with 59 left. After a good safety shot his counter chance has arrived.

Frame 3 - After a couple of early misses from both players Lu now has his hand on the table with a decent opening. Once more the reds are open though the black is off it's spot, but he soon has that taken care of. Expect another heavy break here.

Frame Lu - That was just the response Lu needed there to let Maflin know he's not going to have an easy afternoon. One mistake from the Norwegian receives full punishment and with a break of 70 we're all square. 1-1

This is a really great chance now for Lu. After potting the initial red he finished low on the black, and in potting it, scattered the reds everywhere and has been pin point positionally ever since. This match should soon be level.

Frame 2 - There was an early chance in this frame for Lu but he only made 6 and now another good long pot from the Norwegian has him eyeing another big break. Work to do with the pack but this is still a good opportunity. That is until he misses the blue going for a soft cannon on the bunch.

Frame Maflin - When Maflin plays like this it's a joy to watch. He has the stature and the confidence around the table that tells you he is the boss when he is in among the reds. A nice recovery shot on 48 after running a little closer to the cushion, saw him punch the red in and run through the other four to open them up further. The result is a break of 94 that certainly tells you what to expect from him this afternoon.

Maflin on the way to his opening frame run of 94. 

Frame 1 - The first chance has fallen the way of Maflin early on here. With reds nicely placed it'll be a good early indicator for how he's playing and scoring in the first match of this new season.

This one should be a cracking game, a heavy scoring clash and certainly will not be slow.

Norway's Kurt Maflin is always a good watch and usually has two or three good runs a season to the last 16 or a quarter final, and this is an event that presents an opportunity for one. This however is a very tough draw.

For China's Lu Haotian he has the job of kicking on after a good first season of his tour return. Highlighted by making the last 16 of the World Championships and the semi's in Northern Ireland, he is into the top 64 in the rankings after just one year. That just shows the quality that he produced consistently last campaign and if he keeps that up he could soon join the likes of Yan Bingtao, Xiao Guodong and Zhou Yuelong in the top 32 of the rankings.

This is one of the ties of the week and definitely worth following.

LIVE BLOG: Robin Hull Vs James Cahill

Robin Hull 4-1 James Cahill - Hull does indeed make enough from that second chance to clinch the match. It may not have been Hull at his high scoring best but he was solid and did not make too many errors all in all, and the ones he did make went unpunished by Cahill. For the youngster the black ball third frame was the was really the killer blow. Despite looking good in the fourth he did not get enough chances to score fluently. Next up for Hull is a tough test against Fergal O'Brien in World Open qualifying, while Cahill will presumably be in the Challenge Tour event here in a week's time.

Hull on the way to a break of 56 in the fifth frame

Hull makes a break of 56 but after a good red and mid distance blue he runs out of position. Cahill then is still alive, and now has a half chance to counter, but chooses to play a testing red left handed and Hull is back in to win. All in all a good day's work for the Finnish number one.

Frame 5 - Cahill again has the first chance of the frame, but following a good pack split from the blue he fails to get the next red to drop in the middle. Hull gets one to wobble into the same pocket and this is a match winning chance.

Frame Cahill - After a poor positional shot on 67 needing just one more ball for the frame, Cahill breaks down and plays an awful shot to leave Hull a chance to tie. The Finn misses his first black though and a relieved Cahill will be more than happy to take his concession and see a frame added to his lead. 3-1 Hull now.

Cahill's golden chance in the fourth frame as he gets one on the board

What a shot from Cahill. Leaving an awkward red he's forced to take one in the pack with the rest, and in getting pots two reds and splits the rest wide open. He should get one on the board now.

Frame 4 - An early frame four miss from Hull has left Cahill the first chance again here and we are now at the point where these need to go in one visit to put any pressure on the Finn.

The difficult black Cahill faced to try and win frame three

Frame Hull - Another mammoth frame this time goes right to the wire. The black for Cahill initially was along the baulk cushion which he missed but left safe. A few shots later Hull had a go at a straight one from distance but rattled it twice and left it near the middle but too thin for Cahill. A few more plays pass before Hull is left the black on a plate over the corner pocket to move within one of the win. 3-0.

Good safety from the Englishman on the yellow gives him a chance at the colour clearance. After potting yellow, green and brown he misses a tricky blue near the the side cushion, made tougher by needing pink ball position. He has another chance now but the safe black could save Hull.

This shot on the final red looked like being a frame winner for Hull. 

After another pot from range on the penultimate red and a good shot on the final red from Hull, he looked set to move 3-0 ahead but misses the yellow. He's 14 ahead so would only need the first three colours but Cahill is causing problems with the safety and has a shot now at the yellow.

Hull wins the safety battle and is now right in amongst them here with a great opportunity. There are a couple of safe reds that could prevent him winning the frame at one visit... But a bad miss on the blue has ended things prematurely. Cahill back in now and still ahead, but he misses the black after his first red. Hull now knocks in a delicate red down the cushion and will look to punish Cahill for that let off.

Cahill will be frustrated only to make 37 from that opening, it really was a better chance than that. A poor positional shot left a tricky pink followed by a red from distance which was where the downfall came. An important safety battle ongoing now for Cahill.

Frame 3 - A missed red from range for Hull leaves Cahill his best chance of the match so far. There are reds open and more importantly the black is available to both corners. He should be looking to build a good break from here and get back in this match.

Frame Hull - That was a superb finish to the frame from Finland's finest. He gets in with a good pot but the resulting yellow to come round the table and develop the final few reds is the best I've seen this week. From there he knuckles down and makes sure that he takes advantage. Doing more than enough to double his lead. 2-0.

The next good chances falls Hull's way after a long red followed by an excellent split of reds from the yellow, leaves the first real frame winning opening.

After a miss red from Hull leaves Cahill a chance with a few more reds opened up, he's able to put 19 together and move ahead in the frame. It should've been more though and a quick pink with the rest has cost him that, but left nothing as the pair engage in more safety play.

Cahill gets a chance, but with a number of reds lying safe.

Hull makes 19 before missing from range, leaving Cahill a half chance but with so many safe reds his failed cannon from the first cannon spells the end of his contribution. At an early stage in the match the rest of this frame could be very cagey.

Frame 2 - This could be a scrappy frame coming up. The black is on the side cushion with a number of reds being pushed in it's direction. 6 so far, making it tough for guys to take early chances though Hull has one now after another aggressive long red, followed by an equally tricky pink with the rest.

Frame Hull - Hull always looked to have the advantage with the safety, eventually forcing Cahill into a risky long red, which he misses and leaves for his opponent. From there Hull is able to do enough with some good positional play to keep Cahill in his seat and shut him out of this opening frame.

The Finnish favourite has not quite got the cue ball under control yet. After running out of position having added another 19 to his score he lays a snooker and gets another chance from that. However, he cannot find easy blue ball position so pots it into the green pocket and leaves his next red as a long cut. That is missed and the pair are now in the middle of a safety battle with Hull 42 points up.

Hull's initial break ends on 17 but he's back in now after an excellent long red and should be able to add plenty to his lead here.

Frame 1 - Hull has been a bit fortunate here early on, catching one of his safety shots fairly poorly but leaving Cahill hampered over the yellow. From there Cahill has left Hull a chance and we will see if he has his best scoring game early on here.

One for my large Finnish following this morning as Robin Hull is in action against James Cahill.

Last season was a quiet one for Hull after he missed some events through illness and had a few first round exits. His best run was to the last 32 in this event a year ago and that was matched in Northern Ireland, where he was unfortunate not to go on further. We all know what Hull is capable of on his day though and if he brings his best he'll be tough to beat.

As for James Cahill he is here as a Q School top up. Cahill reached the penultimate round in each of the three Q School events in May without kicking on. He also returns to the Preston Guildhall just over a year on from the 2017 Q School, where he reached the final round of event two and took a 2-0 lead before losing 4-2 to Paul Davison. As we all know, Cahill has been on tour before and is well capable of getting good results having beaten Ding Junhui in the past to make the last 16 of the UK Championship.

I'm a big fan of both players, so this match jumped out of the draw at me straight away and I'm looking to watching it all unfold.

LIVE BLOG: Lukas Kleckers vs Alexander Ursenbacher

Lukas Kleckers 4-1 Alexander Ursenbacher - A solid finish to what was a solid match from Kleckers today. He took full advantage of his opponents errors and did not take too many unnecessary risks or play overly aggressive. Ursenbacher is almost the opposite playing a very open game which when everything clicks can see him go on runs like he did in the English Open. When it does not though, more often than not this will be the outcome for him, and if he is to stay on tour at the end of the season he may need to tighten up just a little. The fourth frame was a small sign that he can do that.

Kleckers now slowly but surely is building up that lead and has all the reds he'd need to kill off the match out in the open. It's just a case of holding himself together for a rare win.

Kleckers has got an early lead but it's only 27 points and with all the reds in nice positions as it stands, the current safety exchange is vital. A miss from mid-range leaves Ursenbacher a golden chance as he aims to continue this revival. He leaves an awkward pink from the first red and that's a huge let off for the German.

Frame 5 - Kleckers is in here with the first opening of the frame. Not easy but he can certainly build a lead here as he looks to close the door on this match and get an important win.

Frame Ursenbacher - No whitewash here and that's a start for Ursenbacher. He takes his chance with three reds and played an excellent positional shot from the yellow, down to the penultimate red. From there he made the rest look easy. Kleckers played on for a snooker on the blue but never looked likely. 3-1 Kleckers.

Ursenbacher gets another half chance and closes the gap in the frame before missing a tough red into the green pocket. A key safety battle now with four reds remaining that are largely glued to the bottom rail.

Kleckers break comes to an end with him leading by 25, prior to Ursenbacher's best shot of the match to open the reds and get a snooker behind the brown. Kleckers escapes but still leaves a red for his opponent, though he can't get on a colour from his opener and plays safe. He just cannot get a foothold whatsoever.

Kleckers nicely placed in the fourth frame

Frame 4 - After a bit of a slow start to this frame, Ursenbacher had what looked like the first good chance in the frame only to miss a green with the rest after the opening red. That's left Kleckers in again with plenty of reds open and both pink and blue to play for as he looks to build a decent lead.

Frame Kleckers - A run of 54 for Kleckers puts the frame beyond all doubt and Ursenbacher hasn't got started at all. Kleckers looking really relaxed now in that break, perhaps being on the brink will free Ursenbacher up a little. Otherwise it will be a short lived season opener for him. 3-0.

Kleckers plays safe with a 25 point lead but is quickly back in after an extremely aggressive safety from his opponent opens up all the reds and Kleckers plays a nice shot to get in and hold for the black. This now should be heading for 3-0.

Frame 3 - Both players again have had early chances but made little from them. Kleckers though now has a second chance benefiting from the aggressive play of his Swiss opponent. At this point in the match Kleckers can all but extinguish the chances of his opponent with a good break here.

Frame Kleckers - Kleckers has played the percentages well so far today. A good safety having fallen slightly out of position, having built a 44 point lead with three reds left is valuable and his safety eventually gives him the chance to pot frame ball red. Ursenbacher does not play on long for snookers so the German doubles his lead. 2-0.

Kleckers with an excellent chance in the second frame

The next really good opening has fallen to Kleckers after Ursenbacher misses into the middle. If he can settle he should really make a good contribution here with reds open, though the pink and black are tied up.

Frame 2 - Both players have already had chances in the early stages of this second frame but, possibly for reasons I've already mentioned, this match has a really edgy feel in these early stages.

Frame Kleckers - Despite losing position on frame ball green when his fourth chance of the frame arrives, Kleckers safety in that frame was stronger than Ursenbacher's and he eventually takes the frame. 1-0 Kleckers

Kleckers clears down to the final red, despite leaving himself some awkward shots. The red was on the cushion but certainly pottable if he'd have committed to the shot before and played behind it. With a 16 point lead though he's played the right shot having got in from Ursenbacher's escape. The German should now take this opener.

Ursenbacher could not keep tight cue ball control but should have made things a lot easier for himself after a delicate cannon opened the pink up. That wasn't the case though as he inexplicably missed the next red which was simple enough by their standards. Kleckers now has to pounce on this.

Considering the two players did not collect many victories in second half of last season a cagey start here had to be expected, and so far those expectations have been met. Best chance so far though has fallen to Ursenbacher. Plenty of reds open and the black in open play is a green light for him.

Frame 1 - First chance for Kleckers here after a loose safety from Ursenbacher saw him hit the blue fall in the face. He can only make 12 from it though and he'll need to make a lot more from his early chances later in this match, though he is now straight back in.

Afternoon all. We've got an all-European affair coming up with Germany's Lukas Kleckers and Switzerland's Alexander Ursenbacher as both look to kick off the season with a win.

It was a testing first season for Lukas Kleckers who had his best run in this event beating defending champion Neil Robertson at the venue in Riga. It was a tough time after that so he'll be looking to grow in confidence again now.

As for Ursenbacher he had a superb run to the semi's of the English Open in October last year, but he too was a little quiet after that, and could do with a few wins himself. A good opportunity for both players then in this encounter.

LIVE BLOG: Jamie Jones vs Simon Lichtenberg

Jamie Jones 4-0 Simon Lichtenberg - After a long battle for snookers, which lasted nearly as long as the first three frames combined, Jones pots the blue after being put under serious pressure by some excellent snookers by Lichtenberg, including one behind the pink that was over the corner pocket. Unfortunately for him his inexperience showed a little and perhaps a bit too much of an aggressive approach cost him. Either way it was a thorough performance from Jones who'll be more than happy with that start to the season. Lichtenberg will improve I'm sure with more experience and game time.

It's last chance saloon time for Lichtenberg but he just hasn't taken his chances today. Jones has a foul called against him for touching a red while stretching for the blue (which he missed anyway) but Lichtenberg only makes 8 before another miss comes. Could be a longer frame now with the safety pushing reds towards the blue which is over the yellow pocket.

Frame 4 - Once again Jones earns the first chance of the frame. However, he only makes 30 before running out of position and playing safe. Hopefully for Lichtenberg, being on the brink of defeat will free him up a bit because it would be nice for him to get a frame on the board in his pro debut.

Frame Jones - Another frame quickly dispatched by Jones with the best break of the match so far, as he makes Lichtenberg pay. A run of 64 puts the Welshman within one of a season opening win and a place in Riga. 3-0.

Frame 3 - Early chances go begging for Jones and he leaves Lichtenberg in. However he misses a very tricky plant on 20 and leaves his opponent right in amongst them. Once again the German's attacking play could cost him.

Frame Jones - Lichtenberg loses the safety battle after missing a long red and leaving all of the reds on. It looked like a comfortable clearance until Jones over hit his shot from blue to the yellow and nearly snookered himself, but this time he gets away with it and makes a break of 50 to double his lead. Lichtenberg leaves the arena to gather himself ahead of a must win third frame. 2-0 Jones.

After running out of ideal position Lichtenberg takes on a risky pink, misses but gets a huge bonus by leaving Jones tucked up on a red and unable to pot anything. A key safety battle here now, certainly for the German you feel.

Frame 2 - Jones had the first chance here but could not take advantage running out of position on 25. Lichtenberg in now for his first real chance of the match, and this is an opportunity now for him to settle any first match nerves.

Frame Jones - An additional 28 helps Jones to get well over the line in this frame and make sure Lichtenberg will not play on for snookers. He has played on for the table time which in the opening frame is always wise. 1-0 Jones.

The Welshman makes a nice 40 until failing to bring the black away from the reds and playing safe off the pink. You could see before he played the red and cannon that he was not in the position he wanted to be. However a plant on a red over the corner gets him back in again quickly with an opportunity to kill this frame off.

Frame 1 - After a miss each on tricky pots early on, Jones gets the first chance of the match and has the reds in decent positions to settle himself with an early contribution.

The new snooker season is here and that means it's time to see all the new players who will be trying to crack the code on tour. The first of those that I'm going to be watching today is Germany's Simon Lichtenberg as he takes on Jamie Jones.

Lichtenberg is now one of two players from Germany on the tour, both of whom I'll be live blogging today, and it would be great to see someone from a country where snooker is so popular climb the rankings and tackle the big boys.

As for Jones he'll have his sights set on continuing the great form that saw him end with wins over Liang Wenbo and then at the Crucible against Shaun Murphy in the World Championship. With that extra bit of confidence he's a player that is more than capable of winning a ranking event this season, having come close in the past with a couple of semi finals to his name.