HAVING lost several close matches recently – at pool and snooker – Chris Melling finally came through a decider when he defeated former World Championship runner-up Nigel Bond 4-3 in the first round of the Welsh Open in Cardiff yesterday afternoon.
The Keighley man then faced Michael White – the last remaining Welshman – and lost 4-0.
On the Bond match, Melling tweeted: "Won first match in Welsh open 4-3 against Nigel bond. Was 3-1 and playing well then game turned a bit. Played a pretty decent decider though."
Melling went 3-1 ahead with breaks of 74 and 69 but Bond replied with a 74 in pulling things back to 3-3 before Melling triumphed 67-11 in the decider.
But there wasn't good news for Melling in the qualifiers for the Indian Open and China Open last week at Barnsley Metrodome.
He lost 4-1 to Tom Ford in the Indian Open, being on the wrong end of efforts of 67 and 85, and 5-4 in an all-West Yorkshire battle to Peter Lines (Leeds) in a match that finished past midnight.
Melling, who made the highest breaks of the match with 89 and 50, trailed 3-1 but led 4-3 and tweeted: "That's how you throw a match away".
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