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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Dott and Hendry out of Grand Prix | Dott and Hendry out of Grand Prix |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Graeme Dott and Stephen Hendry both failed to qualify for the last 16 of the Grand Prix in Aberdeen after losing their final group matches on Tuesday. | Graeme Dott and Stephen Hendry both failed to qualify for the last 16 of the Grand Prix in Aberdeen after losing their final group matches on Tuesday. |
| World champion Dott was beaten 3-1 by qualifier Andrew Norman in his final group match, while Hendry lost 3-2 to Fergal O'Brien in his fourth clash. | World champion Dott was beaten 3-1 by qualifier Andrew Norman in his final group match, while Hendry lost 3-2 to Fergal O'Brien in his fourth clash. |
| Shaun Murphy, the 2005 world champion, joined them on the casualty list when he lost his final match to Ali Carter. | |
| Murphy was 2-0 up but missed an easy red and Carter hit breaks of 79 and 58. | |
| "I thought it was in when I hit it and I was up walking round the table," said world number five Murphy, who had earlier kept his hopes alive with a gutsy 3-2 comeback win against qualifier Jamie Jones. | |
| "I'm absolutely devastated. When it came to the deciding frame I couldn't get the two earlier blows of losing those frames out of my head." | |
| Dott has criticised the best-of-five format throughout the tournament. | Dott has criticised the best-of-five format throughout the tournament. |
| There's nothing wrong with the format, I think it's good for the game Stephen Hendry "I've never liked it from the minute it was decided," he said. "The whole format has to be looked at. | |
| "My group proved that. I knew I couldn't go through in my group even if I won, so it was bizarre out there. | "My group proved that. I knew I couldn't go through in my group even if I won, so it was bizarre out there. |
| "As soon as Andrew won two frames I didn't want to win. I'd have felt worse if I'd have won. It's not right. | "As soon as Andrew won two frames I didn't want to win. I'd have felt worse if I'd have won. It's not right. |
| "Why don't we just toss a coin for ranking points? It's so stupid." | "Why don't we just toss a coin for ranking points? It's so stupid." |
| But Hendry, who criticised the tournament's tables following his defeat by Matthew Stevens on Monday, defended the format. | But Hendry, who criticised the tournament's tables following his defeat by Matthew Stevens on Monday, defended the format. |
| "There's nothing wrong with the format, I think it's good for the game," he said. | "There's nothing wrong with the format, I think it's good for the game," he said. |
| "Perhaps the only thing we could maybe do is play the whole thing in less time than we have done." | "Perhaps the only thing we could maybe do is play the whole thing in less time than we have done." |
| 606: DEBATE class="" href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/606/A16537421">I think the shorter format is great - it really keeps the players on their toes AD class="" href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/606/A16537421">606: Have your say Jamie Cope, another qualifier, joined Norman in the knockout stages with a 3-2 win over David Roe, and now plays Robert Milkins. | |
| Alan McManus beat John Higgins 3-1 to leapfrog the defending Grand Prix champion in their group, but both players safely qualified for the next stage. | Alan McManus beat John Higgins 3-1 to leapfrog the defending Grand Prix champion in their group, but both players safely qualified for the next stage. |
| Higgins had a chance for a maximum but broke down on 120 by missing a long pot on the yellow, and McManus edged victory with breaks of 47 and 77. | Higgins had a chance for a maximum but broke down on 120 by missing a long pot on the yellow, and McManus edged victory with breaks of 47 and 77. |
| Mark Selby is also through to the next stage after a 3-0 win over Matthew Stevens. | Mark Selby is also through to the next stage after a 3-0 win over Matthew Stevens. |