Stephen Maguire coasted into the second round of the UK Championship with a 6-1 win over Ukrainian teenager Iulian Boiko in Milton Keynes, where four matches were delayed following the late arrival of Covid-19 test results.
Maguire, the 2004 champion who reached the final of the ranking tournament in York last year, produced breaks of 133 and 128, as well as four more half-century clearances, to comfortably defeat 15-year-old Boiko.
Thailand’s Thepchaiya Un-Nooh beat Belgian Lukas Kleckers 6-2, but there was a late start for the matches on tables three to six as tournament organisers waited for the arrival of Covid-19 test results, which were all confirmed as negative before play could start.
📡 Negative test results have now arrived for tables three to six and play has commenced on all tables. https://t.co/uNCeZqAgAO
— World Snooker Tour (@WeAreWST) November 24, 2020
Veteran Hamilton, who suffers from asthma, controversially withdrew from the World Championship at the Crucible during July citing fears over plans to admit a limited number of spectators.
The 49-year-old has, though, played in subsequent tournaments, including losing in the first round of last week’s Northern Ireland Open which was also held at Milton Keynes.
