Drago in second round

Tony Drago's chances of rejoining the elite top 16 in the world after a lengthy absence got a tremendous boost last night when he reached the second round of the £615,000 UK Championship at the Barbican Centre in York following a hard-fought 9-8...

Tony Drago's chances of rejoining the elite top 16 in the world after a lengthy absence got a tremendous boost last night when he reached the second round of the £615,000 UK Championship at the Barbican Centre in York following a hard-fought 9-8 victory over Rory McLeod.

Provisionally 17th in the world rankings, after starting the season 24th, Drago had to rely on all his experience to eliminate Jamaica-born McLeod in a match that required all 17 frames to decide a winner.

Today, Drago plays Joe Perry looking to emulate his run in the British Open last week when he beat Nigel Bond and Jimmy White to reach the last 16 of the ranking tournament.

Results, first round: Pinches bt Fu 9-1; Bond bt Milkins 9-4; King bt Robidoux 9-4; Maguire bt Davies 9-8; Bingham bt Hamilton 9-7.

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