Thurston Grixti and Aaron Busuttil did well to win two matches each in an U-21 International Snooker Open played recently in Belgium.

From Group D, Malta U-19 champion Grixti won two matches as he beat Sebastian Vermeylen (Belgium No.5) 3-2 and Nicky Godeyne (Belgium No.6) 3-1.

Grixti, however, lost to Laurens De Staelens (Belgium No.3) and England's Darrel Withworth 3-0.

He conceded all the three frames to eventual finalist Withworth on the pink, 66-42, 64-48 and 62-40.

Grixti had the toughest-looking group in the qualifying stage of the tournament as all five players finished with two wins. Only two made it to the quarter-finals and Grixti was unlucky not to qualify on frame difference.

Busuttil also managed two wins in Group B. He beat Belgium's No.7 Alvin Depoorter 3-2 and Belgium's No.12 Angelo Eyckmans 3-1.

Busuttil lost to Luca Brecel, the top seed in Belgium, 3-1 and to English player Sam Baird 3-0.

Brecel won all his matches to qualify for the quarter-finals together with Baird who won three matches.

Quarter-final results: Ben Harrison vs Sam Baird 4-2, Luca Brecel vs Nick Jennings 4-3, Kyren Wilson vs Laurens De Staelen 4-2, Darrel Withworth vs Darren Bond 4-2.

Semi-finals: Withworth vs Harrison 4-2, Brecel vs Wilson 4-1.

Brecel went on to become the first winner of the U-21 Belgian Open when he beat Withworth 5-4 in the final.