Matthew Selt scored three straight wins to comfortably top Group 22 at the BetVictor Championship League ranking event, while Alfie Burden edged through by winning Group 3 on frame difference.
Selt and Burden advance to the second phase, which starts on July 18th. That will see 32 players vying for spots in the third and final stage.
Former Indian Open champion Selt opened his account with an electric 3-1 win over Germany's Umut Dikme, who is competing as a top up after losing the final round of Q School Event One. Selt hammered home breaks of 119, 92 and 100, as he charged over the line.
Breaks of 67 and 91 helped him to beat tour rookie and Q School graduate Fergal Quinn 3-1, while Selt top scored with 57 in a 3-1 defeat of Scott Donaldson. A 3-0 win for Dikme over Quinn in the final game gave him the consolation of second place in the group.
World Seniors Champion Burden fell off tour at the end of last season, but competing as a top up, enjoyed an excellent day in Leicester to progress. A 3-1 win over Masters Champion Shaun Murphy, followed by a 3-0 defeat of Bulcsu Revesz allowed him to finish top. He pipped Revesz and Robbie McGuigan, who he did lose 3-1 against, on frame difference.
The action continues on Wednesday, with the likes of Ryan Day and Alexander Ursenbacher in action.
