Four Maltese Victories Mark Strong Start at World Snooker Championship

Malta enjoyed an encouraging start at the World Snooker Federation (WSF) World Snooker Championship in Sofia, Bulgaria, as four of the seven Maltese competitors registered victories in their opening group matches on Saturday.

Brian Cini and Chris Peplow delivered dominant 3–0 wins. Cini impressed early with an 88‑point break against Poland’s Sebastian Milewski and maintained control throughout the match. Peplow was equally commanding, sweeping aside South Africa’s Michael Davids and sealing the final frame with a confident 51‑point break.

Teenager Xavier Rizzo continued his excellent form after reaching the Junior World Championship last‑16 earlier this week. He defeated Latvia’s Mareks Cipsts 3–1, showing maturity in closing out the fourth frame after his opponent narrowed the gap.

Veteran Alex Borg completed Malta’s quartet of victories with a hard‑fought 3–2 win over Serbia’s Vasilije Pešić. Borg stormed ahead with breaks of 70 and 66, weathered a comeback, and held his nerve in the deciding frame.

The remaining Maltese players Aaron Busuttil, Joseph Casha, and Chris Camilleri fell to their opponents, with Busuttil losing 3–1 despite a strong opening frame.

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