Sia (left) and Ng (right) face the camera before facing-off.
SIBU (May 26): Defending champion Ng Hong Man suffered a scare before edging unheralded Sia Yik Fei 2-1 (36-59, 46-39, 68-29) to qualify for the quarter-finals of the 2nd Sibu Closed Snooker Championship at Southern Point Snooker Centre on Friday.
Sia fired the first salvo to take an early lead before pulling away to surprisingly nail the first frame.
Ng plotted for a comeback in the second frame but Sia remained defiant and continued his good run.
Trailing 28-39, Sia pocketed both the blue and pink balls to draw level.
It was a decisive moment when Sia aimed to pot the final black ball although the ball was positioned at a difficult angle.
However, the ball ended up in the middle of the table, giving advantage to Ng who stepped up to take the frame.
In the deciding frame, Sia lost focus and could not play his usual game, allowing Ng to cruise to victory.
Later, Ng admitted he under-estimated Sia as it was their first encounter.
“It was a tough battle and I am happy to be able to pull through,” he said.
Meanwhile, another seasoned player Mark Yeo thrashed Jee Chau Kim 2-0 (60-32, 54-41) to qualify for the last eight.
Yeo, who is also former Sibu champion, was in his element with his sharpshooting and accurate potting.
He was never in any real danger of losing. The second frame was quite close but Yeo played it cool.
Others who also qualified for the quarter-finals included Sie Leong Ung, Liew Kong Bun, Ngu Leh Ming, Thomas Lee and Peter Liong.