Match Reports: Day One at the 888.com World Championship
Dott dashes for exit
Graeme Dott 7 – 10 Ian McCulloch
Defending champion Graeme Dott played poorly on his return to the Crucible, and was knocked out by a steady Ian McCulloch.
In a scrappy match where both players struggled to control the cue ball, McCulloch made fewer mistakes and deservedly made the last 16.
There were signs that it was not the 29-year-old’s day right from the beginning, when he potted the cue ball with his opening shot. He never really settled, and became the first defending champion to lose in the first round since Stephen Hendry in 2000.
It could have been so different had the Scot taken his chance in the seventh frame. He was ahead 4-2 in the morning session, but let the frame slip away. McCulloch then won five of the next six frames to build an 8-5 lead midway through the second session.
Dott rallied with an 85 break in the 14th, but could not sustain the pressure. McCulloch responded with a brilliant 110 clearance, the only prolonged spell of classy snooker all match.
He struggled to complete the job, but Dott’s form ensured he kept getting chances, one of which he finally took.
