Snooker: Granton’s MacGillivray reaches last 32 in bid for Euro glory

Granton snooker ace Craig MacGillivray’s 4-0 whitewash of Vilius Schulte (Lithuania) ensured an excellent day for Scotland as all three Scots reached the last-32 stage of the European Amateur Snooker Championship in Latvia.

MacGillivray, who made a highest break of 66 in the opening frame en route to a comfortable win, knows he will have to be at his best if he is to progress much further. He said: “I started the match well with a good break and then was never really going to lose the match from then. However, there are a lot of good players through to the latter and they are going to get harder and harder from now on.”

Glasgow’s James McBain, who defeated MacGillivray in the final of this year’s Scottish National Championship was in fine form, making breaks of 99 and 55 in a 4-0 victory over Muhammed Leysi (Turkey) while Scott Donaldson (Perth) also recorded a 4-0 win over Bernhard Bernhardsson (Iceland).

All three Scots are in action today. MacGillivray plays Daniel Kandi (Denmark) while Donaldson and McBain both meet Israelis, their opponents being David Vaitzman and Shay Arama respectively.