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Teenager Ben Mertens stuns James Wattana at Snooker Shoot Out in Watford

James Wattana was shocked by teenage Belgian star Ben Mertens
Image: James Wattana was shocked by teenage Belgian star Ben Mertens

Fourteen-year-old Belgian Ben Mertens defeated former world No 3 James Wattana in the first round of the Shoot Out in Watford on Thursday.

The young amateur, who had been 60-31 up, triumphed 60-59 when Thailand's Wattana, 49, ran out of time while needing only to pot the pink to win.

Eleven-time women's world champion Reanne Evans was beaten 54-26 by Jimmy White as she became the first female to compete in a televised match in the final stages of a world ranking event in the UK, and there were victories for defending champion Michael Georgiou and world top-10 players Kyren Wilson and Barry Hawkins.

All matches at the tournament are decided over a single frame and last a maximum of 10 minutes, with a shot clock giving players a maximum of 15 seconds to take shots in the first five minutes and 10 seconds in the final five minutes.

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