Aaron Hill beats Antoni Kowalski for second time in five days to book Scottish Open spot

Aaron Hill twice came from behind to defeat Antoni Kowalski 4-2 and qualify for the Scottish Open in December. The Irish player hit three centuries — a 139 total clearance, 121 and 100 — as he sealed his place at Meadowbank Sports Centre in Edinburgh. Hill has enjoyed a productive week, also qualifying for the Northern Ireland Open and the International Championship. The 24-year-old rose to a career-high 37th in the provisional world rankings. He will face Thepchaiya Un-Nooh in the first round of the Northern Ireland Open in Belfast on Sunday. Meanwhile, Jordan Brown of Antrim will later face Scotland's Steven Wardropper as he tries to join Hill in Edinburgh. Hill’s second win over Kowalski in five days underlined his composure and break-building quality. Trailing twice, he kept his rhythm thanks to a 139 clearance, a 121 to level at 2-2, a 56 to move ahead, and a 100 to close out the match. With three qualifying successes in a week, the Cork cueman is showing the consistency needed to climb the rankings. Up next is a much tougher test against Thailand’s Thepchaiya Un-Nooh, a fast-attacking player who can finish a frame in one visit. Brown’s match with Wardropper will decide whether Ireland has another representative in Edinburgh. For Hill, the immediate focus is Belfast, where he will aim to turn this strong form into a deep run in the main draw.