closer

Former semi-finalist Marco Fu cruised to a 10-1 win in the opening round of World Championship qualifying to move a step closer to the Crucible.

Fu, 48, twice reached the last four of the championship in 2006 and 2016 but was most recently ranked 85th in the world.

He last played at the Crucible in 2018.

Fu had no issues in beating female player Mink Nutcharut of Thailand, hitting three century breaks including an impressive 137.

“I played quite well and scored heavily, she is very capable,” Fu said.

“It would mean everything for me to get back to the Crucible but the standard now is so high.”

1997 champion Ken Doherty will not return after losing 10-5 to Patrick Whelan, while 12-time women’s champion Reanne Evans lost 10-7 to Vladislav Gradinari of Moldova.

There are four rounds of qualifying matches, producing 16 players who will take their place in the main draw.

The tournament takes place at the famous Crucible Theatre in Sheffield from 18 April – 4 May.

April 4 (UPI) — NASA announced Saturday that the four astronauts of the Artemis II mission were closer to moon than to the Earth.

NASA shared photos from the mission on X, declaring that the astronauts were officially “moonbound.”

“Artemis II astronauts are more than halfway to their destination, and preparations for lunar flyby are underway,” NASA said. “During the trip around the far side of the moon, they will capture imagery to share with scientists (and you, too!).

The photos included two images of the moon and one of the interior of the Orion capsule as the astronauts worked and looked out at space.

“We can see the moon out of the docking hatch right now. It’s a beautiful sight,” an earlier NASA post quoting the astronauts said.

On Sunday, Artemis II is expected to reach the lunar sphere of influence, meaning the moon’s gravity will be stronger than Earth’s on the spacecraft.

The astronauts are expected to make their flyby of the moon on Monday, coming to within 6,000 miles of the lunar surface. They’ll fly around the far side of the moon for about 6 hours, taking photos and making observations. During this time, the astronauts will lose communication with Earth for about 30 to 50 minutes.

Tuesday marks the start of Artemis II’s four-day return to Earth, and splashdown is scheduled for Friday.

In the event of an emergency, the U-turn is the fastest way home in the first 36 hours after the TLI. After that it can be just as quick, and often simpler, to stay on course around the Moon and fall back to Earth, Orion programme manager Howard Hu said before the launch.

CORNWALL isn’t short of cracking coastal escapes, but the newly-renovated Pedn Olva is a step above the rest, not just because of its rooms but its excellent pub grub, too,

Here’s everything you need to know.

Where is Pedn Olva?

Its name translates to Lookout on the Headland in old Cornish – a rather accurate description of its perch, a craggy cliff several metres above the choppy St Ives sea in Cornwall.

Guests can park for free in a nearby car park above the hotel – they will need to collect a slip to display in their car window from the hotel reception. 

What’s it like?

Inspired by the windswept patch of coast it sits on, Pedn Olva in Cornwall has buckets of coastal character.

It’s first and foremost a cosy St Austell Brewery pub, but the 27 boutique rooms mean you can hunker down for the night. 

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Each of them looks as if they have been carved into the rockface, all with views of the ocean and the flickering lights of the town centre a short distance across the water.

What are the rooms like?

Extremely well thought out.

A property can look sleek and stylish but if the basics haven’t been mastered then everything else becomes redundant – that’s certainly not the case here. 

There’s every tea imaginable from camomile to berry and decaf, while USB ports have been conveniently placed next to the bed and hooks on the walls make efficient use of the cosy space.

Next time I’ll be bringing my dog who can stay in selected rooms for an extra £15 per night.

What is there to eat and drink?

The restaurant is a popular dining spot in its own right.

Classic by-the-sea dishes star on the menu such as golden ale and chilli pickled cockles and grilled buttery scallops, served in their shells.

I jazzed up my classic fish and chips by swapping out the chunky fries for Pedn Olva’s famous crabby fries, which come with hunks of white crab meat and a thermidor sauce.

Wash it down with a local ale and make sure to try the chocolate and stout cheesecake – subtly bitter and indulgently creamy.

What else is there to do?

Superb, friendly service is what takes this place a notch above the rest.

All rooms come with a large and sturdy tote bag that guests can take with them for the day, while an in-room mini telescope meant that I could take advantage of our seafront position and gaze up at the stars.

You won’t be short of ideas for days out with the family and the dog in this patch of Cornwall

How much is Pedn Olva?

Rooms cost from £200 per night on a B&B basis. 

Is Pedn Olva family-friendly?

Most of the rooms sleep just two, but there is a family room that sleeps four.

The hotel’s great locations makes it ideal for a family break and there’s a fair distance between the restaurant area and rooms meaning you’re unlikely to get disturbed at night.

Is there access for guests with disabilities?

Due to Pedn Olva’s cliffside perch, mobility issues are likely to struggle.

The car park is only reachable via a set of stairs and the higgledy piggledy nature of the building means guests may find it challenging getting into and out of some rooms.

Looking for a place to stay? For more hotel inspiration click here.

Emery became the quickest Villa manager to 100 wins with victory in France last week.

Villa Park marked the achievement with fans holding up ‘Emery 100’ cards as the teams walked out.

He knows how to get the job done and, with Villa searching for their first trophy in three decades, the end of the drought is in sight.

Villa did what was necessary against Lille, even if the performance still lacked the style, tempo and class they have produced this season.

Those levels remain from their stumble in the Premier League, with just two wins from 10 games, which has added jeopardy, something which did not look likely at the start of the year.

Overhauled by Manchester United, Villa – who host West Ham on Sunday – are lucky to still be in the top five, mainly due to Liverpool and Chelsea’s failings.

But Emery, rightly, continues to ask to be judged after 38 games and where they will be at the end of the season.

Last month he was being asked about being in the title race and on Wednesday he pointed out being in Europe and in the top four was just a dream for the club when he took over three and a half years ago.

In his first press conference the former Arsenal and Paris St-Germain boss stated he came to Birmingham to win trophies and Villa have edged a little closer to that goal.

Emery has now reached the quarter-finals of the Europa League for the eighth time, no other manager has done so more than five times, while Villa have made the quarter-finals of a major European competition in three straight seasons.

“Villa [were] very professional, not outstanding, just doing enough to get to the next round,” Dublin said.

“That’s what they need, but they will have to up their performances if they want to get to the latter stages of the competition.

“I think there is more to come from them. If they do that, they can really surprise a few people.”