Ahmed Aly Elsayed has become the first American to play a snooker match at the Crucible, the sport's spiritual home in Sheffield, England, though he lost in the first round of the 2022 World Seniors Snooker Championship to a very good performance by Englishman Wayne Cooper.

The six-time and reigning United States National Snooker Champion earned his place in this event by winning last year's Pan American Seniors Snooker Championship, and was given a warm and generous welcome by the Crucible crowd as he was announced onto the playing stage.

As the match got underway, Aly would have wanted an early easy opportunity in the balls to get used to the unique Crucible playing conditions and atmosphere, however 43-year-old Cooper, who has previously spent two seasons playing as a professional on the World Snooker Tour, settled into the match very quickly and was immediately into a smooth cueing stroke.

Aly was afforded very few opportunities in the first two frames, as the roll of the ball went his opponent's way which often seems the case when you are playing well. Cooper compiled a break of 53 which helped him secure frame one, and a very fine run of 70 enabled him to comprehensively take the second frame.

Aly clearly had not been able to settle, and with a short race to three frames tie had to produce some kind of form to avoid a disappointing exit. A more positive Aly started the third frame, as he knew he just had to go for his shots.

Aly was much improved in that crucial third frame, as a break of 30 which included some impressive pots and positional play assisted him with building up a 67-0 points lead with 59 points remaing on the table.

Requiring three four-point snookers, Cooper cleared three of the four remaining red balls with colors and left Aly snookered on the final red. To his astonishment, Aly failed to escape from the snooker and left Cooper with a free-ball, but he was unable to capitalize and left the remaining red ball over a pocket of which he pocketed.

Cooper again required snookers, however Aly's relief was short-lived as the player from Bradford in England played some excellent snookers on the final colored balls to acquire the penalty here needed. In the end though he left the New Yorker a chance at a long pot on the yellow ball of which he got, and precise position on the green enables Aly to clear to win the frame.

With renewed confidence going into the fourth frame, Aly was presented with an early chance where he potted a red and then an opportunity to split the pack of reds from the resulting position on the black. He potted the black and split the reds, however the cue-ball finished in very close proximity to the only red ball that he could possibly take on.

In very much an attack mode, Aly attempted to shoot the red but was called for a push-shot foul by the referee, which then handed the initiative very much back to his opponent. Cooper stroked in a fantastic long red which was the first pot of a break of 58, and he then proceeded to win frame and match 3-1.

Aly was quite despondent with his overall performance, and looked back on his lack of chances in the first couple of frames as being detrimental to his fortunes in the match.

However he congratulated Cooper on his very accomplished performance, and that it was certainly a very positive and fantastic experience in having the opportunity to play snooker at the Crucible.