Snooker

Day Six: TRUMP SURVIVES EPIC BATTLE, McGILL PRODUCES SUPERB FIGHTBACK WIN

Fourteenth seed Anthony McGill produced a determined fightback against Ryan Day from 3-6 and 5-8 down to win 10-8.
There was no initial sign of things to come when Day won the first of the afternoon to extend his lead to 7-3. McGill won the next two frames before the Welshman responded to restore his two frame cushion.
From there however the match turned into a nightmare for the Welshman as he amassed only 36 points in 4 frames to go 9-8 behind.
And the wily Scot rubbed salt into the wound to win a scrappy last frame to seal a fine comeback triumph and with it a place in the last sixteen.

Judd Trump held off a spirited fightback from Chris Wakelin to scramble through in a Crucible classic.
Trump who started with a 6-3 overnight lead won two of the first three frames to increase his advantage to what seemed a commanding 8-4 advantage.
But Wakelin stunned the Bristolian former finalist by winning the next four frames with runs of 68, 51 and 51 again.
Trump then took frame 17 to retake the lead.
Into frame 18, Wakelin gets in first but breaks down. Trump in for the clearance, reaches the final pink but goes out of position for the final black.
Tricky one to right middle - MISSED .
Long cut left for Wakelin from the black cushion.
Pressure pot and IN!! What a shot .
Into the decider. Early chances produce very little scoring as tension builds.
Chance for Trump - blown.
Chance for Wakelin - gone.
Another chance for Wakelin - pots the pink but goes in off .
Trump in again - tough green to seal iiiiiiiitttttt - NO .
Wakelin knocks the black in with the green .
1 snooker now required.
Wakelin fouls again. Two snookers required.
Gets one. One more to get. Can he do it?
Round the angles to get behind the pink. Yep that'll do. Can Trump escape it? Yes.
And then Wakelin finds himself snookered. Escapes and gets the green safe.
Long pot for Trump - missed.
But then Wakelin left in a devilish snooker - what an escape. Wakelin hanging on.
Another long pot chance for Trump - missed again.
Wakelin decides to pot the green.
Tries for snooker on the brown but leaves a long brown for Trump. Missed yet again.
Oh and now its curtains. Easier pot for Trump and ALL OVER.
Trump escapes......just.

Joe Perry trails Masters champion Mark Allen 3-5 after an absorbing opening session of their best of 25 frame second round tie.
Perry started well with a break of 50 for 1-0 only to be hit by a barrage of scoring from the Northern Irishman who rattled in contributions of 94, 99 and 67 to surge into a 3-1 lead. The two men then traded runs of 73 to make it 4-2 to Allen.
The last two frames were both tight affairs and shared to leave Allen with a 2 frame lead overnight.

Barry Hawkins started like an express train in his 2nd round match with Lyu Haotian before being pegged back by close of play.
The 'Hawk' slammed in breaks of 91, 71, 64 and 129 to storm into a 4-0 lead before the Chinese youngster got off the mark to win frame five.
Hawkins then hit another sublime century to go 5-1 in front but Haotian responded well by taking the last couple of frames aided by a break of 95 to trail by just two as the pair head into tomorrow.

Yeah, Trump-Wakelin was worth watching to the end. More credit to Wakelin, really, for pushing lil Trump as far as that.

Wilson v Jones, I thought I'd switched on to Dad's Army

Day Seven: ALLEN INTO LAST EIGHT WHILE O'SULLIVAN FIGHTS FOR SURVIVAL

Mark Allen is the first man through to the quarter finals after beating Joe Perry 13-8.
The Northern Irishman started the day with a 5-3 lead but quickly saw the lead reduced to one frame as Perry hit a 103 break.
Allen responded with a 69 before Perry won the next two to level at 6-6 helped by another century. Masters champion Allen pulled away again to 8-6 aided by a break of 59 but Perry then won the last two frames of the morning to level at 8-8.
Into the evening then and much anticipation of a close finish.
But Allen was having none of it and roared away to win every remaining frame of the match with breaks of 133, 74 and a closing 122 to seal victory over the first round conqueror of the current world champion.

Ronnie O'Sullivan is fighting hard once again to stay in this years championship as he trails Ali Carter 7-9 going into the final session tomorrow.
In the morning Carter took the opener before the Rocket rattled in runs of 121 and 61.
Carter was not phased though and took advantage of some poor safety from O'Sullivan in winning four of the next five frames while knocking in breaks of 115 and 68 himself to gain a 5-3 advantage going into the evening.
5-3 swiftly became 8-3 to Carter as O'Sullivan looked to be really struggling.
The five time champion needed an urgent boost. A couple of 55 breaks reduced the arrears to 5-8. O'Sullivan was in again in frame 14 but got a terrible kick on a red when nearing the finishing line in the frame. It proved costly as Carter sealed the frame with a 51 break to leave O'Sullivan in real trouble.
But O'Sullivan responded like a champion with a 79 in the penultimate frame of the day followed by a century to salvage hope for the finale tomorrow afternoon.

Barry Hawkins and Lyu Haotian are still seperated by just two frames after squaring the middle session of their last sixteen tie. Yet again Hawkins started rapidly to win the first three frames of the session with breaks of 124, 83 and 61 but once again Haotian responded admirably. This time the Chinese youngster reeled off four frames in succession with runs of 125, 72, 79 and 60 to trail by only one and leave Hawkins wondering what had hit him. The Hawk composed himself to win the last frame of the afternoon to leave himself still two frames clear heading into the final session tomorrow.

Kyren Wilson leads Jamie Jones 5-3 after the opening exchanges at the Crucible. Both men settled into the match as the first four frames were shared, each man with a half century break in the bank.
Wilson then fired in contributions of 74 and 83 to go 4-2 in front before Jones countered with an 86.
Wilson took the last of the session to give himself the early advantage though with a run of 64.
They return for sessions two and three tomorrow morning and evening.

Thought Perry was making a good fight of it, but Allen clearly upped his game. Maybe the Masters win is paying off?

Ronnie looked dead & gone at 8-3, so he's done well to bring it back to 9-7. But I'm not sure how shocking it would seem if Carter did finally get his win tomorrow.

Lyu was another who looked stuffed at 8-3, but he found some magic to only trail 9-7. Could the 2nd round produce the shocks that the 1st did?

(27-04-2018 14:50 )circles_o_o_o Wrote:  Wilson v Jones, I thought I'd switched on to Dad's Army

Don't panic

Ronnie's gonnie

Day Eight: CAPTAIN CARTER CONDEMNS ROCKET TO DEFEAT

Five time champion Ronnie O'Sullivan has been dumped out of the championship after a 13-9 loss to Ali Carter. Carter, who started the final session 9-7 up saw his lead trimmed to one frame before winning the next two including a very long frame 19.
O'Sullivan hit breaks of 59 and 71 to go in 9-11 down at the mid session interval but despite a break of 54 contrived to lose frame 21.
And Carter finished the contest in the next to ensure that both the number 1 or 2 seeds play no further part at the Crucible this year.

Barry Hawkins claimed victory in a high quality conclusion to his match with Lyu Haotian. The Chinese youngster trailed 7-9 at the start of the day but immediately fired in a 91 swiftly followed by a century to level at 9-9.
Hawkins took frame 19 to go back in front but suffered disaster in the next. Haotian needed a snooker and got it as The Hawk went in off. The man from China took the frame for 10-10 at the mid session interval.
Hawkins stayed calm to take the next with a 54 and go back in front before plundering a stupendous 132 break to leave himself one frame from victory.
He then held his nerve with a break of 76 to seal a 13-10 triumph and book his place in the last eight.

Kyren Wilson is through to the last eight in spite if a damaged tip late on after sealing a 13-5 victory over Jamie Jones in Sheffield.
Wilson took the first to extend his lead to 6-3 before Jones hit an 80 clearance to reduce the gap back to two frames. Wilson reasserted himself for 7-4 but Welshman Jones responded again with an excellent 83 clearance to make it 7-5 Wilson.
From there however The 'Warrior' took every remaining frame of the session as Jones wilted somewhat. Wilson closed the second session with a half century to leave himself six frames clear at 11-5. From there Wilson saw out the match in straight frames to see off his opponent.

Jack Lisowksi suffered a nightmare first session against Wizard of Wishaw John Higgins as the Scot claimed an 8-0 lead.
Lisowski had chances in every frame but frittered them away and Higgins took advantage with runs of 60, 62, 68, 56 and 68 to leave Lisowski floundering.
Lisowski will need to find something special to avoid a two session defeat.

Mark Williams leads Robert Milkins 5-3 after the opening session of their second round encounter. The Welshman started impressively with breaks of 65 and 87 as Milkins made a series of unforced errors early on.
Although still making the odd careless error Milkins levelled at 2-2 with breaks of 55 and 74 with some breathtaking pots including a one handed final black in frame 4.
Williams went back in front with a break of 53 before the Gloucester man levelled again at 3-3. The two time World champion took the last two frames of the evening though to create a cushion for tomorrows play.

Still in shock having watched the defeat of the bookies favourite!!!!

What on earth was going on between Ronnie and Ali in frame 19?