Snooker

Day Eight:

MAIN NEWS: SELBY SURVIVES HUGE SCARE TO PROGRESS

Morning session:
Alan McManus overturned a 7-9 deficit to beat Ali Carter.
McManus won a crucial first frame of the resumption on the black and then the next with an excellent 119 break.
Carter was visibly struggling with poor safety and some bad luck with bad contacts on the cue ball.
McManus won his 3rd frame on the trot to lead 10-9 as Carter got increasingly frustrated. That frustration was to grow further as Carter looked set to win frame 20 but broke down on the final red down the cushion. The Scot cleared with a break of 30 to take an 11-9 lead. Carter returned from the interval and rattled in a 71 break to reduce his arrears to 11-10 down.
But petulence and frustration with numerous bad contacts and bad cushion reactions was still getting the better of him and the Scot won a scrappy frame to go 12-10. Carter replied with a 100 break but it was to no avail as McManus controlled frame 24 from start to finish to seal a quarter final place.

Mark Selby remained in an engrossing battle with Sam Baird after two sessions of their second round match.
Baird won the opening frame of the day with runs of 66 and 54 before Selby replied with a 115 break.
The pair shared the next two frames to head into the mid session interval locked at 6-6.
The 'Jester from Leicester' then pulled away to 9-6 inclusive of contributions of 133 and 66.
Baird crucially won the last frame of the session though to keep himself in touch going into the evenings final session at 7-9 in arrears.

Afternoon session:
Mark Williams completed a 13-8 victory over good friend Michael Holt. Starting the day with a commanding 10-6 lead the Welshman extended it to 11-6 with a 50 break.
Holt cut his arrears to three at 11-8 with runs of 75 and 109 and had his chances in the next frame too but despite making the running with a 56 break was unable to clinch the frame and went 12-8 behind. Further chances were spurned in frame 21 by Holt and were to ultimately condemn him to defeat as Williams sealed his place in the quarter finals.

Barry Hawkins put up an impressive birthday performance in his match against Ronnie O'Sullivan.
Hawkins knocked in a 54 to help win frame one.
The 'Rocket' responded in typically superb fashion with a supreme 139 total clearance but Hawkins was not to be shaken and rolled in an excellent 102 break to lead 2-1.
O'Sullivan turned on the after burners with breaks of 88 and 103 to lead 3-2 but Hawkins played very solidly to control and ultimately win all the remaining frames to take a 5-3 lead into the second session tomorrow afternoon.

Evening session:
Mark Selby survived an almighty scare against brave Sam Baird to win 13-11 in their second round tussle. The Leicester cueman started with an imperious 134 break and backed it up with a run of 84 to win the next to lead 11-7. But his tenacious opponent responded with mature match snooker beyond his years to win the next two frames to peg the gap back to two frames. Baird continued the fightback with some excellent shots in frame 21 but missed a yellow with side to let Selby in for a clearance of the colours. But Selby missed a crucial brown and Baird stepped in to win the frame to trail by just one at 11-10.
The tension was mounting and excitement growing amongst the Crucible crowd as the battle for control of a critical 22nd frame intensified. Baird found himself with the first meaningful opportunity but broke down on a black that hovered over the corner pocket. Selby lost position early on in reply though and a battle for the next chance commenced.
A further few chances arrived for the Devonian qualifier and eventually he took one with a tricky cut back red into a blind pocket to level at 11-11. Incredible drama.
Into frame 23, Selby with first chance. Only made 1. Baird steps in but can only make 8. Selby in again but can only make 35 before snookering himself on intended reds with the respotted pink. Gets in again, fearful kick, missed double.
Another chance - this time a frame winner. 12-11 Selby.
Frame 24, Selby with a long cut red, lands on the blue.
Break of 54......not enough to win.
Baird gets a chance but runs out of position, gets in again......same result. And another chance .
Shocking missed red . And yet another chance . Snookers himself .
Selby leaves Baird in trouble but Baird flukes a red .
Pressure green..........in. Colours to win by one point. Can he do it? No, snookers himself on the green. Gets it safe.
Another chance for Selby - big pot.
Snooker needed by Baird. And got. Selby escapes.
Another chance for Selby.....
The World number one survives......... just.
What drama!!

John Higgins and Ricky Walden started out on their quest for a quarter final berth with a session of clear cut frames that were anything but scrappy.
The Scot started with a 62 break for 1-0 before Walden replied with a 56 to level. Higgins easily won the next to nil before Walden hit a century break to level once more.
Higgins then went 4-2 up aided by a run of 65.
Walden pulled to within one at 3-4 down but Higgins ended the session in style with a 107 break to take a 5-3 advantage into the second session tomorrow.

Wishing Dennis Taylor a speedy recovery, have to have his appendix removed

Glad Holt & Carter are gone.

Well done to Baird, a creditable performance and a marker for future better things

Mark Allen is having a nightmare session against Kyren Wilson.
Full review of the day to follow tonight.

Judd Trump not doing much better against Ding

Day Nine:

Morning session:
Mark Allen faced a mountain to climb after a disastrous opening session against rising star Kyren Wilson.
Allen should have won the first frame but contrived to lose it despite guilt edged chances to clinch it.
Wilson with breaks of 50, 55 and 93 built a 5-0 lead and controlled frame 6 impeccably to go 6-0.
Allen looked forlorn as Wilson powered in a 103 break to go 7-0.
Allen won the last of the session but had a mighty task on his hands to repair the damage on Sunday evening trailing by six.

Ding Junhui took a 6-2 lead over Judd Trump in their first session. First four frames were shared as Trump had runs of 85 and 106 while Ding had a break of 71 in frame three.
Trump chose the mid session interval to engage in a Twitter spat with pundit and fellow professional Dominic Dale.
Upon the resumption the Chinese player pulled away to win all four frames after the mid session interval winning a tight fifth and eighth frame with breaks of 112 and 79 sandwiched in between.
Trump with work to do in the evenings second session.

Afternoon session:
A determined Barry Hawkins withstood a Ronnie O'Sullivan barrage to protect his 2 frame lead going into their final session tomorrow night.
The 'Rocket' got in first in frame 9 but lost position on a break of 68 and was made to pay as Hawkins recovered to clinch the frame. O'Sullivan responded with a smooth as silk 118.
Back came Hawkins with a 74 to win the third but O'Sullivan countered with a run of 82. Hawkins won the next with a 65 but the five time World Champion hit back yet again with an 89 and won the next as well to go within one frame at 7-8.
Hawkins was not to buckle and crucially won the final frame of the session 81-0. All to play for on Monday evening as Hawkins leads 9-7.

John Higgins extended his 5-3 advantage to 10-6 after two sessions of his match against Ricky Walden.
It was a session short on big breaks.
The Scot won a tight first frame of the afternoon to go 6-3 before rattling in an 89 break to go 7-3 up.
Walden with work to do managed to win the next two frames to peg the back gap to two frames but Higgins responded in kind to win the next two to restore a four frame cushion at 9-5.
Walden rolled in a 74 to close to three behind but lost the concluding frame of the session to leave himself a big task to keep his title hopes alive.

Evening session:
Mark Allen produced a four frame blitz to recover from 7-1 down to 7-5 down. Breaks of 129, 103, 60 and 66 were rattled in to leave his opponent stunned. But Wilson responded with great maturity after the mid session interval.
He compiled a break of 82 to win frame 13 and sealed the next frame to lead 9-5. Allen was well placed to go 9-6 but fouled a red with his cue when in the balls and lost the frame.
The final frame of the session gave the Northern Ireland man a chance to redeem himself but with the frame at his mercy he failed again to waste all his good work before the interval.
Wilson takes a commanding 11-5 lead into tomorrow and needs just two frames for victory.

Ding Junhui and Judd Trump both struggled in the evening session to get any momentum going.
A series of quality pots were followed with careless errors and several close and scrappy frames ensued.
Trump got to within 3 at 3-6, Ding won the next.
The Bristolian hit a 70 break to make it 4-7 but again Ding took the next frame. The man from China then went 9-4.
Tit for tat as the next two frames were shared but dear oh dear it was oh so scrappy. 10-5 Ding.
Guilt edged chance for Trump in frame 16..........missed.
Could Ding take advantage? No. Out of position. Lays a snooker on the last red. Safety battle ensues.
Error from Ding. Over to you Mr Trump.
Red to baulk corner..........in.
Chance to clear.........Taken.
10-6 Ding overnight.

Credit to Mark Allen for winning frames 9-12, but probably even more to Kyren Wilson for taking 13-16.

Judd needs another fightback like he managed in the 1st round, but I suspect he won't manage it this time.

Allen is charging back.
9-11 down now but has won the first four frames of the day.
Could Wilson possibly lose from 11-5?

Ding Junhui has sealed his place in the quarter finals after battling past Judd Trump 13-10.
Kyren Wilson is also into the last eight after a scare against Mark Allen to win 13-9.

More details in my review of day ten later.

John Higgins is through also after a 13-8 win over Ricky Walden.
He will face Alan McManus next.