European Masters snooker 2022 LIVE – Ronnie O'Sullivan and Neil Robertson hit centuries in opening wins
/dnl.eurosport.com/sd/img/placeholder/eurosport_logo_1x1.png){kind=logo}
ByEurosport
Updated 21/02/2022 at 21:53 GMT
Welcome to Eurosport's live coverage of the 2022 European Masters from the Marshall Arena in Milton Keynes. The defending champion is Mark Selby, who is also the world champion. With Mark Selby and and Judd Trump both already through, Neil Robertson completed a 5-2 win over Lei Peifan and Ronnie O'Sullivan eased past Nigel Bond 5-1 in the evening session.
O'Sullivan, Trump and Selby among the top 10 best shots of 2021
/origin-imgresizer.eurosport.com/2022/02/21/3325378-67987828-2560-1440.jpg)
O'Sullivan produces a magnificent 132 clearance against Bond
Thanks for joining us
We will be back for more LIVE updates at 2:30pm on Tuesday with Ronnie O'Sullivan chasing a place in the last 32 against Zhang and defending champion Mark Selby meeting Welsh Open holder Jordan Brown.
Around the tables
- Neil Robertson 5-2 Lei Peifan
- Ronnie O'Sullivan 5-1 Nigel Bond
- Soheil Vahedi 2-3 Ashley Carty
- Liam Highfield 3-3 David Gilbert
- Anthony Hamilton 2-3 Barry Hawkins
- Jack Lisowski 2-4 Ashley Hugill
Robertson 5-2 Lei
A 5-2 win for the Masters champion Neil Robertson against Lei Peifan. The Australian rolls in breaks of 130, 98, 67 and 52 to secure a last-64 meeting with Alfie Burden on Tuesday evening (7pm GMT).
O'Sullivan 5-1 Bond
An accomplished clearance by the six-time world champion to finish off the match in style.
Was never really troubled and he is through to the last 64.
He will face Zhang Anda on Tuesday afternoon (2:30pm GMT).
O'Sullivan 4-1 Bond (61-27)
Bond misses a blue by some distance. Looks crestfallen as he drops his head in disgust.
Is going to cost him the match.
O'Sullivan 4-1 Bond (23-0)
Superb long red by O'Sullivan early in the sixth frame. Looks like he has found his scoring form at exactly the right time.
Another long red hits the back of the pocket seconds later. Delightful ball striking.
O'Sullivan 4-1 Bond (0-0)
O'Sullivan with a breathtaking clearance of 132. A stunning effort that leaves the crowd thrilled inside the Marshall Arena in Milton Keynes.
Vintage Rocket and he gets a rousing reception from the captivated audience.
O'Sullivan 3-1 Bond (38-0)
Long red by O'Sullivan flies into the pocket at the outset of this fifth frame.
Just the roll up behind green to follow. Bond butchers the escape from snooker and this could spell big trouble for the world no 71.
O'Sullivan right in among the balls...
Around the tables
- Neil Robertson 3-1 Lei Peifan
- Soheil Vahedi 2-2 Ashley Carty
- Liam Highfield 2-2 David Gilbert
- Anthony Hamilton 1-3 Barry Hawkins
- Jack Lisowski 2-2 Ashley Hugill
O'Sullivan 3-0 Bond (52-64)
And Bond is off the mark. A quite magnificent brown, blue and pink to trail 3-1 from a player who turned professional in 1989.
O'Sullivan not looking overly concerned as the players head off for the mid-session break.
O'Sullivan 3-0 Bond (52-49)
A lead of three points for O'Sullivan with only four colours remaining.
And it will come down to a safety battle to settle who wins the fourth frame.
O'Sullivan 3-0 Bond (20-49)
Bit of old school tactical play by Bond to move nearer the winning line in this fourth frame.
But he can't drop in a long red and that could prove to be so damaging. All reds in open for O'Sullivan to make another winning counter attack.
O'Sullivan 3-0 Bond (0-38)
Bond makes a fast start to the third frame aided by an outrageous fluke as a red spins into the yellow pocket after he misses to a centre bag.
Some odd happenings in these first three flames with flukes cropping up with some regularity.
O'Sullivan 3-0 Bond (0-0)
All going wrong for Nigel. Tries to find a snooker, but succeeds only in knocking a blue into a centre pocket. Has seen enough.
One more frame before the mid-session interval with O'Sullivan well on top.
O'Sullivan 2-0 Bond (71-29)
Bond returns to the table chasing two snookers...
O'Sullivan 2-0 Bond (56-29)
A fabulous long red from Nigel. In among the balls, but again loses the cue ball.
So frustrating for Bond. And his misery is compounded seconds later as O'Sullivan flukes a red screwing back to baulk via the pink.
The Rocket back in business and could be heading for a 3-0 lead.
O'Sullivan 2-0 Bond (25-8)
Bond attempts to drop in a long red. Almost flukes the red, but leaves it.
O'Sullivan quickly up to 25 before he breaks down. Misses the yellow in trying to play safe as he gives eight foul points straight back.
Bond's problem has never been safety play. Break-building is another issue.
Around the tables
- Neil Robertson 1-1 Lei Peifan
- Soheil Vahedi 2-0 Ashley Carty
- Liam Highfield 1-0 David Gilbert
- Anthony Hamilton 0-2 Barry Hawkins
- Jack Lisowski 0-1 Ashley Hugill
O'Sullivan 2-0 Bond (0-0)
Another error by Bond on the final red is going to cost him the frame.
Bond struggling on the show table and has big problems. O'Sullivan clearing up to the pink. Doesn't need the black.
A 2-0 lead for the Essex man.
O'Sullivan 1-0 Bond (46-25)
O'Sullivan just seeing a long red hang in the jaws from distance. Bond plays a fine plant to knock the red in.
But he is out of position seconds later. Chance gone. Can't really afford to miss them.
One red remains on the table.
O'Sullivan 1-0 Bond (46-16)
Bond revelling in an amazing fluke. Missed the pot, but red comes back out, hits the black and ends up dropping down the opposite pocket.
Bit of a safety joust on these final three reds.
O'Sullivan 1-0 Bond (46-15)
Fine safety shot by Bond to force the error from his opponent in the second frame. O'Sullivan hits red, but leaves it.
Real chance for Bond to make his mark, but he jaws the red. Can't believe he has missed that.
The six-time world champion allowed to return to the table.
O'Sullivan 1-0 Bond (22-0)
Bond must be slightly concerned out there. O'Sullivan looks to be right in the mood here. Drops in a tough red from mid-range, but forced to settle for 22 this time.
O'Sullivan looking very focused on the job at hand.
O'Sullivan 0-0 Bond (82-36)
Bond paying the price for only making 36. O'Sullivan misses blue to a centre pocket, but it matters not. A fine break of 82. Frame already under lock and key for the world number two.
He leads 1-0 in the race to five frames.
O'Sullivan 0-0 Bond (58-36)
Some glorious stuff here from O'Sullivan. Bangs in a delicious long red, manages to hold for the black and is suddenly looking like he is going to take the opening frame.
Stunning positional play by the Rocket. Right on the money.
Around the tables
A few other matches on Monday night in the first round with Masters champion Neil Robertson meeting Lei Peifan.
- Neil Robertson v Lei Peifan
- Soheil Vahedi v Ashley Carty
- Liam Highfield v David Gilbert
- Anthony Hamilton v Barry Hawkins
- Jack Lisowski v Ashley Hugill
O'Sullivan 0-0 Bond (0-36)
An opening knock of 36 from the 1995 world finalist. Might be aggrieved he never made more at that visit, but some decent safety being played by '00-147'.
O'Sullivan 0-0 Bond (0-21)
Early safety error by O'Sullivan. Leaves a mid-range red for Bond which he powers into the pocket. Chance to get his cue arm working early on.
O'Sullivan 0-0 Bond (0-0)
Almost ready to get the boys on the baize at the Marshall Arena in Milton Keynes.
Good evening and welcome back
Almost ready to see the snooker GOAT Ronnie O'Sullivan launch his European Masters campaign against 1995 world finalist Nigel Bond. This is remarkably their first meeting since 1998.
1996 British Open champion Bond met the six-time Crucible winner six times between 1994 and 1998, but has gone 24 years without locking swords with O'Sullivan at a tournament.
Bond was whitewashed 5-0 by his fellow Englishman in their first meeting in the 1994 British Open quarter-finals, but has also lost four final-frame deciders to O'Sullivan, including a 6-5 defeat in the 1997 Masters semi-finals at the old Wembley Conference Centre.
“It’s amazing that we haven’t played for that long," said Bond, who reached the 1995 world final in Sheffield before losing 18-9 to Stephen Hendry.
“I remember we had some close matches, he beat me 6-5 in the semi-finals of the Masters and the Scottish Masters. But he also trounced me a couple of times."
That's us done for the afternoon
Join us again at 6.45pm GMT for Ronnie O'Sullivan v Nigel Bond!
Around the tables
Brecel 4-3 Wilson G
Dott 4-4 Davis
O'Neill 1-5 Day
Page 3-4 Akani
Trump 5-0 Judge
Mark Selby beats Matt Selt 5-2!
The champ and world no1 is into the next round, where he'll meet Jordan Brown. He played well today, as did Matt, who's no mug. Mark meets Jordan Brown next.
/origin-imgresizer.eurosport.com/2022/02/21/3325219-67984648-2560-1440.jpg)
Selt pots an impressive double against Selby
Selby 4-3 Selt (68-11)
Or not. Mark misses a red and Matt returns to the table with four snookers required. Yeah, good luck with that, old mate.
Selby 4-3 Selt (62-11)
Forty-seven ahead with 54 left, Mark has to decide whether to pot the green then or knock a colour safe while leaving Matt to get the white safe; he plumps for the latter and Matt foul-misses, sliding past a red by very little. If he misses again, he'll need a snooker; he hits, but also leaves one, and that is surely that.
Selby 4-3 Selt (44-11)
Sat in his seat, Matt looks glum as Mark accumulates relentlessly and remorselessly. He tossed the previous frame with a silly miss, so you can't see him doing likewise here.
Selby 4-3 Selt (11-11)
Not half as nauseated as he'll be feeling now, having left Mark a started to left middle. Down it goes, then a brown, then up to the blue off a red into the green pocket, and this might well be curtains.
Selby 4-3 Selt (0-11)
Matt nails a starter to right corner and we hear shouts of "come on" as he urges the pack to split for him off the black. But it's not interested, so he returns to his seat nauseated.
Around the tables
Brecel 3-3 Wilson G
Dott 3-4 Davis
O'Neill 1-5 Day
Page 3-4 Akani
Trump 5-0 Judge
Selby 4-3 Selt
Excellent work from Matt, clearing to the pink, and this is well alive.
Selby 4-2 Selt (26-42)
Mark glides a lovely red to right corner with the rest and is crafting this run very well indeed. And, of course, as I type that he misses a black off its spot, overcut - you don't see that very often - and allowing Matt to stroke an excellent starter to right middle.
Selby 4-2 Selt (3-41)
Matt misses a clip to left corner but Mark doesn't. Of the eight remaining reds, three are close to black cush, so this is by no means a gimme, but you expect a way to be found.
Selby 4-2 Selt (0-33)
Matt's started chasing, but he cues beautifully to sink a red to right corner ... only to miss the next one to left. He doesn't leave anything - the remaining reds are clustered, apart from one on the top cushion - but an attacking safety from Mark opens them. One error from Matt and he's done.
Selby 4-2 Selt (0-16)
Matt clips a red from middle to left corner and beings picking at loose bals. But the black is stuck to the top cushion, so he'll havw to work hard to build a signidficant lead.
Selby 4-2 Selt
Both men have been godo in the balls, but it's Mark getting stronger as we reach the business end of things, his game coming together well. Again, he can't get the cannon he needs on a red on the side, but this time it doesn't cost him the frame or even a century, soon cut fine to left corner. Mark then clears the colours, the break finishing on 128, and Matt now needs three straight to progress.
Selby 3-2 Selt (57-2)
Mark goes into the pack and achieves a lovely split, but the next pot is trick; he's got a choice of tester, opting to glide an acute one to left middle. That's a very good pot, which he follows with an overhit black that makes the next ball no gimme. But if he clips it to right corner - with the rest - that should be enough, given he'll be on the black.
Selby 3-2 Selt (9-2)
Matt clouts home a belting opener to left corner, then rolls up behind the yellow; Mark plays onto the bottom red and leaves a tester parallel with the top rail, that Matt just about sinks. But as a consequence, the accordant position isn't as good as he wants, and he misses a black that could well cost him the frame.
Around the tables
Brecel 2-1 Wilson G
Dott 2-3 Davis
O'Neill 1-5 Day
Page 2-2 Akani
Trump 5-0 Judge
Selby 3-2 Selt
Another good break from Selby, this time a 69, puts him back in front.
Selby 2-2 Selt (85-0)
It's been a pretty high standard, has this, rare errors promptly punished with competent break-building.
Selby 2-2 Selt (46-0)
Left with brown and yellow blocking his route to the reds, Matt foul-misses and Mark takes advatantage. I'd expect him to win the frame from here.
Selby 2-2 Selt (26-0)
In co-comms, Neal notes that Mark didn't qualify for the Players' Championship, which tells you that he's not had a good season, and puts it down to the lack of frames won in one visit. And a poor blue here leaves him with no choice but to roll into the pack, another run ending before its time.
Selby 2-2 Selt (13-0)
It's Mark in first and I'd expect something significant from him here, because he'll be aggravated at how he lost the last frame.
We're back
Around the tables
Brecel 1-1 Wilson G
Dott 1-3 Davis
O'Neill 1-3 Day
Page 1-2 Akani
Trump 5-0 Judge
Selby 2-2 Selt
Matt has earned that, and where 3-1 would've felt like curtains, at 2-2 he's very much alive.
Selby 2-1 Selt (49-53)
On 49 and having failed the first time he tried, Mark nudges the final red away from the side cushion ... only to miss it by miles trying to guide it into the yellow pocket. It wasn't even close to the jaws, never mind the bag. So Matt drains it with the rest only to end up behind the yellow ... which he rolls to the middle dead-weight! That's a fine pot, and it's going to be 2-2 at the interval of a fine match - both players are playing nicely.
Selby 2-1 Selt (21-41)
A misjudgment leaves Mark stuck to the respotted blue, but he nails a red to right corner nevertheless - though still has plenty of work to do if he's to secure the frame.
Selby 2-1 Selt (8-41)
A weak safety from Mark leaves the prospect of a double, and Matt takes it, easing to left-middle. But on 41 and on the stretch, he drags one to right corner and it bumps the far jaw; that's going to cost him some points, possibly the frame, and potentially, effectively, the match.
Around the tables
Brecel 0-1 Wilson G
Dott 0-3 Davis
O'Neill 0-3 Day
Page 0-2 Akani
Trump 4-0 Judge
Selby 2-1 Selt
With 79 on the board, Mark misses a blue; he'll cope.
Selby 1-1 Selt (69-0)
This is inevitable and inexorable, the black eventually developed and the frame put to bed.
Selby 1-1 Selt (28-0)
It's Mark in first and he's cueing well; there aren't many better at cobbling together a run with the black out of commission, and as he did in the last frame, he's making that extremely clear.
Around the tables
Brecel 0-1 Wilson G
Dott 0-2 Davis
O'Neill 0-2 Day
Page 0-1 Akani
Trump 3-0 Judge
Selby 1-1 Selt
Mark runs out of possession on 70, and levels the match.
Selby 0-1 Selt (62-1)
Both men look in decent nick, Mark methodically redeeming his costly error of frame one to leave Matt needing a snooker without the use of the black - and he's still at the table.
Selby 0-1 Selt (15-1)
Matt rattles a nice middle-distance starter to left corner only to soon miss a green with the rest and hand Mark a start.
Around the tables
Brecel 0-1 Wilson G
Dott 0-2 Davis
O'Neill 0-1 Day
Page 0-0 Akani
Trump 2-0 Judge
Selby 0-1 Selt
Cop for summa dat! A 113 clearance puts Selt in front, and he looks in touch.
Selby 0-0 Selt (41-52)
Matt's taking these nicely, but as below, he'll need more points than usual because of those he gave away. As such, he has to go around the angles to take one of three reds clustered - the other is on black cush - and he sends it down nicely. We've a new favourite for the frame ... though only just, as a red wipes its feet before dropping into right corner.
Selby 0-0 Selt (41-64)
On whcich point, remember that Matt gave up 28 points in fouls, so there are plenty left on the table, and when Mark misses a red sent long towards the yellow pocket, he leaves a pretty handy chance.
Selby 0-0 Selt (41-0)
After a raft of conseucitve misses that look similar but are different, Matt hits, and sits down 29 points behind but still in the frame; he'd've took that, ultimately - especially when he's left a starter to the yellow pocket, which he misses thick. This leaves Mark a chance and he extends his lead, only to direct a red into the far knuckel of right-middle, the frame still up for grabs.
Selby 0-0 Selt (25-0)
It's not often that Judd Trump hasn't been the feature match, but Selby is defending champ and world number one so he's more than earned the right. He sinks an early red and though he can't capitalise, he sticks Matt in a bad spot, watching Matt foul-miss trying to get the thin contact he needs to not leave the table. So ack in he goes, from a different spot - one in which he's angled - so the three-strikes rule doesn't apply, but points are mounting.
Off we go
First to five, interval after four.
Already today
Guodong 5-2 Hicks
Hill 3-5 Zhengyi
Perry 5-2 Cao
Wilson K 5-2 Jones Jam
Yan 5-1 Han
Zhou 5-1 Yang
Here come our players
We'll be focusing on Mark Selby v Matt Selt - Selby is the defending champ - wth updates from Judd Trump v Michael Judge on table two.
Hello there!
And welcome to our live coverage of the European Masters!
'The pressure is completely off' - Robertson in positive mood for European Masters
Neil Robertson is looking forward to the remainder of the season with relish, with the Australian saying the pressure is off and he is playing for fun.
The 40-year-old has arguably been the most impressive player on tour this season, with three titles already in the bag.
His victory in the Masters in January ensured he extended his record of winning a tournament every year since 2006, and he has since added the Players Championship to his collection.
Read full quotes from Masters champion here.
- -
Stream the 2022 European Masters and much more top snooker action live and on demand on discovery+
Scan me
Related Topics
Share this article
Advertisement
Advertisement