Zhou Yuelong makes four centuries in win over Anthony McGill to reach Northern Ireland Open final
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Updated 23/10/2022 at 09:58 GMT
Zhou Yuelong beat Anthony McGill 6-4 to reach the final of the Northern Ireland Open. The pair traded frames in the opening session, with McGill twice edging ahead only to be pegged back on each occasion. Zhou looked set to take control with his weight of scoring but was made to work hard before getting over the line at the Waterfront Hall in Belfast.
'A lovely break that!' - Zhou knocks in century to level up against McGill in semi-final
Zhou Yuelong claimed a 6-4 win over Anthony McGill at the Northern Ireland Open to book his first visit to a final in almost three years.
The Chinese player is only 24, but has seemingly been around for years. He is still seeking a first title, and is now one win away from doing so after getting the better of McGill to reach his first final since the Shoot Out in February 2020.
He has shown flashes of quality already this term, reaching the third round of the European Masters, and now awaits the winner of the clash between Neil Robertson and Mark Allen after winning a tense tussle in which he made four centuries.
It was a cagey opening to the match, which was understandable given what was at stake. Both had chances, with McGill getting the telling one when Zhou played a poor safety after running out of position and the Scot knocked in a tough final red to the left middle and ran through the colours to claim the opening frame.
Playing safe off the pack at pace has gone out of vogue in the modern game, and it was shown why in the second frame as McGill attempted to get back to baulk off the bunch. He got that part of the shot right, but chipped a red out and it went over the bottom right. Zhou made him pay a heavy price, as he crafted exactly 100 - his fourth ton of the tournament.
The third followed a similar pattern to the first, with errors from both players. It eventually went the same way as the opener, with McGill getting over the line after some scrappy passages of play.
The scrapping was being done by McGill, the scoring by Zhou who took the fourth with a half-century and went to the interval having outscored his opponent 243-136.
The weight of scoring from Zhou continued after the interval, as he produced his second century of the match - a total clearance of 132 - to lead for the first time.
Confidence was running through Zhou’s veins as he stepped to the table in the fifth, and crafted a rapid 47 before running out of position. He returned to the table with the frame at his mercy, but missed a simple red and McGill made a superb clearance of 73 to draw level.
From being totally out of sorts, McGill’s arm appeared freer on the back of pinching the sixth and he moved round the table in a confident manner to knock in a break of 101 and take the lead at 4-3.
The see-saw nature of the contest continued in the eighth, with both players making alarming errors.
Zhou missed a black off its spot and later hit the wrong side of the object ball when attempting to force it in at pace. He seemed rattled, but McGill was unable to put him away and the younger player fell over the line in the eighth to level it up.
Despite the alarming misses, Zhou was the bolder of the two and he knocked in a superb long red at the start of the ninth. He did not get position on a colour, but laid a fiendish snooker and was rewarded as McGill left him a nice starter.
Zhou took the starter and rolled in a pressure yellow to right centre mid-way through his break after losing position. And for the third time in the match he reached three figures, 127, to move back in front.
McGill had a chance to force a decider, but missed a tough blue and Zhou took the chance in a positive manner - knocking in a glorious fourth ton, 110, to reach his third ranking final.
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The Home Nations series is back with the Northern Ireland Open and it is live and exclusive on discovery+. You can also watch Seventh Heaven, a two-part show about Ronnie O’Sullivan’s historic World Championship win last season, on demand now
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