Players Championship snooker LIVE - Judd Trump faces Ali Carter in first quarter-final after earlier win for Mark Selby
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ByEurosport
Updated 21/02/2024 at 22:53 GMT
The Players Championship continues on Wednesday at Telford International Centre, as Mark Selby and Judd Trump are among the star names taking to the baize. Selby faces Barry Hawkins in a first-round clash, will Trump plays in the evening in what should be a competitive, compelling quarter-final against Ali Carter. Zhang Anda is also in action in the afternoon against Noppon Saengkham.
'It'll add five, six, seven good years' - O'Sullivan on why Higgins trying new things will help
That's us done for today
Thanks for your company, and join us again tomorrow at 12.30pm GMT.
That was a really fun match
Judd wasn't quite at it, but because he's so good and competes to hard, he made it close; Ali will fancy himself to win this.
Ali Carter beats Judd Trump 6-4!
The Captain is one of the elite now - he's been winning matches like this one for a year, lost in the final of this competition, and is still in with a chance of going one better. He meets Allen or Wilson in the last four/
Trump 4-5 Carter (64-52)
After an 11-minute chase, Judd leaves a yellow to the middle, he snicks it down, the green wipes every part of its anatomy before dropping, and this will surely be the match. Blue to right corner should do it...
Trump 4-5 Carter (64-43)
Judd sends the yellow around the table with the white stopping in baulk, asking Ali a pretty tough question - the brown's in the way but all the colours on their spots make it extra-hard to get at. It's a brilliant shot, it really is, and the Skip hits second time.
Trump 4-5 Carter (60-43)
Ali flukes a snooker, Judd hits well enough ... but leaves a cut-back along the side. The white, though, is on the cushion so it's a tough pot ... and he catches it thick then finds himself snookered.
Trump 4-5 Carter (60-43)
Judd is so good under pressure and so good at wining short(ish) matches He looks to have an angle to clip the penultimate red to left corner ... he does ... he's nicely on the last ... but can he get from black to yellow? He cannot, sliding up not quite far enough. It's safe with the restand the chase is on!
Trump 4-5 Carter (12-43)
Ali fades in a blue ... and lands on nothing. Has he let Judd off the hook again? He decides to try one to right-middle ... and it comes straight back off the far knuckle! Drama! Judd sinks a starter and, just like in the previous frame, has a chance to steal from behind.
Trump 4-5 Carter (4-31)
Ruffling what's left of the pack off the blue, Ali brings more balls into play and this looks a lot like curtains. He ought to have got over the line last frame, but this is an even better opportunity.
Trump 4-5 Carter (4-19)
Judd misses to left corner and Ali does not, sliding across the table on to the pink. There are plenty of loose reds, and this is a chance for last seasons's runner-up to move into a semi with Mark Allen or Gary Wilson.
Trump 4-5 Carter
Not logn ago, Ali looked to be closing out; instead, he concedes, and Judd is so good at not losing.
Trump 3-5 Carter (70-46)
Not for long. A mistake from Ali allows Judd to clear to the blue and, after a think, Ali returns to the table needing two snookers on pink and black.
Trump 3-5 Carter (58-46)
One thing at a time! Judd misses the green, his first rest-miss of the competition, and the chase is on!
Trump 3-5 Carter (56-46)
There's a red just above black cush but Judd gets rid of it nae bother, drops in a black last roll, and with the colours on or near their spots, this is going to be a frame back. This is a terrific match, and really it deserves a decider.
Trump 3-5 Carter (4-46)
Left a tempter diagonally to right corner, Judd steels then clunks it down. He knew if he missed that he was done for, but now he's a chance to prolong the tussle, knowing that any error ends it.
Trump 3-5 Carter (0-46)
A plant brings Ali back to the blue and will he nudge the pack this time? No, one more loose one, and he'll do it off the black; if it works, Judd is finished. But it doesn't, and he must now find a safety, disappointment bagged and tossed.
Trump 3-5 Carter (0-11)
Now then! Ali gets in immediately and a lovely shot gets him on to the blue, so he can clear reds above the black. He's feeling himself, and this is a chance to finish things.
Trump 3-5 Carter
In fairness, Ali apologised for the fluke, before using it as a supr to win the frame. He looks mortified, and Judd needs three on the spin.
Trump 3-4 Carter (7-50)
Not many are playing more consistently than Ali currently, so when he gets chances you assume hye'll take them, and though he got lucky with the hit and hope, in a funny way he sort of planned to.
Trump 3-4 Carter (7-33)
Ali does score here, and wirth the reds nicely open, he could and should move two in front.
Trump 3-4 Carter (7-6)
Judd lands a red then snuggles in behind the green; Ali misses then hits, hopes, and flukes a starterinto the yellow bag! So then he tucks in behind the green - this game - and Judd hits well second go. He does, though, leave one to the middle, and Ali can score here.
Trump 3-4 Carter (3-0)
But again, Judd gets in off his break, clipping long to left corner. This timwe, though, he doesn't get good position working his way back up[ the table, a short-arm jab to the centre staying out.
Trump 3-4 Carter
Ali leads again. He'll know if he can just win the next, he'll be a warm favourite.
Trump 3-3 Carter (40-68)
An extension, the rest, and Ali prods in a tight green; he's going back in front, and this is a really fun match. I've no idea which way it's going.
Trump 3-3 Carter (40-49)
He finishes close to one of them, pots it via thinnest cut-back ... and sends white into left-middle! Ali has a free ball, the final red just above the black, and this will surely see him go in front once more.
Trump 3-3 Carter (40-49)
He dies close the gap, and Ali will be shifting uncomfortably in his seat. If Judd can break the last two reds, under the pink, he's set.
Trump 3-3 Carter (12-49)
Ali runs into a red and leaves one for Judd who accepts the offer. The way the balls are, he's scope to close the gap...
Trump 3-3 Carter (0-49)
Ali digs into the pack and gets really good purcahse on his screw, but finishes on nothing ... and there's a ball over left-centre, so both players will need to be be extra-careful until it's gone or moved.
Trump 3-3 Carter (0-21)
Ali steers a long one to left corner and removes loose balls. Both men are playing pretty well now.
Trump 3-3 Carter
A lovely run of 115 and we're back level.
Trump 2-3 Carter (83-0)
Ton number 68 of the season is well wirthin reach...
Trump 2-3 Carter (51-0)
I'm surprised Judd hasn't opened the bunch already, but as I type he floats up to the blue, hits the pink full in the face, and one slightly difficult red will open everything. He punches it into left corner, and this is going level again.
Trump 2-3 Carter (23-0)
All that effort and Ali leaves one to the middle off the break. Judd quickly removes loose reds, but still seems unhappy with the reaction he's getting from ball and baize.
Trump 2-3 Carter
A red snikced in with the rest, a snooker, and Judd remains in his seat.
Trump 2-2 Carter (20-55)
Both players think the white is too reactive so we wait for a new one, then Ali gets himself away again and stretches his lead. With three reds left, he gets behind one, downs it, and though th last two are on rails, he's looking good to move in front at some point in the next few minutes.
Trump 2-2 Carter (20-23)
A little cannon and Ali runs out of position - he's not happy with himself. But almost immediately, he's offered another opportunity ... but what Angles calles a "horror story", a terrible cannon, means we're back playing safety.
Trump 2-2 Carter (20-23)
Then he hits the blue and Ali is up to get himself away, plenty of points out there for him.
Trump 2-2 Carter (20-1)
Not much, a missed pink ending the run, but a clever thin slide into left corner allows Ali to nudge the brown, and Judd misses his first escape.
Trump 2-2 Carter (20-1)
Judd gets himself away and will know that, though he oughtn't have lost that last frane, if he keeps playing as he was, he'll be fine. He does, though, run out of position here, playing into the pack ... and leaving Ali a poke to right corner. What can he make of it?
Back come the players...
Trump 2-2 Carter
Now then. Judd dominated that frame, but one late doors error was all Ali needed to kick him out of it. They go to the interval level - somehow.
Trump 2-1 Carter (51-43)
Ali clacks home a terrific brown, floats in behind the earlier-liberated pink ... and drops it into the corner! What a steal this is going to be!
Trump 2-1 Carter (51-23)
And what a good call that looks now! He can't snick in the final red, Ali can ... and he develops that pink a little! If he can clear here, Judd will spend the interval fighting back the nausea, but the brown isn't far off the bottom rail...
Trump 2-1 Carter (51-23)
There are two reds left, just above black cush, and Ali forces Judd to break them u[. His safety game, though, is really good these days and he soon tidies up the first of them into the green bag, then knocks the pink safe ... ish.
Trump 2-1 Carter (46-22)
Ali closes the gap but then, forced to play safe, leaves one next shot. Judd clips a starter into the middle, but then directs his second run into the far knuckle of left corner, and Ali is still in a frame that ought to have ejected him from it ages ago.
Trump 2-1 Carter (43-5)
Easy balls removed, Judd starts fighting with the harder ones, missing a cannon as he moves up to the blue. This allows him to drop on to the top rail ... but then he sends the red leaping off the table! Reprieve for Ali!
Trump 2-1 Carter (6-0)
Judd flukes one then nuzzles up to the brown; Ali is not laughing. He has a yahoo, Maguire-style, it odes nothing for him, and the Ace gets going.
Trump 2-1 Carter
Not this time. But Judd leads, and Ali will feel he can't really afford to lose the next frame.
Trump 1-1 Carter (73-1)
Judd gets ridiculous zip on the white, and he's nicely set for a ton - though the broon is on the baulk rail.
Trump 1-1 Carter (52-1)
I quite like how Judd's playing here, slowly easing into form, and this reminds Ali he has to get frames won quickly because his opponent is accident waiting to happen.
Trump 1-1 Carter (25-1)
Judd strikes a beautiful one that somehow doesn't stay down, but then Ali, in, jawses a pink that had to go. The Ace is quickly to the table, binning balls, ad given how open how many of them are, he could win the frame at this visit.
Trump 1-1 Carter (8-0)
Judd clumps home a starter and he nuzzles into the yellow nicely - that shot is so hard and he's one of the best at it. Ali misses first go, then feels his second effort needs to be made harder when the ref suggests a set-up. He hits well, then Judd spends around two minutes thinking about what to do, the reds spread and no obvious safety option presenting itself ... before clipping a ball from centre to left corner, an impeccable cue-ball veering through a tiny gap on its route back to baulk.
Trump 1-1 Carter
We're level, and this is showing the makings of a decent scuffle.
Trump 0-1 Carter (68-0)
Ali misses and Judd does not, quickly making the frame safe. Both men are in decent form, so any error is likely to be punished.
Trump 0-1 Carter (53-0)
Now he goes into the cluster off the black but is he on one? He is not, so it's a safety, balls well spread.
Trump 0-1 Carter (23-0)
Judd's in first and he very quickly scores points, taking loose balls. Generally, he likes to break the pack early, but here he picks at loose balls.
Trump 0-1 Carter
Ali clears up. He's into the match.
Trump 0-0 Carter (22-77)
Ali drills in a red after Judd misses a fiendish cut to the corner, and that'll be the frame
Trump 0-0 Carter (22-66)
Eesh, Ali runs out of position with three reds left, all of them just away from the side rail, and this frame isn't done yet.
Trump 0-0 Carter (22-37)
Ali in again, and this chance is a very presentable one, reds nicely open. He's in very decent touch too, so you expect him to see it away - and, most importantly, he expects himself to.
Trump 0-0 Carter (22-16)
It's Judd in early, but he soon runs out of position and plays safe ... so Ali thunders a starter into the corner . He's so confident in his game at the moment, and with good reason, but he too must soon play safe.
Away we go!
Judd and Ali
Judd has been in fine form all season, winning three ranking titles in a row earlier in it. Ali, though, is also playing nicely, and won't make things easy, at all.
From earlier
Zhang Anda 6-5 Noppon Saengkham
We go again...
That's us done for the afternoon
Join us again this evening at 6.30pm GMT for Judd Trump v Ali Carter.
On table two
Zhang Anda 4-4 Noppon Saengkham
Mark Selby beats Barry Hawkins 6-3!
Four frames in a row and the Jester advances to meet Ronnie O'Sullivan tomorrow night, in one of snooker's classic matchups.
Selby 5-3 Hawkins (58-0)
From 3-2 down to 6-3 done would be smart work and Mark is fighting for that, crafting a probable match-winning break without pink and black. A cut with the rest looks to dispell any hope Barry might have, and this is pver.
Selby 5-3 Hawkins (33-0)
Has Mark broken the back of this? He eases up the table, never quite right on the blue, but he makes it work, and though he played poorly at the start, he's been useful since. If this isn't the end, it'll be close to it because the easy balls are copious enough to almost guarantee it.
Selby 5-3 Hawkins (9-0)
Lots more safety, then Mark drills a starter and given the balls, looks good for a lead - at least. Baeey will fear for his future in this competition, but pink and black are tied up so scoring is slowish.
On table two
Zhang Anda 4-4 Noppon Saengkham
Selby 5-3 Hawkins
Barry almost always loses to Ronnie, so.
Selby 4-3 Hawkins (67-0)
Frame-ball is nasty one into left corner, with the rest ... and that\s 12/12 for Mark. seized control of this match.
Selby 4-3 Hawkins (34-0)
Mark's focusing hard here, you can see, and he's going to break the pack off the black .... "Wonderful, wonderful cueing" purrs Stephen, who thinks he plays the screw-shots better than anyone. Barry will need three straight, you fancy.
Selby 4-3 Hawkins (12-0)
If Mark can get another one won quickly, Barry will feel it's a long way back, and he immediately slots a simple starter - after a good break - then zips about the table potting balls.
On table two
Zhang Anda 4-3 Noppon Saengkham
Selby 4-3 Hawkins
Having come from behind thrice, Mark now leads.
Selby 3-3 Hawkins (43-31)
Mark forges in front and will, it seems, try to develop on of the last two reds off the other one ... and it works just about. In a best of 11 against Mark Selby, no one wants to get to four second, but if Barry's to win, it'll be from 4-3 down.
Selby 3-3 Hawkins (20-31)
Mark is raging, having ended up in the cluster unable to pot a colour; no matter, because another poor shot from Barry leaves him one to left-centre, and this is another chance for hi to wriggle in front.
Selby 3-3 Hawkins (14-31)
Mark sinks two reds laying a snooker after each pot, and eventually he gets in, Barry's lead suddenly looking a trifle poxy. There are lots of balls available.
Selby 3-3 Hawkins (0-31)
Head on cue as Barry misses to left corner - "Unforgiveable miss" says Stephen - and we're back paying safety.
Selby 3-3 Hawkins (0-25)
Mark misses to right corner and goes in-off, so Barry gets to work. He's having to use the blue at the moment, but he might soon be able to introduce the black.
On table two
Zhang Anda 2-3 Noppon Saengkham
Selby 3-3 Hawkins
I've no idea which of these will play Ronnie in the last eight.
Selby 2-3 Hawkins (61-6)
A cut-back is some of it, a brown follows, and one more red will be more than enough. There it is, and these two are very well-matched.
Selby 2-3 Hawkins (56-6)
Good work from Mark, but a looser shot means a harder red, diagonal to left corner ... and it's in off the knuckle. A missed cannon, though, means he's sprawling over the table to cut to right corner ... and the ball stays out. He should still wni the frame from here, but there's more work yet required.
Selby 2-3 Hawkins (23-6)
After quite some time, it's Mark in next, and this has the feel of a battle to the very end. He rolls a really deft red to right corner that allows the black to pass to both bags, and the way the balls are, you expect him to do enough from here.
Selby 2-3 Hawkins (0-6)
Lots of safety, then Bazza snicks one in and he's not waiting to be asked. He can't, though force down a cut-back - Stephen is happy because it was the correct shot and he got close - doing well to leave nothing.
On table two
Zhang Anda 2-3 Noppon Saengkham
Selby 2-3 Hawkins
Nah. This time he misses a double so must console himself with regaining the lead.
Selby 2-2 Hawkins (1-91)
Barry secures the frame but he'll want a ton...
Selby 2-2 Hawkins (1-50)
A nice blue opens everything and Barry needs the three reds that are in the middle of the table; he can ignore those on the rails. This is a good comeback from the disappointment of losing his lead.
Selby 2-2 Hawkins (1-28)
Into the cluster ... and the split is lovely. Barry should nudge back in front from here, but you never know till you know.
Selby 2-2 Hawkins (1-14)
Mark sinks a beaut but he's on nowt, then Barry does likewise and in comms, Stephen is pleased as he reckons he went a little tentative at 2-0. That, of course, allowed Selbz to play himself into the match from his comfort zone, but he's in his chat at the momenty as the Hawk accumulates.
We go again
On table two
Zhang Anda 1-3 Noppon Saengkham
Selby 2-2 Hawkins
No ton, but a run of 73 and we're level at the interval. Missed opportunity for Barry.
Selby 1-2 Hawkins (58-2)
Excellent pink to left-middle, then a wed weleases wthe wblack and this frame is more or less over.
Selby 1-2 Hawkins (36-2)
It's Mark who wins it, of course, a red to left corner earning him a chance to level the match. He'll be delighted if he can get out of this mini-sesh at 2-2; Bazza looks a little peaky.
Selby 1-2 Hawkins (22-2)
All the more so when Barry flukes his way out of trouble; he lands on nowt, though, so we have a protracted period of safety.
Selby 1-2 Hawkins (22-0)
Mark measures one into left corner and starts picking. As I mentioned earlier, his problem lately has been dreadful shots here and there, rather than uniform poor play, so though he looks decent now, he might not in three minutes. And as I type, he loses hold of the white, so has to play safe. It's a proper struggle for him at the moment.
On table two
Zhang Anda 1-2 Noppon Saengkham
Selby 1-2 Hawkins
I'm sure Barry would've took 2-1 after three, but he'll be narked it's not 3-0.
Selby 0-2 Hawkins (58-38)
Mark pots a lovely brown and blue, one a cut-back and the other a drill. Lovely stuff.
Selby 0-2 Hawkins (49-38)
It's Mark who lozzes the final red, a blue sent long follows, and he should close out from here.
Selby 0-2 Hawkins (43-38)
Mark tries to put the brown safe but instead leaves a double, Barry hits it beautifully and it scuttles straight down. From there, it's behind the yellow, and the Jester hits second time.
Selby 0-2 Hawkins (42-29)
Mark runs out of position so has to play safe; there are three reds left. He doubtless wanted the frame sorted at that visit, but he'll feel like he's in the match, perhaps.
Selby 0-2 Hawkins (24-29)
He plays it nicely too, liberating a couple of reds, then goes again knowing he's one in reserve. But ... what?! Seeking to stick one in right corner, he catches a different otherone first, leaving Mark a chance, and that is not something anyone wants to do. If he's down, keep him there.
Selby 0-2 Hawkins (5-12)
Mark lamps a tremendous starter into the corner, but a terrible miss on a red suggests a man low on confidence. Barry won't need asking twice, but there aren't loads of loose reds so at some point he'll need to play a big shot.
On table two
Zhang Anda 1-1 Noppon Saengkham
Selby 0-2 Hawkins
Mark needs to find himself, fast.
Selby 0-1 Hawkins (0-71)
This is really good from Barry, he nails one with the rest to left corner - he's so good with that in hand - and if he can nab just one of the next two, Mark is in trouble.
Selby 0-1 Hawkins (0-50)
Booooo! Bazza comes up for the blue, rightly so, then off the black a nice little cannon releases another ball or two. If he can get sa pink into left-middle, he'll feel the frame is nearly his ... and down it goes. Very good, as Fouldsy likes to say.
Selby 0-1 Hawkins (0-24)
They're good mates these two, so part of Barry won't have enjoyed how much Mark struggled in that first frame. But he's a pro and quickly doubles a terrific starter, then adds the black. Already, this is a good chance - for who knows what?! - because the reds are really nicely spread.
On table two
Zhang Anda 1-0 Noppon Saengkham
Selby 0-1 Hawkins
We get there in the end, Mark leaving yellow over left corner and conceding.
Selby 0-0 Hawkins (30-64)
Mark develops reds but the last of them is now on the side rail; he looks to drop in behind it off the pink ... does ... and misses the pot! Can Barry send it down? Being lefty won't help, except he uses the rest righty doesn't he, and strokes down a beauty. When Mark returns to the table, he requires two snookers.
Selby 0-0 Hawkins (14-56)
Oh man. Barry seeks a thin contact with the rest, having eschewed a pot, and well, he might as well have tried the pot because his ball entirely, leaves Mark in, and he'll be concerned.
Selby 0-0 Hawkins (6-56)
Poor shot from Mark leaves Barry in, but he barely pots one into left corner - it drags on the near knuckle - and that takes him out of position. He's not happy with himself stood there, but with four balls above the top rail he looks a warm favourite for the frame.
Selby 0-0 Hawkins (6-36)
A terrible shot from Barry means end of break, then Mark goes in-off; no matter, he leaves nowt, pots a long one ... and another one, to the opposite corner. But he soon runs out of position, finding a very nice safety shot that allows him a go at a shot to nothing ... which doesn't drop.
Selby 0-0 Hawkins (0-22)
Left a mid-distancer to the corner, Barry gets away then breaks the pack, and this is a really good chance to go in front. Neither player is quite playing as they can - Mark has been alternating brilliance and silliness, sometimes in the same frame - but Bazza has been a little more reliable.
Off we go!
Our boyz
Baize.
Rob Walker thinks this is going to be good
I know, the plot-twist no one saw coming. But he's always right because it always is, so.
For you we have
Barry Hawkins v Mark Selby, with updates from Zhang Anda v Noppon Saengkham, then this evening it's Judd Trump v Ali Carter. Amen to all of that.
Hello there!
And welcome to another delightful day of Players Championship snook.
O'Sullivan on treating tournaments like 'match practice'
Ronnie O’Sullivan has described his appearance at the Players Championship as “paid practice” after reaching the quarter-finals.
“I’m just trying to get away with playing as least as I can," O'Sullivan said afterwards.
“I feel happier doing that and, you know, just treat it like a bit of match practice. Take what I can from the tour."
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