Scottish Open 2020 LIVE - Ronnie O'Sullivan triumphs after Judd Trump wins
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Updated 14/12/2020 at 09:09 GMT
Scottish Open 2020 LIVE - The first day in Milton Keynes was beset by issues over a delay to Covid tests and so it's a packed schedule on day two. Our first feature game comes at 1pm as Judd Trump returns to the table after his defeat in the final of the UK Championship. Then at 7pm, it's time for Ronnie O'Sullivan.
Ronnie O'Sullivan in action in the UK Championship
Image credit: Eurosport
Right, that's us done for today
Join me at 12.45pm GMT tomorrow for more frolics and fun.
Ronnie speaks
He says Allan played well to begin with, and he was frozen out, but then he started potting balls. He says keeping that first frame going was his practice as he needs table-time. And when Alan conceded at 2-0, he says he "gutted" and wanted him to carry on. He doesn't think it's disrespectful and just enjoys playing, especially safety without any pressure. The match table is the best place to play snooker, he reckons, and he has the hunger for competing, but not the drive to practice six or seven hours a day and travel around the world; he prefers time with his family. There's been a tournament every week, he reminds us, and the tournament table is the best place to get his game into shape.
O'Sullivan beats Taylor 4-2!
Taylor did really well early on but then O'Sullivan got going and his potting was poetic. He plays Chang Binyu next.
O'Sullivan 3-2 Taylor (79-0)
This is magical from Ronnie, splitting the reds that remain like it's nothing and systematically introducing balls to pockets.
O'Sullivan 3-2 Taylor (49-0)
Sure enough Allan leaves Ronnie an immediate red, but when he finishes on nothing easy he plays another safety. That'll teach Allan to go in front. But he gets the next potting opportunity - a nails one - clipping from the middle of where the cluster would be but seeing it circumnavigate the jaws and shoot away. He leaves nothing, but Ronnie soon rattles one in and we're very close to the end.
O'Sullivan 3-2 Taylor (42-0)
Ronnie splits the pack and continues his mosey about the table, but he gets too close to the blue off a red, so it's back up to baulk with the white. Allan is diddled, and he knows it.
O'Sullivan 3-2 Taylor (12-0)
Has Taylor gone? A poor break-off gives O'Sullivan a long red to get going and he takes it as consummately as you'd expect. This might be curtains.
Around the tables
Carter 3-2 Day
Ford 3-0 McLeod
Hicks 3-2 Castle
Maflin 3-1 O'Neill
O'Sullivan 3-2 Taylor
A break of 127 puts O'Sullivan in front, and he is absolutely purring now.
O'Sullivan 2-2 Taylor (100-0)
Ronnie is taking this off the absolute set. What a joy to behold. This is Mozart, Biggie and Da VInci all mixed.
O'Sullivan 2-2 Taylor (37-0)
It's all going O'Sullivan's way now, and when Taylor tries to leave the white in the jaws of the pocket, it follows through. O'Sullivan takes the chance to smack home a fine long red, but on nothing, we're back to safety and this what we frequently see in matches featuring TMNTPETPUAC. Opponents are ok in the balls, but once it gets tactical he's got them licked and shonuff, he's soon back potting balls extremely quickly.
Around the tables
Carter 3-2 Day
Ford 3-0 McLeod
Hicks 2-2 Castle
Maflin 3-1 O'Neill
O'Sullivan 2-2 Taylor
Yeah, Ronnie has rediscovered himself. Good luck Allan old mate.
O'Sullivan 1-2 Taylor (78-0)
It's looking like Ronnie has taken control now, because he gets in again and starts amassing what looks like a frame-winning contribution. But then he underhits a blue, finishing short on the next red and emitting an audible gasp - but then he carries on potting balls. He's so unbelievable, as EMF once said.
O'Sullivan 1-2 Taylor (27-0)
Ronnie plays safe and has a touch when the white bounces off the cushion to stick itself behind the yellow. Allan misses with his escape, and that sets Ronnie away. He's so beautiful in the balls; it's an absolute delight to watch, but when he goes into the pack he winds up on nowt so it's back to the bottom cushion with the white.
Around the tables
Carter 2-2 Day
Ford 2-0 McLeod
Hicks 1-2 Castle
Maflin 2-1 O'Neill
O'Sullivan 1-2 Taylor
After a bit of timewasting, Allan concedes.
O'Sullivan 0-2 Taylor (93-8)
Yeah, Allan isn't overawed. He comes to the table when Ronnie misses and starts knocking balls about; backstage, Shaun Murphy and David Grace must be doing their nuts waiting to come on.
O'Sullivan 0-2 Taylor (80-0)
Ronnie spanks home a colossal red, followed by a gigantic blue to the green pocket. Any mistake there and he was 3-0 down, so those were something, both to take on and to sink. Many more points follow, and fast.
O'Sullivan 0-2 Taylor (33-0)
A good red and black set O'Sullivan away and he suddenly clicks into normal behaviour, hammers the pack, and is the maxi on?! Hmmm, he finishes low on the black so plays safe; he's still in that slightly unusual mood.
Around the tables
Carter 1-2 Day
Ford 2-0 McLeod
Hicks 1-1 Castle
Maflin 1-1 O'Neill
O'Sullivan 0-2 Taylor
This is really good from Taylor, who's earned every bit of this lead. Ultimately it's really simple: he's playing well and O'Sullivan isn't.
O'Sullivan 0-1 Taylor (42-57)
After a safety exchange it's Ronnie who gets the next red, profiting when Allan takes on a risky long one to the yellow pocket, dropping him in behind the final red, on the black cushion. BUT HE MISSES THE POT! So Allan drains it, plays a really nice pink with the rest - though it's not quite hard enough, leaving him with a difficult yellow - it's on the side cushion and the white is off it - of which he needs to get onto the green. And it's there! Great pot, the green follows it, and this is terrific stuff from him.
O'Sullivan 0-1 Taylor (26-36)
Allan said he was confident and he is, but the he misses the last convenient red with the rest - there are two others close to the black cushion, and one in baulk.
O'Sullivan 0-1 Taylor (26-15)
Ronnie looks in a slightly odd mood tonight. That's not something we say much these days, but that's how it looks. He runs out of position on 26 and instead of playing safe, he clatters a couple of reds, presenting Allan with the chance to rack up a proper lead.
O'Sullivan 0-1 Taylor (9-5)
Ronnie drills a red dead straight into the corner and follows it with a pink. But after another red he misses a regulation yellow, and that allows Allan to the table. He looks good again, too, only to overrun off the brown. It means he's low on the next red, which he misses, so Ronnie opens the reds and challenges Allan to find a safe space. He can't, so Ronnie gets going.
Around the tables
Dale 4-3 Figueiredo (finished)
Bingham 4-2 Hancorn (finished)
Carter 1-0 Day
Faord 1-0 McLeod
Hicks 1-1 Castle
Maflin 0-1 O'Neill
O'Sullivan 0-1 Taylor
A fine pot on the blue allows Allan to clear up. He played that frame really well.
O'Sullivan 0-0 Taylor (37-82)
Allan goes in-off and Ronnie could easily pot the blue, but he sticks it back in play. Lesson for Allan: when winning a frame, pot everything.
O'Sullivan 0-0 Taylor (37-82)
We're still going. Allan misses the blue; one down, six to go.
O'Sullivan 0-0 Taylor (32-77)
Allan reverse doubles the blue, probably in error, potting the white at the same time. So it comes out and Ronnie tries for a snooker, 45 behind with 18 left. I guess any time we get to see him play is a blessing.
O'Sullivan 0-0 Taylor (7-72)
I've been trying not to mention Allan's hair, bleached and swept, but it's no use. Still, a run of 38 leaves him needing four snookers, and he returns to knock balls about - a few weeks ago, he said he was using these parts of frames as his practice. But at some point soon, he'll be 1-0 down.
O'Sullivan 0-0 Taylor (6-38)
But then on 34 and awkwardly bridging, he misses a red to the corner and that's left hi in a world of shtuck. But after a red and a blue, Ronnie finishes dead close to a red that's the only one he can play, and he misses to the yellow pocket again. That puts Allan right back in amongst it, and this is a great chance for 1-0.
Since you've been gone
Walker 4-3 O'Brien
Perry 3-4 Page
Dale 3-3 Figueiredo
Mann 2-4 Vafei
Zifan 0-4 King
Parsons 0-4 Ning
Wilson G 0-4 Haotian
Bingham 3-2 Hancorn
O'Sullivan 0-0 Taylor (0-26)
I've got a friend called Allan. Well, his first name is Allan but he goes by Graeme, the first of his middle names. So naturally we call him Allan. Anyway, Ronnie misses a long red to the yellow pocket that allows Allan one to the middle. Already, he looks really happy in the balls.
Here we go!
Allan Taylor
Dropped off the tour last year and stepped in as emcee instead. But he sounds happy with how he's playing at the moment, and doesn't sound like he'll choke. But you don't know till you know.
Since you've been gone
Walker 4-3 O'Brien
Perry 3-4 Page
Dale 3-3 Figueiredo
Mann 2-4 Vafei
Zifan 0-4 King
Parsons 0-4 Ning
Wilson G 0-4 Haotian
Bingham 3-2 Hancorn
Evening all
Forreal!
The afternoon session is in the books
Join me again at 6.45pm GMT, for a bit of Ronald Antonio O'Sullivan.
Around the tables
Walker 3-3 O'Brien
Robertson J 2-4 Saengkham (finished)
Perry 3-3 Page
Wakelin 4-0 Patrick (finished)
Dale 1-0 Figueiredo
Mann 0-1 Vafei
Zifan 0-2 King
Higgins speaks
"I deserved to lose there," he says. He wasn't feeling great, and was thinking about the misery of having to drive back home again, after a long schlep down yesterday. Knowing that if you miss a ball you're out adds an adrenalin rush, he says, and he reckons Sohail played pretty well. But he's not happy with his game and tells himself not to get down on himself; a "little clearance" like that can remind you that there's not too much wrong after all. Finally, he hopes there'll be a crowd in for the Masters.
Higgins beats Vahedi 4-3!
Another brilliant break from Higgins sticks him into round two. Vahedi ought to have won that - Higgins was rotten early doors - but he offered a lifeline to a man waiting to kill him and got what he deserved. "He is the governor in Shredsville," says Jimmy White, and he plays Jimmy Robertson or Noppon Saengkahm next.
Higgins 3-3 Vahedi (53-7)
Aaaarrrggghhh! Sohail gets in next and misses a pretty simple black! You can't be doing that against this man. Shonuff, John sinks a really good red and suddenly he looks like himself again, rolling about the table potting balls like he's been doing it all his life, which he has. Although his reputation is as a tactician, he's absolutely brilliant in the balls, and poor old Sohail can see it slipping away in front of his very eyes.
Higgins 3-3 Vahedi (23-7)
Now it's Sohail who escapes! John runs out of position and has to play safe; ordinarily, you'd be certain he'd win the ensuing exchange but the way he's played this afternoon, who knows?
Higgins 3-3 Vahedi (9-7)
Higgins misses a long red - not by much but by enough - and here comes Sohail again, taking red then pink. It's that time: there aren't many loose reds and he's got the angle to go into the pack. It's not how he likes to play, but these chances don't come around often in life ... except he plays a ginger black instead and misses. He's had a lot of luck today - the balls have run for him - but these have not, and I'm afraid that's what you get for being tentative. He might come back to the table, but chances are he'll be a fair few points behind when he does.
Around the tables
Walker 3-2 O'Brien
Robertson J 2-3 Saengkham
Doherty 1-4 Bingyu (finished)
Perry 3-3 Page
Wakelin 3-0 Patrick
Higgins 3-3 Vahedi
Brilliantly done from the Wiz - that's a fantastic clearance, and sat in his seat, Sohail looks haunted as he contemplates how close he was.
Higgins 2-3 Vahedi (48-62)
Not sure there's any player in the game I'd back to make this clearance more than I'd back Higgins to make this clearance. He wobbles in the final red, and the colours should be pretty straightforward from here, all of their spots save the blue, which is just below the baulk line; off the green, he brings it into the centre of the table. This is great stuff.
Higgins 2-3 Vahedi (9-62)
Sohail takes a moment to compose as he removes balls, finding a plant on 47 that leaves him with just one more easy red. But there are three clustered, and he can nudge one off the pink; he's so close now. But he's not mad about the red he has to take on, all the more so given one of the greatest frame-thieves in history waiting to pounce. In the end, his eschews the cut to play a double - the black is on if he gets it - and gets as close to it as is possible without sinking it. Thing is, though three reds are up in baulk, the balls are set pretty nicely for Higgins to resolve things. THIS GAME!
Higgins 2-3 Vahedi (1-32)
Oh my days! John knocks in a fine red but then misses an almost dead-straight blue! He's near the side cushion but really, what is he playing at? Sohail, to his credit, realises what's going on and looks to attack; this is his chance, the chance of lifetime. The way the balls are, he could - could - seal this in one visit.
Around the tables
Walker 3-2 O'Brien
Robertson J 2-2 Saengkham
Un-Nooh 4-3 Collumb (finished)
Doherty 1-3 Bingyu
Perry 3-2 Page
Wakelin 3-0 Patrick
Higgins 2-3 Vahedi
Vahedi gives up. This next frame should be a belter.
Higgins 1-3 Vahedi (69-19)
And he more or less does, with difficulty - it takes him two visits, and even when he's 50 ahead with four snookers needed, Sohail comes back to the table; he lands one but John plays a terrific escape. So we go round for a bit, but it's not happening and everyone knows it's not happening.
Higgins 1-3 Vahedi (47-11)
Blimey, they've both gone ragged here. Higgins escapes his own snooker, but he leaves a red to the bottom left for Sohail. He misses and leaves it over the pocket, only for Higgins to miss it in response before Sohail eventually puts it away. Can he get back in the frame here? In short, no; on seven he misses a thin red to the bottom right and he's left a plant over that pocket for Higgins, who should put the frame away from here.
Higgins 1-3 Vahedi (47-4)
Higgins leaves himself awkward on a red to the bottom right, and he's missed it. Vahedi's only pot on is a long yahoo to the green pocket, which he rattles and sends twice across the table, sticking it up for Higgins. It's another chance to claw a frame back, but Higgins is still a bit loose here and only makes eight before having to play safe to baulk when running out of position. Vahedi soon leaves him a plant to the bottom right though, which he converts, only to then snooker himself on all reds when potting the pink and drifting in behind the blue. Oh, John!
Higgins 1-3 Vahedi (24-4)
Vahedi tries to tag a plant into the bottom left, which goes close but not close enough. Higgins then tries one in return, which goes closer but stays out of the bottom right and sits there to leave Vahedi a long tap-in. That goes, followed by the yellow, and he's now back down around the reds. They're not idea, but the pink and black are on to both corners. It's a chance, but he misses a virtually straight pink and it's end of break! That one will stay in his head for a bit, as Higgins steps up to the table and starts claiming the points on offer for himself.
Higgins 1-3 Vahedi
John doesn't budge; he stays in his chair and concedes the frame, and Vahedi is one frame away a huge victory here!
Higgins 1-2 Vahedi (22-69)
Vahedi's taken these so well. The third to last red is frame ball, and he calmly drops it into the green pocket to take his break to 45 before landing Higgins in a snooker tight behind the green. Vahedi is 47 up with 43 left on.
Higgins 1-2 Vahedi (22-24)
It's 22 for the Wizard but his own attempt to reconfigure the pack goes awry as he slides off the side and ends up in baulk. He's got a red to the green pocket but it's a tough one, and he rattles it in and out of the jaws. Fortunately he's not left it, but on his next visit Higgins tries a stun run-through on a red to the bottom left, but he's missed by a wide margin again. Higgins is visibly fed up. Vahedi, on the other hand, is made up; he's in again, and with a great look at banking the fourth frame.
Higgins 1-2 Vahedi (0-24)
Well now, Higgins makes a right hash of a safety, missing a thin clip on one red and clattering another right behind it. That's left Vahedi plum on a short red to the bottom right, and three reds and blacks go before he gets a split of sorts on the pack. He's got a shy at a long red to the green pocket, but misses it and he's left Higgins on one to the right middle.
Higgins 1-2 Vahedi
This a pressure dish and no mistake, as Vahedi needs up to the pink. He gets to the colours, and survives a difficult shot on the brown with the white near the rail. After that everything else goes, and that 46 has pinched the frame and put him back in front!
Higgins 1-1 Vahedi (56-33)
WHAT! John misses an easy red, and Sohail is right there!
Higgins 1-1 Vahedi (41-25)
But he's unlucky not to get position so the break ends on 16. Vahedi, though, leaves a long red and Higgins proves the previous lesson, taking on the pot with the frame right there on the table if he misses. He does not, and now look!
Higgins 1-1 Vahedi (9-25)
John misses a long red and Sohail gets to work but he eschews the chance to dig into the pack - for which Uncle Joe chastises him, saying he should have confidence in his own ability - and because there are no easy balls for him, he misses a hard one, and here comes TWOW.
Around the tables
Cahill 2-4 Clarke JR (finished)
Hugill 4-0 Ajaib (finished)
Walker 3-1 O'Brien
Robertson J 0-1 Saengkham
Un-Nooh 2-2 Collumb
Doherty 0-2 Bingyu
Perry 1-1 Page
Wakelin 0-0 Patrick
Higgins 1-1 Vahedi
And there it is. Neither man has got going yet - that frame was scrappy as you like - but it's making for a contest.
Higgins 0-1 Vahedi (39-30)
Sohail can't get an angle on toe final red so plays safe before leaving John a long red; he drains it, and though he then makes a positional error, a decent safety persuades yerman to pot the white, and that might be end of frame. He needs green, brown and blue to level the match.
Higgins 0-1 Vahedi (20-23)
Taxing times for the Wizard of Wishaw who can't quite find the opening he's after when he pots reds. And the scrappier it gets, the likelier Vahedi is to win it, getting himself in and cobbling together a run of 16. There's every chance he makes this 2-0, as the two remaining reds are both close to the same corner pocket.
Higgins 0-1 Vahedi (20-5)
Higgins gets to the table and splays the pack, but gets on nowt so plays safe. A safety exchange follows before Higgins gets in again, but when he runs out of position, Vahedi sinks a really nice starter. The balls aren't spread that well, but there are still plenty of points there for him .. only he misses an easy red. The balls are running for him though, so Higgins takes a tricky red then plays safe.
Around the tables
Honghao 3-4 Li
Cahill 2-3 Clarke JR
Dott 0-4 Milkins (finished)
Hugill 3-0 Ajaib
Liang 4-1 Lilley (finished)
Walker 2-0 O'Brien
Higgins 0-1 Vahedi
Sohail drains the green and that's more than enough for the frame.
Higgins 0-0 Vahedi (24-57)
John disturbs the final red but gets too much spring off the cushion and has to play safe. He does then pot it, but he needs a colour and misses the yellow, which Sohail sees away, and though there's nothing to be done with the green, unless he's on the wrong side of two snookers, he'll soon be one up.
Higgins 0-0 Vahedi (23-52)
This is a big chance for Sohail,who confidently removes balls until he has to screw up for the two reds on the baulk cushion. A double-kiss falls nicely for him, and he disposes of one of them deadweight - it makes the pocket, just - but then comes the pressure pot, a broon to the middle, which he cracks into the near knuckle. Higgins has a chance to steal, and he's been doing exactly this kind of thing for roughly 25 years.
Higgins 0-0 Vahedi (18-1)
John misses a long red and then Sohail sinks a plant that he missed - I doubt many can say that.
Higgins 0-0 Vahedi (18-0)
A superb long red gets Higgins away, and though he can't find a colour to follow it, he's quickly back among the balls. Before the match, Jimmy was saying that his long-potting is really good at the moment, he's just not making enough points when he gets in, so let's see what he's got here, because if he can sort that, he's got a chance of winning his first tournament since 2018. And then he miscues, jumping the white when paying a black off its spot.
Coming up next
John Higgins [6] v Sohail Vahedi [85]
Around the tables
Honghao 3-3 Li
Cahill 2-3 Clarke JR
Dott 0-3 Milkins
Hugill 3-0 Ajaib
Liang 3-1 Lilley
Walker 1-0 O'Brien
Trump speaks
He says he wants to play in every tournament he can, especially with what's going on - you can easily fail a test and miss a couple. He's a bit tired from Sunday, but felt good out there. He says the maxi he didn't get, he knew was on from the first red, but he was unlucky to finish how he finished after failing to develop the red on the side. On Sunday's final, he says that looking back, the pink was harder than he thought when he said he bottled it, and had he needed just the pink, it was a "bit of a bottle", but he needed to get on the black and decelerated through the shot. He goes on to explain that he was bothered for half an hour, but if you want to win more stuff you need to let stuff go, and he's really enjoying his snooker at the moment so, thinking about to being old and needing money or ranking points, he wants to play as much as he can while he's feeling on top of his game. After the match, he got in the car with his brother and just started laughing, which broke the ice, and his brother told him it wasn't a bottle. Anyway, I really enjoy listening to him talk snooker and that interview encapsulated a lot of the reasons why.
Trump beats Ursenbacher 4-1!
He plays Chen Zifan or Mark King next.
Trump 3-1 Ursenbacher (84-0)
A deadweight red secures the match, so now it's all abut the maxi. He tries to disturb one of the cushioned reds off one into the middle but misses, and the gets him too low on the black, which he misses. He'll have to make do with an 84 and a convincing win.
Trump 3-1 Ursenbacher (72-0)
Just as a type that, a poor positional shot of the black leaves no pot on ... so Judd invents one, a thin cut into the middle. He's now potting with abandon; could a maxi be his reward for turning up, when it would've been so easy to slink off hame? Come on Judd!
Trump 3-1 Ursenbacher (33-0)
Yeah, time's up. Judd gets in almost immediately and quickly removes some reds and blacks, then splatters the pack. The 147 is a long shot because two of its members are now on the side cushion, but a substantial and frame-winning break looks a certainty.
Around the tables
Sharav 4-3 Hamilton (finished)
Honghao 3-2 Li
Cahill 2-2 Clarke JR
Dott 0-3 Milkins
Hugill 2-0 Ajaib
Liang 2-1 Lilley
Walker 1-0 O'Brien
Trump 3-1 Ursenbacher
Well played Alexander Ursenbacher.
Trump 3-0 Ursenbacher (0-68)
Alex somehow swerves around the pack and for a moment it looks like end of break - 67 ahead with 76 on the table - then he finds a plant into the middle, then he clatters a brilliant long red into the yellow pocket! That's beautifully done and when a brown follows, Judd doesn't bother playing on for the snooker that he needs.
Trump 3-0 Ursenbacher (0-60)
Just as I predicted, Alex gets in first and begins crafting a decent contribution to haul himself back into the match. Come on Alex!
Around the tables
Sharav 3-3 Hamilton
Honghao 2-2 Li
Cahill 2-1 Clarke JR
Dott 0-2 Milkins
Hugill 2-0 Ajaib
Liang 2-0 Lilley
Walker 1-0 O'Brien
Trump 3-0 Ursenbacher
Judd misses a delicate double so his break ends at 69 - he's now made three half-centuries this afternoon - and it's very hard to see Ursenbacher getting on the board here.
Trump 2-0 Ursenbacher (21-11)
Eesh. Alex knocks in a starter and tries to roll up behind the yellow but, using the rest, he misses. That gives Judd a foul and a free ball- he takes the blue as a red - which rattles in the jaws and out. Alex then gets in but at no point looks comfy, so when he misses Judd turns up begins building another decisive break.
Around the tables
Sharav 3-3 Hamilton
Honghao 2-2 Li
Selt 4-0 Slessor (finished)
Cahill 1-1 Clarke JR
Dott 0-2 Milkins
Hugill 1-0 Ajaib
Liang 2-0 Lilley
Walker 1-0 O'Brien
Trump 2-0 Ursenbacher
Alex had a decent to chance in that frame but he couldn't take it and I don't think we'll be watching this for that much longer.
Trump 1-0 Ursenbacher (33-17)
But here he is. Judd misses a red on 52, so Alex is back 52 behind with 46 left. He needs two snookers, and after he pots a red-pink, he has decent position to stick Judd in behind the black off the final red. The escape is achieved easily enough, and off we go again.
Trump 1-0 Ursenbacher (33-17)
Oh dear. Alex misses a straight black off its spot and Judd quickly gets to work. I'd be pretty surprised if he returns to the table in this frame.
Trump 1-0 Ursenbacher (17-17)
Alex doesn't look entirely comfortable out there and he quickly gives Judd an opportunity to score some points. But he can only manage 17 of them and when he misses his pot, there's a chance for Alex to establish himself in the match. If he cannot, we'll be out of here pretty quickly, I'd say; if he can we might still be, but at least there'll be the illusion of a contest.
Around the tables
Hill 2-4 Devlin (finished)
Sharav 3-3 Hamilton
Honghao 1-1 Li
Selt 3-0 Slessor
Liang 1-0 Lilley
Hugill 0-0 Ajaib
Dott 0-0 Milkins
Cahill 0-0 Clarke JR
Trump 1-0 Ursenbacher
A 66 secures the first frame, and that's the thing with Trump now: whatever level he finds is a high enough level to beat almost every player on the tour.
Trump 0-0 Ursenbacher (25-14)
A poor pot from Alex - who, let us remember, knocked Ronnie out of the UK Championship - catches the near middle jaw, and Judd has the run of a pretty inviting table. The black isn't yet available but it will be soon, and in the meantime, he's content picking off various other ones.
Trump 0-0 Ursenbacher (0-5)
Judd leaves Alex a sharp cut, but he can only rattle the jaws; the red goes safe. Judd, though, does get in next, but a blue, cut with the rest to the green pocket, appears to roll off line; the struggles with tables really oughtn't to be a thing in 2020, especially given how long they've been playing at this same venue. But it gives Alex a chance, and off he goes.
The boyz are baized
Here we go.
Yesterday
Was a nause, the delay in the return of corona tests meaning we got a lot less snooker than we were hoping for. But following some late finishes last evening, we're back on track now, and a scroll down the page will show you there's loads about which to get excited.
This afternoon
Our main match is Judd Trump v Alexander Ursenbacher. How will the world number 1 respond to a painful, punishing, pink-ball defeat in Sunday's UK final? I think we know the answer to that, but I also think he'll be affected by what happened - the win was his, then it wasn't and, in his opinion, he bottled it.
Events
- Borg v Carty (Walkover to Carty)
- Gould 1-4 Pengfei
- Hallworth 4-1 Ochoiski
- Hill 2-3 Devlin
- Jianbo 4-0 Filipiak
- Jones Jam 4-2 Wells
- Sharav 2-3 Hamilton
- Williams 4-3 Kleckers
- Honghao 0-1 Li
- Selt 1-0 Slessor
Afternoon all!
Anyone for snooker? Eeeeexcellent.
Selby: 'If I could go out and play like Ronnie I would'
Mark Selby says that if he had the ability to play with the natural flair of Ronnie O’Sullivan he would do it “tomorrow”, as he discussed his own approach to the game with Eurosport.
Selby was speaking after having to suffer lengthy delays to his first-round match at the Scottish Open against Yuan Sijun, which he eventually won 4-1 but only after his lunchtime match was moved to the evening as the schedule in Milton Keynes took a battering due to some delayed Covid testing.
Selby is known for his more attritional style and notably clashed with O’Sullivan in the World Champonship when in their semi-final, O’Sullivan refused to engage with some cagey play and smashed the white, which Selby described as “disrespectful”.
But speaking to Andy Goldstein in the Eurosport studio, Selby insisted he doesn’t enjoy getting into protracted safety battles and scrappy frames.
“I mean obviously I don't go out there and think right ‘I'm gonna get 50 in front and put all the balls on the cushion’, that's not my strategy when I get out there, it's just if you're on a 50 break and you run out of position, it's common sense to try and put a colour safe or a ball safe,” Selby told Eurosport.
“I don't enjoy it. I mean I'd rather go out there and just go crash bang wallop, 100 after 100, I mean that'd be more enjoyable to do that. But at the same time I enjoy the challenge. I don't enjoy obviously going into matches thinking, right, it's going to be, every frame is going to be scrappy in 45, 50 minutes long. A bit like the boring players, like Neil and Judd!
“If I could go out and play like Ronnie I would have that tomorrow, of course, but not everyone's as naturally gifted.
“You’re not going to go out there and make one-visits every single frame, it’s more or less impossible. You're going to get scrappy frames and you're gonna go out there and play bad matches. You have to enjoy the challenge of trying to scrap it out as well.”
SCOTTISH OPEN TUESDAY SCHEDULE
Morning (10am)
- Steven Hallworth [111] v Brian Ochoiski (a)
- Liam Highfield [60] v Fan Zhengyi [118]
- Jamie Jones [102] v Daniel Wells [58]
- Zhao Jianbo [101] v Kacper Filipiak [80]
- Zhao Xintong [29] v Rod Lawler [79]
- Eden Sharav [70] v Anthony Hamilton [47]
- Mark J Williams [14] v Lukas Kleckers [104]
- Alex Borg [110] v Ashley Carty [103]
- Aaron Hill [105] v Peter Devlin [107]
Lunch (12pm)
- Luo Honghao [62] v Li Hang [37]
- Matthew Selt [27] v Elliot Slessor [56]
- James Cahill [75] v Jamie Clarke [93]
- Neil Robertson [4] w/o Lei Peifan [100]
- Ashley Hugill [123] v Farakh Ajaib [114]
- Graeme Dott [22] v Robert Milkins [51]
- Lee Walker [122] v Fergal O'Brien [117]
- Judd Trump [3] v Alexander Ursenbacher [64]
- Joe Perry [19] v Jackson Page [69]
- Jimmy Robertson [48] v Noppon Saengkham [39]
- John Higgins [6] v Sohail Vahedi [85]
- Chris Wakelin [61] v Fraser Patrick [95]
- Liang Wenbo [30] v David Lilley [89]
- Ken Doherty [88] v Chang Bingyu [76]
Afternoon (4.30pm)
- Chen Zifan [81] v Mark King [45]
- Dominic Dale [67] v Igor Figueiredo [74]
- Gary Wilson [17] v Lü Haotian [42]
- Stuart Bingham [11] v Ben Hancorn [116]
- Mitchell Mann [71] v Hossein Vafaei [36]
- Riley Parsons [112] v Lu Ning [40]
Evening (7pm)
- Tom Ford [24] v Rory McLeod [96]
- Kurt Maflin [26] v Jamie O'Neill [83]
- Andy Hicks [86] v Billy Joe Castle [94]
- Allister Carter [18] v Ryan Day [41]
- Ronnie O'Sullivan [2] v Allan Taylor [92]
- Shaun Murphy [7] v David Grace [63]
- Scott Donaldson [23] v Michael White (a)
- Jamie Wilson [121] v Martin O'Donnell [38]
- Robbie Williams [87] v Paul S Davison (a)
HOW TO WATCH THE SCOTTISH OPEN – TV & LIVE STREAMING
The Scottish Open is live on eurosport.co.uk and the Eurosport app.
Each day eurosport.co.uk and the Eurosport app will stream ad-free bonus feeds.
We will also have rolling coverage online on the Eurosport.co.uk website and our social channels.
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