UK Championship 2021 as it happened- Ronnie O'Sullivan, Mark Williams and Mark Selby through to second round

ByEurosport

Updated 24/11/2021 at 23:19 GMT

Ronnie O'Sullivan is among the big snooker stars in action at the 2021 UK Championship, as are Mark Selby, Judd Trump, Mark Williams and Kyren Wilson. Wednesday sees three world champions take to the baize with Williams, Selby and O'Sullivan all in action. You can watch all of the action live on the Eurosport app, eurosport.co.uk and discovery+.

‘So enthusiastic!’ – Higgins and opponent both try to break-off in amusing moment

That, then is us

Join us again tomorrow!

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Around the tables

19:30 - Matthew Stevens 3-4 Hammad Miah (delayed)
19:30 - Mark King 6-2 Jackson Page
19:30 - Kurt Maflin 3-6 Gerard Greene
19:30 - Sunny Akani 5-2 Steven Hallworth
19:30 - Thepchaiya Un-Nooh 6-1 Stephen Hendry
19:30 - Elliot Slessor 2-3 Fan Zhengyi
19:30 - Jack Lisowski 6-0 Sean Maddocks
14.30 - Matthew Selt 6-5 Chang Bingyu
14.30 - Alex Ursenbacher 6-5 Ben Hancorn

Ronnie O'Sullivan beats Michael White 6-3!

That was a great game, and White made O'Sullivan work hard for that; he meets Williams next.

O'Sullivan 5-3 White (32-50)

The attempted split goes badly, so Michael will have to play safe, and does a fair job of so doing ... but nothing is safe when Ronald Antonio O'Sullivan is at the table, and he conjures a pot into the green pocket that might just win him frame and match. The final red is up in baulk on the side cushion, and Ronnie gets a bit too close to it ... but forces it down nonetheless, and it should be straightforward for him from here.

O'Sullivan 5-3 White (11-36)

A reprieve! Ronnie sinks the yellow, whooshes up the table, and plants a red! This is the chance for Michael - if he doesn't take it, it's over. There are, though, three reds above the black and with the blue between them, so this won't be easy...

O'Sullivan 5-3 White (1-16)

Michael gets in first and will know, as the reds spread, that one mistake as he might be off home. But he misses the blue and suddenly there's nothing on, so we're back playing safety. But not for long - Michael's going for everything now, missing another red and leaving nothing, then doing it again ... but going for left corner and seeing it shoot into the green pocket! The table is complicated, so capitalising on that fluke won't be easy, but you'd rather be at the table than sat in your seat ... which Michael now is, because he misses one with the rest! Might that be him?

Around the tables

19:30 - Matthew Stevens 0-0 Hammad Miah (delayed)
19:30 - Mark King 3-2 Jackson Page
19:30 - Kurt Maflin 3-4 Gerard Greene
19:30 - Sunny Akani 3-1 Steven Hallworth
19:30 - Thepchaiya Un-Nooh 6-1 Stephen Hendry
19:30 - Elliot Slessor 1-3 Fan Zhengyi
19:30 - Jack Lisowski 6-0 Sean Maddocks
14.30 - Matthew Selt 5-5 Chang Bingyu
14.30 - Alex Ursenbacher 4-5 Ben Hancorn

O'Sullivan 5-3 White

Michael's played really well tonight, but now needs three straight to progress.

O'Sullivan 4-3 White (66-16)

Ronnie undercuts the penultimate red that would've left Michael needing snookers - as it is, he can only tie. So the chase for it begins but doesn't last long because Michael misses a ball that Ronnie sinks, and he's going two up with three to play.

O'Sullivan 4-3 White (40-16)

Oh Michael! A poor positional shot leaves him too straight on a black along the top cushion,he hauls the white back too far and into right corner, Ronnie rams home a starter and this is going to be 5-3.

O'Sullivan 4-3 White (28-8)

Ronnie loses the white so, from close to left corner, plays the tightest of cut-backs, sending balls all over the show. He doesn't finish on anything, which is surprising given the carnage, so we're back playing safety with 28 a decent lead, given reds near cushions and blocking each other. But have a look! Both men miss reds and it's Michael left with an opportunity!

O'Sullivan 4-3 White (14-0)

Matthew bravely addresses a long red and gets pretty close, but close isn't good enough and that allows Ronnie a simple starter to the middle. The reds are all towards the left of the table, so not straightforward, but there's no one better at picking a route through balls.

O'Sullivan 4-3 White (0-0)

Left one off the break, Ronnie sees it away, but flicks a red beneath the cluster which forces him to play safe. He does it badly though, leaving one to right middle, only Matthew can't take advantage then Ronnie misses it to the yellow pocket. Safety doth thusly ensue.

Around the tables

19:30 - Matthew Stevens 0-0 Hammad Miah (delayed)
19:30 - Mark King 3-1 Jackson Page
19:30 - Kurt Maflin 3-3 Gerard Greene
19:30 - Sunny Akani 3-1 Steven Hallworth
19:30 - Thepchaiya Un-Nooh 6-1 Stephen Hendry
19:30 - Elliot Slessor 1-2 Fan Zhengyi
19:30 - Jack Lisowski 6-0 Sean Maddocks
14.30 - Matthew Selt 5-5 Chang Bingyu
14.30 - Alex Ursenbacher 4-5 Ben Hancorn

O'Sullivan 4-3 White

Michael drains the green and tries to find himself a snooker on the brown, but eventually he leaves it over the green pocket, so knocks it away with his cue. He's giving TMNTPETPUAC plenty, but he now trails once more.

O'Sullivan 3-3 White (65-36)

Aaaarrggghhh! Michael plays a lovely snooker, protecting the yellow with pink and black, but Ronnie not only hits it, he pots it in the middle. He acknowledges the fluke, which means Michael can only tie unless he gets a snooker. And what happens is he finds himself snookered, white and green on the top cushion with the black between them. His escape fails, and this frame is slipping away from him.

O'Sullivan 3-3 White (59-36)

There's a red close to the bottom cushion, and the shot from blue to it will be key; he's a little straight, so getting on a colour won't be easy ... and he can't. That'll be end of break, so Michael kisses the green and the chase for the yellow is on. This is extremely absorbing.

O'Sullivan 3-3 White (54-15)

Hello! Ronnie digs into what's left of the pack when he runs out of loose reds and things don't go as well as he'd like, so he has to take a tight cut to the middle ... which he misses! This is a great chance for Michael to steal, so he gets to work!

O'Sullivan 3-3 White (54-1)

Michael catches a red full on his way back to baulk, in the process leaving it for Ronnie, who soon plays a lush little cannon off two reds, making the black available to both corners. Essentially, he's still in the same form he was in at the start of this match - he missed one black that cost him, and he's playing a man who's seeing it.

O'Sullivan 3-3 White (6-1)

Michael rattles in another serious red then sticks Ronnie behind the brown and he rolls into the pack. After the fireworks of the first half of the match, things have slowed to a more circumspect pace.

Around the tables

19:30 - Matthew Stevens 0-0 Hammad Miah (delayed)
19:30 - Mark King 3-1 Jackson Page
19:30 - Kurt Maflin 3-2 Gerard Greene
19:30 - Sunny Akani 2-0 Steven Hallworth
19:30 - Thepchaiya Un-Nooh 6-1 Stephen Hendry
19:30 - Elliot Slessor 1-2 Fan Zhengyi
19:30 - Jack Lisowski 6-0 Sean Maddocks

O'Sullivan 3-3 White

This really is a belter of a match, and there's plenty more of it to come.

O'Sullivan 3-2 White (23-66)

Thepchaiya Un-Nooh has made his fifth ton and wiped Stephen Hendry off the table, 6-1. Then we rejoin our main match and see that Michael missed a relatively straightforward red to the yellow pocket, bringing Ronnie back to the table, and he soon sinks a lovely starter. There are enough points on the table for him to steal, but the three remaining reds are on the top cushion, and he jaws the first of them, leaving a long one ... that Michael snaffles! This is going to be 3-3!

Black

O'Sullivan 3-2 White (4-58)

Ronnie will be rueing that missed black of its spot in the last frame - he sees that off, it's 4-1, but instead it's five to 3-3. Michael is absolutely buzzing.

O'Sullivan 3-2 White (4-26)

Michael rams in a sensational long red, lands on little but manufactures a very fine blue - he can pot. There's nothing available to him subsequently, though, but have a look! Another long red, drilled so true and timed so beautifully, whacking the back of left corner; can he parlay it into something definitive?

O'Sullivan 3-2 White (4-4)

Frame six begins with a safety exchange, the players vying for an opening and exchanging fouls.

Around the tables

19:30 - Matthew Stevens 0-0 Hammad Miah (delayed)
19:30 - Mark King 3-0 Jackson Page
19:30 - Kurt Maflin 2-2 Gerard Greene
19:30 - Sunny Akani 1-0 Steven Hallworth
19:30 - Thepchaiya Un-Nooh 4-1 Stephen Hendry
19:30 - Elliot Slessor 0-2 Fan Zhengyi
19:30 - Jack Lisowski 4-0 Sean Maddocks

O'Sullivan 3-2 White

71 and the frame. Michael white is playing very nicely here.

O'Sullivan 3-1 White (1-70)

Michael's cueing very nicely - he's excellent in the balls - and will soon be within one.

O'Sullivan 3-1 White (1-39)

This time Michael gets in first - he does not wait to be asked - and when he cannons the pack and finds himself on the side cushion with little on, he manufactures a red to the yellow pocket to keep the break going. In the process of that split, he developed the black, and now in better position, he's looking good. He's playing well here, but will have to go into the pack again, and the wrong side of the blue, he does so off the brown. That makes things harder, and when he overcuts a red, he cedes the initiative to Ronnie, who coaxes a red down the cushion, the only taxing one on the table, and right as I'm typing this is 4-1, he misses a black off its spot pinching a bit off the pocket trying to develop the pink, and now it's Michael with the frame at his mercy!

Off we go again!

Around the tables

19:30 - Matthew Stevens 0-0 Hammad Miah (delayed)
19:30 - Mark King 2-0 Jackson Page
19:30 - Kurt Maflin 1-1 Gerard Greene
19:30 - Sunny Akani 1-0 Steven Hallworth
19:30 - Thepchaiya Un-Nooh 3-1 Stephen Hendry
19:30 - Elliot Slessor 0-1 Fan Zhengyi
19:30 - Jack Lisowski 3-0 Sean Maddocks

O'Sullivan 3-1 White

An 82 is all Ronnie can manage - he jawses the brown - but what a mini-sesh that was. I swear I can taste it.

O'Sullivan 2-1 White (88-0)

Ronnie opts not to screw down the table for the blue that'll allow him to make another ton; pathetic.

O'Sullivan 2-1 White (30-0)

He won't, then Ronnie gets very close with a long cut, Michael tries it too, misses by much more, cannons a different red, and that means big trouble.

139

O'Sullivan 2-1 White (21-0)

On table two, Thepchaiya Un-Nooh has made three tons while preventing Stephen Hendry from potting a ball, and Ronnie is back at it too, caressing home a long starter and somehow missing a kiss on a red that would've left him on the black. Still, I daresay he'll remedy that soon, and he splats the pack off the blue, works his way onto the big dog, and here we go. Or not; he has to go back to baulk for the green, and off that he digs into the cluster again - there were various covering each other - and this is that, except it isn't! He screws back and goes in-off! Will Michael risk the tempter to left corner?

Around the tables

19:30 - Matthew Stevens 0-0 Hammad Miah
19:30 - Mark King 1-0 Jackson Page
19:30 - Kurt Maflin 1-1 Gerard Greene
19:30 - Sunny Akani10-0 Steven Hallworth
19:30 - Thepchaiya Un-Nooh 3-0 Stephen Hendry
19:30 - Elliot Slessor 0-0 Fan Zhengyi
19:30 - Jack Lisowski 2-0 Sean Maddocks

O'Sullivan 2-1 White

This is extraordinary. A 102, beautifully despatched, gets Michael on the board, and I can't wait for the next frame. Rack em sharp, Brendan!

O'Sullivan 2-0 White (4-63)

Michael's enjoying this - when he needs the extension, he can't screw it on fast enough, but when he finishes high on the black, he sinks it well only to fare badly with a split that leaves him cutting blind into the green pocket; he plays it well.

O'Sullivan 2-0 White (4-45)

Michael misses a feather on a red and has a dreadful moment when it looks like he's left Ronnie on a red next to the black, but it doesn't go. And shortly afterwards he wins his first mini-battle avoiding being total clearanced by floating home a long red. He's potting well as it goes, not well enough to ignore his workman's bum, but well nevertheless, and he's turning this chance into a potential framewinner - but that also means that if he misses, he's diddled.

Around the tables

19:30 - Matthew Stevens 0-0 Hammad Miah
19:30 - Mark King 1-0 Jackson Page
19:30 - Kurt Maflin 1-0 Gerard Greene
19:30 - Sunny Akani0-0 Steven Hallworth
19:30 - Thepchaiya Un-Nooh 2-0 Stephen Hendry
19:30 - Elliot Slessor 0-0 Fan Zhengyi
19:30 - Jack Lisowski 1-0 Sean Maddocks

O'Sullivan 2-0 White

You are extracting the urine! Two frames, two total clearances, 131 this time. This is amazing, even for this amazing individual.

O'Sullivan 1-0 White (106-0)

Lap this up people, lap this up. We'll never ever again see anything like this. There've barely been any great shots because the cue-ball control is just do revolting. Bow down.

O'Sullivan 1-0 White (93-0)

"He's done nothing wrong, has he," says Uncle Joe of Michael White. "He just broke off". Far be it from me to contradict the great man, but I feel lie he just contradicted himself.

O'Sullivan 1-0 White (47-0)

But no, he could take the black form high but instead screws up for the blue, comes back up the table off the yellow and into the pack, and he is flowing. The Grand Canyon, Iguacu Falls and Taj Mahal are all good, but there's no finer sight on planet Earth than Ronald Antonio O'Sullivan in the flow.

O'Sullivan 1-0 White (24-0)

Ahahahaha, Ronnie's in the mood tonight. He's in again, a red that sets him beautifully on the black, the next one he glides to the centre - oh! - and the balls are broken nicely. I'm calling it early, I know, but there's a potential maxi out there.

Around the tables

19:30 - Matthew Stevens 0-0 Hammad Miah
19:30 - Mark King 0-0 Jackson Page
19:30 - Kurt Maflin 1-0 Gerard Greene
19:30 - Sunny Akani0-0v Steven Hallworth
19:30 - Thepchaiya Un-Nooh 1-0 Stephen Hendry
19:30 - Elliot Slessor 0-0 Fan Zhengyi
19:30 - Jack Lisowski 1-0 Sean Maddocks

O'Sullivan 1-0 White

I've no idea how many frames I've seen Ronnie play, but doing so never gets dry. He's the Bob Dylan of snooker, and that's a 139 total clearance to add to his collection.

O'Sullivan 0-0 White (54-0)

Find someone who loves you as much as Joe Johnson loves watching Ronnie O'Sullivan. In comms, they're discussing that he plays so fast yet never looks hurried, and that is the sign a someone special, in any sport. In four minutes, he's almost nailed the frame.

O'Sullivan 0-0 White (6-0)

It should be noted that Michael, though he slipped off the tour, can play ball - he's won two ranking titles. He also like to go for his shots, so we should be in for a spectacle. Ronnie, meanwhile, first won this competition in 1993, aged 17 - ! - and has added a further six titles since then. Not bad. Anyway, as I was saying, Michael isn't going to just sit there, and he clatters a long red about the jaws, doing phenomenally well to leave nothing easy; Ronnie can't sink one with the rest, but plays the shot in such a way as to leave nowt. And when Michael leaves him another, this time it goes to right middle, and he's away.

The boyz baize

Here they come!

Still some afternoon matches going on

14:30 - Anthony Hamilton 5-4 Allan Taylor
14:30 - Mark Williams 6-3 Lei Peifan
14:30 - Matthew Selt 5-5 Chang Bingyu
14:30 - Barry Hawkins 6-1 Reanne Evans
14:30 - Jamie Jones 1-6 Cao Yupeng
14:30 - Alexander Ursenbacher 4-5 Ben Hancorn
14:30 - Ding Junhui 6-2 Zhang Anda

Hello, good evening and welcome

Who doesn't fancy a bit of genius to elevate their Wednesday? These are our matches, but we will of course be focusing on The Most Naturally Talented Player Ever To Pick Up A Cue.

19:30 - Matthew Stevens v Hammad Miah
19:30 - Mark King v Jackson Page
19:30 - Kurt Maflin v Gerard Greene
19:30 - Ronnie O'Sullivan v Michael White
19:30 - Sunny Akani v Steven Hallworth
19:30 - Thepchaiya Un-Nooh v Stephen Hendry
19:30 - Elliot Slessor v Fan Zhengyi
19:30 - Jack Lisowski v Sean Maddocks

That's us for the afternoon

Join us again from 7.15pm, as the record seven-time UK Championship winner Ronnie O'Sullivan gets his campaign for an eighth going against Michael White.

Around the tables

14:30 - Anthony Hamilton 3-4 Allan Taylor
14:30 - Mark Williams 6-3 Lei Peifan
14:30 - Matthew Selt 4-3 Chang Bingyu
14:30 - Barry Hawkins 6-1 Reanne Evans
14:30 - Jamie Jones 1-6 Cao Yupeng
14:30 - Alexander Ursenbacher 4-3 Ben Hancorn
14:30 - Ding Junhui 6-2 Zhang Anda

Mark Selby is through to the next round

From a scrap to a sojourn; Mark needed every ounce of his matchplay ability to get in level at the interval, but levelled Ross with a barrage of heavy scoring visits to win four on the spin when they returned. It was a brutal end for his opponent, who picked up just four points from a foul in that mini-session and was utterly dominated. Mark advances to the second round where he'll face either Hossein Vafaei or Pang Junxu.

Selby 6-2 Muir

A blue takes Mark to 60 in the frame with only 59 remaining. It was tight, tense and drawn out before the interval, but one way traffic thereafter. A total break of 47 does the necessary, and Ross has seen enough.

Selby 5-2 Muir (48-0)

Oof, Ross won't want to see this again; he's missed the slightly off-straight red from short range by a mile, and sent other reds all over as a result. That might well be curtains, as Mark has piled on a further 28 so far with a load left in the open to see this through.

Selby 5-2 Muir (20-0)

Ross misses a thing contact safety to give away four, before Mark gets a couple of reds down without adding to them. Since the interval Ross has only picked up four from a foul in three frames; he might just have served up the match to Mark here too, as another poor safety coughs a red over the right middle. Mark can only make 16 though before missing a pink with the rest, and it's a huge chance for Ross who's on a gimme.

Selby 5-2 Muir

Bah! It's a 95 for Mark as he underhits a red to right middle and it doesn't reach. No matter; he's just one frame away from victory now. Can Ross come back at him again?

Selby 4-2 Muir (58-0)

The half-century mark is traversed, and we look nailed on for not just a frame-winning clearance but a century here. Mark has over 700 of them in his storied career; he really is devastating when he lets his arm go.

Selby 4-2 Muir (30-0)

Mark's finding his touch now alright. In a little bit of bother with the white near the top rail, he gently clips a red into the right middle and lands nicely on the black. The break hits 30 in no time, and he's split the pack nicely off the black to land right on his next red. Ominous isgns for Ross here.

Around the tables

14:30 - Anthony Hamilton 2-3 Allan Taylor
14:30 - Mark Williams 5-3 Lei Peifan
14:30 - Matthew Selt 3-3 Chang Bingyu
14:30 - Barry Hawkins 6-1 Reanne Evans
14:30 - Jamie Jones 1-6 Cao Yupeng
14:30 - Alexander Ursenbacher 3-2 Ben Hancorn
14:30 - Ding Junhui 5-2 Zhang Anda

Selby 4-2 Muir

For the second time today, Mark establishes a two frame lead in the match. He misses the black on 93 that denies him a century, but he's located a different gear since the break.

Selby 3-2 Muir (58-0)

A black to the bottom right secures another half-century, and he's zoning in on two relatively quick hits here. There are four loose reds in the middle of the table, and it only looks a matter of time. Mark has punished two looses safety shots from Ross since the interval with ruthless efficiency.

Selby 3-2 Muir (29-0)

After picking up four when Ross shorts a safety, Mark's away first in the sixth with a thin cut on a red to the bottom right. He's lucky to canon the yellow and land perfectly on the brown, and holds his hand up in apology. Still, gift horses and all that; he starts taking advantage. A good split on the pack when potting the blue has opened the frame right up now, and there are signs here that Mark is taking command.

Selby 3-2 Muir

It should be over now; Mark jams in a long red and then puts the brown safe. Ross plays on, needing two snookers, but turns it in when Mark drains another red.

Selby 2-2 Muir (67-4)

Mark is forced to head up for the yellow, and he'll need to disturb the final five reds near the pink to land on frame ball. He can only affect a glancing blow off one cushion though, and he's on nothing. That's end of break, and with 67 left on Ross can still pinch this.

Selby 2-2 Muir (50-4)

The break very becomes a half-century after Mark deftly canons open the pack after potting the black. He's three reds and colours away from securing the frame.

Selby 2-2 Muir (20-4)

We're back, and Mark immediately concedes four when missing a thin contact on a safety. He gets the first chance of the frame though after Ross catches the jaws of the bottom left from a safety to leave Mark right on an easy starter. It's a nice spread, and Mark should make his first telling front-foot contribution of the match here. It's 20 and counting so far.

Around the tables

14:30 - Anthony Hamilton 1-3 Allan Taylor
14:30 - Mark Williams 2-2 Lei Peifan (interrupted)
14:30 - Matthew Selt 1-3 Chang Bingyu
14:30 - Barry Hawkins 4-1 Reanne Evans
14:30 - Jamie Jones 1-4 Cao Yupeng
14:30 - Alexander Ursenbacher 2-1 Ben Hancorn
14:30 - Ding Junhui 3-1 Zhang Anda

Selby 2-2 Muir

Well played Ross Muir! He clears to pink - the blue just about wobbles down - and might've won all four this afternoon. But he'll take 2-1 at the end of a long frame and very long session. We'll be back presently.

Selby 2-1 Muir (47-50)

With just one red left, Ross gets the blue in between the white and it; Mark misses, doing well to avoid ceding a free ball, and then we're back playing safety ... until Mark sinks that red, tucking in behind the blue thereafter - that's on the baulk line, with the yellow up the top end. Ross, though, escapes, and when Mark double-kisses the yellow, the last thing you expect from him, Ross rolls it to middle and holds for the green. This is looking a lot like 2-2!

Selby 2-1 Muir (47-50)

It doesn't, and when Ross misses a red he brings the pink into play, not what he'll have wanted. Then a mistake from Ross hands Mark a free ball and though he soon rockets in a green so hard he doesn't get position on the red, he simply collects himself and lays a snooker. Ross, though, escapes and flukes one of his own, which Mark escapes. This frame is still in the balance, so getting nervy.

Selby 2-1 Muir (31-50)

Ross has earned himself 2-2 at the interval really, except you don't earn anything until you earn it and there are three reds on cushions. He then underhits a pot on the green and ends up having to jam the white behind his next ball, not only missing but leaving it over the pocket it. Mark bags it off the cushion - the direct route is blocked by the pink - but after a blue, he plays a poor shot and leaves an easy starter. This should mean the frame.

Selby 2-1 Muir (25-22)

Mark cracks home a nice starter, but loses the white so it's back up to baulk. He then misses a long red handing Ross a go, but as soon as loses position he misses the first slightly tricky pot he's faced with and he'll do well to get back to the table in this frame. He does, though, because Mark misses a red, and this is a great chance for Ross who, we learn had trials with Celtic as a bairn.

Around the tables

14:30 - Anthony Hamilton 0-3 Allan Taylor
14:30 - Mark Williams 2-2 Lei Peifan
14:30 - Matthew Selt 1-3 Chang Bingyu
14:30 - Barry Hawkins 4-0 Reanne Evans
14:30 - Jamie Jones 1-3 Cao Yupeng
14:30 - Alexander Ursenbacher 2-0 Ben Hancorn
14:30 - Ding Junhui 2-1 Zhang Anda

Selby 2-1 Muir

Well done Ross! He could easily have collapsed given the manner in which he lost the first two frames, but he didn't and he's not only on the board, he's still in the match.

Selby 2-0 Muir (40-65)

A protracted safety exchange ensues, during which it looks like whoever pots the last red will take the frame ... and amazingly, it's Mark who leaves it, so here comes Ross to clear up!

Selby 2-0 Muir (40-57)

And here we go again. Ross runs out of position, like Paul Daniels, not a lot, but nevertheless. He misses a red, so here comes Mark to teef yet again - but there's a red on black cush and one on the side, close to the pink which is also in that vicinity. And as I type that, he despatches for former, then disturbs the latter ... but the pink means it doesn't pot, so it's a telling safety instead.

Selby 2-0 Muir (0-40)

Ross needs to remember that he's still playing well, and he gets in first again. Can he cash in? Well, he splits the pack and it works out ok - not perfect, but with balls to pot. Meantime, in comms, Neal notes that he doesn't address the cue-ball dead centre, hitting slightly to the right of it. But it's working ok for the now.

By the way, Gary Wilson conjured a 147 earlier today.

Watch inspired 147 from Gary Wilson at UK Championship

Selby 2-0 Muir

An 80 clearance this time, and Ross is doing well not to yak all over his shirt-front. This is Mark Selby.

Selby 1-0 Muir (66-49)

Oh, I miscalculated - he doesn't even need the blue.

Selby 1-0 Muir (61-49)

The balls were nicely set, but you've still got to drain them, and that's what Mark's doing, sliding one home with the rest to rub things in. The final red is very close to the pink, but I think it goes ... it does ... so it just the colours. The blue is up in baulk, but I can't see it causing too much aggro.

Selby 1-0 Muir (8-49)

I like how Ross is playing here, and this is a really good chance for 1-1 ... but as I type that, he get an infelicitous cannon off the black and misses a black with the rest. I'm afraid this is going to cost him.

Selby 1-0 Muir (8-21)

Mark gets in first, but can only cobble together eight, then Ross hammers in a sensational long red. He's in decent nick - can he redeem the catastrophe of the previous frame?

As for the below, at last year’s World Championships, Murphy won £200,000 as runner-up, along with a further £15,000 for making the highest break. I daresay it’s more stressful playing when you don’t know if you’ll have a career in the game than it is when you’re a triple crown winner who’s made millions.

‘It is not fair’ - Murphy questions amateur involvement after shock defeat

Around the tables

14:30 - Anthony Hamilton 0-0 Allan Taylor
14:30 - Mark Williams 1-0 Lei Peifan
14:30 - Matthew Selt 0-1 Chang Bingyu
14:30 - Barry Hawkins 1-0 Reanne Evans
14:30 - Jamie Jones 0-1 Cao Yupeng
14:30 - Alexander Ursenbacher 1-0 Ben Hancorn
14:30 - Ding Junhui 0-1 Zhang Anda

Selby 0-0 Muir

A run of 72 taxes the frame from Ross, and what a ridiculous human being Mark is. He doesn't get excited till he's almost dead.

Selby 0-0 Muir (47-70)

This is vintage Mark. He clears the reds, the last of them with a fine pot down the side rail. The crucial shot, though, is black to yellow, the yellow bring on the baulk cushion ... and he plays it beautifully, then sends it down! Oh my days, Ross will be feeling very, very poorly.

Selby 0-0 Muir (8-70)

Ross takes advantage again, sinking a red, only to miss a diagonally straight pink. Mark then opens the pack, and though his lead is 70 points, Ross will be feart - who wouldn't?

Selby 0-0 Muir (0-65)

Mark, meanwhile, has won this competition twice, and for his bid to take a third, has his fade hooked up nice and close. Anyhow, he misses a jabbed red to middle, then Ross takes advantage, getting away again. But soon after he finds himself stuck in the pack, only able to play away, and the frame is still not safe - especially not given an opponent who is one of the greatest thieves of all-time ... who's just gone in-off.

Selby 0-0 Muir (0-54)

Apologies, my console crashed, so you join me just as Ross, who cleared the easy balls very nicely, misses with the frame not yet secure. I should note that the way the UK draw works, the top-ranked player plays the lowest and so on, so with Mark being world number one, Ross is, statistically at least, the least amazing player in the competition. He's also wearing a black wrist support on his bridging hand, so looks not unlike Michael Jackson.

...and off we go!

The boyz are baizing...

Who's going to win this?

Er, I've not got a clue. Judd Trump is obviously in form, and if he produces his best stuff, he'll be hard to stop. But John Higgins is also looking good, Mark Selby can beat anyone at any time, and Ronnie is Ronnie. I'd not rule out Yan Bingtao either, nor Neil Robertson. Eeee this is going to be good.

Eurosport are showing

Mark Selby v Ross Muir, so I'll be focusing on that too, but will update you on the rest at the end of each frame.

Earlier today

09:30 - Ricky Walden 6-4 Craig Steadman
09:30 - Gary Wilson 6-2 Ian Burns
09:30 - Liam Highfield 6-3 Jamie Wilson
09:30 - Noppon Saengkham 6-2 Aaron Hill
09:30 - Stuart Carrington 6-1 Zhao Jianbo
09:30 - Nigel Bond 4-6 Robbie Williams
09:30 - David Gilbert 6-2 Alfie Burden
09:30 - Xiao Guodong 6-2 Zhang Jiankang

Afternoon all!

Welcome to yet more glorious snook! This is what we've we've got for you:

14:30 - Anthony Hamilton v Allan Taylor
14:30 - Mark Williams v Lei Peifan
14:30 - Matthew Selt v Chang Bingyu
14:30 - Barry Hawkins v Reanne Evans
14:30 - Jamie Jones v Cao Yupeng
14:30 - Alexander Ursenbacher v Ben Hancorn
14:30 - Ding Junhui v Zhang Anda
14:30 - Mark Selby v Ross Muir

Oooh yeah!

There are three world champions get their campaigns underway in York. Williams and Selby are first up – at 14:30 against Lei Peifan and Ross Muir – before O’Sullivan takes centre stage at 19:30.

TUESDAY RE-CAP

Higgins bulldozes past Georgiou to reach second round

John Higgins charged into the second round at the UK Championship with a 6-1 win over Michael Georgiou. The final score did not quite reflect the match, with the four-time world champion looking out of sorts in the opening exchanges in York.

However, a brilliant four-ball flourish on the colours in the third frame, launched by a trademark double, saw the momentum shift in his direction and he did not look back.

Georgiou was firmly in the match at 1-1 and missed opportunities to open up a lead, but the gulf in class showed once Higgins had the upper hand. After the cagey third frame, Higgins exploded through the next two as a break of 112 helped him establish a 4-1 lead.

Higgins was on for a monster knock in the sixth frame but broke down on 55 with the reds dotted nicely around the table, only for Georgiou to fluff a simple black. Soon, it was 5-1.

The Class of '92 star finished in fine form, skittling a memorable 134 break to book his passage into the next round.

Higgins has finished runner-up in three tournaments this season without tasting glory, including last week's Champion of Champions where he lost 10-4 to Judd Trump in the final.

Later on Tuesday, 2005 world champion Shaun Murphy suffered a shock loss to Si Jiahui, going down 6-5.