Welsh Open 2021 LIVE - Jordan Brown shocks Ronnie O’Sullivan in showpiece final at Celtic Manor
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Updated 21/02/2021 at 23:09 GMT
Welsh Open 2021 LIVE - It's final day at Celtic Manor! Four-time Welsh Open winner Ronnie O’Sullivan takes on Jordan Brown in the decider. Brown, 33, is making a first appearance in a ranking final after beating Mark Selby and Stephen Maguire in the quarter and semi-finals respectively. The 2021 Welsh Open is live on Eurosport. Watch it on eurosport.co.uk and the Eurosport app.
Ronnie O'Sullivan and Jordan Brown | Welsh Open final 2021
Image credit: Eurosport
Thanks for your company
That sensational, life-affirming finale concludes our coverage of the Welsh Open. Thanks for staying with us, we'll be back with more live snooker coverage for you before long.
Take care out there until then. Nos da.
The pay-off
Along with the trophy that's seventy large in the tin for Jordan, and an automatic place in the Champion of Champions next season. He also becomes the fourth Northern Irish player after Alex Higgins, Dennis Taylor and Mark Allen to win a ranking event title. What a week he's had.
The Antrim Ferrari
Jordan Brown is raising the Ray Reardon Trophy as the confetti sprinkles down on him. Ronnie O'Sullivan, who paid tribute to how well Jordan had played today in his interview, looks on and applauds, smiling. He knows a player, and he knows when he's been beaten fair and square. It's one of the biggest upsets we've ever seen in a major final, and who knows what Jordan might achieve from here? 'Don't stop believing in yourself,' he says via Andy Goldstein in the Eurosport studio. If he keeps believing in himself and playing as he has done at Celtic Manor this week, Brown is going places.
Jordan Brown is the Welsh Open Champion
If that doesn't lift your soul, nothing will. What a fantastic victory, and so thoroughly deserved. Jordan Brown survived every scintilla of what Mark Selby could throw at him on Friday, and obliterated Stephen Maguire yesterday to reach the final. Today, he beat the greatest player that has ever played this game to win his first ranking event title. Five years ago he was working in a petrol station part-time, unsure whether he would even continue with the game at points. Now, at 33-years old, he's landed one of the most prestigious ranking events on the World Snooker Tour. He's holding back tears in his interview with Rob Walker. What a performance. What a player!
O'Sullivan 8-9 Brown
Oh, he's punching the air as they go in now, as well he should. He takes his break to 74 before it curtails with three reds still out there. Ronnie concedes, and what a moment folks - Jordan Brown, ranked number 81 in the world, has shocked the world and beaten Ronnie to win the Welsh Open!
O'Sullivan 8-8 Brown (1-66)
He's inching closer. A red to the bottom right followed by the pink takes his break to 65, with 67 remaining. Brown takes a deep breath, and lines up frame ball...and the red goes into the heart of the bottom right! Jordan Brown is going to win the Welsh Open!
O'Sullivan 8-8 Brown (1-47)
Brown's temperament has been his biggest asset all week, and he'll need it here. He almost misses the black when getting to 40, leaving a difficult red to the left middle to keep going. He drops it in, but ends up welded to the side cushion.Just when he needs a big recovery shot, Brown finds one, clipping the blue into the right middle and coming off the top cushion to land plum on his next red.
O'Sullivan 8-8 Brown (1-24)
This is the ninth deciding frame in the history of the Welsh Open final; Ronnie has won two of them and lost one. He gets an unbelievable touch with his first shot, as he misses a red wildly and flukes it into the yellow pocket. He can't follow it up with the green though, and Brown gets in with a mid-range red to the bottom right. One chance is all you ask for in a decider, and Brown has taken three reds and blacks with his so far.
O'Sullivan 8-8 Brown
The response of a champion; a total clearance of 119 brings the match level. Brown can still be a champion here too, because we're got a one frame shoot out for the Welsh Open title incoming!
O'Sullivan 7-8 Brown (60-0)
The green takes O'Sullivan to 60 with 59 left on. He's manufactured position on one of the four reds near the black too; we're going to a decider.
O'Sullivan 7-8 Brown (45-0)
Given the circumstances, this is some freewheeling effort from the world champion. A sensational blue, right around the angles off three cushions in and out of baulk to land on his next red, might well be the shot of the match. It's been hard work, but he's fashioned a chance to take this match all the way.
O'Sullivan 7-8 Brown (25-0)
The margins in this game, yikes. A poor safety from O'Sullivan hits the brown, sending the white in behind the yellow and leaving Brown snookered by bare millimetres on a red to left middle and one to the bottom right. My oh my! Jordan tries to swerve around the yellow and pot the latter, but he misses it and leaves it on for O'Sullivan. It's a chance, and a brilliant long blue from Ronnie early in the break keeps him going. He then comes perilously close to going in-off when playing into the pack, and picks out a superb recovery pot on a red to the bottom right to regain position. This is thrilling stuff.
O'Sullivan 7-8 Brown
He needed to punish O'Sullivan's error, and he did. A break of 56 puts Brown one frame away from a sensational victory!
O'Sullivan 7-7 Brown (25-54)
O'Sullivan overcuts a pink to the bottom right, and what a chance this is now for Brown! Ronnie is furious with himself, and Jordan simply must punish this if he's going to win the title. His break quickly reaches 41, and when potting the pink he brings the frame ball final red off the bottom cushion and into position. Shot, Jordan!
O'Sullivan 7-7 Brown (19-13)
A good safety from Brown forces an error from O'Sullivan, who glances off the pack from a deadweight escape and leaves a red on to the bottom left. Brown makes 13, but misses an awkward green with the rest. Ronnie has a chance, and two superb blues early in his break build a bit of momentum. Form a third he explodes the pack open, releasing the pink and conjuring a great chance to win the frame.
O'Sullivan 7-7 Brown
A break of 58 leaves Brown 64 behind with 51 left out there. He turns it in, and we're all square. It's best of three now for the Ray Reardon Trophy.
O'Sullivan 6-7 Brown (63-0)
This is a masterclass in going up for the blue; it's a half-century for O'Sullivan and Brown now needs a snooker. What an exceptional break.
O'Sullivan 6-7 Brown (39-0)
A poor containing safety leaves Ronnie a red to the left middle, but he can only make six from the opportunity. Jordan chucks him another one though after a good safety from O'Sullivan forces a mistake, and he cuts a red in to the bottom left. It's a difficult table with pink and black tied up, but he's freed up both now after splitting the pack off the blue and it's all there for O'Sullivan now.
O'Sullivan 6-7 Brown
A brilliant snooker from O'Sullivan leads to Brown hitting the black on his escape. It's a chance to dish for Ronnie, but he misses a shocker of a red to the bottom left and he's left Jordan in. Oh my, that's huge at this stage. Brown calmly clears the remaining reds and everything else, and he's back in front!
O'Sullivan 6-6 Brown (17-53)
Ronnie replies with 17, but in taking a thin cut on a black left-handed while applying heavy side he doesn't get through the shot enough, and it drops short of going into the bottom right. From it, Jordan lays a fiendish snooker behind the green. O'Sullivan misses on his first attempt, before sending a wild thrash straight into the pink and sending reds everywhere. Brown is in, and has a great chance to regain the lead. He adds 16 but he's lost position, and has to play safe again.
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'All sorts happening here!' - O'Sullivan sends balls flying with wayward shot
O'Sullivan 6-6 Brown (0-26)
Jordan sweeps in a solitary red at the start of the 13th frame, and later gets in for real to get the first decent scoring chance. He makes 25 before having to play safe, and it's a poor one - he wallops the white full ball into the blue, and he's gifted a chance to O'Sullivan.
O'Sullivan 6-6 Brown
Both players miss chances at the green, before Brown plugs it into the left middle. The brown follows too, followed by a fluked snooker that forces O'Sullivan to concede the frame. A gutsy hold from Jordan right before the interval, and when we return in 15 minutes it's best of five for the Welsh Open title.
O'Sullivan 6-5 Brown (43-61)
Brown gets another red down, but then misses one to the yellow pocket after a smash and hope from Ronnie to escape a snooker. It sits up over said pocket for Ronnie, and he quickly clears the last four reds with high value colours before going up for the yellow. It's the colours needed to nick a crucial frame. He can't get nicely on the green after potting the yellow though, and plays a snooker; Jordan hits the blue when trying to escape, and he's being put back in. He connects on the second attempt, but serves it up over the bottom right...and Ronnie's missed it! This is a huge 25 points.
O'Sullivan 6-5 Brown (6-60)
A chance for Brown to seal it as Ronnie leaves a red on to the right middle. In it goes, followed by the brown, and then a superb red from out of the middle of the pack into the bottom left. He's gone back beyond the baulk line with the white though, and plays a snooker behind the green. Ronnie gives up eight in fouls before connecting with one of the five remaining reds and knocking it safe.
O'Sullivan 6-5 Brown (6-46)
A brilliant recovery pot on a red to right middle keeps Brown's break going after his split on the pack didn't yield great results. He's missed a difficult blue to the green pocket with the rest though, and O'Sullivan has a chance to counter but can only take red-blue before having to play safe.
O'Sullivan 6-5 Brown (0-21)
It's been a tough hour for Brown, but he picks out a nice plant at the start of the twelfth followed by a straight brown into the left middle. He's now in and around the black and he's got a good chance to hit back and level up here.
O'Sullivan 6-5 Brown
O'Sullivan makes his half-century to leave Jordan needing a snooker, and then glides a red into the yellow pocket to make sure his opponent won't be coming back. A total of 61 sorts another quick-fire frame; for the first time today, O'Sullivan is in the lead in this final.
O'Sullivan 5-5 Brown (51-8)
The break reaches 41 and takes O'Sullivan over 50 for the frame. Ronnie is spoiled for choice on the reds, and won't need two awkward ones on the right of the table to win this frame.
O'Sullivan 5-5 Brown (16-8)
Ronnie thumps a red to bottom right in the eleventh, which rattles furiously but doesn't drop. Brown rattles it too though, leaving O'Sullivan to tidy it up with the rest. He makes 10, but a tight cut on the black to the bottom right with the rest stays in the jaws and it's a reprieve for Brown. In response he makes eight, but after splitting the pack he's not on a red other than a plant to the left middle. It doesn't look like it goes, and that proves to be true; O'Sullivan's back in, with the table at his mercy again.
O'Sullivan 5-5 Brown
A break of 68 wins another one for Ronnie, and we're all square.
O'Sullivan 4-5 Brown (62-0)
There goes frame ball red; it's going to be four frames out of the last five that have gone Ronnie's way shortly. He took a pummelling in the first mini-session of the day, but he can't half hang in there while he waits for his A game to join the party.
O'Sullivan 4-5 Brown (40-0)
O'Sullivan already looks a different player tonight. His break goes to 40, inclusive of a lovely cut on the blue into the yellow pocket left-handed.
O'Sullivan 4-5 Brown (21-0)
A superb long red from O'Sullivan, gun barrel straight into the bottom left, gets him going in the tenth. It's hard work initially with the pink and black tied up, but he's stitching some points together using the blue.
O'Sullivan 4-5 Brown
Ronnie gets the yellow down, and the green a few shots later. A brilliant cut on the brown into the green pocket with the rest puts him nicely on the blue, and he mops up that and the pink to win a crucial frame.
O'Sullivan 3-5 Brown (38-44)
Brown pulls level in the frame before trying a snooker off the final red. O'Sullivan serves it up for him, but Jordan can only pot red-blue before losing position on the yellow. These are six huge colours now.
O'Sullivan 3-5 Brown (38-25)
Brown replies with 18 before failing to drop in behind two reds near the right hand cushion and having to play safe. O'Sullivan gets a solitary red down, and then blows a chance to cut in a red and take control of the frame after a foul by Brown.That could be a big moment, as he's left the frame on here. Ronnie doesn't pay for it though as Brown loses position on the pink and has to play safe; scrappy stuff so far.
O'Sullivan 3-5 Brown (33-0)
Ronnie's in first, draining a mid-range red to come back up the table for the green. A swift 32 puts him in charge here and after splitting the pack of the pink, which is currently housed on the black spot, he's developed a nice chance. One pot later though he misses the black into the yellow pocket, and it's a chance for Brown.
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'Brilliant shot' – Ronnie finds groove with sensational long red
Here they come
Our MC Phil Seymour introduces the players. Jordan needs four, Ronnie needs six. Let's sort out this Welsh Open final.
The stakes
If Jordan Brown wins this he will win his first ever ranking event title, and join Mark Allen, Dennis Taylor and Alex Higgins on the list of ranking event winners from Northern Ireland. If Ronnie can bag the title it will be his fifth Welsh Open crown, equalling the record currently held by John Higgins.
Good evening!
Welcome back to live coverage of the final of the Welsh Open. The world number 81 Jordan Brown is five-ninths of the way to a stunning upset after edging the afternoon session against Ronnie O’Sullivan 5-3. We’ll be right here to take you through to the conclusion of the tournament, with the players set to be re-baized at 7.00pm.
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Thanks for your company
We'll be back at 6.45pm for the conclusion of the Welsh Open Final.
Jordan Brown leads Ronnie O'Sullivan 5-3
That was a fascinating session, and you suspect that Ronnie O'Sullivan is happy to get out of that only two behind. Jordan Brown looks completely unflustered, and reacted well to O'Sullivan coming back at him to take what could be a crucial last frame of the afternoon. He's got a two frame lead going into the evening session; if he can win four more frames, he'll be the Welsh Open champion. If he can locate the form he showed earlier in the week, O'Sullivan will have something to say on that.
O'Sullivan 3-5 Brown
It takes a couple of bites, but Brown gets in to brilliantly clear the last two reds, shifting the final one off the side rail, as part of a 36 that wins the frame.
O'Sullivan 3-4 Brown (36-24)
Brown breaks the deadlock with a long red, but can only add a yellow before missing the follow up red. Ronnie gets a red down too, and leaves Brown tucked in behind the yellow thereafter. It's tense - you can feel that both players realise how important this might be for the match overall - and Brown gains the advantage when O'Sullivan goes in-off again. Brown plugs an easy red, and then a sensational long blue. Chance.
O'Sullivan 3-4 Brown (35-11)
O'Sullivan slow rolls a red into the green pocket, but can't then develop more reds off the pink. The remaining seven reds are clustered near the bottom cushion, and we're in for a bit of cat and mouse before this one's worked out.
O'Sullivan 3-4 Brown (28-11)
Brown shorts his escape when trying to rest on the pack, but only leaves a free ball. He's in next too, and he's crafted a nice opening for himself here. Pink and black are currently tied up, but he can get right back in the frame at this visit. When trying to force position on the black though he misses an intended canon to land him on the black and it's end of break on 11.
O'Sullivan 3-4 Brown (24-0)
O'Sullivan clubs a long red into the bottom left, screwing back to land on the blue. That's a great shot, and he's rolling again in the eighth. On 24 though an attempt to split the pack off the blue doesn't go to plan, and he's on nothing. Instead, he plays an excellent safety to trap Jordan in behind the green.
O'Sullivan 3-4 Brown
It's back-to-back tons for Ronnie, as he dishes the lot for a 121. Brown played superbly to get to 4-1, but all credit for O'Sullivan to shaking off a miserable start to fight back. There's one frame left to play this afternoon, and it's a biggie.
O'Sullivan 2-4 Brown (63-14)
O'Sullivan's on a rumble here; another half-century is in the bank and he's pacing with intent around the table. He's a couple of balls way from clawing back another one.
O'Sullivan 2-4 Brown (28-14)
Brown misses a mid-range red by a long way, and leaves an easy starter for Ronnie to the bottom right. It's hard work early on, and he's on his way back to his chair when a red to right middle looks like drifting off but just about hooks in off the lip of the pocket. O'Sullivan's got the break under control now though, and this is a good chance.
O'Sullivan 2-4 Brown (0-14)
Oof, what a miss this could be; Ronnie misses a cut on a red over the bottom right, and he's left it there for Jordan. In reply, Brown can only make 14 before a loose positional shot off the blue brings his break to an end. That's a bit of a let off for O'Sullivan.
O'Sullivan 2-4 Brown
O'Sullivan belatedly asks the referee Ben Williams what the highest break of the tournament is. It's the 143 by Zhao Xintong; by the time Ronnie asked there wasn't enough left on to beat it, but he makes a 135 to finally locate his best form in this match.
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'It’s a bit late!' – O’Sullivan leaves it too late to ask referee an important question
O'Sullivan 1-4 Brown (78-0)
Ronnie prefers winning the frame and soon plays for the pink. Bah! Though understandable given the state of the match. He's soon home and hosed in this frame though, and it could be just the filip he needed.
O'Sullivan 1-4 Brown (48-0)
If you're a fan of getting excited, then get excited; it's six reds with blacks now and he's developed the pack nicely. O'Sullivan made a 147 against Ding Junhui in the final here seven years ago, inclusive of perhaps the greatest shot in history when he deep-screwed a red into the green pocket left-handed to get back for the black. Will he go for the maxi here?
O'Sullivan 1-4 Brown (24-0)
Brown misses a plant to the bottom right at the start of the fifth, and he's left the red over the pocket for O'Sullivan. It's a chance, and Ronnie could really do with a one hit frame here to halt Brown's momentum. It's three reds and blacks so far.
O'Sullivan 1-4 Brown
A break of 107 extends Brown's lead. He shocked Mark Selby on Friday, and thrashed Stephen Maguire yesterday; today, he's comprehensively outplaying the greatest player of all time.
O'Sullivan 1-3 Brown (0-69)
Frame ball red is dropped delicately into the right middle, and he's on the pink. If Brown dreamed last night about how he'd start this final, it would probably have gone something like this.
O'Sullivan 1-3 Brown (0-53)
It's a half-century for Brown, whose composure has been impressive all week and remains so here. A 4-1 lead looks nailed on here, and the momentum in this match will be concerning O'Sullivan.
O'Sullivan 1-3 Brown (0-30)
We're back, and a good safety from Brown forces an error from O'Sullivan, who misjudges a deadweight safety and leaves Jordan a red to the bottom right. He's away again, and survives a heart in mouth moment when the black only just drops after wobbling in the jaws of the bottom left. It's 30 and counting so far.
O’Sullivan 1-3 Brown
Great stuff from Brown, who clears up to the pink for a 78 and the lead at the interval. It's been a nightmare mini-session for Ronnie, but a dream start for Jordan.
O’Sullivan 1-2 Brown (0-78)
Brown's back in with a red to the left middle, and has a great chance to go into the interval in front. A blue to the left middle puts him 77 in front with 75 left on, and a mid-range red thereafter ensures that O'Sullivan won't be coming back to the table.
O’Sullivan 1-2 Brown (0-59)
A very precise break from Brown reaches 32. The reds are spread but not too far from each other, so it needs delicate positional play to keep it going. After one more black he comes unstuck, landing touching ball on a red and not on his intended option to the bottom right. Brown plays safe, and he'll be annoyed not to have converted that chance.
O’Sullivan 1-2 Brown (0-21)
Brown tags in a long red to start the fourth, and from his ensuing snooker O'Sullivan gives up 19 points before leaving brown a red along the bottom cushion. In it goes, and he's on the black.
O’Sullivan 1-2 Brown
A total of 74 from O'Sullivan sorts the third frame.
O’Sullivan 0-2 Brown (68-0)
Lucky, lucky boy! On 59 Ronnie wildly misses a red but flukes it out of the jaws, off another red, off the right rail and into the left middle. He goes on to secure the frame, but my oh my he's had a touch there.
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Fluke leaves O’Sullivan stunned during Welsh Open final
O’Sullivan 0-2 Brown (55-0)
One quick turn of the tap, and O'Sullivan has arrived in this final. He rattles in a half-century in barely any time at all, and there's a load left in the open for him too.
O’Sullivan 0-2 Brown (7-0)
What a match it's been for Brown so far; he looked nervous early on, but he's really punished a poor start from O'Sullivan. It's not immediately getting any better for Ronnie either, as he drops in a long red in the third but fails to land on a baulk colour. It might now though, as he booms in a long red, frees the pink up and lands on an easy blue.
O’Sullivan 0-2 Brown
A break of 58 from Brown leaves Ronnie needing two snookers with one red left on the table. O'Sullivan eventually concedes when Brown traps him in a snooker.
O’Sullivan 0-1 Brown (25-54)
Brown is making hay here and the reds are nicely set to win the frame at this visit. His break hits 46 with a black to the bottom left and he’s zoning in on a 2-0 lead here.
O'Sullivan 0-1 Brown (25-8)
A fourth in-off of the day from Ronnie gifts Brown an easy long red, but he can't force position on the black from it. He's quickly in again though, but misses a red to leave Ronnie right in the balls and with a chance to settle into the match. He misses a pink to left middle on 25 though, and Brown is back in.
O'Sullivan 0-1 Brown
Jordan snicks in the yellow and lays a snooker on the green. O'Sullivan concedes, and Brown hits the front.
O'Sullivan 0-0 Brown (28-57)
This one is a bit of a mess. Brown makes 15 but loses position, before getting back in after a poor safety from Ronnie. An excellent shot on the yellow gets him nicely on the final, frame ball red, and he drills it into the bottom left. He misses the pink thereafter though, and with one snooker required O'Sullivan will play on.
O'Sullivan 0-0 Brown (28-29)
A monstrous kick on a red to left middle leaves O'Sullivan a difficult blue to green pocket with the rest, and he's missed it. Brown can't take advantage though, and misses a relatively simple red to the bottom right. He looks a bit nervous so far, but gets back to the table when O'Sullivan goes in-off again. After an exchange of safety shots, Ronnie sends the white in for the third time and he's gifted Brown an easy starter.
O'Sullivan 0-0 Brown (14-20)
It's a chance for Brown as O'Sullivan goes in-off, but he can't convert a red into the bottom left and he's left O'Sullivan in. A break of 14 ends when he splits the reds but ends up snookered on his intended next shot by the respotted pink. He's straight back in though after Brown double kisses a red when trying to play safe.
O'Sullivan 0-0 Brown (0-16)
O'Sullivan misses his first effort at a long red, allowing Brown to clip a red into the green pocket with the rest. He makes 16 but doesn't come high enough on a positional shot on the black and has to play safe.
Time to go
Our announcer Phil Seymour introduces the players. Jordan steps in to Two Tribes, Ronnie to Drops of Jupiter. A few pics with the trohpy later and it's Jordan Brown to break. Best of 17 for the Welsh Open title then, let's get at it.
Pre-match talk
Angles and the Wind here, on how Brown might be able to pull this off today.
Underdog
Up against the greatest of all time is the world number 81 Jordan Brown. He’s had quite the 2021 so far. A few weeks ago he reached the quarter-finals of the German Masters, his best ever run in a ranking event, and at Celtic Manor this week he dispatched Mark Selby in a dramatic quarter-final that went to the final black. He backed that up by flattening Stephen Maguire 6-1 to reach the final, so he’s a player right in form.
Top Dog
Ronnie O’Sullivan comes into this final in brilliant form. At Celtic Manor this week he’s won 21 of the 23 frames he’s contested, having located the kind of form that helped him again the world title last August. If he can win here today he will claim his fifth Welsh Open title, equalling the record of John Higgins in this event.
Croeso i Gymru
Snooker wasn’t invented in Wales, but the nation has left an indelible mark on the game. They've given us two of the all-time greats in Ray Reardon and Mark Williams; a world champion on his Crucible debut in Terry Griffiths; Triple Crown winners in Matthew Stevens and the late Doug Mountjoy and ranking event winners Dominic Dale, Ryan Day and Michael White.
But Wales doesn’t just grace the game with great players. Every year, just as the final blast of winter blows itself out, they host the Welsh Open. This is the 30th edition of an event that has become one of the blue chip tournaments outside of the Triple Crown. If you don’t believe me, check out this roll call of former winners: Steve Davis, Stephen Hendry, Ronnie O’Sullivan, John Higgins, Mark Williams, Ken Doherty, Paul Hunter, Mark Selby, Neil Robertson, Shaun Murphy, Ding Junhui.
It matters. The other Home Nations Series titles in England, Northern Ireland and Scotland might offer the same cash, but they don’t offer the same cachet. Win this and you’ve really won something. Ronnie O'Sullivan and Jordan Brown will be on the baize shortly to sort out the 2021 title.
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‘I can do some damage’ – O’Sullivan in bullish mood
Despite the comprehensive nature of his semi-final win, O'Sullivan had mixed feelings over his performance against Mark Williams. However, he feels that if he is playing well "he can do some damage". He added he will not be distracted by his status as the heavy favourite for the match-up between the pair.
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‘I can do some damage’ – O’Sullivan in bullish mood ahead of Brown showdown
Brown is ranked 81st and O’Sullivan is the current world champion. Anything but a straightforward victory would be a surprise to observers, but he was reticent to look too far beyond his own game, but he did add that he feels like when he is playing well, he can "do some damage".
Speaking after the game to Eurosport’s Andy Goldstein and Jimmy White, 45-year-old O’Sullivan had mixed feelings over his current form.
“I didn’t feel like I was cueing like I had been in Milton Keynes, and the first few matches last week, but the new grip is allowing me to place some really good shots, which is letting my game control the table, rather than just playing mediocre stuff,” he explained.
Playing like this, I’m a lot harder to beat than my old stuff.
Despite his comprehensive victory, O’Sullivan pointed out he didn’t feel able to score more than one century.
“I just played the balls. If I could have knocked in six, seven tons I would have gone for it,” he said.
“But there were times where I wasn’t seeing it great and I missed a couple. Every so often I could hammer home my advantage.
At the moment I’m feeling like if i play well, then I can do some damage.
SEMI-FINAL RECAP
Brown obliterates Maguire to reach first ranking final
Saturday saw an excellent win for Jordan Brown after he beat Stephen Maguire in the semi-final of the Welsh Open in the afternoon's play.
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'It's what dreams are made of!' - Brown on reaching Welsh Open final
O'Sullivan eases past Williams to reach final
Ronnie O’Sullivan was in excellent form as he cruised to a 6-1 win over Mark Williams in the semi-final of the Welsh Open.
'It's what dreams are made of!' - Brown on reaching Welsh Open final
WELSH OPEN SCHEDULE
Final
Saturday, February 20st - 13:00 UK time
- Jordan Brown v Ronnie O'Sullivan
HOW TO WATCH THE EVENT
The 2021 Welsh Open is live on Eurosport.
You can watch the final on eurosport.co.uk and the Eurosport app. You can download the Eurosport app for iOS and Android now.
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