Welsh Open snooker recap - Luca Brecel, John Higgins and Mark Selby all in action in blockbuster evening session
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Updated 13/02/2024 at 00:08 GMT
Welcome to our live text coverage of day one of the Welsh Open 2024 snooker main draw with Ronnie O'Sullivan in the Eurosport studio to react to all the drama. Former world champions Neil Robertson, Shaun Murphy and home favourite Mark Williams are all in action this afternoon, while John Higgins, Luca Brecel and Mark Selby are taking to the baize this evening.
'What was that? What was he doing?' - Foulds agog as Sijun howler lets Selby back in
That's all from us tonight
Thanks for your company - we'll be back again tomorrow.
Selby 3-2 Yuan (41-47)
But it's Mark in next, and he closes the gap then plays safe off the final red; Yuan has got a bit ragged. Shonuff it's Selbz in again, and the difficult green - now on the side - might decide this frame.
Selby 3-2 Yuan (17-47)
Mark beat Yuan in a match not dissmilar to this last they met, and this is a second straight frame of longer than half an hour. And look at that - Yuan gets the rare accolade of a Selby table-tap when he leaves him stuck to the blue near the middle pocket. The escape, though, off five cushions, is exceptional; Yuan loses patience and plays a loose shot, developing reds; Mark gets in; Mark misses a red to right corner, just. This is getting scrappy now, both men snatching.
Selby 3-2 Yuan (9-47)
Good for Yuan, he quickly gets the pink involved, then running out of balls to pot he tucks in behind the yellow. It's got to be good if you're taking on Selbz in this area, notes Fouldsy - and it is. The Jester hits second go, Yuan sends one long to the yellow bag, and he's getting there - but as I type, he kind of pulls a blue that doesn't reach the pocket. Pressure.
Selby 3-2 Yuan (5-10)
Yuan smacks a long one into right corner and though it's not an easy table, there's a decent lead out there with loose reds and blues.
Selby 3-2 Yuan (5-1)
Yuan sinks a red but no more, then Mark smokes a starter and tucks in behind the green. He's the tidier player now but Yuan hits last roll on his escape - good shot - and we're back playing safety.
Around the tables
Ross Muir 1-4 Matt Selt
Duane Jones 4-2 Liam Highfield
Ali Carter 1-2 Elliot Slessor
Selby 3-2 Yuan
Yuan played some very odd shots in that frame but Mark took the chance superbly. That's two really good dishes tonight.
Selby 2-2 Yuan (58-57)
I mean yeah, Mark wins the safety exchange, and though there's a lot fo work to be done various colours near the right side cushion, he's a way of making these kinds of things happen. But look at that, a brown sent to left corner, and all of a sudden this looks inevitable!
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'What was that? What was he doing?' - Foulds agog as Sijun howler lets Selby back in
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Brecel opens up on being 'back', dieting and season targets
Selby 2-2 Yuan (40-57)
With a red on the top rail, Yuan plays a terrible shot that will inevitaly get him snookered, it does, he escapes, he lays a snooker in the process. Mark escapes but then he leaves one ... Yuan plays a pair of stinkers, potting the penultimate red without trying to disturb the last, following it with a poor safety that was meant to be a snooker. This could still go either way.
Selby 2-2 Yuan (40-41)
Mark gutses out a run then, with the ref trying to wave someone to stop waling across the line of the shot, he misses to left-middle, and Yuan gets away immediately.
Selby 2-2 Yuan (10-28)
Ach, Yuan undercuts a red to left corner, and the way the reds now are we could be here a while. Four reds above the top rail, another on the side, a few tight behind the pink; I bet Mark fancies himself for this. But as I type, another poor safety offers Yuan a chance - he misses with the rest - and the Jester is in with a few balls at which to pick.
Selby 2-2 Yuan (9-13)
Mark foul-misses twice so has to make sure he hits a red; a simple containing safety does the job and it's he who pots the next red, dropping a black in next. He's not in great position here - to get back in among the balls, he'll now have to play two good shots, and he jawses the yellow; chance for Yuan!
Selby 2-2 Yuan
He closes out - very nicely for 73 - and it's a best of three now. I've not a clue who's going to win.
Selby 2-1 Yuan (9-59)
Nevertheless it's Yuan in next when Mark plays another uncharacteristically poor safety, left a mid-distancer to left corner, and surely this time he'll close out. Gosh, for his sake I hope he closes out.
Selby 2-1 Yuan (9-51)
Yuan leaves himself a dead thin red to keep the run going and he doesn't get that close; suddenly the last frame is right up in his face. Mark, though, can't get position off his starter, so he plays a good safety ... and Yuan foul-misses attempting two thin contacts. He's advised that another will cost him the frame, overcompensates next go, but Mark can't parlay a poor shot into anything more than another good safety.
Selby 2-1 Yuan (0-29)
Mark undercuts a long red, Yuan cleans up, and after taking a few loose balls, goes into the pack off the black. He's just about on one, and this is good stuff - despite what happened in the last frame, he's playing the same attacking style, and it's working nicely.
Around the tables
Kyren Wilson 4-3 Ashley Carty
Ross Muir 1-3 Matt Selt
Duane Jones 2-2 Liam Highfield
Selby 2-1 Yuan
Sickener for Yuan; that yellow, goodness me. He had no need to attack it so aggressively, but you can't allow Mark Selby that kind of opportunity and not expect a dish. Still, though, it was a belter.
Selby 1-1 Yuan (37-52)
The table is not ideal, but Mark strokes home a delicious green with the rest and extension, promotes a red, will keep the gear out for that too, and he's now a favourite for the frame. A wonderful yellow soon follows, to the corner with the white floating around the table back for the green, and Yuan will be feeling very poorly. This damn game.
Selby 1-1 Yuan (0-52)
Yuan removes the easy balls, then goes around the angles off the blue to keep the run alive. His position isn't perfect but it's workable ... until, stretching over the table he misses to left corner. Mark, though, misses a cut-back to left corner ... then a cut to right-middle, this time offering a starter. Except Yuan overcuts a tight one, overcompensating ... and gets lucky, getting cover. And Mark soon misses again, Fouldsy noting he's not plasyed a good shot in this frame, and this should be the frame. But what on earth is this? Yuan thunders a yellow, misses, develops reds though he has one over the green bag, and dangles a steal in front of one of the greatest sneak-thieves of them all.
Selby 1-1 Yuan (0-17)
Aere you kidding me. Seeking a thin contact, Mark takes the white into the pack, spills claret all over, and in that one shot he might just've undone all his good work of the previous frame. "Chance and a half," says Fouldsy.
Around the tables
Kyren Wilson 3-3 Ashley Carty
Ross Muir 1-3 Matt Selt
Duane Jones 2-1 Liam Highfield
Selby 1-1 Yuan
Dat guy Selbz! A tremendous pink, white sent up towards the green pocket and returning from a trip around that corner; he takes his ton, and he's in the match.
Selby 0-1 Yuan (82-14)
If both players are playing well we're in for a treat because these are both capable of playing very well indeed. Can Mark turn this into a ton?
Selby 0-1 Yuan (68-14)
But it's Mark in next and he looks determined here, then my screen crashes, returning in time for me to see the frame almost safe with two reds left.
Selby 0-1 Yuan (20-14)
"An absolute screamer of a long red" enthuses Fouldsy when Yuan panels home a long diagonal starter, and he's looking to take any opportunity here. He's got a lot of work to do because most of the reds are bunched ... and as I type, he glances off the side of the pack looking to address the problem, and that's end of break.
Selby 0-1 Yuan (20-0)
Mark goes at one to right corner and misses by a way, then Yuan has a shy to left and not only misses but knocks the black safe. So Mark sends a starter long, problem being the table is extremely uninvting. Other hand, he's at it, so. He quickly gets on to the black and removes it from the cushion, but from there, he soon has to pay safe.
Around the tables
Kyren Wilson 2-3 Ashley Carty
Ross Muir 1-3 Matt Selt
Duane Jones 2-0 Liam Highfield
Selby 0-1 Yuan
Right when a splendid ton looks inevitable, Yuan misses a green on 95, but he'll take that.
Selby 0-0 Yuan (6-78)
Yuan almost misses a cut ... but doesn't, red dropping in, and that will surely mean the frame. Selbz did him late doors at the World GP, Dave reminds us, and this has been a really good break because it took a lot of pressure-pots to get going.
Selby 0-0 Yuan (6-56)
He fights through a few testing pots, a red with the rest to the corner setting up a pink to middle, and he's getting there. Fouldsy doesn't enjoy the thumb which sticks out from his bridging hand, but likes him as player and this is why.
Selby 0-0 Yuan (6-34)
I'm not sure which Selbz will show tonight because I've seen him play brilliantly and miserably over the last bit, often in the same frame. He misses, Yuan does too, he does again - this time he might get punished. In comms, Fouldsy notes that ordinarily Yuan is a top-32 player, problem being nowadays there are so many players of that calibre, it's a problem. Under pressure on a black to the corner, he strokes it down well, sends a red long to the yellow bag, and he could clinch the frame from here...
Away we go!
Coming up next
Mark Selby v Yuan SiJun
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Miss, plant, pot - Extraordinary fluke from Allen on way to victory over Cao
Around the tables
Kyren Wilson 2-3 Ashley Carty
Ross Muir 0-3 Matt Selt
Duane Jones 1-0 Liam Highfield
Luca Brecel beats Jiang Jun 4-3!
That was a lot of fun, the world champ finding what he needed when he needed it. He somehow ends a match in which he played some of the worst snooker you'll see from a man of his status on crest of a wave, and that's why we love him.
Brecel 3-3 Jun (93-0)
A red teeters on the edge but suddenly everything's going for Luca and it drops. This is as good a break to win a match as you'll see, but as I type he runs out of position. He'll cope.
Brecel 3-3 Jun (57-0)
It's much eaiser to pick and choose your tournaments if you do well in the ones you play, and that's been Luca's problem. Still, this is really good stuff, a red slammed to middle, "the cue-ball on a piece of elastic," marvels Uncle Joe as it zooms about the table with apparent effortless ease. This is fantastic stuff, and hias bility to find this, now, suggests the issue was focus more than match-practice. Can he finish this with a ton?
Brecel 3-3 Jun (34-0)
Jun doesn't wait to be asked. I'm not sure if this is how he always plays, but though he's made some good breaks, he's missed loads. So he goes hard at one to right corner ... and has he got away with it? Not quite. He leaves a tight one to middle, Luca sends it down, and might he just have found a bit of touch? Er, maybe! He doesn't like a brown but goes at it anyway, lands on a red, prods it home just, lashes down a couple more balls, and this is Luca! He's found himself!
Around the tables
Kyren Wilson 2-2 Ashley Carty
Ross Muir 0-3 Matt Selt
Duane Jones 0-0 Liam Highfield
Brecel 3-3 Jun
Jun will have known he can win from frame one because Luca was playing so houndingly - it made it easy for him to play better - and now both men are in a bit of touch. This next frame shoud be a lot of fun.
Brecel 3-2 Jun (0-71)
Jun fights to keep his break alive - he's not refusing much now - a cut-back black taking him close, and another making it safe. I don't think the decider will be a tactical one.
Brecel 3-2 Jun (0-56)
Jun is displeased, a loose positional shot forcing him to go into the pack off the yellow. He again takes on a ball he probaly shouldn't, leaving Luca a chance, and again Luca can't take it, missing long to left corner, and this is another chance for Jun to force a decider he'll feel he's earned.
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'Oh, wow' - Brecel shanks black off spot as struggles continue at Welsh Open
Brecel 3-2 Jun (0-24)
A careless safety from Luca leaves Jun a dash at the widest red in the cluster; he punches it home well, necessarily liberating other balls in the process, and this is a good chance to take control of the frame - at least.
Around the tables
Kyren Wilson 2-1 Ashley Carty
Ross Muir 0-3 Matt Selt
Duane Jones 0-0 Liam Highfield
Brecel 3-2 Jun
Luca, who looks nicely bronzed by the way, goes to within one with an 80, his best run of the match by far.
Brecel 2-2 Jun (78-5)
Never give a world champion a clean break. Luca makes the frame safe, and with the line in sight, he'll be hopeful of getting out of this with a win - somehow.
Brecel 2-2 Jun (46-5)
Angles really didn't like Luca's attempted red at the start of frame three - he's mentioned it twice now - because he felt it a bit of a liberty. It was hard, he was leaving loads, he wasn't going to be on much, and he took no precautions. But Jun misses to right corner, Luca quickly gets in ... but when he thuds into the pack off the blue, he gets stuck in it ... but Jun flukes a plant ... but trying to force home the advantage, he takes on a nasty brown ... but he sinks it ... but he misses the next red .. and Luca is back potting balls! In a very strange way, this is a wild match.
Around the tables
John Higgins 4-0 Mohamed Ibrahim
Kyren Wilson 1-1 Ashley Carty
Ross Muir 0-2 Matt Selt
Brecel 2-2 Jun
Luca isn't enjoying this, and why would he be? His highest break is 27, Jun has relaxed, and looks the likelier winner.
Brecel 2-1 Jun (12-61)
Jun's enjoying this now and it's great to see. He probably feels like if he just plays his natural game, he'll win unless Luca improves markedly - he doesn't need to do anything special. What he can't do, though, is hand out simple starters, which is what happens when he misses a red to middle; seconds later, he's tight behind the brown, frame still in the balance. And though he hits first go, he can't get the ball he hits safe; but let's be real, I'm afraid that at this point what you fear happens happens, and Luca, in again, misses. The frame is nearly over.
Brecel 2-1 Jun (5-30)
Luca opens the reds, forcing Jun to go at a difficult one he'd rather ignore, he misses, and there are points out there. But, well. Luca can't get hold of the white so makes a pot harder than it needs to be, which still isn't very hard; he misses it, and Jun will be fancying himself here. He opens the pack, slides a tight black home ... and has to decide whether to push it. He opts not to, refusing another tough shot in the knowledge that Luca mustn't be handed anything easy; Luca misses ... but then so does Jun, the ball dancing about inside the pocket before leaping out! But every time I go to publish my comment, something else happens, and Luca, in as consequence, miscues on the black! He is not loving this, and it's hard to see him struggling. Another chance for Jun...
Around the tables
John Higgins 3-0 Mohamed Ibrahim
Kyren Wilson 0-1 Ashley Carty
Brecel 2-1 Jun
Well played young man! A clearance of 101 and that's a message to Luca that if he wants to win, he'll have to improve.
Brecel 2-0 Jun (0-75)
Jun's looked more confident this frame - he's dominated it - and Luca struggling won't have escaped him. He'll be sensing opportunity - and century.
Brecel 2-0 Jun (0-49)
Looking for a thin contact, Luca misses, then leaves Jun in - a chance he earned with good safety. He almost screws back into the middle pocket playing for the blue but works his way on to the black, and this is excellent work.
Brecel 2-0 Jun (0-26)
Uncle Joe feels Luca isn't taking the care that he might, and a missed red to the corner doesn't contradict that - it's a little sloppy. This is a chance for Jun and he opens a few more reds ... only to run out of position. But what a recovery-pot he finds, a tickle to the green bag. As we know, though, most of the time you can only chase for so long, and on nothing, he plays safe.
Around the tables
John Higgins 2-0 Mohamed Ibrahim
Kyren Wilson 0-1 Ashley Carty
Brecel 2-0 Jun
Jun will know he's had chances, but instead he's helped the world champ to a comfortable lead.
Brecel 1-0 Jun (45-34)
But it's Jun who wins the safety exchange, cracking a fine starter to the corner, and the frame is now his to lose! But as I type, he misses the yellow! He just can't play well enough for long enough to win a frame.
Brecel 1-0 Jun (40-25)
He cannot, playing for a cannon and missing the pink. There are two reds near the top rail, though, so Luca has work to do, and he only does some of it, running out of position so playing a nice safety off the blue.
Brecel 1-0 Jun (27-11)
Jun rockets in a long opener, adds green working his way up the table, takes advantage of the blue he left over left corner, and the balls are there for him. Can he hold it down?
Brecel 1-0 Jun (27-1)
Jun misses to right corner and leaves a starter, but Luca still isn't quite at it, the white still not quite doing what he's asking it to. Still, he battles a start, sinks a lovely red with the rest ... then misses a sitter! In comms, Uncle Joe says sometimes he doesn't take care, but that's his game. Can Jun punish him? Er no, he rolls a blue to left corner, it catches the near jaw and stays out.
Around the tables
John Higgins 1-0 Mohamed Ibrahim
Kyren Wilson 0-0 Ashley Carty
Brecel 1-0 Jun
Luca puts a poor frame out of its misery, lashing in a doubled pink at the end.
Brecel 0-0 Jun (44-13)
Glad I said "perhaps", because he botches a black off its spot; Jun sinks a fine starter but lands on nothing. No matter: he's soon back at the table, and I should advise you that he's only 18. Ach, but he makes a mess of a simple black and Luca sinks the last red to leave him needing two snookers.
Brecel 0-0 Jun (42-5)
"No one expected him to become world champion," says Uncle Joe of Luca - and he should know how that feels. The world champ plays two terrific reds, eye perhaps in now, and this is a frame-winning opportunity.
Brecel 0-0 Jun (22-5)
Luca isn't there yet, finding one recovery pot before lamping a blue into the jaws of the green bag and out; he leaves nothing.
Brecel 0-0 Jun (15-5)
Jun leaves one and Luca gets in immediately - he'll be grateful for that settler. He's properly enjoyed being world champ, and why not? Snooker's an individual sport so how he manages his career is up to him so why not make the most of what might be its highlight? He soon misses a simple red, though, and Jun sinks a goodun, but he soon misses too and Luca is back at the table.
And off we go!
From earlier
Mark Allen 4-3 Cao Yupeng
Evening all
Eyes down for Luca Brecel v Jiang Jun followed by Mark Selby v Yuan SiJun.
That's us done for the afternoon
Join us again at 6.30pm GMT for Luca Brecel v Jiang Jun followed by Mark Selby v Yuan SiJun.
Around the tables
Riley Powell 0-4 Liam Davies
Mark Allen 1-1 Cao Yupeng
Mark J Williams beats John Astley 4-2!
He made hard work of it - and John played quite well - but he's through to meet Sanderson Lam next.
Williams 3-2 Astley (59-14)
Gosh, a loose shot makes a green harder than it should be, Mark can't send it down ... but then John misses a simple blue off its spot and that will surely be curtains.
Williams 3-2 Astley (37-13)
We're soon back under way and Mark is soon back potting, a decent safety yielding an opportunity. He should finish this here, but he's not quite been at it this afternoon, so.
Williams 3-2 Astley (8-13)
A poor break from Mark leaves a red to middle, if John can get through to it .. and he can. But into the reds off the yellow, he doesn't hit the pack where he's aiming to and lands on the top cushion. Mark, though, soon follows through potting a nice long starter ... then is immediatley offered another go at the table, and if he can dig into the pack successfully, he'll fancy himself to clinch f&m at this viist. But before that haoppens, he misses down the side to left corner, a screen goes off, and we have an hiatus.
Around the tables
Riley Powell 0-3 Liam Davies
Mark Allen 1-0 Cao Yupeng
Williams 3-2 Astley
Mark goes in front for the first time and needs one more to move on.
Williams 2-2 Astley (48-47)
John closes the gap and slots a fine cut-back black that takes him in and out of baulk. But disaster strikes when he not only misses the next red, he gets a double-kiss that ivites Mark to polish off a frame that looked his quite smoe time ago.
Williams 2-2 Astley (44-25)
Er, perhaos not. Mark finds himself stuck in the cluster so that's end of break, a safety leaves John a taxing starter which he takes well, and this framr is right in the balance, likewise the match.
Williams 2-2 Astley (19-9)
John's escape leaves a starter, Mark cracks it home, and I'm wondering if he's taken over this match now.
Williams 2-2 Astley (18-9)
John sends a nice mid-distance starter into right corner, but trying to open the pack, he misses the pot and leaves the white stuck inside it. Mark can't force a pot, but he does win the brief safety exchange that ensues and will pick at loose balls for a bit. But then forced to take on a plant, he can't complete it and we're back playing safety. Not for long, he slides an acute one from right side to left corner, snuggles in behind the black, and he's in control of this frame currently.
Around the tables
Riley Powell 0-2 Liam Davies
Mark Allen 0-0 Cao Yupeng
Williams 2-2 Astley
A typically gorgeous long red settles the frame and we're back level.
Williams 1-2 Astley (59-12)
Faced with another pink to right-middle, Mark goes low this time, and misses again! He doesn't, though, leave anything, and needs one more red to leave John needing two snookers.
Williams 1-2 Astley (52-12)
John sends the same pink to the same right-middle, and the same thing happens - though even if it'd rolled off, it might still've missed. Mark will surely shecure the frame at this visit.
Williams 1-2 Astley (51-12)
Now then! Expecting a pink to drop a little with the nap, he misses it to right-middle when it goes straight on, and a steal here would put John in a very strong position. The reds are far from ideally placed, but also far from horifically placed, so let's see how he gets on...
Williams 1-2 Astley (32-4)
On table two, Shaun Murphy has been beaten on the final black by Barry Pinches who, minutes earlier, needed a snooker to keep the match alive. Back to our tussle, though, left a nasty red, Mark drains it well, and though he soon runs out of position he's soon back at the table, balls all over the show.
Around the tables
Shaun Murphy 3-4 Barry Pinches
Riley Powell 0-1 Liam Davies
Williams 1-2 Astley
Mark concedes and he's in a spot of bother here.
Williams 1-1 Astley (26-68)
A lovely cannon leves a nice easy frame-ball for John, but he has to play safe with one red left, 42 in front with 35 remaining..
Williams 1-1 Astley (26-50)
Mark overcuts a red to middle and it's John in next; he should secure the lead at this visit and this is turning into a tough match for the triple worlc champ.
Williams 1-1 Astley (19-46)
John runs out of position and leaves a tempter to right-centre; naturally Mark sinks it nicely. There are still three reds under the pink and another on the side rail, but there aren't many better at sorting these affairs than TWPM.
Williams 1-1 Astley (0-20)
Mark miscues, hitting black and leaving a chance, but John capitalise? He breaks the pack nicely...
Around the tables
Shaun Murphy 3-3 Barry Pinches
Riley Powell 0-0 Liam Davies
Williams 1-1 Astley
John played well in frame one, but one error cost him his lead and it's unlikely the pressure reduces.
Williams 0-1 Astley (72-0)
Mark runs out of position, plays safe, and walking back to his seat, he has to turn because he's fluked a red. That'll keep John sat down.
Williams 0-1 Astley (44-0)
Mark calmly eliminates balls and this run should be enough to level the match, but because he'll need to go into the pack once more, you never know.
Williams 0-1 Astley (1-0)
Forced to play a swerve by some decent safety, John leaves a starter and Mark gets to work. There's no one better at picking, and that's what he'll do until the pack needs breaking.
Around the tables
Alfie Davies 4-1 Liam Graham
Shaun Murphy 3-3 Barry Pinches
Barry Hawkins 4-0 He Guoqiang
Riley powell 0-0 Liam Davies
Williams 0-1 Astley
John escapes, drains a red, and that's the frame.
Williams 0-0 Astley (23-61)
"Pretty unsavoury, that snooker," says Nealf, when Mark J leaves John to the side of the brown, red on the side; he hits, but he'll soon be in more trouble.
Williams 0-0 Astley (23-61)
John clears methodically, the misses a black, and Mark returns to the table needing a snooker that doesn't look that improbable, pink near the side rail nicely positioned.
Williams 0-0 Astley (7-30)
Not for long; Mark runs out of position and plays safe, then John gets in and the balls are pretty nicely spread.
Williams 0-0 Astley (0-4)
Oh John, He gets in, breaks the pack off the blue ... and misses the pot. Chance for TWPM!
Off we go
Coming up next
Mark Williams v John Astley
Around the tables
Alfie Davies 2-1 Liam Graham
Shaun Murphy 2-2 Barry Pinches
Barry Hawkins 1-0 He Guoqiang
Neil Robertson beats Jackson Page 4-1!
He meets Stuart Carrington next, and looks good; that win he needs looks possible, especially with no Ronnie or Judd competing. Jackson, I'm afraid, struggled today, and I hope he gets himwelf sorted because he's a talent.
Robertson 3-1 Page (73-0)
Now then! Neil has to send a pink long to the green, leaves it nice and pottable over right-middle ... then Jackon cues right across a starter. You feel for him at this point because the chance to steal was right there, but the pressure has bothered him today - or at least it looks like that - and Neil will close out from here.
Robertson 3-1 Page (44-0)
The way Neil rebounded from losing the third frame is very impressive. We can't yet say he's back, but he's on the road.
Robertson 3-1 Page (16-0)
Neil gets in and sends a glorious red long to the yellow, but ends up stuck to the pink in mid-table. So he plays a good safety, snaps in a terrific long pot when Jackson can't get everything blocked off, and this looks like the match.
Around the tables
Alfie Davies 2-1 Liam Graham
Shaun Murphy 2-1 Barry Pinches
Barry Hawkins 0-0 He Guoqiang
Robertson 3-1 Page
A clearance of 1-3, and Neil is purring now.
Robertson 2-1 Page (78-8)
Neil has a think then addresses a red he knows will send the black safe. But he's on the pink, strikes it to right-middle, and this is a terrific comeback after having the last frame picked from his pocket. He's looking much more like himself, and fancies the ton from here.
Robertson 2-1 Page (49-8)
Yup, Neil eases down the red he's left, sees away two more balls when hampered, and this a framewinning opportunity.
Robertson 2-1 Page (27-8)
Neil runs out of position but finds a plant, only to go into the pack and land on nowt. But he finds a decent safety and, with balls nea rpockets, Jackson returns to the table in trouble.
Robertson 2-1 Page (14-8)
Jackson gets in, misses, and Neil opts to take on a difficult starter to left corner ... ohhh that's glorious. But bridging awkwardly on the pink to right-middle, he rolls it so slowly that it drops in off the knuckle; shot.
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O'Sullivan on Welsh Open absence - 'I don't want to be on treadmill every week'
Around the tables
Alfie Davies 2-0 Liam Graham
Shaun Murphy 2-1 Barry Pinches
Barry Hawkins 0-0 He Guoqiang
Robertson 2-1 Page
Jackson is in the match! Can he build on that? Will Neil begin to wonder?
Robertson 2-0 Page (57-43)
Jackson removes balls and the colours remain for a key steal. This isn't a bad test for Neil, who will feel the familiar sense of things going against him, but he'll be raging he missed that black.
Robertson 2-0 Page (57-9)
Repreive for Jackson! Neil undercuts a black off its spot and this frame is in the balance! He breaks whats left of the pack off that black, still over the bag, the balls spread lovelily, and he must clear from here.
Robertson 2-0 Page (40-0)
Neil looks focused out there; he's making sure he takes his chances. Confidence isa brittle thing, and his isn't so ensconced that that we can say for certain he's back, but even in the depths, he insisted his opponents were producing their best against him and he wasn't actually playing badly. Well, he's doing very nicely now.
Robertson 2-0 Page (20-0)
Jackson, notes Uncle Joe, is playing like someone in fear of losing his tour card, and Neil gets in right away in frame three, which is to say he's in big trouble.
Around the tables
Alfie Davies 1-0 Liam Graham
Shaun Murphy 1-1 Barry Pinches
Robertson 2-0 Page
Jackson leaves one, Neil registers another half-ton, and he's cueing nicely.
Robertson 1-0 Page (68-4)
"He's just kept knitting, digging balls out from nowhere," says Uncle Joe of a fine run, and when Newil eventually misses, Jackson returns to the table needing two snookers, weell and truly punished for his earlier oversight.
Robertson 1-0 Page (53-4)
Two fine recovery pots, then Neil drops in a blue, develops a couple of reds, and he's resolving the puzzle of this frame very nicely. He's not quite the Neil we know - early in the run, he refused a difficult shot he'd have taken on in normal circumstances - but this is excellent work.
Robertson 1-0 Page (15-4)
Jackson misses a clip to left corner with the rest, leaving nothing, and sometime later when Neil misses a tester to right, he's got a chance. But how often do we see this?! He plays position, misses the pot, and what a let off for the Thunder, who fades a lush pot to left corner, dead slow; the ball really wanted to go into the middle, but he'd have been on nothing. So he drains the black and begins picking - there are fair few balls near the top rail, so crafting something significant will not be easy.
Around the tables
Alife Davies 1-0 Liam Graham
Shaun Murphy 1-0 Barry Pinches
Robertson 1-0 Page
A second half-ton and Neil is in front.
Robertson 0-0 Page (71-8)
Neil really wants a ton, but he jawses a red to the yellow and Jackson returns 63 behind with 51 left. Good luck with that, old mate.
Robertson 0-0 Page (65-8)
Jackson will have known he'd likely played his last shot in the frame, and so he has.
Robertson 0-0 Page (28-8)
A poor positional shot leaves a black along the top rail; Neil can't send it down and when Jackson takes on a nasty cut-back, he opts to break the pack at the same time and it works nicely. He is, though, hampered on the black, which means one more difficult red before the frame is at his merc, but he directs it straight into the far side knuckle, inciting Neil to address a table far more inviting than when he left it.
Robertson 0-0 Page (20-0)
Jackson badly needs a result or two, given he's 64th in the rankings and only the top 64 stay on tour. Anyroad, Neil - who needs to win this tournament to reach the Players Championships, which in turn might get him to the Cruce as a member of the top 16 rather than forcing him to qualify - misses a long pot but Jackson can't punish him, leaving a red over the green bag. So Neil gets to work...
Off we go!
Earlier today
Ding Junhui 4-2 Jenson Kendrick
Jack Lisowski 4-2 Oliver Brown
Robert Milkins 4-3 Jamie Jones
Zhang Anda 4-1 Ahmed Alsayed
I'm excited
Mainly to see if Neil continues his long-awaited revival. Jackson, though, is a talent, and if he's on this won't be easy, at all.
For you we have:
Neil Robertson v Jackson Page, followed by Mark Williams v John Astley.
Good afternoon!
And welcome to the Weslh Open - 2024!
Welcome
Our live text coverage of the 2024 Welsh Open will begin this afternoon with Neil Robertson and then Mark Williams in afternoon action.
To remind you about the news leading in to this tournament, Judd Trump will be absent, having withdrawn from the last of this season's Home Nations Series after his German Masters victory earlier this month. He has been replaced by Welshman Duane Jones.
Robert Milkins, who beat Shaun Murphy 9-7 in last year's final, is set to start his title defence with a first-round encounter against Jamie Jones.
Ronnie O'Sullivan dropped out of the tournament, and has been replaced by Alfie Davies, while Brecel is scheduled to come up against Jiang Jun.
O'Sullivan will, though, be treating snooker fans to his thoughts from the Eurosport studio.
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No Filter: Behind the scenes as O'Sullivan wins record eighth Masters crown
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