World Grand Prix as it happened - Neil Robertson battles past Mark Selby to reach final after Ronnie O'Sullivan win
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ByEurosport
Updated 17/12/2021 at 22:54 GMT
Ronnie O'Sullivan completed a 5-2 win over Jimmy Robertson in the World Grand Prix quarter-finals in Coventry with Stuart Bingham enjoying a resounding 5-1 victory over Stephen Maguire. O'Sullivan and Bingham clash in the last four on Saturday night with Neil Robertson defeating Mark Selby 6-3 in the opening semi-final on Friday night. Both semi-finals are the best-of-11 frame matches.
‘Just a delight!’ – O’Sullivan shows his shot-making craft with ‘perfect cueing’
Robertson 6-3 Selby
A superb display from Robertson. He will face Ronnie O'Sullivan or Stuart Bingham in the best-of-19 frame World Grand Prix final on Sunday. We will be back at 6:45pm (GMT) with the second semi-final on Saturday night with O'Sullivan and Bingham battling it out. See you then.
Robertson 5-3 Selby (71-0)
Could be a century to finish off his business for the night, but red to middle bag eludes him. A break of 71 should see Robertson through to the final. And it does as he sinks a long red seconds. He wins 6-3 in a fine match.
Robertson 5-3 Selby (41-0)
They are all there for the taking. Like going through a practice drill at the moment. Selby might not get back to the table.
Robertson 5-3 Selby (19-0)
Robertson wins the safety battle with Selby at the outset of the ninth frame. Not a straightforward run to the line, but he has first go at it. Could be a fifth straight win over the Leicester cueman if he can prosper at this visit.
Robertson 5-3 Selby (0-0)
Robertson two to the good as he reaches the hill. Selby at the point of no return. He needs three frames to reach the final.
Robertson 4-3 Selby (74-20)
A tale of two splits in this frame. Selby got nothing from his effort in slotting the blue into the pack while Robertson has prospered in making 74 to leave his opponent needing two snookers. Fifth half-century of the night from Robertson.
Robertson 4-3 Selby (0-20)
Selby having no luck after slotting the blue. Hit the pack perfectly, but nothing doing. Forced to settle for the safety shot.
Robertson 4-3 Selby (0-0)
Time to dig out a banana or two for the players. Both men enjoying the benefits of some sustenance at a key point of the evening.
Robertson 4-3 Selby (0-0)
112 from Selby. Quite immaculate break from the world champion to breathe new life into his hopes. Difficult to call this from here with both players suddenly looking in good touch.
Robertson 4-2 Selby (6-57)
Could be a turning point in the match that Robertson error. Selby quickly up to 53 as he bids to close the deficit back to one frame heading for the business end of the match.
Robertson 4-2 Selby (6-12)
Robertson with the first chance in this frame, but he fouls potting a red with the touching ball moving. Odd call that from the English Open champion. Selby presented with a decent scoring chance of his own after that mishap.
Robertson 4-2 Selby (0-0)
Selby battled hard as you would expect, but could not get the snookers he needed and Robertson finally scrambles over the line to move two clear. Huge frame coming up. More so for Selby.
Robertson 3-2 Selby (67-0)
Almost a done deal this frame. Selby needing two snookers after Robertson declares on 67.
Robertson 3-2 Selby (45-0)
Decent chance for Robertson to put together a big break in this frame. Missed a couple of long reds, but Selby can't capitalise. Opportunity for the Australian to win frame at this visit for a 4-2 lead.
Robertson 3-2 Selby (0-0)
A lovely effort of 74 from Robertson to regain the lead at 3-2. Halfway to the winning line in the match.
Robertson 2-2 Selby (65-36)
This is superb from Robertson after Selby broke down on 36 with a miscue. Has been a fantastic break. Should be 3-2 to the Aussie.
Robertson 2-1 Selby (78-79)
Selby gets the snooker at the first attempt as Robertson narrowly fails to hit the blue. The Australian then leaves the blue over the pocket. Selby looking for blue, pink and black to level at 2-2. And we are level at 2-2. What a frame that was. Over 40 minutes and won by the world champion. A break for the mid-session interval. And maybe needed.
Robertson 2-1 Selby (78-79)
Double kiss by Selby on the green. Robertson takes out green before sinking the brown. Selby needs a snooker with blue, pink and black left up.
Robertson 2-1 Selby (71-56)
Selby opts to play safe on the green. Robertson looking for green and brown for the frame. Bit of a tactical battle on the cards after 32 minutes of this frame.
Robertson 2-1 Selby (71-49)
Selby misses a tricky red along the top cushion. Robertson closing in on the winning post in this frame, but he misses a red that seemed unmissable.
Robertson 2-1 Selby (63-41)
Selby escapes from a snooker and angles Robertson, who then goes in off the red. This frame still wide open as Selby slots a long red.
Robertson 2-1 Selby (52-32)
Robertson ends up feathering the white ball when he is lining up the black. Odd error, but he calls the foul on himself. Four reds left up.
Robertson 2-1 Selby (8-25)
Selby hits the black attempting a two-ball plant on the reds. How significant will that moment prove to be? Chance for Robertson to assert himself.
Robertson 2-1 Selby (0-0)
Fine response from Selby to keep Robertson at bay. Back to 2-1 behind in the race to six.
Robertson 2-0 Selby (5-48)
Blistering long red by Selby. Should be the third frame under lock and key at this visit.
Robertson 2-0 Selby (5-40)
Selby refusing the pot. Preferring to run the white back up the table. Not the worst table if Robertson can get the next chance.
Robertson 2-0 Selby (5-40)
No quick kill for either man in this frame. Robertson facing a demanding shot from the baulk cushion. Almost made the pot, but hasn't left an easy opener for Selby.
Robertson 2-0 Selby (5-33)
Bad miss by Selby having made 28. Lost concentration at the key moment, but his opponent can't capitalise as a mid-range red to the green pocket stays out. Selby back at the table.
Robertson 2-0 Selby (5-18)
Super long red by Selby before he rams home a tricky blue. Back out onto the reds and has first chance to score this evening.
Robertson 2-0 Selby (5-4)
Early bout of safety at the outset of this third frame. Selby badly needs to gain a foothold in this contest.
Robertson 1-0 Selby (93-0)
No century, but another convincing break of 93 and the Aussie has rampaged into a 2-0 lead. Work to be done by Selby to stem the tide here.
Robertson 1-0 Selby (69-0)
Could be a big break here. All the balls wide open and are there for the taking.
Robertson 1-0 Selby (51-0)
Superb opening red from the Aussie, who is looking to make a telling contribution at this visit. Seems determined not to get tied down in a long, languid battle. Looking to score in the chase for a 2-0 lead. Has splashed open the reds perfectly. Frame-winning chance.
Robertson 1-0 Selby (0-0)
No century, but a run of 82 more than enough to secure the first frame. He leads Selby 1-0.
Robertson 0-0 Selby (77-1)
Could be a century coming up for Robertson here. Laying down a marker and all that jazz.
Robertson 0-0 Selby (34-1)
Everybody loves a plant, and that is a little gem from the English Open champion on the reds. Moving along nicely here.
Robertson 0-0 Selby (28-1)
Robertson off and running after Selby can't slot a long red. Work to be done, but this is a decent chance for the Melbourne man.
Robertson 0-0 Selby (5-1)
Nice long red by Robertson, but no colour to follow. Another safety shot. Black and pink both off their spots at the moment.
Robertson 0-0 Selby (4-1)
Here is how Robertson closed out the match last night in a 5-4 win over Yan Bingtao in the last eight.
Robertson 0-0 Selby (0-1)
Poor break-off shot by Robertson, but not punished as Selby can only slot the red to a centre pocket before running safe.
Boys on the baize
So the four-times defending world champion Mark Selby faces the 2010 Crucible winner Neil Robertson in this opening World Grand Prix semi-final. Robertson leads Selby 14-8 on the head-to-heads. Should be an exciting evening ahead.
Thanks for joining us this afternoon. We will be back before 7pm when Neil Robertson and world champion Mark Selby meet in the first semi-final of the World Grand Prix. See you then.
Bingham 5-1 Maguire
Stuart Bingham takes on Ronnie O'Sullivan in the semi-finals tomorrow night in what could be a fascinating duel. First to six frame reaches the final.
Bingham 4-1 Maguire (64-31)
Tough red along the top cushion fails to drop for Maguire and that could be his last shot in the tournament. Bingham putting the finishing touches to this one. In goes the black and that is game, set and match.
Bingham 4-1 Maguire (48-7)
Bingham on the cusp of the semi-finals as the break moves to 47, but he sees a red drop into a middle pocket from holing the black. Would you believe that? A lifeline for Maguire.
Bingham 4-1 Maguire
Maguire compiles a wonderful 139 against Bingham. It is the highest break of the week so far. Avoids the whitewash and is in line for a £10,000 top prize.
O'Sullivan 5-2 Robertson
All over. O'Sullivan finishing matters off in style as a 68 break is more than enough to get the job done. He will face Bingham or Maguire in the last four on Saturday night. Robertson didn't score in the closing three frames.
O'Sullivan 4-2 Robertson (16-0)
So unfortunate for Robertson as he brilliantly pots his way out of trouble from an immaculate O'Sullivan safety shot only to see the white drop in. Chance for O'Sullivan to win frame and match right here, right now.
O'Sullivan 4-2 Robertson (0-0)
Referee almost having to run around the table to picks balls out of pockets. So quickly this frame has been done and dusted. O'Sullivan makes a fine 112 break for a 4-2 lead. Needs one more frame to reach the last four.
O'Sullivan 3-2 Robertson (29-0)
Safety blunder by Robertson has left O'Sullivan back in among the balls. By his standards, chance to win the frame for a 4-2 lead. Chasing a place in his 86th ranking event semi-final.
O'Sullivan 3-2 Robertson (23-0)
Only 23 from O'Sullivan early in this sixth frame The white ball again running astray at the key moment.
Bingham 4-0 Maguire
Maguire added eight points in the fourth frame to bring his total to 15 for the day. Bingham utterly dominant. Needs one more frame after the mid-session interval to seal the deal.
O'Sullivan 3-2 Robertson (0-0)
A rapid knock of 80 from Rocket Ronnie. Exquisite contribution at the right time. Two frames short of the winning line.
O'Sullivan 2-2 Robertson (65-0)
Robertson can't slot a mid-range red and O'Sullivan rolls a lovely shot on a red around the angles to land on the black. Great chance to really press on in this frame. All the reds are there for the taking.
Bingham 3-0 Maguire
Bingham seems to be in the mood this afternoon. Breaks of 53, 105 and 95 gives the Ball-run a 3-0 advantage. Maguire has only scored seven points in the first three frames.
O'Sullivan 2-2 Robertson (0-0)
A 106 from Robertson to level at 2-2. Brilliant break from the Bexhill potter. Looks to be hitting the ball superbly. Interesting conclusion to this match coming up after the mid-session interval.
O'Sullivan 2-1 Robertson (0-74)
Nice calm response from Robertson. Was left in among the balls and is going to punish O'Sullivan's error. Should restore parity at 2-2. Could be a century on the way.
O'Sullivan 2-1 Robertson (0-1)
O'Sullivan can't hole a long red. Was tough cueing, but what a chance he has left for Robertson. Chance to pile on the points.
O'Sullivan 2-1 Robertson (0-0)
A rapid 33 to finish off the third frame. Not yet in top gear, but is competing strongly out there to lead again. One more frame before the mid-session interval. Have a feeling a big break is on the horizon.
O'Sullivan 1-1 Robertson (44-0)
O'Sullivan 44 points clear. Plays a poor safety, but his opponent can't slot a long red. O'Sullivan back at table looking to put this frame to bed. Superb positional shot to float the white onto the black. Touch is just immense in these situations.
Bingham 2-0 Maguire
Breaks of 53 and 105 from Bingham gives the 2015 world champion a dream start to the other quarter-final match against the Scotsman, the 2004 UK champion.
O'Sullivan 1-1 Robertson (4-0)
Lovely three-ball plant by O'Sullivan at the outset of the third frame, but no colours to follow. A bit of safety to sort out the early narrative here.
O'Sullivan 1-0 Robertson (0-70)
Superb little response here from the 2018 European Masters winner. Quickly up to 63 before he slots frame-ball black to move to 70. Fine cut. O'Sullivan needing a snooker, but he can't be bothered playing for them. We are all square at 1-1.
O'Sullivan 0-0 Robertson (71-8)
And the answer is no as Robertson can't cut in a black. Real chance there, but not enough in response. O'Sullivan slots red to a centre pocket before putting the finishing touches to the business at hand. A 1-0 lead for the 2018 Grand Prix winner.
O'Sullivan 0-0 Robertson (56-8)
Breaks ends at 47 after a loose positional shot. O'Sullivan then compounds the error by butchering a safety shot seconds later. Suddenly Robertson in among the balls. Can he punish the mistake?
O'Sullivan 0-0 Robertson (28-0)
Nice long red by O'Sullivan and the percentage shot roll behind the green pays off. Robertson leaves him among the balls from the snooker. Chance to make a productive score at this first visit of the day. Looks highly focused.
Good afternoon
All set for another enticing day of snooker. Last of the quarter-finals this afternoon with Ronnie O'Sullivan facing Jimmy Robertson and Stuart Bingham taking on Stephen Maguire. First to five frames progresses. The winners of these respective matches will meet in the second semi-final tomorrow night over the best-of-11 frames. First semi-final sees Mark Selby and Neil Robertson meet tonight from 7pm. LIVE updates all day.
Follow live text coverage with Desmond Kane from 12:45 GMT on Friday
'I will stink places out for another three years' - O'Sullivan teases retirement plan
Ronnie O'Sullivan has suggested that he will retire in three years, insisting he has earned the right to "stink out" events when not at his best.
'The Rocket' was slow to get going against Hossein Vafaei in the last 16 of the World Grand Prix, but progressed with a convincing 4-1 margin after finding his fluency later in the match.
The Iranian had dumped O'Sullivan out of the German Masters without conceding a frame but could not reproduce a similar performance.
Six-time world champion O'Sullivan said afterwards that he was eyeing a further three triumphs at the Crucible, though recognising that he is not at the level he once was.
"I will stink places out for another three years, I want three more world titles and I have earned the right to smell a few places out," O'Sullivan argued after his win.
"Then if it doesn’t get any better it’s time to hang the cue up. I still love the game but you can’t play like that, I can’t anyway.
"It is showing in my results, I used to win a lot of tournaments but now get caught out in semis, quarters, finals, and there is a reason for that.
"I’m not as good as I was, but I accept that, I am not one of these deluded people, I am quite realistic and there is only so much juice to squeeze out of the lemon."
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