World Grand Prix recap - Ronnie O'Sullivan holds off Pang Junxu after Mark Williams beats Thepchaiya Un-Nooh in decider

Join us again tomorrow at 12.30pm GMT.

Barry Hawkins 2-2 Cao Yupeng

I enjoyed that. Two players playing well, one the greatest of all time and the other a developing talent, and it's the former who prevails; he meets Zhou Yuelong next. Tasty!

Ronnie will appreciate how Pang's played today, making him play well, and he has. That's ominous for the rest of the field.

Ronnie tickles a red into left corner, knocks another over the middle, and this looks like the end. There are two reds stuck together but they're in open space and I think one goes to the middle.

Pang hangs his head when he plays a poor black which forces him to clip a narrow one to middle, he misses, and Ronnie sneaks down a starter that wasn't keen to oblige. There are points out there...

Ronnie tries floating one to right corner, misses, and Pang slips down a cut-back starter. He's playing very well indeed now, and what ludicrous achievement it'd be if he could beat Ronnie from 3-0 and 50-0 behind.

Ronnie won't be chuffed to still be out there, and he thrums down a nice long starter but then runs into blue off the yellow, and has to play safe.

Barry Hawkins 2-1 Cao Yupeng

A 105, and Pang's enjoying this. He's started taking chances, and that makes him extremely dangerous.

The graphic doesn't tell you the biggest break that's on the table, which is an oversight, but there's a ton out there if Pang fancies it.

This has been very fie work from pang. We said when he was 3-0 down that he was playing fairly well, he just missed a few balls and got punished, and now he's stopped doing that.

But Pang is soon in again, sinking a nice starter and breaking the pack to barely acceptable effect; there's a minging red to left-middle that he can't afford to miss ... and he doesn't, Angles purring his approval. This is a good chance for 3-2.

Pang sinks a nice starter, but looking to slam brown into the green bag and break the pack, he misses both. Which is to say that his shot was so bad he's in alright shape; Ronnie takes on a difficult cut, missing narrowly, then he hammers down right corner. He's on nothing though, so plays back to baulk.

Barry Hawkins 2-1 Cao Yupeng

Pang earned that. He made that break knowing if he missed, he was finished, and if he gets in first in the next frame, who knows?

Pang hasn't played badly tonight, he's just missed a few balls that've cost him. there's one red near black cush, but as Angles notes, even if he can't get on it, by the time he can't, he'll be back in the frame. In the event, though, he removes it nicely but doesn't get so well on the last one ... but he sneaks it down via cut-back along the side, and shortly afterwards it's colours off their spots for a steal!

Ronnie rattles into the pack off the blue and he's not on loads, but he's on enough ... or is he? An oblique cut to right corner, awkwardly bridging, is harder than I first appraised, so this match isn't quite over. Pang knows if he misses it's over, but on the plus side, that's because all the balls are in the open.

Oh dear. Pang goes at one off the break to right corner, he misses, leaves white and red in mid-table, and already this looks like curtains because there are various loose reds and the black goes to both corners.

Barry Hawkins 1-1 Cao Yupeng

Ronnie's ability to plot a route through balls is my favourite aspect of his genius, and that was a brilliant example of how he does it. He's nearly home.

There's a red on side but it's near left corner; Ronnie strokes it down right into the heart of the pocket, using the rest. But when he gives it back, we see him grimace - his elbow is bothering him again. Nevertheless he's still going to make it 3-0 with another brilliant clearance, and Pang will be feeling poorly.

"You cannot miss these at this level, he knows that," says Angles when Pang fails to sink pink in right-middle. Ronnie will fancy the challenge of stealing this, and he breaks the balls nicely, opening the table in typical fashion; Pang must be sweating.

How often do we see this? Playing down the table via cut-back black, Pang misses the pot thinking position; "the only good news is he's lost the cue ball", chuckles Angles, because it means there's nothing easy left. Ronnie, though, can't drain his starter to left corner, meaning Pang is now back at the table with a chance to seal the frame.

Pang steers a lovely starter into right corner, and it's not like he's getting blazed off the table. He's created a couple of opportunities, this being one of them, he just needs to take them, and he's opened the table up nicely here.

Barry Hawkins 1-0 Cao Yupeng

Ronnie doesn't really want to be playing here, he wants to rest, so given he's made the effort to come, we should assume he'll make the effort to win.

The inevitable ton will be the 1234th of Ronnie's career, but what are numbers when experiencing genius?

Ronnie sends one towards the green bag ... and it wobbles down, prompting whoops in the crowd. This is going to be 2-0 and we've not been going 20 minutes.

Left a short one to the corner, Pang eases it down and starts building, but when he runs out of position he goes after a blue hard, looking to send it in off the side cushion, misses by a way, and leaves a simple starter. With reds open, he's struggling here, but I understand he feels that against Ronnie, if you don't go for stuff the match will be over and you won't even have participated in it.

Barry Hawkins 0-0 Cao Yupeng

Pang will to have make the most of almost every chance he gets, because Ronnie isn't giving him anything for nowt.

But he can't, also undercutting to the corner, and Ronnie will surely take this chance to go in front ... yup, another red to left-middle, and it's just outrageous how high his modal level is.

Forced to deploy the spider, Ronnie undercuts to right corner, misses ... and leaves a chance for Pang. If he's to win here, or even make a match of it - and he can, he's a good player - he probably needs to make something of this.

Pang tries steering one to right corner, hits the jaws, and Ronnie flows to left-middle; that's a lovely way to get going. I'd say he's carrying on where he left off at the Masters, but as he said, he didn't actually play that well there - and they still couldn't beat him.

Ronnie O'Sullivan v Pang Junxu

Tom Ford 4-1 Jordan Brown

That was a blinder of a match, both men in great nick playing smooth, attacking snook. But it's Mark J who progresses, and he'll meet Hossein Vafaei next.

Mark eases his way over the line, playing safe on 50; Thepchaiya returns to the table needing three snookers. Good luck with that, old mate.

Mark will shortly break the pack off the blue and if it works, it's hard to see Thepchaiya getting back to the table. Here we go ... and it's good enough. Sat in his seat, Thepchaiya looks glum, and well he might - he's played well, but he's still going to lose and he doesn't even have a maxi to console him.

A slow start to the frame, then Mark caresses a lovely red into right-middle and starts his habitual picking. BUT HAVE A LOOK! He overcuts a red to left corner, leaves it there, and no Thepchaiya has a chance ... but not for long. The red is potted thick, meaning a nasty yellow it next, he doesn't get that close, and now Mark will go again.

The players shake hands, and off we go. I've not a clue how this'll shake out.

Tom Ford 3-1 Jordan Brown

Yup, we've got that decider, and rightly so. This has been a fantastic match, and it deserves a big finish.

Thepchaiya goes in-off and surely Mark will resolve things from here.

But he does, running out of position and playing down the table; Thepchaiya can't tickle in the ball he leaves from middle to right corner, nor the one left for him next go.

We deserve a decider, and when Thepchaiya leaves one, Mark has a chance to force one. He breaks the pack, is on one, and the next red, cut-back to right corner, liberates everything. That is absolutely beautiful play, and I can't see Mark failing to convert this into 3-3 from here.

Tom Ford 2-1 Jordan Brown

...which he does ... only to go in-off! THIS GAME! But a brilliant break, and yerman is one away!

There are no difficult balls really, this is a test of nerve not a test of skill because we know he's good enough to do the necessary. But with everyone watching? Different story. So, can he pot that red down the table and comes back up for black? Er, sort of. it's a cutback, and he'll need to go in and out of baulk ...

He's going for it, so what are the potential pitfalls? There's a red between blue and green but it's in the open, there are three below the pink but they go, and this is tremendous behaviour. It's on!

Four red-blacks, but he'll have to break the pack off the black and he's OK. He takes one to right-middle, and this is a chance. Come on Thepchaiya!

Mark goes at one to right corner and misses, but he's fine until a double-kiss jiggers him and Thepchaiya is in, a fair few loose balls available to get him started.

Tom Ford 1-1 Jordan Brown

Yup, six-and-a-half-minutes and we're back level, making it four frames in 45.

Thepchaiya effortlessly accumulates - his cue-ball contorl has been good tonight, and this frame is going to be over in short order.

Mark, left one off the break last frame, returns the favour and Thepchaiya sends it down, black going to both corner-bags. But on 24 he misses a red and Mark tries to double it as a shot to nothing, leaving it on the edge of left-middle; Thepchaiya cleans it up, and he's away again.

Tom Ford 1-0 Jordan Brown

I love watching Mark J Williams. A total clearance of 124 that reeks of class, and he hits the front for the first time.

Can Mark convert this to a ton? I hope so, because this run has been so expert it's enough to make you cry.

When you leave the split to the final red, you're relying on it going well ... and it does, Mark coming off the blue to hit the pink full in the face, and it's impossible to see him missing before yet another precise, careful and skilful break has secured the frame.

Mark cleanses a trademark long red to left corner then picks are the loose reds as is his wont; some like to break the pack early doors, but not Mark J.

Tom Ford 1-0 Jordan Brown

And that quickly becomes the frame. Neither player is flowing quite yet, but it's a fascinating contest.

Needing just one more red, Mark drops just a little short of his intended and trying to get the black safe - which he does, the pink too - goes in-off. So Thepchaiya returns to the table and after his first red, goes in off. Mark is 64 ahead with 59 left.

Oh, Thepchaiya! He misses his first escape then sinks a starter, only to drop short of the yellow playing a similar shot to the one Mark just made look so easy. It's going to cost him.

Er, no. He misses again and leaves one of the great long-potters a chance at one to right corner, but Mark has other ideas, floating one from centre to left because he's not getting position from the former, then nuzzles in behind the yellow.

Classic Thepchaiya. He takes on an unlikely one, leaves the white stuck in the cluster and Mark prods one down left corner then gets to work. It's not an easy table, but I certainly didn't think he'd miss a cut on the blue to left-middle; can Thepchaiya take advantage?

Great start from Thepchaiya. This is warming up.

When he's in nick, Thepchaiya can pot, and he makes taking these look very easy. It's unusual to see Mark J lose a frame because he takes an undue risk, and I wonder if we might see him shut it down a little from here, because he'd expect to win most safety battles. But in the meantime, he's going one-down.

Mark misses to left-middle, then Thepchaiya profits, potting to right corner, and there are points out there for him.

This should be a terrific match. Mark J is one of the greats, a brilliant, precise long-potter and strategist, while Thepchaiya - who misses a hard one to leave an easy one - is one of the fastest players around. And he has a lucky escape here, Mark playing position and forgetting to pot a black to left corner.

Boyzed.

Gary Wilson 4-2 Dave Gilbert

Amd how we're going!

It's Mark Williams v Thepchaiya Un-Nooh with updates from Tom Ford v Jordan Brown, then Ronnie O'Sullivan v Pang Junxu with updates on Barry Hawkins v Cao Yupeng. Not bad!

Thanks for your company, join us again at 6.45pm BST for more live coverage of the World Grand Prix.

It's currently 1-1 between Gary Wilson and David Gilbert.

What a dramatic finish. Wu will be haunted by it for a while I dare say, as he had golden chances to put the match away in both frame six and seven. Quality tends to win out though, and the more experienced Ali stepped in twice to do the necessary when given the chance.

A brief safety battle ends when Wu plays a poor one to leave a look at a long brown to bottom left. Ali gets straight down to it, and drives it home; the blue and pink thereafter are a formality, and just like that Ali's won it!

Wu needs to take the brown with the rest, but misses it badly - so badly in fact that the brown drifts behind the blue and it's safe. What a touch for Wu, who butchered that pot completely. It's down to the last four balls, with Wu still needing brown and blue, while Ali needs up to and including the pink.

Wu certainly has a chance now, as he guides in a long red and lands perfectly on the blue in baulk. There's one red on the upper left cushion but five others in open play, so Wu can get right back in this frame. He duly does, clearing the five reds with colours before going up for the final red. He's left it down the rail to the yellow pocket...and he's plugged it and landed on the yellow! It's tricky with the white on the cushion but Wu guides it into the green pocket, and he needs up to and including the blue now to take it!

If Ali wins this frame it'll be his ninth win in a row in deciding frames this season. He'll have to do it in more than one bite though as he goes into the pack and doesn't land on a colour, forcing him to play safe. It's a handy lead but Wu still has a chance here.

Wu breaks off in the decider, after which Ali plays a containing safety. The next shot by Wu is a shocker, hitting the blue full ball on his way back to baulk, and Ali is in again with an easy starter. It takes a few pots to locate perfect position but he's got it now, and this is a decent look at a frame-winning visit.

Yep, it's a one frame shootout as Ali clears up to the blue for 25 and the frame.

Ali tries to land on one of the two more awkward reds, but ends up next to it and his break is done on 58. Soon after though, it looks over; Wu has left Ali in again after a short safety battle, and with both reds now in the open the Captain should see this through.

Wu might see that one in his sleep tonight if Ali turns this around. A decider is now looking likely is Ali calmly whittles away Wu's lead in the frame and hits the front. There are four reds left, two of which are stationed near cushions but not on them. The full dish is on here for Ali, if he can hold position.

Ali's on the brink now, and Wu knows it. We has two thrashes at a long red at the start of frame six, bagging the second; he then clubs in a long blue, a tricky red to right middle and he's perfect on the black. He's in business now, and points are arriving quickly. A fortuitous kiss on the black leaves it on to bottom left, and Wu puts it away; a good split on the reds off the pink soon after takes him to 37, and Ali is bang in trouble, or should be. As I type that, Wu tries to drag a red to bottom right, but he's undercut it and left the world on.

Gary Wilson 0-0 Dave Gilbert

From his seat, Ali concedes, and he needs two straight to avoid defeat. Wu, meanwhile, isn't even playing that well - you can see he's got loads of room to both perform better and improve. Whatever happens from here, he's going to be a big problem over the next few years.

Surely Wu is going ahead again now. He bags a starter, adds the black that's still over left corner, and a simple red to middle leaves Ali needing snookers.

Wu has a good look at a cut-back black to left corner, and in comms, Fouldsy says it's one you'd attempt in a second were you 9 behind. Eventually, he goes for it and it's really thin, thinner than it looked ... and it stays out. A decent break, but the frame remains up for grabs.

This is really good work from Wu, who picks at loose balls and looks good to go in front again.

Ali misses so Wu slides an opener to left corner, then works a proper opportunity.

Gary Wilson 0-0 Dave Gilbert

And he does. These two are well-matched, but neither is close to their best.

Wu leaves one to left corner that Ali sends down nicely, and he'll surely level us up from here.

Not for long. Wu gets in again, but then he jawses a red to the yellow ... only for Ali to botch to middle.Neither man can play well enough for long enough to take control of this frame or match.

Now then. Ali misses a red to right-middle, and this is a good chance for Wu to at least force his way back into the frame because he's a simple starter and much else besides. But a poor positional shot means that simple starter is all he gets and we're back playing safety.

Again, Ali gets in at the start of a frame, and handles a delay over a respotted pink, placed inside the cluster as every other spot is occupied. The way he's been potting recently, you expect him to make something significant from this position.

Zhou Yuelong 3-1 Stephen Maguire

Yup, Wu does the necessary, and Ali will have to play well to win this.

Wu is so good from distance, creaming in a diagonal red to right corner, and he cuts a lush pink to left-middle to keep the run going. But he can't then roll in a pink he should bag, at least missing it slowly so it blocks the pocket into which Ali would've sent one of the two remaining reds. But have a look! Ali leaves another long diagonal, Wu smokes it down, and he really should seal the frame at this visit now.

But it's soon end of break, at which point my computer crashes, returning to show me a safety exchange with Wu having caught up in points, This frame is right in the balance.

It's Ali in again at the start of frame three but he's soon playing down the table and safe; no matter, Wu has gone a bit cold and soon offers him another opportunity and this time, expect him to accumulate with the blue, though pink and black are busy.

Zhou Yuelong 3-1 Stephen Maguire

The break ends on an in-off, but Ali is on the board.

Yup, Ali quickly removes balls, and this is going be 1-1.

Now then. Ali misses to left corner leaving Wu in, and he cannons reds off the blue - that's a good shot - but can he caress a red along the top rail and into left corner? If he can't he'll leave plenty, and overcuts it by a way, leaving it on the lip, and that is going to cost him.

Ali clips a really nice starter from centre to corner, but there are numerous reds gathered close to black cush and he can't disturb any off the yellow, so can only go at one to right-middle ... and he hits the far knuckle, leaving nothing. But when he fouls attempting a thin contact, Wu punches an opener to left corner and he's on the blue, away again. He moves in and out of baulk, lands on the next ball, drains it with the rest ... and sticks to a red, meaning end of break. This is getting messy now.

Wu drills a lovely starter into left corner then nudges a cut-back black down right,before playing safe. He looks really confident now.

Zhou Yuelong 2-0 Stephen Maguire

A run of 52 from Wu, who's warming to his task, and the beaten Masters finalist finds himself trailing.

A terrific straight red disappears into left corner, and the frame is nearly Wu's.

Wu sinks a nice starter and quickly builds a lead - he's such a good cueist, and I fancy him to secure the frame at this visit.

Wu gets in then misses a simple black to right corner, his back elbow wobbling; he must be nervous. But Ali eschews a tricky red you expect him to go at, presumably reasoning that his superior safety will win the next exchange, whereas Wu will want an open match. And the tactic yields an immediate result, a starter to left corner that again, Ali can't parlay into something significant.

He says he feels sorry for Ronnie, who he doesn't think "is that well mentally", saying he doesn't know what he's going to say from day to day.I've not a clue why he thinks that's an acceptable thing to say of someone as a diss, but here we are.

Ali Carter v Wu Yize

Imagine how happy he is with himself. No one loves being good at snooker more, and he says against someone like John, you either play like that or you lose.

Zhou Yuelong 2-0 Stephen Maguire

Nope, Shaun misses a pot which means we're finished in 41! Not many will have battered John that conclusively, but not many are as brilliant as the Magician, and he meets Zhou Yuelong or Stephen Maguire next. Good luck, guys.

"He's come all the way from Scotland for this," chortles Stephen, and Shaun needs a red and a colour to secure the match, then another red to really secure it, dropped in with the rest. This match is going to be over in 45 minutes...

By the way, Shaun hasn't beaten John for 11 years, though they've only met four times in that period. Well, this is a seriously conciliatory hiding he's administering.

An unwanted kiss due to insufficient running side means it's up for the blue, another 145 still out there; John will think he's played his last shot in this tournament.

John takes one on to left corner, misses, and looks to have been saved by a double-kiss. So Shaun slides a glorious oblique opener to the yellow and the lie of the balls immediately incites Stephen to wonder about a maxi. There's one red on the side, but otherwise, they're sitting there calling him on, and you can be sure he won't need asking twice.

Zhou Yuelong 1-0 Stephen Maguire

Shaun's really found himself these last two years - I don't think I've seen him play better, consistently - and if he puts it together at the right time, there are more tripe crowns out there for him.

A lovely red slotted to left-middle leaves John needing a snooker, and everything just looks so easy for Shaun at the moment. He played well last week too, he just got rousted by Ronnie, and he's one away.

John takes on a long one to right corner knowing he can't afford to miss because he's leaving all sorts ... and he does. He'll do well to get back to the table in this frame.

"That's just a beautiful shot," says Stephen as Shaun rolls one into the yellow bag. But this time, he misses, leaving John an opportunity ... only for him end up stuck to a red and forced to play safe.

Again, Shaun gets in, but this time he can only manage six points; no matter, a red to right corner and pink to right-centre and he's off again.

Zhou Yuelong 1-0 Stephen Maguire

John's got his arm going now, but he's still halfway home.

A delicious pink to left corner, frame-ball, frees a few more reds, and John has yet to pot a ball. Can Shaun guide a red to left corner to keep the run going, in search of another ton or total clearance? He cannot, so the Wiz returns to the table to get some balls in some pockets.

Again, Shaun effortlessly accumulates. He's so confident at the moment, even for him, and this is going to be 2-0.

Shaun is quickly in again, the pack is broken, and though the black is tied up, this is another scoring opportunity. I don't think John thinks he can win this, and we're seeing why.

Zhou Yuelong 0-0 Stephen Maguire

Yup, a 145, and Shaun narrowly avoids eating himself as the crowd applaud. He is in glorious touch.

"You can't play snooker better than this," says Stephen - praise indeed - and it's colours off their spots for a proper big-break target and the joint-highest run ever recorded in this competition.

In rapid fashion, Shaun makes the frame safe, but there's a ton out there - and a 145 too.

Shaun gets away with a typically brilliant long red, and immediately, he's in the balls, black passing to both corners. he looks confident; of course he does, he's Shaun Murphy.

Baize.

It's a beauty of this tournament - players in form, playing each other - that we get a clash like this in round one. I massive fancy Shaun, because I think John is done beating the best at this level, but you never know.

It's Mark Williams v Thepchaiya Un-Nooh with updates on Tom Ford v Jordan Brown, followed by Ronnie O'Sullivan v Pang Junxu with updates on Barry Hawkins v Cao Yupeng. Not bad.

John Higgins v Shaun Murphy - I know! and we'll be updating on Zhou Yuelong v Stephen Maguire - followed by Ali Carter v Wu Yize, with updates on Gary Wilson v Dave Gilbert.

And welcome to the World Grand Prix 2024 - day two!

Judd Trump came from two frames down to beat Jamie Jones 4-2 at the World Grand Prix in Leicester on Monday, while Mark Selby also progressed with a late-night win.

Trump was looking to get over the disappointment of his Masters semi-final defeat to Ali Carter, and was made to work by a spirited Jones early on.

He eventually found a way to victory and will now face face Lyu Haotian, who beat Chris Wakelin 4-3.

Later on, Mark Selby admitted he was lucky to make it through his match with Yuan Sijin, who he beat 4-3 at gone midnight to set up a tie with either Ali Carter or Wu Yize.

The four-time world champion went 3-1 up but lost the next two frames, with the decider lasting 41 minutes before he closed out victory.

Read the full report here.

- - -

Stream top snooker action live on discovery+, the Eurosport app and at eurosport.com