Those are the scores as we enter the second and last day of the QF round.

And Ronnie is back in the studio alongside Colin Murray, Jimmy White and Mark Selby

2018 WSC: Ronnie at the studio (Eurosport, 01.05.2018.)

2018 WSC: Ronnie at the studio (Eurosport, 01.05.2018.)

2018 WSC: Ronnie at the studio (Eurosport, 01.05.2018.)

2018 WSC: Ronnie at the studio (Eurosport, 01.05.2018.)

2018 WSC: Ronnie at the studio (Eurosport, 01.05.2018.)

2018 WSC: Ronnie at the studio (Eurosport, 01.05.2018.)

So what do we do with yesterday’s outcome?

Ding was really poor against Barry Hawkins. Barry was rarely first in the balls but efficiently capitalised on his opponent mistakes. The ES pundits team, especially Mark and Ronnie, stressed that there was something fundamentally wrong in Ding’s attitude: as soon as things don’t go his way, he seems to give up. Ronnie suggested that Ding could benefit from seeing someone, just like himself has benefitted from seeing Steve Peters, as himself also in the past has been guilty of self-sabotaging when things were getting sticky. Both Ronnie and Mark agreed that if nothing changed the chances for Ding to ever become World Champion were close to zero. Ding played seemingly outstanding in the previous rounds and the truth is that he’s not been seriously tested. That said, Barry Hawkins in his quiet way has an outstanding record at the Crucible over the last 5 years. He should not be underestimated: he is playing well in winning this match.

It came to a surprise to me that after finishing the first session all square, Mark Allen lost the second session by 7-1. I don’t know how it happened, as I didn’t see it, but I was always expecting “The Warrior” to come into that match fired up and determined to “avenge” the Masters final defeat. Kyren must be on the warpath!

Judd Trump has a small advantage over John Higgins, starting the day 5-3 up. It could and should have been more. I’m a bit nonplussed that nobody seems to recognize that when John Higgins is put under pressure nowadays, he DOES miss more often than in the past. He was vulnerable yesterday and, once again, if Judd had played just a fraction more cautiously he could have easily been 6-2 up.

Finally Ali Carter and Mark Williams are all square and I couldn’t for the life of me pick a favourite there. Before the match “Willo” jokingly said that he may have to walk sideways to avoid a barge… but at the table both are playing it tough.

Speaking of “barges”, Ronnie explained this on ES yesterday

So, exactly as I initially understood, Ali started the whole thing by barging Ronnie first, but as usual, the media just ignored it, and only focused on Ronnie’s retaliation. Ronnie is taking it all with a good zest of humour…

Another interesting bit yesterday was the interview with Chris Henry on the impact of battle scars and how it works in the players brain. I’ll try to find a footage of that one.

And finally the pundits discussion around the future of the game and the importance of developing grassroot snooker. Hopefully the new World Snooker Federation will be up to the task.

 

Yesterday was a rather short day at the tables. Ding Junhui needed only 10 minutes to get the frame he needed to book his place in the quarter finals.

Judd Trump beat Ricky Walden by 13-9. They had resumed all square, at 8-8, and Ricky took the first frame. In the next Ricky took a risky shot, missed it, and that turned the match on its head. Later Judd claimed that this particular shot had fired him up because he felt that Ricky lacked respect for him by taking it, probably thinking that he could afford to miss because Judd wouldn’t clear anyway. Well, sorry Judd, but that type of comment is a reflection on how YOU think more than anything else. I know Ricky a bit and he’s not that sort of guy. BTW Ricky denied to have had any such thoughts and I certainly do believe him. On the other side, Judd  has lost quite a few matches this season doing exactly that: taking rash shots seemingly thinking he wouldn’t be punished.

Mark Williams finally played the way he can in wrapping a 13-7 victory over Robert Milkins. That sort of form hadn’t shown up until last night and it comes out right in time.

Here are the reports on Worldsnooker:

http://www.worldsnooker.com/trump-surges-walden/

Monday 30 Apr 2018 05:19PM

Judd Trump turned on the style to defeat Ricky Walden 13-9 and reach the quarter-finals of the Betfred World Championship.

Trump produced a superb display this afternoon to close out the victory in clinical fashion, having started play locked together with Walden at 8-8.

The performance was in stark contrast to Trump’s first round display, where he suffered a near capitulation against world number 55 Chris Wakelin. On that occasion he was pegged back from 8-4 up to 8-8, before stumbling over the line 10-9. Today, the eight-time ranking event winner looked a completely different player.

Having lost the first frame and fallen 9-8 behind, Trump blitzed his way to the finish. He claimed five frames on the bounce, making breaks of 66, 70, 66 and 103 in the process.

The Ace in the Pack has now set up a quarter-final showdown with John Higgins. The last time the pair met in the World Championship was in the 2011 final. On that occasion Higgins came out on top 18-15 to lift the title after a match which provided one of the greatest atmospheres in Crucible history.

Following today’s game Trump admitted that he was fired up by Walden taking on a risky red to the middle pocket at 9-8.

Trump remarked: “Ricky took on a crazy ball, and it spurred me on. Something inside me fired up and from that moment the whole game turned. That’s what happens, even over the best of 25 frames one ball can change a game.

“He probably felt the way I was playing, I wasn’t going to clear up. When he took that on, it was a crazy shot, it spurred me on thinking that he shouldn’t be playing that against me. I regained my belief that I could clear up and win the match.

“I don’t need to be fired up all the time, but there I did. That was the first time in the whole tournament that I have felt alive. It kicked in and that was my moment then. I had to step up to the plate, otherwise I was going home.

“John Higgins is a little bit older now, but if he keeps his consistency and plays like he has done then I’ll have to play the best snooker of my life to get close to him. I’m hoping he has a bad day or a bad session, which he hasn’t had so far. I’m growing into the tournament now so hopefully I can use the confidence I have built and take the game to him.”

Walden said: “Judd can think what he wants. I play the shot as I see it. If I were to comment on every shot Judd plays then we’d be here all day. We’ve got different games, that’s the way it is.

“To be back on the big stage playing and competing is a big confidence booster. The last few months in general have been pretty good for me. I’ve been playing some decent stuff. My practice game is really good, and moving forward I think I can improve.”

http://www.worldsnooker.com/williams-clinches-quarter-final-spot/

Monday 30 Apr 2018 09:27PM

Mark Williams is through to his eighth Crucible quarter-final after completing a 13-7 defeat of Robert Milkins at the Betfred World Championship.

Two-time Crucible king Williams failed to reach the final stages of the World Championship in 2017, after losing 10-7 against Stuart Carrington in qualifying. Such was his slump in form that the Welshman had claimed that he had considered giving up the sport.

However, Williams has enjoyed a renaissance this season after picking up his first ranking title since 2011 with victory at the Northern Ireland Open. He then went on to double his title tally for the campaign by winning the German Masters.

World number 37 Milkins was making his third appearance in the last 16 stage at the Crucible and enjoyed a 10-5 upset victory against 2010 World Champion Neil Robertson in round one. However, this evening’s task proved to be too much.

Williams came into tonight with a 10-6 advantage and immediately added to that with a sublime century run of 101. Milkins did pull a frame back, but further breaks of 83 and 72 by Williams saw him through to the last eight.

The Welshman will now face Ali Carter, as he aims to reach the semi-finals for the first time since 2011.

Williams said: “I’m in the quarter-finals and there’s only three more matches to go, anyone can win it. I’m just looking forward to playing now. If I can carry on playing the way I finished off tonight I’ll be much happier.

“I’m playing some of the best stuff I’ve played in a long time. How long it will last I don’t know. It will be an interesting test after this season to see how I get on next season. If I can continue playing the way I am, or if this is just a one season fluke.”

The 20-time ranking event winner also joked about his quarter-final opponent Carter’s fiery second round encounter with Ronnie O’Sullivan, saying: “He stood up to Ronnie O’Sullivan, played some good stuff and was the better player all the way through the match. When I play tomorrow I might have to walk sideways back to my chair a couple of times in case he gives me a dig, but apart from that I’ll be fine.”

Milkins said: “Mark played really well. I just didn’t perform the way I have to at this level. He was the better player overall, so it’s a fair scoreline.

“I didn’t seem to get on a roll like I did against Neil Robertson. Mark made it more difficult than Neil did to be fair. I wasn’t able to fluster him and get two or three frames on the run. I know I could have, but I just didn’t play well enough to do that.”

And of course Barry Hearn came up with a number of announcements.

Also given the way my predictions went in the last 16, I’ll abstain this time!

And to end on a funny note…

2018 WSC: Ronnie & Jimmy: Snooker Stars in a car (Eurosport)

 

The “Middle Sunday” was supposed to be a quiet day for the media with no match scheduled to a finish, but John Higgins had other ideas…

John Higgins completely outplayed Jack Lisowski, beating him by 13-1 and finishing with a session to spare. The funny thing is that, as Alan McManus reflected, John wasn’t playing all that well: Jack had occasions aplenty, especially in the first session. There has never been a whitewash at this stage at the Crucible but yesterday it looked like a real possibility until Jack managed to salvage some pride by winning frame 11. John who played without pressure towards the end of the match made a 146 in frame 13; he was on a maximum, but having lost position on the black, chose for the pink with red n°13.

Ding looked in a hurry as well when he finished the first session 8-0 ahead of Anthony McGill. But Anthony made a fight of it in the evening session, managing to win four frames. It wasn’t pretty, but he’s still in the match. As they return today Ding needs only one more frame…

Mark Williams now leads Robert Milkins by 10-6, neither of them playing well. Ricky Walden and Judd Trump are locked at 8-8. Ricky was the better player out there or at least the most consistent certainly. Judd had moments of brilliance but overall was quite inconsistent. And his mood appeared to swing from confidence to anxiety all the time. It was quite strange to watch and I don’t think Judd is a contender for the title unless he finds some consistency both in his game and his mood.

There is no play this morning as the tables are recovered.

Afternoon session report by Worldsnooker

Sunday 29 Apr 2018 06:07PM

John Higgins sealed a crushing 13-1 win over Jack Lisowski to book his place in the quarter-finals of the Betfred World Championship.

The illustrious Scot will be making his 14th appearance in the last eight at the Crucible. He will now face either Judd Trump or Ricky Walden for an opportunity to compete in the one-table setup for the ninth time.

Today’s landslide result has matched the record for the biggest winning margin in a second round tie. The extent of the defeat for Lisowski will be a bitter pill to swallow for the Englishman, although he will be able to look back on a fine 10-7 win over 2015 Crucible king Stuart Bingham in the first round.

Higgins came into this session having secured a clean sweep of the preceding frames, leading 8-0. He ruthlessly charged towards the finishing line this afternoon, picking up where he left off by taking the first two frames and extending his advantage to 10-0.

Lisowski prevented the whitewash thanks to a break of 81 in frame 11. However, Higgins restored his ten-frame lead at the mid-session after composing a run of 100.

When they returned the four-time World Champion dramatically embarked upon making his first maximum break at the Crucible. However, having potted 11 blacks he fell out of position and was forced to take the pink. Not to be denied a slice of history, Higgins continued with the break and completed a 146 total clearance. It was just the fourth run of 146 at the Crucible and puts Higgins in position for the £10,000 high break prize.

The 30-time ranking event winner then fired in a contribution of 73 to confirm his 13-1 win.

Higgins said: “I don’t think I’ve ever won 13-1. It is probably one of my best results. Jack dismantled me 6-2 at the China Open so I was really up for the game. Next season will be big for him, he’ll be competing and winning in big events.

“It was a bit disappointing I didn’t get the position on the black for a 147. There were people in the crowd saying to try and double the black, but I went for the 146 to try and take the high break prize. £10,000 is a lot of money and if I manage to win it it’ll be great. I know there could still be a 147, so I’m not counting my chickens yet!

“I know you try and stay professional and be ruthless, but I feel for him a little as well. A couple of years ago I played Stephen Hendry and lost heavily, it’s the worst feeling in the world. It’s very tough venue when you’re struggling, the harder you try the worst it gets.”

Afterwards a disappointed Lisowski said that he is hoping that he can learn from the experience.

“I should embrace what happened. I didn’t feel as bad as when Barry Hawkins beat me here in 2013, when I wanted the room to swallow me up. I just had to stick in there, and keep going into the pack and see what happened. I couldn’t get anything going,” said the 26-year-old. “The whole game I thought that I could rattle off a few frames if he started missing. If I could have got some luck, something might have happened, but obviously it didn’t.”

Mark Williams holds a commanding 10-6 lead against Robert Milkins after their second session.

The two-time World Champion Williams came into today with a 5-3 lead. He built upon that this afternoon, taking five out of eight frames with a top break of  69 to edge towards the winning line.

They will play their concluding session tomorrow at 7pm.

Evening session report by Worldsnooker

Sunday 29 Apr 2018 10:58PM

Judd Trump and Ricky Walden are locked together at 8-8 after two intriguing sessions of snooker at the Betfred World Championship.

Their last meeting came in the 2016 China Open final when Trump eased past Walden with a 10-4 win. This match looks to be destined for a rather closer finish.

They came into tonight’s session tied at 4-4 and the nip and tuck trend continued as the duo once again shared the frames.

It was Walden who set the early pace, taking the first two of the session to move 6-4 in front. The Juddernaut then kicked into gear, making back-to-back century runs of 100 and 103 to restore parity at the mid-session interval.

When they returned Walden took to the front after nailing an incredible double to the middle pocket on the final blue, which was situated on the top cushion. From there they continued to trade frames and will go into tomorrow’s concluding session level. They will play to a finish at 1pm.

Ding Junhui is on the verge of a fourth consecutive quarter-final appearance, leading Anthony McGill 12-4 and requiring just one more frame for victory.

China’s number one produced a scintillating display of snooker this morning to establish an 8-0 advantage. However, McGill was able to share this evening’s frames and avoid losing with a session to spare.

The Scot battled hard this evening despite the hefty deficit and top scored with a run of 97. However, a superb century break of 113 in the final frame from Ding means McGill will now need to win all of the remaining nine frames when they return tomorrow afternoon at 1pm.

 

It was a rather eventful day at the Crucible yesterday.

It started quietly though, with Barry Hawkins efficiently finishing the job and booking his place in the quarter finals. His young opponent, Lyu Haotian, did impress though. He trailed by 5 frames at a point, came back and stayed with Barry until the very last mini session. Lyu is a perfectionist who is easily harsh on himself and that drags him down sometimes. But he should take a lot of positives from his Crucible debut and, if he does, he will be very dangerous next season.

Kyren Wilson was equally efficient against Jamie Jones and he’s certainly a contender for the title. He did damage his tip in the frame before the last, but he should be ok as he has a spare, bedded, tip ready. He will face Mark Allen in the QF and I’m certain that both players will be fired up for this.

John Higgins completely outplayed Jack Lisowski in their first session. I didn’t see any of it, but was told by a reliable source that Jack was missing all sorts and John capitalising on the mistakes. The first session between Robert Milkins and Mark Williams was a rather disjoint affair featuring a lot of careless snooker. I struggled to stay focused on the “action”: it was poor and watching it on Eurosport with French commentary added a touch of surrealism. Here is just one of the gems they came up with: “Robert Milkins reminds me of Cliff Thorburn” … now if you can explain this to me, please do in commentary!

Ali Carter beat Ronnie, fair and square, playing as well as I have ever seen him play. He was absolutely determined to win and it showed. There was a minor incident in the match as Ronnie “barged” Ali’s shoulder and allegedly called him Mr Angry. The press made a big fuss of it, but here is Neal Foulds (on twitter) sensible assessment of the incident

Heat of the moment, nothing worse. Don’t underestimate how much everyone wants to win at Crucible. Quality handshake at the end of the match between two blokes who played it tough. That’s the game #WorldChampionshipSnooker

Neal has been a top player himself, he knows first hand how much pressure are on the players and how high emotions can run. Actually, Ali quite often looks angry, and he certainly did again yesterday at the table. Both him and Ronnie are quite emotional guys, and Ali had to face an awful lot over the last years. Crohn disease is extremely draining and painful; it does nothing for anyone’s good mood. Ali was in hospital again only the week before the tournament. He deserves a lot of credit for his performance yesterday and Ronnie was only full of praise afterwards. As Neal pointed out, the handshake was friendly and both players downplayed the incident. But Ronnie wasn’t happy with the press making a big deal of it and I can understand why. Putting the focus on a minor heat of the moment clash, rather than on the positive things happening at the table may be selling papers, and appealing to chief editors, but isn’t the best way to promote the sport. Why not put the focus on how well Ali played out there instead? Why not big up the preview of the Allen v Wilson rematch of the Masters final? Why not do a feature on young Lyu, who at 20 looks like a real prospect despite going through some terrible times when he came first on the tour at 15, far too young and lost in an alien culture?

Oh … and Mark Williams “barged” Brendan Moore. Where is the press coverage???

And while we are into barges…

2018 WSC: Ronnie O’Sullivan: Home From Home on his barge (Eurosport)

You can read my take on Ali’s victory over Ronnie here

Here are the reports on Worldsnooker:

Morning session

Saturday 28 Apr 2018 01:12PM

Crucible specialist Barry Hawkins reached the quarter-finals of the Betfred World Championship for the sixth consecutive year with a 13-10 victory over rising star Lyu Haotian.

Hawkins looked in danger of a surprise defeat when China’s 20-year-old Lyu came from 8-3 down to level at 10-10. But experience told for 39-year-old Hawkins as he won the last three frames to book a meeting with Ding Junhui or Anthony McGill in the next round.

World number six Hawkins is the only player to have got to the last eight in Sheffield every year since 2013. He was runner-up to Ronnie O’Sullivan that year, and has since got to the semi-finals three more times, including 2017 when his run was ended by John Higgins.

After a slow start to the current season – his game affected by a family tragedy – Hawkins has shown improved form in recent weeks, reaching the final of both the Welsh Open and the China Open.

The Londoner looked to be cruising to victory at 8-3 up against Lyu, but finished the second session just 9-7 in front, and this morning Lyu started strongly with breaks of 91 and 100 to draw level at 9-9.

Hawkins regained the lead in frame 19 and in the 20th he led by 18 points with just pink and black left. But, trapped in a tough snooker, he went in-off after hitting the pink, handing Lyu the chance to pot pink and black and level at 10-10 at the interval.

World number 68 Lyu, who beat Marco Fu on his Crucible debut in the first round, also had first chance in frame 21 but could only make 46. Hawkins replied with 54, then converted an excellent pot on the penultimate red to a centre pocket, and added 23 to go 11-10 up. That proved the turning point as he fired runs of 132 and 76 in the next two frames to cross the winning line.

“I’m really pleased to win that match,” said three-time ranking event winner Hawkins. “He wouldn’t go away. I missed a couple of balls at 8-4 yesterday and he just kept potting balls. I couldn’t shake him off, it was a really good standard.

“I lost a big frame to go 10-10, and it was a horrible way to lose it. I knew the in-off was on but I didn’t want to under-swerve it and miss it on the other side. That was tough to take but I’ve got to give myself credit for coming out and winning the next three frames. I showed a little bit of bottle out there and finished off the match really well.

“There’s no better place to play than the Crucible. I’m up for it more, my focus seems to be better here. It’s a nice feeling to be able to chill out now for a couple of days, watching everyone else slog it out.

“Lyu is unbelievable. If he carries on like that he’ll go far. When he’s at the top of the game I’ll be long gone!”

Lyu said: “At 10-10 I had a good feeling but the frame after that was the key moment. My choice of safety led to a mistake and Barry played well. I had my chances but didn’t take them.

“I have done well here but my lack of experience, shot selections and safety lost me the match. I will be working on those to try and catch up.

“I was feeling fine throughout the game, not that nervous. I was feeling up for the job. I’m looking forward to coming back, it’s a great atmosphere. The crowd are really enthusiastic and different from any other event.

“I’ve had a good season, but I hope next season can be even better. I want to improve my skills and stay more competitive.”

Meanwhile, Kyren Wilson took control of his second round match with Jamie Jones, surging 11-5 ahead. Ninth seed Wilson is looking to reach the quarter-finals for the third year in a row and needs just two more frames when they resume at 7pm.

Kettering’s Wilson made a 63 clearance in the first frame today to go 6-3 up, then Welshman Jones hit back with an 80 clearance in frame ten. Wilson won the 11th and led 37-0 in the 12th when he missed a black off its spot. Jones punished him with an 83 clearance to trail just 7-5 at the interval.

Wilson made a yellow to black clearance to win a scrappy 13th frame, then pulled away to take the next three with a top run of 67.

Evening session

Saturday 28 Apr 2018 10:18PM

Kyren Wilson is through to his third successive Crucible quarter-final after brushing Welshman Jamie Jones aside with a 13-5 victory at the Betfred World Championship.

The Warrior made the last eight in 2016 with a run which was ended by the eventual winner Mark Selby. Last year he defeated 2015 Crucible king Stuart Bingham, before struggling against John Higgins in the quarter-finals after requiring a tip replacement.

Wilson, 26, will be hoping that he can clinch a place in the one-table semi-finals for the first time. He appeared in his maiden Triple Crown final at the Masters in January, where he lost out to Mark Allen. The pair will meet again in the last eight here in Sheffield. Allen booked his quarter-final berth by beating Joe Perry 13-8 in their second round tie.

World number 51 Jones will be able to look back on a memorable run. He came through qualifying in the most emphatic fashion possible, hammering Liang Wenbo 10-0 to clinch his place at the Theatre of Dreams. Jones went on to beat 2005 World Champion Shaun Murphy 10-9 in round one.

Much of the damage was done in the first two sessions. Wilson came into this evening with an 11-5 advantage and it didn’t take long for him to cruise over the line.

He made a break of 79 in the opening frame, although did take a chunk out of his tip on the final shot of that run. Wilson then took a 15-minute break to attend to the damage. However, he played on with the same tip and got himself past the finishing post in next.

Wilson said: “I have to keep putting in the performances now. This is my third consecutive quarter-final here and that speaks volumes of how much my game has improved. I do genuinely believe that I belong at this level. I work very hard, I’m very dedicated, and I keep my feet on the ground. You reap the rewards when you do the right things.

“I’ve taken a big chunk out of my tip. I can see it when I’m down on the shot, so the tip has got to be changed. Luckily for me it happened at a very good time, being at the end of the match.

“I learned from last year’s mistake against John Higgins. Straight after the Masters final this year I changed my tip, took it off and preserved it in case this ever happened again. I’m very confident that I have one that’s ready to go on and is bedded in.”

Jones remarked: “Looking back, I won three good games at qualifying last week, so it’s not a bad tournament for me really. It’s not been a great tournament either, but I won three in qualifying and one here, so it’s not a disaster I suppose.

“Kyren’s stepped up a level. He looks like he belongs up there. He plays the game the right way. You can’t pot all the balls all the time, and Kyren’s tactical  game is very good and he can score heavily. He’s got it all really.

“One thing I need to work on in these longer games is that when I’m being shut out, I need to control my game around that and not get frustrated. I went missing for four or five frames in that match and you can’t do that against these top players.”

Meanwhile, Mark Williams established 5-3 lead in his last 16 clash with Robert Milkins.

The Welshman is enjoying his best campaign on the World Snooker Tour in several seasons, winning his first ranking title since 2011 at the Northern Ireland Open and adding another piece of silverware at the German Masters.

Williams put himself in the driving seat of this tie tonight, making breaks of 65, 87 and 53 in the process.

The pair will return for their second session tomorrow at 2:30pm.

…

It was a bit of a disappointing end of an otherwise brilliant season for Ronnie as he lost by 13-9 to Ali Carter in the last 16 this afternoon. Ronnie did actually play better than he had in the last 32 against Maguire, but Ali played really, really well and he deserved the win 100%. The pundits on BBC, Steve Davis and John Parrot said that this was probably the best ever they had seen from Ali.

Ronnie had no complaints in his post-match press conference

Ronnie’s full press conference is here:

There appeared to be a bit of needle between the players as Ronnie appeared to “barge” Ali’s shoulder whilst going back to his seat. But both players downplayed the “incident” after the match and the final handshake looked friendly enough. The baseline is probably that they were both so intense that it got a bit out of hand in the heat of the moment but nothing more.

Here is the report on Worldsnooker

Saturday 28 Apr 2018 05:56PM

Ali Carter came through an ill-tempered clash with Ronnie O’Sullivan 13-9 at the Betfred World Championship to book his place in the quarter-finals.

The tension was palpable in a fiery Crucible atmosphere. The pair exchanged words after clashing shoulders in the 19^thframe, with Carter leading 10-8. Referee Paul Collier interjected and asked the two players to calm down.

Just the previous evening Carter had neglected to shake Collier’s hand at the end of the second session. However, he later apologised to the official, stating that he forgot due to being so focused on the match.

Carter came into the tie with the odds stacked against him. This victory was his first in 14 meetings with the Rocket. The pair have previously met in two World Championship finals, with O’Sullivan lifting the title in 2008 and 2012.

On this occasion Carter imposed himself from the off, finishing the first and second sessions with 5-3 and 9-7 advantages.

O’Sullivan attempted to apply the pressure in the early stages this afternoon. Carter had taken a 37-0 lead in the opening frame, but missed a yellow with the rest. That allowed the 33-time ranking event winner to step in and clear with a sublime break of 66 and make it 9-8.

Carter refused to flinch and a run of 63 helped him to restore his two-frame advantage. Following the altercation in the 18th, the Captain secured the frame to move three ahead at 11-8.

Breaks of 59 and 71 saw O’Sullivan claw his deficit back to 11-9 at the mid-session. When they returned Carter struck a critical blow.

The five-time Crucible king O’Sullivan had looked set to take the frame, but broke down on 54 when he missed a regulation blue. The Captain stepped up to the plate and made a steely clearance of 51 to take the frame on the black. He then won the next to seal a famous victory and he roared with delight in the aftermath. Carter will now face either two-time Crucible winner Mark Williams or Robert Milkins in the quarter-finals.

On the incident in the 18^th frame Carter said: “He will do anything he can to win, and so will I. He barged me, but I’m sorry, I’m not going to be bullied by anyone. I’ve been through a lot in my life, much harder things than a shoulder barge from someone. If I was going to fall over and roll on the floor, that’s not me as a person. It’s impossible. He didn’t exactly head-butt me and put me on the floor. The Crucible is really tight, it’s packed in there. We brushed shoulders and that’s all there is to it. There’s no malice there from me.

“I’m not intimidated by Ronnie like other players are. I’ve been through harder things than that in my life, so I won’t let myself down.

“There was a barge. I’m walking to the table and he’s walking away from the table. I might have invaded his space and he might have invaded mine. It’s heat of the moment stuff, there’s not a load of room out there. We had a little shoulder barge and a laugh about it, there’s no malice there.

“It’s a great win. I’ve got the utmost respect for Ronnie and what he’s done for the game. He’s under huge pressure and expectation, and to beat him today is very special. I’m only in the quarter finals, the job’s not done yet, so I’ll go home for a day or two and come back for the next match which will be even harder.”

O’Sullivan said: “There’s not a lot of space out there, it’s the Crucible and if it was about three inches smaller I doubt you could hold the event here. There were a couple of collisions out there and sometimes you just touch each other. Formula One has it all the time, they have contact in cars and we have contact with humans. It was nothing, just heat of the moment stuff and it’s forgotten about.”

“There’s no hard feelings between me and Ali. We’ve known each other since we were ten and practised together. I’m not sure many players speak to each other during matches. Stephen Hendry and Steve Davis didn’t chat. I’m not one for chatting anyway. It’s quite superficial stuff really if you’re trying to create a relationship and a chat with an opponent. They are my rivals and competitors, I don’t want to get too friendly with anyone.”

Big thanks to Tai Chengzhe for these pictures

 

 

MissingClip 2018 WSC: preview of the Ronnie O’Sullivan – Allister Carter match (Session1, Eurosport)

Session 1:

MissingClip 2018 WSC: review of the Ronnie O’Sullivan – Allister Carter match (Session1, Eurosport)

Session 2:

Session 3:

MissingClip 2018 WSC: review of the Ronnie O’Sullivan – Allister Carter match (Session3, Eurosport)

And just to lift our mood a bit … the big incident.

and true to his word Ronnie cooked his friend a breakfast on the barge, setting the fire alarm off in the process!

 

Unfortunately, Matt Smith’s prediction didn’t come true and Ronnie wasn’t a winner … and if I’m honest, I don’t think he will win another World title now. (trying a bit of reverse jinx …)

Mark Allen produced a blistering performance in the third session of his last 16 match to become the first man through the Quarter Finals.

Lyu HaoTian was 8-3 down to Barry Hawkins at a point, but finished the second session only 9-7 down. He duly impressed the BBC pundits, Steve Davis and Ken Doherty. Both also stressed how much the environment provided by Vic Snooker Academy has been beneficial to the young Chinese players on the tour in recent seasons.

Ronnie really struggled against Ali Carter yesterday. Ali played very impressively for most of the two sessions, Ronnie was far from his best. After finishing the first session 5-3 ahead, Ali won the first three of the second session to lead 8-3. But Ronnie, still not playing great, managed to win four of the last five to trail only by 9-7.  During that “comeback” Ali Carter refused to look at the table and at the end stormed out of the arena without shaking the referee’s hand. Not sure that’s a clever message to send to your opponent under the circumstances.

Here are the reports on Worldsnooker

Morning Session

Friday 27 Apr 2018 01:56PM

Ali Carter came out on top in the opening session of his second round clash with Ronnie O’Sullivan to establish a 5-3 advantage at the Betfred World Championship.

The signs looked ominous for the Captain heading into this one. O’Sullivan is riding the crest of a wave, having claimed five ranking titles in a single season for the first time in his career. He has also never lost to Carter and holds a 13-0 head-to-head record.

This is the fifth time the Essex duo have met at the Crucible, that includes two world finals, where O’Sullivan picked up the third and fourth of his five world crowns, in 2008 and 2012 respectively.

It was world number 15 Carter who hit the ground running this morning, taking the opening frame. The Rocket emphatically responded, firing in a break of 121 to restore parity. They then traded frames and went into the mid-session level at 2-2.

When they returned Carter took back the lead in style, compiling a century run of 115 to go 3-2 up. O’Sullivan hit back with a break of 96, but it was the Captain who claimed the final two of the session to seal his 5-3 lead. They will return this evening at 7pm for the second of three sessions.

Mark Allen and Joe Perry are locked together at 8-8 after a fiercely contested second session of their last 16 clash.

Neither player is short on confidence on snooker’s biggest stage. Masters champion Allen picked up his maiden Triple Crown title at Alexandra Palace in January. While Perry inflicted defending champion Mark Selby’s first Crucible defeat since 2015 in his first round clash.

They resumed with Allen holding a 5-3 lead after the first session. Perry played some fine snooker this morning to claw his way back into the match. The Gentleman composed century breaks of 105 and 120 as he took five out of the eight frames, including the last two of the session, to ensure a grandstand finish when they conclude this evening at 7pm.

Evening Session

Friday 27 Apr 2018 09:57PM

Mark Allen emphatically surged to a 13-8 defeat of Joe Perry to book a quarter-final place at the Betfred World Championship.

The pair came into this evening’s session with the tie finely poised at 8-8 and many would have predicted a late night battle, but as it transpired Allen swept up all five frames to ease to the finish line.

The victory sees Antrim’s Allen reach the quarter-final stage at the World Championship for the first time in seven years. The result is in stark contrast to the Pistol’s last 16 clash in 2017, which saw Allen ousted 13-9 against John Higgins, despite putting on an inspired display and firing in four centuries.

Allen composed breaks of 133, 74 and 122 this evening to brush Perry aside. The 32-year-old now faces either Kyren Wilson or Jamie Jones, as he attempts to secure a passage to the semi-finals and the one-table setup for only the second time after his initial run to the last four in 2009.

The Masters champion will head into the last eight in confident mood after claiming his first ever Triple Crown title with victory at Alexandra Palace in January.

Perry leaves disappointed after fading away this evening. However, he will be able to reflect on an event which saw him qualify for the Crucible for the first time in two years. The Gentleman also made a big impact in round one, inflicting defending champion Mark Selby’s first defeat at the Crucible since 2015.

“I felt like I needed to go for more shots, my game is about potting the long ones and scoring. I was aggressive this evening, but I was sensible. I turned down a few pots to keep him tight when he was 40 or 50 down in frames. Apart from one missed blue, I played perfect snooker for five frames tonight,” said the three-time ranking event winner. “This is the World Championship at the end of the day and you’re not going to have any matches handed to you, so I’m very happy with the way I closed it out.”

Perry said: “I’ve proved to myself that on my day I’m good enough to beat anybody. Unfortunately, inconsistency is probably what’s stopped me winning more trophies in my career. Every now and then I throw in one of these bad performances and fall short. I know that when it all comes together, I’m good enough to beat anybody and maybe win a tournament. I’ve got to take that and just keep working. Hopefully I’ll have another one of those dream days somewhere down the line.”

Ali Carter will take a 9-7 lead into the concluding session of his second round clash with five-time World Champion Ronnie O’Sullivan.

The Captain has never defeated O’Sullivan and trails the head-to-head record 13-0, including two world final losses.

Carter had looked as if he was going to establish a big advantage when he lead 8-3. However, the Rocket claimed four of the remaining five frames, including breaks of 79 and 105 as he moved within two at 9-7. They will play to a conclusion tomorrow at 2:30pm.

When Ronnie and Ali resume their match today, playing to a finish, you feel that Ronnie will need to play better than he did until now to get through. Whether he will be able to do that remains to be seen. It would of course be a disappointing end of an otherwise brilliant season if his run in the World Championship was to end in the last 16. But we should all remember that there are things in life much more important than a match of snooker as this article by Hector Nunns in the Express timely reminds us.

Good luck Ronnie, go Jack!