John Higgins booked his place in the 2021 Scottish Open by beatimg Ronnie by 6-1 yesterday afternoon.

Here are the scores:

And the report by WST:

Higgins Storms To Final

John Higgins put on a dominant display to beat Ronnie O’Sullivan 6-1 and reach the final of the BetVictor Scottish Open.

Scotland’s four-time World Champion Higgins will now face either compatriot Anthony McGill or Luca Brecel for the Stephen Hendry Trophy and a top prize of £70,000. Higgins will be hoping to end a run of three consecutive final defeats this season. He was runner-up in both of the first two Home nations events.

The Glaswegian faced Mark Allen in the BetVictor Northern Ireland Open final and lost out 9-8. He was again on the wrong end of a deciding frame against Neil Robertson when he lost 9-8 at the BetVictor English Open. Higgins was runner-up to Judd Trump at the Champion of Champions, losing 10-4.

The emphatic victory means that Higgins has now won five of his six meetings with rival O’Sullivan in 2021. However, 37-time ranking event winner O’Sullivan still edges 31-time ranking event winner Higgins in the head-to-head, leading 36-33.

O’Sullivan is still hunting a first piece of silverware since capturing a sixth World Championship title last year. The Rocket appeared in five finals last season, but was runner-up on each occasion.

Higgins came flying out of the traps this afternoon. Breaks of 76 and 125 helped him into an early 3-0 lead. O’Sullivan kept himself in touch heading into the mid-session with a break of 86 to make it 3-1.

When play resumed Higgins completely shut out six-time World Champion O’Sullivan, denying him a single point for the remainder of the tie. Breaks of 74 and 98 helped him to take the next three frames and storm to a resounding 6-1 victory.

Higgins said: “I’m delighted. I was just trying to stay focussed, pot the ball in front of me and not look at the scoreline. I felt I was pretty focussed throughout the whole game.

“I’d never think I was getting a step up on Ronnie. It has happened throughout our whole careers where you get a bunch of games where the other guy plays better and then you might win a few games. It has always been the way and will probably continue to be.

“I think you would say without a shadow of doubt I am in good form. The top boys want to win and they normally do. I’m just trying to get back up there winning and I will be trying my hardest tomorrow.

“It would mean everything to win tomorrow. It would be special to play Anthony in the final. I know Luca is a great boy and a great player. He will have plenty of times to go for things. This could be a special moment. It might never happen again, having two Scottish players in the Scottish Open final. It would be a special occasion.”

At the time of writing, there is no Ronnie quotes to be found in the media. Ronnie didn’t play well, and left the arena looking extremely unhappy. He had fought hard all week, but was outplayed yesterday, and it visibly hurt, which in a way is good. John Higgins admitted that he had the run of the balls but that wasn’t the main issue.

After the match, Nick Metcalfe on twitter wondered if Ronnie praises John Higgins too much. I think he does, he looks in awe of him all the time and I’m not sure he comes into their matches truly believing that he can win and they seem to play each other astonishingly often: they have met 6 times in 2021.

John Higgins dream of an “all-Scottish+ final was shattered by Luca Brecel who beat Anthony McGill by 6-1.

Here is the report by WST:

Brecel Eases To Second Consecutive Final

Luca Brecel put on a dominant display to thrash Anthony McGill 6-1 and secure his place in the final of the BetVictor Scottish Open at Venue Cymru.

The Belgian now faces John Higgins over the best of 17 frames tomorrow, with the Stephen Hendry Trophy and a top prize of £70,000 on the line.

This week’s showing caps a superb period of form for Brecel, who went all the way to the final at last week’s UK Championship. The 26-year-old beat the likes of Stephen Maguire, McGill and Kyren Wilson on his way to last week’s title match, where he was defeated by Zhao Xintong.

Tomorrow will be the fourth ranking final appearance Brecel’s career. His only professional silverware thus far came at the 2017 China Championship, when he defeated Shaun Murphy in the final.

McGill falls short of a first ranking final appearance since the 2017 Indian Open, he lost to Higgins. He leaves Llandudno with the consolation of £20,000.

Brecel hit the front this evening with a fine break of 96 in the opener. He then claimed a 30-minute second on the black and added the third frame to move 3-0 ahead. Brecel compounded McGill’s misery by winning a tactical fourth, in which his highest break was 15.

He then moved five ahead upon the resumption, before McGill fired in a break of 90 to keep his hopes alive. However, it was to be in vain as Brecel got over the line by claiming the seventh to seal his place in the final.

“Pinching the second frame on the black was massive and it really settled me down,” said Brecel. “No disrespect to Anthony, but I expected to win. Not because it was him, but because I was confident and relaxed. It is great to beat him twice, having also won at the UK Championship. I rate him as a player, so to beat him is very good.

“To play John in a final is a dream. I will have to play better tomorrow if I want to win. I will try my best. It would be nice if I can have a good game and have confidence in my game. It is funny because John has lost about three stone and I have gained three stone. The weight he has got off, I have put on.”

Luca didn’t play particularly well, far from it. Anthony struggled badly, just like Ronnie had in the afternoon.  Luca and Anthony have met 6 times in professional events, Luca has won each of their encounters …

Obviously head-to-heads matter, especially recent head-to-heads. We saw it in both matches yesterday. Probably those stats play on the players’ mind and confidence, but maybe they are also an indication that the “losing” player struggles with the “winning” player’s type of game. After all, Stephen Hendry in his pomp, never beat Mark Johnston Allen who. at his best, was ranked 31 in the World. It’s hard to explain sometimes.

The table had been recovered and John Higgins was very happy with the conditions; he had been fuming about them after the QFs. The three other players semi-finalists looked all at sea at times… even Luca who eventually won easily.

Yesterday’s result means that Ronnie is now set to play Ali Carter in the 2021 World Grand Prix first round next week… yuk!

Ronnie won his third match in a row in a deciding frame as he beat Li Hang by 5-4 yesterday afternoon.

Here are the scores:

and the report by WST:

Rocket Edges Out Li

Ronnie O’Sullivan claimed the final frame to beat Li Hang 5-4 and reach the semi-finals of the BetVictor Scottish Open at the Venue Cymru.

It’s 37-time ranking event winner O’Sullivan’s third decider of the week, having also beaten Liang Wenbo and Jamie Jones by 4-3 scorelines.

The Rocket is seeking his first piece of silverware since winning the 2020 World Championship. He appeared in five finals last season, but lost on each occasion. Next up O’Sullivan faces either John Higgins or David Gilbert for a place in this week’s final

O’Sullivan and Li met in the semi-finals of last year’s Scottish Open. On that occasion six-time Crucible king O’Sullivan was also the victor, by a 6-4 scoreline.

This afternoon’s loss for China’s Li ends his hopes of qualifying for next week’s World Grand Prix and ensures Martin Gould a place in the top 32 of the one-year list and a spot in the Coventry event.

There was never more than a single frame between the pair this afternoon and the shared the opening four to head into the mid-session locked level at 2-2.

O’Sullivan took to the front with a break of 83 when play resumed, but Li responded with 58 to take the sixth and restore parity at 3-3. O’Sullivan moved a frame from the win, before Li held his nerve to force a decider. It was 46-year-old O’Sullivan who won it to secure his place in the semis.

Afterwards O’Sullivan was full of praise for the Chinese contingent of players following Zhao Xintong’s stunning win at last week’s UK Championship.

“It is a bit like the Kenyan runners. There is a group of them, they all support and motivate each other,” said O’Sullivan. “It’s brilliant. China is a massive market. Big for the game and big for the sport. If you can position yourself in a good place for that market it is brilliant.

“I am trying to forget what has gone on before and refocus on the next shot in hand. I think I’ve done better this tournament and last tournament with that. I just need to find a bit of a game now. If I can find a game then who knows.

“I’m just going to get on the practice table tonight, have a little search around and see what is out there. Hopefully I’ll play alright tomorrow. If I do then I will enjoy the occasion. It is a feeling with me. I’m not a mechanical player. If I get a feeling then it is good. I tinker about with things. It can be millimetres. Just a change of a grip or body position. Once you get it right you are off and running.”

There is also a report by Eurosport, with more details about how the match unfolded:

SCOTTISH OPEN SNOOKER 2021 – RONNIE O’SULLIVAN DIGS DEEP TO SEE OFF LI HANG AND REACH SEMI-FINALS IN LLANDUDNO

Ronnie O’Sullivan won a final-frame decider for the third match in a row to beat Li Hang 5-4 and reach the semi-finals of the Scottish Open.

The Rocket was not at his best once again, but he had the resolve and will to win to get over the line. O’Sullivan has spoken about tinkering with his game, and to do it on the fly in Llandudno is no mean feat.

He will face a bigger test against John Higgins on Saturday, but he is showing the fighting spirit that may prove the difference in Wales.

Li took the first frame after being given a couple of opportunities by O’Sullivan. He took the big chance off the back of an excellent red into the yellow pocket which he flicked into the bag off the brown. The break of 51 was enough to secure the opener.

Aside from his crushing win over Michael Georgiou, O’Sullivan has made slovenly starts to his matches in Llandudno this week. It was a similar story against Li, as the mistakes in the first were followed by some sloppy play in the second.
Li did not take his chances in the second. O’Sullivan got his hand on the table to roll in a mid-range red and it set up a frame-winning contribution.

As in the first two frames, Li was in first in the third. He’s been described by Neil Robertson as the finest player in the world on the outside tables. He raced to a half-century break to suggest the main table is next to be conquered, but he missed a routine red with the frame at his mercy and O’Sullivan stepped in with the ruthlessness of an assassin to move ahead in the match.

The tables are the same size, they all have six pockets and are covered in green baize. But there’s much to be said for main-table experience.
The slip up in the third frame could easily have rocked Li, but he hit back with an excellent 116 – which was crafted by a spanking three-ball plant – to draw level.
O’Sullivan cut a frustrated figure at the start of the fifth when missing a red, albeit he stopped short of punching the table as he did the previous day. The frustration did not last long, as Li sloppily left the red O’Sullivan missed when playing safe – and he dished up a glorious 83 to move back ahead.

Two-time winner of the event, O’Sullivan got in again in the sixth and looked primed to make a telling contribution, but he ran out of position from red to black. Clearly seething, he threw his arm at a difficult blue into the yellow pocket and it failed to drop – allowing Li in for a break of 53 to level the match.

Both players had chances in the seventh, and O’Sullivan looked in a spot of bother when Li had him welded to the black cushion. He sized up the situation, and pulled off a brilliant double into the right middle. The table was not easy, but he picked it open with a break of 80 to move back in front at 4-3.

O’Sullivan could not shake off Li, who showed excellent nerve to force a deciding frame.

It was the third match in a row in which O’Sullivan was taken to a deciding frame. A break of 90 was good enough to beat Liang Wenbo, and 66 saw off Jamie Jones. On this occasion, it was a break of 56 to get over the line.

Li had a chance to beat O’Sullivan in the semi-finals last year, but on this occasion he did not get an opportunity in the decider – as the Rocket booked his place in an 85th ranking semi-final.

And the post-match interview:

Ronnie may not be as good as he once was but yesterday he showed tremendous fighting spirit. Whether that will be enough to beat John Higgins today, I’m not sure.

That said the conditions were terrible if what John Higgins said after his match is to be believed.

“The table was difficult to play on,” Higgins told Eurosport. “We have been saying it for so long, and I know there have been a lot of talking points this week, but the talking point is the tables need to be recovered during the event.

“It is terrible. We have had so much traffic on these tables, and then we just recover for the semi-finals and final: three matches.

“Try and count up the matches this week, it is criminal. It needs to be recovered during the event.

The tables will be recovered ahead of  the semi-finals.

Ronnie booked his place in the 2021 Scottish Open by beating Jamie Jones by 4-3.

It was another excellent match. Ronnie’s weakest point was his long potting and it cost him a few times. He had the upper hand in the safety exchanges though. He applied himself from start to finish. He did show signs of frustration at times but was able to re-focus.

Here is the report by WST … even shorter than the previous ones.

Ronnie O’Sullivan edged an enthralling clash with Jamie Jones 4-3 to book his quarter-final place.

The Rocket made breaks of 96, 73, 85 and 66 on his way to this evening’s win. He now faces Li Hang in the quarters.

Fortunately for us, Eurosport is providing something more substantial:

SCOTTISH OPEN 2021 – RONNIE O’SULLIVAN WINS DECIDER TO BATTLE PAST JAMIE JONES IN INCIDENT-PACKED THRILLER

Ronnie O’Sullivan and Jamie Jones played out a thrilling Scottish Open tie that went the distance on Thursday night. In what was their first meeting, O’Sullivan edged it 4-3 with both players playing high-quality snooker but taking their frustrations out on the table.

Ronnie O’Sullivan was given a stern test but battled past world No 44 Jamie Jones when winning their decider in the Scottish Open last 16.

Both players hit the table in frustration during a thrilling encounter which also featured a wasp and high-quality breaks.

O’Sullivan eventually edged it 4-3, and he faces Martin O’Donnell or Li Hang in the quarters next.

“He will win a ranking tournament, he hits the ball far too good,” O’Sullivan said of Jones. “He was a brilliant junior, has come back onto the tour, and is a strong player. He played the better snooker tonight but maybe the experience won through.

“I felt like I made a few mistakes, but I’m trying. I got a flow now and again, but I was hanging on in there.”

On whacking the table, O’Sullivan said: “I’ve whacked the table, then [Stephen] Maguire’s given the table a thud. I’m thinking ‘oooh’. It was quite funny.

“You’re just so frustrated. I’m then watching [Mark] Selby’s game thinking [Anthony] McGill is doing miracles and then Selby does two tons back to back. You’re watching such good snooker then trying to play your own game. It’s great out there.”

A wayward safety shot from Jones gifted O’Sullivan an opening in the first frame, and a quick-fire break of 96 helped ‘The Rocket’ go 1-0 in front.
Jones, a semi-finalist at the Scottish Open last year, hit back with an impressive 131 – his fourth century of the season.

The clearance alerted O’Sullivan he was in for a tough contest, and he made his frustrations clear in the third frame when punching the table after losing positioning.

O’Sullivan made the most of his opportunity back at the table with a 73, and having clearly composed himself he took a 3-2 lead with an 85.
Despite being a frame away from defeat, it was Jones who stepped up in the sixth frame, and a quality 94 forced a decider in his first match against the six-time world champion.

Jones had the first chance when potting straight after O’Sullivan’s break, and he put 29 on the board before a tricky blue rattled the jaws and stayed out.

A tense safety exchange followed before O’Sullivan potted a loose red, and a 66 put him within touching distance of the next round.

Chasing three snookers, Jones left the yellow open but a surprising miss from O’Sullivan kept the Welshman in the frame.

It was soon over, however, with O’Sullivan sinking a long green to clinch it.

Eurosport also gave a more detailed account of the post-match in the studio. Here are the important bits:

…

“I’m then watching [Mark] Selby’s game thinking [Anthony] McGill is doing miracles and then Selby does two tons back to back. You’re watching such good snooker then trying to play your own game. It’s great out there.”

“He will win a ranking tournament, he hits the ball far too good. He was a brilliant junior, has come back onto the tour, and is a strong player. He played the better snooker tonight but maybe the experience won through.

“I felt like I made a few mistakes, but I’m trying. I got a flow now and again, but I was hanging on in there.”

After coming through two deciders in a row, O’Sullivan said: “I’m just patient, I’m applying myself now. If it don’t happen this week, or next week, it might at Sheffield. Who knows?”

“Maybe two months ago I would have just tried to clear up in that last frame and would have probably missed, but I was setting myself and focused on every shot. If I don’t pot, then fine, but if you’re going to win deciders in tournaments you have to get into that mindset and become a tough match player.

“I’ve been playing exhibition snooker for the last two, three, four years, I haven’t really applied myself properly to the professional tour, but I’ve had a good time. I wouldn’t change it, but obviously Covid happened, exhibitions stopped, and it allowed me to put a bit more time in.”

The commentators stressed that Ronnie and Jamie had never played each other before, which is surprising. Well, that’s not quite true. They met some 21 years ago, at the Premier League … and Janie Watkins remembered it well:

And finally, not about this match, but about the previous days controversy, Desmond Kane produced this piece:

SNOOKER’S REAL DISGRACE IS FAILING TO PAY PLAYERS FOR ENTERTAINING AFTER JOHN HIGGINS SLAMS RONNIE O’SULLIVAN

There is no reason why professional snooker players should not be paid for losing a match in the first round of a tournament. Qualifying for the sport’s main circuit is an outstanding level of success that should earn financial rewards as an accepted norm, writes Desmond Kane.

The language attached to professional sport continues to provide wonderful examples of gloriously unapologetic hyperbole.

Words like “disaster”, “fury”, “ignominy” and “absolute dross” have this week been trotted out to describe the England’s cricket team’s struggles during the Ashes first Test in Brisbane and Barcelona’s “humiliating” exit from the Champions League in Munich.

As ever, it is all nonsensical in comparison to real life tragedy and catastrophe, especially during times of a global pandemic, but sports scribes from time immemorial have always been given free rein to use exotic, over-the-top language in conveying what is seen through a sporting prism.

Yet it would hardly be fraternising with emotional embroidery to suggest professional snooker’s treatment of some of its financially struggling players is morally bankrupt and inherently damaging to the public image of a sport that has a mental health charter.

Ronnie O’Sullivan’s assertion during the Scottish Open that he would not want his son to pursue a living in snooker prompted the ire of his fellow world champion John Higgins, who described his old foe’s comments as a “disgrace” and “dreadful”, but something has got lost in translation between the potting patois of Chigwell and Wishaw when both men were essentially conveying the same message.

O’Sullivan was probably not suggesting he was against his son playing snooker for personal enjoyment with his mates in future. The point he was making was that as a career choice it might not be the wisest option when set against other solitary, more lucrative pursuits such as golf and tennis.

“It’s just timing I suppose. Maybe in another 25-30 years snooker might be back on top but at the moment I’d be like, ‘go and get a job mate.’ Forget playing snooker. That’s my honest opinion,” said O’Sullivan.

I’M NOT TALKING ABOUT THE WINNERS. I’M TALKING ABOUT THE GUYS THAT ARE RANKED 60, 70 IN THE WORLD THAT ARE STRUGGLING. IT’S NOT GOOD FOR THEM.

“If you compared the 125th golfer and what he earns and the 125th snooker player then he’d make a million dollars on the golf tour. You can afford to miss a few cuts because you can make enough money to offset the losses you might make.”

Higgins felt O’Sullivan’s train of thought was an abdication of duty to future generations, insisting Steve Davis or Jimmy ‘Whirlwind’ White would never have said something similar when he was a kid.

I WAS THINKING TO MYSELF, IF MY DAD HAD HEARD JIMMY WHITE OR STEVE DAVIS SAYING, DON’T LET YOUR KIDS GET INTO IT AND I WAS WANTING TO PLAY SNOOKER, HE’D SAY, NAH, STEVE DAVIS SAID YOU SHOULDN’T BE PLAYING SNOOKER NOW SO I’M NOT GIVING YOU THE MONEY TO GO DOWN AND PRACTISE.

There are merits to both points of view, but what cannot be disputed is that snooker has moved on, sometimes staggering on its feet to stay upright, from the time when Higgins and O’Sullivan were aiming to become the next Davis or White in the 1980s and the sport was a national obsession in the UK.

These days, like every other sport chasing a sprinkling of stardust and the financial oxygen of sponsorship, snooker is in the background compared to the all-conquering and all-consuming beast that is Premier League football.

To put snooker’s popularity into some kind of perspective, when Davis won the last three of his six world titles in 1987, 1988 and 1989, he snagged more money in those three years than golf’s Open champion – the £105,000 he enjoyed in 1989 dwarfed Mark Calcavecchia’s £80k for lifting the Claret Jug.

When Mark Selby earned £500,000 for lifting his fourth world title this year, the champion golfer of the year Collin Morikawa collected around £1,567,818 at Sandwich. The sports have gone their separate ways financially.

“Snooker players are no longer noticed like they were in the 80s when they walked down a street,” Davis told me in an interview. “There are more TV channels, people have other things to do, but the viewing figures remain very healthy.”

The standard has never been higher with tournaments increasing from eight to 16 under Barry Hearn’s astute chairmanship of World Snooker between 2010 until 2021 and prize money swelling from around £3.5m to £15m over the past decade, but it has also regressed in the way it treats players who qualify for the professional tour.

Before he retired from the role this year, Hearn continually argued the point that professional sport is cut-throat and snooker is survival of the fittest.

“You mustn’t sponsor mediocrity,” said Hearn. “Sport is brutal, to get to the top you must have ability. The growth of prize money in snooker recently has predominantly been at the top end and that will generally continue.

“My next round of prize money increases will more be geared towards the lower levels, but with the caveat that first-round losers will still get nothing. That follows the golf model that if you don’t make the cut, you don’t get paid.

“We don’t pay a wage, we create opportunity to change your life. There has to be a threshold to find out if you’re good enough, and if you’re not good enough you should get another job.”

The problems seem obvious and are easy to solve. There is not enough money in snooker to fund tournaments of 128 players and the finances that are available should be used to ensure every professional appearing at an event is paid for their success in qualifying for the tour. That is hardly rewarding failure.

“There are too many players on the tour,” opined the world number two Judd Trump. “Snooker is not big enough to support that amount of people. They probably need to cut the tour a little bit so the money is a lot more fairer.

IF YOU HAD MAYBE 96 PLAYERS, 64 PLAYERS PLAYING OFF TO PLAY AGAINST THE TOP 32, IT GIVES YOU A CHANCE AGAINST SOMEONE ELSE, EVERYONE GETS MONEY EVERY TOURNAMENT AND YOU REALLY FEEL LIKE YOU ARE A PROFESSIONAL THAT WAY.

The ongoing Welshman Dominic Dale was involved in a rollicking encounter with O’Sullivan in the first round of the Scottish Open on Monday that he lost 4-2. Having made breaks of 68 and 58, Dale looked set for a 3-2 lead after rolling in 52 only for his opponent to suddenly escape his torpor with exuberant runs of 77 and 132 securing progress.

Two players were involved in an enlivening match, but for his efforts and travel to Venue Cymru in Llandudno, Dale left with nothing. No money to cover his travelling expenses or hotel costs. There is nothing for losing in the first round, but O’Sullivan, the most successful player in the game’s history, was guaranteed £3,000 for reaching the second round.

In several aspects, this sounds like tinpot stuff for a professional sport in modern times. Entertain, but earn nothing sounds absurd.

“30% of the tour can’t afford a loaf of bread. Either give players expenses or cut the tour and guarantee everybody dough,” said the world number 43 Elliot Slessor, who has suffered financially damaging defeats in failing to qualify for the English Open, Scottish Open, UK Championship, German Masters and European Masters after earning £20,000 for his run to the British Open semi-finals in August.

While Zhao Xintong tops the sport’s one-year list with £206,000 after his rousing UK Championship success on Sunday, Thepchaiya Un-Nooh, the bloke he defeated 6-5 on the black in the second round, occupies 64th spot with a paltry £12,500. The financial disparity is startling, farcical and arguably unfair between the summit and the game’s lower reaches.

The argument against funding aspiring snooker players at least £1,000 to cover costs for appearing at a tournament does not make sense from a moral sense or a professional duty of care.

Rather than the trivial tête-à-tête between Higgins and O’Sullivan, the real disgrace in snooker is failing to pay players for providing large clumps of entertainment for free.

I d not always agree with Desmond’s pieces, but I certainly do about this one!

Today we enter the business end of the 2021 Scottish Open. Only eight players remain and the format gets slightly longer. This is the line-up:

No Mark Selby, World and defending Champion, no Judd Trump.

Mark Selby took a long break after his fourth World title and now seems to struggle to recapture his best form.

Judd Trump has not got past the quarter-finals of any ranking event since winning the 2021 Gibraltar Open; in fact he hasn’t beaten a single top player this season in a ranking event, other than the badly out-of-sorts Stuart Bingham and, even that was in two very short matches (best of 5 British Open and best of 4 Championship League).

Those are the results – good or bad – that came as a surprise to me.

The last 64 

Lei Peifan beat Robbie Williams by 4-2. Lei is only 18 and Robbie is a solid match player. This is a very good result for the young lad.

Fergal O’Brien beat Kyren Wilson by 4-1. That was a big surprise: not just the result, but the scoreline as well. Fergal is not just a fierce competitor, he’s a heavy scorer when on his game. He had three breaks over 50 in that match, including a 140 in the last frame.

Scott Donaldson beat Steven Halworth by 4-3. Maybe not a surprise on paper but given how badly Scott has struggled so far this season, this is a good result. Also the manner of it is a sign that Scott is getting back to some form and hopefully some confidence: this match was decided on the last black.

Hammad Miah beat Yan Bingtao by 4-1: This is a worrying result for Yan Bingtao ahead of his Masters defence and it comes on the back of a last 64 exit at the UK championship as well. That said Miah can play; his problem is consistency.

Li Hang beat Shaun Murphy by 4-2: not really a surprise as Shaun is suffering from neck and shoulders injuries. Maybe he should take a break and give his body time to heal. He’s not going anywhere this way. Also, Li Hang is a very solid player who can beat anyone on his day.

Fun fact of the round: in the final frame of his 4-1 victory over Lee Walker, Jimmy Robertson set a new record for most points scored by one player in a single frame: 178. The previous record was 167 by Dominic Dale at the Crucible in 1999.

The last 32 and last 16

The last 32 didn’t really throw big surprises, but the last 16 saw both Mark Selby and Judd Trump exit the tournament. Mark Selby was beaten 4-3 by Anthony McGill, Judd Trump was beaten 4-3 by David Gilbert. Of course both Anthony and David are top players and those are short matches. What really surprised me is how both matches unfolded: in both cases the eventual winner got to a 3-0 lead, only to be pegged back to 3-3. Usually when Mark Selby comes back like this, he wins; this time he didn’t. In the past when David Gilbert was in such situation, having lost a significant lead, he wasn’t able to regroup; he did this time.

Here are the reports by WST, day by day

December 7, 2021

Brecel Maintains Momentum

Belgium’s Luca Brecel edged a nervy encounter with Joe Perry 4-2 to continue his momentum from reaching the final last week in York and progress at the BetVictor Scottish Open.

Former China Champion Brecel made his first Triple Crown final at the Cazoo UK Championship after a superb run, which saw him beat the likes of Stephen Maguire, Anthony McGill and Kyren Wilson to reach the title match. However, he was denied the trophy by 24-year-old Chinese sensation Zhao Xintong, who swept to a 10-5 win.

This afternoon’s tie saw former Player Champion Perry move into an early 2-0 advantage, before Brecel pulled one back by taking the third. Perry had looked set to extend his lead, but he spurned a straightforward final pink and allowed Brecel to draw level at 2-2. He then won the fifth to edge one from victory.

The sixth frame came down to a black ball fight, with Perry fighting to force a re-spot. Eventually the Englishman deposited the black to move level in the frame. However, it was Brecel that got the better of the re-spot to win the match after Perry left the black over the right middle. He faces China’s Pang Junxu up next.

Brecel said: “The disappointment from losing the final is gone now. I am just proud and happy with the way I played. It is also a massive boost up the rankings for the rest of the season. Zhao also played unbelievable snooker so I couldn’t really do anything about it.

“The two main goals are to get in the top 16 for the Crucible and qualify for the Tour Championship. There are still a lot of targets for the season. I also like this tournament so it would be nice to go far here as well.”

Ronnie O’Sullivan blitzed to a quickfire victory against Michael Georgiou to reach the last 32, where he will play Liang Wenbo.

Breaks of 68, 88, 72 and 86 saw the Rocket surge to the whitewash in just 37 minutes. Georgiou was restricted to just three points throughout the encounter and his high break was 1.

“That was pretty quick. I got into the balls pretty early, made some good breaks and got into a nice little rhythm,” said 46-year-old O’Sullivan. “I feel like I’m thinking pretty clearly which is important. Listen, my game is never far away from clicking. If I get my head right and my game comes it will be interesting.”

Jimmy Robertson registered the highest single frame points total in professional snooker history on his way to a 4-1 win over Lee Walker.

Robertson won the decisive fifth frame with a score of 178. That defeated Dominic Dale’s previous record of 167. He now plays Scotland’s Anthony McGill.

Fergal O’Brien secured a surprise 4-1 win over Kyren Wilson, making a break of 140 in the final frame. The Irishman faces Gary Wilson in the last 32.

World Champion Mark Selby eased to a 4-1 defeat of Oliver Lines to set up a clash with Xiao Guodong, while a 4-1 win for Stephen Maguire against Sunny Akani earned him a tie with Tom Ford.

December 8, 2021

Higgins Downs Saengkham To Progress

Scotland’s four-time Crucible king John Higgins defeated Thailand’s Noppon Saengkham 4-1 to seal his progression at the BetVictor Scottish Open.

Higgins is aiming to get his name on the Stephen Hendry Trophy for the first time this week. He appeared in the final of the inaugural event back in 2016, but fell short against Marco Fu.

The Glaswegian has shown fine form thus far this season. Trips to the finals of the BetVictor Northern Ireland Open, BetVictor English Open have seen him comfortably secure a place at next week’s World Grand Prix, although he is still yet to lift silverware this season. Higgins was also runner-up at the recent invitational Champion of Champions event.

Higgins was comfortable this afternoon against a surprisingly out of sorts opponent in Saengkham. The 31-time ranking event winner composed breaks of 53 and 92 on his way to victory and will face Ryan Day up next in the last 32.

Higgins said: “I’m really pleased with the win. Noppon has had my number the last few times we have played. All of the snooker boys know how good he is. He’s improving every year. He didn’t play anywhere near he could and gave me a pretty easy game today. I wasn’t expecting that. I’m pleased with the win.

“I would love to get a good run here and go directly from here to Coventry for the World Grand Prix. There would be nothing worse than losing here, going home and then having to go back down to Coventry. My aim is to try to have a good run here and have one last good push before Christmas at the World Grand Prix.”

Ronnie O’Sullivan booked his place in the last 16 with a thrilling 4-3 win over China’s Liang Wenbo to make the last 16 and book an encounter with Jamie Jones tomorrow evening.

The Rocket extends his head-to-head advantage over former English Open winner Liang to 9-1. Liang’s only ever win over 37-time ranking event winner O’Sullivan came back in 2013.

It was Liang who opened up a 2-1 lead early on in this encounter, before breaks of 95 and 131 saw O’Sullivan blitz to a 3-2 advantage. Liang restored parity with a sublime break of 128 and had the first opportunity in the decider. He broke down on 39 and 46-year-old O’Sullivan ruthlessly stepped up to fire in a match winning break of 90.

World Champion Mark Selby survived a Xiao Guodong fightback to earn his place in the last 16 with a 4-2 victory. Two breaks of 71 had helped Selby into a 3-0 lead before Xiao fought his way back into contention. However, Selby edged his way over the line by controlling the sixth frame.

Victory means defending champion Selby maintains his 100% Scottish Open record, having won the title in the only two years he had contested the event prior to this week. He now faces Scotland’s Anthony McGill, who beat Jimmy Robertson 4-3.

Judd Trump sealed his progression with a quick-fire 4-0 win over Craig Steadman. The Ace in the Pack composed breaks of 105, 52, 80 and 104 during the 42-minute match. He now plays David Lilley in the last 32.

Li Hang scored a 4-2 win over Shaun Murphy to end the 2005 World Champion’s hopes of World Grand Prix qualification.

Only the top 32 on this season’s one-year list will gain a place for the Coventry event. Li retains an outside chance of sealing a spot after today’s victory. He faces Hossein Vafaei next.

Hammad Miah landed a surprise 4-1 win against Masters champion Yan Bingtao, while Martin Gould edged out Jordan Brown 4-3.

December 9, 2021

McGill Ends Selby Reign

Anthony McGill held off a fightback from four-time World Champion Mark Selby to win 4-3 and clinch a place in the last eight of the BetVictor Scottish Open.

It’s the first time McGill has beaten Selby since inflicting the Crucible curse at the 2015 World Championship and ending the Leicester cueman’s first reign as World Champion.

This evening’s win has a similar significance in that it ends defending champion Selby’s winning streak at the Scottish Open. It is the first time he has lost in the event, having lifted the Stephen Hendry Trophy for the previous two years. His run of match wins ends at 17.

McGill will now face an intriguing all-Scottish tie with practice partner Stephen Maguire, who defeated Ben Woollaston 4-1. McGill is chasing a third ranking title and a first since winning the Shoot Out in 2017.

After taking the opening frame, McGill then stole the second on the black to give himself an early cushion. He then composed a clearance of 75 to also take the third on the black and establish a 3-0 lead.

However, Selby refused to relinquish his crown without a fight. He fired in breaks of 105, 116 and 79 to take three on the bounce and set up a decider at 3-3.

It was a truncated final frame, which lasted 38 minutes. However, McGill eventually came out on top and sealed his progression to the quarter-finals.

“I played alright, but I think I picked off a couple of his errors to go 3-0 up. All of a sudden, in the blink of an eye, it was 3-3. He played really well. If he’d have come back and beat me I’d have had no complaints,” said 30-year-old McGill.

“I am in a decent place right now mentally, where I don’t really care what is happening. I am just trying my best every shot, regardless of what is going on. I can even take the defeats a bit better now.”

Ronnie O’Sullivan edged an enthralling clash with Jamie Jones 4-3 to book his quarter-final place.

The Rocket made breaks of 96, 73, 85 and 66 on his way to this evening’s win. He now faces Li Hang in the quarters. Li beat Martin O’Donnell 4-2 in the last 16.

BetVictor Championship League winner David Gilbert survived a nervy final frame decider to edge out world number two Judd Trump 4-3. His reward is a quarter-final encounter with four-time Crucible king John Higgins, who beat Martin Gould 4-2.

Last week’s UK Championship runner-up Luca Brecel beat Fergal O’Brien 4-1 and will now play Matthew Selt after the Essex cueman defeated Scott Donaldson 4-2.

Ronnie booked his place inthe last 16 by beating his close friens Liang Wenbo by 4-3 yesterday evening in a high quality match.

Here are the scores (not sure about frame 4 there… Ronnie made a 95 in that frame) :

And the report by WST:

Ronnie O’Sullivan booked his place in the last 16 with a thrilling 4-3 win over China’s Liang Wenbo to make the last 16 and book an encounter with Jamie Jones tomorrow evening.

The Rocket extends his head-to-head advantage over former English Open winner Liang to 9-1. Liang’s only ever win over 37-time ranking event winner O’Sullivan came back in 2013.

It was Liang who opened up a 2-1 lead early on in this encounter, before breaks of 95 and 131 saw O’Sullivan blitz to a 3-2 advantage. Liang restored parity with a sublime break of 128 and had the first opportunity in the decider. He broke down on 39 and 46-year-old O’Sullivan ruthlessly stepped up to fire in a match winning break of 90.

And a much more detailed one by Eurosport:

SCOTTISH OPEN 2021- ‘A 9-5 JOB’ – RONNIE O’SULLIVAN THROUGH TO LAST 16 AFTER THRILLING WIN OVER LIANG WENBO

Ronnie O’Sullivan may have blitzed past Michael Georgiou in the previous round, but he had to work hard to overcome his Chinese opponent and was forced into a decider. A steely break of 90 in the final frame sealed O’Sullivan victory

Ronnie O’Sullivan is through to the last 16 of the Scottish Open after beating Liang Wenbo 4-3.

Liang has now only beaten O’Sullivan once in ten attempts after losing the best-of-seven clash in 90 minutes.

O’Sullivan will play either Jamie Jones or Sam Craigie in the next round.

“I enjoyed the match,” O’Sullivan told Eurosport afterwards.

“I feel like I’m struggling to win matches. Missing silly balls and I just don’t feel on top as much as I maybe have done in the past. I just have to keep plugging away
.
“I feel like I’m playing alright but I could have been out. Pleased to be in but it’s just fine lines sometimes.

“I just play, turn up, have a bit of fun. If you win brilliant if you lose you’ve got another one Monday morning. You don’t have time to dwell if you win good or bad.

“It’s like a 9-5 job. Some weeks you do well with a little bonus. Some weeks you just have an average week. Monday morning you pitch up and it’s another tournament. You could play every day.

“I call it the continuous tournament. It never really stops. You don’t get too upbeat or too down.”

The Chinese 34-year-old got off to a bright start, winning the opening frame 68-9. But O’Sullivan fought back in the second frame with a smooth break of 86 to level up.

Wenbo would not fold though and produced a nerveless 62 in the third frame after O’Sullivan went 53 up. Wenbo cleared up the remaining reds with colours before seeing off the pink to steal the frame.

O’Sullivan levelled the tie again to make it 2-2 with an emphatic break of 95. He got to 35 with a delicate cut into the bottom right using the cue extensions, and then to 42 with an excellent deadweight black to the bottom right. It was not to be a century for The Rocket, though, as he missed a tough black off its spot.

Momentum was with the six-time world champion O’Sullivan and he secured the 1126th ton of his career with a superb 131 to move within a frame of victory. But Liang was not done.

Liang tagged in frame ball red, followed by a brown that ensures the argument in frame six was settled. Liang converted the break into a superb total dish of 128 to send the match to a decider.

O’Sullivan hits the front in the frame by cutting the blue into the right middle, cannoning into the final four clustered reds and splitting them perfectly. The final four reds went, and the black off the last one took the break to 70 and Liang needed a snooker. But it was game over as O’Sullivan sealed with a break of 90, and set up a meeting with Jamie Jones.

Ronnie’s comments about the situation of the lower-ranked players and why he wouldn’t want his son to take on snooker were heavily criticized by John Higgins who branded them “a disgrace”.  Higgins got a lot of support on social media.

As a result Ronnie has no vowed to stay silent… (until next time probably 😉)

‘

COUNT ME OUT’ – RONNIE O’SULLIVAN VOWS TO STAY QUIET AFTER HIS COMMENTS CRITICISING THE STATE OF THE SNOOKER TOUR

After O’Sullivan thrashed Michael Georgiou in 37 minutes he said: “If I had a son I would not let him play snooker so maybe there is a good thing there isn’t the opportunity for him to play snooker.” He also suggested the top players give a cut of their prize money to those lower down on the tour. But following backlash to what he said, O’Sullivan says he will keep quiet from now on.

Ronnie O’Sullivan says he is “not having any opinions” following the backlash to his comments on Tuesday that he would not allow his son to be a snooker player given the current state of the snooker tour.

John Higgins called O’Sullivan’s comments “a disgrace” while Elliot Slessor publicly backed The Rocket’s suggestion by urging snooker chiefs to pay player expenses or cut back the size of the sport’s professional tour.

After beating Liang Wenbo 4-3 in a thrilling encounter on Wednesday night, O’Sullivan said he will be keeping his opinions to himself from now on.

“I’m not having any opinions,” he told Eurosport after the match.

“I gave my opinion yesterday and I wish I hadn’t. I’m not saying nothing. I don’t want to get involved.

“I’m really not interested. I’m really detached and when I say something I wonder ‘why do I bother?‘

“I’d rather not. Let the players get their little players union together. They have to stick together and if they want changes then they have to do it in unison. Count me out.

“Those days are gone for me. Count me out. I’d rather sit on the fence and enjoy the moments of playing and every part of it.

I’D RATHER NOT SAY ANYTHING AND JUST MIND MY OWN BUSINESS.

Now at the risk of being hanged and quartered on social media, I will repeat my own opinion on it: Ronnie was RIGHT in his assessment of the situation and RIGHT to say it. Being a parent myself, I would never encourage a kid to embrace a profession that will almost certainly not provide them a decent life. Snooker is a fantastic sport, and I would encourage my kids (and grand-kids) to play it, as they can learn a lot from it, but as long as the structure of the “Tour” and the prize money stays what it is, I wouldn’t encourage them to become a professional snooker player. It’s all well and good to “chase your dreams” and to say that sport should be about titles and records rather than money, at the end of the day we all need to eat, have a roof on our heads and pay our bills. It’s not a very poetic view on life, but it’s the reality.

Someone came up with “Federer” would never say that. He wouldn’t indeed … and here is why:

This is the profile of the nr 64 player in the tennis rankings, Benjamin Benzi

This guy has played 9 matches in singles, won 2, lost 7 and has earned $414678 in 2021, that’s about £315000. The current number 64 in snooker is Sunny Akani, last season earned £41,500, playing 35 matches ans winning 20.  Only three players on the main tour haver earned more that Benjamin Benzi last season: Mark Selby, Judd Trump and Neil Robertson.

Think about it …

Ronnie needed only 37 minutes to beat Michael Georgiou by 4-0. Here are the scores:

and the report by WST:

Ronnie O’Sullivan blitzed to a quickfire victory against Michael Georgiou to reach the last 32, where he will play Liang Wenbo.

Breaks of 68, 88, 72 and 86 saw the Rocket surge to the whitewash in just 37 minutes. Georgiou was restricted to just three points throughout the encounter and his high break was 1.

“That was pretty quick. I got into the balls pretty early, made some good breaks and got into a nice little rhythm,” said 46-year-old O’Sullivan. “I feel like I’m thinking pretty clearly which is important. Listen, my game is never far away from clicking. If I get my head right and my game comes it will be interesting.”

There was much more than this to the match, and to the post-match interview.

Ronnie was ruthless at the table but did show great sportmanship:

‘HE IS NOT GOING TO TAKE IT!’ – RONNIE O’SULLIVAN REFUSES TO TAKE FOUL POINTS AFTER INSISTING OPPONENT HIT BALL

Ronnie O’Sullivan again showed his remarkable levels of sportsmanship during his Scottish Open match against Michael Georgiou. The Rocket refused to take the four points for a foul after he insisted his opponent hit the green.

Ronnie O’Sullivan showed remarkable sportsmanship in his Scottish Open match against Michael Georgiou.

Runs of 68, 88, 72 and 86 were enough for O’Sullivan to beat Georgiou 4-0 in 37 minutes and he plays Liang Wenbo next.

However, the match’s most remarkable moment came in frame two when Georgiou attempted to roll up to the green. Referee Jan Verhaas called a foul, but O’Sullivan immediately said that Georgiou had made contact.

“I think it did, you know,” O’Sullivan said when Verhaas asked whether he had hit it.

Verhaas then asked to watch it back but could still not tell whether the white hit the green.

“I was watching on the TV I couldn’t tell – I don’t know where Jan was standing,” said Neal Foulds on commentary.

“Georgiou wasn’t sure but Ronnie thinks he did hit it which is sporting of him,” added Dave Hendon.

However, Verhaas would say after reviewing it, he couldn’t tell and four points were awarded to the six-time world champion. However, he refused to take them, with Hendon saying:

THE FOUL HAS BEEN PUT ON BUT RONNIE’S NOT GOING TO TAKE IT!

It mattered little as he went on to make an 88 to open up a two-frame advantage and then eventually win 4-0.

After the match he made a case for grassroots snooker saying it badly needs funding.

…
Ronnie O’Sullivan believes Britain will be left behind by China if there is not an increase in investment in grassroots snooker in the UK. The UK Championship was won by Chinese 24-year-old Zhao Xintong, while the defending Masters champion, Yan Bingtao, 21, also hails from China.

Sport England was branded ‘snobs’ by Shaun Murphy four years ago over the lack of funding it provides to snooker, especially relatively to other sports.

Not much has changed in the time since Murphy’s comment, and O’Sullivan fears China could pull away as a result.

O’Sullivan, 46, said: “I can’t think of a single player from the UK in that 18-24 age range with the talent of a Zhao Xintong or Yan Bingtao who has won big already.

“I will choose my words carefully on this one, but they have invested a lot in the grass roots in China, and that grass roots hasn’t been invested in over here.

“That is why you have so many good young Chinese players on tour, and from the publicly funded academies over there you have seen ones set up in the UK with the players they produced.

“And it’s not the just the two we are mainly talking about, Zhao and Yan. There are many, many more coming through and some teenagers already on tour.

“They look at snooker and think it’s a pub sport that has lost its class, and think it’s better spent elsewhere.

“Given all that it almost may need some philanthropist who loves the game and knows what they’re doing to come in and fund it off their own back.

“A voluntary commitment from someone that is passionate about the sport. It needs to come from someone with love for the game, prepared to do it for nothing.

“But I don’t see that happening, the Chinese are taking over.”

Ronnie’s focus is on the situation in Britain, but it’s very similar in most mainland Europe countries. Snooker is not seen as a proper sport and its exponents are not really supported.

Ronnie also insisted on the reasons why he wouldn’t advise any youngster to take on snooker. Most players really struggle financially. Ronnie said that, at the very minimum, their expenses should be covered, that doing their job should not cost them. He’s absolutely right and got a lot of support today on social media.

Here is the post-match, shared by Eurosport

The 2021 Scottish Open started yesterday with the held-over last 128 matches.

I have always been of the opinion that there should be a short break after the UK Championship. It’s a long tournament and an important one ranking-wise, as the prize money is huge. The players really give it their best, and those who reached the latter stages are often left exhausted, mentally and emotionally.  Their motivation is in low supply. That was there for all to see yesterday as we had a string of upsets and near upsets.

Barry Hawkins, Jack Lisowski, Mark Allen and Stuart Bingham all lost their opening match. Zhao Xintong had not qualified, Mark Williams and Neil Robertson withdrew. So, after just one round, only nine of the top 16 members are still in the draw.

Barry Hawkins was whitewashed by Pang Junxu and, frankly, he didn’t look well at all, he looked exhausted. Not taking anything away from Pang’s performance here: he fully deserved the win.

Stephen Maguire and Shaun Murphy had to come back from the brink as well. Stephen was 3-0 down to Yan Sijun and Shaun found himself 3-1 to On Yee Ng. Alan McManus was in the studio after the match reflecting on what happened to Yuan.

On Yee is clearly improving rapidly and this was her assessment of her performance yesterday:

Ding also is out of the tournament, losing from 3-2 up to Zhang Anda. He’s now down to number 28 in the World… provisionally. What the future has in store for him is anyone’s guess.

Those are the reports by WST:

Morning and afternoon session

Selby Extends Winning Streak

Defending champion Mark Selby maintained his undefeated record in the BetVictor Scottish Open, beating Sean Maddocks 4-1 at Venue Cymru in Llandudno.

World number one Selby entered the Scottish Open for the first time in 2019, when he claimed a maiden title in the event after a 9-6 win over Jack Lisowski in the final. He defeated Ronnie O’Sullivan 9-3 in last year’s title match to pick up the Stephen Hendry Trophy for a second time. Selby has now won all 15 of his Scottish Open ties.

The Jester from Leicester has had a tricky start to the current campaign and is yet to go beyond the last 16 of a ranking event. That is despite having ended last season on an ultimate high by winning his fourth World Championship title.

Selby has work to do to guarantee his place in next week’s Cazoo World Grand Prix. Only the top 32 players on this season’s one-year list will qualify. He currently sits in 30^th position, with the seeding cut off to come at the end of this event.

Selby was in fine break building form this afternoon, composing breaks of 66, 57,100, 135 and 51 to secure the 4-1 win. He now faces Oliver Lines in the second round.

Selby said: “Whoever wins this event will set some records. Winning the Scottish Open in Wales, I don’t think that will ever be done again. We’ve been to Llandudno a few times in recent years and it is a really nice place. I am looking forward to hopefully having a good run.”

Ronnie O’Sullivan secured his second round spot with an entertaining 4-2 defeat of Dominic Dale.

The Rocket is seeking his first silverware since winning a sixth Crucible crown at the 2020 World Championship. He’s been runner-up in his last five ranking final appearances.

The match was finely poised at 2-2, when Dale led the fifth frame 56-0. However, O’Sullivan fired in an extraordinary clearance of 77 to edge ahead. He then hammered home his advantage with a break of 132 to seal the win. Next up O’Sullivan faces Michael Georgiou.

Stephen Maguire battled back from 3-0 down to beat Pang Junxu 4-3, while Michael Holt defeated Scottish amateur Liam Graham 4-3.

Evening session

Murphy Survives On Yee Scare

Shaun Murphy edged past three-time women’s World Champion Ng On Yee 4-3 to reach the second round of the BetVictor Scottish Open and keep his hopes of qualification for the Cazoo World Grand Prix alive.

Murphy reached the World Championship final back in May, when he was defeated 18-15 by Mark Selby in a thrilling contest at the Crucible. However, he has struggled to capture his best form this term.

The Magician has suffered from back problems in recent weeks and currently lies 37^th on the one-year list. He needs to force his way into the top 32 to qualify for next week’s World Grand Prix, with only this event left before the seeding cut off.

Hong Kong’s On Yee is competing with a tour card on the professional circuit for the first time this season. Alongside Reanne Evans she earned her place by being in the top two ranked players on the women’s tour.

On Yee was on the verge of securing a historic win this evening when she led 3-1 and would have become the first female player to defeat an opponent from the world’s top 10 in a ranking event if she could have got over the line.

Despite this, it was 2005 World Champion Murphy who turned the match on its head. After taking two on the bounce, he fired in a superb break of 130 in the decider to clinch victory. Murphy now faces Li Hang in round two.

Murphy said: “The World Grand Prix is on the line. A couple of seasons ago I was number two on the one-year list and not worrying about things like that. This season has been hard work. I am carrying a very big injury, which is costing me practice time. I am in pain on every shot and anyone with chronic pain will tell you it costs your sense of mind.

“It is important that we make the point that the World Snooker Tour isn’t a men’s tour, it is a professional tour and On Yee and Reanne have earned their right to be on it as much as anyone else. It is great for diversity and great for the expansion of the game around the world.”

World number two Judd Trump averaged just 15.9 seconds a shot on his way to a blistering 4-0 defeat of Robert Milkins.

Trump, who won the Champion of Champions earlier this season, composed breaks of 100, 78 and 85 during this evening’s victory. Afterwards he admitted he made a conscious effort to speed up throughout the match. He plays Craig Steadman in round two.

Trump said: “I felt like I just needed to play a little bit quicker. I think I’ve been bogging myself down for most of the season. Even though I’ve won a tournament, I am still not at my fluent best. I made a conscious decision in this one to be more relaxed and enjoy it.”

John Higgins gained his passage through with a 4-1 defeat of Alfie Burden. He now faces Noppon Saengkham up next.

Kyren Wilson defeated Andy Hicks 4-0, while Stuart Bingham succumbed to a surprise 4-1 loss at the hands of Andrew Higginson.

You will find more about Ronnie’s win here