Welsh Open LIVE – Williams and Ding in action, Robertson follows

Sanderson Lam – Mark Williams

Williams 2-2 Lam (21-5)

When Mark misses a long one, Sanderson finds another good pot, a cut to left corner. But he soon jabs one with the rest into the jaws of the yellow bag, Mark quickly cleans up, and works his way up the table. He’ll have to open the pack off the black … but he lands on nothing, so tries a long one to the green. And he gets close too, but not close enough.

Around the tables

Ding Junhui 1-2 Robbie Williams

Adam Duffy 2-0 Jamie Clarke

Gary Wilson 2-1 Iulian Boiko

Williams 2-2 Lam

Now it’s Mark punished for a bad miss, and this is a good match. It’s hard not to think Mark will find a way, but Sanderson is playing well.

Williams 2-1 Lam (16-61)

But not infallibly. Sanderson misses the final red so Mark returns to the table hoping to land a snooker and a free ball.

Williams 2-1 Lam (16-50)

Marlk, though, overcuts a routine yellow, leaves a simple starter, and again Sanderson takes his chance with aplomb. He’s enjoying the contest, and so am I. Both men are playing nicely.

Williams 2-1 Lam (1-14)

Mark sinks a starter but no more, then Sanderson gets in and breaks the pack, doing well to poke down on one to left corner that keeps his run going. He cannot, though, resist a long green, gets nowhere near, and leaves a good chance.

Around the tables

Ding Junhui 0-2 Robbie Williams

Adam Duffy 1-0 Jamie Clarke

Gary Wilson 1-1 Iulian Boiko

Williams 2-1 Lam

Yup, a run of 117 that reeked of expertise. Mark’s understanding of how balls are introduced to pockets is unreal, and he knows how to show-off too, showing off his cue-power and creativity to his home crowd.

Williams 1-1 Lam (99-5)

The last red is on the side … so Mark doubles it! He wants a ton, but the blue is on the side too…

Williams 1-1 Lam (44-5)

Both men are potting nicely, but Sanderson has missed twice and Mark can’t allow that. He’s an absolute master.

Williams 1-1 Lam (20-5)

Sanderson feels in touch here, using the rest and extension to stroke in a fine cut before breaking the pack off the brown … only to miss the next red, a dead tight one to the corner. Again, you expect Mark to make him wish he hadn’t, and very quickly, there are balls all over, black zipping to both corners.

Around the tables

Ding Junhui 0-1 Robbie Williams

Adam Duffy 1-0 Jamie Clarke

Gary Wilson 1-1 Iulian Boiko

Williams 1-1 Lam

A missed red means Sanderson settles for an 89, and he’s looked in good touch so far.

Williams 1-0 Lam (73-0)

Opening reds off black, Sanderson looks home in this frame now, a black gently guided to left corner making sure. Can he get to a ton?

Williams 1-0 Lam (17-0)

Sanderson gets in off Mark’s break, breaks the pack, and strokes in a fantastic high black. He’s responding well to the slap about the chops of the first frame.

Williams 1-0 Lam

Tremendous starter from Mark – he might just be playing well here – but he soon runs out of position, they’re playing in and out of the pack with a red over left corner, and they quickly agree a re-rack.

Around the tables

Ding Junhui 0-0 Robbie Williams

Adam Duffy 0-0 Jamie Clarke

Gary Wilson 0-0 Iulian Boiko

Williams 1-0 Lam

A clearance of 90 and Mark hits the front.

Williams 0-0 Lam (69-29)

Mark is so good at doing this. Sanderson will have known he couldn’t afford to miss big chances, and he’s started by doign exactly that.

Williams 0-0 Lam (34-29)

Fouldsy notes that Mark J likes to give balls every chance of dropping, so only hits them hard when he has to. And he doesn’t during this break, easing his way through a run that’ll sting Sanderson something fierce. This frame looks over.

Williams 0-0 Lam (11-29)

Ach, just as he looks decent, Sanderson misses a simple black to left corner, and Mark Williams is not the kind of bloke who lets people away with that. However he didn’t play all that well yesterday, so who knows.

Williams 0-0 Lam (1-12)

Mark gets away to the middle and snuggles up to the black; he gets a go at one to left-middle, but can’t. So Sanderson gets away and soon has the black passing to both corners.

And here come our players!

For you we have

Mark Williams v Sanderson Lam, followed by Neil Roberton v Stuart Carrington. That is not bad for a Tuesday afternoon.

Afternoon all

Recap: ‘I’m back,’ says Brecel after Welsh Open win

Luca Brecel hopes he will be able to mount a strong defence of this World Championship title after declaring “I’m back” following his win over Jiang Jun.

The Belgian was far from the top of his game in the early exchanges of a 4-3 victory, despite taking a 2-0 lead.

However, he eventually sealed the match with breaks of 80 and 93, and hopes those two visits show his form is beginning to return.

“When I got a chance in the last frame,” Brecel said in the Eurosport studio, “I felt like I was going to make a break. In my head, I’m really good at the moment. I’m feeling really good.

“To be honest, my focus is on Saudi Arabia and the Worlds, obviously, this is just trying to feel good and find something.

“I’ve been practicing a lot and I’m feeling good, actually, off the table as well. I’m back. Every day I’ve been playing and enjoying it as well. When I practice, I do enjoy it every time.

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