Players Championship LIVE
That’s us done for the afternoon
Join us again this evening at 6.30pm GMT for Judd Trump v Ali Carter.
On table two
Zhang Anda 4-4 Noppon Saengkham
Mark Selby beats Barry Hawkins 6-3!
Four frames in a row and the Jester advances to meet Ronnie O’Sullivan tomorrow night, in one of snooker’s classic matchups.
Selby 5-3 Hawkins (58-0)
From 3-2 down to 6-3 done would be smart work and Mark is fighting for that, crafting a probable match-winning break without pink and black. A cut with the rest looks to dispell any hope Barry might have, and this is pver.
Selby 5-3 Hawkins (33-0)
Has Mark broken the back of this? He eases up the table, never quite right on the blue, but he makes it work, and though he played poorly at the start, he’s been useful since. If this isn’t the end, it’ll be close to it because the easy balls are copious enough to almost guarantee it.
Selby 5-3 Hawkins (9-0)
Lots more safety, then Mark drills a starter and given the balls, looks good for a lead – at least. Baeey will fear for his future in this competition, but pink and black are tied up so scoring is slowish.
On table two
Zhang Anda 4-4 Noppon Saengkham
Selby 5-3 Hawkins
Barry almost always loses to Ronnie, so.
Selby 4-3 Hawkins (67-0)
Frame-ball is nasty one into left corner, with the rest … and thats 12/12 for Mark. seized control of this match.
Selby 4-3 Hawkins (34-0)
Mark’s focusing hard here, you can see, and he’s going to break the pack off the black …. “Wonderful, wonderful cueing” purrs Stephen, who thinks he plays the screw-shots better than anyone. Barry will need three straight, you fancy.
Selby 4-3 Hawkins (12-0)
If Mark can get another one won quickly, Barry will feel it’s a long way back, and he immediately slots a simple starter – after a good break – then zips about the table potting balls.
On table two
Zhang Anda 4-3 Noppon Saengkham
Selby 4-3 Hawkins
Having come from behind thrice, Mark now leads.
Selby 3-3 Hawkins (43-31)
Mark forges in front and will, it seems, try to develop on of the last two reds off the other one … and it works just about. In a best of 11 against Mark Selby, no one wants to get to four second, but if Barry’s to win, it’ll be from 4-3 down.
Selby 3-3 Hawkins (20-31)
Mark is raging, having ended up in the cluster unable to pot a colour; no matter, because another poor shot from Barry leaves him one to left-centre, and this is another chance for hi to wriggle in front.
Selby 3-3 Hawkins (14-31)
Mark sinks two reds laying a snooker after each pot, and eventually he gets in, Barry’s lead suddenly looking a trifle poxy. There are lots of balls available.
Selby 3-3 Hawkins (0-31)
Head on cue as Barry misses to left corner – “Unforgiveable miss” says Stephen – and we’re back paying safety.
Selby 3-3 Hawkins (0-25)
Mark misses to right corner and goes in-off, so Barry gets to work. He’s having to use the blue at the moment, but he might soon be able to introduce the black.
On table two
Zhang Anda 2-3 Noppon Saengkham
Selby 3-3 Hawkins
I’ve no idea which of these will play Ronnie in the last eight.
Selby 2-3 Hawkins (61-6)
A cut-back is some of it, a brown follows, and one more red will be more than enough. There it is, and these two are very well-matched.
Selby 2-3 Hawkins (56-6)
Good work from Mark, but a looser shot means a harder red, diagonal to left corner … and it’s in off the knuckle. A missed cannon, though, means he’s sprawling over the table to cut to right corner … and the ball stays out. He should still wni the frame from here, but there’s more work yet required.
Selby 2-3 Hawkins (23-6)
After quite some time, it’s Mark in next, and this has the feel of a battle to the very end. He rolls a really deft red to right corner that allows the black to pass to both bags, and the way the balls are, you expect him to do enough from here.
Selby 2-3 Hawkins (0-6)
Lots of safety, then Bazza snicks one in and he’s not waiting to be asked. He can’t, though force down a cut-back – Stephen is happy because it was the correct shot and he got close – doing well to leave nothing.
On table two
Zhang Anda 2-3 Noppon Saengkham
Selby 2-3 Hawkins
Nah. This time he misses a double so must console himself with regaining the lead.
Selby 2-2 Hawkins (1-91)
Barry secures the frame but he’ll want a ton…
Selby 2-2 Hawkins (1-50)
A nice blue opens everything and Barry needs the three reds that are in the middle of the table; he can ignore those on the rails. This is a good comeback from the disappointment of losing his lead.
Selby 2-2 Hawkins (1-28)
Into the cluster … and the split is lovely. Barry should nudge back in front from here, but you never know till you know.
Selby 2-2 Hawkins (1-14)
Mark sinks a beaut but he’s on nowt, then Barry does likewise and in comms, Stephen is pleased as he reckons he went a little tentative at 2-0. That, of course, allowed Selbz to play himself into the match from his comfort zone, but he’s in his chat at the momenty as the Hawk accumulates.
We go again
On table two
Zhang Anda 1-3 Noppon Saengkham
Selby 2-2 Hawkins
No ton, but a run of 73 and we’re level at the interval. Missed opportunity for Barry.
Selby 1-2 Hawkins (58-2)
Excellent pink to left-middle, then a wed weleases wthe wblack and this frame is more or less over.
Selby 1-2 Hawkins (36-2)
It’s Mark who wins it, of course, a red to left corner earning him a chance to level the match. He’ll be delighted if he can get out of this mini-sesh at 2-2; Bazza looks a little peaky.
Selby 1-2 Hawkins (22-2)
All the more so when Barry flukes his way out of trouble; he lands on nowt, though, so we have a protracted period of safety.
Selby 1-2 Hawkins (22-0)
Mark measures one into left corner and starts picking. As I mentioned earlier, his problem lately has been dreadful shots here and there, rather than uniform poor play, so though he looks decent now, he might not in three minutes. And as I type, he loses hold of the white, so has to play safe. It’s a proper struggle for him at the moment.
On table two
Zhang Anda 1-2 Noppon Saengkham
Selby 1-2 Hawkins
I’m sure Barry would’ve took 2-1 after three, but he’ll be narked it’s not 3-0.
Selby 0-2 Hawkins (58-38)
Mark pots a lovely brown and blue, one a cut-back and the other a drill. Lovely stuff.
Selby 0-2 Hawkins (49-38)
It’s Mark who lozzes the final red, a blue sent long follows, and he should close out from here.
Selby 0-2 Hawkins (43-38)
Mark tries to put the brown safe but instead leaves a double, Barry hits it beautifully and it scuttles straight down. From there, it’s behind the yellow, and the Jester hits second time.
Selby 0-2 Hawkins (42-29)
Mark runs out of position so has to play safe; there are three reds left. He doubtless wanted the frame sorted at that visit, but he’ll feel like he’s in the match, perhaps.
Selby 0-2 Hawkins (24-29)
He plays it nicely too, liberating a couple of reds, then goes again knowing he’s one in reserve. But … what?! Seeking to stick one in right corner, he catches a different otherone first, leaving Mark a chance, and that is not something anyone wants to do. If he’s down, keep him there.
Selby 0-2 Hawkins (5-12)
Mark lamps a tremendous starter into the corner, but a terrible miss on a red suggests a man low on confidence. Barry won’t need asking twice, but there aren’t loads of loose reds so at some point he’ll need to play a big shot.
On table two
Zhang Anda 1-1 Noppon Saengkham
Selby 0-2 Hawkins
Mark needs to find himself, fast.
Selby 0-1 Hawkins (0-71)
This is really good from Barry, he nails one with the rest to left corner – he’s so good with that in hand – and if he can nab just one of the next two, Mark is in trouble.
Selby 0-1 Hawkins (0-50)
Booooo! Bazza comes up for the blue, rightly so, then off the black a nice little cannon releases another ball or two. If he can get sa pink into left-middle, he’ll feel the frame is nearly his … and down it goes. Very good, as Fouldsy likes to say.
Selby 0-1 Hawkins (0-24)
They’re good mates these two, so part of Barry won’t have enjoyed how much Mark struggled in that first frame. But he’s a pro and quickly doubles a terrific starter, then adds the black. Already, this is a good chance – for who knows what?! – because the reds are really nicely spread.
On table two
Zhang Anda 1-0 Noppon Saengkham
Selby 0-1 Hawkins
We get there in the end, Mark leaving yellow over left corner and conceding.
Selby 0-0 Hawkins (30-64)
Mark develops reds but the last of them is now on the side rail; he looks to drop in behind it off the pink … does … and misses the pot! Can Barry send it down? Being lefty won’t help, except he uses the rest righty doesn’t he, and strokes down a beauty. When Mark returns to the table, he requires two snookers.
Selby 0-0 Hawkins (14-56)
Oh man. Barry seeks a thin contact with the rest, having eschewed a pot, and well, he might as well have tried the pot because his ball entirely, leaves Mark in, and he’ll be concerned.
Selby 0-0 Hawkins (6-56)
Poor shot from Mark leaves Barry in, but he barely pots one into left corner – it drags on the near knuckle – and that takes him out of position. He’s not happy with himself stood there, but with four balls above the top rail he looks a warm favourite for the frame.
Selby 0-0 Hawkins (6-36)
A terrible shot from Barry means end of break, then Mark goes in-off; no matter, he leaves nowt, pots a long one … and another one, to the opposite corner. But he soon runs out of position, finding a very nice safety shot that allows him a go at a shot to nothing … which doesn’t drop.
Selby 0-0 Hawkins (0-22)
Left a mid-distancer to the corner, Barry gets away then breaks the pack, and this is a really good chance to go in front. Neither player is quite playing as they can – Mark has been alternating brilliance and silliness, sometimes in the same frame – but Bazza has been a little more reliable.
Off we go!
Our boyz
Rob Walker thinks this is going to be good
I know, the plot-twist no one saw coming. But he’s always right because it always is, so.
For you we have
Barry Hawkins v Mark Selby, with updates from Zhang Anda v Noppon Saengkham, then this evening it’s Judd Trump v Ali Carter. Amen to all of that.
Hello there!
And welcome to another delightful day of Players Championship snook.
O’Sullivan on treating tournaments like ‘match practice’
“I’m just trying to get away with playing as least as I can,” O’Sullivan said afterwards.
“I feel happier doing that and, you know, just treat it like a bit of match practice. Take what I can from the tour.”
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