Shanghai Masters recap
Ronnie O’Sullivan – Ding Junhui
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That’s it for our LIVE updates from Thursday’s action at the Shanghai Masters.
Join us again from 06:45 BST tomorrow for the first of the semi finals with Shaun Murphy taking on Mark Selby.
TABLE 2 RESULT
Judd Trump will now meet Ronnie O’Sullivan in the last four.
O’Sullivan wows crowd with double on final red in 131 break versus Ding
TABLE 2 UPDATE
RESULT! – O’SULLIVAN 6-3 DING
Ding makes steady headway towards an unlikely steal but with the balls so open, it’s definitely there for him.
A red down to middle right tees him up for the black that he uses to navigate down for a red on the bottom cushion. His positional play is perfection and he pops it away nicely. Another black leaves him slightly off on his angle for the final red down the right rail.
He produces a beauty of a cut and the crowd are loving it.
They want to see more snooker, but there’s a plot twist when he wobbles taking on the green off its spot. It does drop but he’s miles off in terms of position for the brown. He tries a cut with the rest but it won’t go down and he leaves a sitter for Ronnie after a break of 50-plus.
O’Sullivan knocks it in and takes care of the blue to seal his spot in the last four.
It’s a heartbreaker for Ding but overall The Rocket was too strong in the big moments.
O’SULLIVAN 5-3 DING (62-0)
Ding takes on a long red down the right side and leaves a mid-range red to the same pocket on for O’Sullivan to snare the initiative.
The seven-time World champion rolls a black to bottom left and with a healthy spread of reds above and below the black spot, he can once again score heavily all too quickly.
A black to the corner right bag comes complete with a tidy cannon up into the pack and The Dragon’s demeanour on the sidelines is one of apparent resignation.
A blue to middle right ends the audience’s hopes of a 147 but does see him pass the half century mark.
The finish line is within sight but Ronnie blinks on a long red up to the yellow pocket and his break ends on 62.
Ding has a lifeline – can he take it?
TABLE 2 UPDATE
O’SULLIVAN 5-3 DING
Ronnie sinks a red to middle right and the yellow off its spot takes him down to a pack that is now bearing fruit thanks to Ding’s initial attempt at the split.
The Rocket loses position briefly but thunders a long recovery blue up to the green bag and then a delightful nudge off a red tees him up for a simple pot to the bottom right.
There’s real danger for Ding now as Ronnie appears to be firing on most cylinders all of a sudden. The half century comes and goes as he picks apart the bones of a pack that has loose reds simply there for the taking.
A cannon into a red and pink tied together doesn’t come off, but the frame is done with a run of 70.
Ding needs three snookers and bizarrely returns for an excellent long pot down the right rail. However, he blows a much easier black and quickly concedes.
It had looked close at 3-3 but in the blink of an eye O’Sullivan has moved through a few gears and is now one frame from the last four.
O’SULLIVAN 4-3 DING (0-8)
Ding sizzles down a long red to the left corner and then cannons into the pack off the black.
He takes on a red up and across to the middle right but catches the upper jaw and it’s a chance for The Rocket to step in…
TABLE 2 UPDATE
O’SULLIVAN 4-3 DING
There’s a cagey exchange to open that comes to a climax when Ronnie leaves Ding in a precarious position in baulk with the reds well spread.
It inevitably leads to a chance for the five-time champion and he pops away a left-handed red to the yellow pocket before nicking in a green off its spot.
The Rocket works his way south, easing in reds and navigating around the black and the remainder of the pack to score cheaply and keep that board ticking along.
A pink to middle left is followed by a red down to the right corner that tees him up for a black and a screw back to begin eating away at the four reds left in what was once the pack.
A red along the bottom rail means it’s all about whether The Rocket can secure the first century of the match. A super pink to the bottom right bag means it’s looking likely before a black to the same pocket leaves him on the brink of the ton.
The penultimate red sets him up for the pink to the right corner and the century is there.
A Hollywood shot on the final red means the clearance is on and he duly mops up the colours to complete a fabulous 131 up to the black.
O’SULLIVAN 3-3 DING
Ronnie has no way out of the snooker safely and Ding kicks off another run with a simple red to bottom left.
We’ve not really seen much in terms of significant breaks but Ding Junhui does just that here, methodically mopping up some routine pots.
He works his way up to the final red to nick it down to middle right and slips in a brown to the yellow pocket. A long yellow down to bottom right helps him take care of a some of the unorthodox spread of colours, but he can’t tease the blue from left to right into the green pocket and has to make-do with a break of 74 and parity on the board.
O’SULLIVAN 3-2 DING (0-23)
Ding cuts a lovely red to open and then watches in hope as the cue ball hits one middle pocket jaw before diverting across to the other, clipping the upper jaw and just about staying out.
He can’t drill in the yellow but is back in straight away and a gorgeous positional shot allows him to arrow a red to the right corner and cannon up into the pack.
The split is very favourable but he has to take on a red up to middle left to land on the brown and give himself the chance to come off the cushion and back down the table.
He does the same via the green but he lands too high on a red to bottom left and can’t find the angle for the black.
He ends the break on 22 and gets a welcome slice of fortune with a snooker in-behind the blue and yellow tucked together in baulk.
O’SULLIVAN 3-2 DING
Scorchio! The Rocket sandwiches a deft brown to the yellow pocket with two belting reds to regain some lost rhythm.
The Englishman suddenly surges through the gears but can’t nudge the final two reds and the black glued to the bottom cushion and has to end on 29.
The trio of shots that led to him pulling clear were trademark Ronnie though!
O’SULLIVAN 2-2 DING (44-0)
Ding doesn’t do enough with his safety despite the let-off and The Rocket is quickly back in, playing his best shot in some time with a pot on the pink that helps him burst into the pack.
The five-time champion makes easy work of a succession of the routine red-black combos around the disintegrated pack, but Ronnie’s run ends on 37 when he can’t find the fine angle on a a cut on a red to the left corner via the rest.
Superb plant en route to 81 clearance as Ding bites back against O’Sullivan
TABLE 2 UPDATE
TRUMP 3-1 SI *at the interval
O’SULLIVAN 2-2 DING (7-0)
There’s a tense safety exchange following the interval and Ronnie is first misjudge his retreat to baulk with an untimely cannon leaving a mid-range red on for Ding down the right corner.
The Dragon fails to bypass the jaws and thumps the cushion in frustration before slumping towards his chair.
O’Sullivan nicks in a red to make him feel even worse but after a blue and another red, an ugly cannon off the black ends the run abruptly.
It’s been that sort of match for Ronnie since that 85 in the opener.
TABLE 2 UPDATE
O’SULLIVAN 2-2 DING
This time The Rocket makes the error and Ding is able to sink a long brown and land on the blue that helps him seal the frame. He clears up to the black to level up heading into the interval.
O’SULLIVAN 2-1 DING (41-47)
My oh my, this is scrappy. Ding gets a double kiss on another safety and leaves the green on. Ronnie nails it to the bottom right but then gets his own nick off the blue which means the brown close to the baulk cushion isn’t potable.
O’SULLIVAN 2-1 DING (38-47)
O’Sullivan is the first to lay the trap on the face-off on the yellow and lure the foul.
The Dragon is first to blink when he escapes at the second time of asking and The Rocket pops the yellow into the middle right before blowing a big chance with the routine green.
O’SULLIVAN 2-1 DING (31-47)
The Dragon takes care of the remaining four reds but he adds too much zip to an attempt on a yellow to middle right. He was trying to come off two cushions for the green.
It means this keenly-contested, but far from high-class frame, is still up for grabs!
O’SULLIVAN 2-1 DING (31-26)
Ding’s safety isn’t the best and Ronnie knocks in the long red to try and get his own Mojo flowing again.
A classy blue to middle left takes him off two cushions with a delicious helping of right-hand side. He lands perfectly on a red down to the left corner that he despatches with aplomb.
The seven-time World champion has some sort of flow but there’s another gasp of surprise from the audience as a basic miss on a red to the right corner ends his run on 30 and leaves a wide-open table for Ding.
O’SULLIVAN 2-1 DING (1-26)
The Rocket takes advantage of Ding’s adventurous near miss on a black to middle right but fluffs his lines on a make-able yellow up to its own pocket.
Ding seizes upon the reprieve, clipping a routine red away at baulk and nudging down the black to middle right. It not only takes him down to the pack but also gets the black back on its spot.
The Dragon tries to nudge a few more reds free of the pack, but again he misjudges pace and it’s end of break at 25.
O’SULLIVAN 2-1 DING (0-1)
There’s a gasp from the audience as Ding misses a mid-range red to the right corner.
O’Sullivan follows suit with a left-handed, failed attempt at a cut on another red to that same pocket.
The Dragon uses the rest to cut a stray red to the left corner but his attempt lacks pace and he ends up south of the black with nothing on.
TABLE 2 UPDATE
O’SULLIVAN 2-1 DING
It’s Ding looking the more assured in this frame and a lovely red puts him back in the box seat.
A black down the left rail with the rest shows he’s feeling it now and he takes care of the remaining reds via routine black-red combos and a blue to middle right.
The pink is in a tricky spot near the lower left cushion but it won’t impact whether he wins this frame or not.
The yellow is routine and a potentially awkward green is dealt with across the baulk cushion to its home pocket. He lands beautifully above the aforementioned pink to sizzle it down the left rail and finishes off an 81 clearance with a clinical black to the left corner.
O’SULLIVAN 2-0 DING (8-37)
Could that be the catalyst for the Chinese star to kick-start his form?
A lovely red from left to right nestles snugly in the middle pocket and he works his way from brown, red and yellow down to a cannon off two cushions into the pack.
It gets a ripple of applause and rightly so. It keeps him ticking over but his attempted bullet red to come off a couple more cushions and back down to the pack goes pear-shaped when the cue ball cannons into the green and stops short, leaving his run to halt on 17.
O’SULLIVAN 2-0 DING (8-20)
The Rocket can’t quite find the flow that saw him clock up an 85 to begin this match with and he’s forced to play safe after a run of eight.
O’SULLIVAN 2-0 DING (0-20)
Ding is first to show with a routine red and he then cuts a blue to middle right but, again, his attempt to pick apart the pack goes wrong.
O’Sullivan is in but his long red up to the right corner also fails to convert. It’s suddenly gone very messy but that will probably suit Ding at present as he’s just not got going.
Ronnie’s miscue gave him a second bite at the cherry but his run of 14 is a tad meagre.
O’SULLIVAN 2-0 DING (35-1)
O’Sullivan doesn’t look the gift horse in the mouth and with five reds remaining he’s already out of sight.
He takes care of one to the middle right and also knocks in a blue but, perhaps in-keeping with the crappy nature of this frame, he can’t bunt a long brown into the left corner pocket and it all comes to an end with plenty of balls remaining and no decent break to take note of.
Not that Ronnie will care; he’s two frames to the good!
O’SULLIVAN 1-0 DING (35-1)
Ding produces a splendid pot on a red along the bottom rail to the right corner but blows a tricky black to the opposite pocket and the door opens for Ronnie.
O’SULLIVAN 1-0 DING (35-0)
Ding is the first to blink in a brief safety exchange and Ronnie takes charge.
There’s a fair bit of work to do but he makes full use of the table, moving up to baulk to polish off a stray red with a green to its own pocket.
The Rocket gets fortunate with a nick off the middle left pocket jaw but can’t take full advantage with a red down the left rail refusing the invitation to the bag.
TABLE 2 UPDATE
O’SULLIVAN 1-0 DING (19-0)
Ouch. Ding’s safety goes awry as the cue ball catches the green on its spot en route to baulk and ends up in the pocket!
The Rocket dives in again but this time his position goes AWOL when he comes off the lower left cushion and ends up tight to a red west of the pack. He can’t attempt the pot and has to play safe off a run of seven.
Ding isn’t having a good time out there just yet and fouls again when he catches a red at the top of the pack and sees the cue ball make a beeline for the left corner!
O’SULLIVAN 1-0 DING
A neat red up to middle right kicks things off for the five-time champion and he quickly sets about preying upon some routine red-black combos before straying up to baulk to cut the brown over the mouth of the yellow bag to maintain position on the reds south of what is now a diminished pack.
It soon becomes apparent this is a frame-winning situation and Ronnie clips a red to middle left before spearing a pink down to the left corner.
He’s down to the final four reds and they are all simple enough, but after getting down to the penultimate one he surprisingly catches the near jaw with a pink attempt to the middle right and his break ends on 85.
There’s no century but it’s a strong start from The Rocket.
O’SULLIVAN 0-0 DING (0-4)
Ding opens with a special, long red pot up to the green pocket and follows with a yellow to its home bag.
The run continues with a fine cut on a red to the bottom left but his attempt on another tricky cut on a brown to the yellow bag doesn’t come off. Worst still his cannon into the red works perfectly and leaves an inviting table for The Rocket.
H2H
The Rocket leads 22-5 in the match-up. Ding is targeting a rare win as he breaks off and gets us underway.
GOOD AFTERNOON!
We are back with the highly-anticipated quarter-final showdown between Ronnie O’Sullivan and Ding Junhui at the 2024 Shanghai Masters.
Over on Table 2, Judd Trump meets Si Jiahui.
Pang plant in final frame can’t stop defeat to Selby
That’s us done for this sesh
Join us again at 12.30pm BST for a belter: Ronnie O’Sullivan v Ding Junhui!
Mark Selby beats Pang Junxu 6-3!
And he gets his ton too, a run of 118 setting up a semi-final meeting with Shaun Murphy. He’ll have to play better safety than he did today to win that, but he’s a chance and I’m looking forward to seeing him try.
Selby 5-3 Pang (75-1)
Mar makes the match safe and the way he’s finished this has been impressive. Ca he crown proceedings with a ton?
Selby 5-3 Pang (42-1)
This is nice work from Mark, and when he breaks the pack off the black, leaving one to left-middle, the match looks to be his. he’s played alright today, starting well, dipping, and rebounding; three in a row is a decent way to finish things off, and him playing well is always a buzz and a relief for those who love this thing of ours.
Selby 5-3 Pang (9-1)
A slow start to the frame, then Pang finds another plant to a baulk pocket – only to miss a pink to middle. So Marrk gets in, and the way the balls are, some available and others ready to be broken, this is a chance to take f&m.
On table two
Shaun Murphy 6-2 Zhou Yuelong
The Magician is looking good…
Selby 5-3 Pang
A run of 81 seals the frame, and Pang needs three straight.
Selby 4-3 Pang (51-0)
Has the tide turned in this match? Mark looks in nice control now and I’d be shocked if he didn’t go one away – though something that’s marked his performances in recent years is the proximity of ridiculous to sublime.
Selby 4-3 Pang (20-0)
Mark clips a nice starter into left corner, then takes a while before eventually sending pink into left-middle. He quickly breaks the pack, and this is a decent chance.
On table two
Shaun Murphy 5-2 Zhou Yuelong
Selby 4-3 Pang … only tomi
And he does. Pang has gone right off the boil, and there’s no one better and finding ways to win than Mark.
Selby 3-3 Pang (34-23)
Mark floats a lovely starter from mid-table to right corner, and will hope to pick his way through what remains. The way these last two frames have gone, I’d not be certain, but he certainly ought to.
Selby 3-3 Pang (29-23)
After much thought, Pang sinks the yellow then slithers home a fine red with the rest. Slowly slowly, he’s taking control of this frame … only to miss to left corner with the ball left in the jaws for Mark, and after a first mini-sesh of decent standard, it’s now a struggle.
Selby 3-3 Pang (21-12)
Goodness me, Mark misses a sitter-red to left corner and when a poor positional shot means a trickier black than was necessary, Pang gets it down and on to the next ball.
Selby 3-3 Pang (6-0)
Mark slots a fine starter, diagonally into left corner, but must soon play safe, and when he misses another chance, the sense is that this could be another longun. As I type, though, Pang misses gently to left corner, leaving a dolly – and with it a chance.
Selby 3-3 Pang
Nope, he misses the final red, so must settle for a 75. He’ll cope.
Selby 2-3 Pang (66-1)
This will surely be our first ton of the match….
Selby 2-3 Pang (43-1)
Mark clears reds and we’re going all-square again.
Selby 2-3 Pang (10-1)
We’re tapping about in what remains of the pack, Mark loitering like he’d accept a re-rack if looked at. But Pang continues and it’s Mark who gets in next via red to corner, and though the black is tied up, he should score plenty at this visit.
Selby 2-3 Pang (1-1)
Last afternoon, Pang’s match with Mark Allen had to stop at 5-4 because it went on too long, the players returning after the first of the second-slot matches was over; I’d not be surprised if that happens again.
Selby 2-3 Pang (1-1)
Again, it’s Mark with the mistake which ends the safety exchange, Pang slipping a starter to left corner and adding a black … or not! Somehow, he jawses it, but though he leaves a red, there’s no way Mark can get on to a colour so we’re back playing in and out of baulk.
On table two
Shaun Murphy 5-1 Zhou Yuelong
Selby 2-3 Pang
Pang’s safety game is excellent – it’s winning him frames – and when Mark misses the yellow, hitting black, the concession is inevitable.
Selby 2-2 Pang (23-55)
Pang bins one of the difficult balls then with one red remaining, nuzzles up to the brown, on the side rail. If Mark misses, he can only tie … and he does, by a fraction. Or not; the ref says he feathered it but it shouldn’t matter because the pot’s on; Pang sends it down then lays a snooker behind the black, 27 left with the lead 32.
Selby 2-2 Pang (23-45)
We don’t see that often: Mark failing to escape a snooker – Nealf is extremely surprised. But he does, then an in-off leaves a chance, Pang flukes position when he comes up the table, and though there are two reds on black cush, he’ll fancy himself to finish the frame at this visit.
Selby 2-2 Pang (23-17)
Again, it’s Pang who wins the safety exchange but an infelicitous bump off the middle knuckle leaves him a nasty brown to keep things going; he drains it into the yellow … and somehow goes in-off into right corner! Mark can’t do much, though, and when Pang finds a starter, all he can do is tuck in behind the yellow.
Selby 2-2 Pang (19-5)
Gosh, a poor pink to middle means end of break – might Mark regret that? Not so much, he leaves nowt and we’re back playing safety.
Selby 2-2 Pang (19-5)
He cannot, running out of position and left with no acceptable option, all he can do it leave Mark in. It’s not a simple table, but there are points to be had.
Selby 2-2 Pang (6-5)
It’s been a decent standard so far, which is good to see – I feel I start every season hoping Mark is back properly, but the truth is it’s getting harder because everyone else is getting better. Meantime, he flukes a starter … only to jaws a blue to middle. Can Pang capitalise?
We go again…
On table two
Shaun Murphy 3-0 Zhou Yuelong
Selby 2-2 Pang
On 80, Mark misses a black he shouldn’t, but he – and Pang – are both in decent touch, which is why we’re level after a decent set of frames. We’ll be back in 15.
Selby 1-2 Pang (72-0)
A pink slotted to left-middle confirms the frame, and there’s a ton out there here.
Selby 1-2 Pang (43-0)
These two are well-matched, great potters with solid safety-games, and Mark look good to level the match at the mid-sesh – he’s nowhere near out of available balls and he’s sliding balls in nicely, digging down on a black and seeing it move straight into the heart of the pocket.
Selby 1-2 Pang (7-0)
Lovely starter to the middle from Mark, who needed hat – he’s barely featured in the last 20 minutes or so. But after a blue, playing the cannon off the next red he forget about the pot – how often do we see that? – and Pang then does similar, worried about where the white’s going and missing a cut-back accordingly. Selbz will be delighted just to be back at the table, but also, he’s in!
Selby 1-2 Pang
Mark dominated one, Pang two and three.
Selby 1-1 Pang (0-84)
Frame secure, Pang is ton-hunting, but forced to try a double on a red … which doesn’t get close to the bag.
Selby 1-1 Pang (0-55)
He’s a good player is Pang, and is in good touch too. He’s a careful potter, which isn’t to say he doesn’t take risks, that plant a prime example, just that he’s very deliberate in how he does things. It’s working well for him, his cue-ball control excellent in this run but also in general.
Selby 1-1 Pang (0-16)
A slow start to the frame then Pang, near black cush, sends a lovely plant into the yellow bag and after dropping a pink to middle – just, off the knuckle – he rams home a red into right corner and is slowly but surely – and cleverly – manufacturing a chance.
On table two
Shaun Murphy 2-0 Zhou Yuelong
Selby 1-1 Pang
He doesn’t, but Mark stays in his seat.
Selby 1-0 Pang (25-70)
Pang slowly accumulates, removing the last red off the side rail, and this is going to be 1-1 whether or not he drains a testing long pot.
Selby 1-0 Pang (25-34)
No matter: again, his safety earns him a chance, and this time he looks good to take it. But we’ve lost the scores from our screen … ah, it’s back.
Selby 1-0 Pang (25-14)
He cannot, running out of position and forced to stick white on baulk rail. That was a decent opportunity spurned.
Selby 1-0 Pang (25-6)
Mark escapes but Pang continues dictating the safety duel – not many can do that against this legend – and eventually is left a starter. Can he parlay it into something significant?
Selby 1-0 Pang (25-1)
Mark coaxes a lovely opener into left-middle, but a black is all that’s there for him to add, so he plays safe and Pang tries a roll-up only to hit the pink; he’s made better starts to matches. That’s a free ball but it takes Peggy, the ref, a while to concur; Selbz asks politely, she accept, and he clips down a tight cut-back pink. But he can’t quite see a way a nasty straight red to right corner so Pang takes a red and snuggles in behind rhe green.
On table two
Shaun Murphy 0-0 Zhou Yuelong
Selby 1-0 Pang
No ton, but a decent run of 83 and Mark is into the match.
Selby 0-0 Pang (54-0)
Mark has a coupe of opportunities to score heavily but can’t take either; no matter. He soon gets back in, rescuing a poor positional shot with a nice cut-back pink to left corner, problem being he’ll need to break the pack soon and doesn’t really have an angle on the blue.So he takes the green instead and from here, should take the frame.
Morning all
Apologies for a slight delay, but here comes Mark Selby v Pang Junxu!
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