Sporting Life
Ronnie O'Sullivan
Ronnie O'Sullivan

World Championship snooker: Ronnie O'Sullivan and Ding Junhui locked together as Mark Williams, Mark Selby and Judd Trump progress

By Sporting Life
Snooker
Fri August 07, 2020 · 5y ago

Ronnie O'Sullivan and Ding Junhui could not be separated after the first session of their second-round clash at the Crucible, finishing locked together at 4-4.

The absence of crowds at this year's event has, somewhat ironically, raised the spirits of O'Sullivan's legion of fans, who are dreaming that being relieved of the usual pressures that come with any normal World Championship, the Rocket can lift the ultimate prize in snooker for a sixth time.

For Ding, he is still chasing that elusive maiden world title and on the evidence of this first of three sessions, both players appear set to fight tooth and nail for a place in the last eight.

A couple of missed pots didn't cost O'Sullivan in frame one as he looked in silky smooth touch when compiling a classy run of 61, but he wouldn't score a point in the second frame as Ding responded with a break of 57 before inching in front when controlling frame three.

A typically pinpoint break of 76 in the fourth frame saw Ding extend his lead to two frames but any hopes he might have had about pulling further clear were immediately quashed after the mid-session interval as O'Sullivan came roaring back.

O'Sullivan began to look more fluent with every shot as he kicked off frame five with a break of 60, though he was made to sweat later in the frame when conceding two of the three snookers Ding required.

Having eventually finished the job, O'Sullivan surged on the momentum and a couple of extraordinary positional shots at the beginning of the sixth frame paved the way for a fabulous century (101) that allowed him to level the scores at 3-3.

Ding had the chance to offer a swift riposte but had to watch on in frustration as O'Sullivan came from behind in frame seven to take the lead for the first time since the opening frame.

The Chinese will sleep easier tonight having claimed the final frame of the session, though an inexplicable foul on frame ball when feathering the white very nearly cost him dear; O'Sullivan's subsequent miss with the rest feeling like a wasted opportunity, even at this stage, but enough to allow Ding a share of the early spoils.

Williams outlasts Bingham in epic

Mark Williams came out best after a titanic battle with Stuart Bingham, winning 13-11 to reach the quarter-finals.

Locked together at 8-8 heading into the final session, these two former champions traded heavy blow with heavy blow to 10-10, before that famed Crucible tension saw errors creep in.

It was Williams who always appeared to be handling matters better, though, and after edging in front once more at 12-10, his fluency returned with what was ultimately a frame- and match-winning break of 75.

Bingham was left to rue a big chance which went begging in the 23rd frame, one which would have seen him move within one of victory. But after a bad miss he left an opening for the Welshman and barely got another look.

"There was a lot of pressure in that session and I produced my best stuff," said Williams. "People can question my game but they can’t question my bottle. It’s not easy out there but I stuck in there. I threw away a few frames and missed easy balls but that’s my game now – when I miss I have to put it out of my mind."

The first four frames on Friday morning were electric, both men going after their shots. Williams led at 10-9 after a break of 90 and appeared well set to move two clear, only for a Bingham rally to restore parity and 10-10 and ensure what Williams tweeted was 'best of five'.

Bingham was in first upon the resumption, but after working hard to engineer a genuine chance, he missed a simple red and allowed his opponent to reap the rewards of those opening few shots.

To his credit, Bingham rallied and took a mesmerising 22nd frame, one of those so unmistakably cast in this famous arena. It was Ball Run who got in first before missing a simple blue, and then Williams whose 43 break appeared to be decisive with the remaining reds all tied up.

But Bingham got his chance, and the 48 break he produced was among the best of the tournament so far. It ended when he ran out of position on the pink, frame ball, but a brilliant safety forced Williams into a mistake and the match was level once more.

Rather than capitalise on that apparent momentum shift, Bingham began to look uncomfortable in the next, missing an easy red when bridging over the pack. Now, visits rather than frames were being exchanged in rapid-fire fashion, but Williams continued to look most at ease and gobbled up an opportunity with a nerveless frame-ball yellow, played expertly with the rest.

Soon back at the table, his 75 break in the next wasn't quite enough to compel Bingham to concede, but snookers were needed and though he managed one, Bingham ultimately fell short.

Click the image for Richard Mann's week one wrap

"I would love to play Ronnie in the next round because we grew up together as juniors and we haven’t played here for a while," Williams added. "I would have to play out of my skin and even if I did it still might not be enough.

"What’s the worst thing that could happen? If I lose 13-0 I’ll just go home. All the pressure would be on Ronnie and I would just enjoy the experience."

Selby holds off Saengkham in epic

Mark Selby produced a nerveless break of 124 in a final-frame decider against qualifier Noppon Saengkham to book his place in the last eight.

Resuming at 8-8, Saengkham had got the better of some gruelling opening exchanges and won a 48-minute frame to edge into a 10-9 lead.

However, a cool break of 77 hauled Selby level again and he pounced on a missed red to the middle pocket in the next by Saengkham to move back in front.

A brilliant clearance of 92 from the three-time world champion man moved him within one frame of victory at 12-10, but Saengkham responded superbly, reducing the deficit in two visits before levelling with a break of 90.

Saengkham was in first in the decider but ran out of position and Selby seized his opportunity ruthlessly, clearing the table with a wonderful, match-winning break of 124.

Selby said: "It's nice to know that when I've got under pressure I've managed to produce again, because that was missing for a few years, especially at the Crucible.

"When I've been asked the question before, sometimes over the last few years I've not really he

Mark Selby full of praise for Noppon Saengkham after close call in World Snooker Championship

World number 89 Jamie Clarke continued his dream form at the Crucible by establishing a 6-2 overnight lead over fellow qualifier Anthony McGill.

Trump edges out Bingtao

Judd Trump resisted a spirited challenge by Yan Bingtao to creep one step closer to shattering the so-called 'Crucible Curse' and becoming the first first-time champion to retain his world snooker title.

Despite winning six frames in a row to turn a two-frame overnight deficit into a 9-7 lead heading into the decisive session, Trump frequently laboured to shrug off his Chinese opponent until a nerveless final frame century break proved enough to wrap up a 13-11 victory.

Trump showed few glimpses of the form which swept him to the title last year and could have faced a much tighter challenge had Yan not missed a simple brown which would have hauled him level at 10-10 at the mid-session interval.

Instead Trump stepped in to clear the colours and nudge two frames clear, and despite a spirited 94 in the next from his opponent, it would prove just enough of a cushion for the 29-year-old to sustain his advantage.

Edging through a gruelling, 50-minute 22nd frame in which Yan briefly got the two snookers he had required to potentially force a re-spot, Trump moved within one frame of victory only for Yan to respond with a superb 130 clearance to reduce the deficit to 12-11.

Despite a few early scares, Trump managed to fashion his superb 127 clearance to finish which will send him into his last eight clash with either Kyren Wilson or Martin Gould in good heart.

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