Northern Ireland Open 2020 LIVE – Day 3 as it happened

ByEurosport

Updated 18/11/2020 at 22:08 GMT

Northern Ireland Open 2020 LIVE - It's day three in Milton Keynes and it's a star-studded affair. Judd Trump took on Gao Yang to kick off the afternoon session, Ronnie O'Sullivan faced Elliot Slessor, Mark Williams took on Dominic Dale and then Mark Allen, Mark Selby and Neil Robertson were all in action in the evening.

Steht beim Champion of Champions im Finale: Mark Allen

Image credit: Getty Images

Right, that's us for the day

See you tomorrow!

Woollaston speaks

World Championship

World Championship LIVE - O'Sullivan resumes with commanding lead

37 minutes ago

He says he was confident because he beat Robertson last week. He was nervous at the start and missed a few difficult long balls, but got the confidence he needed from the second frame, especially from the red into the middle, and also says that he grew up playing Robertson so though when he first started he feared the big players that never applied to TTFDU.

Around the tables

Cahill 0-0 Day

Akani 0-0 Figueiredo

Higgins 1-0 Wallace

Woollaston beats Robertson 4-1!

And seal it with a ton, a 134 total clearance to get it done! Fantastic! He plays Liang Wembo next.

Robertson 1-3 Woollaston (0-59)

Woollaston slides home a taxing black and that's the match! Though Robertson has been poor by his standards, Woollaston has played really well, giving nowt for nowt. He's floating now; lovely stuff.

Robertson 1-3 Woollaston (0-59)

Woollaston has done really well to manouevre around the table and he's now in decent position; this is a frame and match situation and he knows it. Even the tickertape knows it, a solitary piece floating down from above. He must be buzzing like a cow here, but so far he's holding it down well and there's not far to go!

Robertson 1-3 Woollaston (0-29)

Robertson gets really close with a long red and Woollaston is there to take advantage! Here he goes! Here we go!

Around the tables

Ford 2-4 Sijun finished)

Kleckers 4-0 Selby (finished)

Liang 4-1 Jones Jak (finished)

Page 0-4 Maflin (finished)

Akani 0-0 Figueiredo

Higgins 0-0 Wallace

Robertson 2-3 Woollaston

This is getting serious. I never expected Woollaston to get his snooker, but now he needs to forget about it; he can't see it as an opportunity spurned, but as time well spent giving Robertson the willies.

Robertson 1-3 Woollaston (66-56)

A poor safety from Robertson leaves a long tempter, and Woollaston takes it on! He misses, and that, finally will be the frame.

Robertson 1-3 Woollaston (66-56)

Woollaston doubles the blue, I'm not sure why; the more balls on the table, the more likely a snooker. So we spend a while on the pink, yerman doing his best to find something, for absolutely tiiiime. coming pretty close ... and then he gets one! If Woollaston pots pink and black, he wins! Well done him for sticking with it.

Robertson 1-3 Woollaston (66-38)

He can't get position off the pink but he can get the next go at the table! He works it out really well too, and the key shot will be pink to yellow; the pink is on its spot, the yellow not too far from its ... and he brings the white back too close to the side cushion, jawsing the pot! He leaves it too, a little distance from the pocket but a long way from the cue ball, and Robertson's action doesn't fail him; he glides it home and that'll be 3-2, though when he misses the green, Woollaston returns to the table.

Robertson 1-3 Woollaston (64-8)

Robertson gets in next, but overruns off a red. Even so, the black is frame ball so why he plays position, who knows, and he ends up overcutting it! Woollaston could mop up here!

Robertson 1-3 Woollaston (33-0)

Selby is out! Kleckers has absolutely whacked him and finished with a century; he's not been beaten over the best of seven for quite some time, and he's not scored a point in either of the last two frames. Meanwhile on our table, Woollaston misses an easy red to set Robertson away; how crucial might that oversight prove? Er not that. Just as he's starting to look smooth, an unwanted cannon ruins everything, leaving Robertson on nothing; he plays a decent safety.

I say

Kleckers is at the table and on 60 against Selby. He's very very close to whitewashing the three-time world champ.

Around the tables

Ford 1-3 Sijun

Kleckers 3-0 Selby

Liang 3-1 Jones Jak

Page 0-3 Maflin

Robertson 1-3 Woollaston

Great, battling stuff from Woollaston, dredging a run of 101 out of the depths of his soul and he only needs one more! Robertson, meanwhile, requires three on the spin and nothing we've seen tonight suggests that is likely.

Robertson 1-2 Woollaston (0-66)

Have a look! Selby now trails Kleckers 3-0, while back on main it's Woollaston who gets in first. It's not an easy table, and he doesn't make it easy for himself, imprecise cue-ball control forcing him to chase. But he hangs in there, removing the easy balls, and when the time comes to disturb the reds on cushions, he's nearly there! The upset is on!

Robertson 1-2 Woollaston

This is a proper tussle now. Robertson isn't quite at it - he could easily have lost the frame he won - and he doesn't look any happier when he nails an opening red, begins the stride around the table ... only to see that he's jawsed it. He is unamused.

Around the tables

Ford 0-3 Sijun

Kleckers 2-0 Selby

Liang 2-1 Jones Jak

Page 0-3 Maflin

Robertson 1-2 Woollaston

A friendly kiss gets Woollaston a snooker and though Robertson escapes, he leaves the red; down it goes, and down the frame goes with it.

Robertson 1-1 Woollaston (31-63)

Robertson needs a snooker, as we learn that Mark Selby is 2-0 down to Lukas Kleckers ... and he gets one, the white snuggled right up to the black and the red way up in baulk. Woollaston has a good hack at it, but slides past, and the chase for the final red is back on.

Robertson 1-1 Woollaston (29-63)

Woollaston takes the next two reds, putting him 44 ahead with 43 on the table.

Robertson 1-1 Woollaston (19-61)

It's not going quite as Robertson would like it; he winds up on nothing and with the balls nicely set for a snooker, gets nowhere near one. But he then finds a lovely long pot when offered a tempter, follows up with the brown and save a red on the top cushion, there's nothing especially difficult left on the table. Again, though, Robertson can't make it count and has to play safe.

Robertson 1-1 Woollaston (1-61)

Woollaston is having to fight hard for this break and on 61, the frame not safe, has a choice of two difficult reds ... and overcuts the harder of them to the top left! Now it's Robertson with the chance to steal, but his first safety is poor. He's lucky that the easiest starter is covered, and because there's no easy route back to baulk, Woollaston has to play a hard one, missing by plenty. Robertson is quickly back to the table, and this frame is back in the balance.

Robertson 1-1 Woollaston (0-39)

Woollaston is into this now and after sinking a starter is moving around the table with confidence. He's playing really nicely now, and Robertson is in a game.

Around the tables

Ford 0-1 Sijun

Kleckers 1-0 Selby

Liang 1-0 Jones Jak

Page 0-1 Maflin

Robertson 1-1 Woollaston

Woollaston clears to pink, and we're back level.

Robertson 1-0 Woollaston (32-56)

Worried about the final red, Woollaston plays safe, a decision he probably regrets when Robertson sticks it behind the pink. It's not hard to hit, but where might it go? Exactly where he wanted it to, middle of the table, partially obscured by the blue, white tight to the baulk cushion. And it looks to have earned him the frame, because responding, Robertson leaves a red; Woollaston drains it, beautifully, and it'll soon be all-square.

Robertson 1-0 Woollaston (32-40)

Robertson misses a red to the middle but leaves nothing, so we begin a safety bout, quickly ended when Woollaston takes on a nasty one, also to the middle, and sinks it; well done sir. This is a chance - not an easy one, mind, and he slowly fiddles through it.

Robertson 1-0 Woollaston (32-0)

Another fine long pot sets Robertson away and he looks ensconced, but again he misses a red carelessly. Woollaston, though, can't take advantage, missing a straight one to the yellow pocket and looking thoroughly naused up as a consequence. He leaves Robertson an easy starter, and it's nearly 2-0 after less than half an hour.

Around the tables

Jianbo 4-2 Bingham (finished)

Taylor Al 4-1 Perry (finished)

Ford 0-0 Sijun

Kleckers 0-0 Selby

Liang 0-0 Jones Jak

Page 0-1 Maflin

Robertson 1-0 Woollaston

A lovely cannon to develop the final red seals the deal, and Robertson is away. He made it hard for himself though.

Robertson 0-0 Woollaston (56-37)

Robertson misses a really very straightforward red and it's Woollaston who gets the next chance. It's far from a gimme - there are two reds on cushions - and he disturbs one off the third last, but can't get position on a colour, taking on the brown anyway and missing. That'll be frame to Hamilton, I imagine.

Robertson 0-0 Woollaston (56-0)

Wollaston is ranked 35 in the world, beat Robertson at the German Masters and beat Ricky Walden from 2-3 down in round 1. So this could be a decent challenge for TTFDU, whose first-round opponent had to pull out with corona. But he's is immediately amongst the balls, racing to 48 in typical style, but then things get complicated and shortly afterwards, he misses a red to the middle. Still, that's a decent start for him.

Off we go!

Coming up

Neil Hamilton v Ben Woollaston (with Mark Allen and Mark Selby also playing, Robert Milkins and Lukas Klckers respectively)

Join me in about 10 minutes

For the evening session.

Afternoon session...

...done

Around the tables

Hawkins 3-4 White M (finished)

Jianbo 3-2 Bingham

Taylor Al 3-1 Perry

Dale beats Williams 4-2!

That's a great win for him, and though he had the run of the balls, he played well enough and took his chance to clinch it really well. He plays Ali Carter next.

Williams 2-3 Dale (1-10)

Both men miss reds but Dale's is a stinker, sending one into another - that's over the pocket, pool-style - and somehow still missing. Williams sees it away but can't get on anything, playing a really negative blue - I can't believe he was trying to pot it, but then what was he doing, because he left a straightforward starter to the middle. I do not know. But Dale is amongst the balls now, and has a chance to finish this.

Williams 2-3 Dale

"I thought 40 would be a good break when he started it," says Neal, and this is really fantastic stuff following a succession of nauseating frames and flukes. His finishes at 81, and that's as good a run as we've seen today, which is saying a lot.

Williams 1-3 Dale (42-0)

Williams is a serious competitor and when Dale leaves him a starter, he fiddles through a succession of taxing pots to keep the break going, and by the time he reaches for forties, he's bang at it.

Around the tables

Hawkins 1-3 White M

Jianbo 3-1 Bingham

Taylor Al 3-1 Perry

Carter 4-1 Guodong (finished)

Williams 1-3 Dale

Williams chases the snooker for a bit but after Dale forces him to pot the blue, there's not much scope and the Spaceman downs the pink himself. Williams is in a situation.

Williams 1-2 Dale (33-54)

End of break comes with Williams needing a snooker. He returns to the table in search of it, removing a few balls; the blue is on its spot, the brown is by the black spot, and the black is on the cushion. I imagine that's where he wants the white to go. Yup, it's behind the black towards the top cushion, with the brown close to the green pocket; Dale brings it back into play. So Williams pots it and goes again, but no joy.

Williams 1-2 Dale (18-49)

Williams can't capitalise, missing his pot and allowing Dale in. The way the balls are spread, he really should be making this 3-1, and to do so he'll need just one of the two reds on cushions.

Williams 1-2 Dale (18-11)

Dale flukes a red! He apologises, smile chewing up his coupon, can't capitalise, Williams fouls, Sale misses a red to the centre - dear oh dear - and Williams, with reds strewn about the bottom half, misses his selected one. This is scrappy and edgy now, a heady mix.

Williams 1-2 Dale (18-0)

Williams lost frame two on a fluke then spent frame three sat on his buttocks, but him being him, when Dale leaves him a red he eases it home and begins the process of easy accumulation. Until he runs out of position, that is, and the baized boyz begin a period of safety from the top cushion, reds now populating the bottom half.

Around the tables

Hawkins 1-1 White M

Jianbo 2-1 Bingham

Taylor Al 1-1 Perry

Carter 2-1 Guodong

Williams 1-2 Dale

Dale dealt with this well, a 99 full of conviction putting him in front.

Williams 1-1 Dale (0-56)

Selah! Dale gets in quicksmart and rushes about accumulating. When he goes into the pack things resolve themselves nicely, and he's every chance of taking this in one visit.

Around the tables

Bond 1-4 Yan Bingtao (finished)

Hawkins 1-1 White M

Taylor Al 1-1 Perry

Carter 1-1 Guodong

Williams 1-1 Dale

Dale pots the black and raises a hand of apology. I bet he feels awful!

Williams 1-0 Dale (63-41)

This game! Dale flukes the yellow, missing the pot to and watching it slide down the side cushion and dans la poche! After 35 minutes, he's going to steal the frame with a spawn!

Williams 1-0 Dale (63-39)

Williams does well to force his way to 50, but this frame will likely be decided by who pots the final red; two remain, one in the middle of the table and the other on the side cushion. And it's Williams, gliding a lovely pot up the side cushion and into the yellow pocket; he's so steady under pressure. But he can't double the yellow, leaving himself a lead of 24 with 27 on the table.

Williams 1-0 Dale (22-38)

Dale pots a lovely opener, dead slow - that made it a big risk, because if he missed, he was leaving the table, but he didn't. But he can only get to 38 before running out of position, and Williams gets in next. The reds aren't beautifully spread, close to side and top cushions, but as he picks them off things look increasingly promising.

Williams 1-0 Dale (0-0)

Another cagey start, 15-odd minutes spent looking for an opening red, while I notice that Dale's hair is extremely ... black. He refuses a pot that Williams, devoid of other options, tries ... he misses but gets lucky, somehow covering everything.

Around the tables

Grace 4-3 Craigie (finished)

Bond 1-3 Yan Bingtao

Hawkins 1-1 White M

Taylor Al 0-0 Perry

Carter 0-0 Guodong

Williams 1-0 Dale

And there it is, Williams clearing the table and looking very comfortable in so doing.

Williams 0-0 Dale (55-16)

But Williams gets himself a chance and looks set to clinch the frame.

Williams 0-0 Dale (31-16)

Williams slips, a double-kiss as he tries to bring the white back to baulk putting Dale in. But the Spaceman can muster just 16 and this is getting scrappy.

Williams 0-0 Dale (31-0)

Williams, sporting a significant beard - one of those that obscures the entirely of the chin and lips - hasn't played much this term but says he's in good ouch which, says Alan, means he's practising hard. And after a long tactical exchange, he gets in when Dale misses a nasty little red to the centre. But then, when it's time to play the cannon, he doesn't get into it properly and we're back playing safety.

Off we go

Coming up next

Mark Williams v Dominic Dale

Ronald speaks

He says that win was up there with one of the best wins of his career, as Slessor has beaten him twice and the way it started, he expected "More cake in me face". He says in some ways, beating Slessor in round two is better than beating Selby in the semis because you can only lose in the former; if you win you're expected to win and if you don't, it looks bad. He notes that Slessor played really well, and talks about making sure he gets table-time by playing frames to the end, because he doesn't get to practise much. He compares Slessor to Michael Holt, who he says gets down on himself, and talks about how important temperament is, asserting that he can think of a couple of players who've won world titles because of that aspect - Dott and Bingham, perhaps - and says he's had plenty of issues himself, so it's not essential but it is helpful. He goes on to discuss how happy he is in his life - "I come here, just pot a few balls" - and loves playing so wants to enjoy that and not worry about anything else.

Around the tables

Grace 3-3 Craigie

Bond 1-2 Yan

Hawkins 1-0 White M

O'Sullivan beats Slessor 4-1

This was a really good match. Slessor brought it and O'Sullivan saw it; he meets Matthew Stevens next, who came back from 2-0 down for the second consecutive match and who beat Ronnie in the English Open.

O'Sullivan 3-1 Slessor (71-0)

OK, time's up. Ronnie had to earn this, hanging tough when Slessor was playing well, but a missed long red, Slessor's first shot of the frame, and TMNTPETPUAC is there, a sumptuous screwback - plenty but not too much - making a match-winning visit a near-certainty, with a total clearance also looking likely.

Around the tables

Grace 3-3 Craigie

David M 2-4 Stevens (finished)

Bond 0-1 Yan

Hawkins 1-0 White M

O'Sullivan 3-1 Slessor

Ronnie is beginning to flow. Slessor has played really well, but what can you do.

O'Sullivan 2-1 Slessor (sorry, the scoreboard is broken)

Slessor had every excuse to sulk - I was sulking on his behalf - but he gets in first in frame four and leaves O'Sullivan nowt when he runs out of position on 25. Except a mistake quickly follows and Ronnie sets about the table, but when he goes into the pack a gasp of frustration tells us there's nothing there for him. So he conjures one into the middle because that's what he does, sinks a fine black, then a dainty red, still chasing, before a green puts him back in control. He's very nearly there now.

Around the tables

Grace 3-3 Craigie

Holt 4-3 Heathcote (finished)

Si 3-4 Donaldson (finished)

David M 2-3 Stevens

O'Brien 1-4 Un-Nooh (finished)

Bond 0-2 Yan

O'Sullivan 2-1 Slessor

Both players are playing nicely here, and it's a really good contest.

O'Sullivan 1-1 Slessor (69-9)

Elliot will be raging - he outlasted Ronnie in the safety, found a belting pot to put the frame at his mercy, then missed a sitter. It's going to cost him the frame and lot of hard yakka.

O'Sullivan 1-1 Slessor (9-9)

A protracted safety exchange, with Ronnie managing a red before, a few shots later, fouling twice, trying to get the white up the table and safe with a fair few reds clustered about the top right. He manages it, but then leaves one that Slessor nails with a sensational pot ... only to miss a straightforward brown! Dearie me, this game. That might just be a key moment in this match, because even as a type, Ronnie is getting to work.

Around the tables

Grace 2-3 Craigie

Saengkham 4-3 Zhou (finished)

Holt 3-3 Heathcote

Si 3-3 Donaldson

David M 2-1 Stevens

O'Brien 1-3 Un-Nooh

Bond 0-1 Yan

O'Sullivan 1-1 Slessor

Slessor returns to the table needong three snooker and eventually succumbs. This is extremely enjoyable stuff.

O'Sullivan 0-1 Slessor (70-38)

Slessor plays a poor positional shot to get onto the final red and closes eyes in frustration. He knows he had a great chance to steal the frame, but opts to take on the pot knowing he'll leave it if he misses, when he could just play safe ... and he misses. That's a let-off for O'Sullivan.

O'Sullivan 0-1 Slessor (64-17)

A run of 37 and O'Sullivan plays safe - he's a red and a colour away from the frame, and it's hard to see Slessor taking all the reds that remain. But a snooker behind the brown lets him have at the table, and he starts disturbing reds as he eliminates others. Interesting. Very interesting.

O'Sullivan 0-1 Slessor (51-0)

After quite some time, Elliot misses a red then Ronnie glides home from mid-distance - that's a good pot - and checks to see the pink re-spots before sending it into the middle. However all the reds but one are around the black, covering each other, but one shot, a red then a cannon, and suddenly this look a lot more inviting. There are enough easy balls available to win the frame at this visit.

O'Sullivan 0-1 Slessor (27-0)

All the reds are gathered at the top end of the table, all below the pink and most below the black, in a really narrow rectangle too. The players peck away - the skill-level is so high, and it's extremely unusual for someone to match Ronnie in this regard.

O'Sullivan 0-1 Slessor (27-0)

O'Sullivan strokes home a starter, but the way the reds are spread - or not spread - means there's a lot of work to be done. And he can't force it, so on 19 plays safe, and Slessor, trying the thinnest cut to get back up to baulk, misses contact altogether, then again. This is getting really intense; Slessor hasn't turned up to lose, and O'Sullivan is in decent touch.

Around the tables

Grace 2-2 Craigie

Saengkham 3-3 Zhou

Ding 4-1 Ning (finished)

Holt 3-1 Heathcote

Si 2-2 Donaldson

David M 2-0 Stevens

O'Brien 1-1 Un-Nooh

O'Sullivan 0-1 Slessor

Slessor's break breaks down at 71, so O'Sullivan comes to the table to get his arm going, clearing up with 57. He's in a match.

O'Sullivan 0-0 Slessor (0-70)

This is excellent from Slessor, who looks great out there - and not just because he's a lefty, though of course it helps. He's been in total control all the way through this break which, let us not forget, began following a very good safety from O'Sullivan.

O'Sullivan 0-0 Slessor (0-30)

A fine safety from Ronnie almost forces Elliot to play a pot, and he rolls confidently into the middle then attacks the pack off the blue. He's feeling good, and was saying earlier in the week that he'd like to play TMNTPETPUAC.

Elliot Slessor

Is ranked 58 in the world and has played Ronnie twice, beating him twice. Decent.

Coming up next

It's only the greatest player ever to pick up a cue! Stick with me for O'Sullivan-Slessor.

Coming up next

It's only the most naturally talented player ever to pick up a cue! Stick with me for O'Sullivan-Slessor.

Trump speaks

He's pleased and says it's always special to knock in a 147 - "It doesn't happen often," he muses, "to me at least" - ahahahahaha! - and explains that the nerves of completing it are unlike anything else, with or without a crowd. "Ten minutes of perfection," he says, adding that at 64, 72, you start thinking about it and by 56, he'd rather miss than not take on a black. Also, he was playing really well in practice yesterday; simple really.

He goes on to say the way he played today is as close to perfection as it's possible to get, and that sometimes you get a bit jittery after a maximum so he was chuffed to wade straight back in with yet another ton. As for Brecel, he says he's a really good player who's take time to adapt to the top level, and is dangerous.

Around the tables

Grace 2-1 Craigie

Saengkham 3-1 Zhou

Ding 3-1 Ning

Holt 2-1 Heathcote

Si 1-2 Donaldson

David M 1-0 Stevens

O'Brien 0-1 Un-Nooh

Also

Trump beats Gao 4-0!

That was absolutely devastating. A maximum, a total clearance and a ton in four frames - it's just stupid. He's won this title the last two years, and it's now Luca Brecel trying to stop him progressing towards a hat-trick.

Trump 3-0 Gao (80-0)

This is unbelievable, but for the fact that it's absolutely believable. It feels like Trump has just tipped up the table and allowed all the balls to roll into the pockets; he may as well do. "This is a Trump who doesn't want to stop the count," says Dave Hendon. Lovely stuff.

Trump 3-0 Gao (39-0)

Neal also notes that there was no key shot, which tells you just how insanely easy that whole thing was. What got him going was that first red, which developed the black - I'm certain he knew it was on from then - and it was just a matter of doing what comes naturally. Imagine that: removing all the balls on a snooker table being something you do the way the rest of us pick our noses. Amazing. And he's back in right away, busying himself with completing the whitewash, another glorious red setting him away. Gao can console himself with having the best seat in the world; it's not every day you're this proximate to genius at work.

Around the tables

Grace 2-1 Craigie

Saengkham 3-1 Zhou

Ding 3-0 Ning

Holt 2-0 Heathcote

Si 1-1 Donaldson

Judd Trump makes a 147! He leads 3-0!

That was sensational in its utter unsensationalness. At no point was Trump not in control, every shot made to measure. He is so so brilliant and we are so so lucky to be living in his time. Lap him up, people, and tell everyone you know about what you're seeing. Bow down!

Trump 2-0 Gao (125-0)

This has been an absolutely perfect break, from an almost-perfect player. He's in such control, it's absolutely rrridiculous.

Trump 2-0 Gao (112-0)

Trump became the youngest player to make a competitive maximum at 14, and it's hard to see a way he doesn't make this! There is no key shot because the colours are on their spots; even a little kick off the penultimate red makes no difference.

Trump 2-0 Gao (89-0)

COME ON JUDD!

Trump 2-0 Gao (80-0)

Does he try for the maximum, or does he secure the frame? In the context, it's surely got to be the former - he's going to win this match and probably this frame whatever he does, and it's all there for him. This is a huge chance, so he refuses the colours he should take to come back for the black, ad is now in prime position..

Trump 2-0 Gao (48-0)

And again. Another gorgeous long red sets Trump away, also disturbs the black, and there's an extremely sub sub sub sub substantial break waiting for him and us here. Stand by....

Around the tables

Grace 1-1 Craigie

Saengkham 2-1 Zhou

Ding 2-0 Ning

Holt 1-0 Heathcote

Si 0-1 Donaldson

Trump 2-0 Gao

Bit of brown-ball chasing then Gao decelerates through a pot, misses it, and Trump finishes things off.

Trump 1-0 Gao (63-41)

I may have misspoken - I'd forgotten that the yellow is tight to the baulk cushion. Trump gets an angle on it though, forcing through the blue to make it happen, and if he sends home the tricky green the best Gao can do without a snooker is a re-spot. But Trump plays safe; Gao could resolve things off cushions but opts for the swerve and leaves it, so Trump sees it off and lays a snooker. Gao is 22 behind with 22 left.

Trump 1-0 Gao (38-41)

He does not, missing a red that allows Gao to get underway. He looks comfy, but then runs out of position and clearly doesn't want to take on a relatively straightforward rest shot, accepts that he's no choice and misses. That'll surely cost him the frame.

Trump 1-0 Gao (18-25)

Trump sinks a lovely long red, but has to retire after five, only to quickly return to a table that's not all that inviting (to normally brilliant snooker players). He cobbles together a start, but there are reds all over the top half, blocking each other. I daresay he'll fathom a route through them.

Trump 1-0 Gao (0-24)

But at no point was the white under precise control, so Gao had no option but to go back to baulk, finding a good length in leaving Trump close to the bottom cushion.

Trump 1-0 Gao (0-24)

Gao looks extremely youthful, with a foppish and sharp side-parting, unbuttoned shirt and baggyish trousers. He rolls in a nice red too, looking confident now, and follows it with a black then another red-black-red-black.

Through this morning

Kyren Wilson (who beat Ken Doherty in a decider), Stephen Maguire, Luca Brecel, Martyn Gould and Barry Pinches (who beat Anthony McGill). Basically, the field is nails.

Around the tables

Grace 0-0 Craigie

Saengkham 2-1 Zhou

Ding 0-0 Ning

Holt 0-0 Heathcote

Si 0-0 Donaldson

Trump 1-0 Gao

Welcome to the pro tour, young brother. Trump disburses a total clearance of 127, and if Gao didn't know the size of his task before - he probably thought he did - he knows it differently now.

Trump 0-0 Gao (64-0)

Trumps's command of spins and sides is so good, perhaps better than anyone's. He doesn't necessarily have the cue-ball control of Higgins, or the snooker computer of O'Sullivan, but he can do stuff with the white that we've never seen before.

Trump 0-0 Gao (29-0)

Trump sinks a long red following Gao's break-off but there's nothing on, so he snuggles in behind the black. The escape isn't difficult, but Gao overhits it - the quicker table can't account for that, poor mite - and this looks a lot like 1-0 even before Trump gets to work eliminating spheres.

Right...

...away we go!

I was expecting action by now

But I've just learned it's en route. Let's be having you.

I'm probably biased

But I'm properly enjoying the Eurosport (who?) coverage. Alan McManus is so good on the minutiae of playing and being a player, Neal Foulds has a disarming and sardonic honesty, and Uncle Joe Johnson, snooker's Buster Douglas, is knowledgeable and lovable in equal measure. If you can, follow the link above to get on it, or turn your telly on.

We watch some Trump VT

And he seems frighteningly focused. Alan McManus notes that he's a nice boy with every right to enjoy his money, and says his brother is on-hand to haul him into line if ever he slacks.

Trump

The best in the business looked really good in round 1 - not as good as Mark Allen and John Higgins, but really good nevertheless - and it's hard to see Gao Yang giving him too much aggravation, him being 16 and making his debut. But over the best of seven, a mistake or two can make a huge difference, so you never know, and either way it's always a privilege to watch him compete.

Afternoon all

Awaiting us is a frankly ludicrous day of snooker - and we're only just getting started.

This afternoon, we've Judd Trump v Gao Yang at 1pm then Ronnie O'Sullivan v Elliot Slessor at 2pm and Mark Williams v Dominic Dale at 4:30pm, then we've got Mark Allen, Mark Selby and Neil Robertson all in action after 7pm. Shut up!

HIGGINS HITS HEIGHTS IN ROUND ONE

John Higgins rolled in the highest break of the Northern Ireland Open with a classy 144 break in a 4-0 drubbing of Daniel Wells in the first round on Tuesday. The four-times world champion admits he has been on a high since Scotland's football team ended their 22-year wait to reach a major international tournament with a famous victory in Serbia on penalties last Thursday.

Higgins will face Patrick Wallace or Farakh Ajaib for a place in the last 32, but will fancy his chances against any player on this level of form.

Scotland's footballers have gone viral with their post-match celebrations in Belgrade as they danced to the massive 1977 hit Yes Sir, I Can Boogie by Spanish girl duo Baccara after qualifying for the delayed Euro 2020 – ending the country's 22-year wait to reach a major finals.

For Higgins, it was a case of break it on the boogie. The man dubbed the 'Wizard of Wishaw' won his first world title in 1998 – the same year Scotland last contested a tournament at the World Cup in France.

"I was certainly boogying tonight out there, absolutely delighted," said Higgins, who won the snooker World Cup for Scotland last year with Stephen Maguire. "It's just down to all the boys winning last Thursday, all the Scottish boys.

"I've got the biggest smile possible and it's all down to them. Listen, I know what I've said before but what's been happening to the whole world in the last few months you've just got to try and get on with life and maybe that's a wake-up call to people and whatever.

"I take every day as it comes, every tournament as it comes..come down and enjoy it as best you can."