Scottish Open 2020 live - Mark Selby faces Jamie Jones for place in final against Ronnie O'Sullivan

Updated 12/12/2020 at 21:54 GMT

Scottish Open 2020 LIVE - It's semi-final day at the third Home Nations event of the season and that means a massive day of snooker. World champion Ronnie O’Sullivan fought back to beat Li Hang 6-4 in the first semi-final and awaits the winner of Mark Selby and Jamie Jones.

Snooker Scottish Open: Mark Selby produces a break of 135 to lead 4-2 against Ricky Walden

Image credit: Eurosport

Join us for the final tomorrow

We'll be back with you at 12.45pm for the first session of the Scottish Open final. Thanks for your company this evening, see you Sunday lunchtime.

Scottish Open

'I'm too old for his antics' – How Selby and O'Sullivan became best of enemies

14/12/2020 at 23:30

Mark Selby is through to the Scottish Open final

Jamie Jones was powerless to do anything about his defeat tonight; Mark Selby was simply brilliant. Three centuries and a 93 underpinned Selby's dominance and he was utterly ruthless when he got in the balls. Jones avoided being whitewashed, and can at least take comfort in reaching the last four of a ranking event as he wasn't even on the tour a year ago. Selby marches on to the final, and what a prospect it is. O'Sullivan, the world champion and greatest of all time, against Selby, the form horse after an excellent week and a man who has won his last ten ranking event finals in a row. The undercurrent? A residual tension from their epic World Championship semi-final in August.

Selby 6-1 Jones

No century for Selby, but a 93 is enough to win frame, match and a place in the final tomorrow.

Selby 5-1 Jones (70-0)

Selby gets another half-century, and he's coasting to the winning line here. The tenth red gets him over it, and a fourth century in six frames looks inevitable here.

Selby 5-1 Jones (23-0)

Jones goes all out at a wafer thin cut on a red to the right middle at the start of the seventh. It hasn't got the legs to get there, and the white goes in-off in the green pocket to boot. This has thrown Selby a chance that might end the match; he's quickly up to 19 and splits the pack superbly off the blue.

Selby 5-1 Jones

Black to final red just above the left middle is the key shot for Jones, and he pulls it off superbly as he drops in behind it. He delicately rolls the red in, then the blue, and all the colours for good measure. It's a break of 99, and he's chalked up a frame!

Selby 5-0 Jones (40-50)

Defiance here from Jones, as he strokes in a long red to the bottom right and comes around for the black to the same pocket. On 21, he leaves himself severely hampered by the pink yet drops a red delicately into the left middle when bridging over it. That's an excellent shot, and he soon registers a half-century as he pulls ahead in the frame.

Selby 5-0 Jones (40-0)

There's no let up in the sixth, as Selby drains a long, straight red to the bottom right and lands perfectly on the black. This is just sensational from The Jester, and I wonder if the prospect of facing down O'Sullivan tomorrow has sharpened Selby's incredible mind even more tonight. The break hits 40, all reds and blacks, but ends when Selby drives into the pack but doesn't land on a red. He plays safe and Jones, who must be stunned by this, comes to the table.

Selby 5-0 Jones

No fourth century for Selby, but a 52 is more than enough for the frame and he needs one more for the showdown with Ronnie tomorrow.

Selby 4-0 Jones (58-0)

Selby's back in after Jones has a thrash at a long red that misses and sends reds scattering. This is relentless scoring, as a jab on the pink into the left middle takes him to 36 and he's only a few pots away from banking another frame. There's also enough on for another ton here.

Selby 4-0 Jones (22-0)

We're back out in the Marshall Arena, and Selby's straight back in with a gorgeous, controlled long red to the bottom right that sees the white drift lazily across the table to land on the black. He's up to 22 very quickly, but we're denied the opportunity of seeing a fourth ton in a row - for the moment at least - when he runs out of position on the reds and has to play back to baulk.

Selby 4-0 Jones

It is a third century in a row for Selby! He clears the lot for a 101 and a 4-0 lead at the interval. He has been simply awesome tonight.

We'll back with you in 15.

Selby 3-0 Jones (78-12)

The frame is well safe now, and Selby is flying again. There's enough on here for his third century in a row.

Selby 3-0 Jones (48-12)

Selby’s back in, and he’s developed a decent chance for a 4-0 lead here. He’s prodding in reds around the black spot, with the pink right there if he needs it, and this looks ominous for Jones. His break is up to 38 and counting, with the remaining five reds all in the open.

Selby 3-0 Jones (10-12)

Jones can't find a thin contact on a safety, and he's left Selby a free ball. It looks ominous for Jones, until Selby plays his first careless shot of the night and misses a red to right middle after running out of position. That lets Jones in, but he can only make 11 before losing position on the reds and playing back to baulk. He's had so little table time tonight.

Selby 3-0 Jones (2-1)

Jones leaves a red hanging out off his break-off shot, and Selby clatters it into the bottom right. He's not on a baulk colour though, and has to play safe. Selby gets the second red of the frame down too after Jones' containing safety doesn't contain the Jester, and then welds Jones in behind the yellow. He's in complete command of this match. Jones escapes off four cushions with a fine shot though, and then clips in a thin red to the bottom left. That'll be a relief, because the previous 299 points in the match had been scored by Selby.

Selby 3-0 Jones

A blue off the final red takes Selby to a century, and he sends the yellow in and the white all the way around the table to land on the green. He mops up the lot again; a superb 128 gives him a 3-0 lead.

Selby 2-0 Jones (67-0)

Selby plonks the 11th red of the frame into the bottom right, and Jones won't be back to the table now. This could be back-to-back total clearances here.

Selby 2-0 Jones (53-0)

Lovely stuff from Selby, who is the picture of determination tonight. A good recovery pot on a red to left middle keeps his break going, and he clears another half-century with a black to the bottom left. We've been going barely an hour but it's looking like a mountain for Jones to climb already.

Selby 2-0 Jones (21-0)

Jones tries to get going with a long red to the bottom left in the third, but he's missed it and left Selby a thin cut to the bottom right. He's off and running again in this frame, with 21 on the board already and a couple of loose reds to play for before he has to move the pack.

Selby 2-0 Jones

He sure can! Selby empties the table for a 123 and takes the second frame. This is a great start from the defending champion.

Selby 1-0 Jones (70-0)

Selby middles a long red into the yellow pocket, taking the break to 70 and ending the argument in this frame. Can he kick on and make a ton?

Selby 1-0 Jones (53-0)

A pink takes Selby to a half-century, and a few more pots from sealing the frame.

Selby 1-0 Jones (19-0)

Selby's in first in the second frame as Jones fails to cover a red hanging over the left middle with the pack, and Selby picks it off. In getting to 19 he launches the white into the pack, and the reds have split perfectly for him. This is a great chance to win the frame in one hit.

Selby 1-0 Jones

There's a bout of safety as Jones tries to get back into this, but he eventually leaves Selby on a thin red to the bottom right, which goes down. Selby needs no more invitation, and mops up the final three reds and the colours for a 46 that secures the first frame.

Selby 0-0 Jones (51-15)

It's 31 for Selby, who looks set to clinch the frame before he misses a red to the bottom right. There's still 59 on the table, and now 51 after Jones pots a red and then brings the brown into play. There's another seven for him here too, as Selby accidentally plants in the black when playing safe off the reds.

Selby 0-0 Jones (20-7)

Selby gets another couple of reds down but can’t add colours to them. He does trap Jones in a snooker though, which draws four from a miss, and we’re back on safety play. Cagey start. Jones is on the board now though, drilling in a long red and he's landed straight on the blue to the left middle. His break is over on seven though, as he's caught the brown while leaning over it and giving away five as he was playing the blue at the time.

Selby 0-0 Jones (9-0)

Selby’s away first, dropping a red into the right middle before just about staying on the yellow and thin-cutting it into the green pocket. He can only make nine before missing a red with the rest though, but he’s not left anything.

MC Phil

He's baizing the boys as I type; best of eleven then for the right to play Ronnie O'Sullivan in the final tomorrow.

The Welsh Warrior

It’s been a difficult couple of years for Jamie Jones. He's clawing his way back up the world rankings after serving a one-year suspension from the game, after being cleared of match-fixing but failing to report a corrupt approach. He’s on the cusp of something big now though; after whooping Kyren Wilson 5-1 in the quarters, he’s now got a shot at reaching the first ranking event final of his career.

The Jester

After this afternoon’s result, there’s more to this Scottish Open for Mark Selby than just retaining the title. He owes Ronnie one from the Crucible, where he was vocally unhappy about what he believed to be disrespectful play in their semi-final. For a shot at revenge though, he needs to get through tonight, and he’ll take nothing for granted after being pushed to the limit by Ricky Walden yesterday.

Good evening!

Welcome to live coverage of the evening session of the semi-finals of the Scottish Open. Ronnie O’Sullivan is already through to tomorrow’s final, tonight we’ll find out which one of Mark Selby and Jamie Jones will join them.

---

Join us again at 6.45pm tonight

That concludes our coverage for this afternoon, we'll be back in a few hours for the second semi-final between Mark Selby and Jamie Jones. See you later then, bye for now.

Here is the report from O'Sullivan's win.

Ronnie O'Sullivan is through to the Scottish Open final

Fine margins, this game. At 4-1, Li was on 49, flying and crashed into the pack to affect the split on the reds that would leave him one frame away from the final. He didn't land on anything though, and from there O'Sullivan came back at him to reel off five frames in a row to win the match. Some of Li's shot selection was poor in that run, and he completely lost his composure at the end, but it was ultimately the calm certainty of O'Sullivan's response that broke his spirit. It's a hard one for Li Hang to take, but he can reflect on a good week in which he's taken out two world champions in Stuart Bingham and Judd Trump, and very nearly beat the greatest player of all time. As for Ronald Antonio O'Sullivan, he's through to the 55th ranking event final of his glittering career and, finally this week, he's happy with his cue tip. It's been a good day at the office for The Rocket, and he'll face the winner of Mark Selby and Jamie Jones in the final tomorrow.

O'Sullivan 6-4 Li

A 59 for O'Sullivan secures frame, match and a place in the Scottish Open final tomorrow.

O'Sullivan 5-4 Li (72-0)

O'Sullivan's past the winning post, and this has been a seriously impressive comeback from 4-1 down.

O'Sullivan 5-4 Li (44-0)

His long game has been poor all day, but O'Sullivan picks out a long red into the bottom left now to land on the blue at the start of the tenth. This is a chance, and he quickly clears the path for the black to both corners. He's now affected a useful split on the reds too, and is on a difficult one to the left middle. It goes, but the white runs to close to the green and O'Sullivan tucks in behind it. Li smashes the white out of the snooker again, fouling on the green as he does so, and he's left Ronnie straight on a red to the bottom left. Li has gone here, and O'Sullivan is going through to the final.

O'Sullivan 5-4 Li

O'Sullivan sails past the winning post in this one and goes on to make 93. He's in the lead for the first time in the match, and just one away now from tomorrow's final.

O'Sullivan 4-4 Li (49-22)

O'Sullivan senses the need to capitalise here, and adds a quickfire 45 and counting from the bountiful amount of points on offer. There are four reds left, all perfectly set above the black. He should be taking the lead for the first time today shortly.

O'Sullivan 4-4 Li (4-22)

Trouble for Li, who's lost his temper a bit here. His break falls apart on 21 as he ends up out of position on a colour, and stuck tight in behind the yellow. He tries to nudge up gently to it, and misses; Ronnie makes him play again, from where he just thrashes it down the table off one cushion. It hits a red, but leaves Ronnie in position with a simple starter over the bottom right. That was petulant, and he could pay for that shortly.

O'Sullivan 4-4 Li (0-10)

We're down to best of three then for a place in the final. Li doesn't seem at all rattled by this comeback from O'Sullivan, thrashing in a long red to start the ninth and then going into the bunch off the green. It's an aggressive shot, but it hasn't worked out for him; he's on nothing and has to play safe. Ronnie soon leaves him another tempter to the bottom right though, and Li sweeps it in again. A thin cut on the brown then drops him nicely on a red to the left middle, and this is a very good chance now.

O'Sullivan 4-4 Li

The final red goes, followed by a heart-stopping green to left middle that just about drops. This is thrilling, on edge stuff; O'Sullivan clears up all the colours, including the green wiping it's feet several times before going in, and he's drawn level from 4-1 behind!

O'Sullivan 3-4 Li (32-51)

Ronnie's straight to it, adding 24, but he then misses another simple black off its spot just as it looked like he might be able to nick the frame. The key ball now is the red tight to the cushion just below the left middle. Li adds seven, declining an opportunity to try and move said red, and going for the only other red on the table in baulk to the green pocket. He misses it, and then watches on as Ronnie cross doubles the red on the cushion into the bottom right. What a shot, can he now mop these up and pull level?

O'Sullivan 3-4 Li (7-44)

It's the key shot of the frame, as Li pots the black and goes into the pack of seven reds below the pink. He catches the very end red only, and sends it straight into the left middle. A good split there would have been end of frame, but O'Sullivan's back at the table and on a red to the left middle.

O'Sullivan 3-4 Li (0-22)

Ronnie misses a long red at the start of the eighth, which shoots back up the table and sits over the yellow pocket to leave Li an easy starter. Even with reds in the open he plays into the pack early; that's a good aggressive shot and it's worked for him, as he's on another red and he's freed up the pink.

O'Sullivan 3-4 Li

Ronnie drops in behind one red to drop it into the bottom right, and then shifts the final red into play when potting the black. It's a brutally tough shot to the green pocket, with the white on the side rail, but he strokes it in superbly. What a dish this is; he empties the table for a brilliant 87, and he's won back-to-back frames to reduce his deficit to one!

O'Sullivan 2-4 Li (44-40)

Li makes 40, but after leaving awkward bridging on his next red he misses it to the left middle. O'Sullivan's in, but the table is no less awkward for him; he's making a good fist of this break though, bringing reds into play and finding a superb recovery shot on a red to the right middle. A black takes him 40 and puts him in front; he has one open red to play for, and two awkward ones left.

O'Sullivan 2-4 Li (4-9)

Both players ride their luck with poor safety shots that don't leave anything at the start of the seventh. O'Sullivan gets in with a thin cut on a red to the bottom left, but he can only add the green before losing position. More safety follows, before O'Sullivan leaves a red over the bottom right. Li can't see it direct, he's in behind the green, but plays cushion first to clip it in and land on the black. The reds are in play, but awkward and many are covering each other after all that safety; Li needs a delicate touch here to stitch a decent break together.

O'Sullivan 2-4 Li

He needed that; Ronnie clears the lot for an 84 to reduce his arrears to two frames.

O'Sullivan 1-4 Li (50-49)

The black goes to secure a half-century and land O'Sullivan on the final red. This has been a rapid fire response, and up to the blue will nick the frame here.

O'Sullivan 1-4 Li (27-49)

The break reaches 49 as Li thunders into the pack off the blue. they split far and wide, but he's not on one and has to play safe back to baulk. Li carelessly runs the white into the green though, and he's left O'Sullivan a red to the bottom left. He really needs this, and drops it in to land on the blue. He can reap the rewards of Li's split here, and you feel he needs to if he's to have any chance of catching Li here.

O'Sullivan 1-4 Li (0-29)

Li's in again, as O'Sullivan misses a long red to the bottom left and leaves Li an easy starter just above the black.He's up to 29 already, and has expertly cleared the path to both corners for the black. What a performance this has been so far from him.

O'Sullivan 1-4 Li

It's a 66 for Li, brilliantly taken, and he extends his lead to 4-1.

O'Sullivan 1-3 Li (39-55)

Li has cleaned up the remaining reds and is now on the colours; his break is at 39 and he needs yellow, green and brown to be within two of the final.

O'Sullivan 1-3 Li (39-22)

Ronnie runs out of position on the brown, which he cuts in to leave him only a difficult red to the left middle. It's been a battle for position throughout this break, and now he's lost it. In worse news for him, he's left a bullet straight red to the bottom left for Li, he thumps it in. This could be the most pivotal visit of this match coming up, because a 4-1 lead is there for the taking.

O'Sullivan 1-3 Li (28-14)

This could be big for O'Sullivan, as he flukes a red off a safety and lands plum on the green in baulk. That gets him back down the table, and he's soon in that rhythm that makes each pot look a formality. These balls couldn't be any better set to go for a big score, though he's been erratic all week so who knows what we'll get here.

O'Sullivan 1-3 Li (0-14)

We're out for the fifth frame, and Li gets it popping again with an excellent long red into the bottom right to land on pink to right middle. He's really going for this. Just as he settles into his break though he misses a blue to the right middle, but he gets away with it, as he didn't land on his intended next red and O'Sullivan can only play safe back to baulk. Li's quickly back in with a shot to nothing though, followed by a wafer thin cut on blue but he can't find position on a red and has to play safe.

O'Sullivan 1-3 Li

Li empties the table again, and that 73 gives him a two frame lead at the mid-session interval. It's been a brilliant start from him, and Ronnie has much to think about. See you in 15 minutes.

O'Sullivan 1-2 Li (33-63)

This is superb from Li, as he clears up the reds and then drops the frame ball pink into the right middle to land on the yellow. O'Sullivan now needs a snooker, but this one's done and Li will have the advantage at the interval.

O'Sullivan 1-2 Li (33-42)

Li's break ends on 17 when he has to play safe after losing position, but a long red to the bottom right has got him back in now and he's got a big chance to pinch this frame. His break goes to 25 with the pink, and the remaining three reds are all in the open.

O'Sullivan 1-2 Li (33-10)

Li plays what he thinks is a containing safety at the start of the fourth, only for O'Sullivan to pick out a double to the left middle and leave himself on the black. There are four open reds and the black is on to both pockets, so there's a chance to score some big points here. On 33 though Ronnie misses a straightforward pink to the bottom left, just as he looked set for another one hit frame. Li's in, and soon booms into the pack off the blue, but he's lost the white in the process. No matter though; from the jaws of the bottom right he dumps a red into the left middle! What a shot to keep this break going.

O'Sullivan 1-2 Li

He can indeed! A total clearance of 123 gets O'Sullivan on the board in this semi-final.

O'Sullivan 0-2 Li (78-0)

Frame ball pink needs all of the generosity of the pocket to go in, but Ronnie's over the line in this one. Can he ton up?

O'Sullivan 0-2 Li (54-0)

There he is! O'Sullivan glides to a half-century in a matter of minutes. It's been a patchy start, very reminiscent of last night, but he looks like the player we know here.

O'Sullivan 0-2 Li (13-0)

More worrying times for O'Sullivan, as Li leaves him a red right over the bottom left that Ronnie can't convert despite throwing the cue at it. He soon gets another chance though, when Li leaves one over the bottom right from mid-range, and this is a good chance for O'Sullivan to locate his rhythm. There's a lot on here, if he can settle down quickly.

O'Sullivan 0-2 Li

Li advances his break to the colours, and reaches 62 by dropping in frame ball yellow. He then tries to double the green to the right middle, but it catches the knuckle and it's end of break. Ronnie needs a snooker, and he can't find it; he's left Li a cut on green to left middle and that's quickly dispatched. Li clears everything on the table again, and he's two frames ahead.

O'Sullivan 0-1 Li (38-49)

Just as he's chugging along nicely, O'Sullivan misses another black off its spot. That's so careless, and though it's unlikely to cost him the frame at this visit Li can get right back into this. He does; 37 takes him into the lead plus he's developed two of the last three awkward reds and landed in behind the third down the right rail. That goes in, just, and he's on the black, which disappears too. This is a magnificent effort.

O'Sullivan 0-1 Li (21-4)

O'Sullivan's in after Li misses a mid-range red to the bottom right. He quickly gets the black back on its spot. It's not the easiest of tables but there are enough reds in the open to work with and if he can clear the path to both corners for the black he'll be in business. In short, the kind of problem solving situation he thrives in.

O'Sullivan 0-1 Li (0-4)

A chance for O'Sullivan here, as Li's left him a red to the green pocket. It's tight, as it's right next to the green, and Ronnie pots it but immediately calls a foul on himself when he clips the green first. He gets another chance, with a long, seep screw shot on a red to the bottom right, but miscues it badly and it doesn't go close. He's not left anything, but there are a few worrying signs for him here as he's not settled yet.

O'Sullivan 0-1 Li

It's another half-century for Li, who empties the table for a 77 and takes the first frame.

O'Sullivan 0-0 Li (1-67)

What a fluke by Ronnie! He misses the red, leaving it in the jaws, but faintly clips it in as the white follows through on its way to landing on the black. Crikey. He can't roll the black in though, and Li's back in with the frame there for the taking.

O'Sullivan 0-0 Li (0-51)

The break goes to 44, with Li looking unfazed, and he picks out a plant from the pack to keep it moving after running slightly out of position. This is an excellent start from him. Li makes his half-century but he's overcut a red to the left middle, and left Ronnie a mid-range red to the bottom left with the rest.

O'Sullivan 0-0 Li (0-12)

Li's away first, tagging in a lovely shot to nothing to the bottom left and then a green to the left middle. He's now down at the business end of the table, with four loose reds to go at and the black on to both corners.

Here we go!

Our MC Phil Seymour has baized the boys, and we're off. Best of 11 then for a place in tomorrow's final.

Li Hang

There were three final frame deciders in the quarter-finals yesterday, but none shook the Marshall Arena quite like Li Hang's sensational victory over world number one Judd Trump. It's one of four final frame victories he's achieved in this tournament, having previously taken out Luo Honghao, Matthew Selt and Stuart Bingham in one frame shootouts. Can he take O'Sullivan to the brink today, and get past him to reach his first ranking event final?

The Rocket

What a quarter-final it was for Ronnie - out of sorts and alternatively annoyed at his game, the referee and mostly the tip of his cue. Yet here he is in the semi-finals after clawing his way past Ding Junhui in a decider yesterday in a thrilling if error-strewn match. O'Sullivan is now onto his fourth cue tip of this week; will this be the one that unlocks his game and propels him to the title?

Good afternoon!

Welcome to live coverage of the semi-finals of the Scottish Open, from its temporary home at the Marshall Arena in Milton Keynes. We’ve got four players left to compete for the title and the £70,000 in cold cash for the winner. First up, it’s the world champion up against the man who sensationally eliminated the world number one yesterday.

SCOTTISH OPEN SEMI-FINAL SCHEDULE

Afternoon (1pm)

Ronnie O'Sullivan v Li Hang

Evening (7pm)

Mark Selby v Jamie Jones

What is the format?

All matches are the best of seven frames until the quarter final, when they become best of nine. The semi-finals are best of 11 and the final is best of 17.