Ronnie O'Sullivan and Mark Selby after Judd Trump and John Higgins - Scottish Open 2021 snooker LIVE updates
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ByEurosport
Updated 09/12/2021 at 00:13 GMT
It's a loaded Wednesday schedule at the 2021 Scottish Open with Ronnie O'Sullivan and Mark Selby in evening action after Judd Trump and John Higgins. Luca Brecel, Stephen Maguire and Shaun Murphy are also among the big names involved. Stream the Scottish Open and much more top snooker action live and on demand on discovery+
Watch the moment a butterfly lands on table at Scottish Open, delays match
That'll do us
Thanks for your company, we'll see you tomorrow - or later today, if you're into your pedantry - for more action from the Scottish Open.
Around the tables
Tom Ford 0-4 Stephen Maguire
Fergal O’Brien 4-1 Gary Wilson
Lei Peifan 1-4 Ben Woollaston
Ronnie O’Sullivan 4-3 Liang Wenbo
Jamie Jones 4-3 Sam Craigie
Pang Junxu 3-3 Luca Brecel
Anthony McGill 4-3 Jimmy Robertson
Mark Selby is through to the last 16
He made harder work than necessary of that, but this is Selby's manor, or at least it's been his mobile manor in Glasgow, Milton Keynes and now Llandudno. Selby won this title in 2019 and 2020, and his win over Xiao tonight is his 17th in a row in this tournament. 'I got the W, that's all that mattered,' he says in his interview, and admitted to being shattered before he even started after a rough night's sleep. Preach! Xiao did well to make a match of it in the end, and will regret not starting more aggressively before he really started to play.
Selby 4-2 Xiao
We're done now though! Xiao leaves a red over the bottom left. Selby sweeps it in, and Xiao immediately concedes.
Selby 3-2 Xiao (53-1)
Say hi to Thursday everyone. Xiao forces an error from Selby, who leaves a red over the bottom right. Xiao drains it from distance, but then misses a wild thrash at the green without leaving anything. He's in trouble after his next shot though, as he's left a red in the jaws of the bottom left after catching a safety too thin. Selby sweeps it in, and a swift 18 brings him to frame ball red. He's left it awkward...but he's got it! He didn't play position on the black, giving the pot every chance, so when he misses it to the green pocket Xiao decided to carry on needing one snooker.
Selby 3-2 Xiao (34-0)
Selby pots his way out of trouble after a safety from Xiao, snicking a red in after playing cushion first, before sticking Xiao in a tight spot in baulk. An elongated safety exchange follows, with the table an increasing mess, before Selby drains a red to bottom right. He can only make nine from the chance though, and right now we've got eight reds left out there, all of which are near cushions. We may be here some time.
Selby 3-2 Xiao (23-0)
It's getting jumpy out there now, with both players missing reds at the start of frame six. Eventually Selby plugs one, and settles down to start cobbling a break together. A well-judged blue slowly flops into the right middle, which holds position on choice of three reds, but a later visit into the pack lands him on nothing and it's end of break.
Around the tables
Tom Ford 0-4 Stephen Maguire
Fergal O’Brien 4-1 Gary Wilson
Lei Peifan 1-4 Ben Woollaston
Ronnie O’Sullivan 4-3 Liang Wenbo
Jamie Jones 2-3 Sam Craigie
Pang Junxu 3-3 Luca Brecel
Anthony McGill 3-2 Jimmy Robertson
Selby 3-2 Xiao
Xiao puts it to bed, a swift 64 puts him within one of Selby.
Selby 3-1 Xiao (21-61)
An awful safety shot from Xiao, underhit and leaving a red on to the bottom right, serves up a great chance to Selby who can only make 8 before missing a red to the green pocket. He seems to have lost his way after being in total control, and what a chance for Xiao! One nicely judged visit into the cluster blows the frame wide open, and he should peg back another now.
Selby 3-1 Xiao (13-45)
Xiao gets back in with a plant to the right middle, but soon goes in-off after potting the blue at pace and colliding with the pink. It's a chance for Selby, who drains a red to bottom left from the D to hold for the black. He soon opens the pack when potting another red, but in trying to screw up for the blue he dumps the white straight into the right middle.
Selby 3-1 Xiao (0-36)
After Selby goes in-off during a safety exchange, Xiao plants ball and hand in the D and clubs a long red into the bottom left to hold for the black. Another one visit frame here would really give Selby something to think about, but on 36 he leaves himself a tough cut back on a red to left middle and it flies out off the top knuckle.
Selby 3-1 Xiao
A total of 76 from Xiao pegs one frame back.
Selby 3-0 Xiao (0-56)
A superb shot by Xiao to go in and out of baulk off the blue gets him nicely on the next red and makes this frame look nailed on. This has been an excellent visit under pressure.
Selby 3-0 Xiao (0-30)
Selby misses a red from mid-range to the bottom left in the fourth, presenting Xiao with a chance you think he must take. It's going to be a whole lot of red-pink with the black out of action, but he's making a decent fist of it so far.
Around the tables
Tom Ford 0-4 Stephen Maguire
Fergal O’Brien 4-1 Gary Wilson
Lei Peifan 1-4 Ben Woollaston
Ronnie O’Sullivan 4-3 Liang Wenbo
Jamie Jones 2-1 Sam Craigie
Pang Junxu 2-3 Luca Brecel
Anthony McGill 1-2 Jimmy Robertson
Selby 3-0 Xiao
A total of 71 leaves Selby needing just one frame to advance.
Selby 2-0 Xiao (64-11)
The second to last red, followed by another black, makes absolutely sure. Selby is owning the table tonight.
Selby 2-0 Xiao (40-11)
A few deft nudges into the reds from Selby get him to 40 and counting, and the whole frame is on now with four reds left, all of which are wide open above the black.
Selby 2-0 Xiao (14-11)
Xiao needs to hit back here, and gets in first in frame three, making five, and second, making six. His second break ends with a missed red to the green pocket that leaves Selby a mid-range red to the bottom right, but it jaws out. That gives Xiao a third chance, but he can't cut in a thin red to the bottom right, and might now pay for only draining 11 from three good looks. Selby's in, and he's swiftly in the lead in this one.
Selby 2-0 Xiao
Finally, after 45 minutes and change, Selby pots the pink and leads by two.
Selby 1-0 Xiao (60-43)
Xiao pots everything up to the blue, and decides to go for the five point snooker that will win him the frame. When Selby sticks that over the yellow pocket and leaves no option other than to pot it, the blue disappears too, and on we go with pink and black.
Selby 1-0 Xiao (60-21)
Selby misses a long red to the bottom right, by which time Xiao needs two snookers. Xiao picks off 16, and goes for it off the final red. It's a good snooker, behind yellow in brown and baulk, and it yields one of the four point fouls required.
Selby 1-0 Xiao (46-1)
There's a load on here if someone can get in. Someone does, and it's Selby with a deadweight red into the left middle. It's lowball stuff to begin with as Selby tidies up the reds in baulk, but he's down for the remaining five now as his break moves to 31.
Selby 1-0 Xiao (15-1)
The players get a red apiece into the middle bag - Selby's a beaut, Xiao's a fluke - but we're locked in a safety exchange thereafter.
Selby 1-0 Xiao (14-0)
Selby got game when it comes to long potting. He glances in a delicious red into the green pocket, the only ball he could leave, and he's on the blue. The break only yields 14 though as the split on the pack doesn't work out, so it's back to baulk.
Selby 1-0 Xiao
A superb shot on the second to last red, snicking it thin along the rail to the bottom left, makes absolutely sure of the frame for Selby. A total of 71 does the necessary.
Selby 0-0 Xiao (52-26)
On 22 Xiao misses a routine red to the bottom right, and he's served up a tap-in for Selby to the bottom left. That could be very costly. Selby has added 24 already, and with five reds left it looks a formality although it may need a tickle of three reds below the pink.
Selby 0-0 Xiao (28-4)
It's Selby that's in with the first real chance, registering 28 before a split on the pack fails to come off and he's on nish. Head-to-head, there's not much between these two, with Selby leading it 4-3 and Xiao having won their last encounter over this distance on a decider. Selby has now shorted an escape from a snooker and given away four and an easy starter.
Next!
We move. Defending champion Mark Selby will be on in around ten minutes against Xiao Guodong.
Around the tables
Tom Ford 0-4 Stephen Maguire
Fergal O’Brien 3-1 Gary Wilson
Lei Peifan 1-3 Ben Woollaston
Jamie Jones v Sam Craigie (to follow)
Pang Junxu 1-0 Luca Brecel
Anthony McGill v Jimmy Robertson (to follow)
Mark Selby v Xiao Guodong (to follow)
Ronnie O'Sullivan is through to the last 16
Liang has only beaten O'Sullivan once, way back in 2013, and will kick himself after tonight. He had it in his hands in that decider, but some loose positional play cost him and O'Sullivan dished up mercilessly. Even though it was close O'Sullivan's game looks in good nick; breaks of 86, 95, 131 and 90 see him through to the next round.
O'Sullivan 4-3 Liang
He's done it! O'Sullivan wins a mini-classic with a break of 90.
O'Sullivan 3-3 Liang (70-39)
The final four reds go, and the black off the last one takes the break to 70 and Liang needs a snooker. O'Sullivan's on the yellow though; we're done here.
O'Sullivan 3-3 Liang (40-39)
O'Sullivan hits the front in the frame by cutting the blue into the right middle, cannoning into the final four clustered reds and splitting them perfectly. That could be lights out.
O'Sullivan 3-3 Liang (10-39)
Oof, this could be a moment. On 39 Liang loses position slightly, and is left with a difficult long red to the yellow pocket. It goes close - so close in fact, that it jaws out and stays over the pocket. O'Sullivan can see it, and starts to counter.
O'Sullivan 3-3 Liang (0-31)
Get in first is the order of the day in a decider, and Liang does; an attempt to rest on the pack off one cushion by O'Sullivan after Liang's break connects, but leaves a stray red on to the bottom left. Liang picks it off, and it's a chance. On 24 Liang drills the black in and splits the reds. In great news for him, he's on one of them.
Around the tables
Tom Ford 0-4 Stephen Maguire
Fergal O’Brien 3-1 Gary Wilson
Lei Peifan 1-2 Ben Woollaston
Jamie Jones v Sam Craigie (to follow)
Pang Junxu 0-0 Luca Brecel
Anthony McGill v Jimmy Robertson (to follow)
Mark Selby v Xiao Guodong (to follow)
O'Sullivan 3-3 Liang
Liang tags in frame ball red, followed by a brown that ensures the argument in frame six is settled. He's not done though; Liang converts the break into a superb total dish of 128 to take us to a decider. This is some match!
O'Sullivan 3-2 Liang (55-0)
In reaching his half-century Liang comes perilously close to going in-off in the left middle. That forces him to take a deadweight blue with the white nailed to the left rail, but he drops it in to land on his next red. That should be a frame-winning shot.
O'Sullivan 3-2 Liang (22-0)
Liang gets a look at a red to the yellow pocket, nails it, and then opens the bunch aggressively off the black. Another wallop of the bunch a few shots later sees this chance turn into a great one; if Liang can hold it together and bank 70 or so, we're in for a decider.
O'Sullivan 3-2 Liang
A pink off the final red secures the ton, number 1126 of O'Sullivan's career. He empties the table for a superb 131 to move within a frame of victory.
O'Sullivan 2-2 Liang (61-0)
He's in rhythm now alright. This break has been going less than six minutes and O'Sullivan is virtually there in this frame. He's been close to a ton twice tonight, can he do it here?
O'Sullivan 2-2 Liang (27-0)
O'Sullivan drains another superb long red to start the fifth, and he's away again. It's 27 and counting already in this break, and off the black he's opened the reds more invitingly to give himself a great chance of taking the lead for the first time tonight.
Around the tables
Tom Ford 0-4 Stephen Maguire
Fergal O’Brien 2-1 Gary Wilson
Lei Peifan 0-2 Ben Woollaston
Jamie Jones v Sam Craigie (to follow)
Pang Junxu v Luca Brecel (to follow)
Anthony McGill v Jimmy Robertson (to follow)
Mark Selby v Xiao Guodong (to follow)
O'Sullivan 2-2 Liang
No century as O'Sullivan misses a tough black off its spot, but that 95 has bagged the frame and we're all square.
O'Sullivan 1-2 Liang (72-0)
Frame ball blue goes, and with 67 remaining Liang now needs a snooker. Best of three anyone?
O'Sullivan 1-2 Liang (42-0)
O'Sullivan fires back with a long red in the fourth, and he's got a decent spread to go for here. He gets to 35 with a delicate cut into the bottom right using the cue extensions, and then to 42 with an excellent, deadweight black to the bottom right despite hampered cueing. He's in prime position now.
O'Sullivan 1-2 Liang
Well now! A nerveless 62 from Liang whips the frame from under O'Sullivan's nose.
O'Sullivan 1-1 Liang (53-42)
Liang drops a red into the left middle and lands fortuitously on the black, giving him a great chance to counter. He clears up the remaining reds with colours, and will need up to and including the pink for a crucial steal.
O'Sullivan 1-1 Liang (53-0)
Much to his chagrin, O'Sullivan's break clangs to a halt on 32 as he catches the green when trying to go in and out of baulk for his next red. He's got a handy old lead though, so that's something.
O'Sullivan 1-1 Liang (30-0)
Liang has O'Sullivan in mither with a safety, or so we thought; O'Sullivan pots his way out of trouble from the D, but can only add the green before missing a red to right middle. He's got some chance now though, as Liang gets a double kiss from his next safety and he's left a load on. O'Sullivan quickly gets the black back on its spot, and he's away.
O'Sullivan 1-1 Liang (17-0)
O'Sullivan cops a flier at the start of the third, drilling a long red into the bottom left to land on the black. He looks in the mood to let his arm go tonight, but his break curtails on 17 when he can't land on a red after going up for the yellow.
Around the tables
Tom Ford 0-1 Stephen Maguire
Fergal O’Brien 1-0 Gary Wilson
Lei Peifan 0-0 Ben Woollaston
Jamie Jones v Sam Craigie (to follow)
Pang Junxu v Luca Brecel (to follow)
Anthony McGill v Jimmy Robertson (to follow)
Mark Selby v Xiao Guodong (to follow)
O'Sullivan 1-1 Liang
No ton, but a smooth 86 from O'Sullivan levels this up.
O'Sullivan 0-1 Liang (57-0)
A lovely canon on the reds moves O'Sullivan to the cusp of a half-century, and he's really clicking into gear now. He needs a few more balls and this one will be in the books.
O'Sullivan 0-1 Liang (17-0)
This is a struggle so far for O'Sullivan. An excellent long red gets him in, but he soon misses a difficult cut on a black to bottom right and what a chance for Liang now. He can't take it though, missing a straightforward red with the rest to the bottom right and now this is an easier look for O'Sullivan.
O'Sullivan 0-1 Liang
O'Sullivan's attempted comeback quickly goes west, and he turns it in.
O'Sullivan 0-0 Liang (2-64)
This is such a chance for Liang, and he's quickly up over 50 for the frame. His attacking safety is now working in his favour, and the frame looks a matter of time. He traverses the winning line with 39 to leave O'Sullivan needing one snooker.
O'Sullivan 0-0 Liang (2-25)
Liang's in first after O'Sullivan misses a red to the bottom left. He cobbles 21 together, but when faced with a difficult brown into the right middle from baulk he misses it on the low knuckle and leaves O'Sullivan on a red. O'Sullivan drops that in and nothing more, but eventually an attacking safety from Liang opens up the reds and leaves O'Sullivan a choice of two tap-ins. In goes one of them, from which O'Sullivan pots the green and then screws the white into the right middle after brushing the brown.
Here we go
This is a task for Liang, who has only beaten O'Sullivan once in nine attempts. Best of seven then for a spot in the last 16.
Ronald
He's had a lively 24 hours. Yesterday he won his match against Michael Georgiou in 37 minutes, and then waded into the ongoing row about the lack of money trickling down to the bottom end of the tour. Players who have saved the tour and helped boost prize money for the elite, wanting a fair stipend in their chosen profession? You swing for the fences Ronnie, have at 'em.
Good evening!
Welcome to live coverage of day three of the Scottish Open. It’s two pals in action first tonight as Ronald Antonio O’Sullivan, 46 years young on Sunday, faces Liang Wenbo for a place in the last 16. The world number three and finalist last year, against the winner if the inaugural English Open in 2016. It should be a belter, let’s get about it.
---
Judd speaks
A bit of a bonus: Judd doesn't think, as Ronnie does, that you should reduce the top prizes a little to help those at the bottom earn a living; he thinks there are too many professionals. I'm with Ronnie on this: I don't think you can give people who lose in round one nothing. Everyone has a right to be able to put food on the table.
That's us done for the afternoon
Join us again at 6.45pm GMT for a bit of Ronnie then a bit of Selbz. Oooh yeah!
Around the tables
Li Hang [39] 1-2 Shaun Murphy [6]
Judd Trump beats Craig Steadman 4-0!
And in 4 1minutes too. He was similarly quick in his previous match, just as Ronnie O'Sullivan was last night. He ends as he started, too, with a ton and has, we learn, now won 70 out of 76 Home Nations matches. Not bad. He meets Dacvid Lilley, who he's whacked twice recently, next.
Trump 3-0 Steadman (81-0)
On 53, Judd plays a poor positional shot, so coaxes a cut-back red to left corner, playing towards baulk. The blue follows, then a long red sent right into the heart of the green pocket, and this is over. Poor Craig qualified for this tournament in September, waited two months for it, and now he's been wiped in less than 45 minutes.
Trump 3-0 Steadman (38-0)
Judd's up the table but there's nothing on ... so he conjures a double with power and side. Nothing is safe with this freak of nature, and it's truly amazing to behold. Quickly, he splatters the pack, reds everywhere, but he's not on a colour ... so he conjures a blue to the yellow pocket. There's no reason to think he won't clinch frame and match at this visit.
Trump 3-0 Steadman
On 80, Judd misses a red to left corner, but he's far, far too good for Craig; for anyone, really.
Trump 2-0 Steadman (61-0)
It's just rrrridiculous how good this man is. It's all of our duty to lap him up.
Trump 2-0 Steadman (19-0)
A poor safety from Craig allows Judd the thinnest of cuts along the bottom rail and into the yellow pocket, and though he doesn't finish on anything easy, it doesn't matter because he's Judd. He hammers home a long green, enjoys a felicitous kiss off a red - he raises a hand before cashing in - then cashes in.
Around the tables
Li Hang [39] 1-1 Shaun Murphy [6]
Trump 2-0 Steadman
There are two types of frustration, the frustration of not getting near the table and the frustration of getting to the table and making a mess of it. Poor Craig is already experiencing both.
Trump 1-0 Steadman (76-0)
Eeesh. Trying to feather a tight cut to left corner, Craig nicks the pink en route to the red, ceding six but doing well to leave nothing - inasmuch as it matters. Judd sinks another long red, he's on the brown, and this is going to be 2-0.
Trump 1-0 Steadman (58-0)
A poor positional shot from Judd, misjudging the follow-through on a plant, leaves a difficult pink to middle and he jawses it; this is a fine chance for Craig, but he's yet to pot a ball in the match so might be cold.
Trump 1-0 Steadman (21-0)
Judd puts Craig close to the baulk cushion with the right side of the table fraught with danger. He plays the only red he can but catches it too thin and in so doing, leaves a tight one to left corner. It's tight because the black is semi-blocking the way, but Judd gives as many as you'd think he would, clouting into the bag with his usual alacrity. He is playing beautifully, and there are bare points out there for him.
Around the tables
Li Hang [39] 0-1 Shaun Murphy [6]
Mark King [59] 2-4 Martin O'Donnell [46]
Zhang Anda [114] 4-1 Mitchell Mann [108]
Hammad Miah [91] 4-1 Yan Bingtao [15]
David Lilley (a) w/o Michael Holt [31]
Trump 1-0 Steadman
"Fear-inspiring stuff" says Uncle Joe of the 105 that seals the frame, and he's right. It's not just scary for the players either, it's scary for anyone who does anything how good it's possible to be at something.
Trump 0-0 Steadman (79-0)
The frame is secure and, incredibly, it's been achieved without a black. It's absolutely rabid how good this boy is.
Trump 0-0 Steadman (31-0)
Craig leaves one from the break that Judd misses to left corner, but his next visit shows him a red to middle and he drains it confidently. Within seconds he's into the pack, there are balls everywhere, and this will be 1-0 in double-quick time.
And here we go!
Coming up next
Judd Trump v Craig Steadman
Around the tables
Mark King [59] 2-4 Martin O'Donnell [46]
Zhang Anda [114] 3-1 Mitchell Mann [108]
Hammad Miah [91] 4-1 Yan Bingtao [15]
David Lilley (a) w/o Michael Holt [31]
John Higgins beats Noppon Saengkham 4-1!
That wasn't good at all, but John's worst was much better than Noppon's - he finishes with a 92, easily the biggest break of the match - and he meets Ryan Day or Gao Yang next.
Higgins 3-1 Saengkham (62-9)
Unsurprisingly, though, John has quickly manufactured an excellent chance to secure frame and match; on 58, he digs into what remains of the cluster, sends down another fine red, and if he can sort the yellow via rest and get on something, it's good night. He plays it well, and that's him into round three.
Higgins 3-1 Saengkham (9-9)
Noppon gets in first, and can he build on the frame he just won? Er, no: on nine, he misses the yellow, leaves a starter for John along the top rail, and the black is available to both corners. However, there aren't many reds available, so this might not be curtains.
Around the tables
Mark King [59] 2-4 Martin O'Donnell [46]
Zhang Anda [114] 3-1 Mitchell Mann [108]
Hammad Miah [91] 3-1 Yan Bingtao [15]
David Lilley (a) w/o Michael Holt [31]
Higgins 3-1 Saengkham
After a bit of chasing, Noppon sinks the next red, and that plus a run of 14 gets him on the board.
Higgins 3-0 Saengkham (6-53)
But with 53 the lead and 67 left, he misses a red to the yellow pocket and leaves it; John can mage it and the blue but no more.
Higgins 3-0 Saengkham (0-45)
Noppon's found a cue-action in this run, sending a red home with the rest and screwing up for the blue - the pink is blocked by a red and the black is away to towards the side. This match isn't over yet.
Higgins 3-0 Saengkham (0-21)
There are two reds over left corner and Noppon pots both together - an oversight, given there's no much else available and he'd have done better to save one for later. No matter, he might just be finding some form, cobbling together a decent start picking at the fringes. And when the split goes well, he's a really good chance to reduce his arrears.
Around the tables
Mark King [59] 2-4 Martin O'Donnell [46]
Zhang Anda [114] 3-1 Mitchell Mann [108]
Hammad Miah [91] 2-1 Yan Bingtao [15]
David Lilley (a) w/o Michael Holt [31]
Higgins 3-0 Saengkham
Noppon leaves the yellow and John sees it away; he's nearly there, though I've rarely seen two players this good play this scrappily.
Higgins 2-0 Saengkham (64-25)
John takes the final red with the blue, so Noppon needs three snookers to tie. Good luck, old mate.
Higgins 2-0 Saengkham (58-25)
A run of 25 yanks Noppon back into the frame, but then he runs out of position and plays a snooker behind the black, the reds on the other side of it close to the side cushion; John escapes easily enough and needs just a red and a colour to reach the snookers required stage. Well, there's the first of them, clipped confidently to left corner, but he misses the green to left middle. Consequently, Noppon needs a pink or black with the final red, and he immediately moves the latter off the cushion.
Higgins 2-0 Saengkham (54-14)
John's playing nicely now, ramming home a red with the rest that opens up a few more - he's rattling pots into the leather, raising the first half-century of the match in the process - and it's hard to see Noppon coming back from this. But an unnecessary double-kiss off a red makes a pink to middle harder than it needs to be, and though John gets close, it stays out. The balls make a clear-up difficult for Noppon, reds spread all over the show, and of the four left once he's seen off three, none is close to another.
Higgins 2-0 Saengkham (29-0)
Mike Dean's trainers are very white and pristine. I had him down as some kind of hiking boot-style, er, aficionado, just goes to show. Meantime, and unlike Lil Mikey, our players are still missing. But when Noppon goes in-off - he just can't get anything going - John sinks a red and moves up the table off the green. But it's a pink to middle which disturbs tightly-clustered reds on the run-through - the best shot he's played today - that really gets things going, and I'd be surprised if he wasn't soon 3-0 up.
Around the tables
Mark King [59] 2-4 Martin O'Donnell [46]
Zhang Anda [114] 2-1 Mitchell Mann [108]
Hammad Miah [91] 2-0 Yan Bingtao [15]
David Lilley (a) w/o Michael Holt [31]
Higgins 2-0 Saengkham
I'm so surprised both players are playing like this because they've both been playing so well. John has made three finals this term and it took a terrific performance fro Zhao Xintong to beat him last week, while Noppon beat Ali Carter and Stuart Bingham before giving Ronnie a decent match.
Higgins 1-0 Saengkham (50-6)
Noppon misses another red, this time to right corner, leaving a gimme so generous even John in this form can't turn it down. Given the lead and the balls, 2-0 looks imminent
Higgins 1-0 Saengkham (35-6)
Noppon misses another ball to right-middle, then John sends a decent one slowly down the side rail and makes his way towards the black. But somehow, the white then slithers through a narrow gap between two clusters of reds and this is a dreadful match so far, it really is - and the polar opposite of what I and, I imagine, you, were expecting. John's eventuating safety shot then leaves one to the middle and this time Noppon sinks it, only to miss a brown coming at it from the other direction.
Higgins 1-0 Saengkham (19-5)
He's soon back at the table, but a little cannon doesn't work out well and it's another eight in the books. One for the purists, so far, which is so odd given how brilliantly natural both these payers are.
Higgins 1-0 Saengkham (11-5)
Noppon clips in a terrific red with the rest - his eyes are something else - but the brown lands him punkt in the middle of the cluster and he can only play away. So it's John with his hand on the table, except red-yellow is the extent of his accumulation - neither man has found a groove yet. - and as I type that, the Wizard of Wishaw finishes a break on eight.
Around the tables
Mark King [59] 2-4 Martin O'Donnell [46]
Zhang Anda [114] 2-0 Mitchell Mann [108]
Hammad Miah [91] 0-0 Yan Bingtao [15]
David Lilley (a) w/o Michael Holt [31]
Higgins 1-0 Saengkham
Noppon looked like winning that frame for almost all of it, but that calamitous shot on the pink ruined everything.
Higgins 0-0 Saengkham (58-49)
But he can only remove the brown and they're now chasing the blue, which John misses straight and long when it winds up near the brown spot. He gets close, but that only leaves it near the bag and down it goes. But position on the pink isn't forthcoming and disaster! He tries to see it away to left corner, misses, and somehow sends the black to right corner! John nails them both - the black is a very fine pot, cut from high to left corner - and what a mess that frame was!
Higgins 0-0 Saengkham (45-44)
And it's Noppon who gets in next, but with green and brown on cushions while pink and black are stuck together, this isn't an easy clear-up. And shonuff, he can't get on the former so plays safe behind the latter, now a little bit above the bottom cushion, and John goes around the back of it then hits second time. But he leaves it, Noppon drains it, and because of the foul only needs to the pink now.
Higgins 0-0 Saengkham (45-24)
Or not. John finds himself marooned on the top cushion as we cut to an audience shot and I'm pretty sure that in it is Lil Mikey Dean of ostentatious refereeing fame. All the stars! Anyway, John has to play safe off the green with the frame still in the balance.
Higgins 0-0 Saengkham (30-24)
So far this has been scrappier than I expected, John missing one to right-middle that allows Noppon a starter. But he can't make any more of it than that, leaving one for John instead, and this is a very good chance that looks likely to spell the frame.
Higgins 0-0 Saengkham (0-23)
John has a go at a long red and misses, then Noppon clips one home fine - there aren't many better potters than him, and we'll not see him turn down many, if any. He can only accumulate 20 at this visit, leaving John tight to the green-pocket knuckle, but he's in terrific form and earns the next chance too with a red to the aforementioned green pocket. But he after sinking the yellow he misses a straightforward one to right-middle and we're back playing safety. It's unlikely to be for long.
And off we go!
Here come the players...
As you might imagine
We're kicking off with Higgins v Saengkham - they're both in form and both play the beautiful game, so that should be a belter - then we'll move on to Steadman v Trump. Let's wade in!
This afternoon
- 13:00 - John Higgins [7] v Noppon Saengkham [38]
- 13:00 - Zhang Anda [114] v Mitchell Mann [108]
- 13:00 - Hammad Miah [91] v Yan Bingtao [15]
- 13:00 - David Lilley (a) v Michael Holt [31]
- 14:00 - Li Hang [39] v Shaun Murphy [6]
- 14:00 - Craig Steadman [97] v Judd Trump [2]
So far...
- Xu Si [98] 4-2 Ken Doherty [72]
- Mark King [59] 2-3 Martin O'Donnell [46]
- Hossein Vafaei [40] 4-3 Wu Yize [107]
- Martin Gould [23] 4-3 Jordan Brown [37]
Hello there!
The absolute state of today!
Welcome
Good day to you all and welcome to our live snooker updates. It's a loaded Wednesday schedule at the 2021 Scottish Open with Ronnie O'Sullivan and Mark Selby in evening action after Judd Trump and John Higgins.
Luca Brecel, Stephen Maguire and Shaun Murphy are also among the big names involved with a packed second-round line up in Llandudno.
Recap: O'Sullivan sportsmanship, a 178 and a butterfly
On Tuesday we just about had it all.
First, a butterfly of all things interrupted the action while Mark Selby was taking on Oliver Lines.
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Watch the moment a butterfly lands on table at Scottish Open, delays match
Later, there was a bizarre and record-breaking frame as Jimmy Robertson somehow managed to have 178 by his name in a single frame.
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178! Robertson sets new record for points haul in a frame
And finally, O'Sullivan showed impressive sportsmanship as he refused to take foul points from his opponent in the evening session.
/origin-imgresizer.eurosport.com/2021/12/07/3267862-66874508-2560-1440.jpg)
‘I think it hit!’ – O’Sullivan refuses to take foul points after insisting opponent hit ball
Today's schedule
- 10:00 - Xu Si [98] v Ken Doherty [72]
- 10:00 - Mark King [59] v Martin O'Donnell [46]
- 10:00 - Hossein Vafaei [40] v Wu Yize [107]
- 10:00 - Martin Gould [23] v Jordan Brown [37]
- 13:00 - John Higgins [7] v Noppon Saengkham [38]
- 13:00 - Zhang Anda [114] v Mitchell Mann [108]
- 13:00 - Hammad Miah [91] v Yan Bingtao [15]
- 13:00 - David Lilley (a) v Michael Holt [31]
- 14:00 - Li Hang [39] v Shaun Murphy [6]
- 14:00 - Craig Steadman [97] v Judd Trump [2]
- 19:00 - Tom Ford [24] v Stephen Maguire [9]
- 19:00 - Lei Peifan [118] v Ben Woollaston [52]
- 19:00 - Fergal O'Brien [77] v Gary Wilson [28]
- 19:00 - Ronnie O'Sullivan [3] v Liang Wenbo [30]
- 20:00 - Mark Selby [1] v Xiao Guodong [32]
- 20:00 - Anthony McGill [16] v Jimmy Robertson [48]
- 20:00 - Pang Junxu [66] v Luca Brecel [44]
- 20:00 - Jamie Jones [50] v Sam Craigie [55]
- - -
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