Tour Championship 2024 snooker LIVE – Ali Carter resumes with big lead over Hawkins, Williams battles Ford

Join us again tomorrow at 12.30pm BST.

That was a really great match; Ali meets Ronnie next. That should be a nice, quiet night at the library. Not. I don't think.

Barry tries a double, misses by a millimetres, and Ali knocks in the red. We're almost there.

There are five reds in baulk, and Ali drains one but isn't nicely on a colour. So he tries a yellow sent long to right corner, misses by miles, and Barry is still in it! There are 59 points on the table.

A poor shot from Barry leaves a snick to the yellow and a chance ... but Ali contrives to land on nowt. Meantime, there's a row in the arena because Mark J has apparently served TOm Ford an absolute dish in their decider; he plays Judd tomorrow. Back in our match, Ali forces the brown, adds another red, and he's really have to struggle here. He cannons the pac kand is on one but again it's not perfect ... then he goes again off the black, nudging the final two, and this is surely the end. If so, it'll be the finish the match deserves, because both have been brilliant.

Ach, Ali overruns off the blue and by a way! He played so well this afternoon it was almost impossible he'd nort drop tonight, but that was a terrible shot and it means EoB.

Ali flukes a starter but will he take on the brown to middle? He probably has to, and he coaxes it home beautifully; he's into the run now, but he's already having to work hard.

Mark J Williams 9-9 Tom Ford

Barry leans over the table and he's got a punch to left corner ... AND IT'S THERE! What a match this is.

Yup, back comes the black; Ali wins the toss and sticks Barry in.

A tremendous yellow rattled up the table into its own pocket, and the black will surely re-emerge!

Goodness me, Barry almost flukes a red, but if it goes down the match is almost over because he's nowhere near a high-value colour. Instead, it's on the lip of middle and Ali's snookered because the green is in the way. He tries the swerve, misses ... but can Barry get on to the black off this red? He cannot, so it's the colours for a respot!

And it's he who pots next, and though he doesn't get a snooker, he closes the gap; Ali isn't enjoying this, finding himself snookered behind the pink ... and he can't get out of it! One down, one to go!

Ali just had too big a lead to play with - he's not currently capable of playing badly enough to lose this - but he misses a red to right corner with the rest, so Barry returns to the table seeking two snookers.

He's struggled hard to get here, but he's now in prime position and 53 points in front. A red will leave Barry needing snookers.

That said there's work required to make this a goodun and Ali sets about it well., a red with the spider allowing him to come up for blue. I expect he'll play a cannon off that, and a gentle one does the necessary.

Now then! A fine starter form Barry, diagonally across the table at pace, but it yields little. Ali then steers a starter to left corner, a lovely kiss on the pink allows him to pot the pink, and this is another chance ot finish the match. I don't know if he'll take it but the thing about a 7-1 lead is that it means you can toss a few frames and still have loads of chances to win.

At 7-1 this looked over, and you felt that to win, Barry would have to be brilliant, but to get to here that hasn't been necessary. It's Ali in first though, and he digs into the pack off the brown .. only to land on nothing. He's going for pretty much everythig now but here he can only play safe.

Mark J Williams 9-7 Tom Ford

The season's best players + a long format = great matches.

There's a red not far off the side between the baulk line and middle bag, and Barry tries to get at it off the penultimate one but can't. So he goes around it off the yellow; can he force it into the green pocket? He cannot, rattling the jaws .. but flukes the cover, leaving it over the yellow but blocked by the yellow. Ali will have to knock it out and he does, but he leaves iit. A colour then colours off their spots, and it's 9-7.

Eeesh! Ali misses a red to middle and beats the ground in fury; the match was there for him. Instead, Barry has a chance to close the gap to two.

Ali muddles through until he's to slightly force a plant ... he does so really well and is soon back in prime position. He'll have to break the pack again, but he'll have a nice lead if picks off the loose ones.

It's Ali in at the start of frame 16, and with nothing loose he's quickly into the pack. Angles likes his positivity, trying to win it one visit, and the table already looks better that it did 30 seconds ago.

Mark J Williams 8-7 Tom Ford

Ali's still a strong favourite, but another for Barry would put him under a bit of pressure.

So Barry gets in and this will be the frame.

Running through off the pink, Barry lands on nothing, burt he's soon back at the table following an error from Ali ... and he's soon missing a red to middle. The Skipper then punishes a starter into right corner ... but before we've even started thinking about curtains, he misses a pink to middle. This is getting scrappy now.

Not often you see Barry miss an easy one with the rest, but he jawses a black and leaves Ali a go at winning it. Which isn't to say this is an easy chance, but it's something ... and is that a friendly kiss, bringing the Captain onto the black stuck on the side rail? Er, only if he pots it, which he doesn't, and shortly afterwards Barry returns it to its spot.

Ali goes hard at a plant - too hard to get it down - and doesn't leave loads. But Barry finds one, cuts it into right corner nicely, and there are points to be had.

Mark J Williams 8-6 Tom Ford

A composed 57 takes ali to within one ... of another friendly tussle with Ronnie O'Sullivan.

This is the best Ali's played tonight - he plays really good shots on the last red and black-to-yellow - and the balls are there for him.

Ali fires home a starter, taps home Barry's black, and the frame is on his cue.

A black from the side rail looks like it's in ... Barry certainly thinks it's in ... but it won't drop. Will Ali take on the long red to left corner? He will, getting nowhere near it, but the white finishes nicely.

Lovely shot from Bazza and Angles purrs his approval, the pack broken and the frame at his mercy.

Ali gets in but misses a red to right corner; not a chance that happens this afternoon. But as Dr Shefali Tsabary reminds us to always remind ourselves: that was then and this is now. Very quickly, Bazza fashions a chance.

Mark J Williams 8-5 Tom Ford

Yup, a 118 and this is getting tasty.

There's a ton out there and Barry will want to take it, to make cleaer to Ali that he's feeling himself.

Barry's improving through the frames here, and there's no reason to think this isn't another to him. Ali can still end him with a couple of good runs, but he's starting to roll.

Both players know that one more for Barry and Ali will feel it. And after Ali manages a red but no more, Barry drops in a starter, adds the yellow, and gets to work.

Mark J Williams 8-4 Tom Ford

An 80, Barry's highest break since the first frame, means he's still in the match at the mid-sesh.

I said this afternoon that Barry would need three of the first four - don't worry, I'm not claiming that as some kind of profound insight - and he's got them.

Quickly, Barry turns this into a really good chance. There are plenty of balls available for him - he won't need anything difficult to win the frame.

Barry sends down a starter, slides a nice brown into the middle, and he's away agan. He'll know that he needs to play better than he has if he's to turn this around, but he also knows he's capable.

Mark J Williams 7-4 Tom Ford

Barry needs seven before Ali gets two. Good luck with that, old mate.

Beautifully done! Ali clips doon broon, smacks home the blue, and this'll sting Barry. He's just not playing quite well enough.

Excellent! Ali promotes two reds, drains both, and will now have to develop the last off the black. Here he comes ... and he brings it off the cushion, leaving himself a disgusting cut from the right side of the table to the yellow bag. "And it's there! Right in the heart of the pocket!" But a horrible yellow, played way too hard, means all he has on the green is a hit and hope; he doesn't pot it but nor does he leave it, and when Barry misses it long, he clips into right-middle. Brown and blue for the frame, but brow's a very tight cut..

This afternoon, they seemed to playeight frames in about 10 minutes, but it's more attritional now, the pair swapping reds before Barry gets in and seems to have sunk an eminently-missable pink ... only to see it catch the near-middle knuckle. Chance for Ali, but there are three reds on the side rail and one in baulk; he gets on to the latter, and gets rid of it.

It earns him another go but takinga yellow with the rest, he flicks the blue, so it's another decent safety.

Yeah, Barry's feeling better. A lovely red to middle opens things out and although there are reds blocking each other, if he removes sensibly he shouldn't ever be without a pot. But he plays one too hard and isn't on the black, so it's a decent safety instead.

Foul and a miss as Ali hits pink goes to slide off the pack, then a poor safety leaves one to left-middle; he's playing poorly so far, as poorly as he was brilliantly this afternoon. Barry needs to improve himself, but if he can do it while winning frames, we'll have ourselves a ball-game.

Mark J Williams 6-4 Tom Ford

Barry needed a start; well, he's got one, and without even playing well. Another and Ali will begin to wonder.

It's Ali in next, and does he have an angle to drop in the last red while developing the pink? Er, no. He misses the pot, goes in-off, and that's another off the lead.

A poor red makes a pink harder ... and Ali miscues! Barry, though, botches a cut-back black, and the frame remains alive, just.

Eeesh, Barry leaves a starter to left corner and there are no safe balls - though two reds are in baulk, not far from each other nor the side cushion. Ali will know that a clearance here is a killer.

Barry almost potsa red when sinking a black, instead leaves it over the middle, so uses it as plant-fodder next red; problem being he misses, so we're back playing safety.

Barry liberates a few reds, picks them off, and you ca almost see his confidence building like he's a computer-game character.

Has the tide turned? A poor break-off from Ali leaves Bazza a chance and he wolfs it down. There are a few loose reds, but before long he'll have to break the pack.

Mark J Williams 6-3 Tom Ford

Again, Barry wins the first frame of a session. Can he build on it?

A fine red from Barry, taken from the left side to right corner, secures a frame Barry couldn't afford to lose.

Ali runs out of position but a delicate cut-back sustains the run, then it's in tight behind the green. Barry escapes, but attempting a fiendishly difficult long red, the ball appears to drop and pop back up again, promptoing a rueful smile. Thing is, Ali will have to go some to replicate his afternoon performance, and he too fails to see away his starter, leaving one to the green bag. Yet another chance for Basher.

Oh Barry. He misses a black off its spot, playing with power, and 38 points for two good chances is a poor return. He'll be fearing the worst.

It's Bazza in first, as it needs to be, but he can't drain a red to middle; no matter, he gets another go, and though he's 7-1 down, he shouldn't be feeling too bad. He didn't play that badly this afternon, it's just that Ali played majestically, and the balls are all there for him.

Gary Wilson 10-8 Mark Selby

Bazza has work to do.

Join us again at 6.30pm BST for the completion.

Gary Wilson 8-6 Mark Selby

A fantastic session from the Skipper, seven frames in a row meaning Bazza needs a miracle to deprive us of a last-eight grudge match with Ronnie O'Sullivan.

Barry misses with a cut but then a foul from ali allows Barry t0 play a telling safety or go at a double. He opts for the former, runs a little too far, and a couple of shots later leaves a dolly to right-middle.

"Savage scoring" says Stephen, as Ali drops in the blue having played a poor brown, leaving a tricky cut on the pink for seven in a row .... and he jawses it! He'll feel sick if he winds up losing this frame, but it's in the balance now!

But he cannot, another poor miss - this time on the yellow, casually stretching for it instead of using the extesnsion - allowing Ali the chance to steal, because he gets no cover! I guess that's what happens when you're punch-drunk but there's pressure here because he knows if he clears, it's almost game over, and that makes this stressful. Other hand, he knows he's playing beautifully, so whatever Barry does, the chances of him winning nine before he can win three are blue-Rizla slim.

A poor miss to middle leaves Barry to tidy up and he really must cash-in here. 6-2 and the match is alive, just; 7-1 and he's done for.

Oh man, Barry leaves one to the middle, Ali slots it, and off he goes again. Phil Yates advises us that the last time the Hawk won this match-up he came back from 7-2 and 8-3 down to win 9-8 on the pink; good luck with repeating that, old mate.

Gary Wilson 8-6 Mark Selby

When Barry took the first frame in fine style I imagined a tight contest, but Ali is just playing far too well for that.

I was surprised it took ali two chances to sort this frame, which tells you how well he's playing. If he can win the last of the afternoon, tonight is a formality.

Oh man, Barry flukes a red but lands on nowt; even the flukes are against him. This game! And have a look! Ali clips a fantastic starter into right corner from miles away - "The higlight of the afternoon," says Stephen. "Like a stun run-through but off the cushion. Beautiful." - only to play a poor positional shot thereafter. He's been gobbling up chances like that all afternoon ... but a terrific pot at pace into the middle and he's off again.

Barry stays down a long time after missing to the middle; he knows he's in big trouble. Ali then cuts a nuch harder opener into the opposite bag, floats up the table off the brown, and this has been as fine a session (of snooker) as I've seen for some time. If the split works well, we're looking at 6-1, but he imparts insufficient screw, lands on nowt, and like Toni Braxton, Bazza breathes again.

Gary Wilson 7-6 Mark Selby

NO EXPLETIVE WAY! Looking to go aroudn the angles and rack up another ton, Ali misses pink to middle ... and it only finds its way into left corner! But he can't sink the black so has to make so with 94 and a guaranteed lead going into the evening sesh.

This is murderous stuff from Ali, who just won't let his man off the hook. Every time he's been in there's been no sense he's going to miss, no sliw of fantastic revoery-pots sustaining him; just tremendously competent snook.

We see the fluke again, Ali raising a hand in acknowledgementl no doubt Bazza feels well better now, watching a fifth straight frame disappear. He must win at least one of the remaining two this afternoon to have a chance tonight, probably both.

It's not quite happening for Barry, who runs out of position then sees Ali fluking a red to middle, leaving a spare over left corner, and getting nicely on to a black that's on the brown spot. "The best i've ever seen," enrthuses Stephen in comms. "Vile for Barry." And our Essex hawk will know as well as anyone, the way his opponent's playing, there's every chance he remains in his seat until the frame is over.

Barry again misses to left corner so Ali again tidies up ... but floats into a position from which he can't pot a colour. Barry then gets away off his safety, coaxes down a nasty diagonal black that's dead straight, and can he make something of this? hHe's forced to sink a succession of testers and has brown and black occupying each other's spots, but he's looking good.

Gary Wilson 7-5 Mark Selby

Ali records yet another ton - he's 17th in all-time list with 416 - and he's absolutely flying. A total clearance of 135 means it's 321 points without replay, and if he takes the next too, barry will need the remaining three of the session to feel in with a shot tonight.

Excellent from Ali; the dframe will soon be his, and is he keeps playing like this it's hard to see how he's stopped today.

The confidence oozing out of Ali is almost tangible, and if he can parlay this opportunity into a 4-1 lead, Barry will know he's on damage limitation, trying to make sure the match is still alive going into the evening dig.

Barry can't sink a longun to right corner, so Ali ramrods the same ball straight into the same pocket - take that! - and gets to work; there are points there for him, erspecially if he can get the black back on it spot ... and he does.

Gary Wilson 7-4 Mark Selby

It's been an excellent mini-sesh, and though barry shutali out of the first frane, he's been second-best since then. We'll be back in 15 to see what happens next.

The frame is secure. If he didn't know if beofre, he knnows it now: Barry will have to play seriously well to win this.

Ali bins balls. He's having a tremendous season, he just needs a trophy to force it home, but even if he can't take one, he's re-established himself as one of the very finest around.

Ali chips in a tight one and though it doesn't leave him a colour, he's soon back at the table when Barry errs, going in-off playing safety, and a decent split offers a decent chance to score.

Gary Wilson 6-4 Mark Selby

These two are both playing well, so this match will be decided by odd mistakes here and there. So far, ali's made fewer.

I did not see this coming: Ali directs a simple red-to-middle into the near knuckle. But Barry then misses to left corner by a way leaving a tight cut, ands this looks like the frame.

Ali accumulates and though the awkward reds will be tricky to pot, they make his lead worth a few more than seems obviously apparent.

Barry jawses a starter and though it doesn't roll pottable, he leaves a sitter so off the Skipper goes.

Ach, both men sink starters,Bazza making a blue harder than it needed to be and missing the post, Ali landing in the cluster. So we're back paying safety.

Gary Wilson 5-4 Mark Selby

Ali misses the final black, but a run of 80 levels the match - the winner to face Ronnie O'Sullivan, with whom the Captain has a little bit of form.

Yup, Ali secures the frame, and both players look in form.

Bazza clips a red en route back to baulk, and Ali should polish off the frame from here.

Ali leaves himself a red that's harder that it needs to be so it's no great surprise when he can't get on to a colour when he pots it; he plays safe off the green willhave wanted to make a fair few more there, but he's a more equanimous individual these days so sits down with no fury discernable.

Barry drills a starter to right corner but on nothing easy, he opts not to take on a cut-back black, playing safe instead then, when he misses to left corner, Ali gets away. He can only manage one, but a roll-up somehow leaves one and this time, it opens up a decent chance.

Gary Wilson 5-3 Mark Selby

A run of 83 and Bazza hits the front.

Barry breaks what's left of the cluster and that should be enough - the balls he needs to secure the frame are all there for him, plenty others too.

This is a good start from Bazza, one of the nicest men in the game, and he'll be wanting to convert this into a frame-winner, keeping Ali off the table if he can.

Barry digs into the bunch and doesn't land on his chosen ball, but a decent cut-back recovery keeps the run going.

Left a simple starter, Barry gets away to left-middle then proceeds up to the business end and slots blacks.

Why Hawkins v Carter is on table one with Selbz v Wilson being played to a finish, but here we are.

And welcome to the 2024 Tour Championship - day two!

A dejected John Higgins has raised fears about his future in snooker following a morale-sapping 10-7 defeat to Mark Allen at the Tour Championship.

Four-time world champion Higgins began strongly in Manchester on Monday, but blew a 4-1 lead in losing nine of the last 12 frames to crash out of the elite 12-man event amid a strong sense of regret.

Despite producing fine breaks of 85, 75, 55, 66, 82, 62 and 86, the 31-time ranking event winner lost three frames on black balls and also watched Allen roll in a pivotal break of 93 leading 8-7 in the 16th frame after Higgins touched a green with his sleeve when lining up a long red from the D.

The Scotsman turned professional in 1992 and has lifted the world title in 1998, 2007, 2009 and 2011, but admits his 30th trip to the Crucible for the World Championship later this month (April 20-May 6) could be his "final go" at winning the sport's biggest event for a fifth time.

Speaking after his defeat to Allen, a clearly deflated Higgins said: "I should have been in front today, lost a bad frame when I definitely should have made it 5-2 I think.

"Then it is 4-4, but I think Mark played better tonight. Again, I missed two or three unforgivable balls at this level that you cannot afford to miss.

"My long game was non-existent as well. At this level, it's not good enough. It's not good enough against the best players.

"I just need to dust myself down a couple of weeks before the worlds, try to get some good practice in and go there and give it a final go maybe."

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