UK Championship 2020 LIVE - Judd Trump and John Higgins cruise through after Ding crashes out
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Updated 28/11/2020 at 22:31 GMT
UK Championship snooker 2020 LIVE - Big guns John Higgins and Judd Trump made short work of their Saturday evening matches after Neil Robertson's impressive victory in the afternoon session was followed by defending champion Ding Junhui crashing out. Watch the tournament live on Eurosport, eurosport.co.uk and the Eurosport app.
John Higgins at the UK Championship
Image credit: Eurosport
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That's all from us
Our live coverage has concluded for the evening, thanks for joining us. We'll be back tomorrow from 12.45pm onwards with more second round coverage from the UK Championship.
Around the tables (best of 11)
Oliver Lines 1-4 Xu Si
Chang Bingyu 4-5 Mark Allen
Jak Jones 4-1 Simon Lichtenberg
Gerard Greene 3-6 John Higgins
Michael Holt 3-5 Hossein Vafai
David Gilbert 4-5 Robert Milkins
Barry Hawkins 6-1 Robbie Williams
Judd Trump 6-3 Dominic Dale
John Higgins is through to the third round
It was a valiant effort by Greene from 5-1 behind, but Higgins pulled away in the final frame to secure the victory. The Wizard, a UK Championship winner in 1998, 2000 and 2010, advances and will play either Jak Jones and Simon Lichtenberg.
Higgins 6-3 Greene
Higgins clubs in a long red to the bottom left, and that will do it. The black follows, Greene concedes, and Higgins has won it.
Higgins 5-3 Greene (69-15)
Higgins' break ends on 69 after a poor miss on one of the three remaining reds. It's a lead of 54, with 51 left on the table.
Higgins 5-3 Greene (61-15)
Nearly there; the break goes to 61, and one more red and a high value colour will need Greene needing a snooker.
Higgins 5-3 Greene (30-15)
This has been a hard 30 for Higgins, who's rattling his pots and struggling for position. The break keeps rumbling on though, and there are few better in history at mopping up what's needed to settle things.
Higgins 5-3 Greene (6-15)
Higgins misses a long red to the green pocket, and he's left it on for Greene. That goes down, and Greene makes 15 inclusive of opening the pack far and wide when potting a red. He's left himself a difficult cut on the black to the bottom left to keep going though, and he rattles it in the jaws and leaves it there. Higgins is right in now, and a brilliant shot in and out of baulk off the blue has given him a great chance to secure the frame and match.
Higgins 5-3 Greene
It's a round ton for Greene, who reduces Higgins' lead to just two frames.
Higgins 5-2 Greene (0-89)
In potting the ninth red of the frame Greene frees up the black, which he dispatches thereafter to leave Higgins needing a snooker. He's now up to 85, and the two simple reds in the open with high value colours will give him a century.
Higgins 5-2 Greene (0-58)
The pink takes Greene to a half-century, and he's inching towards securing the frame here.
Higgins 5-2 Greene (0-24)
Greene draws four points from Higgins after landing him in a snooker, and then gets position plum on a red after Higgins miscalculates his next escape. He gets his break up to 20 and counting. The black is tied up but he's freed the pink, and although it's an awkward table there are points to be scored here.
Higgins 5-2 Greene (0-0)
No points on the board yet as we join this one in the eighth frame.
The old switcheroo
We'll now switch coverage to John Higgins and Gerard Greene, with the former leading the latter 5-2.
Judd Trump is through to the third round
It was an interesting night for the world number one. Trump rocketed out to a 5-1 lead; Dale then produced an excellent comeback that was derailed by a horrendous miscue just as he looked poised to reduce Trump's lead to 5-4. A nerveless clearance from Trump thereafter settled the match, and he will now face the winner of Liang Wenbo and Andy Hicks.
Trump 6-3 Dale
The break goes to 64 and we're on the colours. Yellow and green will do it...and they both go, as do brown, blue, pink and black soon after. Trump has won frame and match.
Trump 5-3 Dale (44-44)
Everything's in the open here for Trump to clear up and end the argument, but he's obviously feeling a bit of pressure as he runs out of position and needs a good recovery pot on a red to right middle to land on the black. Soon after a blue brings the scores level in the frame, with three reds left on the table.
Trump 5-3 Dale (0-44)
Just as Dale was starting to worry Trump, a disaster; he miscues a red to the right middle and it misses by a mile, ending his break on 44. Dale throws his chalk to the floor in frustration; he was playing so well there. Even worse, he's left Trump in.
Trump 5-3 Dale (0-28)
Fortune favours the brave, and there's no shortage of courage from Dale here; he glides in a long red to the bottom left to land on the black, and he's away here in the ninth. What a brilliant response to going 5-1 behind. In reaching 28 he affects a useful split on the pack, and there's another big break on for him here.
Around the tables (best of 11)
Oliver Lines 1-3 Xu Si
Chang Bingyu 4-3 Mark Allen
Jak Jones 3-1 Simon Lichtenberg
Gerard Greene 1-5 John Higgins
Michael Holt 3-4 Hossein Vafai
David Gilbert 2-5 Robert Milkins
Barry Hawkins 5-1 Robbie Williams
Judd Trump 5-3 Dominic Dale
Trump 5-3 Dale
The tenth red disappears, and that's frame ball; the black follows, and that ends the argument in the eighth frame. Dale's break ends on 73, but he's won his second frame on the spin.
Trump 5-2 Dale (0-51)
Dale is straight back in, as Trump escapes from the snooker but leaves Dale a straight red to the bottom right from mid-range, and in it goes. A black takes him over the fifty point barrier in the frame; he's still going, and so is this match.
Trump 5-2 Dale (0-23)
Another chance for Dale in the eighth, as Trump misses a long red to the bottom left and leaves Dale an easy starter to the bottom right. He's in nice touch right now, but he's position goes astray when potting a red and running through into the pack, but failing to land on the black. That's end of break on 23, as Dale tucks Trump in behind the black.
Trump 5-2 Dale
A 70 from Dale, his best break of the night, and he reduces his arrears to three frames.
Trump 5-1 Dale (55-22)
This is a defiant break from Dale, who goes to 55 with the black and with four reds to play for, three of which are in the open. He'll need two of them to leave Judd needing snookers.
Trump 5-1 Dale (21-22)
Dale makes ten and then picks out a lovely red to right middle after leaving the white stranded on the bottom cushion. He's gone ahead in the frame now, and the balls are well set for a one visit finish here.
Trump 5-1 Dale (21-0)
Dale misses a shot to nothing on a red to the bottom left at the start of the seventh frame, and catches the knuckle of the right middle with the white to leave Trump in the middle of the table and on an comfortable starter. He can only make five though, and turns down a thrash at a cross table red to play safe instead. That's one of the key differences between Trump now and Trump three years ago; he's a ruthless match player now. He then extracts eight points in fouls from Dale, and from the latter of the two fouls is given a straight red to the bottom right to get going again. He can only make eight though after rattling a red in and out of the jaws of the bottom left, and it's a chance for Dale.
Trump 5-1 Dale
This one's done; Trump thumps in a long brown followed by the blue, and now needs one more frame for victory.
Trump 4-1 Dale (74-46)
Dale pots a long yellow, but can't tuck the green into the left middle. Trump then cross doubles the green, which leaves Dale needing two snookers to win.
Trump 4-1 Dale (71-44)
Trump takes his break to 62, but because of all the fouls there's still plenty on the table, so work to do yet. He's right in the groove here though, bar one red he wobbles into the right middle, but then misses a blue into the yellow pocket! Dale can still tie here, and takes the two reds with blacks as required. Can he mop up the colours to take us to a re-spotted black?
Trump 4-1 Dale (32-28)
A lot of tense safety here from the bottom end of the table; there are reds everywhere, ready to be mopped up at the first hint of a mistake. It's Dale who makes it, leaving Trump a red to the left middle which is duly dropped in to leave Trump on the black. Whatever colour Trump decides to play for during this break it looks impossible not to land on a red thereafter. He soon recoups all the points he gave away in fouls and is a massive favourite to go 5-1 here.
Trump 4-1 Dale (0-28)
A good snooker from Dale at the start of the fifth extracts 16 points in fouls as Trump tries to land on two reds behind the black spot. Dale then sticks him in another behind the black on the bottom cushion, and gets another 12 points. That eventually leaves Dale a very thin snick on a red to the left middle, which he misses high on the knuckle, but doesn't leave anything.
Around the tables
Oliver Lines 1-2 Xu Si
Chang Bingyu 3-2 Mark Allen
Jak Jones 2-0 Simon Lichtenberg
Gerard Greene 1-3 John Higgins
Michael Holt 1-3 Hossein Vafai
David Gilbert 1-3 Robert Milkins
Barry Hawkins 3-1 Robbie Williams
Judd Trump 4-1 Dominic Dale
Trump 4-1 Dale
Trump's break goes to 41 by dispatching a red into the left middle, and that was frame ball. After that comes some naughty but nice snooker; one brilliant blue into the right middle goes round the angles and develops a red off the bottom cushion. What a shot. Trump makes 55 eventually, and that's enough for the frame.
Trump 3-1 Dale (41-0)
Trump's in again, stroking a mid-range red to the bottom left after Dale's safety pulls up short of baulk. He then stuns in the green while using the rest to come down the table for his next red, but he can't thin cut it into the bottom left and that's end of break. Dale then plants the black into the bottom left when trying to play safe. And it's a safety battle that ensues, until Dale's goes wring and he leaves Trump a red to the right middle. That goes, and Trump is away here.
Trump 3-1 Dale (14-0)
We're back at it at the Marshall Arena, and a poor safety from Dale, missing the thin snick on a red and coming off the bottom cushion to smack into it, has left Trump and easy starter to the bottom left. He can only make 14 though after failing to land on a red after going in and out of baulk off the blue, and is forced to play safe.
Trump 3-1 Dale
A 45 for Trump secures the fourth frame, he leads at the mid-session interval. We'll be back with you in 15 minutes.
Trump 2-1 Dale (61-12)
Trump sinks the third from last red; that's frame ball as his break moves to 32, and he'll be 3-1 up at the interval.
Trump 2-1 Dale (29-12)
Well now, this is unexpected! Trump loses position slightly and misses a cut on a blue to the right middle. This is a big visit for Dale now as Trump's left him in, but he can only add 12 before leaving a red hanging in the jaws of the bottom right. Trump only needs to roll another red onto it and he's away again.
Trump 2-1 Dale (23-0)
Dale breaks off, and leaves the white tight to the top cushion. From there, Trump glides in a stunning long red to get in again. He's playing so fluently here, and goes into the pack early in the break to affect a nice split. Already this looks ominous for Dale as Trump quickly makes 20 without blinking, before cutting in a tight red after going into the pack followed by a brilliant recovery pot on the yellow to get back down the table. This is simply brilliant from Trump.
Around the tables (best of 11)
Oliver Lines 0-1 Xu Si
Chang Bingyu 1-2 Mark Allen
Jak Jones 1-0 Simon Lichtenberg
Gerard Greene 0-1 John Higgins
Michael Holt 0-2 Hossein Vafai
David Gilbert 1-1 Robert Milkins
Barry Hawkins 2-1 Robbie Williams
Judd Trump 2-1 Dominic Dale
Trump 2-1 Dale
It's 109 again for Trump as he misses a long yellow but banks the third frame.
Trump 1-1 Dale (101-0)
There it is! Back to back centuries for the world number one.
Trump 1-1 Dale (70-0)
It could be a brief match if Dale's mistakes are punished this mercilessly. Trump takes a pink with the tenth red, and he's now 70 ahead with 67 remaining. He also nudges the cluster of remaining reds into wide open potting positions when potting the pink; this is great play from Trump.
Trump 1-1 Dale (35-0)
A safety by Dale goes horribly wrong at the start of the third, hitting another red after clipping the first, and it sticks a red up over the left middle for Trump. This could cost Dale heavily. Trump is straight into an inviting table, and up to 35 in no time.
Trump 1-1 Dale
A 109 earns Trump the second frame.
Trump 0-1 Dale (100-24)
The frame is long since in the bag as Trump secures the 750th century of his career. Incredible. He's 31!
Trump 0-1 Dale (53-24)
The black takes Trump to a half-century. There's still six reds left and some work to do to win the frame, but four are wide in the open between pink and black.
Trump 0-1 Dale (24-24)
Dale flukes a plant when playing safe back to baulk off the pack. He can't take advantage though as he misses the yellow with the rest. He's left Trump straight on a red beneath the black, and the world number one is quickly about it. There reds and three blacks bring the scores in the frame level, and there's a pile of points on here.
Trump 0-1 Dale (0-23)
Dale's really started well here, and clips in a red to the bottom left at the start of the second frame before tucking Trump in right behind the green. It's a fiendish snooker, requiring a 3/4 cushion escape to drop on one of two reds on the bottom cushion, and Trump finally escapes at the sixth attempt. That cost him 22 points.
Trump 0-1 Dale
Dale gets to the colours, and only needs up to the blue, currently out of commission high on the left cushion, to leave Trump needing a snooker. He does indeed clear up to the blue; Trump plays on, but leaves Dale an easy blue with his first safety and concedes the frame. The Spaceman takes the first frame.
Trump 0-0 Dale (39-39)
Dale overcuts a red to the right middle, and leaves it over that pocket for Trump. That's end of break, and Trump thrashes in the red before playing a snooker behind the brown. Dale misses from his attempted escape, leaving one on for Trump, but surprisingly he leaves it in the jaws of the bottom right. What a chance again for Dale, who plays a good shot to develop the remaining tied up reds before cutting in an excellent black to keep his break going. He's now level in the frame, with two reds left on the table, and he's in.
Trump 0-0 Dale (34-8)
A poor safety from Dale leaves Trump a red to right middle, which he makes, but he can't force position on the black and has to play safe. After an exchange of safety shots Dale leaves a red over the bottom left for Trump, and it disappears. It's not the most inviting table but he pots the black, which is now available into both corners when re-spotted, so there's some points on here and Trump sets about gathering them. When trying to move some reds however he misses a black off its spot, and it's gifted a chance to Dale
Trump 0-0 Dale (0-8)
Dale drills in the first red of the night after being left in the middle of the table by Trump, but can only add the pink before losing position and playing safe. He pots the second red of the night too, picking out a plant at the bottom of the pack as a shot to nothing, but can't land on a convenient colour.
It's time...
Our MC Rob Walker is bringing out the players. Best of 11 then for a place in the third round, eyes down everyone.
The Spaceman
His opponent, Dominic Dale, is the world number 69 and a former winner of the Shanghai Masters and the World Open. Dale made it to third round of the Northern Ireland Open last week, beating Mark Williams along the way.
The Juddernaut
He's the world number one, and he's fresh from winning the Northern Ireland Open for third year in a row; in beating Ronnie O'Sullivan 9-7 in last Sunday's final he also won a kind of unofficial world championship by beating the man who triumphed at The Crucible in August. Life's pretty good for Trump right now, the undisputed best player in the game. To cement a legacy as one of the greatest ever to play the game, he needs more Triple Crowns, and here would be a good place to start. Trump picked up his first at the UK Championship when he swept to victory in 2011.
Recap
We had a right old afternoon of it, with four final frame deciders in our eight matches. In one of those, defending champion Ding Junhui was eliminated by David Grace:
Ding Junhui 5-6 David Grace
Luca Brecel 5-6 Xiao Guodong
Jimmy White 1-6 Zhou Yuelong
Lu Haotian 5-6 Anthony McGill
Chen Zifan 6-5 Yan Bingtao
Li Hang 6-3 Zhao Xintong
Chris Wakelin 1-6 Neil Robertson
Stephen Maguire 6-4 Stuart Carrington
Evening folks!
Welcome to live coverage of the evening session of day five of the UK Championship. Our featured match tonight is Judd Trump versus Dominic Dale, the full bill of fare is as follows:
Oliver Lines vs. Xu Si
Chang Bingyu vs. Mark Allen
Jak Jones vs. Simon Lichtenberg
Gerard Greene vs. John Higgins
Michael Holt vs. Hossein Vafai
David Gilbert vs. Robert Milkins
Barry Hawkins vs. Robbie Williams
Judd Trump vs. Dominic Dale
---
That's us for the afternoon
Thanks for your company so far, join us again from 6.45pm for live coverage of the evening session, our featured match will be world number one Judd Trump versus Dominic Dale.
Around the tables (best of 11)
Ding Junhui 5-6 David Grace
Luca Brecel 5-5 Xiao Guodong
Jimmy White 1-6 Zhou Yuelong
Lu Haotian 5-6 Anthony McGill
Chen Zifan 5-3 Yan Bingtao
Li Hang 6-3 Zhao Xintong
Chris Wakelin 1-6 Neil Robertson
Stephen Maguire 6-4 Stuart Carrington
David Grace is through to the third round
What a performance by David Grace, who won the final three frames to eliminate the defending champion Ding Junhui in a nail-biting decider. He now advances to the third round, where he'll face the winner of Luca Brecel and Xiao Guodong, which has also gone to a decider.
Ding 5-6 Grace
He's got them! Grace takes his break to 49 and Ding is already preparing to leave the arena. Grace can't double the final red, but Ding needs three snookers just to tie and concedes. Grace has won the decider!
Ding 5-5 Grace (20-54)
With three reds left and a 30 pint lead, Grace stuns in the brown and cannons into the cluster of pink, black and three remaining reds. It's not perfect, but it's good enough; he's on a red, and needs two more to leave Ding needing snookers.
Ding 5-5 Grace (20-42)
What a pot from Grace, who hoses a red into the bottom right from distance, avoids the pack and is now in with a chance to win this frame. He adds 17, before needing extensions on the cue and rest to drop a red into the bottom right and keep his break going. He's tied up the black but he's on the pink, which he drops into the right middle. There are five reds left, some of which will need nudging into position if Grace is to win it at this visit.
Ding 5-5 Grace (20-18)
What a shot from Grace! After a bout of safety on the pack and leaving the white near the bottom cushion, Ding pokes a red out from the pack and leaves it on to the yellow pocket. Grace rolls it right into the heart of the pocket, running the white behind it to land on the blue. He adds 14, and then plays an attacking safety that leaves the white near the bottom cushion and splits the pack. Ding gives up four points from it on one attempt to land softly on a red on the top cushion, before managing it at the second attempt.
Ding 5-5 Grace (20-0)
Ding isn't rattled by his miss in the last frame as he drops a nerveless red into right middle to get going in the decider. He can only add a yellow though before having to play safe, but then Grace immediately sends another chance his way as he leaves Ding a mid-range red to the bottom right. Again though, Ding loses position on his next red, but retrieves the situation with a lovely cross double into the right middle. On 17 though he fails to catch the pack off the black; he's on nothing, and that's end of break.
Ding 5-5 Grace
Oh my, what a game this is! Ding looks nailed on to clear up but he then misses an identikit black off its spot, and Grace is still in the UK Championship. What a let off that is. Grace pots the remaining red and up to the green; we're level, and going to a decider.
Ding 5-4 Grace (19-61)
To riff on Leslie Nielsen's immortal locksmith joke from Police Squad, this is Grace under pressure...and this is grace under pressure. He's put this break together superbly, as the black takes him to 53. The pink soon takes him to 60 and a lead of 41, with 59 left on the table. He's inching closer to a decider here...but after another red he's missed the black off its spot when he only needed the red that followed! That could be costly, as he's left it all on for Ding here.
Ding 5-4 Grace (19-23)
Grace flukes a red when playing a safety, followed by an excellent pink to the right middle to bring the white back down the table. He looks composed here, taking his break to 23 and counting as he moves into the lead in the frame.
Ding 5-4 Grace (19-0)
Ding gets in first in the tenth, forcing a red into the bottom right before going around the back of the black and catching a fortuitous kiss on another red to land on pink to right middle. It's a battle for position though and he eventually loses it, only making 19 before having to play safe off the pack to send the white back to baulk.
Ding 5-4 Grace
Tense safety here, as Ding pushes for a snooker. He flukes the green, catching a shooter off the knuckle of the right middle to send it into its own pocket, after which he pots the brown. That leaves Ding now only needing one five point snooker on the blue to win. He traps Grace behind the black with a superb shot, but Grace then escapes and pots the blue at his next visit to the table. That's enough for the frame, and he's only one behind now.
Ding 5-3 Grace (36-65)
There's been one more red potted by Grace but no more, with the frame locked in safety play on the last five reds. Ding tries to break the deadlock by rolling one deadweight down the rail to the green pocket, but he's left it there. Grace has a chance now, and in clearing the remaining reds with colours he leaves Ding needing a snooker. He clears up to the green; Ding returns to the table needing two snookers to tie. He gets one straight away, trapping Grace in behind the brown and watching him go in-off into the right middle trying to escape.
Ding 5-3 Grace (32-34)
Grace takes the lead in the frame, but loses control of the white and leaves it up in the baulk area away from the reds. That's end of break on 33 as he rolls up to the yellow.
Ding 5-3 Grace (32-9)
More free points for Ding here as Grace accidentally clips in a blue hanging in the jaws of the green pocket. It's an awkward table here, with all 11 reds hovering in the bottom half of the table and around the bottom right. It's Grace that gets back in first, clipping one in and then jabbing in the black to get it back on its spot. It'll need a delicate touch here, but this is a chance to take control in this frame.
Ding 5-3 Grace (27-1)
Grace goes in-off at the start of the ninth frame, leaving Ding a long red to the bottom left which disappears. The defending champion is not hanging about here; he goes into the pack early, twice, but his break derails on 19 when he misses a red to right middle after bridging awkwardly over the pack. Grace then thunders in a shot to nothing, but gives another four away when his attempt to roll up behind the green comes up short.
Ding 5-3 Grace
And dish them up he does, despite losing position slightly on brown and blue he recovered well there. Ding needs one more frame for victory.
Ding 4-3 Grace (41-52)
We're into the colours in this one, and Grace has just missed the green to leave Ding a chance to dish up and take the frame.
We're switching
We'll now join the match between Ding Junhui and David Grace and see it through to its conclusion.
Around the tables
Ding Junhui 4-3 David Grace
Luca Brecel 4-2 Xiao Guodong
Jimmy White 1-6 Zhou Yuelong
Lu Haotian 4-4 Anthony McGill
Chen Zifan 2-2 Yan Bingtao
Li Hang 5-3 Zhao Xintong
Chris Wakelin 1-6 Neil Robertson
Stephen Maguire 3-3 Stuart Carrington
That double
Robertson is in the studio; he says he went for the double to win the third frame, so that's that debate settled!
Neil Robertson is through to the third round
What a performance from The Thunder, who hit breaks of 135, 130, 66, 135, 50, 89 and 72 in a crushing 6-1 victory over Chris Wakelin. That was brilliant from the world number three, and he will now face the winner of Li Hang and Zhao Xintong.
Robertson 5-1 Wakelin
A break of 72 secures frame and match for Robertson, who advances to the third round.
Robertson 5-1 Wakelin (65-0)
The frame ball red goes down, and we're done here.
Robertson 5-1 Wakelin (43-0)
Wakelin misses a long red to the bottom right, and leaves Robertson right in the middle of the table with a choice of reds to go at. That might well be his last shot in this UK Championship, and Robertson quickly adds 25 to his lead and counting.
Robertson 5-1 Wakelin (18-0)
Another beautiful pot from Robertson as he almost lazily strokes a long red into the bottom left, with the white drifting serenely across the table to land straight on the blue. He can only make 18 though as he runs out of position after only leaving a short range prod at a black to the bottom right, and he has to play safe.
Robertson 5-1 Wakelin
Wakelin floats a red into the bottom left to get things going in the sixth. He's quickly up to 17 but an attempt to split the pack goes awry as the cue ball sticks to them, and that's end of break. After a few nudges each into the pack, and no other shot on for either player, they agree on the second re-rack of the day.
Robertson 5-1 Wakelin
A break of 68 takes Robertson past the winning post; can he kick on and make his fourth century of the day? Almost! On 89 a superb black sends the white around the table and misses the final red stuck on the right rail by a whisker. Robertson can't double it, so that's end of break but a lead of four frames. He now needs one more for a place in the third round.
Robertson 4-1 Wakelin (54-8)
The break is quickly up to 38, and although Robertson leaves himself low on an intended red beneath the pack he rattles it in and develops the bunch nicely before landing on the black. He's quickly up to another half-century, and looks nailed on to restore his lead to four frames here.
Robertson 4-1 Wakelin (1-8)
Robertson strokes in a lovely long red to the bottom left, landing perfectly on the black. From there, though, he misses said ball by a huge margin off its spot, with the attempted pot clipping another red along the way. Was that a miscue? Who knows, but it's left Wakelin in, and it's a chance that disappears; Wakelin can only make it before missing a red to the left middle after leaving the white tight to the right rail. Not only that, he's left Robertson right in here.
Around the tables
Ding Junhui 2-3 David Grace
Luca Brecel 3-1 Xiao Guodong
Jimmy White 1-4 Zhou Yuelong
Lu Haotian 2-3 Anthony McGill
Chen Zifan 2-2 Yan Bingtao
Li Hang 4-1 Zhao Xintong
Chris Wakelin 1-4 Neil Robertson
Stephen Maguire 1-3 Stuart Carrington
Robertson 4-1 Wakelin
A brilliant clearance from Wakelin, inclusive of a difficult green to the bottom right after losing position slightly when trying to get down to it from the yellow. He mops up the lot for a break of 80, and he's on the board!
Robertson 4-0 Wakelin (50-55)
Wakelin's taken these nicely, getting to 48 and right back in the frame, before dropping in a difficult final red near the right rail while using the rest. The frame's at his mercy now.
Robertson 4-0 Wakelin (50-0)
Robertson makes his half-century but is struggling for position on the last few shots leading up to the fifty mark, and misses a long green to its own pocket. He's left Wakelin in here, and with an easy starter of a red over the bottom right.
Robertson 4-0 Wakelin (27-0)
We're back out in Milton Keynes, and Robertson crashes in a long red to the bottom right to start the fifth, ricocheting off another red to pull up short of baulk land nicely on the green. There's a lovely spread on here for him, this is another great chance to take a frame in one visit.
Back in the studio, an alternative view on that doubled black by Robertson by no less an authority than The Rocket...
Robertson 4-0 Wakelin
A blue after the fourteenth red gives Robertson his third century in four frames. Soon after he secures his second 135 and his third total clearance of the match so far. What a performance this has been from him; Robertson leads 4-0. That's the mid-session interval, we'll have a break now for 15 minutes.
Robertson 3-0 Wakelin (71-0)
A black takes Robertson to 54; he's flying again here, and a joy to watch when he's in this rhythm. A few shots later a black followed by the tenth red takes him to 71, and Wakelin requires snookers.
Robertson 3-0 Wakelin (30-0)
What a pot from Robertson to start the fourth, as he drills a long red into the bottom left after a sloppy safety from Wakelin. Again he's up to 30 in no time, and the table is nicely situated for a big visit here from Robertson.
Around the tables
Ding Junhui 2-1 David Grace
Luca Brecel 2-0 Xiao Guodong
Jimmy White 1-2 Zhou Yuelong
Lu Haotian 1-2 Anthony McGill
Chen Zifan 0-2 Yan Bingtao
Li Hang 2-1 Zhao Xintong
Chris Wakelin 0-3 Neil Robertson
Robertson 3-0 Wakelin
This one's going to sting; both players are keeping the black safe, with o real opportunities presenting themselves...and then Robertson flukes the black with a length of the table double into the yellow pocket! Ouch. It's 3-0 to Robertson, who's had a touch there, and a real blow to Wakelin.
Robertson 2-0 Wakelin (66-64)
Well now! Robertson plays a poor safety and leaves Wakelin a mid-range red to the bottom left, and it's there! He takes the black with it, then a red along the rail into the bottom left, and then another black. What a chance this is now, the only awkward shot looks to be pink to black as the pink is in the baulk area. He goes up for it off the blue, but lands virtually straight on the pink and with no chance of coming down for the black. That's agonising for Wakelin, who you feel has to win this frame to have any chance in the match. He plays safe, and we've got a black ball frame here.
Robertson 2-0 Wakelin (66-28)
Robertson brings up a half century, but misses an awkward frame ball pink to the green pocket. What a reprieve for Wakelin; there's 51 left on the table but two of the reds are welded to cushions. He can only make it in response before missing a red down the rail to the bottom left, but doesn't leave it on for Robertson.
Robertson 2-0 Wakelin (20-20)
Wakelin forces a foul from Robertson, but can't convert an awkward red in response. Robertson then plays a brilliant safety that leaves Wakelin no route back to baulk. Wakelin misses twice when playing trying a thin contact escape, and as he can see other reds full ball has to try a different escape or risk forfeiting the frame. It goes wrong, and leaves Robertson a cross-table red to the bottom left; it thumps into the heart of the pocket, and he's got a chance for another sizeable break here. He's quickly level in the frame and there's plenty more to come.
Robertson 2-0 Wakelin (0-16)
After a prolonged safety bout to open the third Wakelin pots his first ball of the day, a gun barrel straight, mid-range red to the bottom left to land on the black. He puts 16 together but runs out of position, and has to tuck Robertson in behind the green.
Robertson 2-0 Wakelin
This is imperious from Robertson, what can any player do in the face of this. It's another total clearance, 130 this time, and he's 2-0 ahead.
Robertson 1-0 Wakelin (68-0)
The tenth red followed by a black take Robertson to 67 ahead with 67 on. His split on the final five reds doesn't quite work out though, leaving him a difficult short jab on a long red to the green pocket as frame ball. Robertson simply strokes it in though, and he'll be two in front shortly.
Robertson 1-0 Wakelin (30-0)
Once more, with feeling. Robertson tags a lovely red into the bottom left as a shot to nothing, and then plugs the yellow into the right middle to come back down the table. He's quickly up to 30 again, and there's more coming; he plays into the pack off the black to split the pack, and leaves himself an easy cut to the bottom left to keep the break going. He's in lovely touch here.
Robertson 1-0 Wakelin (0-4)
An excellent snooker from Wakelin, tucking Robertson right in behind the brown near the top cushion, extracts four points. Wakelin then tries an impossible red through a non-existent gap between other reds, and it misses. That leaves both players no future shot other than nudging gently into the pack, so they do the sensible thing and agree a re-rack.
Robertson 1-0 Wakelin
A magnificent total clearance of 135 secures the first frame for The Thunder. It's the 30th century of the season for Robertson and the 745th of his career; what a relentless break builder he is.
Robertson 0-0 Wakelin (69-0)
The tenth red takes Robertson to 69, with only 59 left on the table. That's the first frame in the books, can he mop up here and claim a century?
Robertson 0-0 Wakelin (30-0)
Wakelin misses a long red to the bottom right, and gets a double kiss on it to leave it sat up invitingly for Robertson. This is the first chance of the match, and Robertson starts picking off reds using the blue and black as his colours. The break is up to 30 already.
Baizing time
We're ready to go here. Our MC Rob Walker is introducing both players into the Marshall Arena in Milton Keynes. It's best of 11 then for a place in the third round, let's get about it.
Wakelin
It’s a tall order for Chris Wakelin today. The world number 61 has only won two tournament matches this season. One of those however was his most recent, when he beat Louis Heathcote 6-0 in the first round here. This is his eighth visit to the UK Championship, and he has yet to progress beyond the second round.
When the Thunder calls you
Neil Robertson is the world number three and itching to get his hands on a trophy this season. He has reached the finals of the English Open and the Champion of Champions so far this is season in Milton Keynes but lost to Judd Trump and Mark Allen respectively. In the UK Championship he’s proved more than handy in the past though, landing the trophy in both 2013 and 2015.
Good afternoon!
Welcome to live coverage of the afternoon session of day five of the UK Championship. The second round starts today, and our featured match is Chris Wakelin versus Neil Robertson.
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Ronnie O'Sullivan set for Masters return
Ronnie O'Sullivan has revealed he wants to compete at the Masters in January providing media demands at snooker's biggest invitational event don't affect his standard of play.
The world champion has won a record seven Masters titles, but decided to miss the tournament earlier this year due to his unhappiness with the stress placed on him during his run to the final in 2019.
“The ticket situation and requests for tickets is a big one for me,” he told Eurosport. “Then you have the media commitments. Like I’ve said, the reason I didn’t play in the Masters last year was because I felt after I won my semi-final (in 2019) there was so much time taken we couldn’t prepare as well enough for the final as I’d have liked to have done.
“I’ve said, if I do reach the final then I’m happy to give an hour of my time, but after that I need to get home to get some rest.
“Thankfully, after the World Championship semi-finals, they agreed to that. I’ve put them protocols down for myself because I do want to play in those tournaments.
“You want to play and give it your best. You don’t want to get to the final and your time is spent trying to make some kind of commercial."
UK CHAMPIONSHIP SATURDAY SCHEDULE
Afternoon (1pm)
- Ding Junhui v David Grace
- Luca Brecel v Xiao Guodong
- Jimmy White v Zhou Yuelong
- Lu Haotian v Anthony McGill
- Chen Zifan v Yan Bingtao
- Li Hang v Zhao Xintong
- Chris Wakelin v Neil Robertson
- Stephen Maguire v Stuart Carrington
Evening (7pm)
- Oliver Lines v Xu Si
- Chang Bingyu v Mark Allen
- Jak Jones v Simon Lichtenberg
- Gerard Greene v John Higgins
- Michael Holt v Hossein Vafaei
- David Glbert v Robert Milkins
- Barry Hawkins v Robbie Williams
- Judd Trump v Dominic Dale
When is the UK Championship and how to watch?
The tournament runs from Monday, 23 November until Sunday, 6 December. Eurosport will broadcast the event. Check here for TV listings, or alternatively here for details on how to stream the event live on eurosport.co.uk and the app. In addition to the live streaming, daily reports and highlights will be published online on the Eurosport website..
What is the format?
All matches are the best of 11 frames until the final which is contested over the best of 19 frames on Sunday, 6 December.
The UK Championship – part of snooker's Triple Crown series – was due to be held at the York Barbican, but due to the global health pandemic, all remaining World Snooker Tour events in 2020 – including the Northern Ireland Open, UK Championship, Scottish Open and World Grand Prix – will continue to be staged behind closed doors at the Marshall Arena in Milton Keynes.
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