By the end of tonight (Thursday), we will know the names of the four players through to the finals weekend of the Premier League in Norfolk. Stay tuned tonight for updates as the final three matches of the league phase are completed…
First up we have…
Marco Fu 5-1 Stephen Hendry
While Marco Fu is under no pressure tonight, already being out of the running for a place in the finals weekend, Scotland’s Stephen Hendry will be looking to win as many frames to finish in the all-important top four. While a draw could be enough, even a loss in theory, he will be playing to win and make absolutely sure.
F1: First chance however goes to Marco who floats in a nice opening red from distance and lands nicely on the black…he breaks down on 12 though and a fluked red from Hendry leaves him in nicely with the reds spread. Like Marco however he has failed to capitalise, missing a tricky pink on just seven. This is scrappy stuff, though following three missed pot attempts from Stephen, it looks like it will be Marco who will get over the line for 1-0… Like last week however, Marco is doing his best to lose a frame that he looked a certainty for, some very strange shots on the final red and the yellow…he has done enough though, not a good start for Stephen.
F2: Now it is Marco’s turn for a fluke, a missed red intended for the right-centre pocket while on a break of 40 finding its way into the yellow pocket somehow! Though his cue ball control has not been 100% as Neal Foulds has pointed out, the balls are going in and it now looks like 2-0 to Marco, very worrying times indeed for Hendry…
F3: A good early 33 from Stephen in frame three but he ran further and further out of position towards the end and eventually missed a very tricky yellow to leave Marco in with a chance to counter…a missed pink on 16 however lets in Hendry who pulls one back to keep his hopes alive at 1-2…
F4: Advantage Fu in frame four having made a break of 37, but as said by Phil Yates, not decisive…this is really quite poor stuff now from both players, taking it in turns to miss easy reds to the yellow pocket…some very bad luck for Hendry however looks to have cost him, Marco Fu going 3-1 up now…
F5: And that is surely Hendry out of the tournament, Marco taking a 4-1 lead. That also means that defending champion Ronnie O’Sullivan is now definitely through to the play-offs, taking the pressure off his clash with John Higgins later on…
F6: Things really aren’t getting any better for Stephen, he did not play well in the first frame but since then it feels like every kiss or positional shot has somehow gone wrong. He is getting visibly frustrated now as his Premier League campaign is looking like it will come to an end tonight…and Marco completes what is on paper a comprehensive 5-1 victory. A night to forget for Stephen, while Marco has salvaged some pride from the encounter.
Ronnie O’Sullivan 2-4 John Higgins
9-72(72), 16-70(64), 134(129)-0, 0-107(107), 0-128(119), 76(68)-48
And what that match now means is that Shaun Murphy just needs one frame against Judd Trump to qualify at Stephen’s expense. That is for later though as now we have the clash of the titans, O’Sullivan against Higgins. Ronnie concluding his post-match interview with a comment about how excited he is that Barry Hearn might be getting involved with snooker again, that won’t be appreciated by Sir Rodney I suspect!
F1: Six reds, six blacks for Higgins so far…wouldn’t expect a 147 where the reds are but you never know…well he has missed on 72 which not only ends the maximum attempt, but with 75 remaining, could yet cost him the frame…but it doesn’t, he overcuts a blue to the right-centre and immediately concedes the frame. Good start.
F2: This is very impressive stuff from John, a long opening red into the heart of the pocket to start his break and on 64 and counting, he has already secured himself a 2-0 lead, barring snookers. I say that, John has missed the next red so O’Sullivan will play on! To no avail however.
F3: Into frame three and finally the defending champion has a pot. Considering he has been kept out of the first two frames, he looks to be cueing well and could make the first century of the evening…and he does, 129 and the frame. Amusingly one of his shots towards the end of the frame was played with both feet off the ground (not permitted of course), but referee Paul Collier did not see it!
F4: And now John is in on the century act, a 109 this time. Tremendous snooker this, both with no pressure and free to play their very best. Four frames done in little more than 35 minutes so far!
F5: Well this is excellent, three centuries in a row, Higgins sealing victory with a 119. Something of an exhibition from the three-times world champion. They could yet meet in the semi-finals next up! Would have been interesting had Hendry won earlier, Ronnie could have been right in trouble.
F6: And the final frame of this quickfire match has gone to O’Sullivan who got back to the table with a break of 68 following a rare slip-up from his opponent. A thoroughly entertaining match and a 19th career victory for John over his long-time rival. The first time that Ronnie has lost two matches under the shot clock apparently! Also the longest frame of the match was a whole 11 minutes, what a marathon eh?
Shaun Murphy 2-4 Judd Trump
F1: Needing just one frame to secure his finals place, Shaun Murphy looks a near certainty for a last four place but the first big chance in frame one has fallen to the 20-year-old from Bristol, Judd Trump…but he can only make 48. With all the reds in play, Shaun now has the chance that he was looking for…but he cannot take it in one-visit as he cannons the brown when attempting to come round baulk. He does get another red but he failed to land on a colour. He has however laid a very tricky snooker in behind the brown…
Having finally escaped, Trump has seen his lead in the frame disappear and now Murphy is right back in it…
After a very long battle on the colours it is Shaun who has come through and secured the all-important frame that he needed to qualify for the finals weekend. The only thing left to be decided now is the line-up for the last four in Hopton…
F2: A very unusual start to frame two as following a badly mishit break-off shot, Murphy has potted a red into the yellow pocket! Not that it has done him too much good, a nasty kick taking all of the pace out of the black to the extent that it has not reached the pocket. Judd needed a second chance but with a break of 63 we are all-square at 1-1.
F3: Despite Shaun getting ahead in the frame, a missed red from distance has proved costly as Judd has gone into a 2-1 lead with a break of 45.
F4: Again, both players have had chances in the fourth frame but Shaun has kept things interesting for a little longer regarding the group stages by levelling the match at 2-2. No big breaks there but I doubt he will care too much…
F5: He has needed two chances but Shaun Murphy is looking good to secure a 3-2 lead…but a missed yellow with three reds remaining has given Judd an opportunity to get back into the frame…and it looked like he would take it in one visit, but he has missed the final pink and it is game on once again. Shaun however has missed it from distance and Judd has made a fine cut to secure a point – and second place in the league table meaning he will avoid John Higgins in the semi-finals…
F6: And Judd has completed an excellent 4-2 victory over his higher ranked opponent.
This means that the top four are John Higgins, Judd Trump, Ronnie O’Sullivan and Shaun Murphy – in that order.
So the semi-finals will be:
November 28th
Higgins v Murphy
Trump v O’Sullivan