So as today sees the first three matches of the 2009 Masters played to a finish, click below throughout the day to read how they are all unfolding…
Stephen Maguire 6-5 Graeme Dott
After a scrappy start to the match which saw the first two frames shared, it looked like Graeme might be able to press ahead in the third as he earned a couple of good opportunities to put a break together. Poor misses on the brown and on a red to a corner pocket cost him dear though and Maguire stepped in with the first century of the week, an excellent 114.
Just when it looked like Stephen might be able to press on and put a few frames together, Graeme managed to snatch the frame before the interval and this seemed to turn the match around as he managed to win the next two for good measure to lead 4-2.
Maguire looked to be getting frustrated as a kick in frame seven cost him his first good chance, while he ran out of position and missed a very difficult black on his second. This gave Graeme a fantastic chance for 5-2, but like Stephen before him, he was to be denied by a horrible kick to the right-centre. He did not waste his second chance however and 5-2 it was.
At this point Stephen looked to have almost given up and was really not playing well, but having got one back for 5-3, frame nine was a real thriller. The first big chance fell to Graeme but crucially he left himself hampered on a red to a corner pocket and it was this hinderance that caused him to miss an otherwise easy pot. Just when Stephen looked like snatching it though, a poor shot on the final yellow left the white right on top of the green and what would have been a frame ball pot, now impossible. Eventually though it was not to prove costly for him and at 5-4, the pressure was right back on Graeme who lost from 5-2 up against Stephen Lee last year.
Frame ten was another scrappy affair but almost inevitably, Stephen Maguire kept on fighting and won it to force a deciding frame. Having seen hs opponent come back from 5-2 down, it was now Graeme who looked all at sea and so it proved as another poor shot let Stephen in. The 68 break that he made to leave Graeme needing two snookers proved to be key and shortly after he won the match, an excellent win given how he played.
Stephen will be a relieved man because he looked really out of sorts for a while and at 5-2 like he was on the verge of giving up. To his credit though he stuck at it and eventually got his reward. Next up for him is a tie with either Stephen Hendry or Neil Robertson.
Graeme Dott will be gutted however, losing from 5-2 up in the last 16 just as he did last year against Stephen Lee. Eventually it is that chance at 5-3 when he came hampered on the red that proved to be the turning point I think and there only looked like one winner from there.
Finally I hope that this match was not a sign of things to come in terms of kicks, of which there were many…
Stephen Maguire 6-5 Graeme Dott 74(47)-28, 30-70, 114(114)-6, 15-64, 1-125(106), 0-73(37,36), 19-71(51), 62(49)-24, 68-35, 77(63)-13, 73(68)-8
Ronnie O’Sullivan 6-5 Joe Perry
After what was a classic match, Ronnie O’Sullivan just about got through against Joe Perry to move into the quarter-finals of the Masters this year.
Indeed it was a match of high quality, three centuries and four other breaks over 60 as there was never more than a frame between them.
Without a doubt though as the match entered its closing stages, the key moment came when Joe Perry was seemingly clearing up at 5-4 to win the match, he missed a crucial pink and allowed O’Sullivan in to level the match at 5-5. From this point on although Perry had chances, you just felt that O’Sullivan would not need another let off and eventually he edged out a scrappy final frame.
Apologies for the short report but it has been a busy afternoon for me today. Still, that’s O’Sullivan’s fourth win of the season over Perry and yet another that went to a final frame decider. Next up for him will be either Ali Carter or Peter Ebdon in the quarter-finals.
Disappointment for Perry but he played well and will be looking forward to next month’s Welsh Open now.
Ronnie O’Sullivan 6-5 Joe Perry 72(43)-6, 6-77(63), 52-85(85c), 100(100)-20, 68(68c)-63(63), 0-105(105), 118(118)-0, 0-69(38), 23-76(37), 65-48, 62-26
Ricky Walden 6-2 Mark King
Shanghai Masters winner Ricky Walden made a great début at Wembley tonight as he overcame world number 15 Mark King 6-2.
Having shared the first two frames, the third was full of drama as firstly Ricky Walden made a couple of brilliant breaks to leave King needing a snooker, but eventually the frame came to life again when he went in-off with the white to give King a chance. With some brilliant play on the final colours, it looked like Mark was indeed going to snatch it, but having done all the hard work and left himself nicely on the black, he inexplicably missed it and threw away a great opportunity. Although Ricky could not pot it from where it was, eventually he took on a great double into a middle pocket and took a frame that he could so easily have lost.
Unfortunately for Mark this proved to be a key turning point and he soon lost the next two a Walden knocked in breaks of 94 and 86 to lead 4-1. Though Mark fought back with a 115 in the sixth frame, Walden was not to be denied and won the next to frames to seal a 6-2 win.
An impressive performance from Ricky, he does not have too much time to enjoy his win now as he will be back in action tomorrow evening against Mark Selby, the man he defeated en route to his Shanghai Masters victory.