Joining the players at the Penrith Leisure Centre were a number of flies, and it looked like the games were being played in a heat wave instead of late October.

Heading into his crunch match with Williams, O’Sullivan was at the bottom of the league, having drawn all three of his previous matches. His attitude was spot-on last night and he played exceptionally well to record his first win of the competition with a 4-2 victory.

O’Sullivan began the game in trademark fashion, knocking in a break of 98 but missed out on the £1,000 bonus for a century. Williams didn’t score a point, and that continued in the second frame as O’Sullivan made a breaks of 44 and 78 to go two up.

Williams has played well on his return to the Premier League, and he halved the deficit as a 47 proved enough after O’Sullivan missed a red down the cushion to pinch the frame. A fly appeared to have put O’Sullivan off the shot. The Rocket looked in fine form as he made a 70 in the next frame to guarantee himself a point and maintain his unbeaten run.

If Williams wanted to stay unbeaten like O’Sullivan, he would have to win the last two frames, but efforts of 39 and 50 helped O’Sullivan secure the two points and the much-needed win. Even though he had lost the game, Williams softened the blow by taking the last frame with breaks of 34 and 40 and stay in second place and above O’Sullivan in the table.

“I played alright when I was in the balls and was relaxed and that was good to feel relaxed at the table,” said O’Sullivan, who now stands a good chance of reaching the semi-finals.

Over the past few years, O’Sullivan’s long-potting has declined, and there were several times where he was unable to knock one in. Even he admits this is a problem. “My long game wasn’t good though. I’ve not been able to pot long balls for last six or seven years so I’m relying on nouse around the table and on people not playing well for me to win but a win’s a win,” he said.

Earlier in the evening, Fu went to the top of the table to give him a strong chance of reaching the play-offs by beating Ding Junhui 5-1.

Ding, who has played all of his matches, is now out of the competition after suffering back-to-back defeats.

Last week, reigning world champion Neil Robertson inflicted a 6-0 defeat on Ding, and Fu nearly did the same.

Fu came firing out of the blocks as he knocked in breaks of 39 and 44, playing great positional shots and keeping good control of the cue ball. Like he did against Robertson, Ding was struggling once again to get a break going, and Fu seized his opportunity in the second frame with a 42 and a 39.

In no time at all, Fu ensured he would leave with a point by winning the third frame without Ding scoring a point. The UK champion was out of sorts, missing easy balls and playing poor safety shots. The win was there for the taking for Fu, and he made a 94 to take the maximum two points.

By this point, Fu had potted 100 balls compared to Ding’s 10, but Ding did manage to make his trip worthwhile by clinching the fifth frame and £1,000 with a quick-fire 71. Before the game, Fu was the only player not to have made a century break, but he changed that in the final frame with a beautifully constructed 107 to round off the match.

“Towards the end I was relaxed and made the century but I got the two points which was the most important thing. The 100 [century] was a bonus,” said table-topper Fu, who has one match remaining in the round-robin format.

“I played very well without making any big breaks in the early stages. I made some good pots and put him under pressure and he didn’t pot a ball till the third frame.

“Maybe he’s taking the game too easy but he’s too good a player not to do well. Ding is having a bad run but there are so many tournaments so he won’t be too disappointed,” added Fu.

Certainly there are no flies on Fu.

Since Barry Hearn gained control of World Snooker by becoming chairman last year, he has introduced more ranking tournaments and more prize money, and the players are much happier than they have been in recent years.

Viewing figures however have dropped over the last 20 years, and the creators of Power Snooker, Rod Gunner and Ed Simmons, believe their idea can be a success. Not since the epic 1985 world championship final between Dennis Taylor and Steve Davis that was decided on the black has snooker enjoyed such high viewing figures, that final pulling in 18.5million viewers.

Power Snooker is hoped to do to snooker what Twenty20 has done for cricket, and the rules of the game are a change from the norm. Games will last 30 minutes and points will count rather than frames. There will be nine reds, rather than the usual 15, and they will be arranged in a diamond, not a rack.

The middle red will be the Power Ball, and when potted this will trigger a two-minute power play with any balls potted counting as double points. The players will also play against a 20-second shot clock.

The event will be full of glitz and glamour, and the players will also have a microphone attached to them so the audience can hear every word they say.

The format may not be to the liking of the traditionalists, but the quick-fire play that will be on show will suit one man. The Rocket, Ronnie O’Sullivan.

The three-time world champion is one of eight players to be playing at London’s Indigo2 Arena on Saturday. O’Sullivan has a match against 15-year old Belgian champion Luca Brecel. The inclusion of the wonder-kid is what Gunner wants the competition to be all about. “Luca is a young precocious talent and the young generation adapts to new rules very quickly,” said Gunner. “I firmly believe that sport is entertainment. Snooker has been stagnating and young people today want energy and instant gratification.”

O’Sullivan is the favourite to land the £35,000 first prize, and he is looking forward to playing in it. “Hopefully, it suits my game better than the others,” he said. “It’s difficult to make predictions but it’s going to be an exciting event to watch. It will show snooker in a different light and the sport desperately needs that.”

In the other games, reigning world champion Neil Robertson takes on current Premier League champion Shaun Murphy. Masters champion Mark Selby takes on Shanghai Masters winner Ali Carter, and the Whirlwind Jimmy White is up against UK champion Ding Junhui.

Whether Power Snooker is a success or not, all eyes will be on O’Sullivan to deliver.

Robertson found himself at the bottom of the league after only playing two games, losing one and drawing the other. The Australian knew he couldn’t lose another game, and he came out all guns blazing to blow the UK champion away.

Robertson seized the initiative in the first frame after potting a red and opting to smash into the pack, opening them up and going on to make a break of 120, immediately pocketing the £1,000 bonus for a century break. Both players made mistakes in the second frame, but it was Robertson who managed to double his lead.

Ding hardly had any table time and was unable to capitalise, missing a red on a run of 43 in the third. Robertson replied with a break of 46 but ran out of position. However, Ding’s poor safety shot enabled Robertson to take a 3-0 lead.

Ding has a history of looking fed up when he’s not playing well, and once again he sat in his chair and was desperate to get out of the arena as Robertson made a break of 42 to race into a 4-0 lead and secure the win.

The world No.1 was not holding back, and he knocked in a fluid break of 87, refusing to let Ding have an opening. Robertson completed the rout by making another half-century break, this time a 51, and climbed up to fourth in the table.

Ding clearly wasn’t at his best and had no answer to what Robertson threw at him. Robertson was delighted with his performance. “I think the very first shot I played went into the pack and I knocked in a great blue and made a 120. It was a great start and probably the best I’ve played in the Premier League,” he said.

“I got here nice and early and practiced. Normally I just rock up and play so that’s something I may be doing more of.

“When I made the 120 though, I thought I was playing quite well and if I got chances I would score. When you’re 2-0 up, you think the worst result could be a draw and at 3-0 you know all you need is to win another frame for the two points,” Robertson added.

In the other match of the evening, two-time world champion Williams maintained his unbeaten record and went to the top of the Premier League table after sharing the points with Fu.

Williams and Ronnie O’Sullivan are the only two players still unbeaten in the competition, but Williams’ record was under threat as Fu played well in a tight encounter.

Knowing that a win for either player would take them to first spot, it was Fu who got off the mark first, despite Williams making a break of 43. Both players had a difficult time in the second frame, with pink and black out of commission. Fu managed to get some points, but when he missed a red, Williams was able to level the tie.

The third frame was more like the Williams of old, as the Welshman knocked in a 104 to grab an extra £1,000 and go 2-1 in front. The next frame followed the pattern of the first two, but it was the man from Hong-Kong who made a 51 and make the score 2-2.

Runs of 43 and 78 in the next frame ensured Fu would get a point and favourite to take the maximum points, but when he broke off in the final frame, it was to be his last shot as Williams potted a fantastic opening red and went on to make his second century of the evening, a 122, to take a point and go top of the table.

While Williams finds himself at the top of the table, O’Sullivan surprisingly finds himself at the bottom, and when the Rocket plays next week, he has a cracking match against Williams awaiting him.

Having only played two games so far in the round-robin phase, Robertson has yet to win a match, losing to Mark Selby in his first game and drawing last week with Mark Williams.

Just days after his World Open triumph against Ronnie O’Sullivan, Robertson looked to be feeling the effects against Selby, but he returned to his normal self against Williams, trailing throughout but showing the qualities of a world champion to grab a point.

Tomorrow night, Robertson plays the current UK champion Ding, who is second in the table at the moment having played four times, winning once, drawing twice and losing once. Ding’s last Premier League outing was a 4-2 win over Selby, which could easily have been a 6-0 whitewash. Ding was too hot to handle for Selby, as he knocked in breaks of 54, 69, 78, 69 and 103. Another win for Ding will almost guarantee his place in the semi-finals, as he is tied on four points with table-topper Selby and Williams and will only have one game left to play.

As he has only played twice, Robertson will be in action in four of the last five weeks. The Australian cannot afford to lose and he has tough encounters lying ahead, with matches against Marco Fu, O’Sullivan and Premier League champion Shaun Murphy still to come.

The second game of the night pits the China Open champion Williams against Fu, who has been the dark horse in the competition so far. Fu has played three times and has filled all the columns, with one win, one defeat and one draw. He rattled Murphy in his 4-2 win and played a high-quality draw against O’Sullivan, but he was powerless against Selby last week, losing 5-1 and for the first time in the group phase being out-played.

Williams is one of two players still unbeaten in the Premier League, the other being O’Sullivan. The Welshman has one win and two draws, but both of his draws could and should have been wins. He led three times against Robertson last week, and surrendered a 2-0 and 3-2 lead to Ding in the third week.

Williams is making his return to the Premier League after a five-year absence, and is playing close to the form that propelled him to two world championships and 17-ranking titles. His return to form has also moved him to fifth in the world rankings, and he is no doubt a serious threat to winning this year’s Premier League.

Predictions: Robertson 4 Ding 2, Williams 4 Fu 2

Robertson didn’t get off to the best of starts in his first match in the Premier League, losing 4-2 to Selby in a tough encounter. Having just beaten Ronnie O’Sullivan in the World Open final, Robertson was unable to keep up the high standard against Selby, despite making decent breaks of 69 and 78.

The Australian will be hoping as world champion he can get off the mark, but it doesn’t get any easier for him from here. A match tomorrow against Williams is followed by games against Ding Junhui, Marco Fu, Shaun Murphy and the Rocket O’Sullivan.

Williams is in form at the moment. The current China Open champion beat Selby on his return to the Premier League for the first time in five years, and played extremely well in the draw with Ding, knocking in breaks of 54, 73 and 49. The quick-fire format suits the Welshman’s game, and Robertson will need to adapt to the 25-second shot clock fast if he wants to take points from this game, and move away from the bottom of the table.

The last time Williams and Robertson played one another, it was in the semi-final of the World Open, where Robertson came from 2-0 down to win in the final frame. Williams was unlucky not to reach the final, and will be on the lookout for revenge against the Thunder from Down Under.

In the night’s other match, surprise package Fu plays reigning Masters champion Selby. Both players are experiencing different Premier League campaigns at the moment. Fu is unbeaten in the two games he has played, winning against reigning Premier League champion Murphy 4-2 and drawing to O’Sullivan in a high-quality battle.

Selby has lost two out of his first three games. He got hammered 4-2 by Ding last week, and was fortunate to even win a frame as it could well have been a whitewash. The Jester from Leicester will draw confidence from the fact he almost made a 147 maximum break in the final frame. The loss to Ding was also disappointing as he beat Robertson the week before. With only two points on the board, he needs to win more games if he is to stand a chance of reaching the play-offs.

Fu and Williams have the chance to overtake Ding at the top of the table if they win their games, and at the halfway point of the Premier League round-robin matches, it is critical at this stage to secure a top-four finish.

Predictions: Robertson 3 Williams 3, Fu 2 Selby 4

O’Sullivan versus Murphy always had a great ring to it, and the game was worthy of the audience’s ticket price as both players gave them a special treat.

In the build-up to the match, Murphy criticised O’Sullivan for his antics at the recent World Open – where he refused to pot the black for the 147 maximum break. When both players were asked about whether they had read the papers, both jokingly replied that they did have a quick look.

This game also was a repeat of last year’s Premier League final, with Murphy giving O’Sullivan a 7-3 pasting to be crowned champion. O’Sullivan certainly had two good reasons to get one over Murphy.

It looked as though Murphy was going to take the first frame being 52-0 up, but he missed an easy brown, leaving O’Sullivan to pinch it by five points. The current Premier League champion stormed to the second frame, missing out on the £1,000 bonus for a century as he broke down on 90.

O’Sullivan also missed out on a century bonus as he missed a red on a break of 93. The standard of play was exceptionally high, and Murphy levelled the match at 2-2 with a solid break of 71.

O’Sullivan paid the price in the next frame for using the rest while holding it in the air, allowing Murphy to go 3-2 in front and guarantee himself a point. A superb 110 break in the final frame of the evening ensured O’Sullivan would not lose.

“A needle match? You don’t play snooker with needle – you just play the balls and the table,” said O’Sullivan in response to Murphy’s comments. “I like playing Shaun and he plays a nice game. I find it harder playing the slower, boring players and then I get the needle because I can’t get to the table.

“We all say things. Look at the things I’ve said in the past, but it’s a pleasure to play Shaun. Papers twist and turn things but I take things with a pinch of salt and find it quite funny. Every interview from snooker people is about me.

“Ten years ago it would’ve made me more determined as I was a bit more of a competitive animal but now I’m playing more for enjoyment,” O’Sullivan added.

Murphy was in agreement with O’Sullivan over the comments. “I was pleased to see all the words were spelt correctly,” joked Murphy. “The papers do twist things but I didn’t like what went on at the World Open and was asked my opinion. Last time I checked, it was still ok in this country to voice your opinions.

“I also did say what a great guy Ronnie is and the game is better with him than without him. It was great to play the best player of the game in the last ten years,” he added.

In the first match of the night, UK champion Ding produced a flawless performance to beat Selby 4-2.

Ding was yet to win a game before his showdown with Selby, drawing with Mark Williams and O’Sullivan and losing to Murphy in week one. Against Selby he took the first frame with breaks of 54 and 69, but Selby levelled with a break of 50 after Ding missed several chances when breaking down on 44.

Knowing he should have been 2-0 up, Ding soon edged in front with a break of 78, and kept the run going in the next frame with a break of 69 to get at least a point. However, he made sure he wasn’t going to draw again by knocking in a fantastic 103 to inflict defeat on Selby. With the match out of his hands, Selby was on a maximum in the final frame, but he missed on 97 after leaving himself an awkward black, as he missed out on becoming the first player in the Premier League to make a 147.

Ding though was clinical and worthy of the win, and could even have whitewashed Selby.

Reigning Masters champion Mark Selby takes on current UK champion Ding Junhui, while the clash of the evening is a repeat of last year’s Premier League final between champion Shaun Murphy and Ronnie O’Sullivan.

O’Sullivan and Murphy have both won world and UK championships, and have met many times before, but this game will matter to both players. O’Sullivan is looking for revenge after losing 7-3 to Murphy in last year’s final. Unusually, O’Sullivan hasn’t won a match having played twice, while Murphy has a win and a defeat so far.

Murphy has added even more spice to this mouth-watering encounter by coming out this week branding O’Sullivan as “pathetic, unprofessional and disrespectful” following O’Sullivan’s refusal to pot the final black for a 147 maximum at the recent World Open in Glasgow.

O’Sullivan was persuaded to pot the black by referee Jan Verhaas after he staged a protest against no prize-money being made available for the 147, which he knew of before the tournament started.

While O’Sullivan said he was just having some fun, Murphy was not pleased about the Rocket’s actions. “I thought it was pathetic, unprofessional. It was disrespectful to the public who had paid to come and watch him play,” said Murphy. “£4,000 [prize for highest-break] is a lot of money to a lot of people. It was bad taste.”

Murphy could well have fired up O’Sullivan for tonight, and went on to say he is beginning to get annoyed by his antics on the table. “I’m a bit tired of all this ‘Ronnie’s Ronnie’ stuff. I don’t subscribe to it, that he should be allowed to get away with it. There’s no doubt Ronnie is the biggest draw in snooker and he is the person everyone flocks to watch. Snooker is better with Ronnie than without. He creates a buzz and I enjoy playing him.

“We play in the Premier League… as far as the players are concerned he is the benchmark even though he is not no.1. But from a bloke’s perspective, I watched what he did on TV and didn’t like it. Some of my mates thought it was quite funny when I told them but for the people who saw it, it was quite offensive,” said Murphy.

O’Sullivan will no doubt be desperate to get one over Murphy and give the crowd something to get excited about following the latter’s comments.

Selby beat reigning world champion and newly-crowned world No.1 Neil Robertson 4-2 last week, making breaks of 53, 104 and 119. After he lost his first match against Mark Williams, Selby played extremely well and showed why he is the Masters champion, making the big breaks at crucial times during the game.

Ding suffered a 5-1 hammering to Murphy in week one, and then battled for a point against O’Sullivan. Last week, he played out a 3-3 draw against an in-form Williams, making breaks of 68 and 65 after coming from 2-0 down.

Ding is yet to win a game so far in this year’s Premier League, but has played at his best in the draws against O’Sullivan and Williams and was unlucky not to win at least one of those games. A match against the Jester from Lester could go all the way, and Ding might have to settle for another draw.
Predictions: Ronnie O’Sullivan 4 Shaun Murphy 2, Mark Selby 3 Ding Junhui 3

Marco Fu was also victorious, beating current Premier League champion Shaun Murphy 4-2, while Mark Williams and Ding Junhui played out a 3-3 draw.

Having beaten Ronnie O’Sullivan in last week’s World Open final 5-1, Robertson was unable to play at his usual best, with Selby stamping his authority to secure a good win. The first frame was slow to take off, as both players missed simple chances. Selby, the current Masters champion, managed to take it with a fine break of 53.

A re-rack was required in the second frame with Robertson and Selby jokingly agreeing to it, and it would be the world champion who would level the match with a great break of 69, using the baulk colours with pink and black out of play to score the points.

Selby picked up a £1,000 bonus for making a century in the third frame. His break of 104 put him 2-1 in front, and it was Selby’s second century of the competition. The next frame was the longest frame of the match, with safety play coming out on top. A break of 36 was not enough for Robertson, with Selby taking the frame and guaranteeing himself a point for his efforts.

The final two frames were extremely quick, and Robertson was unlucky not to pocket a £1,000 for a century after breaking down on 78. The Australian made the score 3-2 and has his eyes set on a point, but Selby stepped up and made his second century of the night, this time a 119 to take a good win and get off the mark in this year’s Premier League.

In the first match of the evening, Fu beat Murphy 4-2. Fu won the Championship League to reach the Premier League and drew his first match with Ronnie O’Sullivan in this event. Murphy began the competition in emphatic fashion, beating Ding 5-1 on the opening night.

Murphy took off in the opening frame last night and looked to have secured it, but when he ran out of position on a break of 55, Fu was able to take his chance with a reply of 76 to edge into the lead.

The 2005 world champion was soon level, with efforts of 32 and 33 enough to make the score one each. Murphy then took a 2-1 lead and was looking like he would run away with the game as he made a break of 77.

Both players had opportunities in the fourth frame, and Murphy would have been scratching his head thinking how he wasn’t 3-1 in front. He made 48 early on, but was not able to find position on the pink. Fu came back with a break of 40, and then a long safety battle took place. When Murphy missed the green with the rest, Fu was able to make it 2-2 much to his delight.

Fu went 3-2 in front with a decent break of 67, and was the likely player to take all two points when it looked as though he was going to lose. When Murphy missed frame ball on a break of 55, Fu held his nerve to clear up with 43 and take a valuable win.

“I’m really happy,” said Fu. “I won the first frame but Shaun played really well after that and looked like he was going to win 4-2 or 5-1. He was a bit unlucky and I managed to steal a few frames.

“Anything can happen in this game and it’s difficult to predict what’s going to happen. When Shaun missed the pink I felt I could clean up and I felt comfortable as I already had a point on the board,” Fu added.

UK champion Ding recovered from 2-0 down to take a point against the Welsh potting machine Williams.

Having reached the semi-finals of the World Open last week by beating Ding 3-2 from 2-0 down, Williams went in front after Ding misjudged a safety shot and then doubled his advantage with a break of 73.

Ding however managed to compose himself and contributed with a 68 to halve the deficit after it was looking like Williams would go 3-0 in front. Instead of being 3-0 down, Ding found himself level at 2-2 with an effort of 65.

Williams was playing the better snooker, and after an unbelievable fluke, where the red was meant to go into the bottom right pocket but when into the bottom left, he went 3-2 in front with a 49. Two breaks of 36 in the final frame ensured Ding would drew the match.

“The score of 3-3 was a fair result as we both played poorly and neither of us deserved to win,” said Williams. “In this league it doesn’t matter who you play as you know it’s going to be tough and even with a 2-0 lead it’s still hard to win the match.

“It was a nice lead but not one where you think you’ve thrown it away. But I’m certainly enjoying being back in the Premier League and I’m happy with 3-3,” Williams added.

The Premier League returns after taking a brief break because of the World Open, with Robertson taking on current Masters champion Mark Selby, Marco Fu playing reigning Premier League champion Shaun Murphy and Mark Williams taking on Ding Junhui.

Robertson claimed the sixth ranking title of his career by beating Ronnie O’Sullivan in last week’s World Open final. His 5-1 demolition of the Rocket confirmed him as the new world No.1, and the player to beat for the rest of the season. The Thunder from Down Under is not short on confidence at the moment and will be raring to begin his campaign in the league format.

Selby will have to be on top of his game as Robertson is in fine form. The last time Selby played in the league, he surrendered a 2-0 lead to Williams, who ran out a superb 4-2 winner on his return to the competition after five years. If there were any positives for Selby to take from the defeat, the fact he made breaks of 101 and 84 in around 20 minutes would have pleased him. As the reigning Masters champion, the Jester from Leicester suffered a shock exit from the World Open, losing 3-2 to Barry Hawkins. Selby has a lot to prove, and he always produces his best when there are questions asked of him.
Fu began the Premier League with a high-quality encounter against O’Sullivan. Although he drew 3-3, he played great snooker and was unfortunate not to win the game. A match against Murphy is a repeat of the 2008 UK Championship final, where Murphy was victorious in the deciding frame. Fu is considered the weakest opponent in this year’s competition, but he showed against O’Sullivan that he will be no pushover.

Murphy began the defence of his Premier League title in dominant fashion, winning 5-1 over Ding in week one. Like Selby, Murphy also suffered a shock early exit at the World Open last week, losing 3-0 to Dave Harold. Murphy will be keen to get back to winning ways, and Fu will have to play like he did against O’Sullivan to keep him at bay.

Williams enjoyed a great run in the World Open, reaching the semi-finals, but lost to Robertson 3-2 after having been 2-0 in front. Before playing Robertson, Williams beat Ding 3-2 after coming back from 2-0 down, and once again, they will do battle. In his second game in the Premier League, UK champion Ding shared the spoils with O’Sullivan in a 3-3 draw and put behind him the 5-1 drumming by Murphy.

If Williams and Ding play at their best, this could be the closest game of the night.

Predictions: Fu 2 Murphy 4, Ding 3 Williams 3, Robertson 4 Selby 2

The reigning UK champion took the first frame after he made a break of 58, with Michie making a lot of mistakes. Ding was showing signs of playing well, and he went 2-0 in front thanks to a break of 109.

Like Ronnie O’Sullivan did yesterday, Michie jokingly asked the referee what the prize-money was for making a 147 maximum break, but that was where the similarities ended, as Michie couldn’t make the maximum.

In the third frame, Michie played one of the shots of the tournament, as he potted the black into the top-left pocket with the rest to screw back to the red on the right cushion, and he took the frame to only trail 2-1 despite not playing well at all.

The player ranked 56 in the world missed a great opportunity to level the match as he failed to pot a red into the middle-left pocket, and that allowed Ding to clinch the match with a break of 78.