Stephen Hendry snooker blog
Posts tagged Ronnie O’Sullivan
Ronnie O’Sullivan crowned Power Snooker champion
0463 days
by Ismail Vedat
in Uncategorized
Surprise surprise, Ronnie O’Sullivan became the first winner of Power Snooker, and were we expecting anything less?
Power Snooker launched last Saturday, and the format of the game was only going to suit one man. The 20-second shot clock encourages quick-fire play and becomes all about the player’s potting. It was snooker as you’ve never seen it before, and it certainly delighted O’Sullivan at the end of it.
The Rocket pocketed the first-prize of £35,000 after beating Luca Brecel in his first match, Ali Carter in the semi-final and Ding Junhui in the final. Where points counted instead of frames, O’Sullivan only played 90 minutes. Not bad for a day’s work then.
“Finally snooker has come into the 21st century,” said O’Sullivan. “We’ve been kicking behind for a few years while everyone else has been going forward. Power Snooker is a new format that is definitely here to stay.”
Power Snooker was created in a bid to change the face of snooker, with the crowd getting involved with the game, shouting out on shots and counting down when time elapses. The players walked on with their own choice of music, accompanied with the Power Girls, and looked to be having fun. Think of it like darts, but instead of a dartboard picture a snooker table.
The crowd certainly enjoyed watching the likes of O’Sullivan, the Whirlwind Jimmy White and the reigning world champion Neil Robertson demonstrate their exceptional potting abilities, and moving around the table rapidly to play their shots in time. The potting of the Power Ball – which triggers a two-minute power play where points are doubled – was a treat for the audience and got them fully involved.
But there have to be at least some doubts about the new format.
If Power Snooker makes a return then it must have done something right. Rod Gunner, its creator, is hoping it will revive the sport, but from first impressions it just seemed like a bit of fun. Snooker is always played to crowds who give maximum respect to whoever is playing, and it was quite out of place for someone in the crowd to be calling out just when a player was about to play a shot.
It works for darts, because the players are used to it, and it has to work for football, but trying to encourage this for snooker, a sport that requires full concentration, doesn’t work at all.
Obviously O’Sullivan is glad to see something like this, as he’s been crying out for snooker to be changed for a long time. The traditionalists may not have been impressed, and would think that if snooker needed a facelift, this was not the way to do it.
The rules were just complicated with so many points being accumulated by the players. Even the referees were struggling to keep up and relied on the scoreboard for the majority of the games. A twist on the rules didn’t work, and Power Snooker is just going to be used as a time to put on a show for the punters.
For those who are worried about this kind of format taking over from regular snooker, worry not, as it won’t catch on.
Ronnie O’Sullivan ends Mark Williams’ unbeaten run
0466 days
by Ismail Vedat
in Uncategorized
Ronnie O’Sullivan finally got his first win in the snooker Premier League after beating Mark Williams convincingly, while Marco Fu stormed to the top of the table.
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.
Power Snooker ready for switch on
0467 days
by Ismail Vedat
in Uncategorized
Snooker has been undergoing a major transformation over the past few months, and the arrival of Power Snooker is the latest attempt to change the face of the game.
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.
Ronnie O’Sullivan drawn against Luca Brecel in Power Snooker
0482 days
by Ismail Vedat
in Uncategorized
Ronnie O’Sullivan will take on 15-year old wonderkid Luca Brecel in the brand-new format Power Snooker at the end of this month at the Indigo2 Arena.
The three-time world champion has been pitted against the Belgian in a highly-anticipated tournament that has been dubbed the Twenty20 of snooker, and is expected to change the face of the sport.
“I was hoping to get one of the more well-known lads as I don’t think Power Snooker will suit them,” said O’Sullivan. “Luca is a real wildcard and I think he will be waiting to put me on my backside.”
Brecel, the Belgian champion, is excited at the prospect of playing the Rocket. “I was delighted to be one of the eight players to get into Power Snooker, and to go head to head with Ronnie is fantastic.
“This is not traditional snooker, this is a real shoot out and I think I can beat Ronnie. Power Snooker is a young man’s game,” he added.
Games in Power Snooker will last 30 minutes and points will count rather than frames. A diamond rack will replace the triangle set of reds, with only eight reds and a golden ball included. If a player pots the golden ball, it will trigger a two-minute power play which any points that are scored are doubled. There is also a 20-second shot clock.
The draw has also thrown up some exciting matches, with reigning world champion Neil Robertson taking on current Premier League champion Shaun Murphy, the Whirlwind Jimmy White against UK champion Ding Junhui, and current Masters champion Mark Selby against Shanghai Masters champion Ali Carter.
Ronnie O’Sullivan draws again while Ding Junhui gets off the mark
0487 days
by Ismail Vedat
in Uncategorized
Ronnie O’Sullivan could only draw with Shaun Murphy in the snooker Premier League last night, while Ding Junhui overcame reigning Masters champion Mark Selby to win his first match of the event.
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.
Ronnie O’Sullivan and Shaun Murphy do battle in Premier League
0488 days
by Ismail Vedat
in Uncategorized
Premier League snooker returns tonight for week four, and there are two fantastic matches on offer at the Brentwood Leisure Centre in Essex.
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
Neil Robertson sets sights on the Masters
0497 days
by Ismail Vedat
in Uncategorized
Reigning world champion Neil Robertson has his eyes on snooker’s most prestigious tournament, the Masters, after his emphatic win over Ronnie O’Sullivan in the World Open final.
The Thunder from Down Under stormed to a 5-1 win over the Rocket to add the World Open to his world championship, and ended the tournament as the world No.1 as well.
O’Sullivan had no answer to Robertson’s game in the final last Sunday, as he made it six wins out of six in ranking event finals.
The Masters, which is set to begin in January 2011, is only open to the top-16 players in the world, and although it is not a ranking event, it remains one of the favourites for both the crowd and the players.
Robertson is continuing to build on his most successful year, and wants to add the Masters to his two Grand Prix wins, world championship, Welsh Open, Bahrain Championship and World Open. “The Masters is our biggest invitation tournament so it would be fantastic to follow up the world title by winning it,” he said.
“The players all look forward to it because it doesn’t have the pressure of ranking points but there’s a lot of money and prestige. The crowds are always big and rowdy and I love that atmosphere,” Robertson added.
Robertson lost 6-4 to O’Sullivan in last season’s Masters having been 3-0 in front. He made his Masters debut back in 2004, where he was defeated 6-2 by Wembley hero Jimmy White. “It was great to play Jimmy at his home venue, that was an amazing experience,” Robertson said reflecting on the match.
“It was my first televised match and after that I felt comfortable playing on TV because it couldn’t get more nerve-racking than that. I still watch that match on DVD sometimes and think about how far I have come since then.
“I don’t have a great record at the Masters. I’ve never even got to the semi-finals. I’ve proved that I can play my best at the biggest tournaments now so I want to perform at Wembley this time,” added the Australian.
Expect Robertson to improve on his record in the Masters come next year.
Neil Robertson trounces Ronnie O’Sullivan in World Open final
0498 days
by Ismail Vedat
in Uncategorized
Reigning world champion Neil Robertson hammered Ronnie O’Sullivan 5-1 in the snooker World Open final last night in Glasgow.
It is the sixth ranking title of the Australian’s career, and he continues to stun audiences with his attacking style of play and composure around the table. He also kept up his incredible 100% record in ranking event finals.
Having come from 2-0 down to win 3-2 in the semi-final to an in-form Mark Williams earlier in the day, Robertson showed his true class to destroy the most-naturally gifted player to in the game. O’Sullivan wasn’t at his best, and Robertson was clinical when he was presented with the chances.
The Thunder from Down Under went 2-0 up against O’Sullivan by making breaks of 43 and 107, leaving O’Sullivan with plenty of work to do. However, he responded in typical O’Sullivan fashion by knocking in a fantastic break of 72, which was better than the 147 maximum he made earlier in the week, as the balls were in difficult positions and required perfect positional play.
O’Sullivan might have been thinking he was going to square the match at the mid-session interval, but he missed a simple pink, and those thoughts vanished rapidly, as Robertson made a break of 59 to lead 3-1.
The next frame was crucial for O’Sullivan, and he was under huge pressure to deliver, and when he missed a red into the centre pocket, Robertson once again took his chance and swept into a 4-1 lead, making a break of 66.
Three down with four frames left to play, O’Sullivan now had his back to the wall. When it looked like Robertson would cross the finishing line, he missed a difficult blue on a run of 30. O’Sullivan made 44 in response but missed the second-to-last red, and when he played a terrible safety shot, going in-off with the cueball, the balls were at Robertson’s mercy, and he didn’t disappoint, clearing to finish O’Sullivan off and collect the winners’ cheque for £100,000.
“Ronnie’s still my idol, whenever I get knocked out of a tournament I hope he wins it,” said Robertson. “I put him under pressure tonight and made some good breaks out of nothing, particularly the century in the second frame. There were some texts flying around before the final saying that this would be the one I would lose, and that fired me up.
“I’d only had a week and a half of really good practice before this because I’ve been so busy. I didn’t expect to play well until the UK Championship. I’ve won four BBC tournaments now, so my goals are to win the UK and the Masters and to do better in China. Having a title under my belt early in the season gives me the confidence to go on and win more,” Robertson added.
O’Sullivan will have the 147 he made, or nearly didn’t make, against Mark King to take away from the event, as well as the £40,000 runners-up prize. He knew there was no prize-money for the maximum when he asked referee Jan Verhaas at the time, but he will be happy to take the money and use it wisely.
“I’m always critical of myself but I have to give Neil credit, I take my hat off to him,” said the Rocket. “He’s playing like a world champion and world No 1. He’s a consistently great cueist, he’s confident and good under pressure. When John Higgins comes back they will have a good rivalry.
“I knew someone playing half as well as that would beat me. I was there for the taking and I shouldn’t have got to the final. I hit so many bad shots and my good breaks are few and far between,” said O’Sullivan.
Robertson is now the official world No.1 thanks to the new rankings system, which now works as a two-year rolling list. “It means the list is much more up to date and rewards players who are winning tournaments and doing well,” said Robertson in approval of the structure.
“To be world champion and world No 1 at the same time is a dream come true,” added the Australian.
World champion, world No.1 and now the World Open champion. A fine year for Robertson continues.
Ronnie O’Sullivan wins to set up Stephen Hendry clash
0502 days
by Ismail Vedat
in Uncategorized
Three-time world champion Ronnie O’Sullivan beat Jimmy White 3-1 to reach the last 16 of the snooker World Open in Glasgow.
After the madness of his refusal to pot the black for the 147 maximum on Monday, O’Sullivan missed easy balls in the opening frame today, presenting chances to White. However, the six-time world finalist looked nervous and couldn’t capitalise, allowing O’Sullivan took the lead.
The Rocket punished a miss from White to double his lead, rapidly clearing the table. White responded in the third frame in great style, knocking in a break of 88 to make the score 2-1.
White was playing some fantastic stuff, and he should have taken the match to a deciding frame, but after he missed a red into the right-middle pocket while on a break of 56, O’Sullivan took control and in typical fashion he cleared the table to set up a clash with Stephen Hendry in the next round.
“It’s great to play against Jimmy because he’s good to watch,” said O’Sullivan to BBC Sport. “But it’s unfortunate for him that he’s good to watch – it means you concentrate throughout rather than switching off. He started nervously but that’s only to be expected when you haven’t reached the latter stages of a tournament for a while. When I missed I got away with it.
“Then he got his rhythm and didn’t look like he wouldn’t miss. When he plays like that he’s still a top eight player. It was nice to play in front of a packed audience but I lost my rhythm a bit and it was tough. At one stage I struggled to even pot a red and black.
“I don’t like seeing Jimmy lose even if it me that is beating him but you have to go out to try to win the match. You need to treat jimmy like any opponent but he was my role-model and I love him,” added O’Sullivan.
Snooker World Open draw produces some cracking showdowns
0502 days
by Ismail Vedat
in Uncategorized
The draw for the last 16 of the snooker World Open in Glasgow was made last night, and the stand-out tie will be Stephen Hendry taking on either Ronnie O’Sullivan or Jimmy White.
The seven-time world champion will find out who his opponent will be today as O’Sullivan and White do battle.
All eyes will be on O’Sullivan after his 147 maximum break madness on Monday, where he refused to pot the final black after being told there was no extra prize-money available. The talk off the table has been about O’Sullivan wanting to have a bit of fun rather than protest about the money. Once again, the Rocket has spoken about quitting the game after speaking with World Snooker chairman Barry Hearn.
O’Sullivan’s focus must be on the table today, as White will be up for the battle as he is enjoying playing in front of the television cameras once again thanks to strong performances. A world finalist six times, White has found his love for snooker again, partly due to competing in the TV hit series I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here last year.
Even though it is the first to three frames, a match which sees the Rocket against the Whirlwind will produce fireworks, and the reward for one of these players is a match against the most successful player of all time.
Stephen Maguire’s win over Judd Trump enabled him to set up an all-Scottish affair with Alan McManus in the last 16. Maguire edged out Trump 3-2 last night, while McManus also won 3-2 against Matthew Stevens.
Another Scottish player Marcus Campbell beat Mike Dunn 3-1 in the previous round, but he will have a tough match on his hands against the reigning UK champion Ding Junhui, who has looked impressive so far in this event, dispatching Jimmy Michie comfortably 3-1.
Barry Hawkins has been the surprise package of the World Open. He stunned the current Masters champion Mark Selby in the first round, and continued his good form by beating 1997 world champion Ken Doherty yesterday. He is full of confidence, but so is his next opponent, Mark Williams.
The Welshman has been in scintillating form in the last few weeks. He beat Selby in the Premier league, and defeated recently-crowned Shanghai Masters champion Ali Carter 3-1 here in the last round. Many didn’t expect Hawkins to get this far, but it could be the end for him as Williams is playing extremely well at the moment.
Peter Ebdon has been quietly going about his business, and he will take on Liu Song in the last 16. Ebdon lost his place in the top-16 rankings last season for the first time in 16 years, but wins over Steve Davis and Fergal O’Brien are exactly what he needed to try and get the place back.
Jamie Cope will play Ricky Walden, while Stephen Lee takes on Martin Gould, who was a 3-0 winner over Matthew Couch last night.
Reigning world champion Neil Robertson has yet to play at his best, but he is doing enough, and a match against either Marco Fu or Andrew Higginson awaits the Australian.