2008 888.com World Championship

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Ladder - QUALIFYING RESULTS  - CRUCIBLE RESULTS  - INFORMATION - MATCH NOTES - PLAYER CUEFACTS

GALLERIES: No. 1 Preliminary Rounds - No. 2 Qualifying Rounds

RONNIE O'SULLIVAN

v

LIU CHUANG

Round One - Match 5

(Best of 19 frames)

Wednesday 23 April 14.30

Thursday 24 April 14.00

 

Match Notes

...Join us LIVE at 14.00 Thursday 24 April

Welcome back to the Crucible... here we go then, the "veteran" against the "rookie" !

Liu Chuang starts with an excellent safety followed by a solid long red and he's got the first chance to score.. what an impressive start for Liu... Again not many snooker fans may have heard of Liu, but we've seen a lot of him in international amateur events and in this season's qualifying rounds over at Prestatyn... and he's good... he's broken down on 32, maybe still a bit nervous and get set for the Rocket to life off... don't blink, already Ronnie is on to 32 and he looks in great form and he's onto 46 now with three reds left... this match is set to be a real treat, I don't anticipate many tactical battles... and Ronnie makes 76 to take the first... a rare error by Ronnie in the second, he's hit that red all wrong but Liu is still a bit edgy and he's missed his chance.. here comes O'Sullivan again, this could be quick one-way traffic unless Liu can settle and put a bit of pressure on O'Sullivan, who's made 33 already... this is wonderful to watch, the break is now 80... it ends at 87 to the disappointment of the crowd.

Ronnie is already embarking on a break in the third, he's dropped a red in, split the pack and this long blue will get him in good position, well it would have but he missed it.... An easy starter for Liu and he's got the black open, so a chance to accumulate a few points here... and a nice 33 so far, he's not Rocket speed but he's not slow, he's missed that black trying to get position... these balls aren't well set for Ronnie to make many at the moment... he's missed a red and left if waiting for Liu... the last red on the cushion will be key to this frame now and Liu can't pot it, but it's run safe... well it had until Ronnie fluked it... Liu leads 47-38 on the yellow... no potting chance yet, both have had snookers and both escaped... and they're still on the yellow, this exchange has lasted longer than the previous frame did... and Ronnie wins the exchange to get a shot at the yellow and he's on the green and he's cleared the colours to lead 3-0... 15 for Liu to start the fourth but the white spun back off the pack and left him on nothing... he's spotted a good shot there from Ronnie's safety so another chance... the reds are still packed so it's not an easy chance... he's done well so far, got the reds open now... and his break reaches 50, he's 65 ahead, he's going to put a frame on the board and he'll feel a lot better at the interval now.. well can he make his first Crucible century, he's already made six in his debut season.. great shot on the green, right round the table, hard brown left though, he's got it, now the blue is not easy.. too hard, but a great 92 break... they're off to their interval now.. They're back in action, or rather Liu is, a nice chance here in the fifth.. he's made a good 42 but now it's all about this safety exchange... which Ronnie wins and gets the next opening... he's right back in the frame trailing 42-42 and there's one red left... only a safety left, so break of 42 by both players... Ronnie's got the red but the colours clearance isn't straightforward with green near the cushion and he didn't get on the yellow anyway... Ronnie gets the yellow but not the green so the safety resumes, Liu gets the green, he can't get on the brown but the scores are level again.. good shot, Liu's snookered Ronnie on the brown... and he's fluked a snooker from his escape, unlucky for Liu, who's missed the brown and hit the black and left a free ball, disaster... Ronnie's missed the pink as his free ball so what a let off for Liu... and he's got the brown, wrong side of blue though, good shot, he's on the pink and that's all he needs, what a great frame he's won there.. and here's an early chance for Liu in the next frame... but only 15 made by the teenager and he's gifted an opening to Ronnie... bad luck for O'Sullivan, he's knocked a red in when splitting the pack... he leads 27-20 but didn't leave Liu an easy red and he's missed one to the middle and he's left one on... well Ronnie has made an error on that shot, he tried to play a snooker but has pushed the red on for Liu, he's 39 behind with 3 reds left... he's laid his snooker alright... and Ronnie has hit the black, so that's going back and Liu is now only 26 behind on the last red... Ronnie gets it safe this time... Liu nails another snooker... Ronnie misses but it's not called a miss, not sure why... academic now as Liu cuts a brilliant red back very thin into the corner... he still needs blue to black to take the frame and level the match, he's got them, what a good performance by the youngster... from 3-0 down and looking like he was on a hiding, he's won the next three frames... O'Sullivan is under a bit of pressure now, two missed pots as we start frame seven... and Liu bangs a red up to the green bag... he doesn't turn that into a scoring chance, so back to baulk or nearly, not close enough, that's a better pot by Ronnie, but he's not got good position, a long blue sails in... but he can't get into position, good safety though.. not for long, Liu's found a red and the reds are opening up a little for him... and he's going very well again, onto 36 and leads 40-12... he's stuck on the reds there, but a good 59 break.. Liu leads 63-12 with 4 reds left and they're all in the open... Liu's safety has pushed a red over the corner for O'Sullivan... and it's like flicking a switch as Ronnie calmly clears up with 57... and he leads again at 4-3... there's a mistake by Liu on the break off and an immediate chance for Ronnie, who's not hanging about now... that was asking a lot, to pot that right along the top cushion and he's left it on... now it's catching, a miss by Liu, a miss by Ronnie so Liu can try again... 32 now and counting, Liu looks as cool as a cucumber, you'd easily forget he's just 17, making his Crucible debut and facing Ronnie O'Sullivan... he's missed that black but a good 55 and he's 63-16 ahead with two reds left... Ronnie gets one of them... and lays the snooker on the last red... Ronnie leaves the red on and concedes so the match is level at 4-4, one more frame to play this afternoon... There's a great opening red by Ronnie, and he cracks the brown into the centre and is on a red... he's missed the same red as the last frame, along the top cushion.. and a gift start for Liu again... but not a good scoring chance, he's manufactured a good safety... again Ronnie's safety gives Liu an opening red...  he's made 31, but let that black slip away, he's left Ronnie a good chance to score here.. a good shot to get the last red out and now he's in the driving seat... just the colours to go for a 5-4 overnight lead... he's missed the green but it's run safe... so Liu leads by one point... tremendous green by O'Sullivan and he clears up..

This match resumes Thursday afternoon at 14.00... Welcome back to this exciting match.. What will happen today? Sit back and enjoy the plot unfold... Ronnie is on a hiding to nothing in this match, expected to win with ease, he's only 5-4 ahead and has already seen ample evidence of Chuang's talent and tenacity.. Ronnie misses his first pot attempt and he's given Liu an early chance, only 11 before a nervy miss and that's a better opening red from Ronnie... he's slipped out of position already... Ronnie gets the better of the safety exchange and he can pile on the points now... 20 so far... onto 41, but it's hard work now to find open reds... a good red along the top rail takes Ronnie on to 57 and he's 64-22 up now, one more red needed, which he's got... breaks ends at 61 but that's enough to win the frame... O'Sullivan has the first chance, and he's split the reds off the blue, so he can put together a good break now and already it's 40... but he's forced to play safe with 41 on the board... another immediate chance to add the points to win the frame and he has.... a rare missed red from Ronnie gives Liu a chance in frame twelve... a good 53 from Chuang but there's still plenty on the table for Ronnie to get back into the frame... and he can now after a brilliant red to start and with 48 he's only 9 behind on the blue... Chuang gets the blue with the rest so Ronnie needs a snooker... but inadvertently pots the pink so Liu pulls a frame back... Ronnie flies into a 65 point lead before missing a simple red, and Chuang has an outside chance of getting back into this frame, but he'll need blacks with all the reds... he's made 14 so he's 51 behind with 51 on... Liu's got a great red but he's not on the black, nor the pink and that's enough for the frame for Ronnie... so Ronnie needs two more frames when they return from their interval.. back they come and immediately O'Sullivan embarks on a break and that double at 48 helps a bit... he needs to open the pack.. but he's missed the red, he was trying to stay on the black again... that was careless and he's given Liu a chance, but he's fluffed it, he's still very nervous despite his brilliant performance on his debut, he is, of course, only the 4th 17 year old to appear at the Crucible... Ronnie mops up the frame, just one needed now... Ronnie's got 147 on his mind here, he's only made 32 but he's got the reds well opened and spread... only 40 though as he's got a kick which kept the red out... and now Liu is potting the balls that Ronnie hoped to have, 43 but he's missed the black.. Ronnie also misses so Liu gets another chance to stay in the match... he only adds another 88 that time but leads 51-40 with two reds left... Chuang has O'Sullivan in some trouble here, he's hit the black coming out of a snooker and left a free ball, Liu now leads 59-40 on the last red.. Liu has the balls replaced... good shot that time by Ronnie and Liu's left a chance on this red, down it goes, O'Sullivan needs the colours for victory...

FRAME SCORES

1. 76(76)-32(32)

2. 99(87)-0.

3. 66-47(33)

4. 0-107(92)

5. 52(42)-60(42)

6. 59-68(31)

7. 69(57)-63(59)

8. 24-63(55)

9. 57-40

FRAME SCORES

10. 74(61)-22

11. 89(41,48)-4

12. 54-62(53)

13. 65(65)-20

14. 84(56)-14

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FRAME SCORES

20.

21.

22.

23.

24.

25.

QUOTES

WINNER

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QUOTES