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

JOHN HIGGINS

v

RYAN DAY

Round Two - Match 17

(Best of 25 frames)

Thursday 24 April 19.00

Friday 25 April 14.30

Saturday 26 April 10.00

 

Match Notes

...Join us LIVE at 19.00 Thursday April 24... good evening and welcome to the start of this match... the first chance falls to John Higgins after Ryan goes in off.. Higgins looks to be in prime form, onto 43 and in excellence position... the frame is safe, with that 96... An error from Day gives Higgins first chance in frame two... smooth progress by Higgins, who's put together 41 now... he'll have to split the pack soon unless he can make another plant... he can and moves on to 53, he's lost position, so he runs for cover and sits on his 57 point lead, there's six reds, he didn't get safe, Day's found a red, he's got 20 and is now faced with very hard shots on both the last reds, this one down the rail with the rest, it's there... but he's put the black on the near jaw, he has covered the pot on the last red, Higgins leads 57-28... Higgins gets the red and it's 2-0... Day starts the third with 25 but he's had a kick... recovered well with a good black off the cushion... and promptly misses the next red... Higgins is already on 28 with this counter visit... and he's wrapped up the frame with that 84 break, and a 3-0 lead, he looks very good tonight... A chance for day as Higgins has gone in off... a good long red by Day but not such a good short red which he's missed along the rail and let Higgins back in... The Scot moves onto 38, he's not happy with that kick but he's still on the blue with open reds to get on... and with excellent play he's won the frame with 79 and goes to the first interval very happy at 4-0.

It's business as usual in frame five, Day misses a pot, Higgins pounces... amazing - Higgins misses a red, albeit a very hard one, he has 25 on the board and this is an easy red to get Day started... a good response considering he's sat in his chair most of the evening, he's battled his way to 45 and there are three reds left, now one red left, he's made 61 and he's 36 ahead... forced to play safe off the last red, so Higgins needs one snooker... Higgins knocks the black in so he concedes...

John Higgins has missed the pack completely, trying to catch them thin, he gets them okay the second attempt... Day's got a scoring chance now.. he's missed a tricky cut back blue... 16 for Day, Higgins gets a red but the colours are not in good positions, pink tied up, black on side rail, blue down in baulk... to quote Steve Davis who is doing commentary tonight "Higgins cocked it up" is he allowed to say that before the 9 o'clock watershed!! This has now become a scrappy frame because of the way all the balls have gone awkward... more problems for Higgins, he's gone in off, a chance for day but he's only got the yellow down near the reds to pot, he's come up for a baulk colour... and Day has cleared up that mess, he just needs the yellow, which he's got and he's pulled back another frame... this is more fluent in the next, John Higgins is well set to win the frame at this visit... an unexpected missed black by the Champion.. he made 49 and leads 61-0 but there's plenty left for Day to come back into the frame... he's broken down on 28 after a series of tough pots, he's left the red, Higgins follows it with the black and that's the frame safe, well it should be, he's missed the last red, Day needs two snookers... the last frame of the night, Day would love to w in this to only trail 5-3, especially having been 4-0 down.. he's got a chance, as a tight snooker forced an error from Higgins... Day has opened a 53 point lead, six reds left, five now with that solid shot down the rail.. one red needed, he's over cut it back into half a pocket, break ends at 46, Higgins is 60 down with 67 on... Day snookered Higgins on all the reds... Day's got a kick and that's left a red on for Higgins.. but he's missed the colour, Day gets a red and it is 5-3 overnight...

Welcome back, the second session is underway and an immediate error by Day lets Higgins in, not a good opening, only 18 and Day's found a red... he's made 28 but left a mid range chance for Higgins, who makes a rare miss, now he's got a red and raced on to 44, 65-28 ahead, two reds left... he's got the red he needs, 39 up on the last red... Day needs a snooker, he doesn't get it and fall 6-3 behind... This is a good chance for Day in frame ten, the reds are all to one side of the table, but plenty in the open... awkward cueing causes a miss on the brown, he's made 31 and hasn't left a red on... John Higgins finds an opening red and already he's made 31 and has a good chance at the last two reds... he's 31-46 down at the moment... not any more he isn't, onto the colours the scores are level... he's got a very hard green... it rattles, a let off for Ryan... and Day has nipped in with green to pink to take the frame... Higgins is motoring on a break of 43 in this frame.. but he's run out of position and thumped the table in annoyance... Day gets among the balls now and he's opened the rest of the pack up, 28 and can add more... on to 50 and this is doubly annoying to Higgins, who thought all these points should have been his... that brown clinches the frame... that's a great clearance by Day and he's right back in the match now... John's gone off the boil at the moment and he's let Day in... and it's frame winner for Day and he's levelled the match, a great come back after trailing

4-0 last night... Back from the interval, Higgins still not quite got his mind right, he's let Day straight in with the reds well spread... Day's called a push shot on himself... He's got another chance from Higgins and now moved on to 69-8 ahead with that 51 and that's the frame and Day leads... Higgins has gone out of the arena to gather his thoughts and maybe to enquire if a member of the audience would care to put his shoes back on... the guy is sitting with his feet dangling over the chair in front, and it's right by John Higgins' chair!! John is still muttering to himself in his chair, he's not a happy bunny at the moment but that poor safety from Ryan may cheer him up, he's got a chance here... he just can't get the pace of this table today, the cushions are bouncing and he's get it in his head now that he's going to get a poor bounce every time... he was going well there but again the white has vaulted off the cushion and he's got a very hard red, he's got it... the only way he's going to counter this cushion problem is not play off the cushion! Older viewers may remember once that John Spencer played a demonstration break on the line up, without once playing off a cushion, easier said than done... Higgins is back in good position and the break moves along to 43, onto 67 now, it should be a frame winner and that might settle him down... in goes the frame ball red.. no century, but a great 99, the match is all square again.

Ryan's missed a red by a mile and opened the pack, a golden chance for Higgins... from which he makes 54... he's stretched that to 67-0, 67 left on, Day needs all black with the reds to be able to tie... Higgins gets a red so takes the lead again... Day's got a great chance here to level the match at the end of the session, 49 so far, reds beckoning... and he's won the frame in one visit, can you finish with a century... on 92 with two reds left... no he can't the black stayed out at pace...

Good morning, welcome to the final session of this intriguing match... Nicely poised at 8-8. who can push on to the winning line today.. a warm welcome for both players.. Higgins gets the first red but he's not on a colour... Ryan has a scoring visit underway, only 18 at the moment but there are open reds waiting.. that's a bad miss there, black off its spot, 48 for Day and a sitter waiting for Higgins but there's not much on... Day leads 48-25, three reds left... there's some mileage in this important frame still, two of the last three reds are tucked onto side cushions... Day gets a red but he needs to move one of these reds... he's on one of them and he's clinched the frame... Day's already going well in the next too, onto 42 now.. he broke down, Higgins countered with 30 but Ryan's pushed on now to clinch the frame and he's gone two ahead now.... Higgins is in a spot of bother here... he missed the pack too thin twice and now he's snookered himself on the pack.. it's getting expensive, he's hit the pink at that attempt, 14 points conceded now... great shot that time to get them safe.. an error from day but Higgins misses a routine red and now Day has got nicely amongst the balls... he's lost position but leads 36-0... Higgins leaves a red over the pocket, Day can push on again.. and he does, down goes the frame ball red and now he's three up and Higgins needs to make something happen, and quickly... He's created the first scoring chance in frame twenty, he must win this frame to go to the interval with any hope.. this is an excellent break, onto 68, and only 67 left on... so Day leads 11-9 at the interval and the match is still very much in the balance.. Duly rested the players return for the business end of the match... easy safety at the moment as the black is blocking a pocket, but Higgins has missed a red... Day gets amongst the balls, black back on its spots, open reds, it's a good chance and he's powering on well so far, onto  47, 61 ahead, needs one more red, he's got it, missed the next black but John needs a snooker now... 62 behind, 59 left on.. Day's got the red and he's just one frame from a place in the quarter finals now.. Day gets the first red and already he's in great position, black on its spot, reds open... he looks like he can't miss at the moment, onto 41, all blacks, but that's not Ryan's paramount thought at the moment surely.. maybe he did, he played for a touch red along the rail and has left it on so only 48... well that looks like the end for Higgins, he's missed the easy opening red... this is the match winning chance for Day, now 64 ahead, 6 reds left... so that's the end of John Higgins' title defence and Ryan Day reaches the quarters for the first time... and he's finished in style with that 69 break.

FRAME SCORES

1. 117(96)-0

2. 63(53)-28

3. 84(84)-0

4. 79(79)-12

5. 25-68(61)

6. 19-59(36)

7. 97(49)-28

8. 2-62(46)

FRAME SCORES

9. 75(44)-28

10. 48(48)-64

11. 43(43)-82(82)

12. 8-71(36)

13. 8-69(51)

14. 99(99)-0

15. 86(54)-16

16. 0-93(93)

FRAME SCORES

17. 25-66(48)

18. 30-77(48)

19. 6-82(46)

20. 83(83)-0

21. 0-75(48)

22. 0-117(48,69)

23.

24.

25.

QUOTES

WINNER

QUOTES