Welsh Open recap – John Higgins breezes past Ryan Day after Anthony McGill beats Mark Williams

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Robert Milkins 4-0 Dave Gilbert

Neil Robertson 2-3 Ricky Walden

Jack Lisowski 1-1 Gary Wilson

He’s playing fairly well and meets Matt Selt next; Ryan never looked like he believed he could win.

Ryan returns to the table needing three snookers, but he’s keeping up appearances as this stage.

Ryan butchers a red and John drains it, but though he cannons a red off the black, it doesn’t run pottable, meaning a stay of execution for his opponent. The way the balls are, it seems inconceivable he gets even close to 61 points, John strokes home a starter, adds the easy pink, and this is over.

John bins the easy balls, then puts head in hands on the table after missing a tricky one to right corner. He leaves nowt, though, and I’d be pretty surprised if Ryan finds it in himself to steal this and hang in the match. But when a poor safety leaves a chance John does everything but sink, he’s at the table – though iwll have to work hard to get among those difficult reds.

Ryan tries to take one from centre to left corner, leaves claret all over, and looks almost resigned to his fate. There are a fair few reds near black cish, but John can go a long way towards securing the match at this visit.

Robert Milkins 3-0 Dave Gilbert

Neil Robertson 2-1 Ricky Walden

Jack Lisowski 1-0 Gary Wilson

John goes one away, and Ryan isn’t playing anywhere near well enough to beat him.

Ryan gets in but misses down the rail by miles, and John sinks frame-ball then sets about erasing doubt.

John hangs head, missing a regulation red to right corner, but Ryan is a long way back and on nowt.

John breaks the pack and has plenty of balls available. He pots some of them and, with pink and black tied up, will have to secure the frame with blues.

Ryan tries to leave the white near left corner but ends up sending it and a red towards baulk, unable to hide his disgust. John will know he’s struggling, so will be extra-focused on this break.

Robert Milkins 3-0 Dave Gilbert

Neil Robertson 2-0 Ricky Walden

Jack Lisowski 0-0 Gary Wilson

John clears all the balls, a 125 to put him back in front. He’s playing the better of the two.

The last frame was 42 minutes and this one is more or less over in eight. This game.

It’s John in early in frame three, picking at the corners of the pack while adding blacks, and when he breaks the cluster from underneath, is he on one? Er, perhaps, and bridging awkwardly, he jabs towards right-middle … and in.

Robbie Williams 4-2 Adam Duffy

Robert Milkins 3-0 Dave Gilbert

Neil Robertson 1-0 Ricky Walden

Ryan drains the final red and that’s 1-1.

Ryan makes the frame safeish – John needs two snookers, but green, yellow and pink and near the baulk rail, the white quickly in behind the latter. So Ryan deploys the spider and gets naewhere near; John removes the penultimate red, adds black, and misses with a further snooker attempt.

Ryan runs out of position, his safety earning him another go. But a couple of nice shots later, he’s trying to get a red past the pink into half a middle pocket … and he cannot. No matter, a poor shot from John leaves him another opportunity…

John works a chance then misses red to left-centre, so Ryan has a go at making it his.

Another protracted safety battle then, when Ryan wins it, he misses a straightforward pink focusing on position. Chance for John, balls available about the black spot.

A slow start to frame two, reds open … and Ryan flukes one, then tucks in behind the green – not as tightly as he might’ve done, especially given a yellow’s proximity. So John escapes then both men miss starters, and this is not of the highest standard.

Matt Selt 4-1 Duane Jones

Robbie Williams 3-1 Adam Duffy

Robert Milkins 0-0 Dave Gilbert

Ryan doesn’t find it difficult to get down on himself, and losing a frame like that won’t fill him with confidence.

Lovely from Ryan, sending a red towards left-centre and using another close by to knock it home. But now it’s him unhappy with the table, gesticulating towards it when a red doesn’t drop, but John misses to the middle when the ball looked for all the world like it was down … only for Ryan to leave one over right corner when unsuccessful with the rest. John will surely finish the frame from here.

John guides in a ball that drops, just, but then lands in the one place on the table he’s not on a red, so it’s back to baulk. He’ll be irritated because he might’ve won the frame at that visit, but he’s still in a decent position.

Left one off the break, John, who’s playing more like himself now, after a poor season, drains to left corner and adds a yellow. Now at the business end, he gets on to the black, breaks the pack, and looks in decent shape.

Matt Selt 3-0 Duane Jones

Robbie Williams 2-1 Adam Duffy

Mark played alright tonight, but Anthony played better and meets Gary Wilson or Jack Lisowski in the last 16.

This is the match! Anthony, who’s had a poor season, has played really well, and looks to be running into form just nicely for Sheffield – if he gets there.

Anthony opens more reds, and now has all the balls he needs accessible. A tentaitve red, though, means a tight recovery black … and he nicks it in but loses the white. So with nothing on the table safe, he’s to take one on to left corner, does everything but pot it … and the white lands stuck to the green. Mark has a think, tries to land behind a red on the side … which won’t drop. Anthony cuts down a starter, and this should be the match.

Anthony opts not to take on a risky red and when Mark responds poorly, leaving a ball over the bag, he’ll be wondering whether he’s getting back to the table. But wait! Can Anthony see enough of it to pot it? Yes he can, he lands on the black too, and make nae mistake, this is a very serious chance to secure f&m.

Left one to left corner, Anthony gets away, then lands a pink with the rest, final roll. He sends a red long to the yellow, and with a few balls now loose, he can build a pretty decent lead at this visit.

Matt Selt 3-0 Duane Jones

Robbie Williams 2-0 Adam Duffy

Nice from Anthony, who’s missed a couple but is otherwise playing well. He’s one away from the win; Mark needs three straight.

A poor safety from Mark allows Anthony to snick in the last red, and he needs to the brown for the frame…

A yellow replaced on to the black spot is suboptimal but Mark works around it, removes the penultimate red with the rest … then is too soft when trying to get on to the last, so he lays a snooker behind the black.

A fine pot with the rest develops a few more balls, and when the green beings him back up the table, Anthony should clinch the frame … but he jawses a second red with the rest! The frame is very much alive! All the more so when Mark sends an opener to the yellow, nothing on the table safe.

Lightly – he runs out of position and plays safe then, left a tempter, steers it down right corner. He’ll need to break the pack to secure the frame, but it’s getting closer.

Mark opens a few reds missing another, and Anthony tidies it up to left-middle. But then he inexplicably fails to slot a blue … and Mark again elaves one short of the pocket, chuntering about the table as he retreats. Can Anthony punish him?

Matt Selt 1-0 Duane Jones

Robbie Williams 1-0 Adam Duffy

Anthony playing aggressively is a potential world champ, Angles reckons, and Uncle Joe agrees. And he looks ready for this match; if he can drop a red down the side rail, the frame will be his … and he does!

Antony drills down another fine long starter and there are plenty of points out there for him.

After a bout of safety, Mark coaxes a starter to the middle, breaks the pack, and wobbles in a black. There are various reds in pottable positions but he cannons a red he planned to avoid and that’s end of break.

Matt Selt 1-0 Duane Jones

Robbie Williams 1-0 Adam Duffy

It stays out, but Mark redresses the balance with a 91.

Mark already has 32 tons this season, but a poor positional shot leaves him a tough one down the side rail…

There’s no one better at putting away disappointment than Mark – though Selbz is also excellent – and he quickly racks up a lead.

Anthony sinks a red but nae more then gets lucky, leaving the white by the blue spot and no pot on. Mark, though, can’t let it go, manufacturing an angle to send a starter to left corner and this is a chance.

Matt Selt 0-0 Duane Jones

Robbie Williams 0-0 Adam Duffy

Yup, Anthony clears to the pink and both players tried tossing that.

Oota naewhere, Anthony misses a pink to middle, and will be hoping the two reds on the side save him … and as I type, Mark develops both but must now force the next colour which, to rub it in, is a pink to middle. This should be the frame, but somehow he misses a diagonal red to right corner! Can Anthony clear?

Mark breaks the pack and lands on nowt, then Anthony smokes home a beauty, only to land on nowt; he plays a snooker and though TWPM hits first time, it’s the wrong side of the red and he leaves a good chance.

Antony guides a red into the far knuckle of left-middle, allowing Mark to accumulate.

You’ve got to laugh, Mark breaks off and inadvertently leaves white stuck behind yellow; Antony hits blue and goes in-off, then hits second go and leaves a chance … except Mark somehow underhits and undercuts so instead it’s the ginger Scot at the table potting balls.

Anthony McGill v Mark Williams, after which comes John Higgins v Ryan Day.

We will be back just before 7pm with Mark Williams facing Anthony McGill in the last 32 before John Higgins takes on Ryan Day in the main matches on the showpiece tables tonight.

• Kyren Wilson 1-4 Anthony Hamilton
• Joe O’Connor 0-4 Luca Brecel
• Wu Yize 2-4 Graeme Dott
• Ian Burns 2-4 Tom Ford
• Hossein Vafaei 4-1 Julien Leclercq
• Aaron Hill 4-2 Mark Selby
• Dylan Emery 4-2 Noppon Saengkham
• Zhang Anda 1-4 Jak Jones

“I was poor from start to finish,” said Selby. “I thought Aaron played well, and did what he had to do. I struggled from start to finish. The table was a bit heavy, but I was poor. Aaron picked me off when he got the chance.”

“It was a relief to get over the line,” commented Hill. “He never gives up that fella. It was quite draining. Selby is the role model, he is a machine. He never gives in. I got the run, but Selby kept coming back at me. I’m delighted.”

Winner of this match will take on Fan Zhengyi in the last 32. Selby gets the snooker on the final red, but easy enough escape for Hill, who then leaves his opponent in a snooker. Selby escapes, but leaves the red. And in goes the final red. That is game, set and match to Hill. Selby out in the second round. Miles short of his best today. He offers the handshake, and this match is finished.

In goes the black Hill needs to leave Selby needing a snooker, but he misses an easy red to left centre. That was a nervy miss. This is the match that doesn’t want to end.

Well, looked like it was going to be a glorious run to the winning line, but that is not in keeping with nature of this match. Hill hits another red attempting a pot, but Selby then misses a tough red down a side rail to hand Hill the reprieve. This might well be it.

Golden chance for Hill to take out this match here and now. Nothing difficult on this table if he holds himself together. Selby must be fearing the worst. But he undercooks pot on a red trying to land on blue. Mid-range red is left, but he is not nicely on the next colour. This break has quickly gone wrong. But a superb recovery pot on yellow keeps the break going.

Selby analysing his options here after a Hill safety blunder brings only one point. Tries an aggressive safety shot by opening up reds. Hill is too strong with the return to baulk. Chance for Selby from distance. But the attempt on red doesn’t drop. And he leaves Hill a mid-range red for a starter. Strokes in pink to green pocket, and this is a great chance to score.

A 72 run from Selby, who is back to 3-2 behind in the race to four. Much, much more like it from the former world No. 1 in getting the frame won in 15 minutes.

Real determination about Selby that never wavers. And he is hitting the cue ball extremely well in this contribution. Super shot from green to open up the reds. This has been terrific from Selby in response to his predicament.

Selby battling to keep alive his hopes here. He won’t thrown in the towel even though he is struggling badly. Hill can’t fire home a long red chance as the tension continues to mount. All the other matches are finished on the other tables. Selby just needs to be mindful of his business here. By normal standards, would be looking to put this frame to bed sharpish.

Early error by Hill trying to run safe, and leaves Mark first chance to attack the balls. Vital that he scores here.

Hill enjoying a timely run of the ball as he goes for a long green. Sees it rattle in the jaws, but gets cover on brown. Selby escapes from the snooker, but sticks up the green over right middle. Glorious chance of steal for Hill, and he trousers the remaining colours with a 25 clearance enough to hand him a 3-1 lead in the race to four. Neither men anywhere near top form, but Hill suddenly only one frame way from victory.

• Kyren Wilson 1-4 Anthony Hamilton
• Joe O’Connor 0-4 Luca Brecel
• Wu Yize 2-4 Graeme Dott
• Ian Burns 2-4 Tom Ford
• Hossein Vafaei 4-1 Julien Leclercq
• Aaron Hill 4-2 Mark Selby
• Dylan Emery 4-2 Noppon Saengkham
• Zhang Anda 1-4 Jak Jones

A golden chance for Selby to win the frame goes awry. Cue ball control has been completely off it today, but he lays a decent snooker on the colours before ramming in a long yellow seconds later. Great yellow, but then green stays out. Think you could call this frame a comedy of errors, but nobody is laughing out there.

Selby’s long game has gone to pot at the moment, but Hill can’t cash in as he sees a red to left middle elude him. Another chance presents itself to Selby, who is aiming to level this match up at 2-2. But he then misses an easy blue. Some unbelievable misses. Quickest frame in this match is 26 minutes so far.

Chance for Hill to mount the counter attack as he drops home a red to left centre. Was a tough pot, but made it look easy. A break of 22 before he is forced to take a seat as a cannon on two reds off top cush fails to work out. Four reds left on table.

Mark going along nicely here during what is a key visit to the table. Would dearly love to get this frame won in one visit. But he again loses the white ball at the crucial moment. And misses the red trying to stretch over blue. All a bit of a struggle this match.

Super long red by Selby to drill home a fantastic red, but not on the next colour and is forced to settle for just the safety behind green. Hill can’t find the escape, and this is a chance for Selby to reassert himself.

• Kyren Wilson 1-4 Anthony Hamilton
• Joe O’Connor 0-4 Luca Brecel
• Wu Yize 2-4 Graeme Dott
• Ian Burns 2-4 Tom Ford
• Hossein Vafaei 3-1 Julien Leclercq
• Aaron Hill 2-1 Mark Selby
• Dylan Emery 3-1 Noppon Saengkham
• Zhang Anda 1-2 Jak Jones

Selby in a spot of bother in this match. Yet to find peak form and hands his opponent 16 points in failing to escape from a snooker behind brown early in the fourth frame.

Hill clobbers home the green from distance before adding brown, blue and pink. A 2-1 lead for Hill in this match. Halfway to a place in the last 32. Impressive end to the frame from the young Irishman.

This frame not slipping quietly into the afternoon. Selby continues to battle for two snookers on the colours after sinking red and black.

Selby clipping thin of a red, but sees white gallop down a left centre pocket. So Hill surely will progress to win a frame that should have been won 10 or 15 minutes ago. No concession coming though with two snookers needed.

Selby laying the snooker off final red as he continues to battle for the snooker he needs. Hill missed a trick in not putting this frame to bed quicker. And may yet pay the price in this frame.

Selby all over the show in this frame. Struggling for any level of momentum, but can world No. 66 Hill capitalise? Creeping towards the winning line in the third frame without being overly spectacular. So 68 clear with 67 left on table. One snooker required with five reds on.

Hill on the move then here. Selby forced to sit and suck it up at the moment, but Hill then misses a red across the table before Selby jaws a red seconds later. Both players prone to very ill-timed errors. Hill handed another chance, but he then rattles the jaws. A real struggle this match to gain the upper hand, but Hill might regret not putting Selby away in this frame.

Going for an hour then as Hill breaks off the third frame of this last-64 match. Selby goes for a long red, but well off the potting angle. Another easy starter for Hill.

Selby rattles in a long red, but can’t tease a pink into the yellow bag as the object ball pulls away. He needs snookers. And that will be that for this frame. It is 1-1 then. Battle is joined.

Not quite over the line in this second frame. A lead of 57 points for Hill with a possible 59 on the table. Hill still looking for one more red to seal the deal. Selby needing blacks with reds to pinch the frame. If he gets a chance.

Hill’s long game has been right at it today so far. Clips away another fabulous red to green pocket, and this is suddenly a very decent chance to restore parity at 1-1.

Selby with a poor effort on a long red. Should really be making that sort of shot near the top bag. Another chance presents itselfs to Hill that he might not have seen coming.

Certainly not lacking a pot or two from distance, young Aaron. Sweeps away another stunning long red from distance to regain access to the baize. But out of position in trying to free up the black. Just the safety to follow. Disappointing end to that contribution.

Cracking long red by the Irish player early in this second frame. But not ideally on next red after holing black. Has to get the extended spider out to reach the next shot on white. But doesn’t fancy it, and runs white into pack. Their previous meeting in the Scottish Open in 2022 saw Selby run out a 4-2 winner in the first round.

Selby with a lead of 23 points as he cans the crucial final red. This frame running for 30 minutes, and still no outcome. But Selby looking very good with Hill needing a snooker. In goes the brown to yellow bag, and that is surely that as blue and pink disappear too.

A lead of 13 points for Selby heading for the business end of this frame. A nice little knock by Aaron to breathe new life into his hopes in this frame. Down to the final two reds in the frame before Mark pulls out a brilliant long red to move 14 points clear.

• Kyren Wilson 1-4 Anthony Hamilton
• Joe O’Connor 0-4 Luca Brecel
• Wu Yize 2-4 Graeme Dott
• Ian Burns 2-4 Tom Ford

• Hossein Vafaei v Julien Leclercq
• Aaron Hill 0-0 Mark Selby
• Dylan Emery v Noppon Saengkham
• Zhang Anda v Jak Jones

Excellent pot by the Leicester man to slot pink down the table to green pocket. But he is out of position on the black from the next red. And misses the pot on black bridging over another red. Was a tough ask. Can’t keep going to the well as they say.

Mark holes a long red to get himself moving for rhe afternoon. Really controlled that well. Couple of nice little nudges before he splatters open the pack via the black. That is a magnificent shot by the four-time world champion. Looks right in business here.

The second showpiece match of the afternoon is up and running in Llandudno. A packed audience expecting big things from the four-time world champion Mark Selby.

“I played like a world champion today,” said Brecel. “I’m feeling good, and if I’m feeling good it is going to show on the table. I love being world champion. You are always on the TV table. Apart from that, I’ve not really felt any pressure. I’m just happy to win again and play a bit better. In the beginning, I was doing everything and not really taking care of myself. Any sort of frame or game, I enjoy. I love scrappy frames too. But this is less energy. I’m working on my fitness again too. So that makes me happy.”

Luca putting Joe out of his misery in about 66 minutes. O’Connor will be happy to get out of the arena. A closing knock of 75 from Brecel will face Wu Yize or Graeme Dott in the last 32. Job done for the world champion.

Luca has enjoyed the freedom of Llandudno today. Under little or no pressure from his opponent, and he is heading through to the last 32 surely at this visit.

Another poor return from Joe, it must be said. Producing only 13 points from what looked like a very nice chance. Luca tries to thread the needle with a red to left centre. Very difficult, but was nowhere near it. O’Connor then misses a pink to left middle seconds later. 1,1, 6 and 13 is all that O’Connor has contributed today so far in scoring visits. Not really his day today.

Another excellent safety shot by Luca shows his level of quality in controlling the white ball. Luca tries to nudge home a red down a left side rail, but it doesn’t drop. Wasn’t easy. Joe responds with a decent mid-range red. Vital that he puts together some points at this visit.

A 62 break from Luca this time with three reds left on table before he tucks home a long red. Looks like the end of the road in this frame for young Joe, who now needs the next four to stay alive in this event. 83, 119 and 62 so far from the ‘Belgian Bullet’.

Joe is right under it here. Manages to fashion the opening. But then misses black off the spot. That is unforgivable, and what a chance for Luca to race 3-0 clear. All going his way out there.

Safety error by Brecel in trying to run the white safe down to baulk. And he has stuck up the reds for O’Connor to attack here.

Reds being push down the table to baulk end with white being drawn back to the top end of the table behind black. Brecel dominating this little tactical exchange with O’Connor struggling to find a route back. Plays a fine shot up and down the table while attempting a speculative double. Clever shot from Joe.

A break of 119 from Luca to see out the second frame. That is really swashbuckling stuff from the Belgian. Bounces back to his seat holding a 2-0 advantage in no time at all.

Well, that is fabulous from Luca with red down the table to yellow bag to keep the break going. Vintage Luca. Black hits the back of pocket at pace. Stunning piece of cue power.

Luca is going through these balls with so much ease. Highly impressive cue ball control from Luca. Giving O’Connor little or no table time. Will he produce a century at this visit?

Difficult to see where Luca goes wrong from here. No balls are safe on this table, and Joe will be fearing the worst here. Luca has the white ball under lock and key so far.

Fine long red by Joe straight off the bat, but he can’t tuck away a cut on the red using rest and Luca is back at the table early in the second frame. What is he going to come up with here? Very positive so far early on.

A red stays out along the top cushion, but a delightful opening knock of 83 from Luca and he leads 1-0. Just over 10 minutes for that break. A superb cannon on reds via the blue shows his scoring quality.

This is brilliant from Brecel. Really is a glorious start to this contest. Showing the level of form that won him the World Championship last May with this opening break. Well over the winning line in one visit. Joe paying a heavy price for the error on long red. Luca has clearly brought his A game to the party today.

Joe butchers a long red and sees white spin into the reds, but nothing easy for Luca to attack. A tough pink is the order of the day, and he slots it to left middle with some relish. That should settle him down. In theory anyway.

Off we go then for the first frame of a possible seven. O’Connor goes for a long red, but just off the potting angle from distance.

They’ve played three times with Brecel winning two and O’Connor coming out on top in their previous meeting with a 6-5 win over the world champion in the quarter-finals of the Players Championship last year.

Should be another epic few hours of thrilling snooker action ahead as world champion Luca Brecel meets former Scottish Open finalist Joe O’Connor before four-time world champion Mark Selby faces talented Irish player Aaron Hill chasing a place in the last 32.

Wednesday, February 14 (All UK times, schedule subject to change)

• Andrew Higginson w/o Elliot Slessor
• Alfie Davies 3-4 Dominic Dale
• Marco Fu 4-3 Zak Surety
• Jordan Brown 3-4 Stan Moody

• Kyren Wilson v Anthony Hamilton
• Joe O’Connor v Luca Brecel
• Wu Yize v Graeme Dott
• Ian Burns v Tom Ford

• Hossein Vafaei v Julien Leclercq
• Aaron Hill v Mark Selby
• Dylan Emery v Noppon Saengkham
• Zhang Anda v Jak Jones

Wednesday, February 14 (All UK times, schedule subject to change)

• Robbie Williams v Adam Duffy
• Mark Allen v Si Jiahui
• Anthony McGill v Mark Williams
• Matthew Selt v Duane Jones

• Robert Milkins v David Gilbert
• Jack Lisowski v Gary Wilson
• Ricky Walden v Neil Robertson
• Ryan Day v John Higgins