 | World Championship - 2nd Round - Men
| ||||||||
 |
28/04/2008 | ||||||||
J.Swail
L.Wenbo
Comments
- 12-13 That was the game of the tournament so far - a real humdinger. Swail came back from 12-8 down to almost snatch victory from the jaws of defeat - and ultimately missed a simple yellow to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory! I'm all snookered out after today's matches!
- 12-13 What a final frame! It is impossible to describe what just happened: suffice to say that both players choked on several occasions and Swail eventually left the brown down the left-hand cushion for Liang - and what do you know, he's a left-hander! He holds his nerve this time, punching the air a second time, this time not prematurely.
- 12-12 This is it then, the deciding frame. Will Swail's comeback carry him on to victory? Or will the youngster have enough steel to win when it really, really matters? Time will tell...
- 12-12 Another tense stand-off between the players as Swail's 66 gives him the advantage - 32 ahead with 43 left on the table. They inch closer to the conclusion, Swail snookering Liang on both reds. The Chinese saves them, but Swail takes his chance now though... eventually Liang concedes needing only two snookers from a good position, a surprise.
- 11-12 Swail cuts the pink into the right middle and the cue ball ends up close to the black, around the pink spot. He can get it to the left middle, but it will be tough. He teases it... it's going... going... SUNK!!! Joe Swail back in this match!
- 10-12 Drama at the Crucible! Liang punches the air after seeming to make the frame safe, but he cannot build upon the 38 break and Swail needs one snooker. He will have to do it with two balls left on the table, a massive task... he drops the cue right behind the pink deftly, great shot, and Liang steps up. He should get to it off the cushion... BUT MISSES IT!!! He should have got to that - the pressure got to him!
- 10-12 Swail continues the fightback!! He records a 105 break to come within two frames of his rival!!
- 9-12 Swail counters with a 133 clearance that has the crowd on its feet. But it is a lot to ask him to come back from here, especially given the calm head of his opponent - and his penchant for good fortune...
- 8-12 Liang is within a frame of victory after securing the next frame with a 60 break. The players head off to compose themselves in the interval. Swail will have to win the next five frames to reach the last eight now.
- 8-11 The Chinese youngster comes right back with a clearance of 123 - his first century break at the Crucible. Only two frames from victory now.
- 8-10 An impressive 65 in one visit from Swail to hang in there. There is a short interlude as the Northern Irishman runs off to find his extension, which he has left somewhere in the building!
- 7-10 Liang gets lucky as he misses a pink in the bottom-left corner. When he returns to the table he clears with 51 points to move three frames ahead.
- 7-9 The evening session begins, Wenbo leading by nine frames to seven. An in-form Ronnie O'Sullivan - fresh from that stunning 147 against Mark Williams - awaits the victor in the quarter-finals.
- 7-9 A fine end to the session for Swail as he rattles home a 99 break to trail 9-7 entering tonight's final session.
- 6-9 An excellent red with the rest is the start of a 58 break from Wenbo who is now 9-6 ahead.
- 6-8 Swail bounces back from his apoplexy in the last frame with a break of 71 and now trails by two.
- 5-8 The Ulsterman produces a 61 break and just needs a simple black to win the frame but he misses it!! Incredible error and Wenbo takes advantage.
- 5-7 Wenbo opens frame 13 with a 56 break but he's lets Swail in with six reds left on the table.
- 5-7 66 secures the frame for Swail and he has won three out of the first four frames this morning. It's the mid-session interval.
- 4-7 Swail takes the frame and is 19-0 ahead in the next with the Chinese spurning another opportunity.
- 3-7 Swail with a break of 46 but misses a blue into the top corner and he leads by 41 with 51 on the table.
- 3-7 After an extended spell of safety Wenbo takes the decisive pink and goes four ahead.
- 3-6 Swail leads 44-39 when Wenbo misses a makeable red with the rest and it's 52-40 to the Ulsterman entering the colours.
- 3-6 Wenbo responds with 31 but then a black stays in the jaws of the corner pocket.
- 3-6 A 20 break to open frame ten for Swail but he then misses a cut into the corner to let the Chinese in.
- 3-6 Joe Swail begins the second session in good style. He leads 24-5 and then produces his highest break of the match thus far, 71.
- 2-6 Swail takes advantage of an open table after Liang fouls to put on 47 for the frame. Four the difference after the first session of this last-16 clash.
- 1-6 Liang continues his relentless march towards the last eight with a seventies break. Fantastic snooker from the Chinese hopeful in this best-of-25 match.
- - CLICK ON THE MATCH LINK ON THE RIGHT-HAND SIDE OF THE SCREEN TO SEE THE LATEST ACTION FROM THE MATCH BETWEEN JOE PERRY AND STUART BINGHAM!!
- 1-5 Liang is showing a head on his shoulders much older than his tender 21 years, allying great skill to that occasional slice of good fortune. He builds a 51 lead, which proves enough as Swail, needing a snooker, loses his chance of a comeback on the final reds.
- 1-4 Liang cannot see it through to the bitter end, but gets lucky again when he leaves the last red over the pocket - with the black in its path from the cue ball. Swail has a pop but cannot connect and concedes the frame.
- 1-3 Swail has a laugh and a joke with his rival after the Chinese poxes a red into the bottom left corner and sits down unawares. Liang offers a wry smile and gets back up to build a break from his narrow lead.
- 1-3 Swail relieved to snatch a frame back before the mid-session break. After leading the way he let Liang back into it with only 37 on the board; however his opponent loses position with 28 points secured. Ultimately Swail sees the necessary blue pop out of the pocket but, with it at the bottom of the table and the cue in the baulk, Liang misses and the Northern Irishman is thankful to take care of it for 3-1.
- - CLICK ON THE MATCH LINK ON THE RIGHT-HAND SIDE OF THE SCREEN TO SEE THE LATEST ACTION FROM THE MATCH BETWEEN JOE PERRY AND STUART BINGHAM!!
- 0-3 Swail emerges to pot his first ball and moves 45 ahead. He allows Liang a chance but he misses; Joe is tantalisingly close to securing the frame on the final reds but cannot. And what do you know - his opponent has ice in his veins as he picks off the colours with clinical accuracy and top positioning, sinking the black last of all to snatch the third frame of this match.
- 0-2 Liang with another massive break of 90 to move two frames ahead in this first session. The young Chinese looks calm and collected as he sinks the balls. Swail cannot afford to give him an inch.
- 0-1 After a bit of to-ing and fro-ing Liang puts on an impressive 84 run in the opening frame to take the lead.
- - Welcome to eurosport.yahoo.com's LIVE coverage of the second-round match between Joe Swail and Liang Wenbo from the Crucible.