 | World Championship - 1/4 F. - Men
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30/04/2008 | ||||||||
A.Carter
Comments
- - So Ali Carter reaches the semi-finals of the World Championship for the first time here in Sheffield, and well-deserved it is too. A place alongside Joe Perry or Stephen Maguire, who play later, awaits.
- 13-9 Ebdon forces Carter into a foul and begins to build, but fouls himself to nip it in the bud. Later he misses a long red to give Carter the chance of the win - and he takes it.
- 12-9 Ebdon pockets a lovely red along the baulk cushion and sinks the brown to make sure of the frame and remain in the match.
- 12-8 Carter slams down a long pink to secure a four-frame lead at the mid-session interval after Ebdon's spirited attempt to force a necessary foul from his opponent. Good pot - and only one further frame needed to reach the last four for Carter.
- 11-8 Carter edges closer to the magic 13-frame target and victory, but it is more to do with Ebdon's poor form this morning. Neither player has played very well - but former world champion Peter, as shown by an appalling attempted cut to the top right, cannot get his eye in.
- 10-8 Carter triumphs in a tentative frame to regain his two-frame lead.
- 9-8 Ebdon with an early half-century to reduce the arrears. That could be an important frame. It was a case of taking it in turns yesterday - will Carter respond?
- 9-7 Carter's 147 was the highlight of a high quality second session. Ebdon also scored a 143 - can they take that form into the morning spell here?
- - Welcome to the third and final session of the World Championship quarter-final match between Ali Carter and Peter Ebdon, which will be played to a conclusion.
- 9-7 Carter bucks the trend to take a two-frame lead into the final session tomorrow. The crowd clap his contribution this evening - and that of Ebdon, who has done his part in a quality match that has swung to and fro.
- 7-7 Carter is on for a 147 here, if he can keep his position... one red to go.
- 7-7 Ebdon continues the fashion of big breaks and alternate frame wins by sinking 113 consecutive points to go seven apiece. One, a black from a position on the cushion, was not easy - but he smashes it into the bag.
- 7-6 Carter clears with 81 points on the visit, 96 in the frame to surpass Ebdon's thwarted opening 35.
- 6-6 Ebdon with a 34 then 84 clearance to level again as we head into the interval. An intriguing game of snooker.
- 6-5 The alternate attacks continue as Carter retakes the lead with a seventies break. Very little leeway is being given by either player, resulting in a high-quality match.
- 5-5 Ebdon with a huge 143 century run to level matters once again. This match is threatening to become one of the tightest in this tournament as the players match one another frame by frame...
- 5-4 A long safety exchange to start with each player on nine points. Eventually Carter emerges to post a 55 break and wraps up the frame afterwards.
- - Welcome back to the Crucible theatre for the evening session. With the scores at four apiece, a third spell at the table is inevitable - but who will go into it with victory on his mind?
- 4-4 Carter knocks in a long yellow, followed by green and brown... all over...4-4 at the end of the session...
- 4-3 ...he makes a fantastic 39 as he approaches the final colours...BUT THEN MISSES THE YELLOW! Carter can breathe again...he only needs one colour to seal it...
- 4-3 Ebdon has fought his way back superbly again...he had strategically placed the pink over the middle pocket with an earlier shot to enable him to disturb the safe reds on the side cushion, should he get the chance...which he did...
- 4-3 Carter makes 65 before jawing a red along the cushion....Ebdon comes to the table, with three out of six remaining reds tied up safely on the cushion...
- 4-3 Ebdon sticks in a gritty frame to nick it on the colours...typical Ebdon, sticking in it with some determined safety before emerging to steal it late on.
- 3-3 Another half-century break from Carter, after Ebdon had missed on 29, levels the scores at 3-3...
- 3-2 Good stuff from Ebdon...a fine clearance of 72 takes him to his third successive frame, and he now leads 3-2...
- 2-2 ...the break ends at 71, and Ebdon levels at 2-2 at the mid-session interval...
- 2-1 Ebdon is in the middle of a typically well-thought out and determined break...he is up to 35...
- 2-1 Ebdon makes a break of 50 early in the third frame...Carter replies with nine before missing...and Ebdon steps in to seal it with a clearance of 61.
- 2-0 Ebdon is on 27 in the third frame...the pack needs splitting sometime soon though...
- 2-0 Carter wins the second frame when Ebdon can't come back from his opponent's 57 break...
- 1-0 Carter is in the middle of a break of 23 after Ebdon had made an initial 24 at the start of the frame...there are a few awkward reds remaing though...lots of work to do before Carter seals this one...
- 1-0 Carter steps up to finish the frame with the final two reds...opener to the Braintree-based player...
- 0-0 Carter makes 50 before missing a relatively simple penultimate red into the green pocket...Ebdon comes to the table 36-50 down...
- 0-0 Ebdon is starting well...he has made a break of 36, and the reds are nicely split for a decent break here...
- 0-0 The introductions are over, and the opening break-off shots have been made...
- - Hi there; welcome to our coverage of this quarter-final clash...not long before the players are out...