Mark Allen is fighting mightily hard in the semi final with Mark Selby.
The Jester won three out the first four this morning as Allen struggled to get going.
Trailing 10-7 Allen battled away gamely to reduce his arrears back down to one frame at 11-10 heading into this evening.
It has been an arduous struggle for supremacy so far and if continuing in the same vein a very late finish is distinctly possible.
wow 14-14 all at mid session
Si is having the afternoon off while Brecel makes his 8 frame comeback.
Si hits back, squeaky bum time for Brecel.
Every credit to Luca Brecel.
From 5-14 down he played some excellent stuff. It would be harsh on Si to say he threw it away because in all honesty the Belgian produced a brilliant fightback.
The ultimate test now awaits Brecel in the best of 35 frame final.
They could have sold that match on video/DVD at one time. Quite an astonishing seesaw effort. Commiserations to Si, though I suppose his #80 ranking will shoot up after the dust has settled.
As for Brecel - who knows? The first European World Champion (for a while)?
(29-04-2023 21:36 )Doddle Wrote: [ -> ]As for Brecel - who knows? The first European World Champion (for a while)?
As soon as the quarter finals were over the tournament was over imo.
Once Selby gets to the semis it's game over.
He wears the opposition down.
Slowly but surely dismantling any sense of good form the opponent believes they have. Eating away at the energy and confidence levels, disrupting the rhythm and flow of the opponent with long, drawn out, protracted frames that pretty much all go his way.
It's the Selby torture chamber that no player seems to be able to escape from in front of a crowd at least.
I would be astonished if Brecel can stop him to be honest.
I am consoled that at least Si Jiahui will not have to fall victim to the Doominator treatment at the tender age of 20.
Luca will cope with being slowly dismantled rather better I feel.
Si needs more experience but played a fantastic tournament.
I wish Luca all the best but to be honest I don't hold out much hope for him.
Sorry
.
The key frames today imo will be frames 15,16 and 17. The last three frames of the evening session. Doominator mode may well be in full swing by that stage. Brecel needs to survive that spell as best he can.
(29-04-2023 21:40 )Snooks Wrote: [ -> ]Once Selby gets to the semis it's game over.
He wears the opposition down.
Slowly but surely dismantling any sense of good form the opponent believes they have. Eating away at the energy and confidence levels, disrupting the rhythm and flow of the opponent with long, drawn out, protracted frames that pretty much all go his way.
It's the Selby torture chamber that no player seems to be able to escape from in front of a crowd at least.
You and your back-handed compliments
My only complaint is that I wish he might have spared us having to watching until nearly 1am to get over the line. Nice one for the old school crowd, I suppose.
Luca has a four frame advantage going into this evening then.
Tonight's session is the key though.
Particularly the last three frames of it as I mentioned earlier.
From a Selby point of view he needs to stay in contention by whatever means it takes.
He has a track record of coming back from final deficits before.
He was 10-4 down to John Higgins before winning the last three frames on day one to recover to 10-7. From there he dominated on day two and won.
Luca has to be on full alert tonight and needs to build as big a lead as possible.
Selby may well come out firing tomorrow afternoon as he tends to do in session 3 of Crucible finals with the benefit of a decent night's sleep.
This session tonight is a huge and potentially decisive one for both players.