TNT Sports
Players Championship 2023 As It Happened - Judd Trump stunned by Ali Carter after Shaun Murphy beats Mark Selby
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Published 21/02/2023 at 12:39 GMT
With just the world's top 16 players invited to participate, the Players Championship offers a £385,000 prize pool with £125,000 going to the winner. After a brilliant season so far, Northern Irishman and world No. 3 Mark Allen was the top seed, but was dumped out by Joe O'Connor on Monday. Mark Selby, Shaun Murphy, Judd Trump and Ali Carter are all in action on Tuesday.
'I'm feeling on top of the world!' - Milkins basks in Welsh Open glory in Eurosport studio
Video credit: TNT Sports
Ali Carter beats Judd Trump 6-5!
What a frame, what a match! Ali plays Robert Milkins next, who pipped him to the Home International bonus at the last, while Judd is probably not making the Tour Champinships, and I'm going to bed. Night-night!
Trump 5-5 Carter (52-77)
Judd leaves the brown on but with cueing hampered, Ali misses it, and Judd lays yet another snooker - his ability to hit them, even if Ali's escaped most of them, is insane - then Ali misses, ad Judd has a chance to clear up! It's not easy though ... mid-distance brpwn to right corner? Boom, down it goes. But he's stuck to the blue ... he wants to force it to right corner ... but opts to play ... a third dreadful safety! He completely mishits with the rest, Ali chips to right-middle, and he is going to win! Surely nothing else can happen now! This is amazing!
Trump 5-5 Carter (41-71)
Judd jams in behind the green, knocking it away and getting behind the black, Ali escapes ... Judd lays another, in baulk ... and Ali goes aroud the angles, misses, and gives away a free-bal! This is a very different situation, all of a sudden! Judd takes it with pink, then plays a second inexplicably poor shot of the frame - one you're not sure what he was trying to do. So Ali rams away the green - one snooker required again - and can't pot the brown in right-middle. Judd is still alive!
Trump 5-5 Carter (41-68)
This frame is an epic.
Trump 5-5 Carter (41-68)
When Ali misses the green, Judd returns to the table needing two snookers ... and immediately lays one! This game is not finished! But Ali escapes superbly ... then fouls, in-off! He's making faces - as he has a few times during this frame - and with all the colours line dup down the centre of the table, Judd goes again with the snooker, gets it. ... and Ali escapes again.
Trump 5-5 Carter (37-66)
"Vile shot to have to play," says Nealf", but Judd does so beautifully. "Very, very good," he muses. Ali, though, can cut red to left-middle ... and down it goes, right in the heart of the pocket! Black is match-ball and down that goes too!
Trump 5-5 Carter (37-58)
Inexplicably, Judd plays a soft safety shot, leaving the white in the middle of the table and a starter on! I've no idea why he did that, and Ali has a chance to stretch his lead ... guiding home a beautiful red with the rest! But faced with a difficult green to left-middle, he turns down the pot, gets tight in behind it, and with that red on the side rail, he'll have to come off the top using various implements and hope.
Trump 5-5 Carter (37-53)
Ali's in a spot of trouble, because the balls are now in pottable positions and Judd has him on the baulk cushion without much in the way of safety shot. There are three reds left, he goes off the side for one, and foul-misses! This frame is another thriller and this has been a really enjoyable match, but Ali, who's been so calm, now looks horrified he might lose it. He does, though, his second time and leave nothing.
Trump 5-5 Carter (31-53)
Ali's working this out really well, slumping a little when Ali gets behind a red then slots it to open up the table. If he takes high-value colours, with those that are left, he won't need the red that's on the side rail ... but he's missed a different one to left-middle! Drama ! He doesn't leave anything, but Judd will thrilled to still be in the competition.
Trump 5-5 Carter (31-17)
Away he goes! He'll have feared he was done for, but now he's potting red-blacks, The way the balls are, he can win f&m from here, but it'll take an effort, given a few awkward reds.
Trump 5-5 Carter (31-0)
Judd runs out of position so hunts for a pot, desperate to maintain the run ... and finds a cut to right corner, then takes the white around the angles. He's chasing, and then he goes hard at one over the top of another ball to get onto a colour ... missing to right corner! Chance for Ali!
Trump 5-5 Carter (22-0)
Judd absolutely judds as opening red to right corner, floats down the brown, and screws up for a loose red. He misses it but lands on another, gets the black back on its spot, and if he gets a nice spread off the black, he'll probably win the match from here. Here it comes ... and he's on one to the middle, but will need to go again because the cluster remains more or less intact.
Trump 5-5 Carter
Ali misses a red to the yellow on the 94 so no ton ... but yes decider!
Trump 5-4 Carter (0-77)
This is terrific work from Ali, and it's felt for a while like this is going all the way. It is!
Trump 5-4 Carter (0-35)
Judd goes in-off so Ali knocks a red to right corner, then a black to left. He's looked really composed all night, and this is a good chance.
Trump 5-4 Carter
It feels like Judd's got the edge now. The longer he plays the more likely he is to hit some form, and Ali needs two straight to stay in the match.
Trump 4-4 Carter (73-0)
And eventually he gets it - and a few more besides, looking very good once again.
Trump 4-4 Carter (61-0)
The table's messier now, good news for Judd. But he still needs one more ball.
Trump 4-4 Carter (61-0)
And here we go, Judd cannoning the pack and snookering himself on the black - frame-ball - with a stray red. I don't think he'll take on blue to the yellow and he doesn't, but I'm not sure why he doesn't put it safe.
Trump 4-4 Carter (52-0)
Good work from Judd, who's playing better now than he was at the start. He'll have to go into the pack at some point, but when he does he'll be a goodly way in front.
Trump 4-4 Carter (29-0)
Judd will have felt it when Ali took that last frame, but he's soon at it in this, clobbering a yellow to right-middle and bringing the white around the angles. Though he's not yet in prime position, he's accumulating in the meantime - but his highest break tonight is 64.
Trump 4-4 Carter
It's a right row is this, neither man able to build a lead of more than one frame. Best of three it is!
Trump 4-3 Carter (49-66)
Ali needs brown and blue for the frame, blue next door on the green spot ... and he disappears both!
Trump 4-3 Carter (49-37)
So Ali gets to work, closing the deficit, but when he goes into the pack it returns him no love. So it's back to baulk and this could be another longun. But then left one to left corner, Ali sees it away well, and should really steal this - the balls are nicely set.
Trump 4-3 Carter (49-0)
Judd gets away to right corner and is immediately about the black spot ... then he's having to go in and out of baulk after a loose positional shot means a nasty blue. He does it well, but can't keep chasing and plays safe shortly afterwards. No matter: he soon creams a mid-distance red into right corner, screws the white across the table, and cracks on ... until he unexpectedly misses a yellow!
On table two
Robert Milkins 6-5 Tom Ford
Trump 4-3 Carter
...and Judd caresses it home, black too. Huge frame.
Trump 3-3 Carter (53-48)
Ali leaves the pink...
Trump 3-3 Carter (53-48)
This is the third half-hour plus frame, but I don't think it's because, as we wondered earlier, neither wants the other to get in. More, neither is able to stay in consistently ... and have a look! Judd plays a gorgeous snooker in behind the black dead tight ... only to accidentally pot the blue. he's aggravated because he's now got to hit and secure the pink. He does.
Trump 3-3 Carter (48-48)
Ha ham this game! Ali does then fluke a snooker, tight behind the black, and the blue all the way down the other end; Judd goes off two cushions and misses, foul-miss called; I think he'll hit it next time ... and he does, full-ball too. "Very, very good" says Neal.
Trump 3-3 Carter (48-43)
Judd floats in a gorgeous brown to left corner, but now has to break that blue-pink thing. Neal thinks it's a horrible one, but he plays a beauty, slow off the cushion and white in behind black, blocking the route to the blue. Ali might've intimated fluke but that's surely what Judd played ... and he escaped well.
Trump 3-3 Carter (44-43)
Oooh yeah, Ali glides a gorgeous red to the green pocket, snaps a yellow to right-middle. He looks really confident, like he's going to do it, then misses the green - perhaps with a kick. So Judd sees it away and tries a snooker, blue and pink, stuck together on the former's spot, between white and brown; Ali escapes well.
Trump 3-3 Carter (41-19)
Judd misses a green, looks disgruntled, and Ali gets away. There are difficult balls out there, reds near rails and colours stuck to each other, so this would be some clearance if he can manage it.
Trump 3-3 Carter (41-2)
Judd spanks a close-ranger to right corner, digs into the bunch, and he's got as balls as he'll need in pottable positions, but yellow and green are cluttering up the bottom of the table.
Trump 3-3 Carter (25-2)
Ali misses a dead straight one to left corner, and sits shaking his heads as Judd capitalises. "Very good," says Neal, as Judd goes around the angles to get onto a red.
Trump 3-3 Carter (1-1)
A slow start to frame seven, the players playing gentle ones in and out of the pack before Ali goes back to baulk because there are no balls he's leaving on by so doing. He does, though, soon dangle a red over left corner, which Judd snaps into the bag, but then lost in the supermarket, he plays barely safe off the yellow. Ali has a look, hammers down a long one, and plays safe off the green.
On table two
Robert Milkins 3-3 Tom Ford
Trump 3-3 Carter
When these two meet, it'll always be the case that if Judd plays really well, he'll win. That's not a diss to Ali, who's a very fine player - it's just that Judd is an all-time great player. If he keeps up this level, I'd expect him to progress, but he's not been consistent this season.
Trump 2-3 Carter (87-0)
Gorgeous stuff from Judd, kissing a red along the cushion and into left corner after screwing onto it. He misses his ton, missing a red, but that was great stuff.
Trump 2-3 Carter (57-0)
Judd cross-doubles in a starter, perhaps in error, but can only play safe off the green thereafter. No matter, a fine starter gets him going, and though the black returns once potted underneath the pink and surrounded, excellent cue-ball control means reds just disappear with blues.
Trump 2-3 Carter (25-0)
Judd gets in and plays a poor safety at the end of it, hitting the blue, but is soon back angling one into the green pocket when Ali misses with the rest. Again, though, he gets in and gets out, not quite finding the consistency to keep making telling contributions.
On table two
Robert Milkins 3-3 Tom Ford
Trump 2-3 Carter
Two in a row for Ali and a ton to boot, 107. He might've been 3-1 down at the interval!
Trump 2-2 Carter (0-94)
Ali secures the frame and this has the feeling of a tight one. We could be here sometime; get in!
Trump 2-2 Carter (0-57)
Ali's absolutely loving this contest, you can tell, and he's pretty careful in how he's going about this break, a lovely brown allowing him to power-screw up the table and break a few more reds. That was a terrific shot, it really was.
Trump 2-2 Carter (0-9)
Ali will have enjoyed the interval far more than Judd and it's a slow start to the frame, then Judd goes hard at one left without much alternative, misses, and the white stays down the business end, thereby inviting Ali to get to work.
We go again
On table two
Robert Milkins 2-2 Tom Ford
Trump 2-2 Carter
Ali handled those really well. At 3-1, he'd have had a lot to do, though, on the other hand, Judd is amazing at bests of seven. See what happens in 15 or so minutes.
Trump 2-1 Carter (58-58)
Judd leaves a cut-back down the right side ... and Ali clicks it home really well. next, it's blue to the yellow with the rest, natural position on pink, and this is going to be a great steal!
Trump 2-1 Carter (58-49)
Ali's such a tenacious competitor - so is Judd, so are most players - and he plays the brown off the side cushion, so it comes across the table, at the other end to the white, now in behind the blue. Judd foul-misses twice, and now needs both of those balls. This is a big frame, and these are big moments in it.
Trump 2-1 Carter (58-41)
Trying to be precise to get in behind that brown, Ali "decels", says Angles, and doesn't get near the pot. Judd, though, goes in-off getting it safe, Ali flukes the green ... laying a snooker behind the blue, hits, and round we go. The brown is now on the baulk cushion.
Trump 2-1 Carter (58-32)
Now then. Ali is left a longish red, diagonally to right corner, and hr drills it home confidently. this is a good chance, but brown and blue are on cushions, though also near pockets. Big moment in the match.
Trump 2-1 Carter (58-16)
Not for long, Judd running out of position, Ali winning a chance with a good snooker, missing a slight cut-back red, both balls above black cush. So Judd gets in again ... then misses blue to the yellow, and Ali goes in-off. That makes the difference 42, with 43 on.
Trump 2-1 Carter (42-15)
Quickly, he fashions a chance to score into a chance to take the frame. There are a few difficultish reds near black cush, though, and as I type that Judd forces one down from no kind of angle. He's looking good.
Trump 2-1 Carter (8-15)
Good pot from Ali, thunked hard to right corner, but nudging into the pack via blue to left-middle, he winds up on nothing but a kind of diagonal plant to left corner that doesn't look like it goes. He tries it anyway, desperate to keep the run going, misses, and Judd is in business.
On table two
Robert Milkins 2-1 Tom Ford
Trump 2-1 Carter
Judd almost grew during that frame, like Mario eating a mushroom, and if he can maintain that level of potting, he's going to win this match.
Trump 1-1 Carter (71-0)
Judd caresses a difficult red to right corner, and that's the frame. Ali might've gone 2-0 up but now he's 2-1 down, and suddenly his task for the evening looks a brutal one.
Trump 1-1 Carter (36-0)
Judd gets in but can't keep control of the white so it's a few good rescue-pots and done. But Ali lets him again and you can see him warming up as he removes balls - still having to play harder shots than he'd like.
On table two
Robert Milkins 2-1 Tom Ford
Trump 1-1 Carter
My SkyGo crashes - not a problem when you're watching Discovery+ because you can go back - so I don't know what happened at the end there, but I do know that Judd won the frame with Ali needing four blue-ball snookers.
Trump 0-1 Carter (41-24)
Chale! Judd misses a straightforward cut of green to green bag, and Angles is staggered. But Ali can't capitalise, missing the same ball, for which the chase is on!
Trump 0-1 Carter (41-24)
But though they're in pottable positions they're not all near each other, so Ali too plays a succession of good shots before taking on one too many and missing pink to left-middle. Judd should secure the frame from here.
Trump 0-1 Carter (25-14)
Judd negotiates the start of his break nicely, but he's always chasing and eventually misses brown to left-middle; chance for Ali and a decent one, with all the balls in pottable positions.
Trump 0-1 Carter (10-6)
Judd takes a nice red to right-middle after Ali thinks he's played a good safety, but all he can then do is nuzzle in behind the yellow. Then when Ali responds well, Judd takes on a long one to left corner, easing it down firmly but gently, and the table looks a bit easier now.
Trump 0-1 Carter (0-6)
A longish safety exchange, then Ali rolls in a long one and wonders what to do next. The blue looks on to right-middle, but he opts to play safe in the end, and quickly earns another go; he's not just playing well he's thinking well, reckons Angles, noting the symbiotic relationship between the two. But trying to get onto the black, he tries forcing a red that doesn't want to know, but leaves nothing - which tells you it's another unfriendly table.
On table two
Robert Milkins 1-0 Tom Ford
Trump 0-1 Carter
Ali really fancies this job, you can tell. There's purpose in how he's walking around the table and conviction in his cueing.
Trump 0-0 Carter (26-70)
Like Shaun Murphy, Ali is a fine player in form, and Judd will have to work hard to win tonight.
Trump 0-0 Carter (26-36)
Remember, by the way, that these two have form. Anyhow, Ali lays a decent snooker behind the yellow that yields an opportunity and he starts his run nicely - but he'll need the red that's in the middle of black cush.
Trump 0-0 Carter (26-1)
But he soon runs out if position so plays safe, whereupon Ali goes hard at one to left corner, misses, and splatters balls AOTS, also cannoning the brown so leaving the white in mid-table. There's not loads left on though, so it's red and in behind the brown, the frame now something of a mess.
Trump 0-0 Carter (9-1)
Judd misses a long one to the green pocket, then Ali takes a starter and misses the brown to right-middle, then Judd misses to the green again, then Ali misses to left corner. So we have a bit of safety and Angles reckons there'll be plenty of that because both know the other can pot - like in MMA when two wrestlers fight, you often end up with a striking battle. Anyhow, Judd fine-cuts to left corner before laying a snooker behind the green, and Ali's escape leaves him a decent opportunity, black available to both corners.
And away we go!
Robert Milkins, meanwhile
Is on target to qualify for the Cruce as a seed for the first time. It's so good to see players who've been around hit a groove late doors and by all accounts, he's a sound bloke.
The Captain
Has been in great form recently, winning the German Open, and it's good to see him back among the best. But Judd also looks on the cusp of something - his performance in the final session of the Masters was exceptional - and we've actually got a fair few players running into nick as we race towards the Cruce.
Hello again!
This should be a bit of alright: Judd Trump v Ali Carter is our main game, but we will, of course, keep an eye on Robert Milkins v Tom Ford for you too.
That's us done for the afternoon
Join me again at 6.45 pm GMT for a bit of Juddernaut v Captain!
Shaun Murphy beats Mark Selby 6-3!
Murphy made hard work of it, but getting anything off the Jester is hard work, and he's playing well. The Welsh Open finalist meets Ryan Day next.
Selby 3-5 Murphy (19-59)
Shaun clears to the final red then, rather than double it, he plays safe, Mark leaves it him, and that is the match! Except Mark returns needing four snookers; good luck, old mate.
Selby 3-5 Murphy (19-51)
Shaun will be raging if he loses this, and when Mark sinks a red, bringing the black into play too, that looks not unlikely. But again the run isn't kind to a fine shot and it's safe off the yellow; Shaun would've took that when he missed, and he's got a diagonal dart long to left corner ... which he drains! That, surely is that?!
Selby 3-5 Murphy (1-43)
Ach, pressure tells - not of the finishing line, but of a succession of difficult shots - and Shaun misses to right corner, then Mark drains!
Selby 3-5 Murphy (1-30)
A good start from Shaun, and Stephen reckons if you're gonnae miss in this situation, you miss early doors before you're in rhythm. Anyhow, from on top he tucks in behind a red on the top rail and down it goes, then a pink dips over the lip of right-middle, final roll. This is great stuff! And as I type that, a red leaves a nice easy pink, and Shaun is finally in prime position.
Selby 3-5 Murphy (1-1)
Mark gets away only to miss blue to the yellow, leaving Shaun yet another go with the balls spread. Surely he takes it away this time?
On table two
Kyren Wilson 6-2 Zhou Yuelong
Selby 3-5 Murphy
Now then! Mark deposits the blue superbly, and Shaun has spurned so many chances to win this - not behaviour you'd advocate against the great Mark Selby.
Selby 2-5 Murphy (54-39)
Shaun cracks first, leaving a red to the yeller; Mark nails it, and only needs to the blue; green and brown go down, but the final positional shot is poor so frame-ball is a brute...
Selby 2-5 Murphy (34-39)
With the white near the middle of the top rail and red similarly positioned on the bottom, Shaun has a look at the double, plays it, gets close ... but not close enough. It was a calculated risk though, because had he got it he was on the yellow and he knew he'd not leave it. Then, when Mark leaves him a go to the yellow, he gets nowhere near the pot, Mark misses one too ... and flukes a snooker! Except Shaun escapes superbly! Drama!
Selby 2-5 Murphy (30-39)
More ill luck for Mark off the penultimate red, so it's a snooker to the side of the pink, the ultimate red on its other side ... and Shaun hits well with the rest ... only to find himself in a nasty snooker, pink and black blocking his route to the object ball. He hits well though, off the bottom rail, and round we go. This is now the longest frame of the match.
Selby 2-5 Murphy (18-39)
A long safety exchange during which mark cuts a fine long red to the green, again getting no reward, then drops another into right-middle but can only add a pink before dropping Shaun onto the top cushion; Shaun responds well, but has he left a pot on? Oh he has! Mark's cueing well and he bangs it down ... but too hard, missing position on green and black ... but the yellow goes, and Mark sinks it well, going around the angles to come down for the two balls in baulk.
Selby 2-5 Murphy (6-39)
Does Shaun want to win this match?! Another lapse and another miss, this time a black off its spot, but though Mark drains a straightforward starter, the balls aren't nice so he's soon playing safe.
Selby 2-5 Murphy (0-33)
Nope, he runs out of position digging into the pack, making thicker contact than planned, so doesn't get onto the black. So Mark attacks another long pot, missing "by about a yard," says Stephen, and somehow leaves nothing. Fair enough, he's had poor run of the balls today ... and have a look! Shaun cuts into the knuckle of right-middle, but softly enough so that it drops! He's on the black, and will surely do enough from here...
Selby 2-5 Murphy (0-23)
Oh aye! Shaun smites in a sensational long red and gets a kind run of the balls, a cannon leaving him on the black. Again, he should clinch f&m from here, oozing home a pink to left-middle as I type, but anyone can miss anything, especially with the finish line in near sight.
On table two
Kyren Wilson 5-2 Zhou Yuelong
Selby 2-5 Murphy
Shaun should be on his way back to the hotel by now, but he lost concentration, and Mark punished him. Can he parlay that into more than a consolation?
Selby 1-5 Murphy (56-39)
Left a long one to the green pocket, Mark steadies himself and clips it home, right in the heart of the pocket! This is going to be 5-2!
Selby 1-5 Murphy (45-39)
Mark escapes but leaves one to left corner and Shaun monsters it home ... but where's the white ball going? Not quite into left-middle, again, and this might be the end ... but no! He misses a delicate cut to right-middle, the penultimate red, and Mark might force the frame from here!
Selby 1-5 Murphy (44-33)
In the balls, Mark's actually looked alright today, it's just his safety game that's been off and Shaun's game that's been on. He's now removed all the easy reds, so has to deal with three near the right side of the table ... because he's just potted the one before, in left corner having played it to right! However the karma police get him immediately, a drained green landing him behind the pink and snookered.
Selby 1-5 Murphy (9-33)
A careless positional shot forces Shaun to take on a red to left corner with the rest ... and he strokes it down beautifully - though there's a heart-in-mouth moment when a stray red - because he broke the pack in the process - teeters on the edge of right-middle. But then a fractional overrun forces him to take a ridiculously tight green to left-middle ... and he misses! chance for Mark to prolong the match!
Selby 1-5 Murphy (0-7)
Yeah, Mark knows the jig's up. He goes hard at a starter to left corner with no real thought about or concern for what'll happen if he misses; he does miss, by miles, and with reds loose and black in play, Shaun has a chance to win f&m at this visit.
On table two
Kyren Wilson 4-1 Zhou Yuelong
Selby 1-5 Murphy
Shaun gets the next red and he's one away! It's not often Mark is blitzed so quickly, but he's out of it and Shaun's into it, so.
Selby 1-4 Murphy (8-68)
Shaun misses a red along the top rail so Mark returns to the table needing three snookers - or one and a free ball. He tries to pot to left corner, misses, then Shaun does too and he gets it second time, but with three reds on cushions, it's hard to see how this frame isn't over.
Selby 1-4 Murphy (0-60)
Er, actually is it is, for now, because a careless positional shot means end of break. No matter: Mark escapes a snooker with a really good riposte, but Shaun takes the rest and cuts from centre to right corner. Suddenly, the frame is almost his!
Selby 1-4 Murphy (0-32)
Another poor safety from Mark lets Shaun in and he gets to work; on 14, he glides a lovely red to right-middle, but he'll need to dig into the pack soon. If that goes well, he's looking at four up with five to play, and he clocks pink to left-middle ... just about getting on the next ball, a couple from the pack free, but his work with it is not yet done.
On table two
Kyren Wilson 3-1 Zhou Yuelong
Selby 1-4 Murphy
More great work from the Magician, 92 and he's back in firm control of this endeavour.
Selby 1-3 Murphy (30-61)
If Shaun can win this from here, he'll be able to let the last frame go, because who nils dat guy Selbz, especially over a best of 11. What was impressive about that red was how fully Shaun committed to the shot, knowing what'd just happened, who he's playing, and what he'd be leaving should he miss. But he's about to go 4-1, and it'll take an effort to stop him from here.
Selby 1-3 Murphy (30-25)
Mark can only manage a 30, then Shaun plays a telling safety before flowing a long, gorgeous and oblique starter to left corner. "Wonderful," says Stephen in co-comms.
Selby 1-3 Murphy (17-8)
It's a huge frame is this: Shaun wins it and it's normal service is resumed, Mark does and it's slipping away. Anyhow, Selbz blazes a long red miles from right corner, Shaun settles in again ... and misses to the yellow pocket again! If Mark can do some damage here, he can properly damage an opponent who'll already have that error in the previous frame bouncing about his mind, hard as he tries to ignore it.
We go again...
On table two
Kyren Wilson 3-1 Zhou Yuelong
Selby 1-3 Murphy
I said the only thing that could stop Shaun was over-confidence and that's the only rationale I can offer for that missed red. He still leads 301, but Mark cleared up well and is in this now, the worst person to offer a freebie. See you in 15 or so.
Selby 0-3 Murphy (41-65)
Mark lands on nowt following his first black but drains the penultimate red next visit, adds a nasty pink, close to the white and cut to left corner, and now with just the colours left, we've a new favourite for the frame! I did not expect to be typing that; this game!
Selby 0-3 Murphy (22-65)
Gosh, we don't see this often: Shaun misses a dolly with the rest to the yeller pocket, frame-ball too. Mark will have to go some to clear up, but the frame isn't over.
Selby 0-3 Murphy (15-60)
Shaun is taking these as you expect him to. He might be playing better than anyone right now, and when Mark needed a bit of luck - two decent pots earlier in the frame, no position - he didn't get it.
Selby 0-3 Murphy (15-17)
Mark plays a feather into the nearest red and Shaun misses his first go at reciprocating, his nudge too soft. This is re-rack territory so Shaun plays to the top rail, leaving a tempter along it; Mark drains it well, but misses a taxing cut-back black by a way - he had no choice but to take on those two pots by the way - and this could well be 4-0.
Selby 0-3 Murphy (6-16)
It's a longish match but Mark will know that if he doesn't win this one, he'll be close to the door, not because he's not good enough to improve, but because the idea that he can happen on some form and win six before Shaun, feeling himself, can nab two, sounds extremely unlikely. And have a look! From the bottom rail, the Magician steers a red long and slow to left corner, rams into the pack, and the white jumps ... but he's on one. The only thing that can stop him here is over-confidence, because this is another good chance. Given he made a 145 then a 147 last week, I'm obliged to flag the points available for him, but as I type that, he runs out of position, misses a rescue-pot into the yellow bag, and the match is basically here: if Mark can make this chance count, we might have one; if he can't, we almost definitely won't and, well, this game. Mark sinks a decent starter, snookers himself on the black, plays a nice blue ... and lands at the bottom of the pack, on nowt.
On table two
Kyren Wilson 1-1 Zhou Yuelong
Selby 0-3 Murphy
...but as I type that, he misses a red to the green pocket. In just 47 minutes of play, Shaun's done half the job, and Mark has big problems.
Selby 0-2 Murphy (0-97)
Shaun's already made 27 tons this season, 11 more than in the entirety of last...
Selby 0-2 Murphy (0-66)
I'm not sure there's anyone who enjoys being good at snooker more than Shaun, and this is going to be another to him. He's playing well, Mark is not, and there's no reason to think that'll change in the next hour or two.
Selby 0-2 Murphy (0-31)
A poor positional shot means Shaun has a red that's harder than expected; he misses it, but left another longun immediately afterwards, he absolutely belts in down right corner, screws back into the bunch, and the world is right there for him. That could not have gone better.
Selby 0-2 Murphy (0-6)
Mark leaves a red to right corner with a safety - that is not a misprint - and Shaun strokes in an opener, table looking inviting.
On table two
Kyren Wilson 1-0 Zhou Yuelong
Selby 0-2 Murphy
Mark has a couple more goes but Shaun takes blue and pink to extend his lead.
Selby 0-1 Murphy (34-67)
With three reds left, all between pink and top rail, we're treated to a high-level safety exchange in which Shaun has the edge and shonuff he clobbers a starter right into the heart of left corner. A tight brown follows but seeking to go from black to yellow, Shaun misses the pot. So Mark returns to the table a distant second-favourite for the frame and pots yellow then lays the snooker he needs; Shaun escapes easily enough.
Selby 0-1 Murphy (32-49)
Shaun, wearing his tapered trousers with the shiny seams, quickly forges ahead eliminating the easier reds, but he'll need to split a pair beneath the pink, off a cut-back black. But he misses his cannon so plays safe; Mark will be relieved.
Selby 0-1 Murphy (32-9)
He'll have wanted to deploy his formidable break-building skills to level the match at that visit, but hew runs out of position then, when missing to left corner shortly afterwards, a double-kiss hands Shaun a chance to get involved. The reds aren't easy, so it'll take some work to make a telling contribution, but the way he's playing you kind of expect him to.
Selby 0-1 Murphy (24-0)
Mark takes on a nasty red along the top rail and pots it confidently while, in co-comms, Nealf wonders if the reason he's not winning as much is that so many players have improved so much at their safety, it's no longer such a big advantage for him.
On table two
Kyren Wilson 0-0 Zhou Yuelong
Selby 0-1 Murphy
Mark takes a red, misses the black, and stays in his seat. He'll have to play really well to win this.
Selby 0-0 Murphy (0-72)
Yeah, one poor session against someone fighting for their life hasn't relieved Shaun of his form, and when he misses a red to the yellow pocket, he's 72 points to the good. Mark returns to the table, but not because he thinks he's retrieving the frame, but because he wants some table-time.
Selby 0-0 Murphy (0-26)
These two are good mates and have been playing each other for most of their lives - most notably in the 2021 world final, won by Mark. They bring out the best in each other, Shaun told us earlier, and he's in chipper mood even for him. He knows he's playing well and isn't too bothered that he lost the Welsh final on Sunday because he's really chuffed for Robert Milkins and knows it was more meaningful for him to win. Anyhow, he quickly gets in with a nice cut to right corner, and quickly fashions a chance.
Afternoon all!
And welcome to day two of Players' Championship snooks! For your delectation this afternoon, we have:
Mark Selby v Shaun Murphy and Kyren Wilson v Zhou Yuelong.
Two belting matches but we'll be focused on the first, then this evening it's Ali Carter v Judd Trump and Robert Milkins v Tom Ford.
Let's go!
Tuesday at the Players Championship sees Mark Selby, Shaun Murphy, Judd Trump and Ali Carter all in action. Follow LIVE updates here.
The tournament opened on Monday with a shock win for Joe O'Connor against Mark Allen with Ryan Day also beating Chris Wakelin.
O’Connor stuns Allen to reach Players Championship quarter-finals
Allen – the year’s most in-form player – began his quest for a second Players Championship title with a clash against 16th seed O'Connor. His quest ended at the first stage.
The 27-year-old was the lowest-ranked player in the draw but backed up his run to the English Open final in December – progress that included wins over Neil Robertson, Mark Williams and Zhao Xintong – with a brilliant 6-3 victory over the UK Championship and Northern Ireland Open champion.
With Ronnie O’Sullivan and Robertson among those failing to qualify for the showpiece tournament at Aldersley Leisure Village, Allen headed into the event among a small group of favourites also containing Trump and Selby.
But he was left to rue sloppy positional play as he repeatedly failed to convert a flurry of openings into one-visit frames, allowing O’Connor to pinch multiple frames and seal a spot in the quarter-finals.
WHERE CAN I WATCH THE 2023 PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP?
In the UK, the 2023 Players Championship is also available on ITV4 - Sky channel 120, BT 26, Virgin 118.
You can also stream the 2023 Players Championship online live and on-demand on ITVX.
All the latest news, analysis and video content can be enjoyed on Eurosport.co.uk's dedicated Players Championship page. The event hub page will bring all the content together in one place.
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O’Sullivan admits he would ‘like’ to be in Players Championship
Video credit: TNT Sports
2023 PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP FORMAT
The last 16, quarter-finals and semi-finals will be best-of-11 frames, while the final is best-of-19 frames.
Players eliminated in the first round will receive £10,000. Those knocked out in the quarters will get £15,000, with losing semi-finalists getting £30,000. The overall runner-up will take home £50,000 and the champion pockets £125,000.
2023 PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH SCHEDULE, SCORES AND RESULTS
Round 1
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Stream more top snooker action live and on-demand on discovery+ and eurosport.co.uk
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