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Scottish Open snooker 2022 final as it happened – Gary Wilson beats Joe O'Connor to claim first career title
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Published 04/12/2022 at 13:49 GMT
Welcome back to Eurosport's live coverage of the 2022 Scottish Open as Gary Wilson and Joe O'Connor do battle in the final at the Meadowbank Sports Centre in Edinburgh. Wilson came through his semi-final against Thepchaiya Un-Nooh while O'Connor stunned Neil Robertson. Both men are eyeing what would be a first ranking trophy.
Gary Wilson and Joe O'Connor
Image credit: TNT Sports
That'll do us
Our coverage of the 2022 Scottish Open ends here, join us again soon for more Home Nations action when the English Open gets going on 12 December.
Take care out there until then, night night.
Confetti falls
A rightly beaming Gary gets the trophy, which bears the name of Stephen Hendry no less. The eighty large is a pretty decent prize too, they'll not want for cheese and biscuits in the Wilson house this Christmas I'm sure. It'll be interesting to see where Gary can go from here; with this albatross out from over him, can he finally crack the top 16? 'I think he can kick on from that,' says Jimmy White in the Eurosport studio. Gary was a Crucible semi-finalist in 2019, beating Luca Brecel, Mark Selby and Ali Carter on the way. There's a serious player in there.
Joe
What a week for Joe. He's gutted about how he played today, but that shouldn't detract from what he's done in Edinburgh. If he can tap into this more regularly, then we should see a lot more of him at the business end of tournaments.
Gary Wilson wins the Scottish Open
Hats off to Gary, what a victory that was. Go out and grab it they say, and Gary certainly did that. The match was won in the afternoon if truth be told, and there was just too much for Joe to do tonight. Gary was by far the better player, with breaks of 102, 67, 102, 74 and 94 and three nerveless clearances to nick frames he should have lost. 'I'm absolutely over the moon!' says Gary in a hammy Scottish accent to amuse the crowd in his post-match interview. It's been a long career, and he's been close in the past, but what a moment for him tonight at 37-year-old. I hope he has a belting night out in Edinburgh tonight.
Wilson 9-2 O'Connor
Gary sails past the winning line, and he's letting his arm go now alright. Come on Gaz, do it with a century! Not quite - he misses the black to nix the fun on 94. Like he'll give a hoot right now - he's the Scottish Open champion!
Wilson 8-2 O'Connor (58-0)
Up comes the half-ton with a straight red into the bottom left. The pack split comes off the black and it's not perfect, but Gary is on one to the right middle and cuts it in superbly to land on the blue. That should be that, and what a performance Gary has turned in today. At the third attempt in finals, he's going to be a ranking event winner for the first time!
Wilson 8-2 O'Connor (33-0)
It's just not happening for Joe. He misses a long red to the bottom right at the start of frame 11, and it goes all the way around the table and sits up over the bottom left for Gary. Could that be his last shot? Gary looks clinical here, and the previous frame might have finished Joe. The break is up to 33 and counting already, and one compliant nudge of the pack should do it.
Wilson 8-2 O'Connor
What's cooler than being cool? Gary Wilson today, that's what. After a 42-minute frame he completes his third ice-veined clearance of the day, and he's one frame away from the title!
Wilson 7-2 O'Connor (27-46)
Joe needs a red and the blue or higher to leave Gary needing a snooker. He gets a look at a red, long to the yellow pocket, but not only does he miss it, he brings the safe one into play as well! My stars. If Gary can dish up the lot here, it'll be his third dramatic steal of this final. The reds are soon done, so it's just the colours and they're all in open play.
Wilson 7-2 O'Connor (16-46)
Joe takes what's easy, though it's with baulk colours so it's not a huge haul of points. With three reds left on the table Joe takes the one not stuck to a cushion to the green pocket, and he's rattled it and left it for Gary. It would take an incredible clearance for Gary to win it from here, and he only gets a red and blue down before being forced to play safe.
Wilson 7-2 O'Connor (10-17)
Joe gets the result of all results, accidentally sending the yellow in-off but landing the white tight to a red. With nothing to go at, Gary puts him back in; this is a quite extraordinary frame. Will this break the deadlock though? Joe leaves Gary a three ball plant that sinks a red sat in the jaws of the yellow pocket, and it's a chance. A nerveless green follows, rolled soft into the right middle, but he then misses a tough red into the left middle, and Joe counters with a red long into the bottom right. A superb green of his own follows, and now this is a chance to put some points up.
Wilson 7-2 O'Connor (2-13)
This is a tense exchange. For Joe, it could well be the match if he cedes the advantage here. All fourteen reds are pink spot and north, and eventually Gary gets a look at a long one to the green pocket with the white finally free of baulk or touching the pack. Gary pots it, but oh my stars, what's this - he then misses a simple yellow to its own pocket! That is an enormous let-off for Joe, who sets about cashing in his good fortune. In reaching 13 though he plays an awful positional shot off the black, and only leaves a long red to green pocket which he can't convert. What a chance that's gone begging there.
Wilson 7-2 O'Connor (1-0)
Joe leaves a red on to the bottom right from his break-off shot. During his shot, Gary has to get up due to some jingling in the crowd. 'Santa's coming!' he quips. It's very music hall in Edinburgh tonight. Joe won't be laughing here though as Gary eventually hoses in the red, but the cue ball lands awkwardly in baulk so there'll be no more. A lot of up table safety follows, and this table is becoming increasingly dangerous.
Wilson 7-2 O'Connor
Joe can't land another snooker, and leaves a red on as a cut to the yellow pocket. Gary tags it in and clears up to the brown, and he's only two frames away.
Wilson 6-2 O'Connor (68-32)
Gary reaches 37 as he clips in the brown with the rest, meaning Joe needs a snooker with 67 remaining. A made plant would put this to bed but Gary misses it, and the reds are spread nicely so Joe has a chance at this. He takes four reds and blacks, and will go for the four pointer he needs off the last red. It's a good snooker from Joe, white up behind the green in baulk, but Gary swerves around it and clips the red on the way back up from the bottom cushion.
Wilson 6-2 O'Connor (55-0)
Joe can't convert a stray red to the yellow pocket with the rest. Gary steps in and picks it off instead, and he's back in motion. A long red into the green pocket keeps his break going, and after potting the black he topspins off the bottom cushion and into the reds, affecting a lovely split that should now secure him the frame.
Wilson 6-2 O'Connor (31-0)
Joe misses the first pot of the night, and any one that doesn't connect will feel freighted with meaning tonight. Gary steps in and fires one down, and he's got the first scoring opportunity of the night. Early in the break he goes into the pack off the black, and he's on a choice of three thereafter. It's business as usual for him, as he looks just as at ease as he was through the afternoon. A poor positional shot forces him into a long blue to the bottom left though, and he's missed it to give Joe a chance.
LOL department
Amid the various shouts of 'Come on Gary!' and 'Come on Joe!', someone shouts 'Come on Senegal!', which gets huge chuckles. If you're not aware, England are playing the AFCON champions right, right now at the World Cup.
Time to go
Our MC Phil Seymour announces the players into the arena at the Meadowbank Sports Centre in Edinburgh. Gary needs three, Joe needs seven; let's get it popping.
From here, where?
We've got a maximum of nine frames tonight, with four before the interval. To have a puncher's chance at turning this around, Joe surely needs to target winning this first mini-session 3-1 as a minimum. Splitting it would bring forth a grand, panoramic view of the brink, and if he loses it then the match, obviously, is over. The first frame of the night is massive, so Joe needs to chuck the tank at winning that and work from there.
Good evening!
Welcome back to the final of the 2022 Scottish Open. After a rapid-fire afternoon session, Gary Wilson has his first ever ranking event title in view and needs just three frames tonight for victory. Joe O’Conner is chasing his maiden trophy win at this level too though, and after upsetting the odds all week he’ll be looking to do so again tonight. The boys are re-baized in 15 minutes to sort it all out.
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That's us for now
Join us again from 6.45pm BST to see how it all plays out.
Gary Wilson leads Joe O'Connor
'That was brilliant, from both players,' says Ronnie in the Eurosport studio. And so say all of us. The scoreline suggests Gary dominated, but it wasn't so; Joe will be cursing a couple of crucial missed pots that allowed Gary to jump in and steal two frames, otherwise we might have been going into tonight's session all square. Gary dished superbly and to order both times though, and looks the more comfortable in the balls of the two players. He was the favourite when we started today, and it'll take some effort from Joe tonight to turn this around.
Wilson 6-2 O'Connor
A 74 from Gary brings to a close a fascinating session of the highest quality. Gary now holds a commanding lead over Joe, and needs three more frames for the Scottish Open title.
Wilson 5-2 O'Connor (54-44)
Gary drops in behind the one awkward red near the left rail, picking it off with the rest to land on the black. The final red goes too, followed by the yellow, and he only needs the baulk colours off their spots to nick another one.
Wilson 5-2 O'Connor (5-44)
Joe moves to 43 by potting the blue and going in and out of baulk, but the cue ball catches a flier off the cushions and he lands right in the heart of the pack. Amazingly, he's on a red to the bottom right; he cuts that in, but suffers another pink-to-left-middle nightmare as he undercuts this one and misses it on the low knuckle. Gary can counter, and drops a red into the green pocket. That only leaves a tough cut on brown to the same pocket, but Gary not only slashes it in, he opens the reds on the pink spot and the steal is on again!
Wilson 5-2 O'Connor (0-21)
Gary misses a long red to the bottom left, and it sets up an awkward cut into the yellow pocket. It's a tough shot under any circumstances, but Joe holds his nerve to rattle it in with the rest. That was a huge shot. Joe is quickly down the business end of the table, clearing the black spot to both corners and bringing other reds into play.
Wilson 5-2 O'Connor
The yellow duly drops in, as does everything up to and including the pink. Gary is certain of a lead this evening now, and with Joe looking a bit rattled in that frame this final one of the afternoon is huge in the context of this final.
Wilson 4-2 O'Connor (60-34)
A lovely shot on the pink by Gary - a stun-run-through to bring remaining reds into play, should be the frame. It's not though, as Gary misses a red across the table to the left middle high on the knuckle. Well now; can Joe land a telling blow of his own here? No, as it turns out; he soon misses a straightforward pink to the left middle, a pocket that is haunting both players in this frame. There are two reds left, and Gary deftly picks them off with a pink and a blue. It's yellow for the frame...
Wilson 4-2 O'Connor (18-33)
Eesh, this is a bad miss from Joe; he's coughed out a short red to the bottom left which was virtually straight, a replica of the red he missed in frame one. He's gifted a chance to Gary, who gets the chance to open the pack instead. It takes two nudges but they're split nicely now, and Gary could really take charge of this final with a frame-winning dish here.
Wilson 4-2 O'Connor (0-25)
What a touch here for Joe, who cops an outrageous fluke as he jaws a red out of the bottom right and watches it fly like a bullet train into the bottom left. Can that set up a frame-winning visit? Joe is quickly up to 25 and counting, though the pack will need a wallop shortly.
Wilson 4-2 O'Connor
I wouldn't have bet the farm on a ton when Gary started this break, but he mops up everything on the table for a gutsy 102 and a two-frame lead.
Wilson 3-2 O'Connor (62-12)
This could be a telling break in the match, as Gary digs in to reach 62 and Joe now needs snookers. He won't be coming back, as Gary can keep on trucking here. So far today Gary has provided the only steal, and won the first scrappy one; those are good omens for his hopes in this final.
Wilson 3-2 O'Connor (33-12)
Gary's in a fearless mood this afternoon. It looks like end of break as he almost overcuts and misses a black early in his break, but a deadweight red to left middle recovers the situation and he's on the pink. They're not all going in clean, but they're going in.
Wilson 3-2 O'Connor (0-12)
It's a scrappy start to frame six, until Joe pots a tough mid-range red on the stretch and he's back up for the green. He can't lasso position though and the break ends swiftly, but he's soon back in with another good red. With pink and black in awkward positions though he's having to thump the white around the table, and his break falters early again to hand the chance to Gary instead.
Wilson 3-2 O'Connor
Joe will be exhaling here alright. He quickly dishes up to the final red, a short break that's enough to put the frame away.
Wilson 3-1 O'Connor (7-51)
You sense that Joe doesn't want to go home wondering today. After a brief safety exchange he strokes a red in long to the bottom left, and he's back up for the blue. He should walk the frame in from here, but misses a simple red with the rest to the bottom right, and he's gifted Gary another chance to counter! Another steal here would be huge, but Joe gets away with it as Gary soon misses a mid-range blue to the yellow pocket and leaves the frame on.
Wilson 3-1 O'Connor (0-45)
It's an edgy break, this. Joe wobbles a black furiously in the jaws of the bottom right before it drops, but he recovers well to stab his next red in despite severely hampered cueing over the black and another red. He's doing well to keep this going, with one big pot after another, but eventually has to give it up on 45 and go back to baulk.
Wilson 3-1 O'Connor (0-24)
We're back, and Joe drains a superb long red and goes back up for the brown to get frame five cooking. The pack needs a bit of nudging and he goes into it off the pink early in this break, just about landing on a cutback on a red to bottom left thereafter.
Wilson 3-1 O'Connor
Gary duly puts the frame to bed with a swift break of 30, and he leads by two frames at the interval. That was cracking stuff, we'll be back with you in 15 minutes.
Wilson 2-1 O'Connor (58-0)
There's a lovely rhythm to Gary's game right now. He's striking it clean, middling everything and playing at a brisk and assured pace. Here comes the key shot of the frame as he goes into the pack off the black...and his luck is stinking. The white lands out on the left rail, forcing Gary to take on a tough pink to the bottom right and it wobbles out of the jaws. Joe has a chance to punish Gary as Gary punished him in the last frame, but makes an absolute hash of a mid-range red to bottom right as it catches another red on the way and balls go everywhere. That's a bow-wrapped from for Gary now, surely.
Wilson 2-1 O'Connor (22-0)
Joe breaks in frame four, and Gary immediately clatters in a superb long red to the bottom right. He doesn't land on a baulk colour though, and tucks in behind the brown. It's a rough one, with no one-cushion escape on, and Joe ships 16 in fouls before nailing his three-cushion attempt. Where he's landed looks safe enough, until Gary glides a superb red into the left middle and lands on the brown. He's in, and it's a chance to score.
Wilson 2-1 O'Connor
What a dagger from Gary! He dishes up like he's strolling around the club table before lights out, and he's pinched that right from under Joe's nose.
Wilson 1-1 O'Connor (40-64)
Well now! Joe misses frame ball pink high off the knuckle of the right middle, and with 67 still out there the steal is on for Gary. His positional play is near perfect as he picks off five reds and blacks, and goes up for the yellow. All the colours are on their spots bar the pink, which is on the left middle. This could be the first big swing in fortune in this match if Gary can hold his nerve for the next six balls.
Wilson 1-1 O'Connor (0-56)
After a shaky opening frame Joe is having a rare old time now, and dispatches another half-century in a final that feels like a rolling highlights reel so far. This break is getting tougher, but Joe manages to find an angle off a virtually straight pink to nudge his next red into position. He's only a few pots away now, but he'll need to be precise.
Wilson 1-1 O'Connor (0-22)
This is a gorgeous shot from Joe, who strokes in a red long to the bottom left at the start of frame three and uses check side to avoid the pack and go up for the baulk colours. He's soon back near the black spot, potting one red and clearing another out of the road to leave the black on to both corners. Another excellent shot, cutting back a red to bottom left and using another red to control the white and hold for the black, has opened this frame right up.
Wilson 1-1 O'Connor
Frame ball red is soon dispatched into the left middle, and we could be in for some final if this standard holds through the day. Are we going ton for ton? Not quite, as a cut back on a black to bottom right rattles out of the jaws and leaves Joe on 99.
Wilson 1-0 O'Connor (0-55)
This is nice from Joe, as he runs the white through the pack after drilling the pink into the right middle, and it's a frame-winning look now as the reds split nicely. A half-ton is soon in the bank and this is good response to Gary's opening gambit.
Wilson 1-0 O'Connor (0-24)
Joe will feel better about things now, as he drains an awkward mid-range red narrow to the bottom right, followed by a tough black to hold for his next red. He's now picking off reds and blacks and there's plenty in the open for him here; a big visit will settle him right into this final.
Wilson 1-0 O'Connor
Gary pots frame ball black, splitting the final four reds away from the pink as he does so, and we're done here. There's enough on for a ton and Gary calmly empties the whole table, registering a 102 to pick off the first frame.
Wilson 0-0 O'Connor (57-8)
Joe hasn't settled yet. With his break on eight, he misses a routine red to the bottom left and he's handed the initiative straight back to Gary. By contrast, Gary looks very relaxed out there and can nurse this first frame over the line with what's in the open. He's added another 30 already, and isn't far away.
Wilson 0-0 O'Connor (27-0)
It's a mistake from Joe with his first shot, as he misses a long red after Gary's break and leaves the white in the middle of the table. Gary, with an easy starter and a nice spread to go at, gets to work. It's a swift 27 before Gary loses position slightly, and then fails to make a plant where the reds were about eight inches apart. That was ambitious, and he's left a chance for Joe.
Let's go
It's time to get it popping in Edinburgh, as our announcer Phil Seymour brings the players into the arena for the afternoon session. We'll have eight frames this afternoon, with an interval after the first four.
Gary
He's in a chipper mood today. According to the bookies he's a clear favourite here. Not only does he have the final experience in the bank, he's taken out Ronnie O'Sullivan and Kyren Wilson to get this far.
That dish
How about this for some moxie from Joe last night? No ordinary break, this.
On offer
The glory is the main thing up for grabs here today of course, but a cool eighty grand will be most welcome for the winner too. Not only that, you got a tin pot that carries the name of the great Stephen Hendry; lots of goodies are on the go today.
YOU MAY FIND YOURSELF IN A RANKING EVENT FINAL
Good afternoon, and welcome to live coverage of the 2022 Scottish Open. What a week it’s been in Edinburgh; big seeds have been taken out like extras in a spaghetti Western, leaving us with a final drenched in romance. At some point this evening, either Gary Wilson or Joe O’Connor will win their first ever ranking event final.
Gary has walked this path before, reaching the final of the 2015 China Open and the 2021 British Open. He’s now 37, and after defeats to Mark Selby and Mark Williams in those respective finals will know this is surely has best chance to land a ranking event gong. For Joe O’Connor, this is dreamland. He’s yet to crack the top 40 in the world but has had the week of his life here, beating Zhao Xintong, Ding Junhui, Williams, Ricky Walden and Neil Robertson. It’s a career-best performance, and he’s not done yet.
So, is this a once in a lifetime opportunity for these players? Maybe. It might come again. Then again, it might easily not. All we know is that we don’t know, so this is a huge opportunity for both players. In about 15 minutes the boys will be baized to sort it all out.
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Wilson powers into final with impressive win over Thepchaiya
Gary Wilson produced a power-packed finish to get the better of a ding-dong battle with Thephaiya Un-Nooh 6-4 to secure a place in the Scottish Open final.
A day on from what he described as a "disgusting" performance in his win over Kyren Wilson, Wilson produced the sort of snooker that propelled him into the top 20 in the world three years ago.
Wilson’s form fell off a cliff for a couple of years, aside from a shock run to the final of the British Open in the summer of 2021, but he is back within one match of a first career title after stopping the impressive run of Thepchaiya.
Read the full story here.
O’Connor stuns Robertson to book place in first career final
Joe O’Connor pulled off the biggest win of his career to date to stun Neil Robertson and book his place in the final of the Scottish Open.
Their only previous meeting resulted in a whitewash for Robertson, but this time O’Connor showed no sign of nerves, withstanding everything the Australian threw at him and standing tall to secure a 6-3 win.
Read the full story here.
WHAT IS THE FORMAT AT THE 2022 SCOTTISH OPEN?
The final is a best-of-17 decider.
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Stream the 2022 Scottish Open and more top snooker action live and on-demand on discovery+ and eurosport.co.uk
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