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STEPHEN Maguire stumbled into the last sixteen of the Grand Prix here in Glasgow after a hard fought 5-3 victory over Nigel Bond
Nigel, the world number from Chesterfield, and a professional for 20 years produced a display of strong potting and uncompromising safety that scared the living daylights out of the world number two in the early stages of the match.
Yet Maguire began the better as he powered in a long red and constructed a break of 66 to leave himself needing a red and colour to wrap up the first frame-only to put himself under needless stress by missing a red along the side cushion. To compound it there were four reds in emminently pottable positions. Grabbing his chance Bond drilled a long red and proceeded to give Maguire some nervy moments as he ran up a break 49 before he ran out of position and escaped to safety. He didn't get another chance and it was a relieved Maguire who mopped up the blue and pink to draw first blood.
Maguire too was first in with the second frame - only to break down on 30. In trying to get safe he caught the red too thin and the red came back up the table and stopped in line with the centre pocket. With the white returning to baulk Bond was left to make 66 and establish a 40point lead as the frame reached it's latter stages. Yet he failed to develop the last two reds and a safety duel was inevitable. Twice Nigel turned down two frame ball chances on the last two reds- and Maguire sensing he had a sporting chance of snatching the frame soon dispatched the remaining two reds with a blue and a black. He could steal the frame by one point if he could negotiate the colours. Trouble was the yellow was in a difficult position and maybe Maguire should have gone with a snooker instead of going for glory. It was to cost him as he left the yellow in the jaws of it's own pocket and Bond stepped in and cleared up to the blue to level at 1-1.
Maguire couldn't clear the 30 point break barrier in frame 3 either - and he certainly was having problems in controlling the cue ball as he failed to find the big breaks that have taken him to titles. Frequently he was having to yield the initiative to Bond in safety battles and after Bond had countered with 35 Stephen found himself snookered. Bond didn't have long to wait for another opportunity as Maguire's poor shot selection saw him chance his arm with a risky plant to the centre. He missed it by some distance and it was Bond who cleared with 41 to the blue to go in front 2-1.
Knowing that he had to press home his advantage and keeps Maguire's home fans quiet Bond set about his task with quiet efficiency in frame four. A long red to the top corner pocket saw the man from Chesterfield establish a break of 60, before forcing another safety mistake from Maguire who this time left a red cuttable into the centre pocket. Taking the golden opportunity Bond rolled in 69 to go into the interval with a well deserved 3-1 lead.
Maguire knew that he had to win the fifth frame to stay in contention and Bond helped him out no end as he spurned two glorious chances to put match winning breaks together- gleaning 31 points collectively. Maguire knocked in a red to the corner and put together a 59 that ended when he failed to develop the final red. Instead he played a delicate snooker- hiding the the cue ball behind the brown. Bond though only succeeded in going in off. Needing just one red to cut his deficit Maguire knocked in a short range red and clinched the frame.
Bond's concentration was anywhere but at the table and he had retreated into defensive mode- as he was trying not to make misatkes. The moment that happens the momentum shifts straigh away. With the frame tightly poised at 48-32 in Maguire's favour it was Bond who had first crack at them. As he cleared yellow and green so Bond required two from the remaining four to level at 3-3. And after a loose safety from Bond it was Maguire who presented with an easy brown took it and knocked in the blue, to the relief of his home fans.
Bond's confidence had plunged and Maguire sensed his weakness- still though there was no free flowing snooker from either player and as they reached the colours Bond led 51-34, largely thanks to 10 penalty points in fouls he had extricated in fouls from Maguire. But another costly error saw Maguire clear with a run of 18 to move in front for the first time since taking the first frame.
Bond's belief had vanished and Maguire warming to his task fired in a long red from the baulk line. With the colours nicely placed he had just to hold his nerve to secure his place in the second round. He fell on 49 when he lost position. His safety left Bond in mid table and Bond knew it was his last chance. He rolled the red in a short range red and made 50 before he left the final red sitting in the jaws. Maguire scarcely able to believe the let off he had cleared up with 24 to book his place in the second round against Ding Junhui
Meanwhile there was high drama in the match between Mark King and Ricky Walden. Walden led 3-1 at the mid session interval and King knew he had to play a lot better if he wasn't going to be heading home to Essex early. Returning from the break King rattled in a 66 break, and after a reckless attempt at a double from Ricky it was King who cleared up with 22 to cut his deficit. Minutes later it was 3-3 as a missed black from Ricky Walden when in prime position let Mark in. King a fine break builder does not need charity and showed it with a confident effort of 74. And Ricky had plenty of time to sit and dwell on it as King fired in a break of 67 to move in front. Ricky's lead had disappeared but his self belief was very much in evidence as he powered in a long red from the "d" and pieced together a break of 75 to send the match into a final frame shoot out.
Incredibly there was more drama to come as with two reds left the points showed Walden in front 35-34. King snookered on both reds by Walden failed to escape and gave away a free ball to to Ricky - surely that would be it as Walden took the green as his extra red- he added the yellow- but hen managed to leave the red in the jaws of the corner pocket. Unbelievably Mark failed to pot it and Ricky was back at the table for another crack at sealing the match. Having negotiated the final red Ricky potted up to the green, but in attempting to roll in the brown left it in the jaws of the pocket. But the points showed he had enough in the bank- so Mark required a six point penalty snooker. Sinking the brown and the blue King then managed to leave the cue ball hidden behind the black with the pink at the baulk end of the table. Walden paced around the table looking for an escape route. He lined up his shot and went in off. Now Mark could win. Sinking an easy pink he was left with the final black - and it wasn't easy, the cue ball was tight on the top cushion and he had to cut the black back. He took a deep breath, lined up the pot and the black disappeared to the delight of Mark and the despair of Ricky who looked close to tears as he left the arena after Mark had pulled off mission impossible for a 5-4 victory.
Suzy Jardine
Nigel, the world number from Chesterfield, and a professional for 20 years produced a display of strong potting and uncompromising safety that scared the living daylights out of the world number two in the early stages of the match.
Yet Maguire began the better as he powered in a long red and constructed a break of 66 to leave himself needing a red and colour to wrap up the first frame-only to put himself under needless stress by missing a red along the side cushion. To compound it there were four reds in emminently pottable positions. Grabbing his chance Bond drilled a long red and proceeded to give Maguire some nervy moments as he ran up a break 49 before he ran out of position and escaped to safety. He didn't get another chance and it was a relieved Maguire who mopped up the blue and pink to draw first blood.
Maguire too was first in with the second frame - only to break down on 30. In trying to get safe he caught the red too thin and the red came back up the table and stopped in line with the centre pocket. With the white returning to baulk Bond was left to make 66 and establish a 40point lead as the frame reached it's latter stages. Yet he failed to develop the last two reds and a safety duel was inevitable. Twice Nigel turned down two frame ball chances on the last two reds- and Maguire sensing he had a sporting chance of snatching the frame soon dispatched the remaining two reds with a blue and a black. He could steal the frame by one point if he could negotiate the colours. Trouble was the yellow was in a difficult position and maybe Maguire should have gone with a snooker instead of going for glory. It was to cost him as he left the yellow in the jaws of it's own pocket and Bond stepped in and cleared up to the blue to level at 1-1.
Maguire couldn't clear the 30 point break barrier in frame 3 either - and he certainly was having problems in controlling the cue ball as he failed to find the big breaks that have taken him to titles. Frequently he was having to yield the initiative to Bond in safety battles and after Bond had countered with 35 Stephen found himself snookered. Bond didn't have long to wait for another opportunity as Maguire's poor shot selection saw him chance his arm with a risky plant to the centre. He missed it by some distance and it was Bond who cleared with 41 to the blue to go in front 2-1.
Knowing that he had to press home his advantage and keeps Maguire's home fans quiet Bond set about his task with quiet efficiency in frame four. A long red to the top corner pocket saw the man from Chesterfield establish a break of 60, before forcing another safety mistake from Maguire who this time left a red cuttable into the centre pocket. Taking the golden opportunity Bond rolled in 69 to go into the interval with a well deserved 3-1 lead.
Maguire knew that he had to win the fifth frame to stay in contention and Bond helped him out no end as he spurned two glorious chances to put match winning breaks together- gleaning 31 points collectively. Maguire knocked in a red to the corner and put together a 59 that ended when he failed to develop the final red. Instead he played a delicate snooker- hiding the the cue ball behind the brown. Bond though only succeeded in going in off. Needing just one red to cut his deficit Maguire knocked in a short range red and clinched the frame.
Bond's concentration was anywhere but at the table and he had retreated into defensive mode- as he was trying not to make misatkes. The moment that happens the momentum shifts straigh away. With the frame tightly poised at 48-32 in Maguire's favour it was Bond who had first crack at them. As he cleared yellow and green so Bond required two from the remaining four to level at 3-3. And after a loose safety from Bond it was Maguire who presented with an easy brown took it and knocked in the blue, to the relief of his home fans.
Bond's confidence had plunged and Maguire sensed his weakness- still though there was no free flowing snooker from either player and as they reached the colours Bond led 51-34, largely thanks to 10 penalty points in fouls he had extricated in fouls from Maguire. But another costly error saw Maguire clear with a run of 18 to move in front for the first time since taking the first frame.
Bond's belief had vanished and Maguire warming to his task fired in a long red from the baulk line. With the colours nicely placed he had just to hold his nerve to secure his place in the second round. He fell on 49 when he lost position. His safety left Bond in mid table and Bond knew it was his last chance. He rolled the red in a short range red and made 50 before he left the final red sitting in the jaws. Maguire scarcely able to believe the let off he had cleared up with 24 to book his place in the second round against Ding Junhui
Meanwhile there was high drama in the match between Mark King and Ricky Walden. Walden led 3-1 at the mid session interval and King knew he had to play a lot better if he wasn't going to be heading home to Essex early. Returning from the break King rattled in a 66 break, and after a reckless attempt at a double from Ricky it was King who cleared up with 22 to cut his deficit. Minutes later it was 3-3 as a missed black from Ricky Walden when in prime position let Mark in. King a fine break builder does not need charity and showed it with a confident effort of 74. And Ricky had plenty of time to sit and dwell on it as King fired in a break of 67 to move in front. Ricky's lead had disappeared but his self belief was very much in evidence as he powered in a long red from the "d" and pieced together a break of 75 to send the match into a final frame shoot out.
Incredibly there was more drama to come as with two reds left the points showed Walden in front 35-34. King snookered on both reds by Walden failed to escape and gave away a free ball to to Ricky - surely that would be it as Walden took the green as his extra red- he added the yellow- but hen managed to leave the red in the jaws of the corner pocket. Unbelievably Mark failed to pot it and Ricky was back at the table for another crack at sealing the match. Having negotiated the final red Ricky potted up to the green, but in attempting to roll in the brown left it in the jaws of the pocket. But the points showed he had enough in the bank- so Mark required a six point penalty snooker. Sinking the brown and the blue King then managed to leave the cue ball hidden behind the black with the pink at the baulk end of the table. Walden paced around the table looking for an escape route. He lined up his shot and went in off. Now Mark could win. Sinking an easy pink he was left with the final black - and it wasn't easy, the cue ball was tight on the top cushion and he had to cut the black back. He took a deep breath, lined up the pot and the black disappeared to the delight of Mark and the despair of Ricky who looked close to tears as he left the arena after Mark had pulled off mission impossible for a 5-4 victory.
Suzy Jardine
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