China Open match discussions thread

[Alex0paul]

You can tell Maguire is thoroughly cheesed off at the moment. The amount of fluked snookers on both parts is stupid but there are little things that just aren't going for Stephen expecially in the last frame with the long pot on the yellow which left him snookered behind the green.

[Maija]

His safety is below par, to say it mildly

You forgot to mention the positional play and long pots.

I wonder if Mags is going to crack completely now, or perhaps there's still some will to win in him. Didn't he say after the UK final that he thought he was going to get whitewashed from frame four or so? I guess that had a little to do with the outcome of that final.

[PaulTheSoave]

True, but if I mention it all, you dont have anything to post. .

Yes, and hes not the strongest to keep his calm, especially leading 5-2 and losing 5 on the trot. Lets hope for a revival.

You forgot to mention the positional play and long pots.

I wonder if Mags is going to crack completely now, or perhaps there's still some will to win in him. Didn't he say after the UK final that he thought he was going to get whitewashed from frame four or so? I guess that had a little to do with the outcome of that final.

[The Boss]

Baby beating up Copper

This is an important frame for Maguire. He must win it to stay within reach

[bongo]

WOW, Fourteen people viewing this thread at the moment!

P.S Sorry for off-topic!

[Maija]

True, but if I mention it all, you dont have anything to post. .

That's true. I could mention that my daughter has gone and joined the Dark Side aka the fan club for the local footie team.

OR I could be happy that Mags picked up his fluency from the dressing room and made a century to stay in the match!

Still - a bad breakoff shot there, but Murf misses the long red and leaves Mags in and on a couple of reds. Having potted a red, he then runs out of position on the blue, goes for the green, which he misses and leaves Murf in with a good shot. Murf takes his chances and here we go with the virtual nailbiting again!

[PaulTheSoave]

7-8 Maguire in the mean time.

Maguire taking 4 frames, then Muprhy 5, and Maguire looks to get his 4th frame in a row now. Funny how these kind of spells occur on a regular base.

Pity the best 3 players of the season are all in the bottom draw at Sheffield!
Another argument to change the ranking system.

[TheStranger]

Just woke up after a few hours of shuteye and I'm back watching the action

Maguire has a tough shot on the pink en route towards a century and misses, but has the frame won after a wonderful break of 89.

With that, he's one frame away from taking the China Open title.

[TheStranger]

Frame 17 commenced with a break of 21 by Shaun Murphy, before some tactical action involving the scattered reds at the far end. Murphy must win this frame for the tournament to continue.

Murphy finally finds a good angle to work with and uses the rest to pot a red on the bottom left corner. The black is good on lower right to extend his break to 8.

Break at 15 so far, good positioning on the lower end of the table should make this a very promising sequence for Murphy to stay close to the baize.

With a black to the bottom right, Murphy has extended his break to 45, and has the frame wrapped up. Still has a shot at a century.

Maguire concedes after the green. 9-8 for him now

[Mal]

9-8 in this topsy turvy final. Maguire still has the advantage, but the way things have turned round, it could well be swinging Murphy's way again.

[PaulTheSoave]

Yes, the sequence is 4,5,4, so its now Murphy's turn again.

[TheStranger]

Powerful long pot by Murphy in Frame 18 to get a red into the lower left pocket, but the white looks awkwardly positioned against the near rail. Not sure how he's going to keep the break alive.

Instead, he chooses to play the white safe behind the yellow.

Maguire is forced to angle the white off the left rail and successfuly makes contact with the pack of reds. Shaun's in a bit of a difficult spot with the white so close to the pack and the pink, but the CGI graphics show a few possibilities for him. He chooses a safe play to send the white behind the headstring.

Another contact-only shot by Maguire to keep the white behind the line.

Murphy tries to break the reds in such a way as to send one of them to the bottom left, but instead the loose red kisses the rail, and Stephen is back on the table.

Maguire attempts a combo from one red to another, instead reshuffling the pack and sending the white towards the top rail again.

Now Maguire goes for the long pot on the lower left and can't get the red into the pocket; Murphy follows up with a similar non-pot on the lower right.

Stephen gets on the board with a red to center left. A blue to center right puts him in the lead for the frame, 6-5.

The white's now nestled against two reds, providing a challenge for Maguire to overcome if he is to extend the break. He plays the white in a line behind the blue to leave Murphy with very little to work with.

Maguire considering a tough angle on the red near the right rail, towards the center right. He does not pot the ball and the white now lies in a line behind the yellow, along the top rail.

Murphy goes for contact with the reds near bottom left. Maguire does not have many obvious options here to pot.

He has one shot available, a long red to top right, and successfully pockets it. With the rest, he then pots the green in the same area.

Break now up to 23. A nice long blue to top right and that's five more points closer to the China Open title.

Nice look at the blue to center right and Maguire has extended his break to 40. He cannot pot the red on center left and Murphy has a chance to strike back and keep the final going.

Shaun pots a red and the green in succession on the top right to get 4 points on the board. He follows up with a red to bottom left to extend the break, with very good position on the black. However, he is contemplating how to leave himself with a good shot at a loose red after he pots the black on the bottom right.

Murphy pots a red into the center right pocket and keeps the break going. With 51 points remaining on the board, he has a shot at taking the frame away from Maguire.

Good pot on the pink and a red is on a good line to the center left for Murphy to keep the break alive.

Pink on the lower right makes it a break of 26 - but the white now is lodged next to one red and at a tough angle for another. Murphy plays for contact with no obvious potting opportunities available, and Maguire is back on the table to try to close out the Open.

Maguire has no shots available either and instead plays for contact himself, leaving Murphy a straight long pot which he does not miss.

Murphy now pots the pink on center right to leave himself in good position for the color stage, putting the white at a decent spot to pot the yellow.

Good rebound on the green sets up an easy brown, where Murphy takes the lead in the frame. Now working on the blue after putting some screw in on the brown.

If Shaun can make this clearance, we will go to a deciding 19th frame.

Maguire concedes before the black. Level at nine!

[doorag]

Now then! C'mon Maguire!

[Mal]

first real chance for the title for Maguire...

[PaulTheSoave]

Great clearance from Murphy. Frame decider coming up.