British Open snooker 2023 as it happened – Jack Lisowski beats Murphy in thriller after Barry Hawkins advances

That’s us done for today; join me again tomorrow at 12.30pm BST! Nighty-night!

Anthony Hamilton 0-3 Xiao Guodong

Gary Wilson 2-1 Chris Wakelin

Oh I say! Two unbelievable, different and glorious pots, then am evil clearance made to look easy. Jack Lisowski can play snooker, and might this be his week, at long last?

Jack Lisowski, how dare you! Pink and black for the match, and this is one of the great dishes!

Angles is still rhapsodising that red-black – “from the Gods,” he says.And Jack needs the colours to win by a point! This will b such a clearance if he can pull it off!

“Ye can’t pot that, ye can’t!” So says Angles when Jack sends a white from the bottom rail and onto a red which goes into the middle of right corner; an incredible pot! And have a look! Another monster, a fine cut-back black, is into left corner – the two best shots in a row Angles has seen in time and he’s seen a few – and have we a new favourite for the match?

This game! A careless black leaves Shaun without a red – he comes back too far. Had he made a ton, it would’ve been a record fifth in a best-of-seven, but instead, Jack returns to the table still in the tournament, just.

Shaun crunches down a yellow, comes off the cushion and into the pack … and he’s on one. But a few shots later, a diagonal red looks horrible … nah. He rattles it down, a terrific brown brings him back up the business end, and red-black-red will seal the match! hTis has been a really enjoyable tussle, but it looks over now.

Shaun takes on an acute black to knock a tight red away from the bottom of the pack next shot; he sinks both and is crafting a proper chance – but if he gets a good split, this match is over.

Left a red a foot and an acute cut away from right corner, Shaun eases it down; that’s a majestic effort from a player who rarely declines that kind of opportunity. He’s got the black available to both corners, but not many free reds, so making something of this will required work, thought and focus.

Anthony Hamilton 0-2 Xiao Guodong

Gary Wilson 2-0 Chris Wakelin

Down it goes, and with both players bang at it, we’ve got what should be a thrilling decider.

This has been made to look so easy, and a pink to right-middle will be a ton too. In his seat, Shaun beams at the quality of what he’s seeing.

Jabbing home to left corner with the rest brings Jack back onto the black and just potting the four free reds will be enough to earn a decider.

Jack isn’t going down wondering. He strokes home a monster of a long starter to left corner, is onto the black, and there are balls for him to pot.

Anthony Hamilton 0-2 Xiao Guodong

Gary Wilson 2-0 Chris Wakelin

My player cuts out so I don’t actually know if Shaun made a ton, but he’s one up with two to play and the force is with him.

With Shaun, we spend a fair bit of time focusing on his potting and showmanship, but it’s worth noting also his incredible desire to be good at snooker and to win snooker matches is colossal. He spends a lot of time crafting this run, but with six reds left should freewheel home from here.

This is one of the things about this tournament: because of the free draw, you get massive matches like this early doors. And Shaun quickly gets in at the start of frame five, a terrific plant to right corner opening up the frame and a path for the black to both bags.

Anthony Hamilton 0-1 Xiao Guodong

Gary Wilson 1-0 Chris Wakelin

And he absolutely does, a 72 setting up a best of three.

But he can’t, missing the blue looking to nuzzle apart what’s left of the pack. Shaun should level us up from here.

Shaun leaves a tempter to left corner and Jack sinks it superbly, then has a think before taking on a pink sent long to the green. if he misses, it probably means 2-2, but he hits works an opportunity to pot the black over right corner. Clearing up from here won’t be easy, but there’s scope to build a decent lead.

A poor safety from Shaun leaves the white mid-table and a red cuttable to left corner. Jack deals with it but, taking on an acute cut-back black, he leaves it over the pocket – who h prevents his opponent from potting anything into it. But a different starter goes to the green bag and this is another chance – though one that’ll need a lot of working at. And he soon runs out of position, so we’re now playing in and out of the pack.

Jack misses long to right corner, does nothing with the white, and Shaun is back in, black available to both corners. But looking for a little cannon, he sticks to red and lands on nowt so, disappointed, he plays back to baulk.

Ken Doherty 3-4 Matthew Stevens

Andy Hicks 2-4 Graeme Dott

Jimmy Robertson 4-3 Wu Yize

There may also be no one in the world who loves making centuries more than Shaun, and his 111 blasts him into the match.

There may be no one in the world who loves potting balls as much as Shaun does, and he makes an admittedly inviting chance look easier than it is. I can’t see him missing until the frame is his.

Shaun, who fancies himself as the world’s best rest player, takes one on with the rest, down the side rail … and jawses it. He does, though, soon ease a taxing starter straight, into right corner, and this is a chance. If he can’t take it, he might not recover in time to make a match of this.

Shaun goes hard at one to right corner, misses, cannons the yellow, and Jack sends it down then works his way up the table to the black-spot area. But just as Shaun will have been fearing the worst, he too misses one going hard, a red to left corner; he leaves nothing other than a chance, so the winner of the safety exchange now in progress will have a good chance of taking the frame.

Ken Doherty 3-3 Matthew Stevens

Andy Hicks 2-3 Graeme Dott

Jimmy Robertson 4-3 Wu Yize

Shaun will be feeling poorly; Jack’s probably still feeling poorly after that error, players being as they are. But he’s two in front and will do well to lose from here.

Oh Shaun! He directs a blue into the far knuckle of left corner so Jack – who looked mortified by his error – knocks a red into the yellow and clinches the frame.

Jack finds himself stuck to a red so tries playing safe with the rest, catching the blue full in the face on the screw-back and leaving the white in the middle of the table. There are 67 points on the table, and Shaun must, you feel, get himself home from here.

Jack’s such a smooth player and he quickly builds a lead showing no sign of missing let alone running out of position. The balls are spread beautifully, and he really ought to double his advantage at this visit.

Left near left corner and the side rail, Shaun takes on a ball sent long to the green bag … and down it goes! That’s very nice, a brown follows … and then, desperate to keep the break going, he misses a tricky one to left corner, leaving plenty. Trouble for the Magician.

Ken Doherty 3-2 Matthew Stevens

Andy Hicks 2-2 Graeme Dott

Jimmy Robertson 2-3 Wu Yize

A 108 for Jack, and he looks a millions dollars – as he always does, until he doesn’t/

Jack catches green off blue … so strokes a mid-distance beauty, diagonally to left corner! he secures the frame, and a ton looks inevitable.

Jack gets in right away and quickly digs into the pack. Already, this is a good chance.

Who really respect each other. Jack walloped Shaun 6-1 in the UK quarters last season playing majestically, and Shaun could not have been more gracious in his post-match praise.

Jack Lisowski v Shaun Murphy

Ken Doherty 3-1 Matthew Stevens

Andy Hicks 2-2 Graeme Dott

Jimmy Robertson 2-3 Wu Yize

Rob leaves him a red, he knocks it down left-middle, and the concession is immediate. He meets Kyren Wilson or Mark Allen next, and that should be a belter whichever of those two win through.

Rob misses another starter – he’s not enjoying this, at all – then Baz misses one to right corner and also fails to nudge in a red over left. So Rob has a clear sight of it, but the black isn’t the only safe ball – there’s a red on the top rail and two more near the side, stuck together.

Yup, Baz does exactly as we thought, methodically removing balls … before missing a red he shouldn’t, match-ball at that, to left corner. He gets lucky though, as it and the black both roll safe meaning Rob might well need a snooker though there are enough points on the table for him to win the frame by clearing up.

Shonuff, Baz is soon back at the table, and though there are reds clustered, potting some will liberate others, so don’t be surprised to see the match end with this visit.

Baz ruffles the lack but opts to ignore a taxing black, needing cutting from centre to right corner, so plays safe knowing Rob’s patience is running low.

Oh, Rob-ert. He unloads the suitcase at a wild red, the white goes down, and with Baz away, he knows.

Ken Doherty 2-1 Matthew Stevens

Andy Hicks 1-2 Graeme Dott

Jimmy Robertson 2-2 Wu Yize

He cannot, the next ball – a pink to left corner with the rest – missed. But I’m certain neither he nor Rob expect him to lose from here.

Baz makes the frame safe and is one away! Can he convert for a ton?

Lovely from Baz, a fine red with the green allowing him to break the pack off the black a few shots later, the yield a lovely split that should allow him to clinch the frame at this visit.

Baz gets in first, mooches up to the black spot, and accumulates. He’s playing the better snooker of the two, and I’d not be surprised to see him take this 4-1.

Ken Doherty 2-1 Matthew Stevens

Andy Hicks 1-2 Graeme Dott

Jimmy Robertson 1-2 Wu Yize

Rob needed that badly, and he’s in the match now.

More like it from Rob, who gets to 64 only to play a poor shot, redeemed with a fine cut-back red to right corner. There;ll be no black with it though, in co-comms, Nealf says he thinks there’ll be one this week because the tables are playing so nicely; wither way, this frame looks over, though of course as I type that, Rob misses a straightforward red to right corner, Baz sinks a red … and sees the pink roll towards the green bag, hover on the edge, and drop.

Rob badly needs this frame and he gets in first; can he make the chance count? The balls are nicely spread for him, four red-blacks in…

I’d not seen the draw for the last 32, so here it is:

Andy Hicks/Graeme Dott vs Daniel Wells/Ashley Carty

Si Jiahui vs Tian Pengfei/Mark Selby

Tom Ford/Ashley Hugill vs Jimmy Robertson/Wu Yize

John Higgins/Robbie Williams vs Scott Donaldson

Ryan Day/Thor Chuan Leong vs Ali Carter

David Gilbert vs Ishpreet Singh Chadha/Stuart Bingham

Ken Doherty/Matthew Stevens vs Fergal O’Brien

Fan Zhengyi/Ross Muir vs Rod Lawler/Dominic Dale

Anthony Hamilton/Xiao Guodong vs David Grace/Sanderson Lam

Yuan Sijun vs Hossein Vafaei

Ding Junhui/Liu Hongyu vs Julien Leclercq

Shaun Murphy/Jack Lisowski vs Matthew Selt/Zak Surety

Gary Wilson/Chris Wakelin vs Mark Williams

Ma Hailong vs Hammad Miah

Oliver Lines vs He Guoqiang/Muhammad Asif

Robert Milkins/Barry Hawkins vs Kyren Wilson/Mark Allen

Ken Doherty 1-1 Matthew Stevens

Andy Hicks 0-2 Graeme Dott

Jimmy Robertson 1-2 Wu Yize

Down it goes and, after a far longer re-spot than is usual, Baz finally makes his 2-0.

Left a mid-distance one to the corner, from centre to left, Rob gets so close he leaves ball over bag!

Baz refuses a cut to right corner having got down intending to take it on, then takes on a double with safety in mind, missing by a little way, and when Rob then leaves him a cut to the green bag, he gets nowhere near.

And Rob drains the yellow! The pink is nasty, a cut-back along the side rail, but he deals with it well, pokes down the black, and here comes the re-spot! Baz will be raging about that missed black!

Not quite. Bazza misses the black he planned would follow the final red so his lead is 27 with just the colours left, a re-spotted black possible if Rob clears up…

Rob guides a fine starter to left corner only to miss an easier black to the same bag, then a red to left-centre. So Barry clips to right corner, gets the black back on its spot – just, he miscues, jumping the white into the air – but it goes down, the next ball does too, and this is building into a frame-winning opportunity.

A rare safety error from Baz hands Rob a chance and he races to 30. But then he plays a poor black, runs out of position and is furious with himself, playing white onto black cush and sitting down.

Ken Doherty 0-1 Matthew Stevens

Andy Hicks 0-1 Graeme Dott

Jimmy Robertson 0-1 Wu Yize

Yup, Barry looks in fantastic nick, and Rob will have to play really well to sort him here.

With a lead of 31, Baz confidently slots a red down the side rail into left corner – that’s very well done – and from here, the frame should be his.

Baz, though, gets in nevertheless, develops black off blue … and is he on one? He is, but as I type more often than I do many more enjoyable things, you can only chase for so long and he kisses into the pink close to the top cushion. It looks a decent shot too, until Rob finds a very well-executed plant, one red cutting another into left corner … only to miss a far easier green! This game! Chance for Bazza…

Rob plays a blue far too slowly, landing on nowt, so pushes into a red near the pink spot; Baz tries a deliberate miscue that allows Rob to find baulk.

Baz has won 10 matches in a row, seven of them to win the European Masters, and he mashed Stan Moody 4-0 last evening. A tad unusually, given these two are proper potters, we begin with a protracted safety exchange, but then Rob gets in and gets to work.

It’s so great to see Robert playing so well late in his career; his retirement, when it comes, will be much more relaxed based on what he’s done the last couple of years. But Baz has started the season really well and I’d not be surprised, at all, if he won a title or two this term.

Did I say Robert Milkins v Barry Hawkins followed by Jack Lisowski v Shaun Murphy?

I thought we’d get an interview with Si, but nothing doing. That being the case, I’ll see you again at 6.30pm BST for Robert Milkins v Barry Hawkins followed by Jack Lisowski v Shaun Murphy; don’t you go changing.

Scott Donaldson 4-0 Liam Graham
Jamie Jones 0-4 Julien Leclercq
Stephen Maguire 2-4 Mark Williams

What a player he’s going to be; what a player he is. It’s hard to believe he’s just 21 but he is, and he finishes with a ton and moves into the last 32, the draw for which will be later tonight.

Both disappear and there are just so many brilliant players around nowadays, it’s barely even surprising to lose Neil and Judd in the same afternoonA.

Si doesn’t hang around, quickly building a useful lead, and given how good we know him to be, it’d be a surprise were he not to close out from here. There are three reds under the pink, and if he can remove all of those with high-value colours, he’ll be there.

Si sinks a starter but can’t make any more of it and Neil soon gets in, breaking the pack to relatively little avail. And when a stray red blocks the yellow’s route to its own pocket, he takes on the green, doesn’t get close, and hands Si his first chance to secure f&m with plenty of points available.

Scott Donaldson 4-0 Liam Graham
Jamie Jones 0-3 Julien Leclercq
Stephen Maguire 2-3 Mark Williams

The end of that frame will have hurt Neil – the trouble began, remember, following his own poor shot – and he’ll have to go some if he’s to rescue himself from here. The foul-miss call, though, was harsh because he wasn’t far off hitting and the rule isn’t there for Si to sit there doing nothing watching points accumulate.

My guess is that Si refused the yellow because the brown is on the bottom rail, but whatever the rationale, it looks smart because Neil has now missed it nine times. The problem is that the angle required is off the pocket and now Si returns to the table needing just yellow and green, the difficult brown irrelevant! He drains both, and this is going to be two up with three to play!

Si sinks the final red via double then snuggles up behind the black, on its spot with the yellow in the D; Neil, in big trouble, misses with his escape, also called for a miss – Neil is not impressed – so has to change his route, misses twice more then hits the pink, and Si turns down a pretty simple yellow to put him back in again. So Neil goes again … then again, hitting knuckle and pink. Maybe Si thinks he can win the frame without potting another ball, and as Neil misses yet again, he might be right if so!

Si foul-misses with an escape that takes white into left corner, then again, before hitting and leaving a chance. Neil sinks red and black, but the next ball, close to the side rail, demands he play safe.

Neil runs out of position so Si unloads the suitcase at a starter, leaves a thin cut to right-centre, and just as I’m about to type “which surely means 2-2” a sloppy pot from Neil leaves white stuck to blue, forcing him to lay a snooker.

Neil finds himself high on a red close to black cush, but he cuts it home superbly and looks well set to level the match again. The five remaining reds are close together, but a player of the Thunder’s class should remove them in the correct order and win the frame at this visit.

I love watching Si play and he’s in at the start if frame four, fluking a starter then taking it from there. He’s a few more points out there before he has to dig into the pack, but makes an angle top-side of the blue … and gets very little, the connection half-ball. So it’s a nasty red to left-middle … that drifts off course and hits the jaws, then Si gets in again only to miss a brown to the same pocket. Neil hasn’t potted a ball for nearly 25 minutes, but he confidently strokes one to right corner with the rest and can he make this count?

Scott Donaldson 3-0 Liam Graham
Jamie Jones 0-2 Julien Leclercq
Stephen Maguire 1-2 Mark Williams

The panic is over for Si as he finally makes sure of the frame.

Si knocks down frame ball – but then fails to pot the blue! Again, Neil requires two snookers. Just when we thought the frame was done and dusted!

Oh wait, Si has overhit the cue ball! He’s still on the pink but it’s slightly more awkward that it should have been. He’s dispatched it and the break continues, but the frame still isn’t safe. Frame ball, though…

This is great snooker from Si as he opens up a group of reds off the blue. The table has opened up for him.

Si is growing in confidence now, and he’s back in with a beautiful long red to the yellow pocket. This is another golden chance.

Scott Donaldson 2-0 Liam Graham
Jamie Jones 0-1 Julien Leclercq
Stephen Maguire 1-2 Mark Williams

After a frame of 33 minutes, Si has levelled the scores.

Neil leaves the yellow on and Si makes no mistake, and that will be that for frame two.

The frame has surpassed the half-hour mark and it could run for sometime yet as Neil desperately tries to claw his way back.

Neil opts to pot red and black, and we’re now down to the colours.

There’s pressure on the blue and Neil fails to convert! The momentum has swung back in the favour of Si… but wait, he misses the black! Neil needs two snookers.

After knocking in a red, Neil opts to play the cue ball in behind the brown, a snooker Si fails to escape from. In fact, it’s a huge mistake as he hits the black and leaves Neil with options aplenty! Is that the turning point in the frame?

Neil tries to bring the black into play, only to push it to the opposite cushion! He then concedes another four points after failing to make contact on an attempted long safety shot on a red.

Si knocks in another blue and tries to open the cluster of reds but doesn’t get the positioning he would have liked, and then jaws a red! He’s got lucky, though, as Neil has nothing obvious on. Back to some more safety.

Scrappy frame, this. A number of safety shots are played before Si dispatches three reds and two blues. He is edging closer to levelling the match but still has much work to do.

This is far from straightforward for Si. The pink doesn’t go back on its spot and has to go on the green. The reds are bunched up together and in the end he’s forced to play safe, in behind the green and pink.

Si zones in on a long red to the bottom left hand pocket, but doesn’t get the execution quite right. He gets another chance with a red to the yellow pocket and this time he makes no mistake. Yellow follows, Si is down the table and let’s see what he can make of this opportunity.

Neil’s break ends at 59 as he leaves a green hanging over the pocket, but the damage has been done and he takes a 1-0 lead.

The frame has been all but secured, even if it took Neil a couple of visits. A nice plant follows, demonstrating that the world No. 6 is in the mood today.

Si’s break ends prematurely, having just made 11, and Neil is back at the table. He smashes the blue into middle pocket, opening up the pack of reds and he’s away again. First frame looks like it’ll be the Australian’s.

Neil’s in quickly but then misses a red to the yellow and Si guides it in dead weight. He’s work to do if he’s to make a few points into a chance, but we know exactly how good he is, so.

“It feels amazing,” he says, and thought when addressing the final ball, if it’s a long pot just commit and back yourself; “if it goes in it goes in, if it doesn’t so be it.” He’s playing every day, he says, though when he says he’s practising hard, he qualifies it by saying the lads in the club at Whetstone will be laughing. He’s a confident person and doesn’t think snooker should be everything in his life, but that’s worked today.

Si Jiahui v Neil Robertson. Not bad!

And doesn’t he deserve it! He cracks down the black and what a day this is for him! He played beautifully, matching Judd break for break, holding his own in the safety exchanges, and might this be a watershed moment for him? I hope so, but in the meantime he’s into the last32, draw to follow this evening!

A dreadful shot from Judd leaves Hammad a long one to the yellow for the match and the biggest win of his life! P-R-E-S-S-U-R-E!

Hammad rattles the pink into the green bag, and it’s all on the black! Hammad chips it onto the rail, and we’re down to the final ball of the final frame!

Yes Hammad! He forces it home, then takes on a pink sent long to the yellow … but jawses it. Thanks to the foul, though, Judd needs one of the two remaining balls, pink in play and black on the top cushion, so there’s life in this yet!

Or is he?! He fouls then a couple of shots later leaves the yellow, and can Hammad sink the blue down the side rail? It’s dead straight and an absolute minger, but if he pots it he’s got a chance!

Beautiful stuff from Judd, who takes on a long red with the rest, spanking into the leather and down … only to find himself with a difficult shot on the yellow. he has a think, then plays safe in the knowledge there aren’t many able to hang with him when it comes to tactical stuff, and with blue, black and yellow now safe – Hammad needs them all – he’s nearly there.

this is getting nervy now; lovely stuff. Judd leaves one to left corner, Hammad can’t see it away, and with various balls now in antisocial positions, his lead looks a useful one. As I type that, though, Judd cracks a starter down left corner – taking that on was a big risk, but he must fancy himself at the moment, and should at least forge in front in the frame.

Oliver Brown 2-4 Hossein Vafaei

Lyu Haotian 3-4 Dave Gilbert

Noppon Saengkham 2-2 Fergal O’Brien

Ooh yeah! Left one to left corner, Hammad splatters it down, then takes on a diagonal green … and goes just a little hard at it, something we’ve seen from him before – especially under pressure. So we’re back playing safety, match still in the balance.

But a poor red leaves him chasing and means we’re back playing safety, the lead worth having but fair from definitive.

Now then! Hammad plays a safety that looks decent, but the white, which he wants in the green corner, drops into the bag. Except Judd not only misses when he goes hard at a difficult starter, but is nobbled by a double-kiss that means the world number 113 has the first chance to close out!

The players shake hands and away we go. Judd is 3-0 in his deciders so far this term, Hammad likewise.

Oliver Brown 2-2 Hossein Vafaei

Lyu Haotian 3-3 Dave Gilbert

Noppon Saengkham 1-2 Fergal O’Brien

A run of 39 takes the frame and we’ve got ourselves the decider we and Hammad deserve!

A loose shot from Hammad means he faces a pressure red … which he sinks nervelessly!

Judd’s played well today which, oddly enough, is great news for Hamad because it tells him that, over a short match at the very least, he’s good enough to live with one of the greatest of all time. An he gets a reprieve when Judd runs out of position,soon afrer slaughters a red from centre to left corner, and out of nowhere now has a really good chance to force a decider because the balls are all there for him.

Judd sinks a starter but desperate to finish the match, attacks a black he ought really to have left and now it’s Hamad at the table, looking confident; a red cut thin to the yellow pocket sets him up nicely, and he’s striking the ball beautifully. of course, though, as I type he overruns the white by three or four feet – if anything, he’s hit that too well, Angles more or less says, noting that his cue-power is sometimes a problem. but a gorgeous red cut almost blind to a slither of left-middle keeps the run going … before a tricky black to left corner is taken on with force when finesse was required, and Judd is quickly away. A couple of good shots here, and the match will be at his mercy.

Oliver Brown 1-2 Hossein Vafaei

Lyu Haotian 3-2 Dave Gilbert

Noppon Saengkham 1-1 Fergal O’Brien

Test of nerve for Hammad now. Can he maintain his level in the knowledge that one error could mean curtains?

Not quite. Leading by 43 with 43 left, Judd runs out of position on 57 so plays safe. Hammad, though, immediately leaves him a starter over right corner, it disappears, and he’s going one up with two to play.

After nailing various nasty pots, Judd gets a little unlucky with an errant white, but have a look! He finds a plant to right corner, the two balls not close by … and down it goes! This won’t be the highest break of the match, but if it wins him the frame it’ll be the best.

Another slower start, and not just because my system crashes. It returns with Hammad 7-0 in front, and I can see we’ve two reds gone, so it wasn’t from a foul. Back at the table, though, Judd takes on a really difficult one to left corner, misses, and an infelicitous kiss means the white doesn’t return to baulk. Hammad, though, doesn’t dig into the pack as planned so another break looks over … or not! He drains a lovely recovery pot to right-middle … only to miss yellow to the same bag, and now it’s Judd with the chance!

A slower start to frame five, then Hammad miscues, leaving a nasty cut-back … but Judd isn’t tempted to take on a risky one, backing himself to win the safety – with good reason. He then plays a fine safety but it’s Hammad in first … but only to the tune of eight; he can’t squeeze a red past the blue to the yellow bag and this is now, already, the longest frame of the match. Whoever wins the safety battle that’s no under way will fancy themselves to take the frame from there, but it’s going nowhere and, with reds down the table too, we’re going nowhere so a re-rack is quickly agreed.

Oliver Brown 1-1 Hossein Vafaei

Lyu Haotian 1-2 Dave Gilbert

Noppon Saengkham 1-0 Fergal O’Brien

This is not something you see often: four tons in four frames, two for each player. A paltry 101 and Hammad is back level; we’ve got ourselves a best of three.

This time it’s Judd who leaves a starter; Hammad drains it and, just as he looks in trouble, he breaks the pack, removes a few balls, and now he looks good for the match’s fourth ton! The reds are beautifully spread, and I said it’s great when two players play well together but these are almost playing too well! we’re getting very few exchanges because the potting is so hot.

Oliver Brown 1-1 Hossein Vafaei

Lyu Haotian 1-2 Dave Gilbert

Noppon Saengkham 1-0 Fergal O’Brien

A 124 and Judd leads 2-1; Hamad looks pensive and well he might. This is great stuff.

There’s another ton out there but two reds not far off the side rail. Judd, though, is playing like none of this makes any difference to him whatsoever.

I wonder if Hamad will regret that first-frame ton because it seems to have focused Judd, who plays a terrific safety, white stuck to top rail, that allows Judd a starter. He’s looking very good, which is exciting not just for today but for the rest of the week and season. Imagine if he recaptures 2018-2020 form, when he won four ranking tournaments, including the Masters and Worlds, then the following season harvested five.

Oliver Brown 0-1 Hossein Vafaei

Lyu Haotian 1-0 Dave Gilbert

Noppon Saengkham 0-0 Fergal O’Brien

Now it’s Judd in with a ton, a 125, and it’s funny really – it’s not that often we have a match in which both players play well never mind start well, but we might just have that here.

This time it’s Judd oozing class as he compiles a frame-winning run and with both players in good touch, we could have ourselves an exceedingly fun afternoon.

Judd is soon back at the table though, and this time he’s about the black spot. The reds are really nicely spread, so I’d not be at all surprised if this is soon 1-1.

Judd sinks a nice starter to right corner off Hammad’s break, but then massively undercuts a second red to right corner. No matter: a poor shot from Hamad and he’s back in, but this time his first ball leaves him without a colour so it’s back to baulk.

Oliver Brown 0-1 Hossein Vafaei

Lyu Haotian 1-0 Dave Gilbert

Noppon Saengkham 0-0 Fergal O’Brien

Hammad misses the final black so no total clearance, but he’ll be buzzing with the 126 that means he leads and all Judd’s done is break off.

Hamad secures the frame but he’ll fancy a ton and there’s no reason to think he can’t have one.

Good work from Hammad, who commits to succession of nasty pots and gets his reward. He will have to break the pack a second time, but goes into it off the blue … losing the white. he is, though, on one to left-centre and strokes it down like it’s nothing. Fantastic. The frame is now within his grasp.

Judd dangles a red out towards left corner and Hmamad doesn’t need asking twice, slotting it home superbly – he can pot – and he quickly gets to work. He looks confident out there.

We see brief footage of Judd, ready to go, sharing a laugh with Mark Selby and Basher Hawkins. Why haven’t they asked me to hang?

We begin with Judd Trump v Hamad Miah, after which we’ll be on Si Jiahui v Neil Robertson – which looks a belter. Of course, we’ll be updating you on goings-on around the tables, but those are our featued matches.

Hailong Ma 4-0 Mohamed ibrahim

Thepchaiya Un-Nooh 1-4 Oliver Lines

Yuan SiJun 4-0 Ben Mertens

And welcome to the British Open 2023 – day two!

Hello and welcome to LIVE updates of our coverage of The British Open at the Centaur at Cheltenham racecourse.

There’s a host of big names in action in the afternoon session including Judd Trump, Hossein Vafaei, Noppon Saengkham, Neil Robertson, Mark Williams and Barry Hawkins.