The Masters 2023 snooker LIVE – Ronnie O’Sullivan faces Mark Williams, Hossein Vafaei v Jack Lisowski later

O’Sullivan 1-0 Williams (23-0)

Mark misses once more and when he hits leaves a tempter to right corner than Ronnie will take on partly because there’s nothing else he can do … and look at that! He cracks it right into the heart of the pocket, and though the reds aren’t great and the black is out of commission, there’s no one better at crafting routes through balls.

O’Sullivan 1-0 Williams (11-0)

Mark knows as well as anyone that if Ronnie gets on a roll, it’s very difficult to stop him – the only time I can recall seeing it happen was when Mark Selby beat him in the 2-14 World Championship final. So already, this next frame is a crucial one because if it goes the same way as the first, it’ll take something special to reverse momentum. It begins with safety, black close to its cushion and reds open but not spread; Ronnie again takes command, sticking white on baulk rail and watching as Mark hits black then misses altogether.

O’Sullivan 1-0 Williams

A swift 115, and TMNTPETPUAC is into the match.

O’Sullivan 0-0 Williams (101-3)

This has looked like a ton in waiting for quite some time, and though a poor yellow makes the green harder than necessary, it’s cut in anyway. Not bad.

O’Sullivan 0-0 Williams (62-3)

To win the frame at this visit, Ronnie needs to cannon the cluster of five reds still beneath the pink; as I type, he checks whether there’s a plant among them, concludes not, so bangs the pack and has everything available. This is very impressive; of course it is.

O’Sullivan 0-0 Williams (24-3)

Ronnie won this competition in 1995 when he was just 19 – that’s ridiculous, it really is, all the more so that he’s still at it now, aged 47. He works his way up the table and reckons he can get through to the black – he can – so drains it, then snaps a delicious red to left-middle. As ever, he’s turned a not especially inviting table into a proper chance, in very few shots and with little apparent difficulty.

O’Sullivan 0-0 Williams (1-3)

Mark plays safe then Ronnie sends a red towards right corner which somehow fails to knock in the black that’s already on its lip. That won’t make for a free-flowing frame and probably appeals more to Mark than Ronnie, but it’s Mark in trouble when a cunning shot leaves him with no obvious response; he goes hard at a red, brings two back to baulk, and leaves one.

O’Sullivan 0-0 Williams (0-3)

A good break from Ronnie puts Mar in mither and his attempted safety catches the jaw of left corner, leaving one to left-middle … that Ronnie misses thick and by a way, sending a red into baulk. Mark, who’s not beaten Ronnie in six matches over nine years, chips it into the green pocket and gets to work.

Ally Pally is bouncing

As these two heroes stride in. Here we go!

Boyz! Baize!

GET YE IN THERE!

Mark speaks

He’s not done much prep work, he says. He went on holiday, did an exhibition in Ireland, and that’s about it. He doesn’t know how long he’ll go on for, so is trying to enjoy it as much as he can, but wants to stay in the top 16 until he’s 50 and then see. Asked about the ovation he and John Higgins got last term, when they played a classic, he says he’d never seen or experienced anything like it and he’s right – it was a brilliant moment, two legends receiving homage for their decades of effort.

This evening

We’ve got young pretenders: Jack Lisowski v Hossein Vafaei. That should be a really fun, open match, and Jack, in particular, has been in serious nick recently, while Hossein binned Mark Selby in round one and is riding the crest of a wave himself.

And what a day this promises to be

We begin with … Ronnie O’Sullivan v Mark J Williams! I’m not exactly sure what else to say about that because what can anyone possibly add to those two names? Ronnie is, of course, the greatest player we’ve ever seen and still, it seems, getting better, while Mark is an all-time great in terrific form. I can’t wait to see what happens next.

Afternoon all!

Welcome to the 2023 Masters, day five!

Trump avoids latest Masters shock with epic win over Day to book quarter-final place

Judd Trump narrowly avoided another shock at this year’s Masters as he battled past Ryan Day in an epic encounter at Alexandra Palace.

Following the exits of Neil Robertson, Mark Allen and Mark Selby and John Higgins earlier in the week, Trump was the latest big name in the firing line as Day pushed him all the way.

A dramatic near-six hour marathon eventually saw Trump emerge by the skin of his teeth in a tense decider.

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