World Open snooker 2024 LIVE – Judd Trump faces Rory Thor before Mark Allen takes to the baize

A dreaful shot from Rory hands Judd four and a chance. He slaughters home a pink, breaks the pack, and seems to have done the hard work as regards extending his lead. But with all these balls still to pot, anything can still happen … such as the plant he’s about to take on … but he straightens it well … only to leave a tight pink. He just can’t find prime position and as so often happens, he eventually misses his pot and can Rory take advantage of the starter he’s been left?

Zhang Anda 1-2 Allan Taylor

Lukas Kleckers 2-1 Dominic Dale

Sean O’Sullivan 0-4 Joe Perry

Stuart Carrington 1-2 David Lilley

Si Jiahui 2-1 Long Zeuhuang

A total clearance of 130 gives Judd a two-frame lead at the break. We’ll be back in 15.

It’s inconceivable this won’t be yet another ton.

In no time at all, Judd secures the frame and, as Philip Sutdd notes, this is a pretty high level of match. It’s hard to see how the champ loses it, but it’s a contest; he’s been asked to paly well to win it.

Nice starter from Judd, eased to left corner, and he won’t want to allow Rory back into the match prior to the mid-sesh. There’s a lot of work to do and the pack will soon need breaking, but he’s looking decent.

Zhang Anda 1-2 Allan Taylor

Lukas Kleckers 1-1 Dominic Dale

Sean O’Sullivan 0-3 Joe Perry

Stuart Carrington 1-2 David Lilley

Si Jiahui 2-1 Long Zeuhuang

Cn Rory promote the side-railed final red to move towarda a ton? He cannot, nor can he guide it down the cushion, but he won’t mind.

A black confidently despatched leaves Judd needing a snooker and this is great stuff from Rory, who might’ve shrunk after having the previous frame robbed from him.

Rory is a good player capable of excellence, which is why he’s now in the midst of another potentially frame-winning break. If he can’t see it through, it’ll sting like billy-o, but for now he’s in great shape – though running out of easy balls.

Judd sinks a starter but, on nothing, he leaves the white in the middle of the bottom rail allowing Rory to coax one into right-middle. He soon runs out of position … but no matter, a gorgeous red along black cush and he’s in business at the business end. Can he make it count this time?

Zhang Anda 1-1 Allan Taylor

Lukas Kleckers 1-1 Dominic Dale

Sean O’Sullivan 0-2 Joe Perry

Stuart Carrington 1-1 David Lilley

Si Jiahui 0-1 Long Zeuhuang

Great clearance from Judd, long way back from here for Rory.

Judd leaves himself a nasty cut on the pink, Rory looking poorly in his seat … and he cuts it home beautifully. Black for 2-0…

Judd will fancy himself to steal this if he can get in next, because the balls are nicely located. And shonudff, he drills a fine starter into right corner that makes him favourite for the frame, and this would devastate Rory. But in potting the penultimate red, he sends the ultimate down the table, and does it pot to the yellow bag? I think it does … it does … and this is going to be 2-0.

Rory runs out of position and manages to keep the break going with a pair of decent recovery-pots, but eventually he loses the run of the run. So Judd sinks a starter then nuzzles in behind the yellow, frame very much alive. Rory misses his first escape, hitting the pink.

Now then. Rory settles in, opens the pack, and looks in good shape to level the match. But any miss and he’s leaving plenty.

Rory takes a long bathroom break then steers a fine starter into right corner and gets going.

Zhang Anda 0-1 Allan Taylor

Lukas Kleckers 0-1 Dominic Dale

Sean O’Sullivan 0-1 Joe Perry

Stuart Carrington 1-0 David Lilley

Robert Milkins w/o Sam Craigie

Si Jiahui 0-0 Long Zeuhuang

Luca Brecel 5-1 Manasawin Phetmalaikul

Jordan Brown 5-1 Lan Yuhao

Sanderson Lam 5-4 Gong Chenzhi

Wang Xinbo 5-1 Wang Xinzhong

it takes a while, but Judd gets there in the end.

It’s Judd in again and this will now be the frame.

Oh Rory. He leaves a red to left-middle … but again, Judd can’t use the opportunity to secure the frame, forced to leave whiote amid the four remaining reds. The frame remains in the balance.

This is the first World Open since Covid, Judd eventually getting to defend his title, and he smokes a long red to right corner to give himself a chance of taking the lead. He needs to liberate reds from the cluster but his first little ruffle, off the blue, does nothing, nor his second off the black. So, will he take on one that needs sending long, white very close to object-ball? …No he won’t, instead trusting his safety game.

An error from Judd lets Rory in but he can’t make much of it, then Judd gets going only to be stymied when a cannon doesn’t work out; we’re back playing safety, the race on to five frames.

Morning! And welcome to our live text coverage of the World Open from Yushan. Luca Brecel, Ali Carter and Hossein Vafaei were among those to progress earlier this morning, but now it’s the turn of defending champion (can you say that when the tournament was last held in 2019?!) Judd Trump to take to the baize.

Monday, March 18 (All UK times, schedule subject to change)

• Luca Brecel v Manasawin Phetmalaikul
• Jordan Brown v TBC
• Sanderson Lam v Gong Chenzhi
• Wang Xinbo v Wang Xinzhong

• Judd Trump v Rory Thor
• Zhang Anda v Allan Taylor

• Ding Junhui v Zak Surety
• Matthew Selt v TBC

• Ali Carter v Louis Heathcote
• Hossein Vafaei v Graeme Dott
• Robbie Williams v Tom Ford
• Mark Selby v Adam Duffy

• Lukas Kleckers v Dominic Dale
• Sean O’Sullivan v Joe Perry
• Stuart Carrington v David Lilley
• Robert Milkins v Sam Craigie
• Xu Si v Shaun Murphy
• Si Jiahui v Long Zeuhuang

• Jak Jones v Ashley Hugill
• David Grace v Kyren Wilson
• Jamie Jones v Ricky Walden
• Ishpreet Singh Chadha v Yuan Sijun
• Jenson Kendrick v Barry Hawkins
• Daniel Wells v Mark Allen

• Zhou Yuelong v Wu Yize
• John Higgins v Jackson Page
• Elliot Slessor v TBC
• Lyu Haotian v Aaron Hill
• Stephen Maguire v Pang Junxu
• Liu Hongyu v TBC
• Oliver Brown v TBC

• Ronnie O’Sullivan v Michael White
• Matthew Stevens v Ryan Day
• David Gilbert v Fan Zhengyi
• Cao Yupeng v Noppon Saengkham
• Neil Robertson v Tian Pengfei
• Chris Wakelin v TBC
• He Guoqiang v TBC

The World Open starts on Monday, March 18 and the final is on Sunday, March 24.

It will be held in Yushan, China and is the fourth event staged in China this season after the Shanghai Masters, Wuhan Open and International Championship.

Coverage starts from 6:30am UK time every day until the weekend, when coverage begins at 6am UK time.