One of the Most Dramatic Finals | Ronnie O'Sullivan vs Steve ...

Ronnie O'Sullivan at the moment is a lot more mentally strong than he was in the opening frame. Wasn't fully focused on the black, had some demon running through his mind at the time he struck the ball, which caused him to miss it, and he wasn't very happy punching the table afterwards. He seems to be back on track now though. Five. Ronnie O'Sullivan, five. Well, could he not reach the potting angle? Did he try to make it with side? No, no. Caught the red. Yes, I did actually just see that red catcher intervening red. It's a nice angle on the black. Screw into the pack of reds and hopefully hold for one that's just loose at the back of the pack. That expression. Eight. Tells you everything. He knew that if he got the cue ball round behind the back of the black off two cushions, that he couldn't leave anything. And as it is, he's perfectly on the black. Sixteen. Seventeen. It's always useful in developing a tight bunch, if you can go into it with that sort of shot, knowing that you're going to be on a red that's already loose. Twenty-five. Steve Davis' twelve-year-old son, Greg, is getting really interested in the game. Something to do with Steve Davis' nickname. Thirty-two. Well, that's Steve Interesting Davis, isn't it? He'll be disappointed at missing that. Steve Davis, thirty-two. That was a great chance. You can see the look of abject disappointment on Steve's face. It's more than enough open red room to mount a significant counter-attack. One. Yes, that simple red could prove to be the key shot in this frame. If he can take full advantage from here. Nine. Find out who it is. Yes, Paul Collier has just asked one of the stewards to find out who's the owner of that mobile phone, which we could all hear ringing. Sixteen. Paul Collier, referee. Seventeen. Twenty-four. Twenty-five. It looks as if he's stuck on them. That looked unlikely, going into them at that speed. Thirty-one. Yes, he probably caught one of the reds. Bonnie O'Sullivan, thirty-one. He could have had a touching ball here. Touching ball. Yes, referee Paul Collier from Newport declares a touching ball. So Steve Davis now will have to find a spot. Using the green to cover the most dangerous red. Still left O'Sullivan a shot at that one, which was more difficult. And now that O'Sullivan's missed it. If it isn't, it will make Steve's positional shot from this red a bit more difficult. I think he's attempting to screw back for the pink. One. That was a lot harder than it looked. Seven. Playing from under the side cushion. Davis can only rely on the natural angle. Position. Twelve. And the three reds by the pink weren't favourably situated for a shot like that. Doesn't like the situation and he's contained Ronnie so far in this match very well. So he's not going to take any undue risks. Steve Davis, twelve. And Steve, being one of the great tactical players in this game, has come up with a tremendous safety shot. He's snooped Ronnie on all four of these reds. And Ronnie needs to be very careful here. Very easy to leave Steve one of these reds. Always better to miss them on the thin side. He's left Steve a free ball I think here. Steve Davis, four, free ball. I feel Steve may attempt the brown here. Free ball awarded. Because Davis couldn't hit both edges of a red. Was therefore able to nominate brown as an extra red. And he'd be disappointed to have missed it. He's just catching it too thick. Let Ronnie off the hook there. Ronnie's made a mess of that one. And he's been a little fortunate. Pot is on for Steve. He may turn it down in favour of a safety shot. He can put Ronnie in trouble here. May even snooker him again. As long as the cue ball finishes behind those three reds by the pink spot. Wouldn't leave Ronnie anything on. On the pink though. And he's not on anything. Unusual for Davis to misjudge the track. Foul. Steve Davis, one. Ronnie O'Sullivan, seven. Free ball. Davis did that once before this week. And that's what happens, you under hit it. So Davis has to play from the sort of position in which he intended to leave O'Sullivan. He's played that okay. Don't think Ronnie can pot any of these three reds. But he has handed the safety initiative back to Ronnie here. Should be able to put this cue ball on the bulk cushion behind the green and brown. And he'll be a bit disappointed with that one. Hasn't put Steve under too much pressure with this shot. Just needs to be careful where he knocks one of these reds to. And that's pretty good. Except that he may have left a shot to nothing from the red nearest the pink spot. Yes, Clive, that was certainly on. It wasn't far away. Didn't want to cannon the blue. Yes, now a characteristic safety mistake from Steve. I think Ronnie can attempt this red. He can avoid the cannon on the black and the other two reds. Well, that was a half chance, or maybe a quarter chance. He's still got it all to do with the two reds safe behind the black. That's a good one there. Somewhere near the jaws of the corner pocket, although that would be a dangerous thing to do. Yes, I didn't think he'd be doing that. Will this white ball slide behind the yellow? That's a good attempt there for Ronnie. And this is the reds all in very potable positions. Steve will certainly do well here to leave things safe. And Davis has got a reasonable shot with a red to the left corner. Davis almost returned the compliment from that excellent glancing escape. He must feel, after that excellent shot, a little bit unfortunate to leave Ronnie this chance with a red. Well, it could have been easier this time. I think he'll probably take the pink on. He can't afford, as you say, Clive, to go 4-1 behind. That was a positive shot choice though. I think most players would have been laying a snooker behind blue and green. That took a lot of courage from Ronnie. We all know he's not afraid to go for his shots. Full. Now nicely on the pink. Just run through off the side cushion back for the last red. One possible difficulty he may face later on in this break is where the blue and the green are. Blue's slightly covering the green into its own pocket. So that's one thing he'll be thinking of fairly soon. 11. Well, I half expected him to run down off the other side of the table, possibly to be able to take the blue. Yes, Clive, because he'd have only had to have been in a certain area of the table that side. He'd have had choice of green, brown or blue. So that probably would have been the shot I'd have played. But then again, he beat me. Very cool long yellow. But still the problem remains of getting on the green. Played that with strong right hand side. Check it off the side cushion. He's on the green, but he's limited positionally because he's left the cue ball so close to the cushion. 18. Struck that green in very nicely. This brown isn't a certainty. 22. So this is frame ball for O'Sullivan. Kick. Yes, there's no way Ronnie would miss that blue for that distance. O'Sullivan, 22. Blue was thrown wide. What can happen is on a frame ball, that's just gone so wide. And not all that easy with the black towards the right hand side cushion. And not a friendly angle on the pink to get best possible position on the black. May have to settle for a middle distance black. May just swing the cue ball around the jaws of the black pocket for a middle distance black. Overcut it. Trying to take the cue ball off four cushions for best possible position on the black. Yes, just overcut that one. He knew that was a chance. I thought Ronnie would take that on. It was a shot to nothing. He may have got second prize and got a snooker out of this. It looks like one from where I'm sitting. The pot on the pink was far from easy. Nasty controlled swerve. Yes, that's exactly what he played. Ronnie just needs the pink. I wonder if he'll take the double. That would have been a risky shot to play. Still at length on the Davis safety. Difficult for O'Sullivan to do much constructive from here. Tried to get the cue ball to the ball cushion but knew that the pink, the speed that he played it, was going to finish in the middle of the table. Position either to the left centre or the left corner. Refused it. Refused the dodgy pot in favour of the certain safety. Avoided the double kiss by a whisker. Yes, Clive was right in line with that. May be enough for Steve to attempt to chip this in. Certainly a lot of the modern players, sort of my age that is, the hunters, the O'Sullivans, would certainly take this on. Steve had a go. Always better to hit it thin rather than thick. And that's perfectly safe. Excellent shot by O'Sullivan. And again avoided the double kiss by the narrowest of margins. But that's the good news. The bad news is that Davis also needs the black. What do you do, Clive? Where your billiards play, you'd probably play the enough, wouldn't you? It's not what Steve wants. The best that he could do was concentrate on getting the cue ball tight to the ball cushion. And he's done that. Black ball finish. To a frame which will decide whether Davis leads 4-1 or 3-2. O'Sullivan couldn't afford to risk the putt there. He's played an impeccable safety. It's been a great duel this, Dom. Yes, Wally can play safety with the best of them. He's just about all parts of his game in his armoury. And that could win him this frame, that safety shot. This has put Steve in a lot of trouble. I don't think Steve will be able to... Wow, has he gone for the double? Is it in? It's in! Wow, do you believe it? As the safety was so difficult, he thought that he might as well attempt it in the belief that at that pace it would wriggle clear if he missed. But a big shot and a big outcome. It's 4-1 to Davis.