Winner Mentality | Ronnie O'Sullivan vs Noppon Saengkham | 2023 Grand Prix L16

Against the great Mark Selby then, he should have no problems certainly competing in the match, he was wonderful. Well he was into his stride immediately against Selby, made 122 break. Six. Yeah he did do, just to keep the ball straight line on the way back. 13. Four of the same. 19. Even the wonderful powers of Ronnie O'Sullivan can be overextended, had he got position there that would have been almost miraculous. Sorry, he did see it then. Referee John Pillow, it's a big evening for him, he's a lovely fellow. Didn't realise the brown spot was free. Ronnie O'Sullivan, 25. Now Naupont doesn't want to back off. There you go, that's the type of game this man plays. I don't know if it's high risk, but it's certainly risky. Six. Seven. Yeah okay, he's a wee bit fortunate to land like that in the blue, but he had to bend the cue ball around the bunch there to get the pot optimum angle into the bunch. 13. Ronnie O'Sullivan, 13. The cover's not a problem, the only problem here is the jaw of the middle pocket. He's avoided that, so he's got good cover. Ronnie with your typical shot to nothing here, just trying to move the red away from the pocket. It was all about the cue ball, keeping the pressure on Naupont. Okay, you'd think he's almost, didn't have to get this, but if he misses it he's going to spread a few reds around you would think. Brilliant pot. One. And a fantastic cue ball. He played short of the bulk line deliberately. Pink's the ball that makes the break easy. Get it on its own spot. He knows that this is the key shot. Yeah, it wasn't a sitter. Not done yet though. Not quite. So the first blemish. Inevitable oohs and ahhs, but that wasn't a simple pot by any means. One. Seven. Over the years, Ronnie O'Sullivan has been an extraordinary bad table player. 15. 21. 22. Yes, it is playing nicely, isn't it? I think it's top quality cashmere, this one. Yeah, the chief table footer, Chris Barnes, always does a good job and this is no exception. 36. 37. 45. He does look not only in good form, but in the mood. In that pink. I know we praise him a lot. Why wouldn't you? But he doesn't fall that far out of position all that often. He doesn't have to play that many difficult shots normally. 52. It's a good start. 57. 63. Playing into the back of the cluster to stop Nopon reaching bulk. Yeah, same thing again. Into the side of the bunch, Nopon peels off. No problem. Yeah, this is going to be the trouble for Nopon, I think, tonight. He can't break through the O'Sullivan defences so far because he's been pinned back like this again every time he comes to the table. It's alright being able to knock in tons galore and that's what he does in practice, but you can't do it from the bulk cushion. You've got to find a way to get in first to the punch. Once again, the safety shot sets up the potential for a minor mistake. 7. 8. 14. 15. 22. 23. 30. 31. 37. 38. Just a gentle cannon. Wants to play it just through the gap, the red below the pink. That was a bit risky, but he's okay. 45. Might be recovery required, but said before, this beautiful bedcloth helps this shot. 46. Easy to drag it back. I'm back in business. 53. The danger here, especially stretching as he is, trying to cut very thin. In fact, he's overcut it by a mile. Ronnie O'Sullivan, 53. Yeah, so once a positional error has did for Ronnie, so Nopon, you're not going to get all that many chances tonight. You've got to take them. 1. 6. 7. 14. 15. 22. 23. Yeah, the key here is get the two of the easier reds before starting to think about the two of the more difficult ones. Of course, Ronnie would need those, so I think that's what the ploy will be. 30. You don't just play shots on the strength of what's in front of you. It's what's on the scoreboard behind you. 31. 36. So aggressive. I mean, so many players would have played the red by the pink. 37. Yes, well done. 44. 45. It's quite critical here that he gets the cue ball about 18 inches away from the red. Ah, just still on, but it's a lot more tricky than it looks on the screen there. 52. This is thin and doesn't have an awful lot of pocket to go at, and dead weight. It wasn't easy. It was far from it, but I suppose at least he's half gotten away with it. 53. All of the colours on their spot. Looks like the destination of this frame will rest on Hubot's alone remaining red. 54. Yeah, I must admit, I do enjoy this kind of frame. There's nothing in the scoreboard that's all about this exchange. 55. Red in the middle of the table. Yeah, the trouble with this is not easy to get good separation like that. You're always bound to leave cue ball and red close to one another. Does the red pass? Looks like Ronnie's shaping up to play at the pot. 56. Arrives on the colours. Six to the good. Make that eight. 57. So he needs green, brown and blue. 10. 14. 19. 25. 32. This is obvious. Ronnie O'Sullivan is here as a man on a mission, and he's now two ahead. I really thought he'd benefited from an outrageous fluke there. It was so close. One. Lovely pot actually, wasn't it? On the stretch. So he's gotten in first tonight for the first time in a frame. Seven. Already reached a semi-final in a ranking event this season. Sank home. The British Open in Milton Keynes. 13. 14. Actually, the good news is this is not being dead straight. It sort of makes it a wee bit easier. Not the pot, just not pushing it. Yeah, well played. Right, he lost a cue ball, mind you, so the problems continue. 20. Has a red to the far left corner if he wants it. In terms of position, that would be the play, but pot's tricky. Yeah, this is the shot to play with a wee bit of self-inflicted pressure, positionally. 21. 26. 27. 33. 34. Average shot time shows quite a contrast. O'Sullivan, 18 seconds. That's around par for the course, as is 25 for Sank home, but he wants to play his own game. Doesn't want to get involved in that of his opponent. Yeah, the shoulders drop. 40. Red that's two away from the corner. He might still be okay. Just have to play it with a wee bit of right-hand side. Encourage the cue ball around the edge of the pink. 41. 46. 47. 53. Yeah, the hard work starts in earnest after this. Last of the loose reds. Black being tied up, he's going to need three more reds, including this one. 54. These pockets are playing on the sharp end, I would say, this week so far. This type of shot coming up. Yeah, he's already missed a shot similar to this. In fact, I think 60. This red is a little more away from the pocket than the one he jawed. 61. Alan was right again, just about scrambled in that one. So their plan was this. Just drop it in. That's the way. No heroics. 68. And this has been an excellent contribution. 2-0 behind. Nop on sank arm. 68. Frame conceded. O'Sullivan nods. Frame is over. Historically, opponents have sometimes crumbled against Ronnie O'Sullivan when he takes command. Nop on sank arm stood his ground. And we all know when you're taking on O'Sullivan, resilience is imperative. He's taking a long stinger shot. Drag the cue ball back. Yeah, one of the tougher shots in the game, that. And it's gone a straight. Nop on can get through to this. Normally ultra reliable at this type of shot. 1, 8, 9. He also does when he gets in this type of position, the only thing in his mind is clear the table. So I think his game is built well to play against this type of company. Obviously, he's going to be denied from time to time the opportunity to do that. But when he gets his chance, he's got a good mentality, I think. Not frightened to win. Nah, that one goes a straight. It was almost a mini version of the Embers of Frame 2 when he had the last black and up for the last red. He just didn't top through the cue ball enough. A portion of one foot must remain on the floor. And this is maximum reach. 25, 32, 33, 40, 41. Going for a red left middle. 48. That was a sign of confidence. It's not the play most players would have tried. But oh wow, that was wide. If he gets straighter on it, when you play it with pace, it's got to be so accurate. And Ronnie get the counter underway. Stayed down on the shot. That told us he wasn't quite sure. He just about grazed the near jaw. But that hit the near jaw a long way down. That's a really bad miss. Perhaps the worst mistake for either player in the contest so far. Yes. One. Yeah, it's quite nicely done to get the cue ball up there on the blue. So you don't get that many gifts against the top players. So full advantage if you can. Six. Seven. Yeah, I think he has a terrific mentality. I was going to hint at that before. He's got that sort of mentality that you have to have. You've got to think, when I get my chances, I'm going to take them. So this is crucial getting, just beat the blue with the cue ball here. Got to beat the blue, which he's done perfectly. Frame ball for 2-2. 16. Which to be frank, we didn't really anticipate when O'Sullivan took the first two frames nicely. Yeah, if you have that, as I say, the mentality that I will get my chances and then I will take them. Sometimes against the very best, there's some kind of surprise element when they make a mistake. But if you've got the outlook that they are going to happen and I am going to take them, then when they come along, you're that wee bit more mentally prepared for it. This has been excellent. O'Sullivan had prevailed in all of their three meetings, winning 16 frames against five lost. But Sankam is a different animal this evening. That is the concession again from his chair, as he did in frame three. O'Sullivan led 2-0. Now though, Sankam has achieved parity at 2-2 in a range of statistics. Yeah, good pot again. Now he's not bad on this black. Nothing to do with the cue ball. Now Ronnie looking to get above the black here to attack the bunch. Nah, he didn't hit it. That was a complete mishit. He wanted the cue ball sort of on the line of where the blue would meet the black. That sort of line. Change of plan, just play on the single red. But he's played it beautifully. So, big shot coming up off this next low black. Can't go deep on the cue ball, otherwise he could stick on them. It's a glancing blow, half ball. There it is. Played to absolute perfection. Yeah, that was a kick. Ronnie O'Sullivan, 16. That's what that was. You could hear it. You don't get so many kicks with the new town choke. 1, 6, 7, 13, 14. I thought work off the two loose ones, because from top side of blue, it's a perfect pack to attack. I just thought that was the wrong time. I thought if he's going to go into them off that black there, lots of pace was needed. I'm saying I'm 21. Good shot though. Keep the pressure on Ronnie, but now red's in the open. Good cue ball needed. Yeah, here we go then. Just had a wander just to prepare himself, because he knows how big a shot this is. How big it could be. Bailing out with his cue ball. Big shot. Oh, what a putt. Short of the match. Every credit. That's the kind of putt we see from Ronnie O'Sullivan and applaud on a regular basis, so we should do the same for Sancom. Terrific. 8, 9, 16, 17. He's quite happy with those tricky reds to middle, as we know from earlier, so he won't get too ambitious with his cue ball. There you go. Just happy to play on. Isn't all that difficult, but possible nonetheless. Stealing himself, because if this goes in, he should win the frame. 25, 32, 33. So red and black. 38. We'll leave O'Sullivan recording a snooker and there should be more to come after that. Yes, a job done in style. More than style, that long red. Probably the shot of the tournament so far for me set up this winning contribution. 54, 55. Yeah, this is what the World Snooker Tour is made of. 62. He's travelling a long way to ply their trade and only one to win. 63. Brilliant. Huge fan of this guy. 71, 74, 78, 83. In mitigation O'Sullivan was unlucky when he had that thunderous kick. He caused the red to go a stray to middle. If he were to be beaten tonight, he'd need to go to the Welsh and reach the final. It's my calculation too, Phil. You're dead right there, but that's in the future. Present more important and certainly more important for Ronnie. Needs this red to pull up and it has. The other thing about the way this match has gone, Ronnie will sense whether or not they've got the heart or the, you know, the nerve to finish the job. I think he'll know that Nopon definitely has and he's got a half chance here. He doesn't refuse much. He won't be refusing this to the far right corner. Another big shot in the offing. Clean as a whistle. You see it so often, players wilt against Ronnie O'Sullivan. Nopon sank on, most certainly hasn't. Six. Eleven. Twelve. It's a tricky little shot, but I keep a steady head with this one. Steady nerve. Very good. Better than good because he's going to try and bring reds into the open. Yeah, and this is nice. Deep screw for blue to left middle. Twenty. That's a little bonus. Yeah, the yellow's not really any good with the rest, so can he find a way of dropping on one? Yeah, that's not bad. Twenty-five. To the right as he did do, so hand on the bed again. Type of shot he thrives at these mid-distance. Oh. Nopon sank on. Twenty-five. Just a wee bit of tension perhaps. It wasn't a sitter. Is that the turning point? One. Six. This is fine, actually. I mean, he could just kill the cube all dead. He'd have a fairly straightforward pink. Yeah, tried to get it out of there with good reason, but this is going to be a tricky. He's on the pink. He's a wee bit fortunate, actually. All right. Well played. Yellow being off its spot is handy. Fourteen. That was a little loose. Okay, the blue might come to his rescue, but it wasn't the colour of choice. Yeah, there is a thing that goes on quite often on the tour when you get a chance to put away the top player. It tends to be the way that the master ends up teaching you a lesson. It's like, if you don't want to spot them, pal, I will. Now, I'm being harsh there. I mean, as I say, it wasn't a sitter red that Nopon's got, but tend to leave this guy the door ajar. He just barges back through it. No time like the present. Attack these two reds. Not ideal. Thirty-three. Big shot. Such a tricky red, this. Very tricky indeed. Yeah, the only good news for Ronnie Nopon needs all the reds, doesn't he? So far from a done deal as far as this being a chance to clinch the match. A sign of nerves that was well short of where he wanted to be. Level board. Nine. Yeah, that was, well, I'm not going to say it was a shocker. He overran the cue ball by 12, 18 inches. A long way to run in this frame with that red by the right cushion, but this would give him control. Come on, Ronnie. Fifteen. Trying to encourage Ronnie on. One. Any match in this situation would be tense. This one, especially so because of the future implications. Seven. Yeah, he's never really been one to play the situation, mind you, hasn't he, Ronnie? He just plays what's in front of him. You think back to the famous World Championship semi-final against Mark Selby, don't you? He was 16, 14 behind, but all of a sudden magical things start happening. He has this inner feeling of which way to approach adversity, but this red is going to be such a big test. I don't think he can quite get there. Yeah, it's as good as he could do. Now, one good piece of cue needed. Twenty. Ronnie O'Sullivan, 20. That wasn't the best of timing, you know. Crucial red. One. Yeah, that was a good putt. Not only that, the cue ball was excellent. Now, just got to mind his work here with the blue. Just keep away from the blue ball, that could hamper him. Not absolutely perfect. Eight. And nor that. Ten. He's got the Kirk Stevens green, reference to the shot by Kirk in 1984 against Jimmy White. Here we go. Played it very nicely indeed. Thirteen. The scores are level. Nopon Sankar needs brown, blue and pink. Seventeen. He's actually perfect because his cue ball has taken a natural path onto the pink. So this is the shot that will put him into the quarterfinals. I don't know why he played it that way, mind you. I was thinking playing ball. Not a done deal yet, not by a long chuck. He beat Mark Selby in the previous round. Can he complete a gargantuan double with this? Come on, Ronnie. Never threatened. Nopon Sankar, 22. Yeah, that winning line. So near, yet so far. Trying to push the black over the corner, is he? Yeah, I think he did, you know. He did a pretty good job of it, but Nopon's got a look.