"Just talent and touch", Hendry | Ronnie O'Sullivan vs Neil Robertson | 2021 Grand Prix Final ‒ S1

It's a thinnish cut but I expect Robertson to get it but he's just overcut it so an opportunity for O'Sullivan that's not a good one never ideal when a colour blocks a corner pocket that can lead to something of a stalemate well there's half a chance here for Robertson with the red into the green pocket shake of the head from O'Sullivan it was there all the way what had there not been room for it it would have gone up on to the blue spot as the highest available he's lost position a good recovery though terrific cueing again he is one of the best long potters in the history of the game a break of 72 from Neil Robertson after O'Sullivan have made a safety error so the first frame goes to the Australian he leads one nil quite a long way off that attempted red O'Sullivan and worse for him he left one for Robertson who's straight back in 16, 17, 24, 32, 33, 38, 39. Neil Robertson had to work hard with that break of 72 in the opening frame there one or two pots that were certainly missable clinched the frame in one visit to punish O'Sullivan's safety mistake 55 I think he was looking for a little cannon there to open that cluster of three reds 61 it's a very tight angle into this centre pocket it looks possible but from there it looks very very difficult but he's found it once again gun barrel straight cue action doing the trick for Robertson so 67 left this black is frame ball and he's missed it well that is a surprise having done the hard work for Robertson to miss that one and give Ronnie O'Sullivan a sniff looking to develop the red which he's not done quite as he would have liked but it's a little bit further off the cushion which helps of course O'Sullivan can switch to left-handed with ease so he'll back himself to get that red looking to stun him behind it he's undercooked that slightly so he's going to need the rest 24 O'Sullivan has been frozen out until this moment now nicely cued this would be some frame to steal 25 33 so can he get nicely on the final red oh but he's missed the black would you believe it would you believe it that's a big let off for Neil Robertson that would have stung had O'Sullivan been able to clear up there and it would have given the six times world champion the perfect platform in this final when it looked as though he was going two nil behind before Robertson missed frame ball black but that black doesn't matter anymore because O'Sullivan now does need snooker's disappointment relief for Robertson it would have hurt to lose that frame 13. Neil Robertson 13 and the frame so Neil Robertson made a break of 62 missed frame ball black O'Sullivan had the chance to steal but then he missed the black playing up for the final red two frames to nil last season part of the kazoo series that tournament for the top eight on the one-year list this one of course is for the top 32 one three four he's gonna have to attend to that pack of reds pretty soon this break is to be extended terrific shot and to land so perfectly on the pink so this is a good chance for him to get his cue arm going he had the opportunity in the previous frame would have been disappointed to miss the black when all it takes is a moment of inspiration and suddenly his best snooker could start to flow and that's bad news for anyone Robertson included 33 yeah good recovery from O'Sullivan he's not going to lack for support of course today he's not thrilled with that one though and it looks like he's out of position try to continue the break with that awkward green somewhat hampered with his cueing but it's not worked out now what's the damage has he got away with it well it was a thin cut and he's missed it all together and this time he is going to be leaving Robertson a chance not quite that thin one eight O'Sullivan wondering how expensive his failed attempted cut on the red is going to be 40 15 22 23 26 27 31 38 39 just four points between them with the black to come 46 near Robertson 46 it's not the best safety from Robertson this is a chance for O'Sullivan one good pot and O'Sullivan could have the frame well O'Sullivan he's been outplayed so far not the best again from O'Sullivan by any means but Robertson doesn't take that chance that's a surprise guys guys so Ronnie O'Sullivan has a chance to get his first frame on the board five eight he needs up to the pink 12 well that's not too bad a kiss well Neil Robertson had a great opportunity to make it three nil he missed a red and Ronnie O'Sullivan has taken advantage to finally get a foothold in this world grand prix final an opportunity missed for Neil Robertson he knows it he now leads by two frames to one looks as though he's given Robertson an early chance in this fourth frame the very first ranking event that Robertson won was the old style grand prix six and he has this remarkable record of having won at least one tournament every calendar year since then 14 five triple crown titles 29 30 no good the shake of the head tells you 37 thank you well that's called so disappointing end to proceedings all round there excuse me don't let them in during the frame thank you let's have another look i don't know i think i think the red moved i think he just felt he dragged the cue ball along rather than hit it cleanly this is uh far from easy but within his range Ronnie was happy to leave that red clearly when the shot he played and the fact that he didn't get all that close to it means he didn't leave that red on as he left anything else on oh that's a good shot that really is he hit that one quite beautifully as well so there are signs that he's hitting the ball better 9 16 24 25 well he's killed over the red again here which is completely unplanned 32 33 40 41 i think shot important playing probably into an area because i want to single out one of those three reds that he'd like to play on and that's the area exactly has to be a good shot that 48 banging in the area is a good thing the options that was a surprise ronnie o'sullivan 48 just when things were starting to happen for him well that's it isn't it he was starting to look the best he's looked all afternoon until that miss so 15 points in it one this feels in the balance as well where the balls are three four seven it's very possible to the middle as long as you're right behind it eight oh he's queuing directly over the top of the yellow here that was not part of the plan this means it's a little more difficult than it could have been because he missed the last red in the last frame and it cost him i don't know anyone's at home thinking well how can you miss that but it had to roll it he's queuing over balls they are missable shots one for this two each what a result that is for ronnie o'sullivan he could have been four nil down but as i say the last red in each of the last two frames robertson's missed just a little different isn't it with the yellow to green to brown seven green on the pink spot anything's different to how it normally would be a terrible miss though ronnie o'sullivan seven cue ball had to travel up and down to take the colors there didn't expect him to miss it though well thought out shot to hit the side of the yellow surprised he went for that especially where the cue ball ended up half a chance this cue ball certainly coming down towards where the green is he pots it two so he needs this brown three and surely you've got to feel two two is some result for ronnie o'sullivan not played at his best yet well it's kind of weak come on to run his frailties this week the way that he's played but we haven't really thought that robertson would be edgy and he has been he could have won all of them yeah he's missed a couple of reds he's missed the green there i think most people would agree he's played the better snooker but all that matters is the scoreline if they walk off for the mid-session break they're all square fascinating start to the world grand prix final and at the first interval ronnie o'sullivan and nil robertson are level at two two in the blink of an eye frame at least partially transformed okay green and brown still pose a potential problem but what a shot that was seven ronnie o'sullivan seven those misses you say that was a fabulous open and red but it's those shots that have plagued him all week it's weird phil because when he does miss these easy shots it's a resignation the look on his face expecting these bad shots truly now the frame is done and dusted actually places a different kind of pressure on robertson in the sense that he knows the score eight yeah you've really got to just keep concentrating on your own game nine but you're playing someone like ronnie o'sullivan when you know it you just don't know what to expect now you potted that amazing long red and then misses the easy one it's like what's what's going to happen next it kind of can put you on the back foot if you're not concentrating properly on your own game 16 here robertson 16 and the front o'sullivan remains seated after comfortably the lengthiest frame of the final so far the man from down under is back on top robertson trying to become the tied sixth most successful player in ranking events ever with 22 wins joining a certain judd trump back to normal in this frame on this red stun off the left cushion for the black to same pocket neil robertson is in you know the way generally this tournament's gone he's playing so much better than his opponents so he'll be very disappointed with if he's not got a lead coming out this afternoon 9 16 careless little positional shot there shouldn't have been bridging over this red no problem he's got a red between the bunch and the black this point he's really got to concentrate as intensely as he can 25 presume there's a plant yep there it is 32 unmissable 33 very careless cue ball looking at the cue ball going into the reds yeah great shot 41 43 44 oh 51 didn't finish nice on the black he had a just off straight angle you need to really nip it with a little touch of left hand side and he just didn't get the action let's end our break he'll be very annoyed about that hey robertson 51 don't want to catch the jaws of the pocket man the end it was pretty comfortable shot one five six 13 14 round of applause there 22 28 29 36 he can't believe it didn't drop to be honest neither can i thankfully for robertson it didn't matter what the ash is this an englishman gives you a glimmer of hope then the australian retakes control if o sullivan got back onto level terms that would feel like his birthday where's this red going it's not in desperate does he run out sullivan get into this match and see you want red in the bunch they're available to this pocket as well one he wanted to be low in this red because he can bring other reds into play and potting this but getting nicely in the color is not so easy when you're close to the cushion nine yeah played that about as well as you could that was a good his game is controlling that cue ball he's not doing it that's a good pot the red that's just out of from the bunch is available to the right corner can screw pot the yellow screw the cue ball down a straight line and give him so the choice of two reds the one that's in the open or that one i mentioned and put the cue ball into an area it's not nice though any of the two reds really that shouldn't be a problem a nice angle on blue or pink here 20 again that's a very unlike ronald sullivan type shot that ronald sullivan was simply extraordinary yeah it was a very subdued visit to the table wasn't it the whole break there was no spark there at all which is worrying for ronnie and his fans one i think he milked that a little it was obvious the cue ball was going wide of the middle that's how wide the sullivan miss was so 12 neil robertson you know he's on the tip of my tongue see all neil robertson's now he's got to do is concentrate and what does he do relax the concentration and gift a chance to ronnie huge visit this is to the table one three four eleven eighteen nine just a little bit tricky here 26 over the red 27 again following the pattern neil robertson misses something that you didn't expect 35 the first session it was the red to the green pocket 42 and the same pocket has happened again 43 the more you see it the more you are surprised 49 50 63 65 68 72 77 83 the last frame of the session coming up after the break and it's gargantuan where's the red going over the pocket needs cover and he's got it i'm not sure if the red is closest to the cue ball goes to right corner not taking on anyway no it doesn't go some kind of cue ball is a little bit pacey i think he's left the red one seven eight risk not worth taking at this point of this break 12 30 he's had a look at the red to the left of the black spot that goes in the right corner i think it does for the red i'm talking about but he's not got the angle to drop on the black so for an angle on the blue here to be able to play on one of those that's way short i think yep he'll be very disappointed with that one lots of top spin but he's left a free ball as well by neil sullivan five free ball and he will be frustrated in his chair neil robertson the way this final is going i know he's leading green but not by as much as he should have been on the bottom of those three reds to be able to drop on the black five what a result this would be for ronnie o'Sullivan 12 30 that's so unlike ronnie o'Sullivan it really is that was bread and butter cannon to be on the red 20 disappointing end to that visit to the table but when he managed to get the black into play he was going to go on and win the frame there i think that view you see now ronnie there that's how hard he's trying just his game is just letting him down has the feel of a last frame disorder let alone the last frame of the afternoon choice of those two reds near the right corner pocket i'm sure if you just drop the first red in and stay on the black to left corner i think the cube will be avoiding the next red four and that shot should pave the way for neil robertson to take this frame i say should because there's been some unusual misses from both players and you're looking where the reds are situated it's hard to see where you can go wrong 12th robertson's missed 15 pots in this session o'Sullivan has missed 13 19 a decent percentage of those 15 pots have been ones he'd be expected to get that's not a good job well short with the cue ball 27 he takes the red to left corner he can't avoid the red beside it this is awkward now right didn't need to be he may be able to play we still play with top spin cannon the red next to the one he's putting and still end up in the black now he's playing the bottom 28 perfect he's now got to solve a wee problem here blue he shouldn't miss but there's pressure on it now he'll be happy to avoid the yellow but again not pinpoint 34 the black takes him 34 41 42 here yellow and one more red needed yeah on the balance of play it's the correct result neil robertson leading i think ronnie 44 if you can look on some sort of the bright side five threes not out of this final at if he could find some form tonight no position whatsoever 45 47 neil robertson 47 so there's just a slight ray of hope for o'Sullivan 41 behind 35 on two snookers required what that was this is just talent and touch beautiful shot i wonder if ronnie will risk trying to hold that cue ball tight to the yellow and the red back up and down behind the green get to the table there that's what a tough snooker this is to hit yeah good hit good hit robertson's relief will be palpable the job isn't done yet absolutely granite stuff from ronnie o'Sullivan this is such a hard hit and what if you miss it the free ball comes into the equation big moment in this match ronnie o'Sullivan four free ball and the whole complexion of this frame perhaps even the match might be challenging yeah free shot that's black as well bound him in the blue he won't be leaving the ready but misses it one we were talking about ronnie could possibly get a bit of inspiration from somewhere to find his best formal one on a frame like this could be the catalyst for that beautiful shot seven what a pretty snooker this has been to end the afternoon 12 14 gutted if he loses this frame 70 21 this has been brilliant match play from ronnie o'Sullivan to steal this 32 simply unbelievable going into tonight 4-4 the second session should be mouth-watering