Attack & Counterattack | Ricky Walden vs Jordan Brown | 2023 Championship League G3

How does it work with the groups then? Is it drawn out? Is it choice? Is it player preference? Basically, yeah, they go down the rankings. So, for example, Ronnie O'Sullivan, world number one, would be asked, which group do you want to play? And he chose group seven, and so on and so on. So it fills up that way. Yeah, so the organisers have to ask all the players, and then you can imagine it's like a jigsaw puzzle, trying to put it all together, trying to keep everybody happy. Well, that will never happen with snooker players, David, you know that. But all the top players, once again, O'Sullivan, Trump, Selby, Robertson, they're all supporting the event once again, which is great to see. That's not so great to see for Ricky, missing that green. Ricky Whalen. Yeah, again, it was a little unfortunate there, Ricky. Had to take the more difficult green, thrown Jordan a lifeline. Now Jordan, you feel, has to make this visit count. Six, seven. Got to make sure he gets high on the pink. Get back to the reds next shot. 14. Yeah, the table looks like it's running beautifully. Hardly touched that. It'll be interesting to see how he goes about this now. The other two reds in tricky positions with no black on its spot. 21. A lot of work to do here. Two reds are awkward. Green's in an awkward position. He'd love to get the green back on its spot if he could, but the only way that's going to happen at the moment 27. 28. Yeah, he's played these well so far. Nice angle. Again on the red. Doesn't want to be straight. 34. I may have to just drop this in and play the pink from a little bit further away. John ran. Yeah, I think he's... 34. He's tried to get on the green there and it wasn't really on, I don't think. Never really gave the red a chance at that pace. That would definitely have dropped if it had just rolled that in the way he struck it. Because he struck it well enough. He's trying to get on the green. He's missed the red and he didn't get on the green either. What? Yeah, so yellow to green and then green to brown. He's somehow got to try and get close to the yellow if he can. Black's in the way of coming around the table for the green. Short of pace. I'm not sure he can even get close to the green now. 36. Is the black in the way? Is the brown in the way? That's still a lifeline for Jordan Brown. Cheers Ricky, thank you. Eight. Well, he played that I think as well as he could to. Played it well. He'll need another good shot now though. Well, he's on the brown literally. 11. Yeah, so it's still not over. Cheers Ricky, thank you. Oh, the little kiss. That little kiss has made a difference. Oh, definitely. That is not what Jordan Brown wanted to see when he come to the table. Ricky Walden, 11. Only a room around the back. Got to hit it. Got to get it safe. Is it going to run? Well, there you go. Sometimes it just comes down to basic luck. You guess his chance. Yeah, what a result he had there. Jordan Brown. Luke in the snooker. Oh, when you're struggling. In particular, that's what you need isn't it? Sometimes just a helping hand out of nowhere. Nine. He needs the pink then to level up. 15 on the fret. Well, he holds his hand up to acknowledge that he was fortunate with the fluke snooker but at that point he needed all the help in the world. He got it. He made the most of it and he's leveled at one inch. Selton Jamie Jones on table two. Can he have a go at this red and go in between the red and black back down the table? Not seeing much fluency so far today but as I said earlier, even though he lost his first two matches, that is definitely recoverable. Yeah, still got a chance to finish the day on two wins, two losses. Even though he was in his 30s when he won that ranking tournament, in terms of actual seasons on tour, it's only something like his fourth season. Phenomenal achievement. 36. Very tight. Probably just safety. John Rowe. It's a shame because that could have been really the start of something there if he'd gone on a red. You can see he's annoyed. The good fortune he had in the last frame is a very distant memory. Yeah, that's soon forgotten. Now he's thinking I'm absolutely cursed. There's a little bit of frustration, not really give it enough thought and played really a careless safety. Something he's got to work on. 5. 13. Can he, what the pin can make a cannon on one of these reds? Played it nicely. Don't think any of those three reds pop after making a cannon and then at some point. 20. Yeah, just a little glancing blowing now. I think all four reds will pop. 26. Pop one, it'll clear the other one. Yeah, this one's slightly more awkward than the other one, but does clear the path for the other three if he knocks it in. Cheers Ricky, thank you. 27. 30. Just a gentle run through, glance off the other balls. 35. Perfect. Well, Jordan Brown was going really well, but when he went into the pack, he didn't land on one, he played safe, but he left a long red on and this is the result of it. 43. Just one good shot away from winning this frame, I think. Somehow get on one of those two reds on the right hand side cushion. 49. Love to be able to knock one out and possibly land on the other one. Both reds out in one shot. 50. Now has he got that angle? Could be a frame winner if this goes right. I think he'd like to have been a little bit closer to this red. It's a very tight angle. 58. So 22 in front, 27 with the blue, he'll need the last red as well. And it's a bit of a steal in this frame. Jordan Brown, as I say, was looking good. Yeah, he'd like that one again though. 63. If he misses this red and leaves it, they're all there for the taking. This is tricky. The shot's awkward. The cueing's, he can't get his bridge in, so the cueing's awkward. I'm not sure I fancy this one. Yeah, and in trying to play it as a shot to nothing, I think he's left it. 63. That stemmed back from not getting close enough to the second to last red, so he could get a better position on the blue. I think this cuts, David, do you? I think controlling the cue ball might be an issue, but I think it will cut, yeah. Watch that middle pocket. He doesn't want to go enough. Give the game away. Or corner pocket even. It's in, he's walking round, so what a chance then to steal the frame. Yeah, I just didn't fancy Ricky for that last red. Didn't get on it right, couldn't get his bridge in. Didn't really play it confidently. Six. It's good green from Jordan Brown. He struck it well, confidently, and well, he's got them on their spots. Nine. 13. Yeah, he's got that sort of rueful look, if that's the word on his face, as if to say this match could have been over. Three nil. 18. It's a very tough red that Walden left himself. He needs the black, and he's in front. So he's won a frame on the pink, and he's made a terrific clearance there to win this one on the black. Jordan Brown looking for his first win today leads Ricky Walden 2-1. Yeah, and how times can change. He was looking so good this afternoon with two wins out of two, and he should have really won this match by now. Yeah, I'm going to go with this red. Now just a safety. Although I think he'll almost certainly leave some kind of shot into the middle pocket. Will Ricky be tempted? Not a great safety shot. A little unfortunate with the kiss. Of course, they're both returning players from the last group here on table two, Selton Jones. Poor safety from Jordan Brown. Opted to open the reds up, but hit it way too hard. Testing a little black for Ricky. Maybe knocks it in. So I didn't get the reaction he was looking for. He probably played on the red. He's right next to. He's got a shot into the middle pocket or another safety. Yeah, that's a fantastic shot. Fantastic recovery shot. Ricky Walden, he's not a shrinking violet, but even more important, you need the accuracy. Which he also has. Yeah. Does help. But if you're... He's just gifted this chance. He's stolen two frames off Ricky. He wanted to keep him nice and tight and not let him back in. And he's just played a really poor shot just to gift the chance back. 30. Maybe able to pop the one just down to the right from the cue ball. But can he get his cue in? Really awkward, especially with the extension as well. I'll be careful he doesn't glance that red on the way past. First things first, Rob Spencer's got to try and loosen that extended wrist. Ricky's done it. Yeah, Rob said it's the gloves are too slippery. He needs to start working out upstairs. Yeah, there is a gym upstairs. Cheers, Ricky. Thank you. Slightly out of position again now, Ricky, with that last shot. Delicate little soft screw needed now. Always a tricky little shot, this. Yeah, lovely. Again, nice little recovery shot. But you don't want to have to keep pulling out recovery shots because sooner or later you're going to miss one. Ricky seems to have dominated this match and somehow he's straggling. Now he's prime here now. 45. Series of little stuns and screws. Nothing to do with the cue ball now. Just don't miss a sitter. 52. 53. That black was a bit of a flick wiper. 61. Yeah, but his heart was in his mouth for a second there. 61. I mean, that had a serious look before it went in. So just this red and this has been a pretty rapid frame. For the highest break in each group. Celt still top on 127. 75. Last one, Stuart Bingham, made a 142. And Celt had actually made a 141. Well, the funny thing was, actually, Stuart had had two chances before that to beat it. 84. I think you expect certainly the high 130s, don't you, with the quality of the field at the very least. 92. Before today, six inches this season. He made one earlier. 99. 100. But there's the tonne. And now it's about setting the high break target. 106. Cheers. 107. Ah, for now, Matt Celt's money is safe because Ricky Walton has missed that 170. Disappointed as well. All the same, we're heading to a decider. It's 2-2. If you start singing all lungs, I am out of here. Yeah, just to explain, they have a little clock in the arena, just to tell them when we're back from our commercial break and when they can start the frame. Not a good break off from Jordan. One. Yeah, not the worst kiss. Could be a trudge. And the red come back and cannon it into the pack has opened a few up for a nice easy starter. One. Ricky goes on to lose this match. Seven. 40. 15. That was a fantastic shot. You see how, because he had a bit more angle there to work that red, how the pack just split like cherries. Now, this is a phenomenal chance. When it's gone for Jordan today, though, you kind of think there's going to be one more twist. There shouldn't be with a player of his quality, but... 29. 30. Yeah, I'm not sure about that one. I think he's actually played on the pink. There's no way he should have been this far out of position from where he was. 35. 36. Back in prime position. Just don't miss the sitter and this is over. 42. 43. 50. 51. Brown can go on and clinch this frame here, which he should do. Tightens the group right up, but he will not be happy with that one. 58. So much room for error there. Well, it's what you were saying about a possible another twist in the tail. He just put himself under it here. I think he's actually a little bit fortunate that he can pop the one he's queuing over. Otherwise, the reds in the middle have been very tricky. And in fact, he's missed it. Jordan Brown. 58. What a chance that was. Yeah, you just had a sense, though, that he wasn't going to do it the way things have been going for him today. So there's plenty on and there's nothing safe. 1. 8. Clearly, Ricky Walden with the big advantage here. 9. He's now in the same position while Brown was in where if he doesn't miss a sitter, it's over. 14. Yeah, because Ricky there, he just played such a careless shot there. He's left the red in such an awkward position. The putt is straightforward, but the position, he's left it neither. He's left it in no man's land. That's a nice recovery shot, but he shouldn't be pulling recovery shots out where the balls are positioned. That was nicely held. Has he got the angle to just stumble back out for the pink? That's the shot he'd like to play, but no. Now this is a bit close. He's got to be careful here. 20. They're easy to get badly wrong under pressure. So he's back in business to qualify tomorrow. He'd love to just land in this red so he can roll through for the blue and play blue to yellow. Again, he's just last in landed. A little bit, not awkward, but not perfect. 36. Just bump it on and off the cushion for the blue. 37. Just off straight. Absolutely perfect. This is the same clearance now as Jordan Brown in the last frame. Colors on the spots. White in prime position. For his third point and Jordan Brown has got to stay on to play the last match. 47. Ricky's just over screwed that a fraction. Didn't want to use the rest. Shouldn't be a problem, but you never know. Thanks Ricky. Doesn't want to overrun it. 51. But you kind of knew that he would do. Yeah, more, a little bit of drama. Still needs the pink as well. He just thought he would overrun it. Judder would have just fired that around the table. No problem. Well, he's left himself a tougher pink than he would have liked. It is though for victory. And in it goes. Ricky Walden then makes the clearance. Jordan Brown had the chance. Broke down on 58. Ricky Walden was 62 to the pink. Has taken his third point from today's group. He's beaten Jordan Brown 3-2. Jordan Brown stays on to play Kyron Wilson next.