Ronnie O'Sullivan Likes Michael White's Snooker | 2021 UK Championship

Trying to cover that red over the middle with the brown. Has he done it? I think he has. That's a good safety from O'Sullivan. Very difficult to play that cue ball back down the table into the balk area. Not easy to get it there. Ah, well, what about that? Can he see the pink to the middle? I don't think so. What a pot this was. That's another beauty, but this time I can't blame him. Michael White. I've only got to admire Michael White's attacking play. What a great red he got in with there, but what a great blue that was. Wow, that might be the best of the lot. You won't see a better shot than that. He's got a bit between his teeth here. Needs to slow down though. Needs to slow down. Does this red by the black spot go? Four. To the left corner. Five. He's got himself in amongst them. The 22 point lead. Eleven. Twelve. In that cue ball to just travel the right side of the blue, and it has done. Now, does the red next to that pink go? That would free the pink. A frame winning chance. It's tight, but he thinks it goes. That's the red to the middle. What a good response it's been from Michael White since the interval. Made the most of Ronnie O'Sullivan's missed black in the previous frame. Clearing up to the pink. Yeah, because at that stage it would have been 4-1. Prizing miss on the black. 24. 31. 37. Tough draw for Ronnie O'Sullivan if White plays as he can, and he is right now. He's really competing. He's potting some wonderful balls from distance. He's made a century, and crucially he's been able to recover the 3-1 deficit. Has he done there? 44. 61 the lead. Still 75 there. Wasn't easy that one, but he was playing that, knowing that he should have been on a very easy red. Six. Michael White seemingly was on the cusp of levelling at three all. Yeah, he had a simple positional shot. Ronnie O'Sullivan. Pink to red. This is all going to be nervous energy. He's cut the red to the corner. Will O'Sullivan take this long red on? It's tough. It's just come a little too far to play the cannon into the reds directly. Oh, this isn't a gimme either. Seven. Tough shot, this. Yeah, it's never easy. Ronnie O'Sullivan. Seven. One. In it goes, which means that O'Sullivan can only tie, but he's surely not going to get the chance to do that here. Oh, well, run yourself and play on if Michael White misses this red. Four back to five each before losing. No, Ronnie O'Sullivan remains in his chair. So game well and truly on here at the Barbican now. Michael White coming from 3-1 down at the interval. What a match we have now. Three each. That wasn't a good shot, catching that red full in the face. Right at the start of the evening, he's only scored 24 points in the last two frames, both of which, of course, he lost. One. Black will go to the right corner, but he's fully aware of tying that black up. Clearing the black area and staying nicely on the black. Seventy. Great vision. Eighteen. Twenty-five. Twenty-six. He could go into this pack of reds with the insurance of that red near the pocket. And that's brought another red into play. So he's got four reds there that I can see. Thirty-three. Let go. Thirty. Pot success, as you saw there. Still sky high for O'Sullivan. Yes, he's missed a couple. Missed a black, of course, which cost him the fifth frame. Forty-two. Forty-eight. He is going to need to open them at some stage. Now, is he on one? Fifty-three. Split as kindly as he expected. And it didn't break as well as he thought. And he's missed the red. And he's left it on. O'Sullivan, fifty-three. And the reds are there for the taking now. What an important moment this could be. As it is, a chance for the underdog to get right back in the hunt in this seventh frame. This is about holding yourself together. Couldn't have played that one any better. Six. Seven. Fourteen. Okay, just a little bit heavy, the positional side of the shot. Fifty. And the red stayed out in the open. Twenty-eight points behind. Twenty. He's got thirty-eight. Twenty-one. Now, will he play for one of the bought colours here to get to that last red? To finish straight on the blue. Twenty-nine. Now, that's just about perfect. Doesn't want to be straight on this red. And that, again, is not the best shot he's ever played. Thirty-four. He knew as soon as he'd hit it. Thirty-five. Maybe just touch the green. There you go, Sullivan snookered. Michael White, thirty-five. Surely snookered him. Oh, look at this. Look at this. Big moment, this. Just the safety. Without the angle, I think it would have been a snooker. Has he hit it just slightly too hard? Once of a snooker here, though. Looking good. And that's kept the pressure well and truly on those Sullivan. This is a free ball if he misses it. Hasn't missed it, though. Has he potted it? Oh, wow. And that means that White can only tie. What an important fluke that was. So, Sullivan, firm favourite right now. He's pushed the black a little bit more awkwardly. Oh, that could well have been a snooker, had it not found that middle pocket bump. As it is, he should be snookered here behind the black. Has to hit it. And we need snookers. Well, someone said, oh, what a shot. Nearly, but not quite. It's a free ball. Well, they've loved the big breaks and the scintillating long pots, particularly from Michael White. Now they're enjoying the other side of the game. Well, I'm surprised he potted the green there because the brown is in a really good spot for snookers. This isn't far away. Isn't far away. Good shot, but he shouldn't miss this one. OK, Graham conceded. He's conceded with the brown unmissable. So Ronnie O'Sullivan gets himself back in front in this intriguing encounter. O'Sullivan, 4-3 to the good. Deciding to open the reds up with that safety. A little bit of pressure here. He played it well. And again, he has left a red to that left corner pocket, but so much filled with danger. This cue ball looks to be going into the red in front of it. Yeah, there was plenty of pressure on that. And he's left one on. And sometimes that's all you need to leave on with Ronnie O'Sullivan. You can't blame him for going for it. He's knocked in some fantastic long balls this evening. That one eluded him, though, to give O'Sullivan this early chance. So this is all about how he's feeling. Six. Didn't get enough follow through. And missed the brown in the middle pocket. He's missed both. And he's nicely on the red. Or is he? Twelve. He knows. Thirteen. Always screwed it. Delightful watching how he works on these balls. Taking them in the right sequence. Now he's lost the cue ball there. And he didn't putt it cleanly, did he? Off. Well, anybody hurt? He had no idea what was happening to the cue ball there. Everything was flying around all over. Ronnie O'Sullivan, 27. It's a good lead with the reds and the cushions. Black tied up. And in one shot, the reds are off the cushion and the black's free. It just made it that touch harder. He's left a red. He's missed a couple in this frame. And so is O'Sullivan. Oh. Eight. Has he left this straight? I mean, it cost him the last frame when he left himself straight on the red on the board cushion from an easy blue. And this is close. Twelve. Michael White, 16. It was a great chance that, but that poor positional shot leaving himself straight on the red. One. And retake control. Beautiful shot. May have cost Michael White this frame. Eight. Twenty-four the lead. Nine. Obviously to O'Sullivan's advantage that one of the reds is out of commission at the moment. Then we'll go to the left corner. Thirty. Another red and a black. And there'll be 44 points in the game. Twenty. Twenty-one. Yeah, if he takes the pink, the best White could do would be to tie. I think he miscounted that. Romeo O'Sullivan. Translates the angle on the pink to knock the red out into play. And it's worked out for him. Twenty-seven. They could so easily have not done. And he's undercut the red. So not quite done yet. This isn't far away. Far away at all. Good shot. Oh, well overcut. Now get it, should I say. Frame ball. One. Left himself straight. On the red, on the cushion. Michael White. Eight. O'Sullivan with the early burst of brilliance with those back-to-back century clearances. But we've seen a bit more in the way of match play since then. One or two errors. But he's had the last word. That means he's only one away from sealing victory. Not. The wiggle room now is marginal for the underdog. As Romeo O'Sullivan moves to within a single frame of the round of 64 here at the Barbican. The first round played over three days. Tomorrow being the last of those before the action resumes at the weekend. And Ronnie O'Sullivan one frame away now. Michael White trailing 5-3. Yes, and for the first time he's left a red on from his break off. A couple of tight frames that could have gone Michael White's way after he trailed 3-1 and played exceptionally well to pull it back to three each. But Ronnie O'Sullivan has had the last word in both of those. He's pushed the red to the corner. So Michael White will get a chance in this frame. Just coming down to see if he can land on the black in some way. Might be easier to play down for the blue. One. One of the ball colours. Four. Don't hit it. How many times do we see that? Ten. So he needs a good one here to make it. Michael White. Eleven. Nothing easy left for O'Sullivan. And that was a good kiss on the green. That cue ball awkward. Again, well worth a little stab at that red. Would have been nicely on the green. Yeah, it wasn't a difficult pink either, was it? Big shot again. He's not scared of having a go, is he? And what about that? And obviously White now has very little margin for error at 5-3 down. Lots of pressure on this shot though. There was plenty of pressure there because he knew he was leaving the red next to the blue. The fluke could have cost him the match. Still only two hours old this match. Wow, how did that drop? Well, up the jaw of the pocket. I think O'Sullivan expected to return to his chair there. Just for a millisecond, a ray of hope for Michael White. But he's going to have to hope for another reprieve. Eleven. He could play into the reds here. Could be in the frame of match. Oh, wait for it. Oh dear. He can't believe it. He missed the reds though, to be fair. He's playing to go into the reds and caught the black. It's another chance for Michael White. Seven. Fifteen. He's completely overhit that one for the black. It just depends what kind of an angle he's got on the pink. As to whether he can get to the next red or not. So 31 points, the lead. And that's just about where he wants to be on the black, to disturb these reds. And if this works out, he'll fancy it to go 5-4. And that hasn't worked out, I'm afraid. So this frame, unmatched, very much alive. Michael White, 30. Oh, what about that for a shot? Incredible shot. Still on the red. Six. Left himself straight on the pink. Straighter than he wanted, but he's managed to forge an angle. And again, a fraction too high for comfort. Thirteen horse that red into the pocket. This is all about getting good position on the yellow. And potting the green, of course. Perfectly played. And as Philip just said, we have a new favourite for this frame. What a positive player he is, isn't he? That was a very difficult red. The one next to the pink. Twenty-five. He played a good shot, Michael White, really. Didn't leave an easy pot on. And O'Sullivan produced some brilliance. Thirty. He's had to work hard for this victory, but this black will do it. And O'Sullivan having a little chat there with Michael White. But his time will surely come again. I think O'Sullivan enjoyed that. A great atmosphere, wonderful entertainment, and a 6-3 win.