Last Test Before the Crucible―final frames | Ronnie O'Sullivan vs Neil Robertson | 2022 Tour Ch. SF

oh this is horrible wow so already with a good lead oh that's a beautiful split once again and he deserved to be on a red he is is to get to the left side of bulk and hitting it thick to try and get the cube all over he's absolutely enraged 13 it's a bounce the way he's playing you put oh was he just from inside of him 13 wasn't easy needs a bit of luck here hasn't had too much luck tonight has to be said every time he's missed he's left real near robertson in amongst them there's another chance for him now by robertson's standards that was a mile away pot success rate is identical 93 at the end of 13 frames that is a tough school yeah you could see the frustration just can't put a long ball or a high percentage of them like his opponent and even one mentioned it after the match against mark williams it's the only thing that's he doesn't have a high percentage of gifting these chances and that's what's annoying them really frustrating them six seven look at the top spin he got on the cue ball how well he got through the pack in fact 13 threw it too well look at the top spin dragster like oh he's gonna run off a different one that's now here this is where you have to have a really good mental strength he's missed a few of them you've seen his frustration his face with another long pot here he's got a curious nicely what a shot ronnie and sullivan one didn't expect that no that was a lovely positional shot stunned in lots of left hand side beautifully played 17 position of the reds it's going to be difficult to see maybe he's not going to win the frame from here didn't expect to get in so early it would be very very costly 25 32 but robertson has got 33 so much better at in the last decade he's been one of the very best no one's gone slightly wrong i'll play an alternative right into the right center nicely 7 48 that's the key shot play on the next red little cannon as long as it doesn't double kiss he's okay 54 now it's a certainty 55 ronnie would be very disappointed he will feel this should have been his break 62 long red missed a relatively easy blue for himself and he's sat down ever since what would be the 22nd century in total of this extraordinary tournament 70 the record is 23 just to put into perspective how good the break building has been this week i was looking back at some old records in between sessions and the first 14 crucibles the highest number of centuries in any one of them was 20 we've had 21 here 86 playing conditions have been fantastic perfect 90 92 he loves his records neil robertson and he loved to make another century here i'm going to try and get behind so it's going to require a good pot down the rail here for the century break another 10 a surprising failure to pop the blue needing four frames he could be less than an hour away from victory one six seven the black he played it left-handed it's very very close maybe just about he can just put a little bit of right hand side on it yeah that was a mistake yeah he's going to be able to pot this red 14 try and go between yellow and brown here brown and green it's brown and green but it could go wrong and it has gone wrong 15 ronnie o'Sullivan 15 irritated you can see that blatantly but not losing his discipline red has gone over the corner pocket so another chance for ronnie o'Sullivan not sure where the cue ball is going here better try and find the gap between the reds he has done needs to avoid the yellow and get out for brown well that's unlucky that was bold intricate deserve to be on a red he is one good positional shot two or three reds right of the pink spot he's overcooked it but he's on the red line into this corner pocket 10 once again three reds right of the pink spot he'd love to just get on one of those so he can get back onto the black it's okay 14 21 22 the last couple of shots have just gone slightly straight from be careful of the blue just struggling for position now play the yellow left-handed back down for that red right of the pack of all the ambidextrous players he's the best when switching hands he can play complex shots from both sides and he struck that one need his left hand here again this one not so difficult such a difficult shot to play the way he plays it left-handed ready that red has released these two reds into this corner pocket should secure another frame 40 it's been such a high standard from both players one chance snooker quick look at the score black just required he's still okay he's on this right he can put it just been treated all day to just a feast of wonderful snooker 53 great drama tension along the way it's what sport is all about 60 61 68 blue doesn't make life easier though 73 75 left himself a nice angle he could possibly bring the blue into play here 78 82 unlucky double maybe can he cut this in oh yes he can it is it that was his ninth century and for me the best one of the bunch what a cracking match playing runny refusing the red down the left-hand side of the table he missed that a few frames ago custom it's gone too far didn't want to go that far with the cue ball he's annoyed with himself because he knows he's given neil robertson free shot once again played his red into the top corner pocket or even into the middle pocket yeah wonderful shot and that's what neil robertson that opportunity just above the black here digging down on the cue ball now we're played very easy to push down eight nine 16 17 the only win for runny or silver when he's sitting in the chair now he's only got a hope that you know doesn't get a good split on when he does eventually go into the pack but you can't see him missing any easy ball 24 miss alvin's also made the high break out of the day 31 sure neil robertson will go go up for blue here try and get a nice angle and then maybe split the reds from the blue 32 could have done with a better angle he didn't have the best angle on the on the blue there he had to force 37 it's a containing safety shot yeah sometimes you just got to play those containing safety shots just to get another chance push the boat out that's all he was trying to do this cue ball is going close to this corner pocket foul runny or sullivan so a mistake and runny has a long red near this bottom right corner big shot this bit unfortunate now will he take the opportunity to try and go around the table with the cue ball or leave a red mid-distance oh i think he's found the gap it was a great shot to get around but i think he's been slightly fortunate but i have to be on this red and there you see he's got the gap seven he knocked it in regardless and now this is a gilt-edged chance to draw level 22 23 30 31 38 he's going to need at least four of these reds by value colors 39 the reds on the right hand side of the table he'll try and concentrate on just having another glance at the scoreboard he's got to be careful here that cue ball 46 he missed the black into this corner pocket a few frames ago and i cost him the frame 47 john verga would say gravity they had grazed the near jaw but the jaw said go on ronnie i'll let you off this time yeah i think more pace on that i don't think it was dropping back that this is a new cloth as well that helps 54 pink and black these two reds here would be enough good positional shot here cue ball between pink and red and try and get it into either the middle or the corner pocket that looks pretty good is that nicely into the middle 62 63 little scary the last few shots but the break has continued and now it should be enough for a sullivan to haul his way back this time the cue ball stopped short of it that looks pretty good good shot some of the black acknowledged by neil robertson pink is in a decent position for snooker's and that was a little loose the red in and out of bulk oh cue ball was good it's another excellent shot once again gotta be careful here ronnie so left hand side could hit the black well yeah robertson seven that makes a huge difference does he play in such a way where he could try and bring the black into play it's a possibility just try and drop it in that way and hold for the pink good part one some reels away from the table he had a great chance there to inflict a massive psychological blow all was going to be short of when he wanted the cue ball to finish up it was limping it back towards the ball client but he didn't get there deadly was melbourne ronnie was so loving you he's having an anxious look that cue ball came back into bulk he knew it was too short oh this is close oh yes mistake from neil robertson concentrating so much on position cue ball and his next red of course wasn't easy off that side cushion but all of a sudden momentum has shifted well and truly to ronnie o'sullivan but it's not going to be easy you can see where the black is six seven it's not good once again short of pace may try and get on the black he hasn't had a look at the back yet well it looks pretty tight but i think it may pot it if he could drop onto the top cushion he could roll the black along that top cushion still have the red it's close to the left corner pocket he's gone back up for blue similar shot to what neil robertson had robertson's cue ball was tighter to the cushion a little bit of leeway with the cue ball here played it nicely played it very nicely 18 19 the fact that it's a new clod just makes this shot a little bit easier still difficult there's pressure just going to play a dead weight yeah pretty good yeah i've sucked it in that's the time to play that shot 26 27 just wondering is the the crown of neil robertson starting to rest a little uneasily he's the defending champion having beaten o'sullivan 10-4 in a sparkling final last year 42 43 well that was a delightful little shot bring some more right then yeah at the bottom red obviously pots needs that cue ball to slow up and it has done it's pretty good 48 49 too straight on the black 56 57 that minimal contact on the blue means he's on the incorrect side of it 63 come down for the red just above the black this has been vintage o'sullivan has to be said 68 it's going to go one ahead with a possible two to play 76 77 you go back to that grand prix where he won those four frames in a row it's neil robertson 84 very very similar circumstances for 85 90 five centuries against mark williams in the quarterfinals 103 five centuries in consecutive matches snooker from the gods 107 this boy is a genius an exhibition of shots and breaks throughout this match and he hasn't stopped yet he was seemingly in trouble now he's in the lead not only had a great potters and break builders but their safety game is top quality as well excellent shot wonderful safety shot try and play a container safety shot could leave ronnie possible shots and nothing into the right center this goes wrong this was always a danger for neil robertson it was very close and thicker the cue ball would have been in behind the green fine margins as it is what has been left he's money in the bag he's still on this right now just wondering if he leaves the cue ball somewhere where the red is now will he be able to pot the black into the right corner that's what he's having a look at yellow ball look to get on this red just left of the black because that would open the black seven he's going to play a cannon here put the red play cannon onto the black and knock it towards this right corner ah beautiful play excellent shot 16 23 24 on that blue on that spot he had the chance would have been beneficial to him there now he's gonna have to play a deep screw it's gone wrong he's hit the brown he still has a pot on this red above the black 29 okay that blue on the spot a lot earlier in custom wonderful recovery perhaps contemplating the prospect of a decider double kiss left him in no man's land very unlucky neil robertson nevertheless we're looking good it's missed well and i miss ronnie o'Sullivan and that will be returned yeah why'd the reds on the way back here not much to go for ronnie o'Sullivan here o'Sullivan needs cover and none is there that should be the the decisive blow that takes us into a decider six seven ten yeah it could play even for the red that's closest to the top cushion here like through the gap yeah through the gap and then just drop this red in along the top cushion he said it's a high quality match 21 drama will continue right to the last frame 22 the very first meeting between these two went all the way 20 o'Sullivan won 5-4 what a final of the 2005 well show and now 17 years later with one frame to go they are still inseparable 35 36 what a solid frame that was from neil robertson a match that's lived up to expectations and we've got one frame to go it should be a thriller we always hoped it would be the last frame decider two great players two of the greatest i was gonna get the first chance see a containing safety shot you're coming back to balk it's risky it's risky if he goes back to balk and he's made a mistake that was the wrong shot for me first chance ronnie o'Sullivan one just about on the black eight i'm putting this right now nine 16 needs to sit there prepare for a chance should it arise 17 just gone wrong a little kiss on the black is knocked it into a difficult position here ronnie o'Sullivan 17 so neil robertson gets a chance it wasn't easy trying to drop it in and hold for the red along the top cushion sinking feeling no more reprieved well what do you do you put all your eggs in one basket and roll the red along the top cushion didn't speak about the new clarton makes a little bit easier for these shots that way but this is a big shot for neil robertson that's fantastic what a shot so much pressure on every single shot now that the green is off the spot here just makes this shot a little bit easier get back up for the reds on the right hand side of the table needs to slow up with the cue ball is going to be close to this right hand side cushion and the angle is not going to be good 14 slightly wrong here 15 that's just a wonderful shot very well played indeed 22 20 back in prime position now oneself together controlling that cue ball reds are perfect 30 31 real obstacles there from pressure 37 38 43 top cushion for the black into the opposite corner and try and stun it's all about pace here 44 played it well a little bit of right hand side just zipped off the second cushion ronnie o'Sullivan had first chance he missed that black 51 robertson took on a very difficult red the fruits of it 52 59 60 67 yeah absolutely stupendous from neil robertson supremely confident composed 72 under extreme pressure 73 ronnie o'Sullivan will be the first to congratulate in an epic match his satisfaction levels will be on the charts it's neil robertson who comes through the defending champion is into the final of the kazoo to the championship what a thriller by 10 frames tonight