Tian Places the King in Check | Ronnie O'Sullivan vs Tian Pengfei | 2020 Scottish Open L32 ‒ Snooker

Attacking shot there from John Penfey, playing the cue ball to that side cushion just in case a mistake. Penfey will be trying to work that black free as soon as possible. So that attempted split, the reds didn't work out as planned. Caught the wrong red, he was playing to hit the red above that. May get another chance to see that. Okay just a little bit too hard on the blue but shouldn't be a problem. Just to drop it in, take the red to the left corner. He could go in and out of balk. That wasn't clean. Doesn't do your confidence any good when you nearly miss them. Well he could take the more difficult red by the pink spot, just clear that area in case he does take the pink. Well he nearly missed it last time. He certainly missed it this time. That's incredible. I mean he would have thought that he'd have learned from the first time round. He doesn't look as sharp today funnily enough. If he'd have finished high on that red he could have played the cannon to the red and black. Didn't want the kiss on the red and that took the pace out of the cue ball. So the wrong side of the blue. He did have the angle to go in and out in and out of balk but chose to leave himself this long one. Good shot. He needs to keep running. Just not far enough I'm afraid. If he decides to pinch a little bit on the pocket to come back across the table he's in danger of missing the blue on these middle pockets. But he managed it. Played the blue off that top angle. Took the risk. It's a good shot that. It's another one. And now getting the pink back on its spot makes the break building a little bit easier. That's the style. This pink will take him into the lead but he is going to need that red next to the black to win the frame at this visit. And Neil Sullivan will have already worked that out and that was very careless. He's very annoyed with himself for catching that red. The screw didn't just take effect quick enough. Now looking at the possible plant. Got to be made. Oh and he's brought the black into play as well. That's a disaster. Will he survive it? Yeah it just depends where the black goes and that's what he's concerned about here. May have played for the pink there you know. Does the black go? He could play for the pink if there's any doubt. Again I'm not sure what he played there. He played up onto the blue. This looks like a good recovery. A little switch to left-handed. Yeah it was a careless shot. Yellow and green required. And it looks like it's going to cost him. That's punishment. That's pain for Tian Pengfei. It's always worse when you've had the chance given it back to your opponent. Tian taking on that tricky plant but despite the missed blue. That's the first frame on the board. A disappointing start for the underdog. Ronnie O'Sullivan even though he shakes his head leads by one frame to nil. So Tian had a chance in the first frame. He's got another chance here. Yeah poor safety from Ronnie O'Sullivan has allowed him this chance again. Three is made in this frame so far. Those seven reds surrounding the black. All in difficult positions. Well not straight so he's going to disturb the reds here. He'd be unfortunate not to be on something. Well that's okay. That little double kiss he got there has left him on this red. That's not so good. The black is potable but can he hold for the red by the pink spot? If the black goes to the right corner I think it does. He's in real business here. These are the kind of chances that he's got to take. It's red and a black or blue. Should seem safe. Oh he's missed the blue. Would you believe it? That is incredible. It's frame ball. O'Sullivan would have needed a snooker. Simple blue. He didn't have to concentrate on position. Just pop the blue. Although it is a difficult table but this is O'Sullivan we're talking about. Yeah it may not be all that difficult for too long. Still a difficult table he's got the blue to contend with and this black. Gotta go. To leave himself absolutely perfect on this red. And these are the kind of frames that really excite O'Sullivan. To be able to punish and the other player had the frame one. All the top players enjoy making these type of clearances. Good angle on the black to get to that last red. Suits a right-handed player. Short of pace. 32. Short of pace. Looks good. 32. Looks very good. Excellent safety to finish with. Still in trouble having missed that relatively straightforward blue. I can't believe he's not putting that back. I don't understand that at all. Well he's not a fan of the misrule is he? He feels as though it gives an unfair advantage to the player who's laid the snooker. We saw that against Mark Selby in the world semifinals when there were a few hidden hopes out of a snooker. So if players deliberately miss the red, which they can do by fractions, you don't have it put back. That's why we had the misrule originally. So I don't get it. Yeah good blue though. I think he was trying to bring the blue into play there. It's a good chance of the snooker here. Perfectly played. So some players could miss this red and not leave anything on. So you don't have it replaced. It's unfair to have it replaced. So it could be a free ball. Definitely wouldn't be going back. Green ball. Still got the blue to contend with. Ironic that having missed it for the frame, it's now seemingly Tian's only saviour. Didn't get enough side or screw into the cue ball. This is difficult. Needs some luck. Yeah not always easy to a colour when the red's in the jaws of the pocket. He's got to play this with bottom and slow. Yeah not easy to play it with bottom. Job isn't done yet. 26 the lead. 27 there. Once again it's not too bad. What do you play here? He could play the snooker in behind the blue. Plays this black to pot it and get position. Could be very costly. Didn't play position. So why not the snooker? The seven points not really any good to him. What a big frame this is for Tian. Surely a must win. These two entertain thoughts of an upset. So 12 in the game now then. Tian Pengfei still doesn't need the blue as yet. It's going close. It's going close. Oh what a turn up that is. That's a little smile but it's giving him a chance. Can level this match. He can just settle down but at the moment he looks edgy. It's green and brown. The green stays out. This has got to be close. Be careful of the enough. He's overdone it. Tian Pengfei now needs the blue. Now does it drop into the middle pocket from there? He's having a look at the scoreboard. He only needs the pink if he can just drop it in. Brilliant. I thought so the way he just stroked it in. A frame that Tian Pengfei once again really should have won. He missed a straightforward frame ball blue. He had other chances after that but he now finds himself 2-0 behind. Another safety error from Tian Pengfei. Sullivan just overrunning his position. So that difficult blue that Sullivan tried. Trying to make something happen for himself. Trying to find a rhythm. Had it not been for that easy blue that he missed. It would have been one each. This time under-hitted. Just playing heck with himself. Finishing low on the red. Tian Pengfei 40. Hasn't played on the match table though. I don't know when the last time he did with the TV cameras there. Completely different lighting. The cameras moving about all over the place. Got to try and put all that out of your mind and difficult to do when you're not used to it. It's a good pot but not ideally on the black. A brave shot because he played for the red as well. Nice angle on the blue to be able to go into the reds. It's the worst thing that could possibly have happened. Hitting the reds and missing the blue. I just don't think he's settled on this match table. 57 proved not to be enough in Sullivan. Thank you pardon 56 as O'Sullivan misses the black. Proved not to be enough in the previous frame but straight back in. It's been pretty in and out from O'Sullivan this afternoon but scoreline remains very favorable for him. Yeah not ideal on the pink either. Yeah there was lots of pressure on that because he had to play the shot. There was no there's no getting away from it. He had to play that shot and he knew if he missed it it could be. I don't know about losing the frame yet because that red in the balk area is tough. A real chance to get right back in it. Needs a good angle now on the pink or screwing down for one of the balk colors to get to that last red. That looks okay. Again doesn't want to be straight on the red. This is a tough one. Sullivan has made a few errors at the start and in the middle of frames but he's not making any at the end and that's when it really counts. He is going to need the black though and the brown going down onto the black spot doesn't help. Lots of side on the cue ball to get to the brown. Yeah trying to give it a little nudge. Yeah needs them all. Had he potted the blue then Tien Pengfei would have needed the pink and black. Good shot. Traveling a little bit further but should pot this one. This to halve the deficit then and in it goes. Well played Tien Pengfei. He missed a much more straightforward blue in the previous frame which cost him. He potted that one though and the pink and he's now belatedly in the match. Two one down. Sullivan hasn't really fired yet but he's produced a couple of excellent pots to get frames one. Notably the pink for two nil. Tires break relatively modest 57. Tien's made 39 56 and 40. Sullivan still two frames away from the last 16. What a pot that is. Looks more like it. Very difficult pot but he misses the blue to the left middle. He's missed more shots to date than I think he's missed in all the other games put together. One six. Got an angle there. He could have gone into the pink. 12 13. Now maybe go into the pink here. Yeah nice little tickle on the balls there and he's cleared the pink spot. Pink now goes. 31 36. Something to think about for Ronnie O'Sullivan. Doesn't seem to be focused as much on this match. Oh but a miss. Red from Tien Pengfei. Just not firing on any cylinders at the moment. Ronnie O'Sullivan. Not guaranteed position. Possing this red. But he's played it very very well. Right side of the blue. Oh great chance. 13. This red and the pink would be enough to leave Ronnie O'Sullivan needing snookers. 20. 26. So 61 points the difference. One snooker needed. It's red to make absolutely sure. Wow. 26. What about that poor shot? I'm just looking at the table. He could leave that red next to the pink as the last one. Just a little screw in behind the pink then. One snooker required of course for O'Sullivan to turn this frame around. But oh what a time to miscue. O'Sullivan. 16. A new tip as we know. He replaced it after his win over Alan Taylor. A good fight back from Tien Pengfei given how disappointed he would have been to be two nil down. But O'Sullivan then missed along the rail. It's now a best of three for a place in the last 16 and a meeting with Robbie Williams. So Tien Pengfei right back in the match. It's two frames all. O'Sullivan had led two nil but now we're dead level. First to four to go through. The cue ball needs to slow down otherwise there's a red on to the right corner. Trying to get that cue ball in behind the black. Certainly not as assured so far today O'Sullivan as he was in rounds one and two. Well there was pressure on that because he could be leaving a red to the middle or the corner. I don't think he can believe how far he is away. He needs some luck here and he didn't get it. Another great chance this for Tien Pengfei and this time the black is free along with the blue. Six. Well we've been here before. This blue is what cost him the second frame. Similar. Still got the pink and blue now. Pink free. Overscrewed it again so more pressure on this yellow with the rest. A deep screw back. How does it go for this thin cut on the brown? You have to get this one. Good shot. Nearly brought the black into play. It may go now the black. Oh didn't want the kiss on the yellow. This red is still on to the middle but 10 times harder now from there. Big moments though for Tien Pengfei and I understand his excitement. Not interested in the red over the middle. What about that for a shot? That's got to be worth another luck. It's got him right back into this game. What an incredible shot that was. Played it with safety in mind yeah but oh guess what I'm giving him all that sugar. Look at this for a shot. Never touched the sides. Nicely on the yellow. Now it just depends what kind of an angle he's got on this red as to what colour he can play for. If it's straight very difficult to get anywhere. Yeah it was difficult. Now he hasn't left anything easy for Sullivan. This red is on to the left corner but again no guarantee of position going into the black. Where's it gonna finish? Could have finished anywhere. It's a great recovery pot and deserve to be on something. His pot success is at 79 percent at the moment and that hasn't helped. Big shot this for Tien Pengfei. Well played. Well played as he was leaving that red by the black. Just got an important red there. Another good pot which is selling the difference. Nicely on the brown to come down for that red by the pink. It's been bits and pieces this frame but Tien is gradually edging his way towards a 3-2 lead. This red any colour will do. This time no problem with frame ball. He slotted that in confidently. That's continued to be the case. So Sullivan struggling and Tien has gradually begun to take advantage of that. 40. Seems to be getting stronger. 45. Nothing special but enough. More than enough. Just one frame away from one of the best wins of his career. Something there on his tip. So an early chance. Tien Pengfei wasn't far away with that pot. It was a good angle on the black to go into them and it could have been very rewarding had it gone in. He could do with leaving an angle straight away here on the black. Not quite that much. Potted the red off the wrong angle and that's why the cue ball hasn't gone a little higher. Be a brave shot to go into them from there. Just getting the run of the ball a little. Played into the red softly. Didn't leave anything easy. Another gasp from Ronnie O'Sullivan. This time he does leave a red on. Not a gimme chance. Oh he's missed that red. I think Ronnie O'Sullivan could be just getting a little bit frustrated now with the misses. He needs something special and the balls are nicely placed to provide it. He left it a little bit too straight. The cue ball looks to be coming back into that red. 16. Near the right side cushion. 17. 23. 29. He's never done worse than the quarter finals of the Scottish Open in the three years that he's entered this event. 36. These three loose reds would be enough. He doesn't need to go into them. Oh there is a red that will go to the right middle directly above the black. Played for choice of two reds to both corners. 44. 45. Had a chance. He missed the black off the spot. 52. More red needed after this black. So it's the red to the middle. 59. Just got to be careful not to leave the red to the opposite middle if he misses it. He didn't miss it though. Frame ball. So we're going to a decider. Barring snookers. This is already O'Sullivan's best break of the afternoon. 66. 67. From Ronnie this afternoon. If truth be told this has been quite a low quality match. Dakes including Tian even though he got himself in front from 2-0 behind but O'Sullivan about to find his best form when it matters most as he so often has in the past. 83. 89. 90. This is what the fans have been waiting for. I'm going to turn it on. He's got another frame to win. You can't believe he's missing shots like that. One more frame to come. It's all to play for. Three all. Toughest frame to win of course is the last one. Of course what would be a big upset on the face of it. He still has the chance. Can't know. He's playing the two cushion escape and he's played it well. It was risky to play that. Catch that wrong and at the end of a frame of match it's left a tough red for Tian Penfei and he's not interested. Can't get to the black. Can he see that red next to the pink to get the cue ball back to the book area? The cue ball could go in off or catch the angles. Yeah good shot. Similar type of shot for Ronnie O'Sullivan. Maybe he can bring the black into play here. Try and get that cue ball dead on the cushion behind the yellow. Not quite set and there's no point in trying to make it because there's no colour. That's brought the black into play. Thought he could take the plant in off the other red but played it with safety in mind and that's a pretty good shot. He could land up to those two reds just above the pink. Don't think he leaves anything on to the middle. Couldn't get to a colour. It's a great putt but what a risk for one point. There's no way he's going to be on the colour but it's got him out of trouble. He had a chance to gain the advantage but that's not a very good safety. Cannon to blue would have been nice. Now that's a terrific putt. Really that's a terrific putt. It's on the yellow to the corner or the middle. That would have brought the house down. If he's straight on this red he can get to the black and that's how important that safety shot was from T.M. Penfiegg. It wasn't a good safety. He could have got that cue ball close to the cushion. In fact a kiss on the blue would have left O'Sullivan in trouble. As it is O'Sullivan with a chance to win this frame and match and he hasn't come far enough on that red. So I'm going to have to go down for one of the ball colours yellow or brown. He could come down for that reds down this end of the table rather than playing for the one in the middle. Nicely played. He's got to keep his concentration now for a few more shots. Good red to play for. Releases another one to the left corner and to the right middle. It was a wonderful shot he got in with. I'm sure T.M. Penfiegg thought he'd got safe. Look at the scoreboard. He's got enough loose reds to win frame and match here. And it only takes one moment of inspiration namely that long red to get in for O'Sullivan to suddenly look like his old self again. Yeah absolutely brilliant. And he finished nicely on the yellow but the yellow wasn't a gimme he had to play to the corner pocket here. But from there on in his positional play has been immaculate. Now 54 point lead. One more red needed. Inch perfect again. O'Sullivan snookers. When he concentrates this is what he can do. That 90 break in the last frame. That 93 in the last frame. And then this from nowhere. Absolutely nowhere this came from. And T.M. Penfiegg might reflect on the first two frames which he lost. Both of which he could have won. Certainly the second he should have won. Missing a routine blue off its spot to left center. And although he was able to win the next three. Had he taken his chances early in this match O'Sullivan might have had too much to do. The foul on the ground is surely irrelevant. It is. So Ronnie O'Sullivan has saved his best snooker till last. And his hopes of a first Scottish Open title in the Home Nation series remains alive. He's come from 3-2 behind to win by the odd frame.