Xi tried to impose a struggle at the end of the match, but could not reduce the lag of more than two frames, and eventually O’Sallawan broke away and made a victory, breaking up to the semi-finals in Krusigm for the 14th time-this is a new record.
So far, 49-year-old O’Sallavan only played episodes well, and probably he has a more difficult test against Zhao Sintoun, who first reached this stage. The match up to 17 victories (maximum 33 frames) starts on Thursday, May 1, afternoon. O’Sallawan, who has the same number of titles of the world champion as Stephen Hendri – 7.
At the expense of 10: 6 before the final session, SI won two starting frames and reduced the lag in half. In the 19th Freym he had the first chance, but having scored 28 points, he lost his position, and O’Sallawan punished him, scoring from afar red and making a break 82.
The SI series of 58 points allowed him to reduce the gap by 9:11 before the break, and in the 21st Freime he also had a chance-he led 54: 9, but was beaten on red. O’Sallan then scored the penultimate red along the side side into the upper scales (it was the best blow in the match) and made a clearance by 36 points. In the 22nd Freime, Xi scored 43, but roasted brown in a corner scaffold, and O’Sallevna calmly closed the meeting with a break for 74.
This is the 33rd in a row, O’Sllivana’s performance in Krusigm-a new record, and at the same time its 94th semi-finals of the rating tournament. He struggles for his 42nd title and the first since winning the World Grand Prix 15 months ago.
Ronnie O’Sallawan: “At the end of the second session, it became better to keep the cue and looked dangerous. He scored some good balls, but he was not lucky, and inexperience was visible. He may have won those frames in two years, but this time I took them.
I was lucky again. I try to teach and just hold on. I rely on the rivals losing and I don’t like it. I feel better when I create an opportunity and press on an opponent. When you win the match, it is a completely different feeling than when your opponent loses it. Look at Judd Trump, Mark Williams and Zhao Sintoun – with such a game as I do, I will no longer be able to compete with them.
Zhao Sintoun is an amazing, brilliant player, a fantastic talent, and he will still be better. But one talent is not enough to win here – it is necessary to be strong psychologically. In the semifinals and finals against you, someone will really be strong. We need to be able to resist the best, and whether he can do it – we will see.
For the last four years, it was difficult for me, and I had less pleasure in the game – so I paused. Now I try to play and look where it will bring me. I just pull on how I can. Today I had to work on a Kyi. Probably, you have to change the insert and sticker again – the one feels awful. I play bad, the bad is the worst thing that can be for a player in a snooker. I don’t think I can play even worse. ”
According to World Snooker Tour
Photo gallery
Video Fragments of the match: Ronny O’Sallev (England) – Si Jiahi (China) – 13: 9
Source: Sport.ua