Welsh Open Final - Session 2

Sunday 21st February

Featured Match - 

Report Written By Graeme Drayton from The 15 Red Podcast team 

Match Stats From The Opening Session

Pot Success: - 

O'Sullivan 92% - Brown 90%

Long Pot Success: -

O'Sullivan 64% - Brown 53%

Safety Success: -

O'Sullivan 79% - Brown 92%

Total Points: - 

O'Sullivan 420 - Brown 450

The average shot times: -

O'Sullivan 18 Secs - Brown 21 Secs

The average frame time was 16 minutes.

Score From Afternoon Session

O'Sullivan 3 - Brown 5

Brown broke off frame 9. After a few good safety shots were played. Brown made a mistake, as the cue-ball was travelling back to baulk, it hit the blue full ball, which gifted O'Sullivan an early chance. But The Rocket broke down on a break of 33, as he missed long black into the yellow pocket. Brown blasted a red (at the bottom of the pack) into right corner, but could make a break of 18 as he ran out position and had to send the cue-ball back to baulk. Even though he had a good safety, Brown would have felt disappointed not to make more of that chance. Then Brown caught a safety shot of a red near the bottom cushion to thick and O'Sullivan took a red into right corner sent the cue-ball around the angels to finish on the black in baulk, but he opted to play a roll up behind the green. Brown missed the red on the escape, leaving O'Sullivan (who had a 20-point lead) and easy starter. But he very uncharacteristically over-cut the red, Brown took the red, he was unfortunate to get a bad kiss on the pink which left him with a straight long blue (on the baulk line) into the yellow pocket, he took very well, it was a very confident shot from the maturing rookie. After potting the next red into right middle, the bounce of bottom cushion was not favourable and again failed to drop nicely on the pink and played safe off the green. The score stood at 38 - 25 to O'Sullivan. Then the rocket made an error with his shot and Brown was back in again with a good pot on a red into left corner especially with the cue-ball being near tight on the baulk cushion. With the last red sitting awkwardly on the bottom cushion, Brown had to settle for a 13 break and play safe on it. The scores were now level. O'Sullivan could count himself a little fortunate as he landed a snooker behind the brown. The Antrim Ferrari escaped leaving the red on the top cushion, the cue-ball on the bottom in a lined full 3 ball snooker behind the pink, blue and brown. O’Sullivan escaped but had a left Brown a half chance of the red into the green pocket, which he took but after potting the blue, the cue-ball hit the black which left no pot on the yellow. Going into the colours Brown had only a 6-point lead. Brown laid another snooker, after playing the onto the yellow onto bottom cushion, the blue and brown covered O'Sullivan's target ball. He escaped off the left cushion, sending the yellow over right corner but the cue-ball was snookered behind the black. Brown hit of the red of the right cushion but left the yellow pottable into the green pocket but O'Sullivan refused the pot, because it was difficult to land on the green. This Brown made a big mistake, he doubled the yellow back down the table in the hope to leave O'Sullivan snookered behind the pink which he did not get, the yellow landed over green pocket which he took but did not left himself a shot on the green. He rolled of the green placing  the cue-ball tightly in behind the black, Brown hit the green but O'Sullivan potted it into left corner, the cue-ball travelled a bit too much and landed on top of the brown. Both players needed brown, blue and pink to take the first frame of the evening. Then  O'Sullivan aided by the long rest cut the brown into the green pocket, to finish perfectly on the blue. He went on to take blue and pink to pull one frame back - 4 - 5.

Could Jordan edge back into a two frame lead over the greatest player of all time and go within three frames of winning the Welsh?

Ronnie O'Sullivan broke off Frame 10, Brown had a go at a long red into the left corner but missed but O'Sullivan played safe. Brown caught a safety too thin and left the Rocket and mid-ranged just off straight red into the left corner. After the referee had moved some fluff that O'Sullivan wanted clearing, he got down, stuck and sank the red. The pink and black were out of commission, the blue was near the yellow pocket but finished snookered so he took the green. Eventually after a few pots he got the blue back onto his spot making the break easier. With break in the late thirties he had freed the reds up that were blocking the pink and went to make a 68 break in just seven minutes. When missed a red into right corner, Brown conceded with four reds remaining. The Rocket had levelled the match at 5 - 5.

Frame 11, Brown had left a long red from his break off shot, which O'Sullivan somehow missed it into right corner. The red bounced within the jaws of the pocket five or six times, coming to rest on the bottom cushion near the right corner. Leaving Brown a thin cut on the red his opponent had missed, but Vrown missed it the same way O'Sullivan had, it jawed in the pocket four times. The Rocket potted the same red that had been twice and was away again. With the break on 10, he took a very thin black to the right corner, it was a difficult while having to use the rest, he missed it, leaving O'Sullivan looking besumed and the black hanging over the pocket. Brown was left with red to the opposite corner, but after whacking the black in my, the cue-ball smashed into the pack but he was unlucky not to finished on anything. There was pressure on his next safety shot, as now it was an open table. He attempted a red into left middle, in an effort to leave the cue-ball safe on the bottom cushion, but had left O’Sullivan a pot into left corner, which he took and with the reds spread everywhere. He made a 61 break missed the last red to the yellow pocket but had done enough to win the frame and took the lead for the first time in the final. 6 - 5.

O'Sullivan broke the last frame before the mid-session interval looking to take a two frame advantage into it. But Brown started it off the better by taking on a shot to nothing plant into right corner it went in but because he played it with safety in mind, the cue-ball went back into baulk, but rather than the play the simple roll up he potted the brown into the left middle. After potting the black and spiltting in the pack, he was left a very tricky angle on a red into left middle, it was very missable but he took it with ease. On 46 he missed a long blue into the green pocket using the rest. O'Sullivan was left an easy red into right middle, but he could not take control as when he potted the blue he over the ran the cue-ball for a red into left corner so was forced to play safe. The scores were 46 - 6 to Brown. A few moments later, O’Sullivan missed a long red into left corner, and Brown stepped in. With his break on 5, he had looked to run out of position, after potting the brown, the cue-ball went around the angels was unfortunate to hit to blue but that did not halt the Antrim Ferrari. He was still in an attacking frame of mind, he potted a red within the small pack of reds into left corner, but could not control the cue-ball that went back to baulk so he opted for the roll up behind the green. O'Sullivan had two failed escape attempt, but on the third go he hit the red near the right cushion perfectly. The scores were now 60 - 6 in Brown's favour, and it was he who had played a good safety shot, he only left a down the right cushion for O'Sullivan to play for. The Rocket played the pot but missed it by a long, the red cannoned the cue-ball back to baulk, leaving Brown snookered on all but one of the 5 remaining reds. Brown potted the red next to the brown spot into left middle and played another roll up behind the green. O’Sullivan lashed out in his escape attempt and hit a red. Brown took on the red into the yellow pocket but missed and left O’Sullivan a chance to get back in the frame and cut into Brown's lead 65 - point lead. From nowhere O'Sullivan suddenly looked like he was gonna on and take a two frame advantage. He could only manage a break if 32, after potting the yellow the cue-ball hit the green, leaving it unplayable in the yellow pocket, O'Sullivan played safe snookering Brown. Jordan missed the green but hit the blue, gifting O'Sullivan a shot at the green but because he had to stretch over the pink and black O'Sullivan did not fancy taking the shot on, so he asked referee Ben Williams to put the balls back where they were and let Brown have another go. Brown hit the green on the second attempt but left O’Sullivan a pot into right corner. He missed it, as the green travelled back down the table hit the black, nearly potting it into left corner but more importantly the green ran safe onto the baulk cushion. The scores were 43 - 61 to Brown. After a few safety shots, O'Sullivan made a slight error as he left green near the right middle but the with the cue-ball near to left corner it made the angle on the green very tight but still Brown had a go at it and missed. O’Sullivan was left with a half chance but missed it into the green pocket but had a golden opportunity for Brown as the green ran towards the middle of the table in between the blue and brown, the Antrim Ferrari potted the green and brown. When he missed the blue O'Sullivan took a moments though but conceded. 6 - 6. He was certainly letting O'Sullivan know that he was not phased by him and his records.

Mid-session interval.

They headed out to play the last session of the final, what was now a best of 5 frame match.

Brown broke off frame 13 and had left O'Sullivan a red to right corner, but he missed it. Brown got the red but the cue-ball ran too heavy back into baulk, he played safe off the yellow. A few moments later took a long red into right corner that O'Sullivan had left. With the break on 26, after potting the blue, there was red to play for, he opted for safety of the side if the pack but on the way back to baulk, the cue-ball hit the blue and O'Sullivan was left in with a chance. The rocket only made a 17 and shockingly missed a thin black into right corner. A shock because you could not see Ronnie O'Sullivan missing a shot like that. The black hung like a shadow over the pocket. Nothing was available for Brown, he played a wonderful safety shot, he snookered O'Sullivan behind the brown on near the baulk cushion and took a 9 point lead into the safety battle. O'Sullivan just missed the reds on the first attempt, the second he took a wild swing, cue-ball hit the pink which scattered the reds everywhere,  one went into the left middle and Brown was given the chance to take back a one frame lead. But with the break on 17 he failed to get  favourable position on the black, and had to play off the green. The scores were 17 - 53 to Brown. Then O'Sullivan played an excellent snooker behind the green in baulk on the right side cushion. Brown hit the black, giving 7-points away, and leaving O'Sullivan a red to left corner which he missed and it after hitting the cushion the red rolled over to right corner and Brown now had a great chance to take the lead of final for the second time. Which he did with some brilliant shots, one on the green down the right cushion into tight corner, after that, he got and whacked the brown in, he went onto clear the remaining balls with a break of 49. And to go two frames away from the title. 1 up with a possible 4 to play. 6 - 7.

Frame 14, after Brown played a containing safety shot, O’Sullivan potted a red into left middle but after potting the blue and as he attempted to land a red to left corner the cannon of the side of the pack left him on nothing and had to play. At this point, O'Sullivan was getting frustrated and rattled. A few moments later, O’Sullivan snookered Brown behind the yellow, but the Antrim Ferrari executed a brilliant escape but O'Sullivan replied with a pot to left corner and began to quickly build a break. Like most frames already in this final, the black and pink were out of commission  O'Sullivan had to keep going up to play for the blue, with the break on 27 he played the blue and smashed open the removing pink and black into open play and now O'Sullivan had the perfect chance to level the match. He made a solid break of 58, using 10 reds, 9 blues and 1 yellow. He missed the brown and Jordan conceded with 3 reds remaining. 7 - 7. 

And now with this final drawing to its conclusion, suddenly it had become the best of 3. 

Frame 15 began with Brown putting O'Sullivan into trouble straight away. On a safety shot he pushed a red over to left corner but had laid a snooker behind yellow and brown, Ronnie was snookered on all reds. The yellow was on its spot, the brown were sat near the baulk cushion. There was a small gap between yellow and brown, he cued up to play a swerve shot to get through the gap but stopped asking Brown to come and have a look at the shot he had. O'Sullivan played a safety that went slighty wrong, the cue-ball glanced off the pack and left Brown the red to left corner that he himself a pushed over to on his safety. But again as in the last frame, the pink and black were out of commission so he had to keep playing for the blue. With the break on 13, he ran out of position on the blue, and attempted a mid-range green into the green pocket, he missed it while using the rest. O'Sullivan took a red into left corner and failed to get nicely onto the blue, but potted it cleanly into the yellow pocket. It was a fantastic shot. Just as O’Sullivan looked certain to win the frame at one visit, the break brown down on 25 when he missed a easy straight-forward pink into right corner. He was really annoyed with himself, he angrily rammed his cue forward, showing his frustrations. With the break on 41, Brown was showing no sign of nerves at all as he potted the pink in the left corner and gave him a glourious opportunity to win the frame by removing the last from off the bottom cushion and he did it in style. He went to make a break of 56, he missed the final blue but it did not matter. O'Sullivan was left to rue the pink he missed, but Jordan Brown was now one frame away from lifting the Welsh Open trophy and making history. 7 - 8. 

The match time was just approaching four hours.

O'Sullivan began frame 16 with a huge slice of luck, he caught a red too thick on a safety shot, the red somehow found its way around the back of the black and then it cannoned into another red on the left cushion and ran over the left middle but the cue-ball kissed the brown, and the northern Irishmen was left in a snooker behind the yellow. Brown saw a gap to a red to right corner, he swerved around the yellow, hit the red which double-kissed the cue-ball. O'Sullivan stepped in, potted the red that Brown had just attempted to pot and he was in, he started off compiling a break to take the match all the way to the 17th a deciding frame. With the break on just 7-points, he had just over ran a little too much for the black, the pink was out of commission too so O'Sullivan took on an incredible shot. With the cue-ball near the pack of reds and blue on its spot, he struck the shot so well potting the blue into the green pocket but not only that but he managed control the white to land on the red that had somehow ran over the left middle. It proved to be the key shot in the break, as O’Sullivan went on to clinch the frame with his one a fabulous total clearance of 119 - and along with notching up his 1,092 career century - just at the right time. 8 - 8.

The two players left the arena to compose themselves for the last frame. It was all or nothing now for the both of them. 

Jordan Brown broke off his 5th decider of the tournament, he had beaten Sam Craigie 4 - 3 in Round Two, Alexander Ursenbacker 4 - 3 in Round Three, Mark King 4 - 3 in the Fourth Round, then he incredibly defeated Mark Selby in the quarter-finals on the final frame black ball finished. 

Ronnie O'Sullivan had had the easier passage through so this was going a tough test for The Rocket despite just making that 119 break in the last frame. 

O'Sullivan had the first chance as Brown made a slight error off the break, he had a left a long red for his opponent into left corner, O’Sullivan missed it but as the cue-ball was going to finish on position for the black, the red came back and cannoned off the cue-ball and went into the green pocket, the cue-ball finished up in the pack. What a timely fluke, what a win and what a way to lose. Brown thought he was let in with a chance but was disappointed to see the red drop in. O'Sullivan took on the long blue into the green pocket, just as he did in the previous frame, this time he missed it by a long way, the blue hit the green sending over the left middle and O'Sullivan had gifted Brown a golden opportunity. This was a story, five years ago Jordan Brown was working early shifts in a petrol station in Northern Ireland, and asking his boss if he could finish early so he could get 8 hours of snooker practice in, he considered walking away from the sport. But now he was on the brink and looking a pot on a red into the right corner to reap the reward. He took a big breath before getting down and planted the red firmly into the heart of the pocket. Soon he had confidently accumulated 40-points, showing no signs of the pressure getting to him. Now he was half-way to a famous victory, after taking the black he failed to get enough backspin on the cue-ball, and was left with tricky red into left middle, his cueing was hampered by a red preventing him from striking the whole of the cue-ball and had to bridge over the red, after potting the red the cue-ball drifted a stuck on the left cushion, he then took on the blue into the right middle avoiding the cue-ball going into the green pocket and landing on a red into left middle. It was an excellent recovery shot, knowing that if he missed it then O'Sullivan would have cleared up and won the title. Brown was putting in a truely great performance, and when he potted the pink to go 64-points ahead with a break of 65, and there was 67-points remaining. He had left himself a straight red into the right corner, and as the referee Ben Williams asked Brown to wait a moment just while he could replace the pink, Brown took another huge deep breath, he got down stroked the cue forward and backwards about 5 times and struck the cue-ball and sank the red, but wanted to keep potting just to make sure O'Sullivan would not come back to the table, and then potted the black, clenched his first, he knew that was it. After potting the next red, he said 'Get in there,' realising that his dream had become a reality. He missed the blue, and nearly potted the cue-ball into the right corner pocket after playing a cannon on the bunch of the three remaining reds. What an incredible result for the rookie for Antrim- 8 - 9.

Jordan Brown lifted the trophy and put his name in the history books and added his name to the list of great Welsh Open  chanpions.