Welsh Open - Rd 1

16^th February 2021

Featured Match - 

Report By Graeme Drayton of the 15 Red Podcast team 

Ryan Day v Ian Burns 4 – 3

Highest Break 74 – Burns (Frame 1)

Ryan Day broke the match off. This was Day’s first match back in action after winning the Snooker Shoot out against Mark Selby. Ian Burns’s match began with a 4-point foul, as the cue-ball went into the bottom left hand corner pocket. Ryan Day potted the first red and smacked into the pack from the blue but only craved out a 10 break, but made an error, after potting a red into the left bottom corner pocket, the white careered off another red and went into the opposite corner pocket. Burns went on to make a wonderful break of 74. After making just one error, the underdog took the opening frame.

Frame 2, Burns was looking the sharper and potted a long red into the green pocket to start off another break, but with the break on 5 he failed to gain position on the black and was forced to play safe. Day picked out a plant, with his break on 52 he missed a difficult red into the middle and Burns came to the table 47 points behind, his position went wayward after potting the second to last red with the long extensions and put the cue-ball behind the yellow leaving Day in a snooker. He escaped but left the red potable, Burns missed it, Day cleared the red but after potting the black he snookered himself on the yellow behind the blue. Eventually Day potted the yellow after Burns made a bad safety shot. Now Burns needed two snookers, he laid one of them from the green as the cue-ball landed behind the black, Day escaped really well especially with the green being on the top cushion. Burns left the green on and conceded.

Frame 3 started off very tactical, Day forced Burns into a long pot which he missed but he failed to pot it, but he got really lucky as somehow after the cue-ball hit a few reds it ended up back in baulk. The reds were open, and the pink had drifted over to the bottom left pocket. The long safety play continued, Burns potted the cue-ball as he glanced off a red trying to get back it to safety. Day made an error by giving away a six-point foul after he had planted the red onto pink which went in. As the pink spot was covered it had to be re-spotted onto the brown spot. Burns potted a red but missed the black, but Day could not take advantage after potting red and black he missed a red into the middle. Back came Burns with another chance to win this awkward type of frame, but he only made a break of 22. After Day’s not particularly good safety shot, Burns potted a fantastic red but lost control of the cue-ball and missed a difficult black. Allowing Day yet another chance to put this frame to bed, but only potted one red. The scores stood at 13 – 30 in Burn’s favour. The frame was becoming bogged down with safety play, but it was Burns who then potted one of the shots of the tournament so far, the cue-ball was on the bottom cushion and he potted a red that was on the baulk link into the green pocket. He went to make a 14 break and missed the black into the middle. Day was in again, after potting the brown he missed the cannon on 4 reds that were bunched tight together near the left middle. After Burn’s made an error, Day was in again, but it seemed like no one wanted to win the frame. After another weak safety from Burns, Day missed a red, and Burns was back at the table again, but missed another red along the bottom cushion. As Day missed a red, the scores were now 24 – 50. With just the colours remaining Day needed two 4-point snookers, he laid with the cue-ball tight in behind the brown, Burns escaped. Day got a second, which Burns escaped from. Eventually Burns potted the green and to won this up and down, topsy-turvy frame.

Frame 4, Day made the first mistake and Ian Burns stepped in, he nearly missed the first red but then re-gained his composure and looked noticeably confident in his break building, but came unstuck at 39 as he missed an easy red. Day seemed to be struggling, he missed a black on his break of 16. The black was now over the green pocket, another tactical battle ensured with the scores at 16 – 39 in Day’s favour. Day then picked out a delightful plant, got the black back on his spot. He potted yet another plant and went ahead by 41 points to 39, he was looked strong to convert his chance to draw the match level, he made a break of 56, Burns need 2 snookers – but after Day cleared the yellow that went up to 3, he missed the green and cue-ball went in off. Burns potted the green and was looking for two snookers with just brown, blue, pink, and black left. Day levelled the match after potting the brown.

Frame 5, Day started off the frame with a 29 break have nearly missed two reds as they both wobbled and somehow dropped in, but after potting a brilliant black, the cannon into the pack went wrong and failed to land on a red so he played safe. Burns potted a good long red, with scores level at 29 all, it looked as if the break had broken down but Burns continued the break by potting a great long blue. He went on to clinch the frame with the highest break of the match, with a wonderful break of 93 to put himself one frame away from the 2^nd. Ryan Day was really struggling and now had it all to do against 66^th ranked player.

Frame 6, Day was going for broke, he missed a long red. Burns then took a 14-point lead, but after playing safe when losing position, Day came to the table on a mission, but just as his potting was improving and after building up a 26-point lead, he missed a red. The scores were 41 – 14 to Day. Burns took on an adventurous shot with the rest, trying to pot a red that was on top of the bunch of reds but missed, and Day stepped in, made a solid break of 71 to force a deciding frame. Day was going into frame 7 with momentum.

Frame 7, Burns missed a long red, then gave away a foul after failing to contact the red, giving Day a free ball which he opted to play the brown which he missed but played the snooker behind the yellow. The frame turned into a tense tactical battle. The first opportunity fell to Day, he carried on from where he left off in the last frame. He made a magnificent break of 141 to go through to the 2^nd round. With his 71-break from the last frame and the 141 he won with 263 points without reply.