Welsh Open - Quarter-final

Friday Afternoon Session 

Featured Match - 
Report Written By Graeme Drayton from The 15 Red Podcast team 

Murphy v Maguire 4 - 5
Highest Break 133 - Maguire (Frame 9)

Frame 1
Started with a safety battle, just as both would not have liked. Murphy gave away the first foul, after missing thin clip on a red. Maguire missed a long red that came back up the up the table knocking the cue-ball back into baulk. Seven minutes into the match and it was Murphy who potted a long red into bottom left corner, the cue-ball went behind the back and the pack, finding its way into left middle. Maguire had ball in hand and from the d he potted a red into left corner, on its way back to the baulk end the side took effect, hit a red and fell into the green pocket. 2 unlucky fouls in a row of these two quality players. Murphy was next in, as he gently potted a red into left corner and he managed to hold for the black, but after knocking it in he failed to get onto his intended red and played safe of that red to send the white back to baulk. Maguire potted a fantastic red down the left cushion into left corner but he failed the get onto the black and opted to push the brown safe. Murphy then potted an incredible long red into left corner. Just as it looked as though Murphy was going to win the opening frame he had ran out of position and left a tough red into left middle, his brake halted on 29 as he missed it and was lucky not to leave Maguire a pot on, he played a very poor safety, as he doubled the red in baulk back down the table but finished just over the left corner. Murphy had potted the red to give him the frame, and was 68 to 9 up, he potted the black into yellow pocket. And with a break of 34 and only 2 reds left Maguire conceded and Murphy had won the first of a possible 9 frames and had settled into the quarter-final. 1 - 0.

Frame 2 began with Maguire missing a red to right corner and was unlucky to leave a straight red into the yellow pocket for Murphy. He had accumulated a break of 22, when he potted a red just at the back of the pack into the left corner, cue-ball smashed into the pack but was unfortunate to finish snookered all colours. Maguire was next in, he took on a red to right middle and potted, and got a nice kiss off the brown to finish on the yellow. He potted the yellow at pace, the cue-ball hit the pack, it nearly knocked a red into the right corner. That proved to be difference between 2 - 0 and 1 all. As Maguire produced a brilliant 105 break. To level the match. 1 - 1.

Frame 3,  Murphy was first in and made a break of 39. He potted the black to 46 in front but as he attempted to spilt up the pack it went completely wrong, only one red broke free and white stuck to a red leaving him with nothing but a safety shot to play. Magiure potted a long into right corner and made a great of 84 to go one frame in front of the magician. 1 - 2.

Frame 4 started out with tactical play, Maguire left Murphy a risky long into red corner, knowing that if he missed it then he could have lot the frame, he took it but was unlucky for the cue-ball to finished in the pack. He played safe but did not get a snooker behind green or brown. Maguire confidently potted a red into right corner and was away again. He made a solid 55 but missed a red into the right corner. Murphy cut in the red near the right middle, but the cannon from the blue in an attempt to remove the awkward reds from the black , the drifted over to the left corner, he was left a tricky red along the cushion but he deemed it to difficult to take in so refused and sent back into baulk. He had put pressure on the Maguire, he was forced into a pot into the left corner that he missed, the cue-ball and the red travelled back into baulk to leave a easy red that allowed Murphy to get his cue-arm going again. Disaster stuck with the break on 20 after potting a red into the left corner, the cue-ball somehow sneaked past the red on the bottom cushion and found himself snookered on the black, he played off the pink but into the right middle and was again snookered behind the brown. He lived up to his nickname by making a great escape. A few moments later, Maguire made an error and left Murphy with a chance. He went to win the frame on the black, making a break of 40 on the way, and levelled the match going into the interval. A good start to the quarter-finals first four frames, 2 - 2.

Frame 5 , Maguire broke off and left Murphy snookered behind the yellow. He misjudged the escape by giving away 7 points but
As nothing was left on, Maguire asked the referee - Paul Collier to put Murphy back. On the second attempt he hit the red on the bottom half ball and left it on the left corner. He came unstuck on 31 as he copied Murphy's shot from frame 3, the cue-ball stuck in the pack as he tried to spilt the pack. Murphy missed a cut on a red to left middle nearly potting the cue-ball in the right corner. After a series of safety shots, Murphy hit the cue-ball off the bottom to nestle into the two reds on the right cushion, but left Maguire a chance and he took it as he picked out a red in the pack just below the pink. He could only make a 6 break as he missed a simple straight-forward red into the green pocket and left the defending champion with an open table and chance to take the lead. Murphy made a 29 and missed a red into left corner using the rest. The scores were 44 - 29 to Maguire  the man in front came back to the table, who produced a great shot by potting a red into the right middle from a tight angle, he could not convert the chance, he missed a straight red to left middle but left Murphy nothing to go for. Maguire played a brilliant pot on a red from long range into left corner, the cue-ball kissed a red perfectly just below the blue spot the finish on the black. This time took control of the frame and made a 30 missed the final green but Murphy conceded, Maguire went back in front. 2 - 3.

Frame 6, Maguire attempted a long red into red corner but he played with safety in mind and brought the cue-ball back into baulk. Murphy long pot success was on 78% and improved that by taking a red into the red bottom corner and made a break of 81 to level the match at 3 - 3. This quarter-final was really warming up.

Frame 7.  Murphy missed a long red into the left bottom corner. Maguire took his chance to re-take the lead, but ran out of position on 37 and after potting a red into bottom left corner, he refused to on the yellow into middle and played safe off the green.
A few shot later, Maguire took on a plant which missed, the cue-ball hit another red and gave Murphy (who was 37-points adrift) the opportunity to take the frame. He potted the final yellow to go 22-points in front. Rather than go for the long pot, he laid a good snooker by pushing the green down the table, Maguire escaped but left it over the green pocket which Murphy blasted in but failed to get onto the brown. Maguire now needed one snooker but made a mistake, Murphy potted brown to pink to take the frame and go one frame away from the semi-finals. 4 - 3.

Frame 8, Maguire missed a risky long red into left corner, then Murphy did the same but gifted Maguire an early opportunity, he ran out of position after only making a poor 11 break and played the cue-ball back to baulk.
A few moments later, Maguire had no easy safety to play and forced into a long pot which he missed to right corner but was fortunate to get a good cue-ball which finished tight on the top cushion. After a bout of safety play, Maguire cut a red from long range into right corner (if it had not gone in he would have definitely losted the match) and got a nice kiss of a red to finished on the black. He made a break of 90 and forced a decider against the defending champion. 4 - 4.

Frame 9, Murphy saw first chance with a long red into left corner and missed it. Maguire was given a golden chance in the 9th and deciding frame. Murphy could only watch as Maguire potted a red into left corner and set his sight on winning the match at one visit. At one point in the break he pulled out a great shot to keep the break going but with break on 41 he potted the black the cue-ball ended up in the pace, he had looked to run out of position but recovered really well, he potted a tough red into the right corner while using the spider to bridge over the pack. He went onto make a total clearance of 133 to knock out the defending champion and to reach the semi-finals of the Welsh open for the first time since he won it in 2013. 4 - 5.

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