Watch as current champion Ronnie O’Sullivan attempts to win a record-tying fifth championship at the Champion of Champions and get frame-by-frame updates live. O’Sullivan is the tournament’s star player, joining Luca Brecel, Mark Allen, and Judd Trump. Monday’s first match pits Jimmy White against Mark Allen, with Mark Selby facing Ali Carter in the afternoon session’s second encounter.
Oooh yeah! Mark drills a glorious straight starter to right corner – he’s cueing well, because you can’t sink those if you’re not. If that’s a window into his form, Ali’s in a lot of trouble.
OFF WE GO AGAIN
TALKING OF WHICH
Coming up next: Mark Selby v Ali Carter.
MARK ALLEN BEATS JIMMY WHITE 4-1!
Not vintage from the Pistol, but the last two frames were much better and he’ll face either Ali Carter or Mark Selby this evening.
ALLEN 3-1 WHITE (100-0)
Match secure, Mark reaches another ton, and this is much better from him.
ALLEN 3-1 WHITE (77-0)
Ach, a poor shot from Mark means he’s to attempt a plant to right corner; he hits the far jaw punkt in the middle … and somehow pocket still accepts ball! This iscurtains.
ALLEN 3-1 WHITE (45-0)
Nope, Mark feathers a red that takes the white off-line so has to play up for the blue; he won’t mind, because this visit should seal the match and the way he’s moving about the table now – quickly and with purpose – it feels like he’s improving in front of our eyes.
ALLEN 3-1 WHITE (24-0)
Yeah, good luck with that old mate. Jimmy leaves a starter, Mark sends it down, and immediately, Phil Yates calls the maxi….
ALLEN 3-1 WHITE
Whatever else is said about Mark Allen, he’s got plenty of moxie, and he glides in a delicate pink to secure the frame. Jimmy needs three straight to stick in.
ALLEN 2-1 WHITE (38-45)
Shonuff Mark can’t get position on that final red so Jimmy jams in behind it – trying to play safe but nearly potting it in the corner – it was a total mishit. A total mishit that leaves Mark another chance at seizing the frame, and it’ll be hard for Jimmy to come back from 3-1 down.
ALLEN 2-1 WHITE (8-45)
Eeesh, Jimmy misses a blue to the yellow, and for the second frame in a row, faces the prospect of Mark stealing, simply by potting all the balls he should; there’s one red on the side, though, that might prove the Whirlwind’s salvation.
ALLEN 2-1 WHITE (0-32)
He can’t, though, take his next chance, but when Mark misses a double he immediately has a shot at another. The balls, though, aren’t kindly placed, various among them on cushions or stuck together, so this run will take a little working out.
ALLEN 2-1 WHITE (0-7)
Left one, Jimmy gets away, but a full-ball cannon off a red potting the black means end of break. He really, really needs to win this frame.
ALLEN 2-1 WHITE
Jimmy will be feeling very poorly after missing that red; all the more so if he’s allowed Mark to play himself into nick.
ALLEN 1-1 WHITE (51-44)
The table is playing nicely, reckons Phil Yates – and very differently to those on which Jimmy will have played when he first joined the tour, 43 – ! – years ago. Mark, though, is doing a good job of punishing his error.
ALLEN 1-1 WHITE (17-44)
Oh, Jimmy. Thinking position, he misses a red to left corner and Mark should at least get back in the frame from here. Really, you expect him to steal it, but the way he’s played so far, who can say?
ALLEN 1-1 WHITE (0-44)
A pressure black and big blue keep the run going, but here cones another red to right corner – the kind Jimmy missed earlier. Burt this time, though he hits the knuckle, pocket accepts ball and this is now a frame-winning opportunity.
ALLEN 1-1 WHITE (0-30)
Mark misses a long one and Jimmy gets in, balls pretty nicely spread. These are the kinds of chances he needs to take…
ALLEN 1-1 WHITE
Mark levels the match and confident, grooved him sprints away from here. We shall see.
ALLEN 0-1 WHITE (68-9)
Again, Mark finds himself with an opportunity, Jimmy botching one of his own, and this’ll be the frame. But can he settle into the match?
ALLEN 0-1 WHITE (30-9)
Mark gets in immediately in frame two, and perhaps knocking in a few balls will let him settle. It’s a funny thing, really, he was the player of last season but, by the end of it, was so far away from the potting game which made his name that watching him was a bit of a struggle – partly because it was dull, but also because he’s a natural talent who should be building breaks and taking risks. Anyway, he soon misses, but Jimmy can’t capitalise and I fear this match may be painful.
ALLEN 0-1 WHITE
…and down it goes! The Whirlwind o Lahndan Tahn hits the front!
ALLEN 0-0 WHITE (58-58)
Er, not really. But he’s still got a shot at the black, a thinnish cut from right side to left corner…
ALLEN 0-0 WHITE (58-52)
Mark goes at a long one to the green and misses by aeons! Can Jimmy see it away with the rest, screwing deeply enough to get position on the black?
ALLEN 0-0 WHITE (58-52)
Mark gets himself a nice angle on the blue and looks to come behind the pink to send it right-middle; he underhits it though so instead has to go to the yellow bag … and he jawses it! But the white is on the top rail, so the frame remains alive and the chase is now on!
ALLEN 0-0 WHITE (49-52)
Just after Jimmy nailed that yellow, Angles noted that back in the day, he’d have knocked that safe but is trying to reinvent himself in the modern game;; I bet he wishes he’d stuck to the old ways now.
ALLEN 0-0 WHITE (29-52)
Jimmy’s had to take low-value colours so the frame remains alive when he tightens on a red and winds up on nowt. But look at that! Jimmy clobbers down a long yellow and from here, the frame should be his … except he misses the next pot to left-middle! Mark has a chance to steal, the pink the only ball not out on the open!
ALLEN 0-0 WHITE (22-20)
Jimmy can’t drain a red to left corner so Mark sees away a red then tucks in behind the broon; the escape is achieved after five fouls, and there’s nothing left on. So Mark tries a cut-back as a shot to nothing, taking him down the table when he misses it and neither player is yet settled. It must be a bit nippy in the arena as the Pistol has hands wrapped around a mug of some sort – though the gear for this competition, short-sleeved darts-style shirts, probably doesn’t help. At least they’re dead stylish! Anyroad, Jimmy drills a long red to left corner and gets to work.
ALLEN 0-0 WHITE (1-9)
Left one off the break, Jimmy misses a diagonal steer to right corner and Mark gets himself away. But he can’t see away a blue to the green, to put it mildly – he misses by miles – and this gives the Whirlwind an opportunity.
HERE COME OUR PLAYERS
And off they go!
HOW THEY QUALIFIED
This contest is for last season’s tournament winners. Mark Allen won the UK Championship and the World Grand Prix, Jimmy the seniors, Mark Selby the WST Classi and the English Open as well as coming runner-up in the Worlds, and Ali the German Masters.
HOW IT WORKS
In the afternoon session, we have two best-of-nines: today, that’s Mark Allen (4) v Jimmy White, then Mark Selby (5) v Ali Carter. The winners will then meet this evening of the best of 11.
I LOVE THIS COMPETITION
The best players, playing each other, with a beautiful closure over a decent stretch every night. Glorious.
HELLO THERE!
And welcome to the Champion of Champions 2023 – day one!
The Champion of Champions is here.
Monday sees Mark Allen take on Jimmy White at 13:00 and then Mark Selby faces Ali Carter from 15:00.
Then in the evening session, the winner of those two matches will collide for a place in the semi-finals.
Follow LIVE frame-by-frame coverage here.
