Zhao Xintong 6-5 Rory McLeod - Zhao potted the difficult brown but left the cue ball close to the rail and missed the blue. McLeod then missed his chance and Zhao potted an excellent blue for the match. A well deserved win for the young man.
Zhao wins the long battle on the final three reds by thundering in a long red to give himself the chance to clear. He pots the final three reds but will need the brown on the side cushion
McLeod runs out of position but gets another chance soon after. However he can only build a 15 point lead before missing an easy enough third to last red. Nothing left for Zhao though so an important safety battle in progress.
McLeod misses a red and leaves it in the jaws but the path for Zhao looks blocked. He thought he could get through but hits the blocking two reds first and now McLeod has a great chance to make him pay for that error in judgement.
Decider - A nervy start to the final frame and a McLeod mis-cue personifies that. However, Zhao hasn't been able to take full advantage yet but does have an early lead with eight reds remaining.
Frame McLeod - Decider coming up then after McLeod's fluke on the final red. Surprised he's been able to come back after Zhao got on a nice run to go 5-3 ahead. Also the final match left this afternoon and I'm the last person in the sports hall watching
Both players have had chances in this frame. McLeod leads by 18 as they battle on the final red. The colours are all in the open so it really is all on the red - and McLeod flukes it.
A missed red to the middle for McLeod has produced a chance for Zhao now. Plenty of reds in the open but still one or two on cushions that could stop him winning the match at this visit.
Frame 10 - We could be going the distance here. After a scrappy start to the frame McLeod is in but again he cannot take advantage. Still a long way to go before this frame is settled.
Frame McLeod - A run of 40 did not get it done and he needed two more chances thereafter but McLeod finally gets frame nine on the board and closes the gap to just one. 5-4 Zhao
A nice snooker from McLeod has given him the next chance of frame nine and it's a good one. Plenty of reds open as he edges ahead in the frame and really he should be able to close the gap to 5-4 here.
Frame 9 - Things have really gotten away from McLeod here and Zhao has his tail up. The left hander has the first chance in the ninth, only needing one frame for victory here. He misses a tough pot on 22 though after going into the reds. Could have been a match winner had it gone in.
Frame Zhao - A run of 47 from Zhao to the green looks like being enough to open up a two frame advantage, barring a series of snookers. 5-3 Zhao
Zhao's earlier break was ended when he missed the pack looking to go into them. A safety error from McLeod though has given him another decent chance as he aims to go two frames clear.
Frame 8 - McLeod has been good from long range today and is so again at the start of the eighth. His break gets up to 23 before he plays a red and screwing back off the pack he goes in-off in the middle. Zhao then pots his own long red and is in now.
Frame Zhao - No messing around from the young Chinese player and he takes the great scoring chance he calved for himself. A break of 82 that was easy on the eye edges him ahead once more. 4-3 Zhao
Frame 7 - Zhao is in first in the seventh after narrowly losing the previous frame and has built a good scoring chance here. The frame looks there for the taking as the break moves into the 50's.
After fluking the final red and only being able to pot the green, Zhao can only tie as he and McLeod play safe on the yellow. Rory leaves the yellow on for Zhao who pots it and snookers McLeod on the green. From there he misses and leaves Zhao a chance to clear up and win but a miss with the rest on the pink ends that hope and after more safety McLeod pots the pink from range. 3-3
Zhao gets a chance to counter with four reds left, potting the first two and then fluking the next when trying to play safe. He misses the following black and after a missed double from McLeod the pair are battling it out on this final red with McLeod 31 in front.
Frame 6 - McLeod looking to get back into this after losing the last three frames and he has a good opportunity to do that here. Zhao's snooker escape left McLeod in and he's looking good until screwing in-off in the middle. Nothing left but a risky red for Zhao though which he misses and leaves safe. A second McLeod in-off just after could prove costly though as Zhao finds a good red from range but misses the black and McLeod will be relieved to be back in now.
Frame Zhao McLeod could not land on a red after going into the cluster of three and a poor safety to follow allows Zhao the red he needed for the frame. 3-2 Zhao
Zhao makes the highest break of the match so far at 62 but isn't over the line in this frame yet. His miss into the baulk pocket and a pot into the opposite one from McLeod has given him the chance to counter. Three reds bunched in the middle of the table need seeing to but no balls on cushions.
Frame 5 - Back from the interval and it's Zhao with the first opportunity after McLeod leaves on the long red he went for. After taking the last two frames Zhao will be looking to kick on now.
Frame Zhao - A miss from range on the final red from Zhao isn't punished, and McLeod's subsequent miss leaves Zhao the opening needed with all the colours in the middle of the table to clear and square this match at the mid-session break. 2-2
McLeod missed when in on 34 in the end and despite two decent chances since from Zhao, the elder player of the two still holds a slender lead in the frame and has now knocked in another good long red to give himself a decent chance, but wobbles the next red in the jaws of the middle. A good opportunity for Zhao now, but he can only make 6 before missing.
Frame 4 - First chance to McLeod at the beginning of frame four. Looks a decent one too and McLeod will be looking to beat his highest break of the match so far which from memory isn't all that high.
Frame Zhao - Eventually after the tip tapping in the corner pocket it's McLeod who makes the error, knocking the black in and leaving the frame open for Zhao who with both reds over the pocket and colours in the open, does more than enough to get his opening frame. 2-1 McLeod
Zhao has played a brilliant safety here. With one red already tied to the black over the corner pocket, Zhao has played the other one very close to it and gotten the full distance of the table between cue ball and object ball(s). McLeod plays a good return after two misses and now a bizarre re-rack could take place even.
McLeod misses a red along the cushion with a 33 point lead and Zhao set about clawing that back. Despite an eventual missed black he left the final two reds safe and is now only 11 behind. Still struggling with the cough though. Has just had to come up off a shot because of it.
Run of the ball hasn't helped Zhao thus far. McLeod missed on 18 but left nothing, but a long pot from the Chinese youngster shortly after has forced an opening now. He can only make 8 however before missing the pink and McLeod is back in, lots of safe reds though at the moment.
Frame 3 - I said this match would be a clash of styles and so far I've been right. McLeod has really got a hold of this game and is in the mood to grind Zhao down. A slightly rash shot from Zhao is perhaps a sign of frustration and has left McLeod in with the first good chance of the third frame.
Frame McLeod - Zhao pots a good brown from range but cannons the black on the side cushion and ends up snookered on the blue behind it. He misses the blue completely and leaves it on and that is enough for McLeod to close out the second frame. 2-0
McLeod is winning the big battles so far. He wins the safety on the final red but misses the green so only leads by seven with those five colours remaining.
McLeod reduces the gap to just six before missing a tricky pink in the middle. Doesn't leave either of the two remaining reds on though and an important safety battle is ongoing.
Zhao makes a swift 38 but breaks down after failing to get into the cluster of three reds in the middle of the table while the other three reds were on cushions. A good long red and blue to follow have now given McLeod the chance to reduce the deficit in this frame.
Bit of safety at the start of frame two and it's McLeod that makes the error to leave Zhao in who seems to be coughing more and more out here. Needs to take these sort of opportunities and avoid Rory dragging him down
Frame 2 - Worth noting that there seems to be some air con on in the arena. No idea why as it's absolutely freezing and it's nicely dried my throat. Wondering if the same has happened to Zhao who was coughing a lot during the first frame and may perhaps not be 100%.
Snookers needed for Zhao now after McLeod pots the yellow. Otherwise the first frame is McLeods. 1-0 McLeod
McLeod misses a chance at frame ball black and Zhao nicely rolls the last red in down the cushion. The yellow was also safe though and that's where the next battle lies. All other colours in the middle of the table.
Both players have had half chances here but there are a lot of safe reds here. Last three reds all safe and McLeod lays a snooker with a 19 point lead.
McLeod broke down on 19 and took a long red into the green pocket knowing that was the only red he could leave. He did leave it but Zhao missed the following black. Safety now.
Frame 1 - It's taken all of 25 seconds for the first pot in the match as Zhao plays a lovely long red but then misses a thin cut on his next red. Chance now for McLeod.
Setting up for the first afternoon session here at the UK Championships. Some good matches coming up this afternoon but my focus will be on Rory McLeod and Zhao Xintong.
A real clash of styles awaits in this best of 11 and it's going to be fascinating to see who gets off to a good start early.
I will also have half an eye on the other matches this afternoon, including Fang Xiomgman and Mike Dunn on the neighbouring table.
Enjoying the play by play of this match, please keep it coming!
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