Lukas Kleckers 4-1 Alexander Ursenbacher - A solid finish to what was a solid match from Kleckers today. He took full advantage of his opponents errors and did not take too many unnecessary risks or play overly aggressive. Ursenbacher is almost the opposite playing a very open game which when everything clicks can see him go on runs like he did in the English Open. When it does not though, more often than not this will be the outcome for him, and if he is to stay on tour at the end of the season he may need to tighten up just a little. The fourth frame was a small sign that he can do that.
Kleckers now slowly but surely is building up that lead and has all the reds he'd need to kill off the match out in the open. It's just a case of holding himself together for a rare win.
Kleckers has got an early lead but it's only 27 points and with all the reds in nice positions as it stands, the current safety exchange is vital. A miss from mid-range leaves Ursenbacher a golden chance as he aims to continue this revival. He leaves an awkward pink from the first red and that's a huge let off for the German.
Frame 5 - Kleckers is in here with the first opening of the frame. Not easy but he can certainly build a lead here as he looks to close the door on this match and get an important win.
Frame Ursenbacher - No whitewash here and that's a start for Ursenbacher. He takes his chance with three reds and played an excellent positional shot from the yellow, down to the penultimate red. From there he made the rest look easy. Kleckers played on for a snooker on the blue but never looked likely. 3-1 Kleckers.
Ursenbacher gets another half chance and closes the gap in the frame before missing a tough red into the green pocket. A key safety battle now with four reds remaining that are largely glued to the bottom rail.
Kleckers break comes to an end with him leading by 25, prior to Ursenbacher's best shot of the match to open the reds and get a snooker behind the brown. Kleckers escapes but still leaves a red for his opponent, though he can't get on a colour from his opener and plays safe. He just cannot get a foothold whatsoever.
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| Kleckers nicely placed in the fourth frame |
Frame 4 - After a bit of a slow start to this frame, Ursenbacher had what looked like the first good chance in the frame only to miss a green with the rest after the opening red. That's left Kleckers in again with plenty of reds open and both pink and blue to play for as he looks to build a decent lead.
Frame Kleckers - A run of 54 for Kleckers puts the frame beyond all doubt and Ursenbacher hasn't got started at all. Kleckers looking really relaxed now in that break, perhaps being on the brink will free Ursenbacher up a little. Otherwise it will be a short lived season opener for him. 3-0.
Kleckers plays safe with a 25 point lead but is quickly back in after an extremely aggressive safety from his opponent opens up all the reds and Kleckers plays a nice shot to get in and hold for the black. This now should be heading for 3-0.
Frame 3 - Both players again have had early chances but made little from them. Kleckers though now has a second chance benefiting from the aggressive play of his Swiss opponent. At this point in the match Kleckers can all but extinguish the chances of his opponent with a good break here.
Frame Kleckers - Kleckers has played the percentages well so far today. A good safety having fallen slightly out of position, having built a 44 point lead with three reds left is valuable and his safety eventually gives him the chance to pot frame ball red. Ursenbacher does not play on long for snookers so the German doubles his lead. 2-0.
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| Kleckers with an excellent chance in the second frame |
The next really good opening has fallen to Kleckers after Ursenbacher misses into the middle. If he can settle he should really make a good contribution here with reds open, though the pink and black are tied up.
Frame 2 - Both players have already had chances in the early stages of this second frame but, possibly for reasons I've already mentioned, this match has a really edgy feel in these early stages.
Frame Kleckers - Despite losing position on frame ball green when his fourth chance of the frame arrives, Kleckers safety in that frame was stronger than Ursenbacher's and he eventually takes the frame. 1-0 Kleckers
Kleckers clears down to the final red, despite leaving himself some awkward shots. The red was on the cushion but certainly pottable if he'd have committed to the shot before and played behind it. With a 16 point lead though he's played the right shot having got in from Ursenbacher's escape. The German should now take this opener.
Ursenbacher could not keep tight cue ball control but should have made things a lot easier for himself after a delicate cannon opened the pink up. That wasn't the case though as he inexplicably missed the next red which was simple enough by their standards. Kleckers now has to pounce on this.
Considering the two players did not collect many victories in second half of last season a cagey start here had to be expected, and so far those expectations have been met. Best chance so far though has fallen to Ursenbacher. Plenty of reds open and the black in open play is a green light for him.
Frame 1 - First chance for Kleckers here after a loose safety from Ursenbacher saw him hit the blue fall in the face. He can only make 12 from it though and he'll need to make a lot more from his early chances later in this match, though he is now straight back in.
Afternoon all. We've got an all-European affair coming up with Germany's Lukas Kleckers and Switzerland's Alexander Ursenbacher as both look to kick off the season with a win.
It was a testing first season for Lukas Kleckers who had his best run in this event beating defending champion Neil Robertson at the venue in Riga. It was a tough time after that so he'll be looking to grow in confidence again now.
As for Ursenbacher he had a superb run to the semi's of the English Open in October last year, but he too was a little quiet after that, and could do with a few wins himself. A good opportunity for both players then in this encounter.
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