Daniel Wells 6-5 Zhao Xintong - After building a strong early lead with a break of 49 Wells had to sit and suffer as Zhao got back into the frame and snookered him on the last red. He escaped from that one well and then fluked the red the next time he was snookered. Zhao potted the yellow though after some safety and followed it with green, brown and blue but tried to force the pink and missed it. A few shots later he left a cut on for Wells who knocks it in and gives a big shout of "COME ON" before punching the bed of the table. There were also a few more come ons as he walked out and rightly so. From 4-1 up it all went wrong and but for some really poor game management from Zhao on the blue he would have lost 6-4. Have to say that's a real eye opener in terms of the fact that Zhao still has plenty to learn before he wins what a lot of people think he may and rises further up the rankings. An insane match but it's Daniel Wells that comes out on top in the decider and will play Mark Williams in the last 64.
Frame 11 - Zhao pots a great first red in the decider into the middle but then misses the blue to leave Wells in with a nice early opening. You feel there will be more twists yet though here.
Frame Wells - So many chances for both players there but in the end Wells takes it on a re-spotted black so we're going to a decider. Zhao won't be able to believe it having missed match ball red, while Wells then snookered himself on the green looking to clear. Zhao potted the brown to leave Wells needing a snooker only to smash an attempt on the blue and knock it off the table. Wells then pots a great blue and clears to force the re-spot. After some good safety there Zhao leaves it near the corner and despite nearly following it in, Wells pots the black to make it 5-5.
Frame 10 - Wells again has had an early half chance but missed on just 3 and now Zhao is at the table with a chance to close this one out. Reds open but black on the side cushion makes it slightly more difficult but still expected him to make more than 19 before missing himself.
Frame Zhao - From start to finish that frame lasted less than 8 minutes. Zhao has found the extra gear and senses that his opponent is under it now big time. Zhao makes scoring look so easy and that break of 83 took no time at all. Meanwhile, as Zhao potted the final balls of the 83 Wells sat in his chair was putting in some eye drops. Not sure what they're for but they need to boost him as he's now a frame from defeat. 5-4 Zhao.
Frame 9 - Still presumably reeling from the previous frame, Wells after potting the first red misses the blue going into them and now Zhao is right in and looking good to lead the match for the first time as he's flying in this break.
Frame Zhao - How Zhao Xintong had won that frame is beyond me. First Wells nearly goes in off after potting frame ball. Then he concedes the snooker Zhao needed to be able to tie, but then after making a great pot on the last red he attempts to snooker Zhao on the yellow and end the frame but comes up short. After that he accidentally pots the brown in a shot he couldn't pull off once in another thousand goes at it. Zhao gets the final snooker on the green to be able to win the frame, before getting the chance to clear the final five colours which he calmly does to level at 4-4. Unbelievable stuff.
After initially breaking down on 32 and playing safe, Wells gets a big slice of luck to cover reds over either corner after an aggressive safety and when Zhao cannot it's another chance for the Welshman to move within a frame of victory.
Frame 8 - Wells is in first again this time and it will be interesting to see how he responds to losing the last two frames. He's into the reds very early on in the break and will be looking to at least build a good lead here. He will need to get into the bunch again though to win the frame at this visit.
Frame Zhao - I said it was a chance he had to take and Zhao has fully made the most of it and looks to have found his groove. The reds were all open for him but he still made it look effortless and the reward is a clearance of 107 to close the gap to just one now. Wells still leads 4-3.
Wells initially loses position on 32 and plays safe early. Now though Zhao has thundered a long red in and has a brilliant chance with the reds open to make this match a little bit closer once again.
Frame 7 - A mis-judged escape from Zhao into the bunch has left Wells in first again in frame seven as he looks to regain the three frame advantage. He's opened the reds early from a red, leaving a tricky black, but with that in and position on the next red secure this is now a brilliant chance.
Frame Zhao - That could be a huge let off for Zhao. Wells misses the black on 13 with two reds left. Who knows if he would have cleared up but the miss gifts Zhao this frame as Wells immediately needed a couple of snookers. Zhao still in there but Wells leads 4-2.
Inexplicably Zhao loses position just enough to leave frame ball with the rest on 61 and he isn't up to the task. Wells is in now with a half chance of a counter clearance but he should at least get back into the frame here.
Frame 6 - A poor safety from Wells to hit the middle bump has left Zhao in amongst them straight away in frame six. The reds are nicely spread now too so this is a chance he has to take full advantage of to give his comeback hopes some fuel.
Frame Wells - More excellent and clinical play of the highest order from Wells. That's been the difference so far tonight, top quality positional play from Wells allowing him to take his chances better than Zhao. This time it is a simply sublime break of 141 that was world class from start to finish. Properly impressive from Wells and he's well ahead now at 4-1.
Frame 5 - Wells in first again straight after the interval as Zhao misses a long red. Reds already nicely opened up so this is a great chance for him to punish the Chinese youngster even further. He's really looking good tonight Wells.
Frame Wells - A real pendulum swinging end to that frame but it's Wells that comes out on top. His break of 59 built a 33 point lead with one red left but he failed to cannon the pink and free the red. Two good snookers from Zhao then yielded 12 points in fouls before he potted the red in the middle. He got down to the blue on the baulk cushion but had to try and force the angle, missing and double kissing the blue to leave it easily for a relieved Wells. The Welshman leads 3-1 at the break but it could easily have been 3-1 the other way.
After a decent long pot to get in, Wells is now at the table with the chance to punish Zhao for not being more clinical again in this match. The reds aren't badly placed and he's one good positional shot to get on pink or black away from making this a frame winning chance.
Frame 4 - A couple of early chances have gone begging for Zhao as he just keeps losing cue ball control slightly. Feels a big frame for him mentally after the last as well. 3-1 down at the interval and that would be a big blow.
Frame Wells - Thanks to some good positional play from Wells there wasn't a tough ball on the table in that break of 69 to win him the frame. He's pounced on the big error from Zhao to make him feel ten times worse about it. That could be a massive early moment in this match, particularly given how recently Wells beat Zhao. 2-1 Wells.
A really unexpected miss on an easy black from Zhao means this frame is far from over yet. There's plenty on for Wells as he gets in and looks to put together a counter clearance.
Frame 3 - His first chance did not amount to much after landing on nothing when he split the reds but Zhao has been afforded another opening and this is one he will make the most of and I soon expect him to lead 2-1.
Frame Zhao - A great player to watch in full flow but tough to keep up when live blogging his matches. Zhao makes a nice 54 with some good pressure pots, particularly one on the black with the cue ball close to the cushion as he approached frame ball. Could keep tighter cue ball control to not put the extra stress on though. 1-1.
Frame 2 - It's taken a while for the first proper chance of the frame but after dominating the early passages, Zhao is in now and already well ahead as he looks to level.
Frame Wells - Wells adds a further break of 49 to his earlier 41 which is more than enough to clinch the opening frame. The highlight would be a red he rolled in for the black from middle distance on just 3 in his second break. He's clearly cueing well. 1-0 Wells
Wells initially runs out of position on 41 but plays a snooker behind the black and is quickly back in after good cut back into the middle. Another opportunity to close out this opener.
Frame 1 - Zhao Xintong earned the first chance of the match after nonchalantly knocking a tricky red into the middle but then after splitting the reds from a red takes on an ambitious yellow to leave Wells right in with a great opportunity now.
My final live blog of the week is a close looking match up between Daniel Wells and Zhao Xintong.
The pair met just recently at the Northern Ireland Open with Wells getting a 4-1 victory against the odds that day. The Welsh man also scored victories over Joe Perry and Barry Hawkins to reach the last 16 of the English Open so he is in pretty good form of late.
As for Zhao Xintong he has shone since winning back his tour card with the clear highlight a career best semi-final at the China Championship, with wins over Mark Williams, Anthony McGill and Barry Hawkins in the process.
Two heavy scorers and good players to watch so it should be a cracker.
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