Wednesday 13 February 2019

LIVE BLOG: Thepchaiya Un-Nooh Vs Lukas Kleckers

Lukas Kleckers 4-3 Thepchaiya Un-Nooh - Kleckers clears down to the final four reds which is enough to leave Thepchaiya needing a snooker. After some safety play, Thepchaiya gets his chance to clear the reds choosing to pot them all but missing the final black meaning he needed three snookers on the yellow instead of one. Kleckers then eventually pots the green and later the brown after Un-Nooh continued for several snookers and that completes a good win. The German may not have scored heavily or taken his chances to finish the match sooner, but Thepchaiya was simply not at the races today and not his usual heavy scoring self, missing plenty of shots you would expect him to get. A much needed win for Kleckers in the end.

Kleckers lead rises to 43 but having given himself the chance to win he will be livid to miss the red he did in the middle needing just two or three more reds for victory. Thepchaiya plays safe though and Kleckers has just gotten back in and could now finally be about to cross the winning line.

Both players have now had further opportunities but Kleckers is back at the table again after making an excellent plant into the middle. Now he'll at least be looking to build a lead and some pressure on the shoulders of Thepchaiya again.

Frame 7 - The first chance of this decider has come to Kleckers and now would be a perfect tine to find his scoring boots. He cannot though as his positional play costs him again, covering the black on 14 and playing safe.

Frame Thepchaiya - Rather than play on the last red down the cushion, Kleckers tried to bring it off the cushion, did so but snookered himself. The escape left a pot for Thepchaiya who then completes a simple colour clearance to take us all the way now at 3-3.

How Thepchaiya has not won this frame in one visit there is beyond me. He misses the black though and leaves the whole table on for Kleckers. The question now is whether he can hold himself together. One of the remaining reds may be tricky but everything else just comes down to holding his nerve.

Frame 6 - First real good chance of this frame has come to Thepchaiya after a decent long pot and with the reds lining up like cherries ready for picking there is no reason why this match won't now go to a decider.

Frame Thepchaiya - Thepchaiya wins the battle on the green after Kleckers misses a thin cut on it from range and with the remaining colours nicely in the open, the Thai somehow manages to stay in the match. Kleckers will be kicking himself not to have finished this match off yet but he still can. 3-2 he leads now.

An in-off for Kleckers nearly cost him the frame. Thepchaiya pots a good red from distance but eventually lands too straight on the yellow on the baulk cushion, failing to get on the green. Kleckers is snookered though and there's very little between the scores now as the German falls to escape with his first two attempts.

Kleckers pots the next red and colour but fails to land on either of the two remaining reds on the bottom cushion but does get a snooker, earning a further seven points to advance his lead to 26 with just 43 remaining.

This time Kleckers misses with three reds left as he just could not gain ideal position. They're battling now on the final three reds with Kleckers ahead by 14.

Kleckers narrowly misses a black in the middle to end his first chance but he's now back in yet again after Thepchaiya misses another fairly straightforward red. The balls are all there for Kleckers but he too is struggling with his positional play. A good recovery on the green keeps him going and this is now a golden chance to win.

Frame 5 - Interesting start to the fifth frame. Thepchaiya goes in-off on a pack split from the blue but Kleckers then misses from the ball in hand at distance. That allows the Thai back in but his cue ball control has deserted him and he has just missed a tricky green, allowing Kleckers a chance to score.

Frame Kleckers - Thepchaiya is all over the place at the moment. Kleckers pots a good red and snookers Thepchaiya behind the black. His first attempt sees him come round and hit the black, Kleckers makes him play from where it finished and Un-Nooh misses his attempt to play a thin safety and Kleckers comfortably polishes off the frame. He's not doing anything fancy here but nor does he need to at the moment. 3-1 to Kleckers now.

Thepchaiya misses the black early and Kleckers gets his lead back to 42 but is still unable to clinch the frame. Eventually he has to be more clinical but for now he's getting away with it. Four reds left and Kleckers in control for now.

Kleckers misses his second chance on 28, 48 clear but with plenty left as he leaves Thepchaiya in. Now can the Thai knuckle down and finally punish his opponent?

Frame 4 - An in off from Un-Nooh leaves Kleckers a long red from the ball in hand. He gets it and now has the first scoring opportunity in the fourth frame. He misses the brown on 16 trying to split the pack open but only leaves a tough red to middle for Thepchaiya who misses again to allow Kleckers immediately back to the table.

Frame Kleckers - After missing a difficult red into the middle, Thepchaiya can only sit and watch as Kleckers clears the final three reds and by the time he fails to pot the blue the frame is well and truly over. Looks like he's the one in most control with Thepchaiya making quite a few errors. 2-1 now to Kleckers.

Kleckers breaks down with three reds remaining and after giving away some foul points he currently leads by 13 so there's not much in this frame at all, making this an important safety battle.

Kleckers runs out of position on 14 and misses a tough black to the middle. Thepchaiya pots a red from that leave but misses the black also trying to delicately roll it into the same pocket as Kleckers. That allowed the German back but he now misses a red to that same middle, only for Thepchaiya to do the same and Kleckers is back in once more.

Frame 3 - Thepchaiya has the first chance in frame three after a very average escape from Kleckers left an easy red for the Thai. He's struggling here though and misses another pink on 21. Another good opportunity now for Kleckers to punish him.

Frame Kleckers - Thepchaiya gains the next opportunity after a good cut red, but from the penultimate red he misses a tricky pink into the yellow pocket, leaving the final red easily on for Kleckers who goes on to clinch the frame. 1-1

Kleckers pots a good red from distance to get the next opportunity and pots a further three reds before needing to break into the final three reds on the bottom cushion. He cannot get another power into the split though and has to play safe leading by 42.

Kleckers makes 35 before missing the blue but apologises after his cannon to the reds leaves nothing on for Thepchaiya. Some much needed good fortune for Kleckers and the pair are now locked in an important safety battle.

Frame 2 - Thepchaiya is in first once again in frame two with reds widely spread but misses a pretty simple red on 14. That leaves Kleckers a half chance and he takes the opening red well, but finishes the wrong side of the blue, so plays a very solid brown to gain position on the next red. Plenty of work to do but this is a decent opportunity.

Frame Thepchaiya - The Thai pots a good red from distance and follows with the blue, edging him 35 ahead with 35 left before playing an excellent safety which snookers Kleckers. He escapes but leaves the red which is more than enough for Thepchaiya to leave the German youngster needing snookers, which he is unable to obtain. 1-0 Un-Nooh.

Thepchaiya fails to claim the frame after missing a red with the rest and a good red from Kleckers has now given him another chance to steal the frame. He misses the pink though and leaves the penultimate red for the Thai but he misses again and leaves it safe. 29 the lead for Thepchaiya with two reds left.

Thepchaiya gets to 56 but has to play safe after losing position. He does so in sloppy fashion allowing Kleckers straight in to try and eat at the deficit. The last few reds are bunched and need a bit of work and he misses a tester to the corner. Thepchaiya back in now and should close the frame out.

Frame 1 - Thepchaiya pots a great opening red in this frame and is straight in and scoring. He's taken all blacks with the reds so far and pots a great sixth red with the rest after landing slightly awkward. Great opportunity now.

One for the German fans this afternoon as Lukas Kleckers takes on Thepchaiya Un-Nooh.

Kleckers whitewashed Peter Ebdon in round one while Thepchaiya came through a decider against Ryan Day on the TV table.

Thepchaiya has already been to a Home Nations quarter-final in Belfast this season, while Kleckers needs wins to secure his tour place. He may be a way from doing that at the moment but as Duane Jones showed in Berlin one good week can change all that.

A clash of styles here so will be interesting to see how it goes.

No comments:

Post a Comment