James Wattana 4-2 Michael Holt - In the end Wattana just kept turning the screw and putting Holt in trouble on the final red. Eventually he gets a snooker that Holt could not escape from at the first attempt and leaving the red that was all the Thai needed for victory. Caught up with Holt on the way to the players lounge, said it was the best he'd hit the ball for a while but was full of credit for his opponent.
A nice contribution there from Wattana nudging the safe reds out and when he plays safe he forces an in off from Holt. Although, from that he misses an easy red to the middle. Holt then makes a cool long pot on the penultimate red but doesn't finish nice on a colour, but lays a snooker behind the green. Wattana gets out of it and leaves the red safe.
This has become a bit of an awkward frame with the safety pushing reds to the bottom cushion. Holt is in again now and looking to build a good lead before tackling those safe reds but he misses a simple enough one and goes back to his chair disappointed. Chance for Wattana now.
Frame 6 - For fear of sounding like a broken record Holt is in first again in this frame. This time a brilliant long red gets him in but he loses position and plays safe on 19.
Frame Wattana - Holt managed to get Wattana requiring a snooker but could not kill the frame off. The Thai then got his snooker and won the safety battle on the final red but could only pot red and black. However, an in off from Holt left the yellow on from range and Wattana knocked it in, clearing the colours with a particularly good shot on the pink and it is he that takes the 3-2 lead.
Wattana rolls a fantastic red in from distance to give himself the chance to reduce his deficit in this frame but is still ten adrift when he misses a fairly simple black and lets Holt back in. Cracking chance now for Holt to turn this game right around.
Frame 5 - Holt is starting to look the more confident of the two now after the breaks of the last two frames. He's in first yet again in frame five and is into the reds nicely before potting a great pink into the middle to keep the break going. This is now another excellent frame winning opportunity. However, he runs out of position following a second cannon to the cluster and then calls a foul on himself for falling short as he rolled up to the green. Break ended at 37.
Frame Holt - It was a long old battle for snookers on the colours there for Wattana. He initially had the one he required but then Holt got a snooker back and after plenty of play on the brown - Holt knocks it in confidently and squares the match at 2-2.
Holt went about his business quickly and confidently there. A run of 75 is enough to leave James Wattana requiring a snooker in this fourth frame. The Thai clears four of the five remaining reds and needs a snooker to tie.
Frame 4 - There's a bit more of a spring in Holt's step now after that break in the last. Once more he's earned the first opportunity of the frame and will be looking to build on his efforts from frame three.
Frame Holt - Much better from Holt there. Really knuckled down there and made the most of that opening. Made it look easy which it wasn't given his frame deficit. He misses the black for the century clearance but a run of 98 is more than enough for him to get his first frame on the board. 2-1 Wattana
Holt plays an excellent safety and gets Wattana snookered well behind the brown. From it Wattana misses three times and from the third miss leaves something for Holt who is now with an opportunity he has to take at this stage.
Frame 3 - Not happening for Holt so far. The Hitman misses a long attempt at the start of frame three and leaves Wattana in. The Thai makes 27 before missing with the rest but leaves nothing for Holt. Safety now.
Frame Wattana - After missing the green attempting to clear earlier, Wattana clips a very thin green in from range, landing perfectly on the brown and clearing to double his lead. 2-0 Wattana.
Wattana gets down to the final red but again cannot get on it and the pair are locked in safety on it now, Holt with the advantage this time around in terms of score leading by 22.
A missed long pot from Wattana and decent mid range effort by Holt give him his second opening of the frame. It's all looking good until he pots a red, contacts another on the screw back and goes in off in the middle. From the ball in hand Wattana cuts a good red in and now has an opportunity to take advantage of his good fortune.
Holt's break ends on 40 after he fails to contact the bunch from the green. Not much happening since. Black is now on the bottom cushion and pink on the side cushion so a long pot for Wattana brings no more than the single point.
Frame 2 - A nice opening red gives Holt the first chance again in frame two. He's mopping up the reds nicely but needs to get in the pack soon.
Frame Wattana - Holt pots the final red and gets down to the green before things run awkward. He'd missed the ideal cannon on the brown and left the green thin, still potting the green but couldn't play on the brown. A few shots later Wattana hits a great long brown into the green pocket and does enough to clinch the opener. 1-0 Wattana
The Thai gets to 54 but misses a black cueing from the side cushion. Was never going to be on the final red the way he played so the pair are now locked in an important safety battle.
Wattana now has driven in a long red and soon has the black spot open too making this a really good chance to get the first frame, despite his deficit.
Break ends for Holt on 38 as he plays down from the pink but does not finish ideally on a red and misses. Nothing left for Wattana though so he has to play safe.
Frame 1 - First chance for Holt here after a bit of a wide one from range for Wattana. Plenty of reds open but black is awkward and the pink's on the brown spot so good cue ball control needed.
Last 64 action begins this morning and lasts throughout the day here in Cardiff and I'm starting the day watching Michael Holt once more, this time taking on James Wattana.
Holt came through 4-2 against Elliott Slessor in round one despite back to back centuries from his opponent. Wattana meanwhile was a comfortable winner against Zhang Yong, and after making the last 16 in the English Open earlier this season he'll be looking for more of the same in Cardiff this week. Could well be a close one here.
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