Here Are The Top-16 Player To Win Scottish Open 2023 Shoot Out

Jones completes the match with another century! He’s played really well today, and with a 103 break, he advances to the second round for the first time this season!

After defeating Alfie Burden in their second round match, Matthew Selt advances to the third round.

A dissatisfied Mark shakes his head, looking to split the group on the return but not yet understanding the strength behind it. He fires in a red. He lets loose with his wrath on the black, but it misses, and lets Jones have the red. Is the Welshman able to complete this task?

Jamie advances to within one frame of triumph! This season, he hasn’t advanced past the second round of a tournament yet, and now, he might be within minutes away from eliminating the world’s No. 3. After being handed the keys, he completed the task in frame five.

Alfie Burden 1-3 Matthew Selt

Mark Allen 1-2 Jamie Jones

Mark is going to have to put in some effort if he wants to build on his victory in the Shoot-Out and go to this Edinburgh’s second round. The Northern Ireland player is having difficulty with several shots after another clever start to the fourth session, but he is gradually making his way through a group of reds. He puts the pink into the left middle knuckle as I type that.

Mark fires a long red into the bottom left and calls it there, finding that to be all too easy. Back on flat ground in Edinburgh.

Mark can only manage a 39 clearance before he is categorised as one of the reds. With a safety, he briefly transfers control to Jones, but he quickly returns to the table and starts hitting balls.

A cagey start to the fourth. With the pack split, Mark sends a long red down the table and has the opportunity to find some breathing room.

Anthony McGill 4-2 Oliver Lines

Alfie Burden 1-1 Matthew Selt

Mark Allen 1-2 Jamie Jones

That is absolutely sublime snooker from the Welshman, who coolly knocks in 141 for the advantage.

Mark can’t get a look in. Jones is clearing up superbly, a cheeky red along the rail to bottom right as I type. He taps in another red for a century and he’s going to take the lead in the race to four.

Both players have had chances to wrap this frame up, but it’s Jones who capitalises to sink the pink in the end and we’re all square!

Jones misses the pink off its spot but doesn’t leave much on for Allen. After some back and forth, the Northern Irelander finds himself stuck behind the black. He fouls on the first attempt, but finds his target on the second, leaving Jones with a long shot up the table.

How frustrating for Allen, who rattles the jaws of the top right with the brown. It wasn’t easy and he was stretching, but you expect the world No. 3 to sink that. Jones converts and now he’s in control.

Finally, Allen tucks the yellow behind the black and Jones is snookered. He finds his way out but puts it on a plate for Allen just in front of the top left pocket, who duly knocks it in and that could be frame over.

Anthony McGill 3-2 Oliver Lines

Alfie Burden 1-0 Matthew Selt

Mark Allen 1-0 Jamie Jones

When we get to the colours, Jones edges out Allen 51–50, but this yellow is giving me a lot of trouble. The two players are engaging in a tactical battle where they are exchanging blows. Allen has a difficult shot since Jones plays it just behind the pink and gets the white up the table, but he keeps it moving by getting his angles correct this time.

Allen clears up to 50 and is left in a nasty position tucked up behind the green. He tries to play it off the rail but gets his angles all wrong, leaving Jones with an excellent chance to pull level.

And it’s the early lead for the Northern Irishman on Table 2!

It’s Mark Allen v Jamie Jones, the players are on the baize.

Anthony McGill 3-2 Oliver Lines

Jack Lisowski 4-0 Mohamed Ibrahim

Mark Allen 0-0 Jamie Jones

The Wizard of Wishaw is a match closer and will be motivated to win this pot before he finishes. Oliver will be relieved that it is finished when he encounters He Guoqiang next. He is a far better player than he was in this instance, and who knows if he had slotted that red in the opening frame. Well, I guess we all do, but you get the idea.

I feel for Oliver; John is ruthless.

John is the most suitable person to capitalise on Oliver’s performance, therefore the man from Derbyshire is out of luck. There are a few of tough reds, but the game will, at most, be nearly finished when he sits down.

I’m afraid it happens again: Oliver misses to right corner, then John gets a double-kiss that converts a plant he’s just missed. This could be curtains.

This game. Oliver gets a terrific cue-ball, on the bottom rail … but flukes a red when doesn’t want to. What a nause. No matter: John plays I’m not even sure what, sends balls to hither and yon, and leaves a chance to score.

Anthony McGill 3-1 Oliver Lines

Kyren Wilson 4-2 Mostafa Dorgham

Jack Lisowski 3-0 Mohamed Ibrahim

After 74 runs, John has shattered this one’s back. Anything can happen; just think back to Sam Craigie a few days ago—oh my god, hours ago. The problem is that Sam is a better player than Oliver, and he was performing admirably even with a 3-0 deficit.

John hasn’t played that well tonight, but he’s being asked to do things his muscle-memory will still be doing decades after he’s departed this planet, and he’s done them well.

Oliver arrives early, but you never want to see him try to squeeze out of a crowded table—and he won’t have to! John leaves him a dolly when he plays it safe, which releases a few extra reds just to be safe. The problem is that the snooker table can be a lonely place to be when you’re not playing, and when he misses again, cueing straight across a red, John appears ready to dish out the appropriate punishment.

Anthony McGill 2-1 Oliver Lines

Kyren Wilson 3-2 Mostafa Dorgham

Jack Lisowski 2-0 Mohamed Ibrahim

Oliver should’ve won the first frame; he could’ve won this one too. Instead, though, he’s halfway home.

Oliver is dejected, and he becomes much more so when John takes a long, soothing swig. Oliver has a long way to go in this situation. The penultimate red is then floated down the top rail, and just as I’m typing, a jazzer hammered right into the left corner smacks the leather.

Oliver knocks home a terrific starting only to massively undercut a black. John clips pink on the way through while overcutting a red, but other than that, the shot was good. The Wiz then misses to middle, but when given another chance, he returns to the game, and a respectable effort here will feel like more than halfway to victory.

John flukes a plant, then nuzzles into the yellow; Oliver escapes but leaves a tight cut, now despatched. The Wiz will know that a telling contribution here and Oliver will feel forlorn.

Anthony McGill 2-1 Oliver Lines

Robert Milkins 0-4 Mark Davis

Kyren Wilson 3-2 Mostafa Dorgham

Jack Lisowski 1-0 Mohamed Ibrahim

You could see John taking just a fraction longer on every ball there, to make sure he potted everything – he knows how much that’ll have stung Oliver.

It’s funny because everyone knew what could happen when Oliver missed, because it happens so often, and it’s happened again. John Higgins is an animal; blue, pink and black for the frame.

Upon entering, John fails to take blacks with every red, which means he now requires two snookers, of which he has already placed one. Oliver, however, makes a clean escape. However, he is quickly put in another, and this time he is unable to hit, leaving a loose ball as well. John, our new pick for this frame, is about to add yet another steal to his absurd collection. And there you have it! He releases red from pink with a luscious cannon, and now the colours are off their spots for the shot.

Oliver takes these nicely, stretching across the table to guide a nasty red to left corner. Then, on 60, he undercuts to the same bag meaning John returns to the table needing one snooker.

Oliver needs some good results – he’s in the second year of his tour card and ranked below 90. But this is a confident start from him, and the frame is within his grasp.

Oliver gets away to left-centre, only to go in-off potting blue and breaking pack. But just as I’m about to say he knows what happens next, John somehow overcuts a red that’s over the bag, catching it too thin and handing over a decent chance.

Lovely reception for John from his home crowd.

He says his bad run of form inspired him, and explains how on half-blind pots, he’s taking a little longer so his opponent doesn’t get the benefit of clearing up from his hard work. I think only Shaun Murphy enjoys analysing his brilliance more than Judd, and he’s 46 away from his 1000th ton; he’s hoping to hit it this season, ideally in Sheffield.

John Higgins v Oliver Brown

Anthony McGill 0-1 Oliver Lines

Robert Milkins 0-3 Mark Davis

Kyren Wilson 2-1 Mostafa Dorgham

Judd attacks the black he’s hoping will get him to the yellow, it leaps off the table, and in 47 minutes, that’s the match. Je meets Zhang Anda next; tasty!

“Good shot” says Sydney, when he misses a black off its spot, and it’s been a difficult night for him – but really what can he do? Judd cuts a starter to the yellow that’s so good it has his opponent tapping leg in appreciation, and this is past tense.

Judd gets himself into as nasty position but, with the finish-line in sight, he doesn’t want to play safe. There’s a thin cut he can try, cueing away from the object ball, then opts to try an awkward one to the middle … hitting the far knuckle. My suspicion is he wanted a ton but also doesn’t back Sydney to hurt him; we shall see…

Oh Sydney. He tries one to right-middle, misses, and when Judd sinks to same pocket then breaks the pack, the match looks over. He’s the man to beat this week.

Eeesh, Sydney misses to left corner and by a way; Judd does not. Then he drops in the black, liberates a red or two from the cluster, and he’s looking good already … but is he on one? He thinks a red passes the pink to the middle, and it does but it doesn’t drop, then Sydney clobbers home a beauty and plays in behind the green, forcing Judd to play a roll-up.

Anthony McGill 0-0 Oliver Lines

Robert Milkins 0-2 Mark Davis

Kyren Wilson 1-1 Mostafa Dorgham

We’ve been playing 33 minutes.

Judd can secure the frame without needing the two reds on the top rail, so he does then he drops in another to make clear this is over. A ludicrous brown follows but he can’t develop the final ball; pathetic.

Judd runs out of position then Sydney tickles a plant – did he play that? – and it goes down! Can he parlay this opportunity into something more? You can see he doesn’t like the rest, he gets down on it, gets up, gets down … and misses another ball he shouldn’t; that’s the third. I don’t think he’s seeing another shot in this frame and, as I type, Judd develops a few reds to underline the point.

Judd strokes a lovely red to the yellow, opens the pack off the blue, keeps going with a thin cut, then digs the pack again. Sydney is in big trouble, and he doesn’t feel long for this match.

Anthony McGill 0-0 Oliver Lines

Robert Milkins 0-1 Mark Davis

Kyren Wilson 1-0 Mostafa Dorgham

Vintage Judd. A total clearance of 135, and it’s so easy for him at the moment.

A 94th ton of the season; next-most is the 28 made by Ronnie and Mark J. Colours off their sports for a 142…

That first break of the pack was so early and effective that Judd’s not had to go into it a second time … but he slots a pink snd this is going to be a large contribution.

There are no obviously difficult balls – nothing on the rail, the colours on their spots – and I’m certain Judd’s got the maxi in mind.

Ach, after a miss with the rest cost him the last frame, Sydney ushers Judd into this one by doing similarly; he quickly splatters the pack off the pink, sending claret all over … but is he on one? Yes, just, sneaking red past black and getting position on the black, and there’s a big break out there; a very big break.

Anthony McGill 0-0 Oliver Lines

Robert Milkins 0-0 Mark Davis

Kyren Wilson 0-0 Mostafa Dorgham

On 79, Judd misses with a red sent long to the corner, but he’ll cope without the ton; as for Sydney, if he didn’t know before, which he did, he knows now: if you miss, this man will punish you.

Judd is just so consistent and he’s playing beautifully, again; no need for his famous rcovery pots here.

Sydney isn’t on the tour but he’s got close to getting on recently, and he’s first in here … but without thinking through his shot because he hits the yellow full on the face and lands on nowt when he had the option of a different red. No matter: he works out a nice plant … then after playing a poor positional shot when nicely on the blue, he misses with the rest and leaves plenty.

He wants to win every tournament so wants to win this one, and with a break coming up of Christmas, it’s good to go in confident following a win. Even in the competitions he’s not won, he’s played well, if he doesn’t win another match this season he’s still had an incredible one, and he enjoys playing in Edinburgh.