British Open Snooker 2022: Day 6

Just four names are left in the 2022 British Open, and today’s events will whittle the list down to two. It’s the day of the semi-finals, and we have two matches to set up tomorrow’s final – so who will make it to the final day?

The first match pitted new tournament favourite Mark Allen against Noppon Saengkham. A bizarre safety by Saengkham gave Allen first chance – he made a break of 69 and although Saengkham fought on for snookers, the Irishman would put the first frame on the board. Saengkham immediately gave Allen another chance – he opened up the table, and made a 76 to move 2-0 ahead. Again, another Allen chance, and he cleared the table with a 133 – he was 3-0 ahead, and his opponent had only potted one ball thus far. It looked to be a safety battle, but Allen found a long red, and assembled another 69 to win the frame – he was 4-0 ahead at the mid-session interval.

As the match resumed, Allen established a 49-point lead before things moved into a safety battle. Saengkham forced an opportunity, but immediately potted the cue ball with a red – Allen didn’t let up, clearing the table and moving within one frame of a whitewash. Saengkham needed to make something happen – a long red gave him the chance, and he made 24 (more points than the other five frames combined) before missing a red as he split the pack. Allen assembled a 44 and then laid a nasty snooker behind the yellow. Saengkham left one on, but Allen offers a surprising miss, and his opponent cleared the table to put a frame on the board. Allen made 64 before snookering his opponent – Saengkham fluked a pot on the escape, and looked to be putting a second frame on the board, but he missed the green. From then, an Allen 6-1 win was assured, and he entered the final the firm favourite to lift the trophy.

In the evening, Robbie Williams faced off against Ryan Day. Both players had good pots, but failed to capitalise – Day then had a chance and made a 55 break. He missed frame ball, but won the frame a few shots later. Williams responded well, with a long red in his first shot of the second frame that led to a brilliant 77 break and a 1-1 score line. Both players had chances in frame three, but it was Williams who capitalised towards frame end and took the lead after an excellent brown and blue. Frame four started off with a big tactical battle, and the first chance eventually came Day’s way – he made a 33 before missing a green and leaving his opponent an open table. Williams didn’t take full advantage, but he was soon back at the table, before giving Day an unexpected chance. A clearance would have levelled – but he snookered himself on the pink, then left it over the pocket. It was 3-1 to Williams at the interval.

Day needed a fightback, and although it took him a few visits, he won the first frame after the interval. An excellent long pot gave him first chance in the sixth frame, but things quickly went very scrappy – Williams didn’t score particularly heavily, but he scored enough to lead 4-2. Frame seven was very low-scoring, with lots of chances for both players and breaks concentrated around the green for the most part – it ultimately went the way of Day after Williams needed snookers with just pink and black remaining. Day made a 61, his highest break in the match to move towards the finish line in frame eight, and he eventually levelled 4-4. It took two chances, but Day moved one in front for the first time since the opening frame. Williams forced a decider after a frame with a surprising amount of misses, and it was a decider much like the rest of the match – scrappy and full of surprising errors. Ultimately, Day would progress into the final, 6-5.