Premier League Snooker: Week 5

This week the snooker table arrived across the border in Inverness where the Scots witnessed a yin and yang night of snooker. The first game of the evening was between Mark Selby and Marco Fu, Selby was playing his fourth match of the campaign whereas Fu was playing his third. Selby flew out of the traps straight from Fu's opening break-off and secured a 90 break to win the first frame. Fu then answered in similar fashion to Selby but only made 68 before Selby tested Fu out with some snookers, Fu prevailed to take the frame 101-24. The third frame saw Selby require three visits to win the frame 98-0 to regain his one frame advantage at 2-1. The fourth frame was the most defensive of the match and Selby secured at least a point, winning the frame 72-40. Fu looked sunk and Selby secured the win with another £1000 added to his bank balance with a break of 131. Selby was then on course to gain another century break but just like in the first frame Selby was ten points away, winning it 90-0. The 5-1 win puts Selby top of the table with four points on frames won and Fu is now on three points from three games.

If that game was free and fast flowing then the other game of the night was the complete opposite. It was between Mark Williams and Neil Robertson with the Welshman playing his third game of the campaign and the Aussie was playing only his second. Both players opted out of playing opening long-ish pots and it turned the first frame into a very scrappy affair, both players also accumulated a foul. Williams just came out on top, winning the frame 59-53. The second frame was just as scrappy and again both players fouled but this time Robertson won the frame with a much higher margin; 79-39. Williams regained the lead in the only whitewash frame of the match with a 78 break, again only to be pegged back in the fourth frame 82-25 with Robertson making a break of 55. Williams then added another £1000 himself with a break of 105 to secure a point with the frame win of 109-7. Robertson deservedly won a point in the final frame with a 73-1 victory to round off a very scrappy match of snooker. The draw leaves Williams on four points and gives Robertson his first point of the campaign.