The Return of Power Snooker

The break neck speed of Power Snooker returns this weekend. The wayward sister of normal snooker allows a darting atmosphere with matches that will only last half an hour and players battle a twenty second shot clock.. In case you didn't watch it last year, there are nine reds instead of fifteen, the middle red looks like an eleven ball in American pool and is known as the Power Ball. When that is potted, there is a two minute Power Play where everything counts for double points. The baulk zone used to be the haven of safety, but now it is the Power Zone, anything potted from in there also counts double. So if you pot a black during a Power Play whilst in the Power Zone, it will earn a massive 28 points! Get your seatbelts on and enjoy the ride as the top sixteen players battle for the power.

The first match of the tournament saw Mark Selby take on Matt Stevens. Stevens took full advantage of the the Power Zone, making two reds and scoring four points. He took an 18-1 lead and that was soon extended after Selby fouled during a Power Play, which Stevens started, the score then stood at 47-1 at the end of the Power Play with 22 minutes remaining. The clock was stopped with eighteen minutes to go as Selby had brought it back to 47-41 and had potted the remaining balls. This meant a re-rack and the game continued to play out the remaining time. Stevens broke and made the mandatory two reds onto the cushion to continue but could only extend his lead to 55-41. Selby potted the second Power Ball and took full advantage of the Power Play, taking a massive 108-55 lead with fourteen minutes left at the end of the second Power Play. Stevens was able to come back to 109-90 at the end of the second frame, so they entered a third frame with 12:45 to play. Selby then potted the third Power Ball and took full advantage, leading 198-101 at the end of the Power Play with six minutes left. A foul from Stevens allowed Selby to pot the green and brown in the Power Zone, racking up a further fourteen points. The 'Jester From Leicester' then wrapped the third frame up with a 234-101 lead with a further 5:05 left on the clock. But Stevens wasn't done and after a decent break in the fourth frame, he potted the Power Ball but missed a red with over a minute remaining in the Power Play with score at 234-169. Selby couldn't convert anything and Stevens potted the first quadruple colour of the tournament before then missing another red. 234-195 at the end of the fourth Power Play going into the final minute of the match, the final score 243-196.

The second match of the first round saw newcomer, Scotland's John Higgins take on Northern Ireland's Mark Allen. Allen kicked it off and potted straight off the break, earning two points due to the cue ball being in the Power Zone. Allen took a 42-0 lead and forced Higgins into a foul and gave a free ball in the Power Zone which Allen potted green for six points. Allen again played defensive and forced another foul from Higgins, this time on the black and it happened again when he was forced to re-hit it. But Higgins then fluked a red on the third time of asking before then snookering Allen, Allen didn't foul however. Allen then went onto pot the Power Ball but gave away the final minute of the Power Play to Higgins. Higgins made it 85-45 to Allen at the end of the first frame with moments of the Power Play still remaining. Higgins then fouled from the break, gifting fourteen points to Allen. Higgins came back and potted the second Power Ball to initiate the second Power Play.This time Higgins gave away a minute of the Power Play and Allen was able to pot before playing safe. Allen then found a double just before the end of the Power Play and the score was 116-95 with just under sixteen minutes to play. Allen then fouled by potting the cue ball after potting the pink but Higgins couldn't instantly capitalise. The score at the end of the second frame: 128-122 to Allen with 13:02 left. Allen then potted the cue ball from the break to give Higgins the lead but Higgins left a red for Allen start another break. Allen swiftly potted the Power Ball and the third Power Play began, he used the full two minutes before missing with the score now 192-130 in his favour. The match looked to have been wrapped up when Allen secured another fourteen Power Zone points on his way to leading 219-151 at the end of the fourth frame with 3:47 left. Higgins made a legal break this time and was able to start potting until he missed a crucial black. Higgins came back though and potted the Power Ball along with a second red. The match ticked down and the result was confirmed when Higgins fouled by potting the cue ball and Allen scored a quadruple blue. The final score 255-177 to see Allen play Selby in tomorrow's quarter finals.

The penultimate first round match of the session saw Judd Trump take on Martin Gould.Gould potted the first Power Ball of the match before surrendering the final fifteen seconds of the Power Play, allowing Trump to put points on the board. The score after the first frame 72-52 to Trump with 24:14 left but Gould potted two reds off the break and went onto pot the Power Ball. The match was now closed to 108-106 at the end of the second Power Play before Gould extended his lead to 143-106 going into the third frame. Gould again potted the Power Ball and took his score to 204 before Trump reduced the arrears to 204-154 before the start of the fourth frame. Trump couldn't get himself back into it with numerous fouls and shots not going the way he'd have liked. Gould took a lead of 305-173 with 4:41 remaining and a fifth frame about to start. Trump unfortunately left it too little too late and the final score was 332-229 to Martin Gould.

The final match of the session saw Shaun Murphy battle it out against Stuart Bingham. The Power Play was initiated within the first couple of minutes. It remained extremely close with Murphy leading 39-36 as Bingham tried potting the colours up until the brown. Bingham was able to take a 64-54 at the end of the first frame with 19:58 to go. Bingham then extended his lead during the second Power Play, leading 117-56 and forced Murphy to pot the brown illegally, conceding eight points. Bingham then made it 171-56 at the end of the second frame with 14:02 remaining. Bingham continued to dominate in the third frame, keeping Murphy from scoring and Bingham then converted the Power Ball. Bingham forced another foul during the Power Play and made Murphy retake the shot with the same outcome before conceding a further twenty points for three consecutive fouls. With the win now all but secured, Bingham started to play defensive to keep his over 200 point lead intact. The score at the end of the third frame, 319-61 with 6:17 minutes to play. Murphy started the fourth frame convincingly but conceded the Power Play to Bingham and the débutante stretched his lead to nearly 300 points. The final score 376-112.