Rocket blasts off with win / Trump loses PLS debut - 04/09/2009

Ronnie O’Sullivan began the defence of his PartyCasino.com Premier League Snooker title with an emphatic 4-2 victory over Marco Fu on the opening night of the 2009 season at the Penrith Leisure Centre in Cumbria.

O’Sullivan is chasing his sixth consecutive Premier League crown and got off to a blistering start with three consecutive century breaks in his win – but despite kicking off his campaign with the two points, he felt that he’d been let off the hook by Fu.

“I know there were three centuries but my game wasn’t great and there were some loose shots out there,” said O’Sullivan, who has eight Premier League titles so far in his career. “Marco had plenty of opportunities but didn’t take them so the scoreline probably flattered me a bit.”

Fu remained in his seat as O’Sullivan knocked in a total clearance of 133 in the third frame to move 2-1 ahead and he remained there as breaks of 106 and 131 clinched victory for the world number one. O’Sullivan was not content with his performance though and highlighted the need to for him to use both hands during the match to maintain his concentration.

“If I didn’t use my left hand I’d have probably got beaten so that got me out of trouble really – I’m so awful with the right sometimes that a number 100 ranked player could beat me, but on other days I can get on the shot a feel comfortable,” said O’Sullivan. “The important thing is to keep me out there and not thinking about the game and that’s what the left hand does for me – it never lets me down!”

First blood belonged to Fu after O’Sullivan missed two chances to gain a foothold in the opening frame and Fu came back to tidy up the opener after an initial break of 44. O’Sullivan was on the back-foot in the second frame and was forced into taking on a tough pot into the middle when Fu’s safety put the cue ball tight on the top cushion, but O’Sullivan knocked in the red and compiled a break of 49 to level the match.

The world number one offered a chance to Fu from his break off in the third frame, but he snatched at a long red and O’Sullivan compiled a 133 total clearance to stamp his authority on proceedings.

O’Sullivan began to turn on the style in the fourth frame and recorded back-to-back century breaks with some fantastic pots in a break of 106 to move 3-1 in front. Victory for the defending champion was confirmed with a third century in the fifth frame when O’Sullivan pounced on a foul by Fu with a clinical 131 break. With the points in the bag, O’Sullivan sat back and watched as Fu compiled a break of 83 to record his second frame of the match.

Earlier in the evening, Neil Robertson opened the 2009 PartyCasino.com Premier League Snooker season with a very confident 4-2 victory after Judd Trump had made a stunning start on his Premier League debut with a 139 total clearance in the first frame of the match.

Robertson finished bottom of the table in his debut season of the Premier League in 2007 when he failed to win a match and clearly had that in mind as he came from a frame behind to spoil Trump’s bow.

“I’ve got two points already and that’s as many as I accumulated two years ago so I couldn’t be happier,” said Robertson. “I’m not looking at the top of the table really, I’d just be happy to qualify for the play-offs. Ronnie O’ Sullivan didn’t finish in the top two last year but still won so I don’t think it has too much relevance.”

Trump wowed the Penrith audience with a superb 139 total clearance in the opening frame to notch the first century break of the 2009 season in his first ever frame of Premier League Snooker.

Robertson replied instantly with a fine break of 80 to level matters but a double-kiss gave his 20 year-old opponent the first chance in the third frame, only for a heavy contact to end his break on 62 and Robertson capitalised with a 66 clearance to snatch the frame on the black and move 2-1 ahead.

The Australian extended his lead thanks to a break of 58 in the fourth frame to secure at least a point and pounced on another chance afforded him by Trump with a break of 89 in the fifth frame to clinch his first Premier League victory. A scrappy sixth and final frame was ended when a fluked green gave Trump a second frame on a promising debut.

“I’m delighted to beat someone as good as Judd,” said Robertson of his opponent. “When I first saw him playing I thought he could be better than Ding Junhui and from what I saw in the first frame I believe he will be a World Champion one day.”

Trump won the Championship League in March to reach the Premier League, and showed signs that he could be a real handful as the league progresses. “It was a great start as I felt little bit nervous so that calmed me down straight away,” said the Bristol man on the opening frame. “I thought it could be down to one visit each every frame after Neil’s break in the second but I got that kick in the third frame and in the end I was lucky to get away with a 4-2 defeat.”

The second event on the 2009 PartyCasino.com Premier League Snooker calendar takes place at the Malvern Theatre in Worcestershire on September 17, where Shaun Murphy takes on John Higgins and Judd Trump faces Stephen Hendry.

RESULTS

Neil Robertson 4-2 Judd Trump
0-139 (Trump 139), 80-7 (Robertson 80), 66-62 (Robertson 66, Trump 62), 72-0 (Robertson 58), 89-8 (Robertson 89), 34-68
Ronnie O’Sullivan 4–2 Marco Fu
27-71 (Fu 44), 66-4 (O’Sullivan 49), 133-0 (O’Sullivan 133), 115-6 (O’Sullivan 106), 135-0 (O’Sullivan 131), 0-83 (Fu 83)