Saudi Arabia Masters as it happened – Robertson overcomes Gong to set up clash with Selby

• Xiao Guodong 3-2 Lyu Haotian
• Zhou Yuelong 2-3 Elliot Slessor
• Jordan Brown 3-3 David Gilbert
• Gong Chenzhi 1-5 Neil Robertson
• Jack Lisowski 5-2 Martin O’Donnell
• Scott Donaldson 4-2 Ryan Day
• Noppon Saengkham 1-4 Yuan Sijun
• Stephen Maguire 4-3 Wu Yize

And in goes the final red, blue and the clearance on the colours. Robbo through to meet Mark Selby in the last 32 on Tuesday. Excellent finish to an impressive display. Neil with breaks of 72, 103 and 94. Gong producing 80 and 56 of his own.

Gong leaves a red over a top pocket before Robbo smashes in a brilliant blue, and suddenly he has chance to finish frame and match for a 5-1 win.

A lead of 24 points for Gong, but he can’t land on the final red. So this frame coming down to a safety duel on the final red.

Gong with a couple of excellent pots as he rolls in a red down a side cushion to the yellow bag before sliding in a plant on two reds to left middle. Brilliant execution as he opens up the other reds.

Probably not peak Robbo, but certainly getting back to the level of form that we expect from a player of his pedigree. Misses a red to right centre to present Gong with a lifeline.

Poor break-off shot by Gong as he sees a red come back up the table to hang over a centre pocket. Great chance for Robbo to continue his scoring streak in this match.

• Xiao Guodong 1-1 Lyu Haotian
• Zhou Yuelong 2-2 Elliot Slessor
• Jordan Brown 2-3 David Gilbert
• Gong Chenzhi 1-3 Neil Robertson
• Jack Lisowski 4-2 Martin O’Donnell
• Scott Donaldson 4-2 Ryan Day
• Noppon Saengkham 1-4 Yuan Sijun
• Stephen Maguire 3-3 Wu Yize

And another fine break of 94 from Robbo is just the job for a 4-1 lead. Seems to be heading for the final 32 here.

Couple of brilliant recovery pots on a red from side cushion and the black. Superb stuff from the former world champion.

Much more like the Robertson we’ve come to expect over the years. Looks dialled in on the task ahead as he continue to stockpile the points. Chance of another hefty break.

Gong tries to escape from the snooker. Misses first time, but makes a mess of a second attempt by hitting blue to leave Robbo right in among them. This is a golden chance then to crack on and move three up with a possible four to play.

Great long red by Robbo. And he opts to roll up behind the yellow to present Gong with a tough escape from the snooker.

Robertson tries to pick out a plant from distance, but can’t get the angles right on that effort. Probably vital that Gong doesn’t lose this frame for his future health in the event.

• Xiao Guodong 1-1 Lyu Haotian
• Zhou Yuelong 2-1 Elliot Slessor
• Jordan Brown 2-2 David Gilbert
• Gong Chenzhi 1-3 Neil Robertson
• Jack Lisowski 3-1 Martin O’Donnell
• Scott Donaldson 3-1 Ryan Day
• Noppon Saengkham 1-2 Yuan Sijun
• Stephen Maguire 2-2 Wu Yize

103 is a superb effort from Robbo as he drops in a double on brown before taking out blue, pink and black. He needs two more frames to reach the last 32 and that duel with Mark Selby, the four-time world champion.

Clinical finishing power by Robertson when gets into his stride. Chance to make the ton too.

So that error by Gong in making only 24 could be so costly with Robertson quickly up to 25 in his latest visit to the table. Gong missing a red with the rest, and returns to his seat fearing the worst. Plenty of reds in the open to attack.

• Xiao Guodong 1-1 Lyu Haotian
• Zhou Yuelong 2-1 Elliot Slessor
• Jordan Brown 1-2 David Gilbert
• Gong Chenzhi 1-2 Neil Robertson
• Jack Lisowski 3-1 Martin O’Donnell
• Scott Donaldson 3-1 Ryan Day
• Noppon Saengkham 1-2 Yuan Sijun
• Stephen Maguire 2-2 Wu Yize

Lovely long red by Gong disappears and he holds for black, but it all goes wrong fairly quickly. Makes 24 before missing a mid-range brown by a fair distance. Can’t complain about not having chances in this match.

103, 95 and 103 again sees him lead Martin O’Donnell 3-1 at their mid-session interval.

Could he come up with a century in the third frame? A very impressive break in progress from Robertson. 72 break from Robbo as blue stays out late in frame, but job done. He leads 2-1. One more frame before the mid-session interval.

Both men squandering chances among the balls, but Robbo back at the table after his opponent prods a red wide off the mark at the business end of table. Bad miss and could be costly too. Golden chance for the Aussie to reassert himself.

• Xiao Guodong 1-0 Lyu Haotian
• Zhou Yuelong 0-1 Elliot Slessor
• Jordan Brown 1-1 David Gilbert
• Gong Chenzhi 1-1 Neil Robertson
• Jack Lisowski 3-1 Martin O’Donnell
• Scott Donaldson 1-1 Ryan Day
• Noppon Saengkham 0-1 Yuan Sijun
• Stephen Maguire 1-1 Wu Yize

Terrific clearance of 87 from Gong. Real calm and composed in putting the balls away to draw level at 1-1. Sending out a message with that break.

Gong doing what is required to level matters up after missed blue by Robbo. Not exactly good for confidence. Break moving to 54 by Gong, who shows he is no slouch around the table. Classy stuff from the 17-year-old.

But that is a frustrating visit to the table for Neil. Can’t keep the cue ball under lock and key before missing a tough cut on a blue to left centre. Well, that is a surprise. Chance for Gong to extend his lead as he bids to restore parity at 1-1.

But the young man breaks down on 24 as a red to left middle doesn’t drop. Robertson flying out of his chair after that didn’t drop.

Gong happy to be patient in the second frame during a safety joust. Showing maturity and he is gifted an easy starter on a red as Robbo makes an error in leaving white in middle of table.

Black hanging over the top pocket prompts a sustained period of safety play. And both players decide that there will a re-rack in the second frame with the frame going nowhere.

Breaks of 103 and 95 from Lisowski to lead Martin O’Donnell 2-0 on table three in Riyadh.

Gong pushes the boat out by going for a long red, but nothing doing and he sticks up a red for Robbo to get moving. But he misses a black off the spot seconds later. “Poor miss,” says 1997 world champion Ken Doherty in comms.

• Xiao Guodong 0-0 Lyu Haotian
• Zhou Yuelong 0-0 Elliot Slessor
• Jordan Brown 0-0 David Gilbert
• Gong Chenzhi 0-1 Neil Robertson
• Jack Lisowski 2-0 Martin O’Donnell
• Scott Donaldson 0-0 Ryan Day
• Noppon Saengkham 0-0 Yuan Sijun
• Stephen Maguire 0-0 Wu Yize

A closing break of 47 from Robbo as red along the top cush stays out, but he has done more than enough to get the frame won. Gong puts his cue on table after conceding matters. Ideal way to get the match started for the Melbourne man.

An excellent long pot by Robertson, and he gets the benefit of landing on the blue too in baulk. This is a very decent chance to put the frame to bed at this visit.

No big break in the offing in the first frame though as Robbo loses the cue ball and is forced to run safe.

Decent opening then for Robertson to get to work. Remember, the first player to five frames will set up a meeting with Mark Selby in the last 32 on Tuesday.

First chance of the night falls to Robbo, but he can’t land on a red after slotting red to right middle. The Aussie then fails to drop in a red from distance. Expected that to drop, and so did Robbo, but 17-year-old Gong can’t cash in as a red stays out.

Almost ready to get the boys on the baize in Riyadh. First meeting between 2010 world champion and Gong Chenzhi. We’ll know tonight who will be taking their respective places in the last 32 of the richest ranking event in snooker history.

Join us again later at 6pm UK time for the evening dig.

Ashley Carty 2-4 Liu Hongyu

Anthony Hamilton 3-4 Stuart Bingham

What a win that is for Ben, who meets Zhang Anda next.

Sat in his seat, Hossein is surely feeling poorly at the memory of the ridiculous red he took on when leading 2-0; it gave Ben the impetus to get into the match, and it’s a harsh lesson for the Prince of Persia.

The black now goes to both corners and Ben really should deal with this. There is though, a lot riding on the clearance: the prize money is such that if Ben makes the next round, he’ll have won more than he did in the entirety of last season.

Again forced into a pot, again Ben nails it to right corner and looking at the table you can see why he took it on: this is a chance to win f&m, especially if he can remove the red next to the black.

Ashley Carty 2-4 Liu Hongyu

Matthew Selt 3-5 Pang Junxu

Anthony Hamilton 3-4 Stuart Bingham

Ben secures the frame and it’s so good to see him back in business after the health issues he’s had fighting chronic fatigue syndrome.

Forced to take on a long pot, Ben slots an absolute beauty into right corner under serious pressure, and suddenly the frame looks certain to be his.

Ben drops in a blue dead weight and looks to ruffle the pack, but he loses the white and shortly afterwards finds himself close to the baulk raill; he misses his thin contact so rolls inrto the pack off the side and gets a decent resilt.

Hossein gets in but misses a black to right corner, allowing Ben to get himself going.

Joe O’Connor 2-5 Lei Peifan

Ashley Carty 1-4 Liu Hongyu

Graeme Dott 0-5 Si Jiahui

Matthew Selt 3-4 Pang Junxu

Rory Thor 0-5 Jimmy Robertson

Thepchaiya Un-Nooh 5-4 Chris Wakelin

Anthony Hamilton 2-3 Stuart Bingham

Hossein pots the brown and leaves the blue in the jaws with another double; Ben concedes.

Hossein clips the green home and Ben needs a snooker; he then tries a double on the brown and misses by plenty.

Ben cuts in the yellow but isn’t on the green, so on we go, Hossein unable to bag a thin cut to the yellow. This frame has been going 41 minutes.

A miserable shot from black to yellow leaves a nasty pot and Hossein doesn’t get close to it, but Ben can’t sink a similar shot so the frame remains in the balance.

Hossein hits, goes in-off and knocks a red safe, Ben can’t make a further snooker … but Hossein can. Ben misses first go … and second, leaving a pot. Chance for Hossein!

Turns out that Eurosport’s Neal Foulsds once sunk 10 red-blacks, took on a shoit he shouldn’t have chasing a maxi, and Willie Thorne got the snookers he needed to steal. Back in our match, meanwhile, Ben gets in the misses to right corner, slots another red and, after considering a cut-back black, lays a snooker; Hossein, who’s to go up and down, misses by miles and putting these balls back will not be easy.

…but he can’t sink to right corner with , so we’re back playing safety with three reds on rails and two in the bottom half of the table, the blue in baulk and pink just above blakc cush. We could be here some time.

This game! now Ben misses a colour to middle, the blue, and that means a chance for Hossein. He’s not had much table-time the last hour, but he’s a good enough potter to just get going…

Frustrated, Hossein unloads the suitcase at one to right corner and spanks it home. But with claret everywhere, he’s not nicely on a colour so tries black to left-middle … and hits the far knuckle. So Ben sticks a red into the same bag, and how things have changed here.

Neither player can get in but Ben looks the more confident; Hossein looks like he’s still vexed following that earlier miss.

Hossein clips a starter into right corner but can’t go on – we’re all friends here so I’ll tell the truth: someone came to collect my daughter’s friend, so I had to open the door. Anyhow, he must’ve potted a further lone red because he’s got two points, but we’re now playing safety

Joe O’Connor 2-3 Lei Peifan

Ashley Carty 1-3 Liu Hongyu

Graeme Dott 0-4 Si Jiahui

Matthew Selt 2-2 Pang Junxu

Rory Thor 0-4 Jimmy Robertson

Thepchaiya Un-Nooh 2-4 Chris Wakelin

Anthony Hamilton 1-3 Stuart Bingham

He cannot, and it’s three on tthe spin for Ben; remember that it’s now best of nine not best of seven, so he needs two more

It’d not been easy but Ben remains at the table … then misses frame-ball, a pretty straightforward re to right corner which is far easier than various he’s slotted through the break. With five reds on the rails, he’ll feel pretty safe, but this would be some dish if Hossein can pull it off.

Hossein foul-misses looking for a thin contact and leaves a free ball, so Ben takes a green and moves up to the business end. But he’s soon back in baulk having run out of position, taken there by a thin cut-back. But he keeps the run going, and fornow that’ll do.

Joe O’Connor 1-3 Lei Peifan

Ashley Carty 0-2 Liu Hongyu

Graeme Dott 0-4 Si Jiahui

Matthew Selt 1-2 Pang Junxu

Rory Thor 0-2 Jimmy Robertson

Thepchaiya Un-Nooh 2-2 Chris Wakelin

Anthony Hamilton 1-2 Stuart Bingham

There certainly is, a total clearance of 134 sending him to the interval in good heart. Hossein, on the other hand, will be full of regret.

How much will Hossein be rueing that wild miss in the previous frame? It ushered Ben into thematch, and now look! They’re gooing to be level headed into the mid-sesh, and is there a ton there to be had?

Hossein misses a long red so Ben gets away, breaking the pack off the blue and yiedling a decent result; good shot. So now he’s about the black spot and this is a chance.

Joe O’Connor 1-2 Lei Peifan

Ashley Carty 0-2 Liu Hongyu

Graeme Dott 0-3 Si Jiahui

Matthew Selt 1-1 Pang Junxu

Rory Thor 0-2 Jimmy Robertson

Thepchaiya Un-Nooh 2-2 Chris Wakelin

Anthony Hamilton 1-1 Stuart Bingham

It takes a while but Ben gets there in the end.

But he doesn’t, unable to get at the final red, so the chase for it is on, Hossein needing a snooker to tie.

Ben removes balls nicely and there’s no reason to think he won’t see the frame away at this visit.

Poor from Hossein, who runs into the pack but, eager to keep the break going, he tries to force a low-percentage red to right-middle, misses, and leacves the world. Ben really must make the most of this opportunity.

It’s Hossein in again at the start of frame three and he rolls a lovely red to right-centre that keeps the run alive; there are plenty of points waiting for him too.

• Joe O’Connor 1-1 Lei Peifan
• Ashley Carty 0-2 Liu Hongyu
• Graeme Dott 0-2 Si Jiahui
• Matthew Selt 0-1 Pang Junxu
• Rory Thor 0-1 Jimmy Robertson
• Thepchaiya Un-Nooh 2-0 Chris Wakelin
• Anthony Hamilton 1-0 Stuart Bingham

Hossein leads by two and needs three more.

And has he got one? After accidentally potting the yellow he sticks the white tight behind the pink, green up the other end of the table … it’s a great effort, but Hossein escapes and though Ben pots the brown, his attempted snooker thereafter facilitates the clear-up.

He cannot, hitting it slightly harder than necessary to bring the ball away from pocket in case he missed. But when he does he leaves it to the midde and Hossein sees it away, missing the black that follows, so Ben returns to the table with just the colkours left, needing two snookers.

Gosh, a simple enough red to left corner fails to disappear – I didn’t expect Hossein to miss that, especially as it was frame-ball – means Bewn remains in the frame, just. Can he clear? The final red is in the middle of black cush, so he’ll need to get decent position to try and pot it … and he does. Can he slides it in along the rail?

Hossein is a very classy break-builder and he expertly removes balls; Ben looks pretty unhappy with life slumped in his seat.

Hossein wants to take a starter to left corner but can’t get at it comfortably so he tries one to right and misses, letting Ben in. But a poor positonal shot off the black means he’s chasing, he winds up in baulk, and misses the blue while breaking the pack; big chance for Hossein!

• Joe O’Connor 0-0 Lei Peifan
• Ashley Carty 0-0 Liu Hongyu
• Graeme Dott 0-1 Si Jiahui
• Matthew Selt 0-0 Pang Junxu
• Rory Thor 0-0 Jimmy Robertson
• Thepchaiya Un-Nooh 1-0 Chris Wakelin
• Anthony Hamilton 0-0 Stuart Bingham

A run of 75 and Vafaei hits the front.

But Hossein is straight back in building a lead, promoting a red … and quickly finishing the frame.

Ach, but he misses a black he shouldn’t to left corner, keaving a chance for Hossein. But a poor positional shot means a nasty pink to middle across the nap … and he drains it nicely. Problem being he’s still not im prime position and the next red, to the green, is taxing … and he can’t drain it. Ben, though, is nervous, soon missing blue to the same bag and, with two reds on or near the side rail, this frame might take a while yet.

A dreadful break from Hossein allows Ben to slide in an simple starter to left-middle, but a missed black that leaves nothing means we’re soon back playing safety. bit not for long, Ben steering in a fine red to the green bag, dead slow, then cracking the green itself into left-centre, another fine pot – with plenty on if he missed. Can he convert into something sub sub sub sub substantial? If he can win here, he’ll be a long way towards retaining his tour card for next season.

… Hossein Vafaei v Ben Woollaston and Gong Chenzhi v Neil Robertson.

And welcome to the Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters – day four!

(All UK times, schedule subject to change)

• Hossein Vafaei v Ben Woollaston
• Joe O’Connor v Lei Peifan
• Ashley Carty v Liu Hongyu
• Graeme Dott v Si Jiahui
• Matthew Selt v Pang Junxu
• Rory Thor v Jimmy Robertson
• Thepchaiya Un-Nooh v Chris Wakelin
• Anthony Hamilton v Stuart Bingham

• Xiao Guodong v Lyu Haotian
• Zhou Yuelong v Elliot Slessor
• Jordan Brown v David Gilbert
• Gong Chenzhi v Neil Robertson
• Jack Lisowski v Martin O’Donnell
• Scott Donaldson v Ryan Day
• Noppon Saengkham v Yuan Sijun
• Stephen Maguire v Wu Yize