Swail falls to O'Sullivan
World number one Ronnie O’Sullivan brushed aside Irishman Joe Swail to secure a quarter-final place at the Grand Prix in Preston, and then vowed the best is still yet to come.
O’Sullivan never found top gear against Swail, a player who has done better than most against him, but still starred in a 5-2 triumph.
The defending champion is now just three wins away from retaining his crown at the Guild Hall.
“It’s so frustrating because I was in control but I’ve not been making 70 or 80 breaks,” said O’Sullivan.
“I just want to pot balls but I probably went for one or two balls which I shouldn’t have gone for.
“At 3-0 I played well. I could have wrapped it up 5-1 but I went in-off in the middle.”
O’Sullivan added: “If you want to be world number one you have got to be patient, though.
“I’m not enjoying doing that. I’d rather be potting balls but I know I have got to do that (be patient) sometimes.
“I’m through but I’m just working on my game. I’m managing to win games without playing well, which bodes well because I will get better.”
O’Sullivan started superbly and quickly established a 3-0 lead, the highlight of which was a 72 break in the third frame.
Swail hit back to snatch a scrappy fourth frame, before O’Sullivan won the opener after the mid-session interval.
O’Sullivan knocked in a 53 break in the sixth and although Swail pinched the frame with a splendid 65 run his brief fightback only delayed the inevitable as his opponent won the seventh and deciding frame to book his place in the last eight.
Crowd favourite Jimmy White was due to face O’Sullivan in the next round, but having fought back from 3-1 down he suffered an agonising 5-4 defeat.
“I made mistake after mistake,” admitted White, who was bitterly disappointed not to earn a showdown with O’Sullivan.
“My head kept moving on the shot. I tried to correct it, but it wasn’t working. He punished me.”
White started in brilliant fashion with a 119 break but Norwich potter Pinches won the next frame with runs of 32 and 39, before a break of 62 saw him edge ahead.
Pinches won a fourth frame at the third attempt among the balls, before White reduced his deficit with a 40 break. Pinches knocked in a 65 run in the sixth but a 51 break from White levelled matters.
The next two frames were shared with White compiling a 66 in the eighth only for Pinches to win the decider of their best-of-nine battle with breaks of 49 and 30.
“Before the interval it wasn’t a great game, but if I had gone to 2-0 down I could have been in a real muddle. Jimmy could have won it,” said Pinches.
“You have got to respect these players, but I’m really pleased to be in the quarter-finals.
“Ronnie’s pretty good but I will just go out there and try my best although he is the big favourite.”
Stoke youngster Jamie Cope came close to surprising Barry Hawkins but in a tight battle lost 5-4.
Cope had breaks of 54, 45 and 48, but it was not enough to stop Hawkins, who had runs of 60, 82, 52 and 48 from progressing.
Nottingham’s Michael Holt is also through after his 5-4 victory over Bristol youngster Andrew Norman.
Holt led 3-0 thanks with a high break of 84 in the opening exchanges, but Norman levelled after a spirited fightback which yielded an impressive 72 run.
But having won another frame each, it was Holt who triumphed after a scrappy ninth frame which lasted nearly half an hour.
“I nearly threw that away,” revealed Holt. “He (Norman) deserved to win but I am chuffed to bits to be in the quarter-finals.”
