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Day Is Dynamite

Day Is Dynamite

Ryan Day is through to his third ranking event final after a terrific 6-5 victory over Ali Carter.

It was a match of the highest quality, with some superb snooker from both players. Day had three centuries, Carter two as they battled for a place in the Royal London Watches Grand Prix final.

"Both of us cued fantastically well, I possibly pushed the boat out at 5-2 up, taking the red on to the green bag and giving him a lifeline. After that I was just hoping for a chance," said 28-year-old Day.

"Obviously at 5-5 I was pretty close to getting beaten, although I didn't feel like I made too many glaring mistakes. The final frame was all about getting a chance.

"The red was a really good shot," said the Welshman, referring to his nerves of steel pot in the deciding frame.

Carter, the 888.com World Championship runner-up, opened with a 107 to start proceedings. Not to be out-done, Day hit back with a 120 but had a great opportunity for a maximum. Having potted all 15 reds with blacks he ended the wrong side of the yellow and his attempted double to a middle pocket failed.

Day looked set for another big break in frame three, but he missed the black off its spot on 62. Carter couldn't take advantage and Day moved in front.

World No 7 Carter hit back to level at the break with a run of 63.

After the interval, Day continued his rich vein of form. Having seen off Roewe Shanghai Masters Champion Ricky Walden, Mark Selby and Jamie Cope to reach his first ranking event semi-final in the UK, he compiled his second century of the match, a 104, to edge in front once more.

That became a two frame lead when he took a scrappy sixth. Day's dominance continued in frame seven with his third century of the match, this time a run of a 115 put him within a frame of a third ranking event final.

Carter had other ideas and launched a great comeback. From 5-2 down he fought back with breaks of 84 and his second century of the match, a 107 starting with a fluked red off the black, levelled the match.

The final frame was understandably tense, but this compelling match still had some drama to unfold. With three reds left Day took on a difficult red to the middle pocket which put him within touching distance of victory. Carter then left Day with a long thin cut on the yellow, which he confidently dispatched and followed with the green to assure him of a place in tomorrow's best of 17 frame final against John Higgins.

"I've got John Higgins in the final, in Glasgow, I couldn't ask for a better match than that," said Day.

Carter has reached the last four in the Northern Ireland Trophy and here in Glasgow, so is satisfied with his progress.

"I might win a tournament one day. I keep getting to the business end, so someone's got to fall over one day. It was a good game. I can reflect on this tournament as a good one and look forward to the next one," said the Tiptree potter.

"I had a couple of chances to win the match in the last frame, but maybe I went for one too many shots. I was trying to win it, not avoid defeat."

Rankings
1. Ronnie O'Sullivan
2. Stephen Maguire
3. Shaun Murphy
4. Mark Selby
5. John Higgins MBE
6. Stephen Hendry MBE
7. Allister Carter
8. Ryan Day
9. Peter Ebdon
10. Neil Robertson
11. Ding Junhui
12. Joe Perry
13. Graeme Dott
14. Marco Fu
15. Mark King
16. Mark Allen

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