Ebdon closes in on final place

Peter Ebdon is closing in on his third appearance in the 888.com World Championship final after producing near-faultless snooker in the second and third sessions against Marco Fu to open up a 15-9 lead.

Ebdon's performance was in total contrast to the turgid exhibition from both players who adopted a no-risk policy during the opening eight frames which occupied nearly four hours.

The 2002 world champion cued superbly and gave a magnificent example of break-building as he reeled off three centuries and eight other 50-plus breaks in the 16 frames fought out today at the Crucible Theatre.

Now Ebdon needs only two more frames in the best of 33 contest to set up a meeting with with Ronnie O'Sullivan or Graeme Dott in Sunday's final.

Fu stuck gamely to his task to restrict Ebdon to a 9-7 advantage going into the third session and he showed great determination to pull the 14th and 16th frame out of the fire.

But Ebdon effectively took a stranglehold on the game by winning the opening four frames of the evening session and there was little Fu could do to halt the tide of high breaks from the Dubai-based player.

The tone was set when Ebdon knocked in a superb 122 total clearance. Fu led 47-28 in the next but, after escaping from a snooker, he was powerless to stop Ebdon rattling in a superb long red to open a frame winning clearance of 48 to the black.

It was a surprise to see Ebdon break down on 45 in frame 19 when forcing the blue into the middle pocket but it did not prove costly.

He completed a pre-interval whitewash with a 93 to leave Fu with a mountain to climb in his bid to become the first Asian to reach the world final.

To his credit Fu staged a mini-revival by coming out on top in two scrappy frames when the players returned to the table.

But hopes of a significant revival by the Hong Kong potter were dashed when runs of 53 and 86 proved sufficient for Ebdon to take the final two frames.

O'Sullivan and Dott are locked at 8-8 with two sessions remaining of their semi-final.

Dott, beaten by O'Sullivan in the 2004 final, proved a tough opponent for The Rocket who struggled to produce his best form.

But the main talking point was the 14th frame when O'Sullivan went back to his chair and looked to be be picking away at the tip which eventually came away from the cue.

Dott cleared up to win the frame with a superb 66 break but O'Sullivan immediately left the arena to carry out repairs.

Snooker legend and now BBC pundit Steve Davis slammed the tactics employed by O'Sullivan, who had looked uneasy all through the session.

The six-time world champion said: "It looked like Ronnie was picking at the tip to get it off. It was unfair on Graeme Dott who has just started to hit some rhythm. In other sports can you deliberately halt progress?"

But tournament director Mike Ganley said: "I think the footage of what happened is inconclusive. We all know that Ronnie has had tip problems this week. I spoke to Ronnie at the time and he assures me it was loose and he couldn't continue."

Ironically O'Sullivan looked a different player as he knocked in a 124 break in the next frame to move 8-7 ahead but Dott levelled matters in the final frame via a run of 74.