It’s Edinburgh’s big one. For the Scottish Open trophy, defending champion Gary Wilson will face Noppon Saengkham, the winner of a maiden ranking tournament. Wilson arrives on a respotted black, having just emerged victorious from an incredible victory over Zhou Yuelong, while Noppon defeated local favorite John Higgins to set up the match of his career. The best-of-17 championship game begins at 13:00 UK time and ends at 19:00.
SAENGKHAM 3-0 WILSON (7-39)
Salvation for Noppon! Noppon sinks it beautifully, and Gary has a great opportunity to enter the match. Gary goes into cluster off blue, plants a red, and leaves a long one to the green.
SAENGKHAM 3-0 WILSON (6-25)
Noppon plunges into the pack, yielding a tight one to left-middle; he’s going to leave one if he misses, and I fear he does. Uncle Joe believes there’s no way he would miss that in a typical play; it’s nerves, and they could cost him.
SAENGKHAM 3-0 WILSON (0-11)
Noppon attempts a one-to-right corner but misses, so Gary lets him go close to the top rail, whereupon he hits a stunning shot into the left corner! He needed that, for sure, but is there more he can do with it? There are a few unattached reds nearby.
Wilson 3-0 Lancaster
Yes, Noppon has only potted one ball so far today. If he is unable to secure the remaining mini-sesh, it will be difficult to witness .
SAENGKHAM 2-0 WILSON (55-0)
Playing off the side into the pack, Noppon hits too hard after missing, and Gary will undoubtedly win the frame this time around.
Wilson 2-0 (46-0) SAENGKHAM
Gary isn’t just making accurate shots; he’s also making shrewd ones, opening balls by taking out opponents. To be honest, I have a slight problem with him because I told my turf accountant about Zhou. However, the courage and determination he displayed to overcome that have undoubtedly reminded him of his greatness. He smokes down a red with the rest with confidence as I type, but he quickly runs out of position—by a tiny bit—so it’s a decent lead and a safety.
SAENGKHAM 2-0 WILSON (10-0)
Reaching his preferred red at the end.
Wilson 2-0 (4-0) SAENGKHAM
Noppon will know that Gary defeated O’Connor 10-3 in the previous year’s final and that he desperately needs at least one of the next two frames. However, following a safety exchange, Gary plays a decent safety after running out of position and making light of a challenging cut down the left corner.
Wilson versus Seoul, 2-0
Gary is all over the one ball that Noppon potted.
SAENGKHAM 1-0 WILSON (64-0)
Noppon hasn’t had much of a chance, so it’s not shocking that he gives up another opportunity right away. Gary, for his part, scores a starter and, despite not positioning himself on a color, returns to the table shortly after, nearly securing the frame. Returning from the three snookers he had to play yesterday,
SAENGKHAM 1-0 WILSON (62-0)
With 75 on the table and the black out of commission, it’s end of break when Gary sinks the blue but receives a full-ball kiss on the yellow.
SAENGKHAM 1-0 WILSON (44-0)
When Noppon fails to get the white ball near the bottom rail during the break, Gary punishes him by stroking the right corner, and he’s loving the way he’s playing here. You have some work ahead of you—will the split work out?—but you’re starting to worry about Noppon. Yes, the split off the black nearly produced a red to the right-middle but failed to do so. The subsequent ball required ungainly bridging, which was unsuccessful; Gary is ecstatic.
Wilson 1, SEGHKHAM 0.
The run expires at ninety, but I can.
SAENGKHAM 0 WILSON 1 (66-1)
If Noppon was anxious prior to the match, he will be even more so now that he hasn’t started and his opponent is flying.
SAENGKHAM 0-0 WILSON (45-1)
Tell you what, when you look at who else is knocking around, you would be feeling pretty good if you reached your first ranking final and faced O’Connor, who was also a debutant, followed by Noppon. Gary is a confident player and he has it now, but in order to win the frame on this visit, he needs to break the final four reds.
SAENGKHAM 0-0 WILSON (15-1)
After yesterday’s matches, both players will have had a major emotional letdown, so who recovers faster could decide the early going, though nervousness will also play a big role. Noppon has the first opportunity, chipping in a dangled red to the left corner, but he plays it safe and then tries again with a harder ball to the right middle. But Gary gets in, nails a stunning yellow, and he looks amazing here. He misses.
WE GO AHEAD!
There is a chance to win the elegant Stephen Hendry trophy.
I have no idea who will win this.
Noppon may have a higher top level, but Gary is confident he can. Here we go, and our players arrive…
I’m excited about this one.
Although Gary is the current champion, he came to Edinburgh in terrible shape and lacking confidence. In the first round, he was trailing 3-0 against Xing Zihao and had to win a decider to defeat Joe O’Connor, saving it until the very end. After that, he was on point, destroying Chris Wakelin and Rory Thor before mounting an absurd comeback to defeat Zhou Yuelong in one of the year’s matches and finishes to advance to another final. This is what he wants.
But so does Noppon, who reached his first ranking final after a stunning comeback against John Higgins that left him crying on his defeated opponent’s shoulder. Without a doubt, he’s good enough to win this, and once the nerves go, it should be a really enjoyable match with lots of breaks and, come to that, tears at the end.
HI THEREFOR!
And welcome to the 2023 Scottish Open final between Gary Wilson and Noppon Saengkham!
Watch live snooker action, including the Scottish Open, on eurosport.com, the Eurosport app, and discovery+.
But so does Noppon, who reached his first ranking final after a stunning comeback against John Higgins that left him crying on his defeated opponent’s shoulder. Without a doubt, he’s good enough to win this, and once the nerves go, it should be a really enjoyable match with lots of breaks and, come to that, tears at the end.
HI THEREFOR!
And welcome to the 2023 Scottish Open final between Gary Wilson and Noppon Saengkham!
Watch live snooker action, including the Scottish Open, on eurosport.com, the Eurosport app, and discovery+.
