Players Championship 2023 LIVE - Joe O'Connor faces off against Luca Brecel with Shaun Murphy against Ryan Day to come

BRECEL 2-1 O’CONNOR (29-67) There’s no let up from O’Connor as he keeps laying the traps. Brecel can’t keep fighting the fires and two more fouls leave him massively up against it. Ad He blasts the cue ball with an element of frustration involved and smashes right into the pink — again.

Players ChampionshipMurphy slams 'ridiculous accusations' of losing concentration after Selby winYESTERDAY AT 19:37 And yet, the red remains safe and Joe still can’t take advantage to finish off the frame. BRECEL 2-1 O’CONNOR (29-49) What a shot! Brecel produces the perfect angle and weight to nick the red ever so slightly. He walks to his chair and offers a wry smile as the official calls ‘touching ball.’ Joe lays another snooker and the Belgian Bullet responds with another sublime escape.

Again he chuckles as there’s another touching ball situation. BRECEL 2-1 O’CONNOR (29-49) Ouch! Brecel deliberates over his attempt to escape the snooker and ends up clipping the pink. His second effort is even worse and the cue ball clunks straight into the pink.

Joe is given a free ball and lays another nasty snooker for his opponent! BRECEL 2-1 O’CONNOR (29-37) It’s a safety face-off with just two reds remaining. Brecel blinks first and continually shakes his head in his seat after leaving one of the reds hovering over the bottom left pocket. O’Connor clips it in from baulk and then plays a snooker back up the table with that final red tight to the bottom cushion behind the pink.

BRECEL 2-1 O’CONNOR (29-36) Luca knows his hopes lie on a trio of reds tight to the bottom cushion. He moves through the routine pots before coming to the crunch. He rattles the first of the three along the cushion to the bottom right corner but doesn’t nudge either of the