Ebdon speeds ahead as McCulloch storms clear

PETER EBDON quickened the pace after his controversial go-slow against Ronnie O’Sullivan to seize early control of his Embassy World Championship semi-final with Shaun Murphy at the Crucible.

O’Sullivan had been incensed by the snail-like speed of Ebdon, who averaged 37 seconds per shot in recovering from 8-2 down to triumph 13-11.

But it was a far more fluent Ebdon on display against outsider Murphy and each shot was averaging only 26 seconds - almost 50% faster - as he established a 6-2 lead in the first session of the best-of-33-frame contest.

The eight frames only spanned two hours, 14 minutes with Ebdon clocking up five 50-plus breaks.

The 2002 champion drew first blood yesterday with runs of 47 and 30 in a 20-minute opening frame.

Murphy opened his account in frame two despite initially breaking down on 34 when attempting a slow red and a 43 clearance brought him back on level terms.

The Rotherham-based player, failed to convert a red when bridging over another ball in the third and Ebdon’s 78 to the blue edged him back in front.

Ebdon went into the mid-session holding a two-frame lead after an opening 70 in the next left Murphy requiring snookers.

A run of 77 enabled Murphy to halve his deficit after the restart and he was first amongst the balls in frame six. But he missed a red hanging over the black pocket and Ebdon’s 52 proved decisive and then he stretched his advantage to three frames with a 69.

Murphy led 40-6 in the final frame but Ebdon looked on top of his game and a 93 clearance polished off proceedings.

Ian McCulloch stunned new tournament favourite Matthew Stevens by opening up a four-frame lead in the opening session of their semi-final.

McCulloch, compiled four half centuries and two hundred-plus breaks.

McCulloch was into his stride from the start and capitalised after Stevens had missed a yellow - when playing left-handed - with a decisive run of 61 to take the opening frame.

In the next McCulloch punished Stevens for a poor break-off shot with a 53.

Stevens, struggling to find any rhythm, quickly found himself trailing further after under-hitting a blue to allow McCulloch in for another half century.

McCulloch then completed a pre-interval whitewash, snicking a thin red into the middle pocket on his way to a 127 clearance.

Stevens broke his duck after a tense 37-minute fifth frame encounter by clearing from green to pink, but McCulloch ensured that he would have an overnight lead with a 122 clearance in frame six after Stevens missed a red into the middle.

A run of 56 from Stevens cut his deficit to 5-2 but McCulloch re-asserted his authority with an 83 break in the final frame after sinking a superb long red.

Meanwhile O’Sullivan’s coach-mentor Ray Reardon is confident that O’Sullivan will return to action at some stage next season.

O’Sullivan had said he was “90% certain” of taking a 12-month break after his defeat by Ebdon, but Reardon is predicting he will return in a maximum of six months.

He said: “This morning I had breakfast with Ronnie and he was as right as ninepence.

“It was like a load had been taken off his mind. He is really at peace with himself and he has gone back to London happy”