How Luca Brecel, Xiao Guodong played out 'completely cursed' frame in Scottish Open quarter-final - 'Unbelievable'

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It all started so simply in the Scottish Open quarter-final between Luca Brecel and Xiao Guodong. The former world champion exhibited his renowned potting ability to go ahead, while Xiao put his own credentials on display with a smart half-century for parity. But the third frame panned out in a way nobody expected, much to the disbelief of Eurosport commentators Neil Foulds and Dave Hendon.

'Completely cursed frame' - Xiao makes 'lucky' snooker as mammoth third frame continues

Video credit: TNT Sports

Luca Brecel and Xiao Guodong played out a "completely cursed" frame in their Scottish Open quarter-final clash, in a sequence of events which left Eurosport commentators Neil Foulds and Dave Hendon bewildered.

Brecel - looking to continue his fine run in Edinburgh as he hopes to retain his professional status - took the opening frame before being pegged back by Xiao, who claimed an impressive half-century in the second.

And the tie soon descended into absolute chaos with a blockbuster third frame which stretched to 51 minutes, also seeing Brecel go 38 minutes without potting a ball.

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The frame, which Xiao eventually clinched to move 2-1 ahead, saw a great deal of fortune, an equal helping of misfortune, a strange composition of the table, and ultimately a frustrated former world champion - with Brecel failing to recover in the aftermath.

Xiao went on to post a classy century for a two-frame advantage, and Brecel resorted to leaving his cue in the arena during the subsequent interval, sparking conversation among the Eurosport studio - with Alan McManus feeling The Bullet was sending a "statement" over his discontent.

Now well in the driving seat, Xiao went on to claim the following two frames in speedy style, setting up what is set to be a fine semi-final clash against compatriot Wu Yize.

But just how did that bonkers third frame pan out?

Brecel concedes as Xiao progresses to semi-final against Wu

Video credit: TNT Sports

How Xiao went 2-1 ahead

The frame kicked off with a mammoth tactical battle, but Xiao broke the deadlock with a smart red, without being able to find position to follow up his effort.

Brecel went on to escape a snooker laid out by his counterpart, sending a red towards the bottom right, where a collection of other reds was quickly amassing.

Plenty of head-shaking ensued between the pair, as the pockets continued to reject balls and the reds continued to accumulate in the aforementioned bottom right.

Soon, all 14 remaining reds were sent into that same corner by both Xiao and Brecel, as break-building began to appear an increasingly tall order, with the third frame already reaching the 20-minute mark.

"Strange old table this," Foulds said on commentary. "The safety shots on the left cushion, all the reds on the right in a cluster. Unusual configuration of the balls really."

'Strange old table' - Balls take 'unusual configuration' as reds cluster to bottom right

Video credit: TNT Sports

Brecel was presented with an opportunity to halt the stand-off, but sent an achievable red crashing between the bottom right jaws, with rustiness beginning to appear from their lack of potting success.

Xiao finally ended the drought, firing home an impressive long red, but his position on the subsequent green was misjudged - the cue ball crashing into the brown, making for an awkward red which took a nudge off black - again making him lose position.

It was a "test of patience", according to Hendon - one which Brecel was losing.

The Belgian continued to falter as Xiao built a 27-0 lead, but the Chinese star broke down as an awkward red on the right cushion would not oblige.

Brecel finally ended his fruitless run after 38 minutes without potting, putting together a run of 38 as he one-by-one dismantled the huge pack of reds gathered in the tricky corner.

But he broke down when he lost the cue ball with a thumping blue - quite remarkably landing amid a heap of reds, leaving nothing on as both continued to fall on the wrong side of lady luck.

Xiao was back among the balls and went 51-38 ahead before being forced into a "horrid shot", one which "summed the whole frame up", according to Foulds.

A potted black saw the cue ball fall in unfortunate style, forcing him to go over pink to get the red towards the bottom right pocket.

Still 13 ahead, there was little on for Xiao - who took aim at a red lined up on the bottom cushion, and an extremely fortunate double kiss saw Brecel forced into a snooker.

McManus, White discuss Brecel leaving cue in arena at interval - 'Almost a statement to all of us'

Video credit: TNT Sports

"Completely cursed frame," Foulds said, as the elusive final red caused the pair several issues.

Hendon added that the mammoth frame was "refusing to come to the boil," but there was yet more drama.

Brecel eventually sunk the final red as another fierce safety exchange crashed to a halt, with just colours on the table.

Brecel took the yellow, before Xiao sent the long green down, but the cue ball somehow caught the jaws of the top right pocket, leaving him out of position for the follow-up brown.

Then, remarkably, from a central position, Xiao feathered the brown right in front of the middle left pocket - leaving it at Brecel's mercy with the Belgian needing a minor miracle to cut his deficit.

"As bad a shot as I've seen him play for about five years," Foulds said on Xiao's effort.

'Can't believe it' - Brecel fails to capitalise on Xiao howler

Video credit: TNT Sports

And what did Brecel do? Keeping in spirit with the truly wild third frame, he only went and missed it, allowing Xiao to hoover up.

"Cant believe it, goodness," Foulds said. "Last shot was even worse than Guodong's really."

In his analysis during the interval, Foulds added: "These are two brilliant players, but can't think they've ever played two worse shots in a row than these.

"Unbelievable. A few of the spectators might be thinking we'll miss frame four, come back after the mid-session when things liven up again.

"You won't blame them, because that was a really hard frame. Xiao Guodong almost won it by default in the end."

Xiao went on to take the frame after 51 minutes, setting him on course for victory and a semi-final clash against compatriot Wu - as both look to add the Scottish Open title to their already-impressive campaigns.

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