The Masters snooker final 2024 LIVE – Ronnie O’Sullivan and Ali Carter continue battle for glory in 50th Masters final

Again, Ali takes a while deciding whether a ball goes and, in comms, Nealf is certain it does surmising he’s not seeing it right. It was a toughie, though, one he might’ve refused anyway, so we’re still playing safety – which won’t do him much good and shonuff, Ronnie plays a beauty, the kind of shot he wasn’t bothering with this afternoon/

It’ll take something awesome for Ali to win it from here; that’s one way of looking at it, and another if that a best of seven for the pot gives him a terrific chance.

Ali’s worked hard on his mental game and this is going to test it, because the Rocket has launched. Thing is, so far, he’s not wilted, he’s just been powerless to intervene because TMNTPETPUAC has hit a seam. A run of 53 clears to black, and the players go to an interval the Skipper needed badly. Ali would’ve taken 6-6 in the final at the start of the week, but the most likely outcome now is Ronnie reaching four frames first, staying on track for his first season-sweep of triple crown events. See you in 15!

This is lovely stuff from Ronnie, who needs a red and a colour for the frame, but too straight on the green, he has to force the next red and jawses it! Ali returns to a table that has 75 points left on it, but he spends a while assessing a pot Nealf is sure goes, deploys side to make sure, and misses. His lead will not last much longer.

Is Ronnie making a move? He’s away immediately in frame 12 as we see James Maddison and Paddy Pimblett in the crowd – I did not know the latter was mates with the Rocket – and when the reds open, all that’s on is one sent long to the yellow … and he wobbles it in somehow, off the near jaw. This is a chance now, and again Ali looks haunted. Only the very best can turn it up like this, right when they need to; Ronnie could use the mid-sesh holding off for a few more frames.

Yup, the camera zooms in on Ali and he no longer looks so chipper – and who would?

OH WOW! Ronnie runs out of position, so Nealf wonders if he might try a red to the yellow as a shot to nowt; nah. He strokes a beauty into left-centre, and that’ll be another frame to him.

Ali tries promoting a red off the pink but lands on nowt, so plays back to baulk. Ronnie, though, finds a far better shot in response – he’s got a big advantage in the safety and if the match looks to be running away form him, he can always make it tighter – and an immediate error leaves him back in.

Yes he will, steering it down beautifully! A pink sent long to the green follows, then he’s back at the business end but with few of the remaining six reds accessible.

Nice from Ronnie; there’s no one better at resolving the puzzle of a frame, and he’s navigating this one with all his easy elan. But then a missed blue, trying to drop onto black cush, ends the break; will Ali go at one to right-middle?

A tactical start to frame 11, but I daresay Ali will want the safety done with because he’s not as good at it as he is at potting nor as good at it as Ronnie. And shonuff, as I type, a good shot forces the Captain to try a pot, he misses, catches the blue, and is now sat in his chair watching in hope. There are a fair few loose reds, but once they’re gone things will become harder.

Yup, Ronnie does the necessary, but at some point needs to close the gap from two.

I say late night, but the speed at which these are playing, we could have a 10-9 done by 10. Ronnie runs out of position so plays in behind the yellow; Ale’s attempted escape leaves a minging red to left-centre, down it goes, and that’ll surely be the frame.

Ronnie picks off the loose balls, freeing others as he goes, and this is exactly the response he needed. We needed it too – if we’re committed to a late night, which we are.

At what point does Ali become favourite? Now, says my turf accountant of preference, but I’m not sure. However if he can take this frame too, it’ll take something significant to beat him … and as I type, Ronnie clips a fine starter to right corner.

It was scrappier than in the afternoon, but Ali clears to the black and looks in decent control of himself.

Lovely pot from Ali, clipping the penultimate red to the yellow, and he should do enough from here.

Ronnie quickly closes the gap, missing his first go at developing a railed red, then not getting a firm enough cannon the next.So he considers a double, then plays safe, blocking the route to the one not on the side with the blue.

Carrying on where he left off this afternoon, Ali confidently removes balls, until a poor red leaves him with a difficult shot to drain blue and get on to the next ball. So he drops in the former, then thinks about a tricky pot before playing safe … and drifting in, in-off. That might cost him … or it might not, because Ronnie misses the starter to left corner … with safety in mind, of course, meaning Ali misses to right, Ronnie sends it down into the opposite bag, and off he goes again. There’s a lot to do for him to take the frame, but.

The reds are pretty nicely spread but the black’s tied up and the pink is towards the side, so it’ll take a fair bit of work to craft something telling from here. The way he’s playing, though, Ali can definitely make it work.

Ali misses a thin contact, leaves Ronnie in the pack with a poke to left corner, and the greatest of all time is away, quickly breaking the pack … and landing on nowt. So he plays safe, almost fluking one into right-centre … which Ali quickly cleans up. He’s feeling himself – for now, at least.

Says Angles of the first session. I love how much he loves this thing of ours.

We’ve had various deciders, Ding’s 147, Allen’s comeback from 1-4 down against Selbz, featuring a 147 – and lots else besides. And the best may be yet to come.

Eurosport’s man won this pot in 1995, beating Hendry in the final. He said that his opponent fluked a snooker and grinned at him, so they had a Glasgow moment and he thought “I’m gonnae get ye!”

The former says that Hendry winning the Masters five times on the spin is his favourite memory, but his best performance came in 2014 when he flattened Selby; for Ali, it’s the late Paul Hunter taking the title, and he’s hoping to use him as inspiration.

A double-breasted waistcoat for the latter, a pocket kerchief for the former.

Our first session was a frankly revolting display of competence, both players in nick and having at it and each other. Ali probably knows he can’t win from behind, so will be delighted to have a lead – if he can take the opener tonight, he’ll really be talking – while Ronnie knows he can win any match from any position, and if it’s tight down the stretch, it’ll be Ali, pursuing his first triple crown event, feeling the occasion.

Thanks for joining us. We will be back at 6.45pm this evening with the Masters final played to a conclusion. Carter with breaks of 106, 122 and 74 O’Sullivan making 125 and 86 in response. A possible 11 frames to be played this evening. First man to 10 frames this evening wins the £250,000 first prize and the Paul Hunter trophy.

A 74 break from Carter is enough to get the job done. Ronnie has seen enough, and heads for the exit door. A 5-3 lead for Carter heading for the final session this evening. Work to be done by the world No. 1 tonight.

Carter heading past the 50 mark, but has not had to work for this opening. Should be a two-frame advantage heading for this evening’s second session.

Poor shot by O’Sullivan early in the eighth frame trying to open up the reds and play safe, but leaves an easy opener for Carter to get moving. Not sure about that shot as O’Sullivan heads back to his chair with white left in middle of table. Could be a 5-3 lead for Carter incoming here.

Off we go then for the eighth frame of a possible 19 in this Masters final. Carter needing to win this frame to take a lead into the evening session.

What a shot by Ronnie to crack a red into a right centre bag to keep the break going. Is this going to be the fourth century of the final? Not quite as a red stays out. But 86 does the job every day of the week. And it is 4-3 to Carter with one more frame of the opening session to play.

Ronnie quickly up to 45 before he opens up the pack of reds via the black, and this is a glorious chance to move back to 4-3 behind now.

Interesting times as Carter attempts a long red. Way off the potting angle, but Ronnie misses the black. Both players then missing reds that scarcely seemed believable before Ronnie picks out a nice red and green to calm matters. Chance then for O’Sullivan to go to work again in this final. O’Sullivan with a shot time of 17 seconds, Carter on 19 seconds a shot. A very brisk pace. Ronnie trying to build a lead at this visit.

Brilliant shot by Ronnie to slot yellow and spring green after making 46, but green doesn’t drop using his left hand and he has stuck it up for Carter, who slots green, brown, blue and pink to move 4-2 clear. Real chance for 3-3, but Carter steals it. Two more frames to play in this session.

O’Sullivan with a stunning long red to get back in among the balls. Will that green on the side cushion save Carter in this frame?

Another brilliant shot by Carter to splatter open the reds. Certainly getting through the white ball with these shots. But he is out of position on 28 and goes for a tough red that doesn’t drop. O’Sullivan then cans a long red, but doesn’t land on the black. Nothing doing from the yellow. And Carter can’t put the frame away from an easy red with the rest. Bit of safety coming up with Carter holding a lead of 40 points.

Super long red from Carter early in the sixth frame of the day. Tries to open the pack of reds via the blue off two cushions, but the white ball sticks in the pack this time. Just the safety shot back to baulk for Ali. O’Sullivan rattles the jaws with a long red in response. And Carter sinks a red to left middle to regain access to the table.

A stunning clearance of 122 from Carter gives him a 3-2 lead. An eighth century of the week from ‘The Captain’ equals the record set by O’Sullivan in 2007 and 2009. Shows how much confidence is in his cue action at the moment.

Another frame disappears as quick as you like. Carter aiming for another century here.

Superb recovery pot on a red to green pocket hits the mark from Carter, who is piecing together an excellent break. Chance to win frame for a 3-2 lead in this final after Ronnie missed the red to yellow pocket.

Off we go then for the next four frames of this final. O’Sullivan coming off two cushions to nestle on the pack of reds. O’Sullivan then comes up with stunning red to left middle to break the deadlock. What an opening red that is at pace. But can’t open the pack of reds and a red to yellow pocket fails to drop. Chance then for Carter to respond. And he opens up the reds via the black. Chance to make a heavy contribution at this visit.

A stunning break of 125 from O’Sullivan, and he doesn’t even bother with the black. All out attacking play from O’Sullivan. This final is nicely poised then at 2-2. Breaks of 106 and 68 from Carter, and a 125 from the world No. 1. Another four frames this afternoon to be negotiated.

And make that a century for the snooker GOAT. 12 seconds a shot from O’Sullivan in this break. Fabulous, fabulous stuff.

Tough black for Rocket Ronnie wriggles in the jaws, but in it goes. Wow. This is so fast. Four frames done in under an hour. Brilliant start to this final. Is Ronnie going to make a century of his own? Every chance now.

Lovely long red by Ronnie to get the party started in the fourth frame. Which is followed by a yellow to right centre. And he slams in a superb black to keep the break going. Both players right on it so far in this final. O’Sullivan looking to level us up here at 2-2 before the mid-session interval.

Carter is taking these balls well again as a tough black drops in. But he breaks down on 43 as he screws a white into the right centre pocket. Ronnie out of his chair by sliding home a tough red before slamming in a blistering long blue. What a recovery pot that is. But can’t land on one of the final three reds. And a double fails to drop. O’Sullivan going for everything at the moment. Carter slides in a long red in response. Chance to move 2-1 clear. And in goes red and black he needs. O’Sullivan has seen enough. A 2-1 lead for Carter.

Dreaded bump off left middle pocket for Carter in trying to run the white back up to baulk. Ronnie makes a rapid break of 14, but a tricky red across the table fails to drop. Chance missed for O’Sullivan on that occasion. Ali slides in the red via the pack, but isn’t on a colour here. Just the one point before he runs safe to the top cushion. O’Sullivan narrowly fails to triple a red across the table to right centre bag. Ali back at the table.

In goes the black for the century. That is a stunning response from the world No. 10. A break of 106, and this final is level at 1-1. Carter’s seventh century of the week. Very aggressive from both men.

Golden chance for Carter to cash in. Should be a frame-winning run to the line in this second frame. That safety shot from Ali set to pay off by restoring parity at 1-1 in this 50th Masters final. Can he make a century?

Superb attacking safety shot by Carter to knock a red into the pack of reds before screwing the white back to baulk. White near bottom cushion is a real result. Tough long shot on a red facing O’Sullivan which he can’t sink and a glorious chance for Ali to make a heavy contribution of his own.

68 points the difference, 59 remaining. Carter coming back to the baize, but this frame is surely a done deal. Carter decides he has seen enough of this opening frame. O’Sullivan leads 1-0.

This has been an impressive start by O’Sullivan as another long red doesn’t touch the sides. Back out for the black, and a chance to get this frame won at the second visit. Looking extremely sharp among balls and from distance.

Brilliant long red from Ronnie played with a trace of side to get back up to baulk in case red never dropped. Tries to crack open the reds off black. Doesn’t land on an easy red, but holes a brilliant long red and slides in an excellent green to stay at table. Determined to make the most of this visit, but break ends as he can’t land on black from a tough shot on red using the rest. Decent stuff early on as he nudges white to safety.

A rousing reception for both men after emerging from the top of the stairs. A fist bump behind the trophy at the table before O’Sullivan breaks off the first frame of a possible 19 in this final of the 50th Masters. And it is an excellent break-off shot from O’Sullivan to get the balls rolling.

O’Sullivan became the youngest and oldest winner of the UK Championship with a 10-7 victory over Ding Junhui in York last month, and can repeat the trick at the Masters. O’Sullivan starts 4/11 favourite with Carter rated an 11/4 shot.

• Ronnie O’Sullivan (Eng)
• Age: 48
• World ranking: 1
• Masters titles: 7
• First ranking event victory: 1993
• Last ranking event victory: 2023
• Total ranking event wins: 40
• World titles: 7
• Centuries: 1,232
• 147s: 15
• Ali Carter (Eng)
• Age: 44
• World ranking: 10
• Masters titles: 0
• First ranking event victory: 2009
• Last ranking event victory: 2023
• Total ranking event wins: 5
• World titles: 0
• Centuries: 407
• 147s: 3

It’s cold outside, but there will be no lack of heat at London’s Ally Pally today as old foes Ronnie O’Sullivan and Ali Carter do battle for the biggest invitational event in the sport. O’Sullivan is chasing a record-extending eighth Masters title, while Carter is hoping to go one better than his 10-8 defeat to Stuart Bingham in the 2020 final. First man to 10 frames earns £250,000 and the Paul Hunter trophy. Boys on the baize at the back of 1pm.

‘The Captain’ made tournament history and racked up three straight centuries in an emphatic performance at Alexandra Palace as he chases his first Masters title.