Day 12 World Championship Snooker Extra

If he can somehow get onto one of these reds... In the pink, a couple

of shots down, he is probably thinking it is still available,

maybe all four pockets. He doesn't have to worry about the black

really. That will do. He isn't going to bother with the black. He could

possibly win this with blue and pink .

Absolutely spot on . Having the cue ball cleaned. Adam Peaty had heavy

contact, -- I don't think he had heavy contact, but he just having

the ball cleaned. Kyren Wilson can only sit and hope that something

goes wrong. Looking good for the world number one.

There's the target. 63 points. Looks like two of those reds in the

bunch... Playing it very nicely. A little bit

of left-hand side, just off the cushion. Just watch the cue ball.

Just on the left-hand side. Into the open.

A good long pot set up this opportunity. Excellent. A couple of

long pots he has had. Top quality. But the one where he laid the

snooker straight afterwards, forced a mistake from Kyren Wilson .

He fears the worst now. He has been fantastic throughout this World

Championship, has Kyren Wilson. Definitely a star for the future. He

will be around for a long time, the way he plays the game. There is the

pot success rate. 90%. If you can get up to 93%, 94% you are flying.

So he is leading in all departments, is Mark Selby. Although we had a

poor session he managed to take four frames last evening. He was

delighted about that in the way he played, Kyren Wilson. Missed a

trick. APPLAUSE So, one more red.

The world number one will be in the semi-final for the fourth time. He

was here two years ago and was the winner.

Looked very focused when he came out this morning. It could lead, but far

from the winning post. But he has played so well. You could tell he

was up for it, wouldn't you? Absolutely. A lot more focused.

Certainly more confident, with a good start to his long ball game.

Kyren Wilson only needs 14 point snooker. -- on for point. Mark Selby

meant it. Nothing wrong with a little fist pump. He knew he had a

tough match on his hands with Kyren. He is getting better, Mark Selby.

It will be a trick shot if he is going to pot a ball. It is a great

feeling at this stage when you know you are in the semi-final. It isn't

there, but it has been a great performance this morning from the

world number one. Kyren Wilson comes forward. Kyren Wilson has the

consolation of making the high break, the break of 143. It was the

world number one who finishes in style, gets through to the

semi-final, winning comfortable in the end 13 frames to eight. So, the

world number the end 13 frames to eight. So, the

world number one Mark Selby safely through to the semifinals. Let's now

turn our attention to another quarter-final match, this time the

all Scottish affair between John Higgins and Alan McManus. The third

and final session . APPLAUSE I am wondering if we can

get to decide of the pack. This is what he has got to look at

the moment. If you could just drop into the side of the pack, he could

definitely bury the white in there. But I think the yellow might be in

the way. This is trouble at the moment.

Yes, if he goes that line he will have to get a lot of left-hand side

to get the angle. It isn't natural. As long as he doesn't hit it too

hard. But he has got other ideas. He is coming off two cushions. This is

a bit risky. They will have to be absolutely spot on. You could say

that is spot on. As I mentioned earlier that got a job trapping

these boys. Alan McManus comes up with the answer again. John Higgins

tapped the table. No, John wasn't going to leave that

one. The thin clip. As long as he doesn't leave the jaws up near the

corner pocket. There is a red near the right corner. He doesn't want to

go further over than the green, really. He is striking down on it,

which makes it a little bit awkward to judge. Yes, he has played it well

and hit it hard enough. Played it perfectly. That's a great shot. That

really is a great shot. There you go, just gone past the six hours . I

told you it was hardfought . I thought it was going to slide

off, but he is OK. I was going to say a headlong rest. One of the top

referees in the game, does a fabulous job .

We might get one of those really awkward frames. There are already

five reds over near the corner pocket. There might be a few more in

a moment. I don't know whether John can get to the bottom bread -- red.

Not the old three-ball plant, surely. How has that not gone in? !

Now, I can't see how he can plant on to the other directly. It is a

straightforward. Now it is the old five ball plant.

Just show you that. Thought he was playing a three-ball plant. Almost

chipped that one in. If anyone can get a multiple ball plant, it's Alan

McManus. He has got something lined up, but it will have to be very

accurate. APPLAUSE

What a round of applause he will get if this goes in. That was difficult.

Has he got away with it? Look where that red is going! Can you get your

breath? The things that can happen.

Incredible. This is an attempt. Amazing... Linda red comes back and

sits on the cue ball... John can't leave Alan McManus playing a red in

the corner somewhere. John is having a look at the

monitor. This is tough. I can only see one red that he could plant.

That will be so difficult. He built up to get past the black.

APPLAUSE The red in the circle, he could

possibly knock the one in over the pocket but the black is in the way.

He had a go at a 4-ball plant and didn't get anywhere near. It looks

like a similar type of shot. AB three ball plant this time. --

maybe. Yes, possible three ball plant . This time he has got it! He

is on the black! Can he now take advantage of that

three ball plant? It was very fortunate when he tried to 4-ball

plant, for the white to land on the red. Now he has got to try to get as

many as he can . Yes, almost spoilt for choice at the

moment. Still on the pink. He has at least two he can play.

On to the right and just down the low. -- below. He will probably play

the one in the middle first. This is a terrific chance. Black

available at both corners. Pink available, five or six reds

available. 37. 37 points cleared. Just keeping

that cue ball nice and tight. Trying to make it as simple as possible.

Fantastic performance from Alan. We keep talking about his age, 45. You

do lose concentration when you are older. The focus is tremendous. He

has got plenty of metal as well. He hasn't lost his nerve. That's the

big ingredient. If you can hold your nerve. The reds are all congregating

over near the right corner pocket. John almost clipped on in. Alan had

a go at a 4-ball plant, which didn't come off. He was lucky to get a

chance for the three ball, which did come off.

Can you believe it? He was almost at the winning line, two or three pots

away. I think is concentration broke and he was pointing over towards the

other table. I think he was put off by something. A big ask for John

Higgins. Two reds tight to the side cushion.

They would do well to clear up from here. Just having the cue ball

cleaned because of the way he will play in the next red. Sometimes you

get a heavy contact on. So having the cue ball cleaned.

John Higgins, eight. Getting tense out there . It sure is. Wasn't easy

by any stretch of the imagination, but we weren't expecting John to

miss it. I know when you've had the cue ball cleaned, though it is rare

to see Sullivan have it cleaned, but maybe he thought he would miss the

pot if we had it cleaned. That was the last shot, somebody made a clap

on the other side. Experienced enough to stand up, start again, go

through your routine. Just if you pots away from taking the frame.

Making it 11-11 and anyone's match. Yes, this quarter-final started off

the best of 25. It is now going to be the best of three to see who goes

into the semi-final. I've got to take my hat off to this

fellow. APPLAUSE It seems a long time ago

when he beat me, when I was champion. He beat me 13-12 in the

quarters. There he is, all these years later, 25 years later, still

playing. They won't worry about that much. John Higgins says that's

enough. A fantastic performance again from Alan McManus. John

Higgins had a chance, what he missed it. Now it is 1111. -- 11-11. We

might be able to have a go of this to the right corner.

He might be able to get around the back of the red. He is close to the

cushion. He might cannon the red to the left of the back -- lakh. Don't

blame him on little bit. He reached the proceedings in this match, it

might be the order of the day. No auntie risks. You've got to go with

it. But it doesn't make it easy. Has he got away with this? He might

have. Is there a gap? There might be a gap. There is a gap, looking at

John's body language. Missed a red on the way up and

looked like he was going to get away with it, but he hasn't.

Played that well. It wasn't easy. I was looking to see if he could get

on the loose reds. He has also got the bottom red, so it is two reds to

play on it, but he would like to get one away from the black as soon as

possible. It looks like he has played it pretty good.

So, another excellent position from Alan. The bottom red is possible.

Alan They have played nicely just to even angle. Don't screw this, just

stunning. That was a bit more screw than

stone, what a tricky one. It looks to be almost straight, he wanted the

right of the pink as we look at it. It is a test of cue action. Also a

test of nerve. Well cued! Halliwell did he hit

that. Terrific shot. -- how well. On good pot away from excellent

addition. He could play a little is done off the side cushion for the

pink if he wants. -- stunned. He has decided to play the stun and

hold for the pink. He's really looking good out there.

Amazing performance. Right in the heat of the battle, it

looks better now than it has done or match.

The break goes to 50. A little stun on the red to get a perfect angle on

the blue to come back down to the table.

I think the bottom of the two red, and the cluster to down from the

pink may be available. He does not need to play any canons.

He is not only winning their frames but he is winning them with style.

This has been top class. Breaks of 71 and 52 to win the last two frames

and now this. Vintage. He has come up a little bit short.

If he can pot that red and black, a good shot.

He has caught the other red unintentionally, he did not need to

play for the black. I will not risk the black and I will punch this in,

he did wrong, but finished perfect on the blue.

It has been 23 years since Alan McManus has been to the one table

situation in the Crucible. He will be one frame away from achieving

that. He is up against one of the greatest match players the game has

ever seen in John Higgins. He has not finished just get. -- yet. He

has already had a break of 114 in this quarter-final. Another chance

for a century here. The highest for the tournament was 119.

This has been stunning stuff from Alan McManus. To make a century when

you need it the most is phenomenal. That is the 65th century BC it stop

-- this year. What a time to make it as well. He looks as good in this

match as I have ever seen him. It is hard to describe two people at

home how good this is. Most people start to deteriorate at this age.

Whatever his routine is it is working. What a magnificent break

from Alan McManus! He is rolling back the years here. He is one frame

away from a place at the semi-final. John Higgins breaks off

on what he hopes is not the last frame at the championship. It was in

the best break off, there was a little flick on the rate. -- red.

Watch the break off here, he hits it all wrong and that red just caught

the edge of the pack. What a shot Alan is faced with here. You would

think that he has to put it. -- pot. They are playing the percentages.

Why risk a difficult pot? Especially when you are 12-11 in front, and

your opponent is desperate to get back into the match. Do not give him

anything easy. A huge shot he's taking on here. The

White is in and look where the rate is going. He is seeing a half chance

there and if he can roll it in the can get the black. The last thing he

expected was to run the cue ball into the pocket. In the last frame

Alan McManus took into the table. There is a lot of pressure out

there. That is why he is the great champion. He could not have played

that any better. He has only scored 15 points me last three frames. It

is all about what is happening now. Can you believe it? John Higgins

cannot believe it. That was a another lapse in concentration

because that was a sitter. I bet you Alan McManus cannot believe it

either. He put a quick one in there for John, he very rarely does that.

Let me assure you as a competitor with this chance, he will be taking

a nice deep breath and going to work. This could be the chance to go

to the semi-final. Has he snookered himself? He will be looking

anxiously here. Wow, he is just about OK. His heart must have

skipped a beat there. He has looked fantastic over the last three frames

and not a sizeable contribution in. He's played a situation in

position. Trying to make this break as easy as possible with many

options. There are a few shots he can play

here. Perfect. I think he is just OK. Even if he is

straight, he is OK. When he brought you red up on to the E area. -- D.

That was the deciding frame. I bet you he wished he had that shot

again. He has let himself straight, it is a bit more angled any fancy.

He has slightly lost the cue ball but he is going to leave himself a

mid range shot is well. A loss of pressure on this next

shot, medium-range, red, 28 in front. A Keemo McKinney matches

coming up here stop -- HD moment in the match. Beautifully played. Still

got a bit to do. Really good cueing there. Actually got a nice angle if

he wants to play a little cannon up into the reds on the left. If you

decide to take the loose one I do not blame him. He has held himself

together really well. John Higgins can just sit and wonder if it is all

over. You mentioned earlier, he has beaten John Higgins two out of the

three times he has played at the Crucible. He slightly ahead. But he

is slightly ahead. I did not think the Alan McManus could play this

well. I thought he was confident, still a headache for most players,

but he has scored very well. He has made a slight headache for himself

now. He does not have a good angle on the black to bring the great

interplay that he needs. -- Mac the red into play that he needs. What

can he muster up here? It was a good effort. He spins around there, he

knew that if he flicked the red... He was just a flick away from being

in the semi-final. It was fractions away. Is there another twist in this

quarter-final? It is a funny situation because the one thing he

will not want to do is move the rate of the site cushion, he will leave

that they're as an insurance. That is a great effort. You can see

one rate, on the right side of the table and he might be able to see

enough of it to get back down to the safety zone. That was a great effort

from John Higgins. The only thing I will say is that this table is now

absolutely right for a counter clearance. There is no ball that is

safe on the table. There is one safe now.

There is nothing easy here for John Higgins. Is he going to go all out

and try and what this rate in the right corner -- hot this rate -- pot

this red. There is one shot that is a possibility and knowing John

Higgins he's going to take it on. A huge shot coming up. What a hot. --

pot. In a perfect world he would be

looking at the pink. He cannot see it so it is just the green in behind

the yellow and brown. There is now a slight angle with the

pink needy cushion. Alan thought about taking that on. He is back

looking at the rate. He cannot make his mind up. The problem with taking

that red on is that they are all are spread in the middle of the table

and something will pot in the middle. He is leading John with a

shot. He might have pushed it over the middle pocket. The White will be

flying up and down the table, it is a thin one. Can he drop on a colour.

,? Difficult to control the cue ball here. Where is the cue ball going to

finish? It might be, it might be his last shot. 51 ahead.

Was a famous victory this would be. How was he feeling inside? To beat

his friend and one of the great players of all time. Unbelievable.

And absolutely market -- remarkable performance. We have seen some

astonishing results, like with Leicester. Alan McManus was three

under one two win at the Crucible, what is going on? There will be no

big celebrating. Inside he will be over the moon. This is such a

victory for the look very likeable Scotsman. He has been absolutely

wonderful, there is no look about it. He has played exemplary snooker.

He has competed in every department. John Higgins will shake

his hand and wishing the best. He will want his friend to carry on the

good work. It doesn't matter about the double. He played an

unbelievable match. He salutes the crowd and Alan McManus has won four

frames in a row to knockout John Higgins. He got himself into the

semi-final for the first time in 23 years stop that is where we leave it

on snooker extra. Join us on one o'clock form all live coverage of

the championship. Subtitles by Ericsson.

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