:00:42. > :00:48.We are at the Masters at Alexandra Palace, the third of the
:00:48. > :00:52.quarterfinals looked to be of the highest quality of the lot. It
:00:52. > :00:58.features Neil Robertson and Mark Williams. Mark Williams has won the
:00:58. > :01:03.title twice before. But not since 2003. Robertson has struggled of
:01:03. > :01:10.late. This is his fourth quarterfinal and he is yet to go
:01:10. > :01:20.through to the semifinal. Let's get through to the semifinal. Let's get
:01:20. > :01:31.
:01:31. > :01:41.The fact that the brown is open to the right centre, he could win this
:01:41. > :02:00.
:02:00. > :02:10.Good shot. Mark Williams will possibly play a similar shot. It
:02:10. > :02:38.
:02:38. > :02:43.has not worked out that well. But That is probably one of the worst
:02:43. > :02:53.shots that Neil Robertson has ever played. He had lots of options but
:02:53. > :02:56.
:02:56. > :03:06.he has missed hit that completely. -- miss hit. He has got to be a
:03:06. > :03:20.
:03:20. > :03:30.The only thing he could leave is a double on the red. To try and move
:03:30. > :03:37.
:03:37. > :03:43.the red from that position was a At the moment Neil Robertson needs
:03:43. > :03:53.a red, a black, all the colours. Mark Williams has given him the
:03:53. > :04:05.
:04:05. > :04:15.I would say he does not want to hit the pink. The black is just as
:04:15. > :04:17.
:04:17. > :04:26.tough from here. He might be able to avoid in and off. He will finish
:04:26. > :04:36.on the yellow if he pots it. It is there. He has read it avidly. He
:04:36. > :04:48.
:04:48. > :04:58.He is blessed with tremendous cue power. He will certainly need it
:04:58. > :05:03.
:05:03. > :05:13.with the shot. -- this shot. Well played. Yes, he forced a little
:05:13. > :05:28.
:05:28. > :05:38.angle there. What an opportunity It is amazing, Mark has dominated
:05:38. > :05:47.the play, to lose a frame that is going to last 40 minutes will hurt.
:05:47. > :05:57.That was a poor shot to leave Neil Robertson that last red. Being a
:05:57. > :06:00.
:06:00. > :06:07.left-hander if he drops the blue in there is no problem with the pink.
:06:07. > :06:13.I do not think they will be showing too many re-runs of this frame.
:06:13. > :06:23.Neil Robertson will be delighted if he goes on to a hot this pink and
:06:23. > :06:33.black and steal this frame. -- to pot. He is a pretty cool customer,
:06:33. > :06:54.
:06:54. > :07:04.but this will hurt. This black will APPLAUSE Mark Williams with that
:07:04. > :07:04.
:07:04. > :08:04.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 60 seconds
:08:04. > :08:14.poor shot on the last red loses the APPLAUSE It tells you how he is
:08:14. > :08:18.
:08:18. > :08:27.feeling. Beautiful shot. With a few reds available it will clear the
:08:27. > :08:33.path to the right. There is two available in the other corner. He
:08:34. > :08:42.can now play on as well as the one on the right. This is a decent
:08:42. > :08:49.chance. In the opening frame it was eight minutes before they had
:08:49. > :08:59.potted a ball. If Mark gets going this frame might not last much
:08:59. > :09:35.
:09:35. > :09:45.longer than that. He has just got to come around and get the two reds.
:09:45. > :09:51.
:09:51. > :09:58.He needs to pot this red and black. If he gets a nice angle... It looks
:09:58. > :10:08.just about perfect. If he plods this red it will bring more into
:10:08. > :10:14.
:10:14. > :10:24.play. -- pots. I am a little bit surprised about that. He could do
:10:24. > :10:26.
:10:26. > :10:31.with a cannon on the pink. He has played that perfectly. He is
:10:31. > :10:37.terrific to watch when he is break- building, Mark Williams. He is so
:10:37. > :10:47.good at knocking one or two balls out. He will go into the red when
:10:47. > :11:13.
:11:13. > :11:23.he has the chance. If this is a new cue he is playing with he looks
:11:23. > :11:25.
:11:25. > :11:35.really comfortable. He has got a nice few, not too many maple cues
:11:35. > :11:46.
:11:46. > :11:56.now. A lot of the players used to use Canadian maple. A little bit
:11:56. > :12:06.disappointed with that red. He wanted a better angle on the black.
:12:06. > :12:07.
:12:07. > :12:17.He is going to have to deep screw of the outside cushion. Good effort.
:12:17. > :12:22.
:12:22. > :12:27.He threw himself after that one. Get in there. That is enough to
:12:27. > :12:32.secure the second frame. What an effort from the Welshman after the
:12:32. > :12:42.40-minute opening frame which he looked favourite to take until he
:12:42. > :12:48.
:12:48. > :12:58.played a careless shot at the end of it. Excellent hot on the black.
:12:58. > :13:08.-- pot. He got 141 in his match against Judd Trump yesterday. So
:13:08. > :13:10.
:13:10. > :13:15.far, that is the highest break of the tournament. What a great
:13:15. > :13:20.response from Mark Williams, he has come right back in that frame. It
:13:20. > :13:30.has lasted just six minutes. A little bit different from the
:13:30. > :13:48.
:13:48. > :13:58.opener, it is 1-1. Time for a little read, you can read about
:13:58. > :14:10.
:14:10. > :14:20.I think he is with his mother and father of there, his father is
:14:20. > :14:25.
:14:25. > :14:35.certainly listening to me... Not quite. It was worth taking VAT on.
:14:35. > :15:05.
:15:05. > :15:09.He looks like a young Neil Robertson with that blonde hair.
:15:09. > :15:19.There is a vital chance for Neil Robertson, it is a good chance at
:15:19. > :15:33.
:15:33. > :15:37.that. You need absolutely perfect cueing to pot those. He has let the
:15:37. > :15:47.cue ball go a little too far. If he cuts the yellow in it is not as
:15:47. > :15:50.
:15:50. > :15:56.easy to control the cue ball. Will he take a chance? This is
:15:56. > :16:06.surprising. I thought he might take the chance to go into the pink and
:16:06. > :16:37.
:16:37. > :16:39.reds. He felt the snooker was better. That is where he was, he
:16:39. > :16:49.thought the snooker would pay better dividends rather than
:16:49. > :16:54.
:16:54. > :17:04.risking the cut. I do not know how he does this. He holds the reds of
:17:04. > :17:18.
:17:18. > :17:28.the table. APPLAUSE The blow has come to the rescue as you can see.
:17:28. > :17:35.
:17:35. > :17:45.-- Blue. That was a bit of a result The yellow did not seem that
:17:45. > :18:11.
:18:11. > :18:19.difficult. It was certainly worth We have not seen a Neil Robertson
:18:19. > :18:24.special yet, we have seen a few long pots from Mark Williams. Let's
:18:24. > :18:34.see how close he can get to this. It is the type of what he is so
:18:34. > :18:40.
:18:40. > :18:50.good at. -- pot. He has not had to play many of them. That is a bit
:18:50. > :18:50.
:18:50. > :19:00.more like the Neil Robertson we have been watching for the last
:19:00. > :19:19.
:19:19. > :19:29.He has got a spring of that far cushion. He will look to get on the
:19:29. > :19:33.
:19:33. > :19:43.blue after potting this red. Well... That was a surprising miss from
:19:43. > :20:02.
:20:02. > :20:12.Neil Robertson. This is a delicate little shot. Good shot! Excellent
:20:12. > :20:15.
:20:15. > :20:25.hot from Mark Williams. -- pot. That required a lot of skilled to
:20:25. > :20:32.
:20:32. > :20:38.damp at the cue ball like that. -- skill to dab at the cue ball. That
:20:38. > :20:48.is perfectly played. It is worth another look. You have got to get
:20:48. > :21:27.
:21:27. > :21:37.their cue out of the way quickly, APPLAUSE Not the best angle. He
:21:37. > :21:37.
:21:37. > :22:17.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 60 seconds
:22:17. > :22:27.might have just hot this and then That is a good hit, it is even
:22:27. > :22:38.
:22:38. > :22:48.better now! He might have to come off the Schalke -- baulk cushion.
:22:48. > :22:51.
:22:51. > :23:01.There was a bit sticking out, he was not far off potting it. It is a
:23:01. > :23:04.
:23:04. > :23:14.red ball 5. -- fight. Whoever gets it should win the frame. He has
:23:14. > :23:24.
:23:24. > :23:30.played that very well. Just about seen the outside of the red. --
:23:30. > :23:40.seeing. Not quite, another chance for Neil Robertson for another one
:23:40. > :23:50.of his long specials. He knows how close that was to going in behind
:23:50. > :24:07.
:24:07. > :24:17.the black. That was the best he could do, I think he is straight
:24:17. > :24:19.
:24:19. > :24:29.enough to drop the LA in the middle pocket. -- the yellow. He has
:24:29. > :24:31.
:24:31. > :24:41.missed it. Maybe he got a heavy contact there. It looked like the
:24:41. > :24:44.
:24:44. > :24:52.yellow skip off the table. That is very unfortunate for Mark Williams,
:24:52. > :24:58.he may have handed this frame to Neil Robertson. He handed him the
:24:58. > :25:08.first frame with a poor safety shot. On that occasion he was a little
:25:08. > :25:35.
:25:35. > :25:45.unfortunate to get back contact. -- Again, there is the angle. I am not
:25:45. > :25:45.
:25:45. > :25:55.sure if it will screw back. He is screwing back a vital bit, he is
:25:55. > :25:59.
:25:59. > :26:09.going to leave a long pink. -- little bit. He must get on the
:26:09. > :26:16.
:26:16. > :26:25.black also. He has done that beautifully. APPLAUSE. Believe it
:26:25. > :26:35.or not it could be Mark Williams 3- 0, as it is Neil Robertson is
:26:35. > :27:06.
:27:06. > :27:16.That is a bad break off shot from Mark Williams. We have seen a few
:27:16. > :27:20.
:27:20. > :27:30.matches during the week where they have not hit the reds. Neil
:27:30. > :27:40.Robertson said it is almost like a poisoned chalice, he always puts
:27:40. > :27:43.
:27:43. > :27:49.his opponent in to break. I would say he has played that well. He has
:27:49. > :27:59.made a two good clearances. Sometimes that is just what you
:27:59. > :28:01.
:28:01. > :28:09.have to do. Amazing his highest break is only 35 and he is leading
:28:09. > :28:19.2-1. He has not been a amongst the balls with a good chance to score
:28:19. > :28:41.
:28:41. > :28:51.Possible hot -- pot here. That is what he has done. What a great shot
:28:51. > :29:06.
:29:06. > :29:16.to start with. Terrific cannon, he Not too bad, he has got a red in
:29:16. > :29:19.
:29:19. > :29:25.the right centre. I am not sure if that jumped or not. Maybe that was
:29:25. > :29:35.bad cueing, we gave him the benefit of the doubt on the last one. It
:29:35. > :29:46.
:29:46. > :29:56.definitely jumped a little. He could get in behind the yellow here.
:29:56. > :29:56.
:29:56. > :30:00.He will have to get it just right. It seems he was playing to leave it
:30:00. > :30:10.on the cushion, rather than risk trying to get the snooker on the
:30:10. > :30:10.
:30:10. > :31:56.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 60 seconds
:31:56. > :32:06.yellow. I do not blame him for that. I am not quite sure what he has, I
:32:06. > :32:06.
:32:06. > :33:02.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 60 seconds
:33:02. > :33:11.think he has got an angle. It is He will look to take the red that
:33:12. > :33:21.is closest to the black. This is an easier red to take than the middle
:33:22. > :33:38.
:33:38. > :33:47.pocket. He needs a couple of reds around the pink spot as well.
:33:47. > :33:57.is a clever shot, isn't it? He can part this red, then another red,
:33:57. > :33:57.
:33:57. > :34:07.then he's on the black. He can still get on the black from this
:34:07. > :34:15.
:34:15. > :34:25.one. That red freeze the black art. A good opportunity for Neil
:34:25. > :34:50.
:34:50. > :34:59.Robinson. -- frees the black up. He He looked away their after playing
:34:59. > :35:09.that shot. More or lice to tell us he did not get that as he intended.
:35:09. > :35:12.
:35:12. > :35:22.-- less. He can still get on a red year. -- here. Those four reds are
:35:22. > :35:34.
:35:34. > :35:40.covering themselves into the pocket. These two are available. He has got
:35:40. > :35:47.a choice of three reds to play on here. Next to the pink would not be
:35:47. > :35:57.a bad one to get out of the way. It is a very good chance to go to the
:35:57. > :36:02.
:36:02. > :36:10.mid-session interval 3-1 up. He did not play for this one, he came up a
:36:10. > :36:15.bit short. It is one of those situations row you have got options.
:36:15. > :36:25.There are always other reds available when you are sitting like
:36:25. > :36:36.
:36:36. > :36:46.this. Already his highest break. It is coming at the right time for
:36:46. > :36:53.
:36:53. > :37:03.Neil Robertson. The red in the corner pocket he would love to get
:37:03. > :37:08.
:37:09. > :37:18.on that. That is just about perfect. Maybe a little bit straight, but it
:37:19. > :37:38.
:37:38. > :37:48.should be OK. Ed is a good break so far from Neil Robertson. -- it is.
:37:48. > :37:49.
:37:49. > :37:59.He has got to work his way around the black and blue. Just another
:37:59. > :38:25.
:38:25. > :38:35.couple of reds and high value cars. That proved that both players are
:38:35. > :38:43.
:38:43. > :38:49.cueing quite well. A few awkward frames but... Mark Williams will be
:38:49. > :38:59.3-1 down and he could have been 3-1 ahead. This has been terrific from
:38:59. > :38:59.
:38:59. > :39:49.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 60 seconds
:39:50. > :39:55.the Australian. He has made 193 APPLAUSE. Of he is pretty straight
:39:55. > :40:05.on this the other, he would try and screw back, that will be perfect
:40:05. > :40:34.
:40:34. > :40:38.He did not cue that very well. We have had it two tactical frames.
:40:38. > :40:45.The Australian will be delighted to go to the mid-session interval
:40:45. > :40:50.leading Mark Williams 3-1. looks like Neil Robertson started
:40:50. > :41:00.off very slow, but he has got stronger as the match has unfolded.
:41:00. > :41:02.
:41:02. > :41:08.-- it looks. He had a slight problem with the tip of his cue, it
:41:08. > :41:18.just split at the bottom. There is no problem. I think they have
:41:18. > :41:19.
:41:19. > :41:29.sorted it out for Neil Robertson. He said he missed the green for the
:41:29. > :41:29.
:41:30. > :41:39.100 break because he was looking at it. Of course, the two boys I
:41:40. > :41:40.
:41:40. > :41:50.mentioned, both former professional snooker players who work with our
:41:50. > :42:24.
:42:24. > :42:30.We mentioned at the start of this match, two of the greatest potters.
:42:30. > :42:39.I would have thought that the mark would have been slightly ahead, but
:42:39. > :42:45.as you concede, Neil Robertson is 60%. -- as you can see. That is a
:42:45. > :42:55.bit more like it. He has given himself a great chance with former
:42:55. > :43:05.call five reds in the open. He got 4% for one good pot. Beautifully
:43:05. > :43:21.
:43:21. > :43:27.cued, wasn't it. Perfectly off the blue. That is a nice angle. The red
:43:27. > :43:32.just opened to the right of the black as we look. The bottom one
:43:33. > :43:42.into the left-hand corner pocket. A good connection on back to bed. He
:43:43. > :43:45.
:43:46. > :43:55.does not have to take it this long. It just was not perfect on the back.
:43:56. > :44:11.
:44:11. > :44:21.Trying to get a nice angle on potting this red. The bottom right-
:44:21. > :44:26.
:44:26. > :44:32.hand corner pocket, he came to have a look. It is so useful, that
:44:32. > :44:42.extension to put on the who. It has been around for quite some time now.
:44:42. > :44:45.
:44:45. > :44:55.-- to put on the tune mac. -- Vinay Kumar. --. He does not want any
:44:55. > :45:05.
:45:05. > :45:10.sand paper on the tee. He could really damage it. Gary Wilkinson
:45:10. > :45:20.has fixed the tip for him. Gary Wilkinson played in the world
:45:20. > :45:31.
:45:31. > :45:36.seniors. At least they found some use for those passes. Sometimes
:45:36. > :45:46.when the tip phrase it sticks out. That was possibly what was catching
:45:46. > :45:50.
:45:50. > :46:00.his eye. Neil Robertson, 23. missed opportunity there. There are
:46:00. > :46:10.
:46:11. > :46:15.still a few rates available. -- red balls. This is the first decent
:46:15. > :46:24.chance that Mark Williams has had for some time. He made a frame on
:46:24. > :46:32.the 78 break. If he can get into the bunch, not a good pack, but he
:46:32. > :46:37.is just playing for the single red this time. He has left himself blow
:46:37. > :46:44.so that he can spot it and run through the red balls, bring a few
:46:44. > :46:50.more into play. He is going to run out of options very shortly. I
:46:50. > :46:58.thought he may have gone into them before this. He has a nice angle on
:46:58. > :47:03.the black. Sometimes if you do not take the opportunity when it
:47:03. > :47:13.presents itself, that is what happens. You come straight on the
:47:13. > :47:14.
:47:14. > :47:20.back and you have no angle to split the rates up. -- the red balls up.
:47:20. > :47:30.That is a beautiful shot, bringing the Pinkie into play. It really was.
:47:30. > :47:37.
:47:37. > :47:42.Have a look at this. The blue was available, but.... He is coming
:47:42. > :47:52.around to look from this side and our camera keep shows that the pink
:47:52. > :47:59.
:47:59. > :48:04.will pot. -- our camera shows. He is looking again. They were talking
:48:04. > :48:12.about cues there and there was a gentleman that used the same cue
:48:12. > :48:21.for 50 years. He used to do this. Fred would get down, not in and
:48:21. > :48:30.clear up. And you would be stewing in your seat. -- gnocchi it in.
:48:30. > :48:39.is always difficult when there is a red ball that close to wet. --
:48:39. > :48:49.close to it. He played that beautifully. A chance to develop
:48:49. > :48:59.some more reds. That last shot was a beautiful shot. You cannot
:48:59. > :49:00.
:49:00. > :49:05.believe that, can you? Look at the gap. Get the camera to show us that
:49:05. > :49:12.gap. It was quite amazing that he could get the Kim Jong Il straight
:49:12. > :49:22.through their between the reds and knotted one. That was amazing. --
:49:22. > :49:24.
:49:24. > :49:33.get the tune --. I think it is a free ball. BT is. The blue and the
:49:33. > :49:43.pink. He cannot heat both sides. That is the reason it is a free
:49:43. > :49:43.
:49:43. > :49:53.ball. The first read, he would have to hit that on the left side and he
:49:53. > :49:55.
:49:55. > :49:58.would contact the pink for the blow. He cannot sneak behind the blue
:49:58. > :50:08.ball, should he leave the cue ball down the right-hand side off the
:50:08. > :50:15.
:50:15. > :50:25.table? Plenty of value should he wish to take the blue ball on.
:50:25. > :50:27.
:50:27. > :50:37.Great shot. Excellent. APPLAUSE.. That was well worked out.
:50:37. > :50:41.
:50:42. > :50:47.excellent shot. It needs a good split here. But he did not get it.
:50:47. > :50:53.Quite a lot of power on the cue ball, but everything seemed to be
:50:53. > :50:58.covering each other. When they are flat like that, the red balls, it
:50:58. > :51:04.is tough to get the cue ball into a good spot. He could not have paid
:51:04. > :51:14.it any better, really. Now we are going to see an Neil Robertson
:51:14. > :51:19.
:51:19. > :51:29.special. Or is he going to play the safety shot? There is the answer.
:51:29. > :51:41.
:51:41. > :51:51.Neil Robertson, eight. The green, the brown and the yellow. Not a bad
:51:51. > :52:01.
:52:01. > :52:09.target. Pushing towards those colours. It is a little bit thin.
:52:09. > :52:19.Still looking at the tip of the cue, but sometimes you are better to
:52:19. > :52:29.forget all about it. That is a couple of fouls now from Mark
:52:29. > :52:38.
:52:38. > :52:44.Williams. He is pretty good at keeping these safety shots, Mark.
:52:44. > :52:52.It is better to me sit on another occasion and hit it too thick. It
:52:52. > :52:59.is in line with the green spot, so it is just about right. Problems
:52:59. > :53:04.now. That is two misses and he will be warned if he does not get it
:53:04. > :53:14.this time. He will lose the frame. So that will be definitely a little
:53:14. > :53:20.
:53:20. > :53:27.bit thicker this time. Now, which way is he going to play at? A
:53:27. > :53:37.little bit thicker. That shows you the importance of catching that
:53:37. > :53:37.
:53:37. > :54:31.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 60 seconds
:54:31. > :54:41.safety shot. One.. This match is slipping away slightly from Mark
:54:41. > :54:44.
:54:44. > :54:54.Williams. In one of those situations, the first four frames.
:54:54. > :55:05.
:55:06. > :55:10.This could have been 3-1 the other way. It is the first of six.. He
:55:11. > :55:20.has had three quarterfinals in the Masters, Neil Robertson. But never
:55:21. > :55:25.
:55:25. > :55:32.been to a semifinal. He is on his way, but there is still a bit to do.
:55:32. > :55:40.I think he is definitely a Neil Robertson supporter. Of course,
:55:40. > :55:50.you're lovely wife is from Australia, isn't she can? Yes,
:55:50. > :55:53.
:55:53. > :56:00.Melbourne, a beautiful city. 22. 23. We heard the boy's talking at the
:56:00. > :56:07.Forum in between this session about what a great temperament Neil
:56:08. > :56:12.Robertson has. Both these players have a superb temperament. It has
:56:12. > :56:19.certainly improved a great deal over the last few years. So much
:56:19. > :56:24.more consistent. Winning that World Championship certainly gave him an
:56:24. > :56:34.extra aura of confidence as well. He does walk around the table with
:56:34. > :56:35.
:56:35. > :56:39.a sense of authority. He has become very consistent over the last few
:56:39. > :56:48.seasons, even though he has missed that read, he will not mind because
:56:48. > :56:58.that is another frame on the ball. Neil Robertson goes into a four
:56:58. > :57:32.
:57:32. > :57:42.points-1 lead now. This could develop into a fascinating tussle.
:57:42. > :58:18.
:58:18. > :58:28.APPLAUSE. The dreaded double key sit there. -- double-kiss. Getting
:58:28. > :58:35.
:58:35. > :58:40.close to that long pot. It is a thin one, though. I think he put
:58:40. > :58:47.all his concentration into trying to Cup Captain and did not
:58:47. > :58:56.anticipate the white ball disappearing or so. -- cut that in.
:58:56. > :59:06.Purports that pocket there? He might be saying. -- who bought that
:59:06. > :59:06.
:59:06. > :00:28.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 60 seconds
:00:28. > :00:38.pocket there? APPLAUSE. Mark Williams is a lift near Robertson
:00:38. > :00:40.
:00:40. > :00:50.there. APPLAUSE.. The cue ball knocking off the middle pocket has
:00:50. > :00:53.
:00:53. > :01:03.certainly helped. He probably had enough pace on it, but that was a
:01:03. > :01:07.
:01:07. > :01:11.useful knuckle as you say. The Mark Williams will be sitting in his
:01:11. > :01:16.chair and kicking himself for believing that pretty straight
:01:16. > :01:26.forward planned. He did not look at it himself otherwise he would not
:01:26. > :01:30.
:01:30. > :01:40.have put the cue ball outside the table. Four. Just a little delicate
:01:40. > :01:47.
:01:47. > :01:52.can and needed on the right of the two red balls. Straight forward to
:01:52. > :01:57.drop the rate in and finish on the back. The natural angle would
:01:57. > :02:06.taking into the gap of the red balls, to the left of the bunch.
:02:06. > :02:16.Which, if he did play, he might get himself on to the blue. Let's see.
:02:16. > :02:17.
:02:17. > :02:23.12. May be the pinker also pops. Because he is the wrong side of the
:02:23. > :02:33.blue ball. And the pink does go, by the looks of things. It certainly
:02:33. > :02:56.
:02:56. > :03:04.does. That was an excellent shot, wasn't it? APPLAUSE.. A couple of
:03:04. > :03:14.options, pay for the back or the back of the blue ball. -- play for
:03:14. > :03:16.
:03:16. > :03:25.the black ball or the back off the global. Just left of the pack, into
:03:25. > :03:35.those two red balls. I always knew he would be on to these brews red
:03:35. > :03:36.
:03:36. > :03:46.Bull. He wanted to contact, but I think he has got a good angle of
:03:46. > :03:46.
:03:46. > :03:51.the top cushion. That is the shot that he could play. He has made a
:03:51. > :04:01.mess of it, anyway. Trying to move the black ball to the opposite
:04:01. > :04:17.
:04:17. > :04:25.corner. But missed. Match time just over the two hours. APPLAUSE.
:04:25. > :04:32.had the perfect shot there with Mark playing the screw. Stephen
:04:32. > :04:42.Hendry was talking about that in the studio a few frames back. Spot-
:04:42. > :04:47.
:04:47. > :04:56.on. APPLAUSE.. Nine. Not only a terrific double, look at the angle
:04:56. > :05:05.on the Blackpool. Forget the pink and red balls. That is beautiful.
:05:05. > :05:15.16. What a chance. It has worked out a treat, hasn't it? I think the
:05:15. > :05:22.
:05:22. > :05:32.pink was part of that as well. There you can see those two red
:05:32. > :05:33.
:05:33. > :05:40.balls piled into the corner pocket, so everything in the open. 23.
:05:40. > :05:45.is probably a little early to say, but that from Neil Robertson might
:05:45. > :05:52.just prove to be a turning point in this match, that is if this man can
:05:52. > :05:57.go on to close to just one frame behind. At the extension I thought
:05:57. > :06:07.he was going to stun the dinner and go to the other side. He preferred
:06:07. > :06:10.
:06:10. > :06:20.it to roll it and I still expected him to knock it in. 29. Points are
:06:20. > :06:21.
:06:21. > :06:27.level, so the Blackpool to follow here. Should Mark Williams get the
:06:27. > :06:35.next four reds and the high value colours, he will not be need that
:06:35. > :06:39.to a red ball that is closest to the cushion. He may put Neil
:06:39. > :06:44.Robertson in a position where he may need to snooker. So, just
:06:44. > :06:48.concentrate on the open race. when he pot this one he will clear
:06:48. > :06:58.the other one for the opposite corner. So, no need to play any
:06:58. > :07:12.
:07:12. > :07:22.cannons. 46. Showing what he is made of here, the Welshman. 54. 4-1
:07:22. > :07:24.
:07:24. > :07:29.down. It looks as if Neil Robertson was taking control. It is not
:07:29. > :07:35.absolutely perfect. He came off the cushion further than he intended.
:07:35. > :07:40.This red is now a little more difficult. He is looking at the one
:07:40. > :07:44.near the cushion but he played for the one at the right of the cue
:07:44. > :07:54.ball. He is going to have to take it up to the corner, not the middle
:07:54. > :08:08.
:08:08. > :08:16.pocket. APPLAUSE. No heroics, just leaving the possibility. That is
:08:16. > :08:26.what he is thinking about. The double he has gone for, but he is
:08:26. > :08:26.
:08:26. > :08:34.not quite safe. 38 the difference. He only needs one snooker. I think
:08:34. > :08:44.that is why he was debating whether to play the snooker behind the
:08:44. > :08:57.
:08:57. > :09:02.black ball or to take the double on. All the colours required. While he
:09:02. > :09:12.has floated a few of these pots, he could do with one to secured this
:09:12. > :09:13.
:09:13. > :09:18.frame. No way near. Is he going to fluked a snooker? He is, but there
:09:19. > :09:24.is a possibility, a slight chance if he comes off the cushion and
:09:24. > :09:34.catchers that read correctly he could finish behind the brown ball.
:09:34. > :09:35.
:09:35. > :09:45.But he would have to be spot on and so precise. And it is so difficult
:09:45. > :10:15.
:10:15. > :10:25.to judge that. That is a bit of a run. Look at that. Has he flipped
:10:25. > :10:47.
:10:47. > :10:55.up one back? Not quite. -- had a fluke for one back. 0 APPLAUSE.
:10:55. > :11:03.Four. He gets a bit fed up at this stage. He knows that if Neil
:11:03. > :11:13.Robertson's going to concede. Agony he is just one frame behind. --
:11:13. > :11:34.
:11:34. > :11:44.suddenly he is. He has got the snooker from the break off shot.
:11:44. > :11:49.That will never reach. If this red ball goes into the corner pocket,
:11:49. > :11:56.that is a very JLS shot from Neil Robertson, because we know that he
:11:56. > :12:05.can float one of these into the pocket. -- a careless shot.
:12:05. > :12:14.APPLAUSE.. And that he is a number floater from the Welshman. A little
:12:14. > :12:19.bit of noise in the crowd. Mark are getting up and down again. That is
:12:19. > :12:29.what you should do, like a golf shot. Have a look at that little
:12:29. > :12:43.
:12:44. > :12:53.beauty. Nine. Could have done with a little bit more backspin to get
:12:54. > :12:55.
:12:55. > :13:04.that white away from the Ritz. is awkward now. -- away from the
:13:04. > :13:09.red balls. He has overcut it. Difficult when you are breaching
:13:09. > :13:19.over a few balls like that and trying to control the cue ball to
:13:19. > :13:19.
:13:19. > :13:26.get on the pink. It is just that the split did not work out for him.
:13:26. > :13:30.There is a possibility. I know he is going to play this rate, but he
:13:30. > :13:37.could play these as a plant and bring more balls into play, but it
:13:37. > :13:47.is a beat Risky. It is not the best shot he has ever played. This is a
:13:47. > :13:59.
:13:59. > :14:09.tricky black ball. Going into a He played it well. He played it
:14:09. > :14:38.
:14:38. > :14:48.He has just got a slight angle on the blue. Yes, just forcing it at
:14:48. > :14:48.
:14:48. > :15:35.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 60 seconds
:15:35. > :15:45.We talked about Neil Robertson's temperament, just showing how good
:15:45. > :15:57.
:15:57. > :16:02.it is here. There is the pot success rate, up to 90%. That is
:16:02. > :16:12.where you want to be, up in the 90s, if you are there you are going
:16:12. > :16:33.
:16:33. > :16:43.May need to cannon into that bunch, they will all clear themselves.
:16:43. > :16:52.
:16:52. > :16:55.There is one available in the left corner. That is good thinking, to
:16:55. > :17:05.play for the pink fair. Much more comfortable than having to do it
:17:05. > :17:19.
:17:19. > :17:25.from the black. They may try and get high on the pink hair. -- here.
:17:25. > :17:35.It does not look like he has cut the ankle for the pink at this time.
:17:35. > :18:06.
:18:06. > :18:16.Yes, I think the heavy contact spoiled it for him. That's nicely
:18:16. > :18:39.
:18:39. > :18:49.The one that he played previously still available. He has got a
:18:49. > :18:49.
:18:49. > :19:33.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 60 seconds
:19:33. > :19:43.slight angle there. He is on that red. It is a delicate little screw
:19:43. > :19:50.
:19:50. > :20:00.shot to get himself behind that red. Played it beautifully. He is going
:20:00. > :20:07.
:20:07. > :20:16.to need red, carp, red. -- colour. This is perfect for him. It is a
:20:16. > :20:23.great response from the Australian. Mark Williams closing the gap from
:20:23. > :20:33.4-1, 4-3. Neil Robertson just showing us why he is a great
:20:33. > :20:38.
:20:38. > :20:48.champion. If there is one title he would like to have on his CV, like
:20:48. > :20:55.most players would, the Masters is the second biggest tournament.
:20:55. > :21:05.Stephen Hendry always thought this was the second biggest. The 16 best
:21:05. > :21:31.
:21:31. > :21:39.players in the world every year. It is a tough one to win. Every chance
:21:39. > :21:49.of making a century break now. There has been 12 this year at the
:21:49. > :22:01.
:22:01. > :22:11.Masters. Look at the reverse side. Played beautifully. He has already
:22:11. > :22:42.
:22:42. > :22:52.made 34 centuries this season. 193 He has done it in style, hasn't he?
:22:52. > :22:55.
:22:55. > :23:00.A madness -- magnificent century break. Neil Robertson, after losing
:23:00. > :23:10.two frames, has now put himself one frame away from a place in the
:23:10. > :23:10.
:23:10. > :23:50.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 60 seconds
:23:50. > :23:58.I do not know if he has seen one of his mates up there, he was having a
:23:58. > :24:03.little smile at him. Where is the red going? I thought it was going
:24:03. > :24:10.to spin across and go into the corner pocket. It just shows you
:24:10. > :24:20.how laid-back Mark Williams is. He is 5-3 down and he is having a
:24:20. > :24:20.
:24:20. > :25:22.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 60 seconds
:25:22. > :25:32.little smile. That was a good shot from Mark Williams. It was not dead
:25:32. > :25:40.
:25:40. > :25:46.said in the middle of the pocket, but it could be made. -- dead set.
:25:46. > :25:56.There are no easy safety shots. If he had a touch of an angle he could
:25:56. > :26:03.
:26:03. > :26:13.That was dangerously close to the middle pocket but it was a pretty
:26:13. > :26:19.
:26:19. > :26:28.good at -- plant. Perfect angle of the two cushions. That is a bit
:26:28. > :26:38.surprising. It is still OK. He would love to get the black back on
:26:38. > :26:56.
:26:56. > :27:04.its spot. Just overstretching a little bit. I thought he could have
:27:04. > :27:14.rolled the blagging along the cushion. -- black in. He decided to
:27:14. > :27:40.
:27:40. > :27:50.force it and go for the blue. An interesting choice. That was a good
:27:50. > :28:09.
:28:09. > :28:19.pot. He just dropped the blue in. He managed to slow down that cue
:28:19. > :28:32.
:28:32. > :28:39.ball. He played a similar shot with this blue. Well... That was very
:28:39. > :28:49.unlucky, that was a fantastic shot. Have a look at the cue ball here.
:28:49. > :28:53.
:28:53. > :28:59.Very unlucky. I am surprised he took the double on. He had a
:28:59. > :29:05.straightforward shot to get the snooker in behind the green. Now
:29:05. > :29:14.that he has missed the double, this is an easy snooker behind the brown.
:29:14. > :29:20.Neil Robertson, we have seen him knock this type of pot in on many
:29:20. > :29:30.occasions. He has been a little bit off with some of his long potting.
:29:30. > :29:30.
:29:30. > :30:13.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 60 seconds
:30:13. > :30:23.He is still doing a little bit of work on that tip. Making sure there
:30:23. > :30:24.
:30:24. > :30:34.is nothing sticking out. Players hold VQ in exactly the same way
:30:34. > :31:11.
:31:11. > :31:21.Mark was a little bit short with the cue ball, he was hoping the
:31:21. > :31:34.
:31:34. > :31:42.blue would come to his rescue. It really was pottable. Beautiful shot.
:31:42. > :31:52.The cue ball stops for a second. The screw takes affect, perfectly
:31:52. > :32:00.
:32:00. > :32:10.on the blue. You can see the little chalk marks on the table. See how
:32:10. > :32:19.
:32:19. > :32:27.the ball stops and then spins? This next shot well open the reds up.
:32:27. > :32:37.Every chance he will come back on the blue. You have got to knock the
:32:37. > :32:37.
:32:37. > :34:45.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 60 seconds
:34:45. > :34:55.I think he has lost his little extension. That is the one that he
:34:55. > :35:01.
:35:01. > :35:11.wants. That is one that just slots on to the end of the cue. Much
:35:11. > :35:18.
:35:18. > :35:28.better to use urine -- your own tip. We still have them, we never see
:35:28. > :35:31.
:35:31. > :35:40.them being used. I do not think there is any chalk on that it --
:35:40. > :35:50.tip either. The cannon has worked out well for Mark Williams.
:35:50. > :36:08.
:36:08. > :36:18.Beautifully played, wasn't it? It This is where he probably is at his
:36:18. > :36:31.
:36:31. > :36:41.best. Not doing much with the cue ball. He has come up short, fat is
:36:41. > :36:42.
:36:42. > :36:52.careless. That is very careless from Mark. All the way around the
:36:52. > :36:52.
:36:52. > :37:02.ankles, has it got a finish? -- angles. Look at this. He has got it
:37:02. > :37:05.
:37:05. > :37:15.That shot is what we call, around the Houses, he judged it to
:37:15. > :37:27.
:37:27. > :37:34.perfection. Lovely shot, wasn't it? Very close to 47. It is typical of
:37:34. > :37:39.Mark Williams, we have seen 119 by Neil Robertson to go 5-3. This is
:37:40. > :37:48.how he responds with his back against the wall, he has done it so
:37:48. > :37:58.many times. This will put him 55 point ahead with 51 remaining. He
:37:58. > :38:07.
:38:07. > :38:14.does not want to miss this red. That is a good shot. He is letting
:38:14. > :38:24.Neil Robertson no that he is still in this match, Mark Williams. He is
:38:24. > :38:32.
:38:32. > :38:42.not going to go down without a fight. It looks pretty good. He has
:38:42. > :38:47.
:38:47. > :38:57.made 280 in his career. Mark Williams will try and make sure of
:38:57. > :38:57.
:38:57. > :39:07.the century here, just to give Neil Robertson something to think about.
:39:07. > :39:07.
:39:07. > :39:17.What a shame. That is why he needed at 5-3 down. He gets one back and
:39:17. > :39:27.
:39:27. > :39:31.is now just one behind at 5-4. Williams will have it in the back
:39:31. > :39:39.of his mind that Neil Robertson has never been to the semifinal of the
:39:39. > :39:49.Masters. Mark Williams has won it on two occasions. You just play the
:39:49. > :40:06.
:40:06. > :40:11.frames as they come, frame by frame. That is a pretty good shot. Mark is
:40:11. > :40:21.a little bit reluctant to come down the left-hand side of this table.
:40:21. > :40:22.
:40:22. > :40:32.He has got to be careful he does not slide by the main bunch of reds.
:40:32. > :40:38.
:40:38. > :40:48.If he goes past the pack of reds, he has got to be extra careful...
:40:48. > :41:00.
:41:00. > :41:07.Good shot. Good shot. A cushion ball is called by the referee. Look
:41:07. > :41:17.at the way he is bridging it, that is incredible. He is leading with
:41:17. > :41:20.
:41:20. > :41:30.his elbow on the table, amazing. What a good shot that was. I think
:41:30. > :41:33.
:41:34. > :41:43.he has covered all of the reds. Look at that. You do not see that
:41:44. > :41:44.
:41:44. > :41:54.in the coaching manual. Of course, Mark can do that because he is
:41:54. > :42:29.
:42:30. > :42:35.quite a tall lad. I could never get That is perfectly played, that has
:42:35. > :42:45.given Mark something to think about at first glance. He cannot come off
:42:45. > :42:53.
:42:53. > :42:59.the side cushion into the reds. He will have to go for the one that is
:42:59. > :43:09.to the left of the black. He has got a problem here. Failing that,
:43:09. > :43:24.
:43:24. > :43:34.it will have to be a two cushion This has got to be absolutely spot
:43:34. > :43:35.
:43:35. > :43:45.on. He was thinking of nestling into the reds knew of the -- near
:43:45. > :43:48.
:43:48. > :43:58.the pink. That is pretty good. He thought for a long time, I tell you
:43:58. > :43:58.
:43:58. > :44:40.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 60 seconds
:44:40. > :44:47.Yeah, good shot. Pushing the red to the side cushion,
:44:47. > :44:53.trying to create something for Mark Williams, from the left-hand side
:44:54. > :44:57.of the table. It's on, as you can see, it's very, very difficult.
:44:57. > :45:07.Yeah, very difficult when he can only just see the top of the cue
:45:07. > :45:13.
:45:13. > :45:23.What a so the that is. APPLAUSE
:45:23. > :45:26.
:45:26. > :45:31.-- What a shot that is. Not sure - I think he's trying to
:45:31. > :45:41.get down that side. He wanted to get down the other side of the red.
:45:41. > :45:42.
:45:42. > :45:45.It worked out very nicely for him. And Robertson is looking at this
:45:45. > :45:52.long pocket. Under the circumstances - he's seen a 4-1
:45:52. > :45:57.lead disappear. He's seen the 5-3 lead be reduced to just one frame.
:45:57. > :46:07.I think that was the correct choice there. And he's played it well.
:46:07. > :46:12.
:46:12. > :46:17.Yeah, I think he's managed to cover certainly this red down the right-
:46:17. > :46:27.hand side of the table. Well, he may just be able to get the outside
:46:27. > :46:32.
:46:32. > :46:37.Yeah, we've seen some very good tactical play. Look at the success
:46:37. > :46:43.rate - just 1% between these two players. Neil Robertson just that
:46:43. > :46:48.1% in front. Oh. Has he done any damage? Has he got away with it.
:46:49. > :46:55.He's left the one to the middle. And maybe one available into the
:46:55. > :47:05.left corner. So that was a tough shot that Mark took on there. The
:47:05. > :47:12.
:47:12. > :47:19.If he takes this one into the corner, he's gonna have to push it
:47:19. > :47:23.right through into the bunch of reds. It will open the bunch up.
:47:23. > :47:28.He's avoided the bunch. I don't know if the blue passed the red, he
:47:28. > :47:32.will have to take the yellow. just got heavy contact as well,
:47:32. > :47:42.didn't he? Wanted to be another - at least a foot closer to the ball
:47:42. > :47:43.
:47:43. > :47:47.Yeah, a couple of options there. He thought about playing the topspin
:47:47. > :47:53.and pushing it through the reds, then he thought, "No, let's make
:47:53. > :48:03.sure I get on a colour." Very close to that red. He's gotta
:48:03. > :48:10.
:48:10. > :48:20.Well, it didn't go into the heart of the pocket, but it was a good
:48:20. > :48:40.
:48:40. > :48:50.Just looking a couple of shots ahead, I'm not sure if that red at
:48:50. > :48:54.
:48:54. > :48:59.the back of the bunch pots into the We know we've got the red near the
:48:59. > :49:09.cushion that is available. It would be a bonus if that one at the back
:49:09. > :49:11.
:49:11. > :49:18.And if not, he can go straight into the pink, and potting the blue,
:49:18. > :49:21.that's gonna be a bit tight. So into the pink. And I don't see any
:49:21. > :49:25.plants that possibly might be on, if he hits it pretty hard. There
:49:25. > :49:29.might be one that goes towards the left corner pocket.
:49:29. > :49:39.And that red is going towards that corner pocket. He should have had a
:49:39. > :49:40.
:49:40. > :49:44.Just spotted one, though. Just have a look - on to the other red and in
:49:44. > :49:54.off. It's a bit unlucky, but... It's always worth having a good
:49:54. > :50:08.
:50:08. > :50:13.look around if you're gonna hit Is that gonna turn things right
:50:13. > :50:23.around? Without that red going in, Neil Robertson doesn't have a great
:50:23. > :50:27.
:50:27. > :50:37.chance to close the match out. And A bad miss from Mark Williams. He's
:50:37. > :50:41.
:50:41. > :50:46.Yeah, very surprising. You don't see Mark Williams miss many like
:50:46. > :50:56.that. A lot of pressure on it, it has to be said. To close the gap
:50:56. > :51:03.
:51:03. > :51:08.He gifted Neil Robertson a great chance now to close out the match.
:51:08. > :51:18.That was very surprising. Normally so cool under pressure, Mark
:51:18. > :51:20.
:51:20. > :51:30.Possibly just took his eye off it slightly. Concentrating on the cue
:51:30. > :51:34.
:51:34. > :51:44.ball. But he was doing precious Meanwhile, he's left himself
:51:44. > :51:47.
:51:47. > :51:50.The fact that this frame could take him into his firps semifinal in the
:51:50. > :52:00.Masters -- first semifinal in the Masters adds a certain amount of
:52:00. > :52:07.
:52:07. > :52:17.That was a good shot. Never easy when you're bridging over a ball.
:52:17. > :52:28.
:52:28. > :52:34.Would have loved to be straiter on this red, though. Yeah, it's
:52:34. > :52:38.finished a little bit awkward there. The black's available only to the
:52:38. > :52:42.one corner at the moment. To the left of the three there he needs to
:52:42. > :52:46.slip out past that and on to the black. So it's not straightforward,
:52:46. > :52:51.as you mentioned. Straight on this red would have been absolutely
:52:51. > :53:01.perfect. Let's have a look if he can avoid that cannon. Yeah, well
:53:01. > :53:38.
:53:38. > :53:41.A little bit of adrenaline creeping in to Neil Robertson's back hand.
:53:41. > :53:51.He overshot the blue there. On the yellow, but travelled more of a
:53:51. > :53:57.
:53:57. > :54:07.Yes. It's all about trying to keep close control, making things as
:54:07. > :54:25.
:54:26. > :54:31.He might have to play a left cannon here, so he's gotta be a bit
:54:31. > :54:41.careful. He would have preferred to have been straighter on this. He
:54:41. > :54:42.
:54:42. > :54:51.wouldn't have had to bother with a The gentlest of cannons.
:54:51. > :55:01.APPLAUSE Can he hold himself together and
:55:01. > :55:09.
:55:09. > :55:12.get himself into his first-ever The winner of this match will play
:55:12. > :55:22.the sensational Judd Trump. So we will have two left-handers in that
:55:22. > :55:30.
:55:30. > :55:35.semifinal, regardless of who wins Yeah, just had a look at the score
:55:35. > :55:45.there - 27 points ahead. So he wants blue, or at least two more of
:55:45. > :55:58.
:55:58. > :56:04.these last four remaining reds. Well, Mark can only sit there and,
:56:04. > :56:08.well, hope that something can go wrong in this spirited fight-back,
:56:08. > :56:15.break to 78 to get himself just one frame behind. And he was looking
:56:15. > :56:21.good until he missed that comfortable black.
:56:21. > :56:25.Neil Robertson just slightly in a position which is not
:56:25. > :56:29.straightforward, digging down on the cue ball. Just makes this pot a
:56:29. > :56:33.little bit more difficult. Yes, he only needs one more red
:56:33. > :56:38.after the blue. If he rolls the blue to try and get on this red to
:56:38. > :56:41.the left of the black, he's gotta be careful. But I don't think it's
:56:41. > :56:51.in off. I don't think he would cannon the pink. We'll find out
:56:51. > :56:57.He hasn't hit it hard enough. I think it's gonna pull up. That's
:56:57. > :57:02.what he was worried about. Wow. And no wonder he's puffing his cheeks.
:57:02. > :57:09.A quick glance at the scoreboard. He knows - one more pot could see
:57:09. > :57:15.him through to the semifinal. What a pot he's left with. This is
:57:15. > :57:19.not easy. Playing that red into a blind pocket, as he looks down his
:57:19. > :57:29.cue. APPLAUSE
:57:29. > :57:31.
:57:31. > :57:41.This technique, smooth cuing there. It could be the end of the match
:57:41. > :57:42.
:57:42. > :57:52.APPLAUSE That's definitely... Seals the
:57:52. > :57:56.
:57:56. > :58:02.match. It all started with a very taictcal opening frame that --
:58:02. > :58:06.tactical opening frame. It looked like he could take us to a deciding
:58:06. > :58:12.frame. Great feeling, when you're walking around, knocking balls and
:58:12. > :58:16.you have clinched the match, isn't it? Yeah. It will be his first
:58:16. > :58:19.semifinal. What a mouth-watering prospect that will be.
:58:19. > :58:24.APPLAUSE Mark Williams will come forward.
:58:24. > :58:32.So the battle of the left-handers goes to the Australian. It was a
:58:32. > :58:34.tough battle in the end, but he goes through to the semifinal,
:58:34. > :58:39.goes through to the semifinal, winning 6-4. So Neil Robertson has
:58:39. > :58:44.had to work very hard for that, pushed all the way by Mark Williams.
:58:44. > :58:47.But problems with the tip of his cue. He's certainly gonna have to
:58:47. > :58:53.spend Friday night into Saturday morning seeing if he can put a new