Day 5 Masters Snooker Extra

Hello and welcome to the extended

highlights of the 2018 Dafabet

Masters. We have reached the

quarterfinals. First, Ronnie

O'Sullivan taking on Mark Allen, who

has a very good record against him.

Commentary from Ken Doherty and

Dennis Taylor.

Ronnie did win the toss and he gets

this first quarterfinal under way.

They totally different match

altogether to the one he had with

Marco Fu, who never really got

going. Well, he never got a chance

to get going. Ronnie was awesome.

But it's another game and another

day and straightaway, Mark Allen

will have a go at this read into the

left corner.

Great shot. What a great opening

red. Maestri on the black as well.

Lovely angle. -- nicely on the black

as well. A lovely angle into the

pack.

He needs a bit of luck here. Has he

got it? Could have been a bit nicer.

Wouldn't get into that bot red full

ball. Still has this red to the left

centre.

The problem with this shot is that

the cue ball is so close to the

cushion he cannot dig down on the

cue ball.

It was a difficult one that Mark

took. But look at the position. He

was right on the black. He went

full-blooded for it but it was very

acute angle.

He could just hold for the black.

A couple of reds by the pink will

pot.

Not far enough for the one left of

the pink, but he has that great

ability, being able to play

left-handed.

Contemplating whether he will go

into the pack of reds here. There

are still a couple of reds

available.

Decided it was a little too risky to

go into the reds that time.

But there are still a few reds

available, at least four portable

reds at the moment.

Not as straight on the blue as he

would like. Again, the two reds, one

left, one right of the pink.

Those couple of pots have certainly

settled Ronnie already. He cued them

beautifully. Right into the heart of

the pocket. A little bit short with

the cue ball there, though.

I think he can still hold for the

black, screw off this red onto the

side cushion and back out for the

black. Perfectly played.

Well, that was a lovely little

shocked, that cannon, to leave this

red into the right centre.

Again, just overscrewed it slightly.

He wanted to be on the pink into the

right centre. He has fouled. Fair

play to Ronnie O'Sullivan. The

referee didn't see it. Let's have a

look. He just hit the red with his

cue.

Yes, it was hard to see. He did the

same thing against Marco Fu. He

walked away from the table, and no

one had seen him touch the ball. We

keep saying we are very proud of the

game of snooker, that they do this.

They will call the foul on

themselves. That is not the best

outcome for Mark Allen. He might

have to have a go at the long read

up into the right corner pocket.

This one he is looking at, he would

need an extension on the cue and on

the rest. He is a bit close to the

one, but I think...

one, but I think... We will just

show you what happened there, with

Ronnie. He must have just slightly

touched the red, just a fraction.

No, not there. A good chance Ronnie

O'Sullivan gave Mark Allen there. It

was a simple cannon from potting the

black on the red. It has gone wrong.

I don't think Ronnie expected to get

back to the table so soon.

I might be able to show you Mark's

shop, where he went astray. This was

the one. He wanted to hit that red

on the other side and he would have

been perfect.

been perfect. You can't afford to

give Ronnie a couple of chances.

You

don't get many chances against

Ronnie O'Sullivan, particularly in

this form. And when you do, you

really have to take them. Not a good

start for Mark Allen. He has had a

couple of good chance is already in

this frame. He will be very

disappointed. Part of his game that

he is very, very good at, these

little cannons around the pink and

black. Normally bread and butter for

him.

him. But I would say he has gifted

this first frame. Ronnie O'Sullivan

just a few pots away from winning

this first frame.

Just this red and any colour will be

enough. So it's the first frame

going to Ronnie O'Sullivan. He just

checked the scoreboard.

A tricky red along the cushion. It

doesn't matter, but he would like to

clear the remaining balls here. He

got an unintentional kiss on the

pink.

Not bad with the opposite hand

there.

Another great positional shot.

That

shot with his left hand, it's

incredible how he can play those

shots. It is so hard to play them

with your right hand, never mind

left hand. He is so good at it, and

so natural.

Anthony McGill, who lost

to John Higgins after that great

comeback, he played a few shots with

his opposite hand and he looked to

reflect. -- he looked terrific.

Well, he needed a couple of chances

but he certainly took that second

opportunity. That was a magnificent

break of 75 and Ronnie O'Sullivan

leads Mark Allen 1-0.

Raph take your seat as quickly as

you can, please. Second frame, Mark

Allen to break.

Who is going to play the more

telling safety shot? You want to be

getting the white close to the baulk

cushion, and the brown and green are

not a bad target.

Nice little flick on the brown just

makes this safety shot a little more

difficult.

He has played that very well indeed.

Great pace with the cue ball. A tap

of the table in technology that that

was an excellent safety shot. And

even better thing about that shot,

not only close to the baulk cushion,

but he has covered the pathway down

the left-hand side. He can't hit any

of the reds on the left-hand side of

the pink, so...

It looks as if he

will have to come off two cushions

and try to glance off the reds. He

has to be very precise with this.

Oh, he has played it well, but the

cue ball has gone close to the

corner. No, it is OK. To Riddick

shot.

Excellent escape, and he has Ronnie

in a little trouble here. He has to

avoid the black. And he couldn't.

avoid the black. And he couldn't. At

first glance, it looks like he has

got away with it slightly.

Nothing pots into the left-hand

corner pocket, so... Well, maybe

there is one right in the middle of

the pack. Yes, he spotted one.

I know it is early in the match,

Dennis, but this chance is extremely

important for Mark Allen here, just

to settle himself down. He had a

couple of chances in the first frame

and did not take them.

It's not a

good chance just yet. The black is

available, but pink and black are

off their spots. They are in

portable positions, but it is not

straightforward just yet.

He has to be careful when he pots

the black, and how he judges the

cannon. I think he has a bit of

angle to work with. Played nicely.

Can he take advantage this time? He

had a golden opportunity in the

opening frame.

He has a terrific temperament, Mark

Allen.

After a couple of shots, he has got

pink and black nicely on their spots

and in the open. The black pots into

both corner pockets.

Wanted to be straight on this red so

he could hold for the black.

He is looking at leaving the cue

ball high on the black, but the

problem is that he has to avoid

those reds below the black in

playing that type of shot.

playing that type of shot.

The

referee, just asking someone to

settle down.

The referee for this match from

Germany.

A nice angle on the black. He does

not need to disturb the reds,

because the bottom of that bunch of

four pots. Maybe even the one in the

middle of the bunch of four pots as

well. So he does not have to do too

much work here.

And this all came, Dennis, from an

excellent escape from Mark Allen, a

two cushion escape, put Ronnie in a

lot of trouble.

He is one of the game's great

break-builders, Mark Allen. He has

made 40 centuries this season. That

was the escape he judged to

perfection. He made 36 centuries

last season. He will be

concentrating on making enough to

win the frame here. But it is going

to be difficult to clear up, the way

the reds R.

This will certainly settle him down.

He looked edgy in the first frame,

but this is exactly what he needed.

Never easy, coming out here in front

of a packed audience, playing the

home favourite. And their use it.

What a wonderful venue it is. --

their use it.

-- their use it.

Wanted to make sure of the black,

frame ball. Why would you hit it

that hard? 65 in front, the black

would have put him 72 in front with

67 on the table. So why did he hit

it that hard? Well, he just thought

he could not miss the pot, but it

just shows you.

Wasn't easy to pot that and get on a

colour. Mark is now checking the

scoreboard. I am sure he must have

known before he played the black

that he only needed the black. So he

needs one red. I think he is just

composing himself here. The two reds

over the pocket, it is a tricky

little safety shot.

He could try and

knock a red into the baulk and maybe

put a baulk colours safe, green or

brown.

That's not bad. Ronnie is 65 behind,

he needs five red 's and possibly

five blacks.

five blacks. So a read in baulk

certainly helps the cause for Mark

Allen. -- a red.

The problem with missing the black,

he did not win the frame in one

visit. Instead of going back to his

seat having won the frame, if he had

potted the black and one more red,

Ronnie would not have come back to

the table. Now he has to put himself

through the ringer a little bit

here. Just make him a little more

edgy.

The red the left side of the

table, he thought about doubling it

into the right corner pocket, but if

he tried that, he could kiss the red

near the left corner, just to the

right of it. That is why he is not

playing that shot.

I think he is just going to come off

the top cushion and land on this

red, by the looks of things. No, he

is playing the cross of double, and

he avoided that red. That is a

terrific shot. He thought long and

hard about it but it was worth it in

the end.

A big target behind Green

and brown. He could be in a bit of

trouble. If Ronnie gets a snooker

here. Almost. Not quite.

Well, that's an amazing pot, after

missing a sister of a black. He

knocks in a long red like that.

Superb cueing. -- a sitter of a

black.

Ronnie says enough and he concedes.

Mark Allen gets off the mark.

He is a big-time player, Mark Allen.

I don't think he will be scared of

taking on the mighty Ronnie

O'Sullivan. I think he will relish

it.

As I'm inch, I had about ten minutes

with Mark Allen, chatting to him

just before we came out. He was so

relaxed. We were chatting about his

family. We were chatting about his

mum and dad, who used to always come

and watch him. He is a great family

man, Mark.

My be looking at a possible plans.

It is close.

Left Ronnie a possible read here

now.

Got it.

He lost the cue ball slightly. This

is a test of cueing. No. It wasn't

easy.

Just a couple of reds available at

the moment.

Just a bit awkward. Not a good

chance just yet.

He can play a little cannon on the

reds just above the black, or play

for the loose thread, if he wishes.

There is one more loose red

available just to the right of the

pink spot.

Not straight enough and that is why

he is shaking his head. He wanted to

be straighter on this thread. Watch

the cue ball, it could go into the

left middle. He judged it nicely. He

has got a nice angle on the blue.

Must need a nice angle on this blue

now to go into the pack. No more

loose reds available, and he has

judged it to perfection. Just one

nice split here and the frame will

be at his mercy. Is this red on into

the bottom right-hand corner pocket?

He is having a quick look. His body

language suggests it is. And there

you see it.

This time he has a quick look at the

scoreboard to see how many he needs.

He only needed one more, I don't

think he needed the cannon. He

planned to slip past the reds and

leave the one to the right. Didn't

intend to cannon that one.

I think

he has been lucky, Dennis. There was

a bit of distance between the two

reds.

He got away with that one. Very

fortunate.

The next shot will open the reds up.

Looks like he is screwing back for

the blue. The white is close. It is

OK, he really got into that. Gone

further up the table, but that will

do very nicely. He is throwing the

gauntlet down for Ronnie O'Sullivan,

who just missed the red when he was

tight on the cushion.

65 break in the previous frame. This

was the one that Ronnie missed.

We have had 20 centuries this year

in the Dafabet Masters. He has made

357 centuries in his career, Mark

Allen. One of the great

break-builders of the game. And that

is another one. Superb performance

from Mark Allen.

from Mark Allen. Certainly going to

make this quarterfinal very, very

interesting indeed.

He knew the black was in... It is

not in. Lost the opening frame, but

then he has had breaks of 65 and

that magnificent break of 115. Mark

Allen leads Ronnie O'Sullivan 2-1.

COMMENTATOR: important frame for

both players now. Last one before

the mid-session interval. Ronnie

would like to tie things up at 2-2.

But Mark Allen will like to press on

with his advantage. Ronnie looks a

bit more edgy than he did in the

first match, Dennis. He played so

well against Marco Fu, didn't give

him the chance. Hasn't found that

formed just yet, but still a long

way to go, of course. Best of 11.

Going to hit the pink, is it? Very

close. It is a touching ball so

Ronnie can just play away from the

red.

Hasn't blocked the path. Mark Allen

can get down off the left side of

the table. As you can see.

Not a bad click on the yellow.

That might be touching again. No,

it's not.

it's not. Not as straightforward to

get back down the table now.

Well, you are never quite sure what

will happen when you play off the

reds like that and it has flicked

one over the corner pocket. It is

all about the cue ball here.

all about the cue ball here. That

was the problem. Was never sure what

would happen to the white.

When we were chatting, he was

telling me about his son Robbie, who

is only 13. He made 133 break in a

match. He was very proud of his

stepson, Robbie. One to watch out

for. Making breaks like that at 13

years of age.

That was an excellent safety shot.

He clipped the red so fine.

Excellent shot. Light tap on the

table, an acknowledgement from his

opponent.

opponent. This looks pretty good.

Not tight to the ball the cushion,

but as you can see, blocked the path

down the left-hand side. -- baulk

cushion.

It is a beautiful shot. Excellent.

APPLAUSE

Perfect length.

He needs a similar

sort of shot, Ronnie.

sort of shot, Ronnie. He has hit it

too thin because there is a red near

the left corner and Mark Allen can

get that I get himself onto the

black. If this shot works out, an

early opportunity in this fourth

frame.

frame. Played it well.

Mid-session interval coming up after

this frame. What a result that would

be if this man can go there 3-1 in

front after losing the opening

frame.

Not only that long pot, but the

little kiss, knocks the red away

from the black spot. Purposely

played. That would open the black

into both corner pockets. Double

whammy, excellent shot.

He would like to get one of these

reds below the black, out of the

way. He has the angle to do that

now.

Just a little bit short with the cue

ball. Still, can just about hold it,

I am sure. Just about.

He is looking good, Dennis?

Totally

different action to Ronnie

O'Sullivan, as Steve Davis was

saying in the studio. Sharp, doesn't

pull the cue back all that far. Is

very effective on these very fast

clots. Has finished a little awkward

here. -- clots.

Good recovery.

I am sure a lot of this packed house

here at Alexandra Palace came along

thinking Ronnie O'Sullivan would

carry on the way he played against

Marco Fu. That was an incredible

session. But snooker can change from

day to day. The reason it is one of

the most difficult sports to play,

only one player can play at the

table. In golf, if your opponent

hits a good shot, you can hit a good

shot. But in this game, you have

this day in your seat. This is to

reflect performance from Mark Allen,

you have to say.

He got the pink out

of the way. That opened up those two

reds. He covered that read, meant to

kiss into the other one. That is why

he's shaking his head because the

red was open. Just by it slightly,

he can't pot it now. This is

Ronnie's you would have to say last

hope.

It is tricky for Mark Allen, but if

he gets this bread, he will win the

frame. If there. Good break.

A lot of the spectators will be

surprise, but none of the players

will be. They know what he is

capable of, this player.

He can relax now and see if he can

knock in another century.

What a shame. No century break, but

one visit was all he needed. He lost

the opening frame but has played

magnificent stuck to take the next

three and he goes to the mid-session

interval leading Ronnie O'Sullivan

3-1.

Fantastic atmosphere, always at the

Alexandra Palace. Although Ronnie

O'Sullivan's supporters will be a

little bit concerned, sometimes as

Stephen said, and interval can

change matches. It stops the player

on the run. That is Mark Allen.

on the run. That is Mark Allen.

That

wasn't the best safety shot, he hit

it too thin. But he might not have a

good angle on this thread to just

run through for the black.

run through for the black. Could

just manage it.

That was about the best he could do

there.

That was a very, very good shot.

Playing the black into a blind

pocket, going into the pack. Not too

bad, onto this red in the left,

corner pocket.

corner pocket. Prime position now.

Another surprising miss, from

Ronnie. That was much easier than

the one he missed a few frames ago.

That was a sitter, really.

If the next shot works out for Mark

Allen when he plays a cannon here,

he can bring quite a few reds into

play here. Just a delicate cannon

was needed, but I think he has ran

out of position. That could be the

end of break. He just played a

delicate little cannon, thought he

had brought three reds into play. He

just wanted to hit that slightly

fuller. He has been left with this

tricky one, with the long rest.

Extension on the cue. I think he

missed one like this in the opening

frame. Very difficult to judge. But

safely in the centre of the pocket

this time.

this time. I was going to say back

in prime position, but the white

seemed to keep on rolling. He still

OK though.

If this red pots into the right

corner, it will release the one just

above it.

above it. He could hold for the pink

if he wished.

if he wished. Decided to go through

the reds for the black. Not bad.

Didn't expect him to miss that.

Possible plant for Ronnie.

Possible plant for Ronnie. Lost the

cue ball.

It is amazing the number

of times you see that when a player

takes a plant on Com he tends to

forget a little bit about the cue

ball.

That is one way of having a look.

Got to keep one toe at least on the

floor.

floor. This must be very tight

because he can't quite see it. Very

unusual to see a player looking at

the shot from that angle.

This is very risky.

It wasn't easy. I think this red

will go up into the right corner

pockets, the one he just cannoned

into. The black is over the pocket.

He can play for the blue. It is

another good chance for Mark Allen.

Nicely held for the blue. Get the

black back on its spot in a couple

of shots' time.

Shouldn't be a problem getting on

one of those reds. They are sitting

very nicely.

Well, I say it shouldn't be a

problem, but that was an

unintentional cannon onto the red.

He still has a couple available to

him but he did not intend to can

that one. You should be able to

recover the situation.

Just a nice angle on the blue, to

get on the two reds below the pink.

And you can't really see Mark Allen

Messing this up.

That missed black earlier in the

frame, maybe going back to his seat

he thought that was his missed

opportunity. But he didn't expect to

come back to the table so soon stop

it looks like he is going to go into

a 4-1 lead. Just a couple of reds

left needed.

Ronnie is going to have to win five

of the next six frames.

Well, it wobbled a couple of times,

but safely in the pocket, and that's

another frame for Mark Allen.

Worrying times for the Rocket.

I mean, he has one three ranking

titles, Mark Allen. He won the World

Open twice in China, 2012, 2013. He

would love to win a triple Crown

event. He has done everything but

that. He would love the Masters, the

UK or the World Championship. And he

has the game to do that.

Well, he lost the opening frame but

since

since then, Mark Allen now leaves

Ronnie O'Sullivan 4-1.

Ronnie does look a little bit tired.

He is yawning a little bit. Maybe

the dizziness from the other day has

rolled over to today as well. He is

certainly not looking himself and

not playing the way he was the other

day even. There is another loose

shot.

He is faced with a tricky pot here.

If the yellow goes past the red, he

will take it on, just roll it in.

And that looks pretty good to me. A

tough chance, the first chance in

this frame, falling to the man from

County Antrim.

He really has played some

exceptional snooker here, winning

those four frames with one visit.

He has spotted something on the

white.

white. We had a little ant on the

cue ball on the first day of play. I

have never seen that before.

Got a bit to do with the cue ball

now, but there are 20 of loose reds

available.

available. -- plenty of loose reds

available. He is timing the ball

very nicely.

He certainly is, and

that was another good positional

shot. He has got into a nice groove.

His scoring has been fantastic.

Could have gone wrong here. Did not

have the ideal angle on the black. I

don't think he is on the red, and

that could be end of break. So, a

reprieve for Ronnie O'Sullivan.

39 break, but it could have been a

lot more. He will be disappointed.

Good pace with the cue ball there.

Is he having a go at this? He

certainly is. Great shot.

certainly is. Great shot. OK, he

played it as a shot to nothing, but

it was later arrested pot, and if he

rolls up tight behind the green,

what an advantage. You would have to

say this is a must win frame for

Ronnie O'Sullivan. 5-1 behind, that

would be a real mountains to climb.

A good hit on the red. He has not

left the one to the right centre,

but he has certainly left two here

to the bottom left-hand corner

pocket. OK, he is using the rest,

but under normal circumstances you

would expect him to pot this. But

this is not normal. But he has made

a good job of it. Right into the

heart of the pocket.

He needed to come back another inch

or two to be perfect. He is not many

pots away from securing the frame. A

slight change of plan here.

Just looking for one more red. Is he

going to drop on it? Quite a sense

of humour. One person clapped and

Mark said "Cheers". Just this red

needed to make it five frames in a

row.

It is there, right in the centre of

the pocket. At the moment,

everything is going right in the

centre of the pocket, not touching

the sides.

And Ronnie just signals to the

referee that he concedes the frame.

So Mark Allen, he is unstoppable at

the moment. That is five frames in a

row, and he leads the defending

champion 5-1.

REFEREE: Thank you, frame seven,

Ronnie O'Sullivan to break.

Good shot.

If there is anybody in the game that

could pull this back, it would

certainly be Ronnie O'Sullivan. No

doubt about that. But he is going to

need a little bit of help, and at

the moment he is not getting any

help from his opponent. He is

playing good safety, good matchplay

snooker. And any chance he is

getting, he is winning the frame

from it.

Well, that black going right over

the pocket has put that pocket out

of action now.

Now then... There is a long red on

for Ronnie. This could kick-start

his comeback.

It looked for a moment as though he

was going to knock the black in as

well. Beautiful pot, but he would

have been anxious when he saw the

white heading towards the black. He

has fabulous support here. To be

fair, they have always been a very

fair crowd and they are appreciating

Mark Allen, but they would love to

see a comeback here.

Well, that's not what he played. He

is OK but he did not intend to

cannon the reds. He is the wrong

side of the blue now. And he did not

intend to cannon the brow. And that

makes things snowball. And

gradually, you run out of position.

This is a tough one he is faced with

now.

now. That is a terrific shot.

Bridging over the red, having to

force it, he got a slight bit of

unwanted side, and that can happen

when you are bridging over an

awkward ball like that.

Another chance for Ronnie.

I did say he would need a bit of

help from his opponent.

Could have worked out better. I

don't think he is on the red to the

right of the pink. So he will have

to take this with the rest and it is

not straightforward to get on the

black. I am not sure he could avoid

that red.

And look where the red has

gone that he cannoned. It has

blocked the path for the black. When

you are playing well, you get the

run of the ball. If you are

struggling a little bit, this is the

sort of thing that can happen.

It was a super green, but... He

still can take this. As we saw

earlier, this terrific long pot.

Another awkward little one. You see,

he cued across it slightly.

There is anyone loose reds, the one

at the bottom of the pack, between

pink and black. -- only one loose

reds. That is what he has to try to

get on, and that looks absolutely

perfect. What a positional shot.

Fantastic. He could not have played

that much better.

Yes, his last visit at the table, he

missed a straightforward black. He

just lost a bit of focus, thinking

about the cue ball, and missed a

fairly comfortable black. And maybe

just... It's a frame that would take

him to the winning post. And he just

underscrewed that one. So a tiny bit

of tension there.

He has made a couple of mistakes in

this frame. That's about all he has

done. He has not made many more.

That's a very good shot.

He is good at that type of shot,

Mark Allen. And if that pulls up, he

is on the brown. So one good

positional shot here, and he will

have a great chance.

He is not going to get a better

opportunity than this, Dennis. Just

having a look at the scoreboard.

The two reds that are close to the

pink, I think the bottom one of the

two, I think that those pot. -- I

think it does pot. They are there

for the taking. He does not have to

play any cannons, or bring any reds

into play.

Another good recovery shot with the

rest.

Can he close this quarterfinal match

out here? Still quite a bit of

pressure on him.

Oh, look what has happened here. He

decided maybe that red would not go

and he thought he would nudge them

and put them on. He thought he was

bound to be on the black, and look

what happened here.

This looks good. He has played a

good shot there.

Ronnie O'Sullivan

tapped the table. Even though he is

5-1 down, he still appreciated that

good shot from Mark Allen.

This could be a free ball. So he has

all sorts of opportunities. He could

put him back, he could take the

brown as an extra red, get himself

onto a colour. Yes, this could be

frame ball coming up if this goes

in.

But we have seen previously what can

happen, just a fraction of an inch

he ran out of position.

he ran out of position. He has got

himself five points in front and

they are sitting perfectly.

Can he hold himself together for a

few more pots, for quite a famous

victory?

It's amazing. It's amazing. That was

just pure pressure.

Where is the red going to finish? It

is going to be right over the middle

pocket. So at -- that last attempt

from Ronnie, he did not get close to

the pocket.

Even that one, that is just a bit of

adrenaline and pressure, two

overscrew that one.

He has gone a

bit far but I think he can hold it,

with a little left-hand side. No

problem.

problem. Yellow, green and brown

required.

required. Ronnie O'Sullivan looks

on. He hasn't been at the races

today.

A lot of people will be surprised

about this result but one person who

will not be surprised is the boy who

is knocking these balls in. He has

great belief in his ability.

great belief in his ability. He has

beaten Ronnie on the big stage in a

couple of occasions. And although

Ronnie looked out of sorts, it has

to be said, but Mark Allen has put

in a fabulous performance against

the defending champion, with a

string of breaks. He acknowledges

the crowd at Alexandra Palace, and

in the end he has won the match very

comfortably, beating Ronnie

O'Sullivan 6-1.

comfortably, beating Ronnie

O'Sullivan 6-1.

Ronnie O'Sullivan

dumped out of the Masters but a huge

congratulations to Mark Allen, 6-1

victor. We are concentrating on

Shaun Murphy against Judd Trump in

the quarterfinals later today.

Goodbye for now.