Day 1 Masters Snooker Highlights

Hello. One practice room looks very much just like another, yet this

one is situated inside Alexander Palace, the new home for the BGC

Masters. After 31 years at Wembley, this place represents a fresh start.

The crowds already seem to love it. Over 1,000 people have turned up to

watch the evening match. And it was a 1,500 sell-out this afternoon to

watch the opening match between the defending champion. And that one

didn't disappointment. -- and that one didn't disappoint.

ANNOUNCER: Here comes the rookie, Ronrie O'Sullivan! Please welcome

Ronrie O'Sullivan! Please welcome the defending champion!

Not a bad opportunity there. Absolutely amazing.

Ronny O'Sullivan gets the opening something out of the bag here?

-- four frames to one. Can he pull something out of the bag here? That

might just be the sort of thing -- so what a great comeback. 4-1

the corner? Get in there, please. The first ever... It's made at the

He takes the match six frame toss four. You can see from the crowd

tonight, he draws the crowd. Everyone wants to see him. A person

you really want to watch when you turn up to the snooker. Absolute

quality. He saved it to the last. He's gotta get 100 break now.

Finish it off. Defending champion out. Come on, Ronnie. It's always

gonna be a tough match for me. And I was just pleased that I manage to

do score a few and get involved in the game. And I played all right.

We have the two Ronnie's here today, the senior and junior. That Ronnie

clearly loved having his family watching this afternoon. He goes

through to face either Judd Trump or scuft. Ronnie looks in good nick

-- or Stuart. Ronnie lookness good nick here. An impressive match over

Mark Williams before tonight's encounter, having won four of the

last five games. The Welshman has twice taken this title in the past.

So, best of 11 to sort out this confrontation. We're gonna drop in

Particularly in the first frame. That ball can sometimes slide,

create a wider angle. Now he. Will he take it on? Yes. And he will

need the red and blue, or both. Mark Williams played that slow ly

when he played his game. Didn't want to leave a free ball. He could

pot here. And on the blue we've got a knew favourite. -- and on the

blue we've got a new favourite. Didn't get the pot. Now, where's

the red gonna finish? Safely now. Mark Williams will be mightily

revealed relieved that that red Stephen Maguire can pot this from

position, and make it out for the perfect on the colour. But, as you

say, Cam, can he leave that red so close to the corner? He's got to

pot the colour. If he doesn't, he will need a snooker. So, pink it is

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shot than it looked. Had to dig down and force the ang ile. --

adrenaline creeping in. It's pretty quick, this table, isn't it? Mark

Williams will be kicking himself. He played a poor shot the last red.

We said one frame may not stop Stephen Maguire. Looks OK. Blue,

because the pink didn't go in the middle of the pocket. If it had

have gone in the middle of the pocket, I think it wouldn't have

had much pace. Just lucky it went in the left-hand side as we looked.

A little bit thinner than he needed great chance toss win this opening

frame. -- chances to win this opening frame and it's come down to

a black ball. And we always remember a black ball in the

Masters with Mark Williams, what was it, 1998. And Stephen, deciding

frame. He was the one who potted it. Can he knock this one in? He can't.

But he's got a good cue ball. He's got a very good cue ball. This is a

horrible shot for Stephen Maguire. He may be forced into taking this

shot on. It's very difficult to get face. He could try and cross it

into the right-hand corner pocket, but maybe having a go at this. Well,

that's pretty good. This is a very, very good shot. Very well judged. A

cannon on the way back. Mark Williams applauding in appreciation.

That was an excellent shot. What a great lend he's got with the black.

It's one of those, if it had just bounced off the cushion a little

bit, he could have gone in behind it. But there's no way he can do

that, if he plays it straight up and down. The chance of a double

kiss. Play the double here, John? Well, it's a possibility.

It's a possibility, without a doubt. He's having a look at it. He's

definitely having a look. I think you can tripe and be too cute with

shot -- you can try and be too cute with a shot like this. So, stun it

and try and put it in the back left corner pocket. Nowhere near the

double. The green pocket. Where's he going? Is he running safe? He's

gone safe. OK, can just chip the back on to

the side cushion. He's gotta be careful here. Well, what has he

done? He's on the... And he's virtually gifted Mark Williams a

frame. Concentrating sntrating s trying to get that black closer to

cushion. And this, as they say in go goimme. Well, in it goes.

Well, I don't believe it. suppose... Wins the frame to erase

all the bad memories. And that will be Mark Williams. He leads 1-0.

the Scot will be ruing that safety shot right at the death there. So

Maguire aiming to make amends now you think, "If I miss it, I won't

leave it." But the worst possible scenario for Stephen Maguire. Run

across, kiss the black, and left a nice, easy starter for Mark

Williams. So not the start the Scotsman was looking for here.

it hurts even more, fpbg, Ken, when you -- of course, Ken, when you

know you've had the chance. Yeah, for all the world, looked like he

was clearing up. Just came a little straight on the blue. Past the cue

ball. And I'm sure when he saw Mark Williams miss that black by some

way... APPLAUSE

Well, the black was gonna go over that green pocket. See the split

here. Couldn't have done that much better. Let's have a look at the

well, the psychological difference, the lift that first frame gives you,

particularly when you think you have lost it, I suppose when you

know you should have won it, you tighten up a little bit. Get a bad

kiss and you could be 2-0 down here. Mark Williams looks, well, nice and

cannon here. A couple of different up in apology. Wanted to kiss that

red, almost full ball. This wasn't the red he was playing for, but he

game of snooker that is ever seen, is Mark Williams. Didn't catch that

right, but once again he's all right. You wouldn't think this blue

to the far right carne would cause him much of a problem. He's gonna

have to get the extension, because he's been reaching over a few balls.

But I would be amazed if he missed this. Just a slightly awkward cue-

in, though. But right in the heart of the pocket.

APPLAUSE He's not inch-perfect on this red.

He's got a 60-point lead. So he's not too far away from the winning

line in this second frame, but he wanted a better positional shot

than that. He needs to recover the caught the second red, but I don't

He's only 67 remaining. So the blue to leave his opponent needing two

snoockers. The green -- two snookers. The green, he will only

need one. But he's more concentrating on the colour, the

best one to get him on the next red. 72 points, the lead. 67 remaining.

72. And he knows the importance of this red now. This will keep his

opponent in his seat. And he missed it. So, once again, a couple of

snookers needed. It should be 2-0. And it was. In fact, 2-0 became 4-0

at the interval. And the Welshman looked like he was cruising.

Maguire claimed a couple after the tea break before Williams edged

within one frame of the victory at 5-2. This is the eighth frame now.

It's Maguire with his nose in front of it, but he knows he can't afford

he's not straight, I thought he would have played to yellow. Well,

he would have played to yellow. Well, I'm very surprised also.

Pretty straightforward. The close. Not that difficult, really, to hit.

Expect him to hit it this time. Well, he's judging it, expecting to

slide a little bit more off the say. He doesn't want to miss it

this time, buzz, should he miss it this time, -- because, should he

miss it this time,... APPLAUSE

Well, all these cries of "Come on, Mark "," but even if he tried, he

couldn't get this potted on the green. Don't get me wrong. He's the

type of player that could decide to take this green on. If you have

taken it on, you have got to get it. Because if you don't pot it,

invariable y, you will leave it. -- invariably, you will leave it. Well,

he's got it. He's very unlucky. He put everything into the pot, and

off? He may have to stun it, but this brown is very thin. He's now

thinking of playing into the left corner. If he plays it in the right

corner, I'm certain he's gonna try and avoid being off. As I say, very

unlucky. Great pot on the green. Unlucky to finish here. 1.5 minutes.

Does he play the pot? Does he play safe? He's played safe. It was one

of those situations where he didn't want to hit it any harder, because

he could have knocked it over a pocket. 11 points the difference,

due to those fouls that Stephen gave away. So he needs brown and

blue. This brown's going mighty close to the corner. Is it going

in? It's left. It is left. APPLAUSE

Never easy to judge when a ball's in the jaws of a pocket like that.

He needs blue, pink and black for OFFICIAL: Mark Williams, four.

could have left it easier than this. Missed it by a long way. Blue and

the table, against the mat. It's there.

APPLAUSE he's still in this match. But he

still trails Mark Williams by five games to three.

Well, Stephen Maguire has never really enjoyed the best of fortunes

in London in this event. Three times a smilist. But he is

scrapping to stay in this year's was a well-controlled, positional

is still holder 40. Now, that's probably one of the reasons why the

ball control has been lacking somewhat tonight. I'm not quite

sure why the table is really fast. But he's certainly been out of

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Had a good chance to get down amongst these reds over this right-

He says, "OK. Pot this and get on to the black into possibly the same

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Well, he's certainly shown his an angle on this black, but there's

enough reds out in the open to make shouldn't have a problem to pot in

this red, drifting around the back of the black, put the black in the

same pocket. to clinch this match in the last

He failed to do so. Might be just feeling the heat a little bit in

opponent's coming back at you. And I think he's always suspected

during this match that Stephen Maguire would lift his game

to do it. 61 points, the lead. 75 remaining. Just one more red and a

black would do it. Get to the So, 69 points, the lead. 67

This is it. A nice nudge on the Williams will not be coming back to

the table in this frame. And just basically preparing himself for the

next one. Doesn't matter about that not going in. Mark Williams will

concede. So, Stephen Maguire is keeping his hopes alive. And they

are getting better and better, because he's only one frame behind

now - 5-4. Yes, the Scot is finding some

confidence now. And that 77 is the best contribution by either man so

far in this match. In fact, Maguire, who only last week won a minor

ranking event, is beginning to put the pressure on Williams now.

Williams is trailing by 20 points here.

Maguire started to increase his. No way that Mark could play a safety

back to the ball, Ken, of course, because he was gonna probably leave

this red to the right corner, the one that Stephen was lucky not to

leave. He's gonna need a little bit of run of the ball, or your

he played it. But covering that red in the - wellering the red that's

in between the brown and blue with the green is a little bit fortunate.

Maybe he hasn't covered it APPLAUSE

Sensational play from Stephen Maguire. OK. He's not had a perfect

angle on the black, but another cracking shot.

Now, he's not having much luck breaking into him. I mean, he

doesn't have the perfect angle on the black to really generate the

kind of pace he could have liked, but he's expected to be on

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something. And he's maybe on least he's got a red to go at.

Might have been a little bit straighter than he would have liked.

Well, obviously a lot straighter than he would have liked, because

he's not played a good shot there at all. OK, he's still got a chance

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of the pink, but so close to the doesn't pot into the centre of the

pocket, well, just go on to the right-hand side of the pocket, but

this red is on into the yellow pocket, next to the blue. Sometimes

if there is a slight doubt in your Yeah, trying to hold. The green

into the same pocket. Didn't get now, Stephen Maguire. Putting the

pressure on. There is certainly a lot of pressure on Mark Williams

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little bit of a problem with the scoreboard in the arena, apparently.

APPLAUSE That round of applause must be that

the scoreboard is now working. Do that a lot in Salford, when the

lights came back on. Would always Would you believe it? Would you

believe it? He's just played a little safety, and Stephen Maguire

left a red on. I can't believe that. I don't think he can either. Now

Mark Williams is looking at that red that Stephen Maguire looked at

a couple of moments ago. What do you think at home? Is that a red in

there? Couldn't get a better view hands in the pocket. On the right-

hand side of it, if he's very careful.

He tried to disturb it. I don't think he's done anything...

camera never lies. I was convince thad red would go, but both -- that

red would go, but both players refused it. I was certain Maguire

would have played it on his visit, and certainly Mark Williams would

have played for it then. So this frame still in the balance, but, of

course, Mark Williams needs one for victory, a place in the

in front, and that's not the best safety shot. Needs the green to

of an acute angle than it looks. APPLAUSE

Well, nice. Green in the right corner. The green's the easier shot.

But the blue would offer him better The difference, the blue would have

to roll in. This pink will make the five reds, in the open, and the

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score level, what a chance to win could nestle on the red, but he had

just enough pace to nudge it away. And now it looks a formality. The

pink and the red. and wanted to have been straight.

This, with 32 pointness front with 27 remaining. It does.

Maguire going into the interval. And now... Going nowhere back for

the Scotsman. Disappointing for Stephen Maguire. He won the PTC in

Germany and I saw that final and he looked to be playing really well.

But he's not produced anything like that. And he's immediately out of

his chair to shake hands with Mark Williams, who will be very relieved.

The comeback from Mark Williams continues. In great form tonight.

Missed a few easy ones. But at the end result, he's through to the

quarterfinal. He wins six frames to four.

It was tough. Um, I probably made it tough for myself, really. I was

hope tog open in a good position, really. And -- I was hoping to open

in a good position, really. I should have definitely won that

frame. To be honest, I think I am the only player in the world who

could possibly lose that frame from the position I am in. I don't know

if that's a nice record to have. He's probably favourite, now, 5-4,

to be honest. And, you know, I probably made one of the best 50

breaks this year in the match that I made for quite a while. I don't

know where it came from. But it's nice to know that when the

pressure's on, I could scrape the 50 in. I had really good support. I

can't remember anyone shouting out Stephen's name. They were all

shouting my name, which is fantastic for me. I will go on to

thank them all for cheering me on, and obviously on Friday. Mark

Williams reminding of his Ps and Qs when he tweets everybody later.

Mark is to face Neil Robertson or nark Alan in the quarterfinal. Next

up, it's the snooker match between Ding and Ronnie O'Sullivan. After