Day 1 Masters Snooker Highlights

Good evening. What a year 2014 promises to be for sport with the

Winter Olympics, the World Cup, the Commonwealth Games and a Ryder Cup

all in the mix. But this snooker Masters tournament is a perennial

sporting favourite. This year marks the 40th staging of this, the

greatest invitational event in the sport. What a cracking start we got

on the opening day here at Alexandra Palace. If you were watching earlier

on BBC Two, you will have seen the defending champion, Mark Selby bang

in trouble and very much up against it in his match against Mark Davis

of Sussex. Now, he had looked very comfortable at one stage, Mark

Selby, going 4-0 up. He was cruising. Back came the world number

14, lobbing in a break of 136 en route to a final frame decider. So,

could he complete the job against the tree time champion of this

event? Let's find out in the company of Dennis Taylor and Stephen Hendry.

Luckily, he's knocked the black too. Mark's coming round to see if the

black will pot. Got a slight angle on this pot so he can screw off that

side cushion back over towards the black. It looks a bit tight.

First thing's first, he's got to knock the red in. But he must finish

on the pink And he's going to have to cut the

black into the left corner pocket. That's the only shot available to

leave himself with a chance to win this deciding frame. If he takes on

the pot, which he's got to take on, it's a most... He's got to get it

otherwise he needs a snooker. We've got a picture there which

probably might be able to get back to you. Got a perfect line as to

know whether the black will go in or not.

Is it hard enough? Is it going to reach? Is it going to reach? It is.

Smiles all around. APPLAUSE

Mark Davis smiled, Mark Selby smiled, the packed audience smiled.

Didn't know if it was going to reach. But it did.

Oh, he hasn't hit it hard enough. He could have taken a very tough pot on

to try and get on the black. He wanted to give himself another

chance but he's under hit that. Now he's thinking, I should have had a

go at that red. You think Mark Selby needs the ball

over the hole. He's lucky he's got such a big lead. And he's lucky he's

got the balls on the table the way they are here because he's got a lot

of insurance policies there. They are safe.

He got the dreaded double kiss. Smiles all around, but...

No smiles from Mark Davis after this remarkable comeback. Is that double

kiss going to cost him? Is it going to cost him this match?

It will be a very, very relieved Mark Selby. He looked to be cruising

at 4-0 and 5-2 but Mark Davis had other ideas. And Mark Dave Is made a

remarkable comeback. But in the end, he didn't get many chances in this

deciding frame and he decides to shake hands. First round match in

this year's Masters and the crowd stand to their feet to applaud the

defending champion. It looked very easy in the beginning. In the end he

worked his Socks off and Mark Selby goes through to the quarter-final,

winning 6-5. Yes, a little bit of a game of two

halves. Mark had the first, I took my chance well when he didn't

capitalise. After that, I seemed to control the match to go 4-0 in

front. After the interval, I lost concentration, had my chances but

didn't talk them and Mark capitalised on them and done the

same what I did to him the first session. After 4-0 down, it's a long

way back, certainly against Mark, it's a mountain to climb. I felt OK,

I didn't think I'd done that much wrong. I felt good and thought if I

get a few chances I could score. 5-5 was, he played a good game. Safety

was a bit loose in the last and needed to be tight because of the

way the frame went and he played the frame better than I did. I know the

feeling of picking the trophy up. To go out in the first round would have

been gutting, especially being 4-0 up but thankfully I'm sat here. The

defending champion there. What a fright Mark gave him though. Many

feel that 2014 could be the year when Stuart Bingham, the world

number seven from Essex, finally lands one of snooker's big three

tournaments. Will it start here in North London? First, he had to get

past John Higgins, which is never an easy asking.

I was lucky enough to play in the last year of the Conference and the

first year at the Arena, but I've been here, this is the third year on

the trot and haven't yet got past the last 16 so hopefully I can

change that tonight. Stuart Bingham disappointed but Judd Trump is now

through to the quarter-final. First year that I've been in the top

eight seed so I was hoping that I'd get an easier draw than Judd. There

are no easy draws. It's going to be tough on current form. He's still

one of the best players in the world. It's going to be tough. I've

got to go out there and play like I have been for the last couple of

months. If I can produce that, then there's no reason why I can't win.

Let me show you Stuart Bingham's record in this event. He's never

been beyond this stage of the Masters in four previous attempts

and was kicking himself 12 months ago having been 5-1 in front against

Mark Selby only to lose the final frame decider to the man who then

went on to lift the trophy 12 months ago. Bingham's opponent this year,

John Higgins, has claimed this title twice. He beat his opponent in the

1999 final, there's the old gold trophy there, and he famously

cleared up on a decider to win the new look crystal trophy in 2006,

considerably heavier that one! This year marked John's 20th appearance

in the Masters. He's reached four finals in all. He's really been a

force at the Wembley Conference Centre, never really enjoyed playing

at the Arena, but seems to like Alexandra Palace with journeys to

the semis and the quarters in the last couple of years. The former

world number one's been slipping down the rankings over the last few

months. In fact, he hasn't gone beyond the last 16 stage in any

event this season since June. That really is quite a startling fact. He

wants to try and kick start his season.

So, let's get into it then. It was Higgins who took the first frame of

the evening. It was a nervous affair, this one, and frame two, as

we pick them up, is down to the pink and the black, so let's head to the

company of Kender hi and John Virgo in the commentary box.

-- Ken Doherty. Stuart Bingham's got to get this pink safe. It's not a

formality. He's done well. As you say, John,

it's early days, but what a frame this could turn out to be for both.

Keep you eye on the right middle pocket here. No, he didn't play

that. To me, that is just possibly leaving yourself in trouble because

it's not going to be difficult now for Stuart Bingham to play safe and

he could possibly get the snooker behind the black. I thought John may

have tried to send the pink round the angles but didn't want to risk

it. I don't know whether both players

think this table is quick quicker than it's playing, but another poor

shot from Stuart. It's not easy. The cue ball will be

going up and down the table. The paws of the cue ball. Seven

points ahead. Takes the pressure off this black a little bit. Still a

tough pot. Not there.

Stuart Bingham can come and have a look now. This is just a little bit

wide. On a bad day, they stay in the jaws. Is this potable? Or is it

about to come back up the table? It's potable. Where's the cue ball

going? It's OK. Probably the perfect outcome to this

with the chances that have been on offer. It was in all fairness. After

some of the shots he had played in that frame, it was a really good

pot. Stuart Bingham wins the toss, puts John Higgins in. Most players

these days, cue ball right hand side cushion. Black ball on the left hand

side cushion. As you mentioned earlier when the

punk was on the table, this is a possible double here. Left middle.

Left corner pocket. Ooh! Well, he's hit that so bad. I mean, how he's

got anywhere near. As you say, you think about left middle, you don't

think about far left corner. .ion hitting that black honourable member

full blow -- almost full blow. Here is a chance for John Higgins to take

the second frame. Well, I've never seen a frame too

and fro as much as this for a long time.

And in it goes. Stuart Bingham will be mightily relieved. Both players

had great chances there and it was a case of who was going to pot the

last ball. It was Stuart bungment. He'll be very pleased. He levels

1-1. But a few minutes later, Higgins found himself in front once

more. He took the third frame with breaks of 32 and a 50 so we'll pick

them up at frame four now. Bingham is seven points adrift in this one.

Very risky trying to screw it back off the cushion, hit the red and

bring the cue ball back. Very hard to get enough zip on the cue ball.

Now, where does the pink go? It's certainly going to be available into

left middle. Go for the blue probably off this

red. He's under hit it. If he's very

straight on this blue, that's careless.

Doesn't want to be straight on this red, otherwise he'll be struggling

to get a position on a colour. It's just the positional play #1250i78s

in these frames that have cost both players -- play sometimes in these

frames that have cost both players. APPLAUSE

That was an excellent shot. And that looks about inch perfect.

Pot the red unto the right corner, black for the left corner. What a

chance this is. Opened the pocket now for the two

Reds above the black spot. Just have a look at this shot.

Beautiful positional shot. Two Reds above the red shot were a blocker.

Perfect Shot. Over did that slightly. By potting

that in the corner, clean as a whistle, that'll make it so much

easier. Sawns here now that John Higgins is beginning to settle into

the task. Just about got the angle on the

blue. He's got the two Reds either side of the pink, the one just above

the black. If you talk about missed chances,

that just about tells you the story of the first four frames, 90% John

Higgins, 76% Stuart Bingham. That's not good enough.

But these matches are best of 11, so no need to panic when you go to the

interval 3-1 down which looks a certainty now.

Just signs the last couple of frames that John has settled in and got the

pace of the table a bit better. Yes. Particularly the pace of the table.

No doubt about that. He gets a round of applause.

68 ahead, 59 remaining. John would love to tray and string a decent

break together here though. -- try and string a decent break

together here though. Another example of John Higgins

having the pace of the table. Perfect position on the red.

The only thing is for certain, when Stuart Bingham goes to the dressing

room, or the practise table maybe during the interval, he knows what

he's got to do. He's got to raise his game. John Higgins now is

starting to cue beautifully. It's an awkward yellow. He could

make the century. Good shot needed. He feels as though he can drop it in

the middle. And he's played it absolutely inch perfect. Now can you

play it with pace? Looks easy but a bit of an angle here. Just decided

to drop it in. Makes the green a little bit more difficult. Green and

brown needed for the tonne. Oh! He's trying to jump up and down

and knock it in with the vibration. He'll be pleased. Stuart Bingham,

lot to think about in the mid session interval, trailing John

hiking begins by 3-1. John Higgins, who changed his cue

several times this season seems to have found some fluency with this

one and with it some confidence as well. A break of 65 follows in the

next frame after the interval as well and Bingham was looking at a

three frame deficit all of a sudden. So picking them up once more in

frame six now, it's Bingham marginally ahead.

It's just not happening for Stuart Binghamtonite. A couple offal early

frames -- couple of early frames really upset him. Even when John

Higgins makes a mistake, not being punished helps your confidence.

By the end of this, it could be 400 more for John Higgins.

Or 300 for certain. But if he wins the frame on this visit, and there's

every chance he could, he'll be growing in confidence.

Could build up a nice lead here before he contemplates bringing more

reds into play. Pot success getting higher and

higher for John Higgins. John hug begins twice the winner of

the Masters. In 1999, Ken, he beat you in the final. Don't remind me,

John! Too late. And in 2006, one of the greatest

matches we've ever had here at the Masters when John Higgins beat

Ronnie O'Sullivan and I'll never neat clearance when he rolled the

last red in and it never looked as though it was going to reach the

middle pocket and it just dropped in and he cleared up. It was

sensational stuff. He jumped up and asked the cue ball

to be cleaned, but I'll be honest with you, it always looked wide to

me. A little bit of a bounce. Takes the town go into the Reds

here. He can screw it and he'll be screwing to the right hand side of

the table so he's always got the red over the right middle. There you see

it. Has he covered the one on the right? He hasn't. Still one come out

that's closest to the cue ball so he's still OK.

That's really opened up, splitting the Reds.

The only one that's tied up is the one close to the left centre pocket.

The frame will be well and truly over by the taupe he has to solve

that problem. -- by the time he has to solve that problem. 47 points to

lead now. To lead now. We were saying at the start, it was

hard to pick a whipper here, but we didn't realise it was going to be

this one-sided. But that's because Stuart, in all fairness, hasn't

performed. And he'll know that -- pick a winner.

But never say never. You never know what can happen. He might just burst

into life. He'll need to. You would have expected this match

to go all the way. But he just hasn't performed tonight, Stuart.

Just this red needed to go 60 aids head with 51 remaining. And in it

goes. And that's another frame surely in the bag for Joe Higgins.

Bingham cam into the tournament in much better form than Higgins. It's

not turned out that way. Made a break at 94 and looks like he may

make a century. He may make one this time. .ior A bit of work to do with

the cue ball. Perfect on the yellow as it turned

out even though he was close to the cushion.

And this for the tonne. Well played. APPLAUSE

Picking up the pieces maybe, but there has been signs in the fourth

frame break of 94, 65 in the last, 103 and counting in this, and in

goes the pink and John Higgins must be feeling very, very good about

himself. He's not bothering about the black. Well, it doesn't matter.

Stuart Bingham must be very disappointed with his performance.

The spring in John Higgins' step, he's only one step away from a place

place in the next round. He leads 5-1. The four time world champion

beginning to accelerate away now, on the brink of the win, but don't

forget, Stuart Bingham staged that heroic comeback against Robertson in

the semi-final last month. So let us see what he's made of now in frame

seven. That's a possible indication, John,

of John Higgins still not 100% comfortable with his cue. Tulse a

new cue. We have mentioned it a few times, but quite a long way away

with that. Needless to say, Stuart Bingham's got to start scoring.

I think the black is still available, but is it going to tie up

the black once it's respoted? Trying to get the angle on the

black. Well played. Nice angle on the

black. Leave a nice angle on the black after potting this red, into

the pack of reds, maybe still be on the red to the left corner. There is

a loose red available at the bottom of the pack as well. But that was

perfect. Well played. These are the type of situations where Stuart has

to really fill his boots, win this frame from one visit and win it

quickly. Looks like he's trying to pick up the pace a little bit.

If ever there was a time he needed a good break, it's now.

There you go. Big difference in the high break.

When you consider his main strengths, he's fallen down on both

counts so far this evening. He is the type of play they're can

rattle off frames in no mind at all. -- in no time at all. Given

opportunities like this. The main thing you've to do in these

situations is forget the score board. Easier said than done. One

frame at a time, but forget the scoreline. Oh!

APPLAUSE Thank goodness for gravity!

Going to need one good split here. 59 points ahead. Just over

three-and-a-half minutes. 59 break. He'll need one good shot here to win

the frame. This is virtually frame ball. Well

played, Stuart Bingham. Definitely needed this.

Snooker is a bit of a mind game and this is just showing Stuart whether

it's too little too late I don't know, but it's showing John Higgins

that if you make a mistake and I can win the frame in one visit in no

time at all. He's not done that at all this evening. And his hopes of

staying in the Masters are hanging by a thread. But this is a great

response. This is what we expected at the start.

There is ?10,000 for the high break this week, which is quite a lot.

Well, what a shame. But he did that in one visit. If he ones the frame,

it will make him feel better, but is it too little too late? He still

trails by 5-2. John Higgins one frame away from the second round.

A spirited response, as John Virgo said, from the world number seven,

having been largely kept off the table for the last four games. But

is it the start of something good or the end? Higgins ahead in frame

eight. Oh, he's missed it. Doesn't want to

leave a free ball. He's left a free ball. Can't believe it. You think

you've seen everything in this game. It never'ses to amaze you, does it

-- never ceases to amaze you. He struck down and swerved the cue ball

away from the red. And that blue counts as a red. He wants that brown

to slow up. Might have to play the snook er now

which was not the plan. There's been some twists and turns

in this frame. The first three frames, it was hard to puck out who

was going to one a frame. -- win a frame. The best option is

roll up for the brown. Don't double kiss and go in off though.

APPLAUSE Not the greatest shot he's ever

played. Ponchts no attempt at a pot from

John Higgins. -- no attempt at a pot from John Higgins. Well, this is the

old hit the cushion first and kick the red up the table and leave the

cue ball there. But they're OK, these, as long as you get right in

behind them. Yes. Top cushion first, right hand side. Tray and leave the

cue ball exactly where the red is and leave a snooker behind the green

and that looks just about perfect. It's where it was a couple of shots

ago. Unfortunately, the cue ball isn't. That's the problem. He's hit

it twice and he's left it. And surely John Higgins will not turn

down this. Now, 20 points the lead. Red, blue, yellow would leave Stuart

Bingham needing a snooker. Would do. So it's got to be the

brown then, hasn't it? Looks very straight though, the brown. He

doesn't like it. He doesn't feel he can get the cue ball away from the

cushion. It's a tough shot, the yellow. I'd prefer the brown. Brown

and yellow woulded put him 27 points in front with 25 remaining. I think

the black is a little awkward for him. It's in the way.

Good shot. Well held. Yes, nation shot. -- nice shot.

28 points ahead, 25 remaining, one snooker required. You could say John

Higgins is falling over the line, he's played some good snooker prior

to this, but he's really struggled at the end.

But near snooker, John Higgins in the second round -- but for that

snooker. You would have to say brown and pink, good positions for

snookers. If you don't fancy getting a

snooker, you must get the object ball safe because at least you are

going to get another chance. You don't want to risk playing a snooker

if you are going to send the cue ball towards the pocket. Or send the

object ball towards the pocket. Great shot. Superb shot. Excellent

shot from Stuart Bingham. It's an easy swerve. He's swerved it

too much. But it will straighten up and he didn't hit it on the way

back. Well, would you believe it? I

thought once he'd missed it on the way up it was going to straighten up

and hit it on the way back. Just misses it on the way back. I was

with you, thought he was going to hit it on the way back.

Could have played that better. Chance for John Higgins. Green up

and down in and out. Cue ball back over behind the pink, if possible.

If he'd have just flicked the green, it wouldn't have been a good shot.

Just missed the green. It's OK now even if Stuart hit the shot. Had to

be careful he didn't knock it towards.

Obviously not the snooker but John Higgins has got to be careful -- got

the snooker but John Higgins has got to be careful. He's played the

double. He played it. Fathers 4 Justice trace, annoyance, call it

what you will, but that now puts him 27 points in front, 22 remaining --

frustration. This brown the clincher. Too many snookers needed.

APPLAUSE A very relieved John Higgins but

very happy as well. He's not had his best season and this is a big result

for him. Stuart Bingham, well, he'll be very disappointed, shakes his

hand, congratulates John Higgins. Stuart Bingham never really turned

Uptonite apart from the frame where he made 91. Congratulations to John

Higgins, struggled to get over the line, but over the line he got and

he's in the second round beating Stuart Bingham by 6-2.

To take it over the line when you have not won any decent matches, now

you begin to get the nerves a little bit. Happy enough the way I played.

I played better than the last couple of months so that's the pleasing

thing. Maybe I overtried. I've been playing well in the ranking events

and sort of lost a bit of form and the Christmas break done me no good

really. My nan was in the crowd tonight and she could have beat me

tonight. There is a long way to go from the quarter-finals. If you want

to win, you would probably have to beat Selby and another strong

favourite so you've only won one match, a long way to go. Johnos

better than anyone, there's no easy matches at the Masters, so two out

of the eight have been complete and this is how the draw looks now. Our

defending champion, Mark Selby survives by the skin of his teeth

and he will now face John Higgins in the quarter-final. Tomorrow, Judd v

Fu. Ding meets Shaun Murphy. Neil Robertson taking on Northern

Ireland's Mark Allen. Scotland's Stephen Maguire faces Joe Perry.

Hawkins and Walden and O'Sullivan facing Milkins on Tuesday night.

Next up, snooker Extra features an action replay of the opening match

between the defending champion, Mark Selby and Mark Davis. That is next.

Live snooker returns at 1 o'clock this afternoon. An intriguing match

between Judd Trump and Marco Fu who's never played at Ali pale. Last

time we saw him here was in the Wembley Arena in 2011. There's no

suggestion we don't like Mondays here, we are looking forward to it.

Good night!