Day 5 Masters Snooker Highlights

Hello and welcome to Alexandra Palace and highlights of the 2014

Dafabet Masters. Coming up, the best of the action from the opening

2/4-final matches. We'll see world number two and defending champion

Mark Selby take on the man who has won 45 ranking titles, John Higgins.

But first, let's remind you how the draw is shaping up.

The Mark Selby-John Higgins match a real mouthwatering one this evening.

We'll show you how Shaun Murphy got on against Marco Fu. Neil Robertson

plays Stephen Maguire tomorrow evening. And world champion Ronnie

O'Sullivan takes on Ricky Walden tomorrow at one o'clock. Live

coverage on BBC Two. We start this evening with the match involving

Shaun Murphy and Marco Fu. Both men looking to win the event-macro for

the first time the stop both have tasted defeat in the final. -- the

Masters. STEPHEN HENDRY: If it did go, I'm

surprised. You would have the green to the left centre. You can see it

clearly goes. Didn't look like it was straight but

if it was straight, I'm even more surprised he didn't play the pot.

JOHN VIRGO: I think he's just gone into a bit of a shell at the moment

and doesn't want to take any risks but sometimes you've got to.

If you keep waiting for the perfect chance to win the frame, it never

comes. Shaun looks in a positive mood as he

is eyeing up a pot on this yellow. It's a good one. He's going to be

nicely on the green. I bet Marco wishes he had that

yellow back now. He wants these four remaining

colours so you can only see the problem being pink to lack.

Important that he gets a good angle on the blue.

He doesn't want to be too straight on the pink, even with his cue

power. I think he played to hit the side

cushion their first, before the baulk collision. -- cushion. You can

only assume he's tried to force the angle and forced it to much. If you

take this pink on and miss it, you think you're going to leave it...

But in its goes. A good kiss on the black.

Shaun Murphy was for -1 behind and looked in real trouble. Marco Fu has

let it slip because he now trails Shaun Murphy by one frame. Can he

finish off the job? Marco Fu on the table.

That was amazing. You would have thought with the angle he had on the

red that you'd be trying to nudge of the other reds and that's the only

reason I can see him missing this. If he doesn't time the shot right,

he misses it. Plenty of movement before the tip of

the cue hit the white ball where. Shaun has had the cue ball cleaned.

He's low on the black. It's the black that's the problem. A tricky

pot. Didn't hit it been enough. There was

no problem having position on the next red but he had to pot the black

first. He just about got an angle on the

blue. Before, when he was having a close look at the reds, I don't know

if he was looking at the possibility of a 4-ball plant into the cannon

but we'll see how he plays this. He's played the cannon.

If he can get through the one to the right, he'll be happy with that.

He wasn't missing that type of shot early on in the match. That's been

the difference. Early on, every time Shaun made a mistake he punished him

to the hilt but it hasn't quite happened in the second half and

that's why he's one frame behind Shaun Murphy.

He's not good on the blue so he'll need a good shot now. He can play

for the baulk cushion with top and right hand side.

The perfect angle. Maybe the red at the top of the bunch goes to the

left corner but this is the time to type out the pack. S You always need

a bit of luck. It's not bad. He'll be a bit disappointed that he's not

that Reg to the right-hand side cushion as I think he's going to

need that. At least he's got a nice easy Reg to continue with.

He's got a choice of reds into this next corner.

When he opened them up, he knocked that red to the right-hand side

cushion and if he's going to win frame and match at this visit, that

is going to be the problem ball. Five reds and five blacks will put

him 28 in front. He creeps into the front by two

points. A little bit too much angle on the

black. Nicely played. Now he'd like to

leave himself in a position where he could play the second last red.

Somewhere near that cue ball that we've put their... I think he's got

enough angle to pot this thread and remove the red from the side

cushion. He's done it but as we always say,

when you move the red after potting a red, you're never certain to be

good on the colour. He never had the ideal angle on the red Sony had to

force it a bit. He dug in, which makes a blue

missable but in it went. Marco Fu must be fearing the worst now. A

great performance this now by Shaun. He's been a different player since

he was three frames down earlier. As you said at the time, it's not the

ideal thing when you're 43 frames down to stop reducing the best. --

three frames down. Snooker is required and Marco Fu

will be ruing his missed opportunities, particularly his long

potting. If you decisions of the last frame he'll reflect on, which

may have cost him dear. -- a few decisions.

Two snookers required. Marco Fu didn't get those snookers and Shaun

Murphy won five frames on the bounce to become the first man into the

semifinals. His eighth career win over Marco Fu and he's the last four

of the Masters once again. It didn't look good at for -1. I've seen so

many games where you think a match is over and it's not. I thought that

if I just kept in there and went for my shots and kept being aggressive,

I could go for a break. I think I shook him a bit and we had a couple

of nervy ones at the end. I just never had any clear-cut chances to

win frames after the interval, except for the first frame after the

interval. I think it got a bit scrappy and a bit difficult and

Shaun started to play very well. I missed a few long pots and that cost

me a bit and Shaun was taking advantage of my little mistakes here

and there. What must it be like to come here and play well and play

easily from the front and win 6-1? I keep making it hard on myself but

I'm still here, still fighting. He is the comeback kid. Who will Shaun

Murphy play in the semifinals? Will it be Mark Selby or John Higgins?

Two experienced campaigners, who know what it's like to win the

Masters. It's a great tournament with the top

16 best players in the world. Having won it a few times before, I know

the feeling of picking that trophy up at the end. I've won the World

four Times and the UK a few times on the next step is to win the Masters.

It seems to be a tournament I never seem to play well in. It's a tough

draw. John is one of the greats of our game. He's been struggling of

late but is more than good enough to turn that around. A tough player.

Mark is one of the favourites. He'll be favourite going into the match,

rightly so, and I'll have to play a bit above my game. Well, it's the

defending champion, Selby, with the edge over the Scotsman in career

wins. 6-5. We join them on three frames all with Selby 19 points

ahead. DENNIS TAYLOR: Well, this is a half

chance. It's all about the cue ball, this. It's tight on the cushion.

That was a much better shot than it looked. That's a couple of balls

that John has knocked in when the cue ball has been frozen on a

cushion. Never been in front in the match so

far, John Higgins. He did win the first frame but he

lost three in a row. This would be three in a row for him if he can

take it. Parrot macros The only good news was

that the green came down the table. Position is a little trickier,

yellow to green and green back to brown. Not

It's not perfect. This is the key shot as he looks round at the

scoreboard. You'd love test done this in but the

yellow pocket might be in the way. If he pots the pink, Mark Selby will

be able to tie. He can't believe it himself. He's got to try and pot the

pink and can in the black. That's the only way he'll be able to get on

the back. -- black. He's missed the cannon. He tried to flick the black

out. Unbelievable. He cannot believe it,

John. He just looked at the sky and he cannot believe what he's done. If

you'd said to him, " play the blue and put yourself in an awkward

position," he couldn't have done a better job of it.

He's hit it thinner than he needed but it's not an easy pot by any

means. The things you can do when you're

under pressure. The brain gets addled, it's a bit fuzzy, you make

poor decisions. This is a massive shot.

It wasn't easy. John's pot won't be easy, either. In fact, John's in a

position here where if he doesn't pot this, every chance he can stick

it up with a big, big shot. In John's favour, he gets two bites

of the cherry, doesn't he? I'm looking at Mark Selby. I think he's

going to try to back double this black into the right corner pocket

and bring it back up to the table. S he had the safety in mind as well.

He looked at the angle. But look where he put the cue ball.

APPLAUSE Well, this is a fabulous return

safety shot. That seriously is the best shot of the match. Absolutely

wonderful judgement. And that's not too bad, either, I

can tell you. Brilliant. Wall to wall to wall.

Three consecutive shots, all top-class.

That's OK. It's hard enough. John's got a shot here where you send the

black all around the angles and hopefully get it on the baulk

cushion. Just keep your eye on the black and see how many cushions it

hits. Where's the white? But look where

he's got the black! This is the best standard of safety play on a black

that I've seen for a long, long time. Both players, superb.

He hasn't hit it hard enough this time. This is the chance that John

Higgins has been waiting for. After that fabulous safety battle on the

black, just at this needed. And in the black goes. Mark Selby

had an early break of 56 but it wasn't enough and John Higgins wins

that frame on a black ball fight and is back in the lead for the first

time since the opening frame. JASON MOHAMMAD: This is Higgins'

42nd match at the Masters. What a quarterfinal we are watching. They

shared the next two frames. Higgins now just one frame away from a

famous victory. We join them in the 10th, Selby at the table.

JOHN PARROTT: I don't think he's got it behind the pink but he might have

got it behind the blue. He hasn't. A chance for John Higgins.

DENNIS TAYLOR: Setting himself up for this difficult, long red.

Oh, he is unlucky. He's potted a cracking read but he's

not on the green. He's going to have to play the snooker.

John Higgins was a few inches away from getting himself into the

semifinal. That great red - if he had dropped it on the green or

brown, he would have won the match. This was a good pot and he just got

it right onto the green. A bit unlucky.

He hit that full ball. A very good shot. There might be a chance to get

the snooker behind the pink but he can play it two waves - thin off the

yellow on the left-hand side if he wants... Is he hard enough?

Still a good shot but he had the chance of getting the snooker there.

It has been a fabulous frame with a little bit of everything.

Not a particularly appetising part, that one. He might be sending this

one around the angles. Not bad. Easy to escape from and

even someone like Mark Selby, who is the best in the business at getting

out of snooker is the best in the business at getting out of smokers

and knocking his ball safe, you're never absolutely sure where the

object ball is going to finish up. He mishit that. Hibbitt was not how

he was intending to get out of the snooker. -- that was not.

I do not think Mark Selby thought he was going to cut that. What a shot!

He had a horrendous kick. That is unbelievable. He parted a most

fabulous yellow to put themselves on the green and look what happened

next Commissioner Mark that is so cruel. It is. The things that can

happen in this game. That was a brilliant yellow. He has a kick like

a mule. It looks as if it is too thin for

Mark Selby to hold for the brown. That makes the part so much more

difficult. He could squared it up and come back. It makes the parting

so much tougher. It is not that easy to play safe. It is not one who can

run down the table easily. He played it down the side and got

on the ground. He had so much ground -- side on that, it makes the part

so much more difficult. He needs the brown, the blue and the

pink. That is just pure pressure. Will he

fluked a snooker behind the blue? No. He had that so hard. That was

just pure tension. And at the circumstances, he stroked

that into the pocket beautifully. He will not be perfect on the pink.

He will have to cut this in with the rest. The black is safe. It takes a

little bit of pressure of the part. -- the part.

I do not blame him for coming around and looking at the angle. Not

guaranteed. It is there. John Higgins had one

foot in the semifinal. Mark Selby is not done with yet. He has taken the

frame and we are all square. We are down to a shoot out.

It goes down to the wire . Mark Selby is at the table, five points

behind. He has missed it. This could he a

free ball as well. -- be a free ball.

If he can get on a colour of the brown and he is trying to get over

to the spot. He has come a little bit short. He will have two leave a

tricky one along the cushion. It will be interesting to see his

next choice of shock. -- shot. There are two ways of playing this. He

could put Mark in all sorts of trouble. He is 17 points in front.

No, but he tries to covered it. I do not think he has. It is covered, but

he may be able to pop this after the cushion.

Mark Selby has a great knowledge of pool and the angles of the table. I

think he is dropped in a place where he cannot do it. That is too much

angle on the blue. He could play the blue and try to cannon the red. What

about bringing the green into play? It will take some key will action.

-- cue action. If he can bring the green into

play... I think you are right. The 16 point advantage does not mean

a great deal because the colours are all now available. Not quite a

snooker, but by does he need a thin edge here. -- by Des he'd need a

thin edge here. --boy does he need a thin edge here.

He has got to make sure he gets the red thick enough and the pupil does

not get lost and not too thick that he had the black.

That is the problem. He had the black. It is over the pocket.

It is not a straightforward safety shot. Will he take this on? It is a

big shot. I am sure John Wells has something out if he wants a safety

but it is not straightforward. -- John will suss something out.

The last place I thought he would take it on would be up the middle

pocket. He was unlucky to hit the yellow and

get into the pocket. The defending champion has battled so hard.

He did not want to finish bang on the cushion. Unbelievable the way

these things can happen. If that bounces another three or four inches

and it would probably be game over. No, he was trying to get all around

the ankles. He needs to pull out a cracker here. That is a big second

prize he had thought he could hit the blue and finish anywhere. If he

knocks the yellow in, he will definitely be on the green.

The tension here at the Alexandra Palace is quite something at the

moment. What a conclusion to this quarterfinal!

Well, everything is happening. The yellow wobbled for or five times and

it dropped in. But because of the way he parted it, he has not

finished on the green. Seven points the difference.

What else are we going to see? It looked for all the world that if he

parted the yellow he would be on the green. But it did not turn out that

way. It is the swerve shot. It has

knocked the blue into an awkward position. The pink is not absolutely

safe. That is another chance here of the clean. I think the blue will

come to his rescue. Will he be hampered? He will play

the slow roll. No, he is not. At this stage, a

little bit of touching going on. -- twitching going on.

Not the best shot that John has ever played. It is all about the brown. I

fancy him to pop the green. How will he finish on the ground? That is the

question -- on the brown Western Mark -- brown?

If it pulls up and he has the angle to full the blue. -- Paul the blue.

That was a brilliantly controlled shot.

If he parts the brown, they will be tied.

Just over four hours of fascinating snooker from these great players.

There are also to things they could do. -- they are all things that

sorts of things they could do. He is looking at the back double and

playing the white up and down the table to get the pink.

He may be playing the cost of the now. He will have to play safe. He

is looking at it. He is looking at doubling that and skewing of the

baulk cushion. If he pulls this off, he will bring the house down.

Is he on the pink? What a shot he played their explanation mark --

what a shot he played there! He is looking at the angle to the middle

pocket. He is looking at the angle to the corner.

Absolutely amazing. The defending champion just would not give up. He

has battled his way back and has won three frames in a row. What a

finish. He is still in the cupboard edition and keep beat John Higgins

by one frame. Mark Selby joins me now. You left

that pretty late? I started off well before the interval. I seemed to

fall asleep and John Higgins played a bit. You said you had to be

clinical to beat John Higgins and you are not that halfway through the

match. I was very clinical at the start. I had my chances. I had

plenty of chances to go on and win the match but missed a lot of balls

and John Higgins capitalised on that. He said being the underdog was

suiting him. He is one of the greats of our sport. You know you have to

be at the top of your game to play him. There was a great relief at the

end. It was more relief than anything. I had chances to win the

match and jumble sale he had the chances as well. Shaun Murphy is

back into form. I played him last year. It will be another tough game.

We are a great friends and have known each other for many years. I

look forward to seeing you in the semifinals. Let us take a look at

how the quarterfinals at shaping. -- are shaping. A couple of matches to

go. Mark Selby and Shaun Murphy are to the semifinals. We will have a

battle for semifinal spot later today. Snooker extra app next with

extended highlights of Shaun Murphy checking on Marco Fu. -- taking on.

Join us tomorrow at one o'clock. It is proving to be a terrific

tournament. A great day for Shaun Murphy and Mark Selby. Goodbye for

now.