Day 6 Masters Snooker Highlights

Good evening, yes, he's only gone and done it again. Ronnie O'Sullivan

has been in world record-breaking form on this quarter-finals day at

the Masters at Alexandra Palace. He turned in an absolutely mesmerising

performance against the unfortunate Ricky Walden who was left dazed and

a little awe struck. Well, Ronnie was virtually unplayable from the

start. Walden made a contribution of 35 in the first frame, but hasn't

potted anything since. Ronnie is 3-0 when we join them. So far, he hasn't

missed a single ball. COMMENTATOR: Oh! He couldn't pot

that. He swerved that. That's an amazing shot.

Boy, is he playing well. He did put his hand up to say, sorry about that

one. He won't be sorry if he follows it with 80.

No matter how good you are, you can't pull a shot like that off. He

pulled it off. He held his hand up to acknowledge it was a bit of good

luck. Already, four reds available for

Ronnie after this. Before he has to move the pack.

Not the best of a bunch to go into. He will probably stun it rather than

screw it. Well, he did screw it this time. I don't think he's on a red.

He usually plays that shot so well. Does the red go past the other into

the middle, surely not? can he make the potting angle on the

pink? Phenomenonal. There really is no

other word. Not only to pot the red, but to

leave the pink. It was so tight to get on the pink. Ricky, he just

can't believe what is going on here. He can believe it, he's watching it,

but... You are watching the best player who

ever lived, playing at his best. And, it's a treat.

Bit of a distraction there, he spotted something on the cue ball.

Maybe where he's just gone to strike it. Paul Collier has to be on his

toes today, the way Ronnie is playing.

It's an art refereeing when you've got someone as quick as Ronnie.

Paul, one of the game's top referees. You have to get out of the

way as well. Just flick that out there, trying to

get on the pink, but the black will do.

He's already the tournament favourite, but if he plays like

this, who is going to beat him? It really is that good. The only one

that can beat Ronnie O'Sullivan this week is Ronnie O'Sullivan.

Sometimes his game isn't as good as it can be. When he's like this, it's

really something, very, very special.

Already 93, this has been just wonderful.

He has made 28 centuries this season so far.

That is Ronnie O'Sullivan's, believe it or not, 724th century break.

APPLAUSE He is 30 centuries behind the great

Stephen Hendry's record. This is great value-for-money. This

is very special. COMMENTATOR: That was the 14th

century we had in this year's Masters. A little exhibition shot to

finish it all off. This looks perfect. Absolutely perfect.

APPLAUSE. Well, you have just witnessed an

unbelievable session of snooker. The crowd errupts here at Alexandra

Palace. Ronnie O'Sullivan with four frame-winning breaks he leads 4-0.

So it went on. Apart from that knock of 35, Ricky didn't pocket a single

ball. O'Sullivan running away with it 6-0 in 58 minutes. 566 points

without reply. That was about as good as it gets. Extraordinary stuff

from O'Sullivan. Well done to Ricky Walden, he has had a good season.

Won a couple of ranking events, top 16, semis of the World, I'm pleased

to get through. I'm happy. Want to have a game of snooker and put a

shift in yourself. I wasn't able to do that. Scored 35 in the first

frame and didn't see a ball for the rest of the match, pretty

impressive. I didn't realise he hadn't potted a ball. I was

concentrated on each ball and each frame and stay in that groove and

concentration and stay with every moment, and every frame, be as

professional as I can. That is the first time I ever felt absolutely

helpless on a snooker table, it was unbelievable. Took a real good

beating there. He was last seen heading for the nearest pub. Who

have the honour of facing O'Sullivan, would it be the world

number one, Neil Robertson or number five from Glasgow, Stephen Maguire?

What we are going to find out in this evening's quarter-final. If you

were watching earlier on you would have seen a winning frame won in 486

minutes by the Scott. The UK Champion pressed hard winning the

next two for a 3-0 lead. Robertson claimed the next two, including the

stop top break of the match so far, 74. Maguire to break.

COMMENTATOR: Stephen Maguire, 3-0 in front in this match. In the best of

nine match, 3-0 in front, you have broken the back of the match to some

degree, not in the best of 11. Many players miss to the right hand

side of the table this week. Yeah, Miss Call. It won't be taken. A

chance of a red now to the left corner.

Although he was 3-0 in front, without really play his absolute

best, now that Neil Robertson has stepped up a gear, he has to do the

same. APPLAUSE.

Lovely opening red. Nice control of the cue ball.

The bottom red will go to the right corner. In potting this, he will

bring other reds into play. APPLAUSE.

Bit unfortunate to see the pink go up with the blue there.

That limited his options, to some degree.

We will see that problem almost immediately. Normally, you would

play this to the left middle and just run up for the blue. The blue

not available. If he plays it to the left middle he will have to play for

a colour. Perhaps he could pot the brown and

smash into the black. Doesn't have to smash into the pack

of course. Running out of reds. Nicely struck. Hitting the ball

crisply. Although he didn't feel it, it sounded good. Felt like he didn't

get as much screw back as he intended.

He has played that nicely. He can go into the reds now. He would like to

hit the one that is immediately above the black.

If he can do that, then there are a couple of reds being available.

He didn't hit the red I suggested, but he's got the black in. He has

opened them up now. He just needs a red to continue.

It could be a decent chance this, but he needs one good pot.

Top red goes, all the three baulk colours are available. Harder than

it looks this shot though. Doesn't look that difficult on the TV

screens. Very missable, considering he has to keep control of the cue

ball. I'm wondering if there is a value of playing plain-ball and

running into the blue or pink here? It's hard to say exactly what the

angle is. playing it low, so stunning it in.

He has played it nicely. Has it held the side of the baulk line?

He just couldn't bring himself to play it softer. With the tension

involved in the shot, he had to give it a bit more to overcome the sort

of nerves as much as hitting it positively.

You cannot cue much better than that. Look at the cue, a little bit

of movement with the arm but the cue came through at straight as a gun

barrel. Talking of tips for club players,

absolutely kept his head rock-solid on that shot, absolutely no

movement. That is one of Stephen Maguire's strengths, he keeps his

body as still as possible when he hits the ball. A little bit of

movement there, but on the blue, solidarity could be. That is

fantastic. -- as solid as he could be.

As soon as he struck that, he wasn't too happy. You must be to straight

on the black. He keeps doing this, making things a bit more difficult.

It just restricts your options. When you are straight on the ball, you

can only go forwards or backwards but on an angle, you can go off two

cushions. Just checking if a red is available to the right middle. Maybe

the two reds above the black, there is a plant. But if he had a nice

angle, he wouldn't be doing all of this thinking.

There's a possible plant with those two reds in the same pocket the

black, but he hasn't played for it. It is OK, it is OK. Welcome his body

language suggested that that wasn't he played, or got a massive bounce

off a cushion, as if something wasn't anywhere near like he played

it, but he did screw it back very well. Perhaps it did bounce wiki,

but as it has turned out, marvellous. -- quickly.

Now back in perfect position. We know that the top red goes and, as I

say, I think those two rents above the black could be made into a

planned -- two reds above the black could be made into a planned.

Deciding now to play into the middle. They are always miscible

into the middle pockets, but I think he fancies it.

Very nicely played so this black and one more red is all that is needed.

A very good response from Stephen Maguire to stop the rot, the mini

rot. At 4-2, you will be feeling a lot happier. -- he will be.

Not had much of an opportunity here, Neil Robertson. He played the

thin safety, didn't hit the red. Stephen didn't take the miss, potted

a good long red. It hasn't been pinpointed positional play here, but

he has done it well enough. Missed it, but 79 points as the

lead, 67 remaining. Neil Robertson having a think about whether it is

worth carrying on. A few snooker is needed. If he doesn't get them, 4-2.

HAZEL IRVINE: And he didn't, so the highest break of the match so far

for Stephen Maguire. It transpires that he has been feeling unwell, he

has had tonsillitis and yesterday, considered pulling out of the

quarterfinal altogether before being given a prescription for

antibiotics, so he was clearly feeling a lot better in this match.

Work to do now go in frame seven. JOHN VIRGO: he probably thought he

couldn't hit enough of it to potted, but he could play safe of

that red. -- to pot it. It worth the effort.

-- it was worth the effort. Another mistake, long range, missing the

edge of the ball. Got a chance to get in behind the

green here, should he play sending the red ball around the angles back

to the top of the table. It would be a one in ten shot, I suppose to get

behind the green. Having to swerve it makes it harder.

That is your one in ten chance, what a fantastic shot. As you say, it was

low percentage, but he could not have played it better, considering

he was swerving it as well. You can see the way the white ball changed

direction, after it released from the cushion, it still had the

topspin. Neil Robertson playing for the open

road and a great shot two, bit unlucky to have stuck it up. It is

missable. It is a chance. It looks easier on the TV screen.

Well, he could have done with running past the green, this cream

is very tricky. He seems to be determined to play it. It is not

easy -- green. Something has just come out of his wallet. I think it

is probably your wallet, Steve! I think this is a pretty low

percentage positional shot. He could play it to play on top of the green.

And leave Neil Robertson hampered, with the potential for three misses.

I prefer that, because, as I say, this green is tricky and there are

no guarantees to be on the red. Just nestle it on the green and leave it

as some awkward cueing. The Chinese snooker, as it is called, can reap

dividends in other ways now, with the foul and Mister situation. The

guy has got to hit the red and when you are jacking up in the air over

the top of the ball, you can make a hash of it and hit one of the reds

six. -- thick. That is a far better way, a far

better way. That is the English snooker! It is much better when

you're down there, you can see how far the balls are off the cushion.

That is my excuse. I am not going to draw any more

lines, he is under a lot of pressure.

Same problem that he faced a few shots ago. He will do very well to

get this safe. Needs to swerve it before it gets to the cushion.

He said he touched the green. Foul, Stephen Maguire, four. But not a

mess, and interesting rule. -- miss. With your cue? Yes. So it is not a

miss. He hit the green with his cue, so it is not a mess, just a foul. So

when was that rule changed? It hasn't been changed. He had the

ball, but it is not the foul, if he had hit the green with the white

ball, then it is a mess. I thought the reason the miss was introduced

was so then you did not get the advantage from a foul shot. He has

hit the red. It is a technical point, it has always been there.

If he had hit the green with the white ball, Bennett was a foul and

miss. -- then it was. I am glad you are here. Michaela was on it.

How many times have we seen this? This could be a free ball. Free

ball. No hesitation from Michaela, cannot hit both sides of the red, so

be green will count as a red, then colour to follow.

Great strike, and he has got the right side, fantastic shot. What a

great frame to win from here. Still two points in front. So he is going

to need a few good shots to clinched the frame at this visit.

He wanted to be on the left-hand red as we look. To missable pressure --

two missable pressure reds. Don't let any negative thoughts come into

your head. Well played. It has not been a tough

table this week, playing along the top cushion, as long as you play for

the -- far jaw. Bigshot. Played it beautifully and

has got the perfect angle on the black. Neil Robertson is staring

being three frames behind a game, Stephen Maguire will be one frame

away from a place in the semifinal. He needs this black, or pink, if

that can help you get on the yellow better.

Pink is more certain for yellow, John, but it's more missable as

well. That is where you want to be, yes,

just wind yourself up for the black or the pink. He has talked himself

into probably the right shot here. Funny, when he spotted the red, I

thought he had a good angle on the black. It just shows you, you just

come too straight. He needs a good shot on the yellow. He still needs

the green. Couldn't play it much better than

that. The green, to go 26 points in front, with 22 remaining.

No heroics. Neil Robertson looks almost certain to be three frames

behind again. One snooker to tie, required at the moment. If this

brown goes in, that's certainly end of frame.

It's there. Neil won't get a chance to come back to the table. The

number one in the world, reigning UK Champion, his back is firmly against

the wall here. That was an excellent 40-break. It

was only 40, it was excellent from Stephen Maguire. Played good safe

'tis and snookers behind the green. Robertson really in trouble. Stephen

Maguire one frame away from a place in the semi-final.

HAZEL IRVINE: , Maguire the UK Champion. He worked hard on his game

over new year at the practice table, he tell us, he is within one frame

now of a first victory over the Australian for five years. The Ozzy

isn't World Number One for nothing. Is there life yet in his challenge?

He is 13 points up in the next. COMMENTATOR: Bit short of pace. Well

short of pace. . Nothing telling about that. No,

the chance for Maguire. He has the red that goes to the left corner. He

can stun in between the red near the top cushion and the black.

Good pot. He's all right. He will settle for the yellow.

Stephen Maguire's first match-winning chance.

He seems to be in the right frame of mind to take it as well.

We haven't necessarily seen that much of the best of Stephen Maguire

in the last few years, but he is one fantastic match player.

It looks as though the black has potted nice and clear. The black

will go to the right corner. Leave a nice angle on the black. Oh, he's

gone too straight on the red. He can always screw back and play for the

pink. If he doesn't feel as though he can play for the black in the

same pocket. I don't think he can force it over.

Deep screw for the pink, it looks like.

The pink is not ideal to play. He'd rather have stayed around the black

and cleared that area first. He has to screw down for this red

behind the main pack, I think. Oh, he's underscrewed it. He needed a

very def touch on that to get exactly right. See where the pink is

going to go now. There wasn't that much room for manoeuvre. Two or

three inches more screw back would have been perfect. Now, it can go

wrong. What do you fancy, the screw back

John? The one thing you have to concentrate on here, paramount,

don't miss the red. Don't sacrifice the pot for position. It's a screw

back it is. Good shot. Oh if it had run further

he may have had the pink. It's not ideal on the colour. Just the

difference that being straight on a ball makes. This could have been

quite an easy clearance. Under the circumstances, obviously it's not

easy, simple clearance. He's grabbing the frame by the throat

here. He will open the reds here as well,

I think, if he gets it right? He got it wrong and he opened the reds. Has

he got away with this? No, I don't think so. I thought for a minute the

pink was going to land on top of the white. Chance missed. . He saw the

winning line and went for it. He sits down. He has a six point lead.

Now, what can Neil make of this chance? This could be his last

chance, if he doesn't take it. Well what a misjudgment. What a

misjudgment. He potted it cleanly. He potted it right in the middle of

the pocket. It was a misjudgment of exactly the line the cue ball was

going to take. Yeah. That middle pocket never moved. It's always

there. He should have known that the cue ball was heading towards that.

As you say, red went right in the middle. Stephen Maguire, lining up

for the big one. If this goes in, it's another clear-cut opportunity.

APPLAUSE. He hit it too well with all the

adrenaline pumping. He's pureed it. Pureed it. That's a good word! It's

a tricky yellow. But we know, after his last visit, when he played the

pink, he is going to go for the winning line at this visit. He's not

going to hold back. This is a tough shot. Well played.

APPLAUSE oh, don't tell me landed on that. A

smile from Stephen Maguire. Amazing this game sometimes, isn't it? He

has played a per rifbg shot, he has finished in the only place where he

hasn't got an easy pot on. As I say, he's desperate to try and win the

frame at any visit he gets. He will have to bite the bullet here, I

fear, and play safe. Too risky to play a pot on the red that's closest

to the blue, surely? He would probably play that 100 times and not

land up there. Well, that was unfortunate, to say

the least. And, he's not. OK, he can pot the

green. That's no good to him, he won't be able to get on the reds.

Earlier in a match he failed to hit the ball, very difficult to roll up

behind the yellow. Could have perhaps tried to hit the

green back off the side cushion and snookered him behind the green.

Perhaps he was concentrating on make sure that cue ball was absolutely

tight to the rail, no breathing space. By leaving it, he is thinking

Stephen might play safe off the red, that's just to the right of the

black, leaving the cue ball there, the pink definitely becomes a

blocker. If he's trying to get back, but...

He has played good safetyies, he needs one here. He has to be careful

is sticking it up over the opposite corner.

Absolutely fantastic shot. Really went for the throat. Yeah, and

thought, for all money, if he pots the red, he will be on the green.

Yeah. Oh, nerves of steel. Neil Robertson

has just got to hit and hope here. Those little rollups can win you

matches. I suppose he's coming off the right

hand side cushion, but this red to the right of the black, he has to

catch half-ball on the left hand side, as we look now, to get it

safe. Doesn't want to hit it too full.

There will be a pot to the far left corner here. We've already seen that

Stephen Maguire, he's not in the mood to refuse anything. He's

looking for any chance possible to put this match to bed. I might have

been tempted to play that dead weight on that escape.

Very well struck. APPLAUSE

Didn't realise he could get through to the middle. It's a good pot. I

was going to say, this green will put him 17 points in front.

Yellow, yellow, yellow. What about, brown, brown, brown? I think yellow,

with the rest off two cushion is quaranteed to be on a red. This

green could go wrong. It should be on the red, but it could go wrong.

He will be delighted with that. APPLAUSE

That could be the winning shot. Neil, nothing he can do now, it

looks like his race is run. Because Stephen Maguire is looking

for one more red and a colour. Well, he got off to a bad start, trailed

3-0, got it back to 3-2. You thought, the comeback was well and

truly on. In fairness, Stephen Maguire didn't

weaken. He's pushed on. This looks like the end of the Masters for the

world number one and reigning UK Champion. This isn't a ranking

event. No ranking points available, but it's veries prestigious. -- very

?200,000 goes to the winner on Sunday evening, and that won't be

going to Neil Robertson. Yes. I don't think Neal has done anything

massively wrong tonight, it has just not been his night.

Very impressed with Stephen Maguire. Could this be his year at the

Masters? Well, it doesn't get any easier when you are playing in these

big events, because tomorrow in the semifinal, he will have to face

Ronnie O'Sullivan, but at the moment, he will enjoy very much the

victory. Neil Robertson will be disappointed but every credit to

Stephen Maguire. When the going got tough, he got going, and he runs

out, you could say, a comfortable winner, 6-2. He is in the semifinal.

The last 24 hours has been a bit of help, but lucky enough, my mum, she

did a great turn back up in Scotland, she managed to get the

doctor and the prescription and send it down, which was unbelievable. The

24 hours I had with antibiotics has done me wonders. The fact that I was

going to try and win the UK Masters and the Worlds in the same year, I

honestly feel like I have given him a walkover, I just didn't turn up.

The performance against Mark Allen was ridiculous, it was nothing about

bad preparation or practice, I felt fine going in, but as silly as it

sounds, driving up on the day, I feel it has cost me my focus and

concentration. Ronnie has played two matches, he has won 6-0, 6-1. Today,

he was unplayable. I saw a couple of frames today, I asked Ricky Walden

afterwards, he said the other four were just like that. The other boys

can do that, I just don't take any notice. That was Friday, tomorrow

Saturday and we see how it goes from there. So what a weekend awaits us

at Alexandra Palace, Stephen Maguire is going to try and get, for the

fourth time, beyond the last four, and O'Sullivan is in fantastic form,

featuring in his 10th semifinal at the Masters in 20 appearances.

Extraordinary. Before that, the afternoons he defending champion

Mark Selby, who has come through to decide as this week, taking on a

resurgent Shaun Murphy, and the Magician has also shown some steel

after a couple of narrow escapes. So that all adds up, we hope, to a day

in front of your telly in the snooker -- and the snooker. If

others in your house have other plans, hide the remote, that is the

only answer. We trust we will see you at 1:15pm on BBC One, for the

first of the semifinals. Catching them. -- catch you then.