:00:33. > :00:42.Hello. January blues? Not hear the Alexandra Palace, because we got
:00:43. > :00:46.under way here today, the second of snooker's three big events, the
:00:47. > :00:52.Triple Crown events, in any given season. Only the top 16 get the call
:00:53. > :00:55.to come here in search of the prize of ?200,000, and this event has been
:00:56. > :01:01.producing unforgettable moments since 1975. Just when you think you
:01:02. > :01:05.have seen it all in this tournament, something else happens of the
:01:06. > :01:09.dramatic variety, and that is exactly what happened in our opening
:01:10. > :01:12.match this afternoon between the defending champion Ronnie O'Sullivan
:01:13. > :01:18.who looked for all the world like he had blown his chance of making it a
:01:19. > :01:21.record seventh win in this great event when he found himself very
:01:22. > :01:30.definitely under the cosh against left-hander from China Liang Wenbo.
:01:31. > :01:36.When he was convinced he was going out, but then the left-hander had
:01:37. > :01:44.this black to complete a famous win, he won't forget that miss. Ronnie
:01:45. > :01:47.O'Sullivan knocked it into level the match, and he powered over the line
:01:48. > :01:52.in the decider, knocking in his highest break in the match, a first
:01:53. > :01:58.century of 121 to send a forlorn Liang Wenbo back home. So, follow
:01:59. > :02:05.that for pure drama. That is what was being asked of this evening's
:02:06. > :02:08.players. Ding Junhui, and Kyren Wilson, the world number 16 and the
:02:09. > :02:12.only debutant in this year's line-up. This fellow has rocketed up
:02:13. > :02:17.the world rankings over the last 12 months. He actually met Ding Junhui
:02:18. > :02:24.on his way to a breakthrough title in Shanghai in 2015, although it is
:02:25. > :02:32.China's most decorated player who holds the aces. Ding made his debut
:02:33. > :02:38.at six years of age -- 16 years of age, one it six years ago, and
:02:39. > :02:41.knocked in one of the few maximums. And he made the initial
:02:42. > :02:46.breakthrough, taking the opening frame. Could these boys match the
:02:47. > :02:49.afternoon for pure theatre? Maybe, because take a look at what is
:02:50. > :03:11.happening in the second frame, with Ken Doherty and John Virgo.
:03:12. > :03:25.KEN DOHERTY: I think that Ding is on this red, it is one that Kyren
:03:26. > :03:31.potted in the first frame. And what a shot. It was almost identical as
:03:32. > :03:36.the very first read in the first round.
:03:37. > :03:41.JOHN VIRGO: Yes, and it is almost a disadvantage to have the break shot.
:03:42. > :03:50.This is wonderful cueing. Writer the heart of the pocket.
:03:51. > :03:55.There is not many better than Ding Junhui in and around the black spot
:03:56. > :04:12.area. He break builds for fun. And he is one of those players that
:04:13. > :04:18.you really enjoy watching him make a break, because it is not all brute
:04:19. > :04:21.force and getting the red site, you will see him during a break, he
:04:22. > :04:27.plays someone the full little cannons and stun shots into reds,
:04:28. > :04:34.very precise, the way he goes about a break. He is having a close look
:04:35. > :04:37.here, the speed of the table caught him out. Can he get to this red? It
:04:38. > :04:53.is tight. He is having a look at the pack
:04:54. > :04:58.here. He has a wonderful angle on the black.
:04:59. > :05:05.Now it is making the right connection. He is going to need a
:05:06. > :05:09.little bit of pace, and every time you go into the pack of reds of this
:05:10. > :05:18.black you are looking for a bit of luck.
:05:19. > :05:26.Didn't go into it with much force, and he is closer to the cushion that
:05:27. > :05:31.he would have liked here. Difficult to get back on the black. He is
:05:32. > :05:45.digging down. This is a tough shot. He made it look very easy, excellent
:05:46. > :05:53.shot, well played! APPLAUSE
:05:54. > :05:58.This is a good shot, John. As you saw when he was striking down and
:05:59. > :06:04.the cue ball started to bounce, but he hit it absolutely beautifully.
:06:05. > :06:27.And he's not frightened to go for the maximum. He's made six 147s in
:06:28. > :07:25.tournament play. Well, will he play for the black
:07:26. > :07:32.office? -- off this? He may do. He is, he is playing down again.
:07:33. > :07:41.Couldn't have cued that any better with that.
:07:42. > :07:49.There is it typical example of Ding Junhui, the way he makes a break, he
:07:50. > :07:55.had a lovely angle to go into the pack of reds there, he is going to
:07:56. > :08:01.take the couple of loose ones, you would think, first. There is nothing
:08:02. > :08:08.wrong with that at all. We saw from that camera angle the middle red
:08:09. > :08:13.directly in line with the black pots as well in the corner pocket, right
:08:14. > :08:17.in the middle of the bunch, and he might get on that here. The white
:08:18. > :08:32.needs to travel a little bit more. It looks OK.
:08:33. > :08:38.Now, he's got a choice here, he can play this black, come off the top
:08:39. > :08:43.cushion and cannon into those two reds just below the pink, leaving a
:08:44. > :08:53.choice of reds. Couldn't have played it any better. Well done, that is
:08:54. > :08:57.eight reds and eight blacks. Could have just got away from that raid he
:08:58. > :09:01.is cueing over, but he doesn't have to do much with the cue ball. He has
:09:02. > :09:04.to be careful on the follow-through he doesn't touch the red. He needs
:09:05. > :09:27.the cue ball to move. He's OK. He had to be careful he didn't clip
:09:28. > :09:35.that Red with the cue on the way through. Wonderful shot, and it is
:09:36. > :09:42.still an! He made a maximum in this tournament, in 2007 he made a 147
:09:43. > :09:46.and the Masters, only the second player, I believe, to have done so.
:09:47. > :09:51.Well, he is now past the point where his opponent needs because, so 100%
:09:52. > :10:08.concentration, can he make the 147? Is he just about on this red, the
:10:09. > :10:33.bottom read he was trying to get an? Looks OK.
:10:34. > :10:43.Oh, he needs to hit it, it needs to run a little bit. He drops his head.
:10:44. > :10:51.What a shot this will be. He is going to have to go in and out of
:10:52. > :10:55.baulk. You play on a quick table, and you just start on the hit a
:10:56. > :10:58.little, but he had some margin of error there, he could have gone
:10:59. > :11:02.another three or four inches further up the table and had a choice of
:11:03. > :11:13.reds, so it is careless, but can he pot this red and get in and out of
:11:14. > :11:15.baulk and get back for the black? Will you try to go around the brown
:11:16. > :11:25.and back for the green? How is the cue ball? A flick on the
:11:26. > :11:32.brown, that looks very good! What a shot! If he had it in his hand, he
:11:33. > :11:36.couldn't have put it better than that. The adrenaline will be running
:11:37. > :11:42.now. UMPIRE:
:11:43. > :12:56.Now, he needs a good angle on the red to get on the final black.
:12:57. > :13:18.In goes the black. Slowdown, slowdown! That's just about perfect.
:13:19. > :13:29.Good plot, nice angle on the black to get up to the yellow.
:13:30. > :13:37.Slow down, cue ball, slow down! Oh, no!
:13:38. > :13:45.REFEREE: Settle down, please. That just shows what that little bit of
:13:46. > :13:52.tension in the arm can do. He had a rush of blood on that final black.
:13:53. > :13:53.Can he pull out a pot and a half now on the yellow. I think he is playing
:13:54. > :14:08.it to the left middle. Get in, you beauty! Oh, I'm lucky.
:14:09. > :14:19.And you can see the frustration as he rubs his head. Karen -- Kyren
:14:20. > :14:21.Wilson just broke off, and Ding Junhui is disappointed, he has won
:14:22. > :14:27.the frame, but you wouldn't think so.
:14:28. > :14:31.HAZEL IRVINE: Moments later, he was in complete command of this first
:14:32. > :14:35.round match, knocking in a 65 contribution to go 3-0 in front,
:14:36. > :14:44.totally outplay Wilson at this point, and it could have been 4-0
:14:45. > :14:46.until Kyren stole the fourth was a mid-session consolation, and in
:14:47. > :14:50.Richmond built on that take the fifth, so suddenly there is only one
:14:51. > :15:00.in it again as we head into frame six.
:15:01. > :15:10.No, he's not quite there with These young players rely so much in
:15:11. > :15:23.the long game. That's just off. They are going to struggle. It's better
:15:24. > :15:29.than Ding Junhui. Four out of aid. -- eight. Didn't seem that good to
:15:30. > :15:33.me. Just playing a little plant here, but you would think this was
:15:34. > :15:37.unmissable. He's unlucky not to leave a straightforward pot, but I
:15:38. > :15:42.don't think he'd make a mistake here. Of course, he has the pink
:15:43. > :16:19.available. And this is now a very good chance.
:16:20. > :16:27.And there's an interesting spectator, Patsy Fagan. Happy
:16:28. > :16:33.birthday, Patsy, 66 today, the 1977 UK champion. Nice to see him here,
:16:34. > :16:45.with Jeanette. Give us a smile. That's better. Happy birthday.
:16:46. > :16:56.A man you would have played quite a number of times over the years? Yes,
:16:57. > :16:59.I play him more at golf now. We need to renegotiate the handicap, he was
:17:00. > :17:03.getting the better of me last summer. He must have a good handicap
:17:04. > :17:10.to get the better of you, that's for sure. He has a good partner now,
:17:11. > :17:21.hitting the ball 300 yards, playing off 22. Shouldn't be allowed.
:17:22. > :17:25.Meanwhile, back on the table, this is a great opportunity for Ding
:17:26. > :17:41.Junhui. Pink at the moment available on the
:17:42. > :17:45.left corner, into the middle. He'll have the blue on its spot. Doesn't
:17:46. > :17:51.have to bother too much about the black. Although he could get the
:17:52. > :18:02.black interplay, in a couple of shots time.
:18:03. > :18:12.He had the nice angle on the blues, just as said. This will certainly
:18:13. > :18:16.help get rid of the red near the black spot, getting this in. He's
:18:17. > :18:20.looking at the red into the right centre come but I feel if he pots
:18:21. > :18:40.this red, gets on the back, gets it the spot.
:18:41. > :18:54.Pot this red, will clear the black to the left hand corner pocket.
:18:55. > :19:01.This is probably what the doctor needed, as far as Ding Junhui is
:19:02. > :19:08.concerned. He looked a little bit edgy. Should have won the frame to
:19:09. > :19:13.go 4-0. Looked a little bit edgy in the last frame and sometimes you
:19:14. > :19:15.need an easy opportunity just to get your arm going again. Popp-macro a
:19:16. > :19:22.few balls. -- Popp-macro a few We. We have seen this is when he is
:19:23. > :19:38.at his best, in the black spot area. 68, the target. Another 23 points
:19:39. > :19:48.required. 60 points the lead, 75 remaining.
:19:49. > :20:58.Red cover red required. So this red to go 67 points in
:20:59. > :21:11.front, just 59 remaining. So they do see it now, 73 ahead, no
:21:12. > :21:49.way back. That's a bit careless. But Kyren
:21:50. > :21:57.doesn't see any value in playing, so Ding Junhui goes two frames in front
:21:58. > :22:00.once again. It's now 4-2. HAZEL IRVINE:
:22:01. > :22:05.He took the seventh as well, to go 5-2 up. He's one frame away from
:22:06. > :22:07.breaking his north London duck. He's never yet won a match at Alexandra
:22:08. > :23:48.Palace. COMMENTATOR:
:23:49. > :23:52.Potting black and potting the black spot. Doesn't lead to any great
:23:53. > :23:54.advantage at the moment because the black is still not available to any
:23:55. > :24:17.corner pocket. He decided to go for the blue. He
:24:18. > :24:25.wanted a better angle on the blue, than this. Yes, he'll be
:24:26. > :24:29.disappointed. He wanted the cue ball almost touching the cushion, or very
:24:30. > :24:35.close to it. He would have had a nice angle putting the blue backdown
:24:36. > :24:52.for the red but now, he's not going to be close to these reds.
:24:53. > :25:00.There's a pathway when potting this red, he can just go left of the
:25:01. > :25:02.black, try and missed the red close to the top cushion on the left-hand
:25:03. > :25:10.side and back-up for pink or blue. He's found the gap nicely. Now how
:25:11. > :26:13.was the cue ball? Not bad. That was a nice pot. Leaves that --
:26:14. > :26:15.needs that cue ball to slow up a little bit but he's just about on
:26:16. > :26:48.the left to right corner. Just a bit short of pace. Another
:26:49. > :26:55.couple of inches would have been perfect on the blue. He'd be in a
:26:56. > :26:58.perfect position. Now, he's got a bit of work to do with the cue ball
:26:59. > :27:07.in playing this more difficult pink. 35 points, the lead, but still
:27:08. > :27:28.plenty of points left. Good cue ball control. Well, that's
:27:29. > :28:06.not too bad. It's not great. That's the problem with that. When
:28:07. > :28:10.you are going up for the blue, it's OK if you get a nice angle on the
:28:11. > :28:15.blue, but he's got a Finnish blue, looks like he's very straight on the
:28:16. > :28:27.brown. A little bit of work to do here.
:28:28. > :28:38.Played it nicely though. And surely that's the shot that will win him
:28:39. > :28:41.this frame. That was a similar blue that Ding missed. Earlier in this
:28:42. > :28:47.frame. As you said, the black will put him
:28:48. > :29:23.57 ahead, 59 remaining. That was a fine ball. Sense a little
:29:24. > :29:27.signal out to Ding Junhui that take your concentration, let it lapse for
:29:28. > :29:34.a second, there's still a match on here. Already this is his highest
:29:35. > :29:56.break of the match so far. 120 from Ding in the match, and this
:29:57. > :30:00.is the highest here from Kyren. This is a lovely shot.
:30:01. > :30:24.APPLAUSE Very nicely played.
:30:25. > :30:56.This would be a nice little feather in his cap if he could make a
:30:57. > :31:01.century here on his debut at the Masters.
:31:02. > :31:29.Oh, he just needed to avoid the black. Can he cut the green in? This
:31:30. > :31:39.will be some shot. Oh, what a shot that is! Fantastic.
:31:40. > :31:53.APPLAUSE He is going to need the black for a
:31:54. > :32:39.century. Yes, the pinks and 99. Well played! The scoreline has
:32:40. > :32:43.improved somewhat, too, but his first time at the Masters, debut
:32:44. > :32:49.with a century, but he still trails by two, and Ding is still one place
:32:50. > :32:53.away from a place in the quarterfinal.
:32:54. > :32:57.HAZEL IRVINE: Well played, Kyren Wilson marks his debut with a fine
:32:58. > :33:01.century, there is life in his opening campaign yet. The
:33:02. > :33:03.25-year-old from Kettering is the youngest and lowest ranked player to
:33:04. > :33:06.make it to the Masters this year, and he is in the balls again on a
:33:07. > :33:49.break of 16 in frame nine. JOHN VIRGO: Slowly but surely
:33:50. > :33:55.building up a lead, but as Ken said, he has got to somehow get in
:33:56. > :34:01.position to open that cluster of reds below the pink. He won't be
:34:02. > :34:02.able to get anywhere near the winning line in this frame without
:34:03. > :34:20.doing that. We thought earlier on the left-hand
:34:21. > :34:25.side of these two reds went to the far corner, obviously it didn't.
:34:26. > :34:38.Possibly now trying to play into the middle.
:34:39. > :34:46.Well, he could have played that better. He may now have to play for
:34:47. > :34:51.the red near the right-hand side cushion.
:34:52. > :35:14.Well, didn't want to risk playing for the red near the right-hand side
:35:15. > :35:30.cushion, and at that pace, that was a good pop. That was a tremendous
:35:31. > :35:42.pot at that pace. Not too bad, he played a yellow. He has missed the
:35:43. > :35:45.pack completely. Expecting to get the cannon here, and this could be a
:35:46. > :36:06.frame-winner. Same thing, got into it too much. It
:36:07. > :36:20.was a straightforward cannon. Seemed to get a little too much side on it.
:36:21. > :36:33.He managed white write a few reds, but with low value colours, he has
:36:34. > :36:58.only got a 34 point lead. Well, I was going to say he couldn't
:36:59. > :37:01.have played that any better, but now the red has gone safe, I will say
:37:02. > :37:24.it, he couldn't have played that any better!
:37:25. > :37:30.APPLAUSE What a pot that was. Is anything
:37:31. > :37:44.safe? Very straight on the black. I don't
:37:45. > :37:53.see how he can get enough pace to open those reds up. Mind you don't
:37:54. > :37:56.miss cue. Well, that was a good effort, but being so straight on the
:37:57. > :38:04.black and so close, he had to get the cue out of the way pretty quick,
:38:05. > :38:09.and it was hard to get the amount of pace. That is why he didn't get the
:38:10. > :38:15.pace on the cue ball, but he just missed them anyway, it was a great
:38:16. > :38:22.effort. And I think here, Ken, just signs that Kyren is beginning to
:38:23. > :38:28.fancy the job here. Yes, there is a bit more of a spring in his step.
:38:29. > :38:30.From Ding's point of view, you can't let your guard down for one second,
:38:31. > :38:42.not at this level. Kee will be disappointed, if he
:38:43. > :38:50.doesn't catch the beginning of the green for safety, this is it now. A
:38:51. > :39:01.half chance for Ding Junhui. He just needs to avoid the kiss on the red
:39:02. > :39:09.here. Well played. He is nicely on the blue. And we saw from that
:39:10. > :39:15.camera angle the red that is closest to the pink will pot as well, so he
:39:16. > :39:22.has got a choice of reds here. The red just below the pink does pot.
:39:23. > :39:24.Also the red to the right of the black, so he has more of a margin of
:39:25. > :39:50.error, so a chance for Ding Junhui. Nicely on the red, would have been
:39:51. > :39:57.nice to have an angle to try to restore some of the reds here, but
:39:58. > :40:01.he is pretty straight. Well, that is OK, but I would have thought he
:40:02. > :40:07.would make a bit more of an effort to try to nudge those four reds into
:40:08. > :40:09.play. OK, it may have involved him playing a little stunned, and
:40:10. > :40:14.imperative he gets a good angle on a colour here. Because none of those
:40:15. > :40:22.four reds in the middle of the table are available at the moment.
:40:23. > :40:30.So he's got the angle on the black, if these four reds brick nicely, it
:40:31. > :40:44.could be a frame and match-winning chance. S it's OK. That red has just
:40:45. > :40:52.flicked the pink, just look at this red, it just flicks the pink. It
:40:53. > :40:58.goes into a portable position to the left centre.
:40:59. > :41:02.Not completely ideal, he has to drop the pink in, but he has to judge the
:41:03. > :41:17.pace here. It needs to run a little bit. That
:41:18. > :41:38.is pretty good. Very good. APPLAUSE
:41:39. > :42:06.He needs a nice angle when potting this red on the black. He doesn't
:42:07. > :42:11.need to be too straight, just needs to play it off the top cushion. And
:42:12. > :42:16.a little bit of left-hand side, the cue ball over towards the red, for
:42:17. > :42:25.possibly the left centre pocket here.
:42:26. > :42:43.He has played it perfectly, excellent shot.
:42:44. > :42:51.In these situations, you look what could go wrong, and the fact that
:42:52. > :42:58.the green is half covering a straightforward yellow. He needs a
:42:59. > :43:02.good angle on the blue, so he has just got to be a little bit wary
:43:03. > :43:08.here that he doesn't bring the green interplay when playing position for
:43:09. > :43:11.the yellow. If the green was on its spot, there would be no danger, I
:43:12. > :43:17.would think he would win the frame and match, but it is just a little
:43:18. > :43:26.bit more awkward. You just wonder, will he try to check the cue ball of
:43:27. > :43:31.the baulk cushion. Well, that was a strange choice of positional shot,
:43:32. > :43:35.I'm not quite sure why he didn't just to write a check it up in a
:43:36. > :43:40.straight line, back-up between the gap of green and yellow. He could
:43:41. > :43:45.still have a go at this yellow into this bottom left-hand corner pocket.
:43:46. > :43:51.The green will act as a possible cover.
:43:52. > :44:00.Or he could just play the snooker, but it is worth having a go. What
:44:01. > :44:01.would be your choice, John? It is a frame and match-winning chance, I
:44:02. > :44:12.would take the yellow one. But he didn't, he decided to play
:44:13. > :44:20.safe, he has done it well and got the snooker, and a little tap on the
:44:21. > :44:24.table from Kyren Wilson. You have decisions to make, and now that
:44:25. > :44:31.looks like it was the perfect one, because Kyren has got the age-old
:44:32. > :44:37.problem, he has got to hit the yellow, got to get it safe, got to
:44:38. > :44:44.get it safe. And he has done! Superb.
:44:45. > :45:16.Where is this yellow going? Close to this bottom left-hand corner pocket.
:45:17. > :45:24.It definitely cuts. It's all about controlling the cue ball. Just
:45:25. > :45:27.beware of the right middle pocket. And if he gets position on the
:45:28. > :45:36.green, we have a new favourite for the frame.
:45:37. > :45:45.Watch the right middle pocket! Watched the right middle pocket!
:45:46. > :45:50.Oh... Those pockets are always in the same position. They never move.
:45:51. > :45:56.Settle down, please, thank you. Green and brown for a place in the
:45:57. > :46:42.quarterfinal. Looks all over now, Ken. Yes, that
:46:43. > :46:47.was an excellent shot on the green. Disappointment for Kyren Wilson. But
:46:48. > :46:54.he will have learned a lot from this experience. He knows he can play
:46:55. > :46:58.better. Just sometimes let the occasion get the better of you. He's
:46:59. > :47:07.had his chances. There's no doubt about that. But Ding Junhui, well,
:47:08. > :47:12.the second frame, if he hadn't have played a poor positional shot off
:47:13. > :47:20.the black, could have had a maximum. He has scored the heavier of the two
:47:21. > :47:24.and deserves this victory. Kyren Wilson will be disappointed, but
:47:25. > :47:27.Clare played to Ding Junhui. He's proved once again he's one of the
:47:28. > :47:32.top players in the world and certainly one of the top
:47:33. > :47:36.break-builders and he will be a handful for anybody. He moves into
:47:37. > :47:42.the second round. He beats Kyren Wilson by 6-3 frames. I played well
:47:43. > :47:50.today and I'm a bit disappointed with that maximum. I'm surprised to
:47:51. > :47:56.win, leading the game first. I've been away in the tournaments, the
:47:57. > :48:03.last tournament I haven't entered. But I did well today and I'm looking
:48:04. > :48:07.forward. I'm happy. I hit it so hard, the black, it's overhit, but
:48:08. > :48:15.is too much side spin. Too far. The first time I won six years, it's
:48:16. > :48:17.good, after New Year it's a good present.
:48:18. > :48:24.HAZEL IRVINE: He makes a good point because after
:48:25. > :48:27.winning in 2011 the event moved here to Alexander Palace and that was
:48:28. > :48:32.Ding Junhui's first win here in this venue since then. It's been quite a
:48:33. > :48:36.run of ill luck from his point of view, but he's through. After that
:48:37. > :48:39.maximum attempt earlier on, Judd Trump tweeted that Ding Junhui
:48:40. > :48:44.looked like he was beginning to become the first man ever to make a
:48:45. > :48:49.147 and his pyjamas. It's quite an eye-catching suit, isn't it? We'll
:48:50. > :48:53.have the breathless finale to that Ronnie O'Sullivan Liang Wenbo match
:48:54. > :48:58.coming for you next. It's in Snooker Extra. We are back at 1pm on BBC
:48:59. > :49:08.Two, with more live first-round action as John Higgins, the two time
:49:09. > :49:10.Masters winner, who is having a fantastic Masters season, takes on
:49:11. > :49:13.Mark Allen, a man who knows how to knock him out of this event. Twice
:49:14. > :49:16.before. It should be a cracking match. I hope you can be with us for
:49:17. > :49:22.it. Until then, it's goodbye from a Zaw Lin north London. -- it's
:49:23. > :49:28.goodbye from us all, in north London.
:49:29. > :49:40.To break someone physically... Agh! ..is not a problem.
:49:41. > :49:46.Nectar of the gods, I'm telling you. Thank you, Colonel.