Day 5 Masters Snooker Highlights

Good evening and welcome back to Alexandra Palace Under 2017 Dafabet

Masters, were at the quarterfinal stage and we will show you tonight's

match between Marco Fu, 2011 runner-up, taking on Mark Alan from

Northern Ireland. After the saccharine's quarterfinal between

two heavyweights- Ronnie O'Sullivan and Neil Robertson. Out-of-the-box,

the trademark long red by Robertson suggested the Australian was in fine

form. But Ronnie matched his position with a fabulous part to

level proceedings. In frame four, this effort was surely a contender

for the shot of the tournament, all square at the interval. The middle

frames were uncharacteristically erroneous, firstly Ronnie opening

the door for Robertson to take the lead. Before the world number seven

returned the gift in the next frame, 3-3 and little to separate them.

Lady luck favouring the Londoner in his home tournament.

Amazingly, not just once but twice in two frames, the Rocket two up

with three left to play. Another wayward attempt by Robertson opened

the door for O'Sullivan to seal the match and take his place in the last

four for the fourth consecutive year, closing out a 6-3 victory.

Today, it was not a great match but I felt I was competing, I was

physically better in myself, I tried my hardest and it could have been

easy for my hair to go down but I just felt, play every ball. It is so

important until the end. He had several flukes that were crucial and

unfortunately, it was probably the difference in the match today

because I think if I had better luck going into the pack, I would have

made two or three centuries and unfortunately my momentum was

stopped at crucial points with the run of the ball. That is the way it

is, snooker is like that. I just have to take this defeat and move

onto the next one. I cannot chalk this up to a bad performance or

anything like that because I don't think I did a great deal wrong.

Ronnie O'Sullivan, two wins from his seventh Masters title, he will play

the winner of the clash between Marco Fu and Mark Alan, who lost to

Marco Fu in the semifinal in 2011. If you are watching earlier, on BBC

Two, you will have seen Marco Fu taking the first frame comfortably

and in the second frame, Marco was on course for a break of 142 but he

missed this red. He still went on to win the frame. 2-0 Marco Fu, we can

show you frame number three, Allen trailing by six points, commentary

from John Virgo and Steve Davis. Fantastic shot. Where is the cue

ball going? What a tremendous pot that was. If he mis-hit that in any

way, he was going to collide with black or red, it had to be perfect.

Only hitting the red in the pocket was going to find the right line.

Unfortunately for him, he could not play the position as well. This is a

big shot to take on as a pot. This is a tough one.

Wow! He was absolutely delighted with that. You can see after he

played that, that was a character builder for the rest of the match,

even. This black to go five points in the

lead. Which means that he needs these four

reds with colours to clinch the frame at this visit.

It would be nice from Mark Alan if these two red squirrel into the

right middle. Not easy to see from the overhead.

Just checking. He has got to be very precise, if he

plays in the middle, which he has done... And that looks about inch

perfect. Red would be enough to get to the required stage.

Well, he played that with pace, he was trying to develop the other red.

And he has missed that pot. How costly could that we? -- be? The red

goes in if he plays out with less pace but as you say, trying to get

that second red into play, it looks relatively easy, dropping into the

middle pocket... It is always more of an acute angle than it looks on

the TV screen... He will give that utmost care and attention.

The amount of time he is taking to look at this, it is by no means a

certainty, it is close to the pocket, looking on the television it

looks quite easy. I thought he could have been tempted

into playing that a little bit harder to get away from the cushion.

He quickly looked at the blue. I think the fact that he played that

at that pace, he was worried about missing that. He has not dropped

position on the colour, he could pot of the pink but he could not get

position on the reds so he's trying to get the black.

That miss from Mark Alan has not cost him the frame. He might still

have caused the problem. This is arguably a red ball game. A 20 point

lead that Mark has doesn't count for anything if Marco Fu gets the first

chance at this red, he can hit that red but then he could run into the

yellow. That cue ball was very close and

that is not the best safety. So, Marco Fu gets another chance to

steal this frame. It is more difficult because the green has gone

to the side cushion. It is not that difficult.

He could not risk playing that slow to keep on the baulk colours so he

had to get up the table. Some more mileage for the cue ball from this

blue. Just about kept away from snookering

himself. He has got the ideal angle to Stan across for the yellow.

Off the yellow for the green. He played that perfectly.

Still leading. Up to and including the black, I always feel the key

shot in this type of clearance is primed to blue, if he gets perfect

on the blue you would think this is a formality. -- brown to the blue.

And that is perfect on the blue. Blue, pink and black. What a steal.

So, Mark Alan did not have much of a chance for the first two frames but

he had plenty of a chance that one. And this, a trick or two and Marco

Fu stretches his lead, 3-0 in front. And this is remarkable stuff from

Marco Fu, in his first round against Judd Trump he was behind but somehow

got himself back into the match to win 6-5. Frame four and he is in

front again. Not easy but has he got it? Great Charter! -- great shot!

Going into the middle pocket, they just drop into the near jaw. That

was a good shot. He needs to make the most of this opportunity.

Particularly with Marco Fu having the first chance. That he can

somehow win the frame at this visit. Fu will go into the dressing room,

albeit 3-1 in front but thinking what could have been, as he is right

now. Nicely judged to get the correct

side of the blue. I think there is only one red available. And then he

has to start looking at spitting the pack, he could go into the pink and

two reds and be aggressive here. He chose not to. I'm not saying that

was the wrong shot at all. But he has to play a shot to split up the

pack, I think. Unless another red goes into the middle of the pack.

Obviously with two reds into the middle, they could also go.

6-point lead to build upon. It is not going to be straightforward. He

needs to open up that little cluster of five reds. If he has any thoughts

on winning at this visit. He doesn't have a good angle on the pink to do

that this time. That red in the middle of the pack of five, if that

goes, if it goes into the corner, I don't think so... Maybe the other

middle. But not from this position. A bit of a misjudgement. He is going

to leave this and hold the spot, I think. The pink was not on the spot.

Desperately looking for a good angle on the black to go into that cluster

of five. He has played that well! It all depends on this cannon. Whatever

you do, don't take your eyes off the pot.

Well, he got the cannon on the red that he wanted to, but Nasr is half

ball on the left-hand side, rather than full. -- but he hit it half

ball. Obviously he did not play the

cannon, he would like to be low on this red, and he is. That would

bring the other three reds into play. He just needs to be wary of in

off in the left middle if he plays it with pace. Is the red going to

cover the path for the blue? Not quite, he is OK, still on to win the

frame at this visit now. He has got to avoid a kiss on the red near the

baulk cushion. That is the only thing that can go wrong with this

shot. Just missed it. And played it well.

Red and black would put him 45 in front with just 43 remaining.

He has got its first frame on the scoreboard now, and Marco Fu will go

in with a 3-1 lead, but disappointed. He should not be

overly disappointed, of course, but when you get in first, in a frame

that could give you a 4-0 lead... He will be a little aggrieved that he

did not clinch it. Well, he has missed it. So but for

three snookers, Mark Allen will be 3-1 behind.

He needed that frame, he is still in it 3-1 at the mid-session interval,

frame five, Allen with a chance to narrow the lead.

This link will put in 32 points in front. -- pink. That means he can

win this frame with the two reds in the open, he doesn't need the two

reds together near the top cushion. Fairly tight on the positional part

of that. Red and pink would put him 46 in front with only 43 remaining.

It looks a formality now, if he has an angle on the pink, he may be able

to serve the reds, but he will be making certain he popped the pink,

that is for sure. -- he pots. So Marco Fu's missed black off the spot

looks to have cost him the frame. That is definitely the case now, no

way back. Just the way he has been striking

the ball, he must have come out after the interval with a little bit

more aggression, getting the cue through a little bit better. Yeah,

in some respects, sometimes when you are behind in a match, you can play

with a little bit more freedom, perhaps the nerves were jangling

right at the start of the match. Quite an interesting matchup between

these two at the best of times, but even more of a matchup, Terry

Griffiths coaching Mark Allen, Wayne Griffiths coaching Marco Fu.

Terry Griffiths, it is like Mini-Me, isn't it? Like the Lion King, the

circle of life, Wayne coming up on the inside. Yes, Wayne Griffiths,

who works at the academy in Hong Kong. He comes over for all the

major tournaments with Marco. So in goes the pink, and Marco Fu will be

disappointed, he looked like he could be 4-0 at the mid-session

interval, he is now only one in front.

A quarterfinal tie on our hands, can Mark Allen draw level? Early stages

of the next frame. Well, he has left a pot on here.

Nicely knocked in. This will be a test of Marco's cue

power. Most players here would try to get on the red that is just above

the black. He looks to have the angle on the yellow to screw back

and get there, but has he got it in his armoury?

Well, he has played through the gap, assuming the second red goes and the

first one didn't. If they both go, then that was easy-peasy, really,

wasn't it? He didn't have to screw back off the red. No, I didn't

realise both of them would go. Easy-peasy, Lemon squeezy!

Not too sure where it is going to go once it is potted.

It looks like it will go back on its spot.

Well, I think he is on a red to the left middle.

He is not the greatest power player in the game, sort of launching

himself, the cue goes up in the air a bit. But he has got enough cue

power for these cloths. You might be found out a little bit more on a

slower cloth against a player with a range shots, I don't know, only an.

Yeah, I think it is if there was. -- only an observation. He used all the

pocket there but struggled it in, nicely on the red.

He would be delighted to right the wrongs of the last frame, make a

frame-winning contribution here. I think perhaps it is worthwhile going

the pack here. I think a hard stun into the apex of the red might reap

rewards. Screwed it a bit, but looks good.

Yes, he is on a red - the only thing is the red to the left middle, which

would be his choice, is hampered. It just makes cueing a little bit

awkward, but has he found an alternative?

He has got a cut red into the right middle, but he would much rather

play the straight red into the left middle, other than the fact, as you

said, John, he's cueing over the top of that red. And it is not one he

can just rot in, he has got to put a little bit of pace on it to get the

angle on the pink. Good reasons to go for the cut red to the middle

pocket, this is a lot tougher. He has got to be happy with that.

Yeah, I suppose, by dropping it in, by virtue of the fact that he has a

red close to the right middle, he did not have to get the potting

angle on the pink. Didn't mind going up into the baulk end, because this

red was always going to be available, Andy Redwood nicely

spread. He has got a good lead, he does not have to bother with the

ones on the side cushions. -- and the reds are nicely spread. A bit of

a bounce off the top cushion, he thought he was perfect on the black.

Just went that extra couple of inches.

Played that nicely. This cue action, he basically just points the cube, a

couple of little waggles and then delivers it, ideal for these

situations where you just play little stuns and screws.

This blue will put him 62 points in front, 75 remaining, so a couple of

reds, a couple of colours required. It is a big watch, that, isn't it?!

In my day you never bought a watch on your left wrist because it could

get reflection from the lights. That could be off-putting. -- never wore.

In goes the black, everybody knows that Mark Allen needs snookers. The

red has gone in and that will be followed by the black. There is no

way back to the table for the man from Northern Ireland.

May be put to blue in and go for the red that is near the ball line. --

may be put. He try to get closer to that. And he misjudged that.

But we might still see a century here. Good pot.

To make that century he is going to have to sort out this difficult,

what will be the difficult last red on the side cushion. He has got the

angle, can he disturb this and bring it into play? He has! Very well

played. Dear me! It doesn't matter. He has

got his two frame advantage back again, it is now 4-2. Marco Fu two

frames away from a Saturday afternoon semifinal showdown with

Ronnie Sullivan. -- Ronnie O'Sullivan. Frame seven, Allen to

play and there is no score. He has to be careful with this safety shot,

he cannot guarantee playing this if he can keep all of the reds away

from the right corner. It could be that the red threads its way through

the pack. He played that extra thin because of

that. There was far too much pace on the cue ball. Although I think he

has got away with it. Or is there a plant? Not the dreaded plant! The

longer he looks at this, the more it is on. It is on! It is guaranteed,

as well! That is when you know it is not your night. Marco has

apologised, I don't know why. Was he saying, you were unlucky? It did not

flick off the other red, it went into the pocket. What is that about?

I mean, there is friendly and friendly.

Unless he is just saying, unlucky that you left the plant? I suppose

that is all that it was, yes. It is not ideal, he is short of pace. He

has to play that back-up for the blue and he has done that very well.

Inch perfect. You get the feeling normal service has been resumed from

the perspective of Marco Fu. But for a couple of awkward positional

shots, this is a great chance, he has to pick out the right red and he

has spotted the one that opens it up, if he gets straight onto this

and trundles through... He is on the black and it opens up. OK, he would

have liked that to be a little bit straighter but not much difference.

The red he would love to play for is to the left of the black. He can

stun from the cushion for that, the reason I say that JC could have

caused the position for the black to be blocked but with the black in the

open, nicely available to both corners. He is usually very good in

these positions. Pot success from both is very good,

92% from Mark Allen, that is nothing to be ashamed of. He could elect

going into the pack, playing both reds with some screw back, that

would be guaranteed to be on a ball and he would open up the reds

further as well. He chooses not to do that, I suppose

it could have gone wrong but that was an option. At some stage he does

need to go into those pack of five or six reds. Perhaps from this one?

Well, he would be unlucky not to be on the red on the same pocket as the

black. Yes, he has played it and the timing was perfect. He has opened up

all the reds, the frame is at his mercy.

We have all of the stats but we look at and I think one of the telling

ones that I have noticed and this is how the player gets in, it is safety

success. If you look at the safety success of both players, 95% for

Marco Fu. 76% for Mark Allen. That is why Marco is getting these

opportunities. Mark's safety has just not been good enough. Not so

far. He had a chance earlier this evening

to better the high break of 113 and, held by Mark Selby. -- 139. ?10,000

prize for that, if he takes black through the remaining reds, there is

a possible 143. No think Mark Allen can do. He knows this frame is gone.

This red will clinch it. No attempt to get to the right side

of the blue, there. Our possible 141, if he takes lax with his

remaining reds and there is no reason why he should not attempt

that. You assume that he knows what the highest breakers and if he has

done the Marbs, it is not guaranteed that he has... -- the Marbs. -- the

mathematics. He just wants to get on with it. Will he ask the referee but

the highest breakers? If he can get 140 with the pink... Can he tell

him? If he asks him. Yes. He would tell him, wouldn't he? He is asking

him. Still 139? He is asking. The referee didn't know! He is asking

somebody else! That is good mathematics from Marco,

you have to pay the pink otherwise you cannot get 113. -- 139. Still

on. Stuart Bingham, sitting at home right now... Yes, he helped that

with 132, Mark Selby beating that with 139. Possible 140. Well, busy

on any red? Can he avoid the kiss on the green? He played it!

APPLAUSE That is for the century. Can he

corrupt? And get the highest break? -- clear up. He is running around

the table. He took no time in sorting that red into the pocket and

you fancy he is going to pot these. Five remaining colours. To set the

new high break of 140. And put himself in line for the ?10,000

prize. Ooh from the crowd and quite like --

quite rightly! Superb! Absolutely superb, that

second last red was brilliant. And it took him and has given him the

5-2 lead with the highest break so far, 140. One frame away from a

place in the semifinal. Listen to the crowd, they enjoyed that.

Fantastic to watch, it was a joy to be there and see Marco Fu getting

that 140. Into the next frame and Mark Allen is fighting for his

Masters life. Mark Allen comes to the table, 28 points behind. He will

play no mistakes snooker from here on in.

And believe me, he can do that, I have seen him do that, I have seen

him stringing friends together with big breaks on numerous occasions. --

stringing big breaks. Can he produced this tonight?

That is your answer, I'm afraid. Well, he was short of pace on the

red, which was a little bit of an unforgivable mistake. He had a lot

of room for error the other way and he left himself with a very thin cut

Brian. Another ideal opportunity for Marco Fu. He should convert this. He

is already 34 points in front. The pink. Nicely in the open. Four reds

and the high colours and he is over the line.

I cannot see him slipping up, already this evening with breaks of

140, 97, 83, 74... Just one more good contribution and he is in the

semifinal. He just held that a little bit too

much but that should not cause so much of a problem, already has the

42 point lead, those three reds below the pink or be enough to get

to snookers required. -- would be enough. It will help if he can get

through the gap and apart from that blip in the middle and a spirited

recovery from Mark Allen, it has been very much the Marco Fu show

tonight. Nothing like a bit of confidence after that win in

Scotland, that certainly seems to have risen his stock. I suppose,

should he convert this chance... The questions become, not are you

playing well enough to win events, it is, are you playing well enough

to win the Masters? And how do you feel about the Welsh Championship?

All of those questions will make him very good. -- the World

Championship. The next time Mark Allen gets out of his seat it'll be

shake the hand of Marco Fu. Interesting, for many years we have

considered that Ding Junhui will be the first Asian player possibly to

win the World Championship but if Marco Fu wins the Masters playing

the best snooker at his career... Puts himself in the frame, he is

turning over some good players at the moment. He did get to the finals

of this great tournament. Andy played Ding Junhui in the final. He

finished runner-up. But he certainly is playing at the top of his game at

the moment. APPLAUSE

Disappointing for Mark Allen. His safety play has not been tight

enough. He missed one or two chances you would not expect. And with Marco

Fu in this form... It was always going to be difficult. Leaving him

too many chances. He cannot make the century here, not

enough points on. But he has certainly shown some tremendous

break-building here this evening. And of course he will leave the

arena with the highest break of the tournament so far, 140. Well,

whatever, somebody shouted, Mark Allen warmly congratulate him, Mark

Allen will be disappointed, he was no match for Marco Fu tonight, who

continues the role, he is in confident mood, Marco, and he

certainly is one of the men to beat. What a matchup with Ronnie

O'Sullivan Saturday afternoon, he runs at a very comfortable winner,

6-2, he is in the semifinal. I played very well right from the

start, I went 3-0 up, and I could have gone 4-0, but I missed a couple

of chances, but overall very happy with the way I was playing, any time

I got in the balls, I was scoring heavily, didn't miss any easy shots.

I wasn't thinking of the highest break until the frame was won,

because the first priority is to win the frame, but when the frame was

won, I could play with more freedom, less pressure, and everything worked

out really well. The highest break is a bonus, the first priority is to

win the match. I have played Ronnie in the past at the Masters,

everybody knows what the atmosphere is going to be like, and I am under

pressure because I am playing the play and the crowd. The semifinal of

the Masters playing Ronnie, it doesn't get much bigger than that, I

am looking forward to another great match. Yes, you are superb tonight,

they are both through, they meet on Saturday afternoon, what a match

that promises to be. That is it from us, another terrific

day at the Masters 2017, Hazel is up next with extended highlights of

Ronnie O'Sullivan, from all other sea, bye for now. -- from all of us

here. Returning soon to BBC Two -

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all about people. Each week, everyone we talk about

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