Day 2 Masters Snooker

Blue skies, palm trees, it can only a north London on a cold winter's

day. Yes, we are cheating the cold indoors and soaking up not exactly

as under these Biggar inside Alexandra Palace in north London.

This is the new venue for the Masters tournament, and what a rip-

roaring success the opening day was. Well over 2,500 people made the

trip to Muswell Hill, and a full house witnessed a dramatic opening

match in the afternoon and the The most naturally gifted player

ever to grace the modern game. Blink and you will miss him, Ronnie

O'Sullivan! A national hero back home in China, please mark and

defending champion, Enter the Dragon, Ding Junhui? So Ding Junhui

fits the first snooker ball ever at the Alexandra Palace. -- It's. Not

a bad early opportunity, this. He missed that very easy red to

give Ronnie O'Sullivan the opening How well he stroked that! 1,500

He extends his lead, 4-1. Can he And that might just be the sort of

That will do nicely! What a great comeback from Ding Junhui, 4-1 down,

he is now back all square, and it Well, that was just a stunning pot,

and he just needs one more frame Well, he cannot give themselves a

Can he not this difficult read in the corner? Getting there, please!

The first ever century break is What a way to finish, like a true

champion, taking the match 6-4. can see from the crowd tonight, he

draws the crowd, everyone wants to see him. He is the person you

really want to watch when you turn up to the snooker. Quality game,

that last frame, 100 brake, he had to get it, finished in style,

through to the next round. Come on, Ronnie! It was always going to be a

tough match for me, and I was just pleased to score a pure and get

involved in the game. I played all right. Well, you have the best view

in the house, commentating yesterday. Ronni looked in good

nick, didn't he? The first half of the match, he was a bit scrappy,

positional-wise. He has not played for a month. But towards the end

the real Ronnie came out, the last two frames were fantastic. He was

4-1 up, he was coasting, then he started making positional mistakes.

On occasions, he has thrown the towel in. The positional mistakes,

the same as myself, are more irritating than missing a pot,

because he was such a perfectionist as a break builder, he wants to be

inch-perfect. That could have cost in two frames, but the way he came

back was sublime. He responded brilliantly, and he came into the

studio and was really upbeat, really positive, and it looked like

a completely different Ronnie O'Sullivan from what we saw a

couple of years back. If he is happy in himself, he will play well

generally. We have heard about his problems, he falls in and out of

love with the game a little bit, but he seems to be enjoying it. His

will to win was fantastic. If he keeps up like that, he will be

tough to beat. If his attitude is Yes, Ronnie O'Sullivan remains on

track for a tenth Masters final after his decisive form in the

He will now face either snooker's new UK champion, Judd Trump, or the

Australian Open winner Stuart Bingham, and that is our feature

match today. Aiming to go one better than last month at York,

Mark Allen meets Australia's first Chris Malkin, Neil Robertson,

tomorrow night. -- first risible Kate. Mark Williams beat Stephen

Maguire yesterday, we will reflect on that a little later. Mark Selby

against Stephen Lee is a repeat of the 2008 final. Stephen Lee will be

hoping for a different outcome this time around. Tonight, London Eye

Martin Gould makes his opening bow any Masters against a man who has

yet to get to be on the quarter- finals, Shaun Murphy. Ali Carter

must wait until Wednesday debut for his match with Graeme Dott. At the

meeting of two former Masters champions, John Higgins and Matthew

Stevens, looks like a tasty one The with only the top 16 players in

the world in these events, every match comes with a quality

assurance guarantee, and with just the one table in use from the start,

the atmosphere is worthy of a final every time. That is the appeal of

the Masters. Now, are you ready for Yes, the young man with his own

brand of noughties snooker, Judd Trump, is looking for the second

leg of the triple crown, but aiming to put a brake on those ambitions

is a man who enjoyed a grey plastic, Stuart Bingham. -- who enjoyed a

Mark Williams might have felt he had been involved in a marathon

last night, 4-0 up and cruising, and we will tell the story of his

match against Stephen Maguire later. But we have got to get cracking

right now, because we are ready for allied action. Let me take you from

Palm Court here in Alexandra Palace, through the doors, into the

darkness of the main arena in Ali Pally. I think everyone in here,

another very good crowd, as you'll see, is keen to see how an Judd

Trump is going to follow up his successes of 2011 in his New Year.

I told you it was not a bad crowd, how much is for a Monday afternoon?

That afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. That was rather an

expected! I did hear that Judd Trump is targeting a Ferrari after

earning a packet last year, but he has got to get his no-claims bonus

up first. As for his opponent, Stuart Bingham, he has recently

become a new father, so a people mover may be more his style.

Different stages in life for both men, different priorities, but

their ambition and their aim today is just the same, and that is to

get through to the quarter-finals of his Masters tournament. The

players are ready, and I no MC Rob Walker is always ready for anything.

Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen, they two at the BGC

Masters, it is cold outside at Ali pally, but the atmosphere is

warming up nicely in here, two world class players ready to

Please welcome a player enjoying his first spell in the top 16, he

won his first ranking title in July, beating Mark Williams, a model pro,

is also the pride of Basildon, he Stuart, a great reception. You have

been playing this game for such a long time, how much are you

enjoying being among the elite? has been a long road, and I'm just

enjoying every second of it. ladies and gentlemen, Stuart

And his opponent, one of the most exciting young talents in the

modern game. He has been nothing short of a revelation over the last

12 months. He won the China Open in April, reached the World

Championship final in May, and he took the UK title in style just

last month. Ladies and gentlemen, Judd, another fine reception. All

the talk in York was about naughty snooker, how naughty will it be

this afternoon? Naughty! Ladies and gentlemen, Judd Trump! That is what

is promising, we shall see. This is only the third time these players

have faced one another. Watching it all from the parks is Stephen

Hendry and John Virgo. The last time anyone did the triple crown in

one season, I think it was Mark Williams in 2003. Do you think Judd

has a realistic shot at this? Absolutely, no reason why not. He

is a big occasion player, and there is no bigger occasion. If you win

the first one, you are the only one who can do it this season. It will

be interesting to see how he does react to winning the UK. Because of

course, a lot now is expected of Judd. But it is no easy task, this,

because Judd won the UK, and last season he won the Shanghai Masters,

the first ranking event for him. Well, Stuart Bingham had a similar

sort of season. He won the Australian Open, his first ranking

event, so I would say this is not a I think it will be a parting and

break-building type of match, this, Stephen. They are both very

attacking players. Stuart Bingham's first time at the Masters on merit

as a top 16 players. He has played twice before as a wild card. He

And there the Trump family, we are getting used to seeing them now.

Father, brother in a white T-shirt, Well, it looked a little bit and

there it, -- underhit, but he just Is this a new Trump for 2012? Three

shots and no parts? I thought he may have been told that -- tempted

by that, but it would have been a Clever safety by Stuart. He has

adopted been easy for Judd to bring Well, that was a good shot. It was

the only way he could get the cue Well, as you see, there is a red

that goes past the blue, but it is Well, he has found it! There was a

red that went, and he has slotted it in lovely. Just a touch of a

I cannot really see that was available, but it obviously was,

and he could not have played it And it looks as though there is

room, plenty of room around the At the first opportunity he will

Watt the red and get the black on the spot, and then he can really

think about winning the frame in Just having a look to see if the

black is available to the left. It is certainly available to the right

It might just go to the left, but Well, that is not bad. It could

Now, canny pot this and hold for Yes, quite comfortably, so this is

an excellent chance now. It just shows, he found one red, and he can

sneak in, almost a shot for nothing, and that shot could be a Frame

He has played that nicely. Always very important to make sure you go

past the blue. Many times players He would like to play for the red

above the black to the left corner, He did not stun the white probably

as much as he would have liked. That is why he is close to the

He will have the use cue power to Well, he could play for the black.

That was a nice shot. Yes, an excellent shot. Like you, I thought

he did not have the angle, but he The danger with that, if it had hit

another red fall in the face, he might not have been on the black.

Every credit for the way he played it. It shows how full of confidence

he is, because that could have easily gone wrong. Your first frame

on the table, you do not know how lively the white is playing. As you

say, if he had cannoned the red above those two, it would have been

It is a fair point. When you are full of confidence, you do not

think about things going wrong. It is just when you are struggling

sometimes, you see obstacles than But this is excellent stuff now,

and now he has played that Canon perfectly, I would be surprised if

he did not win the frame at his visit. -- this visit. 58 points is

the lead, 65 in front, red and 7 the five remaining at the moment.

-- 75. Removing a red means another eight points are gone. This is to

Stuart Bingham did not do a lot wrong here, just one red that was

potable, and it was a good pot from Judd, and he has taken this

He has kept it around the business end. If he gets this cannon Wright,

a possibility of a century. He could not get the cannon, so he has

Well, a pity that we did not say a century, but an excellent start

from Judd Trump. Bingham did not do a lot wrong, but you don't have to,

1-0. Yes, normal service is resumed from Judd Trump, picking up where

he left off at the UK Championship. Great to have your company, we all

marvelled at his exploits in York before Christmas there. He is

quoted as saying he feels like he is a 50% better player than he was

this time last year. Would you agree? Have I would say so, yes, a

lot more confident, a lot more experience. Finishing runner up in

the world championship, a championship the lead out of his

grasp, because he had John Higgins in that final, I think the

experience showed at York. He was a lot more composed, and when the

opportunity came about, he grasped it with both hands. He is becoming

more complete every match, getting used to the bigger stage. He is one

of the favourites for every tournament he plays in. He is a

handful. Both of you have won the Triple Crown events, many of them,

obviously, and in terms of the confidence the first one gives you,

can you just describe how it affects you as a player thereafter?

I think it makes you very relaxed. You really do not worry about what

your opponent is going to do. You are just so happy with your own

game. If he is going to bash one in, I will not two win. That is a

dangerous player, someone who is enjoying every moment. If he was a

commodity, you would be buying shares in Judd Trump, because he is

going to get better. He has so much room for improvement, he will be

fascinating to watch over the next couple of years. Interesting

Well, he just missed that red, and it is left on for Stuart Bingham.

It is a tough old game, this, sometimes. OK, the green going in

would have been disappointing, because Stuart has not potted a

He will be desperate to get his hand on the table, something nice

and easy. He was expecting to get that red, but the cue ball was

He is going to have worked hard for his opportunities, because he is

not going to get money. Straight for Ryan off the side cushion here

into the cluster of reds. -- The play did think, but

unfortunately he caught the block colour. What a big target there is

Another disaster there. He went for the long red and missed it, and he

He felt he got a slightly heavy You can see the red leaving the bed

Just having a look here, he could play for the pink, but I'm not

certain whether the pain will be available. -- pink. He decides to

go back up for the blue. He just You would always prefer to be a

little bit further away from the That was OK, he did not have to do

a lot with the cue ball. He has got a red to the right corner, but he

has got a bit to do with the cue Well, he will settle for the blue

Well, a little bit quicker and that one. I think he was looking a

little bit too far ahead there, thinking, how can I get the pink

and black into play? He did not want to keep playing for the blue,

but sometimes the balls force you Oh! Well... For a moment, I thought

Stuart had missed that. I think any more pace, it would not have gone

It will be interesting to see where this thing goes and how available

it is, because I felt Judd could have played for the pink a while

ago, and he decided to go for the Well, the pink goes to the right

corner. I am surprised Judd did not play for the paint a few shots ago.

He would have liked to have been on the pink to screw back for the red

to the right of the pink. He can still do that but... I am not

I think he played for the red Another example of not hitting the

This will settle Stuart Bingham down. If he can get enough points.

He has the pink available into both When you get your first chance, and

you want to play some nice, positional shots. When you play a

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couple that you get the result you It is not a formality to win the

It would be ideal if he could get an angle off the next pink. He

He could play for the black. It would go to the blue spot. He still

He decided to disturb them. But he was always going to leave himself a

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Stuart Bingham will be feeling an He still has the chance of a

century. Not now. It will not matter. He still gets his first

frame on the scoreboard. He will be feeling relieved. Judd Trump is

coming back to the table. He has no great hope of winning the frame. He

I suppose will macro snooker, if you managed to get a free ball,

that would do it. -- one. It shows your opponent you are not just

going to give them the frame. Keeping them on their toes a little

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Well, Judd Trump will not come back Yes, not bothered about the black.

Stuart Bingham should be feeling better. He gets his first frame on

Giving us the staring eyes. He will be feeling better. Just looking at

that, I was impressed with Judd Trump in the first frame. But, when

he came down to this blue, the pink and black were awkward, but was it

carelessness? A little bit careless. You would expect to -- for him to

pot this. The break was getting more difficult. I think Stuart

Bingham must have feared the worst when he was in the balls like that.

He missed a couple of half chances and it could have been 2-0. But he

has shown if he makes a mistake, he will get punished. He struggled

early in the break. He was not finding the middle of the pocket.

He managed to keep it going. He will be mightily relieved. He is in

the match. It will be interesting. I am impressed with this venue. The

queue outside Alexandra Palace, it was unbelievable. And that is the

I was fortunate enough to commentate on Ronnie O'Sullivan's

match yesterday. It was a tremendous atmosphere in Alexandra

Palace. What a match that would be, Judd Trump against Ronnie

O'Sullivan. If he were to win this match, Judd Trump, that will be the

Stuart Bingham might have something Safety has to be better by Stuart

Bingham if you are going to beat The last thing you want is to give

This red that is loose from the main cluster. He has come too

straight on this black. That is careless. Any sort of angle and it

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would have been easy to get on the He controlled the cue ball very

I do not think he would want to play the cannon if he did not have

He did not catch the pink in the He just caught the pink half-ball.

Well I'll done. -- well done. That And he did not catch that red as he

intended. To be honest with you, I am not certain there is a red that

It looks as if he is looking at the plant. I cannot see if they are in

It would not be something I would risk. But he does say he likes to

play naughty snooker. Will he get The problem is I do not think he

can get past the black to hit the I think he is desperate to play it.

It is that balance. Defence and attack. It has always been the

thing about snooker. With the lead, safety is the order of the day.

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As my dad used to say, that wiped And that did not go in, so, that

was the second good chance he has had. It is frames like this that

I'm sure he has been thinking, this Can he make the most of the

Jan Verhaas but the black on the pink spot. That was a shock to the

system because obviously this red Well, nothing is going in cleanly

He took a risk. Bringing the awkward red into play. It has

turned out to be more of a risk because he is not perfect on this.

No. Is it? O. Well, even Stuart Bingham was walking back to his

Stuart Bingham was on his way back He is trying his best to get out of

position! This is a tremendous You just had a feeling about that.

There were pots that did not look in. It caught up with him in the

If the pink does not pass the blue, But that was a good pot on the

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He still needs the two remaining He does not have to do a lot with

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He needs up to and including the The only thing that can catch him

That was the only thing that could He will be disappointed. He has got

Judd Trump in trouble. The points are level. But he missed his

opportunity. Would he get a better He tried to nestle on to the blue.

A difficult shot. This is worth Right in the heart of the pocket.

He needs the pink. And in it goes. This is a frame that could go

either way. In the end, it went to I think I am a confident person. It

is life. Some things happen. You get a choice and you try to look at

the positive side. I used to pick 10 reds in one hand. That is my

party trick. It has taken 16 years to get in the 16th. Hopefully, I

can now enjoy it. I am pretty lazy at home. I used to do it, but now,

my wife would say I was lazy. I had a remote control golf trolley. That

set me back a bit. People said it was for old people! I have sold

that now. In any sport, you have to trust yourself and believe in

yourself. If you start to worry about others, your mind is not on

the job in hand. At the end of the day, you play the balls and the

shots in front of you. HAZEL IRVINE: We have spoken about

Judd Trump growing in confidence. But Stuart Bingham won the

Australian Open and he said he was confident of creating an upset

having beaten Judd Trump 5-won in Shanghai last year. Talk to us,

Steve Davis, about the way he has gone about his business. Has it

been through his efforts or mistakes from Judd Trump? A I'm not

too sure the boys would agree in commentary, but off the two players,

to me, Judd Trump has seemed the stronger. But it shows you what a

win can do. Stuart Bingham has gone to a different level of belief

within himself. Even though he has not played that well out there, he

has managed to get the frames. has not been at the Masters in five

years. So, it is the man from Jar macro a good opening red from

Judd Trump. -- JOHN VIRGO: Just settling for the snooker. Normally,

you would come off the side. You would have to come down the left-

hand side of the table. He might have covered that. It is not

It was made more difficult because when Judd Trump played the snooker

behind the yellow, he purposely covered the escape down the left-

He caught the wrong red. It shows you. Clever snooker from Judd Trump.

Surely he will not refuse this You are looking for an easy pot to

continue with when you do that. He could not have played that better.

STEPHEN HENDRY: The skill in the shot was he was able to hold the

weight in the middle of the table. JOHN VIRGO: There will be a mid-

session interval after this frame. This is a great chance to level the

Steve Davis said that Judd Trump looks more comfortable in terms of

the way he is striking the ball. He will be disappointed, two-2,

because he has been in first every The blue he missed in the second

frame was the one that kick-started I'm certain he will be

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That is another one that took its That will leave his opponent

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It all came from that clever City Absolutely, just a little thing

like that made all the difference, it made it a difficult escape for

The red near the cushion may stop them, but he tried to bring it into

Now, can you pot this red and missed the cannon on the pink? He

did not feel as though he could. He missed the cannon. Cross double

I know no-one has made more centuries than you, Stephen, but

the crowd to love a century, don't Yes, it is like a 180 in darts,

Well, for the first time, we are Well, the banana peel off pretty

quick, but never mind. Well, I think Stuart Bingham may be most

pleased of the two players as they go into the knoll at 2-2. --

interval. It is a pleasure to be sitting up here in our studio,

because we get a terrific view of what is going on as the players

make their way back to the dressing room. It is always a treat to watch

this fella. That century demonstrated the ease and grace

with which he plays. You forget sometimes. And the confidence he

has. He is one of the best exponents of this shot we are going

to see here. He has got so much power, so much cue power, look at

the cue ball, how he controls it. Straight into the pink. The white

stays in the middle of the table. That made the break so easy. Yeah,

it is just like... As we were talking about before, we are won a

tournament, and both players have just won their first major

tournament this season, it gives you an extra air of confidence. It

does not matter who you are playing, because when you get a chance, you

will take it. Judd said, I do not fear anybody, a few of the players

criticise me, and they knew my strengths and weaknesses, and I

still won. That must give you so much confidence, because he said

himself that he was not absolutely at his best and still managed to

win one of the biggest titles in the game. I would be a good

critical of certain aspects of his game, which he has to improve. His

only a young player, he does not know-it-all, but he has the

potential to dominate the game, no doubt about it. We all love

watching him play, he is a breath of fresh air and great to watch,

but there are aspects of his game which are not 100%. Potting is not

one of those. And in a break building department, he is well up

there. But he is not as good at break-building as Hendry,

O'Sullivan or Higgins. He does not have their tactical astuteness. But

he is learning all the time, he will get more experience as he goes

on, and playing those guys out there in situations like this, he

will grow and grow and grow into a really good player. That is what

makes it so exciting. He really did capture our imagination in 2011,

largely his year with the China Open title, the UK Championship and

that run to the Crucible final. He has become the sport's new box-

Winning in York was very important. It is the first major tournament

for me to win, and it brought a lot of confidence, obviously it was

shown on the BBC, and a lot of publicity surrounds the UK

Championship. It was nice to follow from where I left Bach in the world

championship. The last time I played in the Masters, I was only a

qualifier, so there was a lot of pressure. It was one of the first

tournament I ever qualified for, so it was hard for me, but now, four

years on, I am at the top of the rankings, playing well, winning

I learned a lot from watching him practise. He does a lot of things

right, you know, and as a professional you can watch players

and say the way they get reaction out of the ball because they are

doing a certain thing. I think he is blessed with a very good

technique, very fat, very straight through the ball, not a lot can go

wrong with it. So you can learn, he is a good person to learn off.

Berates me highly, but that does not mean anything unless you go out

and keep winning. -- the rates. are only as good as your last

result, and when you are winning, that is good, but when you start

losing, people start doubting you. No doubting him today, 2-2, Stuart

Bingham in with a very good chance in his opening match, and we will

be back with that live shortly. But last night Mark Williams and

Stephen Maguire and all of us had a pretty late night, but at about 8

o'clock last evening, it was not Straightforward double, what has he

Well, that is sensational. That is Well, he played that, what a brave

shot that was! So Stephen Maguire, Mark Williams surges on, it is now

Where has the cue ball gone?! Tremendous pot, absolutely

Shot! The pink goes in, and he is So Stephen Maguire is giving his

hopes alive, and they are getting better and better. He is only one

That is not the best safety shot. Here is the green to come to his

It is there. Is the route to the quarter-final. He wins 6-4. -- he

is through. He was probably favourites to beat me at 5-4, and I

probably made one of the best 50 breaks to see at the match that I

novel where it came from, but it is nice to know that when the pressure

is on, I can still scrap it in. -- I do not know. I had good support.

By cannot remember anyone shouting his name, to be us, they all seemed

to be shouting my name, which is fantastic. I am going to drive home,

get on Twitter and thank them all for cheering me on. And he will be

minding his P's and Q's on Twitter, I am sure. He goes through to play

Mark Allen or Neil Robertson in the quarter-final. Now, hold the front

page, snooker players in major fitness drive. I'm doing them a

disservice, because we all know that Ronnie O'Sullivan is mad about

running, Peter Ebdon is keen about fitness, but I bring you news today

that Steve Davis and Shaun Murphy are amongst those who have signed

up and are indeed in training for a half-marathon in April, and it is

not just for the good of their I think it is very useful to have

some level of fitness, put it this way. The doctors will tell you that

the thinner the blood is, the faster the decision comes from the

brain, because it travels through the body. The feeling good factor

is very important, and if you feel good about yourself, there is more

of a strut deals there, and that can help positive thinking, which

is the most important part of I do not think you need to be fit

to play snooker, but I think it helps. And that is true in all

walks of life. As the standard gets higher in the game, everybody will

be looking for the edge, and so it could be that extra 1%. If you are

physically fit, brain third, long matches, on your feet a long time,

it can only help. Coving with the pressure of sport, one of the ways

around it, obviously, is being physically fit, fit enough to make

a decision under pressure. Do I go for that long red in the top

corner? It is a 60-40 this brave show. Do I go for the pin or play

for the middle of the green? This is the decision you have to make a

stressful situation, and a third body will help. It will not make it

easier, but it will help you make the better decision through that

stress. If you look at the record, the best players in the world were

probably the fittest. They may not have been into fitness specifically,

but I think they could keep going for the longest, something I wish I

had got into a long time ago. have you been?! Come on, we are

going down there and then back again! We are starting our training

regime for the Sheffield half- marathon on the 27th May, and we

You can just imagine them doing that all the way around Sheffield

in a few months! Fantastic effort, I think the training is going well.

Steve, you are not new to this. You have done this before. I did one

about 14 years ago, it was tough, and the Sheffield half-marathon

will be tough, it has got a few goals. We are looking to get more

snooker people involved, and you can go to the Paul Hunter

Foundation website to look into giving money or participating. When

we saw Chris Lovell in that footage, that was your first training run,

how do you feel? My legs do not come out often, it is for a good

cause, but I have got cramp. We are raising money for the poor and the

Foundation, and the reasons for that are behind us. -- Paul Hunter

Foundation. Yes, kids of the streets, we want to enable

youngsters across the UK and Ireland to get free snooker. During

the week, we have got kids coming down, getting coaching as well.

have got World snooker coaches all throughout the week. If they are

any schools to apply to bring half- a-dozen youngsters, we would love

to give them some expert coaching. You can contact the Foundation for

that. What have you been doing since the last time we spoke? We

have been very busy with Lancashire County Council. This week in

Preston, in conjunction at the YMCA, we launched a project on Wednesday

evening, Dennis Taylor is involved in at, and next week at the

Accrington Academy we are involved with literacy and numeracy. I will

be kicking it off, ending up at the Crucible with the kids coming to

give as an update and prove that snooker can improve your English

and maths. We are trying to rise as much money as possible. It is in

about four months' time, made 27th. We're going to set up a website,

but go to the ball and the Foundation for Information and get

involved. -- Paul Hunter. Before you ask, I'm not available for the

massage! I would just make that clear right away. Shaun Murphy has

already put in his eight miles this morning end of his match this

evening. He is hoping to go a little further this year than ever

before in this instance at the Masters. He has only made it to the

quarter-finals. He is up against Martin Gould, and he is making his

debut in the Masters, but not, ironically, at Ally Pally, because

he was here last month to indulge his other sporting passion, the

I love my Barry. I do not get to play it as much as I would like. I

get to throw a few here and there. I am always watching it, I love it,

the atmosphere, the way the crowd reacts and everything. Whenever it

is on television, I make sure I watch it if I can. Yes, for the bid

It is just an awesome sportsman. His will to win was phenomenal. He

dedicates themselves eight or nine hours a day practice. Kind of like,

I suppose, Stephen N -- Stephen Hendry. The dedication and the will

to win, that is what I like to see in a sportsman. I am setting myself

a target of around 35 or 42 not something on their heads -- 35 or

40 to knock something on the head. I'm not too bad, hopefully it will

not take too long to get on the two and play with the big boys on there.

I do not know if Mr Taylor will be still around, hopefully I will make

it to that level, but I would love to have a game with Phil Taylor. I

have had a couple of spanking sock Mr Murphy a few times, but I have

run him close once or twice. -- spankings off. If I can put him

I tend to be at the front of things, and I would not say I am a leader

of people, but I have probably got a bit of OCD, I like to run things.

I was born in the wrong here. I would like to have been around pre-

war, the 1930s, pinstripe suits, gangsters in New York, that type of

the euro would have suited me down to the ground. I will always be a

little bit fat, and not really bothered. I am trying to lose

weight, and I'm trying to be healthy, and I'm running the

Sheffield half-marathon with a few of the other lights. And the point

where I am happy with myself. I'm trying to teach myself a bit of

piano, learning some languages, try to fill my time. It takes a second

to say please or thank you, but he will be surprised how many people

I am not too good at, you know, getting over things when they have

gone wrong, which is poor as a snooker player, because things are

going wrong all the time. I do not cope with that very well. I guess I

am a passionate person, I care about it, it is my biggest love,

They will be hoping that it goes right tonight. You will be able to

see highlights of their third-round match with us on BBC Two tonight or

you can watch the whole thing live on the red button on 7 o'clock. I

was looking at the Henstead statistics in that particular match,

3-0 for Shaun Murphy, most recently in York. -- the head to head

statistics. Martin Gould is really finding his stride. He has just

broken into the top 16 as well. He's a really nice player to watch,

he gets on with it. He is a good lad to have around the circuit. I

am delighted for him to break into the top 16, he deserves it. Shaun

Murphy determined to get past the quarter-final stage, and he has got

some work to do in the concluding stages of this match, Judd Trump

and Stuart Bingham poised at 2-2, the first to six will go through,

and will head back to Stephen and JOHN VIRGO thank you, Hazel. Yes,

that midsession interval is over, and now we are going to play to the

finish. The first to sixth, remember most -- 6. Still a few

Judd was busy treating in the interval, John. Are you a treat

there? No! No. It is amazing, if I was in that match, I would be

locked in my dressing room, trying to get my thoughts together, ready

to go at for the second session. Yes, it is obviously a new thing

that people do. He has made a mistake here, though, this red will

go. He could pot it and be on the black. Once again, he just did not

hit that red in the middle of the pocket. If he had have done, I

think he would have made the cannon He did not catch it quite right,

and that is why it went through the cue ball a little bit wider. That

Pretty good effort, but just not In fact, Stuart is having to come

off the side cushion, it is very The surprise me in going that way.

He did not think much about it, but Well, if he did, he has not been

Well, it wasn't the best shot, and this red is on to the corner. If he

were not hampered by the yellow, I think he would be taking it on, but

REFEREE: File. -- REFEREE: Foul. was a good effort, hampered as he

was by the yellow, the full length of the table. It just got a second

kiss off the red to send the white That is an example there Harth

hitting the red right in a middle of the pocket. He hit that as sweet

Yeah, we talk about cue power, and that isn't cue power, it's just

timing. As you say, Stephen, sweet Stuart needs to build up that

percentage, otherwise this match is He has just missed one or two that

You do not have to miss many against Judd Trump to lose friends.

A little bit disappointed in himself for leaving it straight on

the black, but it is not a problem. Just screw back a couple of feet

for the red at the bottom of the He did not get into that at all. He

got a slightly bad contact. But he is going to be disturbing the reds

here. He will not be guaranteed to In fact, he pushed through for the

Nice angle on the black. He will be trying to hit the red half-ball

here. In just hit it about caught a ball, and that as why he caught the

pack too thin. -- he just hit it about quarter of all. The fact that

he played quite low on the white, it pushed out before it had a

chance to hark back into the pack. Probably more of a stun shot

Well, he will be disappointed that Yeah, it was one of those... If you

play it with backspin at that pace, it just takes time for these been

to grip on the ball, and he probably would have been better off

He has just about got that safe. His heart would have been in his

house -- in his mouth for a moment there, Stuart. It has just run far

Well, that is a different way of playing it. He did not want to play

off the side of the pack and open the red stuff. He has chosen to

Well, you can see, he is having a look at those two reds. There is a

bit of a gap between them, but he As I say, there was a bit of a gap,

so it was not straightforward, and he has gifted an easy starter now

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He has always looked in control in this match but the scoreline does

not tell you that. Two each. He could have possibly got behind

again here. An excellent opportunity for Stuart Bingham. But

it does not matter how good you are when you are sat in your seat, you

That is why one of snooker is one of the world's toughest sports.

Judd Trump looks more comfortable striking the ball but he could be

But Stewart has hit the ball better in this break. His position play

has been inch perfect. This is a bit awkward but should not be a

Now with a two point lead. You would think he would possibly play

for the blue or the baulk colour. But it is easier to get on the two

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And I cannot think Judd Trump will He looks like the better player but

But this visit has been a lot better Paul Stuart Bingham. He has

taken this very well. He is in front once again. Judd Trump has

got a slight problem. He could be 3-2 behind. A couple of little

things in that frame. We were talking about the pack opening.

Judd Trump decided to play the screw but did not get the arc and

played a bit hard. This was the shot. The cloth is very slick and

if you hit the ball hard with the screw shot, the red goes forward

before it can grip and come back. I personally try to stun to avoid

that situation. You have got a straight forward safety. Just

coming down the left of the table. But he decided to play a containing

safety, which is not like him to play that shot. It is the negative

shot, isn't it? You should be playing the positive safety and

getting the ball back to baulk and getting the upper hand. He placed a

containing safety and at the first opportunity, he played a whisky

plant. I do not mind him playing that because that is his game. --

risky. But he is trying to win the frame. Just 18 little shot

selection has. He has caused himself a bit of a problem. -- just

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a few shot selections has caused Good length of cue ball there from

Apology for the loss of subtitles for 47 seconds

How is Stuart Bingham 3-2 in front? That is the questioned. -- question.

It is a funny old game, isn't it? It is a funny old game. If you are

on the telephone and telling them those statistics you would expect

He has found a plant and that went in. The blue has been knocked off

the spot but is is is on a baulk I think we have got room for the

pink to go on the spot and be available for the corner pocket. He

will be playing for that sooner It is his turn to pots the yellow

but not cleanly. An awkward position. I did not think it would

go to the right corner. I think he might have played for the black but

He played it nicely. He cannot afford to slip. He should have been

embalmed in this match. But the fact of the matter is that he is

A fast bounce out of the cushion. It came back further than he

expected. He might play the cannon Back in prime position. The sign of

a great player, he can sense the danger and step up a gear and make

But once again, he played for the Maybe the fact that he did not get

on the black, that is why he played that. Just the full bit annoyed. It

caused him to miss the pink. When he will not on the ball you played

for, even when you are expecting to pot, he should have been on the

It is more irritating to use position than to miss a pot. --

It is difficult to get that out of your mind. And because of his speed,

Because he is a very quick player, he is not on the black or a sudden,

all right, I will play the pink but it needed a bit more thought. It

He was just trying to stun a couple of inches and leave himself on the

red that Stuart Bingham ended up potting. He has given this plenty

Just a safety of course. He is trying to cover the red on the

other side of that table. But he has not. But he will be happy to be

still in the frame. This has happened a few times in this match.

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He would have been thinking, I have He will be going for the red next

to the pink and get back off the cushion and into baulk for safety.

Tremendous. Could that be the shot that sets himself up for winning

He needs to slow down. I am not certain if both reds are available.

Certainly that lacked but it looks like both of them will pot. -- that

He did not plan to do it like that but it was such a well-constructed

Again, just an awkward landing. Trying to force that. This shot is

quite straight. If he wants to get to the black, he will have to hit

is very hard. -- this. He will try to speak -- pick a spot on the far

He might have played the black, he might not have done. But he played

it in such a way... Does this red go through the gap? It does. Is if

there? It is! I thought he had got You just never know in this game.

It looked like he had left nothing. But a street pot into the middle

pocket. Surely he will make the most of this opportunity. He will

be quite relieved as well. The balls were starting to get a bit

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Red, colour, red and he will be I am not sure if this red can cut

in or not. He would like to get it. AQ snookers kneaded but it looks

Apology for the loss of subtitles for 47 seconds

like Stuart Bingham will have a try. Not quite but the frame was over

before that and he will be quite relieved. He is leading in

statistics but not in the match. 3- What do you make of the way the

game is ebbing and flowing? This is snooker and that is how it goes.

But it is fascinating watching Judd Trump dealing with the situation.

Remember the boxer, Nigel Benn? Great boxer had plenty of heart. He

didn't mind taking a punch because he fancied a punch himself. Judd

Trump does not mind his opponent potting balls. He is not bothered

and he is pretty opened. Once he gets among them, he is up for a

fight on the table. We are getting to the sharp end of the match. It

is a question of temperament and composure. It all boiled down to

who has been there and bottle and steel to stay calm under pressure.

You would not write off either player. They have been there and

they have done it. They about got that experience. The momentum is

with Judd Trump at the moment, coming off the back of that UK

victory. Stuart Bingham, as we were discussing, he is always knocking

on the door and he has got his big breakthrough. He did well in the

Australian this season and is in the top 16. He has got a lot of

experience but he will not have been seen many times on television

but he has got experience and he will not waste the opportunity.

What we admire about Stuart Bingham, what is it about his perspective?

People thought he was a journey man player but he never gave up and he

has got bundles of enthusiasm. He gets on with it around the table.

He does not sit about. He has forced himself into the top 16 and

he is a dangerous player and he he is a dangerous player and he

cannot be written off in any match. The way he came back in the final

against Mark Williams in the Australian Open final answered a

lot of questions about his JOHN VIRGO: M eight good opening

red. He could have done with that back a couple of inches. A cracking

He would probably take the black. Not quite. If it had bounced away

from the cushion a couple of inches, he would not have missed. That was

tricky. He played that quite slowly and not with a lot of conviction.

think it was just one of them. He was not certain where it was going

to finish. Really, he should have made certain of the pot it he was

Balls that is very unlucky if he is not on the black. -- that is very

A tremendous pot. Such an easy action. Of all the places in all

Well, he thought the double was advantageous and he would have been

on the black. But professionals do not particularly like the double

because if you can catch the jaw on the middle, you cannot be sure

where it is going to a finish. He left a chance but Stuart Bingham

This is a very important frame and the first real chance now for Judd

Trump. It was not an easy shot but I think that will be the 7th

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consecutive frame where Judd has He played that shot nicely. He does

not want to hit the shot too hard. Just enough to make this a possible

He did not hit that perfectly but He will be on the wrong side of the

blue. It was not that important. gives you a wake up call when you

miss a shot and almost get away with it. It gets your concentration

back up to 100 % you will think, I Just slightly underhit. He could

get to the red just above the black and it was perfect, as it turned

And now, this red, get a nice angle on the black, and the frame is at

his mercy. A bit more Street than he wanted but he might be all right.

He can pot the black and go away to Stuart Bingham is fearing the worst.

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He lost the first frame and has not He could play a cannon on the pink.

Unless there is a straight line in He made a break of 107 in the 4th

There is every chance he can better The colours could not be better

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Where is the cue ball going to get? Here we go! That was superb. He

will be breathing easier. That was another frame that could have gone

wrong for him, but that was a good response. He has his nose in front.

Not since the first frame has he been in front. We will look at a

shot. He potted the first red in that frame and was unlucky. But it

was the easy cueing action of this. Watch the reaction he gets on the

cue ball. Apart from being a difficult pot. He hardly seemed to

hit it. We have a similar shot in slow motion. Look how you are

striking down at the bottom. When it starts to grip, it starts to

spin backwards. That took time for the back spin to get into place. I

do not know who played that shot. But with the attempt from Judd

Trump, beat red flew back. timing and cue power is amazing. I

used to think there is only one other trade I would like from a

player which is Ronnie's ability to use left hand, but I would not mind

Judd Trump's t wind power as well. We know the big problem with any

shot is the harder you hit it, the more accurate you have to be. If

you can get the cue ball to move without having to hit it harder,

He went for that red. On a bad day, you would get a double kiss and

leave it on. You feel Stuart Bingham has to raise his game. He

is still well in it, but he has not He got into the cue ball too much

Like the shot from Judd Trump earlier, taking the easy way to get

to the right-hand side of the pack. Two cushions. It should not be a

No. Sometimes you have to judge it. The cue ball does not always come

of a natural angle off the cushion. You sometimes have to allow for

that. I think he thought it would You have to get close to the blue

when you play this shot. It puts That is something that would not

happen on an average table in a snooker club. It happens on brand

new cloths. He found the line. But he did not have the pace. I do not

blame Stuart Bingham for putting Hawkeye has never played a bad

Amazing how many points can be given the way. You cannot blame the

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referee for calling a miss because There is a path down the right-hand

side of the table if he wants to play safe. He has an eye on the pot.

And smack it right in the middle of He needed a good kiss on the blue.

It is not bad. It was a terrific He can cut this into the left

He could not have wished for a A little scratch of the head. Has

he held the cue ball too much and not on the black? Would you believe

He finished absolutely perfect on the red. You thought what a chance

this is. He has carelessly run out He will be going back to his seat

That was carelessness. He has He has not left a bad shot get to

He played that OK, but he has left Just being the wrong side of the

blue he could not get close to the intended red. You would fancy him

Not quite certain whether next red Well! I cannot tell you how good

that shot was. He could not get to the middle of the cue ball and

hacked to per left-hand side on. That was a great shot. It shows how

Look at how he pushed the cue He is giving this some thought. He

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is obviously not perfect in his What shot times like that. This

might take longer. He made a He has had two good chances in this

frame. He has missed out on the You always wonder in this game, if

you have had two good chances and not clinched it, we you get a

He put the bowel cancer on the cushion, and now he is forced to

play it -- he pushed the red on the Stuart Bingham has the two reds

He has to be careful with the white He cannot be too attacking with

This is why he is taking his time. It is a thin cut. The white ball

can go down the table and come back He played the key tucking up behind

the green and made a good job of it. -- tucking up. He has had two good

opportunities, Judd Trump, and has That was a decent hit. But the red

is on. There is also a red to the That was a better pot than it

looked. He could not afford to miss You cannot see any problems with

the reds. It is the yellow that will be the stumbling block in

terms of clearing up. He will be He wants to be straight on the

He was OK. The last thing he wanted was an angle and having to run into

It was imperative, when he potted the pink, to have a good position

The green is going to be easiest colour to move the yellow. You will

see Judd Trump going up for the green. It shows you. A careless

shot. He left himself wrong on the He decided to play for the black.

He feels it bounced a little bit more than he expected off the

cushion. If he is straight on the black, which he is, he will be

He managed to swing the cue ball I am surprised he just did not play

the wide up to the pocket. -- white. I can only assume he played the

cannon on the yellow and tried to knock it down the cushion and got

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That is not the first time Stuart Bingham has missed a ball on the

way up, he flicked it on the way up. The yellow is OK. He played that

He has not left the pot, but he will be snookered on the next shot,

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He knocked it towards the side He does not need the awkward pink,

That was pretty good, unless Stuart Bingham can get in behind the

If it is a snooker, in fact, this He has nudged the green and he is

He does not need the pink. It looks fall money now that Stuart Bingham,

who led 3-2, is going to 45-3 behind. A frame that Judd Trump had

He is now one frame away from a place in the quarter-finals.

HAZEL IRVINE: That could be the decisive frame. It was down to the

yellow. A good yellow. He got a nice nudge on the green. He did not

need the pink. He is so good at this shot. He has lovely straight

cue action. Look at the kiss. Sometimes, when things are going

well for you... Perfect on the green and frame over. It has been a

good contest. 5-3 down, suddenly you are up against it against this

one. Yes. He does not need many chances to clinch the frame. I

think the momentum that he has got in the game is enough sometimes to

get him over the line. He is loving every moment of being a snooker

player. He enjoys himself out there. Talking about whether somebody can

win the Grand Slam, you need to be in that frame of mind to do it. You

cannot be looking over your shoulder. You cannot be in a

situation many find themselves in trying to recapture form. This is

the best time to do it, your first wave of form, before you learned

here. The this is his second appearance at the Masters. -- this

is. He seems to have been around, particularly because of his

exploits over the last 12 months, he is established. Steve and I are

gasping at the shot so he plays. I could never play some of those

shots. It is a different game. It is so refreshing. He has so much

belief in his ability. It is fantastic and great for the grain.

STEPHEN HENDRY: Stuart Bingham is still playing the aggressive shot.

Almost. I wonder whether he could get through to all of the red. It

looked tight. He almost had the Get in there, son! That sounded

He has reached the point of no return, Stuart Bingham. He has to

raise his game. I have been saying that most of this match, even

though he has Hunkin there. He can certainly play better -- hung in.

Maybe with his back against the wall he can produce his best game.

He did that in Australia to win his first ranking tournament. He won

the last four frames to beat Mark Sometimes, you can relax and play

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your game when you have nothing Oh, dear. How has he miss that? --

missed that? He had a chance. If he had made a frame-winning

contribution it might have given him the lift to push the match all

the way. You cannot miss when you are in like that. Not at this level.

It looks as if he has covered the Judd Trump will have to play a pot

somewhere because he has a red over That was a good shot. There was

pressure on that. He is hampered playing the pink, but he does not

have a lot to do with the cue ball. That was well played. And now,

This is the sort of opportunity you want to win the match. There is not

a safe red on the table. Nothing to do but keep your concentration, one

I bet he held his breath. He almost snookered himself. But then again,

Yes, a bit of bounce but I am -- I He has looked at the blue. He is

That previous shot on the pink, 98 % of players would have just rolled

If he just drops that, he has not got any chance of snookering

himself. But he looks to have recovered the situation now because

he has played that inch-perfect. A couple of shaky moments with

positions. But he is back in good It would be a boring game if

everyone played it the same way, John. Yes, it would. He has

breathed a bit of light into the game, job Trump. -- life into the

He had stabbed brilliant winner in the UK. -- he played brilliantly in

the UK. We have got to remember that he has taken a few knocks

along the way. He turned professional in 2005. It is not

like he turned professional a couple of years ago. He really had

to work his way up the rankings. And now he is deck, he looks

completely at home. It is where everybody thought he should be. It

just took longer than anybody He is just struggling at the moment

He played a really careless shot on the red a couple of shots back.

is not over the line it yet. A 26 point lead. But 59 left on the

The best he could hope for was to lead it reasonably safe and it is.

I do not think he will be tempted by this red. But he was! Hello!

Would you believe it? Even if the blue is covering the red, he has

got a red on the baulk there. If he tries to play this cushion, that is

right in the pocket. He could miss that altogether. It could not be

much more in the jaw. I did not It was right in the jaw. He had to

be accurate. Stuart Bingham was He misjudged. Is he going to pop

His future in the Masters depends Good shot. Very good shot. And the

type of shot that can give be confidence a little beast. A lot of

pressure on that. -- a little The referee is not helping his

cause. We do not had any spot is available. He needs a direct line

I think that red next to the green is unavailable. I assumed the red

above the right centre is not easy because I would have played if

It is the awkward red behind the He will have to disturb it and he

has a. Has he developed it? I am not shot. But is a good effort. --

Good shot! What a turnaround this The only awkward ball now you would

feel, is the green. If he can get the cue ball back to where it is,

that would be absolutely inch Not one of his best. He can still

pot this green but it is tricky. Not quite. He did not play a good

shot on the yellow. It was too close to the green. He should have

made certain he stayed in the A bit of luck there for Judd Trump.

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He has had chances to clinch this You can play it them or play it up

and down. He has played the famous I do not blame him for doing that.

If you catch the green a little bit thick, it will go back up the table

If he hits the green Street, it might double-kiss. It will send the

cue ball back up. But if he gets it the other side of the green, either

side, it will not work. But if he misses again, he will have to play

that. If he does not hit that, he will get a warning. He has played

it all right. In fact, very well Just a little bit quick. 4 points

behind. He needs up to and He refused it. He refused it. I am

surprised. I do not believe what we have seen. I could not have refused

that green all day. It looked like It has probably turned out in his

favour. I cannot believe he was Another chance for Judd Trump. One

good position needed. Very close to the middle pocket but he sat there

thinking, this match could be Stuart Bingham will be very

disappointed. He has not played his best and his opponent gave him

chances. But Judd Trump goes through. He got that first frame

and was playing catch-up. But after that, he finishes 6-3. He is

through to the quarter-finals for the head to head would Ronnie

O'Sullivan on Thursday it. Cannot Sounds like an absolute cracker it.

A repeat of the match at the championships. But enough of the

previous matches. We will review. He had to come from 3-2 behind and

not really in a lot of trouble but disconcerting. How do you think he

finished? It does appear that when Judd Trump is in front or behind,

his style of play does not change. That is an excellent thing for

anybody. You do not want to be changing one way or the other. At

times he might decide that you have got nothing to lose and play

aggressively. But generally he has got a good balance. Picking on

shots, everybody will have an individual style but his style is

constant. How should Stuart Bingham reflects? He should be disappointed.

He had a chance but he completely butchered the yellow to get on the

green. He might have gone 5-4 up. Judd Trump has done well. But I did

not think he will be pleased. He will be pleased to get through but

he would not say you played your best. I kind of gave him the frames.

It felt like, and there you go. I felt good. I felt relaxed and after

the first frame, I thought I could have ran away with it but I kept

giving chances. But that is your first victory at the Masters in

front of the television cameras. This is just your second appearance.

Congratulations. How close were you to your best form today? I think I

had done well. That is the positive. Safety was probably a little bit

better but I will have to improve by probably 50 %. I cannot give

Ronnie O'Sullivan these chances. have got a lot of commentary and

everybody is analysing. But sometimes it is a bread and butter

day and you have just got to get through. It is about getting

through the first round more than anything else. The first round is

the hardest and I do not think anybody enjoys it. You just have to

go out and do it. Especially at a new venue. It is like that for

everybody. Everybody is looking forward to this tournament.

Brilliant. It is a great venue and I bet you are enjoying it. When I

think to your comment at the UK championship, you said you were

full of confidence, having got that title without playing at your

optimum. How much has that helped you coming in here for what is

snooker's Triple Crown? I feel really comfortable. Even when I

missed a shot, I feel more positive but before it would get me down and

I would get worried and come back and knees again. I can put it to be

back at my mind. I just look forward to every shot. DDC the

match the other day? A little bit. Do not give too much await. He has

been practising. He has been working hard. He is playing well at

the moment. He seems positive. I am looking forward to playing him on

Thursday. You had the edge back in York at that final frame decider.

What for you was the decisive edge which you can carry forward?

hardly ever see him miss pressure balls. You can run out of position.

Is left the a tricky red and I went for it. Towards the end, I did not

think I would get it and I felt a bit nervous. But I had a kick in

the last frame. He was a bit unlucky. You talk about a Ferrari.

Getting your no-claims bonus? will have to have my insurance a

bit better but for I can buy that. I have to win this tournament!

luck on Thursday. Thank you. We can delve into the vaults for Ronnie

I thrives on being written off and proving to people that I can play.

I did not feel I can be defeated. I am pretty relied upon my own the

brain and being in control of my destiny. These players are my

heroes. You have got to stick to your guns and believe what you

believe in and I do that like my heroes. I do not feel really guilty.

I understand I am getting up and training hard. I am starting to

think about what I would like to do. I want to win a few major

tournaments before I retired. I do not want to do that before I move

on. I am quite proud and determined. My dedication and determination and

my will to succeed is important. I am trying to get up and come back.

I am quite proud of having those If he missed that match yesterday,

he will understand Ronnie O'Sullivan was up against Ding

Junhui in the first of the matches at the Masters. He actually had a

4-1 lead before Ding Junhui hold it back to 4-4. We can show you what

happened after that. Dennis Taylor DENNIS TAYLOR: Could we possibly

have a deciding frame in the first match ever played at Alexandra

Not the best break-off shot. Is he coming up short? He is not. It is

pretty good. The past cloth covered that. -- fast. If he gets this, he

will be into the pink and red. He is playing the screw back. That

He could have careered into the How confident is the best Chinese

player? The benefits are obvious. Keep the head still. Play straight.

Give yourself the best possible That was not easy. It was the

correct shot to play but it is What is the angle like? Absolutely

Not a good chance just yet. The bunch is awkward. He could quite

easily stick in the back. It needs He is looking at the possibility of

the pink but he is straight on the The pink might have to move on to

the brown spot if it is occupied. It was difficult to split the pack

from the black but from there, it Has he hit that hard enough? He

might have it past the yellow. Good recovery. Not easy to judge

He might have to play for the black. It is much easier to go into the

reds off the blue. This is the He has gone into them. Look at the

arc on the cue ball. He has missed them completely. Amazing where the

cue ball has finished up of. That is purely top spin and side. A

Not the best. He needs the yellow to come to his rescue. It has not.

Ding Junhui can get to the potting angle if he plays with a lot of

Keep your head still. Push the cue through a straight line. That is

What a killer blow this would be for Ronnie O'Sullivan after being

Just missed the cannon into the reds. Otherwise the frame would

have been his. He needed the split. Amazing how it went around the reds.

If he struck slightly lower, that would not have happened. Careless

shot. I did not think that red get past the brown. He is completely

out of position. He is scratching his head. That is probably the

worst shot he has played. He has got a cut to the middle. But maybe

there is just enough room past the He didn't fancy that. The only red

he could lead that was the one he took on. -- lead was the one he

That last shot that he played is one of the toughest shots in the

game. He did not let the white gave far and let the red Rum back up the

table. Very few players can hit it as soft as that and run it up the

This is a bit of a free pot. It will be an automatically --

automatic safety shot. But it was nice to see the red disappear. That

is a stunning pot. Under the circumstances, what has gone past

STEPHEN HENDRY: If he wins this match, he will have negative things

to say about his game today, but I have not seen him pot so many long

balls. DENNIS TAYLOR: It has been his Achilles heel in the last

couple of seasons. Today, it has Just showing what he is made of. A

great character. It looked as if he He saw his lead disappear with Ding

Junhui taking three in a row. The pressure is firmly back on the

It does not matter about the black. Ding Junhui will stay in his seat.

Ronnie O'Sullivan badly-needed that Can you not take pictures when the

Apology for the loss of subtitles for 47 seconds

players are at the table, please. He cannot give himself a better

chance. Ding Junhui knows that he might be sitting there for a while.

Because the reds are nicely placed. The black is not tied up. This is

not a bad chance for Ronnie He has always been fantastic at

closing a match out. As all the top winners in the game are. He seems

to put an extra ounce of There is no problem with the red

next to the black. It goes into the right corner. He might elect to

That would clear the black into both corner pockets. He has such a

Those of the shots that are key to break building. He is a past master

One of the greatest break builders the game has ever seen. The only

person in front of him is the one sitting next to be here, Stephen

Hendry, whose name you probably won't remember! At just over 700

centuries. You probably do not know the answer. How many have you made?

I think it is about 767, something He has to make sure he pots the

black. We have seen a few of them What is he looking at? Is there a

possible plant? What a bonus that Alarm bells are ringing for Ding

Ronnie O'Sullivan does not have to do a lot with the cue ball. There

It was a great fightback from Ding Junhui. It is not over just yet.

But we knew Ronnie O'Sullivan was capable of doing this. He lost

three frames in a row. He is well Three more reds are available. He

does not have to career into the He does not want to risk playing a

cannon when he can win the frame He can play for the red next to the

He is showing us why he has won That needed to pull up a little bit

This time, the fractions were in It has been a great opening match

to this year's Masters. It is a great venue. I am sure we are in

This is the title that every player wants. The defending champion, Ding

Junhui, knows that it is the end of this year's Masters for him. It

looks like a walk in the park for Ronnie O'Sullivan. That was until

Ding Junhui got himself back into it. In the end, Ronnie O'Sullivan

has kept his focus. He will be downbeat in the interview, but he

has cued well. He has done very little wrong after the two opening

It would be nice if he could go out with the first century ever made at

the Ally Pally. Can he not that difficult red in? Get in there,

The first ever century break is made at Alexandra Palace. And the

He is doing what all great champions seem to do. Every shot is

being cheered now by the crowd. That is not taking anything away

from Ding Junhui. The crowd have appreciated his play. He has

nothing to be ashamed of. He has He finishes like a true champion.

They have given us a great opening match. In the end, Ronnie

O'Sullivan raises his hand to these two per the crowd. He goes out a

winner, finishing in style with 125. -- to the crowd. He takes the match

6-4. HAZEL IRVINE: The two Ronnies. They

came in for a long chat. It was fascinating to hear what was in

Robbie's mind. He seemed at peace, particularly with young Ronnie by

his side. We got a sense of his priorities. He has come to terms

with where he is in the game. He has decided not to chase the pot of

gold at the end of the rainbow by playing for everything. It means he

will sacrifice his position in the rankings, but I do not think he

cares about that. He can still enter the qualifying section.

Therefore, in his eyes, he does not have to chase every ranking point.

After watching the interview, hopefully, he is in the right frame

of mind between now and the rest of the season, so that he does not

have to go into qualifying matches. If he plays like that, he will be a

handful. Judd Trump against Ronnie O'Sullivan. We saw them in York.

How will this pan out? A new kid on the block trying to take away the

thunder of Ronnie O'Sullivan. It is fascinating. Ronnie O'Sullivan will

not like the fact there is somebody along those lines. I am looking

forward to it. Thank you for your company. It has been an interesting

afternoon, with more interesting play in the next day's. This