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Good evening. If you have up used to star-gazing this week, we can | :00:41. | :00:47. | |
all we can do that now with a bit of bees gazing. If snooker has just | :00:48. | :00:55. | |
popped up on your radar, will come to Alexander Palace and the BGC | :00:55. | :01:00. | |
Masters. This is the second of or quarter finals in the premier | :01:00. | :01:07. | |
Invitational event of the season. We have put two world champions, | :01:07. | :01:13. | |
John Higgins and Graeme Dott, in action. All the chat has been | :01:13. | :01:17. | |
dominated by the first of four quarter-finals, featuring Judd | :01:17. | :01:27. | |
:01:27. | :01:30. | ||
Trump and the perennial crowd favourite, Ronnie O'Sullivan. | :01:30. | :01:40. | |
:01:40. | :02:13. | ||
I think Ronnie O'Sullivan looks a What a fabulous clearance from | :02:13. | :02:23. | |
young Judd Trump. He leads Ronnie O'Sullivan by four frames to nil. | :02:23. | :02:33. | |
:02:33. | :02:41. | ||
That is the sensational pot. Eggett, He has conceded the frame. Judd | :02:41. | :02:51. | |
:02:51. | :02:54. | ||
What an effort from Rory was all of them. His back was right against a | :02:54. | :03:01. | |
wall, 5-1 down. What does he do? He makes the biggest break of this | :03:01. | :03:11. | |
:03:11. | :03:13. | ||
That is care less. Judd it was looking for one chance to close | :03:13. | :03:18. | |
this match out. It has been a fabulous display from this young | :03:18. | :03:26. | |
man. He is the new star of snooker. He is through to the semi-final. He | :03:26. | :03:36. | |
:03:36. | :03:37. | ||
has beaten Ronnie O'Sullivan 6-2. think, when I go one or two frames | :03:37. | :03:42. | |
ahead, I have the confidence to keep on going and carry on with my | :03:42. | :03:47. | |
game. Today, I did that the first couple of frames. Even in the | :03:47. | :03:56. | |
second session, I hardly miss the ball. He played a great game. | :03:56. | :04:02. | |
Credit has to go for him. It was a tremendous 60 break in the last | :04:02. | :04:10. | |
frame under pressure. It was a really good match. If there was a | :04:10. | :04:14. | |
great watcher and Steve Davis, some people would say that is the | :04:14. | :04:23. | |
significant afternoon for snooker. Is it a thumping? Yes, I have | :04:23. | :04:27. | |
really seen Ronnie was a long and outplayed in that manner. Whether | :04:27. | :04:33. | |
that means it is the changing of the Guard they do not know. But | :04:34. | :04:38. | |
that does happen overnight and maybe we are St Judd Trump raising | :04:38. | :04:44. | |
the bar. It's there something missing from Ronnie O'Sullivan's | :04:44. | :04:52. | |
game? He failed to make a couple of frame-winning breaks, but I think | :04:52. | :04:58. | |
it is just that really does someone dominate the table when the play | :04:58. | :05:05. | |
Ronnie O'Sullivan. If Judd Trump is going to dominate like that, it may | :05:05. | :05:13. | |
be that Ronnie O'Sullivan will have to play second fiddle. To be honest, | :05:13. | :05:16. | |
Ronnie O'Sullivan and John Higgins have been at the top of the game | :05:16. | :05:23. | |
for so long, I do not see it happening any time soon. We are now | :05:23. | :05:27. | |
concentrating on what should be an intriguing match between two canny | :05:27. | :05:37. | |
:05:37. | :05:49. | ||
Scots. It is going to be I have never settled here at the | :05:49. | :05:59. | |
:05:59. | :06:10. | ||
Wembley Conference and Ena and then I have never done a well in the you | :06:11. | :06:16. | |
it is just a tournament I have never done well. We do not know | :06:16. | :06:20. | |
what that is just horses for courses. I hope the changes this | :06:20. | :06:30. | |
:06:30. | :06:42. | ||
Coming here, it may be more like the original venue. I hope I do a | :06:42. | :06:50. | |
lot better. In a new venue, hopefully it will be a new start | :06:50. | :06:57. | |
for me. I think this is the best that Graeme has started the season. | :06:57. | :07:05. | |
He has been very consistent. He is playing good stuff. He it is going | :07:05. | :07:15. | |
to be a really tough match. know that every time you play John. | :07:15. | :07:20. | |
And we have got two people called John in the commentary box. John | :07:20. | :07:28. | |
Virgo and John Parrott. John Higgins thinks their Graeme Dott is | :07:28. | :07:34. | |
made the best start he has ever made to a professional season. What | :07:34. | :07:42. | |
sort of threat does he pauses? know each other's games very well. | :07:42. | :07:50. | |
They are often practice partners. Graeme Dott has only been in the | :07:50. | :07:59. | |
quarter-finals, never got beyond that. The Masters used to be funny. | :07:59. | :08:02. | |
Particularly at the conference table, the players were a long way | :08:02. | :08:09. | |
away from the crowd. I thought Graeme Dott played very well | :08:09. | :08:18. | |
against Ali Carter and they think he will push John Higgins close. | :08:18. | :08:22. | |
John Higgins has only once lost a quarter-final match in 18 | :08:22. | :08:27. | |
appearances. It is the remarkable record. Is this going to be a | :08:28. | :08:35. | |
marathon or East Brent? sometimes get long-drawn-out | :08:35. | :08:43. | |
matches with these two and I think it could be no way. We will now | :08:43. | :08:53. | |
:08:53. | :09:01. | ||
Good evening, there are just three days left in the BGC Masters. One | :09:01. | :09:08. | |
of the quarter-final places tonight it is up for grabs a place in the | :09:08. | :09:16. | |
semi-final and it is going to be taken by a Scot. First up, the | :09:16. | :09:21. | |
former world champion of 2006 and beat Ali Carter 6-3 last night, | :09:21. | :09:31. | |
:09:31. | :09:32. | ||
bidding for his first BGC Masters semi-final appearance, please | :09:32. | :09:34. | |
welcome the "Pocket Dynamo", Graeme Dott!. | :09:34. | :09:44. | |
:09:44. | :10:01. | ||
MUSIC: "Two Tribes" by Frankie Goes And his opponent, one of the finest | :10:01. | :10:06. | |
Scottish players are ever to grace the game. The winner of 24 ranking | :10:06. | :10:13. | |
event titles and twice the Masters champion. Beating Matthew Stevens | :10:13. | :10:17. | |
in the first round, here is the reigning world champion, please | :10:17. | :10:27. | |
:10:27. | :11:07. | ||
will come the "Wizard of Wishaw", The JOHN VIRGO: the the | :11:07. | :11:17. | |
:11:17. | :11:17. | ||
introductions are over and we are under way. John Higgins is ranked | :11:17. | :11:22. | |
number three in the world and Graeme Dott, number seven. So not a | :11:22. | :11:31. | |
lot in it in the rankings States. They know each other's game so well. | :11:31. | :11:39. | |
Be used to be practice partners. I think John Higgins certainly | :11:39. | :11:49. | |
:11:49. | :12:02. | ||
A great opening pot. This will let us know how Graeme is feeling. This | :12:02. | :12:12. | |
:12:12. | :12:22. | ||
A good pot and it is one thing that Graeme Dott is good at. He is the | :12:22. | :12:32. | |
:12:32. | :12:36. | ||
very good single ball potter. Excellent pot. There are quite a | :12:36. | :12:42. | |
few blows reds and he may decide to play on a few of them. Having said | :12:42. | :12:52. | |
:12:52. | :12:56. | ||
that, he has got a perfect angle on He played at Troon in the year, but | :12:56. | :13:00. | |
missed that. That is why the cue ball has finished so close to the | :13:00. | :13:10. | |
:13:10. | :13:12. | ||
cushion. Yes, a thought he had to put a bit of stunt on the ball for | :13:12. | :13:22. | |
:13:22. | :13:26. | ||
that to work. That was tricky. you're playing across the table you | :13:26. | :13:34. | |
expect them to drop and that is why he may be hit it to full. He will | :13:34. | :13:44. | |
:13:44. | :13:44. | ||
Apology for the loss of subtitles for 95 seconds | :13:44. | :15:20. | |
be disappointed not to make more of One of the interested spectators is | :15:20. | :15:30. | |
:15:30. | :15:36. | ||
Where you want for watching opponents saw potential opponents, | :15:36. | :15:46. | |
:15:46. | :15:46. | ||
John? I think a game like this, watching John Higgins, you could | :15:46. | :15:51. | |
always learn something, particularly about his tactical | :15:51. | :15:57. | |
game. Some people say he is the best all-round player to have | :15:57. | :16:07. | |
:16:07. | :16:10. | ||
played the game. I would not It is different to Judd Trump, who | :16:10. | :16:16. | |
just pots the first red and then sees what else will go. John is | :16:16. | :16:26. | |
:16:26. | :16:26. | ||
slightly different in their respect. I think he is talking can just get | :16:26. | :16:33. | |
to the one over the middle. Of course, it would be remiss of us to | :16:34. | :16:38. | |
say that Mark Selby still has to get past Shaun Murphy before he | :16:38. | :16:48. | |
:16:48. | :17:07. | ||
That will be a cracking match He has got a nice angle on this red | :17:07. | :17:17. | |
:17:17. | :17:25. | ||
There is at least one red that will going the same pocket as the black. | :17:25. | :17:35. | |
:17:35. | :17:44. | ||
But I think this is the last of the last red balls. He needs to | :17:44. | :17:54. | |
:17:54. | :18:01. | ||
This could be the key to the frame. He will probably stone into the | :18:01. | :18:07. | |
middle red with pace. Nor, he played for the other one, of which | :18:07. | :18:15. | |
tells me that the red I was suggesting goes to the right-hand | :18:15. | :18:24. | |
corner. Yes, it clearly does. just has to be a little bit careful | :18:24. | :18:31. | |
with this one. It is hard to control the cue ball with that shot. | :18:31. | :18:41. | |
:18:41. | :18:42. | ||
I think he will settle for that. The few inches shorter and it would | :18:42. | :18:51. | |
have been in no man's land, but you would not expect him to miss this. | :18:51. | :18:55. | |
It should be the first frame or over. That is what happens at this | :18:55. | :19:02. | |
level. Graeme Dott got a good opening red and black, but missed | :19:02. | :19:09. | |
the red in the middle. At this level, only one mistake can cost to | :19:09. | :19:19. | |
:19:19. | :19:24. | ||
Having said that, he would have wanted to be better on the black | :19:24. | :19:29. | |
than this. If this was on the practice table, he would just | :19:29. | :19:34. | |
bought this with left-hand side. In match conditions, a bit more | :19:35. | :19:44. | |
:19:45. | :19:53. | ||
difficult. If this red pots, he has been very fortunate. It looks like | :19:53. | :20:03. | |
:20:03. | :20:09. | ||
He opted out of playing the good positional shot. It has cost them. | :20:09. | :20:18. | |
Never take anything for granted, I suppose. Yes, he was just trying to | :20:18. | :20:27. | |
be a bit careful and he has over done it. It might be tight to get | :20:27. | :20:35. | |
through to this back red. problem he has got is that the | :20:35. | :20:45. | |
:20:45. | :20:55. | ||
yellow is covering the other red in It was not the one shot. It has | :20:55. | :21:05. | |
:21:05. | :21:17. | ||
John Higgins may consider it is worth taking on the pot. He could | :21:17. | :21:27. | |
:21:27. | :21:37. | ||
stand back, not to even really play Good pot. He was not too bothered | :21:37. | :21:47. | |
:21:47. | :21:49. | ||
about the position. Now, can he roll-up hate behind the black? -- | :21:49. | :21:59. | |
:21:59. | :22:03. | ||
An excellent long pot. Graeme must have thought he had played the good | :22:03. | :22:13. | |
:22:13. | :22:14. | ||
safety shot. As ever, with those, it is not about hitting them, but | :22:14. | :22:24. | |
:22:24. | :22:29. | ||
getting them safe. Well, that is All of a sudden, we could have an | :22:29. | :22:39. | |
:22:39. | :22:48. | ||
That was really well played. Perfect angle on the pink. They're | :22:48. | :22:58. | |
:22:58. | :23:07. | ||
very couple of ways of playing this. 30 points behind, so he cannot we | :23:07. | :23:17. | |
:23:17. | :23:17. | ||
red and in yellow. He needs to take at least the green. If he pots the | :23:17. | :23:21. | |
green and the six remaining colours, he will win the first frame by one | :23:21. | :23:31. | |
point. Who would have thought that a few minutes ago? Not, he got a | :23:31. | :23:35. | |
bit of luck, but John will be kicking him self about missing at | :23:36. | :23:45. | |
:23:46. | :24:04. | ||
I always feel in a clearance, this is all with the key shot. If you | :24:05. | :24:09. | |
get on the right side of the blue, it is the formality. If it goes | :24:10. | :24:19. | |
:24:20. | :24:21. | ||
slightly wrong, it is not. And he has run too far. I always preferred | :24:21. | :24:25. | |
to play them off the side cushion. It just about guarantees you been | :24:26. | :24:33. | |
on the blue. He is not as close as they would like to be to this pink | :24:34. | :24:43. | |
:24:44. | :24:44. | ||
and he needs both balls. Good pot. Excellent pot. What a frame that | :24:44. | :24:54. | |
:24:54. | :24:58. | ||
That is the game of snooker for you. I think he put his hand up and | :24:58. | :25:08. | |
:25:08. | :25:09. | ||
apologised to John Higgins format It is interesting to compare the | :25:09. | :25:19. | |
:25:19. | :25:23. | ||
record of these two. John Higgins leads by a 12-6. The last match | :25:23. | :25:29. | |
they played was in the Masters last year and Graeme Dott won the day. | :25:29. | :25:37. | |
There was plenty of intrigue in the first frame. Yes, it looked as if | :25:37. | :25:43. | |
John Higgins was going to get over the line. Then, Graeme Dott gutty | :25:43. | :25:53. | |
fantastic fluke. He has got to try and hit this red, but when it is | :25:53. | :25:59. | |
going is anybody's guess. But most importantly, take advantage and | :25:59. | :26:09. | |
:26:09. | :26:09. | ||
clear up. Either one of them is capable of pouncing on mistakes | :26:09. | :26:16. | |
like that or strokes of good fortune? Yes, one of them has a | :26:17. | :26:22. | |
reputation for Matt and the other is underrated, but you do not get | :26:22. | :26:25. | |
to three World Championship finals if you do not have that in Europe | :26:25. | :26:33. | |
team. Graeme Dott will be disappointed with that break off | :26:34. | :26:43. | |
:26:44. | :26:50. | ||
shot. He has left the red on to the He knew it would hit into the bunch | :26:50. | :26:58. | |
but was just hoping for a glance off them. He just caught that | :26:58. | :27:06. | |
bottom red far too full. So, without having to do anything, John | :27:06. | :27:14. | |
Higgins has an early chance. kick yourself when you do that. You | :27:14. | :27:19. | |
have just won a framed which you probably didn't deserve to and you | :27:19. | :27:29. | |
:27:29. | :28:05. | ||
have let your opponent back in John is having a look at the to red | :28:05. | :28:15. | |
:28:15. | :28:15. | ||
some of the black spot. He is wanting to get on a one-off the | :28:15. | :28:21. | |
right who inside of these, so it will then open up the black. It is | :28:21. | :28:31. | |
:28:31. | :28:42. | ||
Just screwed a little bit too far. As be see so many times, when you | :28:42. | :28:46. | |
try and spot the pack at pace, there is the possibility that one | :28:46. | :28:56. | |
:28:56. | :28:59. | ||
of the red or even the pink can He did not play it with much pace | :28:59. | :29:09. | |
:29:09. | :29:15. | ||
and Queen is the cue ball going? -- where is the cue ball going? Yes, | :29:15. | :29:20. | |
he was just having to play the ball and too thin to get any sort of | :29:20. | :29:30. | |
:29:30. | :30:03. | ||
Good pot. He needs a good case. That'll do nicely. He has developed | :30:03. | :30:12. | |
the yellow. There is not many better players than Graeme Dott at | :30:12. | :30:22. | |
:30:22. | :30:31. | ||
Mark Williams is another player is He would like that one again. I am | :30:31. | :30:37. | |
surprised he has left the cue ball so close to the right cushion. | :30:37. | :30:42. | |
you straight on, he can do we get good, close position on the pink, | :30:42. | :30:47. | |
and if you try to force it into the middle of the table, it would make | :30:47. | :30:57. | |
:30:57. | :30:57. | ||
the pot certainly missable. Good pot. Writer and art of the pocket. | :30:57. | :31:07. | |
:31:07. | :31:10. | ||
Overrun slightly for the blue. -- He's just scratching around for | :31:10. | :31:15. | |
good position at the moment. He is slightly awkward, on this blue, so | :31:15. | :31:20. | |
he has not got the cue ball absolutely perfect yet. He has | :31:20. | :31:30. | |
:31:30. | :31:42. | ||
That jumped up and the air -- in the air. It definitely took a bit | :31:42. | :31:52. | |
:31:52. | :31:55. | ||
of weight out of the cue ball. cue ball was bouncing - it was like | :31:55. | :32:05. | |
:32:05. | :32:09. | ||
Dambusters on the way India -- in There's an easier shot. He has got | :32:09. | :32:13. | |
to be wary, if he misses it of carrying that red on the left-hand | :32:13. | :32:23. | |
:32:23. | :32:29. | ||
Another good pot. It needs to bounce past the baulk line, and it | :32:29. | :32:34. | |
has done. They are still scrambling around for good position but if you | :32:34. | :32:43. | |
keep at it, you give yourself a chance. It is some break, this, so | :32:43. | :32:53. | |
:32:53. | :33:14. | ||
far. The cue ball has been in three Just the wrong side of the blue. | :33:14. | :33:22. | |
Hawkeye showing you, and he's frustrated because he cannot force | :33:22. | :33:28. | |
this in and out of baulk. He's not going to get too close to the next | :33:28. | :33:38. | |
:33:38. | :33:44. | ||
red, it would not appear. I short again, and the cue ball has pulled | :33:44. | :33:50. | |
up, so he will not be hampered by the blue. Not an easy shot, this, | :33:50. | :33:55. | |
with the rest, but the black is pottable. It is a natural angle to | :33:55. | :34:02. | |
come through for it. Hopefully, after that, John, he should have | :34:02. | :34:12. | |
:34:12. | :34:19. | ||
the cue ball where he wants it. It A chance now, it looks as if he can | :34:19. | :34:29. | |
get through to the black and the least these two roads above it. -- | :34:29. | :34:35. | |
release these two reds. The red that is going to be above the black | :34:35. | :34:41. | |
will be in a pottable position. Or, he can hold for the black, or go up | :34:41. | :34:48. | |
for the blue, but all of a sudden, you can see a frame-winning chance. | :34:48. | :34:58. | |
:34:58. | :34:59. | ||
Is it enough? Just caught their, perfect on the blue. -- just got | :34:59. | :35:09. | |
:35:09. | :35:23. | ||
This has been an excellent break. If you needed any more proof all | :35:23. | :35:27. | |
the grit and determination of Graeme Dott, you have seen it in | :35:27. | :35:32. | |
this break. He has kept going, potting good balls, that excellent | :35:32. | :35:38. | |
shot he played with the rest to the middle. You get certain players | :35:38. | :35:43. | |
that, if they are not in a pinpoint position all the time, their head- | :35:43. | :35:48. | |
to- OPs, but that never seems to border Graeme Dott. If he runs out | :35:48. | :35:52. | |
of position he just concentrates on the next pot. -- does not seem to | :35:53. | :36:01. | |
bother. He is only a couple points away from seeking this second frame. | :36:01. | :36:10. | |
-- taking. The two reds that are together will definitely go to the | :36:10. | :36:16. | |
right corner, but I don't think he has got a good angle on this black. | :36:16. | :36:24. | |
In fact, he has the worst possible angle. To be honest, the blue was a | :36:24. | :36:32. | |
poor shot. Now he is slightly it opposition with this one. He has | :36:32. | :36:36. | |
been like that for quite a bit of this break, and he just keeps | :36:36. | :36:41. | |
knocking them in. He was trying to hit the black in a pocket that | :36:41. | :36:51. | |
:36:51. | :36:52. | ||
wasn't there. It was a tremendous, scrappy break, but it is not enough. | :36:52. | :37:00. | |
29 points the lead, but still for of the one remaining -- 51 | :37:00. | :37:10. | |
:37:10. | :37:14. | ||
That was very well played. On these tournament tables these are | :37:14. | :37:20. | |
horrible shots. He has argued that perfectly, and perfect position. -- | :37:20. | :37:30. | |
:37:30. | :37:33. | ||
he Cas cued that perfectly. You saw the look on John Higgins's face. He | :37:33. | :37:39. | |
could not believe he screwed that like he did. After the opening red | :37:39. | :37:49. | |
:37:49. | :38:20. | ||
Good recovery. No, how is it -- now, This is looking like it is the Tana | :38:20. | :38:30. | |
:38:30. | :38:31. | ||
John Higgins to return the compliment. -- the turn of. Graeme | :38:31. | :38:34. | |
Dott's mess of the black has given John Higgins this chance, which I | :38:35. | :38:44. | |
:38:45. | :38:47. | ||
am sure you will do his best to Just having a look now, which is | :38:47. | :38:52. | |
the best way to go about this. If he pots the black, he goes ten | :38:52. | :38:59. | |
points behind. And yellow, green, brown and blue, that is 14 points, | :38:59. | :39:09. | |
:39:09. | :39:28. | ||
so that is why he's not even So, up to and including the blue, | :39:28. | :39:38. | |
:39:38. | :39:57. | ||
he will be 14 points in front with I miscounted. He doesn't need the | :39:57. | :40:07. | |
:40:07. | :40:08. | ||
pink. -- he does need the pink. he wants to do here is get dead | :40:08. | :40:18. | |
:40:18. | :40:21. | ||
weight, than, on to the top cushion. He has played that well and got the | :40:22. | :40:30. | |
good angle on the blue just to roll the pink in. No heroics. It is tit- | :40:30. | :40:38. | |
for-tat. Graeme Dott looked certain to win this frame, as did John | :40:38. | :40:42. | |
Higgins to win the first red. John Higgins didn't want to bother | :40:42. | :40:48. | |
potting the black. He didn't need it. It is 1-1. John Higgins returns | :40:48. | :40:52. | |
the compliment by way of another of steel. It is no banter cap the | :40:52. | :40:56. | |
moment. There seems to be a small problem positionally speaking for | :40:57. | :41:01. | |
both players so far. Once you get past the stage of potting the ball, | :41:01. | :41:05. | |
the next major problem in the game is keeping the cue ball under | :41:05. | :41:10. | |
control. And every player struggles. Some players have a better route | :41:10. | :41:15. | |
around the table, tending to have a more guaranteed way of getting from | :41:15. | :41:19. | |
one ball to the other without anything going wrong, but when you | :41:19. | :41:23. | |
judging the weight of the shot, it can always go wrong, especially if | :41:23. | :41:28. | |
there is a bit of tension in your arm. Last night Graeme Dott was | :41:28. | :41:33. | |
struggling, positionally speaking. What could he have done in the | :41:33. | :41:38. | |
intervening sign to alleviate the problem? Absolutely nothing. You | :41:38. | :41:42. | |
either play a good position, or you do not. You can, over a period of | :41:42. | :41:48. | |
time, learn to play good position, and the best in any top player or | :41:48. | :41:52. | |
amateur player can do is to watch a very good break-builders, how they | :41:52. | :42:02. | |
:42:02. | :42:02. | ||
go about it. But the change overnight, using the practice table, | :42:02. | :42:05. | |
usually they are the same speed as the match table, but not always | :42:05. | :42:09. | |
exactly the same. Sometimes you get a tricky ones where the white ball | :42:09. | :42:16. | |
could go astray. You look at the likes of Judd Trump, Ronnie | :42:16. | :42:23. | |
O'Sullivan, John Higgins most of the time, they play shots where | :42:23. | :42:26. | |
they give themselves a good chance to get on the next pot most of the | :42:26. | :42:33. | |
time. They have got their safety game to rely on if things go wrong, | :42:33. | :42:38. | |
in the positional sense. Yes, and you cannot always fly round the | :42:38. | :42:41. | |
table and every ball go in, so you have to be able to cut your losses | :42:41. | :42:47. | |
and get the balance right. What we have seen so far has been | :42:47. | :42:53. | |
fascinating, in as much as one has pounced on the other's mistake. | :42:53. | :43:03. | |
:43:03. | :43:10. | ||
Graeme Dott is back. REFEREE: John Higgins to break. Both players have | :43:10. | :43:17. | |
got a frame on the scoreboard, so they have settled into it. What an | :43:17. | :43:23. | |
answer guessing start -- interesting start. We talk about | :43:23. | :43:30. | |
whether it would be spent on a marathon, and the first frame took | :43:30. | :43:33. | |
just under 30 minutes, and the second frame to just over 40 | :43:33. | :43:39. | |
minutes. So that is good, quick- fire snooker. There was bound to be | :43:39. | :43:45. | |
a scrappy frame somewhere along the line, but, so far, so good, it has | :43:45. | :43:55. | |
:43:55. | :43:57. | ||
been high quality staff. Very interesting. -- stuff. I thought it | :43:57. | :44:02. | |
was interesting, the comment from John Higgins, that he felt very | :44:02. | :44:06. | |
settled at Wembley. He has fond memories, of a great atmosphere. | :44:06. | :44:10. | |
But he said to like this one already after playing one match in | :44:10. | :44:14. | |
it. But, you do get their news sometimes that you do not quite | :44:15. | :44:24. | |
:44:25. | :44:26. | ||
like. -- venues. I remember the conference centre, you were miles | :44:26. | :44:30. | |
away from the table when you were sat in your chair, and you did not | :44:30. | :44:40. | |
:44:40. | :44:41. | ||
I have Stephen Hendry talking this afternoon about playing Jimmy White | :44:41. | :44:51. | |
:44:51. | :45:06. | ||
at Wembley. That was an ordeal, in Everybody loved Jimmy, and why | :45:06. | :45:16. | |
:45:16. | :45:26. | ||
Graeme Dott needs to be a little careful, he is trying to see if he | :45:26. | :45:31. | |
can drop in the pack. If he does he would leave a red to the centre, so | :45:31. | :45:39. | |
he has to get right in, tight. is the sort of line he is looking | :45:39. | :45:48. | |
at. Didn't hit the right red. was the one that I said to avoid | :45:48. | :45:52. | |
and the has left two reds on, one through the gap, and one to the | :45:52. | :46:02. | |
:46:02. | :46:02. | ||
Apology for the loss of subtitles for 95 seconds | :46:02. | :47:32. | |
The cue ball has been under complete control so far in this | :47:32. | :47:38. | |
break. Just needs to drop this black and get on the other side of | :47:38. | :47:48. | |
:47:48. | :47:56. | ||
At some point, he is going to have to go back into that pack of five | :47:56. | :48:03. | |
or six reds. If he can screw back office he can play a cannon into | :48:03. | :48:08. | |
the pack and leave himself on the loose red. Cannon into the middle | :48:08. | :48:18. | |
:48:18. | :48:19. | ||
red on the left-hand side, leaving He didn't hit the red he intended | :48:20. | :48:27. | |
but I think he has been fortunate. He played for the one to the right | :48:27. | :48:33. | |
of the one he made a connection with. Now, does this red go to the | :48:33. | :48:43. | |
:48:43. | :48:48. | ||
right middle? Just about. It must do. Lucky to be on it. What a | :48:48. | :48:51. | |
difference that makes. That would have been end of break, if that had | :48:51. | :49:01. | |
:49:01. | :49:12. | ||
No surprise, John Higgins looks in I think that is what happens when | :49:12. | :49:19. | |
people play John Higgins. They no they have got to play well, because | :49:19. | :49:23. | |
unless you play at your best, you are not going to win. He is such a | :49:23. | :49:33. | |
:49:33. | :49:34. | ||
In the final of the World Championship against Judd Trump, it | :49:34. | :49:39. | |
looked for all the world as though Judd Trump had him on the rack, | :49:39. | :49:49. | |
:49:49. | :50:00. | ||
just given half a chance, and boy, He has gone into those those top -- | :50:00. | :50:10. | |
:50:10. | :50:15. | ||
has gone into those. He can just It looked a bit wide, but in it | :50:15. | :50:25. | |
:50:25. | :50:47. | ||
went. He is not inch-perfect on The first two frames, you have | :50:47. | :50:51. | |
assumed one player is going to win it, and when he gets almost over | :50:51. | :51:01. | |
:51:01. | :51:18. | ||
It has to be said, this is not There was a red up near the yellow, | :51:18. | :51:23. | |
which should just go past the brown. Those three reds near the pink spot | :51:23. | :51:28. | |
are not all in the open, and the one on the left-hand side is tricky, | :51:28. | :51:35. | |
so there is a lot to be done. I don't know if the bottom of the | :51:35. | :51:45. | |
:51:45. | :52:16. | ||
If the bottom red does not pot, he He did play the cannon. He didn't | :52:16. | :52:21. | |
get the brown in the middle of the pocket, but I don't see how, even | :52:21. | :52:27. | |
if he did, that the cannon was going to be there. He played one | :52:27. | :52:31. | |
like that there there, and that one, of the brown, he needed a little | :52:31. | :52:41. | |
:52:41. | :53:08. | ||
bit of stun on that to throw the He needs to missed the brown. He | :53:08. | :53:18. | |
:53:18. | :53:21. | ||
just flicked it, but not too bad. That made the difference. If it had | :53:21. | :53:31. | |
:53:31. | :53:38. | ||
slipped past that brown he would He has the chance of potting this | :53:38. | :53:42. | |
red but I never liked these three- quarter ball pot shots, if you miss | :53:42. | :53:51. | |
them, almost certainly, the red will go back up the table with the | :53:52. | :53:58. | |
cue ball. He has taken it on. Terrific pot. Is he on a colour, | :53:59. | :54:07. | |
will it bounce, is he on the brown? Knows a prizes for guessing where | :54:07. | :54:17. | |
:54:17. | :54:17. | ||
John Higgins is going. -- no surprises. Still 51 points | :54:17. | :54:24. | |
remaining. The only slight problem is that I don't think the green is | :54:24. | :54:28. | |
available into that pocket any more, so if he gets a chance, it will | :54:28. | :54:33. | |
make it slightly awkward. He was more concerned with getting the | :54:33. | :54:43. | |
:54:43. | :54:46. | ||
tough snooker. He filed on the brand. -- fouled on the brown. Is | :54:46. | :54:56. | |
it a free ball? It is worth looking for. REFEREE: I am just going to | :54:56. | :55:06. | |
:55:06. | :55:08. | ||
The pink is a visual aid for him to see if he can hit anything. I think | :55:08. | :55:15. | |
he can get to the one near the top cushion. If it is a free ball, he | :55:15. | :55:20. | |
will have it replaced. We will see what happened, he pushed it through, | :55:20. | :55:29. | |
and he just caught the brown with his cue. But it is a hit and hope, | :55:29. | :55:34. | |
this. There is no way that you can escape on this and be certain to | :55:34. | :55:44. | |
:55:44. | :55:53. | ||
John Higgins is saying that it was a bit closer to the brown. That is | :55:53. | :56:03. | |
:56:03. | :56:05. | ||
where it was before. And unless that was a free ball, that will be | :56:05. | :56:12. | |
going straight back. And it is. is a certain free ball, as you can | :56:12. | :56:22. | |
:56:22. | :56:23. | ||
see. This colour will count as a red. With a colour to follow. Just | :56:23. | :56:33. | |
:56:33. | :57:08. | ||
REFEREE: and go into have to stop you there, because our scoring is | :57:08. | :57:18. | |
:57:18. | :57:36. | ||
Lead this for now,... I think what happened was that it was a foul | :57:36. | :57:46. | |
five. After that foul shot, he pushed it through and hit the blue. | :57:46. | :57:53. | |
I don't understand that, because surely, it is a foul on the brown. | :57:53. | :58:00. | |
Absolutely. It is a foul on the brown. I know that it hit the blue, | :58:00. | :58:10. | |
:58:10. | :58:12. | ||
but that was after was. -- afterwards. I don't think the | :58:12. | :58:22. | |
:58:22. | :58:35. | ||
REFEREE: you are absolutely right, It is one of those nights. He just | :58:35. | :58:41. | |
forgot that he had fouled the brand. We're going to have to go off air, | :58:41. | :58:46. | |
just at this point. But I am sure things will be smoothly cruising | :58:46. | :58:50. |