Day 2 Masters Snooker

Good afternoon and a very wintery one it is in London and probably

wherever you are. It brings a whole new perspective to the turn

sledging in sport. Drum Higgins and Ali Carter have tackled -- have a

told through the snow to get here to Alexandra Palace in time for

their opening match in this year's Betfair Masters. For John, he is

after a third Masters title, only seven years after his last one. I

always found the Masters quite an over boring event. John Higgins has

had the same problem. It's not like we can't play here. We play in the

crucible where there is the one table set-up. I was over ought with

the Wembley Arena. I couldn't settle there. It was too big, too

fast. I never felt anything at that event. This particular venue suits

John Higgins more because it is more intimate. He hasn't produced

like he has in the world championships here and you would

expect on the big stage arguably the second biggest tournament of

the season that his name would be This board has a lot of great names

on it but when I look it, it is not a good viewing. There is me, only

three times Masters champion. John Higgins, four times world champion,

two-times Masters champion. What went wrong? I would have liked to

have won it more times but I never seen to play better. What has he

got to do to try to win it for the third time? He's got to get used to

the crowd. He's got to win them over. He is playing Ali Carter, a

relative local lad. He's got to try to get over to a flying start.

Something will not used to. The most important thing, the usual

suspects behind him are also trying to win the tournament. Those

suspects get better year on year. So, John Higgins, former world

number one facing the former world No. 2 Ali Carter, adding up to

something special this afternoon. Mind you, they will have to go some

to beat yesterday's opening match for pure drama. He may have been

watching when Neil Robertson was 3- 5 down against Ding Junhui and

staring an early exit squarely in the face. He was all but down and

out. The key phrase there - all but. We can start off with a better

he takes the opening frame. Look at him, crossed double on the red.

Just the start the defending champion was looking for. This will

test his cue action. Well played. He is getting there. There is a

century. Brilliant. What a chance this would be. Could not have

played it better. All square. exceptional player. He doesn't miss

many. Absolutely superb! He levels the match once again, 3-3. And it

is there... He leads 4-3. He managed to avoid that and what a

kiss on the black. 5-3. The cannon... That looks inch perfect.

So, that is still within reach. It is 5-4. Well, that is something

simple. His seat on the red? He is having a look. Not quite. He is

playing safe. His hopes of retaining the title are within this

shot. Great and popped under pressure. We are going to a decider.

There is nothing like a deciding frame. Absolutely beautifully cued.

It was a terrific match. Neil Robertson beats Ding Junhui, 6-5.

knew that if I could get a trance at 5-5, I was going to go for it.

He had a good break off, and he left to meet red in the middle and

I made 90. I had a chance to win 6- 4. I got to the blue and I hit the

pink, not enough power to open the red to get another chance so

sometimes I needed some luck. I don't know, anyway. You play on one

table, it is a great crowd. For me, it makes the second best tournament

We've got. This is the tournament that everybody looks forward to

apart from the World Championship. It is great to be in the next round.

I can watch all the other players First first first round decider we

have ever seen at the Ally Pally. Shaun Murphy takes on Ricky Walden.

Then we have John Higgins and Ali Carter. Mark Selby plays Stuart

Bingham on Wednesday. Then we have Williams against Stevens and

Fairless -- fellow Scots Maguire and Dott play each other tomorrow.

Then, Judd Trump against Barry One of the great things about this

venue is not only is it great for the snooker, you can come into this

lounge with your family and relax. Outside in the heat of the battle,

the family and friends get more nervous than the players so it is

nice to watch it on TV, relax, have a cup of tea and enjoy the

atmosphere. You are close enough but you are not getting affected by

the venue. Even though it is on the TV, you can still enjoy it. And you

can relax in the interval. There are some nice pictures of John

Virgo and Taylor. Come on, let's get a cappuccino. There is nothing

like the for a year. When you come through the door, it is impressive.

Have a look at this. It is beautiful. The last time we played

in the Masters, those trees were just shrubs. It is beautiful.

Impressive, gorgeous. We have been in a few snooker halls in our time

but nothing as impressive as this, first built in 1873, probably when

you took up snooker. The footprints of this venue cover 7.5 acres.

was built by the Lucas brothers who built the Royal Albert Hall. Look

at that, the rose window. Gorgeous, isn't it? It would take some

window-cleaning, wouldn't it? this is where the hacks and

photographers hang out. This is where the hard work takes place.

Down here, this is where the press conferences take place. If you were

Stephen Hendry, what would happen? Well, it would be one-word answers.

This is where the serious stuff takes place. The walk out into a

magnificent tournament. intensity, the pressure, the

atmosphere, the crowd, and the beautiful trophy and the Masters

champion should. This tournament makes you play well from the start.

The cream of the cream, you are playing tough matches every time.

One table, no place to hide. Wonderful atmosphere, and this is

why you want to be Ursa could play. To come out and play in a beautiful

arena of. This is the trophy. There are two players ready to come out.

So, it is all yours. Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. What a

scintillating start we had to Betfair Masters yesterday, a

brilliant match in the afternoon, and hopefully we are in line for

more of the same today here at Ally Pally. Please welcome a player who

had a wonderful run to the UK final last month, a two-time ranking

event when and twice a World Championship runner up, The Captain,

A warm was set -- reception. You are almost a local lad. A

magnificent trophy available here. You are on good form. It has been a

good second half of the season so far so hopefully I can do good

today. The very best of luck, Ali Carter!

And his opponent, one of Scotland's finest exports, winner of 25

ranking events in all, four times champion of the world, twice a

Masters winner, the Wizard of Wishaw, John Higgins!

A couple of great performances from you in previous years but you would

love to get your hands on it for of third time. It would be amazing, it

is one of the best tournaments we play. It would be great to do it

again. Ladies and gentlemen, John Higgins!

APPLAUSE Gabius Both of these players have started this season in

great show. Ali Carter should be a great handful. Stephen Hendry and

Dennis Taylor have backed the commentary box seats this afternoon.

Good afternoon took everyone watching at home. A good Brickel

shot from John Higgins. -- break off a shot. A very fascinating

match. Probably two of the toughest match players we have out there

these days. I would expect the all- round standard of play, breaking,

potting, brick building to be of the highest quality. That is not a

great start from Ali Carter. He has come up a long way short and has

left John Higgins and easy start. No pink or black available, but he

has handed him the pack of reds. First shot on this table, obviously,

you don't know the speed of it. The practice tables are of the same

Safely negotiated between green and brown. Just look at that white keep

on running. As Stevens says, it takes a while to get used to the

speed of the table even though you have a couple of practice tables.

The table looked to be playing Straight away, he got a good angle

on the blue to get to the pink and doesn't seem to be any plants on,

And he has freed the black as well. APPLAUSE That has turned out quite

nicely even though he hit the pink It was interesting to hear John

saying he couldn't settle in the conference centre. It was a bigger

venue. When it was full, even though it was a big venue, it was

fantastic to play and I used to think this was the venue which was

a little bit more intimate, closer to the table. The old conference

centre was one of the great snooker venues, one of the best I have ever

played in. It is strange the record he has had in the Masters because

he is one of the top 16 players, and he has been one of the toppled

the last 20 years. -- one of the One of the greatest venues over was

at the New London Theatre in Drury Lane. Now, that was a terrific

This is the start you drink of. The roads are placed like a practice

session. It lets you get into your Didn't have a good UK Championship

John Higgins. I think this weak, he He came up a long way short, this

was his first shot. This has been the result of him not hitting the

If it was a normal tournament, some of the lower-ranked players might

have got away with that mistake. You've got to be on your a game

right from the start in this We have had four sentries already.

Mark Allen would the Ayerst. -- with the highest in the opening

frame. Mark Davis look like he was going to do a very good break of

shot, but then Mark Allen pottered Well, he took his eye off a pot of.

It is a lack of concentration of. I've seen some easy shots, but John

cannot believe it. Mind you, the black jumped a little, maybe it

There is enough that for a Ali to It was a careless shot back alley.

It was his first positional colour he didn't get on the colour, so he

is struggling. He has got to be That is the problem when you have

to play the cannon. He is out of position. He needs a good pot to

recover. The black is the one that would get him on the red. If he

takes the pink, he should drop on the red. It could have been a lot

Just. It looked as if it was going to go into the corner. Good

I thought it was going to go straight on and hit the jaw of the

This would be an early psychological blow. Higgins was

This is a nice angle, so he can Peter Ebdon is here this afternoon

with Ali Carter. He has been doing a little bit of coaching with him.

There he is, always immaculate, Peter looks a bit like a bank

manager there. A bit different to the early days when he had a pony

He has under done that slightly and now he is going to have to play a

good positional shot and he has got to put sight on it and John Higgins

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He had to use the cushion and he has the pace. That is just about

perfect. John Higgins was cruising in this frame and there was a bit

of a bad contact, but hasn't he What an opening frame! John Higgins

had a 59, but then Ali Carter clears up. We want more of this. 1-

0, Ali Carter. We have Stephen and Ken. They have

graced five Masters finals between them. Wow, a great start. Ali

Carter showing exactly that he means business. You miss one ball,

it is all over. John Higgins was cruising in that frame. Dennis said

he got it bad contact but I am not sure it affected him that much. The

black may have jumped but sometimes if you get a bad contact, it may go

thicker, but all power to Ali. A great finish and a great clearer as.

We were all excited about the prospect of this match. We saw the

two man at the UK Championship last year seemed to be warming up as the

season went on. I suffered defeat at the hands of Ali Carter. I was

watching for the rest of the tournament with an added interest

and thinking he's playing very well. And he got turned over by Shaun

Murphy in the end. Ali Carter was the potential winner of that event.

He has made a statement here as early as frame one. He could have

been forgiven for being a bit cold after a 59 break from John Higgins

and to actually now turn that around, that is great form. It is a

blow for drawn a gins. If you were wondering about going out for a

walk in the snow, forget it and It is the best of 11, the opening

frame, it is always nice to win it but not that important over the

There is plenty of time in this match and John Higgins is

experienced enough to deal with what happened. It is a difference

between feeling very comfortable, and having it stolen from you. It

John, before the match, we were chatting, and he was on great form,

had a great Christmas, and he looked so relaxed. When he started

I think he tried to get around the back of it there. I thought, like

you, that he would try to hold for the black. He tried to find the gap

there. Unlucky that the black didn't pull up a bit short. He

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Again, he pushed the red closer to That is very good cueing indeed. A

long way from the object ball. From that angle, you have to cue them

Just a bit unlucky there. He went too far, stopping him from getting

the black on that occasion. If he does play for the black, it might

be tied up, so he might leave it If it is available into the left,

he will be OK. I think it might be available into the right corner.

Let's have a look. It does not go He looks to be cueing great today,

It looked as if it might have had a bit of a kick. I think he just took

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his eye off the pot. He was He has got the red over the middle

pocket. But it might be a time to cannon into the reds. He

He put too much on that. He wanted That is ambitious. That was the

right decision, too quickly forget about that, cut his losses.

Sometimes you do that when you run out of position. You think, that

was a bad shot, I am going to try You should know a bit about his

game, Stephen. You practised with him. It will be interesting to know

how many thousands of frame you have played together. What a

training-ground, to have Stephen Hendry to practise with. The same

applied to Stephen Maguire. I know Yeah, I practise with John for a

Has to be a bit careful there. It is a slight distraction. He is OK.

He has got a choice of shots now. He could play a cannon. He can play

on to the red and it will open up a few more. That might be worth a

risk here. He played for the single red on this occasion. There's not

much more available. He is going to have to go into those four reds at

He played it beautifully. That red might just be blocking the black.

He is up for the blue, but it is a I was just thinking that. It is

amazing how the balls don't for Don't know if that red passes a

brown into the yellow pocket. But that looks like the only danger

That red you mentioned, Steve Higgins' -- John Higgins pushed the

That was a bit careless. He has not taking full advantage of his good

Wow. He gets a round of applause but that is another fluke. He holds

his hand up to apologise. It might be worse for John Higgins after

Is there a gap? If there is, he can get back down to the brown and pink.

He has to be careful not to push a As you said, if he missed it, he

was certain to leave a pot on. That He is going to need the extended

rest. Doesn't need the difficult brown. He is already ten points in

front. A couple of reds and blacks and a yellow and green would be

He might not necessarily play for the black off the last red. He

might go for the blue, making it easier to go for the yellow.

This makes it pretty straightforward to get to the

He will be mighty relieved to get this frame on the board. Allister

Carter had a great opportunity to A sign of a real champion, isn't it,

when you come back like this after what happened in the opening frame.

He has a lot of experience, John Not quite over the line, but two

snookers are required, so it should be one each. The pink is in a good

Got a good cue ball but the brown Got to be careful here. He could

Not the best effort John Higgins has ever made at a pot. I expected

A pretty good effort. It is quite difficult to escape

He is just looking at the score board to see what would happen. He

would still need a snooker. would not want to leave the cue

ball close to the brown if he REFEREE: Foul.

All of a sudden, Allister Carter is in with a chance. 23 is the

difference, which is why John looked at the scoreboard. Sometimes

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John Higgins using a bit of experience there. A lot of players

would try to pot the brown. He is keeping the cue ball and the object

ball, the brown, as far apart as The pink is still in a pretty good

spot for a snooker. It was better He almost got a snooker behind the

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He played it with a touch of swerve. In this situation, you have got to

try to keep the object ball safe as well. Allister knew there was no

He has a chance now. In behind the He just came up a bit short. Well,

it is a snooker, but I think he can Too much! All of a sudden, it is

anybody's second frame. Amazing. That is incredible. Just putting

the red next to the brown now. You have got to be able to hit the

John Higgins has not played a shot like that since he started playing

snooker, I think, Dennis. That was It seemed straightforward, but look

at the action he got on it. He just Look at this for a result. What a

result. OK, Allister Carter has had some good fortune, but I tell you

what, that is as good as it gets, dropping in behind the blue there.

O! It is all happening out here at the Ally Pally. He is going to

finish on the blue. I can't believe what is happening there. All of a

sudden, John Higgins has had some good fortune, and look at what

happens. Amazing. He will be Even that is a good angle. The

white would have gone up close to the cushion and it would not have

been straightforward. Is he going to take full advantage of the

couple of pieces of good fortune he has had so far? I bet John is still

having a little thought to that black in the first frame. Without

that, none of this would be happening. It is going to be good

cueing. It is all about delivering I don't know why he hit it that

hard. But I think he has got away with it. Look at where the black

has finished. Why did he hit it so hard? I think it was tension.

That was a pretty good shot under the circumstances. This is one

where if you send the black around the angles, there's a chance you

can flick it into the left middle. He was looking at the angle of the

What did he play there? I think he played the pot, Dennis. He'd mishit

Look where he has put the cue ball. That is telling you, right, just in

case I miss the black, I am going to get a good cue ball. That

thought in your mind takes some Well, early excitement here in this

match between these two great players. Playing the black into the

green pocket here. You wanted tend to overcut this if you are going to

mishit it. You don't want to miss Well, he has missed it thick. That

was the worst possible outcome for He has pinched another frame. John

Higgins looked comfortable when Allister Carter needed two snookers.

He could have been two down but he is two in front.

HAZEL IRVINE: It feels like a whole match!

match! We are just analysing luck, aren't

we? John Higgins has had a chance to win both frames. When he potted

the green and had a role down the cushion, not an easy shot but a

simple one. He thought, no problem. That was perhaps the shot he did

not absolutely commit to. It was the type of shot you wouldn't do so

much. From then on, stupid things can happen. If you ask for stupid

things to happen in snooker, they Stephen Hendry made a good point. I

wonder what part of his brain is going back to the first frame. He

missed a straight forward brown then as well. How much can that

play on your mind? You always think about blacks he should have potted.

Sometimes the balls never for give you. You might take your eye off a

pot as you are closing out a frame. You are in coasting mode. That is

all it was. It was a lapse of concentration. It can play on you,

and it has for John Higgins. Apart from Allister fluking a few balls,

losing that with two snookers was criminal, really, from John Higgins.

It is interesting. In the short term, we know that lot can happen.

Anything can happen. We have seen it before. Over a season, you can

dictate how much luck can come into the match. You can cut down on the

vagaries of that. Over a career, the more right shots you play, the

better your rate is going to be. But you still can't control the

balls all the time. Steve is in philosophical mood. Allister Carter

This is virtually the identical Breakell shot to the first frame

when Ali Carter was snookered. -- This is just a safety leaving the

White up the other under-the-table. This is a real test of temperament

for John Higgins. He has lost two He needs to get his mind back on

where he is supposed to be - winning the match. That is not a

That was not well struck. He hit the red on the wrong side. The pot

is on his right, he struck it on the left. Once again, that red, he

could have left it a lot easier than this. It looked as if it was

going to be available for John. A fairly comfortable pot. But it is a

How is John's luck this time? It is not bad. He could be so could after

this. -- he could be snookered APPLAUSE.

He has got to try to get to the red off a couple of cushions but he

That is going to slip past it. Does He has two reds in the centre, but

it is risky. The beauty of the snooker he played his that he got

the cue ball close to the brown which meant John Higgins couldn't

come off one side cushion. I think that is sane enough, the same shot

I think it cuts. Whereas the cue ball going to finish? -- why it is

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He could not attempt a pot here. He might be tight around the yellow.

He planned to get it close to the cushion. He has left Ali the chance

Now John is in trouble. He can get between the brown and blue, but

that as though last thing he wants to do. He is going to have to play

this as if he was snookered. And APPLAUSE.

John Higgins is rattled after what has happened to him in the first

two frames. He caught that safety APPLAUSE.

I didn't realise these players have never played each other in the

Masters before. They've never even met each other in the World

Championship! That is quite an amazing statistics. John has had

the better of the matches. He is 8- He knew where that was going to

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finish. He can come off the side At the moment, Ali Carter

dominating this little tactical battle which is very good plate

indeed. At the start of this match, they are both good all-round

players, Stephen said. The safety success rate, Ali Carter is well

ahead in that department at the moment. John is looking for a path

through to that red in a corner pocket. It is not going to be easy.

I was waiting to see way you were going to draw your line, donors. --

Dennis. There is a line there, but He can't play for the bunch of reds

because he would be very lucky to He was in a bit of a hole there,

Obviously, this red pots into the right hand corner. It is a little

What a chance now to go 3-0 up. Could not have placed the roads any

It is amazing what can happen when you start having to cannon into

other balls. Just because he didn't get on to the black as he intended,

he has made things awkward for himself. He Willmott believe the

position the cue ball is him. - Amazing! It shows you want careless

positional shot and he has left a This is a little awkward for John.

It is a thin cut. I don't think he can hold for the black. He might be

able to... Years, delicately played. -- yes. It is a great test of his

temperament now. Ali has got to sit there and see what develops.

red that Ali missed is one of those shops that if the opponent had left

It is not a difficult pot, but he is annoyed with himself, he knows

he should have been in an easier Just needs to remove that red to

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He did not play for this road. But You want to keep things as simple

This is a tricky positional shot. He is playing for the black in the

He has landed an awkward angle on He was hoping to be on the black in

such a way so he could have played for the red to the right of the two

He would like to be able to play on that without playing the cannon. He

might be able to. One Celsius Potts this, it clears the path for the

He can score enough with the reds just the way they are sitting, he

does not have to cannon. Ali Carter missed a golden opportunity of

being 3-0 up. This was where he got This has been an important frame

for John Higgins. It still is. cause, we already knew what a

competitor he is, but this shows what a great champion he is, and

That was a lovely shot, screwing a He will not be taking anything for

granted here. He lost the previous frame with Aldi needing two

You still feel this is going to be a close encounter. Both players are

As I mentioned, we have had four John Higgins, one of the greatest

break builders of the game has ever seen. He has had 517 centuries in

his career. Still a few hundred centuries behind my colleague

Stephen Hendry who is wait out in front with something like 750

He made 25 centuries last season. He has made 17 sentries so far this

season. This one is going to be one That is a wonderful century break.

And just an exhibition positional Ali Carter had a golden chance to

go 3-0 up. John Higgins with a break of 117 closes the deficit. It

The double Masters champion. It is a difficult day. Outside for many

of you as well. It has been snowing quite a bit here. It has been

pretty wintry. All we do get a pretty good view of the capital

from up from the top of Alexandra Park. It is right in the North of

the city. Now, inside Alexandra Palace, it is pretty warm and cosy.

The weather outside his well, frightful. It is so delightful

inside. Since you've got no place to go forth stop watch the show.

Did you see what we did there? feeble attempts at song writing. A

great century by John. As the guy is said, he does pick his moment.

He needed to. Ali Carter was looking in very good form. It was

down to Ali he got the chance. The mist on the red. As we have said,

that was the cause of a lapse of a positional shot beforehand. With

the reds all open, you think you cannot go wrong, but there are all

sorts of traps that can mess you up. That is why he has walked out, you

can be steaming. He knew he had a great opportunity to put the foot

down on John Higgins because he had him in all sorts of positions and

snookers. He got out of it but let him that opportunity and that was

the time to put his foot to the throw, basically, and when he

missed that red, he knew his chance was gone. Still, he is in good form

but a good come back from John Higgins. A hugely enjoyable match

It certainly is, Hazel. Everyone at home sitting on the settees, away

from the weather, will be enjoying this. It is a little bit warmer in

the commentary box than it is with He hasn't taken advantage of that.

It wasn't a straightforward brown, but I expected him to knock it in.

Those shops, you don't want to take them on but you feel you have to.

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I think you have always taken the All of a sudden, things have

changed around. Has that last frame affected Ali Carter? He is having a

He's going to need assistance to get to this. Is he going to need

the spider? He's got very little to He's going to need this swan neck

or the extended spider. The cloth today on the table is really

He has often over screwed and over So easy to put side spin on the

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He chose to play for the Open red. That is surprising because he had a

That was a bit of a stretch but it was a good recovery. Now he has got

He is having a good look. He can screw back and meet the red to the

He needed plenty of top spin to make sure it didn't stick in the

pack. He is OK although it did The White jumped and took the pace

A bit more difficult now, though. He has been left a bit closer to

Once again having to play the cannon that he didn't want to have

to be playing. Just slightly out of He has left himself with a very

awkward green. I don't know what sort of angle he has got. It might

be no value. It is dead straight, isn't it? He can't believe the cue

ball went through the gap. I think he was expecting some kind of

cannon in potting this red. Amazing how it as got between the green and

He has got a red safe, which is something of an insurance. That was

amazing. He was going to cannon the red or the pink. But to find the

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That will also help John. That is A pretty good shot there. John

Higgins is well ahead on points scored but he is 2-1 down at the

He has potted more than twice the number of balls that Allister

He is looking at the two reds to see if there's a plant. Yeah, he

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could make this. He could An interval coming up after this

frame, and you would have to say that John Higgins would be the more

pleased of the two players. Carter had a great chance to lead 3-0. He

missed a red after going slightly APPLAUSE That is the frame are more

Some players go off to the practice table at the interval. Others just

relax in their dressing room or in the players' room, chat to friends.

Allister Carter has Peter Ebdon in his corner. He will probably have a

chat with Peter. But I think he will go to the practice table as

well, just to get the cue arm going Allister Carter has dropped below

the 90% potting success rate. What about that for a shot to

finish off? OK, there's no pressure. A delightful shot there to free the

He did well to knock that in at that pace. Just shows you that when

the pressure is off, it is funny, the pockets seem to get a bit

bigger. He is so relieved now, after the way this match started.

Doesn't matter about that. It has been an entertaining four frames,

and while it could have gone 3-1 either way, I suppose to happen to

either way, I suppose to happen to is a fair result. We shall rejoin

you after the interval. HAZEL IRVINE: Enjoy Your t break,

Dennis and Stephen. You get the feeling that that comeback has

rattled Allister Carter. You saw a small sign of it there

when he missed the yellow. John Higgins, we have said many times,

after this man he is probably the hardest player to play the game. No

matter what sort of state his game is in, you still have to spill

blood to win a match! It is his fighting quality and his

concentration. Even though he lost those two frames, which he will be

kicking himself over, he still battled every frame and every ball.

That is what makes him so hard to beat. He will be walking tour into

the dressing room. Do you even feel comfortable

against John Higgins, even with a comfortable cushion? No, he is able

dock. Just a glimpse of an angle, and he sinks his teeth in. -- a

bulldog. Steady on! From seemingly bad

positions, it looks like he is down and out, and he drags up something

from nothing. In the early part of this match, I would imagine John

Higgins fans were thinking the worst. But the pressure is on the

guy in front to continue, to keep the pressure on. That is what

Allister Carter did not do. The whole complexion of the session

changed. John Higgins has come out of it with most of the big breaks.

Allister, who seemed to be cueing beautifully, hasn't done much wrong,

and is now at 2-2. He will be steering in his dressing room.

John Higgins has shown a some brinkmanship. His match against

Ronnie O'Sullivan would give us a good reminder. That was the second

of his masters titles. He was saying earlier that he would love

I always looked back at my career and think it wasn't enough to win

the Masters. You have done it twice. Are you OK with that? I would say

it's OK, I suppose. There's a gap compared to your number of

victories. I would like to have won it a more times. But this is not a

tournament I seem to play well in it. The why is that? I was over

ought -- overawed. I could never settle there. I think it was to big,

Wembley Arena. It was such a big venue. I always seemed to get lost

in it. Then there was the second phase of

the Masters. No, I am not happy at all when you think about it! I

thought Wembley Arena was pretty soulless. I was pleased way to move

from there and came here to Alexander Palace.

Any good memories?! One of my best once was the last final at the

conference centre. I played Ronnie O'Sullivan, and it seemed like I

was going to lose a straight final against him. I had taken two

batteries from him before. He got in right away on the first frame.

He was on 60 for something and missed a red that I fancied him

getting. I went for a red in the middle and I thought, I have not

hit this hard enough. I thought, this is over now. I was about to go

and shake his hand. But the red just kept on rolling. My father was

in the front row and must have sucked it into the bag. I managed

to clear up. That was one of the best memories I will have. Broke a

few hearts in London that night. The abuse I was getting... I was so

far behind I was able to laugh at some of the abuse. That was a

special atmosphere that tonight. When you play well here, they do

respect that. They know snooker better than everybody. They have

got their favourites, the London boys like you and a Ronnie

O'Sullivan and Jimmy White. As a kid, did you watch Stephen

Hendry and his golden period? I started watching in 1982 and 1983.

I could never remember any of the Masters finals until Stephen Hendry

came along. That is when I was beginning to take notice.

Seven years between the titles. You have been playing a long time.

It was 1999, the first time. Then it was 2006. It would be nice to do

a hat-trick. The last couple of years, you have

had topsy-turvy form. A fantastic performance in the UK and the World

Championships last season. I had put so much into the previous

year. My mind was not 100% on the snooker last year. I was doing

different things and I got out of the game. This year, I have put an

effort into try and get the focus back. I have put a snooker room

into my house. You don't get much time to practice at home because

you are away so often. It has helped me. I'm practising more on

my own, solo, but I was always the kind of player who like to play

against people. I can't complain. I have played some good stuff to win

Shanghai. I have done well in a couple of other events. But I have

gone out in the second round of the two biggest events we have had so

far. I want to rectify that in the second half of this season. I want

to try and do well before the World Championships.

How is your motivation, generally? I still feel fine, I love committed

the events. Snooker is all I have ever known. I don't think I could

ever put the cue away. I think I will play an till I n your age,

Steve! I know it is a long way away. -- until I am at your age, Steve!

When you finally hang the cue up, what will you be happy with?

Coffee you win the World Championships, you think you won't

mind if you don't win again. -- after you. But it is something that

gets harder as you get older. The younger players are up for winning

it. It is going to get tougher. Maybe one more would do me.

Great to hear him talk. Obviously still has a lot more to achieve in

the game. What about Allister Carter? You have to say, for a man

of his talent, his record in this event is pretty ordinary. Only once

in the last seven attempts has he made the quarter-finals, which,

when you consider it, is not great for a man who has been to two world

finals himself. If you consider his CV, he is capable of landing his

A great player. He should have won more. He would say that himself.

Winning a couple of tournaments has spurred him on to believe in

himself a lot more. He is one of the best strikers of the ball I

His attitude and let him down sometimes, if he is not up for it.

Other than that, when he is up for it, he is unbelievable. If he

believed in himself more, he would do better. There's nothing stopping

him from winning any tournament he him from winning any tournament he

enters. He has got a great technique.

technique. Allister Carter is a great player

Allister Carter is a great player but he has struggled with illness a

bit. Still to win two well titles, he has done brilliantly. -- world

titles. He is a bit quiet, and I think that

He has made a maximum at the Crucible, which you have got to

have a lot of bottle to do that. It is no longer a question of whether

is no longer a question of whether he is a good player. He is.

And we have potentially seven more frames to play this afternoon. Well

they are enjoying their break, let's think about final frame

decider in this event. It has been littered with them over the years.

It is amazing to think that the Ding-Robertson match had none. We

have had loads since 1975, particularly in the finals. Do you

remember this? 15 years ago, Hendry Stephen had dominated snooker. This

was his eighth Masters final and he Mark was a rising star at this

stage. This was to be a major Hendry contemplating the pink to

give him the opening frame. What a This effort has shown what a classy

A typical Stephen come back, having looked so out of touch in the

Magnificent. A complete clearance by the world number-one to go two

He is OK. A great cry from the crowd. Mark Williams, a big smile

on his face that he is going to the interval trailing by two frames at

There's the 100, and with that break, Mark Williams levels of the

The reds have opened nicely. He is right back in again. He would have

looked to have made another century. It hasn't happened. The crowd

wanted one. But very impressive. He increases his lead. He wants just

one now for victory. At 9-6 up, surely Stephen had it in

He has gone too far and he is going to have to go all the way around

It was a difficult shot. It was a A mighty shout from the conference

centre greets Mark Williams. He is still in the match. Still two

A tremendous roar by this crowd. They always wanted this, and now

they have got it. It is all to play for.

Perfect. Listen to the raw -- shouting... A wry smile on Stephen

Now the temptation is whether to go for a double or not. Has he got the

REFEREE: Put that camera away, It cannot get any closer. Well,

this is incredible again. Mark thought he had the black. Stephen

That is in. Is it? No! It will be now, surely. Nothing is easy now,

A tremendous cheer. Really deserved for young Mark Williams from Wales.

He has never been in front in this final against Stephen Hendry until

final against Stephen Hendry until this last frame.

It was a bitter blow. It effectively signalled the end of an

A fantastic victory for Mark. After this, his goals of a World

Championship and number one status were soon his.

What a match. I do love to relive those matches. Six Masters titles

for Stephen Hendry. It is all right, he like to share them out. He had

nine finals in all. He didn't mind sharing them with his best friend,

Mark Williams. I tell you what, I am sure he reminds you about that,

steel? I am so grateful that you have

shown it again. He will mention it tomorrow.

Do you still think about that final black?

I still think, how did I missed that black. I felt like I never

twitched it. Dennis, I think people have come to

expect that kind of close drama There has always been something

exciting over the years. Stephen, that was a nasty little shocked. He

thinks he twitched a little bit but it was a tough shot. He beat Alex

Higgins will with an 8-5 down the. It was incredible. It was always a

great tournament. It is the one everybody wants to win. Absolutely.

It sounded like bedlam that night. Just before I let you go back to

the commentary, I did read, Stephen, that you had had a chat with Neil

Robertson at the UK Championship and he thank you very much because

he said that you had called his brick building at his attitude to

it amateurish and it has caused him to think about things. He told me

his thinking during a break and I couldn't believe the way he was

going about making a break and that is why I said it was amateurish. He

was not playing pinpoint positional shot but he was hoping to beat in

areas. I gave him a couple of tips so I am glad to help. He said he

was thinking about that in that final frame decider against Ding

Junhui, so he owes you a beer. Get yourselves ready for the end of

this match because we are in for a cracker. Steve and Ken, this is

littered with great matches, this tournament. What struck me with

that particular match, Mark Williams was smiling and joking as

if he was a young whippersnapper. It is lovely to see him with hair.

That is enough wandering down memory lane. Let's get back down to

nitty-gritty of this one. Seven more potentially to play. It is 2-2

Ali Carter had this red to the left before but the black cause and open

so he couldn't take it on. It is John Higgins just looking to see

Terrific shot and terrific cueing. One of the best shots. He played it

This raid to the Right Centre is not easy because he has hampered by

If the backwards not in the way, he would have spotted that red. -- if

the black was not in the way. black cause a distraction and he

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could not hit the centre of the cue Has he left this red to the right

Great to see one of our best referees back in action. He has had

a bit of a rough time since June. He slipped in the bathroom at home,

had to have an operation, did his that to break in. When he recovered,

he went to China to do some refereeing and ended up with DVT.

Deep vein thrombosis. He couldn't fly back from China. He was in

He has fully recovered. It is great Unintentional cannon on the brown.

Apology for the loss of subtitles for 59 seconds

That has gone too far. I thought he He could not have played that any

better. This red is just hampering A couple more reds available before

He looks in great form today. I know he was 2-0 down, but that was

self-inflicted by bad concentration. Apart from that, he is hitting the

He wasn't on the black as he intended, he is not on the red,

either. This is because of the angle he had on the back. The right

Apology for the loss of subtitles for 59 seconds

hand side, that made so white spin A bit of a chance for Ali Carter to

pot the red and get himself onto It is always a little bit

disappointing when you miss that type of shot because you're not

leaving anything and you feel you John plate that safety in a more

aggressive way. -- John played that. He chose to open it up a bit. He

needed to cover the path to the left-hand side of the pack. As you

can see, over 23 minutes since That would be a bit ambitious. It

I am not sure about that choice of shot from Ali. The other red he

could have taken on. He decided not to take it on and I am sure the

plant was more difficult than the red to the left of the cushion.

plan was to screw the cue ball back That might well be his last shot in

this frame. Drum Higgins already 35 again. -- John Higgins already 35

Apology for the loss of subtitles for 59 seconds

ahead. It could be three in a row As you mentioned earlier on about

John not playing so well in the UK Championships, didn't he play well

in the Shanghai Masters de trompe Judd Trump? He looked as if he was

going to kick on from there but he didn't have a good UK Championship

Apology for the loss of subtitles for 59 seconds

That is incredible. One red away I heard you talking to John in the

interval about how likely the cloth was, and that Cannon was an

indication of that. He wanted to play that, it three-quarter ball,

and it is so lively. A cloth like this, it plays as if the cue ball

is lighter than the other balls so It is as if somebody has got bake

hands of Polish and polish the cue Don't polish your snooker balls, a

I would polish my cue ball to get an extra few months out of my cloth.

It is not like you'd to try to You could see the concentration on

John Higgins' phase. He keeps his head still. That is the end of

Apology for the loss of subtitles for 59 seconds

Now, he is going to have another interval here. He has done well. He

has won three in a row. It is amazing how the momentum can

continue although we have seen that changed around in an interval, but

what do you sense about the way John Higgins is playing this

afternoon? With great determination. He wants to do well here at the

Masters. Perhaps he has got the hunger. It has taken him this long

to get back to the position he should have been in before he

missed that back in the first frame. He has just about got his lead back

again. A lot of hard work has gone into it. We have talked about this

venue and how it suits players like John Higgins. He has admitted that

just the cavernous nature of the other venues put him straight off.

What is the reason for Ali Carter's lack of success is? That is a good

question. It is the calibre of players you were coming up against.

Ali Carter, his record is not great, but he could be coming up against

Ronnie O'Sullivan, Neil Robertson in the first match of the event. So

the Caliber of these great players in this event makes it so prestige.

You can be unlucky sometimes. With Robinson having his first round

around -- with danger and we, it is very tough. If you can get into the

tournament, get through the first round, it gives you confidence but

it is a high quality field. In one respect, because of the Standing is

very high, the best of the match seems a little bit of a distance.

Frames are won a bit quicker full, stock it is so easy to be caught

cold. It feels like a final right from the off and you have got to

treated like such. Anyway, we will He is going to have to play a

couple of good safety shots, Ali, to try to get back into the frame.

He hasn't had much to go at. It has been quite some time since his last

It is coming up to 31 minutes since That shake-up the head tells you it

is a bit of a problem for Ali. No escape back down to the right side

of the table. The pot available is If there is no easy safety shot, he

may have to take the pot. It is the If he takes the pot on, whereas the

cue ball going to go? It wouldn't be such a problem if you put the

cue ball summary else on the table. There is a cannon to the left of

the black. You have to be very exact in that shop. I mean, if he

was to pot the red, he might find that gap, but that would have to be

very precise to miss the cannon on the red and the cannon on the black.

But that is the possibility. If he puts the red, there is a lot that

can go wrong but there is not much Cannot come off the right hand side

I'll tell you what, he will settle for the outcome of that. Once he

took it on, you would have felt he was going to lead John Higgins in.

Didn't get near the pocket, but He might find himself in trouble

here, though. And John Higgins will be disappointed with that. The

standard of his safety play, that was a comfortable shot to get in

I'm not sure if he can get between the green or the yellow or the

brown to get to the red behind the It was close. Better to miss it

altogether than hit it thick. going to say. A lot of the players

He missed it by more that time. don't know if John has looked but

there might be a path between the yellow and the brown but John

hasn't looked at it. Let's see when the white goes back. It is

available to him. He hasn't looked Even though he has hit it thick, he

Apology for the loss of subtitles for 59 seconds

He can take the red on in the green That particular type of shot, it

It is coming up to 38 minutes since Ali's last Testery. -- Ali's last

He is not going to get any easy chances of John Higgins. Not with

This helped the situation with regards the safety shot. The Green

is now near the yellow, meaning it is quite a target to try to get

It is going to hit the green so quite a bigger target now. He has

knocked the green near the cushion. I think he can get past the brown

to the potting angle, but he will I don't think he can get around the

It is obviously making the pot more Just look at the way the reds are

situated here. What a chance for John Higgins. Has he gone far

enough to pot the red that is blocking the black? He certainly

has. He has got them all nicely Allister Carter took the two

opening frames, but since then he Tell you what, Dennis, if you

wanted a maximum, cue could not put the reds in a better position. --

Again, he has got into it just a bit too much. That is the end of

Apology for the loss of subtitles for 59 seconds

It has been an amazing turnaround in this match. Allister Carter was

2-0 ahead. He was in a similar position that John Higgins is it

now. He missed the opportunity for 3-0, and now, every chance he could

Apology for the loss of subtitles for 59 seconds

He just stepped back a bit. He thought he was going to nestle in

A bit straight on the black but it Screw back with a bit of reverse

side. See the white spinning off to He is just starting to dominate the

match now. Allister Carter has not potted a ball for something like 45

minutes now. But he is not getting any chances. He had a half chance

and he missed a long red, and that was his last shot. Stephen mention

he could have played it a little easier. He wanted to make something

happy and -- happen. But he has been frozen out. He will have to

A great shot there. He took the red off the side cushion. Just showing

what a tremendous competitor he is. Probably the toughest match player

We have had five centuries and we are only in day two. John has had

one of those. In frame three, he had 117. Every chance of another

Well, what a shame. No century break. He will be a bit

disappointed, but not really. You can't do better than win four

can't do better than win four frames in a row. He is looking good

You feel that people are playing for your team. My team is Glasgow

Celtic. My favourite player was a midfielder. Later on, it was Henryk

Larsson. He would have to say your heroes are your favourite football

team. They are my heroes. I can always remember when I was

about to turn professional in snooker. My mother was against it.

She wanted me to get my education and everything. I was going to

leave school without O-levels or A- levels. But my dad said, just go

and do your best. Sometimes you have only got one chance in life.

He is a hero and role model. And now John Higgins junior has a

role model, I am sure. I'm sure everybody admires the way he plays.

We have already talked about a specific characteristics of

determination. He never knows when he is beaten, Steve.

No, and I suppose well you can coach or teacher technique, -- t h

a technique, but the psychology, you are born with it.

When did you discover you had it, Ken?

I suppose you just grow up with it. I used to watch a lot of the older

players play, the way they used to go about the game. Steve, Alex

Higgins - they would have been my heroes. You can learn from great

prayers -- players. They have an ability, even when the chips are

down, that they never, ever lose. Crafty Ken wasn't bad himself, you

Good old crafty Ken. Or as I like to call him, Ken Dott. Record in

the -- we call him the darling of Allister Carter normally gets a

percentage of long pots. That has Another stun run through, which is

one of the hardest shots to play in the game. To hit the ball so hard

and not to lead the cue ball travel takes a lot of practice to perfect.

Even if he is straight on the black, he is OK. He can screw back and

there's a couple of reds, as you Just got to be careful he doesn't

let this one slip away off the side Just watch the white. How does it

find its way back through the gap there? When the cloth is as quick

to react as this, departs from the black are going to be tricky this

week. -- the pots. They are not He was on four reds and four blacks.

But his maiden -- main concern is to win another frame. He needs just

one more for a place in the quarter He has got a red to the right

middle pocket. If he can cue to the centre of the cue ball, it will be

It was enough of a distraction. He put a bit of unwanted side on that.

Allister Carter hasn't potted a ball for a long time. 52 minutes,

A big moment in this match. Carter needs to find a frame-winning break

He needs to start punishing John It wasn't imperative there that he

got the right side of the blue. Didn't matter which side he

Just a bit careless there. He is Pink is the better ball for a good

Struck that nicely. A choice of reds. The one closest to the left

pocket is probably the one he is going to play. A touch of right

hand side to the white to square A bit of drag on the white there.

You can play with a bit more pace, He has played for the only red that

was a little bit awkward. Might have finished straight on it, but I

think he can still screwed back off Could be a big turning point, as

That was the chance that Allister Carter had been waiting for, for

just under an hour. All of a sudden Had John continued, and it looked

as if he was going to open a three frame advantage, he would have been

The reds were in an ideal position He has showed good concentration.

He showed a lot of determination, which he is full of. He really is a

A good time to make your highest break in the match. Prior to that,

he had a 64 in the opening frame, which was a terrific clearance to

He has had all the colours. He had a yellow, a green, a full house

there, looking at the break. Three browns, four blacks - it has been

an all-round good break, you would have to say. And a little

exhibition shot towards the end of Won't bother about the pink. It

looked as if John Higgins was in control, but all of a sudden,

control, but all of a sudden, Allister Carter is now just one

behind. Game on again. That could just be the turning

point. John Higgins, as I say, had taken complete control of the match.

He had won four frames in a row, made 97 in the previous frame, and

made 97 in the previous frame, and was in among the balls. He has

played a shot here, and he looked to be finishing nicely on a red. He

cannoned the reds, hit the pink, and was just a fraction out.

Otherwise it was game over. Yes, incredible. A centimetre to the

right, and it would have been easy. Earlier in the match, the cue ball

was hampered by the black. He has done the same there. When you are

aiming at the top of the cue ball, it pulls it over more.

It is so easy to do that. Now he has got to get his concentration

together again. He has defeated Allister Carter eight times to his

two. He will not be thinking about that at the moment. He will put

that last frame out of his mind pretty quickly, I'm sure. Allister

From looking a bit deflated in his seat area in the frame, he now has

Apology for the loss of subtitles for 59 seconds

Carter might have to play a similar shot to the one John played

previously. SEN the red up the table, leave the black at the white

You would expect John Higgins to win the tactical battle, or we have

said both players have got a great tactical game. But it is Allister

Carter who is out during John in the safety Department as far as the

That red closest to the cushion is stopping the conventional safety

Have to be careful not to catch Caught it a bit thick, which is why

Apology for the loss of subtitles for 59 seconds

John would love to drop in behind the brown here, off this safety. A

bit too thick. He has pushed one towards the pocket. He needs the

yellow to come to his rescue. And I think it... Has. A bit of a problem

for Allister Carter, at first I can't see a way through to play

the red nearest the pocket because the one on the left side of the

table is blocking to nestle on to Looks as though he is going to roll

on to the bunch here. Nothing else A touching ball would help, but I

He needs to miss the yellow to get Has he gone too far? He has the

blue covered the red near the corner pocket? Yes. A similar

problem for Ali. He has to be This looks at the very good.

As they used to say in the club in Blackburn I used to say, it pick

He is having to swerve to clip this You always knew there was going to

be a lot of reds are covering the red to the left corner. But there's

a pot here. He can play it with an element of safety if he wants, take

the cue ball behind the brown again. All of those reds are blocking each

other. Another chance to get her telling safety. He hit it far too

A big margin for error at the moment, isn't there? All of those

One player has hit it too thin, the One was too thin come up one was

too thick, that one was just right. A little bit like the three there's

REFEREE: Foul, and a miss. John Higgins four. Once again, the two

cushion escape, a player it will always a on the side of missing the

ball rather than going the other way and catching it too thick. Make

a slight adjustment, a little bit more side for a little bit higher

REFEREE: Foul, and a miss.. John REFEREE: Foul, and a miss.. A John

Higgins four for stop-gap -- John Higgins four. He just needs a

slight adjustment. At maybe nearer the first line would get into the

red. He was closer that time. REFEREE: Foul, and a miss. John

Higgins four. As long as he heats hitting it at that pace, the last

thing he wants to do is leave a REFEREE: Foul, and a miss.. John

Higgins four. John is quite happy to stand Cermak and keep getting

four points. -- stand there. He has to get the white nearer to the

Apology for the loss of subtitles for 59 seconds

You can see him reacting, "at He can pot this direct, but he is

looking at cannoning into another red to make a possible plant. That

tells me he is going to screw the white back down the table. The

He completely missed hit that. -- mishit. He didn't even make contact

with the two reds closest to the corner pocket. He would have been

better off taking on the direct pot and screwing back down to the baulk

area. A strange choice. He very It is still not straightforward.

They are all still covering each other. They need a little bit of

I would like to play for the red next to the pink. Possibly into the

right corner or if the red goes into the left corner, get the pink

back on its spot. It would make That is the one he has played for.

We will see if he can pot the red and screw back for the pink in the

Just as you called it, Stephen. He will get the pink back on its spot,

which is what he needed, but it is still difficult with the way the

He hasn't left himself hampered, He will be fuming inside at that

Needed to stop the cue ball energy before it did. He would have had

this red to the left corner. -- Ben It was not the red he played for.

Consequently he could not control It is still not straightforward.

I'm wondering if he can take the blue on. The only red available by

the looks of it... Two by the corner pocket. He could drop on it.

Other than that this is pretty That might be on absolutely nothing.

The first real scrappy frame we've had, but that is because the way

I bet his heart skipped a beat because he almost went in-off. If

he had, John would have had a pot. As cities, with the cue ball in the

jaws of the pocket, not easy. -- as Eventually that pocket is starting

to clear. But he is faced... The black with the rest. He has looked

at the yellow, which he can reach without the rest. But you would

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He just could not get himself into prime position. It was all a bit of

a struggle, the way the balls were. Now he is completely out of

Just coming around to have a look, John, to see if he comes off the

side cushion and nestles near the red by the corner pocket, what

would he leave? He might leave a pot if he doesn't get its spot on.

Not guaranteed to get this safe. He That will do. There was a red that

The red he could have left, the one in the circle, so he had to make

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What a great shot that was. Fantastic safety shot by John

For most of this frame Ali Carter has had the upper hand in the

safety exchanges, but that has just Yes, there's no path through to

land on those two reds behind the He found the gap.

REFEREE: Foul, and a miss. John Higgins four. He is hoping to get a

glance off a red and hopefully get It is one of those shots, you need

a little bit of good fortune to He is unlucky. As I say, you need a

little bit of good fortune in a situation like that and he didn't

have it. The double-kiss has left That is John's first pot of for

Well, are they covering each other? There is only three-quarters of the

pocket available. Can he squeeze Yes, just played it in the left jaw

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He has an angle to go into the four reds on the side cushion if he

wants to. The fact that they are quite far away from the cushion

means you are not guaranteed He would like to have an angle...

The four reds, screw in the gap between each couple of reds. The

two reds furthest away from the cushion will both pot in the right

corner. He got into the cue ball too much. He has done that a few

Yes, he needed to find the gap and It is a healthy lead, the way the

balls are sitting. Normally 25 you would not think was much of an

advantage, but the way the reds are situated, it is not a bad lead to

Not straightforward to get back down the table if he plays those

two reds behind the black. He would have to go the right side of the

table, if he went down the left he would cannon into the four reds. If

he goes the right side of the table, he has to negotiate the yellow say

he has to be precise whichever way he goes here. He has brought the

Apology for the loss of subtitles for 59 seconds

red up with the cue ball. How's That looked for all the world as if

it was going to drop in! Can he get past the jaw of the pocket to catch

this red behind the yellow? Just John played his safety shot, he

didn't want to open these reds. Ali Yes, Ali needed the reds open, but

he cannoned the blue. If he had missed the blue, it was a good idea

to open up the reds, from his point We can show you the shot he

attempted. He wanted to bring the reds into play and forgot about the

cue ball. To cannoned the blue was It looks a bit straight, I don't

think he can get the cue ball away from the cushion. He will have to

If he pots this black, he will be 49 ahead with 51 on the table. I

think the yellow it is covering the Pink ball. Could idea. -- a good

idea. Putting the pink safe. And getting a good cue ball. There was

much better than rolling the black in and getting seven points because

he still needed another red. Once again, not good with the cue ball.

It is not good now back bad now, but the double-kiss could have lost

Obviously in this situation there's no way John Higgins will be playing

That is why it Ali is taking the opportunity to move them. He will

settle for that, great cue ball! is amazing that red has finished on

the cushion. It went up and down the table and somehow avoided all

He did not hit that hard enough. He would have liked the blue to hamper

Ali, and it has done. A similar type shot. Can he get behind the

John Higgins went mind seeing for blue going on to the side cushion.

Well, 33 minutes, almost 34 minutes, the longest frame of this match. In

fact I think it is the longest frame in the tournament so far. We

are only on the second day, but we've had some great matches

already, and more to come. It should be an exciting tournament

Knocking the brown on to the baulk cushion, that also helps John

Higgins. Becoming more and more That has knocked the brown into not

a bad position to get a snooker behind. John just looking for one

That helps John as well, can knocking of the black towards the

yellow. He is the strong favourite Just a little bit unlucky there.

Enough of it gap past the pink to Now then... He can't even see it. I

thought he might have been able to clip it in and cannon at the red

He is looking at the shot... Even if he plays cushion first to pot it,

it is difficult to control the cue ball. Where will the colour come

from? View went he is playing for That was a good effort. So much

difference between the reds, that was a really tough shot. He may

have covered the one near the middle pocket, but he hasn't

covered the one to the right of the black spot. He is 42 ahead. If he

rolls this income of 43 with a possible 43 on the table. He has a

bit of an angle so he can get onto So just the pink needed to leave

It was always going to be an awkward frame, the way the reds was

situated, they were all blocking As long as you win the frame, cue

don't bother - McCready don't I think Ali this time ball just

look at the referee, yes, he has conceded. It was a tactical long

frame, but in the end, John Higgins It is looking good for John Higgins

at this stage. We had earlier about his heroes, Celtic. But whose

example might and the Carter draw some inspiration from at this

For me, I always wanted to be like a footballer, like George Best. Do

it on the pitch and do it in the bar with all the women afterwards,

it is my ideal sort of scenario. But unfortunately, we know that

doesn't really work long term. You look at someone like Paul Gascoigne

and George Best, it is a pity they have gone off the rails. The

decisions they have made, things they have done. But for a sportsman,

we all like to think he could have it both ways. Mike Tyson, he has

done some wrong ones in his time, but when he was a youngster, what

an awesome fighter he was. Obviously, he went a bit a wall

later on in his career, but him, I used to look up and think, he was

the business when he was a young man. He was fighting in a man's

world when he was only 19 or 20. will have to come out fighting like

a boxer, that is for sure. How are you assessing this match so far? It

looks very much like it is going into John's favour. What does Ali

Carter have to change it, if anything to get back into this?

has to make no mistakes now. John Higgins is going to get chances

over the next three frames and he is not the sort of person to wilt

when it gets to the finish line. There was a funny incident, John

picked up Ali Carter's to you, it might have helped him, but Ali is

quite capable. He doesn't have the best record against John Higgins,

but he will give it the 100%, as he always does. You can take it frame

by frame. It is still far from over. You talk about the record between

these guys, John Higgins has one eight -- won 8, compared to Ali

Carter, who has won to. He seems to have the age in the significance,

he has that to draw on. Absolutely, I cannot remember John losing many

matches from this position. Erden has got it all to do. -- so it Ali

It is one of those situations, does Ali take the red into the right

hand corner? There is a gap around the back of the black. He could do

Very good, excellent shot. And played with a lot of confidence,

because he didn't play to get the cue ball on to the baulk cushion.

So he deserves to knock a sizeable It is the sort of shot that players

do practice, because it is a shot that if they can knock in, it can

As you say, playing it in a very positive way. You can clearly tell,

the pace he was playing that, he was tried to get the cue ball back

behind the baulk colours. -- he wasn't trying to. That is the only

way he can win this match, by taking the bull by the horns and

playing a positive game. There is only one player who can play on the

table at this game, that is why it is probably one of the most

difficult sport's to play. If you are playing well, your opponent has

He hit knows he cannot make any He has got the single red, it is

not a good pack to go into off the He couldn't have hit it any harder,

he deserves to be on a red, but I don't think he is. Hang on, maybe

it does just a pass the pink. It is He couldn't have hit this any

Well played. It was slightly more He's a very compact player. You

feel not a lot can go wrong with it. He is not the tallest player in the