Day 4 Masters Snooker

Welcome to the Betfair Masters from Alexandria Palace in London. Today

is the last two years of the first round of the tournament. First up,

and all Welsh affair between Matthew Stevens and Mark Williams.

Williams is one of the game's great players. At the age of 37, have --

some have suggested he is at the crossroads of his career. Here is

When Mark Williams acquitted after the UK Championships, he wasn't

being serious. He is at a different stage of his career. I wasn't

winning any more and I wasn't competitive. He is still top eight,

he is capable of winning My standard is going down. The

standard is very high. There is nothing to worry about because if

you can play well, you can play tournaments but it is taking it

from the practice to the match table. And I haven't been doing

that for a while now. What gets harder as you get older is you lose

the desire to put the hours in required to get to the top of the

game and to keep you competitive. With there being so many

tournaments, it becomes hard to leave home, especially in his case

as he has a family. It is difficult Nobody knows better than me the

ability of Mark Williams and he is as good as anybody out there and

well capable of winning the tournament this week. He has won

the Masters twice and he will be desperate to win this, despite the

image she portrays that he doesn't care. -- he portrays.

So, 2003, what sort of snooker animal was Mark Williams back them?

He was very competitive. He potted the most pressure balls and that

was the most important part of that. Difficult ones down the rail, he

was immune to any of the tensions the other players were getting.

Other strengths? He has a very quick snooker brain. He was always

very clever tactically. He invented shot to nothings, what look like a

risky pot but he could get the white ball into an area that was

saved. Very clever. Moving onwards a decade, what type of player is he

now? Heat is the same play in many respects other than the fact that

there are more battle scars, he is older, and it is difficult not to

doubt yourself after you have lost a few times a silly comes with

baggage and matters about the only difference. Can he still went?

is down to whether he can truly turn the clock back and be the

animal he was back then. Mark's opponent is Matthew Stevens, his

great friends, who has also won this title, 13 years ago when it

seemed he had the snooker world at his feet. In eight appearances

since, he has made his master's exit in the last 16, a record he

will want to change. This is the tale of the tape. Williams has won

in the final of the UK Championship in 1999 and the final of the World

Championship the following year. They've met once in the Masters

back in 2004 and it was Mark John Virgo and Stephen Hendry with

me now. When he won this title 13 years ago, it looked like he could

achieve so much more, Matthew Stevens. What happened? He lost

dedication and focus. It is no secret he enjoyed the life of the

table too much. Now he has got his dedication back, the talent has not

been in doubt. He is one of those under-achievers. John, this is a

match with two seniors on a tour. Is there enough time for Matthew

Stevens to start achieving what he should have done a? He is running

out of time, but in my day they used to say you didn't peak until

your mid-30s. Stephen changed all that! It has always been a hotbed

of snooker, Wales, and these are the two main protagonists. Could be

a great match. Has he got enough time? He has got enough time to win

a big tournament, Matthew Stevens, because he has the ability. Well,

it should be a great match. Rob Walker is ready to get things

rolling. Good afternoon Ladies and Gentlemen,

today we complete the line-up for the quarter-finals of this year's

Betfair Masters and once again it is a cracking for a place in the

next round. Please welcome a player of firmly back among the top 16,

twice a World Championship finalist, he reached the semi his last season,

a UK champion, a Masters champion, Matthew, generous applause as we

would have expected and you are back in a tournament that provided

one of the great highlights of your career and you up to ring well.

won it in 2000. My record has been very bad since then. We will see if

it were a change. Ladies and And his opponent, one of the finest

players of the modern era. Twice a world champion, twice a Masters

champion. His victory in 1990 it was one of the best in this

tournament's history. -- 1998. Whisper it quietly, here comes the

Welsh potting machine, Mark Marker, never easy when you're

drawn against one of your best mates for a place in the quarter-

finals. I'm knackered getting down the stairs, to be honest! We were

wondering whether you would climb over the barrier this time. It is

difficult to playing somebody a have grown up with. It was

difficult playing each other always, but I want to beat him, it is the

week it goes. Let's get it on. The very best of luck. -- it is the way

The first frame, Ladies and Gentlemen. Mark Williams to break.

Mark Williams must have won the toss and he has decided to break.

There is the trophy they are playing for. And very interesting

match this. Both players fell off the radar for a while but they are

slowly climbing up the rankings. Mark Williams, ranked seven,

Matthew Stevens, 15. Interesting match. Two of the most gifted

I always find it tricky playing somebody I am friendly with. It is

indeed. You need that competitive instinct. I always remember the

World Championship final in 2000 when Matthew looked certain to beat

He had a good lead and could not get over the line. Now, whereas the

cue ball going? -- where it is the cue ball going? No harm done, but

when you look at the record of the two players playing each other,

they played each other 14 times. Mark Williams is just ahead. Now,

that cue ball, it was careless. This is an easy safety shot. It

should have been anyway. It is in those head-to-heads, Mark Williams

The big one was in 2000, when it looked like Matthew was going to be

Mark Williams will be determined to have a good tournament and a good

Masters. a think he played very poorly in the December Championship.

He just managed to find that red and play it well. He rolled it in.

He was always going to finish up on That was a nice confident pot in

the heart of the pocket. He is OK, He has made an effort to get up for

the blue but being hampered, he needed a trace of sight and the

pink does not go. He could have got He was concerned about the pot. He

didn't make the most of that The reds are pretty well spread. He

is not guaranteed to leave it safe. He may have to play at two Russian

That was a good effort. I don't know what he has leapt but... Could

He pleaded with an element of safety but he didn't play it for a

colour. It shows a slight lack of It will please him that he found

the heart of the pocket. It is always a good feeling when you can

do one of those. It means you're pushing the cue straight. In any

match, apart from really easy pots, if you can pot your first one, you

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He is looking to cover the left That is pretty good. Yes, all the

roads on the right half of the table. I cannot see at first glance

back to the baulk end. He is in a That could be a possibility. He may

feel the black is in the way of that line. I dunno. He is looking

at something else. This is fraught with danger. Well, he will be

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pleased with that outcome. A little These type of frames will suit Mark

Matthew Stevens likes to get in there and when the frames. -- wind

The reason he is in a spot of bother, he cannot get back to the

baulk End, and the red on the left- hand side of the cushion is so

close, you couldn't play across double back up because you would

get a double kiss. So he has got a problem. He could come off the side

cushion and Nestle to the red near the top cushion, the one I

suggested earlier from Mark There is the view he has got. There

is nothing there to get him back to baulk. With the red on the right

hand side as we look tight against He tried to pot his way out of

trouble but that was asking a lot. Sometimes if you don't feel there

is a safety, go out fighting, if The main thing is to try to get

Well, would you believe that? Thought about everything but the

He wouldn't want to watch this shot We were talking just before this

match started, the age of the players, that is the one thing, the

first thing to go his concentration. That is not down to nerves or

anything else, he was just thinking would ball to play on, which, was

going to follow the red and forgot It seemed to me... The longer you

play, the more times you slip into I must admit I found that near the

end. You are always looking at where you want to put the cue ball,

but then you realise you have It is a real shock to the system as

well. Invariably, the pots car so So, this is a decent chance, if he

He had to be careful not to over screw that. Because this cloth is

very reactive. And there you go. A lot of reaction on a cue ball. He

is on nothing now. Just as safety Mark Williams will be delighted

That was much too thick. That is This is his third chance. Can he

That is three excellent opportunities. He has not made the

most of them. What a chance for He would do well to win the frame.

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Only one colour on its spot right Nice angle on the black to stun off

I am surprised he played for that red. I thought he had an excellent

angle. I was just about to say after that easy readiness earlier

in the frame, he was sauntering around the table no problem and

then he misses the black off the spot by a long way. He needs the

red on the right cushion anyway, so I don't see the point of playing

He has potted Allen But he is not perfect, really. -- he has spotted

the red. He is possibly playing for the blue. Maybe the yellow will

give him position on the awkward If he doesn't play for the brown,

playing the colours will not be as He'd say it cannon on the ground.

He overscrewed it a little bit. He is one of the few players, he tells

me he does not using the rest. He is one of the for -- few players

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There has been tension in this Yes, Matthew Stevens has had four

chances. Mark Williams could take a That was a strange choice of shot

for me. You can see how the brown Surely, he will not miss this one.

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Now he has an angle on the blue, it A chance to get his reputation back.

If he has the right angle, he could He might have run too far down the

table. Maybe thinking he cannot Just pink need it. Matthews had

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That was too hard. If you miss the He needs to get his pinks safe. It

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Just cop beside jaw. That stopped It is what we call playing into a

Then it went! He will be delighted. He had plenty of chances. He went

over the line with the blackened takes the first frame. At which you

start to proceedings. We're going to break away from plate to show

what they drop look like at the start of play today. -- draw.

Neil Robertson is already into their last eight. He will play Mark

Allen. Shaun Murphy is also through to the

quarters where he will face John Higgins. Mark Selby is up against

Stuart Bingham. And it is Mark Williams against Matthew Stevens.

And Graeme Dott has booked his place where he will plague world No.

Two Judd Trump. -- he will play. If you have any questions for the

boys in the studio, get in touch We are going to go back Cubbon --

After an edgy first frame, if you win it, it certainly can settle you

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down. Mark Williams missed a few I do not know if he will be tempted

Looking at the stubble. I think it has too much angle on it. -- this

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Referee mackerel -- referee That was an excellent shot. Find

contact. Nothing wrong with his He Glee to the top right-eyed a

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There is a wreck that has gone over the corner. He might be able to pot

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He has played it gently enough to This is worrying. He played poorly

in the UK Championship. He does not He did not hit back convincingly at

He has missed a lot of pots that have not been difficult. That is

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He is giving these chances to Matthew will be feeding on this.

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Particularly when you do not have You can forgive him for that, but

not for that one. And this one. This one, that is one then cost to

You watch some matches, many chances to win it. No two frames of

Sue Carr are alike. Mark Williams is concerned at the moment. -- also

You are more concerned about the way you hit it. If you are not

hitting the ball correctly, that That will not win a match at this

Such a talent. You know him better than me, Steven, I have noticed, he

has not been talking a good game. He has been talking himself down

and regards to what you will do in He seems to be resigned to playing

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He is striking Matthew down is well, He would love to win a frame in one

That was too much. He didn't get He has tried to develop the roads.

I don't think he has. -- the reds. He is having a look but I think he

He will be very disappointed with This blue puts and 28 points in the

Two reds and two Blacks would be That was tricky. Years, it was the

shot from the black to good position on the red. He didn't get

into it. As you say, he leapt more angled than he wanted. -- he left

He will be disappointed with that. He needed more ankle. It looks as

Does he have any kind of angle? It That is too much. Now, will he be

tempted by the red down the That is a good pot. He made certain

of the red rather than going all- out for good position on the black.

It is a case of potting the black and then think about playing a

So, 20 points behind. A snooker Important to get the white touching

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I was just thinking, the yellow was not safe. Now he is having it

It is important he gets this in the There is no way he can win this

frame without the pink. That is going to be the stumbling block if

That it's Matthew 11 points behind. He needs and including the pink to

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This looks good to me. This looks inch-perfect. The only reason I

won't be, he is tight against the cushion. Canny pot the pink in the

middle and avoid the end off to the You can't really wind the angle

Keep your eye on the cue ball. Mark Williams will be very disappointed.

Matthew Stevens needed chances, and they are coming thick and fast and

he is leading 2-0. My view is taking advantage of the

chances. -- Mathieu. What is going on? You've got to get your engine

started and that is half the problem but it is a general trend

that he is missing balls he didn't used to before. That is worrying

for any player. We have seen Mark Williams not get off to great start

but he doesn't let that affect him. He is a very clever player but it

is not always the case. He has made breaks of 41 and 52 but he missed

some balls. You can play matches where you miss some balls but he

has missed so many. He has over cut slightly, and then he missed the

one going straight into the pocket. Then maybe back off the spot. Now

this one is much more difficult, but he has looked out of sorts.

That is the case of the biter being bit. If I was judging it as a

player, what is happening on Ms relatively shops is that he is

getting some unwanted side on. When he is playing a shot with no side,

he is accidentally getting side. If he was making these mistakes five

years ago, we wouldn't call it into question, but he is making it now

as a 37-year-old with people talking about the future of his

career. Is there additional pressure on him because of that?

John mentioned it in commentary, the first thing that goes his

concentration. Balls you have to pay attention to, when you played

that 10 years ago, they work in without you having to look at them.

It is lack of confidence. Matthew is taking advantage. Not in

total style, but he has done OK. He has potted the pressure balls. He

can do no more than that and if you'd asked him, would you fancy

being 2-0 up against Mark Williams at the start, he couldn't have

guaranteed that. It is a good springboard for Matthew even though

Steve is right. Matthew Stevens hasn't perform to his best. In all

He looked at the possibility of the plant, but he needed the cue ball

There is a nice little flick. Having said that, he has run past

the green, so he can pot this red but where does the colour come

There is no timing in his cue If you watch his back hand, it

comes out slightly. That tells me It is pure and simple lack of

confidence. It is one of them when You should be concentrating but you

should also be relaxed. Mark Well, these balls are everywhere.

Whoever gets the first red in could Mark Williams did not have a good

It doesn't make this red easy by any means. Well, it was in the

heart of the pocket. So it is Matthew Stevens who gets the first

chance, and it is a good one. These pots are a lot easier when you're

He thinks all he needs to do is keep putting because there is bound

It is easy to get tempted into playing for areas when the reds are

spread like this, and then you can get into trouble. It is important

He would like that one back. He may be OK. He is looking to see whether

that red pots. He is having another He has got the red to the left

middle. He may be OK if the ping goes to the right middle. But he

would like to have the shot again. He played it thinking, I am bound

to be on a red and unless you play for a position or shot, this is

He thinks this pink will pot but it is tight. It is one of those if you

are straight behind it, I wouldn't expect him to miss it but it is a

He's OK. I am not certain... He is This red may go to the far left

He played it nicely. Is he on the pink? I assume he has because he is

having a look at where the next red will come from. You can see he is

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Well, he is making hard work of this. To be fair, by the sound of

it, it was a heavy contact. I think he can only play for the pink. That

wasn't his intended next target. That was a tough one. Anything half

difficult from either player, you are not fully convinced they will

get it. What a great chance Matthew Stevens let go there. A lifeline

It is an hour's play so they should have warmed up. There are still

scrappy. That only just went in. be fair to him, that wasn't a bad

shot. That was another heavy contact. They seemed to be getting

In the context of the match, Mark Not only to avoid 3-0 down, but to

Well... There you go. Talk about concentration. There was another

example. Just got down, he was walking around it, he didn't even

look at the pot. He assumed it was He has had a few shots run-off. I

don't know what happened the. It didn't ever look in. It was always

It gets from bad to worse for Mark. Blessed with such a marvellous

temperament, he is going to be tested to the fore this afternoon,

you feel. With some of the pots he is missing, some players' heads

would be down now, they'd be bright red. The shoulders would be

slumping. You can never count him out. He will have to up his game

But success 72%, well below what is required. Long pot success is only

Know when near good enough. -- He played that very well. He is one

of the few players in the world that can play that. Look at the

distance from the Bridgend to the The red sun nicely available to win

Decided to play for the red closest to the top cushion. It wouldn't be

my choice but he is looking for two This red will now put him 38 points

So, still nothing sparkling from Matthew Stevens, but as we said at

the start of the frame, he doesn't have to produce anything sparkling.

His opponent's not with it yet and the chances just keep coming and

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His opponent will not be coming This is Matthew's highest break of

the match. Not bothered about the black. So, Mark Williams seems to

be lacking in confidence, lacking in concentration, and he is taking

Jimmy White and Stephen Hendry, I grew up watching them and they were

a good inspiration for me. Especially Jimmy White. I'm not as

disappointed as he is losing in the world finals, but you can see how

frustrated he must be. The way he handled himself when he lost all of

them finals was fantastic. Stephen Hendry, K instinct. When he sees a

chance, he just goes for it. He is a winner. I've watched him in the

90s. He won all of those tournaments. Then to actually play

him, you know, it gets frustrating after a while. Heat is just an

legend. -- he is just a legend. Well, we've got one of Matthew's

heroes in the box. Did you have a good record against him, Stephen?

had a few battles with Matthew in the Championship. Towards the end,

Mark trying to pot that long red The way Mark is playing so far, you

don't fancy him winning from 3-0 down, and from 40 down -- 4-0 down,

it would be a lost cause. There will be a midsession interval after

this frame, so if he went down, two frames behind, he could get into

the practice room and start potting I agree with you, Stephen, if he

loses this frame, it will be very difficult to get back. You can

always see a way back if he has not done much wrong, but he has done a

If he doesn't win this frame, he So, first chance falls to Matthew.

Nice angle on the blue. There is a So he will be playing this one to

the left middle. Even this early on, he will be looking for an angle on

It is best to try to get into the Paquin you've got a few loose reds.

To have that little bit of insurance if the split doesn't work

He couldn't have struck that much better, he was lucky the way the

cue ball has gone straight back in a straight line across the table.

It is amazing!. The red it stuck to Always difficult. The more pace,

the harder they are. As I say, he was unlucky not to be on an easier

red than that. And this red is It is tricky when you're playing

Having to roll it in deadweight, not the type of opening shot Mark

needs at the moment. He needs something easier than that at the

That was a poor shot. Last thing he wanted to do was to kiss the yellow.

He can just about cut this green in, but it should have been easier than

He used the red to cut the pace of the cue ball. If he had potted the

green, there would have been a different cannon and he would have

been on the red. Heat over cut the green, and the cue ball took a

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That was a good recovery. He has got to make the most of this, you

He will play some sort of cannon, I He is more comfortable stunning

balls in. So you have to play a This didn't go into the middle of

the pocket which is why he is not perfect on the pink or the blue. He

As soon as a loose red is Has he gone far enough? These two

I think he played for the one just off the bunch. He has not confident

Oh! Gravity took over in the end. How did that drop? This black will

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Mr cannon. So this frame not over Never easy to judge these. It will

take a good shot to get get -- good At good recovery. He is not too bad

on the green. 35 points behind. There is a possible 43 remaining,

so he has points to play with. He does not need high value colours of

It is all going to be down to that hoc work RAST -- awkward last red.

The brown is close to the baulk cushion. It is all down to potting

Nicely played. Let himself just enough angle. To be able to hold

for the yellow. The key shot is going TB the position from green to

He doesn't want to be too straight on the screen. He needs a slight

angle so you can stun I grope towards the brown. -- stun towards

The cue ball is being cleaned. This is an important shot. He is playing

What a reprieve for Mark Williams. Considering he is 3 to nil in front,

that was very edgy. The way he He has got his first frame on the

scoreboard. It was a gift from At least Mark Williams can go into

the lead in this session with a positive thought, not many. That

was gifted to him and he knows that. Have we seen a big moment? We could

have done. Matthew was playing their knowing that Mark was

struggling. The way he has played the brown there, look as if he had

got there -- nervous. I could not see him missing this. There you go,

he has done it. What a reprieve for our Mark Williams. He had put some

side spin on as well to get away from the cushion. There was tension

in that shot. He knew the significance of that if he had got

a bigger lead. You cannot keep them down and all that time. There was

significance and that moment. first four frames have had strange

Mrs. I looked at this match before and thought it was difficult to

pick a winner. Mark is not playing as good as the use do. I thought it

was a difficult match, it is about how they play today. Today it has

been, a game of bizarre Mrs. Bad positional play and not what you

would expect. -- misses. standard of play is not what we had

expected. What do they do now in the short break? They can go on the

practice table. It is more for comfort than anything else. If you

have a fault in your technique, you are unlikely to cure that in 15

minutes. The positions these two players come to, Matthew has not

been in the limelight for long. Markets struggling to try and

recapture form. Wondering what people are saying, it is not the

type of thing Mark will normally do. Trying to analyse yourself as you

play is a dangerous thing to do instead of just letting yourself

play. Matthew is just playing. we look at this course, he has made

some 50 breaks. There are some inexplicable ones in the middle of

it. It is a strange performance so far. A standard may improve. This

is the penultimate match. One more to go this afternoon -- evening.

That is between Mark Selby up against Stuart Bingham. Mark Selby

features in today's classic match. It is the final of the Masters in

2010. Mark Selby against Ronnie Ronnie had appeared N eight Masters

finals, winning format of them. This was a rematch of the previous

year's final in which Ronnie had won. Mark Selby, he won a once and

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This is that, he will not a holding Here we go again with Ronnie

This would be a good shot left- handed. Just to get on the last red.

Mark Selby now knows this is a good chance. You have to take your

We have had 122. 121. This is 74 There are a lot of players to have

If we are in for an absolute belter My goodness me, what a shot that

was. Absolutely fantastic. Astonishing. This has been another

classic break from Ronnie O'Sullivan. Both players making it

look very simple. Just doesn't get He was always going to leave

himself a pot. What a sparkling encounter. 14 breaks over 50. Still

mark found themselves behind. He had to dig deep to get something

out of this. Dig deep, he did. Well played. He made that look very

simple. The quality in this final has been breathtaking. Well done,

Just a couple of pots away from winning this frame. And he missed a

sitter. Has he got away with it? This, their first chance he has had

been three frames. Surely he cannot It is they're. -- there. That was

asking a little too much. I cannot believe he has taken that on. We

have a last frame shoot-out. The easiest black in the world to level

at 9-9. Mark Selby has performed a What do you think, more pressure

out in the arena year than saying? He needs some help. He has some Alp.

What a comeback this has been. She must be delighted with Hearn.

Ronnie has finished his water. What does that tell us? That tension, he

It is all day, he was never going to leave anything. -- all right. He

may attempt the double to clinch Her it is right in the middle of

Ronnie comes forward and shakes and hand of Mark Selby. It has been a

remarkable final. He has been a remarkable comeback from the Jester

from Leicester. Well done to both Players. Ronnie were shell-shocked

by this defeat. He made a swift Mark had every right to savour this

fabulous victory. Two Masters What a final that was, Mark Selby

winning it for the second time in 2010. Can you win it for the third

time this year? Someone who has won it three times his Cliff Thorburn

from Canada. Three-times Masters champion and today he is

celebrating his 65th birthday. We send them our very best wishes.

Back to Mark Williams against Matthew Stevens. Mark Williams,

some people are suggesting is that a crossroads of his career. He is

I am talking to my old friend, Mark Williams. Last time I saw you,

you're not playing very well, you were going to retire. A cannot

retire yet. You must have been hurting? Honestly, know. You said

you were going to retire. because you were in there, that is

the only reason I said it. I daren't say it like that. It is a

long way back. It is disappointing losing in the first round. What did

you get up to? We went to the caravan. We spend a lot of time

down there now. We stayed over New Year and Christmas. You should come

down, you would enjoy it. How is the game? The game is good at the

minute. Playing quite well in practice. Looking forward to it.

used to play, we used to play lots of matches. You're playing Matthew

Stevens. A Matthew is a proper friend. It is awkward playing him

back you get on with it. What is your best memory of the Masters?

You have admitted it, I said you touch the black for 15 years. You

admitted that on the television the other day. I was quite proud of you

coming out. You were about five stone in weight later. This is one

of the major tournaments, you haven't won any of them since 2003.

When was the last time you won any of them? I am retired. Have you

still got it in you? I don't know, you tell me. Her in fact is you

always look very good. How many hours a day have you been fitting

into his set at right? Mind your own business. I think I have a

couple of tournaments left in May. Do you think the standards have

gone up or do you think your standard as gone down? My standard

has gone down. The standard is very high. It is not anything to worry

about, it is taking it from the practice table to the match table.

I am not going to say it is going to happen tomorrow. All these

tournaments, do you enjoy them? Explain, why not? I think we should

all be around one -- in round one. You cannot play any Sheffield in

one match. It is not there. You have to have the same in every

venue. The Alexander Palace, delight this venue? Nothing will

ever beat the conference centre. That was an unbelievable place. The

crowds were good. It is really good. It is a One table venue. You're

playing the top 16 players. It is a good one to win. It is one of the

few with the one-table set-up. There is no ranking point. Does

that take the pressure off? No, not really. It does not matter where

you end up, you start in the same round. I know nothing about the

rankings. I am just asking questions, badly. It is a big prize

this week. He top prizes are really good. But it is difficult to win.

The older you get, the harder it gets to win. What are your aims for

the rest of the season? No, I have never had any targets. You do care.

Is it an act? It is an act. want to when as much as anybody.

do not have a target to win as many tournaments. I go out and play and

a fine win, good. It makes no difference to me. Her you must be

dying to win this tournament. You are as good as anybody here.

that a compliment? It must be the first one you have ever given me.

The prize-money is massive, I definitely know there is still a

tournament or two let in May, it is about finding my practice farm and

bringing it to their match table. - - left in me. Tell us you are going

to win it. I am going to win it, you know that. There is a version

of that which can only be shown after nine o'clock. A lot of it had

to be edited out for this show. Before we talk about Mark Williams,

heard him talk about the one to eight. What do you think about the

changes to next season? If he had gone back to the history and that,

lower-ranked players were asking for them to go back in. The top

players would not have any of it. That was problems of politically in

the games. Things have changed now. I would have hated it. I would not

change the world are the UK. From a ticket point of view and what

people want to watch, it is a nightmare tippets stardom and front

of the UK. People need to book a ticket to watch a match. We will

have to see for the rest of it. You do not get the top 16 position, you

earn net. That is my view. On it. Let's get back to Mark Williams and

Matthew Stevens. Mark Williams appears to be someone who rushes

things off on the surface. You guys know them well. Deep down there is

a burning desire to prove he has got it. He is a competitive animal

on the table. He does not fester over it. That is the difference

between some players. He was squirming in his chair earlier.

Mark Williams is not the type of person to take things wrong with

them. One of his virtues is his temperament and that is fantastic.

I would have paid a lot of money for that myself. He has a great

opportunity here. Stevens is Mark Williams gets the fifth frame

underway. No more intervals. First I do not know if he went on the

practice table or not. He would have been tempted to do so. Mark

Williams spent the entire interval at the practice table. Trying to

get his timing back. If nothing It is a good sign. He is trying to

Winning that last frame which she looked certain to lose would have

given him I Group's thoughts. He has not had many. -- a good thought.

It is hard to have positive thoughts when you are missing the

kind of balls he has been missing. He is blessed with a tremendous

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This is the view from the baulk end It might not be too bad. He can

clearly get through for the right He didn't pot up the red because

there was no value in it. He is looking for a good length with the

Apology for the loss of subtitles for 52 seconds

He caught that much too thick. That hasn't reached the baulk line,

never mind the baulk cushion. Matthew can knock this red into the

That was the one important thing he had to do and he has missed it. Has

It wasn't that difficult, it was a That red will not pass the back. It

was the only red that looked like Were the black is situated, it is

difficult to play the two reds It was going to have to beat her

thin contact. -- it was going to have to beat a thin contact. And it

has worked out absolutely perfect. He may have snookered mark on all

If he can get to the red closes to the centre pocket, he can roll-on

Perfection. Of course, Matthew still has the advantage in this

safety exchange. The reds are nicely spread. The black is open as

is the pink. Can he come off this Mark feels more confident playing

safe off this red. That was half an attempt at a pot. The main concern

was to get the cue-ball back to the Now this read in the corner, a lot

will depend on the potting angle. It could not be much straighter,

There you see the distance. It is Well, that was a tremendous pot.

The type of pot that we usually expect Matthew Stevens to knock it

in but he is not that many in this match so far. But that was a

The black looks out of commission to both corner pockets but the pink

is open and the boot is open. -- of Straight to would have been better

but he is OK. He can stun across He didn't want to risk playing for

That was a very nice confident pot. He thought if he had found the gap,

he would get a choice of reds to Maybe losing that last frame before

the midsession interval has made him concentrate a little bit more.

He has been getting frames given to him, but he hasn't played his best.

He was kicking himself he didn't -- We've been soaking -- focusing on

Mark Williams misses but Stevens Mark Williams has been making

costly mistakes. Now, he is fortunate because he didn't want to

play the cannon. No way. He thought he was going to miss the reds,

having kissed them, he is lucky to People say, how do you line up the

pots? If you watch Matthew Stevens, he looks at the point. He would

like to hit the pink. He didn't have to do much, just pot the pink

Sometimes you are more focused going into the final stages in the

match. 3-0 up, the Winning Line was close. He knows Williams is not

playing well, so keep the pressure on. He is trying to pick out the

It just about crept in and that could be the frame winner. He's got

a nice angle on the blue. Any more pace, I don't think that would have

He doesn't want to risk those two reds near the cushion. He doesn't

really need them. But this is probably the key shot coming up. He

has got a nice angle on the blue. It is a nice little cannon on the

A red and the mean snooker's required stage. This is the highest

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He would have liked to have had it easier than this. It is not there...

So, a 67 point lead with 67 remaining. It is a very good leader.

Of course, any red that Mark Williams Potts, he's got to get on

the back otherwise it is snooker Matthew's intention, he has got the

insurance of those two reds on the side cushion which Mark Williams

It might be worth taking this red I don't blame him for taking thud

on. Half a chance now for Mark to start to make inroads, if he can

Knocked three times, but he knew Good pot. Now, he must have the

slightest angle to go for those two Every red must be followed with a

He played a little bit quickly for me. I think this red is on. If

Matthew Rowles this in, he will go 52 points in front with 43

That confirms Mike -- Mark Williams will not get back to the table.

Matthew Stevens did not when there frame in one visit, but he did make

his highest break of 67. He has come out after the interval,

business as usual, Mark Williams - a lot to think about. He trials, 4-

He is a phenomenally talented lad. A great player. He has won the UK

and the Masters. Very, very tough to beat. He has got an arrogant air

about him which gives him a lot of self-belief against anybody. He

He should have won the Championship before because he had the chances

to do it. There is still time because he is another one flutters

back to form. He is a man that Matthew Stevens has always had the

potential. He's probably wasted it a little bit but he has achieved

some good things in the game and he goes out there and looks relaxed

all the time. People enjoy watching him, the way he goes about his

business, he doesn't mess about, doesn't show much emotion. He plays

I would not write him off yet. Matthew is showing signs he is

So, a lot of nice thoughts about Matthew. One of the nicest lads you

will meet. He really is. We say he is under-achieving, but, as we know,

the man next to me, Stephen Hendry, who world were caught second to

none in every department of the game, but you know as well as I do,

it is not about putting balls in No. In every sport, not just

snooker, there's more than just being talented and gifted. It is a

thin line that separates the great from the greatest. All the hard

work, we know we watch these players and marvel at their ability,

but all the hard work that goes in to be able to produce these

performances, I think Matthew will be the first to admit that he just

stopped doing that. He didn't fully That is a lovely pot. He's got

every shot on a table, plenty of Just looking to see where he can

leave the cue ball without having Is it hard enough? He is just about

Reminds me of the way Jimmy cute. Really natural flowing cue action.

-- cute. Gets right through the cue When they are cueing well, like

Jimmy, they can get the ball moving with no effort whatsoever. He

purposely left himself below on that red so he could nudge a few

He played that one well as well. Certainly since the interval, he is

looking as though he is capable of scoring better than he did in the

We heard a little groan because he You can sense when your opponent is

not punishing your mistakes and Matthew will be thinking he can win

This needs to slow up otherwise he is on nothing. Just about. He is on

I think that frame he lost before the midsession interval was key.

Just to make him say, hang on a minute, I'm getting plenty of

chances but they cannot get to my In playing this, you may decide to

nudge it and stump into the red. -- stun in to the reds. He only got

one red but he finished inch- perfect on the blue. The only

downside is the pink which is separated from the reds. He is

He will have to play it a very precise cannon. What would you do?

It becomes more important to hit the pink fall in the face because

it is so far from seeing reds. He played that well. Didn't hit it

hard enough. But he got the right If he did played it harder, he may

not have felt he got the cannon as well on the pink and these things

come into your head but it is end He just needed to keep it safe.

Surely, this will be a touching ball. It is not. Referee would have

declared it. Is it this time? Problem for Matthew is that if you

go up to the baulk end, you've got to cover the red that is near the

baulk line otherwise your opponent Now, or where is the cue ball

going? Not bad. If you don't cover the red near the baulk line, you

make it easy. Having said that, there is a red in the middle of the

But now he decided to play the pot, applause, but he could be in a spot

That was an easy safety shot. was Matthew, I would have played

that shot that Williams played. You think of problems that are not

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Well, a terrific pot but he is only That was unlucky. He played a very

If he missed that red, it was going You have just got to be careful,

the reds are All-in the open. It would be a fairly comfortable

clearance if he were left in the balls here. He is only looking for

a red mac and a colour. The main priority is hard to get its safe. -

He has played it see per. You will not see a better safety shot this

Sometimes you are tempted to take on a risky red mac. Sometimes you

cannot take that chance. That was a good reply from Mark. He is

battling on and hoping to force a mistake. This is not a

straightforward return to the baulk That is the problem when the reds

are so close. Well, it is not bad. I thought it was going to leave a

Apology for the loss of subtitles for 52 seconds

red to the left hand corner, but Mark Williams has a pot in the

right-hand corner. He will be automatically on the pink if he

pots it. I feel Eddie's t shot he has to take on. -- I feel it is a

Has he got it in him to pinch this frame? That is not bad, he is left-

handed so the red is on the right From what we have seen so far you

would not fancy him to win the frame, but this could turn the

match around if he wants to make the most of this opportunity.

Sometimes a chance like this can bring the true quality out of a top

Apology for the loss of subtitles for 52 seconds

He just wanted a little ones. It But that was a good shot. We have

What a pity! There was no necessity to play the screw. I thought he

could have held the cue ball where the yellow was and the green is

near the pocket. I agree. He did not do it smoothly. If you are

struggling, you are better off just I did not expect him to miss it,

Apology for the loss of subtitles for 52 seconds

but he has missed easier shots It was a difficult shot. It just

got a rattle and it gives Matthew a chance. He is looking for the

yellow and green and we know he is pretty poor fish and left hander. -

REFEREE: Chaired the volume in your ear pieces, please. -- check the

He has missed that by so far he has Carmened -- cannoned the brown safe

That was a lot to ask. Matthew Stevens has another chance. Just as

We gear believe it? Would you believe it? If Mark Williams can

pinch this frame this match will be If Mark Williams takes this frame

he has been gifted the frames that APPLAUSE.

Somehow, he is only to married frames behind. Matthew Stevens will

not be happy. There is more mileage in this match. Matthew Stevens

Extraordinary. It seems like from the very first frame, what is going

on? I have never seen anything more bizarre in my life. They are

missing balls they would never miss. There was a moment when Williams

looked like vintage and he was going to clear it. There was a

moment there were he needed to just drop it in, no need to screw it,

and he misses it. And then Matthew Stevens presented with an easy

chance. If you were going to be critical of Matthew Stevens, you

would say that perhaps the reason he has not won more in my game is

because there are different types of competitiveness. One element of

it is the killer instinct. Some players would never miss that shot.

Others occasionally did. What causes that, a lack of focus?

some ways, there is not the tension of a big clearance. There is a

party the same, I should get this. You do not commit the same way as

you would to other shots. You mentally he's up even though you

know you should not. There are players who do not kill you off as

well as others. It is interesting listening to the commentary box and

both of you, with what the shots have been taken on and the amount

of times we have called it wrong, it is extraordinary. Some of it is

ridiculous. Mark Williams should not have missed that yellow and

Stevens should not have missed the brown. How Woolwich about? In an

Mark Williams gets frame seven on the way. He has had two of them

presented on a plate. After Stevens missed a green, it was as though, I

have played a bad shot and then I have come back and my mate has left

me an easy brown. You do not think positively enough. Perhaps the

It is so frustrating, this game. You just cannot buy a pot sometimes.

Matthew Stevens has had so many chances. This match could have been

6-0 in his favour. Sometimes, the balls do not forgive you and they

Matthew is looking at the possibility of a three ball plant.

This is dangerous. He has decided against it and I do not blame him.

There could be a bonus nestling behind the yellow. Not quite, I

don't think. I think Mark can just Beautifully played. Perfect on the

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The loose red on the left-hand side of the pack does pot to the left

hand corner. He is having a good look to see where he can leave the

He will be opening up the reds. I Well, I did not expect him to miss

that. He has opened up the reds and it is a chance for Mark Williams.

Whether or not he is playing well enough to take it is another batter.

This is what happens when you do not time the ball right. It is very

difficult to get position, It is bad when you have got to try

hard on the easy shots. You cannot He has finished up with a nice

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Well, he has won the frame on his own for the first time! The

previous ones have been gifted when Matthew has missed the brown. Well,

he ms that badly has got a 64 point There is a bit of snooker left in

The only hero I really had growing up was bristly. I used to love his

films and karate and all that stuff. He is the only one I have ever had

out of everything pictures of or my wall, I never had anything else. I

had all of the ones from enter the dragon. I just like everything

about him. Mainly his films and stuff like that. Even now, are you

get different documentaries about what happened and how he died. It

has always interested me. Fitting he is probably a lot of people's

It is going to get him eventually, Matthew, that he has not won the

match by now. Definitely it will be in his mind how badly Mark Williams

has played and it is only 43. -- He has hit it too thick, that is

Apology for the loss of subtitles for 52 seconds

where the cue ball stayed in the In the last frame when he made the

break of 59, that was his highest of the match. It was high for both

Apology for the loss of subtitles for 52 seconds

He wants to play it a cannon here and catch the left hand side of the

triangle of reds. He has just called them too thin, that is why

he has lost the cue ball. He wanted to be figure on the age of the pack.

Apology for the loss of subtitles for 52 seconds

He could have done without the kiss on the yellow, but now he has

flicked it in such a way, the cue ball is tight on the baulk cushion.

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I can't see a path back to baulk here. A little containing safety,

probably the red just above the pink and drop down to the jaws of

this pocket. But I am not certain He tried to bend that with right

hand side. Well, that little flicked on the green has helped

slightly. If this red is straight, the one on the left-hand side of

the table, with the black not being available, no value in going for

the pot. A slight angle, but very risky. Of course, in not taking

that red on, he leaves it for Matthew if he doesn't play a good

safety. This looks pretty good. He has pushed another red over the

The way Matthew is looking... Yes, he can get through to pot it. He

still has the problem of avoiding the kiss on the second red. That

could stop him from getting good This cue ball needs to slow down. A

REFEREE: Foul. A good pot. I think he might have

tried to play a cannon on that A good pot from mark and it looks

as though he has finished nicely on Well... I'm a little bit surprised

he didn't play the blue. Having said that, you would never expect

him to miss the brown under normal circumstances. But these haven't

Apology for the loss of subtitles for 52 seconds

been normal circumstances today, it Getting to pink back on its spot is

going to make this break a lot Mark Williams will be so frustrated.

He has battled to get back to 4-3. A really good chance to make it 4-4.

Is he's straight enough on this red to play for the pink in the middle?

Yes, no problem. He can just roll this pink into the left centre and

have two reds available into the He is 16 points behind now. Reds

are in the open, four of them. He will need the awkward red near the

black. He will not be able to win A chance to possibly screw the

white to cannons the red and black He would have left himself on this

red he's going to play if he had Glancing at the scoreboard, still

two points in arrears. It is only going to get more difficult from

now. He has the one close to the black, which he needs, and the one

It looks as though he has a nice angle on the pink to run through

and maybe disturb the red near the But he decided to just play for the

loose red. I do feel that if you keep refusing these opportunities

to bring the red you need into play, When you get a better chance? --

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In goes the blue. I don't think there will be any heroics with this

red along the top cushion. If he does play the pot, he will just

roll it in and try to get the snooker. To play it with a lot of

pace to get on the pink would be Who it was foolhardy? It was such a

tough pot. He was only ever going to get a colour after it, he was

never going to get an angle to He has not got the angle on the

pink to disturb the red. He will just pot the pink. And then play a

good safety. A possible snooker. At a glance at the score board, four

points behind. Right back into He is just looking to see if he can

stunned the red full in the face and leave Matthew hampered by the

He doesn't want to knock the red Well, he is just about hampered

enough to make this red difficult, but it is a pot and he shouldn't

have left one. No, Mark Williams is the last player you would expect to

make an elementary error like that. A lot of margin for error to get

This is one of the most difficult shot. If you can imagine, you are

looking down to stroke the cue ball and then the red is not in your eye

There you go. I was thinking he had to get down a bit more than that

and he was making it look as though he didn't have to strike down. That

is why he has miscued. He has gone over the top of the white. Why was

he hitting it so hard? It looked like he was playing that with a lot

of pace. Why not just pot the red? To the points are all square. The

This was for a few from Hawk-Eye. He definitely had to lift his

bridge hand higher to get to the middle of the cue ball and he

didn't go that high. I think that is why he didn't... He tried to dig

at the end. He just went over the top. That was a terrific top -- pot

on the yellow. One good positional shot from green to brown and he

Not bad for a left-hander. Brown and blue needed to square the match.

I didn't think I would be saying But that is going to be the case.

Remarkable. Absolutely remarkable what has happened here. We may have

He trailed 3-0, looked like going 4-0 behind, Stevens missed any easy

brown and then he looked like going brown and then he looked like going

5-1 behind, and now, unbelievably, it is all square.

Car STUDIO:. Unbelievably we have a 4-4 stew --

scoreline, but we've seen more mistakes. Arthur C Clarke in one of

his mysteries hasn't had... This has been unbelievable. Very good.

The most ridiculous session of snooker I think I've ever seen. I

don't think Matthew has ever missed so many pots. Mark looks lacking in

confidence and it's all square. degree shift in momentum. Yes. You

don't necessarily get time to settle in the Masters. While you

perhaps don't get so far is because you are playing against another

great player and if you have a bad day, you're out of the tournament

before you start. Mark Williams has got away with it to some degree.

He's had a terrible start of this match and on another day he would

be going back to Wales. But he can turn it around. He now has a chance.

He was looking politely was out of the tournament, does the pressure

come back? The process in the mind must be extraordinary. Matthew

Stevens must feel like he is Stevens must feel like he is

wobbling. Yes. Mark has probably settled any nerves from the early

part. He has probably forgotten about that. Any player capable of

turning it around like Mark Williams always has a chance.

you expect the unexpected now? Yes, but his pot success of 81%,

Mark Williams, still has to improve for him to win the match, I think.

But he is still in it and he can still win it. Long pot success, 37%.

Well below what it should be. But if Matthew Stevens keeps making

mistakes, as he has started to do, It seems very simple to say, but

the player that can stop missing easy balls is the player that will

That is what they used to say in the old amateur days. If you

stopped missing easy balls, you wouldn't lose many matches. The way

the game is now, you miss one ball and normally that is end of frame.

You have to admire Mark Williams still being in this match, the way

he has played today. Yes. Great attitude. A lot of players missing

the balls he had done... He would have seen them sat in the chair,

squirming, red faced, shoulders drooped gone up a lot of head-

shaking going on. But we've not had Went down with lots of left-hand

side to help the pace of the cue ball. He made the right contact on

the pack, but unfortunately it was end of break. He is looking more

Yes. When you go back to your seat and you've played the right shot,

it you don't feel too bad. It is when you go back Teale sit after --

back to your seat after you've missed a sitter... He knows now

that he is right back in this match. I think there might be a gap here

to this red. Yes, there is. It just shows you, if he hadn't

been hampered by the green, I don't think he would have had any problem

with that red. He tried to widen the angle with a stun shot. He made

it more difficult because he had to What is happening? What is

Williams definitely looks the stronger now. I think Matthew can't

get over the fact that he has an won this match already, John.

would agree. It has just taken away his confidence. The two browns he

has missed that could have given him a 6-0 victory. I think he is

just a bit bemused by what has Mark Williams is now two points

He can't believe he has finished straight on the blue. Either side

of the blue would have been fined - - find because there's a red at the

baulk end. Maybe he can forced a slight angle. The problem with that

is you take all of the pace out of the cue ball. I think he might just

have a red, but I don't think this is the one he played for. He needs

He did. As you say, Stephen, starting to look for a stronger of

I don't think mark will think that was a good shot. The cue ball

shouldn't have been this close to Straight enough on the red to be

able to come for -- control the cue ball. This black isn't comfortable,

though. The red below it is in his way a little bit for position. He

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had to just settle for a red into Just this black... And one more red

and it looks a formality now. He will go 5-4 in front and just one

frame away from a place in the quarter-final. The things you never

A fierce game is certainly looking a lot easier to Mark Williams now.

This is the highest break of the match, it supersedes the 67 that

Matthew Stevens made in frame five. He got a bad contact, but it won't

He got a bad contact, but it won't matter. How Matthew Stevens is

bemused to say the least. He is now As we keep saying, the turnaround

of epic proportions. I just can't believe Mark Williams is 5-4 in

front. Incredible. If he wins this match, it is one of the best

performances of his career. He couldn't Pot 2 balls in a row. I

couldn't see him winning this match. Matthew missed the easy brown to go

Matthew missed the easy brown to go 5-1 up, and although you think it

hasn't affected you badly, this is the one he missed to go 4-0...

Subconsciously it does affect you. This was unforgivable. Since then

his timing has gone. And that was another one where I thought he just

rolled that in, he could have played a snooker, make certain. All

of a sudden he is missing balls that Mark Williams was missing in

the first part of the match. What is going to happen next? I don't

Not a bad break off shot, I don't know whether this red will cut into

An attacking safety shot by Matthew Stevens. There's always a risk in

that shot off putting red balls over the corner pockets. He hasn't

potted a lot of these today. Can he Not like Mark Williams. 9 ft 6

between cue ball and object ball. What can Matthew Stevens made of

this chance? Can he focus on the shot so head? And it doesn't look

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This will really hurt him, if he There is always a little bit of

competitiveness when these two made. More or less a who is the bells --

best Welsh player, if you like. For Matthew to have let it slip away,

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Position is not an issue as he has got the pink to the left. This is a

He has just got to go in and out of baulk now. He has got the line

between yellow and brown. I have seen him play this before with

left-hand side. Does it run past the cluster or stick? It sticks on

them. He played it off two cushions, he just did not get enough side on

the cue ball. He has got a nice lead, 47 points. Possible 83

He wanted to cover the left hand side of the pack, I think. That was

a good shot. It looks like he can get to the edge of this red, but he

may be knocking one of the left corner. He can afford to leave

This is the type of shot you would expect Mark Williams to invariably

Knockin. I am sure he will take it on. If it goes in, it could be the

He needs to play a good safety or snookered to force a mistake. Mark

Williams knows his way around the table and with a 47. Lead, he knows

how to hold on to that. -- with a He is trying to sneak behind the

brown. It would not have been my Mark Williams has now scored 101.

More than Matthew Stevens. -- has I do not think this red cuts into

the left middle. That is not to say it will not going to the left

He played a deep screw to get the cue ball back to the baulk my again.

He is very good at protecting, Mark Much too thick. The two reds on the

right-hand side have covered one another but there is a red

underneath the pink spot that will cut to the right-hand corner. And

it is in. But now, he is army yellow and on the green. This is a

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This pink and one more red required for an amazing result. One more red

and a colour. If he pots the red he This will really heard Matthew

Stevens. -- hurt. The yellow, to go 61 in front with 59 remaining.

APPLAUSE. All, so close to the middle pocket!

Ha has Matthew Stevens lost this? He has lost it for certain. He will

not be coming back to the table. Incredible victory. 4-1 down. One

of the best victories of his career, I would suggest. Particularly

because he has not played really, has the? He has played the last

As you say, every credit to him. OK, he had quite a lot of help from his

opponent, but you have still got to pot the balls and in the last few

frames he has really come on strong. There is probably not another

player in the world who could have turned this match around the way he

was playing. I could not agree with you more. Doesn't matter about the

green. Matthew Stevens shakes his hand, they have a laugh. He will be

saying, how have you beaten me? This goal-line, Matthew Stevens was

in a lead 3-1, it should have been 5-1, but he has lost 6-4. The two-

times champion has a place in the You have been saying, Steve,

unbelievable. At one stage in this match did you think that Mark

Williams was going to get back in? When Matthew Stevens missed that

second relatively easy brown. From thereon, you could spell that --

smell a possibility. If given enough chances, a player like Mark

Williams will recover. Matthew Stevens, it is the back -- the type

of match we want to go back to the dressing room and smash your cue

into a million pieces. That would be one in 1,000 matches you would

win, being so out of form and have your opponent gave you frame after

frame. The last two, very good. What happened in that match, up to

the last two frames, it is very, very store. -- saw.

You were saying earlier about the lack of care instinct. Is that what

manifested today? Here is Mark coming into dare -- in it now.

They were saying you were probably the only one who could have done

this. I did not play it very well. Neither did Matthew. I do not think

I would have come back from 5-1. I stuck in there, and was trying 100%.

Perhaps that is what got me through in the end. You were making 50 and

40 breaks, but there was something missing. Can you put your finger on

what it was? Everything! The table is so fast. If you have just a

fraction of side, it goes off so far. The table was beautiful and it

was just difficult to control the white. Even though I did not play

very well I can still not 20s and 30s in. They also suggested perhaps

that was one of your most satisfying victories, playing the

way you were. Stephen did not say that as well, did he? It is easy to

win when you are playing well. It is hard to win when you are not

playing well. I was getting hammered out there, really. I'm

over the moon that I stuck in and tried my best and managed to turn

it round. You said earlier wrong that when you were missing some

relatively simple shots, you were saying five years ago, nobody

thought too much of it but the older you get, the more you miss

and the more people pick up on it. Is that fair? You only have to look

at Steve playing these days! It is difficult because you have been

there and done it and now you are trying to recreate it and get back

into the top end of things. Sometimes you need help. This could

be the springboard? It could be. Coming into this tournament I

practised really hard and probably playing in practice the best I have

played four years, I was having 147s every single day, near enough.

And then I went out there and I could not make 47! I just could not

do it today. Is there reason, when you practice is so good? Can you

have me boys? If I was you coach I could probably give you an insight,

if you were hiring me. What sort of rate we do charge? I would do it

for the love of the game. When you come into the game you are not

trying in the same way as when you are trying to get back into form.

Sometimes you try too hard or you try to monetary you're game as you

are playing. It is very hard to judge. I think maybe one of the

things I am doing is trying too hard. I might just be trying too

hard, instead of seeing the shots and applying them. The victory was

a bonus, anything else you get in the tournament you can relax.

Matthew did help me out a lot really, he missed a lot of balls he

would not normally miss. Perhaps I'd write him down a bit. If you

know you practice is going well but you struggling -- you are

struggling around the table, what more can you do before the next

game? I am going to have a chat with Stephen after and gave him 50

quid and hopefully he will sort me out! Is that the secret to success?

He drives a hard bargain. He did not even try to knock me down.

well done, Mark. Extraordinary match. Mark Williams is through to

the quarter finals to pay either -- play either Mark Selby or bring him.

Yesterday's match turned out to be the match of the tournament so far

between Judd Trump and Barry Hawkins.

We did not expect those shoes, but Barry Hawkins took his chance,

Judd Trump will be delighted to go into the mid- session interval all

Barry Hawkins is really starting to cue well. In it goes, and perfect

on the pink. A hot favourite to win a tournament is now at two behind.

Barry Hawkins will be hoping that is the last time he has to break

Well played, good pot, excellent. That was Judd Trump at his best.

Can he keep it going? He has played it well, he has played it very well.

It is on about Barry Hawkins keeping himself together. Judd

Trump will be disappointed to be out of the best there -- Betfair

Would you believe it? Pressure! Pink, to take us into the deciding

frame. It is there, we are in for a decider. That is a marvellous

Judd Trump absolutely delighted, their favourite is eventually

through to the quarter final. If he My safety was not great. I was

missing luck today. Hopefully I will get that back. Barry played

well and made it a difficult game. Well I got myself in position and

through the match away. I'm gutted, I had a great chance. A couple of

times I thought he should clear-up and he did not. I just stayed calm

and waited for my chances. Similarity in the way that the

matches ended in respect with Barry Hawkins yesterday at missing the

easy blue, and the way Matthew Stevens fell apart at the end of

the match you today. Do you feel there is more a case of Barry

Hawkins giving the match to Judd Trump or was Judd Trump taking it

back? Midway through, when you could really have knocked a couple

of nails into the coffin, so to speak, Barry Hawkins was in the

line to clinch the match. It is a different thing. But getting over

the line is what it is all about. In his interesting listening to

Judd Trump after the match. I detected something in him when he

was talking about what people expect him to do. It is almost as

if he wants to prove it to people who died him. To be honest, heat-

treated Mark Joyce with respect. He thought he had one. He found out a

hard way he was not winning and got knocked out. Sometimes you have got

to have a setback before you can appreciate what you have got. He

finished well yesterday. I think he is top class. He is still young. He

is going to learn. He is in there with Abeid shot on this tournament.