Final, Part 2

:01:34. > :01:40.Good evening. Of the defending champion, Neil Robertson, and the

:01:40. > :01:45.world No. 1, Mark Selby, want to be top of the pile this evening. On

:01:45. > :01:49.this cold, wintry evening, they are guaranteed to generate some heat

:01:49. > :01:53.and some tension. Robertson is bidding to join a small and

:01:53. > :02:00.exclusive group of men who have successfully defended this Holt

:02:00. > :02:10.title. But Mark Selby from Leicester is going for back-to-back

:02:10. > :02:17.

:02:17. > :02:27.major trophies. He started the So it is the Australian who gets

:02:27. > :02:37.

:02:38. > :02:47.the opening frame underwear. -- The Jester from Leicester, 3-0 in

:02:48. > :02:48.

:02:48. > :03:32.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 44 seconds

:03:32. > :03:37.Neil Robertson will be quite pleased. Mark Selby does not have

:03:37. > :03:47.to come back this evening because he has got a two frame advantage at

:03:47. > :03:49.

:03:49. > :03:59.The most important thing on finals night is to forget what happened in

:03:59. > :04:00.

:04:00. > :04:03.the afternoon. Put your opponent under pressure. Maintain that

:04:03. > :04:08.pressure on your opponent by making the most of every opportunity.

:04:08. > :04:17.Score heavily, win friends in one visit. Do not let Europe on and off

:04:17. > :04:27.the hook. -- your opponent. Now has always play a big part. Experience

:04:27. > :04:30.

:04:30. > :04:34.is key. -- nerds. Trust your And if you are first to see the

:04:34. > :04:44.winning post, go for it for all you're worth. Never look over your

:04:44. > :04:51.

:04:51. > :04:57.shoulder. Otherwise, your world The two players at the top of the

:04:57. > :05:07.pile, the defending Masters champion, Neil Robertson.

:05:07. > :05:29.

:05:29. > :05:39.MUSIC: "Heart Of Courage" by Two And his apartment, the world No. 1,

:05:39. > :06:02.

:06:02. > :06:10.Mark Selby! -- the world No. 1. Yes, a possible 11 more frames to

:06:10. > :06:15.play this evening. We will join John Patten and John Virgo. -- John

:06:15. > :06:22.Parrott. We have no idea what we are in for. Isn't that what we

:06:22. > :06:32.love? Absolutely. What an atmosphere we

:06:32. > :06:33.

:06:33. > :06:38.have got here. Absolutely packed to the rafters. The crowd up for it.

:06:39. > :06:46.The match is finely balanced. I have never read an atmosphere quite

:06:46. > :06:56.like this. This is great. Absolutely superb. What a walking

:06:56. > :07:01.

:07:01. > :07:10.Doesn't that some snooker or? -- some snooker up. At tremendous

:07:10. > :07:15.ovation. As soon as the referee says, Play, it goes quiet. You

:07:15. > :07:25.could hear a pin drop. Not a good break off by new Robertson. He has

:07:25. > :07:44.

:07:44. > :07:54.I am just trying to think the last time an Australian got an ovation

:07:54. > :08:10.

:08:10. > :08:16.like that. It would not happen at That was a good pot. Nice way to

:08:16. > :08:26.start the evening session for Neil Robertson. Very clean. Straight in

:08:26. > :08:39.

:08:39. > :08:49.the centre of the pocket. A little Good pot. He is down and looking at

:08:49. > :09:01.

:09:01. > :09:11.the potting angle. That tells me he He has missed the pot. You need to

:09:11. > :09:23.

:09:23. > :09:31.I would expect this first frame to be a little bit nervy because of

:09:31. > :09:41.the significance of it. It will either be 5-4 or 6-3. It is pretty

:09:41. > :09:41.

:09:41. > :10:25.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 44 seconds

:10:25. > :10:32.Mark Selby got off to a flier at the start of this match, winning

:10:32. > :10:42.the first three frames. He led 5-1. At 5-3 he would have been a little

:10:42. > :10:50.

:10:50. > :11:00.I'm not certain he has played that well. I'm sure his idea was to pot

:11:00. > :11:05.

:11:05. > :11:11.the pink and run into the raids. -- reds. In the end he played for one

:11:11. > :11:21.of the awkward raids on the right side of the table. -- reds. This is

:11:21. > :11:38.

:11:39. > :11:48.I know he is pretty adept on the pool table as well. But he is

:11:49. > :11:52.

:11:52. > :12:01.attempting a safety shot here that is very difficult. Just having a

:12:01. > :12:11.look again. If you do play this shot, make sure you get a good cue

:12:11. > :12:20.

:12:20. > :12:27.ball. It is a little bit In the end he decided that was not

:12:27. > :12:37.the shot. The yellow has come to his rescue. That was a bit

:12:37. > :13:09.

:13:09. > :13:14.fortunate. Saved by the yellow for It is a very big shot if he takes

:13:14. > :13:24.it on. OK, the Blackwell pot, but you are virtually certain to lead

:13:24. > :13:30.

:13:30. > :13:40.your upon and in if you miss this. Not really close. He got the

:13:40. > :13:40.

:13:40. > :14:34.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 44 seconds

:14:34. > :14:40.He will have to bring that main bunch of reds into play if he is

:14:40. > :14:45.going to win it at this visit. may pot the black and leave the cue

:14:45. > :14:50.ball low on the next red. He does not have to. The reasoning behind

:14:51. > :15:00.that is that if he plays that red, he will bring a few more reds into

:15:01. > :15:32.

:15:32. > :15:42.He did not really had that as well as he would have liked. -- hit at

:15:42. > :15:54.

:15:54. > :16:04.He nudged another red into play. This is quite remarkable, this

:16:04. > :16:11.

:16:11. > :16:21.This is how Ray Reardon used to get his breaks, of course. The Balls

:16:21. > :16:22.

:16:22. > :16:32.did not open up as they do now on this superfine cloth. He is on the

:16:32. > :16:46.

:16:46. > :16:56.black and he has brought another At 53. League now. -- leading by 53

:16:56. > :16:57.

:16:57. > :17:04.He is hitting the ball so much better, scoring Wise. You can tell

:17:04. > :17:12.by the strike. He really struggled in the match against Graeme Dott

:17:12. > :17:15.early on. A great start for him today. He was much the better

:17:15. > :17:19.player Greer on. You could have forgiven him for having a slow

:17:19. > :17:29.start today after finishing so late last night. But he has forgotten

:17:29. > :17:37.

:17:38. > :17:47.all about that, straight into the By the Pinnacle put and 60 points

:17:48. > :17:56.

:17:56. > :18:06.in front. -- This pink will bring Good solid pot. He has left himself

:18:06. > :18:16.

:18:16. > :18:20.a tricky frame ball red. 59 ahead, 67 remaining. No problem. He is

:18:20. > :18:30.perfect on the blue. You doubt Neil Robertson will be coming back to

:18:30. > :18:54.

:18:54. > :19:04.It has been some break. Very cleverly constructed. He we did one

:19:04. > :19:18.

:19:18. > :19:23.The perfect start for Mark Selby. First of all, what about the

:19:23. > :19:29.intensity of the reception for these players? Up 200 per cent from

:19:29. > :19:33.this afternoon. Unbelievable. And incredible atmosphere. It was

:19:33. > :19:38.almost like a wrestling match at a boxing match. Amazing. Especially

:19:38. > :19:42.since we're virtually snowed in, it has been a big effort for people to

:19:43. > :19:47.get Pierre? Yes, it is the only event in the London area. People

:19:47. > :19:53.want to see their snooker. It proves to me that snooker is not

:19:53. > :19:58.going away. It is as popular a growing sport as anywhere in the

:19:58. > :20:03.game. From my perspective, great to see the fans. They love their

:20:03. > :20:07.snooker. It is good the UK Masters never stopped. I know it sounds

:20:07. > :20:13.stupid but it could have gone up by the by at some stage. Out there in

:20:13. > :20:18.for a long night? That was a big frame for Neil Robertson to lose.

:20:18. > :20:23.If Mark's just plays his game, I think at three frame lead is a big

:20:23. > :20:33.deficit to claw back. He has already had a couple of comebacks

:20:33. > :20:42.

:20:42. > :20:52.Once again, not the best break-off shot. He has left a red on. If he

:20:52. > :20:54.

:20:54. > :21:02.parted, the black will follow. -- Just about the right side of the

:21:02. > :21:06.blue. Yes, beautiful cueing. It to be honest, when Neil has played the

:21:06. > :21:16.run through his this week, he has had a higher percentage for me.

:21:16. > :21:47.

:21:47. > :21:51.That one just goes but it is the wrong angle to get on the black. He

:21:51. > :21:59.played it nicely. He has got to make the most of these

:22:00. > :22:09.opportunities, of course. Yes, and I feel he has got to play at a

:22:10. > :22:10.

:22:10. > :22:15.slightly quicker tempo. When he is playing well, Neil, he moves about

:22:15. > :22:21.the table with authority. That is when he plays his best. I think

:22:21. > :22:31.most players do. You do not think of what can go wrong. You approach

:22:31. > :22:31.

:22:31. > :22:41.the shot with a positive attitude. Mark Selby takes 24 seconds a shot.

:22:41. > :22:41.

:22:41. > :23:27.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 44 seconds

:23:27. > :23:37.Last night, it was 29-32nd to shot. He has got to be a little careful

:23:37. > :23:55.

:23:55. > :24:05.Definitely one red available. There are two. The back Quan and the one

:24:05. > :24:14.

:24:14. > :24:24.It could not have gone much more awkward than this. He purposely

:24:24. > :24:26.

:24:26. > :24:36.left himself law that red. -- low. You know he wants to keep it going

:24:36. > :24:47.

:24:47. > :24:57.It was tricky. A good chance that he did not make the most of it. --

:24:57. > :24:57.

:24:57. > :26:26.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 44 seconds

:26:26. > :26:30.The red went in as well as the Kuyt. -- Kuyt. I suppose Neil will be

:26:30. > :26:36.glad to be back at the table. Mark Selby did not make the most of that

:26:36. > :26:40.opportunity. He never even give it a lot of thought before he played

:26:40. > :26:50.that pot. It was a difficult one. It was just annoyance after the

:26:50. > :26:54.

:26:54. > :27:03.previous shot. There is a red at the back. It is not easy. It is one

:27:03. > :27:13.of those shots we call a guide. It was right in the heart of the

:27:13. > :27:47.

:27:47. > :27:52.Straightaway he is not happy with the contact. Heavy contact. You

:27:52. > :27:56.could see immediately that Neil was not happy but the path of the cue

:27:57. > :28:02.ball. He has still got a chance at this red but it is dangerous now.

:28:02. > :28:12.He will be running into other Balls. If he goes for it, he needs to get

:28:12. > :28:28.

:28:28. > :28:32.it. Three of these remaining reds He cannot really refuse this. One

:28:32. > :28:42.of those situations where you have got the brown and you think, this

:28:42. > :28:48.is handy. He is refusing it. Interesting. What do you think of

:28:48. > :28:55.that, John? Funnily enough, when he got the rest, I was looking at his

:28:55. > :28:58.success percentage with the rest. It is about two-thirds. Maybe he

:28:58. > :29:08.felt the safety was the easier option. Would he get a better

:29:08. > :29:14.

:29:14. > :29:24.chance? -- will he get a better He probably has a few doubts about

:29:24. > :29:25.

:29:25. > :29:31.Does this slipped past the blue? He just caught it on the way up. But

:29:31. > :29:41.he is hampered, Neil, it doesn't make the shot any easier. It is

:29:41. > :30:18.

:30:18. > :30:25.nearly as good a to snooker. -- as Decent shot, that. All he can do,

:30:25. > :30:29.really. Just looking to see if the red can cut past the black. If it

:30:30. > :30:39.does, he will take it, and with the blue we Ritter's over the corner,

:30:40. > :31:19.

:31:19. > :31:23.he will be on a colour. -- we are I don't think that Mark can play

:31:23. > :31:28.the pot on the red just below the pink and avoid the kiss on the red

:31:28. > :31:33.near the top cushion. It would appear to be bang online, the

:31:33. > :31:43.natural angle to pot that. You would be put to be certain to

:31:43. > :31:43.

:31:43. > :31:51.cannon onto the red. -- virtually certain. Would you believe it! The

:31:51. > :32:01.cannon looked obvious. You can't dispute the fact that the red went

:32:01. > :32:07.

:32:07. > :32:17.right in the middle of the pocket, A fair bit to do, but if Mark Selby

:32:17. > :32:44.

:32:44. > :32:50.could make this frame, this would He has just got to be a bit careful

:32:50. > :32:56.with the next positional shot. He would like to have the cue ball on

:32:56. > :33:06.the left-hand side to play the left behind the black to the opposite

:33:06. > :33:17.

:33:17. > :33:20.It should leave him a natural angle to get down there. The only thing

:33:20. > :33:30.he has got to guard against he is snookering himself behind the other

:33:30. > :33:37.

:33:37. > :33:46.Not great. It was a very good line, but he has just underhit it. In

:33:46. > :33:52.fact, it was the perfect line. But surely, these two reds are risky.

:33:52. > :33:55.He has got himself back in the frame, he's just 12 behind. The way

:33:55. > :34:03.he went for the first great in this break, he might have been refusing

:34:03. > :34:13.this one either. -- the first red in this break, he might not be

:34:13. > :34:34.

:34:34. > :34:44.A couple of options here, just a matter of which shot you prefer,

:34:44. > :35:07.

:35:07. > :35:12.Unlucky, that. Yes, just looking at it, if he rolls the red income

:35:12. > :35:22.which would be a dangerous thing to do, he would be kissing the black

:35:22. > :35:23.

:35:23. > :35:33.and not certain on a colour, so he He cannot push the boat out too

:35:33. > :35:42.

:35:42. > :35:52.often, he has got an attacking Is that hard enough? He will be

:35:52. > :36:16.

:36:16. > :36:26.disappointed. He has not got the Just enough on that red to make it

:36:26. > :36:40.

:36:40. > :36:44.impossible to pot. A little swerve Played it nicely. He could have

:36:44. > :36:54.done with a better length on the cue ball, but the red could

:36:54. > :36:54.

:36:54. > :37:45.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 44 seconds

:37:45. > :37:49.He caught the bomb, but he has got a good red. -- bump. In fact, he

:37:49. > :37:59.can't get through to the potting angle anyway. How important was

:37:59. > :38:03.that yellow a few shot ago that Mark Selby had? In this positional

:38:03. > :38:13.shot goes anywhere bar tight on the cushion, you would have to fancy

:38:13. > :38:20.

:38:20. > :38:27.He will be pleased with that result. If it didn't kiss the brown, I

:38:27. > :38:33.don't know where the red would have finished. We say this game is all

:38:33. > :38:39.about fractions, if that should have bounced off the cushion and

:38:39. > :38:45.inched you would have fancied him winning the frame. -- an inch. He

:38:45. > :38:53.can just about hit this red. The problem is, with what he can hit,

:38:53. > :38:58.he will be knocking it towards the far right corner. The brown may

:38:58. > :39:08.come and coverage but you wouldn't want to rely on that. -- come and

:39:08. > :39:16.

:39:16. > :39:26.Quite a clever shot, that. He knew full well if he played it like that

:39:26. > :39:50.

:39:50. > :39:54.and kissed the brown, it would stay How has that's not gone in? It

:39:54. > :40:04.couldn't have been any closer! He was fully committed to the pot. I

:40:04. > :40:31.

:40:31. > :40:36.thought it was going to drop. Will The only hope Neil Robertson has

:40:36. > :40:41.got here is the fact that the brown is not on its spot. It is also

:40:41. > :40:51.somewhat ironic that the safety shot Mark Selby played a couple of

:40:51. > :41:12.

:41:12. > :41:22.shots ago actually moved the brown He left an angle so he could come

:41:22. > :41:28.

:41:28. > :41:38.off the side cushion and nudge the And that is absolutely inch perfect.

:41:38. > :41:42.

:41:42. > :41:49.This will really hurt Neil Robertson, this frame. He was in,

:41:49. > :41:54.he had his chance. He lost position off the brown, made a decision to

:41:54. > :42:04.play safe that was entirely his. Since then, he has had to watch

:42:04. > :42:09.

:42:09. > :42:19.He won the first frames of this match, he has won the first two

:42:19. > :42:22.

:42:22. > :42:30.frames of this final session. It is Some classic examples of risk and

:42:30. > :42:34.reward shots in that match. This was a difficult one he tried here.

:42:34. > :42:38.It was a difficult one, he knew he would cannon the red that was on

:42:38. > :42:44.the black, if he misses that he is leaving the frame open for Neil

:42:44. > :42:49.Robertson. But that one paid off and yet, in the end Neil Robertson

:42:49. > :42:52.was forced to take on a tricky one to the top corner. Interesting,

:42:52. > :42:56.risk and reward, take a look at this from Neil Robertson. He

:42:56. > :43:01.decided that was the right one to go for, he was so close but he

:43:01. > :43:05.missed. Earlier he had the chance with the rest and we were watching

:43:05. > :43:11.thinking, perhaps this is the time to take on the red. He decided

:43:11. > :43:19.against that and played the safety shot. Of the two shot, that shot we

:43:19. > :43:22.have seen was by far the easier. But you have to make these ongoing

:43:22. > :43:27.decisions as to what is the right shot and the wrong shot. You don't

:43:27. > :43:31.get them right all the time but in the end sometimes you do live or

:43:31. > :43:36.die by your decisions. When you are three frames behind it, you have to

:43:36. > :43:40.take a bit of a risk, forced the issue about. If you are 6-3 in

:43:40. > :43:44.front you can not take any risks but when you are chasing, you have

:43:44. > :43:47.got to take opportunities and chase them. But also there is more

:43:47. > :43:53.pressure on the decisions you are making and perhaps you can make the

:43:53. > :44:00.wrong choices. You can, but when Neil looks back at the frame he

:44:00. > :44:03.probably wishes he had taken it on. This has been a bit of a role

:44:03. > :44:07.reversal in terms of scoring heavily because all week has been

:44:07. > :44:13.Neil Robertson who has been the heaviest scorer, he has had six

:44:13. > :44:20.centuries. Selby has now thrown in a century but 86 was his top break

:44:20. > :44:24.before today. He has not been prolific at any stage, but he is

:44:24. > :44:34.certainly winning more frames in one visit. He is certainly more

:44:34. > :44:38.

:44:38. > :44:47.confident and he is inching towards Neil Robertson get the 11th frame

:44:47. > :44:51.under way. He has got to win one of the two frames before the bid

:44:51. > :45:00.session interval. First to 10, remember, will lift the beautiful

:45:00. > :45:10.crystal trophy. They will become the competition macro -- the

:45:10. > :45:13.

:45:13. > :45:22.What a terrific pot that was from Mark Selby. He's looking very

:45:23. > :45:27.Before this match today, you would have said for this result to be

:45:27. > :45:30.like it is at the moment, Mark Selby would have to improve and

:45:30. > :45:40.Neil Robertson would have to dip. At the moment, that is what is

:45:40. > :46:11.

:46:11. > :46:17.Mark's wife, doing well to watch. I It used to be bad enough when we

:46:17. > :46:26.were amateurs, when the other men were playing we would get nervous,

:46:26. > :46:36.it is like watching, with the amount of prize money on offer,

:46:36. > :46:44.

:46:44. > :46:49.I know people laugh when you say it, you are not really speaking the

:46:49. > :46:59.truth, but it is not the money, really. It is getting your name in

:46:59. > :47:00.

:47:00. > :47:10.the record books, that is what will As my dear old dad used to say to

:47:10. > :47:16.

:47:16. > :47:24.me, win the trophy, son, they send I think he has snookered me all on

:47:25. > :47:29.all reds. -- at me all. There is a couple of lose reds, so not a

:47:29. > :47:34.straight forward escape, this. He has to be very careful if he is

:47:34. > :47:44.trying to get inside that cluster, he has to be careful not to slide

:47:44. > :47:52.

:47:52. > :48:02.Just a fraction short. If there is no pot, it will be replaced. He has

:48:02. > :48:07.

:48:08. > :48:17.got the line, but it is an inch His last attempt was almost perfect.

:48:18. > :48:18.

:48:18. > :48:28.Can he repeat it would just a Is this going to slide off them? It

:48:28. > :48:40.

:48:40. > :48:50.Certainly this red closest to the cue ball is pottable into this

:48:50. > :49:11.

:49:11. > :49:21.corner pocket. Obviously, mark He has just left an easy shot for

:49:21. > :49:21.

:49:21. > :50:03.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 44 seconds

:50:03. > :50:13.Some will shut to the one he had before. Shouldn't really need one

:50:13. > :50:20.

:50:20. > :50:25.What is remarkable about to date is that Mark Selby hadn't absolutely

:50:25. > :50:30.gruelling match last night, finished way after half past

:50:30. > :50:38.midnight, such an effort to get over the line at 6-5, but there

:50:38. > :50:44.have been no sign to be today. Turned up fresh as a day t! Da ASH

:50:44. > :50:51.been easy. He said he had at trouble sleeping the night before,

:50:51. > :51:01.I thought he would be able to get some sleep last night, he is

:51:01. > :51:05.

:51:05. > :51:08.looking refreshed and looking very That is a very attacking safety

:51:08. > :51:17.shot, it could be a good one as well. I don't think he has left the

:51:17. > :51:27.pot on. Always very appreciative of other people's good shot, Mark

:51:27. > :51:58.

:51:58. > :52:02.Selby, he taps the table there. A The red just above the black, Neil

:52:02. > :52:07.Robertson could get through to it. He is not really looked at it

:52:07. > :52:17.because he thinks it is too dangerous to go for -- he has not.

:52:17. > :52:20.

:52:20. > :52:30.But he needs to cover the path to If he doesn't, I think Mark Selby

:52:30. > :52:49.

:52:49. > :52:59.A helpful flick of the blue committed to the pace of the cue

:52:59. > :53:09.ball there. -- it just took the pace off the cue ball. Just that

:53:09. > :53:16.

:53:16. > :53:23.Mark just checking to see what will happen with the black, if it will

:53:23. > :53:33.go on its spot. It certainly won't, but they are right no other spots

:53:33. > :53:39.

:53:39. > :53:46.available, so it will go directly He has got to play the correct

:53:46. > :53:54.position office black. -- off this black. He'd can't be touching the

:53:54. > :54:00.red that is going to be close to, so it looked as though it will be

:54:00. > :54:10.available into the pocket, he just went in to check. Can't be touching,

:54:10. > :54:22.

:54:22. > :54:32.so well it part? -- so will it It does pot, and the way it has

:54:32. > :54:42.

:54:42. > :54:47.gone, so does the red to the left He will not be too happy with that.

:54:47. > :54:53.It was imperative, he decided to go for the blue, that he get a good

:54:53. > :55:03.angle on it. Now you see, he's just off straight, he won't be able to

:55:03. > :55:11.

:55:11. > :55:18.get to the next red to make it any He just had a look to see if the

:55:18. > :55:25.red behind the pink would pot to the top right hand pocket. If he

:55:25. > :55:35.rolls the cue ball in, he will be taking it away from that. You can

:55:35. > :55:41.

:55:41. > :55:47.see that it does go. He would like Well, that is a shot of a man who

:55:47. > :55:53.is very, very confident. What a superb shot that was! No holding

:55:53. > :56:03.back, who played a red in the last frame, he has got his putting i it

:56:03. > :56:14.

:56:14. > :56:24.Once again, well, maybe the pink will go, so it is not an important

:56:24. > :56:29.

:56:29. > :56:39.he got the right side of the blue. Where does the pink go? That can be

:56:39. > :56:49.end of break. -- that could be end of break. That goal cannon went

:56:49. > :57:14.

:57:14. > :57:24.Not great to play safe off, either, He can be down, but it might just

:57:24. > :57:31.be a case of dropping on this. -- a bit down. A think he has left a

:57:31. > :57:36.touching ball. It is touching ball. So Mark, very disappointed that has

:57:36. > :57:42.happened, it just leaves and nice clear a path to the baulk end for

:57:42. > :57:50.Neil Robertson. He just stared at the baulk end, looking to see where

:57:50. > :57:53.he can leave the cue ball and leave Mark in lot of trouble. I would to

:57:53. > :58:02.just, if he wants to stop Mark Selby playing safe down the right

:58:02. > :58:12.hand side of the table as we look, that may be an option. But he is

:58:12. > :58:50.

:58:50. > :58:58.pointing way he would like the cue He has left a path to this red at

:58:58. > :59:08.the top cushion. Very congested on the left-hand side of the table. He

:59:08. > :59:19.

:59:19. > :59:25.may play the pot. He can play off Not the worst shot. It was a clever

:59:25. > :59:35.shot. That is what you get with Mark Selby. He knows his way around

:59:35. > :59:36.

:59:36. > :59:45.a snooker table. If you could pick a player to protect a lead, he

:59:45. > :59:55.would be high on your list. would be up there with John Higgins,

:59:55. > :00:05.wouldn't he? Two of the very best. That was a very careless safety

:00:05. > :00:17.

:00:17. > :00:27.shot. Yes, and there may be a shot He missed that by a mile. And he

:00:27. > :00:28.

:00:28. > :00:32.has been very fortunate. It's funny how many times we have said this

:00:32. > :00:41.week when people play with a little bottom on, Howard throws it off-

:00:41. > :00:48.line, the cue ball. Yes. And they do not come back. There is nothing

:00:48. > :00:55.to grip on these cloths. You really have got to have good cueing. And

:00:56. > :01:05.if you can, hit the middle. But with that kind of shot, you have to

:01:06. > :01:08.

:01:08. > :01:11.put some Saigon. -- some side on. It can be a very cruel game. I do

:01:11. > :01:17.not know if he was disappointed with the fact he was not left

:01:17. > :01:23.anything, but that was a very average safety shot. It gives Mark

:01:23. > :01:30.Selby a chance for that red to the right centre. If he can roll this

:01:30. > :01:40.in, he has already got the 40 point lead, the Robertson may drop

:01:40. > :01:46.

:01:46. > :01:52.another frame behind. -- Neil Brilliant. Really, really good pot.

:01:52. > :02:00.That is one of the things of the modern game that has improved so --

:02:00. > :02:04.improved the lot. Middle pocket plays outstandingly good. -- middle

:02:04. > :02:14.pocket plays outstandingly good. There seemed to be more good middle

:02:14. > :02:22.

:02:22. > :02:32.pocket players these days. Fabulous He would like to have been

:02:32. > :02:39.

:02:39. > :02:49.He is OK. Neil Robertson will be kicking himself for that safety

:02:49. > :02:59.shot. It was a fabulous red in the middle. But he really should not

:02:59. > :03:34.

:03:34. > :03:39.have had it. Just get the cue ball If he wins this friend, he will

:03:39. > :03:43.have done exactly what he did at the start of the match, won the

:03:43. > :03:53.first three frames. Something that you think Neil Robertson should not

:03:53. > :03:55.

:03:55. > :04:05.have allowed him to do. He has always laid in this match, of

:04:05. > :04:07.

:04:07. > :04:15.course. If he wins this, he will have a five frame advantage. There

:04:15. > :04:25.it goes. So Neil Robertson has really got it to do now. Nothing

:04:25. > :04:35.

:04:35. > :04:43.but his best will be sufficient, This is the best he has looked in

:04:43. > :04:53.the tournament, it really is. Great habit, playing your best when it

:04:53. > :05:00.

:05:00. > :05:07.I do not know how the blacks stayed on the table but Neil Robertson

:05:07. > :05:16.concedes. Now it is a five frame advantage for Mark Selby. He just

:05:16. > :05:21.needs another two to claim the Betfair Masters Trophy. It just

:05:21. > :05:29.shows you sometimes, John, when you come to the table disappointed,

:05:29. > :05:33.negative thoughts. Yes. Obviously Mark Selby has missed a shot by a

:05:33. > :05:41.mile and left in here. He has to make sure the one thing he does is

:05:41. > :05:45.get the cue ball tight under the Cosson. This is a difficult red.

:05:45. > :05:53.Mark Sobhi is good. He cues straight through it into the pocket.

:05:53. > :05:59.That was the last Robertson saw of the frame. Absolutely. He was not

:05:59. > :06:03.running into the pink. The only red he could lead was the one he was

:06:03. > :06:10.playing. The best he has played in this tournament so far was when he

:06:10. > :06:15.was trailing 2 Stuart Bingham. He was 5-1 behind. He got back to 5-3.

:06:15. > :06:20.After that, he never missed a ball. I was very impressed. He has

:06:20. > :06:24.brought his best game to the table in this final. Yes, it was his

:06:24. > :06:29.persistence that got over the line against Graeme Dott. He was not

:06:29. > :06:34.anywhere near his best but he refused to be beaten. He has got a

:06:34. > :06:37.happy knack of winning matches when he is not at his best. So when he

:06:37. > :06:47.does find his form, he will be a serious competitor. That is why he

:06:47. > :06:48.

:06:48. > :06:58.That Trophy is getting closer and closer to Mark Selby. In all

:06:58. > :06:58.

:06:58. > :07:03.fairness, he has a tremendous He has played here on five

:07:03. > :07:08.occasions. This will be the 6th. The first year he played here, he

:07:08. > :07:14.won it. Second year, lost in the final to Ronnie O'Sullivan. The

:07:14. > :07:18.third year, he won it, beaten Ronnie Kosovan. It is only in the

:07:18. > :07:23.last couple of seasons when he has not performed. Lost in the last 16

:07:23. > :07:29.to Mark King. And last season lost in the quarter-final to Shaun

:07:29. > :07:39.Murphy. It is not a bad record, is it? Two wins and a runner-up

:07:39. > :07:41.

:07:41. > :07:50.position in the first three years. Big shot for Robertson. Great pot.

:07:50. > :08:00.I bet you he is not on anything. Fabulous pop. It is one of those

:08:00. > :08:00.

:08:00. > :08:41.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 44 seconds

:08:41. > :08:51.nights at the moment. He cannot That looks a little bit narrower to

:08:51. > :08:54.

:08:54. > :09:02.me. -- narrowed. That was a mistake. He certainly will not be asking for

:09:02. > :09:12.this to go back. He was probably expecting to be talked up in the

:09:12. > :09:18.

:09:18. > :09:27.back of the pack before Mark Selby It was a kick her, it went straight

:09:27. > :09:31.on. When you need a bit of luck, you never get it. Yes, it is one of

:09:32. > :09:38.those things. He is not playing as well as Neil Robertson can play,

:09:38. > :09:48.but he has spotted a screaming Long red, then he gets a kick. It is a

:09:48. > :10:03.

:10:03. > :10:13.Not really got the perfect angle to go into the bonds with any pace. --

:10:13. > :10:15.

:10:15. > :10:25.the bunch. Kenny Force India these? -- can he forced into these? That

:10:25. > :10:30.

:10:30. > :10:40.is what he has tried. You could say It is difficult when you have not

:10:40. > :10:40.

:10:40. > :11:24.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 44 seconds

:11:24. > :11:30.got the perfect angle, trying to He has not a red towards the corner.

:11:30. > :11:36.-- knocked. The brown has not helped. There is an angle to run

:11:36. > :11:46.around of two questions. If he did pot of the red, he is banned to be

:11:46. > :11:55.

:11:56. > :12:01.on the black. -- he will be on the That is the problem when you do not

:12:01. > :12:08.get in the jaws of the pocket. There is always a double-kiss on.

:12:08. > :12:12.That has left Nia Roberts and with an easy starter. -- Neil Robertson.

:12:12. > :12:16.It goes without saying, he has got to make the most of this

:12:16. > :12:26.opportunity, just to give him a little bit of fire in his belly, if

:12:26. > :12:26.

:12:26. > :13:07.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 44 seconds

:13:07. > :13:17.you like. Yes, John. I could not A lot of people in this audience

:13:17. > :13:24.

:13:24. > :13:34.thought that was not going to be It does not look like you can stay

:13:34. > :13:36.

:13:36. > :13:41.for the black here. A good angle required on the blue. There is part

:13:41. > :13:44.of this match, watching it today, when you see Neil hitting the ball,

:13:44. > :13:49.when you think he is back in it. A couple of shots later he has made a

:13:49. > :13:54.mistake or at -- are it has not happened for him. It has been a

:13:54. > :14:01.strange game. Snooker is like that, of course. On the one player can be

:14:01. > :14:11.at the table at anyone time. -- only one player can be at the table

:14:11. > :14:18.at any one time. This is a little bit awkward. You can be cueing well

:14:18. > :14:28.put the balls do not run nice for you. -- but. It can creep into your

:14:28. > :14:29.

:14:29. > :14:35.game that it is not your day, no matter how experienced you may be.

:14:35. > :14:45.There is pressure, and there would be no matter what the circumstances

:14:45. > :14:49.

:14:49. > :14:59.are, because this is difficult. Tremendous pop. Despite the pot.

:14:59. > :15:14.

:15:14. > :15:18.He deserves all he gets after that Yes, excellent. More than likely he

:15:18. > :15:28.would have lost the frame if he had missed that black. It would have

:15:28. > :15:42.

:15:42. > :15:47.been 93. -- 93 and virtually good I am sure this packed audience

:15:47. > :15:54.would law it to be a close match. They will certainly be rooting for

:15:54. > :16:02.Neil Robertson. The mid-session interval after this. Fit to four is

:16:02. > :16:06.not what he wanted. -- Keita 4. John, we are going to go on about

:16:06. > :16:16.Neil hopefully trying to win this brain, but Mark Selby will be

:16:16. > :16:17.

:16:17. > :16:25.delighted. -- to win this frame. He will have won this money session 3-

:16:25. > :16:35.1. -- Minnie's session. It looks as though he can run through and play

:16:35. > :16:35.

:16:35. > :16:42.for the black. Rather play for the black than go up for the blue and

:16:42. > :16:52.get the wrong angle. I think this is OK. He could play for a red in

:16:52. > :17:02.

:17:02. > :17:06.But sometimes when you're quite a way behind, it is hard to keep that

:17:06. > :17:16.concentration and focus without letting the score line blow your

:17:16. > :17:19.

:17:19. > :17:28.I also think the fact that Mark Selby is on a two is a little bit

:17:28. > :17:33.of a difference. -- is on eight. The fact he has got to win two

:17:33. > :17:41.frames, Mark Selby, is a little help. I do not feel as if it is

:17:41. > :17:50.totally over. No. That red should be the friend clincher. 62 points

:17:50. > :17:58.in front. That should mean that Mark Selby will not come back to

:17:58. > :18:04.the table. He certainly will not at Neil can pot this red. -- If Neil

:18:04. > :18:10.can pop is right. Very similar to the start of this match. After the

:18:10. > :18:20.first four frames it was 3-1 to Mark Selby. He has won three of the

:18:20. > :18:44.

:18:44. > :18:49.first four this evening. Neil That will be good enough. Mark

:18:49. > :18:55.Selby led 5-3 at the start. Neil Robertson needed a good start. He

:18:55. > :19:01.did not really get one. He is still hanging on. Mark Selby is the big

:19:01. > :19:09.favourite. He only needs two for a place in the record books as a

:19:09. > :19:19.Yes, Mark trying to become the first man in history to win this

:19:19. > :19:20.

:19:20. > :19:28.event three or more times. Ken is Withe us. What has you're take on

:19:28. > :19:34.this being? -- What Has your take on this Ben? No is certainly the

:19:34. > :19:38.more nervous. He does not look assured. He has made a few mistakes

:19:38. > :19:43.that normally be have not seen during this week, particularly in

:19:43. > :19:49.the last frame. That simple shot, getting uptight on to the cushion.

:19:49. > :19:54.It is such a margin for error. He will certainly feel better after

:19:54. > :19:58.that. But for me he is not the player he was earlier in the week.

:19:58. > :20:02.When his opponent is playing so well, and Mark Selby is playing

:20:02. > :20:06.like a different player compared to the way he was during the week,

:20:06. > :20:11.that has put a lot of doubt in his mind. Maybe as we said earlier,

:20:11. > :20:15.that defeat at the UK Championship, when he was leading by four friends,

:20:15. > :20:19.may have had an effect psychologically. What has brought

:20:19. > :20:25.about the evident change in Mark Selby today? I have not got a clue,

:20:25. > :20:29.really! You were provided that he would have been tired, burned out,

:20:29. > :20:32.not looking forward to a final against a player of Neil

:20:32. > :20:38.Robertson's capabilities, especially after not having

:20:38. > :20:44.produced the night before. Every day when you start off at, you

:20:44. > :20:47.never know what is going to happen. Even if Neil Robertson was fired up,

:20:47. > :20:54.ready for today, as the game unfolded, the fire went. It was not

:20:54. > :20:58.going his way. By contrast, what is missing from Neil's gain? He did

:20:58. > :21:03.not get off to a good start. It is so important in these big matters.

:21:03. > :21:09.As John said, he lost three of the first four this afternoon and

:21:09. > :21:13.tonight. It is so important to get a good start. As far as Selby is

:21:13. > :21:18.concerned, I do not know if somebody has said, enjoy it today,

:21:18. > :21:23.you have had so many battles, you have not played your best, tried to

:21:23. > :21:27.play your natural game, that is what it looks like. It has put him

:21:27. > :21:33.within sight of the finishing line. This is always a marvellous event,

:21:33. > :21:38.this Masters. It has been going since 1975. This is the second year

:21:38. > :21:43.it has been at Alexandra Palace, a great new home. Amazing to think

:21:43. > :21:47.that 12 months ago we did not have a single final frame decider, and

:21:47. > :21:52.yet seven of the matches so far have gone the distance. And none

:21:52. > :22:02.more so than in the opening round, four of them. A pulsating opening

:22:02. > :22:12.Happy new year to everybody at home. We could not start off with a

:22:12. > :22:27.

:22:27. > :22:31.better writer than this. -- a He is desperately having a look.

:22:31. > :22:41.Sometimes the need things to go your way. When he ran out of

:22:41. > :22:41.

:22:41. > :22:51.position at 5-4, that was my chance. Great pot under pressure. We are

:22:51. > :22:57.

:22:58. > :23:07.It was a terrific match. Neil Robertson Deeds Ding Junhui A. --

:23:08. > :23:12.

:23:12. > :23:21.beat Ding Junhui. He could probably You do not see it very often, but

:23:21. > :23:31.he had to get the rest at are the ways so quickly. Sooner or later it

:23:31. > :23:42.

:23:42. > :23:48.Being a snooker player is not as We did not expect those cues, in

:23:48. > :23:53.all fairness. I wore them for the first couple of friends but then I

:23:53. > :23:57.took them off when I started to slow down around the table. If he

:23:57. > :24:06.wins the frame, he wins the match and Judd Trump will be out of the

:24:06. > :24:16.Betfair Masters. Just twitched the blue. Everybody does it. It was a

:24:16. > :24:24.A marvellous comeback from Judd Trump! Played the safety shot with

:24:24. > :24:28.the rest and as I came back I felt something brush the cough. It was

:24:28. > :24:38.obviously a foul. There was no way out was not going to call a foul.

:24:38. > :24:40.It was devastating. It would have been very easy for him to carry on

:24:40. > :24:50.but snooker player's habit ingrained in them from a young age

:24:50. > :24:55.

:24:55. > :25:00.He has conceded. There is a rule that you're not supposed to concede

:25:00. > :25:10.when the game is in play. He may finish up with a fine for that.

:25:10. > :25:21.

:25:21. > :25:31.It was picked off one to take. It hurts, that one. As Mike it was a

:25:31. > :25:36.

:25:36. > :25:46.It is what it is, this game of snooker. The Game of Two Hearts. No,

:25:46. > :26:00.

:26:00. > :26:07.We are going into a decider. He was 5-1 down. He has come back. He is

:26:07. > :26:12.in the quarter-final. To win it from 5-1 down the way Stewart was

:26:12. > :26:18.playing his phenomenal. I still cannot believe it myself. I am

:26:18. > :26:26.gutted to be going home. It has been a bad week for integrity in

:26:26. > :26:31.some sports, but refreshing for Ricky Walden? Yes. When you start

:26:31. > :26:34.off as a young player, you know that when you -- you know full well

:26:34. > :26:39.when you foul the ball. There have been occasions when people have

:26:39. > :26:44.been a question as to whether they have owned opera. Generally still

:26:44. > :26:49.good players do. It is nice to see. You certainly get honest endeavour

:26:49. > :26:53.from Stephen Maguire. He will get a fine for that. But you can almost

:26:53. > :26:57.sense is paying. Yes, he is an angry man sometimes, Stephen

:26:57. > :27:03.Maguire. You're afraid to shake hands with and sometimes after the

:27:03. > :27:07.game. You could feel that bobbling over. It was 250 quid for that. He

:27:07. > :27:13.did not really get his money's worth. I would have thrown it out

:27:13. > :27:19.of the room. When you look back at the first match with Judd Trump,

:27:20. > :27:26.the slippers, it was a big, big effort for him to come through

:27:26. > :27:29.against Barry Hawkins. Hopkins must be sick? Yes. He is right. We have

:27:29. > :27:35.all twitched on important balls. That was his big chance at the

:27:35. > :27:39.Masters to beat Judd Trump. He missed it. That is part of the game.

:27:39. > :27:44.Despite that problem with Barry Hawkins at the first round, Judd

:27:44. > :27:51.Trump was expected to boost some of the flashy and flamboyant shot as

:27:51. > :28:01.the tournament went on. -- to produce. He was still tournament

:28:01. > :28:38.

:28:38. > :28:41.Prepared really well. Went in confident. It was just a bad day.

:28:41. > :28:51.have come here a lot of times in good form and lose all the time.

:28:51. > :28:53.

:28:53. > :29:03.This time I came here with no form I think he was on his way out of

:29:03. > :29:06.

:29:06. > :29:13.You have got to take full advantage when your opponent is making

:29:13. > :29:18.mistakes like that. It has been a poor display by the Welshman, he

:29:18. > :29:21.will be so disappointed. The first three frames were really close and

:29:21. > :29:31.could have gone either way. Thankfully for me I managed to win

:29:31. > :29:42.

:29:42. > :29:52.That is the highest break in this The standard continues, and we have

:29:52. > :29:58.

:29:59. > :30:06.How well did he judged that?! played one good safety in the end

:30:06. > :30:12.and it cost me the match! Never in doubt, was it? A probably the best

:30:12. > :30:18.shot I have played a mockery in terms of just pure judgement. --

:30:18. > :30:28.played in my career. Neil Robertson takes the match. We have at some

:30:28. > :30:30.

:30:30. > :30:34.thrillers here this week. We are I have seen that many matches with

:30:34. > :30:38.the great players, when they get their chance, they stand there and

:30:38. > :30:48.they do it. I walk to the table and I said, let's see what you have

:30:48. > :30:51.

:30:51. > :31:01.John Higgins leads up to the sky and wonders. -- looks up. It is

:31:01. > :31:28.

:31:28. > :31:38.What a fabulous atmosphere we have for this semi-final. Needs a kiss

:31:38. > :31:45.

:31:45. > :31:51.Well, that is absolutely superb Shaun has played a careless

:31:51. > :31:59.positional shot. I just couldn't control the white, so I was

:31:59. > :32:04.vulnerable someone of his class. The difference between the two

:32:04. > :32:09.players is when Shaun has been in, it has been over. Neil Robertson is

:32:09. > :32:14.back in the final of the Masters. It is the second biggest tournament

:32:14. > :32:24.we have, it would be incredible to win it again. Massive, massive part

:32:24. > :32:52.

:32:52. > :32:56.And Graeme Dott, who led 4-1, has Can you believe it?! Look at his

:32:56. > :33:04.face, he can't believe it. Mark Selby was out of his seat like a

:33:04. > :33:14.greyhound. I have a never-say-die attitude. Another great chance gone

:33:14. > :33:15.

:33:15. > :33:25.This red, the clincher. The shaking of the hands and a fist pumped from

:33:25. > :33:28.

:33:28. > :33:32.You have to feel for Graeme Dott, he tried to play an open game, it

:33:32. > :33:38.was a very late finish and perhaps he is still sitting at the airport

:33:38. > :33:44.because of this no! What will your chief memory be? Probably the

:33:44. > :33:48.reaction when at Robertson one the first match, you beauty! That first

:33:48. > :33:52.match will live with me for a long time, because the but it was on the

:33:52. > :33:57.other for it, we have seen John Higgins did that to so many people.

:33:57. > :34:01.He was so close to getting over the line against Shaun Murphy and we're

:34:01. > :34:05.so used to seeing him clinch of those situations, he was very

:34:05. > :34:09.annoyed when he came off the table. It seems to have been the

:34:09. > :34:13.tournament of what ifs, what if Ding Junhui had had the extra bit,

:34:13. > :34:20.he would have knocked out Neil Robertson and he may be in the

:34:20. > :34:24.final instead. Yet more lessons for Judd Trump, I'm sure his army of

:34:24. > :34:28.fans will remember a first-round exit at York, what about this one,

:34:28. > :34:32.what will he take away? I think he will be very disappointed. I think

:34:32. > :34:37.he has to learn that when he is not firing on all cylinders, that

:34:37. > :34:42.sometimes you should look at the likes of Robert son, Murphy and

:34:42. > :34:46.Selby, and try and learn from them. We always say that we wish we

:34:46. > :34:50.watched more snooker when we were younger. You learn more as you get

:34:50. > :34:57.older. He should watch more and learn from other players when

:34:57. > :34:59.they're not playing at their best. But he will be back. It has been

:34:59. > :35:04.worthy Classic years here at Alexandra Palace but things are

:35:04. > :35:10.changing in this board, because from next season, this will be one

:35:10. > :35:19.of the very few event in which de world's top 16 are or do what it --

:35:19. > :35:24.We are one away to the promised land. Even when the Red Sea parted

:35:24. > :35:28.you still had to walk through the waves. I think that is a nonsense

:35:28. > :35:33.if I'm perfectly honest with you. The game is in the hands of people

:35:33. > :35:37.who know what they are doing, not the players any more. Barry Hearn

:35:37. > :35:42.is going to do what he wants to do come here at -- a wins the game, we

:35:42. > :35:47.don't have an opinion any more. This is being led from the front

:35:48. > :35:52.not the back. I am very old school. They will be taken to the promised

:35:52. > :35:58.land, whether they like it or not, Moses it is driving the flock

:35:58. > :36:04.forward! Snooker's Pied Piper has revolution on his mind. For next

:36:04. > :36:09.season, the first round will feature all of the world's top 128

:36:09. > :36:14.players. This is a massive change in terms of the protectionism that

:36:14. > :36:20.is in snooker, where the top 16 are seeded through to the last 32 in

:36:20. > :36:24.most competitions. It is issued advantage and we are making major

:36:24. > :36:30.strides to give equal opportunity to all players, with the Yori first

:36:30. > :36:34.year Ricky already five times world champion. Every player will always

:36:34. > :36:39.look at the situation and ask, how will this affect me? My job is to

:36:39. > :36:46.say what is best for the game? have worked hard to get to No. 8 in

:36:46. > :36:50.the world, No. 7, it is back to square one, it is a step backwards.

:36:50. > :36:55.A would prefer it to stay as it is, because it is better for me. It

:36:55. > :37:01.might be fairer for everyone else, but I am not everyone else, I'm in

:37:01. > :37:05.the top 16. If you were inventing in the sport I understand that, but

:37:05. > :37:09.a lot of players have worked hard, put the hours in over the last

:37:09. > :37:16.years, to get where they are committing to be taken away from

:37:16. > :37:22.them very quickly. For those out of the top 16, this decision could be

:37:22. > :37:26.life-changing. Players like the world No. 44, and the world No. 40

:37:26. > :37:31.can only dream of playing at the Masters, but that dream it could

:37:31. > :37:36.become a reality next season if the proposals are implemented.

:37:36. > :37:39.people who want to get to the top, it is a massive, massive step for

:37:39. > :37:44.them to be able to get up fast and get into these great tournaments

:37:44. > :37:49.that people see. People who off higher than me are not taking to it

:37:49. > :37:53.well, that is understandable, for a game to grow you need to be on a

:37:53. > :37:58.fairer playing field. It is like I have to win a tournament just to

:37:58. > :38:02.get to a tournament. So why have no chance to come into the Masters.

:38:02. > :38:08.You feel like a bit of an outsider. I'm sure there will be different

:38:08. > :38:14.phases which I think is what Barry once, I have there is, I like

:38:14. > :38:22.seeing new players -- new faces. There are 11 ranking events, of

:38:22. > :38:26.those aged, one will be on the 128 places and three will be on the old

:38:26. > :38:31.basis. When the contract comes up for renewal, it would be changed

:38:31. > :38:36.and they will not be given the choice. Coming back to the 128 draw,

:38:36. > :38:40.there is a risk element. The risk is losing household names before

:38:40. > :38:44.the tournament in a far-flung country where the broadcaster

:38:44. > :38:50.doesn't see the top names. assist the biggest problem icy. We

:38:50. > :38:56.are looking for AA tournament, some of them they would be guaranteed a

:38:56. > :38:58.top 16 players turn up, you can't guarantee the top 32 in this one. I

:38:58. > :39:03.am not saying the players lesser doubt are not great players but

:39:03. > :39:09.they are less well-known and you put bums on seats with the top

:39:09. > :39:15.players. The move to 128 has received universal acclaim, because

:39:15. > :39:20.we are being looked upon as a real game, not a boys' club. Not a

:39:20. > :39:24.little group of players, sharing out the money. For some of the

:39:24. > :39:29.world's best players, the decision is not all about the money. There

:39:29. > :39:32.is a genuine concern that the first round of tournament could be played

:39:32. > :39:36.among a rabbit warren of cubicles come away from the paying public

:39:36. > :39:40.and TV cameras. I don't particularly want be playing in

:39:40. > :39:46.front of five people again, that was the reason I practised so hard

:39:46. > :39:51.to get out of that. I would be disappointed if that didn't happen.

:39:51. > :39:54.What we're talking about is playing qualifiers, and I know this from

:39:54. > :39:58.Jimmy White's point of view, playing qualifiers in what you can

:39:58. > :40:02.only describe as squash courts. That doesn't favour the better

:40:02. > :40:07.players, the better players need to be out there in front of a big

:40:07. > :40:13.crowd, and with the adrenalin going, that is a test for any player, to

:40:13. > :40:21.be able to do it on the big stage. There was a considerable level of

:40:21. > :40:25.support for the proposals from some of the players in the top 16.

:40:25. > :40:32.can come through that system, the flat system where I might be

:40:32. > :40:37.playing someone ranked outside the top 64 first, then if I cannot, I

:40:37. > :40:42.don't deserve to win tournaments. If you keep winning, you would be

:40:42. > :40:45.fine and win the prize money, the idea is, if we progress to the last

:40:45. > :40:50.16, we will be on guaranteed more money than we were in the first

:40:50. > :40:53.place, so if you're a top player and you get find tournament, you

:40:53. > :40:57.will be rewarded. This is the landmark decision that should have

:40:57. > :41:01.been taking years and years ago. For the first time in snooker the

:41:01. > :41:05.top players, wants to this system is introduced, will be able to look

:41:05. > :41:11.everyone in the eye and say they are the top players because they

:41:11. > :41:16.have had to beat everyone else. last word has to go to Barry Hearn.

:41:16. > :41:21.They are either going to be a boys' club for a few chosen players, or a

:41:21. > :41:25.global sport open to everyone to dissipate, built solely on ability.

:41:25. > :41:33.I will not be moved on this, it is the great thing about ownership. I

:41:33. > :41:42.will not be moved. I am going to listen to everybody to admire --,

:41:42. > :41:47.and the longer to do what is right Could this yet to be blocked by the

:41:47. > :41:51.playing membership? And if so, when? It could be, of course, if

:41:51. > :41:57.enough of the player membership decide they don't like it. I doubt

:41:57. > :42:03.that will be the case. It will boil down to the people who think that

:42:03. > :42:11.they deserve to be further in an event of what they have done on

:42:11. > :42:17.previous years and the one to don't think that needs to be done. A it's

:42:17. > :42:21.Blitz abuse of commentators, analysts, whether they think you

:42:21. > :42:27.have worked hard, you deserve to be further in the event, or whether it

:42:27. > :42:33.is unfair, that is the only fair way, to start at 128. What do you

:42:33. > :42:37.see as the most significant advantages of the new system?

:42:37. > :42:42.from listening to Barry and the other members, they think it will

:42:42. > :42:48.be a fairer system, more sponsors will come in and a moat will be

:42:48. > :42:52.more money around. Particularly the Chinese players and players around

:42:52. > :42:55.the world, it will give them a better chance of coming through

:42:55. > :43:00.quicker rather than going through four or five matches before they

:43:00. > :43:04.play at top 16 player. The system at the moment stops them giving

:43:04. > :43:09.that and stops them progressing. From that point of view it will be

:43:09. > :43:15.better for them. It is interesting to hear top 16 players in favour of

:43:15. > :43:20.it, you would think they would want their protection. But as Steve said,

:43:20. > :43:25.it could be split. It will go to a boat and we will see how it goes.

:43:25. > :43:30.know where you stand on this, but it will present Energis to call

:43:30. > :43:35.challenge for World Snooker because you need a venue big enough. -- a

:43:35. > :43:42.logistical challenge. Barry doesn't think that is the problem. I

:43:42. > :43:47.wouldn't like this if I was in the top 16 at all. I have put the hours

:43:47. > :43:51.in, I have won all my matches, I have a ranking because I have

:43:51. > :43:55.earned it, and I started off as scratch. When I turned professional,

:43:55. > :44:02.I was the same as the other players, I got there because I was good

:44:02. > :44:11.enough. This debate is going to run and run up I expect. For the time

:44:11. > :44:16.being, this event remains untouched, it will be top 16. So, change is

:44:16. > :44:26.afoot but I wonder if change is afoot in this match. Seven more

:44:26. > :44:28.

:44:28. > :44:33.frames potentially to be played Down to the main business, it was

:44:33. > :44:43.all very interesting about the top 120 it, but this is what this week

:44:43. > :44:46.

:44:46. > :44:56.has been all about. That beautiful That was a terrific frame for Neil

:44:56. > :45:03.

:45:03. > :45:13.Robertson to win, and you won it in Can he keep to come back on track?

:45:13. > :45:20.

:45:20. > :45:26.-- the comeback? I would suggest it You knew all about comebacks, was

:45:26. > :45:32.that's your attitude? All-out attack? Yes, especially playing

:45:32. > :45:42.somebody like Mark Selby in is not going to give you anything easy.

:45:42. > :45:49.

:45:49. > :45:56.You always feel that you're in with a chance when your opponent still

:45:56. > :46:01.needs two frames. You have a bit of margin for error but Mark, already

:46:01. > :46:11.faced with a difficult safety shot, and if he takes this on he's bound

:46:11. > :46:22.

:46:22. > :46:28.to leave Neil Robertson in the It is amazing how he has turned

:46:29. > :46:34.this play around. Played his best snooker in the final, but that is

:46:34. > :46:44.what great players do. We knew what the world number one, you have the

:46:44. > :46:48.

:46:48. > :46:58.confidence to do that. -- when you And that is a pretty good safety

:46:58. > :46:59.

:46:59. > :47:02.shot. We heard one of the players talking at in the mid- session

:47:02. > :47:08.interval, he was with Neil Robertson it is said, let's get to

:47:08. > :47:18.the practice table. He is a very good friend of his. Neil did go off

:47:18. > :47:33.

:47:33. > :47:37.to the practice table. Let's see We have seen a few of those. He

:47:37. > :47:45.missed completely. We did see earlier, where the table was

:47:45. > :47:54.turning slightly. Yes, that type of shot, a player will prefer to miss

:47:54. > :48:04.it first time. If he caught it to fit, -- a too thick, that would be

:48:04. > :48:11.

:48:11. > :48:19.bad news. So he's erring on the I think he can hit a ball on, so he

:48:19. > :48:27.will be warned. In fact, he might not take the miss this time. He

:48:27. > :48:31.will have to hit it this time, otherwise he will forfeit the frame.

:48:31. > :48:41.Neil will be disappointed if he decides to take this red on and pot

:48:41. > :48:47.

:48:47. > :48:57.it. I'm surprised he didn't get up He is now forced into taking this

:48:57. > :49:02.

:49:02. > :49:08.Has he fluked it in the middle pocket? Unbelievable. It is amazing,

:49:08. > :49:12.when things are going well, some of the luck you can have. He was lucky

:49:12. > :49:22.to leave the white safe in the first place, it could have finished

:49:22. > :49:29.

:49:29. > :49:39.And he is taking full advantage of Mind you, he hasn't dropped nicely

:49:39. > :50:02.

:50:02. > :50:06.This red into the right centre, It was never going to be easy but I

:50:06. > :50:11.suppose some would feel justice was done in the end, not that Mark will

:50:11. > :50:21.be thinking that. If you get good luck in this game, you have to try

:50:21. > :50:34.

:50:34. > :50:39.and capitalise on it. Great chance Pile as much pressure as possible

:50:39. > :50:49.for Mark Selby to get over this winning line. There is a lot of

:50:49. > :50:54.

:50:54. > :50:58.pressure on this tofu, a lot of He has had it twice before, he is

:50:58. > :51:05.going for his hat-trick, Mark Selby. And Neil Robertson, going for his

:51:05. > :51:15.second title. There are only a few players to have defended them

:51:15. > :51:30.

:51:30. > :51:40.Masters title successfully. -- via Neil has been the most consistent

:51:40. > :51:44.player over the past week. He has had six century breaks. But it was

:51:45. > :51:54.as if he came out at the start of the final, maybe he was trying too

:51:55. > :52:12.

:52:12. > :52:22.He's just about OK, but he didn't get the cannon on the red can he

:52:22. > :52:54.

:52:54. > :53:04.wanted to hit it full ball and Always nice to see that stun shot,

:53:04. > :53:07.

:53:07. > :53:17.where you hit the cue ball with Just hasn't got into that one as he

:53:17. > :53:18.

:53:18. > :53:28.Just got a bit more solid and the cue ball than he would have liked.

:53:28. > :53:36.

:53:36. > :53:40.That he is where he wanted to be, he would have been perfect.

:53:40. > :53:45.wobbled that a few times, he made sure of the pot but he didn't get

:53:45. > :53:55.the cue ball where he intended. Just need one good long blue and he

:53:55. > :54:04.

:54:04. > :54:14.If he can clinch this frame at one visit, it will give Mark something

:54:14. > :54:15.

:54:15. > :54:25.There is no better way of putting pressure on your opponent than to

:54:25. > :54:31.

:54:31. > :54:41.say, if you make a mistake, the And I'm sure this packed house

:54:41. > :54:47.

:54:47. > :54:50.I walked to the venue this evening, and it is pretty rough out there.

:54:51. > :54:57.But they have all turned up to watch this final, and he is to say

:54:57. > :55:07.how it is going to finish -- it who is to say. Could be a long way to

:55:07. > :55:07.

:55:07. > :56:26.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 44 seconds

:56:26. > :56:31.Just a stun off one cushion for the Terrific stuff from the Australian,

:56:31. > :56:37.it really is. Mark Selby made one mistake and he had clinched the

:56:37. > :56:47.frame, as he did in the previous one before the interval. He is now

:56:47. > :56:51.

:56:51. > :57:01.starting to produce his best India has long match is it is all

:57:01. > :57:27.

:57:27. > :57:37.about getting momentum. -- Indies There are difficult to make century

:57:37. > :57:45.break, but you never know. -- very difficult. No century break but

:57:45. > :57:54.Neil Robertson will not be too That break of 83 get him a little

:57:54. > :57:58.That will definitely give Mark something to think about, he was in

:57:58. > :58:05.there, he had a stroke of good luck when he fluked the ball and he was

:58:05. > :58:10.in, but he didn't finish nicely on the red. It is into a blind pocket,

:58:10. > :58:18.quite a bit of angle on the red and it is quite a tough shot to control

:58:18. > :58:24.the position on the black. But such a late night last night, the last

:58:24. > :58:28.thing he wants is probably another long match tonight. I don't suppose

:58:28. > :58:38.he is bothered how long it will take if he can get his hands on

:58:38. > :58:56.

:58:56. > :59:06.You would think he was feeling fairly comfortable, but if 83

:59:06. > :59:15.

:59:15. > :59:23.suddenly becomes eight-6, it is a The first to 10 wins the Masters.

:59:23. > :59:33.That was careless. Much to then. -- much to the end. And the early

:59:33. > :59:58.

:59:58. > :00:08.That was a nice pot. But he could have played for the blow. Despite

:00:08. > :00:10.

:00:10. > :00:15.That is the problem we knew after the cue ball travelling long-

:00:15. > :00:19.distance. That guaranteed perfect position. This red looks pretty

:00:19. > :00:29.straight. It will be top to get the cue ball away from the cushion for

:00:29. > :00:36.

:00:37. > :00:41.the black. Yes, he needs to bring The white has gone a little bit

:00:41. > :00:51.closer to the cushion. He is not tight on the cushion but it still

:00:51. > :01:08.

:01:08. > :01:18.Strange the way he plays those shots. Mark Selby so raises his cue

:01:18. > :01:39.

:01:39. > :01:49.and hit down on them. -- sort of He finished a little straighter on

:01:49. > :01:59.

:01:59. > :02:09.the black than he intended. He got That is not a shot Mackie was after.

:02:09. > :02:12.

:02:12. > :02:22.-- shot he was after. There was the shot previously when he did not get

:02:22. > :02:26.

:02:26. > :02:33.on the black as he intended, that This was the shot were the Kuyt

:02:33. > :02:37.kept on a rolling. He has played a good safety shot back. There are

:02:37. > :02:47.some good safety players in the game and then there are some

:02:47. > :02:50.

:02:50. > :03:00.extremely good safety players. He has put Neil in a position. He is

:03:00. > :03:28.

:03:28. > :03:38.Just looking to see where he would like to put the cue ball on that

:03:38. > :03:38.

:03:38. > :04:26.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 44 seconds

:04:26. > :04:36.Interesting situation. Do you take the risky pot on or do you keep it

:04:36. > :04:40.tight? I think you have to keep your foot on the pedal. Some

:04:40. > :04:50.players try to take what is on and get the frame won in a bits-and-

:04:50. > :04:59.

:04:59. > :05:09.He was not happy playing that, was the? He took a while to decide.

:05:09. > :05:45.

:05:45. > :05:55.When you take that long, it is Did not quite get into that. Did he

:05:55. > :05:58.

:05:58. > :06:08.get a slight kick? Just took a little bit of the pace out of that.

:06:08. > :06:43.

:06:43. > :06:53.He is just underhitting them So once again it is as if he is not

:06:53. > :07:24.

:07:24. > :07:31.just pushing the cue through as he No problem potting the brown, a

:07:31. > :07:41.stunning up past the blue. The red is still available. He has got a

:07:41. > :07:48.

:07:48. > :07:58.choice of shops if the pot the There may be another red in the

:07:58. > :08:01.

:08:01. > :08:06.middle of that. That goes to the right corner. -- bunch. There might

:08:06. > :08:11.just be one. That is the red I was talking about. Again he has got the

:08:11. > :08:17.angle if he wants to go straight into the pink. Looking at that

:08:17. > :08:22.angle, he may not be able to hold for that red. Into the pink this

:08:22. > :08:28.time and teaching given such a great chance. As Bikey can give

:08:28. > :08:38.himself a great chance. He would like to hit the left-hand side of

:08:38. > :08:42.

:08:42. > :08:52.He played what you suggested, Steven. He has been a little

:08:52. > :08:53.

:08:53. > :08:57.unlucky relief. -- really. He has still got one that he can cut end.

:08:57. > :09:06.Be warned to the left of the pink. If he takes this on, he has to try

:09:06. > :09:16.to get onto one of the baulk mack colours. -- baulk. He has played

:09:16. > :09:23.

:09:23. > :09:29.A little unlucky to finish with the cushion. To finish near the cushion.

:09:29. > :09:37.The blue can be potted. He will have to be pretty precise with the

:09:37. > :09:46.positional shot if he takes the blue on. The only red I can see is

:09:46. > :09:52.the red to the left of the black, into the right corner. It will have

:09:52. > :09:57.to drop the blue in dead weight. Yes, there might be two he can get

:09:58. > :10:03.on. The bond to the left would be the better. The blue is tricky.

:10:03. > :10:08.is. I am still surprised he is not even looking at it. He is playing

:10:08. > :10:18.the safety shot. He is looking to see we can leave the cue ball. --

:10:18. > :10:26.

:10:26. > :10:36.I'm a little bit surprised at that. Maybe he just does not want to take

:10:36. > :10:41.

:10:41. > :10:46.any risks. You cannot argue with that. He did not get the cue ball

:10:46. > :10:56.where he intended. He wanted it near the cushion and he wanted to

:10:56. > :10:57.

:10:57. > :11:05.block this escape route. I will tell you what, I think Mark thought

:11:05. > :11:13.he had hit the other red. He got so close to the red to the left of the

:11:13. > :11:23.black. He thought he was going to cannoned straight into that. --

:11:23. > :11:31.

:11:31. > :11:39.cannon. He hit it too thick. He He has touched the green with his

:11:39. > :11:44.sleeve. That is a bit careless. The referee was looking. You do not see

:11:44. > :11:49.it very often. It is his first final, the referee, and he has done

:11:49. > :11:59.a fantastic job, it has to be said. He must have just dip slightly as

:11:59. > :12:26.

:12:26. > :12:36.he was about to deliver the cue. -- This is a half chance. The white

:12:36. > :12:45.

:12:45. > :12:55.ball is off the cushion so he will I think Mark Selby thinks pressure

:12:55. > :13:00.

:13:00. > :13:10.is for cuckoos. -- cookers. You do not get to world No. 1 in any Sport

:13:10. > :13:29.

:13:29. > :13:34.if you cannot perform under Yes, two of the Kin's greatest

:13:34. > :13:39.pressure players, Steve Davis, who dominated the game throughout the

:13:39. > :13:43.Eighties, and the other one sitting next to me, who dominated the game

:13:43. > :13:50.through the Nineties. I wonder if that will ever happen again, a

:13:50. > :13:53.player dominating for virtually 10 seasons? Weale thought that maybe

:13:53. > :13:59.Ronnie O'Sullivan might be able to do it. A bottle, of course, Ronnie

:13:59. > :14:09.is not playing at the moment. -- but. We still do not know if he is

:14:09. > :14:17.

:14:17. > :14:27.going to come back to defend his I am not sure about fat little

:14:27. > :14:28.

:14:28. > :14:31.triangle of raids. -- that little triangle of reds. If one of them is

:14:31. > :14:41.available into the bright corner, he does not have to play a cannon

:14:41. > :14:46.

:14:46. > :14:55.into them. Mark knows whether it will go. And if it is tight, he

:14:55. > :15:05.will play the cannon. He played the cannon onto the right of the three

:15:05. > :15:20.

:15:20. > :15:28.reds. It should open beautifully What a time to get a heavy contact.

:15:28. > :15:33.That was a kick. That was not a bad shot. You can see the red lift off

:15:33. > :15:39.the table, straight and up. It has come a cropper the rescue of the

:15:39. > :15:44.Australian. He has got to take full advantage. That was almost certain

:15:44. > :15:54.to be Mark Selby's frame. He will only have been one away from

:15:54. > :16:11.

:16:11. > :16:20.There are cakes and there are cakes. To get a kick at that stage... --

:16:20. > :16:30.kicks. It is hard to take some times, isn't it? Yes. One of the

:16:30. > :16:33.

:16:33. > :16:40.most frustrating things on a snooker table. I still believe most

:16:40. > :16:46.kicks happen when you do not strike the ball as well as you could. A

:16:46. > :16:55.little bit of frustration started to creep into Mark's arm. What a

:16:55. > :17:02.chance for Neil Robertson. This would hurt. Neil has not come far

:17:02. > :17:09.enough for the green. Yes, straight on the green would have been

:17:09. > :17:19.perfect. He will have to come off the cushion. He has got his slight

:17:19. > :17:20.

:17:20. > :17:30.angle. I do not think he can stun it in without using the cushion. He

:17:30. > :17:37.

:17:37. > :17:46.He has let it slip away a little bit. He could have made absolutely

:17:46. > :17:56.sure, coming off the cushion. The table is so fast. Now he has got to

:17:56. > :18:02.

:18:02. > :18:06.go all the way around the table, There are a couple of ways of

:18:06. > :18:13.playing this. He could play off the side cushion with a lot of right

:18:13. > :18:19.hand side, which was straighten the cue ball. -- which would spread in

:18:20. > :18:29.the cue ball. He did not avoid the pink and missed the yellow. At

:18:30. > :18:33.

:18:33. > :18:38.The only consolation is that he did not stick the a la up. It was a

:18:38. > :18:48.golden chance, wasn't it, to really pile the pressure on Mark Selby. He

:18:48. > :18:48.

:18:48. > :18:58.still might be able to. That was always a tough way of playing that

:18:58. > :19:17.

:19:17. > :19:27.Mark Selby knew it was very difficult to get his snooker behind

:19:27. > :19:28.

:19:28. > :19:35.the baulk colour. He kept the object ball safe. That was a good

:19:35. > :19:45.return from Neil. It would have been better without the kiss on the

:19:45. > :19:55.

:19:56. > :20:05.Mark Selby has a five point lead, so he does not need the tricky pink.

:20:06. > :20:06.

:20:06. > :21:13.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 44 seconds

:21:13. > :21:20.Neil Robertson would need yellow, And this judgment. -- misjudgment.

:21:20. > :21:30.Clearly the green and moved and it rocked back again. -- the green

:21:30. > :21:31.

:21:31. > :21:40.moved. Just checking to see if it is a free ball. If he can hit a bad

:21:40. > :21:50.red fall ball, it is not a free ball. -- if he can hit and that

:21:50. > :22:09.

:22:09. > :22:16.That was a cracking yellow at that pace. The cue ball has gone just

:22:16. > :22:26.that little bit too far. The wide ball and the a ball jumping. --

:22:26. > :22:36.

:22:36. > :22:41.wide ball and the yellow ball. This Does he take the brown on, or does

:22:41. > :22:48.he play a good safety? He moved the pink slightly. It is a difficult

:22:48. > :22:58.brown he is faced with. He looks as though he will take it on. He will

:22:58. > :23:00.

:23:01. > :23:06.automatically come up towards the blue. It is not bad. He has not

:23:06. > :23:16.stock the brown up. Once he decided to take the pot on, he would have

:23:16. > :23:43.

:23:43. > :23:50.felt if he missed it he would have There was a shot... He would not

:23:50. > :24:00.have cannoned into any of the colours. Yes, it just basically

:24:00. > :24:16.

:24:16. > :24:25.That was a pretty good effort from Mark Selby. It was not an easy

:24:25. > :24:34.safety shot. We have seen the a Roberts and knock these in. But

:24:34. > :24:44.under these circumstances, we even tried to potted? A Corsi well! --

:24:44. > :24:47.

:24:47. > :24:53.What a cracking pot. Look where he managed to get the cue ball. The

:24:53. > :24:58.pink was always going to be the ball. That is still the case. What

:24:58. > :25:06.a finish this would be if he leaves the white where the blue is. It is

:25:06. > :25:16.almost straight. He has teapot and unbelievable pink. -- to pot and

:25:16. > :25:29.

:25:29. > :25:39.He will play for the double on the pink. Just making sure that he is

:25:39. > :25:41.

:25:41. > :25:47.13 in front before he plays the The crowd on one side thought that

:25:47. > :25:54.was then. Surely we're not going to have a re-spotted black in this

:25:54. > :26:04.friend? The crowd in line with the pocket were cheering. They thought

:26:04. > :26:26.

:26:26. > :26:34.He has stuck the pink up. He won the last two frames with breaks of

:26:34. > :26:41.74 and 83. No breaks in this frame but it has been exciting. In goes

:26:41. > :26:51.the pink. The comeback continues. Neil Robertson leaves the arena. He

:26:51. > :26:52.

:26:52. > :26:57.was 8-3 down. Of a sudden he is Game on indeed. He is beginning to

:26:57. > :27:07.score. John, this is getting very exciting? That was a massive frame.

:27:07. > :27:09.

:27:09. > :27:19.You're thinking at 9-5, Holman post. 8-6, came on. Such a great clean

:27:19. > :27:24.pot here. He put himself in the driving seat. All of a sudden he

:27:24. > :27:30.has got a spring in his step now. He has certainly increased the pace.

:27:30. > :27:34.When somebody wins a frame like that, they get a competent. He

:27:34. > :27:40.looks a bit sharper. He looks a bit more assured events off around the

:27:40. > :27:46.table. Winning friends like that to your components no end of good.

:27:46. > :27:50.frames. Howard USS Selby is playing? He is still playing all

:27:51. > :27:56.right. He is still playing good stuff. His opponent is slowly but

:27:56. > :28:00.surely doing to Selby what Sobhi has been doing to a everybody else.

:28:00. > :28:06.-- Selby. This afternoon Neil Robertson was looking at a

:28:06. > :28:11.difficult situation. That is right. He has had a chance to forge

:28:11. > :28:16.further ahead, Mark. The kick did not help. It did make the

:28:16. > :28:19.difference. He was probably potting it with a clean hit. It would have

:28:19. > :28:26.gone into the far part of the pocket. The cake made the

:28:26. > :28:29.difference. We now have that happens. -- the kick. That is not

:28:29. > :28:33.the whole story of how near Robertson has got back into this.

:28:33. > :28:38.He has fought his way back in. He has shown that the qualities

:28:38. > :28:45.required. I did not think he would give up. This is the first time we

:28:45. > :28:48.have seen him with a bit of fire in his belly. He believes now. To what

:28:49. > :28:54.extent may -- might stamina and freshness, and at this? Mark Selby

:28:54. > :29:00.was involved in a late night last night. It took a lot out of him,

:29:00. > :29:09.evidently. I'm sure it did. These players run on adrenalin now. That

:29:09. > :29:12.keeps you going. As the lads said, you're the chaser, and Mark Selby

:29:13. > :29:19.has been doing that in this tournament. Now he is out in front

:29:19. > :29:22.with a big lead and it has been cut to two. Let's see how you react.

:29:22. > :29:27.think one of the biggest aspects of the modern game is how tough

:29:27. > :29:32.mentally these boys are. They cope with big matches and long matches

:29:33. > :29:37.very well. The players at the top of the game are very tough mentally.

:29:37. > :29:47.It is great to see two players who evidently love this event. This is

:29:47. > :29:48.

:29:48. > :29:52.Mark Selby's fourth final in six The worst thing for a snooker

:29:52. > :29:55.player is when someone is coming back at you, that is the worst

:29:55. > :30:03.feeling when you are sitting in your chair, in some ways it is

:30:03. > :30:13.worse than being beaten in a match, very unnerving. He has done it too

:30:13. > :30:16.

:30:16. > :30:20.plenty of people this week, Mark Neil left the arena for a few

:30:20. > :30:30.minutes just to compose himself. Let's see if he could make a good

:30:30. > :30:43.

:30:43. > :30:53.Even if you stick a red out when you are tight to the cushion, they

:30:53. > :30:54.

:30:54. > :31:04.Just looking to see if he can play the safety shot, will he leave the

:31:04. > :31:08.

:31:08. > :31:16.If that red keeps going he might have left it in the middle pocket.

:31:16. > :31:26.I think he has. So that wasn't the best shot. White should have been

:31:26. > :31:32.

:31:32. > :31:42.nearer the cushion and the red The Australian is off and running

:31:42. > :31:51.

:31:51. > :31:56.He is definitely the most focused he has been in the match so far.

:31:56. > :32:05.This has the look he had in his semi-final against Shaun Murphy. He

:32:05. > :32:15.When you lot in Mark Selby's position, it is difficult not to

:32:15. > :32:19.

:32:19. > :32:29.He potted the dealer into the left- hand side of the pocket. -- the

:32:29. > :32:36.

:32:36. > :32:44.That is where he wanted to be, where the circle is. He didn't

:32:44. > :32:47.catch the yellow as he intended. So that is an early chance that has

:32:47. > :32:57.disappeared, but he has played a good safety although there is a

:32:57. > :32:57.

:32:57. > :34:02.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 44 seconds

:34:03. > :34:12.path back down the left-hand side Selby is just not catching these

:34:13. > :34:21.

:34:21. > :34:31.That is a much better pace. All these spectators are enjoying a

:34:31. > :34:33.

:34:33. > :34:40.He was in the top 16, quite an accomplished player, he is doing a

:34:40. > :34:50.great job with the Association at the moment, troubles all over the

:34:50. > :35:09.

:35:09. > :35:14.world stop -- travels all over the Now the problem Neil has it he's

:35:14. > :35:24.got -- stopping Mark seeing that red. To make sure he doesn't knock

:35:24. > :35:39.

:35:39. > :35:49.Always nice to see the frame- winning breaks going in but

:35:49. > :36:07.

:36:07. > :36:17.sometimes it is nice to see a good He may have a path through the gap

:36:17. > :36:19.

:36:19. > :36:24.back to bald. -- baulk. It is risky, That is the one Stephen was talking

:36:24. > :36:30.about, the one in the circle, if he was to take the pot on you wonder

:36:30. > :36:40.if he could get some way near the line and had back up the table. He

:36:40. > :36:42.

:36:42. > :36:47.might be able to hit the one behind He has got the white back up the

:36:48. > :36:57.table, but not the best kiss on the brown. Look at the reds. If he

:36:58. > :37:07.

:37:07. > :37:15.tucks them in behind the green, big The voice of snooker, who passed

:37:15. > :37:21.away a couple of years ago. How can you get to those two reds behind

:37:21. > :37:25.the black spot, close together? That is what he is looking for.

:37:25. > :37:35.There may be a path through the bottom side, it is a tough one but

:37:35. > :37:36.

:37:36. > :37:42.there is a path through to that, I I'm just wondering if he can play

:37:42. > :37:47.somewhere along the path to me if he can get to those two reds. You

:37:47. > :37:57.would have to be spied on it he was to go around that way. He can still

:37:57. > :38:07.

:38:07. > :38:17.maybe get to them -- you would have And he has got them in such a way

:38:17. > :38:32.

:38:32. > :38:42.that he didn't leave the red near Far too risky to play that in a

:38:42. > :38:42.

:38:42. > :39:30.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 44 seconds

:39:30. > :39:34.Whereas that cue ball going? Safe He still looks pretty focused, Mark

:39:34. > :39:41.Selby, even after that gruelling match that finished at half-past

:39:41. > :39:51.midnight. A great comeback against Graeme Dott, he still looks pretty

:39:51. > :40:08.

:40:08. > :40:13.It is turning out to be a little We haven't had many frames like

:40:13. > :40:23.this today. They have all been a pretty good standard in terms of

:40:23. > :40:24.

:40:24. > :40:34.winning frames in one visit. Neil has had breaks of 78, 45, 63, 83...

:40:34. > :40:51.

:40:51. > :41:01.A pretty high standard. But he is Selby has had breaks of 102, 84, 67.

:41:01. > :41:02.

:41:02. > :41:12.Can he find a path back up towards the blue? There is a gap as you can

:41:12. > :41:14.

:41:14. > :41:24.He has hit it too hard, though, he is only going to get one point from

:41:24. > :42:00.

:42:00. > :42:05.He has got a bit of angle on the I don't think you played to leave

:42:05. > :42:11.this, but I don't think it is a bad idea, because there is no way he's

:42:11. > :42:15.going to get on a colour. How about get down, knocked the red in,

:42:15. > :42:23.cannon the red to the right of the black, it knocked the black over

:42:23. > :42:33.the pocket and he clears up? Just like that! He has got an easy

:42:33. > :42:43.

:42:43. > :42:48.He has left a red on. Now he is thinking, I may as well have had a

:42:48. > :42:53.go at a pot, but that is the way the table has been drifting. It is

:42:53. > :43:03.happening to him. He knows what has been happening this week. Unless he

:43:03. > :43:10.

:43:10. > :43:20.He was planning to hit it on the right hand side, at the last minute,

:43:20. > :43:24.

:43:24. > :43:29.And how costly is that going to be? You don't mind playing a poor shot

:43:29. > :43:39.and losing a frame, but when that happens, especially at the stage

:43:39. > :43:46.

:43:46. > :43:51.now where he has won three frames But an awful lot to do with the way

:43:51. > :44:01.the balls are situated. We know it would Mark Selby is like, we have

:44:01. > :44:15.

:44:15. > :44:25.seen him make breaks from worse One of the earlier frames can he

:44:25. > :44:30.

:44:30. > :44:34.The red to the right of the black, he would like to leave himself

:44:34. > :44:44.straight on this than he could play a little screw back into the same

:44:44. > :44:50.

:44:50. > :44:53.pocket, and he would have an angle Just wondering if the black would

:44:53. > :44:59.go into the same pocket, or he may have to leave it into the opposite

:44:59. > :45:09.corner. He's going to be cannoning the black here anyway and come

:45:09. > :45:15.

:45:15. > :45:20.Very difficult now. He is looking at the blue but that is a tough pot

:45:20. > :45:25.at this stage. If he pots the pink it will only give him six points,

:45:25. > :45:35.he's running away up the table. So he is back looking at the blue

:45:35. > :45:40.

:45:41. > :45:44.Needs a good shot here. Just distracted, a bit of noise. And he

:45:44. > :45:49.is doing the right thing, he is having the white cleaned, just

:45:50. > :45:59.settling himself again. Yes, doesn't have to do anything with

:46:00. > :46:06.

:46:06. > :46:16.the cue ball. Just concentrate on I just sensed he wasn't going to be

:46:16. > :46:29.

:46:29. > :46:34.Clever. A clever indeed! I'm just wondering what sort of angle he has

:46:34. > :46:37.got on the pink. If he has got an angle on the pink here, I'm

:46:37. > :46:44.wondering if he could force this through and cannon the black and

:46:44. > :46:54.reds out. If the angle is there, he might attempted. Because they are

:46:54. > :46:56.

:46:56. > :47:06.Just playing for the single red. He has only got two more reds

:47:06. > :47:08.

:47:08. > :47:14.available then he would have to get I'm surprised he didn't play that

:47:14. > :47:24.shot. Two more open reds, you don't know if you are going to get as

:47:24. > :47:29.

:47:29. > :47:33.good an angle on that as he did on He is going to have to leave an

:47:33. > :47:43.angle on the green or blue to then cannon into the reds that are

:47:43. > :47:45.

:47:45. > :47:48.Blue back on its spot would be better, but you would feel the

:47:48. > :47:58.green is a slightly better angle to come off the cushion and into the

:47:58. > :48:16.

:48:16. > :48:26.reds. If he plays for the blue, he So the green it is. If he can judge

:48:26. > :48:26.

:48:26. > :48:36.to this he can certainly bring He can play on to the reds or he

:48:36. > :48:36.

:48:36. > :48:46.can play on to the black if he gets He is a bit unlucky. In fact, he is

:48:46. > :49:13.

:49:13. > :49:23.Onto the brown would be nice if he If he more or less cannons the

:49:23. > :49:42.

:49:42. > :49:48.The most comfortable red, he doesn't want to knock this over the

:49:48. > :49:58.corner. He could cannon and other red over the right corner. --

:49:58. > :50:00.

:50:00. > :50:04.That is very fortunate indeed, he has finished on the yellow and Neil

:50:04. > :50:14.Robertson, you can't do anything about that, that was just a bit of

:50:14. > :50:28.

:50:28. > :50:38.Three reds now in pottable He is going to need the difficult

:50:38. > :50:47.

:50:47. > :50:52.That is a clever shot comedy hit it harder he has the red to the left

:50:52. > :51:02.of the black spot. He was just picking an area to put the cue ball

:51:02. > :51:41.

:51:41. > :51:51.He hit that one really well. Absolutely perfect on this pink.

:51:51. > :52:01.

:52:02. > :52:08.Nice angle to be able to stun the And all about the position on the

:52:08. > :52:15.pink, if he had the white near that, he would be able to pot the pink

:52:15. > :52:25.and cannon the black out and free the red. Let's see where he can get

:52:25. > :52:37.

:52:37. > :52:47.He may have to force it and try and come across the table, and from

:52:47. > :52:49.

:52:49. > :52:52.that angle, there is no way he can He doesn't have to pot the pink on

:52:52. > :53:02.this occasion, he could play off the green and try and play the

:53:02. > :53:07.

:53:07. > :53:17.snooker. He is 21 in front. A pink He might refuse the pink here, that

:53:17. > :53:17.

:53:17. > :53:27.He knows if he pots the pink, screws back... If he plays the

:53:27. > :53:53.

:53:54. > :54:00.safety shot off that red it would Has the pink got him full ball

:54:00. > :54:06.snooker? If it is, he is going to have to come off the side cushion.

:54:06. > :54:13.If he plays this dead weight, he could get himself in trouble. He

:54:13. > :54:23.could escape off the side cushion. Somewhere near the line. But what

:54:23. > :54:27.

:54:27. > :54:37.He might be OK. I don't think he can get the snooker in behind the

:54:37. > :54:54.

:54:55. > :55:02.In the end, he could play it with lot of side. It has made it rather

:55:02. > :55:12.awkward now for Neil Robertson. He may leave the pot on, I don't think

:55:12. > :55:42.

:55:42. > :55:52.He might be in a more difficult one He's going to have to play this

:55:52. > :55:54.

:55:54. > :56:01.with a lot of right-hand side. a trick shot. Brilliant. Brilliant!

:56:01. > :56:11.That wasn't a natural angle. Lots of side. It was like a trick shot.

:56:11. > :56:18.

:56:18. > :56:28.He wasn't far off knocking the red The red pot to the left centre but

:56:28. > :56:29.

:56:29. > :56:39.I'm just wondering if it isn't enough to the left corner. Just

:56:39. > :56:46.

:56:46. > :56:56.depends how thing it is. If he pots If he plays it with pace, he could

:56:56. > :57:22.

:57:22. > :57:29.force the angle to make the white He just knows that he can't afford

:57:29. > :57:33.to make another mistake. He would be 96 behind. Mark Selby would only

:57:33. > :57:39.need one more frame, that is why he's debating whether to take this

:57:39. > :57:44.difficult red on. If he potted this and followed through for the brown,

:57:44. > :57:52.left the cue ball on the cushion, he could have an angle on the brown

:57:52. > :57:57.to take the green on. I don't know if the yellow passes the blue.

:57:57. > :58:02.know how you would go about it, Stephen, that is your thinking.

:58:02. > :58:12.Neil is such a good potter, that maybe he should have a go at that

:58:12. > :58:30.

:58:30. > :58:33.Decided on the safety. Wait for a This red cards, the white... It

:58:33. > :58:43.won't go in the middle pocket commit will come back towards the

:58:43. > :58:49.

:58:49. > :58:53.What sort of kiss is he going to get on the black? Well! It was a

:58:53. > :59:03.fantastic pot, I always knew the white would go towards the black,

:59:03. > :59:08.

:59:08. > :59:18.but when they work out like that, I just wonder if Neil will regret

:59:18. > :59:19.

:59:19. > :59:29.not taking that read macro. -- that red on. He is such a good long

:59:29. > :59:29.

:59:29. > :00:20.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 44 seconds

:00:20. > :00:30.They are not badly placed for snookers. You always want a colour

:00:30. > :00:31.

:00:31. > :00:36.near a cushion. He played the queen on to the black. He would have had

:00:36. > :00:46.the snooker. -- he played the green. That looks like the end of this

:00:46. > :00:56.

:00:56. > :01:02.Huge frame for Neil Robertson. It is a long way back now. He would

:01:02. > :01:12.have to win four in succession. He is capable of doing that. It is a

:01:12. > :01:16.

:01:16. > :01:22.30 points the difference. Two snookers needed to tie. He may pot

:01:22. > :01:32.at the brown. If he pot the brown mac, he will need two snookers to

:01:32. > :01:39.

:01:39. > :01:49.win. -- if the pot the ground. -- This is a natural angle to get it

:01:49. > :01:49.

:01:49. > :02:40.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 44 seconds

:02:40. > :02:45.He should be able to escape from I am not sure what Mark is smiling

:02:45. > :02:55.about. The referee is having a little smile as well. And not quite

:02:55. > :02:57.

:02:57. > :03:07.sure what happened there. Maybe his wife, Vicky, has some sort of sign

:03:07. > :03:34.

:03:34. > :03:40.language. She was having a little He has kept at the blue safe. And

:03:40. > :03:46.in the middle of bowlers to lovely ladies is Gareth pots, one of the

:03:47. > :03:56.top pool players in the world. Very trendy as well. I used to have a

:03:57. > :03:57.

:03:57. > :04:37.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 44 seconds

:04:37. > :04:41.This is a good effort. Not quite enough. But he has not only got to

:04:41. > :04:51.keep trying to get the snooker, he asked to keep the blue safer as

:04:51. > :05:24.

:05:24. > :05:31.well. -- he has to keep the blue Still a packed audience here,

:05:31. > :05:40.coming up to five minutes past 11. You cannot blame Neil Robertson for

:05:40. > :05:50.trying to get those snookers he needs. That was a half attempt at a

:05:50. > :06:08.

:06:08. > :06:18.double and a half attempt at This time he did not get the blue

:06:18. > :06:26.

:06:26. > :06:32.safe. So Mark Selby stops the rot. Neil Robertson won three frames in

:06:32. > :06:42.succession. That was a hard fought frame. Just over 36 minutes. Neil

:06:42. > :06:51.will sit in his seat at this time. So Mark Selby get that frame and he

:06:51. > :06:55.is just one frame away from his Yes, he is on the verge of now.

:06:55. > :07:02.What an affinity this man has whipped the Masters event. What

:07:02. > :07:07.were the key shots? Robertson has to attack. He is a great potter.

:07:07. > :07:17.Have a look at this Radovan Karadzic that he refused. This

:07:17. > :07:22.

:07:22. > :07:27.actually cost him. -- have a look at this rowed mack. -- rape. -- red.

:07:27. > :07:35.Those type of situations, sometimes, you have got to grab the ball by

:07:35. > :07:45.the scruff of the neck, as I said before! You have to go forehead.

:07:45. > :07:46.

:07:46. > :07:51.You know what I mean. This has been done before by an Neil Robertson.

:07:51. > :07:57.What kind of form do you think he is in to be able to do that?

:07:57. > :08:03.needs a little help. He did not get it in bad a friend. Mark Flint the

:08:03. > :08:11.ball earlier in the frame. -- he did not get it in that frame. Mark

:08:11. > :08:17.Fruit a ball. That can hold you in your progress. He now finds himself

:08:17. > :08:21.in the situation where he has nowhere to run. It usually frees up

:08:21. > :08:28.you are mad it. You have to play no miss snooker. You can afford to

:08:28. > :08:37.give the other guy a chance. It is tight rope walking from the ring.

:08:37. > :08:45.No mistakes? Yes. Beer packing. Be positive. If a shot comes up, just

:08:45. > :08:49.go for it. -- be attacking. overall terms when we think about

:08:49. > :08:54.Mark Selby's progress to this final, it was OK. He has not been heavily

:08:54. > :09:01.scoring. He described his performance last night against

:09:01. > :09:06.Graeme Dott has pathetic. How has he changed at around? I commentated

:09:06. > :09:12.and his match against Mark Williams. He was three ahead against Mark

:09:13. > :09:18.Williams and his highest break in the whole match was 28. He has that

:09:18. > :09:23.ability. He plays such a tough match play snooker. He gives every

:09:23. > :09:30.ball 100%. He clearly wants to win with style. That is the ambition

:09:30. > :09:34.for every player, Shirley? Yes. But he wants to win. You could say

:09:34. > :09:39.nobody deserves to win this tournament. Everybody has had a

:09:39. > :09:44.chance. There was a bread-and- butter situation going on. There is

:09:44. > :09:48.prize money at stake. It will go into the record books that he can

:09:48. > :09:54.manufacture another frame. In the end, nobody really remembers long

:09:54. > :10:01.term. It is another one to notch up. He has done it professionally,

:10:01. > :10:07.sometimes from behind. You have got to take pride from that. He has

:10:07. > :10:12.talked about his a game and his B game. Which won a voice in this

:10:12. > :10:17.week? We have seen his a game in patches this week. He has certainly

:10:17. > :10:23.done it in this final. He has a very happy knack and on hearing

:10:23. > :10:29.ability of beating players whose games are better than his at the

:10:29. > :10:39.time. It is an art. He is relentless. He has won frame away

:10:39. > :10:45.

:10:45. > :10:50.from a third Masters title. -- he Will this be the last frame, or

:10:50. > :11:00.will Neil Robertson make another comeback? He has just covered that

:11:00. > :11:13.

:11:13. > :11:23.rowed mack to the right of the blue. I did not think I had any

:11:23. > :11:27.

:11:27. > :11:34.supporters left. I much prefer the commentary box! Richard P bring

:11:34. > :11:44.back Stephen Hendry. He has only just retired. -- it should be.

:11:44. > :12:09.

:12:09. > :12:14.you wear one of those T-shirts as This time he has not covered that

:12:14. > :12:24.red board the black is tied up. It is not the case that he could take

:12:24. > :12:24.

:12:24. > :13:06.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 44 seconds

:13:06. > :13:16.it on. This is a safety shot back A little kiss on the blue. It was a

:13:16. > :13:45.

:13:45. > :13:52.There is a chance in a couple of shots time that he could get on a

:13:52. > :13:59.red and bring the back into play. He might play on that now. He has

:13:59. > :14:08.got an angle on the pink tea just stun past the black. -- to stun

:14:08. > :14:15.past the black. He may have run straight into the bunch from here.

:14:15. > :14:25.If he powers this, the white ball Mike slide of the raids to the

:14:25. > :14:50.

:14:50. > :15:00.right. -- the white ball may slide He is quite it all that, Mark Selby.

:15:00. > :15:12.

:15:12. > :15:22.He does not have much to do with it the cue ball to finish on the black.

:15:22. > :15:31.

:15:31. > :15:41.With the little extension he may be That is a bit of a stretch, isn't

:15:41. > :15:54.

:15:55. > :16:00.He is now going to try to get there with the aid of the Spider. Just

:16:00. > :16:10.wondering if he would need an extended spider. He may be OK with

:16:10. > :16:10.

:16:10. > :16:20.the standard one. It is so easy to put unwanted side on these shots.

:16:20. > :16:27.

:16:27. > :16:33.A tricky black though. If he can find a way to cannon through and

:16:33. > :16:38.pushed the two reds away from the black spot... He will see this as a

:16:38. > :16:48.chance to win the match, no doubt about it, even though it is very

:16:48. > :16:56.

:16:56. > :17:04.Never easy. As soon as you put them on at that knew her jaw, they do

:17:04. > :17:09.not going. There is a half chance into the middle pocket. The black

:17:09. > :17:13.is sitting over the corner, are waiting. Just looking to see what

:17:13. > :17:18.he might leave. He may be a little concerned because there is a

:17:18. > :17:28.possible plant on to the left middle pocket. Maybe that is why he

:17:28. > :17:38.

:17:38. > :17:48.is a little reluctant. That plant Yes, that is why he is a little

:17:48. > :17:58.

:17:58. > :18:02.reluctant to take the red on to the He can play it in such a way to

:18:02. > :18:11.bring the cue ball off the cushion, back towards the left-hand side of

:18:12. > :18:20.the table. Leave the black on. I feel it is these half chances he

:18:21. > :18:25.has got to take if he is to win this match. Maybe he he can Rawdon,

:18:25. > :18:35.come back across the table, he would not leave the plant on. Maybe

:18:35. > :18:39.

:18:39. > :18:44.if he can roll it. He does not like it, for some reason. He is looking

:18:44. > :18:54.at it again. Nearly two minutes. He still does not like it. He has got

:18:54. > :18:57.

:18:57. > :19:07.to make something happen. He can pot this up into the corner. It is

:19:07. > :19:08.

:19:08. > :19:14.a slightly more difficult pot. Busy on the black? I do not think he is,

:19:14. > :19:19.looking at the body language. -- easy on the black. He is not. It

:19:19. > :19:29.was a clever shot in the end but he was unfortunate to Snooker himself.

:19:29. > :19:42.

:19:42. > :19:47.He did try to make something happen Because he is so close to it, he

:19:47. > :19:57.cannot really swerve around it to pot the black. He can swerve around

:19:57. > :19:57.

:19:57. > :20:37.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 44 seconds

:20:37. > :20:47.What is he looking at a? It looks to be a straight forward escape

:20:47. > :20:47.

:20:47. > :20:57.back up the table. I just wonder if there are two reds, but it is not

:20:57. > :21:03.

:21:03. > :21:13.on. Just a safety shot. Good length again. Neil may be tempted to have

:21:13. > :21:13.

:21:13. > :21:23.a shot at this red. If he not put this in, it would bring the house

:21:23. > :21:29.

:21:29. > :21:39.down. What a difficult shot. -- if I will tell you what, that was

:21:39. > :21:39.

:21:39. > :22:25.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 44 seconds

:22:25. > :22:29.He will be wanting to win the match in this frame though, Mark Selby. I

:22:29. > :22:39.always feel when you get to the situation where you only need one

:22:39. > :23:06.

:23:06. > :23:16.frame, you want to win it in the Similar type of shot for Mark. A

:23:16. > :23:26.few reds he can play down off. There is a gap between the black

:23:26. > :23:26.

:23:26. > :23:33.and red. He has played a thin shot the other side of the table. Not

:23:33. > :23:39.quite behind the yellow. Both players reluctant to play a safety

:23:39. > :23:44.shot in such a way that they would push a red over the corner pocket.

:23:44. > :23:49.I suppose it is more important from Neil -- Neil Robertson's point of

:23:49. > :23:59.view, because he knows one mistake and his defence of the title could

:23:59. > :24:26.

:24:26. > :24:36.There may just be a gap past the yellow and blue to catch the right

:24:36. > :24:39.

:24:39. > :24:49.side of the reds. It must be pretty tight though. Might just catch the

:24:49. > :24:49.

:24:49. > :25:40.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 44 seconds

:25:40. > :25:46.blue if he tries to come of the No free ball. He could possibly put

:25:46. > :25:56.him back in from where he has finished, if he wants. He is pretty

:25:56. > :26:03.

:26:03. > :26:07.good at this escape shot. He needs to just catch the edge of the reds.

:26:07. > :26:17.That is the sort of angle he is looking for, with a little bit more

:26:17. > :26:18.

:26:18. > :26:28.side. Yes, it is important to get the cue ball placed in exactly the

:26:28. > :26:30.

:26:30. > :26:39.right position. Somewhere near the line would be ideal. A fraction out

:26:39. > :26:47.again. And once again, no free ball. It is important. If that cue ball

:26:47. > :26:57.had travelled more to the right and left a free ball... Just a slight

:26:57. > :27:04.

:27:04. > :27:08.I have just made a slight adjustment as well on the line.

:27:08. > :27:18.will not be playing the same shot again. He has been warned by the

:27:18. > :27:44.

:27:44. > :27:54.referee that he has to make contact The black is awkward. The pink is

:27:54. > :28:00.

:28:00. > :28:10.awkward. But the one that he can pot, can he get through to the blue

:28:10. > :28:20.from that? Possibly. He took his eyes off the pot. It was not easy

:28:20. > :28:41.

:28:42. > :28:47.by any means. It is at half a He is straight on the blue. They

:28:47. > :28:54.raised a red near the pink spot that is available. -- there he's a

:28:54. > :29:03.red. If you can get straight on that red, he may be able to get

:29:03. > :29:13.back on the pink. All the sudden it would be a great chance. Very

:29:13. > :29:15.

:29:15. > :29:19.difficult to get straight on to that red. If he had the correct

:29:19. > :29:24.angle on the blue, he could have left himself straight on this,

:29:24. > :29:34.stunted in, he could have got the pink back on that spot. He would

:29:34. > :29:37.

:29:37. > :29:47.have to wait to see if he can do How well to be hit that! -- did he

:29:47. > :29:53.

:29:53. > :30:03.I think he has just got an angle on the blue as well. So this is not a

:30:03. > :30:28.

:30:28. > :30:32.Might need a trace aside and this one. -- a trace of side on this one.

:30:32. > :30:36.Doesn't matter if he doesn't get the correct side of the blue, he

:30:36. > :30:46.has got the red on the other end of the table, he can stun up between

:30:46. > :30:48.

:30:48. > :30:58.He could have played the same sort of shot for the pink, at this stage

:30:58. > :31:07.

:31:08. > :31:16.he just wants to play shots he's As Hazel were saying, he loves this

:31:16. > :31:21.Masters. Four finals in six years, that is some going. This would be a

:31:21. > :31:26.hat-trick if he can pull it off. And the defending champion has

:31:26. > :31:36.fought very hard for the last week, but he knows that the chance is

:31:36. > :31:43.

:31:43. > :31:47.He's already UK champion, a great chance to be Masters champion. Who

:31:47. > :31:57.would bet against him winning the World Championship in the same

:31:57. > :32:04.

:32:04. > :32:14.season? Now that would be something But hold on! Let's not get too far

:32:14. > :32:44.

:32:45. > :32:51.ahead of ourselves! Even the great Well, once again, concentrated on

:32:51. > :32:59.the cue ball, took his eye off the pot. Could that be Neil's last shot

:32:59. > :33:04.in the defence of his title? Still a bit of work to be done. Only one

:33:04. > :33:14.red available, but he has an angle on the pink if he wants to try and

:33:14. > :33:21.

:33:21. > :33:31.He's going to leave it until his next positional shot, but 35

:33:31. > :33:42.

:33:43. > :33:52.And he has got an angle on the The two red underneath the black

:33:53. > :33:57.

:33:57. > :34:07.spot I think would be cushioned If he can cannon that one half ball,

:34:07. > :34:08.

:34:08. > :34:14.Just coming round to make absolutely certain of what he wants

:34:14. > :34:19.to do with the cue ball. There is any easier cannon, but that is more

:34:19. > :34:25.risky because he could double kiss one of those and get himself out of

:34:25. > :34:35.position completely. His choice is the one that could pave the way of

:34:35. > :34:50.

:34:50. > :35:00.He has sailed around the back of He just got too much grew on it. So

:35:00. > :35:11.

:35:11. > :35:19.a good safety, the order of the day. But not a straight forward run up

:35:19. > :35:25.the table. He would have to play a stun shot to avoid coming --

:35:25. > :35:35.cannoning into the black. If he played little stun shot, he doesn't

:35:35. > :35:53.

:35:53. > :35:58.want to be bringing any of those He has got a shot off this red but

:35:58. > :36:05.he would have to play it with a little smart -- stunt to avoid the

:36:05. > :36:15.black. If he gets a good cue ball, he should be OK. He is a bit

:36:15. > :36:55.

:36:55. > :37:00.reluctant to possibly bring this The way this four reds are would

:37:00. > :37:10.make Mark Selby a strong favourite for this frame, which would give

:37:10. > :37:18.

:37:18. > :37:24.him the title, but stranger things He's such a clever player, Stephen.

:37:24. > :37:34.That shot there was picked out beautifully. He really does know

:37:34. > :38:01.

:38:01. > :38:11.The way the reds are, 43 is a That is two of the difficult reds

:38:11. > :38:22.

:38:22. > :38:27.This final has been going for five Looked like it was all one-sided

:38:27. > :38:37.when he led 8-3, but it was a great comeback from Neil Robertson to

:38:37. > :38:50.

:38:50. > :38:54.How many more chances will Neil That is all mark has to do, play a

:38:54. > :39:04.containing safety, the onus is on Neil to do something special in

:39:04. > :39:33.

:39:33. > :39:37.Mark Selby just needs two reds. He It is not quite on, but there was a

:39:37. > :39:45.possibility he might be able to send one red onto the other and

:39:45. > :39:54.maybe some both reds up the other end of the table. Would be a bit

:39:54. > :40:04.Not quite the angle to do that, anyway. So another containing roll-

:40:04. > :40:26.

:40:26. > :40:36.He could play the cue ball behind the black. A Yes, the shutters on,

:40:36. > :40:56.

:40:56. > :41:06.that is what he is looking at. -- When you have got to go, you have

:41:06. > :41:21.

:41:21. > :41:26.got to go! So off Neil Robertson Timing is everything in life as in

:41:27. > :41:31.sport. Mark is using his opportunity to see what is left.

:41:31. > :41:38.is in the driving seat. It will be difficult for Neil Robertson. If he

:41:38. > :41:41.can get the four reds out in the open, it is a different story. It

:41:41. > :41:48.is the job of Mark Selby to keep it contained, but I think Neil

:41:48. > :41:53.Robertson will be able to get them out in the open. But strong

:41:53. > :41:57.favourite for this third title now, you have got to say. His record

:41:57. > :42:04.here, we have talked about this at other events, some players just

:42:04. > :42:09.seemed to thrive at one particular event. He certainly does here.

:42:09. > :42:15.saw the late great Paul Hunter, how he loved the Masters. As you said,

:42:15. > :42:19.Mark Selby seems to have a great affinity with this tournament. He

:42:19. > :42:25.has had great success in it and it looks like he's going to go on and

:42:25. > :42:31.win this event now. He has played unbelievable match snooker, at

:42:31. > :42:37.completely different to what we have been watching during the week.

:42:37. > :42:41.It is amazing, what John calls stickability. He is on the verge of

:42:41. > :42:47.becoming only the 6th man in history to win this title three

:42:47. > :42:51.times or more, joining the likes of Cliff Thorburn, Paul Hunter, Ronnie

:42:51. > :42:57.O'Sullivan, Steve Davis and Stephen Hendry. It would be a remarkable

:42:57. > :43:05.achievement. A fantastic achievement. To win here once but

:43:05. > :43:09.to be a multiple winner is superb. His record stand inspection. Four

:43:09. > :43:14.finals in six years. One thing about this frame, it was looking

:43:14. > :43:24.like it was gone beyond recall a few shots ago. If he can get the

:43:24. > :43:28.

:43:28. > :43:32.shot right, Neil Robertson is not I'm wondering if he has in fact

:43:32. > :43:42.seen the shot we have mentioned. He has plenty of time to think about

:43:42. > :44:10.

:44:10. > :44:20.He is certainly taking a long time over it, but it seems natural. He

:44:20. > :44:24.

:44:24. > :44:34.He misjudged it in the end. I don't think he has seen the shock we were

:44:34. > :44:44.

:44:44. > :44:48.on about, it seemed an obvious shot I'm just wondering if he could get

:44:48. > :44:58.tight behind the blue. If he get in behind the blue he has Neil in all

:44:58. > :45:14.

:45:14. > :45:19.No Neil does have a safety, he can played the left of it. He could

:45:19. > :45:29.bring the cue ball back up towards the black end. Doesn't want to

:45:29. > :45:57.

:45:57. > :46:07.Three reds up the other end of the table. He is not going to be able

:46:07. > :46:13.

:46:13. > :46:23.to get high-value colours of those Another clever shot. Acknowledged

:46:23. > :46:24.

:46:24. > :47:19.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 44 seconds

:47:19. > :47:29.The thing safety is very tough. -- the thing safety. The pot is just

:47:29. > :47:34.

:47:34. > :47:38.He has just spotted something on the cue ball there. It has been

:47:38. > :47:43.quite a defence of his title here. He really has played superbly well

:47:43. > :47:53.to beat Ding Junhui and that match against Mark Allen, that was an

:47:53. > :48:03.

:48:03. > :48:10.Well, has he covered this red? Maybe he has! I think that red has

:48:10. > :48:14.come to his rescue. Mark Selby is looking at an angle on the cushion

:48:14. > :48:24.to see if he could come off the cushion and pot this red near the

:48:24. > :48:28.He would have to hit the cushion where he is cueing along it but if

:48:28. > :48:34.they are over the pocket, it is easy, this far away, they are

:48:34. > :48:44.difficult. But he is so good at this type of shot. This is tough to

:48:44. > :48:55.

:48:55. > :48:59.That was much more difficult than it looked. And that could be the

:48:59. > :49:09.shot, it is worth showing you again, it could be the shot that gives him

:49:09. > :49:21.

:49:21. > :49:26.50 the difference can he only needs A win you all the world number one,

:49:26. > :49:32.you want to preview of the best player in the world. -- when you of

:49:32. > :49:37.the world number one. We don't have O'Sullivan, which makes a different,

:49:38. > :49:47.but you can only be do players that are here. And Selby is going to do

:49:48. > :49:53.

:49:53. > :50:03.And in goes the red, it has to be said that Mark Selby has saved his

:50:03. > :50:10.best match snooker for this final. He got off to a terrific start. He

:50:10. > :50:20.led 8-3. Neil Robertson won three frames a row and it looked like we

:50:20. > :50:20.

:50:20. > :50:29.were going to go right down to the But he has died in again, Mark

:50:29. > :50:36.Selby. -- died in again. Near all is having a little think about it.

:50:36. > :50:40.-- Neil is having a little think about it. Pink and black are not

:50:40. > :50:50.too badly placed. Four snookers, the blue is totally at odds of

:50:50. > :50:57.

:50:57. > :51:07.He just doesn't want to let go of that title, Doherty, Neil

:51:07. > :51:15.

:51:15. > :51:21.Robertson? It has been a superb And Mark Selby, inside, he must be

:51:21. > :51:31.feeling absolutely delighted with himself. That smile tells you the

:51:31. > :51:36.

:51:36. > :51:41.whole thing. He was looking up at And that was an attempt to pot the

:51:41. > :51:51.red, screw back for the black. I think the fight has just gone out

:51:51. > :52:00.

:52:00. > :52:03.And that makes absolutely sure. There is that little fist palm.

:52:03. > :52:08.Neil Robertson put up a fantastic fight to try and hang on to his

:52:08. > :52:15.title. But it is a great feeling when you are wandering around the

:52:15. > :52:25.table like this and you're winning the title. It is a title he is

:52:25. > :52:27.

:52:27. > :52:31.The crowd here at Alexandra Palace have been super up for the whole

:52:31. > :52:41.week, even with the terrible weather. I must admit, I have

:52:41. > :52:48.

:52:48. > :52:53.Best feeling in the world. Not the best feeling in the world for Neil

:52:53. > :53:03.Robertson but he has got nothing to be disappointed about. He has

:53:03. > :53:05.

:53:05. > :53:10.played superbly well. He is enjoying every pot now. And why not

:53:10. > :53:19.finish off with a trick shot? He is not going to bother with the black,

:53:19. > :53:23.is he? Well, why not? It could going in the pocket. Well played,

:53:23. > :53:28.Mark Selby. Well played Neil Robertson. It was Neil Robertson he

:53:28. > :53:38.was the form player throughout the week but in the final, Mark Selby

:53:38. > :53:48.

:53:48. > :53:53.He is the 2013 Masters champion, What a final! What players we have

:53:53. > :53:58.here. Neil, our commiserations, an admirable defence this week. You

:53:58. > :54:06.got so close. Six centuries, how tough is this player to beat right

:54:06. > :54:13.now? He is a world-class player, he is the world number one. He is

:54:13. > :54:17.really tough to break through. Unfortunately I couldn't repeat my

:54:17. > :54:22.performances of earlier in the week. I had my chances in the first

:54:22. > :54:28.session and tonight wasn't quite my night. He punished me and played

:54:28. > :54:35.well. A deserving winner. You got it back to 6-8, did you feel the

:54:35. > :54:42.comeback may have been on? Yes, I felt I had every chance. I had a

:54:43. > :54:50.bit of trouble on a safety shot, got the initiative back but once it

:54:50. > :55:00.went 9-6, it would be pretty tough. He finished it off like a champion.

:55:00. > :55:00.

:55:00. > :55:04.A great defence. Neil Robertson, So to our champion, Mark Selby.

:55:04. > :55:11.Third Masters title in only six years. Your love affair with this

:55:11. > :55:16.event continues. Like I said early in the week, every time we come

:55:16. > :55:21.that we play the one table set-up, it always feels like a final in

:55:21. > :55:28.every match, you always get great crowds in London. At Wembley Arena

:55:28. > :55:32.it was great crowds and here it is the same, it gets you up for it.

:55:32. > :55:35.Last night in that gruelling match against Graeme Dott you came off

:55:36. > :55:41.and talk to us and said your form have been pathetic, how did you

:55:41. > :55:45.turn it around? A ditch report yesterday. I played well against

:55:45. > :55:53.Stuart. For me, going into today, Neil was the player of the

:55:53. > :55:58.tournament, who played the best in his three matches so far. I know

:55:58. > :56:02.with I had to attack today, if I wasn't, I wouldn't beat someone of

:56:02. > :56:10.his class. Thankfully today I managed to put up a good

:56:10. > :56:15.performance. You got it back to 6-8, did you think he would do a Selby

:56:15. > :56:23.on you and come roaring back? very similar, he doesn't give up, I

:56:23. > :56:29.had a red on 30, possibly to go 9-5, and I saw the finishing line, he

:56:29. > :56:33.seemed to come back. World number one, how important was it for you

:56:34. > :56:38.to do this with a bit of style today? It was nice to play well for

:56:38. > :56:45.a change. I one the UK -- won the UK, everyone said I just scrapped

:56:45. > :56:49.it out. It is nice to do it on the big stage in a big final. You care

:56:49. > :56:57.title, Masters title, as meatloaf once said, to out of three ain't

:56:57. > :57:02.bad. What a target! Everyone will be aiming for that, it will be

:57:02. > :57:08.tough, Neil is one of those in the running. Are we will be going and

:57:08. > :57:12.giving it my all as always. A lot of the blue think you can do it.

:57:12. > :57:17.I'm sure a few people will be trying hard to see that you don't.

:57:17. > :57:27.For the meantime, you join an exclusive club. Mark Selby, three-

:57:27. > :57:42.

:57:42. > :57:48.Ladies and gentlemen, please Ladies and gentlemen, the run up,

:57:48. > :57:58.what Wiki has had. Receiving the silver medal and a cheque for

:57:58. > :58:17.

:58:17. > :58:27.And the winner, receiving a cheque for �175,000, the trophy and the

:58:27. > :58:32.

:58:32. > :58:42.BetFair Masters champion for 2013, Ladies and gentlemen, your champion,

:58:42. > :58:46.

:58:46. > :58:51.Mark Selby! Quite the club he has joined this week. Ken, Steve and

:58:51. > :58:58.John, when we look at these pictures, how much has his standing

:58:58. > :59:03.in the game been enhanced by this when? Very much so. Three times

:59:04. > :59:07.here is absolutely fantastic. What a match player he is. He is made of

:59:07. > :59:12.absolute granite. He does not know when he is beaten. Every man to get

:59:12. > :59:19.one Rhondda per cent. Even when he is not at his best, he is difficult

:59:19. > :59:24.to beat. It will take some player to beat him. He has shown this week

:59:24. > :59:29.he can win of glee when he wants to Andy can win with style? Yes.

:59:29. > :59:34.Earlier in the season he was not exactly complaining, but he was

:59:34. > :59:39.making waves about how it was a crowded season. It looks like he is

:59:39. > :59:45.coming back strong. I think he enjoys the tour. He enjoys playing.

:59:45. > :59:48.He has improved because of that. I would imagine he is becoming very

:59:49. > :59:57.much the favourite of some of the people like to have a bet on the

:59:57. > :00:01.game. In an era of the game where you say there is no one person to

:00:01. > :00:07.dominate, he is starting to threaten. He has got such a tough

:00:07. > :00:11.game. In a similar way to John Higgins. For Neil Robertson, a

:00:11. > :00:16.valiant attempt to defend the title. What will he take away? In many

:00:16. > :00:20.respects he was the player of the week? He was. He will be very

:00:20. > :00:23.disappointed. He has had a good run but when you get to the final,

:00:23. > :00:27.you're the champion, you want to keep that trophy as long as

:00:27. > :00:33.possible. He will be disappointed with his performance but he is one

:00:33. > :00:39.of the best players and the world. He will be back again. One of the

:00:39. > :00:45.classic years at the Masters, would you say that? Some wonderful

:00:45. > :00:53.memories? Yes, some wonderful games this week. A lot of close finishers.

:00:53. > :00:59.I do not think the final was a classic. It will not go down in the

:00:59. > :01:04.annals. Some great matches nevertheless. Great tournament, a

:01:04. > :01:10.great venue, a great atmosphere. Long may it last. Over the next few

:01:10. > :01:13.months it will be an interesting progression as we go towards the

:01:13. > :01:18.20th April. That is when the Crucible start. The World

:01:18. > :01:24.Championships. When the tickets went on sale in July, 15,000 went

:01:24. > :01:28.in the first two days. If you want to go, he met -- you'd better get

:01:29. > :01:34.your tickets quickly. We will be there. One of the big questions

:01:34. > :01:40.remains, what about Ronnie us of an? Rally, as you know, is taking a

:01:40. > :01:45.sabbatical. He is the defending champion. The offer to defend his

:01:45. > :01:51.title remains open until next month. He is still to make up his mind. He

:01:51. > :01:55.has been here at Alexandra Palace for a couple of days, keeping a low

:01:55. > :02:02.profile. What is the likelihood of him coming back and defending his

:02:02. > :02:07.title? I have not got a clue. To be perfectly honest. No idea. What I

:02:07. > :02:12.like to see in their? Absolutely. And it would be some performance if

:02:12. > :02:17.he turned up not having played all season and he tried to win it.

:02:17. > :02:26.sure Mark Selby and Neil Robertson would love to have him there. He is

:02:26. > :02:31.the man in possession. No! A lot of the fans would like to see him.

:02:31. > :02:37.Earlier in the season I was thinking he will come back. I am

:02:37. > :02:41.not so sure now. I do not think he will. I certainly hope he comes

:02:41. > :02:46.back. From the point of view of the spectacle, the fact he is defending

:02:46. > :02:50.champion, and the fact he is a great entertainer, he is a crowd-

:02:50. > :02:53.pleaser. He will be missed at the World Championships. There will be

:02:53. > :02:59.great snooker at the World Championships. At the game is

:02:59. > :03:03.bigger than any one player. However, if he came back, what a story that

:03:03. > :03:08.would be. I think we will see him back in the game but not at the

:03:08. > :03:12.World Championships. It is not all about money. This week it was all

:03:12. > :03:17.about Mark Selby and Neil Robertson. The news here from Alexandra Palace