Day 5 Masters Snooker

It is a great tournament. I have won it before. I have maybe won the

world and the UK, the next is winning the Masters. I would like to

have won it more times. I never seem to play well in advanced it is a

tough draw. John is one of the greats of our

game. He has been struggling. He is more than good enough to turn it

around. Tough player. Mark is one of the favourites for every event. He

will be favourite going into this match, rightly so.

We already have one semifinalist. This afternoon, Shaun Murphy came

from behind to beat Marco Fu and reaches third consecutive Masters

semifinal. Murphy will play the winner of tonight's match in the

first semifinal on Saturday afternoon. A great comeback.

Delighted to say that I've been joined by Stephen Hendry who will be

watching this evening's match with me. You were in the commentary box

this afternoon, another fantastic fightback by Shaun Murphy.

Positivity was the key to his victory? His concentration was poor

at the beginning of the match, he looked quite flat in his chair but

it took 4-1 behind to wake up. This evening's match, Mark Selby says he

has to take his chances against John Higgins. His first four frames of

his third round he was like that but then it was a game of two halves, he

played poorly after that. John Higgins is one of the biggest names

in the game so Mark Selby will be up for it. Selby also suggest that John

Higgins is still a prospect. If I was John, I would be up for this

match. I know you don't like making predictions but who do you think? I

have a sneaking suspicion for my fellow Scotsman. The players are

standing by, let's join our MC, Rob Walker. Good evening, ladies and,

what's a night we have got in store for you here at the title-macro, a

money metal matchup between two men who have contested the world

championship final in 2007 and in between them, have lifted this

prestigious Invitational Trophy five times. Sit back, relax and enjoy.

Please welcome first of all, a player making his 20th consecutive

appearance at the Masters. Winner of this one in 1999 he is without

doubt, one of the finest sportsmen Scotland has ever reduced. Four

times champion of the world, it is the Wizard of Wishaw, is John

Higgins. JOHN HIGGINS - MUSIC: "Pencil Full

Of Lead" by Paolo Nutini. And his opponent, a player who has

won three of the last six Masters titles. He came through that six -

five thriller against Mark Davis proving once again he rarely loses

his cool on the big occasion. Shanghai Masters champion in 2011,

he took the UK crown in 2012, he is the defending Masters champion, he

is the Jester from Leicester, Mark Selby!

Another terrific atmosphere hair at Alexander Palace. The last time

these two played each other was in 2010 with Higgins coming out on top

in the Welsh Open which he went on to win. A place in the semifinals

against Shaun Murphy awaits them. We have a very good evening to our

commentators Dennis Taylor... And John Parrott.

John won the toss and has elected to break off. 20 consecutive

appearances in the Masters, John. That is some going. That is a high

level of consistency. Think the one word that would describe this

encounter this evening would be" battle" because these two players

certainly know their way around the snooker table. Tactically, they have

seen everything but you feel it is about who scores this evening. That

is the key for me, can you score? If one of them gets a chance, the way

the name-7-macro have opened up here, they might just get it with a

frame-winning effort. -- with the reds.

Sit still, please. Sit still. Just a bit of movement in the crowd,

everybody settling down to what could be an epic battle.

That is worth another look, terrific cueing. That does your confidence

the power of good. Can you put your camera away,

please? The buck is clear into one corner pocket. -- the black is

clear. John Higgins could have things in the clear around the black

spot area in a few turns. I couldn't believe that statistic

will at the biographies, they haven't played since 2010. When you

consider how good they are and at the business end of the tournament,

it is amazing that they haven't had an encounter since then.

John has been slipping down the rankings somewhat. Another 12 at the

moment. He is up against the world number two.

He has been experimenting with a few different keys but he seems to be

very comfortable with this one. Guess, it is amazing to think he had

a spell for seven months or so where he never got past the last 16 in any

event he was in. Somebody of his class, that is amazing. He does seem

settled with this and already this is a good start. He seems to be

hitting the ball quite nicely. He got through his first match against

you at -- against Stuart Bingham. This might just get one red, one he

will follow through. He hasn't really developed it but he

has picked up or picked off all the easy reds. Starting to get a little

bit more difficult now. Great technique, he always has

habitat. I remember practising with him when he first turned

professional, used to play at Stephen Hendry's club in Stirling.

He achieved an awful lot. You talk about his technique, watch him use

the cue when he plays, he lets the cue do the work with a good

backswing. He comes quite a way back. All the time, plenty of work

on the cue ball. He will come right back. Through. No danger of having a

lack of power. If he is dead straight on this red, he will have

the stun run-through shots which is one of the nicest in the game.

He has got back up to have a think about it.

He still played that delicate little stun shot. But this is a key shot

coming up. Just looking to see if that red would go.

He may have to put a trace of side. I would rather go into the bunch. He

should avoid the cannon on the red on the top cushion here. I think he

will just miss that. He decided to split the pack

instead. It doesn't look like good at first glance. He couldn't have

played much better. He just caught that read. If you missed that first

read, he would have split them perfectly. He split them but he has

finished awkwardly. Only a couple of pots away from securing the frame.

When you are playing a cannon, you're never sure what will happen

he only needed a few more pots. A bit unlucky there.

He has got a good lead of 58 points but he is having a look to see if he

will play this red, the cutback. The way the table is set up, there is

only the one red behind the black that is difficult so he has to be

careful here. A lead is nice of that size but it is not insurmountable

the way the table is set up so he needs to be careful.

A very good start for the Wizard of Wishaw. But he would have liked to

have won the frame with that visit. He needs a bit more insurance here,

he could do with another red safe. Otherwise he has got a shot to

nothing to play here but the brown and green are a good target to get

in behind. That is a handy little flick. The

next shot is difficult here, with hampered cueing. Hitting down on

bridging over. REFEREE: Foul and a miss. He got a

bit of unwanted side, it's worked past the red. As he delivers the

cue, probably caught it off centre, swerve it slightly away from the red

and hit the black full ball and... Golden chance for John Higgins.

Sometimes when you leave the ball in that position, it is better than a

snooker. Very much so. Especially on these fine cloths, a bit of and

unwanted side. It can go off. That little flick off the green was very

useful. Here is the shot John played off the

red on the table. This little flick of -- off the green. Current on the

brown. That little nudge. It cueing awkward.

It looks like he is hitting the ball pretty well. He hasn't made a

mistake, he was just unlucky with the split on the reds when he broke

down on 58. APPLAUSE.

As they say in Lancashire, he is in fine fettle.

Mark has not had a go at a shot, really. He got the awkward safety

bridging over the brown. Oh! Mark Selby stays in his seat, what a

start for John Higgins, a break of 58 and 39, he wins the opening

frame. John Higgins picking up where he

left off in his first-round match in beating Stuart Bingham. A solid

start by your fellow countrymen. This is the sort of new expect from

him. He has although the s almost been forgotten about. He is still

one of the best two or three players in the world. He has had problems

with his cube so he has not performed consistently but the long

ready but it was superb and as you expect, practically won the frame in

one visit. It is interesting coming into this tournament that he has

said to the press that he is coming in as underdog. Nobody is expecting

John Higgins to win this and it seems to suit him. It will be in the

back of his mind thinking that he wants to prove these people wrong,

he is one of the best people in the world and he is one of the few

people ranked against Ronnie O'Sullivan. I wonder if he is fired

up by your tip? Yellow marker I wouldn't want to jinx him. Back to

the action. A few people may be underestimating

John Higgins but Mark Selby will not be one of them. He knows how good a

player he is and if John finds form, as the first frame showed. He is in

for a real tough night. Just a few latecomers arriving.

Finding their way to their seats. Shouldn't be a problem, just a

little bit more pace. Find the same line.

Just bring it up, Paul, I just thought it was behind the baulk. I

thought it was just behind the baulk line. I think you probably have to

play with a bit of a touch of side. He is never that far out.

Maybe not so much as that, but he is OK.

They have had a couple of classic encounters. 2009, John Higgins beat

Mark Selby in the World Championship quarterfinal match and it was one of

the best matches I've ever seen at the Crucible. Mark Selby, I said it

afterwards and I stand by it, the best performance I have ever seen by

anyone at the Crucible to get beaten. He was magnificent in that

match and John Higgins from 12-10 behind, unbelievable performance to

knock him out. So some great matches and of course, on the year that John

became champion, he beat Mark as well. A bit of history even if it is

not recent. It was never going to be easy to get

back down the table. And he caught the first red... Certainly not as he

intended. He didn't want to hit it as thin as that.

He missed the red completely in frame one and that was not a great

shot by Mark Selby. Against John Higgins, tactically you will have to

be up to scratch because he puts you in positions on the table but are

lots of trouble. All covering each other into the

left corner. That might be a useful flick. No,

not quite. Just making sure that he wasn't

going to plant this red and send one over the right corner.

If it does develop into a tactical match, it will be very interesting

to see who will win that battle because they are both so good in

that department. I think a lot of the matches that

Mark Selby has been playing and winning, tactically he has been

better than some of his opponents but it would be hard pushed to be

better than this man in the tactical department so that is why I thought

the scoring was important for Mark Selby at the start of the programme.

Straight away, have a look at that shot he has played there. He has

blocked off the escape route down the right-hand side of the table.

And in the edition the black is in, it makes it difficult to get down

the left side. He can just see the edge of the bunch of reds.

Wow. What a difference that has made. If he doesn't finish behind

that Green Day, there is a red on the right-hand side that is

absolutely lovely. He did hold his hand up and apologise, he was trying

to get on the baulk question. I don't know about that apologising,

never did me any good! He has to be so precise with this.

Twice across the table to land on the red and it is just to the right

of the two on the question here. But he has to be spot on.

What judgement. If he slips past that, he leaves the other red along

the cushion and that was judged to perfection.

That shot was no surprise. He thinks he has found his way out of trouble.

It is not bad. This is definitely an example of

chess with balls, this evening, with these two.

They are probably the most difficult safety shots when the red is tied to

the cushion. To hit it then is so difficult. And he hit it much

thicker. -- to hit it thin. Without though what sort of form he is in,

Mark Selby. He has not had a pot yet. This is his first attempt.

Look at those three reds, the way they surround the black spot area.

No use potting the black with the reds situated there. The pink will

be OK. It is early in this match, I know,

but I think Mark Selby Nice to score off this chance. An error from John

with his excellent safety but he has to establish himself in this. The

pink wasn't available into the left middle pocket he has got to the

black but that will be tied up with those three reds so it is not

straightforward just yet. The red that is on the extreme right

of the table is a problem, I don't know whether the pink will pass

that. He could play in reds in the middle off this black if he wanted

to but he decided to play the cannon. The top one definitely goes.

If the black potted after this, would be perfect. I dedicate well.

-- I don't think it will. Just a little flick of the black. I

think that red that is next to the black spot is still a problem. It is

not quite high enough to remove in a minute. Things to think about. Not

straightforward. Well, how many times have we seen

that? He took his eyes off the pot will stop --. He was more concerned

with the cue ball -- with the black than the cue ball.

Well, he almost missed that. I did not think that was going in. Now it

is John's turn for a scoring opportunity and a chance to apply

more pressure. He is already leading. He has just seen his

opponent make a mistake. Can he keep him in the chair?

It is far from easy with the black out of commission. The pink is still

awkward. It is available into the middle left pocket. Two reds

blocking the pink into the right corner. That is why John is having a

look around, to see what he can manufacture. Yes, that red on the

right has been a problem. I am pretty sure Mark Selby would have

played on the reds in the middle and would not have gone near the black

for a few shots. He might just be OK. He has got a dead straight red

into the corner. He has very little to do to leave the pink. He may be

able to pot the back one of these two reds. Careless from John.

There is a bit of tension out there at the moment.

The pink is in the open. Not a bad chance. Both players missing fairly

comfortable shots. If John had punished Mark after he

missed that black, it could have been a telling part of the match.

OK, the second frame, several left but these things can make a

difference. Yes, I think it was so important that it just looked like

he had not settled at all. Keeping the pressure on. The chances gone

now for John. He will be sitting in his chair thinking that this frame

is gone as well. If he is dead straight on this he will hold the

spot. The pink will go on the blackspot. -- black spot. The

referee checking. It will not make a great deal of difference. It would

not have been a bad thing to hold the spot. Surely he is not snooker

at? -- snookered. You could tell by the marker that it would go on its

spot. But he may have to play this with a little touch of right-hand

side to make the angle. I am just wondering if he will get

the cannon on the red. If you place this with a little bit of side, you

cannot storm this. -- storm. He is putting loads of right-hand side on

this. It made the angle. Good shot. He just made the situation little

bit more difficult there. This is pretty good from Mark Selby. He hit

that red full ball. A clever shot. The blue will make absolutely

certain. What happened there? OK, he needs a

snooker. But he only needs one snooker. Let's have a look. The blue

jumped slightly. John has a look at Mark. He has

conceded. The early break of 42 paved the way for Mark Selby and he

takes the frame. We are all square. Stephen, what is going on out there?

Yes, Mark Selby did well to create a good chance. Then he missed a

comparable black. This will annoy John because he is experienced. He

knows the importance of capitalising on people's misses. The boys in,

Terry were saying, careless, it is a bit tense. What is happening? --

commentary. When you're playing a good player, you know how important

it is to get a good start. John will know the importance of taking

advantage. He will not get many chances. Neither player will get

many chances. Each easiness is very important. You get the feeling that

they need to settle down? Yes. I think they have tremendous respect

for each other. They know if they miss easy balls, it is going to be

frame. I don't think they are really tense.

They are both cueing well. John had breaks of 58 and 39 in the opening

frame. Mark never really had a chance. It was just the easy one

that John missed. As Stephen Hendry says, at this level it is the easy

ones that can cause so much damage. REFEREE: it is touching ball, but

only that one. Touching ball.

Even though it is touching ball, there is no path back up the table.

It is a bit of a stalemate at the moment. I think the balls may be

re-racked. The referee is looking at both players. John is going to do

the same again. What do you think? Touching ball again. Yes, slightly

different, this one. You can play away and around the angles with this

one, if you have got the spider. It depends on whether he can cue this.

He has to be careful. I have seen players pull that spider away and

move everything. I was a bit premature there, wasn't I?

Not a good sign for John. He knocked a cracking red in, in the opening

frame. That was a little bit easier. These are shots that knock your

confidence. How costly will that be? Well played. Nicely controlled. He

has got a lovely angle if he wants to go into the pack. Hopefully that

is not touching the red. Good news and bad news on that shot.

The red on the right-hand side has blocked the path to the black.

It will have to be a long blue if he wants to keep this going. Not a

straightforward part -- pot and position. This needs good cueing. A

bit of pressure on this. Well cued. Worth another look. He is a bit

closer to the cushion with the cue ball than he would have liked. This

tests your cue action. He cannot get his hand on the table, having the

bridge on the cushion, as you can see. But he has got away with it. He

has been very fortunate. Very fortunate. He has hit that red that

badly, he has lost the cue ball as well. He hit that a little bit hard,

didn't he? I am wondering if John can get in behind the brown. Not a

bad effort. That is very unusual from John

Higgins. Such an easy safety shot to push that red up and down. If he has

got away with it, he has been very fortunate. That should not have been

anywhere near the green. Most unlike him.

He took that pot on. Always with the intention of getting the cue ball

down into the baulk area. Not bad. Markers got away with that. Not

half! If the red finishes anywhere else, he can put in all sorts of

trouble. He could even have left a pot on. Where it has finished, it

could not be more awkward. The trouble is, John does not want to

play away to the other side of the cushion because it leaves Mark Selby

with an easy shot. It never reached the red!

Have it put back! He is not that delicate for such a big man! You can

have a fresh air shot at snooker. How he didn't hit the red...

Mark did not have much of an alternative really to play away. It

should be easy for John to stun this read down the table. -- red. Yes.

Are you a little bit surprised at the shot he played? Yes, it was as

if Mark was thinking he did not want to get bogged down. He laid off a

little bit. It was a poor shot to leave this available. Let's have

another look at it. It is a problem now. There is no red near a cushion

to land on. If he gets out of this, he will be doing very well indeed.

If anybody can, Mark Selby can. He was in a real hole there, Mark.

Self-inflicted, that one. John did not like the pot, so it was not as

appetising as it looked from the commentary box.

That is an absolutely brilliant shot. Brilliant. We saw one earlier

in the match from John Higgins, and that was the equal of it. What a

shot that was. Good eyesight from the referee to spot this. Let's have

a look. It almost curled on and then came off again. It was amazing way

that went. It must be a finger mark, Dennis.

I will tell you what, he definitely does not need glasses if he can spot

that. That was amazing. Well done, Yan. I suppose the best thing for

Mark Selby is he did not leave it touching ball either. Another tricky

one for John. We are expecting some classical

tactical stuff from these two players. We have certainly had it so

far. Some of the escapes have been absolutely top drawer.

This is a thin one. He will try to get over behind the green. He could

not do that. This is the best he could do from that position. The

target is the green for the safety shot. Just watch John Higgins's cue

ball here. He will play this with left-hand side, swing it over

towards the baulk colours. It will be interesting to see which red he

takes on. He has got a couple of options.

There is no way Mark could get over towards the green from the position

that he was in. John can do. He cannot really take the pot on. Has

he hit it harder this time? Not far away. Oh, he is getting close, isn't

he? Yes, it is one of these situations were Mark Selby knows he

cannot play a shot to get around there as well. The only shot he can

do is leaving John an opportunity to get behind that green and brown. It

is the way the bowls are rolling at the minute. John is in the

ascendancy in this particular tactical battle.

Mark Selby is doing very well just to get out of trouble at the moment.

Well, those good safety shots from John Higgins have paid off. He kept

putting mark in trouble and Mark could not find the gap that time. A

bit of a chance for John. Black is off its spot. The pink is at the

other end of the table. Black will be back on its spot after this shot.

A pretty good chance for John Higgins.

Oh, my goodness me. What have you done there, John? I cannot believe

he has played that shot. He was trying to come through the gap for

the red and he has overhit it. I don't think he is on any ball. He

will be absolutely kicking himself. What a chance he has let go begging.

And that is where we end our live coverage on BBC Two. If you press

your red button, you can continue to enjoy this match. We will be back

with highlights at 11:20pm on BBC Two. My thanks to Stephen Hendry.

From all of us, bye for now.