Day 6 Masters Snooker

Hello again. We've had record crowds here at Alexandra Palace here in

north London and this afternoon, a record-breaking performance for them

to enjoy in this Dafabet Masters. It came from the most mesmerise

players, O'Sullivan. Ricky Malden came up against a world champion who

was virtually unplayable. Ricky had made a 35 break and didn't pot a

single ball thereafter. O'Sullivan running away with it, 6-0 in under

an hour. And racking up a world record 556 points without reply. It

was quite simply awesome. I have to say well done to Ricky for a good

season. Won a couple of ranking events and made it to the top 16.

Playing well. I'm just pleased to have got through. It's obviously

disappointing. You want to go out there and put your shift in

yourself. I wasn't able to do that. Scored 35 points in the first frame

and didn't see a ball for the rest of the match. I didn't realise that

he hadn't potted a ball. I was concentrating on each ball and frame

and trying to stay in the groove and concentration and just trying to

stay with the frames and be as professional as possible. That's the

first time I've felt helpless on a snooker table. I didn't get a shot.

Unbelievable. I took a good beating there. It's jaw-dropping stuff. A

reminder of the other quarter finals.

The first seven or eight times I only beat him once and I think I got

the better of him maybe the last four or five times. He's the sort of

player that I was looking at and thinking I've got to really change

my game and develop a safety game, because he's just Toowoomba good. In

some ways it's thanks to him that my game Vaz developed so much, because

I felt he just outplayed me in every time. He's a bit of a bully. He's

imposing when he's playing. He has a bit of a temper, but I think it

really work for him. Sometimes he can be playing terrible in a match

and then he can punch the table and almost break his hand and then play

three or four flawless frames. He'll be really keen to make amends for

the UK championships. He'll be really keen to start winning some

big tornalities. -- tournaments. I've won the UK Championship. It's

very hard to follow that up, to win the Masters. Mark Selby did it last

year, but very few have done that. I'm not under any pressure to keep

that going. I'm - the pressure's on myself because I want to win the

tournament so badly. This is his tenth appearance in the Masters. His

best performance three times a semifinalist, but a pretty lean

record of late. He hasn't made the quarters for four years. Robertson

may have squatted aside Maguire at the recrept championship in York --

recent championship in York, but overall he has lost more matches.

That said, Maguire hasn't had the better of the Aussie for five years.

His last success was at this stage of the Masters at Wembley in 2009.

That's going back to the days when former world champion John Parrott

was just a boy. What is your take on tonight's quarter final? It should

be a fantastic match. It looks like that on paper, two very accomplished

matchplayers and he said bully there, two bullies to be honest.

They both get in there. It will be interesting to see who gives. Neil

seemed to struggle in the heat the other day. I know it's not a summer

for the Aussie here, but it was pretty hot and he had to produce two

excellent frame-winning chances to get past Mark Allen. How far below

his best was he? Some way, but that won't count for anything this

evening. The object of the exercise is to get through that match. What

was impressive that break in the last frame. When he needed to do it,

nitty-gritty, he came out like the true Australian that he is. He got

over the line, but he'll need to play better. As for Stephen, he

almost succumbed to the flailing front-run er syndrome? I'm going to

call it slow punt tour syndrome. -- slow punt tour syndrome. He managed

to get over the line. There is one remaining place to be claimed in the

semifinal. Who will grab it? It's time to cue or MC. Thank you. Good

evening ladies and gentlemen. What a dramatic day. We have already very

much enjoyed things here. Records from the Rocket this afternoon and

tonight, two absolute titans of the table go head-to-head to join him in

the semifinals. When these two last played in the Masters they reeled

off five consecutive centuries. Sit back, relax and enjoy this. This

could be an absolute cracker. APPLAUSE

Please welcome, one of the nicest guys on the circuit. Three times the

Masters semifinalist. Twice the World Championship semifinalist.

Winner of five titles, including the UK crown. He is also the reigning

Welsh Open champion. When he's good, he's on fire, he's Stephen Maguire.

# Like a drifter I was born to walk alone

# And I've made up my mind # I ain't wasting no more time... #

And his opponent, since his arrival from Australia ten years ago, he has

laid claim to being among the sport's all-time greats. World

champion in 2010. He took the Masters two years ago and completed

snooker's Triple Crown with his win in York last month. What a record.

What a talent. He's the world number one. Can you hear the thunder from

down under, it's Neil Robertson. Friday night at Alexandra Palace.

It's pretty lively in here, I can tell you. We are expecting this to

be a pretty lively match. Who is overseeing it? There they are.

Messers Virgo and Davies. All yours. Good evening, Hazel. Good evening,

everybody. This looks like being a real Titanic struggle as Rob Walker

said. World number one, Neil Robertson and of course, playing

Stephen Maguire, who is capable of -- on his day of beating anyone. It

depends how he plays tonight. Yes. But what he is capable of doing is

being his own man out there. They've been playing this with a bit

of extra pace to try to get the yellow to cover the potable red.

It's likely a risk, but it seems to work out.

VrgeTS the more of a goalkeeper it is if you can get closer to it. Just

playing for the bottom cushion, perhaps it's not as much of an

advantage as it used to be. A bit lucky to get away with that, after

missing the red on the top cushion. He has a possible pot on here. In

his last match his long potting was very average. What will he be like

this evening? OK he played the cannon, but he

couldn't have expected it to work out like this.

If he picked it up with his hand, he couldn't have put it any better.

In potting this black, there is enough of an angle that he could go

into the red, but he could be stuck on them.

You can see what he's lining up, the outside of the three reds.

Unfortunately, if he played for that position, he's a very confident cuer

of the ball. That is horrible. This is a Longbridge, isn't it?

To some degree, if he knew it was going to end up there, perhaps he

could have played it harder, but how softer could he have played it?

Well, this is very missable with such a wobbly bridge.

I think he's going to choose a different shot.

After the opening red and the position on the black he'll be

disappointed that's all he scored. There have been a few players

playing up and down the table on thin balls this week, John. I've

noticed they've missed a view thinking that the table's rolled one

way or the other, but I've seen balls roll off equal sides. He can

always roll over a finger mark or chalk dust.

I learnt this week that I thought you had to see both sides of the

red. Apparently if you can make full contact and miss it three times,

then you lose the frame. It's news to me, that. That's a better shot

the second time around. There are a new an momlies with the

-- anomalies with the miss rule. That's one of them.

I thought there was a chance for Maguire to come off on the pink, but

he's keeping it tight. That's the one thing that frustrates

professional snooker players more than anything, well maybe the kink

frustrates them, but to catch a ball clover, because that means you've

not played a good safety. It's a good target here.

Other players have their eyes equally over the cue or some over

their left eye. Good escape. I don't know whether

Neil can get in behind the brown again here.

This safety shot from Maguire, should he choose the one that's just

poking out to the right of the pink, it would open things up. That's

pack-wise. He doesn't want to do that. He's not sure how the reds are

going to open up. That's a last-resort shot.

At this level, you try not to led reds stray to the corners. It looks

like he's playing it. He played it pretty well. Just

catching the yellow. You never know with Neil, he's just a good potter.

Right in the heart of the pocket. As I said earlier, this is one of his

great strengths, the long pots. Look at that. Right in the heart of the

pocket. He will be feeling good about himself at the moment.

Sometimes the first long pot you have to attempt, if it goes in, it

could be the difference between a good day and bad day on the table.

Certainly in that department. Nothing like cracking a few of those

in to allay the nerves. A bit of work to keep the break going. It's a

bit messy up the top of the table. The number of reds blocking the path

of the black. The pink's available, so play for

the pink in the middle. I'm not sure exactly if the pink spots now. You

know we spend more -- you spend more hours in there. Obviously, there are

miles. The director gave it away. I was going to say, of course it

spots! Well, would you believe it? The

good, long balls he's potted and he's missed a sitter.

Steve Maguire working out if he pots the black and it goes back on the

spot what other reds go into the right corner? Should he try and

simplify things a bit before he tries to make it more complicated in

that department? Still got a clear-cut chance. I'm

sure he would like to score a few points though.

There's a red that does pot into the right corner.

It looks like the one he played in potting this red, he can properly

clear that pink spot. It's tight. There's a lot of intricate shots to

be played yet. He's hampered. When you can't get to

the middle of the cue ball you're having to put a bit aside, so you've

got to allow for the throw. This is a tricky, little shot. It may not

look it, but it's tricky, this. If you get to the middle of cue ball

this red wouldn't be a problem. Now the pink is on the spot, this is

not very good. It was so easy to go wrong with that break.

All disappointing when you get a good opportunity and you don't score

as many as you feel you ought to. He didn't let his disappointment affect

the safety shot. It's a good one. A lot for Neil to think about now.

Just playing the containing safety now. There is a red that pots along

the top curby. A bit tricky. If he rolls it in, he could have the pink

to the right middle. He wouldn't want to be forcing it

out for the black in the same pocket. That would make it even more

difficult. He did play the screw. It seemed to

come off the cushion funny. Do you think he got a bit of side on that?

I think he put a bit of unwanted side spin on. He should have cleared

and straightened up. Perhaps there was a little right-hand spin on that

shot. Only needs a fraction. But the way he struck it, I thought it was a

good shot. He may have got it. He may have got

it. That's not what the doctor ordered. A worst piece of commentary

that's turned out well! I thought he would definitely play behind the

yellow. As it was, it was an excellent safety shot, although he's

really put himself in trouble. Marvellous!

Playing the blue across the face behind the yellow would probably be

the better safety shot. He's having a look to see if the reds would be

available if he plays safety off the left-hand side. Surely if he comes

down the right-hand side just before the middle pocket and nestle into

the three reds. Surely that's the shot?

Does the bottom red pot? If it z it's a pretty poor shot, but surely

he had a look at it. It looks like at least two of those reds go, but

actual I think the red goes. You feel you could flick that in,

but if both players have seen the situation and decided it's a very

cloe risk -- high risk then it certainly doesn't go and it's aivity

shot. Both players -- safety shot. Both players have to be careful.

I'm thinking this red may just cut to the left middle.

Certainly very thin, but if he tries to play a safety shot and get the

cue ball back, then that would be a problem. If he does play the thin

cut, he wouldn't have much clue where the cue ball is going to go.

I'm sure this is cuttable, but maybe he thinks it's too risky.

If that was the only thing he could come up with, I suggest he played it

into the middle pocket. I get the feeling that the table is

playing quicker tonight than his first match. He overstruck that by

some way. Tried to recover the situation now

with a pot on the green. He's potted a couple of good, long balls, but it

just shows you, you miss the easy pink when he was in and that might

have just affected his confidence slightly.

Played that well. Perfect on the blue, but the reds of a little

awkward. That was a risk. Tough shot to take

on. You called it, Steve. It was a tough shot, but boy, didn't he play

it well? Excellent pot. Played around the back. I thought

for a moment he had set up to screw into them.

He'll open up the three reds. If this goes right, it should give him

the first frame. He will be absolutely disgusted with

himself to miss a cannon. It seemed harder to miss than to get. Amazing.

He just flicked the red. He's tried to take out the luck

element there. As it turned out, it all went wrong. A reprieve for Neil

Robertson. A tough clearance with the green

where it is, but a chance to get back into the frame at the very

least. Opening shot, though, is a tough one.

No disgrace in missing that. Very difficult shot off the cushion.

Across the table. It was one of those. Straight enough that if you

just didn't hit the red in the middle of the pocket you could have

run through enough. Fantastic shot. Whilst he's not

guaranteed to be on the blue, or on a colour, he's got control of the

table. He's going to have a very big advantage if he decide to roll up

behind the brown. The classic schoolboy error, John.

Unbelievable. He was just trying to get it so tight to the brown to cut

off the one-cushion escape that he forgot to hit the brown.

If you looked at how many times Dow that and how many times it costs awe

frame and a match you would always make sure you hit it, but you still

go back to your old ways of making sure you try to get as close as

possible. Make it harder for your opponent. You never learn.

Steve Maguire may well decide to put him back in. It's a bit risky

playing this cut-back. He has decided to put it back in.

He could hit it this time and hit it safe. He's had a practice go.

This looks good. This looks very good. Well played.

If you knew your opponent was going to get out of it the second time

perhaps you would have taken it on. You have to weigh up all of the

chances. You have to make sure you've got the

red behind the pink as well. Good shot.

Excellent. He'll do very well here now.

It looks like he's obligated to leave the two reds where they are.

Why split them up and take the risk? He was in a lot of trouble and he's

got it safe. A good attempt to get behind the

black. But it was unlikely. Chance for Neil Robertson to get it in

behind the brown. The red will come into that middle of the table again,

so perhaps he won't choose that. I don't know why he didn't try to

play it thinner? Maybe he was a little concerned if he played it

thinner that the red - and he didn't cover it with the brown - could have

been potable, but he was trying to get the cue ball tight on the

cushion and he didn't achieve that. Once again, not the best shot. If

you don't get the cue ball tight to the ball cushion you leave your

opponent fully expecting to play a better safety shot.

Both players could be sitting in their chair with a 1-0 scoreline

perhaps with Maguire having had the best chances so far.

The first frame can dictate the pattern of the rest of the match,

although not necessarily this week at the Masters. There have been so

many comebacks. Good try to get behind the brown. An

attempt for Neil Robertson that has made much more difficult because of

the cueing here. A long way out, as you can see.

Whilst he wouldn't have been disappointed to have missed it, he

will be disappointed to have missed it by so far.

Well, that's maizing. He was only look for the red and the black and

he had the first frame in his pocket. How has he missed this?

Do you think there's pressure on, knocking out one of the big names of

the game? Do you think that comes into the equation? It could do, but

what you alluded to. Players set so much store by winning the first

frame and you know you were one of them.

It gives you a little bit of elbow room, if you like. To have the

chances that Stephen's had t will really, really upset him and he is a

bit volume time sometimes. Neil Robertson looking at the score

board. He's got the chance to knock the green out.

He didn't play it. Far be it from me to start picking holes in players'

shots and their selections but I thought that's why he left himself

there. Keep on the pink. Clear the table.

He has played such a poor positional shot on the pink. He should have

been playing the cannon on the green now.

At some stage, to win the frame he's got to knock the green out.

He found a gap there. Between the green and the brown, to get it back

up to the ball. He played it as well.

It's the only way he could get that red safe.

The frame now in it's 38th minute. I would suggest it's going to be the

longest frame of the match. I don't think it will be a long, drawn-out

affair, because both these players are good potter and -- potters and

break builders. This frame will go on a while longer, because one

snooker is needed. Plenty of reason nor Neil Robertson

to play on -- for Neil Robertson to play on.

Brown or the pink look to be the balls at the moment to play snookers

behind. A big difference, that. That black

is in play for a snookering behind. Looks a bit pacey. Not a bad line,

but pacey. It was a snooker, but very easy to

hit. Not a bad line. Has it got the pace

to go in behind the brown if it touches it?

That's a great effort. Awful outcome in some respects, but having said

that, you've got to get a good snooker at this level to really get

a chance of getting points out of your opponent.

It's been a fascinating first frame. Totally different from this

afternoon. By now, Ronnie was in the press conference.

Certainly in the mid-session interval, I think.

Trying to screw off the side cushion and get in behind the black, but

didn't get into it enough. So, now, it's two snookers required and Steve

Maguire will be feeling a lot more comfortable.

It's been a tough first frame to win.

Neil Robertson is make is some fantastic efforts to get a snooker

here, but it doesn't look like he'll get them. The pink's not too bad

now. Neil Robertson won't continue now.

Long, drawn-out affair, but it was Steve Maguire who comes out happy.

He's one up. It's not often that the opening frame in this show lasts

more or less the entire programme, but this is one of those evenings

and Ronnie O'Sullivan was 4-0 and hadn't missed a ball. Quite a

contrast, John? It can happen. The players miss one or two pots and

lose position a little bit, becomes tactical and balls go awkward. It

seemed every time somebody got in there was something else lined up.

It was 4-0 for owe O'Sullivan then. -- for O'Sullivan. We see that

Stephen Maguire has changed over new year. Wasn't happy with his form and

a pretty slow start to the season and says he has been practising

between matches. He hadn't been doing. He had been using match

practice at the table and not doing a great deal in between. He thought

he was playing enough to justify his existence that way. Clearly, it's

paying dividends? Yeah. Sometimes the season goes one way and you

think it's not happening for me, I'll try something different. He

might tweak it or find he will be more specific with the practice. Not

festally if you do seven hours it will work for you. Sometimes just

doing an hour or two on something in particular you haven't been doing

well. It's a lot more purposeful. As long as you, as an individual, feel

happy with your own standard of practice and what you're working on,

you can get confidence. He likened it to a football team playing three

matches in a week and then practising set pieces, it's just the

nuances? In football you need to be fit. S as you practice with purpose

and you feel you're getting something out of it. Tweaking it can

be a good thing. Statement of intent from Stephen Maguire, but he needed

a good few chances to get over the line. What does that tell us? Both

players will have to step up the standard. Back we go. We'll only

have a little bit of time to enjoy the opening blows of this second

frame. We will be coming off air at 8.00pm and you will be able to spend

your Friday night with us at Ally Pally, because this match will

continue on the red button and on-line until one of them bags the

last of the semifinal spots. John, we talked about Neil Robertson. He

has knocked in 66 centuries already this season. That smashes the

previous record held by Judd Trump. We haven't got seen the form here

this week. He can't produce it every week. At some point he will getter,

that's for sure. Maguire has struck the first blood.

It's the last of the quarter finals, remember. They are playing for the

right to face Ronnie O'Sullivan in tomorrow evening's semifinal. A long

way to go. Don't forget I'll be back at 11.05pm. You never know, we might

still be live. We'll catch you then. In the meantime, go on-line or the

red button.