:00:36. > :00:56.Blink and you'll miss him, The Rocket, Ronnie O'Sullivan!
:00:57. > :01:19.Good evening. Ronnie O'Sullivan's quarterfinal was over in the blink
:01:20. > :01:23.of an eye. The Rocket powering 3-way 6-0 victory in under 58 minutes and
:01:24. > :01:29.rattling in a record 556 points without reply on the way. Pretty
:01:30. > :01:33.impressive stuff. Enough, you would imagine, to frighten the life out of
:01:34. > :01:39.most players. However, his semifinal opponent this evening, Stephen
:01:40. > :01:43.Maguire, is a Glaswegian who is not easily intimidated. We will see the
:01:44. > :01:48.whole match here on BBC Two this evening. This pact Ali Pali crowd is
:01:49. > :01:52.all set for Saturday night at the Masters. The winner will go through
:01:53. > :01:59.to meet the defending champion Mark Selby tomorrow. The world number two
:02:00. > :02:03.was in blistering form as he dismantled former world champion
:02:04. > :02:09.Sean Murphy 6-1. He threw a century into the mix along the way. This was
:02:10. > :02:18.the most positive stuff from Jester for quite some time. Through to his
:02:19. > :02:25.fifth Masters final, now set on retaining his title and winning it
:02:26. > :02:28.for a fourth time in total. Ken Doherty commentated on that match
:02:29. > :02:33.this afternoon. At last, the aggressive Selby turned up. I think
:02:34. > :02:42.it's the best performance I've seen from him for some time. Fantastic
:02:43. > :02:45.snooker. He won the frame, went on to make a nice century and it
:02:46. > :02:52.snowballed from there. Brilliant stuff. Tonight, the crowd is raring
:02:53. > :02:56.to go. Many of them have come to see Ronnie, who was virtually unplayable
:02:57. > :03:01.yesterday. What might Stephen Maguire's best Plan B this evening?
:03:02. > :03:06.How can you hold back a thoroughbred? It's going to be very
:03:07. > :03:10.difficult. He has to concentrate on his own game, play good snooker like
:03:11. > :03:13.he did against Robertson. He has to impose itself, it's going to be
:03:14. > :03:16.difficult because the way that Ronnie played against Ricky Walden
:03:17. > :03:20.was awesome. McGuire was impressive last night, beating the world number
:03:21. > :03:26.one, all the more impressive because he is on antibiotics for
:03:27. > :03:31.tonsillitis. What was most impressive about his performance
:03:32. > :03:34.last night? Just his matchplay. He's playing the best player in the
:03:35. > :03:39.world, Neil Robertson. He good, solid snigger. He has to of his game
:03:40. > :03:45.even more if he's going to play Ronnie O'Sullivan. When he gets his
:03:46. > :03:56.chance he has to score. Let's hear from the players themselves.
:03:57. > :04:05.When he first came on the scene, I've never seen anybody play like
:04:06. > :04:09.that apart from Hendry and Higgins. I was probably the best one coming
:04:10. > :04:15.through, I think I have a better game than most of the players right
:04:16. > :04:23.now. But, for whatever reasons, they have overtaken me and some of them
:04:24. > :04:26.have won World Championships. They've won more tournaments than
:04:27. > :04:28.me. I can't put my finger on it. Just to see how good he was, playing
:04:29. > :04:38.for a living. When Ronnie plays well, he's
:04:39. > :04:42.probably head and shoulders above anyone. You can play good matches or
:04:43. > :04:45.not so good matches, the most important thing is that you get a
:04:46. > :04:50.result. When you play well, it's nice, you have to enjoy it when you
:04:51. > :04:57.can. But all of the guys left in this tournament, I am sure they
:04:58. > :05:04.fancy winning this event. I'll just be as aggressive as I can, any
:05:05. > :05:10.shots, take them. If they go in, I fancy the job. If they don't go in,
:05:11. > :05:11.I'll get beat. Simple as that. Their head to head series does not make
:05:12. > :05:29.pretty reading for the Scot. and won the most recent match in
:05:30. > :05:35.2012. That doesn't cut anything with the bookies, though. But what about
:05:36. > :05:39.the views of ten men with three Masters titles between them? I am
:05:40. > :05:44.here with our experts in the commentary box, Dennis Taylor, the
:05:45. > :05:50.men charged with drawing lines on your television series. Commentating
:05:51. > :05:54.on Ronnie O'Sullivan, difficult to get a word in? He goes around the
:05:55. > :05:58.table and his play speaks for himself. He was so fast, that is one
:05:59. > :06:02.of the best sessions I have ever seen played in the Masters. He has
:06:03. > :06:06.done it before, but it's the best session I've seen for many years.
:06:07. > :06:10.It's not easy to keep repeating the same standard, but I think we have
:06:11. > :06:15.come to expect and we expect it tonight? I think he will be a little
:06:16. > :06:18.bit nervous. That record against Steve McGuire, I remember him saying
:06:19. > :06:23.that he thought he could dominate a game, he was a bully around the
:06:24. > :06:30.table. You'll still have that in his mind. Stephen has to get off to a
:06:31. > :06:34.good start. One of your old practice partners, you know what he is
:06:35. > :06:37.capable of? It will annoy him, the attention that Ronnie is getting.
:06:38. > :06:42.You'll want to disappoint this huge crowd, no doubt. If you are going to
:06:43. > :06:46.explain Stephen Maguire to somebody that has never seen him play, make a
:06:47. > :06:52.case for him winning this evening, what would you say? A fantastic,
:06:53. > :06:56.fierce hatch player. He can look an angry player, he's not afraid of
:06:57. > :07:04.showing his emotions. He likes to be a bully. Both of these players are
:07:05. > :07:08.top bullies around the table. Rob Walker is ready. Over to him.
:07:09. > :07:17.Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. Welcome to Saturday night at Ali
:07:18. > :07:23.Pali. We cannot wait for the last session of snooker before
:07:24. > :07:27.tomorrow's final in this year's Dafabet Masters. It is a electric
:07:28. > :07:32.here, and with good reason. We have two of the very best in the world.
:07:33. > :07:39.It is anyone's game for a place in the final with Mark Selby.
:07:40. > :07:46.Please welcome a player through to his first Masters semifinal in four
:07:47. > :07:49.years. He knocked out world number one Neil Robertson in the
:07:50. > :07:54.quarterfinals last night, with a superb performance. He has battled
:07:55. > :07:57.through tonsillitis after his mum sent his medicine down from
:07:58. > :08:01.Glasgow. The reigning Welsh open champion, the pride of Scotland,
:08:02. > :08:05.when he's good, he's on fire. Stephen Maguire.
:08:06. > :08:31.MUSIC: "Here I Go Again" by Whitesnake.
:08:32. > :08:37.And his opponent, a player whose performance yesterday was simply
:08:38. > :08:42.sublime. Six frames in 57 minutes. It was so good that Ricky Walden
:08:43. > :08:45.said he was unplayable. Bidding for a 10th appearance in a Masters
:08:46. > :08:50.final, the reigning champion of the world, blink and you'll miss him,
:08:51. > :08:55.The Rocket, Ronnie O'Sullivan. MUSIC: "A Man Should Better Himself"
:08:56. > :09:28.by George Lam. In case you were wondering, that was
:09:29. > :09:38.a motivational song in Chinese. A man should better himself, say the
:09:39. > :09:47.lyrics. It's the best of 11 again. Everybody but for this. The first
:09:48. > :09:50.frame, Ronnie O'Sullivan to break. Thank you very much, Hazel. What an
:09:51. > :09:52.atmosphere in the Alexander Palace this evening. Great reception for
:09:53. > :10:05.both players. Everybody will be wanting to see if
:10:06. > :10:12.Ronnie O'Sullivan can continue where he left off, playing that amazing
:10:13. > :10:14.session against Ricky Walden. Under an hour to win 6-0. Quite
:10:15. > :10:28.incredible. It doesn't get any better than
:10:29. > :10:38.this, Scotland against England in London.
:10:39. > :11:06.What a beauty, for the first shot. Ten out of ten for that one. The
:11:07. > :11:23.reds are sitting nicely. Straightaway, getting to the one
:11:24. > :11:25.that is to the right of the black, which will clear the black into both
:11:26. > :12:09.corners. There is no way McGuire will be
:12:10. > :12:22.intimidated by this tonight. He loves this.
:12:23. > :12:28.I just love watching Stephen Maguire's eyes when he's down on the
:12:29. > :12:39.shot. His focus is something else, it really is.
:12:40. > :12:45.Ricky Walden, against Ronnie O'Sullivan, he had an early chance
:12:46. > :12:51.to break in the 30 break. And that was it, he never got another chance.
:12:52. > :12:56.Stephen Maguire knows that if he can get quite a few points here, it will
:12:57. > :13:00.put a little bit of pressure on Ronnie. That is why he is giving
:13:01. > :13:30.every shot due care and attention. He is back at number five in the
:13:31. > :13:40.world, Stephen Maguire. Winning the Welsh open, his first ranking title
:13:41. > :13:49.for a few years. He has found a bit of form.
:13:50. > :13:57.It is fair to say he is one of the game's underachievers. When he first
:13:58. > :14:01.came onto the scene, his potential was amazing. He won the UK
:14:02. > :14:05.Championship and two or three tournaments. But then he has not won
:14:06. > :14:36.anywhere near what I thought he was going to do.
:14:37. > :14:42.He has the right side of the blue. Sometimes when you are playing a
:14:43. > :14:43.plant, you lose a bit of concentration with your position,
:14:44. > :15:02.but that is perfect. I tell you what, you could hear a
:15:03. > :15:34.pin drop in the Ali Pali at the moment. This packed audience.
:15:35. > :15:40.Very deliberate, positive cue action, Stephen Maguire. You don't
:15:41. > :15:50.see him drop many balls in dead weight.
:15:51. > :16:05.It wasn't a good pack to go into, with the paint behind the reds. --
:16:06. > :16:07.pink. He would like a better angle on the blue. He has finished a
:16:08. > :16:15.little awkward. He's looking to see if he could
:16:16. > :16:24.possibly put the pink and then bring something into play. It looks a bit
:16:25. > :16:25.tight. He might be able to pot the pink, but wouldn't be able to move
:16:26. > :16:42.the reds. Paint would be better. -- pink. If
:16:43. > :16:44.he hits the red and the pink at the same time, it would be a foul. That
:16:45. > :17:00.is what we call a split ball. This time I think you can get
:17:01. > :17:03.himself onto the blue. If he gets the split correctly, he could win
:17:04. > :17:14.this opening frame with one visit. That is what he needed, Stephen.
:17:15. > :17:34.He's more than capable of winning lots of friends in one visit.
:17:35. > :17:41.He hadn't quite got the angle to screw back for the blue. He would
:17:42. > :17:42.probably put the cue ball close to the middle pocket. As you mentioned,
:17:43. > :18:23.he still got that one red. He's looking at the pink again. He
:18:24. > :18:31.doesn't know if he can pot the pink, but it would open up another red. If
:18:32. > :18:38.it's the one closest to the pink and it can pot. It doesn't look like it
:18:39. > :18:47.can from here. He could screw back for the blue and open the reds.
:18:48. > :18:57.He has looked long and hard at this pink.
:18:58. > :19:06.It looks tight from that picture, doesn't it? He was right behind it,
:19:07. > :19:09.so still needs good judgement. From that picture, it looks as if it will
:19:10. > :19:44.not pot. What a start from the Scot.
:19:45. > :19:47.Especially the way he opened the long red that he knocked in to start
:19:48. > :20:01.this, fabulous. This was the opening pot. Superb.
:20:02. > :20:47.Just come up a little bit short. He'd cast to pollinate horrific pot
:20:48. > :20:50.out to give himself a chance of a century in the opening frame. The
:20:51. > :21:08.one at the back of the three will cut into the left corner.
:21:09. > :21:15.Smiles all round. Didn't spot that one, Stephen.
:21:16. > :21:27.Just like a boxing match, isn't it? Stephen has got the first blow in.
:21:28. > :22:25.He's going to have to do this for the whole match.
:22:26. > :22:30.tell you what, after that initial opening red, what a superb break
:22:31. > :22:38.that was from Stephen Maguire. He makes a 98 break and Leeds 1-0. This
:22:39. > :22:42.is McGuire's fourth time in the Masters semifinal, but he waited
:22:43. > :22:43.four years to get back here. That opening red, what a statement of
:22:44. > :22:53.intent? A fantastic pot in itself, but to
:22:54. > :22:57.screw it back, he could not have asked to have struck a ball so well
:22:58. > :23:04.early in the match. But the blue, and element of safety as well? It
:23:05. > :23:08.shows how well he is cueing. He has to impress himself on the match very
:23:09. > :23:17.early. When he gets chances like that, you've got to take them. He's
:23:18. > :23:21.got to put Ronnie under pressure. He can't be intimidated, and I don't
:23:22. > :23:25.think he will be. He loves this kind of atmosphere. Only the second frame
:23:26. > :23:29.of the week that Ronnie has conceded in this tournament so far. Is he up
:23:30. > :23:49.for the fight? It certainly looks like it.
:23:50. > :23:54.Well, the crowd shouting, come on, Ronnie. But I don't think he will be
:23:55. > :24:06.potting anything here. REFEREE: Can you put your phone
:24:07. > :24:09.down, please? It will be interesting to see who wins the safety battles
:24:10. > :24:24.as well. There is so much that can happen in
:24:25. > :24:29.this match. You've got to pot the long balls, or the higher percentage
:24:30. > :24:30.of long balls. I mean, Ronnie is one of the best tactical players in the
:24:31. > :24:40.game, when he wants to be. He didn't have to play many safety
:24:41. > :25:01.shots in his quarterfinal, that is for sure.
:25:02. > :25:08.That red is not really in the way, the one on the right side question.
:25:09. > :25:14.He can find that gap to get back to the safety zone. But he is back
:25:15. > :25:23.looking at that red that I just mentioned.
:25:24. > :25:34.I'll tell you what, that was a brave shot to take on, but that is the
:25:35. > :25:38.type of player he is. You can't hit it much better than this. Obviously
:25:39. > :25:42.it has not gone in, but he hit it superbly.
:25:43. > :25:56.Let's see if Ronnie can knock a long red in.
:25:57. > :26:03.It just shows you the importance of Stephen, the way he won that first
:26:04. > :26:25.frame. It just puts a little bit of doubt in your opponent's mind.
:26:26. > :26:41.An early chance again for Stephen, four reds available.
:26:42. > :26:48.At the moment, the one at the back of the bunch of reds will be
:26:49. > :26:49.available. This one is removed, in fact I am just wondering if he has
:26:50. > :27:06.finished... No, fine, good angle. That one at the back isn't quite on
:27:07. > :27:35.for the left corner pocket? It's just the power. It sort of
:27:36. > :28:09.arced the cue ball. It is what we call like a banana type shot.
:28:10. > :28:30.That was an interesting choice of shot, there was a long red he could
:28:31. > :28:34.have gone for. He knew he wasn't going to leave anything. He's going
:28:35. > :29:11.to do his best to not leave Ronnie and easy opening.
:29:12. > :29:21.Can he see enough of this? It must be very tight. Might just be able to
:29:22. > :29:23.take that on. Once again, he will play it in such a way that he will
:29:24. > :29:40.screw the white back. He was on his way around the table,
:29:41. > :29:41.he thought he had got that. I think the whole audience thought that was
:29:42. > :30:04.in. A superbly cued shot. Another very
:30:05. > :30:06.clever shot. He was on the blue if he had knocked that in. But it was
:30:07. > :31:05.perfectly safe. you mentioned it was going to be
:31:06. > :31:08.interesting to see who wins the safety battle. They are both playing
:31:09. > :32:03.superb safety shots. It needs to pull up. That is OK. The
:32:04. > :32:04.road to read is, I don't know if they are a plant, in the right
:32:05. > :33:26.corner. -- there are two reds. The brown is a good target now to
:33:27. > :33:44.try and get in behind. This looks good, pretty good effort.
:33:45. > :34:20.He wanted to make sure he covered the right side of the table.
:34:21. > :34:33.You can see the side he put on to avoid the blue, another good safety.
:34:34. > :34:43.Top safety, neither player giving an inch.
:34:44. > :35:15.This might bring the black into play.
:35:16. > :35:49.He is very focused. He is well up for this.
:35:50. > :36:25.He is fine, he is on the red to the left corner.
:36:26. > :36:31.He will be annoyed, he had the upper hand in that safety, more or less
:36:32. > :37:37.all the way through. That is a beautiful shot, had to
:37:38. > :37:46.plate reverse side, made it look easy.
:37:47. > :38:11.Left-hand side spins the white of this table.
:38:12. > :38:19.He will need the extension on the rest. Those three reds may be in the
:38:20. > :38:36.way. This will free the pink. This is
:38:37. > :38:39.tougher than the other two. He might be able to get the extension, place
:38:40. > :39:31.it in between the three reds. Straightaway it looked as if he'd
:39:32. > :39:37.overcome that. If you ever so slightly decelerate, the side takes
:39:38. > :39:54.more effect. Any time you put any side on it make
:39:55. > :39:57.the pot a little bit more difficult. The players that have the most
:39:58. > :40:15.success can middle the cue ball. Surely he hasn't covered the black
:40:16. > :40:26.with the green? He has, believe it or not. He is looking at the yellow.
:40:27. > :40:59.He might swerve around the green. There will be so much side on it it
:41:00. > :41:02.might spin into the gap and missed the gap and Mr reds altogether. --
:41:03. > :41:13.miss the reds. Terrific shot, only just caught the
:41:14. > :41:43.black. In matches as big as this these are
:41:44. > :42:28.the frames that make all the difference.
:42:29. > :43:06.A lot of cue between the bridge hand. Didn't get enough stuff on it.
:43:07. > :43:09.If he had have been on the red he could have gone on and pinched the
:43:10. > :44:01.frame will stop --. You could tell he didn't really
:44:02. > :44:21.fancy that one. It has left a long red for Stephen Maguire.
:44:22. > :44:59.If you place for a colour he has got to get it.
:45:00. > :45:13.That red seemed to jump a little bit.
:45:14. > :45:37.It looks as if he can make these two reds into a plant.
:45:38. > :46:44.He never looked at the possibility of making that plant.
:46:45. > :47:44.He has taken this second frame but I suppose that Luke helped. -- fluke.
:47:45. > :47:52.He has done more than enough. It is 1-1.
:47:53. > :47:58.HAZEL IRVINE: It looked as though Stephen Maguire might be in line to
:47:59. > :48:09.steal that but this calculation on pink in the middle. Just got into
:48:10. > :48:14.the cue ball little too much. So much room for error. He could have
:48:15. > :48:22.won the frame from that position. Those are the positions Stephen
:48:23. > :48:27.Maguire cannot let go. Did he miss a trick with that
:48:28. > :48:33.planned? I think the plant was an easier
:48:34. > :48:38.option. Ronnie O'Sullivan made it look easy. Perhaps it was over
:48:39. > :48:43.distance, he thought it would be hard. I would be tempted to have a
:48:44. > :48:50.look. He didn't give it a second glance. Where are you going to miss
:48:51. > :48:56.a trick against one it a solvent? When he gets amongst the balls very
:48:57. > :49:01.rarely does he breakdown, positionally.
:49:02. > :49:16.Some great safety in that frame. It has to be really good. Ronnie has
:49:17. > :49:20.been on top form this week. A huge frame, I know it is very early, but
:49:21. > :49:25.a great opportunity for Stephen Maguire to go 2-0 up. That would
:49:26. > :49:47.really put more pressure on Ronnie O'Sullivan. We are back all square.
:49:48. > :50:26.He might be if seen enough of this red.
:50:27. > :51:23.Look at the amount of site he had on that right-hand side.
:51:24. > :51:44.He was using the pack to come back here. Got to be a bit careful.
:51:45. > :52:21.You are never guaranteed what might happen from that position.
:52:22. > :52:58.I think you got a fast bounce off the cushion.
:52:59. > :54:05.He was a bit unlucky when he potted that red. It looked like it might
:54:06. > :54:31.have flicked one of those two reds. A little bit of side on the
:54:32. > :54:33.left-hand side of the cue ball. They always tend to put a little bit of
:54:34. > :55:02.side on the cue ball. He has just knocked the greenback
:55:03. > :55:12.onto its spots, I have never seen that before.
:55:13. > :55:28.You always see something different on a snooker table.
:55:29. > :55:53.What are the odds against that happening?
:55:54. > :55:59.These days on the tight pockets it doesn't happen that often that you
:56:00. > :56:00.wobble a ball and it bounces into the opposite pocket, but it
:56:01. > :56:34.certainly did there. Ronnie had a fluke, plant, in the
:56:35. > :57:19.second frame. How many will Stephen make from his fluke?
:57:20. > :57:44.I am not sure if they put a new cloth on for the semifinal. When you
:57:45. > :57:53.have got a brand-new cloth, it will tend to slide them off the angle.
:57:54. > :58:07.You might just be able to get the one at the back of the three reds to
:58:08. > :58:36.cut into the right corner. He has parted the red but not played
:58:37. > :58:58.too much in a positive fashion. All of a sudden he is not hitting
:58:59. > :59:07.them as cleanly as he was in the first frame.
:59:08. > :59:27.He is doing a lot of smiling this evening.
:59:28. > :59:52.I don't know what he's looking at. They are all covering each other.
:59:53. > :59:57.What has he sported? Nothing will pot there, so...
:59:58. > :00:00.It is as if he is wanting to take... Well, what could you take
:00:01. > :00:10.on, there? It seems a pretty straightforward
:00:11. > :00:23.escape back down the table as long as he gets over.
:00:24. > :00:31.Well, that is totally the wrong shot. I think he was so annoyed that
:00:32. > :00:37.he didn't get onto that red on the right, he could have played an easy
:00:38. > :00:40.safety shot off this one. I think he was expecting the cue ball to go the
:00:41. > :00:48.other side of the blue and possibly back to baulk.
:00:49. > :00:52.Excellent in the first frame, but the standard has slipped a little
:00:53. > :01:37.bit. He can't afford to do that. He's got a choice of reds, but
:01:38. > :01:44.potting this one clears the path for two more into the right corner.
:01:45. > :02:04.He doesn't have too play any canons, they will all just clear each other.
:02:05. > :02:13.Just about OK. Just over -screwed that slightly. Just wondering if the
:02:14. > :02:14.ball is coming off that right side question a little quicker than
:02:15. > :03:10.normal. Well, Ronnie hasn't hit the heights
:03:11. > :03:23.of his previous round yet, but he still looks odds-on to go 2-1 ahead.
:03:24. > :03:29.It's amazing, we are in the third frame. The previous round, the
:03:30. > :03:39.quarterfinal, the match was nearly over at this stage.
:03:40. > :04:08.He's going to do this, Ronnie, make a mistake and he's going to punish
:04:09. > :04:11.it, because you don't lose your form overnight. Stephen Maguire, I think
:04:12. > :04:14.that is why he was a bit angry with himself, not getting on the red when
:04:15. > :04:38.he covered it with the blue. He's not even going to bother with
:04:39. > :04:42.the black. Stephen Maguire made an error on the positional side of
:04:43. > :04:43.things, that was his last shot. Ronnie cleaned up with a 73 break
:04:44. > :04:54.and he now leads 2-1. Normal service resumed. He has been
:04:55. > :04:57.in front for all of his matches so far, Ronnie O'Sullivan. You thought
:04:58. > :05:04.that Stephen Maguire was not in control of the cue ball to any
:05:05. > :05:09.extent that we saw in the first frame? A few wobbles in the jaws of
:05:10. > :05:15.the pocket. His positional play has let him down. This frame as well,
:05:16. > :05:19.another great chance to win it. Positional play, he is losing the
:05:20. > :05:23.cue ball, he has to get a tighter with it and punish him at every
:05:24. > :05:28.opportunity. I did get the feeling that he has gone out with a game
:05:29. > :05:32.plan to be attacking. The 50-50 shots that you sometimes decide to
:05:33. > :05:36.play, sometimes you decide to play them safe, it looks like he's going
:05:37. > :05:39.for every one of those, even to the stage when he decided to play,
:05:40. > :05:45.instead of an easy safety shot, a speculative shot to nothing. A bit
:05:46. > :05:48.unlucky to catch the blue, but he's going for everything, saying, I'm
:05:49. > :05:53.going to go for it before I get punished for not going for it.
:05:54. > :05:56.That's the way he can make you play. You can play great safety and still
:05:57. > :06:03.get punished, so why not go for the shot? That is probably the way he is
:06:04. > :06:06.approaching it, a risky way to play, but it could work. And he shouldn't
:06:07. > :06:11.panic, he should not think this early that he needs to go for those
:06:12. > :06:14.shots. Ronnie O'Sullivan probably would not have taken that shot on
:06:15. > :06:19.with the rest. He shouldn't panic and think he has to go for the
:06:20. > :06:21.speculative 50-50s, because if he does, that is exactly what is going
:06:22. > :06:29.to happen. You can see from the opening frames,
:06:30. > :06:32.Ronnie O'Sullivan's natural ability is putting pressure on every shot
:06:33. > :07:09.that Stephen Maguire plays. Terrific cueing, there. But this is
:07:10. > :07:20.a tricky black that will cut back into a blind pocket.
:07:21. > :07:23.That is all about judgement, because you cannot see the pop it in your
:07:24. > :08:02.eye line. -- pocket. I think we know when Ronnie is in
:08:03. > :08:31.first, two blacks, he will be playing for the blacks every time.
:08:32. > :08:35.Leaving himself an angle on the black this time, to try to stun into
:08:36. > :08:59.these reds. He's gone too far. It will be a deep
:09:00. > :09:14.screw, with a right-hand side, read to the corner. -- red.
:09:15. > :09:34.Looking to see if he can get on the pink there, so maybe he's going to
:09:35. > :09:57.forget about All Blacks. That's a bit unlucky. Look where the
:09:58. > :10:03.pink has gone, right next to the blue. An awkward red into the middle
:10:04. > :10:04.pocket. The one he potted at the start, into the middle pocket, was
:10:05. > :10:14.superb. That was coming back across, but not
:10:15. > :10:45.hard enough. Five reds, five blacks. Two players with 11 maximum breaks,
:10:46. > :11:22.one is out on the table. The other one is sitting right next to me.
:11:23. > :11:40.The mid-session interval is coming up after this frame.
:11:41. > :11:50.Is that going to reach? I don't think it is, is it? No. REFEREE:
:11:51. > :12:05.Foul and a miss. He did look at the possibility of
:12:06. > :12:10.cutting the red into the left middle pocket, but it was too tough a shot.
:12:11. > :12:34.Slight adjustment here and he should be OK.
:12:35. > :12:42.Has he got a slight bit of angle with this red? That would be some
:12:43. > :12:49.shot to knock that in and get on the black. It mustn't be absolutely dead
:12:50. > :12:51.straight. It's almost straight, so there is no real value in attempting
:12:52. > :13:07.that. It is just the red next to the Brown
:13:08. > :14:07.that is causing the slight problem. The fact he has can end the yellow
:14:08. > :14:11.means that Ronnie could cut this red back in that is next to the brown.
:14:12. > :14:16.The only thing is, he would have to finish on the black, because the
:14:17. > :14:22.pink and blue are awkward. But there is every chance that he could pot
:14:23. > :14:33.this, come across the table and drop on the black.
:14:34. > :14:54.He needed to slip past the red and he has.
:14:55. > :15:10.There is a bit of pressure on this black.
:15:11. > :15:17.I know Ronnie made the fluke in the second, on top of the safety, but
:15:18. > :15:19.the look he had in his eye in the first frame, he has not have that
:15:20. > :15:32.back since. The black that we showed you that
:15:33. > :15:36.wobbled on the pocket, on the older cloth it may not have dropped in.
:15:37. > :15:46.With the new cloth, it just makes it slide in.
:15:47. > :16:11.A couple of pots and he will have this fourth frame in the bag.
:16:12. > :16:19.Just over the hour. It's amazing when you think that he beat Ricky
:16:20. > :16:22.Walden in under an hour, 6-0. That's quite incredible. That one doesn't
:16:23. > :16:34.drop. But he's had enough, there is 84, no
:16:35. > :16:39.chance of getting the snookers from that position. So, Stephen Maguire,
:16:40. > :16:41.set off like a house on fire with a break of 78, but he's lost the last
:16:42. > :16:49.three. It was all in the blink of an eye.
:16:50. > :16:54.Stephen Hendry made an interesting point about intensity. When you
:16:55. > :16:57.think back to the opening frame, McGuire was brimming with that, a
:16:58. > :17:04.sense of purpose and real look about him? The thing that altered him was
:17:05. > :17:08.not so much missing pots, it was missing position play. If a guy is
:17:09. > :17:15.stopped in his tracks, the bubble can burst. Is it burst? Maybe this
:17:16. > :17:18.interval is coming at the right time, but I would be worried if I
:17:19. > :17:25.was in his corner. From Ronnie's perspective, do you think that he is
:17:26. > :17:28.now shifting through those gears? Considering the start of the match
:17:29. > :17:33.was not the way that he started the previous two matches and he did not
:17:34. > :17:37.have it his own way, by the end of the session he was back at the
:17:38. > :17:41.office, he looks like he's totally dominating. So quickly, things can
:17:42. > :17:45.change, they came very quickly in a snigger frame. It looks like
:17:46. > :17:47.business as usual. We were discussing it could be another
:17:48. > :17:52.runaway victory, if he's not careful, and Ronnie O'Sullivan looks
:17:53. > :18:00.like he's in the groove. We are going to rewind to avenge this
:18:01. > :18:04.afternoon, three times Masters winner Mark Selby and Sean Murphy,
:18:05. > :18:09.the man that reached the final couple of weeks back. Didn't start
:18:10. > :18:16.very well for Sean Murphy. He lost the first frame. Selby was very
:18:17. > :18:20.good, with 86. Sean Murphy did not pot a ball. Murphy is in trouble, as
:18:21. > :18:24.he was all of the way through frame two as well.
:18:25. > :18:33.There is a possibility, the bread that is in the right corner pocket,
:18:34. > :18:38.he probably wouldn't leave a lot. He's trying to nestle into these
:18:39. > :19:38.reds. He has left the red to the left middle.
:19:39. > :19:50.The black is tied up, but I'm sure pink pots Winterbottom. -- in to
:19:51. > :20:12.bottom. The angle he left himself on the
:20:13. > :20:14.pink, she had to play for this red to the corner. I wonder if he could
:20:15. > :21:01.simply pot this. Just getting his extension, because
:21:02. > :21:04.he's having to reach over a few balls. It means, with the extension,
:21:05. > :21:46.you can use a longer bridge. This will be handy. He'll pop this
:21:47. > :21:50.red to the corner pocket and that will release another one and
:21:51. > :22:01.possibly two reds in two the corner pocket.
:22:02. > :22:09.He'll be a little bit is appointed there. -- disappointed. He shouldn't
:22:10. > :22:18.have been so strange the other side of the pink. -- so straight on the
:22:19. > :22:24.other side of the pen. No problem, as it turned out, he played the
:22:25. > :22:28.cannon. He will be thinking this is a frame
:22:29. > :23:06.winning chance. Doesn't this just some up snooker?
:23:07. > :23:11.He came in, tremendous atmosphere, the Superman theme, and he's not had
:23:12. > :23:17.a chance to get his hand on the table, really. He played a thick
:23:18. > :23:24.safety, we suggested that would be his game plan. But a good pot from
:23:25. > :23:29.Mark laid the snooker, and he did not escape from it. It's a tough
:23:30. > :23:31.game, you get the big intro, you end up just sitting there and can't
:23:32. > :24:07.perform. A couple of reds, a couple of
:24:08. > :24:08.colours, that is all he is from taking this second frame. Sean
:24:09. > :24:20.Murphy, still to score a point. He's just having a look, not sure if
:24:21. > :24:29.he can get around the back of the black.
:24:30. > :24:39.He needs to get high on this blue, just about.
:24:40. > :24:47.This blue will put him 62 points in front with 67 remaining.
:24:48. > :24:57.Realistically, this blue and one more red will do.
:24:58. > :25:03.Fantastic start for Mark Selby. Just what he would have hoped for. When
:25:04. > :25:07.he gets in, he seems to have that cue ball on a string, doesn't he?
:25:08. > :25:18.Frame ball. Well acknowledged from this wonderful crowd here.
:25:19. > :25:55.Missed out on a century in the first frame, which would have disappointed
:25:56. > :25:59.him slightly. He'd like to make amends for that. Can he get enough
:26:00. > :26:13.of this red? To the left of the black? It doesn't appear so.
:26:14. > :26:20.So, it doesn't look as though Sean Murphy will have a chance to put his
:26:21. > :26:25.first ball of the match. This frame is long gone.
:26:26. > :26:34.Now he may be able to pot this red. Has he run far enough? Now you see
:26:35. > :26:49.it, 159 points to zero. Nicely on the blue. A chance for the
:26:50. > :27:04.century increasing. You couldn't think of a more perfect
:27:05. > :27:09.start, could you? No, fantastic. He has made 318th centuries, would you
:27:10. > :27:16.believe? I was looking at that stat. Sean Murphy turned
:27:17. > :27:25.professional year before Mark, but Mark has made 30 more centuries than
:27:26. > :27:46.Sean. It is OK, he stamped his foot. Is that allowed?
:27:47. > :27:54.He's going to have to be a little bit careful, screwing around off two
:27:55. > :28:00.cushions. The green is not on its spot. You've got to try and avoid
:28:01. > :28:07.the green. Not bad. Could have done with a bit more pace in the cue
:28:08. > :28:21.ball. It deserves a century. It's been flawless, this contribution.
:28:22. > :28:28.Well, I think we are going to see one now.
:28:29. > :28:52.Nicely on the brown. The brown would put him on 99.
:28:53. > :29:01.Absolutely wonderful. From his first pot in the first frame, he has
:29:02. > :29:15.looked majestic. Well, he didn't get the pink, but he
:29:16. > :29:17.got the century and that was more than enough. Sean Murphy, still to
:29:18. > :29:30.pot a ball. HAZEL IRVINE: He did eventually put
:29:31. > :29:36.a ball in the third frame. It was downhill from Murphy's perspective.
:29:37. > :29:48.He was beaten by his great friend, Mark Selby. It put him three to his
:29:49. > :29:48.fifth Masters final in seven years. Some interesting observations
:29:49. > :30:01.afterwards. I played well, probably best I have
:30:02. > :30:08.all week. I managed to start off well and put him under pressure. I
:30:09. > :30:11.went in feeling confident I would pull out a good performance but it
:30:12. > :30:16.wasn't to be, I have to face the music that perhaps my time of
:30:17. > :30:22.winning big events is over. I was preparing myself for 6-5 but great
:30:23. > :30:25.to get over the line, there's no fracking number passed. Have played
:30:26. > :30:33.some good matches in this tournament. There are positives to
:30:34. > :30:39.take forward to the next tournament, I will go home and keep practising.
:30:40. > :30:44.I will keep trying. Maybe the time is the time for me to start looking
:30:45. > :30:50.at things and do something else. That really is a very shocking
:30:51. > :30:57.couple of statements. Is that heat of the moment stuff? Is he serious?
:30:58. > :31:03.He could be serious about that. When you went to see him in his home
:31:04. > :31:07.everything was uplifting, trying new things, putting the work in on the
:31:08. > :31:12.practice table. I think it is a gut wrenching reaction, off the
:31:13. > :31:22.disappointment. He was totally outplayed. He got off to a bad
:31:23. > :31:27.start. I hope it is just one of those reactions after the match.
:31:28. > :31:33.He showed a lot of courage in the opening two matches. He said he felt
:31:34. > :31:37.he had been through a life test in the last six months and had come
:31:38. > :31:40.through with flying colours. This is completely at odds with what he was
:31:41. > :31:44.saying. It shows the bug ability of people
:31:45. > :31:51.in sport. The difference between winning and losing. --
:31:52. > :31:55.vulnerability. We have been trying so hard to find form, you try
:31:56. > :32:01.everything you can on the practice table, you have got a coach on your
:32:02. > :32:05.side, look at your diet, fitness. You think by doing these things you
:32:06. > :32:10.deserve the right to win. Because you have tried so hard it will fall
:32:11. > :32:16.into place. It does, for some of the top players. But it doesn't when the
:32:17. > :32:22.other guys are very good as well. That frustration can build up. I am
:32:23. > :32:28.not absolutely sure about finding something else. What else can we do?
:32:29. > :32:33.Probably wakes up tomorrow, different story. But in a way,
:32:34. > :32:38.sometimes your best form comes when you least expect it, when you are
:32:39. > :32:42.not trying. I know when you won the World Championships it was very
:32:43. > :32:50.similar. I wasn't expected to win, less pressure, sometimes it helps.
:32:51. > :32:54.Let's hope we don't lose Shaun Murphy from snooker because he is a
:32:55. > :32:59.great personality. Mark Selby marches past him into the
:33:00. > :33:02.final tomorrow. This is the 40th playing of this brilliant
:33:03. > :33:08.tournament, the top Invitational event for Smith. When we talk about
:33:09. > :33:13.anniversaries what about the 30th anniversary of the classic much dash
:33:14. > :33:36.of this classic match? From 1984. The best semifinal, Jimmy White,
:33:37. > :33:42.Stevens, 84. Kurt Stevens had a reputation for being an attacking
:33:43. > :33:57.player. When he put on that suit his place in history was made.
:33:58. > :34:30.What a lovely shot. A tremendous cheer there. 113, highest break of
:34:31. > :35:03.the tournament so far. That is a new way of putting the
:35:04. > :35:10.pink. -- potting. Very difficult bridging indeed. Jimmy White
:35:11. > :35:21.declares a fowl and instantly the referee agreed.
:35:22. > :35:34.That is it. Jimmy White makes it 5-3. This was one to savour, even
:35:35. > :35:39.the commentator would get carried away.
:35:40. > :36:19.Watch the white, this is where he wants a little bounce of the
:36:20. > :36:56.cushion. Get in! Lovely! Super! And just look at the stuff on that
:36:57. > :37:13.ball. That is wizardry. Words escape me. Just fantastic.
:37:14. > :37:21.If ever there was the justification for champagne, this is the night.
:37:22. > :37:28.You can have the BBC water glass. On behalf of everybody, thank you for
:37:29. > :37:33.one of the greatest sessions of snooker in the history of the game.
:37:34. > :37:41.It is the night none of us here will ever forget. Surely a daft question,
:37:42. > :37:51.you can never have been involved in a session like that ever, could you?
:37:52. > :37:58.He is great, he pots from anywhere, once gets in you might as well
:37:59. > :38:06.forget about it. You can rarely have played better. I played
:38:07. > :38:15.brilliantly, I was 3-0 up, I didn't feel as if I lost the games, I feel
:38:16. > :38:19.Kirk won them. When did you realise the big one was
:38:20. > :38:23.on? After I putted the last open red --
:38:24. > :38:35.partied. I thought I could make the game
:38:36. > :38:45.secure. You don't get a lot of opportunities, I had to go for it.
:38:46. > :38:51.1984 was his year. He lost again in another semifinal. Sadly he never
:38:52. > :38:58.won the majors that would match his talent. He went on to win his only
:38:59. > :39:07.Masters title, and a new People's Champion was born.
:39:08. > :39:14.HAZEL IRVINE: You might get a cup of TV stays, you certainly don't get
:39:15. > :39:20.champagne. You were in that particular tournament, did you
:39:21. > :39:28.witness that? No, as the great soul, I would have been, I would have
:39:29. > :39:33.refused BBC television existed until the tournament finished. It was one
:39:34. > :39:38.of the great nights. This event produces them year in, year out.
:39:39. > :39:49.Some classic matches down through the years. The 147s. And those that
:39:50. > :39:53.never were. It is a great tournament, great history, I grew up
:39:54. > :39:57.watching those images. That is what made me want to become a snooker
:39:58. > :40:02.player. The first ever maximum in the
:40:03. > :40:07.Masters. There has only been to. Back to business, three decades on.
:40:08. > :40:33.That was 30 years ago. Back to Ali Parry. -- Ally Pally.
:40:34. > :41:15.Let's see if the mid-session interval can swing things back in
:41:16. > :41:20.Stephen Maguire's favour. He started losing control of the cue ball, got
:41:21. > :41:25.himself out of position a few times. That is all it took. Ronnie jumped
:41:26. > :41:59.on the mistakes and one those three frames. -- and he won.
:42:00. > :42:20.You heard the grown from Stephen. Not a good shot there.
:42:21. > :43:18.You can see his temper, not happy with that shot at all.
:43:19. > :43:32.Not much available, just this easy read.
:43:33. > :43:45.A good angle to develop a funeral. Dashed to develop a fume all.
:43:46. > :44:29.Stephen Maguire groaned there, he knew he hadn't hit it hard enough.
:44:30. > :44:32.Stephen Maguire is back at the table a lot sooner than he would have
:44:33. > :45:02.expected. Let's see if Stephen can play a
:45:03. > :45:35.better cannon. Where is that cue ball? That is
:45:36. > :45:45.unlucky. He had to really catch the cue ball, he was quite low.
:45:46. > :46:11.He had to take that read on but look what he has left. What a chance for
:46:12. > :46:24.Stephen Maguire. In the context of the match, he has
:46:25. > :48:59.to win the frame at this visit. Two of the main ingredients for
:49:00. > :49:05.getting to the top in the snooker world our dedication and
:49:06. > :49:12.determination. And when you watch Stephen Maguire taking a shot,
:49:13. > :49:22.certainly plenty of determination in those eyes.
:49:23. > :49:31.That was very poor cueing. You can see his backhand there. That is
:49:32. > :49:44.worrying. That was a very poor shot. In the
:49:45. > :50:19.context of the match. All it does is give O'Sullivan more
:50:20. > :50:28.confidence. He has not been great tonight, but
:50:29. > :50:44.he has just done enough. It is going to be very difficult to
:50:45. > :50:51.reproduce the form he showed in the quarterfinal. The crowd here
:50:52. > :51:10.witnessed one of those sessions that was out of this world.
:51:11. > :51:15.That little expression tells you it will not BBC to clinch this frame.
:51:16. > :51:41.-- it will not be the. It is Ronnie's turn to push the cue
:51:42. > :52:38.through. He has got to drop this in dead
:52:39. > :52:43.weight, will automatically finish on the black. If it is tight on the
:52:44. > :52:58.cushion it makes it slightly easier. He just flicked it away from the
:52:59. > :52:59.cushion. You have got to hit the ball and the cushion at the same
:53:00. > :54:25.time. He just caught the red. He needed three chances, he took the
:54:26. > :54:30.third one and extends his lead, he leads 4-1.
:54:31. > :54:40.HAZEL IRVINE: O'Sullivan easing into a 4-1 lead there. He had a couple of
:54:41. > :54:45.chances. He just begin to detect real signs of frustration in Stephen
:54:46. > :54:54.you wonder about the balance between composure and determination.
:54:55. > :55:00.He started off in this match really composed.
:55:01. > :55:08.All of a sudden he looks like a different player. He is getting
:55:09. > :55:16.chances. Ronnie O'Sullivan is not on form, by any stretch of the
:55:17. > :55:27.imagination, he is vulnerable. In that frame he missed the red, he
:55:28. > :55:33.left it in the jaws of the pocket. It should be closer. This is the
:55:34. > :55:40.Stephen Maguire we have seen in recent years coming out. The head
:55:41. > :55:45.drops a bit. It is understandable. We have all been in the situation
:55:46. > :55:51.way to start to feel the inevitable, another day it is all
:55:52. > :56:24.going to go wrong. The optimism evaporates immediately.
:56:25. > :56:50.There is Ronnie Jr, and of his glasses. -- I love his glasses.
:56:51. > :57:00.Make no mistake, Ronnie O'Sullivan will be trying to get this match
:57:01. > :57:05.over as quickly as he can. It will be a long day tomorrow. He would not
:57:06. > :57:09.want a long, tough match here. Stephen Maguire will be hoping to do
:57:10. > :57:23.that. This is the frame, you feel Stephen
:57:24. > :57:47.has got to win this. 5-1, it wouldn't have much of a chance.
:57:48. > :58:10.He queued that one superbly well. -- cued.
:58:11. > :58:51.The black is blocked up here so has to go back for the blue.
:58:52. > :59:50.He has bought the pink and the black into play.
:59:51. > :59:59.It's not straightforward, this chance. The blackspot is covered, so
:00:00. > :00:04.it would have to go on to the pink spot, which would probably be a good
:00:05. > :00:09.thing. It would free the black up, sitting on the pink spot. He is
:00:10. > :00:11.already having a look around to see how he can get himself onto the
:00:12. > :00:22.black in a few shot's time. Has that covered everything? It
:00:23. > :00:25.might have. If he slips past that red, he is imperfect position. But
:00:26. > :01:22.he is not on anything now. Well, that is a bit tight, as you
:01:23. > :01:23.can see. He'll have to be very precise with this. You've got the
:01:24. > :01:45.perfect picture. He kept his head so still, there.
:01:46. > :01:52.That was the best pot of the match so far. Stephen Maguire's opening
:01:53. > :02:36.pot was just as good, but that was a bit special, there.
:02:37. > :02:42.It might be a little bit straight, but it looks like he might have a
:02:43. > :02:44.slight angle. Shouldn't be a problem with the red that is over the corner
:02:45. > :02:55.pocket. He has a slight angle. He wants this red away to open the
:02:56. > :03:01.pocket up. He's got to be a bit careful he
:03:02. > :03:18.doesn't catch the other red. He played back with lots of check
:03:19. > :03:21.size, left-hand side, to hold for the black. Without the side he would
:03:22. > :04:05.have cannoned into the reds. It's not often you see Ronnie
:04:06. > :04:12.O'Sullivan play careless shots, the red sand blacks.
:04:13. > :04:41.Well, he played a very aggressive shot. On the pink, he could have
:04:42. > :04:45.quite easily pushed it safe, put it out of commission, but he decided to
:04:46. > :04:49.go full-blooded for it. 40 points in front, I think he was a little bit
:04:50. > :04:51.disappointed he didn't get on the black and that was the reason he
:04:52. > :05:03.took the pink on. I don't think Maguire ever believed
:05:04. > :05:44.he would get so many chances. He beats one more good shot. -- he
:05:45. > :05:49.needs one more good shot. A couple of questions to the pink, for the
:05:50. > :06:11.same pocket. I don't think he will risk a cannon on the black.
:06:12. > :06:21.He has definitely lost his way at the moment. It's going to be
:06:22. > :06:24.frustrating for him. If Ronnie takes full advantage here, you can't
:06:25. > :06:33.really see a way back for Stephen Maguire.
:06:34. > :06:46.In the end, he did play the cannon on the black.
:06:47. > :06:52.That pink Ronnie Tucker on before, another explanation is maybe he does
:06:53. > :07:40.not believe he's going to get punished any more.
:07:41. > :07:49.56 ahead, a possible 51 on the table.
:07:50. > :07:53.Another frame has slipped away. Stephen Maguire has had his chances
:07:54. > :08:13.but he is just not taking them. Ronnie's highest break this evening
:08:14. > :08:43.is a break of 73. It just shows you he is not at the
:08:44. > :09:18.top of his form and he is still leading 5-1.
:09:19. > :09:24.He had a couple of 40 breaks in the frame before the mid-session
:09:25. > :09:30.interval to take him to a 3-1 lead. No breaks in the previous frame.
:09:31. > :09:36.Doesn't matter about the pink. That break of 59 is enough for Ronnie
:09:37. > :09:42.O'Sullivan to get another frame on the board. He now leads 5-1.
:09:43. > :09:56.He is looking at his tip. I don't think much work will need to be done
:09:57. > :09:59.on it. Stephen Maguire has gone off the boil. Some of the misses have
:10:00. > :10:07.been amazing. He looks a beaten player now. I think he started off
:10:08. > :10:16.the match really determined. He's getting so many chances, but these
:10:17. > :10:23.are just two shots. He just looks completely deflated. The pink was
:10:24. > :10:29.the one. But that one there, I think you called the correct shot. He was
:10:30. > :10:39.going to play round for the pink, I think, but he hit it so thick. He is
:10:40. > :10:45.smiling away at Ronnie. It just shows there is still good
:10:46. > :11:00.camaraderie between the players. He wants to say something to him.
:11:01. > :11:07.I'm not quite sure what that was all about.
:11:08. > :11:16.I think they were probably having a conversation that they were
:11:17. > :11:22.expecting it to be a much better match. It's not turning out to be
:11:23. > :11:27.that way. He has to give it his best shot now, he is 5-1 down, back
:11:28. > :11:30.against the wall, just let the cue do the work, push it through in a
:11:31. > :12:08.straight line. That is better. He will be a little bit
:12:09. > :12:09.embarrassed, the way he has played this evening, after knocking out
:12:10. > :12:24.Neil Robertson. It's never over until it's over.
:12:25. > :12:28.Only one player can play on the table and if Stephen can keep Ronnie
:12:29. > :12:36.sitting in his seat, you will never know.
:12:37. > :12:47.Stephen is well capable of wheeling of two or three frames in one
:12:48. > :13:04.visit. It's a question of if he's in the frame of mind to do that.
:13:05. > :13:12.He just over screw that. He hasn't got the angle he wanted to have a
:13:13. > :13:16.pop at that red at the back of the bunch.
:13:17. > :13:25.He had to play for that and we have seen what happened in the previous
:13:26. > :13:31.frame. He has got to get out onto the black. Will have to pay with a
:13:32. > :13:41.little bit of pace. He did not cue that smoothly.
:13:42. > :14:02.He has a resigned look on his face now.
:14:03. > :14:09.Dead straight on the green, there is a red at the bottom of the pack that
:14:10. > :14:10.will pocket to the right corner, screw the cue ball in a straight
:14:11. > :14:20.line. Just as you predicted, this will
:14:21. > :14:25.open the reds. This has got to go in, the red over
:14:26. > :14:50.the right corner. Surely he hasn't flipped it? Would
:14:51. > :14:57.you believe it? Well, Stephen Maguire is sitting in his seat,
:14:58. > :15:04.smiling away. Well, everybody is smiling at that one. Ronnie is still
:15:05. > :15:09.laughing, he's a bit embarrassed about that fluke. He missed the blue
:15:10. > :15:42.by so far. That just illustrates how tough
:15:43. > :15:43.snooker is. The way he played yesterday and the way he is playing
:15:44. > :15:54.tonight. The last time they played in the
:15:55. > :15:58.Masters, it was at this stage, semifinal.
:15:59. > :16:05.Ronnie won that 6-1. The year before, 2008, Stephen beat him in
:16:06. > :16:14.the Masters 6-5. Has he played his last shot in this
:16:15. > :16:58.year's Masters? It will be interesting to hear what
:16:59. > :17:03.Ronnie says about that tip. He has been looking at it and flicking it
:17:04. > :17:12.with his nail. I'm sure someone will ask the question.
:17:13. > :17:19.Sometimes you can get little fibres that stick out, it can be right in
:17:20. > :17:29.your eye line when you take a shot. 37 ahead. There are not many pots
:17:30. > :18:11.from securing the semifinal win. That is just a lapse in
:18:12. > :18:17.concentration. Well, he didn't even think about that shot. He thought, I
:18:18. > :18:19.can't miss this. It just shows you, if you don't concentrate 100%, you
:18:20. > :18:50.can miss anything. Has Stephen got it in him? The
:18:51. > :19:02.desire to clear up here? He would have resigned himself to
:19:03. > :20:11.defeat when Ronnie was in there. Purposefully playing for the blue to
:20:12. > :20:16.get it back on its spot. A straightforward clearance with the
:20:17. > :20:19.colours all on their spots. When I say straightforward, he is 5-1
:20:20. > :20:28.down. This is the blue that Ronnie left
:20:29. > :20:43.over the pocket. This match should already be over.
:20:44. > :20:45.But it's not. I'm just wondering, could that turn things around if he
:20:46. > :20:51.clears up here? You never know what can happen in
:20:52. > :21:49.this game. He wiped his feet, slightly. He is
:21:50. > :21:54.not finished yet. Ronnie O'Sullivan hard a break of 57, but what an easy
:21:55. > :21:59.blue. I have not seen an easier shot missed that will get him into the
:22:00. > :22:06.semifinal. But we are still here, 5-2 to The Rocket. That was amazing,
:22:07. > :22:10.that is on the blue. I think Ronnie thought, that's it, I'm in the
:22:11. > :22:15.semifinal. All he have to do was roll it in, a choice of reds. I
:22:16. > :22:28.don't know what happened here? Concentration? Absolutely. He played
:22:29. > :22:32.it with a touch of drag. He has not been on it like he was yesterday.
:22:33. > :22:38.But, like before, he has been doing enough to stay in front. He will be
:22:39. > :22:42.really irritated by that. Absolutely. He would want to get the
:22:43. > :22:46.match over as quickly as possible and get himself ready for the final
:22:47. > :22:48.against Mark Selby, that will be some final, I can tell you, the way
:22:49. > :22:54.that Mark Selby has started playing. Stephen Maguire, all he can do is
:22:55. > :23:39.just take it frame by frame, now. Refusing the pot, it is an awkward
:23:40. > :24:09.angle to take that red on. Taking the safety shot.
:24:10. > :24:20.He will take this red on, because he can't get onto the black this time.
:24:21. > :24:23.This will tell us a little story, if he has got over the easy blue that
:24:24. > :24:42.he missed, if he knocks that in he will forget about that.
:24:43. > :25:13.Just off straight and he judged it to perfection.
:25:14. > :25:16.Plenty of loose reds. At least five threads that are available to
:25:17. > :25:23.Ronnie. That is why he did not cannon into
:25:24. > :26:04.the pink, there. Someone is determined to raise the
:26:05. > :26:24.memories of this blue and get this much won now. No more mucking about.
:26:25. > :26:33.If he does go on to take this frame, it will be quite amazing. That will
:26:34. > :26:47.be his 10th final in the Masters. He has won it on four occasions.
:26:48. > :26:52.Just a couple more's reds available to him, one to the right of the
:26:53. > :27:03.bunch will pot. One good split here and he would
:27:04. > :27:19.have a great chance. Stunned into them. Players that shot
:27:20. > :27:25.so well. -- plays that shot. Some players screw into the pack, always
:27:26. > :27:28.stick in the back of them. The way he played, he stunned into the side
:27:29. > :27:42.and open them beautifully. This was it, just caught that and
:27:43. > :27:48.read, half ball. Beautiful shot. -- that end red. Would it not be ironic
:27:49. > :27:50.if he clinched the match with his highest break? Up until now, 73 has
:27:51. > :29:19.been his highest. This man at the table has made 724
:29:20. > :29:30.century breaks in his career. He is getting ever closer. Ever closer to
:29:31. > :29:36.Stephen Hendry's record, around the 760 mark. I asked Stephen and he
:29:37. > :29:43.said he couldn't remember how many he has made.
:29:44. > :30:01.There is a gap there. Maybe we will finish with a century.
:30:02. > :30:08.We have had 15 centuries this year. He is doing what all great champions
:30:09. > :30:19.do. He is finishing in style. He has already made 29 centuries
:30:20. > :30:29.this season. He has saved his best for the last
:30:30. > :30:59.frame. Ronnie Jr will be absolutely
:31:00. > :31:15.delighted. We know Ronnie feels pretty good. I
:31:16. > :31:25.bet his son is feeling even better than his dad.
:31:26. > :31:37.This crowd are loving it. There is no harm making noise at this stage,
:31:38. > :31:42.let them enjoy themselves. Stephen Maguire, after the first frame,
:31:43. > :31:48.wasn't at the races. Ronnie didn't play his best snooker, but what a
:31:49. > :31:52.way to finish, that 129 break gets him into his 10th final here at the
:31:53. > :32:00.Masters. A comfortable win in the end.
:32:01. > :32:03.HAZEL IRVINE: He is on his way to talk to us, finishing in style.
:32:04. > :32:10.Didn't bother with the black in the end. We did feel at 3-1 the contest
:32:11. > :32:16.was beginning to come to an end, even at that stage. Ominous signs
:32:17. > :32:21.for Stephen Maguire, got off to a great start but couldn't contain it.
:32:22. > :32:34.Ronnie didn't play at his best but he was still good enough. His cue
:32:35. > :32:39.action is totally in sync. He was cueing the ball magnificently. All
:32:40. > :32:48.set up for a fantastic final. Congratulations. Ten out of ten. You
:32:49. > :32:55.must feel good. I know I do all right here. You have
:32:56. > :32:59.got a great record, finishing with a century at the end. How good did you
:33:00. > :33:04.feel in comparison with that session where you have the Midas touch
:33:05. > :33:09.yesterday? Yesterday, you go through spells in
:33:10. > :33:12.your career where you can find that form quite regularly. I had a spell
:33:13. > :33:22.for a couple of years where I was playing like that. For the last six
:33:23. > :33:32.weeks I struggled a bit. The bit in and out. You just don't find that
:33:33. > :33:39.touch. When it goes it is hard to get back into it. Your consistency
:33:40. > :33:55.can be a bit up and down. Overall my mindset, if it isn't going well, it
:33:56. > :34:00.isn't what I am used to. That is how it can get sometimes.
:34:01. > :34:06.You talk about Mark Selby, third Masters final.
:34:07. > :34:14.You christened him the torturer in your book. I mean that in a
:34:15. > :34:18.complimentary way. A bit like playing Andy Murray, you
:34:19. > :34:22.know you will have to play a lot of shots to get in sometimes and it is
:34:23. > :34:29.about having that patients and mindset. I am a lot better dealing
:34:30. > :34:34.with it now I am working with Steve Peters. I get a bit fed up sometimes
:34:35. > :34:40.and want to go home, but I know I don't want to go home, it is that
:34:41. > :34:45.part of your brain that tells you. Can you look forward to a match
:34:46. > :34:49.against him? Of course, it is the final of the Masters, you have got
:34:50. > :34:55.to enjoy occasions like this. You have got to beat all kinds of
:34:56. > :35:03.players. Mark will make it tough for me, he makes it tough for everybody.
:35:04. > :35:07.He is a tough competitor. He is made of metal. I have got to find a way
:35:08. > :35:14.and breakthrough and stay focused and give it my best and play every
:35:15. > :35:19.ball the way Mark plays it and give it 100%.
:35:20. > :35:28.We are looking forward to seeing you play. Thank you very much. Tomorrow
:35:29. > :35:35.we are back on the air with the first session in the best of 19
:35:36. > :35:37.frames match at 1:30pm. It is one final each between these two great
:35:38. > :35:44.players, something has got to give tomorrow.