Day 7 Masters Snooker


Day 7

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Blink and you'll miss him, The Rocket, Ronnie O'Sullivan!

:00:36.:00:56.

Good evening. Ronnie O'Sullivan's quarterfinal was over in the blink

:00:57.:01:19.

of an eye. The Rocket powering 3-way 6-0 victory in under 58 minutes and

:01:20.:01:23.

rattling in a record 556 points without reply on the way. Pretty

:01:24.:01:29.

impressive stuff. Enough, you would imagine, to frighten the life out of

:01:30.:01:33.

most players. However, his semifinal opponent this evening, Stephen

:01:34.:01:39.

Maguire, is a Glaswegian who is not easily intimidated. We will see the

:01:40.:01:43.

whole match here on BBC Two this evening. This pact Ali Pali crowd is

:01:44.:01:48.

all set for Saturday night at the Masters. The winner will go through

:01:49.:01:52.

to meet the defending champion Mark Selby tomorrow. The world number two

:01:53.:01:59.

was in blistering form as he dismantled former world champion

:02:00.:02:03.

Sean Murphy 6-1. He threw a century into the mix along the way. This was

:02:04.:02:09.

the most positive stuff from Jester for quite some time. Through to his

:02:10.:02:18.

fifth Masters final, now set on retaining his title and winning it

:02:19.:02:25.

for a fourth time in total. Ken Doherty commentated on that match

:02:26.:02:28.

this afternoon. At last, the aggressive Selby turned up. I think

:02:29.:02:33.

it's the best performance I've seen from him for some time. Fantastic

:02:34.:02:42.

snooker. He won the frame, went on to make a nice century and it

:02:43.:02:45.

snowballed from there. Brilliant stuff. Tonight, the crowd is raring

:02:46.:02:52.

to go. Many of them have come to see Ronnie, who was virtually unplayable

:02:53.:02:56.

yesterday. What might Stephen Maguire's best Plan B this evening?

:02:57.:03:01.

How can you hold back a thoroughbred? It's going to be very

:03:02.:03:06.

difficult. He has to concentrate on his own game, play good snooker like

:03:07.:03:10.

he did against Robertson. He has to impose itself, it's going to be

:03:11.:03:13.

difficult because the way that Ronnie played against Ricky Walden

:03:14.:03:16.

was awesome. McGuire was impressive last night, beating the world number

:03:17.:03:20.

one, all the more impressive because he is on antibiotics for

:03:21.:03:26.

tonsillitis. What was most impressive about his performance

:03:27.:03:31.

last night? Just his matchplay. He's playing the best player in the

:03:32.:03:34.

world, Neil Robertson. He good, solid snigger. He has to of his game

:03:35.:03:39.

even more if he's going to play Ronnie O'Sullivan. When he gets his

:03:40.:03:45.

chance he has to score. Let's hear from the players themselves.

:03:46.:03:56.

When he first came on the scene, I've never seen anybody play like

:03:57.:04:05.

that apart from Hendry and Higgins. I was probably the best one coming

:04:06.:04:09.

through, I think I have a better game than most of the players right

:04:10.:04:15.

now. But, for whatever reasons, they have overtaken me and some of them

:04:16.:04:23.

have won World Championships. They've won more tournaments than

:04:24.:04:26.

me. I can't put my finger on it. Just to see how good he was, playing

:04:27.:04:28.

for a living. When Ronnie plays well, he's

:04:29.:04:38.

probably head and shoulders above anyone. You can play good matches or

:04:39.:04:42.

not so good matches, the most important thing is that you get a

:04:43.:04:45.

result. When you play well, it's nice, you have to enjoy it when you

:04:46.:04:50.

can. But all of the guys left in this tournament, I am sure they

:04:51.:04:57.

fancy winning this event. I'll just be as aggressive as I can, any

:04:58.:05:04.

shots, take them. If they go in, I fancy the job. If they don't go in,

:05:05.:05:10.

I'll get beat. Simple as that. Their head to head series does not make

:05:11.:05:11.

pretty reading for the Scot. and won the most recent match in

:05:12.:05:29.

2012. That doesn't cut anything with the bookies, though. But what about

:05:30.:05:35.

the views of ten men with three Masters titles between them? I am

:05:36.:05:39.

here with our experts in the commentary box, Dennis Taylor, the

:05:40.:05:44.

men charged with drawing lines on your television series. Commentating

:05:45.:05:50.

on Ronnie O'Sullivan, difficult to get a word in? He goes around the

:05:51.:05:54.

table and his play speaks for himself. He was so fast, that is one

:05:55.:05:58.

of the best sessions I have ever seen played in the Masters. He has

:05:59.:06:02.

done it before, but it's the best session I've seen for many years.

:06:03.:06:06.

It's not easy to keep repeating the same standard, but I think we have

:06:07.:06:10.

come to expect and we expect it tonight? I think he will be a little

:06:11.:06:15.

bit nervous. That record against Steve McGuire, I remember him saying

:06:16.:06:18.

that he thought he could dominate a game, he was a bully around the

:06:19.:06:23.

table. You'll still have that in his mind. Stephen has to get off to a

:06:24.:06:30.

good start. One of your old practice partners, you know what he is

:06:31.:06:34.

capable of? It will annoy him, the attention that Ronnie is getting.

:06:35.:06:37.

You'll want to disappoint this huge crowd, no doubt. If you are going to

:06:38.:06:42.

explain Stephen Maguire to somebody that has never seen him play, make a

:06:43.:06:46.

case for him winning this evening, what would you say? A fantastic,

:06:47.:06:52.

fierce hatch player. He can look an angry player, he's not afraid of

:06:53.:06:56.

showing his emotions. He likes to be a bully. Both of these players are

:06:57.:07:04.

top bullies around the table. Rob Walker is ready. Over to him.

:07:05.:07:08.

Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. Welcome to Saturday night at Ali

:07:09.:07:17.

Pali. We cannot wait for the last session of snooker before

:07:18.:07:23.

tomorrow's final in this year's Dafabet Masters. It is a electric

:07:24.:07:27.

here, and with good reason. We have two of the very best in the world.

:07:28.:07:32.

It is anyone's game for a place in the final with Mark Selby.

:07:33.:07:39.

Please welcome a player through to his first Masters semifinal in four

:07:40.:07:46.

years. He knocked out world number one Neil Robertson in the

:07:47.:07:49.

quarterfinals last night, with a superb performance. He has battled

:07:50.:07:54.

through tonsillitis after his mum sent his medicine down from

:07:55.:07:57.

Glasgow. The reigning Welsh open champion, the pride of Scotland,

:07:58.:08:01.

when he's good, he's on fire. Stephen Maguire.

:08:02.:08:05.

MUSIC: "Here I Go Again" by Whitesnake.

:08:06.:08:31.

And his opponent, a player whose performance yesterday was simply

:08:32.:08:37.

sublime. Six frames in 57 minutes. It was so good that Ricky Walden

:08:38.:08:42.

said he was unplayable. Bidding for a 10th appearance in a Masters

:08:43.:08:45.

final, the reigning champion of the world, blink and you'll miss him,

:08:46.:08:50.

The Rocket, Ronnie O'Sullivan. MUSIC: "A Man Should Better Himself"

:08:51.:08:55.

by George Lam. In case you were wondering, that was

:08:56.:09:28.

a motivational song in Chinese. A man should better himself, say the

:09:29.:09:38.

lyrics. It's the best of 11 again. Everybody but for this. The first

:09:39.:09:47.

frame, Ronnie O'Sullivan to break. Thank you very much, Hazel. What an

:09:48.:09:50.

atmosphere in the Alexander Palace this evening. Great reception for

:09:51.:09:52.

both players. Everybody will be wanting to see if

:09:53.:10:05.

Ronnie O'Sullivan can continue where he left off, playing that amazing

:10:06.:10:12.

session against Ricky Walden. Under an hour to win 6-0. Quite

:10:13.:10:14.

incredible. It doesn't get any better than

:10:15.:10:28.

this, Scotland against England in London.

:10:29.:10:38.

What a beauty, for the first shot. Ten out of ten for that one. The

:10:39.:11:06.

reds are sitting nicely. Straightaway, getting to the one

:11:07.:11:23.

that is to the right of the black, which will clear the black into both

:11:24.:11:25.

corners. There is no way McGuire will be

:11:26.:12:09.

intimidated by this tonight. He loves this.

:12:10.:12:22.

I just love watching Stephen Maguire's eyes when he's down on the

:12:23.:12:28.

shot. His focus is something else, it really is.

:12:29.:12:39.

Ricky Walden, against Ronnie O'Sullivan, he had an early chance

:12:40.:12:45.

to break in the 30 break. And that was it, he never got another chance.

:12:46.:12:51.

Stephen Maguire knows that if he can get quite a few points here, it will

:12:52.:12:56.

put a little bit of pressure on Ronnie. That is why he is giving

:12:57.:13:00.

every shot due care and attention. He is back at number five in the

:13:01.:13:30.

world, Stephen Maguire. Winning the Welsh open, his first ranking title

:13:31.:13:40.

for a few years. He has found a bit of form.

:13:41.:13:49.

It is fair to say he is one of the game's underachievers. When he first

:13:50.:13:57.

came onto the scene, his potential was amazing. He won the UK

:13:58.:14:01.

Championship and two or three tournaments. But then he has not won

:14:02.:14:05.

anywhere near what I thought he was going to do.

:14:06.:14:36.

He has the right side of the blue. Sometimes when you are playing a

:14:37.:14:42.

plant, you lose a bit of concentration with your position,

:14:43.:14:43.

but that is perfect. I tell you what, you could hear a

:14:44.:15:02.

pin drop in the Ali Pali at the moment. This packed audience.

:15:03.:15:34.

Very deliberate, positive cue action, Stephen Maguire. You don't

:15:35.:15:40.

see him drop many balls in dead weight.

:15:41.:15:50.

It wasn't a good pack to go into, with the paint behind the reds. --

:15:51.:16:05.

pink. He would like a better angle on the blue. He has finished a

:16:06.:16:07.

little awkward. He's looking to see if he could

:16:08.:16:15.

possibly put the pink and then bring something into play. It looks a bit

:16:16.:16:24.

tight. He might be able to pot the pink, but wouldn't be able to move

:16:25.:16:25.

the reds. Paint would be better. -- pink. If

:16:26.:16:42.

he hits the red and the pink at the same time, it would be a foul. That

:16:43.:16:44.

is what we call a split ball. This time I think you can get

:16:45.:17:00.

himself onto the blue. If he gets the split correctly, he could win

:17:01.:17:03.

this opening frame with one visit. That is what he needed, Stephen.

:17:04.:17:14.

He's more than capable of winning lots of friends in one visit.

:17:15.:17:34.

He hadn't quite got the angle to screw back for the blue. He would

:17:35.:17:41.

probably put the cue ball close to the middle pocket. As you mentioned,

:17:42.:17:42.

he still got that one red. He's looking at the pink again. He

:17:43.:18:23.

doesn't know if he can pot the pink, but it would open up another red. If

:18:24.:18:31.

it's the one closest to the pink and it can pot. It doesn't look like it

:18:32.:18:38.

can from here. He could screw back for the blue and open the reds.

:18:39.:18:47.

He has looked long and hard at this pink.

:18:48.:18:57.

It looks tight from that picture, doesn't it? He was right behind it,

:18:58.:19:06.

so still needs good judgement. From that picture, it looks as if it will

:19:07.:19:09.

not pot. What a start from the Scot.

:19:10.:19:44.

Especially the way he opened the long red that he knocked in to start

:19:45.:19:47.

this, fabulous. This was the opening pot. Superb.

:19:48.:20:01.

Just come up a little bit short. He'd cast to pollinate horrific pot

:20:02.:20:47.

out to give himself a chance of a century in the opening frame. The

:20:48.:20:50.

one at the back of the three will cut into the left corner.

:20:51.:21:08.

Smiles all round. Didn't spot that one, Stephen.

:21:09.:21:15.

Just like a boxing match, isn't it? Stephen has got the first blow in.

:21:16.:21:27.

He's going to have to do this for the whole match.

:21:28.:22:25.

tell you what, after that initial opening red, what a superb break

:22:26.:22:30.

that was from Stephen Maguire. He makes a 98 break and Leeds 1-0. This

:22:31.:22:38.

is McGuire's fourth time in the Masters semifinal, but he waited

:22:39.:22:42.

four years to get back here. That opening red, what a statement of

:22:43.:22:43.

intent? A fantastic pot in itself, but to

:22:44.:22:53.

screw it back, he could not have asked to have struck a ball so well

:22:54.:22:57.

early in the match. But the blue, and element of safety as well? It

:22:58.:23:04.

shows how well he is cueing. He has to impress himself on the match very

:23:05.:23:08.

early. When he gets chances like that, you've got to take them. He's

:23:09.:23:17.

got to put Ronnie under pressure. He can't be intimidated, and I don't

:23:18.:23:21.

think he will be. He loves this kind of atmosphere. Only the second frame

:23:22.:23:25.

of the week that Ronnie has conceded in this tournament so far. Is he up

:23:26.:23:29.

for the fight? It certainly looks like it.

:23:30.:23:49.

Well, the crowd shouting, come on, Ronnie. But I don't think he will be

:23:50.:23:54.

potting anything here. REFEREE: Can you put your phone

:23:55.:24:06.

down, please? It will be interesting to see who wins the safety battles

:24:07.:24:09.

as well. There is so much that can happen in

:24:10.:24:24.

this match. You've got to pot the long balls, or the higher percentage

:24:25.:24:29.

of long balls. I mean, Ronnie is one of the best tactical players in the

:24:30.:24:30.

game, when he wants to be. He didn't have to play many safety

:24:31.:24:40.

shots in his quarterfinal, that is for sure.

:24:41.:25:01.

That red is not really in the way, the one on the right side question.

:25:02.:25:08.

He can find that gap to get back to the safety zone. But he is back

:25:09.:25:14.

looking at that red that I just mentioned.

:25:15.:25:23.

I'll tell you what, that was a brave shot to take on, but that is the

:25:24.:25:34.

type of player he is. You can't hit it much better than this. Obviously

:25:35.:25:38.

it has not gone in, but he hit it superbly.

:25:39.:25:42.

Let's see if Ronnie can knock a long red in.

:25:43.:25:56.

It just shows you the importance of Stephen, the way he won that first

:25:57.:26:03.

frame. It just puts a little bit of doubt in your opponent's mind.

:26:04.:26:25.

An early chance again for Stephen, four reds available.

:26:26.:26:41.

At the moment, the one at the back of the bunch of reds will be

:26:42.:26:48.

available. This one is removed, in fact I am just wondering if he has

:26:49.:26:49.

finished... No, fine, good angle. That one at the back isn't quite on

:26:50.:27:06.

for the left corner pocket? It's just the power. It sort of

:27:07.:27:35.

arced the cue ball. It is what we call like a banana type shot.

:27:36.:28:09.

That was an interesting choice of shot, there was a long red he could

:28:10.:28:30.

have gone for. He knew he wasn't going to leave anything. He's going

:28:31.:28:34.

to do his best to not leave Ronnie and easy opening.

:28:35.:29:11.

Can he see enough of this? It must be very tight. Might just be able to

:29:12.:29:21.

take that on. Once again, he will play it in such a way that he will

:29:22.:29:23.

screw the white back. He was on his way around the table,

:29:24.:29:40.

he thought he had got that. I think the whole audience thought that was

:29:41.:29:41.

in. A superbly cued shot. Another very

:29:42.:30:04.

clever shot. He was on the blue if he had knocked that in. But it was

:30:05.:30:06.

perfectly safe. you mentioned it was going to be

:30:07.:31:05.

interesting to see who wins the safety battle. They are both playing

:31:06.:31:08.

superb safety shots. It needs to pull up. That is OK. The

:31:09.:32:03.

road to read is, I don't know if they are a plant, in the right

:32:04.:32:04.

corner. -- there are two reds. The brown is a good target now to

:32:05.:33:26.

try and get in behind. This looks good, pretty good effort.

:33:27.:33:44.

He wanted to make sure he covered the right side of the table.

:33:45.:34:20.

You can see the side he put on to avoid the blue, another good safety.

:34:21.:34:33.

Top safety, neither player giving an inch.

:34:34.:34:43.

This might bring the black into play.

:34:44.:35:15.

He is very focused. He is well up for this.

:35:16.:35:49.

He is fine, he is on the red to the left corner.

:35:50.:36:25.

He will be annoyed, he had the upper hand in that safety, more or less

:36:26.:36:31.

all the way through. That is a beautiful shot, had to

:36:32.:37:37.

plate reverse side, made it look easy.

:37:38.:37:46.

Left-hand side spins the white of this table.

:37:47.:38:11.

He will need the extension on the rest. Those three reds may be in the

:38:12.:38:19.

way. This will free the pink. This is

:38:20.:38:36.

tougher than the other two. He might be able to get the extension, place

:38:37.:38:39.

it in between the three reds. Straightaway it looked as if he'd

:38:40.:39:31.

overcome that. If you ever so slightly decelerate, the side takes

:39:32.:39:37.

more effect. Any time you put any side on it make

:39:38.:39:54.

the pot a little bit more difficult. The players that have the most

:39:55.:39:57.

success can middle the cue ball. Surely he hasn't covered the black

:39:58.:40:15.

with the green? He has, believe it or not. He is looking at the yellow.

:40:16.:40:26.

He might swerve around the green. There will be so much side on it it

:40:27.:40:59.

might spin into the gap and missed the gap and Mr reds altogether. --

:41:00.:41:02.

miss the reds. Terrific shot, only just caught the

:41:03.:41:13.

black. In matches as big as this these are

:41:14.:41:43.

the frames that make all the difference.

:41:44.:42:28.

A lot of cue between the bridge hand. Didn't get enough stuff on it.

:42:29.:43:06.

If he had have been on the red he could have gone on and pinched the

:43:07.:43:09.

frame will stop --. You could tell he didn't really

:43:10.:44:01.

fancy that one. It has left a long red for Stephen Maguire.

:44:02.:44:21.

If you place for a colour he has got to get it.

:44:22.:44:59.

That red seemed to jump a little bit.

:45:00.:45:13.

It looks as if he can make these two reds into a plant.

:45:14.:45:37.

He never looked at the possibility of making that plant.

:45:38.:46:44.

He has taken this second frame but I suppose that Luke helped. -- fluke.

:46:45.:47:44.

He has done more than enough. It is 1-1.

:47:45.:47:52.

HAZEL IRVINE: It looked as though Stephen Maguire might be in line to

:47:53.:47:58.

steal that but this calculation on pink in the middle. Just got into

:47:59.:48:09.

the cue ball little too much. So much room for error. He could have

:48:10.:48:14.

won the frame from that position. Those are the positions Stephen

:48:15.:48:22.

Maguire cannot let go. Did he miss a trick with that

:48:23.:48:27.

planned? I think the plant was an easier

:48:28.:48:33.

option. Ronnie O'Sullivan made it look easy. Perhaps it was over

:48:34.:48:38.

distance, he thought it would be hard. I would be tempted to have a

:48:39.:48:43.

look. He didn't give it a second glance. Where are you going to miss

:48:44.:48:50.

a trick against one it a solvent? When he gets amongst the balls very

:48:51.:48:56.

rarely does he breakdown, positionally.

:48:57.:49:01.

Some great safety in that frame. It has to be really good. Ronnie has

:49:02.:49:16.

been on top form this week. A huge frame, I know it is very early, but

:49:17.:49:20.

a great opportunity for Stephen Maguire to go 2-0 up. That would

:49:21.:49:25.

really put more pressure on Ronnie O'Sullivan. We are back all square.

:49:26.:49:47.

He might be if seen enough of this red.

:49:48.:50:26.

Look at the amount of site he had on that right-hand side.

:50:27.:51:23.

He was using the pack to come back here. Got to be a bit careful.

:51:24.:51:44.

You are never guaranteed what might happen from that position.

:51:45.:52:21.

I think you got a fast bounce off the cushion.

:52:22.:52:58.

He was a bit unlucky when he potted that red. It looked like it might

:52:59.:54:05.

have flicked one of those two reds. A little bit of side on the

:54:06.:54:31.

left-hand side of the cue ball. They always tend to put a little bit of

:54:32.:54:33.

side on the cue ball. He has just knocked the greenback

:54:34.:55:02.

onto its spots, I have never seen that before.

:55:03.:55:12.

You always see something different on a snooker table.

:55:13.:55:28.

What are the odds against that happening?

:55:29.:55:53.

These days on the tight pockets it doesn't happen that often that you

:55:54.:55:59.

wobble a ball and it bounces into the opposite pocket, but it

:56:00.:56:00.

certainly did there. Ronnie had a fluke, plant, in the

:56:01.:56:34.

second frame. How many will Stephen make from his fluke?

:56:35.:57:19.

I am not sure if they put a new cloth on for the semifinal. When you

:57:20.:57:44.

have got a brand-new cloth, it will tend to slide them off the angle.

:57:45.:57:53.

You might just be able to get the one at the back of the three reds to

:57:54.:58:07.

cut into the right corner. He has parted the red but not played

:58:08.:58:36.

too much in a positive fashion. All of a sudden he is not hitting

:58:37.:58:58.

them as cleanly as he was in the first frame.

:58:59.:59:07.

He is doing a lot of smiling this evening.

:59:08.:59:27.

I don't know what he's looking at. They are all covering each other.

:59:28.:59:52.

What has he sported? Nothing will pot there, so...

:59:53.:59:57.

It is as if he is wanting to take... Well, what could you take

:59:58.:00:00.

on, there? It seems a pretty straightforward

:00:01.:00:10.

escape back down the table as long as he gets over.

:00:11.:00:23.

Well, that is totally the wrong shot. I think he was so annoyed that

:00:24.:00:31.

he didn't get onto that red on the right, he could have played an easy

:00:32.:00:37.

safety shot off this one. I think he was expecting the cue ball to go the

:00:38.:00:40.

other side of the blue and possibly back to baulk.

:00:41.:00:48.

Excellent in the first frame, but the standard has slipped a little

:00:49.:00:52.

bit. He can't afford to do that. He's got a choice of reds, but

:00:53.:01:37.

potting this one clears the path for two more into the right corner.

:01:38.:01:44.

He doesn't have too play any canons, they will all just clear each other.

:01:45.:02:04.

Just about OK. Just over -screwed that slightly. Just wondering if the

:02:05.:02:13.

ball is coming off that right side question a little quicker than

:02:14.:02:14.

normal. Well, Ronnie hasn't hit the heights

:02:15.:03:10.

of his previous round yet, but he still looks odds-on to go 2-1 ahead.

:03:11.:03:23.

It's amazing, we are in the third frame. The previous round, the

:03:24.:03:29.

quarterfinal, the match was nearly over at this stage.

:03:30.:03:39.

He's going to do this, Ronnie, make a mistake and he's going to punish

:03:40.:04:08.

it, because you don't lose your form overnight. Stephen Maguire, I think

:04:09.:04:11.

that is why he was a bit angry with himself, not getting on the red when

:04:12.:04:14.

he covered it with the blue. He's not even going to bother with

:04:15.:04:38.

the black. Stephen Maguire made an error on the positional side of

:04:39.:04:42.

things, that was his last shot. Ronnie cleaned up with a 73 break

:04:43.:04:43.

and he now leads 2-1. Normal service resumed. He has been

:04:44.:04:54.

in front for all of his matches so far, Ronnie O'Sullivan. You thought

:04:55.:04:57.

that Stephen Maguire was not in control of the cue ball to any

:04:58.:05:04.

extent that we saw in the first frame? A few wobbles in the jaws of

:05:05.:05:09.

the pocket. His positional play has let him down. This frame as well,

:05:10.:05:15.

another great chance to win it. Positional play, he is losing the

:05:16.:05:19.

cue ball, he has to get a tighter with it and punish him at every

:05:20.:05:23.

opportunity. I did get the feeling that he has gone out with a game

:05:24.:05:28.

plan to be attacking. The 50-50 shots that you sometimes decide to

:05:29.:05:32.

play, sometimes you decide to play them safe, it looks like he's going

:05:33.:05:36.

for every one of those, even to the stage when he decided to play,

:05:37.:05:39.

instead of an easy safety shot, a speculative shot to nothing. A bit

:05:40.:05:45.

unlucky to catch the blue, but he's going for everything, saying, I'm

:05:46.:05:48.

going to go for it before I get punished for not going for it.

:05:49.:05:53.

That's the way he can make you play. You can play great safety and still

:05:54.:05:56.

get punished, so why not go for the shot? That is probably the way he is

:05:57.:06:03.

approaching it, a risky way to play, but it could work. And he shouldn't

:06:04.:06:06.

panic, he should not think this early that he needs to go for those

:06:07.:06:11.

shots. Ronnie O'Sullivan probably would not have taken that shot on

:06:12.:06:14.

with the rest. He shouldn't panic and think he has to go for the

:06:15.:06:19.

speculative 50-50s, because if he does, that is exactly what is going

:06:20.:06:21.

to happen. You can see from the opening frames,

:06:22.:06:29.

Ronnie O'Sullivan's natural ability is putting pressure on every shot

:06:30.:06:32.

that Stephen Maguire plays. Terrific cueing, there. But this is

:06:33.:07:09.

a tricky black that will cut back into a blind pocket.

:07:10.:07:20.

That is all about judgement, because you cannot see the pop it in your

:07:21.:07:23.

eye line. -- pocket. I think we know when Ronnie is in

:07:24.:08:02.

first, two blacks, he will be playing for the blacks every time.

:08:03.:08:31.

Leaving himself an angle on the black this time, to try to stun into

:08:32.:08:35.

these reds. He's gone too far. It will be a deep

:08:36.:08:59.

screw, with a right-hand side, read to the corner. -- red.

:09:00.:09:14.

Looking to see if he can get on the pink there, so maybe he's going to

:09:15.:09:34.

forget about All Blacks. That's a bit unlucky. Look where the

:09:35.:09:57.

pink has gone, right next to the blue. An awkward red into the middle

:09:58.:10:03.

pocket. The one he potted at the start, into the middle pocket, was

:10:04.:10:04.

superb. That was coming back across, but not

:10:05.:10:14.

hard enough. Five reds, five blacks. Two players with 11 maximum breaks,

:10:15.:10:45.

one is out on the table. The other one is sitting right next to me.

:10:46.:11:22.

The mid-session interval is coming up after this frame.

:11:23.:11:40.

Is that going to reach? I don't think it is, is it? No. REFEREE:

:11:41.:11:50.

Foul and a miss. He did look at the possibility of

:11:51.:12:05.

cutting the red into the left middle pocket, but it was too tough a shot.

:12:06.:12:10.

Slight adjustment here and he should be OK.

:12:11.:12:34.

Has he got a slight bit of angle with this red? That would be some

:12:35.:12:42.

shot to knock that in and get on the black. It mustn't be absolutely dead

:12:43.:12:49.

straight. It's almost straight, so there is no real value in attempting

:12:50.:12:51.

that. It is just the red next to the Brown

:12:52.:13:07.

that is causing the slight problem. The fact he has can end the yellow

:13:08.:14:07.

means that Ronnie could cut this red back in that is next to the brown.

:14:08.:14:11.

The only thing is, he would have to finish on the black, because the

:14:12.:14:16.

pink and blue are awkward. But there is every chance that he could pot

:14:17.:14:22.

this, come across the table and drop on the black.

:14:23.:14:33.

He needed to slip past the red and he has.

:14:34.:14:54.

There is a bit of pressure on this black.

:14:55.:15:10.

I know Ronnie made the fluke in the second, on top of the safety, but

:15:11.:15:17.

the look he had in his eye in the first frame, he has not have that

:15:18.:15:19.

back since. The black that we showed you that

:15:20.:15:32.

wobbled on the pocket, on the older cloth it may not have dropped in.

:15:33.:15:36.

With the new cloth, it just makes it slide in.

:15:37.:15:46.

A couple of pots and he will have this fourth frame in the bag.

:15:47.:16:11.

Just over the hour. It's amazing when you think that he beat Ricky

:16:12.:16:19.

Walden in under an hour, 6-0. That's quite incredible. That one doesn't

:16:20.:16:22.

drop. But he's had enough, there is 84, no

:16:23.:16:34.

chance of getting the snookers from that position. So, Stephen Maguire,

:16:35.:16:39.

set off like a house on fire with a break of 78, but he's lost the last

:16:40.:16:41.

three. It was all in the blink of an eye.

:16:42.:16:49.

Stephen Hendry made an interesting point about intensity. When you

:16:50.:16:54.

think back to the opening frame, McGuire was brimming with that, a

:16:55.:16:57.

sense of purpose and real look about him? The thing that altered him was

:16:58.:17:04.

not so much missing pots, it was missing position play. If a guy is

:17:05.:17:08.

stopped in his tracks, the bubble can burst. Is it burst? Maybe this

:17:09.:17:15.

interval is coming at the right time, but I would be worried if I

:17:16.:17:18.

was in his corner. From Ronnie's perspective, do you think that he is

:17:19.:17:25.

now shifting through those gears? Considering the start of the match

:17:26.:17:28.

was not the way that he started the previous two matches and he did not

:17:29.:17:33.

have it his own way, by the end of the session he was back at the

:17:34.:17:37.

office, he looks like he's totally dominating. So quickly, things can

:17:38.:17:41.

change, they came very quickly in a snigger frame. It looks like

:17:42.:17:45.

business as usual. We were discussing it could be another

:17:46.:17:47.

runaway victory, if he's not careful, and Ronnie O'Sullivan looks

:17:48.:17:52.

like he's in the groove. We are going to rewind to avenge this

:17:53.:18:00.

afternoon, three times Masters winner Mark Selby and Sean Murphy,

:18:01.:18:04.

the man that reached the final couple of weeks back. Didn't start

:18:05.:18:09.

very well for Sean Murphy. He lost the first frame. Selby was very

:18:10.:18:16.

good, with 86. Sean Murphy did not pot a ball. Murphy is in trouble, as

:18:17.:18:20.

he was all of the way through frame two as well.

:18:21.:18:24.

There is a possibility, the bread that is in the right corner pocket,

:18:25.:18:33.

he probably wouldn't leave a lot. He's trying to nestle into these

:18:34.:18:38.

reds. He has left the red to the left middle.

:18:39.:19:38.

The black is tied up, but I'm sure pink pots Winterbottom. -- in to

:19:39.:19:50.

bottom. The angle he left himself on the

:19:51.:20:12.

pink, she had to play for this red to the corner. I wonder if he could

:20:13.:20:14.

simply pot this. Just getting his extension, because

:20:15.:21:01.

he's having to reach over a few balls. It means, with the extension,

:21:02.:21:04.

you can use a longer bridge. This will be handy. He'll pop this

:21:05.:21:46.

red to the corner pocket and that will release another one and

:21:47.:21:50.

possibly two reds in two the corner pocket.

:21:51.:22:01.

He'll be a little bit is appointed there. -- disappointed. He shouldn't

:22:02.:22:09.

have been so strange the other side of the pink. -- so straight on the

:22:10.:22:18.

other side of the pen. No problem, as it turned out, he played the

:22:19.:22:24.

cannon. He will be thinking this is a frame

:22:25.:22:28.

winning chance. Doesn't this just some up snooker?

:22:29.:23:06.

He came in, tremendous atmosphere, the Superman theme, and he's not had

:23:07.:23:11.

a chance to get his hand on the table, really. He played a thick

:23:12.:23:17.

safety, we suggested that would be his game plan. But a good pot from

:23:18.:23:24.

Mark laid the snooker, and he did not escape from it. It's a tough

:23:25.:23:29.

game, you get the big intro, you end up just sitting there and can't

:23:30.:23:31.

perform. A couple of reds, a couple of

:23:32.:24:07.

colours, that is all he is from taking this second frame. Sean

:24:08.:24:08.

Murphy, still to score a point. He's just having a look, not sure if

:24:09.:24:20.

he can get around the back of the black.

:24:21.:24:29.

He needs to get high on this blue, just about.

:24:30.:24:39.

This blue will put him 62 points in front with 67 remaining.

:24:40.:24:47.

Realistically, this blue and one more red will do.

:24:48.:24:57.

Fantastic start for Mark Selby. Just what he would have hoped for. When

:24:58.:25:03.

he gets in, he seems to have that cue ball on a string, doesn't he?

:25:04.:25:07.

Frame ball. Well acknowledged from this wonderful crowd here.

:25:08.:25:18.

Missed out on a century in the first frame, which would have disappointed

:25:19.:25:55.

him slightly. He'd like to make amends for that. Can he get enough

:25:56.:25:59.

of this red? To the left of the black? It doesn't appear so.

:26:00.:26:13.

So, it doesn't look as though Sean Murphy will have a chance to put his

:26:14.:26:20.

first ball of the match. This frame is long gone.

:26:21.:26:25.

Now he may be able to pot this red. Has he run far enough? Now you see

:26:26.:26:34.

it, 159 points to zero. Nicely on the blue. A chance for the

:26:35.:26:49.

century increasing. You couldn't think of a more perfect

:26:50.:27:04.

start, could you? No, fantastic. He has made 318th centuries, would you

:27:05.:27:09.

believe? I was looking at that stat. Sean Murphy turned

:27:10.:27:16.

professional year before Mark, but Mark has made 30 more centuries than

:27:17.:27:25.

Sean. It is OK, he stamped his foot. Is that allowed?

:27:26.:27:46.

He's going to have to be a little bit careful, screwing around off two

:27:47.:27:54.

cushions. The green is not on its spot. You've got to try and avoid

:27:55.:28:00.

the green. Not bad. Could have done with a bit more pace in the cue

:28:01.:28:07.

ball. It deserves a century. It's been flawless, this contribution.

:28:08.:28:21.

Well, I think we are going to see one now.

:28:22.:28:28.

Nicely on the brown. The brown would put him on 99.

:28:29.:28:52.

Absolutely wonderful. From his first pot in the first frame, he has

:28:53.:29:01.

looked majestic. Well, he didn't get the pink, but he

:29:02.:29:15.

got the century and that was more than enough. Sean Murphy, still to

:29:16.:29:17.

pot a ball. HAZEL IRVINE: He did eventually put

:29:18.:29:30.

a ball in the third frame. It was downhill from Murphy's perspective.

:29:31.:29:36.

He was beaten by his great friend, Mark Selby. It put him three to his

:29:37.:29:48.

fifth Masters final in seven years. Some interesting observations

:29:49.:29:48.

afterwards. I played well, probably best I have

:29:49.:30:01.

all week. I managed to start off well and put him under pressure. I

:30:02.:30:08.

went in feeling confident I would pull out a good performance but it

:30:09.:30:11.

wasn't to be, I have to face the music that perhaps my time of

:30:12.:30:16.

winning big events is over. I was preparing myself for 6-5 but great

:30:17.:30:22.

to get over the line, there's no fracking number passed. Have played

:30:23.:30:25.

some good matches in this tournament. There are positives to

:30:26.:30:33.

take forward to the next tournament, I will go home and keep practising.

:30:34.:30:39.

I will keep trying. Maybe the time is the time for me to start looking

:30:40.:30:44.

at things and do something else. That really is a very shocking

:30:45.:30:50.

couple of statements. Is that heat of the moment stuff? Is he serious?

:30:51.:30:57.

He could be serious about that. When you went to see him in his home

:30:58.:31:03.

everything was uplifting, trying new things, putting the work in on the

:31:04.:31:07.

practice table. I think it is a gut wrenching reaction, off the

:31:08.:31:12.

disappointment. He was totally outplayed. He got off to a bad

:31:13.:31:22.

start. I hope it is just one of those reactions after the match.

:31:23.:31:27.

He showed a lot of courage in the opening two matches. He said he felt

:31:28.:31:33.

he had been through a life test in the last six months and had come

:31:34.:31:37.

through with flying colours. This is completely at odds with what he was

:31:38.:31:40.

saying. It shows the bug ability of people

:31:41.:31:44.

in sport. The difference between winning and losing. --

:31:45.:31:51.

vulnerability. We have been trying so hard to find form, you try

:31:52.:31:55.

everything you can on the practice table, you have got a coach on your

:31:56.:32:01.

side, look at your diet, fitness. You think by doing these things you

:32:02.:32:05.

deserve the right to win. Because you have tried so hard it will fall

:32:06.:32:10.

into place. It does, for some of the top players. But it doesn't when the

:32:11.:32:16.

other guys are very good as well. That frustration can build up. I am

:32:17.:32:22.

not absolutely sure about finding something else. What else can we do?

:32:23.:32:28.

Probably wakes up tomorrow, different story. But in a way,

:32:29.:32:33.

sometimes your best form comes when you least expect it, when you are

:32:34.:32:38.

not trying. I know when you won the World Championships it was very

:32:39.:32:42.

similar. I wasn't expected to win, less pressure, sometimes it helps.

:32:43.:32:50.

Let's hope we don't lose Shaun Murphy from snooker because he is a

:32:51.:32:54.

great personality. Mark Selby marches past him into the

:32:55.:32:59.

final tomorrow. This is the 40th playing of this brilliant

:33:00.:33:02.

tournament, the top Invitational event for Smith. When we talk about

:33:03.:33:08.

anniversaries what about the 30th anniversary of the classic much dash

:33:09.:33:13.

of this classic match? From 1984. The best semifinal, Jimmy White,

:33:14.:33:36.

Stevens, 84. Kurt Stevens had a reputation for being an attacking

:33:37.:33:42.

player. When he put on that suit his place in history was made.

:33:43.:33:57.

What a lovely shot. A tremendous cheer there. 113, highest break of

:33:58.:34:30.

the tournament so far. That is a new way of putting the

:34:31.:35:03.

pink. -- potting. Very difficult bridging indeed. Jimmy White

:35:04.:35:10.

declares a fowl and instantly the referee agreed.

:35:11.:35:21.

That is it. Jimmy White makes it 5-3. This was one to savour, even

:35:22.:35:34.

the commentator would get carried away.

:35:35.:35:39.

Watch the white, this is where he wants a little bounce of the

:35:40.:36:19.

cushion. Get in! Lovely! Super! And just look at the stuff on that

:36:20.:36:56.

ball. That is wizardry. Words escape me. Just fantastic.

:36:57.:37:13.

If ever there was the justification for champagne, this is the night.

:37:14.:37:21.

You can have the BBC water glass. On behalf of everybody, thank you for

:37:22.:37:28.

one of the greatest sessions of snooker in the history of the game.

:37:29.:37:33.

It is the night none of us here will ever forget. Surely a daft question,

:37:34.:37:41.

you can never have been involved in a session like that ever, could you?

:37:42.:37:51.

He is great, he pots from anywhere, once gets in you might as well

:37:52.:37:58.

forget about it. You can rarely have played better. I played

:37:59.:38:06.

brilliantly, I was 3-0 up, I didn't feel as if I lost the games, I feel

:38:07.:38:15.

Kirk won them. When did you realise the big one was

:38:16.:38:19.

on? After I putted the last open red --

:38:20.:38:23.

partied. I thought I could make the game

:38:24.:38:35.

secure. You don't get a lot of opportunities, I had to go for it.

:38:36.:38:45.

1984 was his year. He lost again in another semifinal. Sadly he never

:38:46.:38:51.

won the majors that would match his talent. He went on to win his only

:38:52.:38:58.

Masters title, and a new People's Champion was born.

:38:59.:39:07.

HAZEL IRVINE: You might get a cup of TV stays, you certainly don't get

:39:08.:39:14.

champagne. You were in that particular tournament, did you

:39:15.:39:20.

witness that? No, as the great soul, I would have been, I would have

:39:21.:39:28.

refused BBC television existed until the tournament finished. It was one

:39:29.:39:33.

of the great nights. This event produces them year in, year out.

:39:34.:39:38.

Some classic matches down through the years. The 147s. And those that

:39:39.:39:49.

never were. It is a great tournament, great history, I grew up

:39:50.:39:53.

watching those images. That is what made me want to become a snooker

:39:54.:39:57.

player. The first ever maximum in the

:39:58.:40:02.

Masters. There has only been to. Back to business, three decades on.

:40:03.:40:07.

That was 30 years ago. Back to Ali Parry. -- Ally Pally.

:40:08.:40:33.

Let's see if the mid-session interval can swing things back in

:40:34.:41:15.

Stephen Maguire's favour. He started losing control of the cue ball, got

:41:16.:41:20.

himself out of position a few times. That is all it took. Ronnie jumped

:41:21.:41:25.

on the mistakes and one those three frames. -- and he won.

:41:26.:41:59.

You heard the grown from Stephen. Not a good shot there.

:42:00.:42:20.

You can see his temper, not happy with that shot at all.

:42:21.:43:18.

Not much available, just this easy read.

:43:19.:43:32.

A good angle to develop a funeral. Dashed to develop a fume all.

:43:33.:43:45.

Stephen Maguire groaned there, he knew he hadn't hit it hard enough.

:43:46.:44:29.

Stephen Maguire is back at the table a lot sooner than he would have

:44:30.:44:32.

expected. Let's see if Stephen can play a

:44:33.:45:02.

better cannon. Where is that cue ball? That is

:45:03.:45:35.

unlucky. He had to really catch the cue ball, he was quite low.

:45:36.:45:45.

He had to take that read on but look what he has left. What a chance for

:45:46.:46:11.

Stephen Maguire. In the context of the match, he has

:46:12.:46:24.

to win the frame at this visit. Two of the main ingredients for

:46:25.:48:59.

getting to the top in the snooker world our dedication and

:49:00.:49:05.

determination. And when you watch Stephen Maguire taking a shot,

:49:06.:49:12.

certainly plenty of determination in those eyes.

:49:13.:49:22.

That was very poor cueing. You can see his backhand there. That is

:49:23.:49:31.

worrying. That was a very poor shot. In the

:49:32.:49:44.

context of the match. All it does is give O'Sullivan more

:49:45.:50:19.

confidence. He has not been great tonight, but

:50:20.:50:28.

he has just done enough. It is going to be very difficult to

:50:29.:50:44.

reproduce the form he showed in the quarterfinal. The crowd here

:50:45.:50:51.

witnessed one of those sessions that was out of this world.

:50:52.:51:10.

That little expression tells you it will not BBC to clinch this frame.

:51:11.:51:15.

-- it will not be the. It is Ronnie's turn to push the cue

:51:16.:51:41.

through. He has got to drop this in dead

:51:42.:52:38.

weight, will automatically finish on the black. If it is tight on the

:52:39.:52:43.

cushion it makes it slightly easier. He just flicked it away from the

:52:44.:52:58.

cushion. You have got to hit the ball and the cushion at the same

:52:59.:52:59.

time. He just caught the red. He needed three chances, he took the

:53:00.:54:25.

third one and extends his lead, he leads 4-1.

:54:26.:54:30.

HAZEL IRVINE: O'Sullivan easing into a 4-1 lead there. He had a couple of

:54:31.:54:40.

chances. He just begin to detect real signs of frustration in Stephen

:54:41.:54:45.

you wonder about the balance between composure and determination.

:54:46.:54:54.

He started off in this match really composed.

:54:55.:55:00.

All of a sudden he looks like a different player. He is getting

:55:01.:55:08.

chances. Ronnie O'Sullivan is not on form, by any stretch of the

:55:09.:55:16.

imagination, he is vulnerable. In that frame he missed the red, he

:55:17.:55:27.

left it in the jaws of the pocket. It should be closer. This is the

:55:28.:55:33.

Stephen Maguire we have seen in recent years coming out. The head

:55:34.:55:40.

drops a bit. It is understandable. We have all been in the situation

:55:41.:55:45.

way to start to feel the inevitable, another day it is all

:55:46.:55:51.

going to go wrong. The optimism evaporates immediately.

:55:52.:56:24.

There is Ronnie Jr, and of his glasses. -- I love his glasses.

:56:25.:56:50.

Make no mistake, Ronnie O'Sullivan will be trying to get this match

:56:51.:57:00.

over as quickly as he can. It will be a long day tomorrow. He would not

:57:01.:57:05.

want a long, tough match here. Stephen Maguire will be hoping to do

:57:06.:57:09.

that. This is the frame, you feel Stephen

:57:10.:57:23.

has got to win this. 5-1, it wouldn't have much of a chance.

:57:24.:57:47.

He queued that one superbly well. -- cued.

:57:48.:58:10.

The black is blocked up here so has to go back for the blue.

:58:11.:58:51.

He has bought the pink and the black into play.

:58:52.:59:50.

It's not straightforward, this chance. The blackspot is covered, so

:59:51.:59:59.

it would have to go on to the pink spot, which would probably be a good

:00:00.:00:04.

thing. It would free the black up, sitting on the pink spot. He is

:00:05.:00:09.

already having a look around to see how he can get himself onto the

:00:10.:00:11.

black in a few shot's time. Has that covered everything? It

:00:12.:00:22.

might have. If he slips past that red, he is imperfect position. But

:00:23.:00:25.

he is not on anything now. Well, that is a bit tight, as you

:00:26.:01:22.

can see. He'll have to be very precise with this. You've got the

:01:23.:01:23.

perfect picture. He kept his head so still, there.

:01:24.:01:45.

That was the best pot of the match so far. Stephen Maguire's opening

:01:46.:01:52.

pot was just as good, but that was a bit special, there.

:01:53.:02:36.

It might be a little bit straight, but it looks like he might have a

:02:37.:02:42.

slight angle. Shouldn't be a problem with the red that is over the corner

:02:43.:02:44.

pocket. He has a slight angle. He wants this red away to open the

:02:45.:02:55.

pocket up. He's got to be a bit careful he

:02:56.:03:01.

doesn't catch the other red. He played back with lots of check

:03:02.:03:18.

size, left-hand side, to hold for the black. Without the side he would

:03:19.:03:21.

have cannoned into the reds. It's not often you see Ronnie

:03:22.:04:05.

O'Sullivan play careless shots, the red sand blacks.

:04:06.:04:12.

Well, he played a very aggressive shot. On the pink, he could have

:04:13.:04:41.

quite easily pushed it safe, put it out of commission, but he decided to

:04:42.:04:45.

go full-blooded for it. 40 points in front, I think he was a little bit

:04:46.:04:49.

disappointed he didn't get on the black and that was the reason he

:04:50.:04:51.

took the pink on. I don't think Maguire ever believed

:04:52.:05:03.

he would get so many chances. He beats one more good shot. -- he

:05:04.:05:44.

needs one more good shot. A couple of questions to the pink, for the

:05:45.:05:49.

same pocket. I don't think he will risk a cannon on the black.

:05:50.:06:11.

He has definitely lost his way at the moment. It's going to be

:06:12.:06:21.

frustrating for him. If Ronnie takes full advantage here, you can't

:06:22.:06:24.

really see a way back for Stephen Maguire.

:06:25.:06:33.

In the end, he did play the cannon on the black.

:06:34.:06:46.

That pink Ronnie Tucker on before, another explanation is maybe he does

:06:47.:06:52.

not believe he's going to get punished any more.

:06:53.:07:40.

56 ahead, a possible 51 on the table.

:07:41.:07:49.

Another frame has slipped away. Stephen Maguire has had his chances

:07:50.:07:53.

but he is just not taking them. Ronnie's highest break this evening

:07:54.:08:13.

is a break of 73. It just shows you he is not at the

:08:14.:08:43.

top of his form and he is still leading 5-1.

:08:44.:09:18.

He had a couple of 40 breaks in the frame before the mid-session

:09:19.:09:24.

interval to take him to a 3-1 lead. No breaks in the previous frame.

:09:25.:09:30.

Doesn't matter about the pink. That break of 59 is enough for Ronnie

:09:31.:09:36.

O'Sullivan to get another frame on the board. He now leads 5-1.

:09:37.:09:42.

He is looking at his tip. I don't think much work will need to be done

:09:43.:09:56.

on it. Stephen Maguire has gone off the boil. Some of the misses have

:09:57.:09:59.

been amazing. He looks a beaten player now. I think he started off

:10:00.:10:07.

the match really determined. He's getting so many chances, but these

:10:08.:10:16.

are just two shots. He just looks completely deflated. The pink was

:10:17.:10:23.

the one. But that one there, I think you called the correct shot. He was

:10:24.:10:29.

going to play round for the pink, I think, but he hit it so thick. He is

:10:30.:10:39.

smiling away at Ronnie. It just shows there is still good

:10:40.:10:45.

camaraderie between the players. He wants to say something to him.

:10:46.:11:00.

I'm not quite sure what that was all about.

:11:01.:11:07.

I think they were probably having a conversation that they were

:11:08.:11:16.

expecting it to be a much better match. It's not turning out to be

:11:17.:11:22.

that way. He has to give it his best shot now, he is 5-1 down, back

:11:23.:11:27.

against the wall, just let the cue do the work, push it through in a

:11:28.:11:30.

straight line. That is better. He will be a little bit

:11:31.:12:08.

embarrassed, the way he has played this evening, after knocking out

:12:09.:12:09.

Neil Robertson. It's never over until it's over.

:12:10.:12:24.

Only one player can play on the table and if Stephen can keep Ronnie

:12:25.:12:28.

sitting in his seat, you will never know.

:12:29.:12:36.

Stephen is well capable of wheeling of two or three frames in one

:12:37.:12:47.

visit. It's a question of if he's in the frame of mind to do that.

:12:48.:13:04.

He just over screw that. He hasn't got the angle he wanted to have a

:13:05.:13:12.

pop at that red at the back of the bunch.

:13:13.:13:16.

He had to play for that and we have seen what happened in the previous

:13:17.:13:25.

frame. He has got to get out onto the black. Will have to pay with a

:13:26.:13:31.

little bit of pace. He did not cue that smoothly.

:13:32.:13:41.

He has a resigned look on his face now.

:13:42.:14:02.

Dead straight on the green, there is a red at the bottom of the pack that

:14:03.:14:09.

will pocket to the right corner, screw the cue ball in a straight

:14:10.:14:10.

line. Just as you predicted, this will

:14:11.:14:20.

open the reds. This has got to go in, the red over

:14:21.:14:25.

the right corner. Surely he hasn't flipped it? Would

:14:26.:14:50.

you believe it? Well, Stephen Maguire is sitting in his seat,

:14:51.:14:57.

smiling away. Well, everybody is smiling at that one. Ronnie is still

:14:58.:15:04.

laughing, he's a bit embarrassed about that fluke. He missed the blue

:15:05.:15:09.

by so far. That just illustrates how tough

:15:10.:15:42.

snooker is. The way he played yesterday and the way he is playing

:15:43.:15:43.

tonight. The last time they played in the

:15:44.:15:54.

Masters, it was at this stage, semifinal.

:15:55.:15:58.

Ronnie won that 6-1. The year before, 2008, Stephen beat him in

:15:59.:16:05.

the Masters 6-5. Has he played his last shot in this

:16:06.:16:14.

year's Masters? It will be interesting to hear what

:16:15.:16:58.

Ronnie says about that tip. He has been looking at it and flicking it

:16:59.:17:03.

with his nail. I'm sure someone will ask the question.

:17:04.:17:12.

Sometimes you can get little fibres that stick out, it can be right in

:17:13.:17:19.

your eye line when you take a shot. 37 ahead. There are not many pots

:17:20.:17:29.

from securing the semifinal win. That is just a lapse in

:17:30.:18:11.

concentration. Well, he didn't even think about that shot. He thought, I

:18:12.:18:17.

can't miss this. It just shows you, if you don't concentrate 100%, you

:18:18.:18:19.

can miss anything. Has Stephen got it in him? The

:18:20.:18:50.

desire to clear up here? He would have resigned himself to

:18:51.:19:02.

defeat when Ronnie was in there. Purposefully playing for the blue to

:19:03.:20:11.

get it back on its spot. A straightforward clearance with the

:20:12.:20:16.

colours all on their spots. When I say straightforward, he is 5-1

:20:17.:20:19.

down. This is the blue that Ronnie left

:20:20.:20:28.

over the pocket. This match should already be over.

:20:29.:20:43.

But it's not. I'm just wondering, could that turn things around if he

:20:44.:20:45.

clears up here? You never know what can happen in

:20:46.:20:51.

this game. He wiped his feet, slightly. He is

:20:52.:21:49.

not finished yet. Ronnie O'Sullivan hard a break of 57, but what an easy

:21:50.:21:54.

blue. I have not seen an easier shot missed that will get him into the

:21:55.:21:59.

semifinal. But we are still here, 5-2 to The Rocket. That was amazing,

:22:00.:22:06.

that is on the blue. I think Ronnie thought, that's it, I'm in the

:22:07.:22:10.

semifinal. All he have to do was roll it in, a choice of reds. I

:22:11.:22:15.

don't know what happened here? Concentration? Absolutely. He played

:22:16.:22:28.

it with a touch of drag. He has not been on it like he was yesterday.

:22:29.:22:32.

But, like before, he has been doing enough to stay in front. He will be

:22:33.:22:38.

really irritated by that. Absolutely. He would want to get the

:22:39.:22:42.

match over as quickly as possible and get himself ready for the final

:22:43.:22:46.

against Mark Selby, that will be some final, I can tell you, the way

:22:47.:22:48.

that Mark Selby has started playing. Stephen Maguire, all he can do is

:22:49.:22:54.

just take it frame by frame, now. Refusing the pot, it is an awkward

:22:55.:23:39.

angle to take that red on. Taking the safety shot.

:23:40.:24:09.

He will take this red on, because he can't get onto the black this time.

:24:10.:24:20.

This will tell us a little story, if he has got over the easy blue that

:24:21.:24:23.

he missed, if he knocks that in he will forget about that.

:24:24.:24:42.

Just off straight and he judged it to perfection.

:24:43.:25:13.

Plenty of loose reds. At least five threads that are available to

:25:14.:25:16.

Ronnie. That is why he did not cannon into

:25:17.:25:23.

the pink, there. Someone is determined to raise the

:25:24.:26:04.

memories of this blue and get this much won now. No more mucking about.

:26:05.:26:24.

If he does go on to take this frame, it will be quite amazing. That will

:26:25.:26:33.

be his 10th final in the Masters. He has won it on four occasions.

:26:34.:26:47.

Just a couple more's reds available to him, one to the right of the

:26:48.:26:52.

bunch will pot. One good split here and he would

:26:53.:27:03.

have a great chance. Stunned into them. Players that shot

:27:04.:27:19.

so well. -- plays that shot. Some players screw into the pack, always

:27:20.:27:25.

stick in the back of them. The way he played, he stunned into the side

:27:26.:27:28.

and open them beautifully. This was it, just caught that and

:27:29.:27:42.

read, half ball. Beautiful shot. -- that end red. Would it not be ironic

:27:43.:27:48.

if he clinched the match with his highest break? Up until now, 73 has

:27:49.:27:50.

been his highest. This man at the table has made 724

:27:51.:29:19.

century breaks in his career. He is getting ever closer. Ever closer to

:29:20.:29:30.

Stephen Hendry's record, around the 760 mark. I asked Stephen and he

:29:31.:29:36.

said he couldn't remember how many he has made.

:29:37.:29:43.

There is a gap there. Maybe we will finish with a century.

:29:44.:30:01.

We have had 15 centuries this year. He is doing what all great champions

:30:02.:30:08.

do. He is finishing in style. He has already made 29 centuries

:30:09.:30:19.

this season. He has saved his best for the last

:30:20.:30:29.

frame. Ronnie Jr will be absolutely

:30:30.:30:59.

delighted. We know Ronnie feels pretty good. I

:31:00.:31:15.

bet his son is feeling even better than his dad.

:31:16.:31:25.

This crowd are loving it. There is no harm making noise at this stage,

:31:26.:31:37.

let them enjoy themselves. Stephen Maguire, after the first frame,

:31:38.:31:42.

wasn't at the races. Ronnie didn't play his best snooker, but what a

:31:43.:31:48.

way to finish, that 129 break gets him into his 10th final here at the

:31:49.:31:52.

Masters. A comfortable win in the end.

:31:53.:32:00.

HAZEL IRVINE: He is on his way to talk to us, finishing in style.

:32:01.:32:03.

Didn't bother with the black in the end. We did feel at 3-1 the contest

:32:04.:32:10.

was beginning to come to an end, even at that stage. Ominous signs

:32:11.:32:16.

for Stephen Maguire, got off to a great start but couldn't contain it.

:32:17.:32:21.

Ronnie didn't play at his best but he was still good enough. His cue

:32:22.:32:34.

action is totally in sync. He was cueing the ball magnificently. All

:32:35.:32:39.

set up for a fantastic final. Congratulations. Ten out of ten. You

:32:40.:32:48.

must feel good. I know I do all right here. You have

:32:49.:32:55.

got a great record, finishing with a century at the end. How good did you

:32:56.:32:59.

feel in comparison with that session where you have the Midas touch

:33:00.:33:04.

yesterday? Yesterday, you go through spells in

:33:05.:33:09.

your career where you can find that form quite regularly. I had a spell

:33:10.:33:12.

for a couple of years where I was playing like that. For the last six

:33:13.:33:22.

weeks I struggled a bit. The bit in and out. You just don't find that

:33:23.:33:32.

touch. When it goes it is hard to get back into it. Your consistency

:33:33.:33:39.

can be a bit up and down. Overall my mindset, if it isn't going well, it

:33:40.:33:55.

isn't what I am used to. That is how it can get sometimes.

:33:56.:34:00.

You talk about Mark Selby, third Masters final.

:34:01.:34:06.

You christened him the torturer in your book. I mean that in a

:34:07.:34:14.

complimentary way. A bit like playing Andy Murray, you

:34:15.:34:18.

know you will have to play a lot of shots to get in sometimes and it is

:34:19.:34:22.

about having that patients and mindset. I am a lot better dealing

:34:23.:34:29.

with it now I am working with Steve Peters. I get a bit fed up sometimes

:34:30.:34:34.

and want to go home, but I know I don't want to go home, it is that

:34:35.:34:40.

part of your brain that tells you. Can you look forward to a match

:34:41.:34:45.

against him? Of course, it is the final of the Masters, you have got

:34:46.:34:49.

to enjoy occasions like this. You have got to beat all kinds of

:34:50.:34:55.

players. Mark will make it tough for me, he makes it tough for everybody.

:34:56.:35:03.

He is a tough competitor. He is made of metal. I have got to find a way

:35:04.:35:07.

and breakthrough and stay focused and give it my best and play every

:35:08.:35:14.

ball the way Mark plays it and give it 100%.

:35:15.:35:19.

We are looking forward to seeing you play. Thank you very much. Tomorrow

:35:20.:35:28.

we are back on the air with the first session in the best of 19

:35:29.:35:35.

frames match at 1:30pm. It is one final each between these two great

:35:36.:35:37.

players, something has got to give tomorrow.

:35:38.:35:44.

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