Final, Part 1

:00:36. > :00:44.How does it feel to win a Masters? It is proof that you are the best of

:00:45. > :00:48.the best. The World Championship is your first game in every season, but

:00:49. > :00:54.the Masters is the second, because it proves you are the best player in

:00:55. > :01:06.the world. To have the Masters new CV is just incredible. It takes

:01:07. > :01:10.great, determination... A bit. Ronnie O'Sullivan has four Masters,

:01:11. > :01:16.Mark Selby has three Masters, it would be a fascinating battle. This

:01:17. > :01:22.has all the hallmarks of a clash of the titans.

:01:23. > :01:26.It certainly does, good afternoon, Alexandra Palace is packed for one

:01:27. > :01:32.of the great days in snooker in any year. Stand-by for the 40th playing

:01:33. > :01:36.of the final, featuring two specialists of this event, who

:01:37. > :01:39.between them, have won this title seven times. This is the third

:01:40. > :01:43.occasion that there are parts of crossed in a truly matters in the

:01:44. > :01:57.final. -- when there are parts of crossed. The Rocket against the man

:01:58. > :02:00.that he calls the torturer. He is the defending champion and I am

:02:01. > :02:04.current world champion, so I suppose it is good for the spectators, good

:02:05. > :02:12.for everyone that likes to watch snooker. Playing Ronnie O'Sullivan

:02:13. > :02:16.in the final will be a great atmosphere. I played him a few years

:02:17. > :02:21.ago in the Masters final, and it was probably the best atmosphere I have

:02:22. > :02:25.ever played in, and I'm sure it will be brilliant. The crowd get very

:02:26. > :02:28.excited, they love the snooker in London, it is a great atmosphere, I

:02:29. > :02:36.am just really pleased to be part of it. My record speaks for itself.

:02:37. > :02:42.Five out of seven finals is a great achievement, and I will give it my

:02:43. > :02:46.all until the last ball is potted. He is a tough competitor and match

:02:47. > :02:51.player, he has the ability to win matches even when he's not at his

:02:52. > :02:58.best. I call him the torturer, he has tortured a few opponents. Ronnie

:02:59. > :03:03.O'Sullivan has got his opinion, obviously he is a fantastic player,

:03:04. > :03:10.not everyone is as naturally gifted as Ronnie O'Sullivan, but this is my

:03:11. > :03:14.style, and I will do my best. This is a special tournament for me and

:03:15. > :03:18.for all of the players, really, so to get my hands on the trophy would

:03:19. > :03:28.be fantastic, but I have a long way to go. I just have to soak it all

:03:29. > :03:36.up. To join the elite group who have done it four times or more would be

:03:37. > :03:38.a fantastic feeling. Ronnie O'Sullivan has enjoyed a brilliant

:03:39. > :03:40.freewheeling journey to O'Sullivan has enjoyed a brilliant

:03:41. > :03:44.freewheeling journey what is a record 10th Masters final in 20

:03:45. > :03:56.years, and he is only last three frames along the way, Ferres Mark

:03:57. > :04:00.Selby's nerve was tested with the start difficult frames. This is a

:04:01. > :04:04.match that had no real edge, sharpened by previous contests.

:04:05. > :04:09.Sullivan has prevailed in ten of their previous 17 matches, but Mark

:04:10. > :04:13.Selby has inflicted pain on the way and beaten Ronnie in dramatic last

:04:14. > :04:18.cap styles in the Welsh final of 2008 and in this final in 2010 when

:04:19. > :04:28.he won the last four frames in a row to pick the Rocket to the title in a

:04:29. > :04:31.decided. -- decider. Very few players that can get under

:04:32. > :04:40.Ronnie O'Sullivan skin, Mark Selby is one of them, why is this? Mark

:04:41. > :04:47.Selby stands up to him, he is probably one of two players that can

:04:48. > :04:50.stand up to him on the table. He does not try to frustrate Ronnie

:04:51. > :04:54.O'Sullivan on purpose, but there were signs that some of that defence

:04:55. > :04:57.of this and negativity has been replaced for the time being, with a

:04:58. > :05:03.really fluent, aggressive attacking style. I think it was probably the

:05:04. > :05:07.best performance I have seen from Mark Selby all season. Every time he

:05:08. > :05:12.was getting income he was doing it in one visit, whereas before he was

:05:13. > :05:16.breaking down and was not as consistent and making those big

:05:17. > :05:20.breaks. He has got to stick to his own as Stephen said, Ronnie

:05:21. > :05:23.O'Sullivan can bully you, and you can get into a groove with Ronnie,

:05:24. > :05:32.but if he plays his own game, he will be OK. How equipped is Ronnie

:05:33. > :05:35.O'Sullivan to cope with what Mark Selby will throw at him, I'm talking

:05:36. > :05:41.specifically about his work with Steve Peters? He knows that Mark

:05:42. > :05:47.Selby is up for the challenge and he knows that he can be better. There

:05:48. > :05:51.will be fireworks. It is a fantastic contrast, different styles, they do

:05:52. > :05:55.not really get on that well, there is a bit of needle, and we love a

:05:56. > :06:02.bit of needle, so it would be a great final, I'm looking forward to

:06:03. > :06:05.it. We have waited four years for another head-to-head like this,

:06:06. > :06:09.let's go to Rob Walker, it is all yours.

:06:10. > :06:14.It is the big on! Welcome to the final of the 2014 Masters! This is

:06:15. > :06:20.the matchup that many people wanted to see! It could be absolutely epic!

:06:21. > :06:34.Please welcome, a player who at times this week has been simply

:06:35. > :06:39.sublime, conceding only three frames on routes to this, his record 10th

:06:40. > :06:45.Masters final, he is one of the favoured sons he first won the title

:06:46. > :06:49.in 1995, here he is, ready to turn back the clock in style, is the

:06:50. > :06:52.reigning champion of the world, link and you will miss him! The Rocket!

:06:53. > :07:12.Ronnie O'Sullivan! CHEERING RONNIE O'SULLIVAN - MUSIC: "A Man

:07:13. > :07:26.Should Better Himself" by George Lam.

:07:27. > :07:35.And his opponent, here for his fifth Masters final in seven years, and an

:07:36. > :07:40.amazing records who never knows when he's beaten in this tournament,

:07:41. > :07:45.coming through 265 deciders alone, three times the winner of this

:07:46. > :07:51.crown, he is the defending champion, here comes the just from last, Mark

:07:52. > :07:53.Selby! -- the Jester from last! CHEERING

:07:54. > :08:23.This is the match they have wanted to see all week, and if it is

:08:24. > :08:27.anything like their previous matchups, it will keep us glued all

:08:28. > :08:30.evening! Eight frames to be played this afternoon, the formalities

:08:31. > :08:34.being observed before we get underway, and we say good afternoon

:08:35. > :08:42.to Steve Davis and John Virgo, gentlemen, take it away!

:08:43. > :08:47.Good afternoon, you do not get an atmosphere like this very often, it

:08:48. > :08:51.is absolutely electric, you have been here, Steve, and you have

:08:52. > :08:58.played in these atmospheres, people wonder how you play your hands

:08:59. > :09:01.steady when you play these shots? You are excited as everybody else,

:09:02. > :09:14.but you know that you are there to do a job. Everybody, all of the

:09:15. > :09:18.cameras and the phones away, please. We have been discussing various

:09:19. > :09:23.people, Ronnie's mindset coming into this, and a good yardstick is his

:09:24. > :09:27.attitude off the table as much as on the table, but something I noticed

:09:28. > :09:30.at the start as he walked in, many times when he walked into an

:09:31. > :09:34.auditorium, you does not acknowledge the crowd on little bit, as if he

:09:35. > :09:41.doesn't re-want to be there. But Ronnie O'Sullivan but a hand up to

:09:42. > :09:54.the fans, a sign that he is possibly a tease to himself. -- possibly at

:09:55. > :10:03.ease with himself. Purposely played to skew back to baulk, maybe if it

:10:04. > :10:10.had been a bit further back. It was interesting, what you say, he has

:10:11. > :10:12.embraced the crowd this week, Steve. He has created this tremendous

:10:13. > :10:33.atmosphere that we have got, and for the final should be like that.

:10:34. > :10:42.This leaves safety shot gives Mark Selby a chance for the red into the

:10:43. > :11:00.corner. Very little chance of leaving a red.

:11:01. > :11:08.I thought he would have played the one nearest to the cushion and run

:11:09. > :11:18.around the outside cushions. He could cut along the thin side and

:11:19. > :11:26.click the red. -- flick the red. He has had on pot and not taken

:11:27. > :11:31.advantage. We Ronnie O'Sullivan has playing this week, the standard he

:11:32. > :11:40.has been setting is a re-soak Mark Selby needs to take these half

:11:41. > :11:43.chances. -- the standard he has been setting is very high, so Mark Selby

:11:44. > :12:00.needs to take his chances. This is a nervy start from Mark

:12:01. > :12:23.Selby. Played it perfectly, a perfect angle

:12:24. > :12:41.on the blue. This week, Ronnie O'Sullivan has

:12:42. > :13:42.been very quickly out of the starting blocks.

:13:43. > :13:45.It is always a joy to watch Ronnie O'Sullivan and how he goes building

:13:46. > :14:06.a break. I do not think the two reds by the

:14:07. > :14:14.black spot will part, so therefore, he is working around the pink ball

:14:15. > :14:22.here. -- will pot. He just has got to be careful with this one if he

:14:23. > :14:26.decides to screw back. Nicely held. Close control around the top of the

:14:27. > :14:32.table does bigger difference, positionally. You can close in on

:14:33. > :14:56.the balls. That cue ball bounced off the

:14:57. > :15:01.cushion a bit further. As I say, you do not want to be stretching like

:15:02. > :15:06.this. He has tried to play it a left-handed, but he cannot get in

:15:07. > :15:07.the line, so trying to play it on the rest. Interesting if he goes for

:15:08. > :15:19.the black year. -- here. He did play for the black, so I can

:15:20. > :15:25.only assume that when the black is re-spotted, it will be in the open.

:15:26. > :15:30.He has gone a little bit straight on it, so that is why he has decided to

:15:31. > :15:38.have a change of plan and play for the pink. This is another reason why

:15:39. > :15:41.I think that Ronnie O'Sullivan is mentally sharp and you to do a job

:15:42. > :16:09.this week. -- and here. He needs a good angle now, because

:16:10. > :16:17.this is the last of the easy reds to get on. Decided to leave an angle on

:16:18. > :16:22.the pink and now he will part the pink and stunned into these four

:16:23. > :16:41.reds. You always need a little bit of luck. What is he on now?

:16:42. > :16:48.He was able to see an offer that, and he brought a red into play.

:16:49. > :16:58.Fancy winning this frame now at this visit.

:16:59. > :17:04.There is no better feeling than making a century break in the first

:17:05. > :17:14.frame, it sets you up for the day. It stands her authority on the

:17:15. > :17:20.match. -- its stamps your authority. This pink will put in 68 finds in

:17:21. > :17:31.front with just 67 remaining. -- 68 points.

:17:32. > :18:30.And how easily has he made this break look?

:18:31. > :18:37.Now, he is going to make the century, he has got to bring that

:18:38. > :18:47.red away from the black, so he can do it off the pink. Tremendous. He

:18:48. > :18:56.can just about cut this red in. I'm lucky! Just overcut it, but what a

:18:57. > :18:59.start! The last one that he missed cost him the frame, that was Ronnie

:19:00. > :19:05.O'Sullivan at his absolute best. He wins the first frame.

:19:06. > :19:15.That is the way to start a final, Ronnie O'Sullivan moves past Stephen

:19:16. > :19:21.Hendry with the record for appearances at Masters final. As for

:19:22. > :19:25.Mark Selby, he has won three of the last six titles in this event, and

:19:26. > :19:30.this is his best final in seven years, quite an amazing return for

:19:31. > :19:34.effort in this event, and this has been the event at which he has fared

:19:35. > :19:38.best by a country mile, and I think it undermined his love of the

:19:39. > :19:45.limelight and the one table prestige of the occasion. But it was a good

:19:46. > :19:49.start. Yes, Ronnie O'Sullivan has laid down the marker, a nervous

:19:50. > :19:53.start for Mark Selby, but Ronnie O'Sullivan, straightaway, straight

:19:54. > :19:59.off the mark, scoring very, very heavily and looks really good. In

:20:00. > :20:02.terms of his experience, you would expect one or two jangling nerves,

:20:03. > :20:10.but he seems to relish this occasion, was it strange to have a

:20:11. > :20:14.twitchy start from him? I think that Mark Selby realises the occasion and

:20:15. > :20:17.how big this matches for him, he wants to win well, he does not want

:20:18. > :20:23.to be run over by Ronnie O'Sullivan, was to prove he is as good as him,

:20:24. > :20:28.so it is like a boxing match, Ronnie O'Sullivan has the first punch in.

:20:29. > :20:36.Yes, and it was quite a blow, and we're off and running again.

:20:37. > :20:43.Ronnie O'Sullivan, looking to see if there is any value in going for a

:20:44. > :20:57.pot? They do not come much better than

:20:58. > :21:27.that, absolutely right in the heart of the pocket, beautiful shot.

:21:28. > :21:33.He does appear to be playing snooker on another level at the moment.

:21:34. > :21:37.Perhaps the key to this Masters final is the word relentlessness.

:21:38. > :21:44.Whichever one of these players can get into this mode the quickest

:21:45. > :21:48.could break the other. Ronnie O'Sullivan has got the first chance,

:21:49. > :22:00.a great first frame. Can he keep the pressure on?

:22:01. > :22:11.Maybe he wants a little bit more angle, but I think he can force down

:22:12. > :22:12.here. I do not think the black is available just yet, so he will have

:22:13. > :22:37.to go back up for the blue. He would like to have been a little

:22:38. > :22:43.bit shorter on that, the lights have had an angle on it so he can can the

:22:44. > :22:47.red to the left the black. Trying to get to the potting angle of the

:22:48. > :22:54.pink. This is the last of the open reds. Imparting the Pinky would

:22:55. > :22:57.bring the other reds into play, and he feels that he can pot the pink.

:22:58. > :23:13.-- in potting the pink. You never actually know where the

:23:14. > :23:18.red will end up a new career into it like that, but Ronnie O'Sullivan had

:23:19. > :23:22.every chance of being on a red. A great screw back as well as smashing

:23:23. > :23:25.into the pack, disturbed as many reds as possible. That is all you

:23:26. > :23:51.can hope for with that shot. He had a decision to make, he could

:23:52. > :23:56.have played a drop cannon, but that was risky playing for the blue. He

:23:57. > :24:03.knew there wasn't much risk. Nicely on the colour and perfect on the

:24:04. > :24:05.blue. He hit them really well, only one red moved, but there are enough

:24:06. > :24:19.reds in the open now. That is violent stuff from Ronnie

:24:20. > :24:23.O'Sullivan. If it was the analogy with a boxing match, round one here

:24:24. > :24:49.has pummelled him, second round, he is on the ropes.

:24:50. > :24:56.Has he ran too far? The pink just went in the wrong side of the

:24:57. > :25:01.pocket, that is why the cue ball ran a little bit too far, but it seems

:25:02. > :25:07.as if he is OK. Could not get a good angle on the blue. There is Jimmy

:25:08. > :25:11.White in the audience, and he doesn't come and watch too much

:25:12. > :25:46.snooker, but like us all, he loves watching Ronnie O'Sullivan play.

:25:47. > :25:53.He is nicely on this red. Just seeing if he can get through to the

:25:54. > :26:01.pink here. He would like to play for the pink if he could.

:26:02. > :26:05.A quick glance at the scoreboard, he is still looking for three reds,

:26:06. > :26:24.three colours. So, this could be the key to this

:26:25. > :27:07.second frame. It bounced off the cushion a

:27:08. > :27:18.fraction. Could have been straight on this pink, you could have rolled

:27:19. > :27:23.it in quite quick way. -- quickly. During this week, around that part

:27:24. > :27:26.of the cushion, the top two side cushions have played very fast,

:27:27. > :27:33.playing straight on them and back off again.

:27:34. > :27:38.Has he lost position? His body language looks like it. No, it is

:27:39. > :27:50.OK. We have all run out of superlatives

:27:51. > :27:54.for Ronnie O'Sullivan, but have you ever seen anybody make such a

:27:55. > :28:08.difficult game look so easy in any sport? No. And we know how difficult

:28:09. > :28:12.the game is. And that is a fact. Oh, he has missed the pink, just trying

:28:13. > :28:17.to squeeze it in, but 70 points in front, and just 51 remaining, I

:28:18. > :28:21.think Mark Selby will just be having a bit of practice time here. No

:28:22. > :28:26.thoughts of winning the frame. Just wanted to get his hand on the table

:28:27. > :28:54.and pot a few balls. I would be astonished if Mark Selby

:28:55. > :29:12.was going to be playing for snooker is here. -- snookers here. He is

:29:13. > :29:22.just playing for a bit of fact time. Did he get a kick there? -- playing

:29:23. > :29:29.for a bit of practice time. He not thinking about winning this frame, I

:29:30. > :29:36.think he is conceding it. Ronnie O'Sullivan, well, in top gear very

:29:37. > :29:47.early and looking very, very special out there, 2-0 in front. We have

:29:48. > :29:56.often talked about the ability of Ronnie to bully players. Worrying

:29:57. > :30:02.signs for Mark. He needs to get ten in one of the next couple of frames,

:30:03. > :30:08.because if he is four behind at the interval, he could be in big

:30:09. > :30:14.trouble. A wonderful long red at the start of the second frame. Yes, if

:30:15. > :30:23.Ronnie does have an Achilles heel, it is possibly his long potting. But

:30:24. > :30:29.this week, he has been commended. Everything seems to be totally in

:30:30. > :30:34.sync. He makes a very difficult game like so easy.

:30:35. > :30:46.He just have those lovely touches and when he is in full flow like

:30:47. > :30:51.that, it is so good to watch. He is 38 years of age, he should be in

:30:52. > :31:02.decline with regard to his snooker ability. But he is still the PM and

:31:03. > :31:05.clear in the spot. Yes, I think the restructuring of snooker will help

:31:06. > :31:08.him. He is not going to play every week and I think it will make his

:31:09. > :31:37.career last longer. STEVE DAVIS: yes, it does seem that

:31:38. > :31:43.in the past, at the age of about 40, players have gone off the boil.

:31:44. > :31:48.But I think he has the potential to set the record book straight and set

:31:49. > :31:54.the barriers back to players being well in their 40s at the top of the

:31:55. > :32:00.game. If that is the kiss, he would be capable of winning world

:32:01. > :32:05.Championships in a lot more than just the next couple of years to

:32:06. > :32:18.come. There are records in danger of being broken.

:32:19. > :32:27.JOHN VIRGO: he will not be very happy with that safety shot, he

:32:28. > :32:38.would have wanted it right on the baulk cushion. Brewer.

:32:39. > :32:52.At the moment, Mark Selby has not got his cue arm going at all.

:32:53. > :32:58.At this level, not making the baulk line is the sign that you have not

:32:59. > :33:16.hit the ball at all correctly. It was made more difficult because

:33:17. > :33:20.he was playing it with kiss. So, people or safety shot from Mark did

:33:21. > :33:34.not cost him, which will be a really.

:33:35. > :33:40.That was missable, but the ball is well not in an ideal situation

:33:41. > :33:52.either. The pink and black very much tied up at the moment. It would take

:33:53. > :33:56.some sort of break building to get this all into open play. If anyone

:33:57. > :34:15.can, Ronnie O'Sullivan can. On the wrong side of the blue, so

:34:16. > :34:30.this will need a good shot to get on the next red.

:34:31. > :34:45.I think before he even played this shortcoming he that was probably the

:34:46. > :35:27.likely line that the cue ball would take.

:35:28. > :35:43.Missed this in contact. He has left an easy starter, but as Steve said,

:35:44. > :35:56.with the pink and black tied up, this is not easy.

:35:57. > :36:06.As we speak, Mark Selby has lost all confidence. He could get it back

:36:07. > :36:17.with one or two pots, to get his cue arm going, but he is called at the

:36:18. > :36:20.moment, in more ways than one. A couple of players earlier in the

:36:21. > :36:31.week where complaining about the air conditioning blowing, but at other

:36:32. > :36:35.times, it has seemed too hot. Now that the pink is in open play,

:36:36. > :37:26.things begin to look a lot easier. Although we said it was a tricky

:37:27. > :37:30.situation, you would not put it past him to make the frame winning

:37:31. > :38:34.contribution, the way he is striking the ball.

:38:35. > :38:52.This final, the best of 19 frames, the first to win ten. The first

:38:53. > :39:00.prize of ?200,000. ?90,000 to the runner-up, so they are effectively

:39:01. > :39:03.playing for ?110,000. If a likelihood that the moment that

:39:04. > :39:11.Ronnie O'Sullivan will be listing that trophy.

:39:12. > :39:19.Perhaps I am reading things because he is making the game too easy, but

:39:20. > :39:25.he seems much more in June this week, much more alert and around the

:39:26. > :39:28.table. It may be a funny thing to say, but he seems very focused, even

:39:29. > :39:44.more so than normal. There is a bit more of a spring in

:39:45. > :39:51.his step, a bit more enthusiasm from him around the table.

:39:52. > :40:03.One thing is for certain, in any thing you do, if you enjoy it, , you

:40:04. > :40:15.get on better, even when the pressure is on, you enjoy it. He

:40:16. > :40:21.played sensationally against Ricky Walden the other day and people

:40:22. > :40:24.wonder that he could repeat that and at times during the game with

:40:25. > :40:33.Stephen Maguire, he did exactly that. Stunning stuff. He has just

:40:34. > :40:34.about on the pink. This pink and he will go 68 points in front, with

:40:35. > :40:59.just 67 remaining. for Mark Selby at the moment. He is

:41:00. > :41:05.currently unplayable and that would be with equal table team, but

:41:06. > :41:38.unfortunately for Mark Selby, he has had none.

:41:39. > :41:48.Not the best positional shot, but he deserves a century. He nearly got

:41:49. > :41:52.one in the opening frame. Mark Selby will be sitting there, thinking, I

:41:53. > :42:00.have got to somehow try and get in, because at the moment, he is been

:42:01. > :42:17.steam-rollered. I suppose smashing him over the head

:42:18. > :42:35.with the but of the cue might work, but that is not in the rule book.

:42:36. > :42:47.He was trying to bring the year low into the, but just missed it. --

:42:48. > :42:51.yellow. He will need a good shot here, because he requires the yellow

:42:52. > :42:59.and the green for the century. Unlucky. He has done everything but

:43:00. > :43:05.make a century so far. Mark Selby is not getting a sniff of a chance so

:43:06. > :43:15.far. It is the third frame in a row for Ronnie O'Sullivan.

:43:16. > :43:25.Steve, words can't really describe what we are seen. It is absolutely

:43:26. > :43:28.superb. OK, no century, but he is winning frames like that, frilly

:43:29. > :43:34.pink and black wear out of commission, sensational stuff. Yes,

:43:35. > :43:37.I went back to the relentlessness of Ronnie O'Sullivan and also, Mark

:43:38. > :43:46.Selby can be similar if he gets going. But it is a big blow so far

:43:47. > :43:52.for Ronnie O'Sullivan to give him. Because snooker is a game of

:43:53. > :43:59.occupying the table, you do not get equal play. Whereas in the likes of

:44:00. > :44:05.golf, darts, you get an equal amount of shots. In the likes of snooker,

:44:06. > :44:17.when you are sitting in the chair, it simply gets lonelier and lonely.

:44:18. > :44:19.At the moment, he really needs to get to the practice table, to get

:44:20. > :44:36.his cue arm going. Yes, it is all happening. Rob

:44:37. > :44:48.Walker, when he introduced Ronnie O'Sullivan said, blink and you will

:44:49. > :44:49.miss him and that has been the kiss. Before you hardly know it, we could

:44:50. > :45:01.be at the mid-session interval. And that would be before Mark Selby

:45:02. > :45:09.is even really had a chance to play. You can see the points scored at the

:45:10. > :45:23.moment 269-14 in favour of Ronnie. And there is the cable time, 84%

:45:24. > :45:28.compared to 16%. -- table. Cracker. Good shot.

:45:29. > :45:34.That will make him feel better. But he knows he has to make the most of

:45:35. > :45:50.these opportunities. The reason why you put in countless

:45:51. > :46:07.hours of practice are for moments like this.

:46:08. > :46:16.Got into that too much. A bit unlucky. Brewer positional play in

:46:17. > :46:23.one respect, but he did not quite on the shot, he got really hold of the

:46:24. > :46:25.cue ball and perhaps Egypt a big bounce off the side cushion, as

:46:26. > :46:46.well. -- he got. After the initial red, he will be

:46:47. > :47:19.disappointed that he only got seven points from a visit.

:47:20. > :47:37.Mark Selby can go for this long red, knowing that the only red he could

:47:38. > :47:47.leave here will be the one he is going for. But how long we wrote

:47:48. > :47:49.again and he has stuck it up. If we want have fallen for Mark Selby at

:47:50. > :47:57.the moment in this tournament. He would have wanted to get a lot

:47:58. > :48:15.closer to that. If this makes the baulk line, he may

:48:16. > :48:43.have a go pretty easy at the green. Ronnie just grimaced slightly, he

:48:44. > :48:50.was looking for more of an angle on that red. He has an angle here to go

:48:51. > :48:59.into the cluster, but the black is missable.

:49:00. > :49:09.This is a bit of pressure on trying to go for frames ahead by the

:49:10. > :49:11.interval. He does not want to miss this, open them up and let Mark

:49:12. > :49:56.Selby in for a counter attack. I think he will have to play for the

:49:57. > :50:00.red up by the left middle pocket. I do not think he has the angle on the

:50:01. > :50:21.black to go Kerry using into the cluster.

:50:22. > :50:29.So, he will play for this one, he would have liked to have been the

:50:30. > :50:35.other side so he could of returned down for the black. But he will be

:50:36. > :50:42.looking for a good angle off the screen. Once he has potted this

:50:43. > :50:49.green and red sitting above the pack, he will have run out of

:50:50. > :50:50.portable red is. Things are made harder they the fact that the blue

:50:51. > :51:10.is not on its spot. Much easier to run back into ball by

:51:11. > :51:20.playing this with topspin, as he was lining up.

:51:21. > :51:40.Ideally, would like to catch this pretty thick.

:51:41. > :51:51.Well, he needed to hit this ball fool, but he only caught at quarter

:51:52. > :52:08.ball. Can he actually get through the gap. Maybe just.

:52:09. > :52:16.Nope, he is not going for it, we thought it was on, but he will know

:52:17. > :52:23.better than us. He also knows the importance of this frame. There is a

:52:24. > :52:43.huge difference going into the mid-session interval only two frames

:52:44. > :52:56.behind, compared to four. Good safety.

:52:57. > :53:02.Another turn of the ball and Mark Selby would have been in a lot of

:53:03. > :53:33.trouble there. A bit fortunate to get down the

:53:34. > :53:35.table and also to hamper Ronnie. He has needed a bit of luck and he has

:53:36. > :54:04.certainly had it there. We see this game is all about

:54:05. > :54:10.fractions. Ronnie did not want to bounce off the baulk cushion like

:54:11. > :54:12.that, but the way things have been going, you expected it almost to

:54:13. > :54:28.keep up eating the green. That was a much better strike on the

:54:29. > :54:29.safety shot. If he can do that, he is much more likely to force an

:54:30. > :54:43.error from Ronnie. Apart from anything else, it will

:54:44. > :55:04.help him get into the rhythm of the match.

:55:05. > :55:19.He does not normally give this so much thought, but that gives you an

:55:20. > :55:25.idea of the difficulty. He knew that there could be a red coming back up

:55:26. > :55:30.the table with them. Yes, he was willing to make that sacrifice, but

:55:31. > :55:35.he did very well to get the cue ball back into ball. -- into the baulk

:55:36. > :55:55.area. At least he is making Ronnie think

:55:56. > :56:26.this frame. There are places on the top cushion

:56:27. > :56:32.which are safe, but you do not want the cue ball coming back out to fire

:56:33. > :56:38.from the top cushion, which has happened. So, this could be as good

:56:39. > :56:43.a chance as Mark Selby is going to get from Ronnie O'Sullivan. It is

:56:44. > :57:05.very missable. This is a chance to get the first

:57:06. > :57:14.frame on the scoreboard and he certainly knows it. He certainly

:57:15. > :58:15.seemed to cue that a hell of a lot better.

:58:16. > :58:26.He let it affect him. He lost his competitive competitive edge there.

:58:27. > :58:38.I am not aware of the person who was clapping. Every now and then, people

:58:39. > :58:44.come to you snooker event and maybe do not know the etiquette and maybe

:58:45. > :58:55.get a bit over excited. Even so, as a professional, you have to deal

:58:56. > :59:07.with everything. But he was very disappointed to miss that one

:59:08. > :59:14.afterwards. In practice, I do not think he would miss that once in

:59:15. > :59:20.1,000 teams. But he does have a 36 point lead, but that could quickly

:59:21. > :59:33.disappear if he does not get this safe.

:59:34. > :59:36.This doesn't look like a bad line at all, could not have played it

:59:37. > :59:50.better. If Ronnie O'Sullivan was to get out

:59:51. > :59:57.of this and leave Mark Selby a chance at a red, that is the one he

:59:58. > :00:19.would be aiming for. If the person that is clapping

:00:20. > :00:23.really loudly and you have an earpiece and, perhaps ease up on the

:00:24. > :00:48.clapping a bit, and it might help your chosen player.

:00:49. > :00:54.There is Patsy Fagan in the audience, 1977 UK champion. There is

:00:55. > :01:09.only one Patsy Fagan! There were a few imposters around

:01:10. > :01:12.last year. Just thinking when he can leave his cue ball in the most

:01:13. > :01:16.awkward position. He is frightened of leaving a long pot on for Ronnie,

:01:17. > :01:19.because he would be thinking that will cost him the frame, but to not

:01:20. > :01:33.overthink it. Trying to use the green as a block.

:01:34. > :01:39.He is tied on the baulk cushion. That is a bit dangerous, but is the

:01:40. > :01:41.green blocking the path to the red? Obviously, it is, because Ronnie has

:01:42. > :01:55.to play safe. He didn't play it, you played it

:01:56. > :02:03.across the other side of the table, played the cue ball into the jaws

:02:04. > :02:07.around the yellow pocket. That click on the green, if he had kissed the

:02:08. > :02:13.green full ball, Mark Selby would have had a good chance to the left

:02:14. > :02:16.corner. It has helped Mark Selby a fraction in as much as it would be

:02:17. > :02:22.difficult for Ronnie O'Sullivan to clear up in one visit. So, he would

:02:23. > :02:30.have been delighted to see the green goal next to that lieu. -- blue. A

:02:31. > :02:54.bit of an insurance policy. He just wanted to leave it in the

:02:55. > :02:59.jaws of the pocket, felt like that was the safest place, but Ronnie

:03:00. > :03:03.O'Sullivan can get this cue ball and not a good red in and get right back

:03:04. > :03:16.into this frame, but with the green being near the blue... A great shot,

:03:17. > :03:20.difficult for Ronnie to win in one visit, but look at that. Beautifully

:03:21. > :03:33.struck. If he can win this frame in one

:03:34. > :03:40.visit, then, I think that is end of story for the day! Of course, he

:03:41. > :04:43.doesn't have to even attempt to. Just two points behind now. Just

:04:44. > :04:53.checking the green. There is no way to get past the blue.

:04:54. > :05:42.Let's see how he goes about trying to bring that green into play.

:05:43. > :05:46.If he doesn't get the potting angle, he will run into the brown, so he

:05:47. > :06:15.needs to play this inch perfect. He's tried to get something

:06:16. > :06:19.happening there, and now, all of a sudden, he has lost control of the

:06:20. > :06:37.tactical part of the frame, but it was never going to be easy.

:06:38. > :06:40.So, even Ronnie O'Sullivan couldn't win that frame in one visit, but an

:06:41. > :07:00.excellent contribution. The chants of snooker in behind the

:07:01. > :07:05.brown for Ronnie O'Sullivan here with the cue ball. It would be hard

:07:06. > :07:14.to force a frame-winning mistake from your opponent with the green

:07:15. > :07:23.mayor. -- green fair. Doesn't want to leave it with a pocket, but that

:07:24. > :07:28.has probably gone far enough. Far enough that Mark Selby cannot play a

:07:29. > :07:32.positional shot off the green. Policy could screw it in with a bit

:07:33. > :07:42.of side. Do you think off to cushions, John? -- two cautions? If

:07:43. > :07:48.he can, there is a possibility. It is difficult to say. Not a bad line,

:07:49. > :07:55.he needs to kiss the green. A great effort. Just could not find the

:07:56. > :08:04.ankle. He needed a fraction of right-hand side to widen it off the

:08:05. > :08:15.second cushion. He needs to be very careful with this safety.

:08:16. > :08:22.Hitting the right-hand side of the green is fraught with danger.

:08:23. > :08:28.Hitting beautiful in the face centre to the corner pocket. That was well

:08:29. > :08:38.struck to keep the green in the bottom half of the table.

:08:39. > :08:56.He played the shot with side spin, it could have all gone wrong.

:08:57. > :09:02.Of course, that is the thing with Ronnie O'Sullivan, you will not

:09:03. > :09:11.outdo him with the safety game. His safety is as good as anybody. I

:09:12. > :09:14.think thin on the green on the right, and use the blue as a

:09:15. > :09:36.stopper. He has caught it from behind. He

:09:37. > :09:45.needs the pink to come to his rescue. He were to be disappointed

:09:46. > :10:00.not to hit the blue with the green. As it is, the cue ball was good.

:10:01. > :10:07.The pink came to his rescue, but a very controlled swerve by Ronnie. I

:10:08. > :10:21.disclose the green and has a chance to the brown. -- in goes the green.

:10:22. > :10:29.In it goes, and now he is 18 points in front with just 80 remaining. You

:10:30. > :10:37.would just roll the blue end. -- 18 remaining. That is 4-0, now, for

:10:38. > :10:42.sure, as they go to the mid-session interval. A frame that Mark Selby

:10:43. > :10:48.should have won, but Markey O'Sullivan, he is not giving him an

:10:49. > :10:56.inch. -- Ronnie O'Sullivan. Mark Selby with an awful lot to think

:10:57. > :11:03.about so early on. 4-0, Ronnie O'Sullivan, absolutely brilliant.

:11:04. > :11:09.I'm sure Mark Selby is delighted with that interval coming there, but

:11:10. > :11:12.that would be very painful for him, especially losing concentration when

:11:13. > :11:20.the frame was at his mercy. Do not lose your concentration what ever

:11:21. > :11:28.you do. Patti got that frame, 3-1 at the interval is not too bad. -- had

:11:29. > :11:33.he got that frame. We have seen a lot of missed long parts, and not

:11:34. > :11:36.only missing them, but how far he is missing them. He is giving Ronnie

:11:37. > :11:44.easy opportunities and he is under pressure. He has been under pressure

:11:45. > :11:47.from the start, you get the feeling, 4-0 behind against Ronnie

:11:48. > :11:53.O'Sullivan, when do you start to fear the worst in this situation? It

:11:54. > :11:58.starts to get almost embarrassment as a feeling, and you do not want to

:11:59. > :12:03.be thinking... You're thinking all sorts. All sorts of things come out

:12:04. > :12:08.of your mind, none of them positive. That chants that he missed, I think,

:12:09. > :12:14.this is good, he will get into the final, but 4-0, I always think in

:12:15. > :12:21.finals, in long frame, you win in the first session and Ronnie looks

:12:22. > :12:27.like doing that. Does panic started to write a new at this point? No, I

:12:28. > :12:31.would not say panic. You do not panic at any time, he has come back

:12:32. > :12:36.before against Ronnie O'Sullivan when he was 4-0 down. I would not

:12:37. > :12:41.panic just yet, but he needs to get a couple of frames before they break

:12:42. > :12:45.for the session tonight, and just get his arm going. Every mistake

:12:46. > :12:51.that he is making, Ronnie O'Sullivan is pushing him, it is the Ronnie

:12:52. > :12:55.O'Sullivan show at the moment. He loves to humiliate his opponents, I

:12:56. > :12:58.used to love it as well, it is a perverse feeling to run them into

:12:59. > :13:04.the ground, and that is what he is doing, he is loving it out there. It

:13:05. > :13:08.is all Ronnie, what a start for him. There have been some great rivalries

:13:09. > :13:12.in snooker over the years, I am sure you remember Alex Higgins against

:13:13. > :13:16.Steve Davis and Stephen Hendry against Jimmy White, some great

:13:17. > :13:18.matches, but this Selby and O'Sullivan rivalry is the most

:13:19. > :13:22.compelling in the sport at the moment, and whilst Selby has said in

:13:23. > :13:27.the past that he really enjoys playing Ronnie, Ronnie has admitted

:13:28. > :13:32.freely that he does not like playing against Mark Selby, he said so in

:13:33. > :13:38.his biography. He called him the torturer, and that is something we

:13:39. > :13:42.have spoken about with both men. I call him the torturer, he has

:13:43. > :13:46.tortured a few opponents, and it has been nice sitting back watching them

:13:47. > :13:50.go through it as well, because a lot of people can be critical and think,

:13:51. > :13:55.Ronnie has cracked up this and that, but until you play somebody like

:13:56. > :13:59.Mark and go through it, you do not really realise what is going on out

:14:00. > :14:03.there sometimes, and Ebdon was like that also. They can stop you from

:14:04. > :14:10.playing, stop you from getting any momentum, just everything is like

:14:11. > :14:15.long, drawn-out frames. It is hard to keep concentration for that

:14:16. > :14:20.amount of time, and especially in a final, the best-of-7, the best of

:14:21. > :14:30.nine, the best of 19, the best of 25, a world final, it is a long,

:14:31. > :14:34.long game. How would you characterise the nature of the

:14:35. > :14:39.rivalry between you both? My record against Ronnie is pretty good,

:14:40. > :14:43.probably the best out of those that are played him, but I think it is

:14:44. > :14:47.great for an outsider, there is Ronnie who is quite talented and

:14:48. > :14:52.then me that has two really work at the game, but it is too different

:14:53. > :14:57.strategies, two different games. I can be really defensive at times,

:14:58. > :15:00.can be attacking at times, and he is obviously always attacking, so it is

:15:01. > :15:04.very strange, but every time you play Ronnie, you know it will be a

:15:05. > :15:09.tough game and you have to play your best to win. Is there any good

:15:10. > :15:13.between you both, because he has a lot of things to say about your

:15:14. > :15:17.play? Obviously, I never ignore anyone, I always say hello to him at

:15:18. > :15:21.things like that, but in the press, he might have said things about me

:15:22. > :15:25.which I do not know if he regrets it, but at the end of the day, I got

:15:26. > :15:29.respect for him as a player, he is one of the greatest players to ever

:15:30. > :15:36.play our game and I am sure he has got respect for me. This rivalry has

:15:37. > :15:39.grown legs a bit. You talk about philosophy, Ronnie sees the

:15:40. > :15:44.philosophy differently to you as well, because he said about your

:15:45. > :15:48.game, eBay is a very negative, long bouts of safety am never takes on a

:15:49. > :15:53.ball unless he will leave it safe and stop is that true? Is that in

:15:54. > :15:58.some respects accurate? Well, sometimes when I play, I work out

:15:59. > :16:03.the percentages and I think, is it worthwhile going for it? The same as

:16:04. > :16:06.everyone else does. But if I'm struggling, I revert to that, and if

:16:07. > :16:10.you are struggling, there is no point in playing long balls if you

:16:11. > :16:16.know you're not good at saying them, because the percentages not there.

:16:17. > :16:20.By Ronnie coming out with that comment, I know that is what he is

:16:21. > :16:23.thinking, so I would be wrong if I wasn't playing that game against him

:16:24. > :16:29.because I know it is getting into his head. Secretly, does everybody

:16:30. > :16:33.wants to play like him when he is really on song and can practically

:16:34. > :16:38.do everything? Do you all wish, in some respects, that you had that

:16:39. > :16:43.level of natural talent? I am sure everybody does, because I think he

:16:44. > :16:47.makes it look so easy, when he is switched on, nobody can touch him,

:16:48. > :16:51.and he is unplayable at times, and everybody wants to play the standard

:16:52. > :16:55.he plays, but it will not always happen, and sometimes he plays in

:16:56. > :16:58.tournaments and he loses to people you would not think he would lose

:16:59. > :17:03.too. Everyone has a different technique in strategy and that is

:17:04. > :17:06.why it is so interesting. It is fascinating when we compare all of

:17:07. > :17:09.the styles of the players, and Ronnie has written a book and he

:17:10. > :17:14.describes you as the torturer will stop he says that you have different

:17:15. > :17:17.mentalities, philosophies, he said that you tortured Graham Dodd, Neil

:17:18. > :17:22.Robertson in the Masters, Shaun Murphy also, but he says I have got

:17:23. > :17:28.a lot of respect for the way he gets results. He says that the best name

:17:29. > :17:36.for you is stick ability Selby, because he was stick to the best

:17:37. > :17:41.that you play. I never give in, I've seen players in the past to play

:17:42. > :17:44.Ronnie O'Sullivan and when they get on -- when he gets on top of them,

:17:45. > :17:53.then they sit in the chair to Jack did, but that is not me. I will

:17:54. > :18:02.always be digging in. Is it pretty? We July kid to be prettier? -- would

:18:03. > :18:08.you like it to be prettier? It doesn't bother me, I have done well,

:18:09. > :18:12.so I must be doing something right. Well, the torturer is being tortured

:18:13. > :18:23.this afternoon, if you were described as the torturer, would you

:18:24. > :18:28.use it? Yes, absolutely, if somebody is annoyed by that, then you use it

:18:29. > :18:32.against them. Mark is very right in what he says, I think he has got a

:18:33. > :18:35.really good attitude. He never gives up. He has seen players collapse

:18:36. > :18:39.against Ronnie O'Sullivan when Ronnie O'Sullivan have gone ahead,

:18:40. > :18:43.but he knows, and O'Sullivan knows, which is reported for Mark Selby,

:18:44. > :18:48.that he will not give up and he will try for every ball. It is nice to

:18:49. > :18:52.play like Ronnie O'Sullivan, but not everybody can play like that. This

:18:53. > :18:55.is all about winning, sometimes you cannot always win pretty, even

:18:56. > :18:58.though we would love to, but when you are not winning pretty, if

:18:59. > :19:04.you're winning ugly, your name is still going on the trophy. Ronnie

:19:05. > :19:10.will expect him to regroup, you would imagine? Yes, Mark has created

:19:11. > :19:15.this impression, this reputation, he is so hard to beat. Mark Selby can

:19:16. > :19:19.play the same game that Ronnie plays, he can play all the shots,

:19:20. > :19:22.and that is the way he wants to win, but he has got this fantastic

:19:23. > :19:27.attitude that he never gives up and it has served him so well. This has

:19:28. > :19:32.the makings of a classic, it might still turn into a classic, you never

:19:33. > :19:37.know, with Mark Selby around! But we have had some fantastic matches in

:19:38. > :19:40.the Masters over the years since 1975, and this man, Mr Hendry, he

:19:41. > :19:44.has six wins from nine finals, but we do not like to remind him about

:19:45. > :19:49.his success all the time, so how about a classic from 1998 against

:19:50. > :20:00.his old sparring partner, Mr Williams?

:20:01. > :20:08.The number one ranked player in the world, Stephen Hendry. CHEERING

:20:09. > :20:14.Stephen had dominated the 90s in a fashion that we had never seen

:20:15. > :20:21.before. This was Masters final eight for him and he was the heavy

:20:22. > :20:28.favourite. Mark Williams was very much a rising star at this time.

:20:29. > :20:35.This was going to be a major breakthrough for him. Stephen Hendry

:20:36. > :20:45.compensating the pink that would give him the opening frame.

:20:46. > :21:31.This effort has shown what a classy and fluid player Williams can be.

:21:32. > :21:40.A typical Stephen comeback. Not touched in the last frame. His

:21:41. > :21:46.concentration comes together. Magnificent, complete clearance by

:21:47. > :21:51.the world number one to go back to macro frames in front. -- to macro

:21:52. > :22:07.frames. He is left-handed, but he cannot

:22:08. > :22:14.stretch over that far. This has now become a difficult pot. He needs to

:22:15. > :22:22.commit himself to drop it in dead weight and he should be OK. He is. A

:22:23. > :22:26.great roar from this conference Centre crowd, and Mark Williams has

:22:27. > :22:30.a big smile on his face delighted that he's going to the mid-session

:22:31. > :22:59.interval trailing by two frames at 5-3 to Stephen Hendry.

:23:00. > :23:12.There is the 100. And with that break of 100, Mark Williams levelled

:23:13. > :23:16.the match at 5-5. He has taken these other two onto the right of the

:23:17. > :23:42.pink, and this is another shot. A tough shot.

:23:43. > :23:55.The reds have opened nicely, and he is writing again. -- right in again.

:23:56. > :23:58.He would have loved to have made another century. It has not

:23:59. > :24:05.happened. The crowd wanted one, but very, very impressive. Increases his

:24:06. > :24:13.lead. He just wants one man for victory. 9-6 to the world number

:24:14. > :24:25.one. Surely he had it in his crafts to win his seventh national title.

:24:26. > :24:29.He has gone a little bit too far, and he has to go all away round the

:24:30. > :24:45.angles to come back. It was a difficult shot. He was a

:24:46. > :25:12.fraction away from being perfect. A mighty roar from the Wembley

:25:13. > :25:14.conference Centre. Mark Williams is still in this match, still two

:25:15. > :25:38.behind at 9-7. A does roar here at Wembley. They

:25:39. > :25:48.always wanted this, never have got it. It is 9-9 here. Two more spots

:25:49. > :26:23.for a re-spotted black. Rapturous applause, but this young

:26:24. > :26:26.man, on the re-spotted black. Very difficult to play the conventional

:26:27. > :26:31.break up and down here, so it would probably be black to the middle of

:26:32. > :26:38.the left-hand side and white to this one, and now the temptation is

:26:39. > :26:40.whether to go for a double or not. Does he have the angle and will he

:26:41. > :26:53.take it on? Quiet! But that camera away, please,

:26:54. > :27:28.quiet, please. -- put that camera. It cannot get any closer! This is

:27:29. > :27:34.incredible again. Mark thought he had the black. The one that Stephen

:27:35. > :27:37.is left with, closest to the side cushion, he is dead straight on the

:27:38. > :27:57.black, this is not an easy shot. I believe that Masters title has

:27:58. > :28:03.gone away from Stephen Hendry. Nothing is easy now. You have to

:28:04. > :28:16.roll it. And a does cheer. Really deserved

:28:17. > :28:26.for young Mark Williams from Wales. He has never been in front in this

:28:27. > :28:29.final against world number one. That slow roll cost Stephen dear, it was

:28:30. > :28:34.a bitter blow and think ruled the end of an era. -- and it signals the

:28:35. > :28:49.end of an era. A fantastic to victory for Mark. The

:28:50. > :28:56.number world status in the world would soon be his. -- number one

:28:57. > :29:04.status. And it was painful, but we enjoyed putting him through that!

:29:05. > :29:13.Talk about torture! Nice hairstyle! A bad hair day! We're waiting for

:29:14. > :29:20.the text message from Mr Williams! That was painful to watch, 9-6 up.

:29:21. > :29:27.The same situation that we had with Ronnie O'Sullivan and Mark Selby in

:29:28. > :29:31.2010, 9-6, he came back and won it. The next frame for Mark Selby, he

:29:32. > :29:34.needs to get a bit of confidence, he is not out of this final by any

:29:35. > :29:40.stretch of the imagination. He will be trying. You will have to scrape

:29:41. > :29:45.off the table, but he will have to do something very quickly. If you've

:29:46. > :29:52.offered it to him now, he would probably take 9-6 down. We have got

:29:53. > :30:02.a change in the commentary box now, Dennis Taylor and John Parrott.

:30:03. > :30:13.DENNIS TAYLOR good afternoon everyone. Potty session we have in

:30:14. > :30:36.prospect. Mark did have a chance in the final

:30:37. > :30:42.frame there, but he did not get a look in in the opening three frames.

:30:43. > :30:44.The rear Ronnie was playing was a bit like in his quarterfinal with

:30:45. > :31:01.Ricky Walden. We have said so many times that Mark

:31:02. > :31:07.Selby produces his best when his back is against the wall and it

:31:08. > :31:13.certainly is here. There is a chance here, but the cue ball is going to

:31:14. > :31:18.go into the pack of Fred 's. How did he find the gap? I think he was

:31:19. > :31:39.hoping to finish on the black. JOHN PARROTT: as one of the

:31:40. > :31:47.commentators said earlier, his long game has been exceptional this

:31:48. > :31:56.week. Yes, Ronnie Wood from the Rolling Stones is here. He keeps

:31:57. > :32:02.disappearing, doesn't he. Ronnie is a big snooker fan and a big friend

:32:03. > :32:10.of Jimmy White and Ronnie O'Sullivan. Jimmy is looking

:32:11. > :32:19.terrific. He is still playing well, also. He played any allegiance to

:32:20. > :32:22.ornament the week before, Jimmy and myself beat Steve Davis and Stephen

:32:23. > :32:44.Hendry. There has been an incredible focus

:32:45. > :32:50.about Ronnie O'Sullivan 's play this week.

:32:51. > :33:01.He has been in his own little Corcoran of concentration. I think

:33:02. > :33:05.you could probably during the Ricky Walden match have played the

:33:06. > :33:12.firework 's exhibition behind him and he would not have heard a thing.

:33:13. > :33:20.Yes, he has played some great sessions of this, but that one was

:33:21. > :33:25.right up there with the best. But this one has looked as if it would

:33:26. > :33:34.be a closing counter. Every time they have played, there has only

:33:35. > :33:39.been a couple of frames in it. Absolute perfection again and the

:33:40. > :33:51.full ball cannon on the pink is what he wants. But there's a surprise,

:33:52. > :33:59.missing the blue. Took his try of the pot and did not catch the pink

:34:00. > :34:10.is intended, either. Slight chance here for more. -- for Mark Selby. It

:34:11. > :34:16.is not easy because the pink is caught, the Black is back from its

:34:17. > :34:25.spot and the blue is on the side cushion, safe.

:34:26. > :34:33.As you say, he is keen to get on the black as soon as possible. He has

:34:34. > :35:02.not come far enough. He was deliberately trying that

:35:03. > :35:09.cannon, but that is the problem with that, if you do not get it right.

:35:10. > :35:20.There is just so much more pressure on every shot, because he is so far

:35:21. > :35:26.behind. Yes, when things are going well and you are maybe if you frames

:35:27. > :35:30.ahead, the things tend to work out, the cannon would be perfect, but

:35:31. > :36:25.when you are feeling, that is the type of thing that happens.

:36:26. > :36:38.Another good safety shop. Mark Warren, you may have seen him in a

:36:39. > :36:44.number of top programmes. He follows the snooker. I remember talking to

:36:45. > :36:53.him at the conference centre in a few years ago. Yes, there are a

:36:54. > :36:57.couple of footballers in the audience as well. There are a couple

:36:58. > :36:59.of Aston Villa players here, that was a good result for them at

:37:00. > :37:15.Liverpool yesterday. Just having a little think about

:37:16. > :37:25.this, he does not want to push a red over the corner pocket. He phoned

:37:26. > :37:28.the gap, but he has brought the red back up the table, but I think the

:37:29. > :37:37.green has come to his rescue. As I see, when you are playing well,

:37:38. > :37:47.you tend to get these little bit is of good fortune. A bit of a problem

:37:48. > :37:53.though, because every time the cue ball comes back down into the baulk

:37:54. > :37:55.area, you have two protect against leaving that red into the left-hand

:37:56. > :38:12.middle. It will be interesting to see if

:38:13. > :38:23.Ronnie takes that on. He did not even look at it. That was a decent

:38:24. > :38:34.shot. It is interesting, it does not look as if it is far off. It is

:38:35. > :38:35.going slightly to the left, but if you hit the first ball correctly,

:38:36. > :39:30.you could make it. Not a bad thing, from Mark 's point

:39:31. > :39:40.of view, to have a bit of the safety exchange.

:39:41. > :40:03.No, he needed to hit the other side of the red. He needed to hit that in

:40:04. > :40:13.the centre. 31 points behind and not the easiest of starts. I think he is

:40:14. > :40:38.going to take the other one up into the top left.

:40:39. > :40:44.He is looking at the year low, it is slightly easier than the pink. --

:40:45. > :40:56.the yellow ball. He will probably try and pot this

:40:57. > :41:01.and get on the red which is currently covering the ink spot. --

:41:02. > :41:19.pink. The student to be a bit of a bonus

:41:20. > :41:34.of that. I expected the cue ball to come further down the table. He has

:41:35. > :41:39.got to find the gap and he did not. He may just have got away with it.

:41:40. > :41:51.At first glance, I do not think he has left anything. He hit that all

:41:52. > :42:09.wrong. Is there one which will pot? Yes, the letters. -- the it is.

:42:10. > :42:16.Beautifully cued. Absolutely beautiful. He could not have played

:42:17. > :42:30.that any better. As you said, you cannot hit them any

:42:31. > :42:39.better than that. This is no age earns. 29 in front and there are

:42:40. > :42:50.enough easy red is available. In fact all of them are no available.

:42:51. > :43:00.That was a bit of a double wire me for Mark, by not only missing the

:43:01. > :43:13.pot, but also opening up all of the reds.

:43:14. > :43:21.He was trying to find a gap and he had one eye on that. But it was a

:43:22. > :43:48.very good opening red from Ronnie. Once again, beautifully struck. That

:43:49. > :44:18.was absolutely superb. He is a tremendous player and, as

:44:19. > :44:28.Stephen Hendry says, he is the best front runner in the game. Get behind

:44:29. > :44:35.this man and you have big problems. Yes, Mark has got to find something.

:44:36. > :44:43.But we as a going to come from, that we Ronnie is playing? As I

:44:44. > :44:49.mentioned, the long matches they have played have always been very

:44:50. > :45:22.close, but at the moment, it is all one way traffic.

:45:23. > :45:42.Those pockets must look like buckets at the moment, to Ronnie. Another

:45:43. > :45:47.great display from Ronnie or Sullivan and you know Leeds by five

:45:48. > :45:59.frames to nil. He looks as if he isn't exhibition

:46:00. > :46:07.mode. Alarm bells must be ringing very loud now for Mark Selby. As I

:46:08. > :46:13.said, everything seems very awkward when Mark comes to the table and

:46:14. > :46:19.everything seems a lot simpler when Ronnie comes to the table.

:46:20. > :46:27.Everything he looks at is going in and he is making a quick sort easy.

:46:28. > :46:34.He has been helped by Mark Selby. But as Stephen said, every time he

:46:35. > :46:43.comes to the table, he will be feeling very cold. That frame before

:46:44. > :47:00.the interval could have been very crucial. He may even still be

:47:01. > :47:13.thinking about that easy red. He knows that 3-1 could have been the

:47:14. > :47:20.score. Will he still feel he is in a chance. Yes, he will definitely not

:47:21. > :47:26.give up. But he knows he cannot foul any further behind. He has certainly

:47:27. > :47:40.made his superiority count so far. Yes, I think today is all about "I

:47:41. > :47:48.am the governor and I am going to show you that. " So far, he has been

:47:49. > :47:55.totally focused. There you see it, the first player

:47:56. > :48:14.to ten frames lifts the title. I mentioned earlier, it is 10-7 to

:48:15. > :48:20.Ronnie O'Sullivan in the meetings, but in the longer matches, Mark

:48:21. > :48:45.Selby has a 3-2 lead over Ronnie O'Sullivan. Ronnie O'Sullivan 's

:48:46. > :48:47.victories have been close, but so far, there is nothing close about

:48:48. > :48:57.this one. Yes, this is where true champions

:48:58. > :49:03.have two have total belief in themselves. He have to believe that

:49:04. > :49:04.when the chance comes, the still playing well enough to get back into

:49:05. > :49:18.it. It is easier said than done. But Mark Selby is blessed with a

:49:19. > :49:26.tremendous temperament. But he just cannot get going. Once again, he did

:49:27. > :49:51.not only must the red, but it has come back across.

:49:52. > :49:59.That red being on the right-hand side is perfect to leave a good

:50:00. > :50:10.angle on the blue and go into the pack of that.

:50:11. > :50:22.No, the angle was to wade, but that was what he was looking to do. He

:50:23. > :50:35.will do that here. Just watch how he plays that. That is beautiful.

:50:36. > :50:40.Superb. Unbelievable. Unbelievable at the moment.

:50:41. > :50:53.Look at the shot he has played. The next one after this is just so good.

:50:54. > :51:01.How many times do you do that and you get glued onto the side cushion.

:51:02. > :51:04.He has played that to perfection, he could not have played that any

:51:05. > :52:45.better. You could hear the pin drop in the

:52:46. > :52:47.Alexander Palace at the moment. We are witnessing something very

:52:48. > :53:02.special. This has come slightly tricky.

:53:03. > :53:10.Always much more difficult when they are close together. Yes, he was so

:53:11. > :53:15.close to it. To pick the angle out is quite tough. Now, what can Mark

:53:16. > :53:40.Selby pledges here? -- produce. No, he does have the angle to crash

:53:41. > :53:46.into the two reds that are out of commission at the moment.

:53:47. > :53:57.This would be some performance if he could pinch this frame and he really

:53:58. > :54:02.needs to do it, doesn't he, John? Yes, you have to think that a

:54:03. > :54:13.threefold another frame behind, this is factually all over. -- virtually

:54:14. > :54:20.all over. He has got to do it in this frame. He has got a wonderful

:54:21. > :54:27.temperament. He has been in plenty of two elements where his back has

:54:28. > :54:33.been against a wall, but this is a very stern examination.

:54:34. > :54:46.His only problem are the two or court reds on the right-hand side.

:54:47. > :55:08.-- or court. He had a chance to move one of them, but decided against it.

:55:09. > :55:22.It looks as if he has finished dead straight on the blue.

:55:23. > :55:31.He may try and move the one on the side cushion when he pops this one.

:55:32. > :55:47.That is what he has done and made a pretty good job of it. Well played.

:55:48. > :55:52.That was probably more difficult than when he had the chance to move

:55:53. > :55:56.it when he potted the black a couple of shots ago.

:55:57. > :56:05.It looks as if that red in the ball area behind the brown ball is going

:56:06. > :56:12.to be the problem. You would expect them to get the other ones.

:56:13. > :56:17.Interesting to see what colour he will try and play on. He probably

:56:18. > :56:52.would like to get up onto the ball colours. -- the ball area colours.

:56:53. > :56:57.I think he is thinking of leaving the angle so that he pops this

:56:58. > :57:18.thread and then moves the other one. That was the problem. That was the

:57:19. > :57:27.only problem with moving it from that position. That can happen if

:57:28. > :57:28.you just get in behind it too much, there is nowhere for the cue ball to

:57:29. > :57:47.go. Still, he has got himself back in

:57:48. > :58:16.the frame, only 17 points behind. Just needs a good safety here.

:58:17. > :58:21.He has not only found the gap, I think this is a fairly

:58:22. > :58:34.straightforward up and down shot on the red for Ronnie, so he could be

:58:35. > :58:41.snookered. He would have been, and that not flicked the brown ball.

:58:42. > :59:05.A little bit of noise in the code. I am not sure what that was.

:59:06. > :59:12.That is a good shot under the circumstances, but he did not drop

:59:13. > :59:21.nicely on a colour. But he can just play the snooker.

:59:22. > :59:33.He is back in the frame. I would not expect Ronnie O'Sullivan to miss

:59:34. > :59:45.this, but he needs to try and get it safe.

:59:46. > :59:52.And he's the enough of the yellow to take the pot on? -- can he see

:59:53. > :00:05.enough? That is a thick shaft. That is a

:00:06. > :01:04.superb shot. -- that is a thick shaft.

:01:05. > :01:15.This has been a superb effort. Well played, Mark Selby. A little smile

:01:16. > :01:27.there from his wife. Mark Selby held himself together,

:01:28. > :01:33.that was a great clearance and a little smile from him as well. He

:01:34. > :01:41.has got one frame on the board, but he is still trailing 5-1.

:01:42. > :01:44.Huge relief for Mark Selby in the circumstances, and great character

:01:45. > :01:51.to get into that frame, a lot of work to do. Ronnie O'Sullivan looked

:01:52. > :01:57.like he would go 6-0, it shows a lot of character. He's not going give

:01:58. > :02:04.in, and he produced a good yellow. A lot of pressure. He never gives up.

:02:05. > :02:09.He has got the heart of a line, Mark Selby, even though he is up against

:02:10. > :02:13.a man at the top of his game that makes it look so easy, the best

:02:14. > :02:17.thing to do is to try and make it as tough as possible for Ronnie

:02:18. > :02:23.O'Sullivan. Can you describe the relief he will have at this time? It

:02:24. > :02:27.would be a lovely feeling, you can relax now and get back to work,

:02:28. > :02:34.because there are two macro frames to go, and he can win these two

:02:35. > :02:41.frames. He will always stick to his task, Mark Selby. Even if he wins

:02:42. > :02:45.one of these frames, 6-2 behind, you will be a bit relieved. Ronnie

:02:46. > :02:49.O'Sullivan was looking like he might win the final in this session alone,

:02:50. > :02:53.so there is plenty of heart for Mark Selby and his supporters, and

:02:54. > :03:01.another with a smile from Mark Selby as he potted that black, but he will

:03:02. > :03:07.be very relieved. His highest break was 36, the previous break was 20 in

:03:08. > :03:12.this, it is all about feeling that you're making some points just to

:03:13. > :03:17.loosen up a little bit, it must be massive for him. It is hard to pot

:03:18. > :03:22.the long ball today, he struck that yellow beautifully. That gives you

:03:23. > :03:26.confidence, the fact you have hit a ball properly, probably for the

:03:27. > :03:31.first time in the match, so that was given tremendous belief, so a of

:03:32. > :03:36.belief in himself will stop it is easy for the heads to go down at

:03:37. > :03:39.5-1, and think it is becoming the Ronnie O'Sullivan show, everyone is

:03:40. > :03:44.here to see Ronnie, and you get swallowed up in it. It sends out a

:03:45. > :03:48.message to Ronnie O'Sullivan to say, look, I am not going to go away, and

:03:49. > :03:53.if you take your foot off the pedal for one moment or if you take any

:03:54. > :03:56.liberties, he sends out that message to Ronnie O'Sullivan that I'm going

:03:57. > :04:02.to counterattack and I will still be in the final. Ronnie O'Sullivan must

:04:03. > :04:09.have expected something good to happen for Mark Selby at some point

:04:10. > :04:14.in this match? I do not think that Mark Selby thought he would win

:04:15. > :04:20.10-0, and he probably expected a tough final so far. Two more frames,

:04:21. > :04:29.what, if any inroads can Mark Selby make into Sullivan's lead?

:04:30. > :04:35.That was interesting when both players came into the arena, and he

:04:36. > :04:41.came in first, he got a round of applause, but Mark Selby got a

:04:42. > :04:44.terrific round of applause. They have been fabulous all week, the

:04:45. > :04:47.crowd, they have been so fair. We appreciate some good snooker, a lot

:04:48. > :04:49.of them will be supporting Ronnie, but they have been very, very fair

:04:50. > :05:13.indeed. Mark Selby did not have any chance

:05:14. > :05:19.at the beginning of the match to get any rhythm going. At the moment, his

:05:20. > :06:05.pot success, way below what he usually is.

:06:06. > :06:44.I do not aware that some kind of an insect, something is falling down.

:06:45. > :06:52.-- do not know if is some kind of insect. Did you just open your

:06:53. > :07:14.wallet, John Parrott? ! That is rich coming from you!

:07:15. > :07:23.He has caught the bum bandit has put him out of position, a bit unlucky.

:07:24. > :08:58.-- he has caught the bump and it has put him out of position.

:08:59. > :09:18.He just flicked the yellow. And is he OK? Yes.

:09:19. > :09:30.That needs to keep running. Just a slight angle. He might be able to

:09:31. > :09:37.power this in. He could maybe get to the beds, if not, maybe get a cannon

:09:38. > :09:40.on the pink and black. It was a tough angle to play that shot. It

:09:41. > :10:10.has not quite worked out. Has he got it? Well done! He courted

:10:11. > :10:34.with his cue! That was some cueing! A good pot. That was an awkward

:10:35. > :10:54.spot. Better signs for fans of Mark Selby.

:10:55. > :11:02.I wonder will you try to split the reds here? He did. He was unlucky

:11:03. > :11:07.with the cue ball. Try to open up the red with the yellow. That was

:11:08. > :11:09.quite an attacking shot even though he is 5-1 down. He's still thinking

:11:10. > :11:32.very positively certainly. A very unusual table at the moment,

:11:33. > :11:34.pink and black tied up. The yellow down that far, not something you see

:11:35. > :12:10.every day. That is an extra bonus of three

:12:11. > :12:26.points, hitting the black there. He's having it put back stop. The

:12:27. > :12:29.yellow would have come in handy, he could have potted that, got on the

:12:30. > :12:40.yellow, had a chance. He is having to swerve that shot. It

:12:41. > :12:48.is difficult to judge the pace of it. But he has two swerve it to make

:12:49. > :13:10.the angle, as you can see. That is a better place. A much better place.

:13:11. > :13:21.There might be one available to the middle pocket. He was walking around

:13:22. > :13:36.the table as soon as he made contact with that.

:13:37. > :13:47.This is another chance for Ronnie, but not straightforward.

:13:48. > :13:56.He has not played that many shots left-handed. This is one of them.

:13:57. > :13:58.The reason he has not played many shots left-handed is because he has

:13:59. > :14:21.not been out of position. Still not straightforward, because

:14:22. > :14:27.of the two reds, you cannot go mashing into the reds in front of

:14:28. > :14:35.the pink and black. He has done, but those two read in the way, it was

:14:36. > :15:16.never beyond that. -- were in the way.

:15:17. > :15:22.Ronnie is as good a tactical player as anybody in the game, but he is up

:15:23. > :15:27.against Mark Selby who is one of the best. There is frayed between them.

:15:28. > :15:38.But I think Mark Selby is slightly ahead in the safety Department.

:15:39. > :15:51.That red is safe now, it is in the pocket! It was a very good pot. That

:15:52. > :16:35.is two in this frame already, very cleanly shot. Straight into the bag.

:16:36. > :16:47.He did not get the spot that you suggested, John. He needed the

:16:48. > :16:51.inside red, he got the outside one. Unless Eclipse this red in, down the

:16:52. > :17:07.rail, it looks like the end of Drake. -- break.

:17:08. > :17:11.Under the circumstances, that was a terrific pot. That was far from

:17:12. > :17:23.easy. I might go as far as brilliant.

:17:24. > :17:29.Absolutely wonderful shot. Just slightly overscrewed that of the

:17:30. > :17:35.green. Does not need to go into those red yet. He can play pink and

:17:36. > :17:41.black, go for the blue, there are at least three red Sea can get on the

:17:42. > :17:43.blue, so no need for a cannon. -- at least three red Sea can get on the

:17:44. > :18:06.blue. This really is a wonderful set from

:18:07. > :18:12.Mark Selby, showing true determination. He has been a

:18:13. > :18:36.passenger for most of the afternoon, certainly the first five frames.

:18:37. > :18:39.This is a potential stumbling block, but he is pretty good with

:18:40. > :19:26.the rest. Could have hit that little bit

:19:27. > :19:29.harder. He needs to swing around to take the green. He will get a

:19:30. > :19:37.terrific round of applause if he pulls this off. That looks pretty

:19:38. > :19:44.good, as long as it keeps on coming. It has come up little bit short. The

:19:45. > :19:47.black may be pottable. That is for you would like to be. -- where you

:19:48. > :20:27.would like. 28 in front, so he will need the red

:20:28. > :20:52.to leave Ronnie needing a snooker. It is not guaranteed.

:20:53. > :21:04.There is a bit more to this than meets the eye. Pot the black, keep

:21:05. > :21:06.your ion the black and flicked the red, then he would be OK. That is

:21:07. > :21:28.what he is thinking about. He has missed the red, but at least

:21:29. > :22:18.he is 35 in front with a 30 I've on the table. -- with 35 on the table.

:22:19. > :22:23.That is amazing. When you hit it at that pace, it is so difficult to

:22:24. > :22:30.judge the angle from the cushion, and he finished up hitting it twice.

:22:31. > :22:34.He has got an easy safety shot, but he pulled off a double on the blue

:22:35. > :22:38.in one of his early matches, which was incredible, but in different

:22:39. > :22:43.circumstances here. He has said that too hard. Ronnie has got a chance of

:22:44. > :23:08.potting this and getting on the black.

:23:09. > :23:15.What a pot that was! Absolutely stunning! If he clears up here, Mark

:23:16. > :23:25.Selby will be absolutely kicking himself. He almost had the frame in

:23:26. > :23:36.the bag, then on news safety. -- on loose safety.

:23:37. > :23:40.He needs to leave the correct angle on the blue to run up to the pink

:23:41. > :24:17.and screw back. We have had everything in this

:24:18. > :24:25.match, and now we're going to have a re-spotted black.

:24:26. > :24:36.It is all about the toss of a coin, you want to win the toss, put your

:24:37. > :24:42.opponent in. Massive frame, this. Massively spot. Ronnie did win the

:24:43. > :25:04.toss. He has played it well. We did the

:25:05. > :25:09.earlier when they showed Stephen Hendry and Mark Williams, he took

:25:10. > :25:12.the double on. Ronnie is taking the double on, but you try to get a good

:25:13. > :25:29.cue ball, and this is far from easy. He is settling himself, does he go

:25:30. > :26:14.for the hot? It is far from easy. -- go for the pot?

:26:15. > :26:26.Well, that is later if it pot under the circumstances! -- that is a

:26:27. > :26:32.thick pot. Ronnie O'Sullivan has taken the frame on a re-spotted

:26:33. > :26:38.black and he is now leading 6-1. Just when we thought the psychology

:26:39. > :26:43.of this match was about to change, a lose safety shot just gifted and

:26:44. > :26:48.Sullivan the opportunity. It is unlike Mark Selby to play a safety

:26:49. > :26:52.shot like that. Ronnie O'Sullivan needed a black, but interesting when

:26:53. > :26:57.he potted that lack, he states down on the shot, and it really shows.

:26:58. > :27:03.Sometimes Ronnie O'Sullivan when Mark is that the table, looks order,

:27:04. > :27:10.like he is not caring, but that reaction when he potted that black,

:27:11. > :27:15.incredible. Very unlike Mark Selby, he is so consistent and he takes his

:27:16. > :27:21.time and he knows his way around the table, a very, very loose safety

:27:22. > :27:29.shot. It gave him a shot that Ronnie O'Sullivan had never should have

:27:30. > :27:34.had. A big, big frame in the match. A different complexion on the march,

:27:35. > :27:37.Mark Selby is back and it just showed Ronnie O'Sullivan how

:27:38. > :27:42.determined he was, and teen you how much that frame and, because for me,

:27:43. > :27:49.now, that is the pivotal turning point of the match. 2-5 behind, the

:27:50. > :27:55.pressure reverts to Ronnie O'Sullivan at that point. He starts

:27:56. > :27:58.to think, I played well, the first five frames, it would be

:27:59. > :28:05.disappointed afternoon, now it is a chance to make it 7-1. That would be

:28:06. > :28:09.a very, very long way back, it was done before in Masters finals, but

:28:10. > :28:11.how will this turn had? The last of the afternoon in the opening

:28:12. > :28:35.session? -- turnout? The worst thing that can happen to

:28:36. > :28:40.Ronnie O'Sullivan here is that he would only have a four frame lead.

:28:41. > :28:49.Pretty sure he will be trying to get to seven on the scoreboard. He just

:28:50. > :28:52.cannot get comfortable on the shot, he does not know where to put his

:28:53. > :29:13.hand on the table. A bit of a chance that the pink and

:29:14. > :29:29.the black are tied up. There is a path to get back from the blue here.

:29:30. > :29:38.He is looking to see if he can get on the red just to the right of the

:29:39. > :29:47.black, in such a way that he could flick the other red away and leave

:29:48. > :29:53.himself on the black. He may well be able to do that here. If he cannot

:29:54. > :29:56.do it, he has got the red into the right middle pocket, if the angle is

:29:57. > :30:05.not ideal. Yes, there is not a lot of that red

:30:06. > :30:45.sticking out. Slightly tougher shot. We will find out after this shot.

:30:46. > :30:49.There is one at the back of the bunch. It will be interesting to see

:30:50. > :30:57.if he can get the black into play. Now, let us have a look at that

:30:58. > :31:29.angle. He has put the black into the bunch,

:31:30. > :31:33.but he has a nice angle on the blue, so if he contacts the pink, it will

:31:34. > :31:51.bring the black back into play. That is unlucky. Look at the way

:31:52. > :31:57.that has finished. Yes, you would certainly think at this pace it

:31:58. > :32:11.would have moved the black into play. He is looking at playing a

:32:12. > :32:13.plant. More importantly, he wants to get this safe and remove the red

:32:14. > :32:44.from the bottom left. If anybody could have pooled that

:32:45. > :33:00.shot off, it was Mark Selby, with his knowledge of pool. He would like

:33:01. > :33:01.to play that one again. It actually looks as if the cue ball drifted

:33:02. > :33:17.slightly. The red coming back across. A Rice

:33:18. > :33:33.meal from Ronnie O'Sullivan. If Mark Selby could take this, he

:33:34. > :33:42.would reduce the deficit to 6-2 and it would be came on again. Yes, if

:33:43. > :33:45.he could win the opening session this evening, he would be right back

:33:46. > :34:07.into the match. Just stretching a little bit there,

:34:08. > :34:14.wasn't he? He will be looking to leave and angle on the pink, so he

:34:15. > :34:18.can knock a few red route, or taking a baulk a colour and then coming

:34:19. > :34:32.back into the side of the pack. The red at the back will go, so that

:34:33. > :34:56.is good enough for him for the moment.

:34:57. > :35:09.This is the key shot coming up here, which will open the red zone

:35:10. > :35:13.probably bring the black into play. And the black still sticks in the

:35:14. > :35:30.bunch. Amazing. What a pot. Totally blind pocket. /

:35:31. > :35:53.in beautifully. He is so focused. He wants 7-1 at

:35:54. > :36:12.the interval, that is for sure. It means he has the ultimate respect

:36:13. > :36:19.for his opponent. He has been deposed by him a few teams, so he

:36:20. > :36:25.will want to get as big a lead as possible.

:36:26. > :36:48.He knows that Mark Selby will not go away.

:36:49. > :37:15.It is very tight in and around the pink spot area.

:37:16. > :37:29.What sort of angle does he have won the pink? If he is dead straight, he

:37:30. > :37:31.could maybe hold the pink spot so he could then take the red to the left,

:37:32. > :38:02.but it really depends. I think he is just OK, even if it

:38:03. > :38:04.does go on the spot. It did not go back on the spot, but every shot

:38:05. > :38:18.here is very delicate. Yes, you saw that he raised the end

:38:19. > :38:28.of the cue, to ensure that he did not play a push shot.

:38:29. > :38:36.Taking that one on left-handed. He may have covered the pocket. That

:38:37. > :38:48.was not easy, with the opposite and. This one down the cushion, is

:38:49. > :38:58.not easy. But I think, if that ain't happening, Ronnie O'Sullivan would

:38:59. > :39:05.have won the frame, because he would have been perfectly on this next

:39:06. > :39:10.one. He's witnessed only cushion are absolutely horrible. -- these ones

:39:11. > :39:41.down the cushion. It dropped ten, when it hit the New

:39:42. > :40:03.Year jaw, I did not think that was going to go in.

:40:04. > :40:14.That was about the best he could do. Now, with the pink going on its

:40:15. > :40:30.spot again, this will have to be a safety shot.

:40:31. > :40:53.Good target. He just had to make sure he did not touch it with his

:40:54. > :41:01.waistcoat. I am wondering if the two reds are actually a plant.

:41:02. > :41:33.That is not bad, given the angle he is coming at. Look at the cue ball.

:41:34. > :41:47.Tough shot, this, you cannot get this thick.

:41:48. > :41:59.There is a chance here for Ronnie. I say that as if they are over the

:42:00. > :42:19.pocket, but sometimes, you think that when you are watching Ronnie.

:42:20. > :42:37.The blue ball is once again the target for the safety shot.

:42:38. > :43:07.Ronnie just wanting to land on this red behind the black. You could not

:43:08. > :43:39.get any closer than that without hitting it.

:43:40. > :43:48.The referee just questioning the positioning. Ronnie was just

:43:49. > :44:06.checking that it was exactly in the same spot.

:44:07. > :44:13.Very well played. That was all about the pace. If you catch that too

:44:14. > :44:30.hard, you could put the red on. He has not played that well. A bit

:44:31. > :44:33.similar to the safety shot he played in the previous frame, but at least

:44:34. > :44:57.he has great nearly ball cushion. He has not hit many pure safety

:44:58. > :45:00.shots today, Ronnie, but that was one of them. But he has not been

:45:01. > :45:14.punished. This looks really easy because the

:45:15. > :45:17.red is over the pocket, but you have two cubic well when you are tight on

:45:18. > :45:32.the cushion. -- cue it well. That could not have come out much

:45:33. > :45:40.better. He played that with topspin so that it would not run down the

:45:41. > :45:48.table too much. Another left-handed shot, beautifully played. This is a

:45:49. > :45:54.tough one along the cushion. He does not have two Fawcett because it is

:45:55. > :46:07.tied on the cushion. He plays those so well. He really does.

:46:08. > :46:29.He needs the year low, the green, and the brown. -- the yellow ball.

:46:30. > :46:42.He nearly burst the pocket with that one. Once again, fabulous cueing. He

:46:43. > :46:49.was very impressive in the first five frames scoring wise, but he has

:46:50. > :46:53.been equally impressive in the way he has competed in the last couple

:46:54. > :46:59.of frames when it has been very close.

:47:00. > :47:09.That was a big turning point. Some of the balls he has pocketed here.

:47:10. > :47:15.He is not bothering about the black. Vintage Ronnie O'Sullivan. He

:47:16. > :47:27.takes the session 7-1. He now needs only three more frames

:47:28. > :47:33.for the title. How surprising is that been from both players? I

:47:34. > :47:41.thought it would be a lot closer, similar to the previous matches, but

:47:42. > :47:45.it has been all Ronnie O'Sullivan. Mark Selby get off to a bad start

:47:46. > :47:52.and things have compounded from there. I would say it is essentially

:47:53. > :47:59.all over. A re-spotted black in the penultimate frame, how big was that?

:48:00. > :48:06.Yes, there was that and also the chance he had in the fourth frame.

:48:07. > :48:15.Is there any way back for Mark Selby? Highly unlikely. It has been

:48:16. > :48:21.done before. We will be back at seven o'clock. Letters give you an

:48:22. > :48:26.indication of what is coming up on Match Of The Day. We will be back at

:48:27. > :48:33.seven o'clock with the deciding frame. Good Mark Selby torture

:48:34. > :48:36.slippers genius? We kill we will see. Goodbye for now.