First Round: Murphy v Allen

:00:30. > :00:39.champion by two frames to one. Not a great break off for Mark Allen. Left

:00:40. > :00:42.Shaun Murphy with this particular red into the right-hand corner

:00:43. > :00:47.pocket. You said he could have gone up for the blue round the back of

:00:48. > :00:53.the black and it wouldn't have been so dangerous. A look at what

:00:54. > :01:01.happened. You can understand his confidence. Funnily enough, if we

:01:02. > :01:09.look back to the first frame, he missed amidst distance red and hit

:01:10. > :01:13.it too thin. I would suggest he is cutting slightly and not getting it

:01:14. > :01:19.through properly. We had the one in the first frame. We can show you

:01:20. > :01:23.that. Exactly the same thing, hit it too thin. That is usually a sign

:01:24. > :01:34.you're hitting slightly across the baulk or you're just not going

:01:35. > :01:44.through as you should. Close to -- those two shots have basically cost

:01:45. > :01:51.him two frames. Big frame for Shaun Murphy coming up. And for Mark.

:01:52. > :02:02.Don't know who he is waving at. That was a beautiful break he made. Once

:02:03. > :02:08.again, we see the wonderful Masters trophy. Waterford Crystal,

:02:09. > :02:43.beautiful, isn't it? A little grimace from Mark Allen.

:02:44. > :02:55.Just wanted the cue ball another inch or two Andy would have been

:02:56. > :03:02.perfect on the black. Just another inch or so and would have been

:03:03. > :03:10.perfect. Just a safety shot no. Try and get the cue ball up the top. Not

:03:11. > :03:38.good enough. There is the pot. Can he see down the left-hand side

:03:39. > :03:48.of the table? He has had a good look. I think you can just about

:03:49. > :03:51.clip these reds down the left-hand side. The brown would we on. Can

:03:52. > :04:45.just about get that red. Just catching the brown fool does

:04:46. > :04:51.not make it a good safety shot. Is there are red that clips to the

:04:52. > :05:03.right corner? But he has a good target with the green and brown. The

:05:04. > :05:13.one in the open obviously pots, but he can't get through to it because

:05:14. > :05:14.the pink is in the way. Needs to mess the brown for it to be any

:05:15. > :05:54.good. He didn't do. Well, he must have been convinced he

:05:55. > :06:00.could just get enough of that red. Playing at that pace, you have to be

:06:01. > :06:11.so precise with the cue. This is not easy. You will need to be good with

:06:12. > :06:18.the rest. And possibly try and get onto the pink. Decided to put some

:06:19. > :06:42.pace onto it. Still a good pot. Might have to take the blue into the

:06:43. > :06:58.right-centre and go into the reds. That could've worked a little better

:06:59. > :07:17.than that. He can get the rest and play this

:07:18. > :07:24.red to the right corner. Would he risk trying to bring the black into

:07:25. > :07:28.play? I doubt it. He needs to manoeuvre the cue ball and avoid

:07:29. > :07:33.tests on the second red. He is now having second thoughts are looking

:07:34. > :07:37.at a red is to the left corner. Again, you would be running into

:07:38. > :07:46.other balls, so no guarantee of a good position with either option. I

:07:47. > :07:50.think sometimes, Kent, when you look at these situations, you look at

:07:51. > :07:58.what is the easiest pot. The one thing you don't want to do is miss

:07:59. > :08:02.the pot on the red. He was looking at this shot, potting this red,

:08:03. > :08:07.coming off the top cushion and nudging the red away from the black,

:08:08. > :08:19.but I don't think the angle is they are. Where is the cue ball going? In

:08:20. > :08:24.a way, he is probably a little fortunate that the red went into the

:08:25. > :08:30.corner pocket. If it stayed over the corner pocket, it would have been an

:08:31. > :08:32.nice easy starter. I expect Mark Allen to probably knock this in, but

:08:33. > :08:50.it is missable. I didn't expect him to miss it, as I

:08:51. > :08:54.say. Whereas if the red had not gone in the corner pocket, he would have

:08:55. > :09:00.had an nice easy starter. It just shows you the one of the ball. Shone

:09:01. > :09:22.very fortunate of it going off, but it didn't cost him -- Shaun. Long

:09:23. > :09:32.pot success for Shaun Murphy is zero, and when you consider that is

:09:33. > :09:37.his strength... He got one they are. Might have just found an answer with

:09:38. > :09:43.a cut on the yellow. Normally a bit too close to the side cushion, but

:09:44. > :09:48.he might just have a nice angle on the yellow. Good pot. Had pot.

:09:49. > :09:54.Always a good sign when a player gets the cue ball cleaned. You know

:09:55. > :09:59.he is taking a pot on for his next shot. Years nicely on this yellow to

:10:00. > :10:11.get the cue ball down to words the pink and the reds.

:10:12. > :10:24.He is going to have two judge this double-cross to get the pink into

:10:25. > :10:35.the centre. Laid it nicely. Now a good chance for Shaun Murphy. The

:10:36. > :10:38.two reds below the pink spot will go into the corner pocket. And he has

:10:39. > :11:13.two in the right-hand corner pocket as well.

:11:14. > :11:26.Just a chance here when potting this red that the two reds below it can

:11:27. > :11:33.be brought into play. The black is out of position, so he'll have to

:11:34. > :11:35.concentrate on pink and blue. Deciding he couldn't guarantee

:11:36. > :11:47.perfect position. For me, that was a chance missed. He sees it better be

:11:48. > :11:54.down at the table. But those two reds together just above the black

:11:55. > :12:46.are not in an ideal position for potting at the moment.

:12:47. > :12:56.Just coming around to have a second look at the red back at the black.

:12:57. > :13:00.When he played that little red before and he could've nudged those

:13:01. > :13:09.two reds into play, you wouldn't have to play this precise positional

:13:10. > :13:15.shot just no. Totally agree. Years having to play one of these reds in

:13:16. > :13:19.the middle, but it is missable. As I say, he had a chance to just nudge

:13:20. > :13:39.these into play. 75 still remaining. Nice shot. He is going to need

:13:40. > :13:48.another good one here. Pink to the right-centre. More pressure. Played

:13:49. > :14:00.it well. Very well. 46 points ahead, so another couple of reds and

:14:01. > :14:09.colours. These four frames have gone very quickly. Just under 54 minutes.

:14:10. > :14:17.Yes, I think it is the snooker everybody loves to see. Not long

:14:18. > :14:26.bouts of safety play. A few errors. It has been a fascinating first four

:14:27. > :14:31.frames. It looks as though it will go to the mid-session interval two

:14:32. > :14:53.peaceful stop this pink will put him in front. More to come. A quick

:14:54. > :15:05.glance at the scoreboard. Could have done without the kiss on the green.

:15:06. > :15:13.But he is just about on the blue. He will drop it in and avoid the end

:15:14. > :15:14.off in the corner pocket. Still a possibility we could see our second

:15:15. > :15:32.century of the match. Well, just overcut it. No matter.

:15:33. > :15:37.The defending champion looks a little bit wobbly. In the end, he

:15:38. > :15:42.got away with that. We go to the mid-session interval two a peaceful

:15:43. > :15:49.stop well, many people thought this would be a close one. Hope you're

:15:50. > :15:57.enjoying at home. A dreary January afternoon, but it is never dreary

:15:58. > :16:03.when the Masters is on. Long potting mistakes have been highlighted. It

:16:04. > :16:09.shows you the margins are so close. Amongst the balls, he has looked

:16:10. > :16:18.very fluid. No real clue as to who will end up winning this match. The

:16:19. > :16:25.last two frames have been very successful. You would expect him to

:16:26. > :16:34.knock the one in after the fight went in. He might go to the practice

:16:35. > :16:43.table and take some long pot on. When you see Mark Allen throwing out

:16:44. > :16:48.a 137, that sends a positive message to your opponent. Mark Allen has

:16:49. > :16:57.massive strength in break-building. Here's hard -- it is hard to control

:16:58. > :17:05.the ball is. Any amateurs playing on these tables would feel like Bambi

:17:06. > :17:10.on ice. Years always dangerous. Quiz question for you and those at home.

:17:11. > :17:17.Of the top 16 players right now, how many would you guess are in their

:17:18. > :17:22.20s? Air in mind they have a young man's calendar as there is more long

:17:23. > :17:27.haul travelling. Very full calendar, you would expect it to be quite a

:17:28. > :17:34.number. Actually, it is only five. Let's show you why. In the top 16

:17:35. > :17:39.right now, several players are in the 40s. Four. We have put Stephen

:17:40. > :17:45.Maguire on here as well. He is playing at Alexandra Palace because

:17:46. > :17:58.when the invitations were issued just before Christmas. Five of them

:17:59. > :18:04.are in their 20s, eight are in their 30s. Four are in the 40s. Age it

:18:05. > :18:08.would appear is something of an issue in Stoker. It is not just use

:18:09. > :18:13.that not just youthful enthusiasm that get you over the line, it is

:18:14. > :18:26.experience. It is a subject we have been exploring since the UK

:18:27. > :18:39.championships at York I added the UK title to my list of major honours.

:18:40. > :18:46.In 2010, I packed my cue away for the final time at the ripe old age

:18:47. > :18:53.of 46. Leaving the arena free for the youngsters. The 20-something

:18:54. > :19:01.generation was already hoovering up major titles and just behind them

:19:02. > :19:08.was Judd Trump. The prediction that youngsters would dominate was not

:19:09. > :19:14.based on a few gifted individuals. The landscape of the game changed in

:19:15. > :19:19.my retirement year. The game was opened up to hundreds from around

:19:20. > :19:33.the world. Five years down the line, is it now at teenage playground? A

:19:34. > :19:36.quick look would suggest is not. Those players have the experience

:19:37. > :19:42.and they are proving day in, day out, they are capable of beating the

:19:43. > :19:46.younger players coming through. Whilst it is a very exciting time

:19:47. > :19:49.for the young players coming through now and there is a lot more

:19:50. > :19:55.opportunity for them, there is also a lot of very good players that have

:19:56. > :20:06.been for a long time. They are absolutely not guaranteed in any

:20:07. > :20:10.way, shape or form to be beaten. Ray Reardon used to say that you had to

:20:11. > :20:16.be in your mid-30s to fill immature as a snooker player. I used to

:20:17. > :20:19.laugh. Turns out he was right. With the touring and the travelling,

:20:20. > :20:22.different conditions, all the different things that go into being

:20:23. > :20:28.a professional snooker player, you have to have that certain amount of

:20:29. > :20:36.maturity that only comes with age. To progress. This season's UK

:20:37. > :20:43.Championship was not unrepresentative. The top 16 there

:20:44. > :20:48.had only four in their 20s, when there were 1930s and four in their

:20:49. > :20:58.40s. The average age was 34. That is four years older than five years

:20:59. > :21:08.ago. With seven players in their 20s and Stephen Hendry the only man in

:21:09. > :21:12.his 40s. Even more surprisingly, it's only a couple of years more

:21:13. > :21:24.than when I won the tournament in 1991.

:21:25. > :21:32.Leading the charge of the veterans this season has been John Higgins.

:21:33. > :21:39.Success in China and that the Welsh Open. A lot of players in their

:21:40. > :21:44.mid-30s are doing well because they have good all-round game is. You

:21:45. > :21:53.can't go in there and blast people off the tables. Some of the tables

:21:54. > :21:56.can play so difficult these days. Judd Trump has had to ring in the

:21:57. > :22:02.more tactical side. For me, Judd Trump has had to ring in the

:22:03. > :22:06.experience is very important. I have taken enough defeats and enough

:22:07. > :22:12.experience is very important. I have to know how to get over the line.

:22:13. > :22:15.experience is very important. I have with any professional sport, the

:22:16. > :22:20.statistics don't provide too much comfort for the new kids in town.

:22:21. > :22:28.The average age of the winners of the last nine events was just under

:22:29. > :22:36.35. From the period where I was a junior, not that many of them stand

:22:37. > :22:40.out that are coming through, especially UK-based. I am not

:22:41. > :22:45.concerned about younger players coming through. I don't think, as

:22:46. > :22:49.good as they are, they are not any better than what I have had to play

:22:50. > :22:53.against all my career. The juniors coming through, it will take them a

:22:54. > :23:00.little while to get the notice to be able to beat us on a regular basis.

:23:01. > :23:04.Snooker had all the look of becoming brittle potting man's game five or

:23:05. > :23:09.ten years ago. Because everyone has become so good, it means the wise

:23:10. > :23:13.old player has been around for a few years can use his skills and keep

:23:14. > :23:19.the young player at be a little. You see it on the European tour all the

:23:20. > :23:27.time. The kids coming through, all they want to do is pop balls. They

:23:28. > :23:32.will have four or five chances to win the frame. With us, it is one or

:23:33. > :23:38.two chances. The youngsters might need to buy their time until their

:23:39. > :23:43.mid-30s. Then they can retire gracefully to the golf course or the

:23:44. > :23:51.commentary box. But there is no guarantee that will happen. I am in

:23:52. > :23:57.the top 16 and I'm in enjoying it. I will probably never win a tournament

:23:58. > :24:00.again. That is no problem. If I manage to sneak one win somewhere,

:24:01. > :24:21.brilliant. I don't see why modern players can beat the old yet. So it

:24:22. > :24:27.looks like the day of the youngsters will have to wait. It is almost

:24:28. > :24:32.enough to make you want to get your cue out again. Now, maybe not... So

:24:33. > :24:38.we talk about youngsters and maturity and there is a shot of Mark

:24:39. > :24:44.Williams with a spoon on his in 1991, of what was different? It

:24:45. > :24:51.tells you this is a very hard game. You play for hours and hours and it

:24:52. > :24:55.takes a heck of a long time to get good at it. When you do get good at

:24:56. > :25:00.it, it never leaves you. John Higgins made a good point. These

:25:01. > :25:04.tables are very hard. It is difficult for people to come in and

:25:05. > :25:10.completely blast you off the table. These tables need respectful stop

:25:11. > :25:16.good otters, even Judd Trump, has to play the odd safety and take his

:25:17. > :25:19.opportunities. Shaun Murphy put it nicely. It looked like it would

:25:20. > :25:25.become brittle potting machine's game, but even Judd Trump had to

:25:26. > :25:30.adjust his game. At times that has been painful. He seems to be

:25:31. > :25:36.achieving that balance better now. He has too much talent not to be

:25:37. > :25:42.doing well. But even Judd Trump needs to respect these tables. Is it

:25:43. > :25:49.is bunting the future of young champions? Do they just need to

:25:50. > :25:53.serve their time? There is no barrier to anyone who is good

:25:54. > :25:57.enough. The bottom line is you have to be good. Stuart Bingham at the

:25:58. > :26:01.age of 39 became the world champion. He has admitted that since then he

:26:02. > :26:07.has struggled to cope with the increased expectations of him as a

:26:08. > :26:12.world champion. Take his record at the Masters, not good. He has only

:26:13. > :26:17.won one match as wild card in his seven attempts here, and that was

:26:18. > :26:24.back in 2006. But his opponent this evening, being John way, has had a

:26:25. > :26:32.very shaky time of it. What has been going on? Steve has been talking to

:26:33. > :26:39.Stewart. I have never one game here. Hopefully I can that this year.

:26:40. > :26:48.Looking at the people I have lost two, Marco Fu, you will not get easy

:26:49. > :27:00.games against him or Judd Trump. I have a tough opponent

:27:01. > :27:12.this year. The first time I played him at Chris Patton, I'd beaten. I

:27:13. > :27:17.put some fear into him. It has been pointed out to me that I have one

:27:18. > :27:29.seven on the trot since 2011. Hopefully that continues. And that

:27:30. > :27:36.match against Ding Junhui gets under way this evening on the red button.

:27:37. > :27:45.You can watch it live on the red button or you can watch the

:27:46. > :27:48.highlights later. Before that, it is all go at the BTO World

:27:49. > :28:03.Championships. 66-1 outsider, Jeff Smith, is trying

:28:04. > :28:10.to become only the third known you -- non-European ever to win that

:28:11. > :28:19.title. But there is plenty to discuss year. And it is Masters

:28:20. > :28:24.class time. Steve Davis has his cue to hand. John Parrott was talking

:28:25. > :28:29.about how difficult snooker is. You have to put the ball but also

:28:30. > :28:34.control the cue ball. Earlier, Shaun Murphy had to pop the pink and play

:28:35. > :28:38.a little stunned run through to get the perfect position on the cue ball

:28:39. > :28:44.on the red. He played it fantastically. Let's explain what is

:28:45. > :28:50.happening on a straight shot with the cue ball when it hits a red or

:28:51. > :28:56.pink ball. Remember the ball bearings ties? As soon as this ball

:28:57. > :29:00.stops, the other one starts. You have all of this force is being

:29:01. > :29:05.transferred into this ball. This stops dead. This happens on the

:29:06. > :29:11.snooker table. On the cloth, one ball hits another ball, that stops

:29:12. > :29:16.dead and the other ball goes. Spin on the cue ball determines what

:29:17. > :29:21.happens to the cue ball afterwards. Is the cue ball arrives at the red

:29:22. > :29:27.ball with top spin, ones that red ball goes, it stops for a second,

:29:28. > :29:32.grips on the cloth and goes forward. If it arrives with back spin, it

:29:33. > :29:37.hits the ball, red ball goes off, back spin grips on the cloth and it

:29:38. > :29:42.comes backwards. If the cue ball arrives at the red with absolutely

:29:43. > :29:46.no spin, sliding, that ball goes there and the white ball stays

:29:47. > :29:51.still. The shot Shaun Murphy played, the stun run through means he had a

:29:52. > :29:56.fraction of top spin but not too much. A good practice session to do

:29:57. > :30:00.in a strip club is to put a few balls along a line like this and try

:30:01. > :30:05.to get the cue ball after potting the red to get to these places. You

:30:06. > :30:10.judge the amount of spin you're putting on the ball. To get level

:30:11. > :30:15.with the black, you need quite a bit of top spin and roll the ball

:30:16. > :30:22.forward. Practice this as many times as you like. Plate with back spin,

:30:23. > :30:26.try and screw the ball back to this red. First time I have played since

:30:27. > :30:31.the World Championship last year. Not bad. Now Astana shot. No spin

:30:32. > :30:38.whatsoever. You must find your position on the ball and judge it to

:30:39. > :30:42.perfection. Stun it dead. Then the stun run through. Just above the

:30:43. > :30:46.sponge, a little higher up the ball, see you get the white ball to travel

:30:47. > :30:54.through an inch after potting the red. The hardest shot some people

:30:55. > :30:57.say in the game. Once you can control the ball like that, you have

:30:58. > :31:02.half a chance of playing at a good level.

:31:03. > :31:04.for Mark Allen. And how the crowd love a century break here.

:31:05. > :31:13.It is a brilliant shot to have in your armoury, released online

:31:14. > :31:18.through. Fantastic. He never loses it. Here's quite good. Let's get

:31:19. > :31:26.back to the match. It is even Stevens. 2-2 in frames as we see the

:31:27. > :31:33.defending champion Shaun Murphy, and Mark Allen, who has made a 137

:31:34. > :31:42.break, brightening up our afternoon so far coming back.

:31:43. > :32:02.REFEREE: Thank you, thank you. Settle down quickly, please. A few

:32:03. > :32:04.shouts and a few whoops and hollers. Playing for a place in the

:32:05. > :32:17.quarterfinals. A few people getting back to their

:32:18. > :32:19.seats. REFEREE: Frame five, Mark Allen to

:32:20. > :32:30.break. And a very good break this time from

:32:31. > :32:46.Mark Allen. And for once, the black is in the

:32:47. > :32:51.open. That doesn't make this shot for Shaun Murphy any easier. He

:32:52. > :32:58.might try and what the red on the right-hand side but he will be

:32:59. > :33:11.lucky, if he misses it, if he gets away with it. I think he will be

:33:12. > :33:19.pretty pleased with that outcome. Quite a difficult shot, played as a

:33:20. > :33:20.shock to nothing. At first glance, doesn't look like he's left anything

:33:21. > :33:49.for Mark Allen to the left-centre. The black is in the open and there

:33:50. > :33:54.is a red that is tempting on the left-hand side of the table as we

:33:55. > :34:00.look at it, it is a tough hot, but if he knocked it in he would be on

:34:01. > :34:06.the black. -- it is a tough pot. I don't think there is any other red

:34:07. > :34:13.he can see, to be honest. He could play safe fact red. But that is

:34:14. > :34:30.risky. He would have to play it with an awful lot of right-hand side. He

:34:31. > :34:35.is tempted. Decision time. One out of five at the moment with his long

:34:36. > :34:39.potting. That is why he gave it a lot of thought. He didn't really

:34:40. > :34:45.fancy at what he thought it was the shot to play, and the worst possible

:34:46. > :35:38.outcome. He has left his opponent with an easy start.

:35:39. > :35:43.The red above the black go into the corner pocket. And the one just

:35:44. > :36:34.above it, as well. Now, looks like he's going to go

:36:35. > :36:42.into the pack of reds here. Putting some pace on it. It is not too bad.

:36:43. > :36:47.Try to hit the middle red of the bunch. Through the gap. Just trying

:36:48. > :37:23.to miss that one, and hit the next one. It has worked out OK.

:37:24. > :37:29.He has just overdone that a little, so he will have to go back up for

:37:30. > :37:48.the blue. On the hour Mark, it has been

:37:49. > :37:57.excellent snooker so far. He's playing with top spin, so he is not

:37:58. > :38:02.playing the cannon. So maybe that cluster of reds in the middle of the

:38:03. > :38:15.table, the top one will go to the right corner. Once again, he has not

:38:16. > :38:23.really got the perfect angle on the blue. Hampered slightly by the pink.

:38:24. > :38:25.But it shouldn't make the pot too difficult. Still has to control the

:38:26. > :38:39.cue ball. Now, he does not want to be too

:38:40. > :38:47.straight on this red. If he is, this is tricky, and it is very straight,

:38:48. > :38:52.as you can see. He will be looking to screw back and hit the red that

:38:53. > :38:56.is on the top cushion as well, and be on the black, and that is exactly

:38:57. > :39:01.what he has done. He has put the red interplay. Couldn't have played it

:39:02. > :39:05.better. Really good shot. You have got to be so accurate with those. He

:39:06. > :39:22.judged the cannon to perfection. He tried to get on that red that you

:39:23. > :39:31.were talking about. OK, the hand went up, there was a gesture to say

:39:32. > :39:35.sorry. You can see the cannon, bringing this bottom red interplay.

:39:36. > :39:41.This will certainly open up all the reds. Lovely shot, beautiful. As you

:39:42. > :39:51.say, he had a bit of good fortune, bit of luck. But he will take full

:39:52. > :39:59.advantage of it. Because it can always turn the other way. Just red

:40:00. > :40:11.an black needed to get to the snooker is required stage now.

:40:12. > :40:50.It has been a litany of good breaks so far, 50 in the first, and now 77

:40:51. > :41:11.and counting. This is good stuff, a good start to the tournament.

:41:12. > :41:17.He's going to need that red close to the pink if he is going to go on and

:41:18. > :41:23.make a century in this brain as well. Plenty of room behind it,

:41:24. > :41:34.plenty of opportunity from potting the red and the next colour. He has

:41:35. > :41:55.played for the pink, or he is not going to be on it.

:41:56. > :42:05.Well, he tried support the blue and develop the red. He has missed the

:42:06. > :42:10.blue, not a century, but he puts another frame on the board and goes

:42:11. > :42:16.into the lead once more against the defending champion Mark Allen, now

:42:17. > :42:21.leading 3-2. A couple of shots in that frame, particularly the opening

:42:22. > :42:26.red, OK, Shaun Murphy was in trouble, but he pushed the boat out

:42:27. > :42:30.and decided to take this red on but there was a lot at stake when he

:42:31. > :42:41.missed it, of course. Once again, he hit the red too thinly. That was the

:42:42. > :42:45.type of shot, the way that the balls were situated, as I mentioned at the

:42:46. > :42:49.time with the black in the open, that he has got to be very careful,

:42:50. > :42:53.when playing that type of shot, and it cost him dear. Mark Allen did

:42:54. > :43:00.have a little bit of good fortune during the break. He played a lovely

:43:01. > :43:05.shot, just potting this red, and he has to judge this cannon on the red

:43:06. > :43:10.top cushion, bringing it into play, but then he is trying to get the red

:43:11. > :43:14.that is almost on the pink spot, the top of the bunch, into the

:43:15. > :43:20.right-hand bottom corner pocket. Now watch what happens when you post the

:43:21. > :43:23.black. He does not get the desired side spin on the cue ball to miss

:43:24. > :43:29.the pack. His hand goes up because he has nudged the red into play, and

:43:30. > :43:37.when he potted it he brought the other five reds interplay and went

:43:38. > :43:39.on to develop a nice break of 91. So much for putting the hand up to

:43:40. > :43:45.apologise. Shaun Murphy playing catch up once

:43:46. > :44:15.again. Six, the target, remember. I think that tells a story. Pot

:44:16. > :44:17.success for Shaun Murphy, 82%. It has got to be 90% or above. He is

:44:18. > :45:18.lucky to be just one frame behind. APPLAUSE

:45:19. > :45:42.Perfect length. He needs to catch this just right.

:45:43. > :45:56.He needs to Mr brown for it to be a good shot, and he hasn't. -- he

:45:57. > :46:06.needs to miss the brown. Long potting has not been his forte. One

:46:07. > :46:08.out of six at the moment. It tells me that he thinks he can get

:46:09. > :46:30.position on the black. Seven between cue ball and object

:46:31. > :46:38.ball. -- 7'11". Maybe just overcompensated there. Did play it

:46:39. > :46:47.with top spin to get back up onto the blue. One that you would expect

:46:48. > :46:54.him to knock in. It can upset your confidence when you are not knocking

:46:55. > :47:10.those ones in. Mark Allen has not capitalised. Another little tester

:47:11. > :47:18.for Shaun Murphy. Black looks like it is on, into the right-hand corner

:47:19. > :47:26.pocket. He will try and hold for it. Well, it went in. He is not

:47:27. > :47:45.perfectly on the blue, but still nicely on the green.

:47:46. > :47:57.He is coming now to have a look at that red, is it pottable behind the

:47:58. > :48:04.black into the corner pocket? Got to be dead behind it. If you were

:48:05. > :48:09.straight on it you would not fancy missing it. But it is just

:48:10. > :48:17.off-street. He could certainly run the red into the black. If he can

:48:18. > :48:21.get that red away from the black then the black can go into both

:48:22. > :48:28.corners and it gives a good break-building chance. Doesn't want

:48:29. > :48:37.to risk it. He cannot play for the black now.

:48:38. > :48:52.The problem is, he keeps having to manoeuvre that tubal distances. As

:48:53. > :49:02.it happens, he is absolutely plumb on the blue. There is the line of

:49:03. > :49:07.the blue. This is the beauty of having this 1- table situation. We

:49:08. > :49:14.can give you all the shots, all the angles.

:49:15. > :49:27.Doesn't look like he is convinced that red pots to the right-hand

:49:28. > :49:35.corner pocket. The red directly above the black, does pot, or the

:49:36. > :49:43.red that is to the right of the black.

:49:44. > :49:52.He has gone for the red just by Whitley above the black. Just watch

:49:53. > :49:58.the cue ball. He has got to put a lot of top spin into this. And this

:49:59. > :50:02.could go wrong. He has got to be most careful when you post this red.

:50:03. > :50:09.Yes, potting the red is paramount. And it could go in, but he has had

:50:10. > :50:17.no luck. And what has made it worse, there is a red near the baulk

:50:18. > :50:22.cushion so there is no safe area up that end of the table. He may have

:50:23. > :50:30.to play a pot here. Not one he would like. I don't see where any safety

:50:31. > :50:36.shot comes from here. The blue, if he could creep past the red, you

:50:37. > :50:48.could see him taking it on, but that is awkward. He is now looking at the

:50:49. > :50:59.yellow. He is hampered by both reds for the blue. The yellow, at least

:51:00. > :51:03.he has straight cueing, with no balls in the way. That would

:51:04. > :51:11.probably be my choice, but it is fraught with danger. He has decided

:51:12. > :51:19.on the yellow. There is no safety, so he has decided to take this on.

:51:20. > :51:29.It is a big shot, that. As I said, he had to take it on, because there

:51:30. > :51:36.was no real safety. Although, in saying that, it doesn't look as if

:51:37. > :51:44.he has left anything easy. This red will cut, but the cue ball will be

:51:45. > :51:52.travelling loose. There is no realising where it will finish. In

:51:53. > :52:00.it goes. The click on the green. Don't tell me he's going to finish

:52:01. > :52:17.perfectly on the black, Izzy? -- is the? Shake the head. That would have

:52:18. > :52:36.a result. -- a shake of the head. Mark has an easy safety.

:52:37. > :53:36.It needed to be a thin contact, a miss called, and the ball was

:53:37. > :53:41.replaced. It is one of the circumstances were Shaun has got to

:53:42. > :53:49.hit the red very thinly to get a good safety. If you miss it again,

:53:50. > :53:54.three times, you lose the frame. This is the shot that he is trying

:53:55. > :54:00.to achieve. Sometimes, the first couple of times... The first time as

:54:01. > :54:06.a guide, the second time you are expecting to hit it. The next time,

:54:07. > :54:17.if you don't hit it, you lose the frame. We will hear the warning now

:54:18. > :54:21.from the referee. REFEREE: I have got to warn you, you

:54:22. > :54:29.have got to hit it this time all you forfeit the frame. "Thanks". And the

:54:30. > :54:35.first person to lose a rule under this -- to lose a frame under this

:54:36. > :54:52.rule is sitting right next to me! Cheers, John! It is always a

:54:53. > :55:01.pleasure working with you! So, do you risk it? He is trying to get act

:55:02. > :55:08.to baulk. Can you believe it? REFEREE: Foul, and a miss, and the

:55:09. > :55:12.frame. It is such a hard rule. But the players know what the situation

:55:13. > :55:22.is. I cannot believe he has missed that. Can you believe it? Waterway

:55:23. > :55:29.to lose the frame! Unbelievable. I cannot believe that he has played

:55:30. > :55:35.that shot the third time. But, would he have played a short onto the red,

:55:36. > :55:45.even? -- played the shot onto the red?

:55:46. > :55:57.If he had possibly not left the shop for Mark Allen. Of course, you see

:55:58. > :56:01.all kinds of problems when you are in that situation. He could have

:56:02. > :56:08.attempted to play the containing safety. But this was the last mess

:56:09. > :56:13.and it cost him the frame. With all those raids on, you think, how can

:56:14. > :56:20.anyone lose the frame just by missing the ball three times? You

:56:21. > :56:26.have got to err on the side of it being a little bit thicker, surely.

:56:27. > :56:29.To miss it three times, unforgivable, and the scoreboard

:56:30. > :56:39.says it as well. He is now two brains behind. -- frames behind.

:56:40. > :56:54.REFEREE: Thank you, settle down, please, frame seven, Mark Allen to

:56:55. > :56:59.break. Mark Allen gets frame seven under way. What a bonus that was.

:57:00. > :57:05.Didn't have to do anything. Just played one good safety. That was

:57:06. > :57:12.all. And it wins the frame. It is a tough rule. It is a tough rule, but

:57:13. > :57:20.it will be interesting to see how he copes with it now.

:57:21. > :57:31.APPLAUSE How about that? Under extreme

:57:32. > :57:44.circumstances, that was absolutely majestic.

:57:45. > :57:53.The pot looked easy. And in all fairness, was. But he was not

:57:54. > :57:57.certain he was going to be on the red. He was just trying to drop it

:57:58. > :58:03.in and hoped to get a nice little cannon. If it had been another inch

:58:04. > :58:09.from the side cushion, the Blackwood have been unmissable. But now, what

:58:10. > :58:15.the chance for Mark Allen to press home the advantage. -- what a

:58:16. > :58:40.chance. He wanted to be straighter on this

:58:41. > :58:50.red. Because he wasn't, he had to play the little cannon and he has

:58:51. > :58:55.not played it very well at all. It could be end of break. Even if he

:58:56. > :59:00.pots the black there is nothing portable into the right-hand corner

:59:01. > :59:07.pocket. So maybe just the safety shot here. He will be kicking

:59:08. > :59:20.himself. At the moment, he has got Shaun Murphy on the rack.

:59:21. > :59:28.And it may need a little bit of a safety belt for Shaun Murphy just to

:59:29. > :59:35.clear his head a little, because when you lose a frame in the manner

:59:36. > :59:42.that he lost the last one, the first one, it was quite a long way away.

:59:43. > :59:45.In the interval he was looking over to Mark Allen. If he thought the cue

:59:46. > :59:52.ball was just drifting over slightly, then you make an

:59:53. > :59:59.allowance. Very hard to understand a player of his ability and long

:00:00. > :00:07.potting prowess that he cannot hit a ball just less than quarter. He was

:00:08. > :00:10.gesticulating to Mark Allen that it was drifting over slightly, but if

:00:11. > :00:17.it was, then you just make an allowance. Anyway, he is snookered

:00:18. > :00:21.here. Not guaranteed to get this safe. Personally, I would prefer to

:00:22. > :00:31.come down the left-hand side of the table. Does he played with pace off

:00:32. > :00:34.two cushions? He is. And the fact that he is snookered on all of the

:00:35. > :00:41.balls, he can have as many goes as he likes, but this... Easier for

:00:42. > :00:52.Mark Allen not to have the balls replaced.

:00:53. > :00:56.I always feel with this shot, when you are playing the two cushions

:00:57. > :01:01.gone, you feel more comfortable if you play it with a trace of side of

:01:02. > :01:07.being close to the cushion, it is not that easy to get the side on.

:01:08. > :01:19.He has played that pretty well. I think a pot is this corner pocket. I

:01:20. > :01:26.don't know if he, being a left-hander, can reach this.

:01:27. > :01:39.He certainly can reach it. Well, he's not perfect on the colour. But

:01:40. > :01:44.the way the balls are situated on the way the rouges are spread, one

:01:45. > :01:53.good pot here could give him a frame-winning chance.

:01:54. > :02:06.This could win him the frame, this pink. Right in the heart of the

:02:07. > :02:13.pocket, so the frame is there for the taking. A wonderful shot with

:02:14. > :02:21.the rest, perfect on the rouge just above the blackmail. In the previous

:02:22. > :02:29.shot, the red in the corner pocket just got through the ball. Spread

:02:30. > :02:35.the reds into pottable positions. A great chance for 5- to hear. -- four

:02:36. > :03:04.I- 2. There is a little gap between the

:03:05. > :03:08.reds, if he could hit the red to the right of the pink, can not full in

:03:09. > :03:14.the face, you would have a choice of reds. Didn't get the cannon Wright.

:03:15. > :03:19.Always knew that there was a chance of being on the red to the left

:03:20. > :03:27.middle but that cannon was not what he played. He wanted to get the one

:03:28. > :03:36.further up but, as I say, always had a second prize with this red to the

:03:37. > :03:41.middle. Still a great opportunity. To take a three frame advantage.

:03:42. > :03:57.And more importantly, B1 frame away from victory.

:03:58. > :04:11.When he gets to 69 points, Snickers will be required from Sean. Once

:04:12. > :04:18.again, he played a cannon on that same red, funnily enough, and didn't

:04:19. > :04:24.get it right. Needed to hit that red 4-ball and it would have been

:04:25. > :04:29.perfect. Making hard work of this. And the red directly above the black

:04:30. > :04:34.doesn't pot into this pocket so he's going to have to pull out a pot here

:04:35. > :04:40.and there are two tricky reds and then the red down into the

:04:41. > :04:44.right-hand corner pocket is tricky. The red that is on the top cushion

:04:45. > :04:45.as we look just behind the black is a very dangerous to the left-hand

:04:46. > :05:02.corner pocket. Of course it is in the players' mind

:05:03. > :05:06.that this was a golden opportunity to win the frame at this visit so

:05:07. > :05:10.this is where a player has a tendency just to push the vote out.

:05:11. > :05:14.He has a 51 point lead. You don't have to play the pot but, as I say,

:05:15. > :05:18.you felt when he was in amongst the balls that this was a chance to win

:05:19. > :05:25.it so he has taken this tough red on.

:05:26. > :05:37.And in it goes. A rescue shot for Shaun Murphy, now fearing the worst

:05:38. > :05:49.as he won't get back to the table with a winning chance in this frame.

:05:50. > :06:17.And at last, he gets the cannon. So red, colour, red will be enough.

:06:18. > :06:24.So, 67 points the lead, 67 remaining. No heroics with this red,

:06:25. > :06:40.just drop it in, then two smokers will be needed. -- snookers.

:06:41. > :06:48.So, can, it goes without saying that Shaun Murphy, defending champion,

:06:49. > :06:53.has got it all to do now. Absolutely, particularly the way

:06:54. > :06:57.Mark Allen is playing now as well. How crucial will that frame be for

:06:58. > :07:27.Shaun Murphy? The turning point in the match so far.

:07:28. > :07:41.Already made high breaks of 137 and a 91 in frame five. Didn't have to

:07:42. > :07:46.do anything in the sixth frame because it was gifted to him. That

:07:47. > :07:54.wiped its feet. So, yellow and green would be enough

:07:55. > :08:14.to get to the century mark. Well played. Second century of the

:08:15. > :08:21.match. APPLAUSE

:08:22. > :08:26.Ran out of position a couple of times but his opening red was the

:08:27. > :08:35.key to this. Tremendous opening red. Good shot with the rest on the pink.

:08:36. > :08:44.Well, it didn't really matter about the blue. Shaun Murphy's back

:08:45. > :08:49.against the wall, the defending champion. Mark Allen just one frame

:08:50. > :08:56.from victory. HAZEL IRVINE: What a turn of events

:08:57. > :09:00.and what a way to lose that much. This is almost inextricably. What

:09:01. > :09:04.was going on? The one thing they tell you when you play this shot is

:09:05. > :09:08.that you cannot get it thick because you have to lay the cue ball down.

:09:09. > :09:13.You have a look at it and try to edge on the thin side but obviously,

:09:14. > :09:17.too thin. There is a possibility that the ball rolled off a fraction

:09:18. > :09:21.and Shaun Murphy would have been aware of that. So his third attempt,

:09:22. > :09:26.he's tried to allow for that and perhaps aim a bit thicker but it's

:09:27. > :09:30.still rolled off, or he's mis-hitting shots fractionally, and

:09:31. > :09:34.we spotted a couple of long shots that had gone astray, one into one

:09:35. > :09:39.pocket where he missed it wide, one into the other pocket where he hit

:09:40. > :09:42.it thick, so that's sometimes a sign that the player is giving a

:09:43. > :09:45.fractional amount of accidental side when he hits the ball and perhaps

:09:46. > :09:51.arguably for Shaun Murphy, he is getting a bit of right-hand spin on

:09:52. > :09:54.the ball that he isn't aiming for. The press office assures us that is

:09:55. > :09:58.the first time it has happened in the Masters under the new rule but

:09:59. > :10:01.not the first time in snow-covered stop in fact, Steve, it happen to

:10:02. > :10:05.you and to you, John. What were the circumstances of yours? Mine was

:10:06. > :10:09.against Ken Doherty in the Irish Masters and I lost the match. You

:10:10. > :10:14.just don't believe that you can play a shot three times as badly but it

:10:15. > :10:18.can happen. A bit of pig-headedness. It happened to me. The ball went

:10:19. > :10:23.straight for a ball and went right. I lost a frame as well. It is so

:10:24. > :10:29.annoying when you do it and you think, why have I done that?

:10:30. > :10:33.Sometimes you have to bite the bullet and see if you can play a

:10:34. > :10:38.more containing one but at this level with the standard so strong,

:10:39. > :10:43.Patsy bought, "I've got to play this and commit," but it is a horrible

:10:44. > :10:49.way to lose a frame and a big shock to the system. -- shock. It may have

:10:50. > :10:52.cost him the match. That was a big bonus to mark. He needs one more to

:10:53. > :11:07.knock out the defending champion. KEN DOHERTY: One more frame for a

:11:08. > :11:11.place in the finals. He is not pushing the vote out. Certainly

:11:12. > :11:22.going to keep the pressure on his opponent. There is the exchange.

:11:23. > :11:26.Maybe Shaun Murphy is saying to Mark Allen that the ball had drifted a

:11:27. > :11:35.little bit. Mark Allen saying thank you. Very pleased to get a frame

:11:36. > :11:42.that easy. It happened to me in the Irish massed is. I was playing Steve

:11:43. > :11:46.Davis and he missed a final red three times and it was the final

:11:47. > :11:48.frame of the match as well. Subsequently lost the match. I don't

:11:49. > :11:55.know whether that's ever happened since. John Virgo:

:11:56. > :12:05.Didn't you lose a frame Bhoys it was the World Championship. A good

:12:06. > :13:18.decision, that one was. On the surface, Shaun Murphy looks

:13:19. > :13:27.cool, calm and collected. What he's feeling like underneath, I don't

:13:28. > :13:33.know. This is not the start he was looking for in the defence of his

:13:34. > :13:41.title. And he's going to have to get to the stage now where it is no

:13:42. > :13:44.mistake snooker. He just hasn't looked on it from first ball and

:13:45. > :13:46.those couple of long pots may be just shook his confidence in the

:13:47. > :13:58.first frame. When he's got in around the balls,

:13:59. > :14:01.in amongst the pink and the black, he's looked OK but it is the

:14:02. > :14:06.mid-range balls that really test you. He's been given the chance

:14:07. > :14:09.here. That red has just crept past the blue and left Shaun Murphy a

:14:10. > :14:15.nice easy starter. This could give us a little clue. OK, the black is

:14:16. > :14:21.tied up but he's still got the ball colours, blue and pink, to work

:14:22. > :14:27.with. But that what successful someone like Shaun is very low. When

:14:28. > :14:35.you consider his potting strength, you wouldn't say his safety play is

:14:36. > :14:42.his strength, it is his potting. Safety success should be higher from

:14:43. > :14:46.both players. Shaun Murphy now in a situation - no mistakes, can't

:14:47. > :14:51.afford to miss when he's in, and that's not the best positional shot

:14:52. > :14:56.on the blue. Wrong side of the blue. That means he can't get close to the

:14:57. > :15:05.next intended red as he would like to be. Just the wrong side. The

:15:06. > :15:06.problem is, if he tries to roll it out of the Borg, the yellow comes

:15:07. > :15:15.into play. Just deciding to drop the blue in

:15:16. > :15:25.and leave this red but when you are just one frame away from defeat,

:15:26. > :15:28.things are testy. Cute it beautifully. Well played. Very well

:15:29. > :15:38.played indeed. Yes, and played it confidently to

:15:39. > :15:59.stay on the pink. Can he get through to this pink when

:16:00. > :16:04.it goes back on its spot? He can get to the one on the top cushion. No

:16:05. > :16:23.harm done. When he's in this position, as he

:16:24. > :16:30.was the couple of friends that he has won, he's looked as good as

:16:31. > :16:37.ever. It's just these few safety shots and particularly the couple of

:16:38. > :16:38.long pots that he's missed that gave Mark Allen easy opportunities to get

:16:39. > :17:00.frames on the board. As you say, John, every shot is

:17:01. > :17:04.crucial for Shaun Murphy. Mark Allen has a little bit of leeway. He knows

:17:05. > :17:42.he's going to get a couple of chances.

:17:43. > :17:46.We've just had a look at the two reds. They both pot into this

:17:47. > :18:03.left-hand corner pocket. He could have played that little bit

:18:04. > :18:09.better. Straight would have been ideal but he's got to be careful if

:18:10. > :18:12.he runs into the other red that he doesn't affect the position. They

:18:13. > :18:26.did flick of the other red. Needs to run. Has he got the angle on the

:18:27. > :18:35.blue? Just about. Makes all the difference. And didn't take you that

:18:36. > :18:45.well? That was beautiful cueing. -- didn't he cue that well? As you say,

:18:46. > :18:48.he is cueing well when he's in the balls. It's just some of his

:18:49. > :18:56.long-distance shots haven't been great. He wanted a better angle on

:18:57. > :19:02.the pink than this. But such is the cube power of Shaun, no problems.

:19:03. > :19:06.Looking for red, colour, red, because I don't think he can play

:19:07. > :19:09.for the black and if he plays for the pink, that will put him 67

:19:10. > :19:22.points in front with 67 remaining. Well, he tried to get on the black.

:19:23. > :19:27.He's not on the black. So he'll have to play the difficult pink and still

:19:28. > :19:31.looking for one more red. If he could have got on the black, that

:19:32. > :19:39.would put him in the snooker is required stage. Two ways he can play

:19:40. > :19:40.this. He can play it up into the green pocket or just try and make

:19:41. > :19:55.sure it gets into the right centre. APPLAUSE

:19:56. > :20:03.67 ahead now, with just 67 remaining.

:20:04. > :20:20.APPLAUSE Well, decent contribution from Shaun

:20:21. > :20:26.Murphy but this frame is still not over. OK, a tall order for Mark

:20:27. > :20:27.Allen. Even more difficult if he's not on this red over the yellow

:20:28. > :20:47.pocket. Well, he didn't feel as though he

:20:48. > :21:00.could do much with that red but, of course, that now means he needs

:21:01. > :21:07.Snooker. It is usually a ticket not to concede when an opponent is at

:21:08. > :21:17.the table. He said, don't bother with the rest

:21:18. > :21:22.and extension, I will give you the frame. So that was a good response

:21:23. > :21:30.from Shaun Murphy. He's still up against it, obviously, but well

:21:31. > :21:34.played. Still trails 5-3. HAZEL IRVINE: Still looks calm and

:21:35. > :21:37.relaxed, as he usually does but having gone through all of that

:21:38. > :21:39.drama earlier wrong, how does that mistake make you feel for the frames

:21:40. > :21:48.thereafter? I think it rocks you, certainly, and

:21:49. > :21:52.it can take the wind out of your sails and all of a sudden, Shaun

:21:53. > :21:57.looked a bit befuddled and not firing. But obviously, at some

:21:58. > :22:01.stage, he's going to knock a few balls, which he did, and excellent

:22:02. > :22:06.red to keep the and that does help. But even so, that one frame is so

:22:07. > :22:10.much of a difference in the context of the match. He would have had a

:22:11. > :22:14.better chance in that frame if he played the safety shot. It's hard

:22:15. > :22:18.not to feel flat. John, when you think back on the occasion you did

:22:19. > :22:22.that, can you remember the circumstances there after and how

:22:23. > :22:24.you reacted and coat? The next frame, you are definitely thinking

:22:25. > :22:28.about it and sometimes you could do with an interval coming if you did

:22:29. > :22:31.it in a match so you can get out and blow off a bit of steam with your

:22:32. > :22:35.pals in the interval. It rocks you for the next frame but the situation

:22:36. > :22:39.he's in here, he's got to forget about it fairly quickly because he's

:22:40. > :22:44.in last chance saloon. The cue action freed up. He looked great. He

:22:45. > :22:47.looked good when he's closing but he botches a couple of mid-range balls

:22:48. > :22:51.that were really good and well struck. It is a situation where you

:22:52. > :22:55.know it is your last chance and it is desperation and you think, I've

:22:56. > :22:59.got to start potting a few balls to turn this much around, and he was

:23:00. > :23:04.impressive in this frame. He is doing the chasing. This Sunday last

:23:05. > :23:07.year he was up against Mark Selby and was 5-1 up and he somehow

:23:08. > :23:11.conspired to lose the next four and went to a decider and Murphy came

:23:12. > :23:15.through to win it. Suddenly he is the man under real pressure here.

:23:16. > :23:19.What can he summon in this situation that we've seen on previous

:23:20. > :23:23.occasions? What we know about Shaun is that he likes a challenge. He's

:23:24. > :23:27.not afraid of trying to be the hero on the day and if he gets a bit more

:23:28. > :23:31.inspiration by winning the next frame, then perhaps it is all

:23:32. > :23:36.forgotten. He's a heavy scorer and if you are going to win a match from

:23:37. > :23:42.this, you have to score heavily. You do, and when you look through his

:23:43. > :23:46.breaks so far, 68, 65, 67, the most sizeable contributions that Murphy

:23:47. > :23:49.has made this afternoon and by his own very high standards, that is

:23:50. > :23:58.reasonably low. I wonder what we are in for now in frame nine.

:23:59. > :24:04.JOHN VIRGO: That is a fair point about the scoring ability of the two

:24:05. > :24:15.players. When you look at the breaks Mark Allen has played, 50, 137, 91,

:24:16. > :24:20.104, that is top drawer scoring and that is the type of contributions,

:24:21. > :24:28.as John said in the studio, that Shaun Murphy needs to raises

:24:29. > :24:33.standards to. -- raise his standards to. Played that very confidently.

:24:34. > :24:39.There was no air of the shot for nothing in that one. He played at

:24:40. > :24:43.such a pace he was bound to be an blue or baulk colour. OK, flicked

:24:44. > :24:47.the red which is loaded up and he is the wrong side of the blue but as I

:24:48. > :24:49.always say, you would rather be well the wrong side of the blue than just

:24:50. > :25:08.off straight. But, as I say, in this situation,

:25:09. > :25:29.you cannot afford to miss, particularly when you are in.

:25:30. > :25:37.KEN DOHERTY: Well, pink pots past the green into the top right-hand

:25:38. > :25:44.corner pocket. The only problem for Shaun is the pink may get tied up

:25:45. > :25:53.when it is re-spotted and the black is tied up, so a lot of work to do.

:25:54. > :26:06.Well, he could play a couple of shots here, maybe pop the red and go

:26:07. > :26:15.round the back of the black and go for the blue or baulk. Wants to try

:26:16. > :26:20.to develop the red here. He's got a nice angle on the red into the

:26:21. > :26:26.bottom left-hand corner pocket. Cue ball, a bit of bottom on the cue

:26:27. > :26:27.ball could career him into the red, black, and maybe bring the black

:26:28. > :26:47.into play if he wishes. He wanted to bring the black and the

:26:48. > :26:51.red into play, didn't he? A lot will depend on where this black goes. If

:26:52. > :27:02.it doesn't go in its own spot, that red may just be available. It is

:27:03. > :27:07.hard to tell at the moment. Does the black go in its own spot?

:27:08. > :27:12.It has to go in a direct line with the middle of the top cushion, which

:27:13. > :27:19.tells me that that red could possibly be pottable. I'm never

:27:20. > :27:24.quite certain what that is, you know. Does that mean it goes on? You

:27:25. > :27:29.would think of that cross was right in the middle of that mark, it would

:27:30. > :27:35.go on, but it doesn't. It can't be touching the red.

:27:36. > :27:41.Shaun is just having a look round now. He doesn't want this red and

:27:42. > :27:47.black to be a plant to the corner. It looks very close to being one. So

:27:48. > :27:51.if he does try to play the cannon, he's got to be careful he doesn't

:27:52. > :27:58.hit that hard enough for the black to go in the corner pocket. Again,

:27:59. > :28:06.nice angle on this red. A cross into the red and black. It needs to

:28:07. > :28:09.bounce. He couldn't play it any harder. There was always a fear that

:28:10. > :28:13.if he caught it wrong he could have knocked the black in but this is a

:28:14. > :28:16.tricky one now. Just got to drop this in. He just needed that black

:28:17. > :28:30.to bounce a fraction. Couldn't do much with the cue ball

:28:31. > :28:37.so he couldn't get the cue ball as far away from the cushion as he

:28:38. > :28:39.would like, so this is another test. Cannot afford to miss when he's in

:28:40. > :28:53.the balls like this. Good cueing again and a lovely angle

:28:54. > :29:03.on the black now. Stun up into the two red above the black to try to

:29:04. > :29:05.split more reds into play. That's OK. He's got the red into the

:29:06. > :29:32.centre. Nice angle again on the black. He

:29:33. > :29:38.could play the cannon again just in and open. He's got the reds to the

:29:39. > :29:45.right of the blue and he decided to take the no risk route. Now, can he

:29:46. > :29:52.play this red and leave himself a nice angle on the blue? He is down

:29:53. > :29:58.quick, so obviously he can. Now, this could be the key to this frame.

:29:59. > :30:03.He will be playing the cannon this time but you always need a little

:30:04. > :30:09.bit of luck that the reds come out nice. That red just above the pink,

:30:10. > :30:12.hit it full in the face... In it goes and he's on the red. Superb.

:30:13. > :30:29.APPLAUSE Lovely shot. Got the red plum on.

:30:30. > :30:37.Perfect. Has been a good response, hasn't it? I was just going to say,

:30:38. > :30:41.are you reading my script? You cannot help but be impressed by the

:30:42. > :30:47.response from Shaun, after what happened in the frame when he

:30:48. > :30:52.conceded by missing the ball 3 times. Then Mark Allen in the next

:30:53. > :31:03.frame made 104. That looked a bit wide, but just

:31:04. > :31:05.lacked that pace. A bit more pace and I don't think that would have

:31:06. > :31:53.dropped. That puts the frame well and truly

:31:54. > :32:04.in the bag, you would have thought. 2 snookers needed to tie for Mark

:32:05. > :32:09.Allen. As you said a few moments ago, when you have a lead on Mark

:32:10. > :32:12.Allen, you always feel you will get a couple of chances to clinch the

:32:13. > :32:21.frame. But this is a tremendous response from Shaun. Maybe a bit of

:32:22. > :32:28.doubt creeping into Mark Allen's mind. He's looking on. The last

:32:29. > :32:34.couple of frames gave him great confidence. 67 in the last, was just

:32:35. > :32:38.about enough. But this will make him feel good and give him that it of

:32:39. > :32:43.confidence and knowing that 1 chance he gets, he will win the frame from.

:32:44. > :32:49.But the 1st few reds and colours in this break was superb will stop the

:32:50. > :32:53.way the pink was tied up, the way the black was tied up and he

:32:54. > :33:02.developed them so nice, indeed. The crowd have been in for a wonderful

:33:03. > :33:09.treat this afternoon. This red will make it another century. It has been

:33:10. > :33:17.a high-quality match. Not without incident. Well played, Shaun Murphy.

:33:18. > :33:31.APPLAUSE He missed the black but he won't be

:33:32. > :33:35.too disappointed. He has got a century but more importantly has

:33:36. > :33:44.another frame. He has pulled 1 back and is only 1 behind now with the

:33:45. > :33:52.Mark Allen still leading 5-4. STUDIO: This title hasn't been

:33:53. > :33:55.successfully defended since 2002. Cliff Thorburn, Stephen Hendry and

:33:56. > :34:02.Paul are the only ones to have done it. What a turnaround, John? It is

:34:03. > :34:08.tremendous, the psychology of this sport. But then you get the bit

:34:09. > :34:11.between your teeth and it focuses your concentration. Last chance

:34:12. > :34:17.saloon. You get fully focused. If you get to 5-5 and you think you are

:34:18. > :34:23.going to match it and then the pressure is back on you. Is it not

:34:24. > :34:28.beginning to do that already? It could do, but Mark Allen is thinking

:34:29. > :34:35.it is a match he could have got out of the way and now he is embroiled

:34:36. > :34:39.in a battle. From 5-2 in front, Mark Allen will have thought I will get a

:34:40. > :34:47.few attempts at getting over the line. What John was saying, the way

:34:48. > :34:51.Shaun Murphy can score so well, in those 2 coming he hasn't a sniff.

:34:52. > :34:55.More panic will have set in the normal because he hasn't had his

:34:56. > :35:06.chance. Are we in for a decider? Let's find out.

:35:07. > :35:14.COMMENTATOR: Pick heavy-handed with the break-up shot from Shaun. The

:35:15. > :35:22.last few frames coming he cannot afford any mistakes. This is 1. This

:35:23. > :35:32.red needs rotting. He is not taking it on. Is it a 3-ball plant? It

:35:33. > :35:42.wasn't. Can't believe he didn't take that red on. OK, I don't doubt the

:35:43. > :35:48.safety and I don't doubt the quality of the length, but are refusing red

:35:49. > :36:09.like that? Don't want to go too much in your shell.

:36:10. > :36:18.He has covered it, but it looks pretty straightforward of the

:36:19. > :36:23.question 1st. The only problem is, the cue ball is going to be heading

:36:24. > :36:27.towards black and red. May get a little bit of luck. Will have to hit

:36:28. > :36:36.this with a lot of pace. Doesn't seem to have the angle to get back

:36:37. > :36:41.up for the blue or baulk. He has found a little gap. He will

:36:42. > :37:05.certainly be happy with that result. Well... He was a long way away from

:37:06. > :37:13.that. What's worse is coming he has freed up the red and black. Have a

:37:14. > :37:16.look at this, John. He put a lot of right-hand side on it, but pushed

:37:17. > :37:24.the cue ball away from the object ball. What amazes me he can play an

:37:25. > :37:29.attacking shot like that but refused a half ball red on his 1st visit to

:37:30. > :37:34.the table. Maybe just not thinking and maybe Steve Davis alluded to in

:37:35. > :37:40.the studio, a bit of panic setting in. When you are 5-2 in front, you

:37:41. > :37:45.can be forgiven for thinking this game is in the bag, but never take

:37:46. > :37:52.anything for granted. Particularly not at this level and this quality

:37:53. > :38:00.of opposition. Shaun, just about getting high enough. I am sure the

:38:01. > :38:11.pink wool part. -- will hot. It clearly does. Good cueing needed.

:38:12. > :38:19.Right in the heart of the pocket. He hasn't weakened under the pressure,

:38:20. > :38:35.Fairplay. Played that wonderfully well, didn't he. His parting success

:38:36. > :38:39.was down to 81%. At 1 stage it was rising rapidly. Still a lot of work

:38:40. > :38:56.to do. The fact the pink spot is covered,

:38:57. > :39:05.this helps his cause. Nice angle on the pink after potting this red now.

:39:06. > :39:10.Leave it low. Pink into the corner. Try and bring some more red 's into

:39:11. > :39:18.play. He will be guaranteed to be on a red over the bottom right pocket.

:39:19. > :39:25.Has got too much into it, but he is still OK. Can he still get through

:39:26. > :39:35.to this red when the pink is re- spotted? Supplies at -- surprised he

:39:36. > :39:39.played it so hard. Thought he could have played it more generally to

:39:40. > :39:46.bring the black into play. Only needed a few more reds in. Did need

:39:47. > :39:55.to play it with so much screw. Just done it into the pack of reds. --

:39:56. > :40:04.stun. He has used the other red nicely. Very well controlled.

:40:05. > :40:17.Just use the red. Got to catch it full ball, almost. Was the situation

:40:18. > :40:22.it was perfect to play, that shot. It just shows you! Once again, we

:40:23. > :40:27.have seen a few balls knocked along the question. I thought with the

:40:28. > :40:32.angle he had with the pink, he could play for the red on the top cushion.

:40:33. > :40:36.Trying to force the pink to make an angle which was almost impossible.

:40:37. > :40:46.But he didn't want to play for the red along the top cushion. He cannot

:40:47. > :40:50.afford to miss now when he is in amongst the balls and that is

:40:51. > :40:54.exactly what he has done. Here is the chance for Mark Allen. This is

:40:55. > :41:07.the chance he has been waiting for. Excellent red to even get close to

:41:08. > :41:23.the black and get it back on the spot.

:41:24. > :41:34.Both players are feeling it a little bit now. He wasn't missing those

:41:35. > :41:41.earlier in the match. Didn't see it coming. Just like Shaun, trying to

:41:42. > :41:49.pinch a bit. Shaun was trying to pinch a lot. Mark was just trying to

:41:50. > :41:56.stun down for the black. Needs 1 good shot here, the black. Doesn't

:41:57. > :42:05.have to use too much screw. Just judge this nicely. Has worked out

:42:06. > :42:09.nicely now. He has got a read. More importantly he can play position on

:42:10. > :42:29.the black. He didn't want to be going up to the baulk end.

:42:30. > :42:35.We have seen everything in this match so far, John. Some great

:42:36. > :42:40.century breaks. Both players are really feeling it. That was ahead

:42:41. > :43:00.scratcher. It looks like the pockets have

:43:01. > :43:04.shrunk a little. Sometimes, these players make it look so easy. Yet,

:43:05. > :43:11.anyone who has ever tried to play this game, especially on these match

:43:12. > :43:17.tables, you know how tight the pockets are. They have got to be so

:43:18. > :43:25.accurate. They make it look so easy, most of the time. It is not looking

:43:26. > :43:29.so easy now. He has had a look at these 2 read that are close

:43:30. > :43:40.together. It looks almost set into the corner pocket. -- 2 reds. That

:43:41. > :43:46.is unmissable. Doesn't have to do too much with the cue ball. Just run

:43:47. > :43:55.through to the black. Got to play the plans, surely? -- plans.

:43:56. > :44:05.It is there. Got a double-kiss on the red. He is on the black. But it

:44:06. > :44:11.is a thin coat. He just caught the 1st red twice and that why he's not

:44:12. > :44:18.perfect on the black. But he has got it. After some of the balls that

:44:19. > :44:23.have been missed, there was lots of pressure on that. Still has a bit to

:44:24. > :44:41.do. It has been so good with the rest.

:44:42. > :44:49.91% now with the rest. Has only missed 1 from 11.

:44:50. > :44:58.Once again, refusing to play for the red along the top cushion. And he is

:44:59. > :45:03.not perfect here. He has got a pot on a couple of reds. But it is not a

:45:04. > :45:04.straight forward position. Mark Allen will be wondering what has

:45:05. > :45:19.gone wrong. Looks like he's going to have to go

:45:20. > :45:29.for baulk here. He is thinking about using a lot of

:45:30. > :45:34.right-hand side to hold for He is thinking about using a lot of

:45:35. > :45:48.black. But, he might be better going Would you believe it? Indecision,

:45:49. > :45:57.wasn't it? Indecision, that was the problem. OK, he's covered the red

:45:58. > :46:06.over the corner, but it is easy to knock 1 red onto the other and stand

:46:07. > :46:11.back for the green brown. That was nice, the other 1 handing over the

:46:12. > :46:16.pocket. Still a lot to do for Mark Allen. A few awkward balls to

:46:17. > :46:21.content with here if he is intending to win this frame and match with

:46:22. > :46:27.this visit. He is contemplating taking the blue. Potting the green

:46:28. > :46:29.but bringing the blue into play. He was just looking at the score.

:46:30. > :46:52.Decided against it now. Played that well. Always tricky when

:46:53. > :46:56.a ball is in the George of the pocket to judge the reaction of the

:46:57. > :47:00.cue ball. Played it perfectly. -- jaws of the pocket. 20 points

:47:01. > :47:23.behind. We have seen a couple of times,

:47:24. > :47:28.Shaun Murphy has made things awkward for himself by not wanting to play

:47:29. > :47:35.for this red along the top cushion. Mark Allen is playing for it. The

:47:36. > :47:39.great difficulty is more so if it is just off the cushion. If it is tight

:47:40. > :47:47.to the question, you don't fancy missing it. And it is tight. I am

:47:48. > :47:56.very surprised at Shaun Murphy when he had two opportunities to play for

:47:57. > :48:01.that red, didn't. Looking at the scoreboard, Mark Allen. He could lay

:48:02. > :48:05.the cannon after potting the black into the blue. It will hold for the

:48:06. > :48:08.red in the opposite middle. Big target to hit the blue from the

:48:09. > :48:22.black here. Needs a bit more pace. A bit more pace he would have

:48:23. > :48:29.wrought the blue into play and the red would have been in the opposite

:48:30. > :48:45.centre. He is going to need that Lou to win this frame.

:48:46. > :48:55.He has brought the red in. 3 points behind. We know, if you can lay a

:48:56. > :48:57.good snooker at this stage of a frame, how much value you can get

:48:58. > :49:25.out of it with the misrule. It is straightforward. 1 question,

:49:26. > :49:39.possibly 2. May hit the question before the red. Doesn't want to hit

:49:40. > :49:47.it too hard. It's not too bad. He can play a delicate little shots,

:49:48. > :49:51.Mark Allen. Just done the red. -- stun the red.

:49:52. > :50:02.Nice shot. Would have referred to have that red in the open. Could

:50:03. > :50:09.have played it a bit harder. The red in the open. The Shaun Murphy,

:50:10. > :50:33.playing a dead weight, not going to leave it on.

:50:34. > :50:44.The 1 thing he needs is distance between cue ball and object ball.

:50:45. > :50:51.You are keeping the advantage. He got in-off the 2 cautions. But for

:50:52. > :50:58.the bump in the middle pocket, the red would have run say. New can see

:50:59. > :51:00.the disappointment on Shaun's face. Chance of a part here for Mark

:51:01. > :51:23.Allen. Just getting the feeling at the

:51:24. > :51:28.moment, anything half difficult for Mark Allen, you don't fancy him

:51:29. > :51:32.getting it lashed out there was a bit body movements on the red.

:51:33. > :51:37.Thought the cue ball was going towards the blue. But is why he

:51:38. > :51:43.played it with a lot of pace. It hasn't worked out too bad where it

:51:44. > :51:48.has finished. It is not going to be that easy to get it said. You would

:51:49. > :51:52.think you would like to send the red in between the blue and green, but

:51:53. > :52:00.the problem is with that you could be sending it towards this corner

:52:01. > :52:09.pocket up at this end of the table. Cross double is dangerous. It takes

:52:10. > :52:16.a little bit of Russia off because the yellow is not on its spot and

:52:17. > :52:21.not in a good position. You wouldn't want to leave your opponent the 1st

:52:22. > :52:26.chance at this red. Coming up to a minute's thinking time. I can

:52:27. > :52:33.understand that. Does not want to leave a pot on. He could try and

:52:34. > :52:41.play the red into the blue and try and get the cue ball of the knuckle

:52:42. > :52:46.of the pocket. But very dangerous. Not played it well. He did try to

:52:47. > :52:50.balance it between the green and blue. But court green and this red

:52:51. > :53:04.is possible. In it goes and it looks like he will

:53:05. > :53:11.be nicely on the black will stop this black will take him 6 points in

:53:12. > :53:24.front. Still going to need yellow, green, brown and blue for victory.

:53:25. > :53:30.Just overrun it. Buy a couple of inches. Tried to get the cue ball

:53:31. > :53:58.close to the cautioned. Trying to keep the pressure on and

:53:59. > :54:04.covered the yellow with the brown. He hasn't done it. You can just

:54:05. > :54:15.about see the outside edge of the yellow. You say that, but I think he

:54:16. > :54:22.might have to play a little swerve, strike down with left-hand side.

:54:23. > :54:37.Maybe he feels he can just get past the brown! 7 valuable points given

:54:38. > :54:42.away. And this has been called, but he is having it done. This is very,

:54:43. > :54:50.very important replacement of this ball. Shaun felt he could just hit

:54:51. > :54:56.the edge of the red. Personally, I thought he needed a bit of this

:54:57. > :55:01.work. Now, it is so important to get this absolutely spot on, where it

:55:02. > :55:07.was before. I think he can just about hit the corner side. It is a

:55:08. > :55:12.little bit of a swerve, he will definitely hit the yellow. I just

:55:13. > :55:16.thought he could have a little bit of the corner. Plus the fact he

:55:17. > :55:21.missed the yellow the 1st time around and hit the black. It means

:55:22. > :55:26.if Mark Allen get a chance, he doesn't need the awkward blue. He

:55:27. > :55:30.just need yellow, green and brown. That is a big, big difference in

:55:31. > :55:51.this frame. Needs to get the cue ball tight to

:55:52. > :55:55.the baulk cushion. The fact it is so close to the baulk question, Mark

:55:56. > :56:14.Allen will not be taking this yellow arm.

:56:15. > :56:21.Not the best safety from Mark. Chance of a Shaun to gain the

:56:22. > :56:29.initiative in this important safety exchange. Good target behind Green

:56:30. > :56:36.or brown. Decided to send the ball round the angles. Little tap on the

:56:37. > :56:41.table from Mark Allen, but he is under no pressure. Just send the

:56:42. > :56:43.yellow up and down the table. Run the cue ball into the green. That

:56:44. > :57:03.will be safe enough. I can't believe he has played it

:57:04. > :57:11.that way. I cannot believe he has played it that way! Amazing. It

:57:12. > :57:17.looked straightforward and down safety. Run the cue ball into the

:57:18. > :57:19.green. New had to get the yellow said, you couldn't leave it on like

:57:20. > :57:35.this. APPLAUSE

:57:36. > :57:39.To me, that was a bit careless from Shaun. He should have been avoiding

:57:40. > :57:47.the blue at all costs. He shouldn't have played the cannon. Now he is so

:57:48. > :57:50.close to the question, it makes you ask, can he part-macro the green and

:57:51. > :58:03.has shown on the brown. Of course, being so close to the

:58:04. > :58:08.question didn't help the pot on the green. So both players making errors

:58:09. > :58:22.here. I can only put it down to nerves.

:58:23. > :58:31.Mark Allen is 10 points ahead so he will need the blue. Has a nice angle

:58:32. > :58:37.on the brown now. Can get the cue ball over towards the blue. Will

:58:38. > :58:44.have the chance of a pot, but this is not straightforward. The brown

:58:45. > :58:52.has gone in. He wanted the cue ball a bit closer to this blue. Blew up

:58:53. > :58:57.into the left-hand corner pocket. This is for a place in the

:58:58. > :59:18.quarterfinals and beat the defending champion.

:59:19. > :59:24.And it is the! 2 snookers required. The defending champion looks as

:59:25. > :59:39.though he is on the way out. It is difficult enough to get the

:59:40. > :59:51.snooker with two balls on the table. To get two, almost impossible.

:59:52. > :00:02.Well, he almost gave him one for free. That is good to see, good to

:00:03. > :00:07.see the sportsmanship. Sure knew that Mark's heart would have been in

:00:08. > :00:13.his mouth. It has been a terrific match, played in a good spirit.

:00:14. > :00:17.Absolutely. They are good mates. Mark's heart was in his mouth for a

:00:18. > :00:23.second, there is no doubt about that. That just did not run and it

:00:24. > :00:31.looks as though he has left the pink.

:00:32. > :00:49.And if it goes. Shaun Murphy will be ruing the frame he gifted to Mark

:00:50. > :00:54.Allen. It was not easy today. Maybe his own worst enemy. Take nothing

:00:55. > :00:59.from Mark Allen, with two centuries. The defending champion is knocked

:01:00. > :01:09.out by the young man from Northern Ireland, who wins 6-4.

:01:10. > :01:17.He is in the quarterfinal. HAZEL IRVINE: Last year Shaun Murphy went

:01:18. > :01:23.on at the expense of this young man, but Mark Allen turns the table. The

:01:24. > :01:29.defending champion is out and Mark Allen goes on the quarterfinal. He

:01:30. > :01:35.thought he was sitting on a 5-2 lead. There he is, going to Aaron

:01:36. > :01:40.Crosby, a great snooker fan. It is lovely to see him at these snooker

:01:41. > :01:45.events. It was a dramatic conclusion. It

:01:46. > :02:00.shows you, we mentioned the psychology of the game, and Mark,

:02:01. > :02:07.getting there. There is nothing like a few misses in a game of snooker.

:02:08. > :02:14.It was a great blue to see that and he almost went in. It was a tough

:02:15. > :02:18.match. Mark Allen has not saved superbly well. Not the type of

:02:19. > :02:23.situation to get frustrated about, that match, it he is still in the

:02:24. > :02:29.tournament. More frustration will be with Shaun Murphy, who did not cue

:02:30. > :02:38.long shots well. He will be worried about his cue action. Well played.

:02:39. > :02:41.That is a highly significant victory, not because you are in the

:02:42. > :02:48.quarterfinals but one of the rare ones on the big occasion against

:02:49. > :02:54.Shaun. A dreadful red ball ago Shaun. I find -- a terrible record

:02:55. > :03:01.against him. I find that against people I am friends with. Who is

:03:02. > :03:06.your best friend? It was played in fantastic spirit. The friendship

:03:07. > :03:13.showed through when in the sixth, he gifted you the frame. I have had

:03:14. > :03:24.that a few times against me and I will take it when it comes. He could

:03:25. > :03:28.not see any other shot. I will take it when it comes because you do not

:03:29. > :03:34.get many like that. You thanked him, when he was sitting in his chair. We

:03:35. > :03:41.liked that! In terms of significance of this match to you, because you

:03:42. > :03:45.have the great run at the end of 2015 and then it dipped again, how

:03:46. > :03:52.important is this? I understand about you saying I took a dip at the

:03:53. > :03:57.UK. I played well against Martin Gould, he played better. There are a

:03:58. > :04:04.lot of good players on tour and it is how you bounce back from it.

:04:05. > :04:08.Beating Shaun, the defending champion, on one of the biggest

:04:09. > :04:14.stages, my game is in good shape. I came here with little confidence. I

:04:15. > :04:19.need to practise every day and ten days off over Christmas, I came back

:04:20. > :04:26.and had two days when I did not make a 30 break. Tell me about it! I came

:04:27. > :04:31.here and did not expect much but once I got out there and switched

:04:32. > :04:39.on, it was better. You were cueing very well. 91, 104. It got tense at

:04:40. > :04:48.the end. I did not feel I did much wrong for Shaun to come in. 5-4,

:04:49. > :04:51.from 5-2, having not done much wrong, but it got twitchy in the

:04:52. > :05:00.last one because we knew it was a big frame. You need two snookers at

:05:01. > :05:07.that point and almost went in. I got a kick on the pink. Terrible shot.

:05:08. > :05:11.It was a lovely moment, and underlines the spirit in which the

:05:12. > :05:23.match was played. Any thoughts on the next round. I thought I would

:05:24. > :05:28.play the winner of Stuart Bingham and Ding. Joe Perry has had a good

:05:29. > :05:33.season and Barry did well at Sheffield. You must have had a good

:05:34. > :05:41.Christmas, you do not even know the draw! Lets say I enjoyed my time

:05:42. > :05:45.off! One thing I need to discuss is Terry Griffiths, who is back in your

:05:46. > :05:48.corner, and that is a huge difference to you. What does he

:05:49. > :05:54.bring to you, and how pleased will he be with the performers? He brings

:05:55. > :05:59.nothing! I came last night and wanted to go to practise and Terry

:06:00. > :06:05.said he was too tired! That is old age. Today I wanted to practise and

:06:06. > :06:10.he was on the phone. He has brought nothing to that match! In general,

:06:11. > :06:17.he is someone I cannot live without, in my corner. The experience, what

:06:18. > :06:21.to do in a situation. If you cannot learn from Terry, you cannot learn

:06:22. > :06:29.from anyone. I know you missed him last season, but it is going well

:06:30. > :06:33.for you. That was a big match today, but my stepson was playing in the

:06:34. > :06:42.genie event and he won his first junior event, the Northern Ireland

:06:43. > :06:47.under 16. We are looking forward to another match, 7pm, the world

:06:48. > :06:53.champion, Stuart Bingham, against Ding. Stuart Bingham's season has

:06:54. > :07:01.been up and down. We can hear more about him.

:07:02. > :07:11.Stuart Bingham, current world champion. Who would have thought it?

:07:12. > :07:15.I do not think anybody in the game thought he would beat Ronnie

:07:16. > :07:19.O'Sullivan in the quarters nor Judd Trump in the semifinals and I do not

:07:20. > :07:25.think people thought he would beat you in the final. But he has shocked

:07:26. > :07:31.the world. Absolutely. Obviously, it was difficult at the time to accept

:07:32. > :07:35.the loss and is difficult to accept against anybody, but the fact it was

:07:36. > :07:40.him made it sweeter because I know how badly he wanted it, how badly he

:07:41. > :07:45.has worked for this and what it means to him and his family. He has

:07:46. > :07:50.trawled the country and the world playing in any thing he can,

:07:51. > :07:55.supporting the tour from start to finish. He absolutely loves snooker.

:07:56. > :08:01.I thought he had potential, Sunday, but as he got on later in his

:08:02. > :08:06.career, I did not think it was possible, coming up against so many

:08:07. > :08:10.good players. -- some day. He believes in himself. He kept

:08:11. > :08:18.knocking on the door and if you do sometimes it opens and that is what

:08:19. > :08:23.happened. Where is his strength? He believes what he does and the way he

:08:24. > :08:27.does it works for him. It is the placebo effect. Whether he is

:08:28. > :08:31.technically the best in the world is up for debate but he believes in the

:08:32. > :08:36.things he works on, the things he practises, and he believes on his

:08:37. > :08:41.day he can be the best in the world. It is not one area you would say he

:08:42. > :08:48.was a specialist in. Break-building? He is a good break-builder. Good

:08:49. > :08:53.safety? You would not go, he is a good safety player, but he is. Every

:08:54. > :08:59.part of the game is strong. He would not be the best in any one category,

:09:00. > :09:04.but he is in the top four, five of all categories. He is consistent in

:09:05. > :09:08.all categories. That has made him climb the rankings. We talk about

:09:09. > :09:15.players who have developed and got better as they have got older. It is

:09:16. > :09:23.difficult to pick holes in him. I cannot think of a weakness. Perhaps

:09:24. > :09:28.his problems will, repeating. He believes what he does works and he

:09:29. > :09:33.repeats it. But if you were coaching by a manual, you would teach someone

:09:34. > :09:38.to have a more firm breach. His fingers bent and close to the ball.

:09:39. > :09:44.But it works for him. The twist action at the end of his stroke,

:09:45. > :09:50.that is unorthodox. His tip is twisting as it strikes the cue ball.

:09:51. > :09:54.If he can move the cue back and forward in a straight line it

:09:55. > :09:58.minimises problems, but on extra slippery conditions, he will find it

:09:59. > :10:07.a problem. Let's hope he does not play in those extra slippery

:10:08. > :10:10.conditions. Stuart Bingham, current world

:10:11. > :10:17.champion, I would like to start with a deep question that might sound

:10:18. > :10:23.silly, but has it sunk in yet? I don't know. It is important for the

:10:24. > :10:30.rest of the season. I have tried to forget it. Really?! Just to get on

:10:31. > :10:35.with snooker. As stupid as the answer is going to be, it is like it

:10:36. > :10:43.is a hindrance. 20 years trying to get there and pick up the trophy,

:10:44. > :10:48.now I have the trophy, the pressure is more immense than anything. You

:10:49. > :10:53.would rather not have won it? Of course not, but it feels like that.

:10:54. > :10:57.I have had that pressure and now I go to tournaments and try to get on

:10:58. > :11:02.with the job in hand. It is great people saying it, brilliant, but I

:11:03. > :11:07.try to get on with the next tournament. The pressure is from

:11:08. > :11:13.within. That is the biggest thing. Nobody else is putting the pressure

:11:14. > :11:18.on, it is your expectation. The first tournaments after every ball I

:11:19. > :11:25.missed, I could see people saying, he is world champion, he must be the

:11:26. > :11:28.worst world champion ever! Stupid things like that. Looking back at

:11:29. > :11:35.the World Championships, I was missing, may be getting away with

:11:36. > :11:41.more. I have accepted it. I am getting on with the job in hand.

:11:42. > :11:47.Understandable that every player has a reaction to something so big. It

:11:48. > :11:52.is understandable if you drop down a fraction of standard because of

:11:53. > :12:01.that. To be honest, I do not feel I have had a bad season. My results

:12:02. > :12:11.have, but I have lost 4-5, 4-3. To people like Higgins, Fergal O'Brien,

:12:12. > :12:17.good players. I have lost in deciders but because of results it

:12:18. > :12:24.looks like I have had a bad season. From Ding's point of view, he has

:12:25. > :12:28.not been this man in almost five years, incredible. Stuart Bingham

:12:29. > :12:33.has a great record against him. We do not know what mental shape Ding

:12:34. > :12:38.is in. Stuart Bingham, good practice, that will always hold him

:12:39. > :12:43.in good stead. We shall tell you that we will be back with the

:12:44. > :12:50.highlights of that match at 11pm. You can see it on your connected

:12:51. > :12:54.devices. And the darts, BBC Two. Scott Thwaites against Jeff Smith.

:12:55. > :13:18.Goodbye. -- Scott Waites. # Of interplanetary

:13:19. > :13:39.most extraordinary craft across your phone, laptop,

:13:40. > :13:43.tablet and TV.