:00:48. > :01:20.hello, the bright lights of London. Since 1975, the home to the Dafabet
:01:21. > :01:24.Masters, the richest and most prestigious invitational event in
:01:25. > :01:29.snooker. Tonight we find out who will face Barry Hawkins in the final
:01:30. > :01:33.tomorrow. Will it be Ronnie O'Sullivan, five-time winner and ten
:01:34. > :01:36.time finalist in this event? This evening he breaks Jimmy White's
:01:37. > :01:42.record for the number of matches and indeed appearances. 62, this
:01:43. > :01:47.evening. Don't forget he has made 60 centuries in the previous 61. He has
:01:48. > :01:52.ruled this event. This evening he's up against the current ruler of the
:01:53. > :01:56.snooker world, the Crucible champion, Stuart Bingham, who has
:01:57. > :02:04.exceptionally positive memories of their last meeting in Sheffield.
:02:05. > :02:10.Coming out in front of a packed crowd, I'd been playing a lot of
:02:11. > :02:15.exhibitions and the pressure is slightly different. The occasion is
:02:16. > :02:19.going to be great. Something I can tell my grandkids, I played the best
:02:20. > :02:26.pro in the world in the semifinal at the Masters. Please come along way
:02:27. > :02:31.in the last four or five years. Always had the game but I think he
:02:32. > :02:34.was lacking confidence -- he has come a long way. Getting to the
:02:35. > :02:38.World Championship is last year, he's one of the top players now. He
:02:39. > :02:43.has a chance of winning the tournament.
:02:44. > :02:50.I actually find it easier playing people like Ronnie where you know
:02:51. > :02:56.you have to be on top of your game to have a chance of winning. You're
:02:57. > :03:02.not guaranteed of beating him when you are at your best. It is 50-50.
:03:03. > :03:06.Obviously I'm the underdog. I have to be on my game and find something
:03:07. > :03:12.a bit extra from what I've had already in this tournament. I love
:03:13. > :03:18.people that doubt me, I've had it all through my career. It keeps me
:03:19. > :03:26.on it. He's going to have 99% of the crowd. Hopefully my lot can give it
:03:27. > :03:33.a shout out, they will get drowned by the Ronnie fans but I have to go
:03:34. > :03:37.out and enjoy it. So, the's rocket's return to the big-time is going well
:03:38. > :03:42.so far but up against the world champion. It's interesting, to coin
:03:43. > :03:47.a phrase! Not often is the world champion such an outsider in a
:03:48. > :03:50.match. It shows you what esteemed the bookmakers hold Ronnie
:03:51. > :03:54.O'Sullivan. Stuart Bingham hasn't had to be at his brilliant best but
:03:55. > :03:59.surely those matches will have helped his confidence. A good
:04:00. > :04:03.performance against John Higgins and all of a sudden, Stuart Binny has
:04:04. > :04:08.turned the corner of having the weight of responsibility of world
:04:09. > :04:12.champion around his neck -- Stuart Bingham. As the underdog coming into
:04:13. > :04:17.this match, it helps him. I was the underdog in the quarterfinal of the
:04:18. > :04:22.World Championship much but he beat Ronnie O'Sullivan -- he was. Ronnie
:04:23. > :04:27.saying that he owes him one a little bit. I don't think Ronnie, he never
:04:28. > :04:34.would like a player to get the evil eye on him, so he will have a lot of
:04:35. > :04:38.resolve to beat Stuart Binny for a Ms -- Stuart Bingham for a variety
:04:39. > :04:43.of reasons. An emphatic record, 11th wins against three but it is their
:04:44. > :04:53.most recent meeting in the Crucible quarterfinal in April last year.
:04:54. > :04:56.O'Sullivan wasn't seen on the circuit after that event since he
:04:57. > :05:02.resurfaced late last year and he is trying to match Stephen Hendry in
:05:03. > :05:06.terms of six Masters titles. Stephen is in the commentary box with John
:05:07. > :05:11.Virgo. Can anybody stop him equalling your record? To be honest,
:05:12. > :05:15.no, he is the overwhelming favourite out of the three players left in the
:05:16. > :05:17.tournament. Simple and straightforward as ever! John, the
:05:18. > :05:22.weight of straightforward as ever! John, the
:05:23. > :05:26.pretty heavy on Stuart's head, but is this the first time he has got
:05:27. > :05:31.past the 16th stage in the Masters and how dangerous can he be? He has
:05:32. > :05:36.two things in his favour, as he said in the interview. He is the
:05:37. > :05:38.underdog, most of the crowd are going to support Ronnie. The
:05:39. > :05:43.expectation of being world champion isn't going to be that strong. He
:05:44. > :05:48.knows Ronnie's game so well, he knows his best will be good enough.
:05:49. > :05:51.The bearing of that match, the quarterfinal at the Crucible, it
:05:52. > :05:57.wasn't just the defeat, it was the manner of the win. He was 8-9 down
:05:58. > :06:05.and he won five frames in a row, painful for Ronnie. I am sick of
:06:06. > :06:09.tipping Stuart to lose, he keeps proving me wrong and he has done it
:06:10. > :06:14.again in this tournament. I have tipped him to lose tonight so I'll
:06:15. > :06:19.probably be run again! For you, what is going to swinging one way or the
:06:20. > :06:26.other? -- be wrong. It depends on Ronnie. We know he is a juniors
:06:27. > :06:31.Dunne genius. Stuart knows that only his best will be good enough. It is
:06:32. > :06:38.a lively crowd. -- we know he is a genius. The MC Rob Walker is going
:06:39. > :06:41.to get them revved up even more. Good evening, ladies and gentlemen.
:06:42. > :06:48.What a night in prospect at Alexandra Palace. This is the last
:06:49. > :06:52.session of snooker before tomorrow's Dafabet Masters final. Two players
:06:53. > :06:56.going toe to toe for a place in the big Sunday showdown. I can assure
:06:57. > :07:11.you that is going to be absolutely rocking here tonight! CHEERING
:07:12. > :07:18.Please welcome a player who first won this title 21 years ago, and
:07:19. > :07:25.here he is bidding for an amazing 11th appearance in a Masters final.
:07:26. > :07:28.Can he close in on a sixth Masters crown? Blink and you'll miss him,
:07:29. > :08:10.The And his opponent, a player who has
:08:11. > :08:15.worked so hard to earn his place amongst the game's elite. His first
:08:16. > :08:20.appearance in a Masters semifinal, and he can't wait. What a run he
:08:21. > :08:26.produced at the Crucible to seal his first global title. Though here he
:08:27. > :08:56.comes, the reigning champion of the world, Stuart Bingham!
:08:57. > :09:03.I hope you are feeling this through the telly. It's great stuff here, it
:09:04. > :09:07.really is. What an atmosphere. It's an all SX race to 11 for a place in
:09:08. > :09:14.the final alongside Barry Hawkins. Stuart and John, I think we'll enjoy
:09:15. > :09:17.this one. COMMENTATOR: What an atmosphere, I hope that has come
:09:18. > :09:23.through at home, through your television set. It's absolutely
:09:24. > :09:28.electric. Sometimes you wonder how people can play the first couple of
:09:29. > :09:39.shots. You'd been there, you have to try and concentrate on your game?
:09:40. > :09:49.Yeah, this is what being a top snooker player is all about, playing
:09:50. > :09:51.in the atmosphere like this. A few years ago, Stuart Bingham never
:09:52. > :09:55.thought he years ago, Stuart Bingham never
:09:56. > :10:00.this. His career started so late, his winning career, as it were.
:10:01. > :10:03.There are so many tournaments now, I suppose you get a lot more match
:10:04. > :10:10.practice if you like and you used to. What an opportunity for Stuart
:10:11. > :10:24.Bingham. That's what I'd be thinking if I
:10:25. > :10:30.were him. The crowd expecting O'Sullivan, for it to be the
:10:31. > :10:36.O'Sullivan Show tonight. What a stage to prove you are the world
:10:37. > :10:43.champion. A terrific opening Reid but he ran past the baulk line, so
:10:44. > :10:55.he'll have to settle for the snooker. -- red. Not a
:10:56. > :11:06.straightforward escape. Not certain not to leave on the pot, coming
:11:07. > :11:10.around four cushions. Short of pace. It's a good try and I think it will
:11:11. > :11:20.be replaced because I can't see a pot on. It was a decent line from
:11:21. > :11:33.Ronnie. But even that line, not guaranteed to it safe.
:11:34. > :11:45.A bit harder this time. Then it will slide off the fourth question. Once
:11:46. > :11:54.again, no hesitation from Stuart in having it replaced. Ronnie may look
:11:55. > :11:58.for an alternative here. He underhit the first attempt and the overhit
:11:59. > :12:06.that one, squaring it off the first cushion. He's trying to nestle into
:12:07. > :12:13.the cluster just below the pink here. Yellow is in the way and the
:12:14. > :12:18.jaw of the middle pocket. It's always going to slide off the fourth
:12:19. > :12:20.question. But this time he may not take it because I think there is a
:12:21. > :12:54.possible red to the left middle. Well, members of the audience saying
:12:55. > :13:07."Shot" and to be honest I thought it was in.
:13:08. > :13:42.Yeah, that will please Ronnie, right in the heart of the pocket.
:13:43. > :13:48.A couple of loose reds to play for. He doesn't have the angle to go into
:13:49. > :13:56.the cluster, so you think he'll play for one of the reds.
:13:57. > :14:09.By think he's just about come far enough. He wants to pot this, and
:14:10. > :14:14.not money into the red. I think now he'll have eyes on the cannon, if he
:14:15. > :14:17.has the angle. A little bit straighter than he would have liked,
:14:18. > :14:26.so he's going to play for one of the loose reds. Looks like he's too low
:14:27. > :14:38.to be on the black. He'll have to go for the blue here. The red to the
:14:39. > :14:40.left I think goes to the right corner. That's what he'll play for
:14:41. > :14:52.here. Cued that well, to play it with
:14:53. > :15:12.pace. The first opportunity to go into
:15:13. > :15:21.them now. He had a good angle on the black. You always need a little bit
:15:22. > :15:26.of luck. He might just be OK. That red has gone to the far left corner.
:15:27. > :15:30.I think he'll be able to cue past the red. If you can get to the
:15:31. > :15:37.middle of the cue ball, shouldn't be a problem.
:15:38. > :16:25.Hasn't he just this to perfection! -- judged this.
:16:26. > :16:28.A choice now. -- judged this.
:16:29. > :16:28.A choice now. last of the loose reds. Do you play
:16:29. > :16:37.for the black, or last of the loose reds. Do you play
:16:38. > :16:46.his tracks there. Has he got the perfect angle?
:16:47. > :16:46.his tracks there. Has he got the get the correct angle on the black.
:16:47. > :17:19.So he get the correct angle on the black.
:17:20. > :17:28.a wonderful finish. Good get the correct angle on the black.
:17:29. > :17:38.that's stopping him coming off get the correct angle on the black.
:17:39. > :17:44.overhit it and leave a red on. A good length. Puts a bit of
:17:45. > :18:10.the brown is A good length. Puts a bit of
:18:11. > :18:14.pressure now on this safety shot from Stuart. He knows that one more
:18:15. > :18:16.mistake and it's the end of the frame, so he has to catch it just
:18:17. > :18:39.right. When the player is playing a snooker
:18:40. > :18:47.shot to land on the ball cushion, it's a bonus when he gets here. --
:18:48. > :18:56.the ball cushion. Not bad. Stuart is taking the black cushion. He was
:18:57. > :19:02.trying to find the baulk cushion, not behind the yellow. If you get a
:19:03. > :19:07.bit of luck, can you take advantage? He has the shots to the middle. You
:19:08. > :19:13.wouldn't think he would be tempted by the angle on the tub cushion --
:19:14. > :19:16.top cushion. It looks like he's looking at it. This one looks
:19:17. > :19:26.tougher than the one to the middle, to me. Oh, tremendous pot.
:19:27. > :19:34.Brilliant. To play it at that pace off two cushions, this is a
:19:35. > :19:37.fantastic shot. So, what a chance he's given himself now. 38 points
:19:38. > :19:51.behind. This visit is so important in the
:19:52. > :20:10.context of the match. If Stuart doesn't take this
:20:11. > :20:17.opportunity and if he lets Ronnie take it, it gives him a boost. He
:20:18. > :20:25.thinks his opponent can't take his chances. That's a poor shot. That's
:20:26. > :20:30.why he's looking at the blue. That's a mistake because those three reds
:20:31. > :20:37.are only available to the left corner. He is playing the blue. No
:20:38. > :21:10.He potted the pocket.
:21:11. > :21:16.He potted the look at it. It was thick which
:21:17. > :21:16.He potted the cue ball. Shouldn't be a problem,
:21:17. > :21:44.Going for the pink to the right-hand can go for the paint
:21:45. > :22:01.Going for the pink to the right-hand corner. May
:22:02. > :22:21.Going for the pink to the right-hand one will put him
:22:22. > :22:34.Going for the pink to the right-hand short of being perfect.
:22:35. > :22:46.Is this the first psychological blow in this match?
:22:47. > :23:12.Perfect. Inch per feblingt. -- inch perfect. Well, what an opening frame
:23:13. > :23:16.that was! Ronnie O'Sullivan, to be fair, did nothing wrong. He made a
:23:17. > :23:21.break of 59 and then, all of a sudden, Stuart's got back in. A bit
:23:22. > :23:27.fortuitous but he got the snooker on the yellow, paving the way for a 63,
:23:28. > :23:34.frame-winning break. The world champion's just re-entered
:23:35. > :23:41.the building. It's been a while since we saw Stuart come up with
:23:42. > :23:47.something like that. Playing this with pace around the two cushions is
:23:48. > :23:51.a fabulous bit of play. It has set the tone, as Stephen was saying,
:23:52. > :23:54.letting Ronnie know that he is in good enough form to lay down the
:23:55. > :24:00.gauntlet and give him a run for his money. Yes, it isn't that often that
:24:01. > :24:04.Ronnie O'Sullivan failed to make a frame-winning break when he has
:24:05. > :24:11.reached 50 points. He came out of position on the black, he had to go
:24:12. > :24:16.into the pack off the site cushion. It was an error of judgment, but
:24:17. > :24:22.find margins -- site cushion. Ronnie knows that he is in a match. He got
:24:23. > :24:27.a little bit lucky with the snooker, didn't he? Playing in an area where
:24:28. > :24:30.you try and get it as tight as possible to the cushion, but when it
:24:31. > :24:35.went behind the yellow, that's a bonus. When Ronnie O'Sullivan played
:24:36. > :24:40.out of the snooker I think he would have been pleased with the outcome,
:24:41. > :24:45.he played it cleverly leaving Stuart Bingham with a difficult shot. All
:24:46. > :24:50.things considered, a good safety shot from Stuart Bingham. As John
:24:51. > :24:54.said, you can't expect it to go behind the yellow. There are always
:24:55. > :24:58.ifs and buts but if that's the standard for the match, it's a
:24:59. > :25:02.corker. We'll take it. Stuart Bingham was saying the right things
:25:03. > :25:06.in the build-up to the match, saying he can tell his grandkids that he
:25:07. > :25:11.played against the best ever player, he's going to enjoy it, taking the
:25:12. > :25:14.pressure off himself. He was the second favourite against John
:25:15. > :25:16.Higgins and he came through, he is the same today, so who knows? Over
:25:17. > :25:38.to frame two. COMMENTATOR: He has left Ronnie the
:25:39. > :25:47.long red here, it made pot to the corner. Ronnie is pausing because if
:25:48. > :25:59.you late comers are taking their seats. Oh, wonderful. Wonderful,
:26:00. > :26:02.never touched the side. Similar, of course, to the opening red. We keep
:26:03. > :26:09.saying about the break-off shot, it's becoming like a poisoned
:26:10. > :26:14.chalice. If you don't get it right you could be sitting down for the
:26:15. > :26:26.rest of the frame. It's a tough school.
:26:27. > :26:32.Yes, it was a cold or long pot that Stewart left Ronnie, a shop that
:26:33. > :26:41.professionals expect to get seven, eight times out of ten -- a
:26:42. > :26:50.comfortable long putt that Stuart left.
:26:51. > :27:01.He wanted to get, as we see, plenty of cue ball behind the yellow. Just
:27:02. > :27:08.didn't get to the cue ball enough. A little bit thick, but if it rolled
:27:09. > :27:12.on another six inches, finishing tight to the cushion and it makes
:27:13. > :27:27.the pot so much more difficult. Tremendous opening red from Ronnie.
:27:28. > :27:41.That was a big misjudgement. He obviously played to get the angle on
:27:42. > :27:51.the baulk of colour to go into the bunch. I thought he was going to
:27:52. > :28:00.screw back for the blue. Me too. The blue is off its spot. He must have
:28:01. > :28:07.been playing for a baulk colour. Played it nicely. Once again,
:28:08. > :28:12.whenever your opponent rolls into the balls, you open to the referee
:28:13. > :28:16.to say touching ball. It wasn't, so Ronnie had to play the containing
:28:17. > :28:32.safety. He couldn't get back to the baulk end, but Stuart can.
:28:33. > :28:37.Once again, he'll be disappointed with the length of the cue ball
:28:38. > :28:58.there. Didn't think he was guaranteed
:28:59. > :29:28.position. If you get a tough pot and you are not guaranteed to be on a
:29:29. > :29:36.Much too thick. Much too thick. I you are not
:29:37. > :30:24.Much too thick. Much too thick. I think
:30:25. > :30:30.A lot of players just brush the cloth with their hand, it's usually
:30:31. > :30:32.when you have a few screw shots and you get a little bit of chalk dust
:30:33. > :31:06.around. A feature of Stuart's run to winning
:31:07. > :31:12.the World Championship is his high-scoring scoring. He scores
:31:13. > :31:15.heavily and at pace as well. Good to see him looking confident and
:31:16. > :31:22.looking like he's going to score heavily again.
:31:23. > :31:44.Doesn't waste much time on the table.
:31:45. > :32:00.The average shot, identical. Looks very composed out there.
:32:01. > :32:05.Of course, he's no stranger to playing Ronnie. Talking about when
:32:06. > :32:07.he beat him in the quarter-final, but they've had many a practise
:32:08. > :32:24.session together in the early days. You wouldn't think he'd play a
:32:25. > :32:34.cannon here. It would be a bit risky because there are three reds
:32:35. > :32:45.available. Oh! Well!. Took his eye off the pot!
:32:46. > :33:05.You cannot afford any unforced errors tonight. At least not many.
:33:06. > :33:14.So Stuart first frame pinched the frame, is Ronnie going to do the
:33:15. > :33:20.same? These reds aren't too badly situated.
:33:21. > :33:29.Straight on the black. I think there is a middle red that would go into
:33:30. > :33:32.the opposite corner. Decided to play from one to the right middle. Little
:33:33. > :33:50.trickier. A little tricky, particularly at
:33:51. > :33:51.that pace. If you look where the cue ball's finished, he's overhit that
:33:52. > :34:21.again. That'll give Stuart Bingham
:34:22. > :34:27.confidence, seeing Ronnie miss an easy shot like that. He probably
:34:28. > :34:40.feared going back to his chair there.
:34:41. > :35:03.Well, it was tight, John, wasn't it? Yes, I was looking behind it. When
:35:04. > :35:07.they are tight like that, you see it so many times, he's hit the wrong
:35:08. > :35:16.red, but because he only hit it very thin, it didn't stop him getting to
:35:17. > :35:19.the potting angle. The bottom line is, it's end of break, so a great
:35:20. > :35:37.chance has gone. Asking for the extended spider, I
:35:38. > :35:41.can only assume he can't afford to go back to the ball because of that
:35:42. > :35:49.red that's adjacent to the left middle so he's just going to drop on
:35:50. > :35:53.the black. I wouldn't use the spider for this, to be honest with you, but
:35:54. > :35:58.there you go. Look at the distance between the spider and the cue ball
:35:59. > :36:03.anyway. Made a good job of it. That's what he was playing at,
:36:04. > :36:40.trying to leave Ronnie hampered by the black. He's done just that.
:36:41. > :36:55.I'm not certain whether Stuart will the black. He's done just that.
:36:56. > :36:55.I'm not certain whether Stuart will attempt
:36:56. > :37:01.I'm not certain whether Stuart will that pots. Decided not to take
:37:02. > :37:15.I'm not certain whether Stuart will now because it's blocked
:37:16. > :37:15.I'm not certain whether Stuart will can't play the one below the
:37:16. > :37:15.I'm not certain whether Stuart will Oh! That's a bonus!
:37:16. > :37:32.Little shake play that. We were saying in the
:37:33. > :37:37.first frame, play that. We were saying in the
:37:38. > :38:00.sometimes hardly noticeable can make all the difference
:38:01. > :38:02.sometimes hardly noticeable can make pot. Ronnie is going to leave the
:38:03. > :38:23.awkward brown. Got to hit this in the middle. Super
:38:24. > :38:26.shot! APPLAUSE.
:38:27. > :38:29.He doesn't want to be too straight on the green. Still needs green,
:38:30. > :38:36.brown and blue. Beautiful, what a yellow this was
:38:37. > :39:03.though. Well played.
:39:04. > :39:08.And in goes the pink. Stuart Bingham had his chance then. I thought he'd
:39:09. > :39:13.got away with it, then he turned down a pot that looked like a shot
:39:14. > :39:17.for nothing for some reason. Ronnie got a fortuitous plant, it's one
:39:18. > :39:22.apiece. A little bit of, well, some dishing
:39:23. > :39:27.up from Ronnie there to level out that that was meted out to him in
:39:28. > :39:32.the first frame. Yesterday you might have been watching when we ran this
:39:33. > :39:37.photograph. It was Steve Davis in a Coventry City kit. Not sure who his
:39:38. > :39:41.friend is there, but the gentleman on the horse back was the father of
:39:42. > :39:45.one of the fellas who'd come to watch the snooker yesterday and John
:39:46. > :39:51.Virgo gave you a lot of stick about that, didn't he? Yes, I felt very
:39:52. > :40:02.aggrieved that John took the Mickey out of me with my alternative sports
:40:03. > :40:08.kits so I got one out of the archive. That was at the Queen's
:40:09. > :40:13.Club, yes. I played there with Virginia Wade. She didn't have a
:40:14. > :40:26.clue who I was but I looked good in the outfit. Tit-for-tat and that's
:40:27. > :40:31.what was happening in this match. Ronnie is up for stealing one back
:40:32. > :40:35.as well. Speculative plant. Plenty of distance between them. Can't
:40:36. > :40:40.guarantee you are going to get this, an element of safety in it but
:40:41. > :40:43.couldn't have hit it any better. It hurts you, sat in the chair and
:40:44. > :40:49.thinking, can't believe you got that one. The black off the spot, Stuart
:40:50. > :40:53.Bingham will be ruing that one? Yes, as Steve said, you don't get those
:40:54. > :40:55.chances too often, so even though the game wasn't won in that
:40:56. > :41:08.particular moment, he could have won it himself there.
:41:09. > :41:16.When the players have won a frame, they just seem like they are going
:41:17. > :41:27.to settle in now and this could be an absolute classic. That double
:41:28. > :41:44.kiss for once has helped Stuart Bingham.
:41:45. > :41:49.You wouldn't think that would cause Stuart any problem, just come off
:41:50. > :41:53.the left hand side cushion, nestled into the reds below the pink. He'll
:41:54. > :41:58.be hoping he doesn't leave a touching ball.
:41:59. > :43:12.Always the key if you are going to get a good safety, you've got to
:43:13. > :43:33.miss the balk colour. Invariably you can give your opponent a chance.
:43:34. > :43:49.That's a little bit concerning I would think for Stuart.
:43:50. > :43:56.Ronnie's knocked it in or over. It's in!
:43:57. > :44:02.The look on Ronnie's face, he can't believe how that red went into the
:44:03. > :44:05.pocket. He was worried about knocking one towards the right
:44:06. > :44:07.corner. Just look how it went off two balls and dropped in and perfect
:44:08. > :44:21.on the green. Of course, that is the thing that
:44:22. > :44:28.happens. The run of the ball sometimes can make all the
:44:29. > :44:34.difference. Pretty slack safety shot you would have to say.
:44:35. > :44:40.Looking at the red, it was going to go near that corner pocket. He's
:44:41. > :44:47.nuked it so he has a chance in this frame to go into the bunch here.
:44:48. > :44:49.Can't avoid them so trusting it to a bit of luck.
:44:50. > :45:11.APPLAUSE This red to the left, it's very hard
:45:12. > :45:15.to inject the type of pace required to run through the other reds, so
:45:16. > :45:26.you have got one to the right and one to the left middle.
:45:27. > :46:08.Just deaccelerated on that one. Just didn't get the cue through as he
:46:09. > :46:24.would have liked. So a few misses from both players.
:46:25. > :46:37.Stuart's got to pounce on these mistakes from Ronnie. He really has.
:46:38. > :46:46.I agree. I just don't think Ronnie is on it at the moment. We saw him
:46:47. > :46:51.screw a ball in. Sometimes you get a bit of tension in the arm, you've
:46:52. > :46:54.just got to settle down, relax and push the cue through nicely. So
:46:55. > :47:02.Stuart's got to take advantage of these opportunities.
:47:03. > :47:10.APPLAUSE I don't know if he's come far enough for this red to the right
:47:11. > :47:19.corner. You have to look at the body language. Awkward cueing there.
:47:20. > :47:42.Missed by a long way. He knows the right hand side is going to throw
:47:43. > :47:44.the cue ball into the red. That's why he's hit it too thick. Shouldn't
:47:45. > :48:27.be missing those. I can assure you as a snooker
:48:28. > :48:32.player, there's no better feeling when you've just missed one like
:48:33. > :48:35.that and you've left an opponent in and the opponent doesn't take
:48:36. > :49:03.advantage, you can forget the bad shot you played on your last visit.
:49:04. > :49:30.Trying to stretch over so obviously he's not that confident with the
:49:31. > :49:32.rest but couldn't get to it. A little bit of work to do with the
:49:33. > :49:44.cue ball here. Played it nicely. Looks as though
:49:45. > :49:47.he's recovered the situation somewhat. Well, not perfect on this
:49:48. > :49:56.red to the left middle. Looks like he's going to have to go
:49:57. > :50:33.in and out of balk here. Little shake of the head there from
:50:34. > :50:38.Stuart as Ronnie taps his cue. I think the problem that Stuart's
:50:39. > :50:47.seeing here, he'd like to stun this red in but the red on the right,
:50:48. > :50:50.he's got to avoid the kiss on that. Played it plain ball, now that red
:50:51. > :50:56.on the right hand side of the table, is he going to ruin the position?
:50:57. > :51:03.Can he get through to the blue? I think he can. Just. If he's going
:51:04. > :51:05.play for the red and black cushion, play for the red and black cushion,
:51:06. > :51:16.doesn't want to be straight on this. The worst kind of straight, just off
:51:17. > :51:23.straight. The worst kind of straight, just off
:51:24. > :51:25.careful with this. Looks like The worst kind of straight, just off
:51:26. > :51:28.going to have to play this The worst kind of straight, just off
:51:29. > :51:39.play for the ball in the same pocket. Got to be accurate.
:51:40. > :51:49.To say he used all the pocket there would be an understatement. The red
:51:50. > :51:53.did jump a little bit. But he didn't have a good angle on that. But this
:51:54. > :51:59.is the modern game. Look at this black he's taking on. And getting! .
:52:00. > :52:09.Tremendous pot. APPLAUSE Excellent.
:52:10. > :52:16.You have to think if he missed that, it was going to cost him the frame.
:52:17. > :52:22.It's the only way to play these days.
:52:23. > :52:39.You can't wait for chances, you've got to take them yourself.
:52:40. > :52:46.He's got the red to the left corner. He's just concerned that he could
:52:47. > :52:48.run into a second red and lose position but just concentrate on the
:52:49. > :53:06.pot. Did run into the second pot. Blue goes to the right middle, if
:53:07. > :53:19.not the green. While the blue does pass the red.
:53:20. > :53:28.Just can't get absolute perfect position. Always landing that little
:53:29. > :53:32.bit awkward. Just needs to drop this in. He's got
:53:33. > :53:41.another red close to the right middle pocket. Doesn't matter if he
:53:42. > :53:44.leaves himself low on the blue here. So no problem, you would feel, in
:53:45. > :53:59.taking this third frame from here. That looks to be absolutely perfect.
:54:00. > :54:04.Got That looks to be absolutely perfect.
:54:05. > :54:21.and bounce off the side cushion. He would have liked to have got that
:54:22. > :54:35.cue ball a little further away from the cushion. Ran into the red.
:54:36. > :54:36.Although he's on the red to the left of the pink, using the rest, it's
:54:37. > :55:00.missable. Yes, that was the problem. Just
:55:01. > :55:16.couldn't get a good position. He's missed the red with the rest.
:55:17. > :55:24.Just needs to slow up and he has done. And Stuart shaking his head
:55:25. > :55:31.there. He knew that was a great chance. He just never got pinpoint
:55:32. > :55:33.position at any time during that visit and it caught him out in the
:55:34. > :55:48.end. When you're not getting a perfect
:55:49. > :55:55.position, it's ruining your natural rhythm and pace that you play the
:55:56. > :56:08.game at all the time. Stop, look at things.
:56:09. > :56:15.I expected Stuart to win the frame on his visit, now I expect it to
:56:16. > :56:40.cost him the frame. Black puts Ronnie eight points
:56:41. > :56:46.behind. You wouldn't think he'd want to play for the black here. For the
:56:47. > :56:52.blue, it would make it easier to get on the yellow. Just about OK. I
:56:53. > :57:01.think he can just hold for the yellow. Cued it nicely. So two
:57:02. > :57:07.points behind. He needs up to and including the pink. To win this
:57:08. > :57:08.frame that Stuart Bingham will be sat there seething that he's let
:57:09. > :57:17.slip. Some of the scoring we've seen in
:57:18. > :57:19.the matches this week, this has been, you would have to say, scrappy
:57:20. > :57:52.stuff so far tonight. APPLAUSE Terrific shot on the blue
:57:53. > :57:55.so just the pink required. To be honest with you, it's another
:57:56. > :58:01.frame that could have gone either way. But Stuart Bingham had a few
:58:02. > :58:08.chances. He didn't take them and Ronnie O'Sullivan now leads by 2-1.
:58:09. > :58:14.Making Stuart have a little think about that missed shot again. A
:58:15. > :58:18.litany of them over the last three frames. The thing is, when you play
:58:19. > :58:22.O'Sullivan, you don't expect him to miss as many shots as he has tonight
:58:23. > :58:26.and sometimes that comes with pressure because you are thinking
:58:27. > :58:30.you are getting chances and you should be making more than you are.
:58:31. > :58:34.Sometimes it is reverse psychology, you get a bit nervous about it. How
:58:35. > :58:38.do you see it from Stuart's perspective? He'll be delighted to
:58:39. > :58:46.have got the first frame going, he's in the match. You expect to Ronnie
:58:47. > :58:50.O'Sullivan to be a force. I think Stuart Bingham has been more relaxed
:58:51. > :58:53.than he has been over the last couple of matches. That's his best
:58:54. > :58:57.way, how he won the World Championship. Practice is hard,
:58:58. > :59:02.entering every tournament and he loves the game. At the age of 39, I
:59:03. > :59:07.believe, that's the way for him to play, make that most of the time
:59:08. > :59:12.he's got. Interesting you mentioned 39, Ronnie has just turned 40 in
:59:13. > :59:17.December. Barry Hawkins, 36. Judd Trump was the last man standing in
:59:18. > :59:23.terms of 20-year-olds, he is 26. We've talked about it before, living
:59:24. > :59:28.proof that it seems to be the mature players's game at the moment.
:59:29. > :59:32.Amazing, experience counts for a lot. The matches you get, you get
:59:33. > :59:36.battle hardened. If you make a mistake sometimes in a situation you
:59:37. > :59:41.shouldn't do, it teaches you not to do it again and the old players are
:59:42. > :59:44.doing all right. Different match to what we have seen yesterday,
:59:45. > :59:50.Robertson against Trump, thumping century after century. This has a
:59:51. > :59:55.gripping effect, doesn't it? When the players are missing, it
:59:56. > :00:00.galvanises the crowd. There's nothing like a capacity crowd here
:00:01. > :00:04.at Alexandra Palace. This place is producing excellent snooker in the
:00:05. > :00:10.few years it's been here. Matches like this, fans love them. They sure
:00:11. > :00:15.do. This is the last one before the interval.
:00:16. > :00:25.COMMENTATOR: A good length with the cue ball. Go on, Ronnie. Quiet,
:00:26. > :00:42.please! That's too thick. I was thinking of
:00:43. > :00:46.the shouting out, Ronnie has said that he would like more of that in
:00:47. > :00:58.the games. You would think it would put him off.
:00:59. > :01:09.Interesting, going out of the arena after that visit. You allowed three
:01:10. > :01:13.exits now. Yes, the interesting thing was coloured by the time the
:01:14. > :01:18.referee Colin Humphreys had set up the balls and was ready to call
:01:19. > :01:23.Stuart to the table to break off, Ronnie was back in the arena. I
:01:24. > :01:27.think he isn't taking a toilet break, he just wants to get out of
:01:28. > :01:32.the arena in between frames. Surely there can't be any law against that,
:01:33. > :01:42.as long as you are not keeping your opponent waiting.
:01:43. > :02:36.Always trust a little bit to luck. I don't think he's had any.
:02:37. > :02:44.Obviously there is no pot on. Looking at the red in the baulk end.
:02:45. > :02:48.The only way he can play this, he cannot get too full, he wants to
:02:49. > :02:53.come off the baulk cushion first. Can't guarantee he's going to get it
:02:54. > :03:19.safe, so he's playing safe to this area, stunning the red up the table.
:03:20. > :03:26.The only way you are going to get any real advantage playing that shot
:03:27. > :03:32.is to get the cue ball tight to the top cushion. Stuart can raise the
:03:33. > :03:39.top of the cue and he can dig in. He has to be careful, he needs to get
:03:40. > :03:43.the cue ball to the top cushion. And he hasn't quite got it there.
:03:44. > :03:50.There's a possible red to the right middle.
:03:51. > :04:05.Hmm. Maybe not. It looks like he didn't even look at the red to the
:04:06. > :04:13.right middle. It is fraught with danger. Surprised he didn't take it
:04:14. > :04:19.on. Yeah and he may have forced Stuart Bingham into a corner here.
:04:20. > :04:27.If Stuart thinks he doesn't have a good safety he may play the thin cut
:04:28. > :04:33.to the middle. Ooh the overcut it. In the pocket. He was forced into
:04:34. > :04:37.that because he didn't see a good safety. You can only say that Ronnie
:04:38. > :05:06.O'Sullivan's choice of shot has worked in his favour.
:05:07. > :05:22.Great chance now. To take a 3-1 lead into the mid-session interval.
:05:23. > :05:33.None of these four reds close to the pink spot will go, so he may play
:05:34. > :05:37.the cannon here. At first glance it looks like it hasn't worked out. You
:05:38. > :05:52.would think he was guaranteed to be on something. He's OK, he has the
:05:53. > :05:55.red to the red centre. The fraction is just favouring, although you'd
:05:56. > :06:16.have to say that if he wasn't on the red he would be unlucky. Couldn't
:06:17. > :06:27.That red makes the points all square. You have to say, John, the
:06:28. > :06:32.black off the spot that Stuart missed in the second frame when he
:06:33. > :06:40.had the chance of 2-0, when I mentioned about he couldn't afford
:06:41. > :06:50.many unforced errors, now he has the 3-1 deficit. There it is, you just
:06:51. > :06:57.can't afford those at this level. Well, that's worked out OK. The only
:06:58. > :07:00.thing is, as Stuart looks on, he has the red close to the cushion, which
:07:01. > :07:06.wasn't part of the plan.