:00:40. > :00:47.I used to love coming and competing in events, I don't think that will
:00:48. > :00:53.ever leave and I love to come here and compete and that is getting
:00:54. > :00:58.tougher every year. It has been a great first six months to the year,
:00:59. > :01:04.I would love to keep it going and try and play as good as I can. I won
:01:05. > :01:11.the International open. A couple months ago. I cannot ever remember
:01:12. > :01:23.being quite that a home tournament, I thought I played really good stuff
:01:24. > :01:25.and those performances still remain. It gives you a good feeling. You are
:01:26. > :01:29.watching the TV and it would be amazing to get through to the final
:01:30. > :01:40.and try and win it. Ladies and gentlemen, the 2006
:01:41. > :01:44.Masters champion, John Higgins! Hello, good afternoon and welcome to
:01:45. > :01:50.Alexandra Palace and the 2016 Dafabet masters. Two first-round
:01:51. > :01:53.matches to be completed today. Four time world champion John Higgins
:01:54. > :01:57.hoping to reach the quarterfinal. The biggest names in World Snooker
:01:58. > :02:03.already through, Stuart Bingham, Mark Selby and Ronnie O'Sullivan at
:02:04. > :02:06.Higgins faces a tough match this afternoon against China's Liang
:02:07. > :02:11.Wenbo and a fantastic run to this year's UK Championship final in York
:02:12. > :02:30.in December which saw him qualify for this year's masters.
:02:31. > :02:53.In the semifinal, if I win, I go to the Masters. The day before the
:02:54. > :03:02.match, a lot of pressure. I am very happy to go to the final and it
:03:03. > :03:12.gives me a lot of confidence. I learn a lot of experience. Yes, it
:03:13. > :03:15.is tough. Brilliant player. Everything is perfect, I think. The
:03:16. > :03:34.best players in the world. Concentrate, be strong, believe. It
:03:35. > :03:38.was a great performance by Liang Wenbo in the UK Championships. Yes,
:03:39. > :03:44.fantastic. He did not win the trophy but fantastic. Great excitement. His
:03:45. > :03:48.personality shone through. And getting to the final and into the
:03:49. > :03:51.top 16 and play here at this wonderful event. One of the few
:03:52. > :03:56.times he has played a major television in a one-table set-up and
:03:57. > :04:01.coming into this Masters, that is a scenario. Yes, a different situation
:04:02. > :04:06.here. Playing in the Masters, every match is tough. One-table set-up, at
:04:07. > :04:11.the Ally Pally, top 16 players the world for this wonderful trophy. You
:04:12. > :04:15.are thrown in the deep end, he has one of the hardest match players the
:04:16. > :04:18.game has seen in John Higgins. One of the most decorated players the
:04:19. > :04:22.game has seen and one of the toughest players I have played and
:04:23. > :04:27.that has ever played the game. A lot of experience, but he will be tough
:04:28. > :04:32.against John Higgins. But the underdog has beaten the big seed in
:04:33. > :04:37.history. John Higgins is the favourite over Liang Wenbo. But the
:04:38. > :04:41.Masters, one-table set-up, how much more do you think is John Higgins
:04:42. > :04:46.the favourite considering it is his sort of office? You would say so but
:04:47. > :04:52.it is going to be a baptism of fire for Liang Wenbo but he plays to the
:04:53. > :04:57.standards of the UK Championship and he has a good chance. The start is
:04:58. > :05:00.very important. He settles down very quickly and you never know what is
:05:01. > :05:06.going to happen. Every superlatives in the game has been awarded to John
:05:07. > :05:16.Higgins. Let's hear from two old has-been is an Shaun Murphy. -- an
:05:17. > :05:20.Shaun Murphy. John Higgins, four time world
:05:21. > :05:25.champion, winning major ranking events for over ten years. And in my
:05:26. > :05:30.opinion, pound for pound the best overall match player we have ever
:05:31. > :05:35.had in the game. One of the toughest players I have ever played. Ever
:05:36. > :05:40.likely to play. A great all-round game. I have watched him since he
:05:41. > :05:45.turned professional. I have played him ever since and without a doubt,
:05:46. > :05:50.every part of his game coming he is so tough to beat on top form and
:05:51. > :05:53.always loving the big occasions. He always played his best new card
:05:54. > :05:57.towards the end of the tournament. And his tactical game, you would
:05:58. > :06:02.learn so much just playing him. Everything was always spot-on. If
:06:03. > :06:08.you had to pick one player, under pressure on the big occasion to
:06:09. > :06:13.clear up three reds and you put your house on it, he is the person. So
:06:14. > :06:17.much going for him that it is hard to believe players do outplay him
:06:18. > :06:21.now. Perhaps the fact he has been around so long, he is not as
:06:22. > :06:24.motivated as he used to be but he is still winning offence. He has
:06:25. > :06:30.achieved everything in the game he could want to. We all talk about,
:06:31. > :06:34.will Ronnie break yourself and Stephen's records of Championship
:06:35. > :06:37.wins? The same could be said of John, if he wanted to coming he
:06:38. > :06:41.still has the game to compete with anybody in any event around the
:06:42. > :06:45.world. But is he prepared to put in the work required that he used to
:06:46. > :06:52.put in 15 years ago? What is wrong with him? Where do you pick holes in
:06:53. > :06:56.somebody like John Higgins? It is so hard to find any weaknesses, as a
:06:57. > :07:02.snooker love and somebody who has shaken his hand and tried to play
:07:03. > :07:06.him, I not sure. You see John Higgins and you think, that is a
:07:07. > :07:09.problem. Maybe if he had to concentrate a bit more on his time
:07:10. > :07:14.away from the table, his general fitness and stuff, but might have
:07:15. > :07:19.helped him and maybe his concentration may have let him down
:07:20. > :07:24.the older he gets, like it does with everybody. But if you had to
:07:25. > :07:28.concentrate a bit more on fitness, he would still be up there in the
:07:29. > :07:32.top six players of the world. He has earned the right to chill out a bit
:07:33. > :07:38.and is to spend more time with his family. But he will get passed.
:07:39. > :07:47.Good to hear from the two former players Stephen Davis and Graham
:07:48. > :07:52.Doherty. He won the Masters twice but has been knocked out 11 times in
:07:53. > :07:58.the first round at has an excellent record against Liang undefeated. Two
:07:59. > :08:03.first-round matches today, Neil Robertson taking on Marco Fu tonight
:08:04. > :08:09.but the live match here this afternoon is John Higgins against
:08:10. > :08:15.Liang Wenbo. Let's join our MC at Alexandra Palace, Rob Walker.
:08:16. > :08:19.Thank you and good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. Two places up for
:08:20. > :08:24.grabs in this year's quarterfinal of the Dafabet Masters and what a match
:08:25. > :08:29.in prospect. One much returning -- one-man returning for his 22nd
:08:30. > :08:34.appearance and another hoping to mark a memorable debut. This could
:08:35. > :08:49.be a cracker. It is showtime once again at Ally Pally!
:08:50. > :08:55.Please welcome the most flamboyant Chinese player we have ever had on
:08:56. > :09:00.tour. He booked his first appearance here after a great run to the UK
:09:01. > :09:05.Championship final last month. He is so excited about this debut. He has
:09:06. > :09:14.had a round new suit is tailor-made for the occasion. Let's raise the
:09:15. > :09:16.roof for Liang Wenbo! APPLAUSE.
:09:17. > :09:43.WALK-ON MUSIC. And his opponent, one of the finest
:09:44. > :09:49.sportsmen Scotland has ever produced. Winner of 28 ranking
:09:50. > :09:52.titles and twice a Masters champion. Some said he was past his best at
:09:53. > :09:57.the beginning of last year and how he proved the doubters wrong with
:09:58. > :10:05.three big wins in 2015. He is back to his best so here he is, the
:10:06. > :10:24.Wizard of Wishaw, John Higgins. WALK-ON MUSIC.
:10:25. > :10:30.Making his debut at the Masters is Liang Wenbo but he looks relaxed.
:10:31. > :10:34.His run in York one of the highlights of the season, can he do
:10:35. > :10:39.it again? We will find out in the company of John Parrott and Stephen
:10:40. > :10:42.Hendry. A little bird tells me happy birthday Stephen Hendry, what a way
:10:43. > :10:44.to spend your birthday. I never knew that, you kept that
:10:45. > :10:52.quiet! Good afternoon, everybody, and
:10:53. > :10:58.welcome to the last 16 match of this year's Masters. If Liang Wenbo is to
:10:59. > :11:02.progress today, he has to do something he has not done before and
:11:03. > :11:08.that is G -- beat John Higgins in a competitive match. The Scot leads
:11:09. > :11:12.7-0. What can he do, Stephen? Continue the form he showed at the
:11:13. > :11:19.UK Championship. That would be a start. So delighted to be here at
:11:20. > :11:21.the Masters, Liang Wenbo. He could not pick a much tougher first-round
:11:22. > :11:32.opponent. I think he definitely looks more
:11:33. > :11:39.comfortable as the underdog, Liang Wenbo. Yes, that may be the case,
:11:40. > :11:44.some players on the circuit like that, they do not like the heat, as
:11:45. > :11:49.it were. His form certainly came from nowhere really. Something of a
:11:50. > :11:53.journeyman on the circuit for the last couple of years but a
:11:54. > :11:59.performance at the UK was pretty special. And those ranking points
:12:00. > :12:11.got him here in the Masters. Very capable scorer. Yes, what he needs
:12:12. > :12:14.to do to win today, one of his matches started with three centuries
:12:15. > :12:18.in the first three frames and that is the sort of thinking has to do
:12:19. > :12:21.today. Score heavily when he does get the opportunity. -- the sort of
:12:22. > :12:38.thing he has to do. Yes, they will not go in at the near
:12:39. > :12:52.jaw of these tables, pretty close. A chance for Liang in the centre
:12:53. > :12:57.pocket. Good if you knock this in. Nice off -- nice pot. A little bit
:12:58. > :13:03.slack from somebody like John Higgins to leave the cue ball in the
:13:04. > :13:04.middle of the table. Not something you associate with John Higgins,
:13:05. > :13:19.shots like that. Can Liang put a marker down in his
:13:20. > :13:29.first frame? He needs that cue ball to stop. The body language says he
:13:30. > :13:36.is on the red, left corner. Yes, I bet his heart skipped a beat, that
:13:37. > :14:15.cue ball. One more quarter turn and he was on nothing.
:14:16. > :14:21.Tricky shot here. He is playing to hold for the black into the left
:14:22. > :14:26.corner. You have to strike it positive enough to get the action of
:14:27. > :14:32.the cue ball. Sometimes you need to decelerate and Mr the right-hand
:14:33. > :14:37.side. -- and missed it. It was a tricky shot, it was not a given.
:14:38. > :14:42.Yes, it needed respect. It looked easy on the screen but you hit these
:14:43. > :14:47.jewels on these tables and that was noticeable, but looked tougher than
:14:48. > :14:51.it did earlier in the tournament. They were dropping in a bit with a
:14:52. > :14:56.new cloth. Playing a little harder now and that is what happens. Nice
:14:57. > :15:02.and shiny when the cloth goes on. That just catches the draw a bit too
:15:03. > :15:06.far out. But they slide in the first couple of days, don't they? Into the
:15:07. > :15:18.pack here from this black for John Higgins. He hit that perfect. That
:15:19. > :15:22.was a lovely shot, he played a stun, nice and firm, kept hold of the cue
:15:23. > :15:45.ball, it did not run away. Beautiful shot.
:15:46. > :15:52.It has been a remarkable turnaround for John Higgins, I will be honest.
:15:53. > :15:56.I saw him play in one of the matches last year at the UK and he looked
:15:57. > :16:01.bereft of any confidence, like he was half the player he was. To turn
:16:02. > :16:04.it round and to win three tournaments in a year. Two this
:16:05. > :16:09.season. That is remarkable at his age. Are you surprised at the way he
:16:10. > :16:14.has come back, Stephen? Very much so. I bought a couple of years ago,
:16:15. > :16:20.John Higgins was coming to a crossroads in his career. -- I
:16:21. > :16:24.thought. These new tournaments where you spend little time at home. He
:16:25. > :16:34.perhaps looked like he was not enjoying it as much. This season,
:16:35. > :16:38.very impressive. Yes, I think one of the tournaments, one of the matches
:16:39. > :16:46.he played in that opened my eyes, he played Mark Selby in one match and
:16:47. > :16:50.he beat him 9-4. To beat Mark Selby by that scoreline is playing good
:16:51. > :16:55.snooker. He was the only one to give Neil Robertson a close run in the UK
:16:56. > :16:58.Championships, he took him to the final frame in a great match.
:16:59. > :17:00.Certainly nothing wrong with the way he is playing and it is good to see
:17:01. > :17:17.him back. That was a well controlled shot. He
:17:18. > :17:18.did not have a natural angle to run off two cushions so that is
:17:19. > :17:38.stunning. That was perfectly played. It was not so long back he just went
:17:39. > :17:44.past another milestone. He went over the 600 century barrier. Not only is
:17:45. > :17:49.he one of the game's greatest match coming he is also one of the game's
:17:50. > :17:53.greatest big builders and that is what makes him so difficult to beat.
:17:54. > :18:03.Such a competitor and such a scorer and a great all-round game.
:18:04. > :18:11.Yes, he never, ever plays the wrong shot. At the start of this break, a
:18:12. > :18:18.lot of players in the first frame of a map like this, there were a couple
:18:19. > :18:21.of loose reds but he went straight in and produced this opportunity.
:18:22. > :18:27.That is the sign of a top, top player. Yes, that is the way it
:18:28. > :18:32.should done, make it easier for yourself, get those balls in the
:18:33. > :18:39.Open. I agree, a lot of players cherry picked and take off the odd
:18:40. > :18:41.red but John Higgins knew that was a great chance is to split the balls
:18:42. > :19:26.and he is getting his reward. The cue action has not changed much
:19:27. > :19:32.over the years. John said he thought he had some -- found something, a
:19:33. > :19:35.couple of months ago. He played in a tournament abroad, I think it was in
:19:36. > :19:40.a team competition and he said to Stephen Maguire, he has found what
:19:41. > :19:44.is missing from his game. His cue action has not changed much over the
:19:45. > :19:50.years but whatever it was has made a lot of difference. He is full of
:19:51. > :19:55.confidence again. Yes, it is very repetitive, his cue action. 99% of
:19:56. > :20:09.shots, it is two or three waggles and a hit. Here, it is just one or
:20:10. > :20:14.two Llong waggles and a hit. He just caught the near jaw. He was aiming
:20:15. > :20:27.for the pocket for the red to drop in. That is the cue action we are
:20:28. > :20:31.talking about. Top-class. If you want to copy one, that is not a bad
:20:32. > :20:51.one to copy. He will prompt bully have to go up
:20:52. > :20:59.the table now, I don't think he will take a chance on the cannon with
:21:00. > :21:09.those two reds behind the pink -- probably. Already, absolutely
:21:10. > :21:12.perfect. Brilliant. I am sure Liang Wenbo but it was going to be a tough
:21:13. > :21:18.match to date but he has certainly found out quickly in this first
:21:19. > :21:23.frame. He had the first opportunity. And I am afraid at the martyrs with
:21:24. > :21:27.the best players in the world, it is a tough skill and you have to take
:21:28. > :21:32.your chances -- the Masters. He has hit it well enough, just got the
:21:33. > :21:42.left-hand side jaw. Look at this first shot. A lovely little cannon.
:21:43. > :21:50.I mentioned earlier, could Liang Wenbo put down a marker? Well, John
:21:51. > :21:54.Higgins certainly has. Play well or you going home, Liang, that is what
:21:55. > :22:01.he has telling him. Hugely impressive from Higgins.
:22:02. > :22:10.Just run into the cue ball little too much. He is already past the
:22:11. > :22:20.winning post in the first frame here. Nice to make a century,
:22:21. > :22:24.though. Never in doubt. APPLAUSE. He seems to have his
:22:25. > :22:32.belief back in his game. If he is going to make a century, he
:22:33. > :22:52.needs to make some pot here. Goodness me! That is amazing. What a
:22:53. > :22:59.shot that was! Very ominous signs already for his opponent. That was a
:23:00. > :23:31.beautiful pot. Watch this. It never touched the sides.
:23:32. > :23:43.Brilliant. Absolutely brilliant. Cue ball... Wonderful control. He has
:23:44. > :23:47.had the pace of the table right from ball one in this break, it has been
:23:48. > :23:56.exceptional. He is looking right back to his best.
:23:57. > :24:04.Just this black for a break of 119 and you cannot start much better
:24:05. > :24:10.than that. Superb, John Higgins. Wonderful. Liang Wenbo was first, he
:24:11. > :24:14.missed the red and he has had to sit in his chair for the rest of the
:24:15. > :24:20.frame. The Wizard of Wishaw takes the opening frame and he leads 1-0.
:24:21. > :24:21.We heard Steve Davis, Ken Doherty and Shaun Murphy talking about his
:24:22. > :24:37.game, this is his reply. To hear that from two of the guys
:24:38. > :24:48.you have grown up copying, trying to copy, respect, two of the best match
:24:49. > :24:54.players I have ever played, it is great words. Great words from those
:24:55. > :24:58.two players. You obviously do not practice as
:24:59. > :25:03.hard, but I think the way the tour is, you maybe don't need to because
:25:04. > :25:06.if you go on a bit of a roll, you can play your way round and you
:25:07. > :25:15.maybe don't have to practise as much as used to. Would you still do need
:25:16. > :25:23.to put the work in to be a winner. No, if I know I am still capable of
:25:24. > :25:33.competing, it is still more in my mind, fitness wise or whatever. I
:25:34. > :25:40.will be all right, I think. Just keep doing what you are doing.
:25:41. > :25:53.What he did there, a beautiful break in the first frame of 119. Very
:25:54. > :25:57.classy, it was. And a big frame, you would feel for his opponent, coming
:25:58. > :25:59.up. He is trying to get a foothold in the match and you have to
:26:00. > :26:18.respond. If red to the corner pocket. A
:26:19. > :26:22.comfortable shot and nice angle to get round the black and back to the
:26:23. > :26:31.baulk end. Top players expect to get this seven out of ten. Good shot. At
:26:32. > :26:38.pace to stop the cue ball. That is just going to run too far. He is
:26:39. > :26:44.still on the yellow. The red he is lining up now, he can get to the
:26:45. > :26:54.left side cushion but it is quite tricky to judge the pace of this.
:26:55. > :27:00.Yes, the pot itself is not totally straightforward. And to judge the
:27:01. > :27:13.pace off the cushion, it can easily run away, the cue ball. I think that
:27:14. > :27:18.is what has happened. That looked a difficult pot. If the cue ball just
:27:19. > :27:20.runs a bit, it you end up snookered, which is what has happened there.
:27:21. > :28:01.Good attempt. The referee is checking whether cue
:28:02. > :28:11.ball is, in case there is in this here. This gives him a better
:28:12. > :28:15.indication. I am just wondering if he could have sneaked past the blue
:28:16. > :28:19.to hit the inside of the pack but it is too tight so the outside red is
:28:20. > :28:39.the shot. Not the best, again. The red to the
:28:40. > :28:44.left centre. He is refusing it so that tells you the cue ball is maybe
:28:45. > :28:51.going towards the pocket. Surprised he is not playing the red, to the
:28:52. > :28:55.middle. The break of John Higgins in the first frame, he is a bit wary
:28:56. > :29:25.after that of taking on dodgy shots. You will not see many of them. John
:29:26. > :29:30.Higgins. If not the best, but certainly in the top two or three of
:29:31. > :29:37.the game and safety, that was a complete misjudgement.
:29:38. > :29:48.That was a good shot. Yes, a little bit of pressure on that. Just enough
:29:49. > :29:57.on the cue ball to run past the reds. A nice side of the table for a
:29:58. > :30:00.left-hander to play the black from. So one good positional shot here. It
:30:01. > :30:17.could be a decent chance. I think he is on it. The ball has
:30:18. > :30:23.just pulled up in time. So it is a very good chance. If he gets this
:30:24. > :30:27.and he comes through for the black, a cannon on the red to the left of
:30:28. > :30:32.the cue ball, that would be ideal. He is playing a screw backs of the
:30:33. > :30:59.other red goes as well at the bottom.
:31:00. > :31:08.This is a boxing match and it would be important for Wenbo to get a
:31:09. > :31:16.counterpunch in, as much for your confidence, and I'm going to win the
:31:17. > :31:21.frame as well. These are lovely now, that cannon in particular into those
:31:22. > :31:26.reds, as I was mentioning earlier. It has opened it up into an
:31:27. > :31:33.excellent chance. One thing he can do above everything, is score. He
:31:34. > :31:38.played in a qualifier a few years ago, I was in Pontin 's playing a
:31:39. > :31:43.qualifier, walking in and saying you cannot believe what he has done, a
:31:44. > :32:08.maximum 5-0 win, and incredible score.
:32:09. > :32:16.That looks pretty calm and composed, there are times in the UK where
:32:17. > :32:21.towards the end of the tournament, he has looked anything but calm and
:32:22. > :32:30.composed. Sweating, slapping his face, banging the table, you might
:32:31. > :32:34.be very right. What you said early on, it might be a case, he has a
:32:35. > :32:39.terrible record with John Higgins and he might just relax and place
:32:40. > :32:46.new car. My record is poor and I can only get better. Relax and play and
:32:47. > :32:53.new car. My record is poor and I can see what happens, it has worked
:32:54. > :33:15.before. The red passes the green no problem.
:33:16. > :33:21.The play of the yellow now, and screw down the left-hand side of the
:33:22. > :33:27.table as we look at it because there is at least three reds that go
:33:28. > :33:34.there. Straight down or off the caution, whatever he chooses. -- the
:33:35. > :33:38.cushion. Always when you make these breaks, areas where you have got
:33:39. > :33:48.options. There are at least two where he has got options for him.
:33:49. > :33:52.This is an impressive riposte. Playing the little cannon into the
:33:53. > :33:54.red and pink here, he doesn't have too of course, you can play past it,
:33:55. > :34:22.it is on. If it carries on like this, we are
:34:23. > :34:37.in for a cracker. Both players looking in great form.
:34:38. > :34:49.Maybe five centuries in this match, if they continue like this. It is
:34:50. > :34:53.very high quality. Both breaks, both players have had a cue ball on a
:34:54. > :35:18.string. It would appear, there is nothing
:35:19. > :35:21.like doing well in a few matches and then in a tournament to build up
:35:22. > :35:27.confidence. We mentioned earlier that he was just ticking along in
:35:28. > :35:31.tournaments without doing anything special, Liang, but reaching that UK
:35:32. > :35:37.final as well as he did has all this he built up his confidence levels.
:35:38. > :35:43.-- has obviously built up. Can he have back-to-back centuries in
:35:44. > :35:48.mismatched? That one in the side cushion is not too bad for him of
:35:49. > :36:00.course, being left-handed. He gets in behind that, dropping down on the
:36:01. > :36:05.cushion. He could have done with another couple of inches on the cue
:36:06. > :36:10.ball, behind it, with his own cue, not having to use the extension. But
:36:11. > :36:22.if you pot it, the cue ball will go to the perfect angle for the next
:36:23. > :36:27.colour. It is not there. John Higgins knows that he is in a match
:36:28. > :36:34.now, and when bow with a brilliant break, it is now 1-1. STUDIO: Last
:36:35. > :36:38.night, Mark Selby destroyed Richie Worrall and 6-0 and after the first
:36:39. > :36:43.frame, we thought that we were in for a quick afternoon this
:36:44. > :36:47.afternoon? Yes and Liang Wenbo was left eight big question when he was
:36:48. > :36:50.left a chance, but it was a difficult read off a side cushion
:36:51. > :36:57.and these are always very missable especially when you do not have much
:36:58. > :37:02.playing time. We spoke about when you have a baptism of fire, Liang
:37:03. > :37:07.Wenbo with a one-table set-up, you cannot beat a bit of form.
:37:08. > :37:11.Particularly with that shot itself, it was a wonderful break, as we said
:37:12. > :37:16.at the top of the show and it was very important for Liang Wenbo to
:37:17. > :37:22.get off to a good start. Just boys own confidence, new venue, new using
:37:23. > :37:29.the big time now. He has two settle down. And the way that he entered
:37:30. > :37:32.this venue, it can be an intimidating place especially in
:37:33. > :37:37.front of the crowd, he looked remarkably relaxed given his Masters
:37:38. > :37:44.debut? Yes, he may have talked to Ding who struggled in this venue,
:37:45. > :37:45.and I think that Liang Wenbo looked very relaxed, that is depending on
:37:46. > :37:53.the individual, if he takes the
:37:54. > :38:05.confidence, from the UK then he could be jumping up in standard.
:38:06. > :38:09.Liang Wenbo to break. COMMENTATOR: I don't think you are getting away
:38:10. > :38:19.from the fact that it is your birthday, Stephen. Trying to keep it
:38:20. > :38:28.quiet. Not only has he got the cue ball tight on the cushion, but he
:38:29. > :38:32.has opened a reds up a little bit. It may just be what we called the
:38:33. > :38:39.dump shot, the top cushion, as we look at it. Not much else we can do.
:38:40. > :39:16.Such a good break from Liang. That was an excellent shot. It is
:39:17. > :39:21.what you have to do when you play Johnny Higgins, you have to play
:39:22. > :39:28.100% every single shot. In particular with this fellow, he
:39:29. > :39:58.isn't going to give you lots of opportunities.
:39:59. > :40:14.it was a pretty straightforward safety shot if he had not contacted
:40:15. > :40:18.the yellow. John played the shot in the last frame, where he tried to do
:40:19. > :40:19.it down the side and he completely missed the ball, he wants to do
:40:20. > :40:52.better here. He's not looking at any plans to pot
:40:53. > :40:56.a read here, she doesn't want to play his safety, over that left
:40:57. > :41:02.pocket. There is a chance it could go in, but he is more weary about
:41:03. > :41:09.setting Johnny Higgins up with an easy shot. Yes the type of shot, you
:41:10. > :41:19.are taking a bit of hope. The cue ball is paramount here. Asking a lot
:41:20. > :41:23.with the distance of the first plant onto the red getting it absolutely
:41:24. > :41:32.spot-on. It may be a case that this is the only safety shot that he has
:41:33. > :41:37.got to come off there. So he is back looking at it. The problem is, with
:41:38. > :41:44.this, great if it goes in, but the pace he is going to play it at, the
:41:45. > :41:58.third read in the line could stay over the corner pocket. This is a
:41:59. > :42:02.problem. Yes, there is the line, two reds onto the other one, the pacey
:42:03. > :42:06.is playing at if you did not go in, it would probably be a sitting duck.
:42:07. > :42:37.Playing off the angles. Great shot. There is a big target behind the
:42:38. > :42:46.green if you can get a cue ball into there, but you don't want it into
:42:47. > :42:49.the pocket. I don't think there is any great damage done, going into
:42:50. > :42:54.there at the moment. If you see what John Higgins is doing, it is a
:42:55. > :43:07.problem if you can get the cue ball in behind that green.
:43:08. > :43:23.It looks like he is lining up the cue ball somewhere. Where his right
:43:24. > :43:27.elbow is. It looks a bit pacey. He got that on the thin side, it is a
:43:28. > :43:32.chance now, for them to get in behind the green or close to it.
:43:33. > :43:55.Off the ball he would be trying to play the safety to.
:43:56. > :44:01.Even though he didn't get up behind the green, it is still a good
:44:02. > :44:08.safety, because he has blocked off one side of the pack with the pink.
:44:09. > :44:11.So getting back, she would have to be a bit more careful with those for
:44:12. > :44:31.reds on the left-hand side of the cushion. -- four reds.
:44:32. > :44:42.What is John looking at? I can only assume, he has got a read to the
:44:43. > :44:49.right corner, two to the left of the pink, and you can see there, it
:44:50. > :44:52.looks from our view, there it goes. It is one of those funny ones, the
:44:53. > :44:57.camera behind the pocket always looks like the pot is on, when you
:44:58. > :45:06.look at the other way, you are never quite sure. Playing it with top spin
:45:07. > :45:20.so he obviously doesn't think that the white goes. Nice pot though. The
:45:21. > :45:25.angle on the blue. Pretty perfect, just a screw straight up, not using
:45:26. > :45:38.the car Schneiderlin think, the red to the corner. -- not using the
:45:39. > :45:41.cushion I don't think. He is twice the Masters champion, John Higgins,
:45:42. > :45:47.I suppose by his standards in the last six years or so, the bestie has
:45:48. > :45:56.done is one semifinal. He is trying to improve this week. Still a bridge
:45:57. > :46:01.record, winning the Masters, you know-how good years, and he has won
:46:02. > :46:08.four Championships. Probably a little disappointed that he has not
:46:09. > :46:14.won more of them. Think of this, his 22nd straight appearance, to win it
:46:15. > :46:18.twice, he has also won the World Championships, he has underachieved
:46:19. > :46:23.you would say in this tournament. He has just had a monster kick their,
:46:24. > :46:28.running through. It should have been a simple shot, the red nearly
:46:29. > :46:33.missed. Jumped up, off the bed of the cloth, nice to see a drop in. I
:46:34. > :46:37.think with these shots, when they are so tight into the pocket, you
:46:38. > :46:39.want to be right behind them to get a better view. Seems to make them
:46:40. > :46:57.that little bit more difficult. They are tricky because if you are
:46:58. > :46:59.aiming the black into half a pocket, it is a lot more tricky than a full
:47:00. > :47:25.pocket. He hasn't left anything. That is not a good shot, he had a
:47:26. > :47:30.chance there, as I mentioned earlier, that green has been, he
:47:31. > :47:31.could have got a snooker behind it, it is probably even better now. That
:47:32. > :47:58.was a chance missed. It is not in behind the green, still
:47:59. > :48:02.a very good safety but it is also extremely difficult to get back to
:48:03. > :48:06.the baulk area, three reds on the left-hand side are causing the
:48:07. > :48:16.problem. Coming off and trying to find the gap.
:48:17. > :48:30.So much so that he has decided just to play the dump shot again. So he
:48:31. > :48:38.had two very quick frames at the start of this match, John Higgins's
:48:39. > :48:40.break of 119, and Liang's break of 88 but this one has been a lot more
:48:41. > :49:16.tactical. The safety has to be good, where the
:49:17. > :49:28.ball is situated, one mistake could cost you the frame.
:49:29. > :49:38.The black Cats been covered. -- the black has been covered. It might not
:49:39. > :49:42.be automatic, the reds are nicely spit. It is a decent safety, from
:49:43. > :50:13.Liang. That is a bonus, I'm pretty sure
:50:14. > :50:17.that he did not right behind that. Yes he was playing a safety shot in
:50:18. > :50:20.that acidity, to get right up behind the brown, is a little bit
:50:21. > :50:51.fortunate. -- in that facility. Yes maybe the red on the left-hand
:50:52. > :50:55.side, might be the one. Even if he pots a red that is available lower
:50:56. > :50:57.down, where is the colour coming from unless he can get back out? He
:50:58. > :51:08.thinks that he has found one. Excellent pot, you will always be
:51:09. > :51:35.struggling for position there. He was not playing the pot there,
:51:36. > :51:41.now it is just a safety. He has just got a bit more swerve than the cue
:51:42. > :51:47.ball intended. Having a look at another potential plants, he is
:51:48. > :51:51.desperate in this frame, slightly off but it just depends on the
:51:52. > :51:55.distance between these two balls, whether it can be made or not. As
:51:56. > :52:00.you have a look at that, you need to hit the red on the right-hand side.
:52:01. > :52:03.There is a big gap between those two, one of these can be made. Yes
:52:04. > :52:21.they can. There is your answer. At first glance I thought that was
:52:22. > :52:26.maybe a good cannon on the red. This is a tricky pink or blue for
:52:27. > :52:43.position. If you look at the plant again, very confidently.
:52:44. > :52:50.Playing the red that is on the blue spot, so it is a natural angle to
:52:51. > :52:54.drop that, leaving the pink to right centre. Playing its soft enough to
:52:55. > :53:15.pink on the right corner. Looking at the table I don't think
:53:16. > :53:20.the pink goes past the black, to the right centre. Looking to play a
:53:21. > :53:24.cannon, it is just too dangerous. Potting the black. It is one of
:53:25. > :53:32.those shots if you are practising, taking a chance and doing it. But
:53:33. > :53:42.not here. It is looking a bit thin to him, the pink so he is taking the
:53:43. > :53:56.longer yellow. He needs a kiss, and he has got one.
:53:57. > :54:06.He can play this off the side cushion and off the back to the pink
:54:07. > :54:11.here. I don't know whether that was such a bad contact or whether he hit
:54:12. > :54:16.it poorly, the cue ball probably had a few more inches on it than that.
:54:17. > :54:20.It did did not seem to jump as much on it,
:54:21. > :54:54.he is on it. He did not play that one as well as
:54:55. > :54:58.he might have liked, much fuller contact to leave that red for the
:54:59. > :55:03.right corner. The funny thing about that cannon that he played, is that
:55:04. > :55:09.he put this red, that he is playing out in the wake of the pink. Not a
:55:10. > :55:23.bad idea to play this one anyway. What was that? Liang Wenbo, 16. I
:55:24. > :55:26.did not see that coming. It almost looks like he's playing with the
:55:27. > :55:31.left-hand side and he has pushed the tubal thick to the red, maybe he had
:55:32. > :55:41.his eye on the positional side of the shot. Just about to say before
:55:42. > :55:48.he played that, it is not one that it is easy to get position. But he
:55:49. > :56:00.hit that far too thick, John Higgins. Awkward little shots,
:56:01. > :56:06.those. Yes, he could have played this read a lot thing, it is a poor
:56:07. > :56:20.shot. Taking this green on, it looks like it.
:56:21. > :56:29.He will be taking himself over that contribution, leaving the red over
:56:30. > :56:31.the pocket, and you get one. And you have just put him in a lovely
:56:32. > :57:03.position. Plenty of those reds available, blue
:57:04. > :57:06.and pink are available, identity thing need to worry about the red
:57:07. > :57:16.and black in order to settle this frame. The ideal angle to play a
:57:17. > :57:18.cannon for the blue. That might go back upon its spot in a minute, it
:57:19. > :57:55.is all good. There is nothing that gives you
:57:56. > :58:02.opponent more confidence. Than missing a couple of pots or playing
:58:03. > :58:09.a poor safety, or a missed pot like the green, because the initial shot
:58:10. > :58:12.was the poor one. One thing it had to be was thin. He has just got to
:58:13. > :58:18.make sure that he thinks it is nice and thin, it looks like he's
:58:19. > :58:23.flicking a bit of side and getting it far too thick. And Liang looks
:58:24. > :58:30.like he's playing well enough and what we don't want to do is
:58:31. > :58:57.encouraged him a bit more. -- encourage him.
:58:58. > :59:04.He has just left himself a bit more angle on that pot than he would have
:59:05. > :59:16.liked, pace more than anything. Any harder and he would have missed it.
:59:17. > :59:31.This red, should give him a third frame. Position on the pink, just to
:59:32. > :59:39.make doubly sure. Something like John Higgins, his knowledge of the
:59:40. > :59:58.game, not getting back to the table laying snookers on you.
:59:59. > :00:08.Excellent. He is very surprised to get back to the table as quickly as
:00:09. > :00:15.he did after his miss. What a contribution this has been. And it
:00:16. > :00:23.is Liang Wenbo with a very impressive 42 break.
:00:24. > :01:39.So it is Liang Wenbo who has been pretty impressive in the last two
:01:40. > :01:42.frames. 88 and 42 after John Higgins made his mistake. And he has settled
:01:43. > :01:49.down roughly into his first appearance here in the Masters and
:01:50. > :01:53.at Alexandra Palace, which is just a fabulous venue, it really is. I am a
:01:54. > :02:00.massive fan of this place, it has a wonderful atmosphere, well attended.
:02:01. > :02:04.And he is doing very well indeed. As for John Higgins, he has to get back
:02:05. > :02:09.to what he was playing like in the first frame. One or two little
:02:10. > :02:17.errors and it does not take much at this level. He is having a bit of
:02:18. > :02:22.trouble. Yes, quite a big frame for John Higgins. The way he started, I
:02:23. > :02:28.had ideas of him running away with this match. But he is two down in
:02:29. > :02:36.the last frame before mid-session interval, it you do not want to be
:02:37. > :02:41.3-1 down. Interesting statistic. 61% win rate for Liang Wenbo, that is
:02:42. > :03:05.quite impressive. We mentioned earlier on it was seven
:03:06. > :03:11.matches to zero in the head-to-head. The closest Liang Wenbo got to him
:03:12. > :03:15.was 10-9 in the 2012 World Championships so he knows that he
:03:16. > :03:22.can run him close. In fairness, that is the only one, the rest have been
:03:23. > :03:28.incomprehensible, 5-1, 4-2, 4-1. He has never really had a good run at
:03:29. > :03:38.John in these tournaments. But already today, there does seem to be
:03:39. > :03:48.a new-found confidence in him. This is a test of cueing. At distance,
:03:49. > :03:53.dead straight. A stun for the black. It is one of those, in the black was
:03:54. > :03:57.totally open, I would fancy him all day long knocking this in. It has a
:03:58. > :04:03.fair bit of run through after the stun and if you pot this, you
:04:04. > :04:07.stagger the cue ball past the red on the right blocking the black. So
:04:08. > :04:14.this is not straightforward, the shot.
:04:15. > :04:23.Good pot. Just that little bit of extra run through require after the
:04:24. > :04:29.stun made it more difficult. A priority was the pot. But this black
:04:30. > :04:42.is massive. Plenty of pressure on this.
:04:43. > :04:56.Yes, that was just as difficult as the red in a different way. He
:04:57. > :05:04.played that very confidently. And now a great chance. He could not
:05:05. > :05:10.have the reds much better for the ultimate prize, John. It could be a
:05:11. > :05:15.bit early to predict. He has gone for an early one of those! I cannot
:05:16. > :05:33.believe it. I know it is your birthday!
:05:34. > :05:40.Just try to leave an angle just to flick the red away from the other
:05:41. > :05:48.and you have the black area opened up after the next shot. Lovely
:05:49. > :05:53.little sequence of stun cannons you have played. And he deserves
:05:54. > :05:58.everything he gets, the two shots at the start of this break were
:05:59. > :06:02.excellent. The opening pot was brilliant, at the second with the
:06:03. > :06:29.black dead weight took plenty of nerves.
:06:30. > :06:40.Just let that cue ball run Opera just make this black missable. If
:06:41. > :06:49.you keep your eye on the positional side, you could have a pot here. No
:06:50. > :06:59.problem. He has just bunched up the reds, having to play the cannon.
:07:00. > :07:07.Winning the frame is obviously the priority at 2-1 down. He will be
:07:08. > :07:09.starting to have thought at the back of his mind because he will know how
:07:10. > :08:03.well he is placed. He is just going along beautifully.
:08:04. > :08:06.He has a choice of reds. One he can play with the pack and one he can
:08:07. > :08:13.drop with the rest down the right-hand side. He has taken these
:08:14. > :08:19.beautifully so far. That little cannon just clicking another nifty
:08:20. > :08:33.ball out. One in the middle of the table, lovely.
:08:34. > :08:41.He played that in the way and he left itself an opportunity of two
:08:42. > :08:51.pots, one in the middle and another in the corner. Take it from me, he
:08:52. > :09:13.is after the maximum. He knows it is on.
:09:14. > :09:23.Just slightly hampered with that red on the cushion. Just a little bit
:09:24. > :09:34.awkward. This will show his intentions. Yes, we know what he is
:09:35. > :09:49.playing for there. That was easy to follow the red. The cannon and the
:09:50. > :09:54.pink, maybe. That is all right, through the gap. In with the rest.
:09:55. > :10:10.Perfectly down for the black again. It is looking like that red on the
:10:11. > :10:13.cushion which has been there since the top -- since the start of the
:10:14. > :10:18.frame is going to be the stumbling block. At the moment, the ones in
:10:19. > :10:30.the Open look like they are going to go. I think he has played that
:10:31. > :10:39.beautifully. He has. Screw back for the black no problem.
:10:40. > :10:48.This is an interesting scenario. He could play for the loose red on the
:10:49. > :10:51.left-hand cushion now with the perfect angle, would you play it?
:10:52. > :10:56.You have two because you might never get the chance again to drop nicely
:10:57. > :11:03.on it, this surprises me. You can put the cue ball anywhere on that
:11:04. > :11:08.red, you have two pot the red eventually so a little bit
:11:09. > :11:21.surprised. Perfect position on these reds. He has not got the angle now
:11:22. > :11:25.to get on the red and is slightly on the wrong side of the black. I bet
:11:26. > :11:40.he wishes he had played for that red now.
:11:41. > :11:49.He has checked the cue ball off beside cushion. We mentioned, he
:11:50. > :11:54.probably should have done it three shots ago. I think he will be
:11:55. > :12:01.kicking himself, he was perfect to drop on that red. Hardly ever I
:12:02. > :12:11.would disagree with a shot John Higgins plays on the balls. He got a
:12:12. > :12:15.kick. On the key. Great buy and you can argue the rights and wrong is if
:12:16. > :12:20.he should have played on the loose red but great play from John Higgins
:12:21. > :12:27.and it is 2-2 at the interval, a good try.
:12:28. > :12:31.Top-quality snooker at Alexandra Palace, Marco Fu made a great
:12:32. > :12:33.century last year and halfway through, we thought it could happen
:12:34. > :12:40.again. The shot at the end, by failing to
:12:41. > :12:46.play the red is the third last red, ?20,000, it might have cost him!
:12:47. > :12:50.What have you made of this opening session? Rate snooker. Both players
:12:51. > :12:56.looking very comfortable, cueing beautifully, and it is a really good
:12:57. > :12:59.match. And not showing sign of any nerves. I think he has really
:13:00. > :13:02.embraced the atmosphere and the challenge of playing John Higgins
:13:03. > :13:07.here. That is what you have to do here. You do not worry too much
:13:08. > :13:12.about the history and then the style Janda big occasion, just say, go out
:13:13. > :13:15.and enjoy it. You are playing one of the best players in the world, you
:13:16. > :13:20.are playing well yourself, just go and enjoy the challenge. I think
:13:21. > :13:24.that is what he is doing. Let's remember that Liang is making his
:13:25. > :13:28.Masters debut today and Higgins got off to a blistering start. So many
:13:29. > :13:32.players have come to the Masters and been rabbit in the headlights
:13:33. > :13:37.material and still struggled if they have experience here. It does show
:13:38. > :13:41.that is nothing like current form for your confidence. But a journey
:13:42. > :13:46.into the unknown which is what it is for 55 -- for Liang Wenbo is what it
:13:47. > :13:50.is and he did not know he would play well but he must be delighted with
:13:51. > :13:54.how it has gone and he gives some self a great chance to turn over one
:13:55. > :13:58.of the great players in the game. You have been in a situation where a
:13:59. > :14:03.match is hanging in the balance. If you are making your debut like Liang
:14:04. > :14:08.Wenbo, how has it gone so far and how do you behave in the interval?
:14:09. > :14:13.He will be plays with the first four frames and the way he has settled
:14:14. > :14:18.into the game -- pleased. He looks nervous and I would say he would be
:14:19. > :14:22.happy, hit a couple of balls, sit in the dressing room, have a cup of tea
:14:23. > :14:27.and get ready for the youth -- for the next half. In the UK, I was in
:14:28. > :14:31.the dressing room area and in the match in between, he went to the
:14:32. > :14:36.toilet and a guy started talking to him. He obviously has somebody in
:14:37. > :14:41.his corner on him all the time, not necessarily is sports psychology, --
:14:42. > :14:45.sports psychologist, a manager or somebody. I imagine he is playing
:14:46. > :14:49.the team game and it is nice to have a team, you feel you have more
:14:50. > :14:54.support and you do it for other people so perhaps he is happy in
:14:55. > :14:58.that environment. Four cracking frames of snooker already this
:14:59. > :15:01.afternoon and what a brilliant afternoon yesterday as Ronnie
:15:02. > :15:05.O'Sullivan took on Mark Williams. The Rocket was playing his first
:15:06. > :15:10.match since last year's Championship including a capacity crowd with some
:15:11. > :15:14.famous faces. After winning the first frame, he
:15:15. > :15:15.was fortunate to get the second as he whipped the final green. Escaping
:15:16. > :15:23.from a snooker. Williams watched on as O'Sullivan
:15:24. > :15:28.had a chance to clear but miscues, jumping the white over the black,
:15:29. > :15:33.costing him a frame. When he fourth frame to level the match 2-2,
:15:34. > :15:38.Williams got the better of a scrappy sixth and he had the momentum at
:15:39. > :15:42.4-2. The world number six O'Sullivan has won the Masters five times and
:15:43. > :15:49.is suffering from a slipped disc, not happy and a quickfire break of
:15:50. > :15:53.104 united his come back. In a match living up to its billing, O'Sullivan
:15:54. > :15:59.added the next two frames, with winds of 60 and a very impressive
:16:00. > :16:06.117, giving the fans favourite read by 5-4. After taking advantage of
:16:07. > :16:10.the ten to settle the decider, Williams attempted a very risky long
:16:11. > :16:15.planned at the red failed to find its target, much to the despair of
:16:16. > :16:19.the Welshman and wife Joanne. O'Sullivan stepped in with a
:16:20. > :16:26.superbly crafted run of 62, highlighted by a very clever shot on
:16:27. > :16:29.the green to notch the last red off the side of the cushion to set up a
:16:30. > :16:34.quarterfinal meeting with Mark Selby.
:16:35. > :16:40.It was not an easy match but in a way it was not a bad draw because we
:16:41. > :16:44.both know each other so well so we know what shots, I know what shot he
:16:45. > :16:49.is going to play, he knows what I am going to play, so we feel
:16:50. > :16:53.comfortable playing each other. Yes, it probably would have been hard if
:16:54. > :16:57.I had had to play somebody I did not know the game as well. 2,000 people
:16:58. > :17:03.in Alexandra Palace yesterday and the majority want to see Ronnie
:17:04. > :17:06.O'Sullivan winning this tournament. After the match, Steve Davis sat
:17:07. > :17:07.down with Ronnie to talk about his performance and his return to
:17:08. > :17:17.snooker. Ronnie, the crowd were delighted to
:17:18. > :17:22.see you back, did you enjoy it? Yes, it was a great crowd. And has ticked
:17:23. > :17:29.then you to play in, especially when it is all. -- a fantastic venue.
:17:30. > :17:33.Good to play in the environment. The adrenaline must have been pumping,
:17:34. > :17:37.2,000 people in the room. Yes, I was very nervous, I have not played a
:17:38. > :17:40.proper tournament since the World Championships so to play all your
:17:41. > :17:43.first match since the World Championships, it was nerves
:17:44. > :17:49.wracking. I settled down all right and towards the end, I felt quite
:17:50. > :17:54.involved a bit. You're back has been playing cue up. It is better now but
:17:55. > :17:58.I feel off-balance -- your back. Trying to get the cue and a straight
:17:59. > :18:03.line is difficult. Take us back to the World Championship. A bit of a
:18:04. > :18:07.shock losing to Stuart Bingham in the quarterfinals, how did you deal
:18:08. > :18:12.with that over the summer? I don't know, I was a bit disappointed in my
:18:13. > :18:17.own performance. I did not played great in my first two matches at
:18:18. > :18:21.Sheffield and then Stuart Bingham played a fantastic last session and
:18:22. > :18:27.I had a chance to go head early in the match and when I did not take
:18:28. > :18:31.that, I could not shake him off. In the last session, I could not pot a
:18:32. > :18:36.ball but he played well and he went on to win it. So the new season
:18:37. > :18:39.begins all of a sudden and of all the players in the game in the last
:18:40. > :18:46.couple of seasons, you have decided more than others to pick and choose.
:18:47. > :18:52.What was going through your mind at the beginning of the season? Did you
:18:53. > :18:57.have a game plan? Did you do it on an ad hoc basis, at the entry form
:18:58. > :19:03.arrives and you do not fancy it? Did the back plate a part? The first
:19:04. > :19:08.tournament I would have played in would have been maybe Shanghai, I do
:19:09. > :19:14.not always relish going on long trips. So it probably would have
:19:15. > :19:19.been coming back for Coventry. But I did do my back in a couple of weeks
:19:20. > :19:23.before that so I would not have been able to play in that anyway and even
:19:24. > :19:28.for the UK, I would not have been able to play. So I have not missed
:19:29. > :19:31.any tournaments because I would only have returned for Coventry. This is
:19:32. > :19:38.the first tournament I would have entered. Do you feel a bit rusty.
:19:39. > :19:46.Terrible, to be honest! I have gone from playing really well and feeling
:19:47. > :19:52.good. And I won the Welsh in 2014 and since then, my form is slowly
:19:53. > :19:56.getting worse and worse. I have got a couple of results. I have not been
:19:57. > :20:03.the most convincing over the last 18 months. I will have two sort that
:20:04. > :20:09.out. Arguably, you have got your toughest opponent historically, he
:20:10. > :20:14.has caused you problems, Mark Selby. He is a tenacious animal on the
:20:15. > :20:18.snooker table. Perhaps not the type of player you are best suited to? He
:20:19. > :20:22.is like that with everybody. I was working on the UK Championships and
:20:23. > :20:30.watching his matches and everybody he played, he killed them. I noticed
:20:31. > :20:34.about Mark, you never get a good opportunity among the balls, you
:20:35. > :20:37.have to fight for a chance and he leaves you in awkward situations.
:20:38. > :20:43.You never have a straightforward opening. He is tough for anybody to
:20:44. > :20:46.play and probably the hardest match player, he is the hardest match
:20:47. > :20:50.player on the circuit and probably the only player that does not have
:20:51. > :20:54.to play his best to win tournaments. Everybody else, including myself,
:20:55. > :21:00.John Higgins, it Neil Robertson, Judd Trump, on our game, we win
:21:01. > :21:05.tournaments but otherwise, we run out of gas and get beaten by
:21:06. > :21:11.somebody on their game. You are one short of Stephen Hendry's record for
:21:12. > :21:15.the Masters, two shortfall the World Championships, is the record book in
:21:16. > :21:20.your eyesight? The 1,000 century breaks has been mentioned. Yes, it
:21:21. > :21:29.is obviously nice to get records. It would be nice to win this game. But
:21:30. > :21:33.that is a long way away. It is good to be even thinking about having the
:21:34. > :21:36.opportunity to come close to it. Is the game plan for the rest of the
:21:37. > :21:42.season to play in as many tournaments as possible? Is it on
:21:43. > :21:48.and ad hoc basis? We will have to wait and see. If I do not feel like
:21:49. > :21:53.I can do myself justice and I have not been in the last 18 months, if I
:21:54. > :21:58.felt I was playing all right and not getting results, you can take that.
:21:59. > :22:02.If you do not get results and do not play well, that is difficult to get
:22:03. > :22:10.your head around. So how will you make the 1,000 centuries not
:22:11. > :22:15.playing? Would you like to just like it as an end result? No, just like I
:22:16. > :22:21.said, you take it one by one and hopefully I get form back. If I do,
:22:22. > :22:25.I do not care if I win a match again, as long as you enjoy the game
:22:26. > :22:29.and it is just something to do sometimes all you get bored. What do
:22:30. > :22:33.you do with your time? If you butcher balls all round the table,
:22:34. > :22:40.it is mentally tough to deal with that. How do you make yourself enjoy
:22:41. > :22:45.it? When you are a kid, you can play forever. All of a sudden, practising
:22:46. > :22:49.is harder and if you do not play to the levels you could achieve like
:22:50. > :22:52.Stephen Hendry, he knocked it on the head and he retired. Have you a way
:22:53. > :22:58.of trying to have longevity in the game, how do you enjoy it if it is
:22:59. > :23:04.not going well? I can only enjoy it if I play all right. I would rather
:23:05. > :23:09.they well and lose than play bad and win, I am not like Mark Selby that
:23:10. > :23:14.can forget and focus on a whim. It takes too much out of me. If it does
:23:15. > :23:21.not go easy for me... Would you consider putting in more practice?
:23:22. > :23:25.Less. Quality rather than quantity? There is no point struggling to be
:23:26. > :23:31.churning out hours after hours, that is tortuous for me. If it comes
:23:32. > :23:37.easy, I will play four, five hours a day because I am enjoying it. But I
:23:38. > :23:44.am not one to grind out stuff, it has to come easy, I have accepted
:23:45. > :23:50.that about myself. Yes, that is the type of player I am, I suppose.
:23:51. > :23:54.Thank you. Whatever you think of Ronnie
:23:55. > :23:58.O'Sullivan, you have to say over the last couple of years, something is
:23:59. > :24:01.happening to him. When I have interviewed him in York or
:24:02. > :24:06.Sheffield, he gives you so much, a lot more than other sports players
:24:07. > :24:11.and you have to say from a sleeper perspective, it is fantastic to have
:24:12. > :24:14.him back. Absolutely. A buzz in here yesterday before the match and out
:24:15. > :24:19.in the Fourier, he brings a different dimension to other players
:24:20. > :24:24.will stop at that is his persona. The way he can play -- to other
:24:25. > :24:31.players and that is his persona. A bit like Higgins and Jimmy White. He
:24:32. > :24:34.is the people's champion. It is sad in a way he does not enjoy it
:24:35. > :24:38.because he thrilled so many people and they love watching him play but
:24:39. > :24:42.he comes here and he peels down because he does not live up to his
:24:43. > :24:51.own expectations basically because he sets up such high expectations.
:24:52. > :24:55.-- he peels down. But is the discussion about Ronnie because
:24:56. > :25:00.people often say, what is he like? I go, he is a really great guy, I love
:25:01. > :25:04.watching Ronnie O'Sullivan play. They say, why do we not see him at
:25:05. > :25:08.all the tournaments? Blessed with that much talent, why? We have so
:25:09. > :25:13.many tournaments and he has to choose ones he wants to play and be
:25:14. > :25:17.happy and that is what he does. I understand him saying you cannot go
:25:18. > :25:22.into a snooker club and practice by hours a day, it gets harder as you
:25:23. > :25:26.get older. He has to manage his time a lot better. If he does that, he
:25:27. > :25:30.might prolong his career even more which is better for the paying
:25:31. > :25:35.public and fans of snooker that we see more of him. But he has to
:25:36. > :25:41.manage his time and pick and choose is tournaments. For the moment,
:25:42. > :25:43.thank you very much. To remind you, this is a session interval, John
:25:44. > :25:50.Higgins and Liang Wenbo. Let's cross to Steve. Great match at
:25:51. > :25:55.the moment, two great players. Why, they have fantastic you action will
:25:56. > :25:59.stop wind the clock back to the second frame after John Higgins made
:26:00. > :26:05.the century brain -- break. Liang was left with a very difficult
:26:06. > :26:07.opening red. On the cushion. Do not look at the pot and the balls, look
:26:08. > :26:15.at his head. How still he keeps his head on a
:26:16. > :26:19.very missable shot. Rock-solid on the shot and you see this in the
:26:20. > :26:23.clubs, most amateur players make a mistake with too much head movements
:26:24. > :26:28.during the shot. How'd you train yourself not to move your head?
:26:29. > :26:34.First, what is happening? You have a shot, you get lined up and you look
:26:35. > :26:38.like you are on the line and you pull back the cube but the effort
:26:39. > :26:43.required to play the shot and the fact you are anxious means when you
:26:44. > :26:48.go through, you move your head a bit -- cue. Up and down, to the side,
:26:49. > :26:54.that leaves your body and takes your cue off-line and you do not deliver
:26:55. > :26:59.your cue back to the point, you put side spin on it. The way for the
:27:00. > :27:02.club way to stop this and it is a bit boring, but I am the King of
:27:03. > :27:07.boredom, you train yourself to never move your head so you play like a
:27:08. > :27:12.robot. When you play the shot, did not move your head before, during
:27:13. > :27:15.and after the shot. The way you do that is by making sure you do not
:27:16. > :27:21.move your head until the ball is either in the pocket or it has
:27:22. > :27:27.wobbled in the jaws. So stay down for a lot longer on the shot. I am
:27:28. > :27:32.not moving my head, I pull back the cue, I play the shot, I do not move
:27:33. > :27:37.my head and I stayed down for a lot longer than normal. On the cushion,
:27:38. > :27:42.it is even more important to make sure you have no body movement. Your
:27:43. > :27:47.arm is free. You do not have so much solidity in the shot. Bold back the
:27:48. > :27:51.cue, keep your head is still as possible when you play the shot and
:27:52. > :27:56.should you miss it, still stay down on the shot until the ball hits the
:27:57. > :28:01.cushion. Missed the shot, stay down and train yourself to not move your
:28:02. > :28:04.head. Until the ball is in the pocket or it has missed. And you
:28:05. > :28:13.will be more solid on the shot. But now return to the Masters
:28:14. > :28:19.quarterfinal draw, we are entering the quarterfinals and this is how it
:28:20. > :28:25.is looking. The reigning champion Shaun Murphy was dumped out on day
:28:26. > :28:32.one by Mark Allen, he plays Barry Hawkins Buzz Saw of the challenge of
:28:33. > :28:36.Joe Perry. Judd Trump has never won the Masters and his win over Stephen
:28:37. > :28:42.Maguire has shut up a match between Neil Robertson or Marco Fu, winner
:28:43. > :28:46.of the Masters in 2011. Mark Selby, three-time champion, thrashed Ricky
:28:47. > :28:52.Walden last night and he will play Ronnie O'Sullivan after his win over
:28:53. > :28:56.Mark Williams. John Higgins Liang Wenbo battling it out this afternoon
:28:57. > :29:03.and one of them is the current usable -- Crucible champion. Who is
:29:04. > :29:12.your money on? The pic has to be Ronnie O'Sullivan
:29:13. > :29:17.against Mark Selby, they have had great matches in the Masters. A
:29:18. > :29:20.number of games went to the last game and two different styles and
:29:21. > :29:21.different characters but a fascinating encounter. Whatever you
:29:22. > :30:20.are doing tomorrow, change it! Good afternoon and welcome to
:30:21. > :30:23.Politics Scotland. Coming up... The latest figures show the economy grew
:30:24. > :30:30.a little in the third quarter of last year that it is lagging the
:30:31. > :30:31.rest of the UK. Moray council is proposing to bring