Final: Ronnie O'Sullivan v Joe Perry - Part 2

:01:09. > :01:33.good evening, it is a packed house at the Palace, 2000 people making

:01:34. > :01:37.their way into to enjoy this deciding session of the Masters

:01:38. > :01:42.final. Ronnie O'Sullivan is the defending champion and has known

:01:43. > :01:47.plenty of evenings like this. His 12 Masters final. But for his opponent,

:01:48. > :01:51.42-year-old Joe Perry from Cambridgeshire, this is the first

:01:52. > :01:56.time in his 26 year career that he has the chance of landing one of

:01:57. > :02:01.snooker's major titles. There are three of them, this is the second in

:02:02. > :02:05.the season. As an 80-1 shot, few people gave him a fighting chance

:02:06. > :02:09.but after this afternoon's opening session, he's got one now... In the

:02:10. > :02:13.first frame, it looks like the Rocket would take the opener but he

:02:14. > :02:16.missed this straightforward scull into the pocket, and he asked the

:02:17. > :02:21.referee to sort out is background noise in the auditorium.

:02:22. > :02:26.Joe Perry was not bothered, and it was one nil to the gentleman. Midway

:02:27. > :02:30.through frame two, Ronnie found himself 30 points behind. This

:02:31. > :02:39.chance went astray... And Joe cleared to go 2-0 in front. 2-0

:02:40. > :02:42.down, it was time for The Rocket to begin playing.

:02:43. > :02:51.This was his first brain taken of the final. In frame four, this

:02:52. > :02:58.misjudged attempt that Joe Perry and at the interval. -- the first frame.

:02:59. > :03:03.In frame five, the first after the interval, Joe Perry pressed home his

:03:04. > :03:11.advantage with a magnificent break, 115, the highest of the match. In

:03:12. > :03:17.frame six, Joe needed this red to go 5-1 in front, but he missed. Roddy

:03:18. > :03:24.Grant fully mopped up the balls. In frame seven, with Roddy sensing

:03:25. > :03:28.danger of going behind in this final, he pulled this off. In frame

:03:29. > :03:34.eight, it was not vintage Ronnie O'Sullivan. But this shocking miss

:03:35. > :03:44.from Joe Perry gifted him the frame. 4-4 going into the evening, and it's

:03:45. > :03:51.all to play for... ANNOUNCER: Please welcome the 20 15th grand final

:03:52. > :03:58.champion... Joe Perry! # Clap along if you feel like

:03:59. > :04:04.happiness is the truth # Clap along if you know what

:04:05. > :04:08.happiness is to you # Because I'm happy...

:04:09. > :04:18.# Pop along if you feel that's what you want to do #

:04:19. > :04:21.FUNKY MUSIC ANNOUNCER: And here comes the

:04:22. > :04:31.defending Masters champion... Ronnie O'Sullivan!

:04:32. > :04:49.CHEERING APPLAUSE

:04:50. > :04:54.So, here we go. A possible 11 more frames tonight, the first to 10 will

:04:55. > :05:00.win the ?200,000 first prize. He could step ahead of Stephen Hendry

:05:01. > :05:04.to get that record of seven Masters titles, whilst Joe Perry can take a

:05:05. > :05:08.big leap into the big-time as a major winner at last.

:05:09. > :05:14.Over to our commentators, it is poised more finely than it everyone

:05:15. > :05:17.expected? COMMENTATOR: It's an unbelievable

:05:18. > :05:18.reception. The crowd are still cheering...

:05:19. > :05:23.CHEERING An electric atmosphere for this

:05:24. > :05:30.final session. There is the beautiful trophy. Thank you. The

:05:31. > :05:41.ninth frame. Ronnie O'Sullivan to break. What a buzz for the

:05:42. > :05:46.players... Fantastic! Just sitting here, enjoying the walk on and the

:05:47. > :05:53.music... What it must mean for those players there, coming out to that

:05:54. > :05:59.rapturous applause and welcome. Nothing like the Sunday night

:06:00. > :06:08.Masters final at the Ally Pally... The question is, how much of those

:06:09. > :06:12.few frames that Joe Perry let slip away, how much can he forget about

:06:13. > :06:17.those? And have a fresh start again tonight?

:06:18. > :06:24.It is a pretty good safety shot. Knowledge from Ronnie O'Sullivan.

:06:25. > :06:48.Tapping the table. That was a thin one... What you call

:06:49. > :06:53.a fine shot. Those two people, that is Paul Hunter's mother and father,

:06:54. > :06:59.Christine and Allen, they will be delighted to be here, what an honour

:07:00. > :07:05.to have this Masters named after their son, who won it three times. A

:07:06. > :07:07.sad loss to the game, just 26 years old at the time, but what a player

:07:08. > :07:45.he was. He certainly was. A straightforward escape shot here,

:07:46. > :07:58.that is why Ronnie is coming off the escape cushion. Just a containing

:07:59. > :08:03.safety. He did well. Coming back down behind the yellow, a nice angle

:08:04. > :08:12.to come off those two oceans. -- oceans. He can play that one off the

:08:13. > :08:23.white, to get down behind the yellow.

:08:24. > :08:38.Another excellent safety. You need to be careful that he does not knock

:08:39. > :08:50.the red towards this corner pocket... But he has played it very

:08:51. > :08:54.well. I tell you what, we have had some cracking safety shot 's plate

:08:55. > :09:01.already. Who is going to make the first mistake? Might be able to

:09:02. > :09:07.sneak one in that is just above the black. And get the weight back down

:09:08. > :09:17.the table. You can see just enough of it -- black Mac. As long as it is

:09:18. > :09:21.not too thin. -- knock the white back down the table. That is pretty

:09:22. > :09:49.good... An interested spectator, for the

:09:50. > :09:54.first time that the snooker, Ed Miliband, I met him earlier on. He

:09:55. > :09:58.loves snooker, and it is great to have him here. The leader of the

:09:59. > :10:04.Labour Party for just under five years.

:10:05. > :10:22.Is that a fluke? This is a thin one. Not straightforward. He will have

:10:23. > :10:26.two hit it very thin... I can see with one eye, Ronnie Junior,

:10:27. > :11:00.watching his father. It is never easy to roll up behind

:11:01. > :11:05.the ball colour, Ronnie will be disappointed that he has left this

:11:06. > :11:15.opportunity for Joe Perry. That is a bit unlucky there, Joe... Seeing the

:11:16. > :11:25.red going over the bottom right-hand corner pocket. An easy starter, but

:11:26. > :11:33.the paint is tied up, and the black is awkward. How does he get there?

:11:34. > :11:40.Does he risk doing a cannon to get the blackout? -- the pink. He has

:11:41. > :11:46.the cue power. He can get the cue ball behind the black and take it

:11:47. > :11:54.into the same pocket... No. Trying to sneak past it... Just a safety

:11:55. > :12:47.shot now... Still a little awkward with that

:12:48. > :12:56.black near the bottom cushion tied up. This yellow... Switching hands

:12:57. > :13:03.certainly helps, but not this time. He does not miss many with his

:13:04. > :13:37.opposite hand. It is a cagey opening frame here.

:13:38. > :13:42.It was tricky to get a position there where he can come off the pink

:13:43. > :14:24.to get in behind the yellow again. This is excellent. A tough situation

:14:25. > :14:27.there, for Ronnie. He has a similar situation here, Joe Perry. He will

:14:28. > :14:37.have to Will Boyde the pink. Play a safety shot.

:14:38. > :14:48.He goes around. Not on the colour. If that bounces... I do not think

:14:49. > :14:55.that he can put the yellow in, though. It could be a useful fluke?

:14:56. > :15:29.Has he covered it? CLAPPING

:15:30. > :15:32.Joe Perry put himself into some trouble there. As he rolled up to

:15:33. > :15:37.the brown committee was frightened of not reaching it. He would have

:15:38. > :15:39.left a free ball, and hit it harder than he intended. And did not get

:15:40. > :15:51.the snooker. Gradually, the frame is opening up.

:15:52. > :16:38.There is a good length of shot. A fantastic pot. It would not have

:16:39. > :16:47.mattered if you missed the cue balls. Safe anyway, but an excellent

:16:48. > :16:56.pot. The yellow ball just comes off the side cushion. A yellow on the

:16:57. > :16:58.way... Ronnie O'Sullivan, one. A series of breaks at the moment,

:16:59. > :17:22.Dennis. Joe is a brilliant attacking player

:17:23. > :17:33.as well. But this opening frame could suit him, after losing the

:17:34. > :17:47.last three from 4-1 to 4-4. A bout of safety, that could get him used

:17:48. > :17:53.to the evening's atmosphere. There is the Alexandra Palace crowd. 2000

:17:54. > :18:10.people... It is just buzzing here this evening.

:18:11. > :18:20.Is there a gap between the brown and the green? This red over towards the

:18:21. > :18:24.pocket. Just about enough, but he needs to cue it well, though...

:18:25. > :19:16.There. Perfect! He made a break of 59 this

:19:17. > :19:22.afternoon, it was all over the table. So awkward. It was brilliant.

:19:23. > :19:33.Going back up the table, back down the table... He screws it into the

:19:34. > :19:45.middle... Foul. A little careless there. Getting into the screw shot

:19:46. > :20:08.with his left hand too much. A nervy opening frame here this evening.

:20:09. > :20:23.A great pot. Nicely held for the black.

:20:24. > :20:30.Nerves a little too far for this red among the top cushion. But he has

:20:31. > :20:45.the top corner pocket is available. Could go for the black or the blue.

:20:46. > :21:07.This red along the top cushion is very difficult...

:21:08. > :21:20.Look at those scores, four frames each, 14 points each. All of the

:21:21. > :21:27.fours. It's just been an awkward opening frame... The way that the

:21:28. > :21:34.balls went early on. Now you have all of the colours in pottable

:21:35. > :22:25.positions. An interesting tactical battle coming up...

:22:26. > :22:37.He had a quick glance at the red, to see if he can put it in off the

:22:38. > :22:42.pink. But the White is tight off the cushion but this opening frame is

:22:43. > :22:49.interesting, as the reds come out, into the table... Possibly sliding

:22:50. > :22:55.off this red down the left-hand side. Put the cue ball up into the

:22:56. > :23:07.jaws of the yellow pocket. Cover that up with the yellow, that is a

:23:08. > :23:10.possibility. Be careful, a simple shot that Joe played there. But a

:23:11. > :23:24.clever one, staying tied to the top cushion.

:23:25. > :23:32.That is about all he could do. The only thing is that he has left an

:23:33. > :23:33.easy shot for Joe Perry to send the red back up the table, and make it

:23:34. > :23:51.quite difficult for Ronnie. That is careless... I think that he

:23:52. > :23:55.has covered it but he did not want the red over the pocket. It is

:23:56. > :24:25.covered, as you can see. Needing to pull up a little bit...

:24:26. > :24:37.Does this red get to the pink? This could be a chance for Joe. Clearly

:24:38. > :24:39.going into the middle pocket, as you can see. Wanting the White tight on

:24:40. > :24:56.the cushion. Probably not as easy as it looked.

:24:57. > :25:07.Still fancying him for that one, though... It is one of those shots

:25:08. > :25:11.where if you do not get it clean into the pocket, it might have gone

:25:12. > :25:16.in, after the pink... Now he has been given a chance, I don't think

:25:17. > :25:23.he can win the frame in this position, but... The awkward couple

:25:24. > :25:35.of reds will be the ones that are right.

:25:36. > :25:55.If we can somehow get a nice angle on the. -- on the blue.

:25:56. > :26:22.That looks about perfect on the blue, a lot of top spin.

:26:23. > :26:36.CLAPPING Hmm, he has the white safe, but to

:26:37. > :26:39.take this pot on the white, we go dangerously close to the middle

:26:40. > :26:46.pocket. If he does not take it on and avoided, he could come back

:26:47. > :26:54.towards the black. There is the cue ball...

:26:55. > :27:02.If you can see enough of this red, you can pot it, with an even angle,

:27:03. > :27:07.and bring that extra pink into play. I think that he has gone too far, he

:27:08. > :27:28.is on the yellow now, he cannot do that.

:27:29. > :27:43.Ronnie O'Sullivan, three. Joe may try and knock this red that he is

:27:44. > :27:59.closest to on to the pink and the red.

:28:00. > :28:07.It looks as if this will be the longest frame of the match so far.

:28:08. > :28:18.We had a 22 minute 46 second frame, that was frame seven. This one has

:28:19. > :28:23.been going not too far off 23 minutes. But it was awkward how

:28:24. > :28:46.those high value collars went at the start of the frame. -- colours.

:28:47. > :28:54.CLAPPING It was interesting to see Ronnie

:28:55. > :28:59.after the session today, I saw him in the practice room with his

:29:00. > :29:06.friend, Damien Hirst, they were practising for at least one hour, I

:29:07. > :29:09.would say. Which is unusual, between sessions you want to try and

:29:10. > :29:15.conserve energy and get ready for tonight. But obviously still

:29:16. > :29:21.concerned about his tip and wants to break it in a bit more. And probably

:29:22. > :29:27.concerned that his highest break in the first session was a break of 58.

:29:28. > :29:32.In frame three. After his performance against Marco Fu,

:29:33. > :29:45.another day, a different game. But I think there's opening frame is

:29:46. > :29:50.much more important for Joe Perry, having lost the last three, just to

:29:51. > :30:01.establish things get himself back the lead.

:30:02. > :30:10.This looks pretty good. He has got the snooker behind the yellow. That

:30:11. > :30:15.black is helping because he can't swerve around the yellow, so he

:30:16. > :30:27.might try the two cushion escape here. He does not want to leave a

:30:28. > :30:37.free ball. Will Ronnie have a go at this pink now? In fact, the pink

:30:38. > :30:38.being safe, with Ronnie having the advantage, he needs that pink tied

:30:39. > :30:55.up. Just checking the monitor. For Paul

:30:56. > :31:04.Callier to get the pink back right. In the same spot. That's near

:31:05. > :31:13.enough. I don't know if that is left a bit, writer bit, I'm not sure. --

:31:14. > :31:25.right a bit. That is where it was. That is near enough. He needs a thin

:31:26. > :31:32.slick on this. It could cost him the frame.

:31:33. > :32:14.Ronnie did not see this coming. That first frame lasted so long. The

:32:15. > :32:33.balls dictated that. 30 in front if he was to pot black,

:32:34. > :32:40.37 in front. Black would need Joe Perry needing a snooker.

:32:41. > :32:50.I'm not sure about that. He didn't have to get on the red. The only

:32:51. > :32:54.needed the black but he played the normal shopper there, which added a

:32:55. > :33:05.bit more pressure to it. Yes, I'm very surprised. -- shot. He is lucky

:33:06. > :33:13.he has covered the red here, because he could be in trouble.

:33:14. > :33:23.It could have been so much more difficult to hit this red. Hit and

:33:24. > :34:22.hope for a bit of luck. He has got it.

:34:23. > :34:34.30 ahead, so Ronnie needs the red and anything above the yellow. Job

:34:35. > :34:43.needing a snooker. -- Joe needing a snooker.

:34:44. > :35:19.He just needs the red, doesn't he? And any colour above in order to

:35:20. > :35:31.win. Bit short of pace with the cue ball. A half chance. We know how

:35:32. > :35:54.good of a long potter he is, Joe Perry. He is going to need one now.

:35:55. > :36:14.Not quite sure what is going to take on. What it's shaping up to. It was

:36:15. > :36:20.very difficult. Very difficult. He played it in a very clever way. The

:36:21. > :36:24.possibility of always covering it with the yellow but still lucky.

:36:25. > :36:44.Relying on a bit of luck. It will be interesting to see... Is

:36:45. > :36:51.he going to try to get a bit of distance or just land on it? He is

:36:52. > :36:58.going for the distance. He has left the red upper. He could have easily

:36:59. > :37:09.nestled on the red. This red to secure the opening frame.

:37:10. > :37:14.He had a glimmer of hope. Joe missed the black which could have put him

:37:15. > :37:37.say. -- safe. Joe is thinking about it. He

:37:38. > :37:42.is staying in his seat and he concedes and Ronnie O'Sullivan

:37:43. > :37:45.carries on where he left off. It was a very long frame, just over 32

:37:46. > :37:50.minutes but Ronnie has taken it and that is four in a row and he now

:37:51. > :37:54.leads by 5-4. STUDIO: Significantly, for the first

:37:55. > :37:59.time he's ahead in this final having trailed 4-1 this afternoon. A

:38:00. > :38:03.palpable tension in the arena at there. Well over 30 minutes. Two

:38:04. > :38:09.shots to the middle pocket that both seem to illustrate the pressure on

:38:10. > :38:13.both of them, I would say. Yes, the first one was Joe Perry trying to

:38:14. > :38:17.pot of this. Under normal circumstances, he would have got

:38:18. > :38:23.that but there was a red over that corner pocket. This one, it's one of

:38:24. > :38:28.those ones, tricky on the black. The pressure, you want to play the shot

:38:29. > :38:32.but sometimes you don't need to, you need to put it in, but the first one

:38:33. > :38:38.Joe Hart, I looked at it and I went, I don't fancy this. If you know

:38:39. > :38:42.you're going to miss it, it gets magnified. When Ronnie O'Sullivan

:38:43. > :38:47.decides to pop the black and goes for the red commie puts pressure on

:38:48. > :38:51.himself by going for the red. If he parts black on his own, the public

:38:52. > :38:55.gets it. We questioned whether that was the right decision or not. Even

:38:56. > :39:03.the great Ronnie O'Sullivan looking back perhaps could have recovered

:39:04. > :39:07.with snookers but would have been over the line. He was trying to kill

:39:08. > :39:11.off the frame and did not think you would miss the back but it's a tough

:39:12. > :39:15.game. It's taken Ronnie all this time to get ahead because if you

:39:16. > :39:21.were not with us this afternoon, we were discussing the prospect for Joe

:39:22. > :39:27.Perry and very few people, had a hope of beating Ronnie. Ronnie was

:39:28. > :39:33.7-1 to win this match so they thought it was all over. It was a

:39:34. > :39:40.surprise when he left for- a wonderful soppy Mr very important

:39:41. > :39:45.red to leave 5-1, and since then, it has cost him. Joe is a higher ranked

:39:46. > :39:52.player. Number nine. Ronnie is number 13. But it's Ronnie's

:39:53. > :39:56.experience and his craft which stood him in such great stead over the

:39:57. > :40:41.last three years. Back we go. Versus frame ten. -- this is frame ten.

:40:42. > :40:51.Always handy, a few of those to get you amongst the balls.

:40:52. > :40:58.What can he make of it? Back open into the bottom left-hand corner

:40:59. > :41:11.pocket. This is a very poor shot from Joe

:41:12. > :41:14.Perry. Anywhere in the middle of the table, the pink, a couple of reds,

:41:15. > :42:05.into this pocket. Might just have gotten away with

:42:06. > :42:17.that. The red to the left of the pink. It goes over to the corner.

:42:18. > :42:39.But that is far from a gimme. Wasn't easy.

:42:40. > :42:44.You are not helping the players when you call out. Would you settle down,

:42:45. > :42:48.please. APPLAUSE

:42:49. > :42:53.Well said. You don't want one or two

:42:54. > :42:57.individuals shouting out on their own. It's nice to have a great

:42:58. > :43:02.atmosphere but you don't want people shouting out at the wrong time. It's

:43:03. > :43:33.not doing the player they are shouting for any good.

:43:34. > :43:42.That was some shot, that pace, wasn't it?

:43:43. > :43:48.You just sense that he's taking control now of this match. I think

:43:49. > :43:55.he needed that opening frame just to settle down again. He started so

:43:56. > :44:03.well. Could quite easily have won the first session 6-2. He probably

:44:04. > :44:05.was thinking that. He can't let this man get on a roll, the way he did

:44:06. > :44:21.against Marco Fu. Devastating. Didn't get the cue ball away from

:44:22. > :44:40.it. Had the red on the left-hand pocket as insurance.

:44:41. > :44:51.He has cued that are very, very well. He made it look ridiculously

:44:52. > :44:55.easy. The action on the cue ball, fantastic. Does he go for the blue

:44:56. > :45:22.or comeback for the black? Has he overrun it for the red to the

:45:23. > :45:23.left of the pink? There was a planned there and that has helped

:45:24. > :45:34.the situation. One thing for sure. This frame is

:45:35. > :45:53.not going to last as long as the opening frame.

:45:54. > :45:55.It's quite noticeable Ronnie has upped his tempo around the table, as

:45:56. > :46:17.well. One little cannon into these reds

:46:18. > :46:29.now. Decided to go for the loose red. Security, can we go to the top,

:46:30. > :46:37.please? There seems to be a medical situation.

:46:38. > :46:42.Just a bit of a disturbance at the top. A medic is required. Hopefully

:46:43. > :46:52.the person is OK. Ronnie says he wants to carry on.

:46:53. > :47:16.APPLAUSE 64 in front.

:47:17. > :47:46.Still a possible 59 on the table. At the snooker required stage.

:47:47. > :47:58.The referee has asked him to give it a few seconds. I think someone is

:47:59. > :48:06.unwell, probably with the heat in the arena. Exhausting. He looks OK.

:48:07. > :48:07.He looks fine to me. Yeah, no problems.

:48:08. > :48:54.APPLAUSE He has done a pretty good job, you

:48:55. > :48:59.would say. Ronnie, for the last four or five

:49:00. > :49:00.years, a different player. He is in a pretty good place mentally,

:49:01. > :49:07.Ronnie. I think he thought he had missed

:49:08. > :50:58.that red. A break of 68. He finished the frame

:50:59. > :51:04.off with a magnificent 56. Joe never really had a lock in in that frame

:51:05. > :51:11.and he continues on the march, Ronnie O'Sullivan. He now leads Joe

:51:12. > :51:15.Perry by 6-4. He's just starting to take control here. Joe is starting

:51:16. > :51:19.to feel the pressure quite a bit. It is a big, big Dave. His first time

:51:20. > :51:28.in a major. -- Dave. Those last couple of frames he let

:51:29. > :51:33.slip, he could easily have had a 60 lead tonight. Maybe he's feeling it

:51:34. > :51:39.now because of those few frames that went, going into any lead, he

:51:40. > :51:44.would've felt very confident but Ronnie, the way he started, OK, it's

:51:45. > :51:51.not a vintage and Sullivan, but he is certainly buzzing around the

:51:52. > :51:56.table -- O Sullivan. Played some amazing shots. There is one shot.

:51:57. > :52:03.You can see how well he's getting through the ball. Yeah, Joe Perry

:52:04. > :52:10.needs to get off the mark. And very, very soon. Yes, two more frames

:52:11. > :52:15.before the mid-session interval. Joe needs at least one of them to go to

:52:16. > :52:19.the interval and maybe get some practice on the practice table and

:52:20. > :52:27.tried to keep himself in this match now. So, a key frame coming up.

:52:28. > :52:40.Thank you. Frame 11. Ronnie O'Sullivan to break.

:52:41. > :52:49.Decent break off from Ronnie O'Sullivan. It has left the red into

:52:50. > :52:58.the bottom left-hand pocket. Coming down towards the black with the cue

:52:59. > :53:36.ball. Wow. That was a long, long way away.

:53:37. > :53:50.Joe has played so well this week. 6-1 against Stuart Bingham. Then 6-1

:53:51. > :53:56.against Ding Junhui. At the moment, that semifinal has taken its toll a

:53:57. > :54:03.little bit. To come back from 5-2 behind and needing a snooker to beat

:54:04. > :54:05.his good friend, Barry Hawkins, certainly takes a bit out of you

:54:06. > :54:21.mentally. And that is a poor shot. He has

:54:22. > :54:29.played some very good safety. There are just signs that he's losing a

:54:30. > :54:56.little bit of concentration. Maybe just a little bit of confidence.

:54:57. > :55:09.Tried to play a little cannon on those two read above the black but

:55:10. > :55:26.it just slipped past him -- two reds.

:55:27. > :55:36.I think all he has focused on now is beating Stephen Hendry's six Masters

:55:37. > :55:42.title. I think that's what he is concentrating on. He's not worried

:55:43. > :55:47.how he does it. He just wants the title so badly. At one stage, he was

:55:48. > :55:57.trying a little bit too hard this afternoon. If Joe can just get

:55:58. > :56:01.himself in with a decent pot, it will restore his confidence and it

:56:02. > :56:08.wouldn't be a bad time to knock this longer red in the. He can get on the

:56:09. > :56:11.black. The only red he believed is this one and it would be a terrific

:56:12. > :56:30.confidence booster if he could get it.

:56:31. > :56:43.Various one to the left. The pink and reds. Possibly into the right

:56:44. > :57:03.corner. That is the one he is looking at. Ride in the centre of

:57:04. > :57:10.the pocket. -- right. And that one shot, the new he was going to give

:57:11. > :57:25.himself a terrific chance. Yes, and he's got a nice angle on the black.

:57:26. > :57:29.Just play a little cannon. Tried to push one into the right-hand corner

:57:30. > :57:42.pocket. It is still OK. This is where he is so good, in and around

:57:43. > :57:43.the black. Small cannons into reds. His break-building is second to

:57:44. > :58:11.none. At the moment, those two reds are

:58:12. > :58:15.causing him problems. He would love to get the nearest one to the black

:58:16. > :59:12.out of the way. He can't do that on this occasion.

:59:13. > :59:21.There's plenty of reds in the open here, Dennis. Just keep the cue ball

:59:22. > :59:39.down. He looks to have got into a nice rhythm.

:59:40. > :00:03.Just overscrewed that slightly back to the blue again.

:00:04. > :00:12.Ooh! That is a lapse in concentration... Nobody had seen

:00:13. > :00:17.that coming. He was flying along, and suddenly, he lost concentration.

:00:18. > :00:29.If you do that in this game, you can miss anything. 55 in front, he

:00:30. > :00:37.should have secured third frame. -- that frame. It's time for Joe Perry

:00:38. > :00:39.to go to work at the Alexandra Palace. A chance that you were not

:00:40. > :01:21.expecting. Just running slightly out of

:01:22. > :01:25.position, previously. It always seems to throw away few problems up.

:01:26. > :01:32.This is a problem committee can pot the yellow but he will need an

:01:33. > :01:38.extension on the cue, -- you can pop the yellow. There is two from the

:01:39. > :01:47.pink that he needs to get into. He wants to get it past the blue. He

:01:48. > :01:58.needed a lot of screw on the left-hand side to get on this red.

:01:59. > :02:04.There is the screw at the bottom of the cue ball...

:02:05. > :02:18.Probably overdone it, but I think that the red will go into the right

:02:19. > :02:22.corner, as we show that action that he got from that, it was brilliant.

:02:23. > :02:36.Two overscrew it from there. He still has the red into that pocket.

:02:37. > :02:47.It is there. Excellent shot. He will play a cannon into that pink and

:02:48. > :02:53.red. It may have been bad contact. Looking at Joe Perry's body

:02:54. > :02:57.language. It looks like he got a kick on that. Let's see... Could not

:02:58. > :03:38.have missed that by that much. 44 behind 51, still left on the

:03:39. > :03:41.table. Just nestling into the red here. Not going to hit it, is it?

:03:42. > :04:00.No. He has to get it this time. He will be 52 behind with 51 left if

:04:01. > :04:11.he does not make contact with the red. Ronnie pushes the Green safe as

:04:12. > :04:17.some insurance. On his previous shot. This is to make absolutely

:04:18. > :04:34.sure of the frame. Just dropping it in...

:04:35. > :04:45.That pink might stop Joe Perry coming back to the table. Nifty five

:04:46. > :04:52.behind, 43 remaining. A snooker and a free ball -- 55. Joe Perry stays

:04:53. > :05:00.in his chair... Ronnie O'Sullivan marches on, leading Joe Perry by

:05:01. > :05:04.7-4. You have to feel that his challenge

:05:05. > :05:09.will be wilting as Ronnie O'Sullivan goes through the gears? If he does

:05:10. > :05:15.not win the next frame and he goes an 8-4 behind, it is curtains. As

:05:16. > :05:19.simple as that? Yes, and Joe's reaction from the black, it was

:05:20. > :05:25.immediate annoyance. I think that it was a kick. He did well to get as

:05:26. > :05:29.far as he did in the frame but it has been tough for Joe, as he was

:05:30. > :05:34.somewhere in front in the first session but it has gone haywire for

:05:35. > :05:38.him. Six frames on the spin that he has lost. Ronnie the entertainer, he

:05:39. > :05:43.says that he wants to win in style but he shows more maturity about

:05:44. > :05:47.being Ronnie the fierce competitor. That is what is taking over for him?

:05:48. > :05:52.It has been noticeable all week, shot selection bang on. A couple in

:05:53. > :05:55.other matches, against Neil Robertson he could have taken

:05:56. > :05:58.chances but he put the cue ball on the bottom cushion and said that he

:05:59. > :06:03.would take his chance later. Still in the event and you can entertain,

:06:04. > :06:07.if you have lost the match it is difficult! Now he is in front by a

:06:08. > :06:12.few frames, maybe he has more breathing space? You might see him

:06:13. > :06:16.move through the gears. I was one of the best entertainers on the M6

:06:17. > :06:20.after I was beat! He shows acceptance when things don't go

:06:21. > :06:23.wrong, he has patience and has been working... We mentioned Doctor Steve

:06:24. > :06:29.Peters, the sports psychiatrist with whom he has been working over the

:06:30. > :06:33.last few years. The aspect of his game there is so much better? It is

:06:34. > :06:36.chalk and cheese. You can tell through his demeanour, Dennis made

:06:37. > :06:41.that point in commentary, he is spot on and seems happy to be out there

:06:42. > :06:46.competing. He is enjoying this scoreline because one more we go,

:06:47. > :06:51.into the mid-session interval. Ronnie O'Sullivan is now three

:06:52. > :06:55.ahead... COMMENTATOR: John Parrott was saying

:06:56. > :07:10.that it is a must win frame for Joe Perry. 8-4, and his back would be

:07:11. > :07:17.right against the wall. Is that red going to pull up? Might be able to

:07:18. > :07:22.sneak it in. Going past the middle pocket slightly. Be careful it does

:07:23. > :07:26.not go off but it was another to the right middle pocket. That is a

:07:27. > :07:32.better choice. He can get on the black if you can pot it... It is

:07:33. > :07:50.there, a great shot! Decided not to go into the pack. He

:07:51. > :07:54.is going to leave the blue, going to the pink and the reds from the blue.

:07:55. > :08:03.There is still one from the black that will go.

:08:04. > :08:08.As you go straight in from the blue, you leave the red, pot the red, go

:08:09. > :08:13.into the bunch. It depends on how he feels. He is playing for the red,

:08:14. > :08:18.then into the pack, and if he can get himself away from the cushion,

:08:19. > :08:21.and be on pink or black committee is going to disturb reds and the pink

:08:22. > :08:27.year... -- he is going to disturb. He did

:08:28. > :08:31.not hit it hard enough, what does that show? Play the deep screw and

:08:32. > :08:35.open them up, make sure that you go back. He would love to have another

:08:36. > :09:49.go at that. This match reminds me a bit of the

:09:50. > :09:55.Scottish Open, John Higgins lead Marco Fu 4-1, Marco Fu 18 frames in

:09:56. > :10:38.a row. Ronnie has already won six in a row here.

:10:39. > :10:51.APPLAUSE Hmm... Possible pot for Ronnie here

:10:52. > :11:00.into the bottom corner pocket. Beyond the black, if it went in.

:11:01. > :11:16.That is brilliant! Fantastic. Beautifully cued. A great shot. If

:11:17. > :11:22.he tries to put it back he could miss that blew. See where he wants

:11:23. > :11:27.to Place the cue ball -- blue. If he tries to force in the blue from

:11:28. > :11:29.where the cue ball is sat, he could miss the pot. If it is right down on

:11:30. > :11:49.it... This is just a safety shots... That

:11:50. > :11:59.is much better than trying to screw back and missed the blue, and leave

:12:00. > :12:40.the red on. Look how dominant that kiss on the

:12:41. > :12:48.brown is. This red is OK. That is very good. APPLAUSE

:12:49. > :12:50.Joe Perry would be disappointed to hit the brown and leave this red

:12:51. > :13:12.into the corner pocket. Have to get that black on the spot.

:13:13. > :13:20.Just thinking, he has potted 17 out of 22 long pots which is a high

:13:21. > :13:25.success rate. But committee was trying to do what you said, but it

:13:26. > :13:32.has gone too far. He may have to take the blue. -- but, he was trying

:13:33. > :13:49.to do what you said. He really miss hit it. He was

:13:50. > :13:59.playing for the red to the right of the bunch there. Gray Ronnie

:14:00. > :14:05.O'Sullivan, 12. The safety is improved as well. Finding the

:14:06. > :15:06.cushion with more consistency, keeping the pressure on Joe Perry.

:15:07. > :15:18.That is a nice target, the brown, and the green. He almost missed

:15:19. > :15:23.that, just a containing pot, as you say... I do not think that he can

:15:24. > :15:27.get over behind the green and brown from this position. Tip on the baulk

:15:28. > :15:47.cushion, that is what he is after here. --

:15:48. > :16:16.tight. He was able to get over there, and he has played it well.

:16:17. > :16:25.That is a foul, and a miss. Can repot this and get on to the left at

:16:26. > :16:39.the back of the blue? He was on the blue, perhaps the

:16:40. > :16:43.black. Not the right side, take on the blue and get another read. A

:16:44. > :16:47.better angle on the black. Next shops...

:16:48. > :17:09.I think with Joe and this fast cloth, when you lose confidence, it

:17:10. > :17:13.is easy to overcompensate. When you play well, with the speed of the

:17:14. > :17:19.table, it is no problem, beautiful to play on but when you lose your

:17:20. > :17:29.stroke, that is what has happened to Joe at the moment. A few chances in

:17:30. > :17:40.that first session for Dennis, when he was leading 4-1. Doing so well,

:17:41. > :17:51.missing a couple of Lindes. -- missing a couple of balls.

:17:52. > :17:57.But, you always feel as long as your opponent leads two frames that you

:17:58. > :18:01.are in with a chance but he has two up his game after the mid-session

:18:02. > :18:10.interval. You have some time to think about it. The odds are, he is

:18:11. > :18:15.going to lose this one as well. He is not completely out of this year's

:18:16. > :18:16.final at the Masters but he has an awful lot to do and think about at

:18:17. > :18:33.the mid-session interval. Of course, Ronnie O'Sullivan is on a

:18:34. > :18:39.roll. He is such a hard player to stop. A great, tremendous

:18:40. > :18:52.frontrunner. Running of frames in minutes.

:18:53. > :19:02.It was 4-1 down committee is going to go 8-4, two frames away. And a

:19:03. > :19:07.seventh Masters title. It is his 12th final in 20 odd years. An

:19:08. > :19:13.incredible record here. He loves playing at this venue. He gets

:19:14. > :19:22.support wherever he goes in the world, but in the London area... He

:19:23. > :19:24.gets it especially. He is a delight to watch when he is buzzing like

:19:25. > :19:46.this. That is his highest break in the

:19:47. > :19:48.final, believe it or not. It is about winning the title which is

:19:49. > :20:06.what he is after here... APPLAUSE That is seven frames in a row for

:20:07. > :20:14.The Rocket, Ronnie O'Sullivan. 4-1 behind. He goes into the next

:20:15. > :20:17.session needing two frames. He leads 8-4.

:20:18. > :20:22.STUDIO: Since that 32 minute opening frame of the evening session, we've

:20:23. > :20:27.gone 11 minutes, 12 minutes, 12 minutes, and suddenly, there are

:20:28. > :20:30.seven in a row in this match... I wonder how much Joe's mind will go

:20:31. > :20:38.back to that session where he may have gone 5-1 up? Joe was in command

:20:39. > :20:43.this afternoon at one stage, 4-1 in front. He had a chance to have put

:20:44. > :20:47.the pressure on Ronnie O'Sullivan. He did not have to do much on this

:20:48. > :20:52.red, drop it in and it would have been a colour. There was a red on

:20:53. > :20:55.the top cushion to get, but he could use it as a springboard to get back

:20:56. > :20:59.into the match. He was struggling. There are certain points in the

:21:00. > :21:04.match where someone can just press an advantage. And maybe, just a lack

:21:05. > :21:09.of experience... I know he's been around the block playing but not

:21:10. > :21:13.major finals. That one incident, you can stand back and concentrate as

:21:14. > :21:16.hard as you can. It was important to have that parents. 5-1 and I

:21:17. > :21:22.guarantee you are going into the lead in the opening session. Big ifs

:21:23. > :21:27.and buts in this evening session, it could have gone anyway as well. If

:21:28. > :21:30.you have the chance with someone on the ropes, it is good to keep them

:21:31. > :21:36.there. If it goes wrong for Joe, he can go back and reflect on it and

:21:37. > :21:40.think, what if? Is that an experience or a question of

:21:41. > :21:44.experience? Is it the heat of the moment? You can argue that it is

:21:45. > :21:48.like seeing the winning post too early. A number of things. Did he

:21:49. > :21:52.just missed it? And not getting Ronnie O'Sullivan in the final,

:21:53. > :21:58.that's not a big help! He has a fantastic record. This snooker

:21:59. > :22:03.Masters is the second longest running event in snooker, going

:22:04. > :22:06.since 1975. I'm sure many of you have wonderful memories over the

:22:07. > :22:15.years, from Kirk Stevens's white suited maximum, to Mark Williams and

:22:16. > :22:19.the black ball frame against Stephen Hendry. That list goes on and on,

:22:20. > :22:32.but in this event, only the very best get to give their best. He was

:22:33. > :22:37.in his white suit, playing in a classic match. Donald Sutherland was

:22:38. > :22:40.in the player 's room. He came in and I thought, this is the first

:22:41. > :22:50.game you've ever come to watch and he is in a 147 double. It bounces

:22:51. > :22:56.off the cushion... It's not there yet.

:22:57. > :23:13.Get in! Lovely, super! Brilliant, brilliant scenes in a fantastic

:23:14. > :23:18.match. Never to be forgotten. # The crowd call out for more... For

:23:19. > :23:22.Jimmy to follow it up in the decider... It's probably some of the

:23:23. > :23:25.best snooker that you have ever seen.

:23:26. > :23:37.CHEERING 112... Words have escaped me. Van

:23:38. > :23:46.-- fantastic. My favourite would be the streaker, I remember thinking,

:23:47. > :23:50.this could be an embarrassing day with Ronnie firing on all

:23:51. > :23:55.cylinders... Not the Thunderbirds coming to my rescue, but the young

:23:56. > :23:58.lady who takes off her clothes in front of the boards, and bounce

:23:59. > :24:01.about in front of everybody will stop

:24:02. > :24:08.# I should be so lucky # Lucky, lucky, lucky. I could not

:24:09. > :24:19.see her face, let alone anything else! He put his hand on the

:24:20. > :24:24.umpire's forehead to calm him down. I don't know why that is the most

:24:25. > :24:29.memorable moment, but it is. We always used to walk into the

:24:30. > :24:33.conference centre over there. There was always a sports car on show and

:24:34. > :24:37.it was immaculate, gleaming. I thought, I would love to make a

:24:38. > :24:43.maximum here... People always say, I remember you one the championship

:24:44. > :24:51.there, but do you remember that Mr black for the 147? He must still

:24:52. > :24:56.have nightmares... Missing the pink... It bounced off. The

:24:57. > :25:01.disappointment... For him to miss the black. He wasn't in position

:25:02. > :25:03.once. Putting so many fantastic shots. Every time I see it, I go,

:25:04. > :25:18.cannot miss... That is painful! I still cannot

:25:19. > :25:23.believe that he missed it. I was down on the black, thinking about

:25:24. > :25:33.that car. And thought, how can I get it to Dublin? I didn't like the

:25:34. > :25:38.colour anyway! I will never forget when they started to introduce

:25:39. > :25:43.music, walk on music. And Jimmy White was playing Mark Kings. It is

:25:44. > :25:48.the Whirlwind, Jimmy White! I remember sitting up with the crowd,

:25:49. > :25:54.watching it. The place was heaving, and Jimmy got a wild card. I thought

:25:55. > :25:59.that Kings would be up against it. King came out to some sort of rap

:26:00. > :26:04.music. Doing the hands and all of that! It took everyone by surprise

:26:05. > :26:11.and shock. I think he was trying to dance with Rob Walker, the MC! He

:26:12. > :26:16.took it to the next level! Stephen Hendry, right down to the final

:26:17. > :26:28.black in the whole tournament. He never reminds me of it, ever! (!) I

:26:29. > :26:32.should have won that match. Playing that shot across the table. It

:26:33. > :26:40.rolled off, slightly. I remember playing that kind of shot, that is

:26:41. > :26:49.exactly what can happen. Is it in? No! It was far from a gimme. I did

:26:50. > :27:04.not hit it as smoothly as I would have liked. Then Mark Williams

:27:05. > :27:13.knocking the final black in... A tremendous cheer. Really deserved

:27:14. > :27:22.for him. What a wonderful feeling it was.

:27:23. > :27:32.1977... Doug Mountjoy versus Ray Reardon in the final. My very first

:27:33. > :27:40.bet on snooker was ?40 to win on Doug Mountjoy at 33-1, to win the

:27:41. > :27:44.Masters. They both played what we consider now to be average snooker

:27:45. > :27:48.but at the time, it was Power Snooker, they were knocking in 50s

:27:49. > :27:54.from all over the place. It was snooker from the gods! They put in a

:27:55. > :28:03.great pink, from the Boult area. To win. Barry Hearn, as usual, backed

:28:04. > :28:11.Doug Mountjoy and won a fortune! # Money, money, money!

:28:12. > :28:16.# Must be funny... I won 1300 quid, it paid for my curtains, washing

:28:17. > :28:26.machine and my fridge for my house. So, Doug Mountjoy? Thanks mate! Bill

:28:27. > :28:32.the cap lost his cap. He was someone who came to all of the matches, love

:28:33. > :28:37.snooker but liberty ever saw him without his flat cap on. Somewhere

:28:38. > :28:41.down the line in his excitement, his cap must have dropped off, and he

:28:42. > :28:47.went, where is my cap? We all collapsed in laughter, with a fit of

:28:48. > :28:51.the giggles. Nobody ever saw Bill the Cap without his cap. It all

:28:52. > :28:57.kicked off, we were up until past ten o'clock. What tonight we had.

:28:58. > :29:03.Fantastic memories, those two in that final were a combined age of

:29:04. > :29:08.85. This pair are combined at 83. It is younger. An interesting match.

:29:09. > :29:11.But I bet that young Mark Williams is texting Stephen Hendry as we

:29:12. > :29:17.speak... He has never let him forget it! He never will, they are still at

:29:18. > :29:24.it now! The two of them have always been at each other. Ken's miss on

:29:25. > :29:30.the black. He did not like the colour of the

:29:31. > :29:34.car? The look on his face! It is the best producing their best. It has

:29:35. > :29:37.produced magical moments over the years. Because you are seeing

:29:38. > :29:41.well-known players in all of the matches, not only are they great,

:29:42. > :29:45.but there are good memories as well. Great memories this week. You have

:29:46. > :29:46.been voting for your shot of the tournament, and the results are

:29:47. > :29:50.in... In the third-place, the positional

:29:51. > :30:04.shot by Ronnie. What is he going to attempt on the

:30:05. > :30:10.green? Something special? He is. Look at the action on the cue ball.

:30:11. > :30:16.What a positional shot that is, by the way. Oh my goodness! What a shot

:30:17. > :30:25.that is. To get that with the side around the angles, what a shot. In

:30:26. > :30:32.second place, Ronnie again. His phenomenal pot to get out of trouble

:30:33. > :30:35.against Marco Fu. Not often Ronnie thinks about a shot of this length

:30:36. > :30:43.of time but it's very understandable here.

:30:44. > :30:54.It was worth waiting on. I said he would do well to find a path down

:30:55. > :31:05.the table. And he is on the brown to get back up to the reds. But, with

:31:06. > :31:10.56% of the vote, it was shot J. Even ever got the right-hand side

:31:11. > :31:26.question, he could miss. The yellow, the green. Good luck! Good luck with

:31:27. > :31:30.this one! Great shot! What a shot! He practically got a standing

:31:31. > :31:34.ovation for that one. Congratulations to Joe and thanks to

:31:35. > :31:40.everybody who voted in this years shot of the tournament in agreement?

:31:41. > :31:44.All the snooker fans know the right shot and that was a definite one.

:31:45. > :31:49.The brown he got in the final frame decider was also a fantastic shot

:31:50. > :31:55.and the blue, in fact. That drama last night until 11:30pm, we were

:31:56. > :32:01.punch-drunk after that but it was a magnificent end to the match against

:32:02. > :32:03.Barry. It certainly was. He came out all right this morning so we can't

:32:04. > :32:08.complain but it's been a great journey for Joe this week especially

:32:09. > :32:12.coming into the tournament with very little form. It is still a

:32:13. > :32:15.waterfront crystal triangle both are playing for tonight, but whoever

:32:16. > :32:18.hoists it this year will be officially lifting the Paul Hunter

:32:19. > :32:34.Trophy. From this January, the Masters

:32:35. > :32:38.trophy in perpetuity will be renamed the Paul Hunter Trophy. In memory of

:32:39. > :32:44.Paul. I think, snooker fans around the world will appreciate that

:32:45. > :32:49.gesture to a great, great player. I'm so pleased that we corrected an

:32:50. > :32:55.earlier mistake of not naming something in his memory and of

:32:56. > :33:01.course, the Masters is the name. Keeping his name alive, this trophy,

:33:02. > :33:05.every time the Masters on, it will be called the Paul Hunter Trophy for

:33:06. > :33:11.ever and ever. I think it's great, I think it's right. A great character,

:33:12. > :33:16.great guy. Sorely missed. You don't want characters like that being

:33:17. > :33:18.forgotten. Affectionately known as Beckham of the baize commie became a

:33:19. > :33:44.hero to a generation. He was a great kid. Enjoyed

:33:45. > :33:51.practising. A terrific player getting better and better. He just

:33:52. > :33:56.enjoyed life. Had fun, wherever he went. A very laid-back character.

:33:57. > :33:59.Yeah, just a great personality. Well liked by everybody on the circuit

:34:00. > :34:08.and a great player as well. A fantastic player. He won it three

:34:09. > :34:15.times, and each time he won it, he won it from ridiculous scores

:34:16. > :34:19.behind. 7-2 down to Brian. 7-2 down to Ronnie O'Sullivan and I think

:34:20. > :34:26.you're 63 down in the other one. It set a difficult tournament to win. I

:34:27. > :34:32.remember the match, playing with him, 6-2, up, and it was mind to

:34:33. > :34:39.lose. I got a bit defensive. Against most players, you could probably

:34:40. > :34:44.scramble your way over the line but when he came out and started

:34:45. > :34:53.attacking me, a lot of bottle and he had the game to win the world title.

:34:54. > :34:57.He suited the modern day game or. In my mind, no doubt, he would have

:34:58. > :35:04.been world champion. There was no doubt in my mind he would have been

:35:05. > :35:07.world champion. Paul Hunter sadly passed away on October nine, 2006.

:35:08. > :35:25.Five-day short of 28th birthday. His family set up the Paul Hunter

:35:26. > :35:29.Foundation to honour his name with a mission statement to take snooker

:35:30. > :35:34.out of disadvantaged communities throughout the UK and celebrate his

:35:35. > :35:39.love for the game. Ten years on, having achieved so much, his father

:35:40. > :35:44.Alan and coaches and youngsters from the Paul Hunter Foundation are here

:35:45. > :35:53.in Ali Pali for a very special Masters. I think it could be a bit

:35:54. > :36:02.emotional. Is seeing all of Paula's friends and colleagues, it's going

:36:03. > :36:07.to be special. -- Paul. Such a great honour. A great tribute to his

:36:08. > :36:11.memory. And a great legacy for his daughter. He loved the Masters. It

:36:12. > :36:26.was his tournament in his time. Paul Hunter won the Masters three

:36:27. > :36:30.times before he was the age of 25. One of our objectives is to put

:36:31. > :36:34.smiles on kids faces, get them back into the game and ultimately, if we

:36:35. > :36:41.can get one of them to be a champion like Paul, it will be fantastic. And

:36:42. > :36:43.getting emotional now just talking about Paula. About the impact of the

:36:44. > :36:51.foundation has on young people's lives. In today's society, Paul has

:36:52. > :36:56.changed the life of 70 people. The final with Ronnie in particular,

:36:57. > :37:00.that's what I'll always remember, the Masters. We know he would have

:37:01. > :37:04.won the world title but he did the job and got the title and that can't

:37:05. > :37:13.go away now, it's on the Trophy. I might be a bit emotional. Would you

:37:14. > :37:14.please welcome Alan Hunter and the Paul Hunter Foundation players?

:37:15. > :37:23.APPLAUSE Gird on the powers that be for

:37:24. > :37:28.actually taking the bull by the horns and saying, yes, it's time to

:37:29. > :37:34.call it the Paul Hunter Trophy. It is sure to be an emotional day

:37:35. > :37:39.for the family. A day to celebrate a very special Masters champion. Well

:37:40. > :37:47.played. Champion, Paul Hunter! APPLAUSE

:37:48. > :37:54.Very special memories indeed of a very special man, and he won this

:37:55. > :37:59.event three times before the age of 25 and always in his comeback style.

:38:00. > :38:04.Whoever wins this this evening will have achieved that whether it's Joe

:38:05. > :38:09.Perry or Ronnie. It will be a fitting end to this particular

:38:10. > :38:14.final, but his legacy, you worked for the Paul Hunter Foundation, what

:38:15. > :38:21.would you say in edges? His idea was, to get kids to play snooker and

:38:22. > :38:25.I think he would be amazed at how long that has continued and to see

:38:26. > :38:30.the enjoyment that kids get. We give as many free snooker cues as

:38:31. > :38:33.possible. People from disadvantaged backgrounds, and the World Snooker

:38:34. > :38:38.coaches put their heart and soul into making sure what they do for

:38:39. > :38:42.them is good. It's a great community being built up and all the players

:38:43. > :38:46.when they are asked to do something for the Paul Hunter Foundation do

:38:47. > :38:52.it. Barry Hearn said they are writing a wrong this year. This is

:38:53. > :38:57.long overdue, the Paul Hunter Trophy, isn't it? Absolutely. He was

:38:58. > :39:03.a lovely lad. I a meeting at a young boy, a cocky lad with blonde hair,

:39:04. > :39:05.but in a nice way. He had a good personality, someone you really

:39:06. > :39:09.liked and all the players respected him. I can't look at his father

:39:10. > :39:13.without feeling so sad every time I see him because nobody should see

:39:14. > :39:18.their son go like that. We spoke to was mum earlier and she said his

:39:19. > :39:25.daughter is doing fantastically well, so hello. She knows it's a

:39:26. > :39:29.proud evening for her as well as the Trophy is handed over. Who is going

:39:30. > :39:36.to lift it? It's looking as though it is business as usual now for

:39:37. > :39:40.Ronnie O'Sullivan. The only hope is without the interval, it would've

:39:41. > :39:45.been 10-4, the way it goes. Maybe he could come out and some confidence,

:39:46. > :39:49.desperation, knock in a few balls but the way it's going, it looks

:39:50. > :39:52.like it's all over but you never know. From Joe's perspective, it's

:39:53. > :39:56.not time to throw caution to the wind but he's got to become pretty

:39:57. > :40:01.aggressive from now on in because it's very difficult to go otherwise.

:40:02. > :40:06.There's the vagaries of like in the game. When you consider all that Joe

:40:07. > :40:10.has achieved in this week, and this is no disgrace, way to lose it at

:40:11. > :40:17.this point, but he is still fighting and is in this. Also, this is

:40:18. > :40:21.fabulous experience. The first time, in a major championship final, he is

:40:22. > :40:27.playing in front of 2000 people who want the other fellow to win so this

:40:28. > :40:32.is an unbelievable experience. As we say, let's get back to this. There

:40:33. > :40:38.is a change of personnel in the commentary box. Stephen Hendry, John

:40:39. > :40:43.Virgo. How much life is left in this final, guys? That's the big

:40:44. > :40:49.question, Hazel. From what we've seen so far this evening, Joe will

:40:50. > :40:55.really have to pick up his game. He had the dream start, led by 4-1.

:40:56. > :41:08.Nothing to show for his efforts since then.

:41:09. > :41:14.There was quite a few murmurings backstage. He wasn't happy with his

:41:15. > :41:19.tip and was thinking of changing it at the interval, but I think the

:41:20. > :41:41.scoreline has put him off doing that.

:41:42. > :41:50.Much too thick. He's just not got his long pot curbing this evening.

:41:51. > :41:59.Sometimes that's all the chance you get.

:42:00. > :42:08.The is Alan and Christina Hunter. They will be very proud to have the

:42:09. > :42:18.trophy named after their son Paul. . Pot from Ronnie and just about on

:42:19. > :42:47.the black. He wasn't perfect on the black, but

:42:48. > :43:06.tried to get it. It goes without saying, Stephen, he

:43:07. > :43:10.needs to take every opportunity. Not that he has got one here. He has got

:43:11. > :43:18.to forget the school board, basically, hasn't he? -- scoreboard.

:43:19. > :43:29.Yes, it's just a hard situation he's got himself into. 4-1 ahead. If

:43:30. > :43:32.there's going to be in? Yes. He did miss an opportunity this afternoon.

:43:33. > :43:37.He could easily have won that session 6-2. Maybe a lack of

:43:38. > :43:44.experience in these big matches, I don't know. He went 4-1 up, and then

:43:45. > :43:52.started to show weakness. He should've started to show exactly

:43:53. > :43:57.the opposite. As John Parrott said, he will learn from this experience.

:43:58. > :44:03.Absolute perfect angle on the blue. Could not get the cue ball any

:44:04. > :44:11.better. Couldn't have been in a better place.

:44:12. > :44:22.Great shot. It will do his confidence the world of good if you

:44:23. > :44:26.could win at this visit. Absolutely. And particularly if he could make a

:44:27. > :44:28.century here. Nothing like a century. It proves to the audience

:44:29. > :44:56.you have your right to be there. chance. Looks to be screwing across

:44:57. > :45:04.to play the black in the same pocket as this red.

:45:05. > :45:10.In the end, he decided not to risk that and played the blue but he has

:45:11. > :45:14.played nicely. The only thing is, he is slightly on the wrong side of the

:45:15. > :45:51.blue. He would have liked to have stayed at this end of the table.

:45:52. > :45:58.When I suggested a play for the black in the same pocket as the red,

:45:59. > :46:04.the black is now not available in either corner. He will have to

:46:05. > :46:12.concentrate on the blue. No, it doesn't go.

:46:13. > :46:17.It's not straightforward. It doesn't go on the left hole either. So just

:46:18. > :47:06.a little bit of work to do. Perfect on that bed. You can always

:47:07. > :47:14.tell when a player becomes perfect. He deals with this blue now, nice

:47:15. > :47:22.angle. And now purposely playing for one of these threads, which will

:47:23. > :47:31.make the black available. -- these reds. But this time he's just short

:47:32. > :47:36.of a perfect position on the blue. You have to do is say that's a

:47:37. > :47:43.little bit careless. Just the wrong side of the blue line. It's amazing

:47:44. > :47:49.how often that happens. If you are too hard, you've got pink, yellow,

:47:50. > :47:57.green, brown. It happened so many times, you just take the shot for

:47:58. > :48:02.granted. He has put himself under pressure now if he's going to take

:48:03. > :48:10.brown. No, he's going to play the easy blue. He will have a tough shot

:48:11. > :48:23.now with the red. I would have been tempted to take the tougher Iran to

:48:24. > :48:31.get nicely on the red. -- tougher brown. Struck Bardwell. 44. --

:48:32. > :48:38.struck that well, 44. Good shot right in the heart of the pocket. So

:48:39. > :48:43.now just one good positional shot, it all depends on the line and

:48:44. > :48:47.length of this. If he can get perfect on the red, you think you

:48:48. > :49:03.could win the frame now the black is available.

:49:04. > :49:08.Remember, the black is only available into the left corner

:49:09. > :49:18.pocket. He won't be able to play for it here. No, back-up for the blue.

:49:19. > :49:26.He needs the angles this time. Not got it again. You can hear him tap

:49:27. > :49:36.his chalk on the side of the table. Frustration.

:49:37. > :49:43.If he takes the cue ball between green and brown, on the right-hand

:49:44. > :49:52.side, the side caution, bring the cue ball down between those four

:49:53. > :50:01.reds, that's what he has played. He was always going to be unlucky

:50:02. > :50:07.there. Yes, he's on the red Line now because I don't think he will risk

:50:08. > :50:12.playing for the black. At the moment, just 67 remaining. If he

:50:13. > :50:17.goes for the blue, he will still need one more red. I don't think you

:50:18. > :50:24.will risk playing for the black. It could go wrong.

:50:25. > :50:36.And, this time, 54. He's got what he needs on the blue. Just the right

:50:37. > :50:42.side of the blue line. This blue and one more red and he will have his

:50:43. > :50:55.first frame on the scoreboard. For quite a while. The red to go 59

:50:56. > :51:51.ahead with just 51 remaining. Well played.

:51:52. > :51:58.He really will be concentrating here on making this century. It's very

:51:59. > :52:05.important. He does not want to miss on a careless shot. 84. It build his

:52:06. > :52:13.confidence. Appreciation from the audience that he can clear the table

:52:14. > :52:14.here. And also he's got to think, Ronnie has not done anything special

:52:15. > :52:29.tonight. During the interval, there were

:52:30. > :52:56.rumours Ronnie was not happy with his tip and was going to change it.

:52:57. > :53:17.And there he goes. Hez slams are not black and that will make him feel

:53:18. > :53:21.real good. He is still a long way behind. On the scoreboard. But he

:53:22. > :53:26.has shown everybody here this evening he is up for the fight. He

:53:27. > :53:33.trails by three, 8-5. Ronnie O'Sullivan.

:53:34. > :53:38.STUDIO: Joe's dad Peter is thrilled with that one of. The record, this

:53:39. > :53:42.format, without the wild card event, it is 28, so we might get close to

:53:43. > :53:46.that, you never know, but regardless of whether we do or not, it's the

:53:47. > :53:48.fifth century of the week for Joe Perry and what a response. Seven

:53:49. > :53:57.frames in a row. A fabulous character. He has come

:53:58. > :54:03.back from the interval with a better attitude. He wasn't within himself

:54:04. > :54:07.there. He got his chance and the boys said on commentary, if you

:54:08. > :54:12.could make a century, that's great. In one visit, that's what is done,

:54:13. > :54:16.well done. The second century of the night. I like the ending as well,

:54:17. > :54:25.you knocked in the black with a bit of than. In a way, thinking of my

:54:26. > :54:34.own game, you've got to start having a bit of attitude in your game -- a

:54:35. > :54:39.bit of venom. Just get a bit stroppy Fulford it's all about me, me, me.

:54:40. > :54:47.If he can change... Don't worry, you did it! You said venom with a bit of

:54:48. > :54:54.venom, actually. He needs to go into himself and start looking nasty

:54:55. > :54:57.around the table. OK, I don't know if you can convey that to Joe. Three

:54:58. > :55:09.frames in it again. Although we are laughing, that's a

:55:10. > :55:15.fair point Steve made. That's what he needed this afternoon, when he

:55:16. > :55:17.was four up, that nasty streak, that killer instinct. He did not have it.

:55:18. > :55:28.Is it too late now? Lovely shot. Is it going to pull up? Not quite.

:55:29. > :56:48.Just an inch too far. Looks like a touching ball. That's

:56:49. > :56:55.what the referee, Paul Callier, has called, so back to baulk for Ronnie,

:56:56. > :57:09.because away from a touching ball, you are deemed to have hit it.

:57:10. > :57:19.Good length with the cue ball. And, in these situations, you don't mind

:57:20. > :57:25.being able to hit the reds. You never know, you could always knock

:57:26. > :57:31.one over the corner. Is it too thick? Is it too thin? And he will

:57:32. > :57:37.be bringing reds into play here, so he needs a good return. There is the

:57:38. > :57:45.red going towards the corner. Come and have a look. It looks

:57:46. > :57:59.mighty thin, though. Got it a mile to thick. You can see

:58:00. > :58:31.on Ronnie's face. He played the right-hand side. Just

:58:32. > :58:43.did not hit it well. Joe has just about got the angle on the blue. The

:58:44. > :58:46.red next to the black could part into the right-hand corner. I'm sure

:58:47. > :58:59.that's the one he wants to get to as quick as possible. -- pot. Good

:59:00. > :59:03.chance, this. Especially coming hot on the heels of making a century in

:59:04. > :59:20.that last frame. He should be feeling good.

:59:21. > :59:25.On this black, he has got to be wary he does not make contact with the

:59:26. > :59:42.red near the top cushion. He makes are certainly the pot. He

:59:43. > :59:46.would liked to have played where Stephen mentioned before. But the

:59:47. > :59:57.pot on the black was important. You just feel he needs one good

:59:58. > :00:15.positional shot. Pot this red and go round the back

:00:16. > :00:16.of the black. It's a tough shot. Playing for the black in the same

:00:17. > :00:54.pocket as the red. Excellent touch. Making it a comfortable chance in

:00:55. > :01:26.one visit. Straight screw back shot to the red, for the same pocket.

:01:27. > :01:38.He winds up just below the pink but he desperately needs the right angle

:01:39. > :01:49.for the blue, now. Well, maybe just about got it. He had like a little

:01:50. > :01:50.bit more angle than this. -- he would like a little bit more angle

:01:51. > :02:21.than this. It boils down to a good shot of this

:02:22. > :02:21.green. It's a good line. And it's an excellent length, that's perfect.

:02:22. > :02:45.APPLAUSE I would have been tempted to play

:02:46. > :02:49.the other red. It means you'd leave more room to get properly on the

:02:50. > :02:59.black. He's left himself with a slightly awkward angle.

:03:00. > :03:11.The advantage of course, he only needs the red. 62 points ahead with

:03:12. > :03:24.just 59 remaining. APPLAUSE He's on a roll, now, is Joe Perry.

:03:25. > :04:00.And back centuries not out of the question. -- back-to-back centuries.

:04:01. > :04:09.He has to think to himself how the scoring has gone in this match. The

:04:10. > :04:20.total points, Joe Perry is ahead of O'Sullivan. Out of the two players,

:04:21. > :04:23.he's the one that's winning his frames mostly in one visit. You've

:04:24. > :04:54.got to take confidence from that. That's a pity, but nevertheless...

:04:55. > :04:59.He's now just two behind. 8-6. STUDIO: He obviously heard that

:05:00. > :05:04.lecture on venom from Steve Davis. What a complete turnaround and what

:05:05. > :05:09.a very strange match. Its ebbs and flows. The intervals, if there'd

:05:10. > :05:13.stayed out of it, it would have been 10-4. His attitude has come out,

:05:14. > :05:18.he's hit the ball better than he's hit it in the match. His focus is

:05:19. > :05:24.totally there. The thing to turn this much around, he's got to play

:05:25. > :05:29.gnomish snooker and get some help from his opponent. The momentum

:05:30. > :05:34.shifts are difficult to explain. Joe isn't going to question that right

:05:35. > :05:41.now. And the change in attitude perhaps, the change in form is very

:05:42. > :05:45.marked indeed. Very impressive, the last two frames. Joe has played well

:05:46. > :05:50.when there's not much expectation on him, he's easier to play from

:05:51. > :05:53.behind. Even though those last two frames have been wonderful, I'd be

:05:54. > :05:59.far more impressed if he wins the next frame. This is the situation we

:06:00. > :06:04.found ourselves in. Not quite on the brink last night against Barry

:06:05. > :06:08.Hawkins. 2-5 behind against Barry and needed a snooker in the next

:06:09. > :06:14.frame. Got it and extraordinarily clawed his way across the line. I

:06:15. > :06:18.wonder how much comfort, how much inspiration you take from having

:06:19. > :06:22.come through a match like that? There's nothing better than having

:06:23. > :06:26.table time. He should be able to continue. If he gets the

:06:27. > :06:36.opportunities, he's had the last frames. 8-4 behind, 8-5, 8-6, you

:06:37. > :06:40.stop thinking, I'm back in this match. Can he play with the same

:06:41. > :06:45.attitude he's played within the last two frames? That's the question.

:06:46. > :06:58.Let's find out. Masters on Sunday night, you just can't beat it!

:06:59. > :07:08.COMMENTATOR: You know now that Joe stepped up his game. Still got a two

:07:09. > :07:10.frame cushion, has Ronnie. Since the interval, Joe Perry is just

:07:11. > :08:01.beginning to steal the show. He won't be the first player to play

:08:02. > :08:23.an aggressive shot. Ball spotted, 215 apiece. -- balls potted. Points

:08:24. > :08:32.scored, Joe Perry in front, pickers the frames that he's one, he's been

:08:33. > :08:38.able to win more of one visit. Ronnie purposely left him the chance

:08:39. > :08:57.to hit that one. He's left a pot on, here. Right in the heart of the

:08:58. > :09:05.pocket! Good cueing, that. Read at the bottom of the bunch will go to

:09:06. > :09:20.the top 's corner. This looks absolutely perfect.

:09:21. > :09:37.The reds just to the left of the bunch, excellent shot. The cue ball

:09:38. > :09:43.ends up back in the black cushion. He's got one to the right middle.

:09:44. > :09:54.He's got to do a little bit with the cue ball. Can't just drop it in.

:09:55. > :09:58.Catching the bumper, the corner pocket, has left his cue ball very

:09:59. > :10:15.close to the side cushion. Makes it a little bit awkward, now.

:10:16. > :10:23.One of these type of shots, if you can plot the blue, then it's natural

:10:24. > :10:28.to come off two cushions and play the red second night on the table.

:10:29. > :10:49.It still needs potting. Obstructed him beautifully.

:10:50. > :10:57.Once again, a trace of right-hand side on it and pushed the cue ball

:10:58. > :11:20.in. That's exactly what Steve Davis

:11:21. > :11:24.meant when he was saying he'd be more impressed if Joe Perry can win

:11:25. > :11:28.this frame. It's all right in the last two frames when you've relaxed

:11:29. > :11:44.a bit and you feel you're out of it. But that was a chance. To keep the

:11:45. > :11:51.pressure on. Maybe the red just below the pink is available, into

:11:52. > :12:03.the same pocket as the black. Just about on it. He'd like to have been

:12:04. > :12:07.straight on it. That was a delightful shot. Judged the cannon

:12:08. > :12:23.on the pink to perfection. I think he may just have one, to the

:12:24. > :13:06.left corner. He set up the last two frames and

:13:07. > :13:18.watched Joe Perry make 100 and a 90 odd. Ronnie would love to make a one

:13:19. > :13:26.frame visit himself, here. Karen between the red, black and pink,

:13:27. > :13:34.didn't get into the cue ball. Must have missed this red. Must have

:13:35. > :13:42.really wanted to leave. Does this go to the middle? It does. He knew it

:13:43. > :13:50.was running into the blue. The pot was more important than the

:13:51. > :13:52.position. And now the blue has gone in on track to win the frame of this

:13:53. > :14:14.visit. And the possible century. Damien Hirst, a great friend of

:14:15. > :14:20.Ronnie's. Ronnie always tells me he keeps him happy during the

:14:21. > :14:36.intervals. Always having a joke together. Has he missed it? Oh, he

:14:37. > :14:40.nearly did. It was on the jaw. How has that gone in, John? This week

:14:41. > :14:48.some balls have gone in which have baffled me. That's frame ball. I can

:14:49. > :14:54.only put it down to the speed he played it. Surely a bit harder it

:14:55. > :15:05.wouldn't have gone in. Joe Perry had a chance when Ronnie missed, but he

:15:06. > :15:34.couldn't take it. Ronnie would love to make a century, here.

:15:35. > :15:42.Well, there was a question being asked of Ronnie, and at the second

:15:43. > :16:05.chance has taken these really well. The standard has certainly risen in

:16:06. > :16:34.the last three frames. This'll be the first century of the

:16:35. > :16:36.match from Ronnie. He seemed breaks of 92 in the last frame, from Joe

:16:37. > :17:00.Perry. APPLAUSE

:17:01. > :17:04.What a reply from the Rocket! Just when it looked as though Joe Perry

:17:05. > :17:12.was getting back in this match, he's turned on the afterburner. Superb.

:17:13. > :17:23.Ronnie O'Sullivan now is just one frame away from a seven Masters

:17:24. > :17:31.title. 9-6. STUDIO: One frame away from back-to-back titles. His young

:17:32. > :17:38.son is in their, very proud of his dad. And, guys, we are looking

:17:39. > :17:42.potentially at a 17th major title in this board for Ronnie O'Sullivan.

:17:43. > :17:49.And his competitive instincts are showing through. It's his first

:17:50. > :17:55.century of the match. Vast experience, to break your heart a

:17:56. > :18:00.bit. With Joe's perspective. There were still a few reds open at one

:18:01. > :18:03.stage. He put in a great pink, smashed into the pack of reds and

:18:04. > :18:08.forced an angle and open them up enough to make it a clear-cut

:18:09. > :18:11.chance. He's such a great talent in all departments. Under pressure,

:18:12. > :18:15.other players would have perhaps tried to wheedle balls out there but

:18:16. > :18:20.he really tried to force the issue. You've got to cue those beautifully,

:18:21. > :18:25.to get any work out of the cue ball, it was virtually straight there.

:18:26. > :18:30.Kept the break going. A wonderful way to stem the mini revival from

:18:31. > :18:34.Joe Perry. Renaissance Joe knows he's got to win the last four. It's

:18:35. > :18:41.been done by Ronnie in the World Championship. He knows it can be

:18:42. > :18:47.done but he's not done it yet. The last victory Joe had over Ronnie was

:18:48. > :18:59.nine years ago. So, a long time. A mountain to climb to Joe Perry.

:19:00. > :19:04.COMMENTATOR: Decent break off a shot. Any time you don't leave a pot

:19:05. > :19:09.on... Ronnie is having a look at this end of the table. I don't think

:19:10. > :19:20.he can get to the potting angle of this red. I think he can hit it, can

:19:21. > :19:28.he pot it? Just had to play the containing safety. We've had three

:19:29. > :19:33.marvellous frames of snooker. It was a little bit scrappy before the

:19:34. > :19:35.mid-session interval. Since they've come back out, the standard has gone

:19:36. > :19:53.up many notches. Former leader of the Labour Party,

:19:54. > :19:54.Ed Miliband. He was chatting to Ronnie in the interval, telling him

:19:55. > :20:33.how well he was doing. And there, peeping through is Ronnie

:20:34. > :20:38.Junior. He's got away with it... I say he's got away with it, that red

:20:39. > :20:42.he's played... If Ronnie has got the right angle, he may play this red to

:20:43. > :20:53.the right middle. It all depends on the angle of the pot. Maybe he's not

:20:54. > :21:02.got the right angle. Maybe he has. Does it reach? Does it reach... It's

:21:03. > :21:06.always difficult sometimes, when you're very close to a ball and

:21:07. > :21:20.you're frightened of playing a push shot. He's left his read on. -- his

:21:21. > :21:27.red on. OK, maybe straight on the blue but there a red on the

:21:28. > :21:35.left-hand side of the table. He has to screw back an inch and he'll beat

:21:36. > :21:39.on that red. The black available into both corner pockets. A decent

:21:40. > :21:52.chance. I can't see anything available. He

:21:53. > :21:57.looks as though he's going to have to go into them, here. He's not got

:21:58. > :22:00.the angle to play the red to the top vision. He's got to fully commit to

:22:01. > :22:13.this but whatever you do, don't miss the black. Is he on this red? I must

:22:14. > :22:23.admit I'm surprised he didn't go into the pace there. He opens

:22:24. > :22:38.everything up. I don't think now is the time to play tentative shots. I

:22:39. > :22:47.think you've got to attack. Considering to play this pot and

:22:48. > :22:51.using a white -- a right-hand side swerve but this is dangerous. You

:22:52. > :22:57.play it more out of frustration, and it being the shot to play, he's held

:22:58. > :22:58.himself together and had to bite the bullet and play safe. A

:22:59. > :24:38.disappointing finish. Careless. Schoolboy error. And that,

:24:39. > :24:43.well, there's quite a bit to do, but could that be his last shot in this

:24:44. > :24:52.year 's Masters? It's not beyond the realms of possibility. Because

:24:53. > :24:53.there's one thing you know for certain, Ronnie O'Sullivan will not

:24:54. > :25:36.shy away from the winning line. Trying to rough the tip up, he's not

:25:37. > :25:40.happy with the tip. He's trying to press it with the groups in the file

:25:41. > :25:45.to try and get a bit of softness into the tip. He feels it's too

:25:46. > :25:51.hard, he's not getting the action of the cue ball, he's not getting to

:25:52. > :26:49.screw back. That's more like it. Aggressive shot. Great chance, now.

:26:50. > :27:02.Nicely played. All the reds he requires an now in pottable

:27:03. > :27:06.positions. It's a case of holding yourself together, now. He knows he

:27:07. > :27:11.can't afford a mistake. It's where the pressure's going to come from.

:27:12. > :27:41.He's been gifted this opportunity, he's got to take it.

:27:42. > :27:50.Is he on the pink? Did the cue ball just stop in time? It must have

:27:51. > :28:03.done. A little shake off the head. I think he's on it. He's on it. He

:28:04. > :28:15.just wanted to be slightly off straight. The other side of the pink

:28:16. > :28:21.to get nicely on the next red. That wasn't the best of contacts. He's

:28:22. > :28:32.going to have to play a tough pot here, to the far left corner. A 52

:28:33. > :28:46.point lead, still a possible 83 points remaining. That equates to

:28:47. > :28:50.three more of these reds needed. If he plays for the black, it's like a

:28:51. > :29:04.shot to nothing. Can't leave anything. It was like a shot for

:29:05. > :29:13.nothing but he should have got that. He knows it. He would pot that, nine

:29:14. > :29:38.times out of ten. That is a nice nudge. Covering the

:29:39. > :30:47.red. This time Joe can see the red.

:30:48. > :30:54.Ronnie would not mind Joe playing that. No intention of taking that

:30:55. > :31:03.red away from there. Another red safe here.

:31:04. > :31:11.He will have a chance to take the red away from the safe position and

:31:12. > :31:21.the cue ball behind yellow and brown. He just hit the red a bit

:31:22. > :31:27.wide. Now the way the reds are spread, any mistake, even though Joe

:31:28. > :31:34.has this lead, it could still cost him this match. He has to be very

:31:35. > :31:47.careful he does not offer up a chance to Ronnie. Great shot! What a

:31:48. > :31:58.shot that was! That will win the frame, surely.

:31:59. > :32:03.I looked at Joe's dad, he did not clap, he just shook his head. It's

:32:04. > :32:21.great! The pink will put him 67 points in

:32:22. > :32:27.front with 67 remaining. Just looking for the red and he is nicely

:32:28. > :32:32.on it, I think, to the left middle. He is looking at the one to the left

:32:33. > :32:38.corner, but the left middle would be my choice. This for snookers

:32:39. > :32:48.required. He is hanging on in there, Joe.

:32:49. > :33:40.Every credit. He has shown great character, Joe

:33:41. > :33:44.Perry. If he could just win the next game to get one behind. It would be

:33:45. > :33:49.interesting to see what would happen. Still that two frame

:33:50. > :34:41.cushion. Well he was trying to get the

:34:42. > :34:46.cannon, but it does not matter. Both players are going to leave the

:34:47. > :34:55.reader. Joe Perry brought it back to two. STUDIO: 42-year-old Joe Perry

:34:56. > :35:00.has tried for 26 years to get into the final of one of snooker's three

:35:01. > :35:06.major tournaments and what a performance he is putting up. He is

:35:07. > :35:09.learning a lot about himself. How is the situation changing as he gets

:35:10. > :35:22.closer and Ronnie has moved away? He was in -- impressive from 8-4 to 8-6

:35:23. > :35:31.but it is different now. If he wins the nets, he has nowhere to go. He

:35:32. > :35:36.can somehow, if he can play the superhero, he could get over the

:35:37. > :35:41.line. It needs help from Ronnie O'Sullivan but Joe has a chance. He

:35:42. > :35:47.is getting help. Ronnie missed a black, pretty straightforward. But

:35:48. > :35:52.then Joe had a cracking shot from the cushion. He could not hit this

:35:53. > :35:58.better. In the circumstances, fabulous. This is the form he has

:35:59. > :36:04.shown all week. Beating two class players. Stuart Bingham 6-1. Ding

:36:05. > :36:11.Junhui, 6-1. Coming back to beat Barry Hawkins. Ronnie is still

:36:12. > :36:14.unhappy with the tip that was put on yesterday in dramatic circumstances

:36:15. > :36:22.in the semifinal against Marco Fu. It would appear that the tip put on

:36:23. > :36:28.was very hard, as well. But a very hard tip quickly becomes a very hard

:36:29. > :36:33.tip. He is back to square one. This is why he was trying to soften it up

:36:34. > :36:39.a bit. He will need help Ronnie. Ronnie will not need many chances to

:36:40. > :36:42.get over the line and so Joe cannot make too many mistakes. He has

:36:43. > :36:51.breathing space as long as he keeps up the pressure and does not miss

:36:52. > :36:55.any easy ones. Joe Perry still has it all to do, but my goodness, what

:36:56. > :37:00.a great fight. He has shown brilliant character in his first

:37:01. > :37:06.major final. If he could just win this one, boy, would it get

:37:07. > :37:11.interesting. We have known some very dramatic nights at the Masters

:37:12. > :37:15.finals before. Paul Hunter, the man after whom the trophy has been

:37:16. > :37:20.renamed was the master of it all, three times he came back. Huge

:37:21. > :37:23.deficits. I wonder if there is a sting in the tail here tonight, as

:37:24. > :37:51.well. Back we go. No pot left for Joe here. In the

:37:52. > :37:53.last frame, Ronnie had a chance to clinch frame and match. Unlike him,

:37:54. > :38:15.he missed a black from the spot. Oh, that makes a difference. Is he

:38:16. > :38:16.on a baulk colour? He is, yellow or green. You cannot beat a bit of

:38:17. > :38:33.luck. Can he take advantage? What a time of the match this would

:38:34. > :38:43.be to start getting a good run of the ball.

:38:44. > :38:47.He put the red into the right-hand side of the pocket which is why the

:38:48. > :39:08.cue ball has travelled too far. I'm not sure he played for this red

:39:09. > :39:13.at the back of the pack. I think he played for an open red but it looks

:39:14. > :39:22.as if he can see enough of it to pot it and from the potting angle, can

:39:23. > :39:57.he reach? He played it nicely. Not the best position shot, in all

:39:58. > :40:05.honesty. It means he has more to do with the cue ball.

:40:06. > :40:16.But not too much. I didn't realise the pink went.

:40:17. > :40:28.So now a good angle needed. It depends where the pink goes. Does it

:40:29. > :40:35.go of it spot? -- on its spot. He would prefer to play for the blue? I

:40:36. > :40:42.think so, looking at the shape of the reds. If you place for the

:40:43. > :40:50.black, there is only one red to hit, really. He is playing for the black.

:40:51. > :40:57.Oh, dear. We will give him the benefit of the doubt and say it was

:40:58. > :41:01.a massive bounce off the cushion. I cannot believe he has overhit it

:41:02. > :41:08.that much. I still think he should have gone up for the blue.

:41:09. > :41:30.This is a strange choice, the spider. He could have run off the

:41:31. > :41:51.black the other side and come off the cushion.

:41:52. > :41:58.He will be opening the reds, so he will need a good cue ball.

:41:59. > :42:08.He has not got one. Hitting the baulk colour in the face. Never

:42:09. > :42:49.good. Right in the middle. I think he has

:42:50. > :43:10.a couple of reds that go to the left corner.

:43:11. > :43:23.They looked tight. It may go to the same pocket as the black. Obviously

:43:24. > :43:25.it does. He has finished low, not deliberately, I am sure, so he will

:43:26. > :43:43.be disturbing some reds here. He could have done without the flick

:43:44. > :43:47.on the blue. If he had, he would be nicely on the brown. You fancy him

:43:48. > :43:56.potting yellow but it is getting the rest between the blue and the white.

:43:57. > :43:58.It makes it awkward. The last thing you need on the vital pot is any

:43:59. > :44:22.distraction. He has to put all his attention into

:44:23. > :44:23.this pot. This could definitely be his last shot if he misses the

:44:24. > :44:58.yellow. He left the rest on the table and he

:44:59. > :45:07.has picked it up. As the yellow come to his rescue? REFEREE: Settle down,

:45:08. > :45:12.please. I do not think he has left anything, nothing that will tempt

:45:13. > :45:18.Ronnie. The safety shot, trying to get the cue ball in behind the

:45:19. > :45:23.green. That yellow for Joe Perry would have been no problem

:45:24. > :45:29.whatsoever, could he have put the rest in the normal position, but,

:45:30. > :45:34.awkward as it was, and how he missed it, he was lucky not to leave

:45:35. > :45:35.anything. He was lucky to have missed the yellow by so far, which

:45:36. > :45:58.is why he did not leave the red. There we go. The red to the left of

:45:59. > :46:01.the yellow is available. But, with Ronnie 39 points behind, pressure,

:46:02. > :46:22.he needs to get it. But not an easy red. Ronnie just

:46:23. > :46:30.smiling, I do not think he is smiling because he is happy. At the

:46:31. > :46:35.minute, Ronnie O'Sullivan looks like he needs to fall over the line. Oh,

:46:36. > :46:57.Joe. You feel this is what Ronnie was

:46:58. > :47:07.looking for, and ICC starter. -- and easy starter. He has landed perfect

:47:08. > :47:10.on the blue. He will have the red on the left-hand side cushion to

:47:11. > :47:24.contend with if he is going to win the frame and match at this visit.

:47:25. > :47:30.He needs to really focus here, Ronnie.

:47:31. > :47:36.He played that well. Almost straight. He forced it into the top

:47:37. > :47:59.cushion. A good positional shot. Joe Perry will be sitting there

:48:00. > :48:06.wondering if he will ever get back to the table. He will be hoping, as

:48:07. > :48:14.well, the red on the left-hand side cushion, the one that Ronnie just

:48:15. > :48:16.glanced at, could be his saviour. He will be pinning his hopes on the

:48:17. > :48:40.red. This is clever. He is purposefully

:48:41. > :48:44.playing for the yellow, to get it on its spot because if he can get on

:48:45. > :48:48.the yellow, it will be a nice cannon to disturb the red on the left-hand

:48:49. > :48:56.side cushion. Talking about looking four shots ahead.

:48:57. > :49:02.Having said that, he has not got the angle on the red to play for the

:49:03. > :49:08.yellow, which I think was in his mind.

:49:09. > :49:20.He has played for the yellow. It needs to slow down. He can get to

:49:21. > :49:30.the yellow. And off the yellow he can disturb the red. What a snooker

:49:31. > :49:31.brain this man has got. Well, just caught the red too thin. But to even

:49:32. > :49:49.think of it. Still three points adrift. Whoever

:49:50. > :49:51.puts this red, you feel, will win the frame. It will not be Ronnie at

:49:52. > :50:00.this visit. Not got the snooker. But it is safe

:50:01. > :51:05.enough. If he is playing the up and down he

:51:06. > :51:10.will have to avoid the double-kiss. I thought when he got down quick, I

:51:11. > :51:25.thought it is not as straightforward as that. Beware the double-kiss.

:51:26. > :51:31.Well, in making certain he did not get the double-kiss, he did not play

:51:32. > :51:38.the best safety. I do not think he has left a pot on but he could get

:51:39. > :51:45.the initiative here, in the tactical battle, Joe Perry. For me, whoever

:51:46. > :51:52.pots this red will win the frame. He might have rolled up the cue ball

:51:53. > :52:24.behind the pink. There is pressure on every shot Joe

:52:25. > :52:30.Perry plays. Every shot could be his last.

:52:31. > :52:43.Yes, the point of no return. And this is a big ask, to get this safe.

:52:44. > :52:47.You always think in these situations if you can leave distance between

:52:48. > :52:52.the cue ball and the object ball, it might make it too difficult for your

:52:53. > :53:11.opponent. But so many things can go wrong here.

:53:12. > :53:17.Well, under the circumstances, that is a pretty good shot. Just

:53:18. > :53:28.concentrating on making sure of getting the red say. -- save.

:53:29. > :53:41.He did not want a kiss on the blue. Can Joe get through to the potting

:53:42. > :53:46.angle? Just looking at his body language, maybe he can just hit

:53:47. > :53:53.enough of the red. No, he is playing safe.

:53:54. > :54:02.He avoided the kiss on pink and blue. But he has not got the

:54:03. > :54:09.snooker. He has got it safe. Ronnie will try to get the cue ball in

:54:10. > :54:14.behind green and brown. You feel if somebody could lay a snooker here,

:54:15. > :54:16.they would be a big favourite for the frame. Not quite the line, but a

:54:17. > :54:47.good length. Again, all he could do was

:54:48. > :54:58.concentrate on getting the object ball safe.

:54:59. > :55:11.Overhit it. This red does cut. It is thin. He may consider the safety the

:55:12. > :55:19.easier option, but it definitely cuts. The only problem, they cut so

:55:20. > :55:30.thin, if you missed it, you tend to leave it over the pocket. Where's

:55:31. > :55:52.the cue ball going? O. If it goes in, match over. Fractions.

:55:53. > :56:08.I think Ronnie caught that too thick, to say the least. I still

:56:09. > :56:10.maintain whoever potss this red wins this frame and Joe Perry is taking

:56:11. > :56:25.it on. Close. Is he going to leave it? I

:56:26. > :56:36.think he has. Has the brown come to his rescue? I don't think it has.

:56:37. > :56:45.He can pot that. Ronnie can get through to this red. So here is the

:56:46. > :57:08.chance. For frame and match. This yellow will make the points all

:57:09. > :57:24.square. He could have played it better.

:57:25. > :57:31.You would have to say for most of the tournament he has been far from

:57:32. > :57:43.his best but what he has shown is the phenomenal will to win. Once

:57:44. > :57:57.again, not the best positional shot. But a tremendous pot. The blue will

:57:58. > :58:02.put him 14 points in front with just 13 remaining.

:58:03. > :58:13.In it goes. He has developed the pink. This is a big moment for

:58:14. > :58:21.Ronnie to break Stephen Hendry's record of six Masters titles. He has

:58:22. > :58:29.taken the tip off. He did not like it. Joe Perry says congratulations.

:58:30. > :58:33.Joe Perry, boy, did he play hard tonight, absolutely brilliant. He

:58:34. > :58:37.knew in the middle of the match he did not perform as he would have

:58:38. > :58:42.liked. Ronnie O'Sullivan, takes the tip off and throws it to the floor.

:58:43. > :58:47.Puts his cue on the table but he will be delighted when he reflects

:58:48. > :58:53.on this because, for the seventh time, he is the Masters champion.

:58:54. > :59:05.Congratulations. There is younger Ronnie getting a hug. He beats Joe

:59:06. > :59:13.Perry 10-7. STUDIO: Ronnie is celebrating. Let me grab a word with

:59:14. > :59:16.our gallant runner-up. Joe, what a week, what a performance, you prove

:59:17. > :59:21.yourself this week with the fantastic run to the final and the

:59:22. > :59:25.way you performed. I proved a lot. I proved there is life left in me and

:59:26. > :59:30.it has given me believed to keep plugging away and try to win a big

:59:31. > :59:39.one. He is a tough man to stay in front of? I got him on a good day.

:59:40. > :59:43.He did not get into full flow. I lost my way at 4-1 and lost it a

:59:44. > :59:50.little bit. 8-4 down I thought sod it, and I will go for it again. I

:59:51. > :59:58.had my chances. Fair play to Ronnie. CHEERING. Joe, it has taken you 26

:59:59. > :00:06.years of your career to get to one of these finals. It has had me no

:00:07. > :00:10.end of taste. This crowd has been amazing and when I stand on those

:00:11. > :00:14.steps, every time my stomach goes, I feel sick, but it is a great feeling

:00:15. > :00:16.and that is what you take the game up for, nights like these. Joe

:00:17. > :00:28.Perry. CHEERING. Ladies and gentlemen, your winner

:00:29. > :00:35.for the seventh time, Ronnie, how tough did Joe make it for you today?

:00:36. > :00:41.Joe played a brilliant tournament. A really good match. He should have

:00:42. > :00:46.beaten me today. I really got lucky. He's going to come again and he's

:00:47. > :00:50.going to win tournaments. The way he's played, he's a tough, tough

:00:51. > :00:54.competitor. I'm just relieved to have got over the line. I've had a

:00:55. > :01:04.great week, the fans have been unbelievable. CHEERING

:01:05. > :01:10.I've really enjoyed the week. Today was a test. This whole week has been

:01:11. > :01:18.a test. Not just for snooker reasons... There's no one beside

:01:19. > :01:23.you, there's no one in front of you. It's just you out on your own with

:01:24. > :01:31.seven Masters titles now, that must be a wonderful feeling. CHEERING

:01:32. > :01:36.APPLAUSE Listen, it's great to get some

:01:37. > :01:41.records. There's still the World Championships to get. I'll try and

:01:42. > :01:50.make that one as well! Listen, when I was young I was just happy to have

:01:51. > :01:54.won one. To have won seven, someone must be up there looking after me.

:01:55. > :01:59.I'm not greedy, I just appreciate every opportunity I get to come out

:02:00. > :02:04.here and play in front of these fantastic people. Finally, ladies

:02:05. > :02:08.and gentlemen, I know that you will appreciate was about to happen.

:02:09. > :02:13.You're about to lift the Paul Hunter Trophy. You've done this in a

:02:14. > :02:18.comeback style Paul would have approved of. What kind of honour is

:02:19. > :02:23.that for you tonight? I won the Paul Hunter classic in Germany, that

:02:24. > :02:28.meant so much to me. A player of Paul's stature and what he did in

:02:29. > :02:32.the game, he deserves to have his name on a tournament like this.

:02:33. > :02:38.APPLAUSE He'll never be forgotten. All the

:02:39. > :02:43.players love him. If he's up there, you are there in our hearts and our

:02:44. > :02:46.minds and we'll love you. Well said, you are champion for a seventh time.

:02:47. > :02:57.Ronnie O'Sullivan. APPLAUSE Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome

:02:58. > :03:17.your presentation party. APPLAUSE Ladies and gentlemen, your

:03:18. > :03:23.runner-up, what a fantastic week it has been. Collecting a cheque for

:03:24. > :03:41.?90,000 and some fantastic memories, Joe Perry! APPLAUSE

:03:42. > :03:51.And the winner, receiving a cheque for ?200,000, the Trophy and the

:03:52. > :04:04.title 2017, Masters champion Ronnie O'Sullivan! APPLAUSE

:04:05. > :04:21.Once again, ladies and gen -- ladies and gentlemen, your champion Ronnie

:04:22. > :04:25.O'Sullivan! The 17th major title of his career, a seventh Masters.

:04:26. > :04:30.Ronnie confirming he's still got a seventh world title on his mind. He

:04:31. > :04:38.says he doesn't care about these records? A fantastic achievement. He

:04:39. > :04:41.now owns the outright lead in one of snooker's three major titles. He's

:04:42. > :04:47.been chasing you and Stephen Hendrie all of his career. This is a really

:04:48. > :04:52.significant moment for him. It proves how great a player he is. I

:04:53. > :04:55.know he what hasn't won as many were championships as Stephen Hendrie but

:04:56. > :05:01.in a modern-day error his five is a worthy record in itself. To win

:05:02. > :05:04.seven Masters, he's made this event his own. He's produced so much

:05:05. > :05:09.astonishing snooker in such an entertaining way as well. It was

:05:10. > :05:14.1999 the last time one of the snooker majors was owned outright.

:05:15. > :05:19.This is a serious point of history for the snooker watchers amongst us.

:05:20. > :05:24.Very much so, Hazel. It's fitting that is him. He's a local boy, his

:05:25. > :05:30.performances have been nothing short of spectacular. To be in 12 finals

:05:31. > :05:36.is an unbelievable record. He's an absolute class act. Despite the fact

:05:37. > :05:39.he wasn't at his best, and he wasn't today, his application and attitude

:05:40. > :05:46.has been spot-on. He was a deserved winner. The fact that he wasn't at

:05:47. > :05:49.his best, he's still capable of winning an event, augurs well for

:05:50. > :05:53.the future for Ronnie O'Sullivan should he wish to carry on playing.

:05:54. > :05:57.It's not like he's got to be fit to the floor all the time to win the

:05:58. > :06:01.events. He's still got something in the locker. That's a significant

:06:02. > :06:05.point. He started the week saying he wanted to be the Lionel Messi of

:06:06. > :06:08.snooker and he's entered it more or less the Roy Keane, that fearsome

:06:09. > :06:13.spirit coming through the whole time. You could tell by his shot

:06:14. > :06:18.selection this week, for people who play the game, refusing shots and

:06:19. > :06:22.playing the safety and waiting and being patient, trying to trap his

:06:23. > :06:27.opponent. He found the way to win this week and that was impressive.

:06:28. > :06:32.Does that bode well for the World Championships? I think so. The

:06:33. > :06:35.Masters seeking better. It's a shorter format and we'll struggle

:06:36. > :06:42.and have done in the past with the longer format. He can take a lot of

:06:43. > :06:47.confidence from this. As a joke, I asked whether it had given him a

:06:48. > :06:50.taste for more at the age of 42. What a fantastic landmark

:06:51. > :06:54.achievement for him to night. It makes two people to make a great

:06:55. > :06:59.final. Earlier when I said it toughened him up, I meant to say it

:07:00. > :07:03.made him more streetwise. His first major final, he had a fish on a hook

:07:04. > :07:10.and he let it go. When he looks back, he'll learn from that. The

:07:11. > :07:14.next snooker on the BBC is on BBC Two Wales from the 13th of February.

:07:15. > :07:21.It is the Welsh Open. Ronnie with another title to defend in Cardiff.

:07:22. > :07:25.Before you know it, The Crucible will be beckoning again. The 40th

:07:26. > :07:29.anniversary year of the World Championship in Sheffield. 15th of

:07:30. > :07:36.April is the start date for the annual 17 day marathon. That is it

:07:37. > :07:39.from Alexandra Palace and will leave you with Ronnie O'Sullivan in

:07:40. > :07:57.seventh heaven. Goodbye from us all here.

:07:58. > :08:57.The Robshaws are going back in time again.