Semi-Final: Joe Perry v Barry Hawkins

:00:34. > :00:36.What a fabulous atmosphere. What a thrill to walk into the arena to

:00:37. > :00:59.that reception. A fantastic pot. That is the shot of

:01:00. > :01:04.the tournament. It's there. It's been a fabulous semifinal. It would

:01:05. > :01:09.have graced any final, but in the end, Ronnie O'Sullivan, well, he was

:01:10. > :01:17.just brilliant and he goes on to beat Marco Fu by 6-4. He's in the

:01:18. > :01:21.final. Hello, Ronnie O'Sullivan is the talk of Alexandra Palace

:01:22. > :01:29.tonight, as he has been so often here, having booked his place in a

:01:30. > :01:35.12th masters final. The Masters exploded into life this afternoon,

:01:36. > :01:39.after what he considered the most amazing win of his career. The

:01:40. > :01:45.second semifinal this evening against another packed house will be

:01:46. > :01:50.between Joe Perry and Barry hawkins. Now both of these men are two of

:01:51. > :01:54.snooker's hardy annuals. They have been there or there abouts for many

:01:55. > :02:00.years. It was Barry Hawkins who got to the final here last year. He was

:02:01. > :02:04.beaten 10-1 on that occasion. It was a disappointing night for him. It

:02:05. > :02:06.should not be forgotten the brilliance of his run to get there

:02:07. > :02:27.in the first place. Unbelievable match. That what it

:02:28. > :02:31.means to Barry Hawkins. He's made three century breaks and it's nice

:02:32. > :02:37.to see the two boys having a chat there. He's reversed that result

:02:38. > :02:44.when he lost a couple of years ago, 6-5. He's a very popular winner.

:02:45. > :02:51.Barry Hawkins defeats Judd Trump by 6-4. Great match boys.

:02:52. > :02:59.His son is here again. So is the six times former masters winner himself

:03:00. > :03:05.Stephen Hendry. Barry Hawkins hadn't won a single game until he turned up

:03:06. > :03:10.last year. He's bidding for two finals in the row. He loves a big

:03:11. > :03:14.occasion. He's also done really well at The Crucible, the biggest

:03:15. > :03:19.tournament in our calendar. He obviously loves the big occasion and

:03:20. > :03:25.saves his best for these events. For world number nine Joe Perry, this is

:03:26. > :03:28.a hat-trick for him. He's in the semifinals of the World Championship

:03:29. > :03:32.and the United Kingdom champion and what does he need to do to take the

:03:33. > :03:36.last step into the final? I think all he can do is trust his own

:03:37. > :03:40.ability, believe that he's good enough. He obviously hasn't won any

:03:41. > :03:43.of the three majors, all he can do is go out, there trust his game is

:03:44. > :03:47.going to be good enough and hope that carries on through. He's

:03:48. > :03:55.conceded fewer frames than anybody, two in wins over Stuart Bingham and

:03:56. > :03:59.Ding Jun Wei. What's happened to him? I think two or three things,

:04:00. > :04:03.perhaps the fact there's no ranking points. He doesn't have to worry

:04:04. > :04:07.about that. If he loses in the first round he doesn't get any points.

:04:08. > :04:12.This venue is incredible. He's inspired to play well. Maybe he

:04:13. > :04:15.feels he's got nothing to lose. Talking about being disillusioned

:04:16. > :04:18.with the game and what he's going to do and he's inspired. He's played

:04:19. > :04:22.great stuff. We're really looking forward to this. This is the 11th

:04:23. > :04:25.big match between these great friends over 14 years. Ironically,

:04:26. > :04:28.Joe Perry was the first man that Barry Hawkins ever beat at the

:04:29. > :04:33.Masters, that was only last year in the first round here. It's the first

:04:34. > :04:36.time they've met in the rarefied semifinal atmosphere in any

:04:37. > :04:46.tournament. There'll be no old pals act this evening. My first dream was

:04:47. > :04:50.to play at the Masters. I saw Jimmy White walk out, it was my dream to

:04:51. > :04:55.get down there and play. I achieved that. Now you want to get better and

:04:56. > :04:59.better and achieve more, sort of, boyhood dreams. It will be difficult

:05:00. > :05:03.going out to play a good friend. Sometimes it creates a scrappy game.

:05:04. > :05:08.Hopefully we both play well and it doesn't go scrappy. Our

:05:09. > :05:14.personalities get on. We've just gelled. We talk about things,

:05:15. > :05:18.nothing, not always snooker. It's a semifinal. I'm still here. That's

:05:19. > :05:24.the main thing. As long as I'm still in it, I'll try my best. It would be

:05:25. > :05:27.unbelievable if I could go all the way. Barry's' tough match for

:05:28. > :05:30.everyone. He's been to the world final. He got to the final here last

:05:31. > :05:36.year. Everyone knows how good he is. Got to try and be better than him in

:05:37. > :05:39.all departments. You've had great scraps over the years with some of

:05:40. > :05:46.your friends, like a certain Mark Williams. Shall I mention the '9 8

:05:47. > :05:52.final, possibly not. I just roll my eyes! How difficult is it to play a

:05:53. > :05:56.friend? Difficult. Tonight's match could go two ways. They could either

:05:57. > :06:00.both fly out of their skin or be really scrappy. They're both in the

:06:01. > :06:04.practise room chatting to each other, I don't understand how people

:06:05. > :06:08.can be friendly. Never did that? No, don't do friends before a match.

:06:09. > :06:12.Especially a night like tonight. Once they're out here, they know

:06:13. > :06:17.what's at stake. The chance to play Ronnie O'Sullivan here tomorrow.

:06:18. > :06:21.There's one very nervous fellow the 1979 world champion Terry Griffiths.

:06:22. > :06:27.He's in Barry Hawkins' coaching corner. He's hoping his man makes to

:06:28. > :06:32.back-to-back finals tonight. Spending loads of time in the

:06:33. > :06:36.practice room and great success with Barry Hawkins. Yes, he's playing

:06:37. > :06:41.very well. He got to the final last year. He's having a good season this

:06:42. > :06:45.year. He's very easy to work with. I've been with him four or five

:06:46. > :06:49.years now. He's got everything in his game. He's a top four player. He

:06:50. > :06:56.can produce a top-four performance. But he isn't getting in the top four

:06:57. > :06:59.at this moment in time. I think his opponents, there's no doubt about

:07:00. > :07:05.it, don't underestimate him at any time. Technically, perhaps not so

:07:06. > :07:12.many changes, is it more of a mental thing you're working with him?

:07:13. > :07:17.Initially, when I started with Barry and we done a little bit then. It

:07:18. > :07:20.wasn't a lot, you know. His action is very, very consistent. He's got a

:07:21. > :07:25.lovely, smooth delivery through the ball. He comes back a long way. He

:07:26. > :07:29.doesn't make the ball go into the pocket too fast, as you know, it

:07:30. > :07:36.helps a lot then just to get through the corners of something. Most of it

:07:37. > :07:44.is mental now. We chat all the time. Arguably, you could have said he's

:07:45. > :07:48.too nice a guy. Have you made him harder, nastier? I wouldn't say

:07:49. > :07:52.that. He's a very competitive person. He's a nice guy, but once

:07:53. > :07:58.he's out there, he's very competitive. I feel that I help the

:07:59. > :08:01.players with most of the time is being with them at tournaments, when

:08:02. > :08:06.they need somebody just to chat to. If they're in a bad frame of mind

:08:07. > :08:09.coming off 3-1 down or something like that, I'm there to chat with

:08:10. > :08:16.them and watch them on the table and tell them, you know, that if they

:08:17. > :08:20.hit it bad, they know, I tell them. Then we do something, if they're

:08:21. > :08:24.hitting it good, I just leave it. He looks like he's got more belief.

:08:25. > :08:28.He's got more belief because he's playing better and having more

:08:29. > :08:31.success. Like you used to work with Terry, why is he such a good man to

:08:32. > :08:35.have in your corner, what does he do? The biggest advantage Terry has

:08:36. > :08:39.over other coaches, he's been there and done it. He's been in the pit,

:08:40. > :08:42.as it were. If you're in the dressing room and you want to moan

:08:43. > :08:45.about things, he knows exactly what you're going through. He must have

:08:46. > :08:49.done a fantastic job. We remember Barry Hawkins in the final last

:08:50. > :08:52.year, yet he came back to beat O'Sullivan a few months later. Part

:08:53. > :08:57.of the repair work done by Terry over the weeks? I think between

:08:58. > :09:00.Terry and Barry, you just think that you've been beaten by the better man

:09:01. > :09:04.on the day. That result doesn't happen too often. You get destroyed

:09:05. > :09:07.like, that just forget. It he did a good job. He came back and beat him

:09:08. > :09:12.at the world champion shns. He's eradicated the memory of the final

:09:13. > :09:16.last year. Ronnie O'Sullivan is waiting for one of them and MC rob

:09:17. > :09:20.Walker is waiting for both of them. Over to you.

:09:21. > :09:24.Good evening, ladies and gentleman, this is the very last session of

:09:25. > :09:29.snooker before tomorrow's final, the only question - which of the two

:09:30. > :09:34.best mates waiting back stage will be joining the Rocket in one of the

:09:35. > :09:37.sport's show piece show downs, it's time to find out!

:09:38. > :10:00.Please welcome a player bidding for his second successive Masters final.

:10:01. > :10:04.So far this week, he's beaten Shaun Murphy 6-#1, the reigning world

:10:05. > :10:09.champion, Mark Selby 6-3, twice a ranking event winner. He's poised

:10:10. > :10:16.and ready for this. Here comes the Hawk, Barry Hawkins!

:10:17. > :10:49.And his opponent, a player who finds himself in uncharted territory

:10:50. > :10:53.tonight, having never made it to the semis before. He's done so conceding

:10:54. > :10:58.only two frames so far this week. This is without doubt one of the

:10:59. > :11:02.biggest matches of his 26-year career. So please raise the roof for

:11:03. > :11:32.the gentleman, Joe Perry! STUDIO: Such an important occasion

:11:33. > :11:46.for both men. Watching this best of 11 frame semifinal, our commentary

:11:47. > :11:47.team. COMMENTATOR: Absolutely, this is a

:11:48. > :12:04.big night for both players. Well mistake straight away. I was

:12:05. > :12:08.just going to say with the reception they got coming in the arena, there

:12:09. > :12:14.will be a bit of nerves out there. Shown up almost immediately. Yeah

:12:15. > :12:16.absolutely. Understandable. Not the start Joe Perry would have liked. He

:12:17. > :12:33.has a wry smile on his face. A half chance for Barry Hawkins. We

:12:34. > :12:42.might see a little bit of this. On the form both players have played to

:12:43. > :12:45.get to this stage, it's been of top quality. He haven't missed many of

:12:46. > :12:52.these in the previous couple of matches.

:12:53. > :12:53.Great atmosphere. Wonderful arena and great reception for both players

:12:54. > :13:01.coming down those stairs. Let's have a rerack and start again,

:13:02. > :13:24.shall we? He's left a possibility of this red

:13:25. > :13:34.to the corner. Barry seeing if he can get to the red by the black into

:13:35. > :13:36.the right middle. He'll be thinking he was entitled to an easier

:13:37. > :13:56.opportunity than this. So Joe Perry, even though he made a

:13:57. > :13:58.bad break of shot, missed a fairly easy mid-distance red has got a good

:13:59. > :14:04.chance here. Won't keep missing them, that's for

:14:05. > :14:27.sure. He's tried to get on the black

:14:28. > :14:34.there. It's a good pot. But just didn't get enough topspin that he

:14:35. > :14:48.needed to go over a few more inches. Good pot. Being a right-hander as

:14:49. > :15:14.well, it's on his side of the table. If he could get the cue ball

:15:15. > :15:22.somewhere in the vicinity of the little white circle there.

:15:23. > :15:33.He can screw the cue ball across the left-hand side of the table now.

:15:34. > :15:38.This will certainly help his cause getting the black back on his spot.

:15:39. > :15:51.Fortunate there. Another day that could have ruined

:15:52. > :15:59.position completely. He played to go past that red.

:16:00. > :16:08.It didn't affect the positional side. This these type of matches,

:16:09. > :16:11.where there's a lot at stake, it's always good to get off to a good

:16:12. > :16:27.start, get your hand on the table, make a sizeable break.

:16:28. > :16:34.It didn't go into the heart of the pocket that black. It's just hit the

:16:35. > :16:36.left jaw. Not too bad on this red. He can use the red and bring more

:16:37. > :16:59.reds into play here. Didn't expect that one. The black

:17:00. > :17:03.had struggled in previously. That's why he was low on this red. He's not

:17:04. > :17:36.settled just yet, hasn't Joe. He's done pretty well there. It's

:17:37. > :17:42.never that easy when the ball's in the jaws of the pocket and

:17:43. > :17:45.particularly - there you go! That could have dropped on the table and

:17:46. > :17:51.knocked all the balls everywhere. Did well to get on the black as good

:17:52. > :17:56.as this. Joe Perry had his chance. Didn't

:17:57. > :18:16.make the most of. It -- of it. What can Barry do with him?

:18:17. > :18:22.Only the one loose red to play for at the moment. I think he may play

:18:23. > :18:23.for that. He could play the yellow and come off the side cushion into

:18:24. > :18:34.them. Early on, if it were in a later

:18:35. > :18:37.frame, he may have played that cannon. Now he needs a good angle on

:18:38. > :18:41.the black. This is the last of the obvious

:18:42. > :18:46.reds. There's one loose from the cluster

:18:47. > :18:48.that might be on to the left middle. Good angle on the black to try to

:18:49. > :19:02.bring them all into play. Need to push the cue threw smooth on

:19:03. > :19:08.that -- through smooth on that type of shot. He's not perfect on this

:19:09. > :19:19.black. A little bit too close to the cushion for comfort.

:19:20. > :19:35.He can just roll it in dead weight, I suppose.

:19:36. > :19:45.I think he's just OK for the outside red.

:19:46. > :19:51.I think it's the extreme left one. Maybe he is on this one. It looks

:19:52. > :19:58.tight. Yeah, good pot. Excellent shot. Again not the best angle. He

:19:59. > :20:07.may be able to force the black in. Imperative he gets a good angle on

:20:08. > :20:40.the black. He's got an horrendous kick there.

:20:41. > :20:44.You can see it bounce. Your worse fears when you're playing a shot

:20:45. > :20:49.like that. If he can come off the top cushion and cannon the right

:20:50. > :21:00.hand red. Then he'll be back in prime position.

:21:01. > :21:09.Not exactly as played. But he's on a red.

:21:10. > :21:18.He's got a lovely angle on this red. Just got to make sure of the pot.

:21:19. > :21:30.The cue ball will be going through the pack of reds.

:21:31. > :21:54.The pink didn't come in, but he'll be happy with that.

:21:55. > :22:00.That black puts Barry now 13 points in the lead. He can win this frame

:22:01. > :22:01.without worrying about that red that's close to the right-hand side

:22:02. > :22:20.cushion. Having said that, I'm not certain

:22:21. > :22:29.whether the red that's close up to the pink is available.

:22:30. > :22:37.He has brought it into play. He's on the red. The three reds, three

:22:38. > :22:55.colours he needs. He's got the three reds in the open.

:22:56. > :23:39.Yeah, excellent pot. Held nicely for the black.

:23:40. > :23:47.Joe's going to need that red near the right cushion.

:23:48. > :23:53.Tried to bring it into play-off that shot, but didn't get the angle.

:23:54. > :24:09.He'll play for the red near the cushion now, off the blue.

:24:10. > :24:31.Good pot. Never easy playing at that pace. He may just have the angle on

:24:32. > :24:41.the brown. Just wondering, he's looking there,

:24:42. > :24:46.indicating with his cue, he may Troy and leave the cue ball just below

:24:47. > :24:54.the blue and leave the double on the red.

:24:55. > :25:02.That's exactly where he would have wanted to put the cue ball. I always

:25:03. > :25:11.worry about double, if you don't go in, which jaw do you leave it on.

:25:12. > :25:44.Two points in it. A very tight opening frame.

:25:45. > :25:51.Could use the black here to try and knock the red onto the black and

:25:52. > :25:53.leave the red somewhere that the black isn't, bring the cue ball back

:25:54. > :26:00.up. He's played this pretty good. Yes,

:26:01. > :26:18.excellent shot. At first glance, I think the brown

:26:19. > :26:21.is stopping him coming down the left-hand side, as he looks. That

:26:22. > :26:30.brown just stopping the natural angle. It's coming down the

:26:31. > :26:32.left-hand side as we look. He wanted to hit it off two cushions not one.

:26:33. > :26:46.He's left it. Just trying to get the cue ball, he

:26:47. > :26:53.won't be holding for black here, somewhere up towards the blue.

:26:54. > :27:00.A little bit of movement in the crowd. This is virtually frame ball

:27:01. > :27:11.you would have to say. Good pot. He's nicely on a ball

:27:12. > :27:31.colour. They wouldn't have enjoyed the

:27:32. > :27:35.opening exchanges of this first frame, but what an important frame

:27:36. > :27:41.it is for either player, just to settle the nerves. Yeah and all the

:27:42. > :27:49.mistakes that you make in the frame are easily forgotten if you win it.

:27:50. > :28:06.Up to and including the blue. To get to the snookers required stage.

:28:07. > :28:16.So just the blue to go 16 points in front. Just 13 remaining.

:28:17. > :28:20.He's overscrewed it slightly. You want to pot the pink. He won't want

:28:21. > :28:21.to give Barry Hawkins the chance of getting that snooker if he can help

:28:22. > :28:51.it. But in goes the pink. Barry Hawkins

:28:52. > :28:54.didn't punish him. 1-0. STUDIO: A little nervy. A few

:28:55. > :28:58.fingers and thumbs from both players, literally. Your assessment

:28:59. > :29:04.of the occasion and how the two of them look like they're feeling on

:29:05. > :29:08.such a big occasion? I think it's a tough one for both of them. They

:29:09. > :29:13.have a carrot dangled in front of them of tomorrow, a massive

:29:14. > :29:17.occasion. Obviously two great friends. As I said, start of the

:29:18. > :29:20.first frame was scrappy. I think it will improve. There'll be more,

:29:21. > :29:24.because they've both been scoring well this week. There'll be more

:29:25. > :29:29.frames won in one visit. It will be interesting to see if it goes 4-4,

:29:30. > :29:33.how nervy it gets. Yeah and also, whilst they're great champions,

:29:34. > :29:36.perhaps they haven't been in as many finals and final stages at the

:29:37. > :29:40.Masters and big events as some of the players in this tournament.

:29:41. > :29:43.Sometimes there's an expectation on you to produce a good match,

:29:44. > :29:47.especially after the other semifinal was a good one. That's not the best

:29:48. > :29:50.way to come into the match. You should just be really focussed on

:29:51. > :29:54.your own performance. If there's any part of you starts to think, oh,

:29:55. > :29:57.we're not making this a spectacle, that's not the right frame of mind

:29:58. > :30:01.to be in. It's a long time to think about this. I saw Barry Hawkins

:30:02. > :30:04.before the start of the first semifinal chatting away to him in

:30:05. > :30:08.the press lounge, he was here long before that as well. He's been here

:30:09. > :30:14.since about 12pm. It's a long time to wait for your match. Of the two

:30:15. > :30:16.of them, I think Barry would love another chance at O'Sullivan after

:30:17. > :30:19.what happened last year. Absolutely. We talked at the beginning of the

:30:20. > :30:25.programme about how he rebounded after that. Pretty demoralising

:30:26. > :30:28.defeat to O'Sullivan, 10-1 and beat him at The Crucible, first time for

:30:29. > :30:38.many years and says he's learned a lot from that experience.

:30:39. > :30:48.COMMENTATOR: This one in the right corner, they are letting people in,

:30:49. > :30:52.the stewards. OK, it was between frames, but... Once the frame

:30:53. > :31:01.started, they should not be allowed back into the arena. Type of pot

:31:02. > :31:09.that both of these players would expect to get...

:31:10. > :31:23.The black is out of commission, at the moment. A straight red, in the

:31:24. > :31:30.pink to the right middle committee did not want to take it. -- he did

:31:31. > :31:36.not want to take it. He would be disappointed with that safety. It

:31:37. > :31:43.shows you, he does not feel like he wants to take an undue risk here. I

:31:44. > :31:46.thought that in his last match against Mark Selby. I do not know

:31:47. > :31:52.whether it was a game plan, but don't push the boat out too often,

:31:53. > :32:02.and offer up easy chances. Yes, she played very well, made dividends --

:32:03. > :32:08.he played very well. Part of it is getting a good cue ball, but now...

:32:09. > :32:13.Should be over towards the yellow side of the table. Trying to block

:32:14. > :32:17.any safety shot down the right-hand side of the table, that

:32:18. > :32:21.straightforward. Could try, for Barry here, to have a cue ball, off

:32:22. > :32:30.the cushions, between the yellow and the brown.

:32:31. > :32:41.Again, a little light with the cue ball. Yes, looking for the baulk

:32:42. > :32:53.cushion, did not reach the baulk line. A misjudgement. But, it's the

:32:54. > :32:58.only thing that would tempt him to go for the pot. This one on the near

:32:59. > :33:05.cushion, he would not fancy that. It is a possible cut. It seems that he

:33:06. > :33:10.will play safe, swing it around, be careful not to make contact with the

:33:11. > :33:17.blue office... Missing it quite comfortably but catching the yellow.

:33:18. > :33:49.His hand was on the table. APPLAUSE

:33:50. > :33:53.If you leave your opponent with his hand on the table... You are asking

:33:54. > :34:17.for trouble! A good pot, nevertheless...

:34:18. > :34:23.I do not think it's going to be the best of chances, even if the pink

:34:24. > :34:28.doesn't go off its own spot. It comes separately, but that is out of

:34:29. > :34:35.commission now really, as is the black. He's only got baulk and blue

:34:36. > :34:44.colours to play with... Going to be difficult to win a frame,

:34:45. > :34:49.particularly with how the reds R. In these kinds of situations, you have

:34:50. > :34:51.to concentrate. Don't think about winning the frame but accumulate

:34:52. > :35:14.points, and build up a useful lead. That was an excellent positional

:35:15. > :35:17.shot, when potting this red, he will open the black, knocking it away

:35:18. > :35:27.from the black comedy black will be on there. Perfect! Just but one shot

:35:28. > :35:35.changing. One perfect positional shot... Now, the black is in play,

:35:36. > :35:42.only available into one corner but it helps having a high value colour

:35:43. > :35:53.available. Certainly, making his task a lot easier. A fantastic

:35:54. > :35:59.positional shot. This could pot... There could be enough room. It looks

:36:00. > :36:05.like in this bottom left-hand corner pocket, and the two rates below the

:36:06. > :36:28.pink. Perhaps both of those could pot? -- and those two reds.

:36:29. > :36:51.Just around the cue ball slightly, but it is still OK.

:36:52. > :36:56.He just slipped the red... Still, a nice clean pot on the black. It

:36:57. > :37:47.looks to have settled now. We had a look earlier at the red to

:37:48. > :37:51.the left of the pink, a pot into the left centre. He's looking at the

:37:52. > :37:58.school board, trying to work out how many he needs. He's doing his

:37:59. > :38:03.calculations to work out how many reds and high value colours he will

:38:04. > :38:07.need before his partner, Joe Perry, will have

:38:08. > :38:15.to snooker. You can only think that he was thinking about that. Playing

:38:16. > :38:19.that positional black to bring those couple of reds into play, but he

:38:20. > :38:25.does not have the angle to do that. He's looking to see that red to the

:38:26. > :38:29.left middle... It does not look like it, but we will soon know. He thinks

:38:30. > :38:54.it is. I'm not sure. Playing it nicely. Just addressing

:38:55. > :39:02.the cue ball on the right-hand side. Flicking the side onto it.

:39:03. > :39:10.This is a pretty good break so far. When he came to the table, as you

:39:11. > :39:15.rightly said, John, it did not look like a frame-winning opportunity but

:39:16. > :39:20.that one positional shot from the brown has opened up the entire game

:39:21. > :39:26.for him. Let's have another look. It was pinpoint, wasn't it? Inch

:39:27. > :39:31.perfect. Bringing the black into play, and making this potential

:39:32. > :39:35.frame-winning clearance, or contribution, possible. But he still

:39:36. > :39:53.needs a red colour, and one more red. It's not a formality...

:39:54. > :40:06.Slightly out of position. He does not have great angle on this

:40:07. > :40:09.black... That's a wonderful shot! Excellent. APPLAUSE

:40:10. > :40:25.He could not have played it much better. He is left-handed. 68 points

:40:26. > :40:43.as the lead. This red could help Joe Perry...

:40:44. > :40:59.Having to work hard for this break, it has been fantastic.

:41:00. > :41:09.Brilliant! As soon as he hit sitcom he's walking after it. He has that

:41:10. > :41:13.nice angle on the blue. He can bring a couple of these reds into play, if

:41:14. > :41:20.he gets the cannon, but he took his eye off the blue. It was a terrific

:41:21. > :41:23.break from Barry Hawkins, it really was top drawer. He's levelled the

:41:24. > :42:39.match. Should be settled in... COMMENTATOR: There is the history of

:42:40. > :42:43.Barry Hawkins... Thank you, third frame, Joe Perry to break. He would

:42:44. > :42:48.love to be in that final tomorrow, Joe Perry. But he's got other things

:42:49. > :42:56.on his mind... It's one frame apiece now. All play should have settled.

:42:57. > :43:03.You don't really settle until you get that first frame onto the board.

:43:04. > :43:04.Barry Hawkins will be feeling better after that last break on that last

:43:05. > :43:28.frame. If the red which is closest to the

:43:29. > :43:34.black does not pot into this bottom left-hand corner pocket, then this

:43:35. > :43:46.may be worth taking on, this red here... Argh, a lovely shot.

:43:47. > :43:58.Great cueing, a lovely angle on the black, nudging the red. This looks

:43:59. > :44:14.pretty close... Just having to nudge it slightly. It's becoming a bit of

:44:15. > :44:20.a poisoned chalice. It's funny, a lot the lads, if they win the toss,

:44:21. > :44:23.they will put their opponents into break off, and the old way would

:44:24. > :44:31.have been breaking off if you win the toss, but... It seems to have

:44:32. > :44:41.changed over the years. Here is the break. Not that bad. It's just

:44:42. > :44:48.bounced off the baulk cushion an inch or two. When you saw that the

:44:49. > :44:53.red, just above the black, was available, it was a brave shot for

:44:54. > :46:00.Barry to take on. A little thin on the green, more so

:46:01. > :46:09.than he would like, but he won't miss this opportunity to pot green,

:46:10. > :46:15.going into that cluster of reds... No. The problem is, when you play it

:46:16. > :46:19.with that much pace committee don't have chance for the screw to take

:46:20. > :46:23.effect, which is why he was not close enough to the middle pocket.

:46:24. > :46:28.You need to be closer. The side did not have much chance to take effect

:46:29. > :46:37.but he was playing at that pace, to bring that redinto the open.

:46:38. > :46:41.Nevertheless, it's a big target and he would be disappointed that he

:46:42. > :47:16.missed the cannon. And he will be disappointed with the safety, too.

:47:17. > :47:32.He can play for the pink, or drop it in. Try and hole for the black...

:47:33. > :47:44.This is going to be close to the corner pocket. Ooh... That will be a

:47:45. > :47:51.little shock to the system for Joe Perry there. He is a tremendous

:47:52. > :48:00.potter. It got close to the other corner, the one that he did not play

:48:01. > :48:14.on. This will pot. It is a thin cut, but it goes. Did not attempt it...

:48:15. > :48:20.It's a pretty good safety. Covering that escaped down the left-hand side

:48:21. > :48:32.of the table. If he's trying to get baulk of this, be wary of that

:48:33. > :48:37.double-kiss... All things considered, a good shot. OK, not on

:48:38. > :48:38.the baulk line, but he was in a spot of bother there, Joe... He played it

:48:39. > :49:33.well. I don't think Barry will be playing

:49:34. > :49:39.the pot on this committee is looking close to where the red will go,

:49:40. > :49:42.sending the cue ball back to the baulk end but there's always the

:49:43. > :49:44.chance that you can knock it into the left-hand corner. Running into

:49:45. > :50:01.the black... Decent enough safety. As you can

:50:02. > :50:07.see, Joe can get the red on the left-hand side of the table, as he

:50:08. > :50:11.looks as we do... If he catches it just right, there's a chance of him

:50:12. > :50:18.getting in behind the yellow. A little too full committee catches

:50:19. > :50:19.the bother-macro colours. If you leave with the hand on the table,

:50:20. > :50:40.you have the chance of a pot. -- the baulk colours. Important safety

:50:41. > :50:41.players, a bigger part of the game. Catching the baulk players and

:50:42. > :50:59.leaving those opportunities... This looks to be a better safety.

:51:00. > :51:05.Much better. That's what's going to happen. Your opponent keeps touching

:51:06. > :51:10.those, you don't put pressure on him. And it makes it easier for him

:51:11. > :51:15.to play a more aggressive safety shot. And put you in trouble. You

:51:16. > :51:23.need to get that passed the baulk line is close to the top cushion as

:51:24. > :51:30.possible. Looking at the safety success, both are at 67%, for Barry

:51:31. > :52:16.Hawkins, well, 62% at the moment for Joe Perry.

:52:17. > :52:22.I'm just wondering whether he will have a go at this red into the

:52:23. > :52:44.left-centre. He certainly will now... Not entertaining it.

:52:45. > :52:49.He may have been forced to play a pot here. He could play at, and he

:52:50. > :52:56.knows that he would be catching the black. The reason I mention it, I do

:52:57. > :53:03.not see an easy safety. There's no reason why he should not play the

:53:04. > :53:07.pot on the red. He can catch the black which would keep the cue ball

:53:08. > :53:21.on the left-hand side of the table. Taking it on... Ooh! Nobody could

:53:22. > :53:25.have foreseen that. So unlucky. That's exactly what he thought, the

:53:26. > :53:31.cue ball would go back up the table to hit the black perfectly to fly

:53:32. > :53:52.into the corner... I'm lucky. -- it's unlucky.

:53:53. > :53:59.Barry Hawkins had the option of putting Joe Perry back in, he

:54:00. > :54:05.fancies this possible pot, get on the yellow and brown... It would be

:54:06. > :54:16.a fluke if it went in. Catching it much to thin... Has the blue come to

:54:17. > :54:28.his rescue? Not quite. Touch on the left-hand side. No problem bending

:54:29. > :54:36.it around the blue. The problem was that he courted too full -- caught

:54:37. > :54:40.it too full, which is why the cue ball did not go as far up the table

:54:41. > :54:52.as he would have liked. Knew it immediately, looking at the pink.

:54:53. > :54:58.This is the test... For such a difficult shot committee got down to

:54:59. > :55:02.play it very quickly. -- for such a difficult shot, he got down to play

:55:03. > :55:06.it very quickly. It's difficult to come across, you have two hit it

:55:07. > :55:29.with some pace, taking the cue ball away from the cushion.

:55:30. > :55:34.Not quite sure whether the red to the right of the black will pot, if

:55:35. > :55:49.it does committee if it does, he could get on it here.

:55:50. > :55:56.That shot would tell me that the red does pot, but you wouldn't be able

:55:57. > :56:04.to from that position... Touching ball... It does not matter, as long

:56:05. > :56:15.as the red that he is touching does not move... The alternative is to

:56:16. > :56:20.the right, middle. He's not finished perfect. Stretching slightly. He

:56:21. > :56:31.needs to get some cue power into this. Striking the ball very well,

:56:32. > :56:33.doesn't he? Barry. Especially over the last few seasons, I think that

:56:34. > :56:42.he has improved enormously. Sorry, Barry. It's the commentator's

:56:43. > :57:31.curse! It went into the right-hand side of

:57:32. > :57:41.the pocket, as we look here, he's not on the black. A let off for

:57:42. > :57:50.Barry Hawkins. Trying to put the cue ball behind the yellow and brown

:57:51. > :57:59.here... It is a big target. Very good. Very good. He will be

:58:00. > :58:07.disappointed that it was not on the black. It was a good opportunity

:58:08. > :58:09.there. Possible to cushion and escape here, but as long as you can

:58:10. > :58:32.miss the black... Miss, Joe Perry four. It is a long

:58:33. > :58:48.way down, but the first one is like a guide. He will readjust it now.

:58:49. > :58:55.Quite conscious of hitting the black. He is going pretty close off

:58:56. > :58:59.the top cushion. And he is conscious that he does not want to hit this

:59:00. > :59:07.red half ball. He has had a couple of goes, he's not really been that

:59:08. > :59:12.close. I suppose that he could get closer this time... And he did.

:59:13. > :59:18.But... Now, is he going to leave a free ball? If he does... If it is a

:59:19. > :59:24.snooker, I would be inclined to let him play from that position. The

:59:25. > :59:29.reason that I say that is that he's already had three attempt at the two

:59:30. > :59:33.cushion escape, from where that is now it would be very difficult. What

:59:34. > :59:39.about the free ball, would it leave the cue ball tied to the brown? I

:59:40. > :59:51.think it is tough enough for me... I would make him play it from there.

:59:52. > :59:57.The free ball has been called, of course. Joe has the option committee

:59:58. > :00:03.-- Joe has the option, he can make Barry play from the original

:00:04. > :00:16.position, or the position that it is in.

:00:17. > :00:29.Could be back in the same place here. Foul, a mess. -- mess. No

:00:30. > :00:33.prize for what he's going to do here... He will be playing it from

:00:34. > :00:59.there, yes. APPLAUSE First thing he's got to avoid is the

:01:00. > :01:02.green. Well he's done that. Oh, this looks

:01:03. > :01:26.a good line. I think I'd be inclined to play the

:01:27. > :01:31.one along the top cushion to the right corner. Then just play a

:01:32. > :01:32.little cannon on the cushion, double kiss and it bring you out for the

:01:33. > :01:51.black. Played it well. Yeah, good call,

:01:52. > :02:08.John. Played the double kiss. A clever little shot he played there.

:02:09. > :02:15.Watch the double kiss. Just to bring the cue ball back out for the black.

:02:16. > :02:45.Nicely played. This black will put Joe four points

:02:46. > :02:48.in front. If he were to get three remaining reds with blacks that

:02:49. > :02:54.would take him to the snookers required stage. He's opted to play

:02:55. > :02:58.for this one along the top cushion. We've seen so many times how

:02:59. > :03:01.difficult they are. If they're tight to the cushion you feel as though

:03:02. > :03:12.they cling. When they're like this, you've got to be so accurate.

:03:13. > :03:17.APPLAUSE That's a fantastic shot at that

:03:18. > :03:29.pace. He's going to need another good

:03:30. > :03:36.positional shot from his next colour. Yes and also because he

:03:37. > :03:43.can't get on the black off this red, he's going to have to go for the

:03:44. > :03:48.blue. He's decided he can stay on the black Hmmm. Well, he knows what

:03:49. > :03:55.the score is. Left himself the difficult black. So

:03:56. > :04:31.every credit. Could be still a little bit of time

:04:32. > :04:39.left in this frame, the way the colours are situated.

:04:40. > :04:47.Didn't go into the middle of the pocket. Nearly a case of taking it

:04:48. > :04:51.for grabted. Just -- granted. Just roll the black in and play it safe,

:04:52. > :04:55.nearly missed the black! One snooker required.

:04:56. > :05:27.That's not a bad idea. Your opponent needs a snooker. You get in first.

:05:28. > :05:32.Joe will be wary here, with the pink and brown where they r, and the

:05:33. > :06:00.green, not being too far from the side cushion.

:06:01. > :06:08.He's got to be careful here. He wants to try and put the cue ball

:06:09. > :06:12.behind the black. If he sends the yellow up and down the table, he's

:06:13. > :06:20.got to avoid the double kiss at all costs.

:06:21. > :06:58.If he misses the green, it will be a snooker. Good shot.

:06:59. > :07:45.Just happy to hit that. OK he thought about getting behind the

:07:46. > :07:51.green, but it was always going to be difficult.

:07:52. > :08:02.Two snookers required if he gets the yellow. Good, solid pot.

:08:03. > :08:08.Quick glance at Barry there. I think he will now think this frame is

:08:09. > :08:13.gone, particularly if this goes in. Yes.

:08:14. > :08:22.Good signs that Joe Perry is settling down.

:08:23. > :08:29.It all came from that snooker and that lovely shot earlier that he

:08:30. > :08:33.played, the double kiss to keep the break going. He's certainly potted

:08:34. > :08:37.some fantastic - and there's another one! Started off a bit slow, but

:08:38. > :08:52.it's starting to hot up now. Excellent. Barry Hawkins sits in his

:08:53. > :08:55.chair. Joe Perry takes the lead. STUDIO: He's playing with such

:08:56. > :09:01.freedom from yellow to pink there, clearing up the colours. That was a

:09:02. > :09:04.nice end to a cagey, nervy frame. Yes, we've discussed Marco Fu and

:09:05. > :09:08.how well he's been playing. We've put that down to his work with Wayne

:09:09. > :09:12.Griffiths and the fact he won an event in Scotland. We talked about

:09:13. > :09:16.the fact that Barry Hawkins has been working with Terry Griffiths. We

:09:17. > :09:21.don't know the solution for Joe Perry. He looks to be doing very

:09:22. > :09:25.well. Weirdly enough, he had poor form. He was shtum pd in the

:09:26. > :09:34.championship league. He got to the final of the world open earlier this

:09:35. > :09:37.summer, but really nothing and no expectations coming here at all.

:09:38. > :09:40.Maybe that's the secret, no expectation. Then nothing can go

:09:41. > :09:48.wrong because you won't be disappointed. Yeah, it's like first

:09:49. > :09:53.game of golf of the season. No expectations of playing well, and

:09:54. > :09:55.you normally play well. No expectation here, inspired by the

:09:56. > :10:01.arena, the competition and nothing to lose. At age 42, he's looked

:10:02. > :10:05.around and seen Barry reach the World Championships, another friend

:10:06. > :10:08.Stuart Bingham win the title. He's their contemporary. He's been around

:10:09. > :10:11.a long time. You look at your friends achieving things, they're

:10:12. > :10:15.climbing the top of the mountain, does it spur you on? Does it give

:10:16. > :10:20.you a chup on the shoulder, why aren't I dog that sort of thing? It

:10:21. > :10:24.can do. From Joe Perry's perspective, he's always known he's

:10:25. > :10:27.been a top 16 player for long enough and probably has belief. Perhaps

:10:28. > :10:32.it's nice every now and again to get a couple of matches under your belt

:10:33. > :10:39.and it inspires you. As inspiration goes, getting to the semifinals of

:10:40. > :10:43.the Masters as good as it gets. One more and into uncharted territory.

:10:44. > :10:44.The world number nine leads as we head into the last before the

:10:45. > :10:57.interval. COMMENTATOR: Not a bad break-off

:10:58. > :10:59.shot. This is not left a red that is too easy. But they seem to knock

:11:00. > :11:11.them in for fun these days. Hit that on the wrong side. May have

:11:12. > :11:17.left this red, if it runs on a little bit. And he has. About the

:11:18. > :11:22.only red he could leave was the one he was playing. It's gone all round

:11:23. > :11:33.the table and finished plum for this right corner.

:11:34. > :11:51.Just looking at the red above the black, thinking a few shots ahead

:11:52. > :12:05.here. He'll be very wary here that if the

:12:06. > :12:09.black, if he plays for the black and it doesn't go back on its own spot,

:12:10. > :12:11.it would be on the pink spot possibly and be tied up. He will be

:12:12. > :12:24.careful here. He's gone up for the blue. He's

:12:25. > :12:35.perfect on the blue to play for the red just above the black.

:12:36. > :12:46.Got into that too much. Been a bit fortunate.

:12:47. > :12:54.When I say fortunate, when potting this, he needs to leave a nice angle

:12:55. > :13:05.on the black. That will nudge the red away from the black spot.

:13:06. > :13:18.Only needed the slightest touch on the red. He'll have to go up for

:13:19. > :13:37.possibly the blue here. Not quite sure, he came around to

:13:38. > :13:41.have a look at the red below the pink a couple of times. Not sure

:13:42. > :13:46.whether he'll go into the pack here. If he could play the blue and just

:13:47. > :13:51.miss the pink on the right-hand side, cannon into it, not at great

:13:52. > :13:57.pace, he'd have the red below the pink to the left middle. In the end

:13:58. > :14:00.he's decided to play for the red below the pink into the right

:14:01. > :14:10.corner. To me, it was a chance to open a few. It's not all the pocket

:14:11. > :14:30.available for this red. He's come up a bit short for that.

:14:31. > :14:39.He's still potting them. But it's getting more difficult now. Doesn't

:14:40. > :14:43.have a nice angle on the yellow. He may take the brown. Not quite sure

:14:44. > :14:46.what his next red is going to be. Unless he tries to disturb a few.

:14:47. > :14:55.It's going to be very difficult from this position.

:14:56. > :15:01.I think if he had the choice again, I think your choice would have been

:15:02. > :15:04.the right shot, to pot the blue and maybe just go into the right-hand

:15:05. > :15:11.side of the pack, try and miss the pink.

:15:12. > :15:24.He's out of position now. He needs a good shot from here.

:15:25. > :15:32.Not certain what red he's going to play on here. Oh, he's missed the

:15:33. > :15:50.yellow. What did he play for? Is the red two down from the pink

:15:51. > :16:00.available? Can Joe to get to it? -- can Joe get to it? The answer's no.

:16:01. > :16:12.That's such a poor shot really. It really is. I mean, you're that close

:16:13. > :16:38.to the reds. Not to get near the cushion is unforgiveable.

:16:39. > :16:44.So strong at that particular shot. Any time you leave your opponent,

:16:45. > :16:48.and Joe Perry will be kicking himself in that chair, any time you

:16:49. > :16:50.leave your opponent with his hand on the table and the possibility of a

:16:51. > :17:18.pot you expect him to get it. Maybe on the red into the yellow

:17:19. > :17:22.pocket. There may be a red at the bottom of the pack that pots. How

:17:23. > :17:26.more reds didn't come out of that with that pace. Yeah, seemed to be a

:17:27. > :17:39.heavy contact. He's taking this one on. He's got

:17:40. > :17:40.it. APPLAUSE

:17:41. > :17:54.that could be the frame winner. A lovely little shot. Knew where the

:17:55. > :18:03.cue ball was going. The contact on the pink was perfect.

:18:04. > :18:09.If Joe's going to win this match, he's got to pot like he did in the

:18:10. > :18:13.last frame. But his safety has to improve as well. You can't be giving

:18:14. > :18:29.Barry Hawkins chances like that. Just looked at the safety statistic

:18:30. > :18:33.there. Some of the stats don't tell the true tale. The point is about

:18:34. > :18:38.that safety shot that Joe Perry had, I mean it wasn't as if he was tight

:18:39. > :18:46.against the cushion. He was close to them. Not to find the cushion, at

:18:47. > :18:53.the time, it was unforgiveable. It just shows you. It looks as if it's

:18:54. > :19:01.going to cost him the frame, just by not concentrating hard enough. There

:19:02. > :19:04.he was. Not far from the reds. Hit them so thick he only just made the

:19:05. > :19:12.line. You might say well, how could you

:19:13. > :19:16.accuse someone of lacking concentration at a big moment like

:19:17. > :19:20.this? Because you just drop your guard for a second.

:19:21. > :19:43.Switch your light off there, please. Yeah, this pink, would give him 62

:19:44. > :19:57.with 67 left on. Would require one more red.

:19:58. > :20:10.This red will put him 63 in front with 59 remaining.

:20:11. > :20:23.Joe's sitting there pondering. Looks for all the world now we're going to

:20:24. > :20:37.be level. The interval is after this frame.

:20:38. > :20:43.Looking back over the four frames, you would probably say that 2-2 is

:20:44. > :20:53.probably fair. Both players would probably be happy. Yeah, I suppose

:20:54. > :20:59.on the chances, looking at the pot success, though, Barry Hawkins at

:21:00. > :21:06.92%, Joe Perry 83%. That's quite low. I suppose of the two, Joe Perry

:21:07. > :21:15.should be the happier to be all square. Knowing snooker players as I

:21:16. > :21:20.do, they're never happy. What about commentators? We're

:21:21. > :21:23.having a delightful time, no pressure of on us.

:21:24. > :21:42.Speak for yourself. Well, the red's not gone in. It

:21:43. > :21:45.won't matter. The two players will go to the mid-session interval two

:21:46. > :21:50.apiece, fair or not. That's the score.

:21:51. > :21:53.STUDIO: Top break of 77 so far. Let's get the thoughts of our

:21:54. > :21:57.champions in the studio. Steve, what do you make of it so far? Hard

:21:58. > :22:00.fought was always going to be the way tonight. It doesn't have to be

:22:01. > :22:04.pretty. It's a place in the final for both these lads. They know each

:22:05. > :22:08.other pretty well. In a way, they could have cancelled each other out.

:22:09. > :22:15.They're both in a prime position really. Can't argue with the score

:22:16. > :22:21.line. For you, 83% pot success for Joe, better from Barry's perspective

:22:22. > :22:24.at 93. Barry is scoring the heavier, making the bigger breaks. He's

:22:25. > :22:28.probably got the bigger pedigree of the two players on this sort of

:22:29. > :22:32.occasion, in this big tournament. Yeah, he looks the more comfortable

:22:33. > :22:36.and more likely to score in one visit. Barry Hawkins abouts an

:22:37. > :22:39.runner up last year, runner up to Ronnie O'Sullivan in the World

:22:40. > :22:43.Championship as well. Increasingly, he's becoming more comfortable, more

:22:44. > :22:48.familiar with these situations. He is, but Joe Perry is a very clever

:22:49. > :22:53.player. His ring craft is fantastic. If at some stage he can get a big

:22:54. > :22:57.win under his belt, who's to say he won't go from strength to strength.

:22:58. > :23:01.Getting that first massive win is tough for every player in the game.

:23:02. > :23:08.I think it was always going to be tough for these two to match what

:23:09. > :23:16.was prodownstairsed is that. -- was produced sthaf. Ronnie O'Sullivan

:23:17. > :23:20.versus Marco Fu was a match with practically everything.

:23:21. > :23:24.Ronnie O'Sullivan has been struggling but winning all week. How

:23:25. > :23:31.would he get on against the in-form Marco Fu. He missed a blue in the

:23:32. > :23:36.first frame. Marco drew first blood with an 89. Into the second, and

:23:37. > :23:41.Robbie was having problems with his cue tip. The man from Hong Kong

:23:42. > :23:43.should have been 2-0 ahead. But he missed the final red and he was

:23:44. > :23:58.punished. What would happen in the third?

:23:59. > :24:02.Ronnie played a poor safety. The reason took some time to emerge,

:24:03. > :24:06.he'd split his cue tip. Marco got in amongst the balls and made a century

:24:07. > :24:14.clearance with no blacks apart from the very last ball. The Rocket flew

:24:15. > :24:22.out of the arena and the interval was called early.

:24:23. > :24:30.You would never have guessed that he had his tip changed. A quick fire 95

:24:31. > :24:42.and they were level again. A smelly blue for Fu but we made his

:24:43. > :24:50.sixth century at the Masters, a 141, the highest break of the tournament

:24:51. > :24:58.so far to go ahead again. Wonderful snooker this, O'Sullivan hit back

:24:59. > :25:03.with another sublime century. He looked on course for another ton,

:25:04. > :25:10.then he missed a tricky black and Marco dished up for the 4-3 lead.

:25:11. > :25:12.Poised to pinch another frame, mechanical malfunction cost Marco

:25:13. > :25:19.dear, Ronnie got back into the match, level.

:25:20. > :25:25.All getting tense now. Marco tried to tuck up behind the brown, the

:25:26. > :25:28.while rolled off, a long red and this excellent green and Ronnie

:25:29. > :25:34.nailed an 82 clearance to move ahead.

:25:35. > :25:41.Another marvellous pot from the Rocket and 69 points later, he had

:25:42. > :25:46.closed out yet another Masters semi to qualify for his 12th final. What

:25:47. > :25:50.a game that was. It split down the side as well. I

:25:51. > :25:56.just thought, well, I have to put one on. It wasn't like should I,

:25:57. > :26:00.shan't I? It had to be done. In that frame of mind, I thought well, you

:26:01. > :26:06.know, I can't win the match with this tip. Let's see what happens. It

:26:07. > :26:11.was like a, you know, I had to do it. I got lucky that one was OK and

:26:12. > :26:18.I could play with it pretty much straight away. I was happy, not for

:26:19. > :26:22.him to break his tip, but I was happy for the interval early because

:26:23. > :26:27.I was a little bit hungry. I was pleased to go back to the dressing

:26:28. > :26:31.room and have a bit of food. I felt for Ronnie at the time because I've

:26:32. > :26:34.had a tip falling off during the World Championships. Ive know what

:26:35. > :26:37.it's like to go through that in the middle of a very important match.

:26:38. > :26:41.Marco's playing well. I knew he was playing well. He's been playing well

:26:42. > :26:45.for a while now, scoring well. With the new tip and all that, it was

:26:46. > :26:49.like, a lot to take in, you know. To come through in a match like that, I

:26:50. > :26:54.can't believe it to be honest. I'm in shock. It was a good game right

:26:55. > :27:00.from the start. We both played very well today. Yeah, it was just one of

:27:01. > :27:04.those matches that you feel very happy to be involved in. Yeah, it's

:27:05. > :27:08.just at the end, Ronnie was too good. He just took, just half

:27:09. > :27:14.chances. He took the half chances and won the last two frames. Yeah,

:27:15. > :27:16.it was very difficult to play against, but that's the way it is,

:27:17. > :27:21.when he's playing that way, you can't really do anything about it.

:27:22. > :27:26.So, but I'm happy with the way I played. Yeah, let's move on.

:27:27. > :27:31.Apparently it's my 12th final. I've had six victories. Obviously had

:27:32. > :27:36.five losses. I'm just happy to be there again and have another

:27:37. > :27:41.opportunity to try and lift the Paul Hunter trophy, which means so much

:27:42. > :27:45.to me. Yes, the Paul Hunter trophy. To clear up tip-gate. This is what

:27:46. > :28:02.the players contract with world snooker says:

:28:03. > :28:08.Martin Clark, the tournament director used his discretion to move

:28:09. > :28:13.the interval rather than having two 15 minute breaks with only one frame

:28:14. > :28:17.apart and the attendant problems of moving 2,000 people in and out of

:28:18. > :28:24.the arena twice at that point. We were live on television as well.

:28:25. > :28:29.That is why with the tip damaged for Ronnie, he was allowed to take that

:28:30. > :28:33.one off and put another one on. What was extraordinary was the reaction

:28:34. > :28:38.that he got with it there after. Immediately a 95. An incredible run

:28:39. > :28:44.of scoring there after. What was your impression of that performance

:28:45. > :28:48.from him and Marco too? I think he was intimating the match before that

:28:49. > :28:53.the tip was very hard and that he wasn't happy with it. He's better

:28:54. > :28:59.off with something that was a bit softer, even if it was arguably a

:29:00. > :29:02.bit spongier. He could feel the shots and grip the ball better. It

:29:03. > :29:07.was a good move to make that decision. 95, 122, 82 and three

:29:08. > :29:12.other plus 50s, the real Ronnies turned up there after. Very much so.

:29:13. > :29:17.He looked a different player. Prior to the change of the tip, he

:29:18. > :29:23.couldn't, his normal positional play was miles out. Normally, there was a

:29:24. > :29:26.frame where the balls, it was like a practice position. He couldn't get

:29:27. > :29:31.correctly in position. It was not like him at all. As soon as the tip

:29:32. > :29:36.was changed, it was night and day. All of a sudden, he was never out of

:29:37. > :29:39.position. Obviously that gave him a huge boost of confidence. He was

:29:40. > :29:42.more comfortable playing the shots he wanted to play. Marco played a

:29:43. > :29:51.wonderful part in this match as well. His fifth and sexth centuries

:29:52. > :29:54.-- sixth centuries. And that 141. He said, this week proved I am a very

:29:55. > :30:02.good player, but not quite a great one yet. So self efacing, so

:30:03. > :30:06.generous. He says well played Ronnie O'Sullivan. It's the mark of the

:30:07. > :30:11.man. He is a great player. Of course, he is! All players judge

:30:12. > :30:16.each other by the performances. Such a high standard. You're the biggest

:30:17. > :30:20.critic. His coach Wayne Griffiths makes sure that he's not thinking

:30:21. > :30:24.negligentively, that he actually believes in himself, that's good

:30:25. > :30:28.things to say. Ronnie is through to his 12th final and you'll be able to

:30:29. > :30:38.see that final with us, both sessions, live on BBC Two:

:30:39. > :30:46.That really sorts out your Sunday, doesn't it? Joe Perry's dad, Peter,

:30:47. > :30:50.knows a thing or two about driving... He's a London cab driver

:30:51. > :30:54.and has been for many years. I wonder how he would rate the driving

:30:55. > :31:03.skills of Steve Davis, especially with his son in the passenger seat?

:31:04. > :31:25.Hi Joseph, how are you? I'm not bad. Does anyone call you Jozef, your

:31:26. > :31:34.mum? My brother, sometimes. Or, mate, if I'm not performing... --

:31:35. > :31:40.Joseph. You've only ever been to one concert? I've never been to one...

:31:41. > :31:44.I'm not really into music. How old are you? 42. You've just been to

:31:45. > :31:51.one? Yes, and I did not really enjoy it. It was Robbie Williams at the MK

:31:52. > :31:58.Bowl... The best thing about it was ABC was the support act and I quite

:31:59. > :32:09.enjoy them... Do you get fed up with the hotels? I've just had a crap

:32:10. > :32:14.breakfast... I walk in with trepidation. I hate having a shower

:32:15. > :32:19.in the bath. If I go into a room and there is a shower in the bath... I

:32:20. > :32:25.hate it. I just hated. It does not seem right. And what about when the

:32:26. > :32:31.shower curtain sucks on to you? When they aren't weighted properly. The

:32:32. > :32:36.shower comes on and suddenly the curtain decides to cuddle you! Their

:32:37. > :32:42.Orrey few players, I don't want name them... You can. Mark Williams is

:32:43. > :32:47.terrible, you go into his room and you think... It is a tip? He makes

:32:48. > :33:00.it as messy as he can. I'm not like that. What would you say your pet

:33:01. > :33:03.hate is? I had one this morning... Michael walked into my bathroom and

:33:04. > :33:13.borrowed my role on in front of me. That did not go down well! That was

:33:14. > :33:19.not nice -- roll-on. Your hotel is all of your clothes hanging up

:33:20. > :33:27.perfectly? OCD? No. But you are getting that way? Mark Davis, he is

:33:28. > :33:33.OCD... All of his shoes will be in a perfect order. All of the toes are

:33:34. > :33:43.at the same bit... Every time. So when you go in, kick them! To wind

:33:44. > :33:48.him up... On the circuit, are you considered by your close mates the

:33:49. > :33:59.glass half empty, half full? Do you moan? Surely for comedy value. I do

:34:00. > :34:04.it to entertain them. People like Mark Davis are very boring, but if

:34:05. > :34:09.you can get it out of him he's good company. I play on it, really.

:34:10. > :34:16.That's my little character. I just have a laugh amongst them. There's

:34:17. > :34:20.always plenty to moan about... More and more, we are on our way to the

:34:21. > :34:24.venue and there are no practice slots available. I've moaned about

:34:25. > :34:34.that as soon as I heard! Do you pull rank? That's not me. Sometimes I'll

:34:35. > :34:41.loiter to get a couple, but I do not pull rank. I remember when you use

:34:42. > :34:49.to check out of the airport car parks, back in the day... There was

:34:50. > :34:56.a convoy of six... Yes, I think that five was our record! Getting out of

:34:57. > :35:02.the car park?... One after the other. Gerard was called up to

:35:03. > :35:05.Gatwick police station once. The worst that could happen is that you

:35:06. > :35:07.end up having to pay your car park bill, you can either get away with

:35:08. > :35:23.it, or you don't! STUDIO: I'm down in the Cue Zone

:35:24. > :35:28.with two families. Barry Hawkins's wife and son, and Joe Perry's

:35:29. > :35:34.father, Peter, a real taxi driver. First question for Peter, what did

:35:35. > :35:38.Joe say about Steve Davis's ability as a taxi driver? He said to me, he

:35:39. > :35:45.told Steve, "Do you what me to get my dad to give you a few lessons?

:35:46. > :35:49.You need them, mate. You aren't very good!" What about the match? It is

:35:50. > :35:53.hard playing but much harder watching? Definitely, especially

:35:54. > :35:58.when they are really good friends, it is worse. And what about the

:35:59. > :36:05.nurse? Bad! The little man is holding me together. Have you had

:36:06. > :36:09.any words of wisdom for your daddy, what would you say? He's the best!

:36:10. > :36:16.That is very sweet, would you want to be out there playing one day?

:36:17. > :36:22.Yes! Peter, what about Joe? How do you think he is playing so far? To

:36:23. > :36:26.be honest... He's not watching? He hasn't played nothing like he's

:36:27. > :36:32.played all week yet. Because it's the semifinal and everything, I

:36:33. > :36:37.think it is that. It must be hard, what has Barry been saying before

:36:38. > :36:40.the match? Not a lot. Just going out and doing the same as he's done

:36:41. > :36:46.every match, sticking to the same routine. So... That is what he's

:36:47. > :36:50.done I think! And what about the players, have you been keeping them

:36:51. > :36:55.apart? This is the first time we've seen each other today. We are in the

:36:56. > :37:00.same room and said hello. Best of luck, I hope the nerve sold out. We

:37:01. > :37:03.are looking forward to the second half.

:37:04. > :37:06.It will be a cracker. STUDIO: It is a nervous time and they had to wait

:37:07. > :37:11.as their loved ones go out and do the business! We have had four

:37:12. > :37:18.frames, seven more possibly to play. If you are just joining us, well,!

:37:19. > :37:23.This is a reminder of how things have gone so far -- welcome.

:37:24. > :37:28.Perry had a break of 30 as he got the first of his career semifinals

:37:29. > :37:33.at the most underway in frame one. He hears... Missing that one.

:37:34. > :37:40.Hawkins countered with 50, missing the red. The world number nine could

:37:41. > :37:44.nick the first frame. Hawkins hit back in frame two, with a

:37:45. > :37:56.contribution of 77, levelling it at 1-1. In frame three, Joe was on his

:37:57. > :38:02.way to a break of 48, when he had this red along the cushion. It was

:38:03. > :38:08.26 minutes until he made sure he had the 2-1 advantage. In frame for,

:38:09. > :38:15.Barry knocked in a 58 contribution. 85 points, two frames apiece, and

:38:16. > :38:23.just about right, you would have to say! Both of these fellas are

:38:24. > :38:31.approaching veteran C, certainly Joe Perry is, at 42 years old! He said

:38:32. > :38:37.before that he has hopes of winning a big one. Mark King is in

:38:38. > :38:40.contention, Mark Davis is older than me... It will not be the standard to

:38:41. > :38:44.knock me off my perch, the desire to keep practising and travelling and

:38:45. > :38:47.putting in the effort. Its maximum effort for the two of them as they

:38:48. > :38:54.strive to get into the final tomorrow...

:38:55. > :39:01.COMMENTATOR: Both players are back. Into the usual ritual of selling

:39:02. > :39:08.their glasses with water... And wiping their hands. Thank you,

:39:09. > :39:13.ladies and gentlemen. Frame five. Joe Perry to break. No more

:39:14. > :39:29.intervals, this will be played to a finish.

:39:30. > :39:37.Not bad with the cue ball, but... The red is sticking out. Available

:39:38. > :39:42.to the right corner. It could be a path, when potting it, around to the

:39:43. > :40:04.black... A little shake of his head, he does

:40:05. > :40:08.not think that he can find the path. Be careful in playing the safety. Do

:40:09. > :40:15.not leave Joe with a chance on the red. On the left-hand corner

:40:16. > :40:19.committee needs a cover with the yellow... -- he needs a cover with

:40:20. > :40:34.the yellow. Lucky not to leave one to the

:40:35. > :40:48.left-hand corner. A little more at stake on this spot now... If he

:40:49. > :40:54.misses, it could leave one. Not leaving one over the left corner,

:40:55. > :40:58.but he has left one near the blue. That's below what you require. I

:40:59. > :41:07.always think about 66% is about average. Good for Barry Hawkins,

:41:08. > :41:11.here's an 80%. -- he is on 80%. Not a bad chance, this black will be

:41:12. > :41:40.available into both corners shortly. Did not want that kiss on the blue,

:41:41. > :42:17.as it turns out. No harm done. A lovely angle if he wishes to go in

:42:18. > :42:31.here. The red nearest the corner pocket... Nicely played! Did not

:42:32. > :42:38.bring many reds N. One went up towards the red and baulk... He

:42:39. > :43:06.might go up towards the blue. Just having a chat with Joe's

:43:07. > :43:15.father, Peter Perry, in the audience. As is Barry's wife, Tara,

:43:16. > :43:21.and their son Harrison. Everyone is nervous, you can imagine that it is

:43:22. > :43:24.difficult watching your own family... He was at in the league

:43:25. > :43:34.games, watching your team members play. That was nerve wracking. I saw

:43:35. > :44:02.you on the television doing an interview...

:44:03. > :44:08.Finishing up in such a position on the blue that he thought that this

:44:09. > :44:15.was the only guarantee... He does not want to be too straight on it,

:44:16. > :44:19.if he is, he can get onto the black. If straight enough, he can take a

:44:20. > :44:32.good shot on this two pot it and get into position. Would not try to do

:44:33. > :44:44.too much with the cue ball, which is why he is lower won the black. The

:44:45. > :44:46.red workers difficult enough -- -- low on the black, the red was

:44:47. > :44:59.difficult enough. Perhaps one could pass the brown

:45:00. > :45:07.into the yellow pocket? He was not playing that, trying to get onto

:45:08. > :45:22.those two reds. He can still have a go at the reds, and use the other

:45:23. > :45:44.one to control the cue ball. It's OK.

:45:45. > :45:49.It is imperative that he gets a good angle on the blue or one of the

:45:50. > :46:10.colours here... Looks pretty good. You feel as if he

:46:11. > :46:20.hits the pink full in the face it will bring all of these reds

:46:21. > :46:29.interplay. -- into play. The red is just into the top cushion. It is not

:46:30. > :46:35.an easy pot to carry this one... It is hard to believe. Going into the

:46:36. > :46:42.pink with a lot of pace but not a lot of movement from the reds. It's

:46:43. > :46:52.not easy into this bottom corner pocket, he will play it with some

:46:53. > :46:57.pace towards the blue. Making the pot a little harder. It has gone in

:46:58. > :47:20.nicely! A good pot but the cue ball is not

:47:21. > :47:23.great. Not a good position for the green in the top left-hand corner

:47:24. > :47:32.pockets. Just looking at a safety shot here? Sometimes, in situations

:47:33. > :47:36.like this, you try and force yourself sometimes do have a go

:47:37. > :47:44.because you want to keep that break going. Safety may be more prudent

:47:45. > :47:48.here... Yes, everybody gets this modern-day culture now. When you

:47:49. > :47:53.have a chance. Winning the frame off it but playing the yellow... It is

:47:54. > :48:06.coming off it a bit thin. Get the cue ball off the baulk ocean. --

:48:07. > :48:10.cushion. Barry Hawkins, 45. Trying to cover the red on the left of the

:48:11. > :48:16.table, he seems to be more concerned about getting the yellow out of

:48:17. > :48:20.commission. With a 45 point lead, I cannot blame him for that. But he

:48:21. > :49:19.has left the possibility of a pot. It is a tough one... So close.

:49:20. > :49:34.Those two reds on the left-hand side of the table, covered by the green.

:49:35. > :49:36.He does not want to leave Barry with his hand on the table and a chance

:49:37. > :49:52.of a long pot. Once again, catching the baulk

:49:53. > :50:07.colour. You have to avoid those colours.

:50:08. > :50:14.It is amazing, the psychology and situation. There's no problem with

:50:15. > :50:25.taking on the red into this bottom corner... The fact that he has the

:50:26. > :50:29.lead, he is thinking twice about taking it on. You might be forced to

:50:30. > :50:52.have a go at it, though... Yes, you've got that absolutely

:50:53. > :50:56.right! I'm amazed, the types of long ball is that he has been knocking

:50:57. > :51:06.in, he has a chance to win the frame, for me. The scoreboard made

:51:07. > :51:51.the choice of shot, no doubt. An attempt at the pot in the left

:51:52. > :52:05.middle, but not really close. This goes in... It could definitely win

:52:06. > :52:06.the frame. Nope. A couple of half chances, one that he refused,

:52:07. > :52:43.another that he missed. It was difficult for Joe, hampered

:52:44. > :52:54.by that brown. The way that he is looking at this, the red probably

:52:55. > :53:04.passes the green... Just? Now, you would be very surprised with Barry

:53:05. > :53:05.Hawkins, if he was not to win the frame on this visit. For the first

:53:06. > :54:00.time in the match... Just the red to get the snookers

:54:01. > :54:08.required... Joe Perry, seeing his frame slip away. I hate the word

:54:09. > :54:15."Study", but Barry looks the steadier of the two so far this

:54:16. > :54:21.weekend... -- steady. Yes, very solid. Gaining a bit of momentum.

:54:22. > :54:30.Starting off a little slow, but certainly got up to speak now. --

:54:31. > :54:33.got up to speed. You mentioned in the last frame, how he strikes the

:54:34. > :54:39.ball, there is a lovely and crisp sound when he strikes it. And get

:54:40. > :54:56.through it really nicely. As I said earlier, in the last

:54:57. > :55:00.couple of seasons, he has certainly improved his game, not so much his

:55:01. > :55:06.game, but sometimes you have to believe in your own ability. And

:55:07. > :55:15.believe that you are one of the top players. I think that he now has

:55:16. > :55:23.that belief. And he is a match for anyone when he is playing well. He

:55:24. > :55:29.has won two ranking titles, the Australian open 2012 and the players

:55:30. > :55:34.championship 2014, and the World Championships, he lost all Ronnie

:55:35. > :55:35.O'Sullivan but was a finalist here last year -- he lost to Ronnie

:55:36. > :55:55.O'Sullivan. A nice cannon. But the brown might

:55:56. > :56:03.snooker him. It does not matter. So, the first frame after the

:56:04. > :56:10.interval... Barry Hawkins leading, 3-2. STUDIO: He begins to bash in

:56:11. > :56:14.the bigger contributions now. Do you feel that Barry Hawkins is getting a

:56:15. > :56:21.grip here? It seems he is slowly taking the stranglehold and looks

:56:22. > :56:27.more comfortable scoring wise. Joe Perry's long game is not what it

:56:28. > :56:31.was. I commentated in his match against Ding, his long game was

:56:32. > :56:37.superb. He's looking the class act of the two, Barry Hawkins. Joe's

:56:38. > :56:41.dad, Peter, made the point that Joe hasn't really hit the heights that

:56:42. > :56:48.he reached against Ding, and Stuart Bingham, 6-1. He's had quite a few

:56:49. > :56:52.big considerable breaks in as well? Yes, and if the nerves are going to

:56:53. > :56:58.jangle it will be the semifinal. You are desperate to get into the final.

:56:59. > :57:03.What an event, the Masters against Ronnie O'Sullivan. If any problems

:57:04. > :57:06.are too arise for Joe Perry, it could be now. And possibly that

:57:07. > :57:11.Barry Hawkins has been in the final of major events will put him in good

:57:12. > :57:21.stead. But a long way to go. We talked about the fact that they are

:57:22. > :57:23.good friends and Perry has the better strike rate in the matches

:57:24. > :57:25.between the two. But we were talking earlier run with Steven, they've

:57:26. > :57:31.only ever met in 1/4-final. Everything else has been last 16s or

:57:32. > :57:35.32s, they've never had the chance to face each other? It is new

:57:36. > :57:42.territorial for them both. Maybe it is a bit premature but I feel that

:57:43. > :57:45.perhaps Joe's race has been run? He does not seem to have that error of

:57:46. > :57:49.confidence, that he believes he can get into the final tomorrow. Barry

:57:50. > :57:56.looks like the player who thinks that he should be there -- that air

:57:57. > :58:02.of confidence. He does not have that air of freedom in the last couple of

:58:03. > :58:07.matches? So far, but in those matches, maybe he was an underdog

:58:08. > :58:10.and suddenly there is a chance? I do not think that Joe has ever looked

:58:11. > :58:15.aggressive when he has walked around the table, like he will kill

:58:16. > :58:19.someone. He does not play that way. He can be underestimated but I think

:58:20. > :58:24.that it is a tough match for both of them. It is a great opportunity for

:58:25. > :58:31.the final but I think Barry Hawkins is best placed. What I worry about

:58:32. > :58:35.with Joe, normally he is one of the best safety players in the game. But

:58:36. > :58:41.his safety play has let him down tonight, which is a surprise. Last

:58:42. > :58:48.night against Ding, he had Ding in trouble a lot of the time. 71% for

:58:49. > :58:52.Joe so far, and 69% for Barry Hawkins. But Barry Hawkins is

:58:53. > :59:02.scoring more heavily out of the two. Barry Hawkins has the 3-2 lead as we

:59:03. > :59:04.go back out... COMMENTATOR: Close to the baulk

:59:05. > :59:16.cushion. Possibilities here for Joe. Long pot

:59:17. > :59:26.success for Joe, at 46%, 67% for Barry Hawkins.

:59:27. > :59:36.Just lost it for the moment. Joe Perry... The boys were saying in the

:59:37. > :59:46.studio that he has been knocking those particular long pots in in

:59:47. > :00:07.those two matches, against Stuart Bingham.

:00:08. > :00:15.I suppose from Joe Perry's point of view, the fact that he came with the

:00:16. > :00:19.laissez-faire type of attitude and just wasn't expecting too much. The

:00:20. > :00:23.first couple of matches he played so well. Now there's a chance of being

:00:24. > :00:30.in the final, maybe the nerves are beginning to creep in a little bit.

:00:31. > :00:35.Yeah that could well be. But I still feel, there'll come a time where

:00:36. > :00:39.he'll think if he drops a couple behind that he might just break off

:00:40. > :00:46.the shackles. I just feel tonight that he looks a little bit tight.

:00:47. > :00:49.Some of these long pots he's played, I've sensed a little bit of

:00:50. > :00:53.movement. That's usually a sign of tension. In these matches you never

:00:54. > :00:58.know what can happen. Because sometimes you feel as though right,

:00:59. > :01:02.well, he's playing better than me. I'm not playing too well. That can

:01:03. > :01:10.just take a bit of pressure off you. He's got the game, Joe. It's just

:01:11. > :01:14.producing it consistently. That's been the difference with these two

:01:15. > :01:18.players over the last two or three seasons. Barry's now getting that

:01:19. > :01:32.consistency at the highest level. He didn't get a consistent shot

:01:33. > :01:39.there. A terrible kick on the red. Just look where the cue ball has

:01:40. > :01:42.finished up. Stopped the cue ball in its tracks. It should have been the

:01:43. > :01:49.other side of the pink. He would have been on the pink nicely. Now,

:01:50. > :01:53.well, unless he takes this green on, which is a very difficult, the fact

:01:54. > :02:01.that you're bridging over balls. It may be end of break. So frustrating

:02:02. > :02:04.for snooker players get kicks and stop you, when you look like you're

:02:05. > :02:27.going to make a sizeable break. Premature end to that visit. Now

:02:28. > :02:32.Joe, you've got to play a good safety. You've got to start getting

:02:33. > :02:53.that cue ball near the baulk cushion.

:02:54. > :03:24.Good length. He has left a pot on for Barry.

:03:25. > :03:34.Always when you play that type of shot, you err on the side of hitting

:03:35. > :03:39.it too thin. But catching the brown. Now let's see if Joe can stay down

:03:40. > :03:47.and push the cue through straight on this one.

:03:48. > :03:51.Right in the heart of the pocket. That's 32 minutes he's waited to get

:03:52. > :03:53.that pot in. This time no movement. Pushed the

:03:54. > :04:35.cue through straight. A little bit straighter on the blue

:04:36. > :04:39.would have been better. I think he's got the angle to avoid the kiss on

:04:40. > :04:41.the red on the left-hand side of the table and play for the one just

:04:42. > :05:01.above to the right of the black. Got to make the most of these

:05:02. > :05:17.opportunities. For his own self-confidence, if nothing else.

:05:18. > :05:24.The red on the pink spot will pot as well.

:05:25. > :05:28.It's funny how certain players have different ways of playing. It he's

:05:29. > :05:31.played a little stun there. I'd have run off the side cushion. You feel

:05:32. > :05:42.as if you have more control. Not certain where the pink will go

:05:43. > :05:54.when it's potted. A couple of reds around that pink

:05:55. > :05:58.area that would be available, well, they're blocked. So the pink is on

:05:59. > :06:04.the highest available, which is the brown.

:06:05. > :06:09.For this opportunity, he's looking better and better. He doesn't have

:06:10. > :06:33.to go into the pack here. Decided to go in. Didn't think you

:06:34. > :06:36.could hold. It's gone slightly awry. He didn't catch the first red

:06:37. > :06:37.properly and that's why he's lost the cue ball. This red pots but

:06:38. > :06:59.very, very difficult. Played it well. It's a good pot,

:07:00. > :07:05.though. A little bit to do now. Although there is a red that will go

:07:06. > :07:14.to the right middle. So not a lot of work to do with the cue ball. I'm

:07:15. > :07:21.surprised he played it as pacy as that. Yeah. You would have felt that

:07:22. > :07:26.the last red he played would have, he would have been a bit more

:07:27. > :07:30.confident. He could have dropped that in dead weight and still been

:07:31. > :08:06.on the red. Would have loved to have taken the

:08:07. > :08:11.pink there. But it's a bit more tricky to pot the why yellow, back

:08:12. > :08:14.up for the red. He'd love to get the pink back on its spot. Again, it's

:08:15. > :08:27.not ideal. If he can get the pink off one of

:08:28. > :08:29.these reds, it will come back up this end of the table and go on the

:08:30. > :08:43.black spot. Not the best positional shot he's

:08:44. > :08:51.ever played. Makes the pot difficult. And the

:08:52. > :09:00.positional side of the shot. You would think he would play the

:09:01. > :09:22.pink. But being close to the cushion made

:09:23. > :10:07.it missable. So a let off for Joe Perry that time.

:10:08. > :10:20.It's going to be tough to finish the frame at this visit. He's going to

:10:21. > :10:29.need the three remaining reds, you would have thought.

:10:30. > :10:36.Stop shouting out now, please, thank you.

:10:37. > :10:39.Such a good potter normally. But once again, just seems to be a bit

:10:40. > :11:23.of movement, a bit of anxiety when he's pushing the cue through.

:11:24. > :11:32.He wants to come off that baulk cushion. He wants plenty of

:11:33. > :11:36.left-hand side, trying to avoid the yellow, try and miss the brown on

:11:37. > :11:43.that baulk cushion. Back up to the red, left on the blue. Just playing

:11:44. > :11:46.the deep screw, I know he'd have to avoid the yellow and maybe the

:11:47. > :11:52.possibility of moving off into the left middle. If he plays it with

:11:53. > :11:59.topspin he could do it and not get on the red.

:12:00. > :12:14.He's just about on it, in a fashion. 14 points behind.

:12:15. > :12:19.That red closest to the right-hand side cushion will be awkward for a

:12:20. > :12:25.left-hander, which Barry is. Can he pot this and distort the red?

:12:26. > :13:03.Oh, great effort. Excellent effort. He couldn't have played that any

:13:04. > :13:10.better. Of course, we all know, Ken, with the miss rule as it is... Well,

:13:11. > :13:13.this is, if you can't see the left-hand side of the table, this is

:13:14. > :13:17.almost so difficult, well it's almost impossible to hit. He may try

:13:18. > :13:21.and play this hard into the jaws of the green pocket. Try to use the

:13:22. > :13:31.knuckle and bring the cue ball down towards this red. But this is a one

:13:32. > :13:38.in 20 shot to hit the red from here. We could be here all night playing

:13:39. > :13:42.this type of shot. It will be called a miss until we get to the snookers

:13:43. > :13:47.required stage. If you're going to play this one

:13:48. > :13:53.into the jaws, as played there, I don't think you can hit it that

:13:54. > :13:56.hard. Obviously you've got to hit it with enough pace to come down here

:13:57. > :14:02.and make contact with the red. I wouldn't be hitting it that hard. I

:14:03. > :14:06.think if he gets even close to it, it's going to be a very, very

:14:07. > :14:11.difficult decision for the referee. If it's a decent enough attempt and

:14:12. > :14:16.the referee feels it's an almost impossible nooker to hit, he may not

:14:17. > :14:18.keep calling the miss here. This is one of those anomalies with the miss

:14:19. > :14:27.rule. Looks like he thinks he might be

:14:28. > :14:31.able to swerve. Even if he got to the right-hand side cushion, he's

:14:32. > :14:42.got the blue to miss. The yellow to miss, the green. Good luck.

:14:43. > :14:48.Good luck with this one. Yes! What a shot!

:14:49. > :15:01.Excellent shot. That's a ten out of ten right there.

:15:02. > :15:07.Absolutely. I tell you what... CHEERING

:15:08. > :15:11.You wouldn't get this much applause for 147.

:15:12. > :15:30.OK, that will do, thank you. Such a spoil sport!

:15:31. > :15:37.Caught the green, well I don't think Joe will be tempted. This was a

:15:38. > :15:40.superb hit. Just had to miss the blue and just flick the red,

:15:41. > :15:45.sensational. I'm so pleased he hit it. Because I hate that miss rule

:15:46. > :15:49.when it gets to the end of a frame like that. You could lose it with

:15:50. > :15:54.just one snooker. It doesn't seem right.

:15:55. > :16:00.I think the referee was just as happy that Joe Perry hit the red as

:16:01. > :16:05.Joe Perry was. He didn't have to make that decision. He's a strong

:16:06. > :16:07.referee. Any way, he'd have no problem if he had to call a decision

:16:08. > :16:19.like that. Hawkins haub seven points behind,

:16:20. > :17:00.you feel whoever gets this red should win the frame.

:17:01. > :17:07.Dangerous sending towards the pocket. I think it's run far enough

:17:08. > :17:13.for the blue to get the cover. It has. Easy to hit. But can he get it

:17:14. > :17:34.safe? It's just run far enough so it's not

:17:35. > :17:49.cuttable into the middle. You still have to think that Joe has

:17:50. > :17:54.just got the edge in this tactical battle, very important tactical

:17:55. > :18:00.battle. Oh, this is a good line. This is a good line!

:18:01. > :18:44.I don't think he'll be taking the pot on here. Straightforward, must

:18:45. > :18:50.get the cue ball as tight as possible to this blue, just knock

:18:51. > :18:55.the red down towards the baulk line. It's not the best. OK it's a

:18:56. > :19:05.snooker, but could have been a bit better.

:19:06. > :19:08.It's a simple escape off one cushion. You never know where the

:19:09. > :19:31.red's going to go here. It looked for all the money that he

:19:32. > :19:37.was going to leave that red on with the double kiss that the red got off

:19:38. > :19:50.the groan has knock today safe. -- green.

:19:51. > :20:08.He can just roll off the red and put the cue ball behind the green.

:20:09. > :20:12.It was a delicate little shot, the one you suggested. It certainly

:20:13. > :20:24.would have been my choice. Joe had the upper hand in this

:20:25. > :20:37.safety exchange. He might have lost it now.

:20:38. > :20:45.Yes, I think Barry may just have the snooker there. He has.

:20:46. > :20:56.You've got to get right in behind this red and hit it full in the

:20:57. > :21:05.face. Caught it half ball. It's Barry Hawkins now who has the slight

:21:06. > :21:11.edge. Whoever pots this red you'd think would be certain to take the

:21:12. > :21:15.frame. Nice opportunity maybe the red up behind the brown, cue ball

:21:16. > :21:31.behind the black. Obviously it's not straightforward

:21:32. > :21:38.otherwise Barry wouldn't be thinking about it.

:21:39. > :21:47.Must get the red safe. He's looking to not only get the red safe, get

:21:48. > :21:59.that snooker. That could tilt the frame in his favour.

:22:00. > :22:20.Not quite. So this frame still very much in the balance.

:22:21. > :23:06.Good safety. No snooker. But safe enough.

:23:07. > :23:16.I think he can just get to the edge of it. But even then he may decide

:23:17. > :23:18.to play baulk cushion first here. As long as you get in behind them,

:23:19. > :24:28.they're all right. He's going to leave it, unless it

:24:29. > :24:34.goes up close to it. Again, he was trusting a little bit of luck there.

:24:35. > :24:48.So Barry's good snooker has forced the opportunity here.

:24:49. > :24:52.Nicely on the black. Yellow will pass the green into that top right

:24:53. > :25:13.hand corner pocket. One point lead. Yellow, green, brown

:25:14. > :25:25.and blue required. Brown and blue to go 15 points in

:25:26. > :26:37.front with only 13 remaining. So no way back now for Joe Perry. He

:26:38. > :26:45.had a chance. Didn't make the most of it.

:26:46. > :26:51.He's opened a two-frame advantage now.

:26:52. > :26:54.STUDIO: First time that he's had the two-frame advantage. There was a

:26:55. > :26:59.funny moment in that frame. I don't think I've seen an ovation quite

:27:00. > :27:03.like the one Joe Perry received for escaping that snooker. It was

:27:04. > :27:06.fantastic. After a speculative try into the jaws, which can sometimes

:27:07. > :27:10.work. He picked out a route and I think it would have been hard for

:27:11. > :27:14.the referee not to have called a miss there, even if he had miss

:27:15. > :27:18.today by a fraction. He had a shot later on that, we haven't got it on

:27:19. > :27:22.film, if you remember one red left and Joe chose to roll up behind the

:27:23. > :27:25.blue. We were in the studio thinking that possibly he could have played a

:27:26. > :27:30.bit more positively and gone for the pot because it went into the green

:27:31. > :27:33.pocket. Perhaps if he's going to get back into this game, somewhere

:27:34. > :27:37.down-the-line, he's got to put his foot to the floor a bit more. You

:27:38. > :27:43.said earlier on, you felt that Joe's race might be run, even the frame

:27:44. > :27:47.before that. Yeah, John said in commentary, he doesn't look

:27:48. > :27:52.comfortable tonight. He doesn't look like he believes. He's not playing

:27:53. > :27:56.the way like he believes. He's been potting so well all week, why not

:27:57. > :28:00.take on the red? It's a negative shot. I know there's every chance

:28:01. > :28:06.that your opponent could hit the red and leave you on with a gimme red.

:28:07. > :28:09.Sometimes you have to create your own opportunities and moment in

:28:10. > :28:13.matches. If he had got that red, cleared up, that would have give him

:28:14. > :28:17.such a boost of confidence. Now he's under it. Two frames behind. But I

:28:18. > :28:20.tell you one thing that strikes me from that exchange we saw, the

:28:21. > :28:27.warmth between the two players. There was great cam radery that you

:28:28. > :28:30.could see. You -- camaraderie. Fantastic turnout as well. I don't

:28:31. > :28:33.know what matches could have been involved for this semifinal, the

:28:34. > :28:36.crowd buy the tickets, they don't know which match they'll watch, they

:28:37. > :28:43.celebrate snooker here at the Masters. These guys have beaten

:28:44. > :28:48.Murphy, Selby, Bingham and Ding. Probably not the semifinal line-up

:28:49. > :28:52.that many people would have picked. That's the standard of snooker, it's

:28:53. > :28:56.a very level playing field now. A lot of players are playing a good,

:28:57. > :29:00.high standard of snooker. A lot of people are playing the same

:29:01. > :29:04.standard. Come the start of the tournament, you couldn't pick who it

:29:05. > :29:08.would be. You could pick your favourites, O'Sullivan, Selby.

:29:09. > :29:10.Sometimes it's second favourites, you know, you'd bet them to whip the

:29:11. > :29:24.matches. Joe Perry was 80-1 when this

:29:25. > :29:31.started. They have defied the odds to get this far.

:29:32. > :29:38.COMMENTATOR: That is a fair point from Stephen. I know when that red

:29:39. > :29:43.was by the blue and it was a certain snooker, but yeah, sometimes you've

:29:44. > :29:49.got to just go for your shots. Push the boat out a little bit more.

:29:50. > :29:55.That's the way Stephen used to play. Yeah, I suppose it depends on how

:29:56. > :29:58.you feel as well. Irdon't think he played that snooker

:29:59. > :30:01.very well, though. It was one of those where you had to be touching

:30:02. > :30:19.the blue. And stop the one cushion escape.

:30:20. > :30:33.Ooh! Well. What has he left? Has he left an easy starter for Joe? Can he

:30:34. > :30:37.get this rage to the right middle? -- can he get this red? I think that

:30:38. > :30:55.he can... Cutting it a fraction too flick. -- too flick. It

:30:56. > :31:01.is not looking good at the moment for Joe Perry. A trace of right-hand

:31:02. > :31:06.side because he could not get to the middle of the cue ball but a player

:31:07. > :31:20.of his experience should have been able to allow for that.

:31:21. > :31:47.If ever Joe needed a time to make it... A really good break? That is

:31:48. > :31:53.now. It's got to the stage in the match where he needs to get going. A

:31:54. > :32:04.nice frame and a break would do that for him. But...

:32:05. > :32:16.It is OK, he has the red to the left middle. He has two raise his game if

:32:17. > :32:20.years to have any chance of reaching the final tomorrow... -- if he is.

:32:21. > :32:33.Overscrewing it a little, he might to play a cannon. He missed the

:32:34. > :33:52.cannon but here's on the red, into the green pocket.

:33:53. > :34:06.The area is a red on the right-hand side which is a available. It is not

:34:07. > :34:26.easy to play the cannon, the pink is locking. Play for the loose red.

:34:27. > :34:32.Playing it nicely... Nudging another red into the open through that pot.

:34:33. > :34:42.The end red on the right-hand side catches the join between the two. He

:34:43. > :34:46.has nudged one on. I would have been inclined to play with more pace but

:34:47. > :34:50.I do not blame him for the position that he is in at the moment and

:34:51. > :34:56.those shots that he has missed. That shake of his head shows that he is a

:34:57. > :35:14.little too straight on it. I'm not quite sure, he might be able

:35:15. > :35:21.to screw it and get back for the black. He is looking at the

:35:22. > :35:27.possibility. If he cannot get on the black, run through and leave

:35:28. > :35:33.yourself a half ball, albeit on the wrong side... Do not miss the pot.

:35:34. > :36:03.You cannot afford to miss it. Joe Perry, 42. CLAPPING

:36:04. > :36:12.The last time that Joe Perry missed it, Barry Hawkins did not take the

:36:13. > :36:17.full advantage of it. Joe will be hoping that that is the case here.

:36:18. > :36:27.He is not perfect but he has a slight angle, as you can see.

:36:28. > :36:55.Just about got the right angle on the blue, for this red which is just

:36:56. > :37:13.separating from that cluster of four. Now is the time to be potting

:37:14. > :37:33.itch to open up those four reds -- potting it. He will try to hit the

:37:34. > :37:39.right-hand one of the four... That was not the intended contact, he

:37:40. > :37:45.wanted to hit it and push the cue ball to the right-hand side of the

:37:46. > :37:56.four reds. Into the right centre, it was a cute angle.

:37:57. > :38:09.He has played it very well. Very confident.

:38:10. > :38:15.He can play those two reds together in the middle of the table, one goes

:38:16. > :38:19.to the left-hand middle. If he plays a run through he is more likely to

:38:20. > :38:27.kiss from the top cushion, he plays the pink... I was going to suggest

:38:28. > :38:31.that angle on the black committee could possibly play along the top

:38:32. > :38:37.cushion but I think at the moment he is more concerned with getting back

:38:38. > :38:51.into the frame. -- that angle on the black, he could possibly play along

:38:52. > :38:56.the top cushion. Points wise... Joe Perry will be feeling that maybe the

:38:57. > :39:03.red on the right-hand side cushion is his only hope of getting back

:39:04. > :39:08.into this frame. He has some work to do before he gets into that

:39:09. > :39:16.position. Barry Hawkins. But how he has been playing this couple, he is

:39:17. > :39:30.having a luck. If he pots it, he could bring that red off the

:39:31. > :39:40.right-hand side cushion. It looks perfect to me... It looks good, can

:39:41. > :39:45.drop in the pink. Get it off the cushion. If he is not on the red

:39:46. > :39:56.close to the cushion, he can always be on the red below the pink. Does

:39:57. > :40:00.he have the angle? It might not be the natural angle. It looks like it

:40:01. > :40:12.but the fact he is taking so long to play it makes me think, perhaps not.

:40:13. > :40:17.If it was a natural channel, he would have got it. They have the

:40:18. > :40:24.problem of these two awkward reds. Only ten points behind now. Now, the

:40:25. > :40:49.hard work begins... Just dropping this red in, leave the

:40:50. > :40:59.cue ball with that angle on the black. You can get the cue ball

:41:00. > :41:07.somewhere there, or just below it. That would be perfect. Ooh Acta

:41:08. > :41:14.-- ooh! I did not expect for him to miss that red. If he had a better

:41:15. > :41:24.angle he would not have had to play it with as much pace. So, with Joe

:41:25. > :41:27.Perry, there is a two point advantage but he has a problem with

:41:28. > :41:35.the red near the right-hand side cushion. Can he leaves a nice angle

:41:36. > :41:43.on the black? Well, he has the angle, can hear just that cannon? He

:41:44. > :41:52.has the perfect angle -- can he adjust the cannon? Ooh, well he will

:41:53. > :42:15.be disappointed in that. Joe Perry, eight. Ten points is the

:42:16. > :42:19.lead. The way that the colours are... It is like the last frame.

:42:20. > :43:01.Whoever popped the red wins the frame for me.

:43:02. > :43:16.That bump... But it runs safe. The fact that Joe is close to this red,

:43:17. > :43:24.he should play a good safety shot from snooker here. Missing an

:43:25. > :43:57.opportunity there. If that is a full ball snooker, then

:43:58. > :44:02.it is certainly an advantage to Barry Hawkins. You may say that this

:44:03. > :44:13.is not difficult to hit, just roll it did wait. -- dead weight. It did

:44:14. > :44:20.not look a difficult one to hit, but the thing is, if you role is to it,

:44:21. > :44:26.dead weight, he will move that cue ball closer to the red. Barry will

:44:27. > :44:30.still have control with this very important tactical battle,

:44:31. > :44:34.especially for Joe Perry. If he loses the frame, going 5-2 behind,

:44:35. > :44:42.it would be too much of a mountain to climb for him. Missing it again.

:44:43. > :45:05.Foul, miss. Barry Hawkins four. Just seems to be sliding off this

:45:06. > :45:18.baulk cushion. He has a couple of attempts, readjusting here. Does not

:45:19. > :45:28.want to go by the red, of course. Anywhere alongside and he will be

:45:29. > :45:34.OK... Split that up. Could be in a bit of trouble again. Keep all of

:45:35. > :45:49.them behind the black, and the red tip on the ball ocean. -- on the

:45:50. > :46:02.baulk cushion. Did not get that snooker this time. You can play this

:46:03. > :46:07.cushion on the left-hand side. Trying to play the same shot that

:46:08. > :46:33.Barry played a couple ago. It looks OK.

:46:34. > :46:40.Barry is looking to come off this top cushion. This must be a lot more

:46:41. > :46:47.difficult to hit than it first appears... He is swerving around the

:46:48. > :47:03.green to try and find the baulk cushion where he can nestle on the

:47:04. > :47:06.red. Not enough now... It is funny. It looked like a simple escape but

:47:07. > :47:10.the green is blocking the path where he would like to hit the baulk

:47:11. > :47:26.cushion. Barry said that he would play a

:47:27. > :47:39.different shot anyway. Playing it with more pace. He will be happy

:47:40. > :47:47.with that outcome. There is a gap. There is always a gap! But, the

:47:48. > :47:55.problem is... I don't think he can avoid the kiss on the pink when he

:47:56. > :48:00.plays it. It could be worth going for the pot. That is why he is

:48:01. > :48:05.playing that swerved but when you strike down the right-hand side, you

:48:06. > :48:10.push the cue ball to the right, as we look. So that the green comes

:48:11. > :48:16.into play. But he does not want to play what he can hit of it. Bouncing

:48:17. > :48:24.into the pink. The cue ball going back up the table. -- bouncing into

:48:25. > :48:35.the pink would stop the cue ball going back up the table. But, it is

:48:36. > :48:44.dangerous. Well, it looks like it was going to be OK. But once the red

:48:45. > :48:51.kissed the pink... It is a gift wrapped chance. If it just missed

:48:52. > :48:56.the pink, it would have just run to the cushion, probably. What a chance

:48:57. > :49:04.for Barry Hawkins, three frames ahead and more importantly one frame

:49:05. > :49:12.away from a place in the semifinal. It has to be said, Barry has been

:49:13. > :49:20.very fortunate. Getting a snooker in this frame and the previous too.

:49:21. > :49:28.That has been the difference. These two have been... Absolutely massive.

:49:29. > :49:34.In the context of the entire match. Yes, two frames were practically the

:49:35. > :49:52.same. Potting the last red, it could have gone either way. It looks like

:49:53. > :49:54.they will go towards Barry. CLAPPING Brown and blue, 14 points in front

:49:55. > :50:29.with 13 remaining. Barry Hawkins only needs one more

:50:30. > :50:35.frame to be in tomorrow's final. A repeat of last year's final. Barry

:50:36. > :50:40.Hawkins leading Joe Perry now 5-2. STUDIO: Once again, Joe was in. A

:50:41. > :50:46.tense safety exchange one in the end by Barry Hawkins. Is there any way

:50:47. > :50:51.back for Joe? Not with how years playing. If there was one chance

:50:52. > :50:56.snooker, and they are boxers exchanging blows? Then I would say

:50:57. > :51:03.yes. But it does not look like... He is not scoring heavily enough. He

:51:04. > :51:06.has not been able to convert. At this level, that would be the most

:51:07. > :51:11.disappointing thing. If he does lose, he will look back on this

:51:12. > :51:15.match and say, he has not performed the way that he would have liked.

:51:16. > :51:21.But with how he has performed in the last couple of matches, he has been

:51:22. > :51:25.so emphatic? Yes, and when you get a chance among the balls and don't

:51:26. > :51:29.take it, then the frame can unfold in a variety of ways. And luck with

:51:30. > :51:39.the colours can come into the equation. Barry Hawkins play and

:51:40. > :51:43.escape, he left Joe with a big problem. You can look at it and go,

:51:44. > :51:49.that is a little unlucky for Joe. But, whoever goes in first has the

:51:50. > :51:52.chance to make a big blow and all is said and done, Barry Hawkins has

:51:53. > :52:00.shown some more killer instinct tonight and looks like he is more

:52:01. > :52:03.prepared to win compared to Joe. As Ken was saying, one away from a

:52:04. > :52:08.rematch with Ronnie O'Sullivan. Think about that match, he was

:52:09. > :52:13.beaten 10-1 last year, to bounce back and beat Ronnie at the Crucible

:52:14. > :52:19.in the last 16? He has shown real... I guess that he has learned so much.

:52:20. > :52:30.He has shown some real grit to recover from that dumping?

:52:31. > :52:34.Definitely, maybe he has one eye on tomorrow, it is dangerous to look

:52:35. > :52:41.ahead. But, it will be at the back of his mind, being 5-2 up. But look

:52:42. > :52:46.forward to this match tomorrow once you've got this subway. Mark Selby,

:52:47. > :52:50.who was the player in form. He won the World Championship and the UK

:52:51. > :52:56.championship committee was going for the slam here. He would have been

:52:57. > :53:00.the fifth man to hold all three of snooker's major titles. He said

:53:01. > :53:04.afterwards, that he felt quietly confident in that match. He was very

:53:05. > :53:10.strong in that performance? Yes, that is a pretty good yardstick.

:53:11. > :53:15.Beating Mark Selby in style. The kinds of things that he can produce,

:53:16. > :53:19.Barry Hawkins, we are not necessarily sure of. It is good to

:53:20. > :53:23.see but I would like to see Joe use this as a springboard. And say, OK,

:53:24. > :53:31.what do I do to get to the next level? I'm ignorant of who coaches

:53:32. > :53:35.him and whether he has a coach. He needs a kick start. Perhaps on

:53:36. > :53:39.double team you have another manager, but see if he can generate

:53:40. > :53:45.some are meant. Great performances over the last couple of seasons. He

:53:46. > :53:49.won his first major ranking title in 2015. The players championship, the

:53:50. > :53:54.PTC finals, and in the July World Open... This is another step for

:53:55. > :53:59.him. The semifinals of the Masters committee has never been here

:54:00. > :54:03.before. What does he have left? We will find out. -- the semifinals of

:54:04. > :54:07.the Masters. He has never been here before.

:54:08. > :54:12.COMMENTATOR: I alluded to the fact that there would be a time when

:54:13. > :54:18.perhaps you can break off those shackles, but again, the safety shot

:54:19. > :54:33.catching the bother-macro in the face? Not good. -- the baulk. It's

:54:34. > :54:39.been a big part of his game but tonight he has not been on it. The

:54:40. > :54:45.chance to play Ronnie O'Sullivan perhaps in the final tomorrow, maybe

:54:46. > :54:51.that is adding some pressure? This man appears to be getting a bit

:54:52. > :55:01.stronger. It is another excellent long pot. A bit unfortunate with his

:55:02. > :55:07.flick on the red. Those shots have been a big part of Barry's game all

:55:08. > :55:37.week. Yes. Justified applause. Closing the

:55:38. > :55:43.cushion, he has two cue Which? Very well, and he did. I do not think

:55:44. > :55:49.this is a straightforward role, he has two avoid that red near the

:55:50. > :55:54.cushion. It's a good position for him to get into, on the black. If

:55:55. > :55:59.that red was not near the left side committee could drop it in but I

:56:00. > :56:07.think that he's going to dig down to avoid that kiss on the second red.

:56:08. > :56:18.That is what could happen. Striking down. Decelerating on the shot.

:56:19. > :56:30.Hitting it too thin. We see it a lot on the superfine class. Joe Perry,

:56:31. > :56:45.let's see what you've got... -- superfine cloth.

:56:46. > :56:56.He is already faced with 8/2 red on the cushion. Especially as there is

:56:57. > :57:20.pressure on this. Easing the pressure slightly. But

:57:21. > :57:25.what a good pot it was at that pace! A fantastic pot. Clicking the red on

:57:26. > :57:38.the way up, meaning that was left open. Needing the cue ball to run

:57:39. > :57:44.through. Not too bad. Just one of those situations where you don't

:57:45. > :57:53.really have too worry about where the cue ball has gone, but make sure

:57:54. > :58:07.if you hit this pot with pace, you would be unlucky to be on one of

:58:08. > :58:12.those reds. APPLAUSE As usual, these kinds of matches get

:58:13. > :58:21.a lot of encouragement from this packed house at the Alexander

:58:22. > :58:34.Palace. But he is not stringing them together...

:58:35. > :58:45.It seems that Joe was saying to the referee about getting the pink

:58:46. > :59:01.first. It did not look that way to me. Let's have another look... No, I

:59:02. > :59:04.do not think it did. I think that he hit the red first. What has he left

:59:05. > :59:32.for Barry here? Just on the right... I am wondering

:59:33. > :59:38.whether he has the angle and enough of the cue ball to swing it and pot

:59:39. > :59:43.it around the back of the black. Does he try and drop it in for the

:59:44. > :59:50.gap, into the right-hand corner pocket? Looking at how the reds are

:59:51. > :59:56.spread, he tries to get it in and he has to get it in, you feel.

:59:57. > :00:08.A long way off. A long, long way off. He would have gone back to his

:00:09. > :00:11.seat there, thinking, could that have been my last shot in this year

:00:12. > :00:39.'s Masters? It could well be... Wiped its feet. Always looked a bit

:00:40. > :02:07.high. Just slow enough to let gravity take over.

:02:08. > :02:11.Didn't intend to kiss that red on the way up to the blue. He's been

:02:12. > :02:53.fortunate he's on this blue nicely. There's enough reds in the open to

:02:54. > :02:55.make you think it's certainly a possibility it could be frame and

:02:56. > :03:17.match at this visit. Played that well. Good shot. Nice

:03:18. > :03:31.control. Those two reds near the left middle

:03:32. > :03:38.pocket, I think the one nearest the pocket he can get on to.

:03:39. > :03:45.If you were really desperate you could make them into a plants. Just

:03:46. > :03:53.concentrate on the open reds at the moment. As you said, at the end of

:03:54. > :03:58.the last frame, if he wins, it's the repeat of last year's final, where

:03:59. > :04:02.he lost 10-1 to Ronnie O'Sullivan. But as we know, three months later,

:04:03. > :04:08.he played him in the World Championship and beat Ronnie 13-12.

:04:09. > :04:14.So they're long matches. He has done it against Ronnie.

:04:15. > :04:19.That will certainly give him a lot of confidence going into tomorrow's

:04:20. > :04:24.final. It will always be difficult against Ronnie O'Sullivan. The fact

:04:25. > :04:25.this he did beat him in the World Championship will have helped his

:04:26. > :04:39.confidence no end. Just looking whether that red

:04:40. > :04:44.closest to the pocket, well he couldn't be better on it than this.

:04:45. > :04:55.If he's not going to play it now, then maybe it's not available.

:04:56. > :05:20.Did right there. Undecided. Get up, walk round the table. Then refocus.

:05:21. > :05:26.Having another look at the red closest to the left middle. Does he

:05:27. > :05:36.feel he can get on it. Play this with a bit of a flick of

:05:37. > :05:47.right-hand side. That will be a big hurdle that he's

:05:48. > :06:15.got over there. Two reds, two blues would see him in

:06:16. > :06:59.the snookers required stage. Joe Perry will be fearing the worst.

:07:00. > :07:02.Just looking at the scoreboard now, 40 points the lead, red and green

:07:03. > :07:20.would do it. Barry Hawkins will be delighted. He

:07:21. > :07:23.will look forward to tomorrow with great relish. It will be a great

:07:24. > :07:30.occasion to play Ronnie O'Sullivan at the Masters. As it was last year.

:07:31. > :07:37.He'll be hoping to do and perform a lot better. As far as Joe Perry is

:07:38. > :07:44.concerned, Ken, disappointment. Yeah, he'll be very disappointed.

:07:45. > :07:50.Very disappointed Joe, particularly the way he's played in his previous

:07:51. > :07:58.two matches. Right from the very first ball in this match, it just

:07:59. > :08:04.wasn't the same player. Sometimes you just get days like that. Maybe

:08:05. > :08:09.as Steve said in the studio, it's something that he can look upon and

:08:10. > :08:12.use it as a spring board from here for the rest of the season. Yeah,

:08:13. > :08:16.you wouldn't like to think it was just the occasion got the better of

:08:17. > :08:26.him. He's not produced anything like the form he did against Stuart

:08:27. > :08:31.Bingham. He couldn't get the red to make it two snookers required. But

:08:32. > :09:43.44 points the lead, 43 remaining. Big ask for Joe Perry.

:09:44. > :09:47.Decent safety shot. Could have done with a few like that earlier on in

:09:48. > :10:23.this match. I think he's got to be a bit careful

:10:24. > :10:28.here. He can just get to the edge of the red below the pink, but he'd be

:10:29. > :10:32.frightened of playing that in case he just hit the pink, but he doesn't

:10:33. > :10:33.want to leave another red on, because remember, only one snooker

:10:34. > :10:43.needed at the moment. That's why he's reluctant to take

:10:44. > :10:50.this red on. It's a difficult red. He may have no choice. If he misses

:10:51. > :11:23.it, he's sure to leave the red he's going for or the red below the pink.

:11:24. > :11:40.If he had hit it a bit harder that was in the pocket.

:11:41. > :11:50.Red is in a perfect place. He just pots the black and knocks the red up

:11:51. > :11:59.into the baulk area. Gets a good snooker behind that pink.

:12:00. > :12:06.Looks operaty good. And as tight to the pink as he can get, and put this

:12:07. > :12:25.between cue ball and object ball. He didn't want to do that. He can

:12:26. > :12:29.stop a professional at this level having the one cushion escape, you

:12:30. > :12:34.feel as though it's missable. It may still be missable, but one cushion

:12:35. > :12:45.escape is a lot easier than the two or three cushion escape.

:12:46. > :12:51.He has missed it, would be a free ball that, for certain. Joe, you're

:12:52. > :13:10.still in this match. He's going to need one more good pot

:13:11. > :13:30.here. Cued that very nicely indeed.

:13:31. > :14:04.Couldn't have cued that better. Could this be a turning point in

:14:05. > :14:06.this match? A lit underhit, though. Barry hawkins looked, well, over the

:14:07. > :14:16.line. A chance here for Joe. He needs the

:14:17. > :14:55.six remaining colours. Should have been better on the yellow than this.

:14:56. > :15:03.Not out of the woods just yet. Not perfect on this green. OK you

:15:04. > :15:06.wouldn't expect him to miss it under normal circumstances. But these

:15:07. > :15:26.aren't normal circumstances. What a steal this would be. Zblun

:15:27. > :15:30.believable, wouldn't? -- Unbelievable, wouldn't it? We've

:15:31. > :15:35.seen turning points in matches before, could this be one? You think

:15:36. > :15:41.you're out of the tournament and then you can be right back in it.

:15:42. > :15:47.Has he come too straight on this blue? He's playing with top. No, the

:15:48. > :15:50.perfect anning toll run through, bounce off the cushion, on the pink.

:15:51. > :16:07.Pink and black. There's his father, Peter. He must

:16:08. > :16:15.have thought it was over a few minutes ago. Not if this black goes

:16:16. > :16:24.in it isn't. And in it goes! APPLAUSE

:16:25. > :16:29.Now, to me, he's back in this match. Still two behind, but could that be

:16:30. > :16:33.a big, big turning point? STUDIO: That's the question, but it

:16:34. > :16:37.looked for all the world that Barry Hawkins had this one sewn up. There

:16:38. > :16:41.was a moment on 44 points, where what was your reading this

:16:42. > :16:45.situation? He's perfect on the green here. He's looked at the red next to

:16:46. > :16:48.the right middle pocket. It's not as easy as it looks there. He's perfect

:16:49. > :16:53.on the green. He can get right behind that red and just drop the

:16:54. > :16:56.red in dead weight. I think he's outthought himself and tried to get

:16:57. > :17:01.the easier red, trying to play the exact positional shot. It would have

:17:02. > :17:04.been match over. Agreed? Yeah, we're here in the studio, assuming that

:17:05. > :17:09.he's going to be through in that frame and considering whether it

:17:10. > :17:12.would be fair to say that Joe Perry has bottled his chance. All of a

:17:13. > :17:16.sudden, out of the blue, he's shown great character to get back in this

:17:17. > :17:20.match. That was a tough clearance. It was his last chance, a dog's

:17:21. > :17:27.chance so to speak. A good snooker on Barry Hawkins. Now, we know how

:17:28. > :17:29.easily matches can turn. You look at Joe's body language in the chair.

:17:30. > :17:34.It's completely different. It's incredible. He's alert, ready for

:17:35. > :17:40.it. Exactly. He was a beaten man before. Yet you look at his scoring

:17:41. > :17:43.tonight, his top break is 48, it's way, way down on the levels he's

:17:44. > :17:48.produced earlier in the week. He's had three centuries. He's had two

:17:49. > :17:55.breaks of 50 plus as well against Ding. He had a 77 Eric 74 against --

:17:56. > :18:01.77 and a 74 against Bingham. It's a complete contrast. . The other guy's

:18:02. > :18:08.got to get to six. He's still in the match. Here we go.

:18:09. > :18:16.COMMENTATOR: Six is the magic number for a place in tomorrow's final.

:18:17. > :18:21.All the talk for a moment Joe was out and Barry had one foot in the

:18:22. > :18:28.final. This match is back on now. How will that last frame affect

:18:29. > :19:08.Barry Hawkins? That's the question. He's going to need, well he can play

:19:09. > :19:10.this two ways. Try and screw off the side cushion or just drop it in and

:19:11. > :19:25.take the difficult red. He's got for the one left of the

:19:26. > :19:46.black spot. Could have given it a bit more pace.

:19:47. > :19:56.If the last frame was going to be a turning point, he had to make the

:19:57. > :20:43.most of that opportunity. No easy starter for Joe here. Good

:20:44. > :21:32.pot needed. When you take this long, a sharp

:21:33. > :21:36.intake of breath, I think he's considering taking the pot on here.

:21:37. > :21:46.It's fraught with danger, as every shot now. Heal be thinking that my

:21:47. > :21:56.-- he'll be thinking my next mistake could be my last. The black will

:21:57. > :21:57.only go in this pocket. He's got it. He's on the pot into the same pocket

:21:58. > :22:07.as the red. Super shot. What a tremendous pot that was.

:22:08. > :22:19.That's more like it. Needed to travel with the cue ball

:22:20. > :22:25.five or six inches there, just trying to get on that red.

:22:26. > :23:24.May just have a red to the far left corner. It's not ideal by any means.

:23:25. > :24:17.But it's a chance. What a chance this is. This will get

:24:18. > :24:24.him within one of Barry Hawkins and really keep the pressure firmly on

:24:25. > :24:51.Barry. He must have thought he was in the final about 20 minutes ago.

:24:52. > :24:59.Might play a cannon on the red directly up from the black.

:25:00. > :25:03.He's played it very, very well. That's brought another couple of

:25:04. > :25:24.reds into play. Little bit straighter on the blue

:25:25. > :25:31.would have been ideal. He can play a cannon on the pink and red together.

:25:32. > :25:37.Would be lucky if he's not on one. He wanted to hit the join of the red

:25:38. > :25:40.and the pink. Still got this one to the right middle Got to be accurate

:25:41. > :25:51.though. He's looking a bit smoother now.

:25:52. > :26:00.Yeah. He's certainly picked up the pace. A spring in his step at the

:26:01. > :26:06.moment. He's looking an awful lot better than he did the previous few

:26:07. > :26:10.frames. Stephen said he looked like a beaten man, but all a sudden, how

:26:11. > :26:23.quick things can change. This red he's looking at, if the red

:26:24. > :26:28.wasn't near the left-hand side cushion, he could run through for

:26:29. > :26:37.the black. Stunned it over. That's OK. Just got to avoid a kiss on one

:26:38. > :26:41.of those reds near the top cushion. Just got to avoid this kiss.

:26:42. > :26:52.Well that was so careless. When you consider he was only

:26:53. > :26:57.looking for one more red and a colour. That was the only thing that

:26:58. > :27:04.could go wrong if he kissed that red.

:27:05. > :27:12.Well, what does he do here? Does he take this into the bottom right hand

:27:13. > :27:24.corner pocket? 65 ahead. Still 75 left on the table.

:27:25. > :27:36.Sits down, 65 points in front. But there's still 75 remaining. Another

:27:37. > :28:24.twist. Needs reds, colours and the

:28:25. > :28:28.remaining colours to win frame and match.

:28:29. > :29:41.Forced him out of position. He would have got another frame on the board.

:29:42. > :30:05.No. No. Well... He hasn't missed many with the rest.

:30:06. > :30:13.I have a feeling that he can cut this red into the corner... Does not

:30:14. > :30:20.really want to leave it there. It is a thin one, but I think it cuts OK.

:30:21. > :30:30.Not much idea where the cue ball is going, but concentrate on the pot.

:30:31. > :30:39.In the end, playing it half-heartedly. I would not have

:30:40. > :30:41.played that has a shot for nothing. It does not look like he has left

:30:42. > :31:27.anything easy. He is going to get another chance.

:31:28. > :31:32.That's better. He is on the baulk. 54 ahead with just 51 remaining.

:31:33. > :32:33.Ooh. How did he find a gap there? That is a clever shot. You might

:32:34. > :32:40.think, why didn't you play the double? You would have a single red

:32:41. > :32:44.at that end and a choice of a snooker behind the black. The wants

:32:45. > :32:55.to keep those two reds together for this time. And that's nice kiss on

:32:56. > :33:12.the black in a safe position as well. No harm in that, for John...

:33:13. > :33:37.That's not bad. He's left Barry that red to the far left corner. Barry

:33:38. > :33:42.needed at the moment, one more snooker. If he potted that red and

:33:43. > :33:44.then the green, he'd need two snookers. He needs a red with the

:33:45. > :34:05.high value colours. He's played this nicely, though, a

:34:06. > :34:14.good length to the cue ball, excellent length to the cue ball.

:34:15. > :35:40.Joe may be tempted to play the pot this time.

:35:41. > :35:44.When your opponent needs the snooker and three reds remaining on the

:35:45. > :35:49.table, you always feel that it's going to be very difficult for him

:35:50. > :35:58.to get a snooker and snooker on all those three reds.

:35:59. > :36:10.Of course, if Barry could pot two of the reds, with high value colours,

:36:11. > :36:32.all of a sudden, the frame takes on a different complexion.

:36:33. > :36:53.He's got to play the pink. If he plays the blue...

:36:54. > :36:58.Playing the pink in actual fact, needs the black really here. At the

:36:59. > :37:04.moment he wants one nooker to tie. Can't afford another pink. He was

:37:05. > :38:05.trying to get on the black. Well that's one time he didn't need

:38:06. > :38:20.the red to go in. Look at the snooker he'd have had.

:38:21. > :38:27.He's got the snooker, but there's no miss will be called in the snookers

:38:28. > :38:33.required stage. The difference now is 46 with 35 remaining.

:38:34. > :38:41.One snooker and free ball would be enough. What a fantastic effort this

:38:42. > :38:49.was but for that red going in the pocket. That would have been a great

:38:50. > :38:53.snooker. Joe's got to be careful here, he doesn't leave a free ball.

:38:54. > :38:58.He got out of an amazing snooker a couple of frames ago.

:38:59. > :39:02.He's going to need that again. As long as it's over the right-hand

:39:03. > :39:06.side of the table, it's not going to be a free ball.

:39:07. > :39:11.Barry will have a chance of getting this cue ball behind the pink and

:39:12. > :39:32.red will be going back up into baulk. Two snookers required.

:39:33. > :39:42.May have got one, but is there a gap between the blue and pink?

:39:43. > :39:52.I'm not quite sure whether he can see the red direct.

:39:53. > :39:56.Well, he doesn't like it. Maybe it's too close to the blue, so two

:39:57. > :40:25.cushions here. Two four-point snookers. Probably

:40:26. > :40:33.won't pot the red here. There's no point.

:40:34. > :40:42.That's a very good effort. Excellent shot.

:40:43. > :40:49.Good snooker. But if that had run closer to the brown and yellow, this

:40:50. > :40:54.left cushion would have been taken out of the equation.

:40:55. > :41:10.No. Foul. Well, is there another twist in this? Hit the pink, but

:41:11. > :41:17.it's still not enough. He's 36 points behind. Now 35 remaining.

:41:18. > :41:28.If he were to pot the red and the blue, and then play a snooker off

:41:29. > :41:40.the yellow behind the brown, that seems an alternative way to go about

:41:41. > :41:44.this. He can pot the red, he could stun the cue ball in behind the blue

:41:45. > :41:50.here. I think the best probably to pot the red and get on the blue.

:41:51. > :41:58.Or pink, of course. Because of the proximity of the yellow to the

:41:59. > :41:59.brown, if he can get really close to the yellow, he can lay a

:42:00. > :42:08.straightforward snooker. He's just looking now, scratch of

:42:09. > :42:11.the head, maybe he didn't realise that the blue would have been

:42:12. > :42:17.enough. If he had played for the blue, he'd

:42:18. > :42:19.have been easier to get where he wanted to to lay the snooker behind

:42:20. > :42:36.the brown. It's not really close enough, is it?

:42:37. > :42:37.No. The problem is he's going to get a snooker that's going to be

:42:38. > :42:44.difficult to hit. That's end of frame. He's not even

:42:45. > :43:09.got the snooker. So, Barry Hawkins is still going to

:43:10. > :43:20.be one frame away from victory. But Joe Perry is only one frame away

:43:21. > :43:23.from being level. He'll be disappointed to have missed that

:43:24. > :44:12.green. Two snookers required once again.

:44:13. > :44:20.Just be wary here that in playing it thin cut it doesn't send the cue

:44:21. > :44:23.ball near a pocket. That will be end of frame.

:44:24. > :44:27.Can't see any way Barry Hawkins is going to come back to the table. I

:44:28. > :44:39.think he's preparing to leave the arena.

:44:40. > :44:45.Yeah, another session. He goes from the arena. Whether he will have a

:44:46. > :44:52.word to Terry Griffiths or not just to calm him down. Joe Perry is right

:44:53. > :44:58.back in this. 5-4, Hawkins. STUDIO: He sure is. Two on the

:44:59. > :45:03.bounce. The scheduled film Looper will follow the conclusion of the

:45:04. > :45:09.snooker. Steve Davis says it might be the Test card. It's a bit late.

:45:10. > :45:12.Joe rubbing his eyes. You wonder what must be going through Barry

:45:13. > :45:18.Hawkins' head. This should have been done some time ago. Barry's race is

:45:19. > :45:22.run, definitely. It's a horrible situation. I mean it happens every

:45:23. > :45:26.now and again, you're over the line. Your opponent needs one snooker, you

:45:27. > :45:31.mentally ease up or perhaps you think well OK, I'm going to be able

:45:32. > :45:35.to get out of the snookers left me. But all a sudden it's turned round.

:45:36. > :45:40.Then it's a case of not pressing the panic button. A good thing to go out

:45:41. > :45:43.there. He needs to regroup. What's your reading in the turn around in

:45:44. > :45:48.the last couple of frames? Yes, Barry's got previous of losing

:45:49. > :45:52.matches from - you know snatching defeat from the jaws of victory from

:45:53. > :45:56.having big leads. Quite recently actually. When that happens, all

:45:57. > :45:59.these things - it's amazing what you can think about in the chair when

:46:00. > :46:03.you should have won the match. It's all negative. That's why he's

:46:04. > :46:07.probably gone out to try and just do anything to try and clear your mind

:46:08. > :46:13.and come back and try to remember you're still 5-4 in front. That's

:46:14. > :46:17.it. You make a good point. The last couple of tournaments, Mark King was

:46:18. > :46:23.5-1 down in the Northern Ireland Open final and went on to beat Barry

:46:24. > :46:26.in that. The great Fergal O'Brien made five centuries in six frames to

:46:27. > :46:30.beat him at the UK championships. He's been the victim of some

:46:31. > :46:34.interesting heroics from other people. Yeah, I suppose you could

:46:35. > :46:39.say the best champions are players that can play the same snooker from

:46:40. > :46:42.all different departments of the game, from different situations.

:46:43. > :46:45.That's probably something that Terry Griffiths has been working with

:46:46. > :46:52.Barry on, trying to improve his outlook. Need some good resolve to

:46:53. > :46:56.really, and fortitude, to regroup. It's back to basics now, one shot at

:46:57. > :47:02.a time. That's all you concentrate on. Hawkins still just one frame

:47:03. > :47:10.away from consecutive Masters finals in consecutive years.

:47:11. > :47:11.COMMENTATOR: One frame away, as we all know, always the hardest one to

:47:12. > :47:16.win. ( all know, always the hardest one to

:47:17. > :47:18.win. Doesn't get any easier when you've lost the frame when your

:47:19. > :47:26.opponent needs the snooker, pressure.

:47:27. > :47:41.Match time, just over three hours now. Perry is in the ascendency.

:47:42. > :47:48.We've seen it time and again how matches can change, just from one

:47:49. > :47:54.particular incident or one shot. But we didn't see this coming, because

:47:55. > :47:58.Joe hadn't been playing too well and wasn't winning frames on one visit.

:47:59. > :48:01.That's the one worry I'd have for him for the rest of the match. He's

:48:02. > :48:06.got himself back in it through grit and determination. Absolutely. Like

:48:07. > :48:10.you've said, we've been saying during the match and Stephen in the

:48:11. > :48:13.studio, the fact he's not been winning frames in one visit. Now

:48:14. > :48:18.it's the nitty gritty of this match, I don't think that really counts

:48:19. > :48:24.now. It's just getting what you can. It's whoever wins the next frame or

:48:25. > :48:29.the next two frames in Joe's case. Winning frames in one visit now,

:48:30. > :48:34.early on in the match, you think it makes a difference, but not now

:48:35. > :48:37.we've got to the end of the match. He's got here playing like that. So

:48:38. > :48:45.why can't he go and win it in that style?

:48:46. > :48:53.Touching ball. Touching ball, that's handy. Nice, easy path back to the

:48:54. > :49:38.baulk end. Caught the brown. OK, may not have

:49:39. > :49:43.left a pot that will tempt Barry. But hand on the table and that

:49:44. > :49:47.target of yellow and brown to try and hide the cue ball behind. It's

:49:48. > :50:28.very tempting. He's having a look at something

:50:29. > :50:33.there. Sometimes you think are they looking at a plant, may be looking

:50:34. > :50:40.to make certain he doesn't knock a red over the right corner pocket.

:50:41. > :51:16.He needed to hit that just right. Catching the blue. That's dangerous.

:51:17. > :51:26.Black doesn't pot, so maybe screwing off the red and the pink. He's

:51:27. > :51:33.played a delicate cannon into that red. That was an excellent shot.

:51:34. > :51:35.Just nudged a red out of the way. He's got the pink now into the left

:51:36. > :52:06.centre. If he's on this red, he's very

:52:07. > :52:21.straight. He's going to need a good shot to get back up for the pink.

:52:22. > :52:31.Good effort. He's got the pink to the far left corner. It's not

:52:32. > :52:36.obvious where the next red comes from.

:52:37. > :52:39.He'll have to play another very precise positional shot here.

:52:40. > :52:51.Stop moving please, thank you. No. This game is getting harder for

:52:52. > :53:16.Barry Hawkins now. Would love to get that pink back up

:53:17. > :53:21.to this end of the table. May not go on its own spot.

:53:22. > :53:28.Certainly would go on the blue spot. As we saw that red go in there,

:53:29. > :53:32.accidents want to finish tight on the baulk cushion. I think he just

:53:33. > :53:38.about cut the pink in. He want aid half ball pot. Not a thin one like

:53:39. > :53:41.this. There's definitely now two reds on the right-hand side of the

:53:42. > :53:45.main cluster that go to the left corner.

:53:46. > :53:49.Just a bit thin on the pink to play for, that I feel.

:53:50. > :54:06.What's the alternative? Got to be careful playing it with

:54:07. > :54:08.pace for the pink on the blue spot. Got to be accurate.

:54:09. > :54:13.And was. There's our blue line. He's the

:54:14. > :54:45.wrong side of. It The red left of the bunch may be

:54:46. > :54:50.potable into this bottom right hand corner pocket. There you see it.

:54:51. > :55:16.The red is available to the left corner. There's a chance, not saying

:55:17. > :55:18.it's a frame-winning chance, but certainly a chance to get another 30

:55:19. > :55:33.or so points at this visit. I don't know why he didn't play for

:55:34. > :55:36.the pink. Maybe he did and got into the cue ball too much. Bit of

:55:37. > :56:02.adrenaline there. He's looked at this a couple of

:56:03. > :56:15.times, this red to the left of the black, does pass the black? It does.

:56:16. > :56:26.APPLAUSE It's a terrific shot!

:56:27. > :56:35.Heavy contact. Wanted to be straighter on this red.

:56:36. > :56:44.The black jumping up. But that previous shot, John, to bring the

:56:45. > :56:47.black into play, just more evidence of how he's feeling. Cueing superbly

:56:48. > :57:04.well. Watch this. Wonderful. That used all the pocket. He'd liked

:57:05. > :57:08.to have been straighter on this pink. I don't think he wants to risk

:57:09. > :57:14.the cannon because of the couple of reds that will pot. Can he avoid the

:57:15. > :57:20.cannon? In the end, he decided to play a tentative one. It's OK, I

:57:21. > :57:23.suppose. He's got a pot on. You either go into them full blooded or

:57:24. > :57:29.you don't go into them, for me. He could still win the frame at this

:57:30. > :57:52.visit. He's pulling out some crackers to

:57:53. > :58:19.keep this break going. Excellent pot again.

:58:20. > :58:25.Played it nicely. I don't think the black goes to the right corner, if

:58:26. > :58:30.it was, it would be a case of rolling this in. He might have to be

:58:31. > :58:39.for the pink. He has to. It needs to run a little bit. Perfect!

:58:40. > :58:43.Absolutely inch perfect. This pink will put him 43 points in front,

:58:44. > :58:51.another couple of reds needed and we're going to have a decider.

:58:52. > :58:54.From nowhere. Must seem a long time ago now, when Barry potted that

:58:55. > :59:00.green and looked as though he was in the final.

:59:01. > :59:07.We certainly did. I'm sure most of the crowd did as well. One man who

:59:08. > :59:12.didn't, which is most importantly, is that man out there.

:59:13. > :59:17.You can see now, Ken, he's so disappointed, because he needs the

:59:18. > :59:21.pink and he needs one more red. Wrong side of the blue line. But

:59:22. > :59:28.he's looking at the possibility, is there a plant appeared?

:59:29. > :59:37.Can he make the plant? It can be made. If you hit the first red on

:59:38. > :59:41.the left-hand side, it will push the second red to the right. This can be

:59:42. > :59:47.made. The red is all that's required.

:59:48. > :00:14.No way back to the table now for Barry so he will be preparing for

:00:15. > :00:29.that decider. What a turnaround this has been.

:00:30. > :00:41.Shaking his head, I don't think you can believe it, but it's a reality

:00:42. > :00:50.now. His good friend who is a former professional is here as well. We are

:00:51. > :00:55.into a decider! Joe Perry has come from 5-2 down, it's now 5-5, one

:00:56. > :01:03.frame for both players for a place in tomorrow's final.

:01:04. > :01:08.We spoke to both members of these men's family, what will they be

:01:09. > :01:14.going through now? What a comeback and from absolutely nothing. Joe

:01:15. > :01:21.Perry's dad has had the meter running in the taxi for ages now. I

:01:22. > :01:26.think that sum that up, he has watched Joe play his whole life, he

:01:27. > :01:30.must have thought he was down and out and out of no where he got a

:01:31. > :01:35.spark of inspiration from perhaps Barry Hawkins giving him a lifeline,

:01:36. > :01:40.he gets the snooker and how it turns around. After the eighth frame there

:01:41. > :01:44.was a complete change, a complete turnaround in his body language and

:01:45. > :01:51.he's pushed on. Meanwhile the opposite is true of Barry, he has

:01:52. > :02:00.visibly shrunk before our eyes. It's psychological sport this level. At

:02:01. > :02:05.5-2, he had given nothing. I said his race had run, I thought he had

:02:06. > :02:10.nothing together, did not look like he was up for the challenge. But

:02:11. > :02:15.once barked as a snooker player, to get that spark and get that snooker,

:02:16. > :02:22.clear up and all of a sudden you think I can win the match now. It's

:02:23. > :02:25.an amazing turnaround. That is why the sport is compelling. If you look

:02:26. > :02:29.at the body language there is only one winner but in a decider you

:02:30. > :02:34.never know. Sometimes what happens and we have seen it before, how many

:02:35. > :02:38.times our players come back from a deficit but failed to clinch the

:02:39. > :02:42.last one? I think the one who will be looking over their shoulder

:02:43. > :02:47.panicking about the guy coming back at him suddenly has a release and

:02:48. > :02:54.can just concentrate on playing again. I don't know what the stats

:02:55. > :02:58.are, but sometimes that player then goes I now have nothing to lose and

:02:59. > :03:02.plays better. We don't know the stats but both of you have been in

:03:03. > :03:07.the situation in the past so what does it feel like when you have

:03:08. > :03:15.basically been pegged back from a winning position, how do you feel

:03:16. > :03:23.going into a decider? It's horrible. But you have to go OK, it's just one

:03:24. > :03:31.frame. It is! 26 years in the game, Joe Perry never made it to one of

:03:32. > :03:36.the majors, the finals of one of the top three tournaments in snooker.

:03:37. > :03:40.Barry Hawkins has been to two before, the great friends shake

:03:41. > :04:04.hands, it's all on this one frame. COMMENTATOR: Time for everybody to

:04:05. > :04:05.calm down. Can the players? The prize for winning this frame is a

:04:06. > :04:20.place in the Masters final. Settle down please! What an occasion

:04:21. > :04:43.it will be for either player. Who can take the opportunity?

:04:44. > :04:58.Well, Joe is going to get the first chance, this will without doubt be

:04:59. > :05:13.one of the most important frames in Joe Perry's career. A long way away

:05:14. > :05:29.from that, long way away. He's got away with it.

:05:30. > :05:40.I think he may have got away with that. Or does this red cut back to

:05:41. > :06:00.the left middle? It's thin as it does. Eyeing up the potting angle.

:06:01. > :06:06.APPLAUSE CHEERING

:06:07. > :06:20.Just dropped. Thought it was going to stay there for a second and he's

:06:21. > :06:21.just about on the yellow. Who can take their opportunity? Who can hold

:06:22. > :07:06.the mirror? -- the nerve? The fact that it went into the

:07:07. > :07:11.left-hand side of the pocket, the wrong side of the pink now to have a

:07:12. > :07:13.nice angle just to drop it in and come down for the red left of the

:07:14. > :07:44.black. Gentlemen, stop shouting out. He's

:07:45. > :08:17.at the table, let him concentrate. The potting angle on the pink, was

:08:18. > :08:29.never going to be perfect on the red, using the rest.

:08:30. > :09:03.Quite a long way away. Has to be careful with this safety.

:09:04. > :09:16.Having a look at what he has left, he has left a red. But not certain

:09:17. > :09:19.if he can avoid the kiss on the black. Is playing the pot, is

:09:20. > :09:34.playing safe. Not the best safety. You would

:09:35. > :10:06.expect a better one, or should get a better one from Joe Perry here.

:10:07. > :10:15.Another chance for Barry Hawkins. There is a gap around the back of

:10:16. > :10:21.the reds, around the black spot. Has to be very accurate when potting

:10:22. > :10:35.this red, try to get back up for the pink or the blue.

:10:36. > :10:43.APPLAUSE Decided to hold for the black and

:10:44. > :10:57.could not have played it any better, that's a fantastic shot.

:10:58. > :11:04.That was a wonderful short, it's given him a great opportunity. That

:11:05. > :11:09.is what is called grasping the nettle isn't it? You realise if you

:11:10. > :11:15.can get the can get the black on its spot into play and get the possible

:11:16. > :11:21.frame and match-winning chants. -- match-winning chants. Still a lot of

:11:22. > :11:52.balls to be potted before that happens.

:11:53. > :11:57.The red of a slave to the left of the black is available but I think

:11:58. > :12:00.there is also a red at the bottom just sticking out from the main

:12:01. > :12:10.bunch, that is available into this corner as well. But he will have to

:12:11. > :12:19.go into the cluster sooner rather than later. You cannot win the frame

:12:20. > :12:23.with just these 2-macro loose reds. He will have to play for the loose

:12:24. > :12:35.reds because he's not got the angle to try to disturb things.

:12:36. > :12:41.You would have thought maybe he would have wanted to come a little

:12:42. > :12:43.bit low on this red but he will have to get a good angle on the black

:12:44. > :13:11.now. Needs to hit this black with a

:13:12. > :13:19.better place because the pack is very tightly packed, going to need a

:13:20. > :13:27.bit power here. Very tightly packed and did not really get into the cue

:13:28. > :13:31.ball like he normally does. I always feel with that type of shot, you can

:13:32. > :13:36.see the way the cue ball moved back, a little bit of back spin, I always

:13:37. > :13:39.feel you are better stunning through them. He has a 50 point lead but

:13:40. > :14:12.still 91 points remaining. Gone for the double. A tentative

:14:13. > :14:34.double. APPLAUSE Well, the reds are now in the open.

:14:35. > :14:36.Ken Joe Perry play a good safety -- can Joe Perry play a good safety and

:14:37. > :14:52.force a mistake from Barry? I mean, in an ideal world, you would

:14:53. > :14:57.like to flick off one of the reds and maybe use the brown as a target.

:14:58. > :15:05.That would be a good safety. Is it too thick, though, to catch the

:15:06. > :15:33.middle pocket? The loser in this semifinal will get

:15:34. > :15:39.?50,000. The winner, ?90,000. So hanging on this frame is ?40,000.

:15:40. > :15:52.More importantly, that date with Ronnie O'Sullivan, on a tremendous

:15:53. > :15:55.occasion tomorrow, the final of the Dafabet masters. He's giving this

:15:56. > :15:59.plenty of thought. I should think those three reds in the middle of

:16:00. > :16:03.the table, he can get to the left-hand one but he's going to try

:16:04. > :16:10.to play thin of this and get to the brown. He's played that one with a

:16:11. > :16:22.double-kiss! He's left a pot on but he could have left something easier

:16:23. > :16:28.than this. Maybe there is a gap between the blue and pink. Put this

:16:29. > :16:34.red into the bottom left-hand corner pocket. It is very tight but it

:16:35. > :16:54.might be a good guide, actually. It is definitely on.

:16:55. > :17:05.GASPS FROM CROWD Wow. Well, if it wasn't the deciding

:17:06. > :17:10.frame, you get the feeling, Ken, that he would have spotted that.

:17:11. > :17:19.There was a lot on it. There certainly was and what a chance now

:17:20. > :17:24.for Joe Perry at the right centre. Anything is unmissable, though, at

:17:25. > :17:31.this stage. Oh, absolutely. -- anything can be missed. The fact it

:17:32. > :17:46.has got to this stage means that both players have made mistakes.

:17:47. > :18:01.That was a nice cannon to get. It has opened up those two reds.

:18:02. > :18:12.Just a case now of holding yourself together.

:18:13. > :18:21.And looking at Joe's father, there, Ken, he will be playing every shot,

:18:22. > :18:45.won't he? Absolutely. Not easy watching.

:18:46. > :18:55.Just want to measure that, Joe. Getting into adrenaline, now, isn't

:18:56. > :19:01.it, screwed that a little bit. Does not really want it on the pink spot,

:19:02. > :19:09.to be honest, he would prefer it to be on the blue spot. He will have to

:19:10. > :19:13.play for the black now off this red, could have played for the pink or

:19:14. > :19:22.the blue had he been straight on it. But he's OK. Could have done with a

:19:23. > :19:27.number inch or two to be perfect. -- another inch. But right in the heart

:19:28. > :19:37.of the pocket. Reducing the arrears to 19, now. He's going to need the

:19:38. > :19:52.awkward brown. But he won't be looking that far ahead just yet.

:19:53. > :20:04.Nothing he can do now. The loneliest seat in the world.

:20:05. > :20:16.He cued that nicely. Got through it well. He's taking these quite well

:20:17. > :20:19.at the moment, Ken. His positional play has been superb. He looks a

:20:20. > :20:25.completely different player to a few frames ago. It will have given him a

:20:26. > :20:32.lot of confidence but still a lot of work to do, as you have said, John,

:20:33. > :20:36.that brown may be the pivotal ball in the final frame. Again, a bit of

:20:37. > :20:48.adrenaline, overscrewed that by a couple of feet.

:20:49. > :20:55.Just when you needed pinpoint position, he's not got it. Two

:20:56. > :21:36.points ahead, now. Oh, just about OK. A little bit

:21:37. > :21:40.short. You can see by the way he breathed in, there, a path of the

:21:41. > :21:45.cheeks. Should have been straighter on the yellow. Yes, he needs a good

:21:46. > :21:51.angle when he popped this yellow on the green to try to get close to the

:21:52. > :21:55.brown. -- when he pots this yellow. Does not want to be straight on this

:21:56. > :22:03.green. APPLAUSE Looks OK. It is a little bit

:22:04. > :22:08.straight. It must be. I'm looking at his body language, Ken. He must be

:22:09. > :22:12.very straight. Well, you couldn't be straighter, so he can't get close to

:22:13. > :22:16.the brown. You can see the annoyance and frustration. He needs green,

:22:17. > :22:25.brown and blue for a place in the final.

:22:26. > :22:37.And this brown, no need to tell you, is tough. Do you risk it all? I

:22:38. > :22:38.think because of the way he is playing, he's confident, he's going

:22:39. > :22:53.to go for it. This is so tough. APPLAUSE

:22:54. > :23:03.A what's to keep on going, to the blue, that's where. -- he's going to

:23:04. > :23:11.keep on going. CHEERING AND APPLAUSE What a result! A kiss to his father,

:23:12. > :23:12.Peter, who is on his feet, and why wouldn't he be? What a turnaround

:23:13. > :23:27.this is! But he has missed the pink. But two

:23:28. > :23:35.snooker is needed. 20 points, the lead. 13 remaining.

:23:36. > :23:41.Well, I've seen a lot of things in this game, Ken, but I've not seen a

:23:42. > :23:45.match that has turned on its head like this one for a long time.

:23:46. > :23:54.Incredible. What a comeback from Joe Perry. One of the biggest frames of

:23:55. > :24:00.his 26 year career. Incredible. This pink looks close. It looks close. It

:24:01. > :24:09.is there! Well, would you believe it? Barry Hawkins will be absolutely

:24:10. > :24:14.gutted. He was 5-2 in front and Joe Perry needed a snooker. He got it,

:24:15. > :24:18.won the frame. His dad is coming down to give him a big hug, I'm

:24:19. > :24:25.sure. And he's through to the final come to play Ronnie O'Sullivan. What

:24:26. > :24:32.a turnaround. What a victory! 6-5, Joe Perry. I'm getting carried away!

:24:33. > :24:36.STUDIO:, we are all getting carried away. So extraordinary, you had

:24:37. > :24:39.stayed up with us, half past 11 but it was worth it because that was an

:24:40. > :24:45.extraordinary turnaround. Needed a snooker in the eighth frame. He was

:24:46. > :24:50.down on his uppers. But how has he turned it around? It's not that, his

:24:51. > :24:53.body language did not look good on other occasions, perhaps you get a

:24:54. > :24:56.snooker and you are back in it but he did not look capable at one

:24:57. > :24:59.stage. It just proves, you don't stay in the top 16 forest long as

:25:00. > :25:06.Joe Perry without having to fight in you. Great performance. What a

:25:07. > :25:15.brown. Along the cushion. One of the shots of the tournament.

:25:16. > :25:17.Congratulations! Where did you get the brown and the reaction to that

:25:18. > :25:21.in the final frame decider. What went through your mind when you knew

:25:22. > :25:26.you were there? We would have forgiven you for playing a safety on

:25:27. > :25:29.the brown. I wasn't going to do it. It was my chance. I should never

:25:30. > :25:33.have had a chance but I thought, right, if I get one chance, I'm

:25:34. > :25:39.going to go for it. I don't know how I held myself together. I didn't. It

:25:40. > :25:44.just went in. Just one of them. You do know we had with the new off in

:25:45. > :25:48.the match. Your body language in the first half of the match, you never

:25:49. > :25:51.looked like doing it. From the very first break off, I hit the white and

:25:52. > :25:55.it moved about an inch and a half from where I was aiming. They have

:25:56. > :26:02.changed the cloth and I don't hit the centre of the white and it is

:26:03. > :26:04.quite low and I was pushing a ripping off, so reactive, so nice

:26:05. > :26:07.but I couldn't get it at all. My confidence with a bit and I didn't

:26:08. > :26:10.fancy putting anything more than six foot away but I dug in. It was

:26:11. > :26:14.weird, I was in my chair when Barry did not get on the red and I needed

:26:15. > :26:19.a snooker and I played a safety and I thought if I can just get behind

:26:20. > :26:22.the pink, funny things happen and it did. A kiss for your dad who has

:26:23. > :26:27.been your greatest support doubles the as soon as I done it, I thought,

:26:28. > :26:30.why did you do that? I had not won the match and shouldn't have but I

:26:31. > :26:35.couldn't help myself. Two snooker is on the thing, though. Fair enough,

:26:36. > :26:38.it was not going away but suddenly in the eighth frame, you needed a

:26:39. > :26:43.snooker and you got it. At what point did you start to believe it

:26:44. > :26:47.was on? I sat there and thought, if I could get tight behind the pink,

:26:48. > :26:51.get a snooker, I was thinking, win the next one and it is going to be

:26:52. > :26:56.worrying him because he should have won the match. Pretty much what

:26:57. > :27:02.happened. I went out opposition at 60 in front. It got a bit of doubt

:27:03. > :27:05.in Barry's mind. I did not put any doubt in his mind at all tonight. I

:27:06. > :27:09.did not play well and really, he was much better than me for seven or

:27:10. > :27:13.eight frames. Once he gave you a chance when he missed the long red

:27:14. > :27:17.through the gap, the first few balls of that were very positive, you

:27:18. > :27:21.played to get the break going. I didn't want to start messing about,

:27:22. > :27:30.going for easy colours, pinks and blues because that can make the end

:27:31. > :27:34.of the red quite. I got the pink early to tie a couple up, get them

:27:35. > :27:36.open and it was a matter of not missing anything easy and doing my

:27:37. > :27:39.stuff. Where has this come from, for a start? It's extraordinary, your

:27:40. > :27:43.build-up was not great but can you tell us, 26 years of trying to get

:27:44. > :27:48.into a major final and you've done it. I know! It's good to have good

:27:49. > :27:53.people around you. I've got my mum and dad, my brothers and my partner

:27:54. > :27:56.now. You do doubt yourself as a snooker player, every time you hit

:27:57. > :28:03.bad form and you lose matches, you doubt yourself but you need people

:28:04. > :28:06.around you to keep on picking you up and keep you striving. I've been in

:28:07. > :28:09.the top 16 for nine or ten years so I'm obviously good enough to do all

:28:10. > :28:12.right. But this is my year, maybe. Perhaps tomorrow is your day and we

:28:13. > :28:18.will be back to share it with you. Get some sleep because you are back

:28:19. > :28:22.on the table at 1pm, as are we! You have got to see this final, and it

:28:23. > :28:25.all starts at 1pm. Be there. See you soon. Goodbye.