Quarter-Final 2 Masters Snooker

Good evening, welcome back to

Alexander Palace. The quarterfinals

of the 2018 masters are well under

way and to night we shall see one of

Snicko's brightest young talents,

Kyren Wilson, line up against

Williams the Welsh wonder.

Williams the Welsh wonder.

His nerve

is going to hold in the final

session.

It will be this time I am sure.

A

tremendous cheer, really deserved

for this young man.

How did that go in? Of all the

players this week he has played

consistently the best. Mark Williams

looks as though he is going to have

that trophy. That is for the

championship.

championship.

Wonderful memories and

Mark Williams' family is in the

crowd here tonight and they might

not realise that when it comes to

the head to heads, Kyren Wilson

leads Mark Williams, leading by 2-0.

And when Mark Williams won his first

Masters title Kyren Wilson was still

in school. That is the difference in

age between these two. Good evening,

Steve Davis. We have to say the way

Mark Williams is playing there is no

reason why come Sunday he is not

lifting this trophy.

He looked

magnificent in the first round,

everybody was impressed. At the age

of 32 he is putting in great

performances.

performances.

He is dangerous. What

about Kyren Wilson and you see the

way he has matured as a fine snooker

player? Do you see him as somebody

who could one day lift this title?

We all see the potential, he has got

a great all-round game, a good head

on his shoulders, and he is

competitive as well. If he keeps on

improving, he will lift trophies.

Do

you think this one will go all the

way?

The start is important, but it

is not the most important. How you

finish is best. But both these

players are great match players in

their own different ways and it will

be fascinating.

We will talk to you

about Ronnie O'Sullivan in a moment.

The big story so far is running

O'Sullivan was dumped out this

afternoon by Northern Ireland's Mark

Allen. It was all very

straightforward for Mark Allen and

his record in major championships

against Roddy continues. His second

Masters win over Ronnie O'Sullivan,

the defending champion. The

favourite is out and he spoke to BBC

Radio five live after the match.

If

I was a football player, I would

have missed this game, but it is an

individual sport so you have to get

out there and do it.

out there and do it. I thought just

turn up and give it a go, but I was

struggling. It was a virus or

something. I have had it before and

it is very difficult when you get

dizzy spells. Give it ago and it was

good enough. If I was playing

someone who could not put a ball I

might have been all right, but he is

too good a player. I know people do

not take me seriously, but I come

back to snooker for different

reasons. It is a bit of a time

passer for me. I don't enjoy... I

have explained before I want to get

out of snooker as quickly as I can.

I still play because I have got some

snooker fans. I still play a few

tournaments. It is better that I do

a month in Australia while at the

World Championships are wrong

because I would find it difficult

not being part of it.

You are saying

you will not play at the World

Championships?

Things can change,

but it has been on my mind for a

while and the best place for me to

be is away, because it would be

difficult. It is a great tournament,

but I am not going there and doing

the press and the media and the day

before and the big microscope on

you. I would rather play in these

little events under the radar, have

some fun and pot a few balls. I get

my fix that way. I am not desperate

to win another world title. Unless

the terms and conditions are

different, I would rather do

something else. I am not one of

these who is just going to drop. I

am not going to put thousands of

miles on my clock. I do not do

pressure and stress too well. There

are other opportunities out there

and I enjoy it and it is good fun

and my life is better because of it

and that is the way it is. If they

want me to play, they have to come

knock on my door. If they don't want

me, there are other people who will

do stuff with me as well.

Ronnie

O'Sullivan speaking this afternoon.

Somebody in the audience does not

like the sound of that. Many

watching at home will have very

strong views and some of you say

that that was predictable from

Ronnie.

The cynic in me would say we

have heard it all before and that

was off the back of getting a

drubbing from Mark Allen and perhaps

he was a bit disappointed in the

interview. The more empathetic side

of me will say that as the years go

on, and Stephen Hendry has the

experience, as you get older you do

not relish the competitive side of

it as much as you did when you were

younger. Perhaps this is the sign

that whilst he loves playing the

game he does not enjoy the

fight as much as he used to.

Therefore looking to bailout is one

of the ways you will do that.

Stephen Hendry retired in the top

16. I did not enjoy the latter part

of my career playing against more

aggressive, younger players. Perhaps

this is Ronnie trying to work out

how he gets out of the game in some

way. But let's see how the draw

comes through.

Clearly he enjoys

other aspects of his life. He has

got the creative side, he is doing

literature and television. Can you

understand why he would want to go

and do that as opposed to the sport

in which he has created his name?

Yes, if he stopped enjoying

competitive play. If he enjoyed it,

he would be driven to the match

table and the World Championships

would be the holy Grail every year.

If you are starting to not like

competitive play, and he has said he

does not care one way or the other,

if you do not like competitive play

as much as you used to, you will

look for different ways to get out

of it. But it may be the case he is

coming to the press conference after

losing and he is sulking a bit.

We

also should say it was a fantastic

display from Mark Allen. People will

say we are all talking about Ronnie,

but Mark Allen came out and did a

job on him.

He is competitive and

hungry and he wants to win a major,

so you have got a different state of

mind. Ronnie has done it all before

and Mark Allen is still hungry for

tournament wins.

Perhaps that is the

answer. Let's bring you up-to-date

with the quarterfinals. So, the

seven times Masters winner Ronnie

O'Sullivan was dumped out this

afternoon by Mark Allen. John

Higgins has got two Masters titles

to his name. John Trump plays the

2015 Masters winner Shaun Murphy.

Kyren Wilson is up against the 1998

and 2003 Masters winner Mark

Williams. So, we are really looking

forward to this one tonight. It is

Williams against Wilson. Good

evening, Rob Walker.

Good evening, what a remarkable day

it has been, Ronnie O'Sullivan

knocked out by a sublime Mike Allen.

We have got two of the best in the

world waiting to go toe to toe

tonight. It is showtime once again

here in north London.

Please welcome a player who secured

his first Masters win on Tuesday

night beating the classy Barry

Hawkins 6-4. Winner of the 2015

Shanghai Masters, he has made two

filed this season already. He is

without doubt one of the sport's

elite and he will be fired up

tonight. That is why we call him The

Warrior, Kyren Wilson.

# See you later alligator,

and his opponent, a man who spent

much of the last two years telling

us he is a has-been.

Do not believe it for one single

second. There is still more than a

touch or two of magic than in that

ageing Welsh cue. In November he

produced an emotional 19th ranking

night total in Northern Ireland. On

Sunday he knocked out the world

number one Mark Selby. He has still

got it, he is the pride of Wales, he

is Mark Williams.

MUSIC: Delilah by Tom Jones.

How lovely to hear the crowd giving

Mark Williams a wonderful raw here

inside Alexander Palace. You wonder,

John Parrott and John Virgo, now

that Ronnie O'Sullivan is out

whether Mark Williams is the crowd

favourite.

Good evening, I think

Ronnie losing this afternoon has

opened up the tournament for

everybody. Everybody left in it will

fancy their chances. But he is

definitely going to be a major

contender because of his experience.

That is playing on these one-table

situations at this level.

I agree

with you. It will be an interesting

match. They have played a couple of

times and Kyren has won both of

them. But there is a different

magnitude to this one.

One of snooker's class of 92. Beat

John Higgins and Ronnie O'Sullivan.

To think he is still there competing

at the highest level. His comeback

ability has been amazing. He dropped

out of the top 32 at one stage. But

this young man, Kyren Wilson, is the

future if you like. He was a bit

fortunate there. He did not hit that

safety shot well. Flicking the green

has helped him. This is an

interesting matchup.

Decided to play dead weight roll

into the pack.

into the pack. He will be taking a

miss. He is having the cue ball

clean. That was a mistake from Mark

Williams.

Always the way with this game, he

played a poor safety shot and he got

away with it. A couple of shots

later there he is on the balls with

a great chance.

a great chance. It is a wonderful

arena, packed to the rafters again.

This has turned out to be a

brilliant venue, John.

To be honest,

I did not think anything could

replace the Wembley conference

Centre but this has.

Centre but this has. Only his second

appearance in the Masters, Kyren.

First time in the quarterfinals. So

there will be a lot of nerves there.

We'll be giving every shot the

utmost respect. Winning the first

frame, nothing would settle you

better, particularly if you could do

it in one visit. But he has a bit to

do yet. He has got to bring the reds

into play.

I thought that cue ball was going to

stop short, but it has just about

got an angle on the blue.

I presume

it is the new cloth.

I would have

thought so.

Shaun Murphy thought it

was on its way out yesterday. You

would think they would put a new

course on for the next round. You

will expect it to be a bit lively

and a little easier on the jaws as

well. Balls sometimes tend to slide

in a little easier.

That time short of the blue. That is

probably a bit of tension in his

arm.

There is one red sticking out on the

edge which could go.

edge which could go. But he will

have to play it with some pace to

bring any ball into play.

bring any ball into play.

REFEREE:

Make sure that your flashlights are

switched off, please.

I am surprised he played that in

that way.

But at least he didn't miss.

Lovely shot.

That is the problem

with a player like Mark Williams,

his tactical noose. He finds himself

in big trouble.

That was a lovely

touch.

touch. Not absolutely

straightforward for getting out of

this.

REFEREE: Foul and a miss. Mark

Williams, four.

That was the line he was looking

for.

for. Mark will not have this

replace. He will fancy taking it on

to the far right corner.

A nice confident stroke. He decided

that was the right shot to play.

Kyren was in with a chance first and

this is Mark Williams' first chance

of the evening.

I don't think the pink is available.

He has played for the black. He will

do well here to get on another read.

I am surprised.

He chose the wrong

red. Those two reds on the left, if

he had taken the right-hand side .0,

he would be on the bottom of the

pack. It looks like end of break

unless he can find something.

You mentioned that class of 92,

John. What three players they were

to come through at the

to come through at the same time,

Higgins and Williams. All multiple

world champions. It must have been a

tough year playing as a junior if

you got one of them.

Yes, I remember

seeing some of the qualifiers in

Blackpool and Ronnie played 76

qualifiers and 174. Do not ask me

who were the two who beat him!

He did not have a look at the plant

so I assume he noticed it was there.

Now he has got an angle on the

green. He knocked it in

nonchalantly. He did not appear to

apologise to Kyren.

He would like

that cue ball to be a lot closer

than this.

That was about as good as he could

do from there.

This red will cut.

It needs to stop short of the baulk

line. Not quite.

Surely he is not looking at the pot.

This is extremely acute this angle.

He was and he took the chance. But

that was extremely thin. Now he has

missed it and it gives his opponent

a chance. It was a tough shot, John.

It was. But he felt it was a natural

cannon into the cluster. If it had

gone in, it could have won him the

frame. It did not, it could cost

him.

He would have liked to have been on

the blue, but he will settle for the

brown. As soon as the back spin

touches the cushion, it turns into

top spin. He should be hitting that

just below centre. He could have

played better than that.

He would have liked to have been

closer to the red.

I think he has

found a planned. I think that is why

he was not bothered with the cue

ball.

He had to catch the first one just

right and he caught it a bit full.

I think that red going in was an

example of what we were talking

about with that new cloth being on

the table. It's

the table. It's sliding off the jaw.

Mark Williams' decision to take that

very tricky brown might be his

undoing in the opening frame.

Another 24 points needed at this

visit.

He played that nicely.

The wrong side of the blue. A bit

more to do than he should have had.

Still looking for a red, a colour,

red.

Never really had the cue ball in

this break. He is 40 points ahead

with 43 on the table. This red

should be enough for the first

frame, but this has been hard work

this break. Even with the

Even with the plant.

But for a couple of snooker 's Kyren

Wilson will have the first frame in

the bag.

It is not etiquette, you do not

concede when your opponent is coming

to the table.

That is definitely the end of that

frame. It has been a little scrappy

for sure. Both players had chances.

Kyren Wilson will take the opening

frame and you always settle down in

a match if you take the opening

frame.

Oh, hello! Save them for when you

need them, son.

need them, son. Yes, he wanted the

frame to end there. That was very

risky, but he is a percentage

player.

player. The percentage went against

him and Kyren Wilson took it.

That

is the one thing we have spotted

from the Masters, it is important to

get a good start in a match. Very

confident from Kyren Wilson.

He was

presented with a final opportunity

by Mark Williams with a risky brown.

In hindsight he should not have gone

for it, but if he had potted it, he

would have had the frame. It was a

tough cut back. You could argue in

the first frame you could keep it a

bit tighter. But the end result is

that Kyren Wilson has got off to a

good start. We will see how much

that influences the match.

In the opening frame, there were a

couple of great pots, to relieve the

tension?

It's a sign of a player who

isn't overawed by the occasion and

will probably go forward in his

career that he can get off to a good

start. He will have some nerves,

positive nerves, as opposed to being

frightened.

He's got a lovely way

about him, hasn't he?

Yeah,

everybody who has seen him play, he

impressed at the World Championship

and we all went, well, he's a player

can you know, and you can spot them.

It's no surprise he's in the top 16

already this year.

This is only his

second appearance. That win over

Barry Hawkins was his first win at

the Masters.

Yeah, whether or not

that gives him a confidence I don't

know, but he's on the way up.

He's

up against someone who is very

experienced, in Mark Williams. Let's

gone back to John Virgo and John

Parrott.

Is Kyren Wilson to break off

WinFrame two. Whilst that wasn't

riveting opening frame, he won't be

too bothered about it. It's got a

number one next to his name, he's

taken the opener, which is a good

start to any match. He's a very

competent matchplay is Kyren.

Doesn't seem to get flustered by too

much. He's definitely on the

upgrade.

Can he pot this red? More interested

in getting the cue ball back to the

end of the table. Made a pretty good

job of it. OK, not close to the

baulk question, but he was the sport

of there. -- baulk Russian.

A bit thick with that one. But in

the end it's turned out OK.

I think this is going to be a proper

match don't you? It's going to be

competitive for every shot, every

chance, you will have to recount.

You are going to have to earn your

corn, aren't you? Players are low is

to hit the sides of the pack here

because reds open up so easily.

That's why Mark Williams is shaking

his head, he doesn't really want to

play off the side of the pack. He

can't guarantee where the reds are

going to go.

also, when you are

playing someone like Kyren, who is

probably his biggest friend, is his

long potting, which it is when you

are young and your eyesight is

better, so just to prove John

Wright, just played the negative

safety.

Whether that will work in the long

run or not is another matter.

APPLAUSE

He played one in the last frame that

was way short. So is that.

I tell you one thing I notice about

Kyren Wilson, I did his last match

against Barry Hawkins, he does love

a double. He loves a double.

Interesting, putting them back in to

bat, there is no great advantage, he

could easily have played off the

loose red himself, Haran, and played

a safety shot.

I think he was eyeing

up the double but didn't feel he

could get petition on the colour. As

you say, a straightforward escape.

Just needs more pace.

So is Mark Williams going to keep

the frames tight and the reds off

his safety, do you think Kyren

should maybe play a bit more

aggressive safety?

I don't think

that will be happening, he will play

it as it is that at some point it

will open up, surely. It was a very

strange shot that Mark Williams

played, when he pushed the reds to

the top cushion. That was as

negative as you are likely to see.

Yet he lost the first frame by

playing the most aggressive shot

you're likely to see. Good safety

there.

APPLAUSE

If he misses the brown, it would be

a good safety. He didn't. But the

red closest to the corner is covered

by another red.

Now, can he pot this and stun across

the side of the pack? Like that. He

did, but he didn't have the control

on the cue ball, didn't get into it

enough. That was a natural angle for

that, it was a great pot, just

didn't get hold of the cue ball.

Did he hit the black? He's missed it

and the cue ball, he's lucky the cue

ball didn't go in. Miss has been

called but I think maybe Kyren can

get through to this red, through the

blue. No point in having it put

back. He's not going to Mr black

second time.

It's one of those

situations, do you want to take this

on yourself? Here we C Mark Williams

attempting to get the thin clip off

the black, which he misses, so he's

going to try to take it on, Kyren.

He prefers to play at himself.

He prefers to play at himself. -- it

himself. He probably felt the only

red he could leave was the one he

was playing and that's run safe, so

no harm done, but there is a target

behind the brown marker we are

looking for here.

He'll be disappointed with that

effort.

effort.

Yeah, and, well, you

mentioned earlier that Kyren's long

game is very good stuff it's the

first test of it, this evening.

APPLAUSE

Yeah, that's pretty good. Beautiful,

straight through the ball, perfectly

on the black, and excellent shot.

It's not worked out too bad. He's

got the red to the right corner.

It's a full enough contact, potting

contact, that he can hold for the

black, into the same pocket. A

decent chance, this.

One of those little shots that you

like to play with the dab aside on

it to help the pot and unfortunately

when you do that and it hits the

cushion, it takes the cue ball

closer to the left-hand side

cushion. It just looks like it's

slightly off straight, which isn't

great.

He'll settle for that. Trusting a

little bit to look. He's pinched a

little bit of Lee Angol. He's got a

red to the left middle. He's got one

to the right corner. His choice.

Obviously the pink is available.

Well, I thought it must be, the way

he's playing it. Well, it doesn't

go, so why didn't he play the red to

the right corner?

It needs to run a bit, this. Just

about got there, I think.

His position isn't as he'd like it

at the moment. It's one good shot

just to get right back into correct

position.

It's been a struggle, this break, it

really has. The red he dropped in

the middle to play for the blue, he

could have just dropped it and left

more often angle, if he wanted to go

up and down the table, but he didn't

do that. So it will be the safety

now.

Of course break building is all

about shot selection.

So didn't make the most of that

opportunity. OK, he's finished with

a decent safety, but I frame-winning

opportunity gone.

The Chancellor long pot here. --

chance of a long pot here. Not close

this time. But not a bad nudge off

the brown.

Definitely in the ascendancy at the

moment. Mark Williams just can't

quite get a foothold in this frame.

Trying to sneak that cue ball in

behind the yellow, but it was an

almost impossible task. When there's

only two balls in the baulk and it's

hard to play a good safety. The only

good safety you can get it if you

get the cue ball tight to the baulk

cushion, and that's not the best

shot from him.

It may not be a pot that Kyren

fancies, but the cue ball being so

far away from the cushion, you

expect them to play better safety

shot than Mark's.

Trying to push a red down here, but

the cue ball behind the blue. Played

it beautifully.

Now, unless there's a long cushion

escape here, he's got a bit of a

problem. It depends how close the

cue ball is to the blue. If he's

tied to the loo, well, he is,

couldn't be much tighter. -- if he

is tight on the blue.

He's basically looking for a red he

can play for, but he's going to have

to go for at least two War

three-cushions, you'd have thought.

He's going to use the spider.

He's going to use the spider. I

didn't realise it was going to be

this difficult.

I mean, the cueing itself is

extremely difficult. He's going to

play sides cushion, top cushion, try

to hit the loose one, by the green.

Round the back, is he? Yeah.

Mark will have a quick look but I

think you'll have it replaced. I

don't see any value in not having it

replaced. This is a very difficult

way to escape from this snooker.

The

funny thing is, I think the middle

pocket might be in the way as well,

the way he's trying to play off side

cushion, I think the bump in the

middle might be close.

Yeah, at

first I thought he was mainly going

to play at off one cushion and try

to hit the red on the right-hand

side and not the one to the top

cushion but the place -- the pace he

played it, he's trying to come off

two cushions.

He's checking again,

but it is tougher playing it this

way. Maybe thinks he can do it.

And there, as you said, the middle

pocket in the way. Free ball but no

value the free ball. -- no value in

a free ball. I'd be surprised if he

doesn't have it put back, because if

he doesn't hit the middle pocket and

he runs down the top cushion, there

are a couple of reds that will go

but he's decided to take the blue on

but it's tricky. It counts as red,

should it go in.

APPLAUSE

He's got it, dropped it in. And can

just about hold for the blue. He's

got a slight angle on it.

Yeah, so what looked like a little

baby snooker, could be one of the

best shots he's going to play,

because it's forced this

opportunity, it's pottable,

certainly this one is. As we always

say, it's not getting out of the

snooker is, it's what you leave.

Book fair play to Mark, it must be

sorely tempting to have it replaced,

but you play the tricky blue and

it's given him this chance. He'll

try to hold the pink spot here.

Has he holed-macro the pink spot?

Certainly has. It's underneath the

white.

This is an excellent opportunity.

The pink spot is now available, but

that red to the right of the pink

spot will also be available, so it's

a choice. You can either play the

black or the pink.

This is excellent match play from

Mark Williams at the minute. Hasn't

really been involved so far this

evening. He had that chance on the

brown, didn't quite live it soon

enough on the first and it wasn't

subtle -- it wasn't looking so good

in the second frame but that roll-up

behind the blue, the snooker and his

positional play has got him right

back on this particular frame will

positional play has got him right

back on this particular frame will.

He's one of those players I

absolutely love to watch. He's very

clever. He plays shots other players

don't play.

He placed shots of the

players don't even think of. -- he

plays shots other players don't even

think of. He just got into that

little bit too much, wanted a better

angle on the black than this.

There must be a red available to the

middle. The fact he was straight on

the black, well, it's not perfect,

but he didn't have to do much with

the cue ball. This is a tricky red.

APPLAUSE

He doesn't show much emotion, Mark,

but I see him in his seat there and

he looks a little bit annoyed with

himself. An opportunity missed will

he looks a little bit annoyed with

himself. An opportunity missed will.

Good pot, very close to the middle

pocket. But he's OK, so good shot.

Did to Mr Green. -- did well to miss

the green.

So the opening red was excellent.

This red coming up is very important

in this frame. A good pot, position

on the pink and the red at the top

of the cluster of four definitely

pots.

Now, has he got a decent angle to

get back over for that? Because it

only pots, you can see at their

available, only pots in the same

pocket as the pink, or the middle,

if he chooses to go that way.

I

think he'll have to play for it in

the middle. He's decided to run

round, look at the way he's played

this. Absolutely beautifully played

for stop

APPLAUSE

What a great positional shot this

is.

Shot of the match so far for me.

Absolutely wonderful and it is on an

angle where he can run through and

manoeuvre a couple of reds into

position. Which is what he's tried

to do. A force. Will

to do. A force. Will -- a forceful

stun. That was a brilliant shot.

Ten points, the lead now, so these

three reds. They will see him past

the winning line in this frame.

So Mark Williams was quite right to

have a little grimace to himself in

the chair, when he missed that red

in the middle pocket.

It's been an excellent response from

Kyren. The opening red was very good

and the positional shot round the

angles off the pink, that was the

shot of the match so far.

Yeah, the one thing he had to do,

cue its move so it avoided the kiss

on the green. Got through it so

well. That will give him lots of

confidence when you hit a ball as

sweet as that. Applause, as the blue

is in, now 31 points the lead, just

27 remaining. I don't think any

heroics with this yellow. At the

warmer -- at the moment, two

snookers will be required. That's

the way to do it, just make certain.

Because Mark Williams is one of

these players that will carry on, if

he needs one, two snookers, so take

nothing for granted.

But it looks as though Kyren has

done enough the front. -- to be in

front.

Once again, those situations where

I'm sure Mark Williams was nodding

and saying, you've got the frame,

the pink has made it awkward cueing,

so this isn't an easy pot.

Two four point snookers needed to

tie.

STUDIO:

Well, it looks as if Kyren Wilson

has done enough to win the second

frame of this quarterfinal contest.

He leads 1-0. Coverage continues on

the BBC Sport website, we are out of

time on BBC Two. My thanks to Steve

Davis. I hope you can join us for

quarterfinal highlights tonight.

Goodbye for now.