0:00:36 > 0:00:40Hello and good afternoon, welcome back to Alexandra Palace. It is day
0:00:40 > 0:00:46three of the 2018 Dafabet Masters, the Davies fans have been waiting
0:00:46 > 0:00:51for. Taking to the stage this afternoon is one of Britain's
0:00:51 > 0:00:52biggest sporting stars... Ronnie O'Sullivan!
0:00:52 > 0:01:03CHEERING FUNKY MUSIC
0:01:10 > 0:01:16# Going to push it hard # Climb up harder
0:01:16 > 0:01:20# I was made for this # I was made for this...
0:01:20 > 0:01:27# I am stronger # Cannot help but win
0:01:27 > 0:01:36# I was made for this # I was made for this
0:01:36 > 0:01:44# I was made for this # A packed Alexandra Palace today,
0:01:44 > 0:01:49it's the Ronnie O'Sullivan Show, why is he so popular?
0:01:49 > 0:01:52What has he got that we haven't got? I think he's created an image over
0:01:52 > 0:01:57the years, like Jimmy White, Alex Higgins, we've never been
0:01:57 > 0:02:04characters. We are too boring!He used to win, never called anyone a
0:02:04 > 0:02:17numpty!In different words he did! I think the open -- the word "Numpty!"
0:02:17 > 0:02:22Used to fall asleep when I played! You don't know what he's going to
0:02:22 > 0:02:27do, he is more predictable these days. He wants to win snooker
0:02:27 > 0:02:30tournaments but being serious about it, people know that he is a better
0:02:30 > 0:02:34player when he plays at his best. He plays the game in the correct way
0:02:34 > 0:02:39and differently to everyone else. That's what people appreciate.The
0:02:39 > 0:02:43top 16, back in the day, they've all got great talent but there is
0:02:43 > 0:02:46something special about how he plays. There is a panache around the
0:02:46 > 0:02:51table, it's like he sees the game different to other players?He sees
0:02:51 > 0:02:55it very quickly, going to the table. I enjoy watching him play with a
0:02:55 > 0:03:00difficult break. You can see it in his mind, working out what to do.
0:03:00 > 0:03:06His cue ball controllers in a different class and that is art.
0:03:06 > 0:03:10He's up against Marco Fu, no guarantees today because marker is a
0:03:10 > 0:03:13great player. It is day three here at the Masters, let's see how the
0:03:13 > 0:03:22draw is panning out... This afternoon we are all looking forward
0:03:22 > 0:03:26to this, reigning champion Ronnie O'Sullivan taking on Marco Fu...
0:03:26 > 0:03:30Northern Ireland's Mark Allen through to the quarterfinals beating
0:03:30 > 0:03:33Luca Brecel. John Higgins opens up against
0:03:33 > 0:03:38Anthony McGill tomorrow evening. Ding Junhui out, losing to Ryan Day
0:03:38 > 0:03:41in a cracker yesterday. Judd Trump is through after beating Liang Wenbo
0:03:41 > 0:03:48last night. The 2015 champion Shaun Murphy takes
0:03:48 > 0:03:51on Ali Carter tomorrow afternoon. Barry Hawkins plays Kyren Wilson
0:03:51 > 0:03:57tonight at seven o'clock. The world number one Mark Selby, dumped out by
0:03:57 > 0:04:01Mark Williams in the opening match on Sunday...
0:04:01 > 0:04:05Make no mistake, this is a very tough match for Marco Fu, he played
0:04:05 > 0:04:09Ronnie O'Sullivan twice here at the Masters, losing both matches
0:04:09 > 0:04:12including a semifinal last year...
0:04:17 > 0:04:20Marco Fu, doesn't have any feathers before he plays a shot and he moves
0:04:20 > 0:04:24his head upon power shots and is too nice to be involved in a game where
0:04:24 > 0:04:29it is kill or be killed, discuss! That has done it, hasn't it?What is
0:04:29 > 0:04:35going on? With all of these things that are wrong, surely he is too
0:04:35 > 0:04:43nice! You two, nasty pieces of work! Me, definitely! You know...I think
0:04:43 > 0:04:51he is technically very sound. He might not fair that the cue in a
0:04:51 > 0:04:55difficult way, but so what?It works. When the power shot goes up,
0:04:55 > 0:05:00he moves his head...But they go in, at pace.So what is going on?I
0:05:00 > 0:05:05played him in the first round of the World Championship a couple of years
0:05:05 > 0:05:11ago and after 12 frames he had a 98% spot success rate. Never missed one
0:05:11 > 0:05:17long ball in the whole match. The table played lovely. He was
0:05:17 > 0:05:24incredible. Marco is clever, when he is on top form he can batter people.
0:05:24 > 0:05:29He can have three, four, five, six centuries and there are no problems.
0:05:29 > 0:05:34I'm surprised that for how good he is he doesn't win more tournaments.
0:05:34 > 0:05:37A great match temperament... You know, he doesn't seem to change.
0:05:37 > 0:05:41Regardless of winning or losing. You wouldn't know his match situation.
0:05:41 > 0:05:48It is a massive attribute.A massive positive in his game is that you
0:05:48 > 0:05:52never know if he is winning or losing. You don't know if he has
0:05:52 > 0:05:58missed the easiest ball in the world made an error. He is the most
0:05:58 > 0:06:03controlled player I've ever seen. Not the greatest power player?No,
0:06:03 > 0:06:07in different areas of high humidity, that affects how the ball moves
0:06:07 > 0:06:11around the table and you had to pump them in a bit more play with more
0:06:11 > 0:06:17side spin to get the same results. I think sometimes he gets found out in
0:06:17 > 0:06:20those areas. You don't have the mass power game that other players would
0:06:20 > 0:06:25have.Over a certain amount of years he didn't seem to be going anywhere
0:06:25 > 0:06:30but put so much hard. It's a testament to the grafting on the
0:06:30 > 0:06:34table. He would be great in your corner as a mental, I am sure.One
0:06:34 > 0:06:42of the hardest workers I have seen. -- as a mentor. Practices his
0:06:42 > 0:06:47technique and knows the game at large as well as anyone. For me, he
0:06:47 > 0:06:55deserves all he gets.A lovely guy and a top player.
0:06:55 > 0:06:56But
0:06:56 > 0:07:00But it is Ronnie O'Sullivan leading the head-to-head clashes, winning 15
0:07:00 > 0:07:05matches. You have to go all the way back to 2009 and the Welsh Open for
0:07:05 > 0:07:06Marco Fu's
0:07:06 > 0:07:09back to 2009 and the Welsh Open for Marco Fu's last win over The Rocket.
0:07:09 > 0:07:11Good afternoon to Dennis Taylor and John Parrott, they will be talking
0:07:11 > 0:07:15us through this today. There is a real buzz whenever Ronnie O'Sullivan
0:07:15 > 0:07:20walks into a snooker arena, wherever it will be, but especially here at
0:07:20 > 0:07:24Ally Pally.The first couple of days we had packed houses but today will
0:07:24 > 0:07:33be very special.
0:07:33 > 0:07:35be very special. If it is anything like last year, that semifinal, the
0:07:35 > 0:07:38two players playing was one of the best matches I had ever seen. Marco
0:07:38 > 0:07:40Fu made 140 plus, he lost 6-4 after leading 4-3. If it's anything like
0:07:40 > 0:07:46that we are in for a cracking match this afternoon.And being with the
0:07:46 > 0:07:49fans today, a sense of expectation this afternoon, not just for a
0:07:49 > 0:07:53Ronnie O'Sullivan win but cracking snooker?That's what we have seen
0:07:53 > 0:07:58from the first ball. Brilliant snooker and every match has been top
0:07:58 > 0:08:04quality.That's what you get with the top 16 players. Ronnie will be
0:08:04 > 0:08:08nervous today, he's done really well here, at his home crowd. You have to
0:08:08 > 0:08:12go back to 2015 was the last time he lost a match. He will be nervous to
0:08:12 > 0:08:17begin with.And Marco Fu will be nervous, walking into this venue as
0:08:17 > 0:08:21well. This season has not made the latter stages of many big
0:08:21 > 0:08:25tournaments.But he enjoys this kind of atmosphere. This is what Marco
0:08:25 > 0:08:29enjoys with his snooker playing in front of a crowd like this and
0:08:29 > 0:08:33that's when he produces his best sometimes. It's time to kick start
0:08:33 > 0:08:39the season. He is such a cool customer. A great temperament.He's
0:08:39 > 0:08:43a class act. He is a cherry picker. He likes to take the reds off
0:08:43 > 0:08:50loosely. He is artistic. Webb and a very poignant day here at Alexandra
0:08:50 > 0:08:54Palace because here in snooker, it is fair to say we are one big
0:08:54 > 0:08:58family.But the broadcasting or players or pundits but over the last
0:08:58 > 0:09:04couple of days we've lost one of our table fitters, 25-year-old Jethro
0:09:04 > 0:09:07Salmon, there was a minute of silence which was impeccably
0:09:07 > 0:09:13reserved.We are a close-knit family, you bump into the table
0:09:13 > 0:09:16fitters every day and I could not believe it when I heard the news. My
0:09:16 > 0:09:28thoughts go out to his family. It is very sad.It is no age at all. Great
0:09:28 > 0:09:36sympathy for his friends and family. Let's go over to our MC Rob Walker.
0:09:36 > 0:09:40Thank you ladies and gentlemen, a sombre start to our coverage this
0:09:40 > 0:09:43afternoon as snooker mourns the loss of one of its own but one of the
0:09:43 > 0:09:47best tributes we camp eight to 25-year-old Jethro and his family,
0:09:47 > 0:09:51watching live at home this afternoon, is to carry on with the
0:09:51 > 0:09:54sport he served so well and diligently for six years.
0:09:54 > 0:10:03It is day three of the Dafabet Masters. Please welcome first of
0:10:03 > 0:10:07all, one of the most important global ambassadors for the sport,
0:10:07 > 0:10:12making his 12th appearance here at the Masters, runner-up in 2011, one
0:10:12 > 0:10:16of three ranking titles including last season's Scottish open in fine
0:10:16 > 0:10:30style, the pride of Hong Kong, here comes Marco Fu!APPLAUSE
0:10:31 > 0:10:37MUSIC: "Superhuman" - The Script
0:10:49 > 0:10:53and his opponent, a player who has made the event his own after almost
0:10:53 > 0:10:57a quarter of a century of appearances. He has been in 12
0:10:57 > 0:11:01finals and last year made it a magnificent seven... Nobody in
0:11:01 > 0:11:05history has a better record in the Masters than the defending champion,
0:11:05 > 0:11:11The Rocket, Ronnie O'Sullivan! CHEERING
0:11:11 > 0:11:16APPLAUSE
0:11:33 > 0:11:42MUSIC: "Drops of Jupiter" - Train
0:11:43 > 0:11:48COMMENTATOR: What a reception for both players... And as I mentioned,
0:11:48 > 0:11:54to Jason, just previously, if we have a match like we had in the
0:11:54 > 0:12:01semifinal last year it would be very special.Thank you, ladies and
0:12:01 > 0:12:06gentlemen. The first frame to Ronnie O'Sullivan. Applause double-checking
0:12:06 > 0:12:14that he won the toss, saying it is my turn to break, isn't it?
0:12:20 > 0:12:23It is some record, winning seven Masters titles, isn't it?Yes, on
0:12:23 > 0:12:29the end of a defeat to Ronnie in 1995, that was his first year that
0:12:29 > 0:12:37he managed to win. He got the table that he won it on in 1995, I had in
0:12:37 > 0:12:41the first round and let it go. He went on to win the tournament and
0:12:41 > 0:12:51since then his record has been phenomenal. A good event for him. He
0:12:51 > 0:12:54doesn't live far away. Play the match, go home and sleep in your
0:12:54 > 0:13:04bed. Not a great start from Marco, far too thick on the safety.You
0:13:04 > 0:13:11cannot leave the cue ball in that position, it needs to be near the
0:13:11 > 0:13:16baulk cushion. Far too thick. Can he get off to a good start, Ronnie
0:13:16 > 0:13:22O'Sullivan?
0:13:23 > 0:13:33A bit of a distraction there for him... The brown.
0:13:33 > 0:13:39him... The brown. The umpire keeping a close eye on it...A much better
0:13:39 > 0:13:46piece of cueing than it looked. It was virtually straight. Managing to
0:13:46 > 0:13:59get a bit of excess top spin there, bending the angle.
0:13:59 > 0:14:02bending the angle.It is Ronnie's first frame on the table. This table
0:14:02 > 0:14:10is playing beautifully. Very quick, that is how the players like it.
0:14:10 > 0:14:14That's why we've had something like ten centuries, I think. In the first
0:14:14 > 0:14:20two days.
0:14:20 > 0:14:28two days.Seven.It is very intimidating to play against. It
0:14:28 > 0:14:35really is. Playing him in his own backyard, playing as well as he
0:14:35 > 0:14:41does. He starts like a rocket. Played a poor shot there, Marco.
0:14:41 > 0:14:48Already looking like a great opportunity.
0:14:48 > 0:15:00No respite when you play him.Not a good chance yet. There are a couple
0:15:00 > 0:15:11of reds available to Ronnie.
0:15:13 > 0:15:17Straightaway, he has left himself an angle on this red. To be able to
0:15:17 > 0:15:27develop a funeral. -- develop a a few more. That was all it took,
0:15:27 > 0:15:40developing those two reds, there are three or four more available to him.
0:15:41 > 0:15:4669 points would get him over the winning line of the opening frame.
0:15:46 > 0:15:5329.All the players will be a little nervous, keyed up before the matches
0:15:53 > 0:15:58but nothing settles you better than hitting the ball like this in the
0:15:58 > 0:16:04first frame.
0:16:40 > 0:16:45One second please, Ronnie.The umpire saying, give me a second,
0:16:45 > 0:16:52Ronnie. Spotting the pink, has to go as close to the reds there without
0:16:52 > 0:17:00being in the direct line of the pink spot, the black spot...43.It's
0:17:00 > 0:17:11amazing, 25 years he has been a referee.
0:17:12 > 0:17:22And he is still here because he is very good. An excellent referee.
0:17:22 > 0:17:30Going for the blue here... It is nice. Not totally ideal, the two
0:17:30 > 0:17:42reds at the top of the pack are a little tricky.
0:17:43 > 0:17:47He has to be careful there is not a plant on when he cannons into the
0:17:47 > 0:17:52reds. I do not think there is, he should be OK so that he can hit it
0:17:52 > 0:18:04with a bit of pace. APPLAUSE He has one red, but he was a bit
0:18:04 > 0:18:10unlucky there. He had to play at that pace because the two reds were
0:18:10 > 0:18:22at an angle, what they call a flat pack. He's got one in the middle but
0:18:22 > 0:18:27good cueing... Perfect!
0:18:29 > 0:18:31good cueing... Perfect!When he wants that type of shot, the cue is
0:18:31 > 0:18:43so close to the red. Look at that, not catching one of the reds.
0:18:43 > 0:18:51not catching one of the reds.What a start this is! The two greats at the
0:18:51 > 0:18:54start of the show, Stephen Hendry and Steve Davies, they knew how to
0:18:54 > 0:19:02start matches. This fellow is not bad. First visit to the table...
0:19:02 > 0:19:08This could be a
0:19:08 > 0:19:14This could be a century...Frame safe, just concentrating now on
0:19:14 > 0:19:25clearing the remaining balls. 139 is the highest break so far this year.
0:19:25 > 0:19:34Liang Wenbo, made that against Judd Trump.
0:19:34 > 0:19:41Trump.76.
0:20:00 > 0:20:11Been going eight minutes, always completed.
0:20:23 > 0:20:34He has made 920 centuries in his career.99.APPLAUSE
0:20:34 > 0:20:41You cannot start a much better than this.An inevitability about this...
0:20:41 > 0:20:51There is the century.106.I hope you enjoyed your one shot on this
0:20:51 > 0:21:01frame...Cannot do anything about this.
0:21:01 > 0:21:10this. His 47th century this season. He made 50 last year.
0:21:10 > 0:21:16He made 50 last year. All last season, I should say. -- or last
0:21:16 > 0:21:23season, I should say. £10,000 for the highest break in this year's
0:21:23 > 0:21:30Dafabet Masters. Nothing for a maximum break, funnily enough.
0:21:30 > 0:21:36Ronnie O'Sullivan, 120.
0:21:36 > 0:21:41Ronnie O'Sullivan, 120. A pure safety shot for Marco Fu.
0:21:41 > 0:21:47Ronnie O'Sullivan, 1-0.
0:21:47 > 0:21:53Nine minutes and 15 seconds. It could be an early afternoon for us!
0:21:53 > 0:21:57Marco Fu can take something positive from that, that is what he expects
0:21:57 > 0:22:01to happen. He isn't surprised by Ronnie clearing the table. He knew
0:22:01 > 0:22:06that it would happen today. It is all about him concentrating on his
0:22:06 > 0:22:12own game, and focusing on what he has to do. But that start is
0:22:12 > 0:22:17ominous. What Ronnie did to Dave Harold 's, sorry, not him... Ricky
0:22:17 > 0:22:23Walden, I don't know why Dave Harold came from! Winning 6-0 within an
0:22:23 > 0:22:27hour...You should see what he did to Dave Harold!I think it was less
0:22:27 > 0:22:36than that. We were here when Ricky Walden was destroyed 6-0.
0:22:36 > 0:22:38Walden was destroyed 6-0.You are entitled to get used to the table
0:22:38 > 0:22:45and be a bit nervous as well. It was a dodgy shot that Marco played. But
0:22:45 > 0:22:49he could have got away on another day when Ronnie would not have
0:22:49 > 0:22:52cleared the ball but when Ronnie walked around the table, he had a
0:22:52 > 0:22:57bit of a tramp on. He was moving a bit faster than he normally plays. I
0:22:57 > 0:23:02thought, the average shot time in the break was 13 seconds a shot. I
0:23:02 > 0:23:07wonder if it is on his mind. Not to go down by Marco, Marco isn't a
0:23:07 > 0:23:12massively slow play about getting into Marco's rhythm. Perhaps he will
0:23:12 > 0:23:15hustle him a bit.Back we go to John and Dennis...
0:23:26 > 0:23:29COMMENTATOR: That is where he has to keep the cue ball, as close to the
0:23:29 > 0:23:39cushion as possible. A few late arriving. Catching Ronnie's I line.
0:23:45 > 0:23:51-- eye-line. It may be a slightly different second frame, the black
0:23:51 > 0:23:55has gone close to the cushion which Marco will not mind, really. Giving
0:23:55 > 0:24:02him the chance to settle down...
0:24:02 > 0:24:04him the chance to settle down... He will come up short again with the
0:24:04 > 0:24:11safety.
0:24:11 > 0:24:15safety. Not a great deal of value in the one to the right corner. It
0:24:15 > 0:24:22would come back into another red.
0:24:28 > 0:24:34This is the first possible chance for Marco Fu, the pink is awkward.
0:24:34 > 0:24:43The black isn't too well-placed.
0:24:43 > 0:24:48The black isn't too well-placed. You have two screw this back. He is
0:24:48 > 0:24:55terrific with the cue but sometimes he likes that cue power. You have to
0:24:55 > 0:25:05force it.
0:25:13 > 0:25:16Playing a little more forcefully. Playing a little more screw back on
0:25:16 > 0:25:26that one. With the baulk colour. He is under the cosh at the minute.
0:25:28 > 0:25:32Hmm, the black pots. It's ominous...
0:25:48 > 0:25:52That is a big bonus, the black being available to the left corner. Now
0:25:52 > 0:26:07both corners... All of a sudden, he is right back in amongst them.
0:27:18 > 0:27:29Just looking to see if the pink is available. I think it is.
0:27:30 > 0:27:38Now, it doesn't spot, it goes to the, that will be handy.
0:27:41 > 0:27:45-- it goes to the blue.
0:27:53 > 0:27:57When he first came to the table, and Marco had left them, I thought, that
0:27:57 > 0:28:03isn't too bad but the fact that the black was potted in, a couple of
0:28:03 > 0:28:10shots later... He has manoeuvred them. The cue ball control is just
0:28:10 > 0:28:15exemplary.
0:28:15 > 0:28:27exemplary. He is absolutely on fire at the minute.
0:28:49 > 0:28:54Letting that one slip away... The first mistake from Ronnie. Only a
0:28:54 > 0:28:57couple of pots away from securing a second frame. He overhit that one,
0:28:57 > 0:29:05slightly. Planning to drop it in, dead weight. Leave one from the
0:29:05 > 0:29:09right-hand corner. Now it is slightly more difficult, hampered a
0:29:09 > 0:29:16little bit as well. It is safely in... APPLAUSE
0:29:16 > 0:29:2964.Some awkward cueing there. It thought about it!
0:29:39 > 0:29:53If that bounces... He is on the red that he played for previously.
0:30:01 > 0:30:08Two mistakes from Marco Fu. 2-0 to Ronnie O'Sullivan. In no time at
0:30:08 > 0:30:10all.
0:30:29 > 0:30:34This used to be a tough game, John, didn't it.
0:30:37 > 0:30:43He's just the best player at the peak of his powers at the minute.
0:30:43 > 0:30:49Everything's just so easy. OK, he lost position slightly when he had
0:30:49 > 0:30:54to take the red in the middle pocket, but there was an
0:30:54 > 0:30:57inevitability of it that he was going to get back to the top of the
0:30:57 > 0:31:07table once he potted the yellow. He can't hit it any better than this.
0:31:08 > 0:31:14We shall all buy ourselves a cue and have a go, see how hard it is.When
0:31:14 > 0:31:19he came to the table, you couldn't see any more than maybe 30 or 40 of
0:31:19 > 0:31:23a break. This is some effort.
0:31:23 > 0:31:30APPLAUSE.
0:31:39 > 0:31:46APPLAUSE. 106.
0:31:51 > 0:32:02Well, he needs to miss the brown. Oh, what a shot!
0:32:04 > 0:32:11114.
0:32:13 > 0:32:22If he does clear up, he's going to equal we think bow's high break, 139
0:32:22 > 0:32:29-- Wenbo's break. I think it will go into the 140s here, the way the play
0:32:29 > 0:32:30is going.
0:32:37 > 0:32:46So, 121. Watch ago genius at work. 2-1 to the rocket.
0:32:46 > 0:32:49So, 121. Watch ago genius at work. 2-1 to the rocket. He's a joy to
0:32:49 > 0:32:54watch. This is how it's looking already. 12 tournament centuries
0:32:54 > 0:32:59this year already. The record 2009, 31 and Steve, you were in the studio
0:32:59 > 0:33:02yesterday when we were talking about whether we were going to break that.
0:33:02 > 0:33:05The way they are going at the moment, we are looking to break
0:33:05 > 0:33:12that, aren't we?Well, it's inevitable with Ronnie. He's
0:33:12 > 0:33:16unnatural in what he does on the snooker table. We play the game, we
0:33:16 > 0:33:19know when we are playing well how sometimes you are at one with the
0:33:19 > 0:33:25table. But Ronnie O'Sullivan's so special. I mean, he just sees
0:33:25 > 0:33:34everything. It's upsetting really isn't it?I said before the match
0:33:34 > 0:33:38started that I enjoy watching him when it's a difficult break. He came
0:33:38 > 0:33:42to the table, he manoeuvres the balls into position. He thinks so
0:33:42 > 0:33:46quickly, he's unbelievable and has an unbelievable snooker brain. At
0:33:46 > 0:33:51least the last two or three years he's looked vulnerable in the first
0:33:51 > 0:34:00round, he's had a couple of 6-5s. He's anything but vulnerable today.
0:34:00 > 0:34:04I think, what is going through his head and what is he seeing through
0:34:04 > 0:34:08his eyes because we know what we see when he comes to the table. I think
0:34:08 > 0:34:12he sees different pictures to us.I think you are right. Stop me if you
0:34:12 > 0:34:16have heard this before but in our jobs we are lucky to see many sports
0:34:16 > 0:34:20stars but there is nothing better than when you see this man in full
0:34:20 > 0:34:24flow?I couldn't agree more, Jason.
0:34:24 > 0:34:26than when you see this man in full flow?I couldn't agree more, Jason.
0:34:26 > 0:34:31We have watched Ronnie from when he turned professional at 17 and Ronnie
0:34:31 > 0:34:34reckons he was playing better when he was 17 but how can you play
0:34:34 > 0:34:38better than what he's doing at the moment? !
0:34:42 > 0:34:47Peter Ebden said to me after a few years Ronnie had been around, he was
0:34:47 > 0:34:50playing brilliant, he said you haven't seen the real Ronnie
0:34:50 > 0:34:59O'Sullivan, he can play better than that. He's been proven right.
0:34:59 > 0:35:05What is so impressive is his longevity in the game. People going
0:35:05 > 0:35:10into their 40s and stuff reckon they can't win tournaments any more.
0:35:10 > 0:35:14Ronnie's blown that out of the water and seems to be playing as good as
0:35:14 > 0:35:17ever.
0:35:17 > 0:35:21Obviously he has great enthusiasm for the sport. He practises hard. He
0:35:21 > 0:35:28loves it.It wasn't that many years ago people were saying it's a young
0:35:28 > 0:35:32man's game, they were winning in their early 20s and a few players
0:35:32 > 0:35:37have proven that theory wrong. Stuart Bingham, world title at 39,
0:35:37 > 0:35:43John Higgins winning in his 40s. APPLAUSE.
0:35:59 > 0:36:06No real attempt at the pot there, he was trying to get the cue ball back
0:36:06 > 0:36:10in the balk area.
0:36:12 > 0:36:23He had one red in the last frame which he overhit slightly.
0:36:23 > 0:36:25which he overhit slightly.He's trying to get a foothold if
0:36:25 > 0:36:28possible.
0:36:28 > 0:36:34The semi-final last year was one of the best games I've ever seen. Marco
0:36:34 > 0:36:38played brilliantly. Ronnie changed his tip, if you remember, and still
0:36:38 > 0:36:48managed to win which was scary. One heck of a match last year.
0:37:02 > 0:37:10Very difficult to find the gap back down the table there. The black was
0:37:10 > 0:37:18always in an awkward spot.
0:37:25 > 0:37:30If he finishes nicely on the blue, he'll probably go for the red that's
0:37:30 > 0:37:34near the black spot.
0:37:34 > 0:37:45If he can get that red away from the black spot area, it will help.
0:37:51 > 0:37:55That's the one he's played for. If he goes back up the table and gets
0:37:55 > 0:38:01on the black, it will be in the clear when it's respoted. He's
0:38:01 > 0:38:03removing this red here.
0:38:12 > 0:38:12Ted.
0:38:14 > 0:38:17Slight change of plan there.
0:38:26 > 0:38:31He's got a bit of an angle. Still needs a good shot to get on to blue
0:38:31 > 0:38:40or black here.
0:39:11 > 0:39:15The pink is awkward to pot the black, to split into the pink and
0:39:15 > 0:39:21reds because it's away from the bunch.
0:39:21 > 0:39:29That's why he's played up for this one along the cushion.
0:39:31 > 0:39:37Very tricky.
0:39:37 > 0:39:41APPLAUSE.
0:39:41 > 0:39:46This is not a good pack to go into but he plays it so well, this type
0:39:46 > 0:39:49of shot.
0:39:49 > 0:39:56APPLAUSE. We may as well wrap up and go home
0:39:56 > 0:40:00now because this is just crazy. That is just such a shot.
0:40:15 > 0:40:19Already it's looking like it could be frame three gone. He really is
0:40:19 > 0:40:29playing some phenomenal stuff.
0:40:30 > 0:40:4098% pot success. He beat Rickie Walden 6-0. Rickie had a 97% pot
0:40:40 > 0:40:44success rate but only potted three balls!
0:40:47 > 0:40:53Now, what goes in this corner? Looks pretty tight. There's a gap there.
0:40:53 > 0:40:57When you are playing really well, that is the sort of thing that
0:40:57 > 0:41:01presents itself to you.
0:41:01 > 0:41:07APPLAUSE.
0:41:19 > 0:41:28Wonderful touch. Power that in.
0:41:28 > 0:41:31Left himself two reds there.
0:41:35 > 0:41:40He obviously thinks he can pot this and flick another red out, is it?
0:41:40 > 0:41:49Oh, he went through the gap.
0:41:49 > 0:41:53Just a little flick on the pink which he probably could have done
0:41:53 > 0:41:58without.
0:42:00 > 0:42:05Still wouldn't expect him to miss this pink the way he's been playing.
0:42:05 > 0:42:15It's just the positional side of it. Quite difficult.
0:42:22 > 0:42:29Has it gone far enough, or is the pink going to block his path? Comes
0:42:29 > 0:42:32up a little bit short.
0:42:34 > 0:42:39He's not going to win this third frame with one visit. Have you got
0:42:39 > 0:42:46your record book with you, John, to see if anybody ever started the
0:42:46 > 0:42:55Masters with three century breaks? APPLAUSE.
0:43:00 > 0:43:05He didn't win the frame in that visit which is a surprise by the way
0:43:05 > 0:43:11he's been playing today. But there you go, Marco, you are 50 behind,
0:43:11 > 0:43:21stuck in the jaws. So much pressure on him.
0:43:21 > 0:43:25Good reply, that, excellent. APPLAUSE.
0:43:25 > 0:43:29And Ronnie also tapped the table there in acknowledgement, as well as
0:43:29 > 0:43:36a terrific round of applause from the Ali pale crowd from for that
0:43:36 > 0:43:49good safety shot -- Ally Pally. He'll probably knock this one in.
0:43:50 > 0:43:55The cueing is just wonderful. And the pace it was played at, to come
0:43:55 > 0:44:00off the two angles back out at the black. He's just in the grieve. He
0:44:00 > 0:44:08really is. Look at that. Superb.
0:44:32 > 0:44:35APPLAUSE.
0:44:37 > 0:44:44Four frames to be played before the mid session interval.
0:44:44 > 0:44:52Marco hasn't had much of a chance. He can't say his last shot was a
0:44:52 > 0:45:04poor shot, it was an excellent safety shot.
0:45:06 > 0:45:15Just over half an hour and it's 3-0.
0:45:27 > 0:45:33Hasn't potted the ball yet. That was five penalty points he's had there.
0:45:33 > 0:45:41A bit like the old snooker joke. How are you playing and he says "I don't
0:45:41 > 0:45:55know, I haven't had a shot yet. "
0:46:15 > 0:46:22Sub
0:46:40 > 0:46:46This brown will make it 100 balls potted.
0:46:55 > 0:46:59Even that stun run through there looked easy. That is such a tough
0:46:59 > 0:47:06shot to play.
0:47:12 > 0:47:18APPLAUSE.
0:47:18 > 0:47:23He started the third frame at 50 and finished it with a break of 74. 3-0
0:47:23 > 0:47:31to Ronnie O'Sullivan.This is just magic from O'Sullivan. I was looking
0:47:31 > 0:47:32at a couple of fans
0:47:32 > 0:47:33magic from O'Sullivan. I was looking at a couple of fans in the arena
0:47:33 > 0:47:38there And there's one gentleman who smiled all the way through and he's
0:47:38 > 0:47:42honestly not stopped smiling watching this.Yes, as I said again,
0:47:42 > 0:47:47talking about this, it's an art the way he plays, the cue ball control
0:47:47 > 0:47:53is just incredible. He's just in such a good zone. It's almost as if,
0:47:53 > 0:47:57whoever else is there, it doesn't matter because it's just Ronnie and
0:47:57 > 0:48:01the table. There was a time before Christmas, he started to look a bit
0:48:01 > 0:48:05jaded, played so many tournaments in a row. He's refreshed and had a few
0:48:05 > 0:48:09weeks off over Christmas, he looks fresh as a daisy.This makes a
0:48:09 > 0:48:16difference coming out to this crowd as well doesn't it, Steve?Yes, this
0:48:16 > 0:48:19is one event where you come out to a packed arena and it's a one-table
0:48:19 > 0:48:22set-up. This is a type of Ronnie O'Sullivan in his office that we
0:48:22 > 0:48:27don't see at the world or UK Championship because in the World
0:48:27 > 0:48:30Championship, another table, it's a different feeling. You have got a
0:48:30 > 0:48:34job to do when you go there, but this is centre stage stuff and he's
0:48:34 > 0:48:38so good in this arena. I don't think he suffers from pressure like other
0:48:38 > 0:48:42players either, he's a phenomenon in that respect. People get nervous but
0:48:42 > 0:48:47he has such ability, those nerves are just blown away.A measure of
0:48:47 > 0:48:50how surprised you are by Marco Fu having five points, that's all he's
0:48:50 > 0:48:56got to his name at the moment, you forgot how he scored those?He
0:48:56 > 0:49:03didn't score them, Ronnie gave them to him.
0:49:03 > 0:49:07to him.So good he's scoring Marco Fu's points.With darts and golf,
0:49:07 > 0:49:11you get a throw, a hit. This game, he's sitting there stewing in his
0:49:11 > 0:49:15chair, nothing he can do, he's practised for this event, got
0:49:15 > 0:49:18himself ready, he's been putting hard graft in over Christmas and New
0:49:18 > 0:49:22Year and he's sitting there, he hasn't potted the ball.Also Marco's
0:49:22 > 0:49:26not had a great season either. This is completely and utterly not what
0:49:26 > 0:49:30he needs at all.Absolutely. He's not come out with a great record but
0:49:30 > 0:49:34this is a knew yike occasion, you would think he can possibly get
0:49:34 > 0:49:38inspired but how can you when you are not playing any shots.
0:49:38 > 0:49:41inspired but how can you when you are not playing any shots.As Ronnie
0:49:41 > 0:49:45came out, there was a glance to us in the studio and I'm thinking, he's
0:49:45 > 0:49:49probably saying, get that chair ready, I'll be there in a few
0:49:49 > 0:49:56minutes.
0:49:57 > 0:50:02Might be a long way to go before he's sitting in that chair in front
0:50:02 > 0:50:11of Jason and the boys. Marco Fu has a great temperament but is he going
0:50:11 > 0:50:15to get any chances? He needs this frame before the mid session
0:50:15 > 0:50:24interval.
0:50:24 > 0:50:27Pretty good cue ball tapped on the table again but he tapped the table
0:50:27 > 0:50:37in the previous frame and then cleared up, did Ronnie.
0:50:43 > 0:50:48He's one of the best tactical players in the game as well. Not
0:50:48 > 0:50:54only does he clear the table with one visit when needed, he's as good
0:50:54 > 0:51:00a safety player there's ever been.
0:51:07 > 0:51:15Not oftenen you see 98%, especially after three frames played.
0:51:15 > 0:51:23He hasn't missed a long pot.
0:51:26 > 0:51:32Not that there's been much safety play. But 89% is not too shabby
0:51:32 > 0:51:33either.
0:51:48 > 0:51:54Goes without saying, this is a massive frame for Marco. If he can
0:51:54 > 0:52:02just scramble a frame. If he can just be 3-1 down at the interval,
0:52:02 > 0:52:05he'd consider that a right result the way the match has gone. It's
0:52:05 > 0:52:11asking a lot, I know. He's got to try and find it from somewhere. Good
0:52:11 > 0:52:13shot.
0:52:14 > 0:52:20APPLAUSE.
0:53:46 > 0:53:50The last time Ronnie lost a match in this venue at 2015, can you remember
0:53:50 > 0:53:55who he lost to? I'll give you a clue, it was a Saturday afternoon.
0:53:55 > 0:53:57Putting me on the spot there. Saturday afternoon would have been
0:53:57 > 0:54:03the semi-final.Correct.
0:54:04 > 0:54:10the semi-final.Correct.Probably commentated on the match. I think it
0:54:10 > 0:54:15was the Australian, Neil Robertson. Correct. You have to go back to 2015
0:54:15 > 0:54:21semi-final, 6-1 to Neil Robertson and since then, every match he's
0:54:21 > 0:54:26played in this wonderful venue, he's defeated everyone he's looked at.
0:54:26 > 0:54:32That's some record.
0:54:34 > 0:54:38Brilliant auditorium. Absolutely packed to the rafters on a Tuesday
0:54:38 > 0:54:48afternoon. Full! Wonderful.
0:54:49 > 0:54:57Look at the way the balls are scattered all over the table now.
0:54:57 > 0:55:03And Marco Fu yet to pot a ball. If he gets a chance, there'll be a few
0:55:03 > 0:55:11available. But will he get a chance?
0:55:13 > 0:55:19Tight on the cushion. Going to make it awkward for Marco. And it is.
0:55:19 > 0:55:27Can't get any back spin to get back behind the black from that angle.
0:55:27 > 0:55:37Such a good shot. Top cushion that cue ball. No intention of the pot,
0:55:37 > 0:55:41just to get the cue ball right there. Can't get in and get your cue
0:55:41 > 0:55:51digging down on that cue ball.The only
0:55:51 > 0:55:56only shot I can see is the cushion, on to the two cushions and then he
0:55:56 > 0:56:06could be safe. Could he play off this red? A similar spot.
0:56:06 > 0:56:12That's pretty good. Well played. APPLAUSE.
0:56:52 > 0:56:56He's in the driving seat in this exchange, Ronnie. Again, Marco with
0:56:56 > 0:56:59play off the red on the right hand side but once he plays that one,
0:56:59 > 0:57:06he's leaving the one that's near the yellow as an easy safety shot. So
0:57:06 > 0:57:10Ronnie's not got his man here, but he's certainly in the driving seat
0:57:10 > 0:57:11in this exchange.
0:57:13 > 0:57:16Marco looking at that red now on the right hand side. That's the one he
0:57:16 > 0:57:24wants to play off.
0:57:33 > 0:57:39He's thinking of playing the red in the middle, the thin cut. Yes, he is
0:57:39 > 0:57:47thinking about that. Wow, 3-0 down, some pressure on this one.
0:57:47 > 0:57:49Overcut it.
0:57:55 > 0:57:59It's so difficult.
0:58:11 > 0:58:23A tough afternoon for Marco so far.
0:58:33 > 0:58:36A little awkward this chance. The red close toast the cue ball. You
0:58:36 > 0:58:41have to be careful he doesn't get an undue cannon. He's going back to it
0:58:41 > 0:58:44now so he's got to be careful with this one.
0:58:47 > 0:58:57He's not entirely happy with this shot.
0:58:57 > 0:59:04If he can, he can avoid the cannon and he could run out of position.
0:59:06 > 0:59:10In the end, he found the gap there. APPLAUSE.
0:59:59 > 1:00:03The blue may go up into the corner. That would be a bonus. But maybe it
1:00:03 > 1:00:09doesn't. Least awkward on the brown, having to bridge over the red. The
1:00:09 > 1:00:22blue obviously doesn't pot. A little bit awkward, this.
1:00:29 > 1:00:34He hasn't really had the cue ball that any part of this break, yet.
1:00:34 > 1:00:40Just been slightly off...
1:00:42 > 1:00:44Just been slightly off... Can use the rest. It wasn't in the plan,
1:00:44 > 1:00:46this red.
1:00:54 > 1:00:59Excellent.
1:01:16 > 1:01:19Still 16 sessions on his average shot time, with the balls all over
1:01:19 > 1:01:26the table you would think that he would play a lot quicker but you
1:01:26 > 1:01:34have to play around the black spot area.Yes, you are so used to the
1:01:34 > 1:01:37natural positions, after all of the hours that you play, you know what
1:01:37 > 1:01:42is happening at the top end of the table. The pink and black, when
1:01:42 > 1:01:48spread around like this, you more concentration. -- you need more
1:01:48 > 1:01:59concentration.I'm talking about records, John. I can't remember a
1:01:59 > 1:02:04player playing four frames and potting a ball in the Masters final.
1:02:04 > 1:02:14It's a possibility, at the moment.
1:02:18 > 1:02:24May have landed on the other red. He came on this one so well, he decided
1:02:24 > 1:02:34to take it.
1:02:37 > 1:02:42403 points so far.
1:02:49 > 1:02:56Tough school, to say the least.If there were any consolation for Marco
1:02:56 > 1:03:00Fu, it would be that he's going to the mid-session interval with the
1:03:00 > 1:03:08best of 11. He will have a chat with his coach, over from Hong Kong with
1:03:08 > 1:03:17Marco. He would probably head to the practice table. He hasn't had any
1:03:17 > 1:03:21chance whatsoever.
1:03:59 > 1:04:05He is in the zone. Totally focused.
1:04:07 > 1:04:102000 people in the auditorium and it's as if they are not here. Just
1:04:10 > 1:04:16him and the snooker table.
1:04:17 > 1:04:23If big red for Marco to take on in the middle pocket. He knew that it
1:04:23 > 1:04:29was fraught with danger. This is a massive shot to take on. He has
1:04:29 > 1:04:40missed it, he just has too sit and watch this.
1:04:53 > 1:04:56Just the tricky red on the left-hand side of the table. That may prevent
1:04:56 > 1:05:02him from making his third century in four frames. He can bring it into
1:05:02 > 1:05:14play here, looking at the angle on the pink he can develop the red.
1:05:19 > 1:05:30He is absolutely in the zone, completely.
1:05:35 > 1:05:48It isn't possible, it really isn't. Another century.
1:05:49 > 1:05:56Up to 99% pot success rate, it's incredible.
1:05:56 > 1:06:00incredible. That may be a record to make three centuries and four frames
1:06:00 > 1:06:08in your opening match of The Masters.Tried to use the jaw of the
1:06:08 > 1:06:13pocket to get up onto the pink.It doesn't really matter if he doesn't
1:06:13 > 1:06:21get this in. But the mood that he is in...
1:06:21 > 1:06:25CHEERING Ronnie O'Sullivan has made three
1:06:25 > 1:06:35centuries. 50-74, 4-0 to The Rocket. STUDIO: You are watching a genius at
1:06:35 > 1:06:37work. Looking at some of your
1:06:37 > 1:06:38STUDIO: You are watching a genius at work. Looking at some of your
1:06:38 > 1:06:41comments on social media, many people are saying that many of you
1:06:41 > 1:06:45are sat at home today trying to do some work, there are many people
1:06:45 > 1:06:47trying to do work with their televisions on and they cannot
1:06:47 > 1:06:51concentrate on what they are doing because they cannot stop watching
1:06:51 > 1:06:59Ronnie O'Sullivan.And Marco Fu!It is amazing.The frames are getting
1:06:59 > 1:07:03finished so quickly. But Marco Fu is a brilliant snooker player and he
1:07:03 > 1:07:10has been made to look like a total amateur. The half chance, the red in
1:07:10 > 1:07:14the middle, he has been put under a barrage of snooker. Under so much
1:07:14 > 1:07:21pressure. It's the best player in the world playing at his best.
1:07:21 > 1:07:26Fantastic. I know that it is a relevant to some degree, there are
1:07:26 > 1:07:30geniuses in every sport.But we are blessed with one of the greatest
1:07:30 > 1:07:34geniuses the game has ever seen. We know that. I put forward the
1:07:34 > 1:07:39argument that if you took the likes of Tiger Woods or Roger Federer,
1:07:39 > 1:07:43they are all fantastic but I reckon that Ronnie O'Sullivan, in his own
1:07:43 > 1:07:47sport, is more of a genius than even those great. I would probably be
1:07:47 > 1:07:52shot down in flames by fans of those sports, I know that I am biased. I
1:07:52 > 1:07:56do not know enough about other sports to know. You would have to
1:07:56 > 1:08:00listen to people from other sports to talk about that but as a player,
1:08:00 > 1:08:05we know how difficult the game is. But what is happening, he is a
1:08:05 > 1:08:08exceptional person.Not many people would shoot you down in flames.
1:08:08 > 1:08:12People respect you for what you have done in the game and you know how
1:08:12 > 1:08:16tough it is out there. You cannot compare it to team sports either.
1:08:16 > 1:08:20You are in awe of what he does. It is shocking, how he controls the
1:08:20 > 1:08:27ball. It is something else going on as well.He referred to the match in
1:08:27 > 1:08:322014 when we were sitting in the studio, when Ronnie O'Sullivan beat
1:08:32 > 1:08:38Ricky Walden. 58 minutes, after the match, in his interview, Ricky
1:08:38 > 1:08:42Walden said that Ronnie were simply unplayable and that was the first
1:08:42 > 1:08:46time he ever felt absolutely helpless at the snooker table.That
1:08:46 > 1:08:49is the brutality of snooker, when someone is doing that you sit in
1:08:49 > 1:08:56your chair and you watch. It's a brutal sport but I agree with Steve.
1:08:56 > 1:09:01It is a scandal that Ronnie is on top there. Other sports have
1:09:01 > 1:09:04geniuses but nobody can say that these people are more talented at
1:09:04 > 1:09:08their sport than Ronnie is at sneaker...But if he goes on to win
1:09:08 > 1:09:13the Masters and do well in the World Championship, undoubtably, there's a
1:09:13 > 1:09:17big decision. You were involved before Christmas on social media,
1:09:17 > 1:09:20there would be a big campaign to ensure that he is on the list?
1:09:20 > 1:09:26Possibly and goes to show how good Mark Selby is to be in a position
1:09:26 > 1:09:30where he can dominate Ronnie O'Sullivan. But also in an accurate
1:09:30 > 1:09:35way, we have great players in the game but when he is on form he is a
1:09:35 > 1:09:39beauty at the table. He is at one with the table. Like Tommy the
1:09:39 > 1:09:47pinball Wizard!Speaking of other sports, I have to say this, you say
1:09:47 > 1:09:52you may get shot down in flames but I may do too. Listening to Dennis
1:09:52 > 1:09:56and John talking about Marco having a chat with Terry Griffiths and what
1:09:56 > 1:10:01can he say? It reminds me of the World Cup in 2014 and Brazil,
1:10:01 > 1:10:07remember when they were 5-0 down against Germany? My producers said
1:10:07 > 1:10:16that we still need something from Germania, I had to ask him where he
1:10:16 > 1:10:20was going on his holidays because he was destroyed!I think that Marco,
1:10:20 > 1:10:27in a way, he would be embarrassed by his performance because he's had
1:10:27 > 1:10:33nothing. What can he do?He knows how good Ronnie O'Sullivan is. That
1:10:33 > 1:10:37was exceptional but he knows that Ronnie O'Sullivan can do that. What
1:10:37 > 1:10:42could he have done?As we have often seen, it can make a difference, the
1:10:42 > 1:10:46interval. Marco comes out, he's got nothing to lose. He may knock in
1:10:46 > 1:10:53some balls and then things change... I won't say what Ken said the other
1:10:53 > 1:10:57day that it will go 6-5, but you would expect Marco to show format
1:10:57 > 1:11:00some stage.Banks let's go
1:11:00 > 1:11:01would expect Marco to show format some stage.Banks let's go to this
1:11:01 > 1:11:07evening's match, Barry Hawkins, the semifinalist at the Masters last
1:11:07 > 1:11:10year, up against world number 14 Kyren Wilson, making his second
1:11:10 > 1:11:18appearance at The Masters and he has been talking to our MC Rob Walker.
1:11:18 > 1:11:22It is your second Masters. It must be nice to be in this elite bracket
1:11:22 > 1:11:26where only the best of the best are invited?It seems to be getting
1:11:26 > 1:11:33harder and harder! There are so many seeding cut-offs. There is no
1:11:33 > 1:11:37resting on a good win, back a couple of months ago, you would have to
1:11:37 > 1:11:43keep producing and I am very pleased to be in the 16 once again for the
1:11:43 > 1:11:46second time.I know that you did not win your first match last year but
1:11:46 > 1:11:52what was it like stood at the top of the stairs? It is a great arena, how
1:11:52 > 1:11:58you can see everyone around you. It is laid out brilliantly.It is hard,
1:11:58 > 1:12:01you are finding your balance and staying focused, staying in the
1:12:01 > 1:12:05moment but you want to interact with the crowd and have fun. I am a
1:12:05 > 1:12:09laid-back person. I like to banter with the crowd sometimes but there
1:12:09 > 1:12:14is a time and a place. It was unique. Something I hadn't
1:12:14 > 1:12:17experienced before but something that would hopefully put me in good
1:12:17 > 1:12:24stead for this year.Your year, up to qualifying for the Masters, was
1:12:24 > 1:12:29massive. He went from outside of the top 50 to being number 16. You
1:12:29 > 1:12:35seemed to click in so many ways?I have to put a lot of back down to my
1:12:35 > 1:12:39coach, Barry. We've worked hard technically. To be honest, it set me
1:12:39 > 1:12:46back for a good two years but inevitably, it's put me to steps
1:12:46 > 1:12:53forwards -- two steps forward. We've not looked back. We managed to win
1:12:53 > 1:12:56Shanghai, it was important to be consistent. You don't want to be a
1:12:56 > 1:12:59one-hit wonder. I'm chasing the title but I am getting closer and
1:12:59 > 1:13:04closer. That's what you've got to do. These days it is so tough, you
1:13:04 > 1:13:10cannot be too hard on yourself. You need to set realistic goals.It
1:13:10 > 1:13:13sounds as though Barry almost deconstructed your game and put it
1:13:13 > 1:13:18back together again?Yes, it has been really difficult. We both like
1:13:18 > 1:13:23to maybe modify a fume or things but want something has worked, and of
1:13:23 > 1:13:28the most extreme pressure, why change a winning formula? We've
1:13:28 > 1:13:34stuck to what we are doing and I am reaping the rewards.How do you
1:13:34 > 1:13:41balance being a young father? You have Finlay and Bailey, Bailey is
1:13:41 > 1:13:44only four months old. There are great opportunities but they come at
1:13:44 > 1:13:49a price, in that you spend months and months every year away from home
1:13:49 > 1:13:55and come in many cases, out the country in a different time zone?It
1:13:55 > 1:14:00is tough, this year, especially, I've gone out the door. My little
1:14:00 > 1:14:06boy has chased me down the stairs and said, dad, don't go! He is three
1:14:06 > 1:14:09years old, he wants me around him the whole time but in a few more
1:14:09 > 1:14:14times he will -- a few years' time, he will appreciate the life I have
1:14:14 > 1:14:17given him. I would love for him to travel with me and see parts of the
1:14:17 > 1:14:22world. My wife, Sophie, she'd never really been abroad before we got
1:14:22 > 1:14:25together. My career has broadened her mind, seen the countries that
1:14:25 > 1:14:31she has seen. You have to take the rough with the smooth. It isn't easy
1:14:31 > 1:14:36but I am enjoying what I am doing. I am hungry. I have to be a bit
1:14:36 > 1:14:41selfish and put my snooker first. In that sense, I will always give my
1:14:41 > 1:14:45family a better life for that reason. It isn't easy but I am
1:14:45 > 1:14:51coping quite well.And it sounds as though you have a gratitude to the
1:14:51 > 1:14:54sport, great skill and you have deserved every penny that you have
1:14:54 > 1:14:58earned in the last couple of years and the money that you haven't has
1:14:58 > 1:15:01created a better future for your wife and children. That must be
1:15:01 > 1:15:10something that you are proud of? Ferry, my wife can bring up our
1:15:10 > 1:15:15sons, she is doing an amazing job, she's allowed me to go and do my job
1:15:15 > 1:15:22snooker is healthy. We are going to China for £150,000 as the first
1:15:22 > 1:15:27prize. That was unheard-of but if there is a lot of travelling, if you
1:15:27 > 1:15:31can make it count and reap the rewards, you can have a nice life
1:15:31 > 1:15:38back home.Will be boys have a different childhood to that you
1:15:38 > 1:15:42experienced?I am trying really hard to not make that happen. I want my
1:15:42 > 1:15:47little boys to work for it, like I have had two and my mum and dad were
1:15:47 > 1:15:49very modest, they worked very hard and gave literally everything they
1:15:49 > 1:15:57had to get me where I am today. I appreciate that. I want my boys to
1:15:57 > 1:16:00experience something like that and work for it, not having it gifted to
1:16:00 > 1:16:05them on a plate. It sets them in good stead for the rest of their
1:16:05 > 1:16:08lives, hopefully.Do you ever wonder, if you had not been good
1:16:08 > 1:16:13enough to make a living lot of snooker, what direction woodlice
1:16:13 > 1:16:19have taken you in?Sometimes it scares me, I think, what if I didn't
1:16:19 > 1:16:23do this or that? You cannot really think like that. You've got to look
1:16:23 > 1:16:31forward. I'm not really about the money, trying to chase the trophies.
1:16:31 > 1:16:36It's a bonus. I life has completely changed in the last few years
1:16:36 > 1:16:42because of that win in Shanghai. And I followed it up. Two years on tour,
1:16:42 > 1:16:46I was a bomb in for a year and when I turned pro again, I thought, that
1:16:46 > 1:16:52is it. My last chance. If I do not make it now that's the end. Luckily
1:16:52 > 1:16:57I am sitting here and being quite successful.Finley is about to turn
1:16:57 > 1:17:01three years old, can he focus on the snooker on the TV or would he look
1:17:01 > 1:17:07at you for five seconds, then get bored and go back to his toys?He
1:17:07 > 1:17:12has a little fire engine that I am trying to keep him off, he is a
1:17:12 > 1:17:18nightmare! He loves it. Whenever I'm on, whether it is a streaming side,
1:17:18 > 1:17:24he is sat with my wife, trying to watch. Whenever I pot the ball, he
1:17:24 > 1:17:29says, yes, get in! He doesn't understand where the white goes, but
1:17:29 > 1:17:34he enjoys it. I'm trying to get him to more events. I took him to the
1:17:34 > 1:17:38arena in Scotland, it was a challenge keeping him quiet but
1:17:38 > 1:17:43hopefully we will see him in the venues soon.It sounds like your
1:17:43 > 1:17:46wife, children and parents are really proud of you. Congratulations
1:17:46 > 1:17:51on your success so far. May that second title be coming sooner rather
1:17:51 > 1:18:02than later! A lovely interview. Barry Hawkins and Kyren Wilson
1:18:02 > 1:18:05coming up later this evening. It's a very difficult industry with
1:18:05 > 1:18:10all of the travelling. It's great to hear them talking about family life.
1:18:10 > 1:18:15Yes, he said about sacrificing, if you want to get to the top or you
1:18:15 > 1:18:18have ambitions of being the best in the world, you need to make
1:18:18 > 1:18:23sacrifices. It is hard but his snooker, his career, has to come
1:18:23 > 1:18:30first.You have always said that. Unlike other players who do not
1:18:30 > 1:18:34dedicate as much time as they could? Not everybody can do it. That's why
1:18:34 > 1:18:39the best are separated from the almost- there. You have to be
1:18:39 > 1:18:44single-minded to get to the top.He won the Shanghai Masters in 2015.
1:18:44 > 1:18:48When you see him play and who he is nurturing into, can you see him
1:18:48 > 1:18:56racking up or titles?He is very talented, it's good to see him play
1:18:56 > 1:19:00impeccable snooker. He has some way to go before he wins tournaments
1:19:00 > 1:19:05regularly but he is talented.And he's a good chap. Good luck to Kyren
1:19:05 > 1:19:11Wilson and Barry Hawkins. Steve Davis has gone out to the Cue
1:19:11 > 1:19:15Zone. Out here, on a daily basis, snooker
1:19:15 > 1:19:20coaches are here for the fans to ask questions. One of the biggest
1:19:20 > 1:19:24questions people ask about this game is there are two balls, where should
1:19:24 > 1:19:29your eyes be at any one time during the shot that you play? Which ball
1:19:29 > 1:19:33should you be looking at when you try and hit the white ball? We
1:19:33 > 1:19:37identified Ronnie O'Sullivan in
1:19:37 > 1:19:37try and hit the white ball? We identified Ronnie O'Sullivan in
1:19:37 > 1:19:45those frames... His eyes are looking at the ball, it's dark in the
1:19:45 > 1:19:49auditorium. Flicking back and forwards, his eyes go to the object
1:19:49 > 1:19:53ball, a flick to the white ball as he hits that back on the object
1:19:53 > 1:19:56ball. Every player does it differently. Not every player looks
1:19:56 > 1:20:01at the object ball when they play the shot but here is one way
1:20:01 > 1:20:04considered to be not the tried and tested way but one that is
1:20:04 > 1:20:09theoretically possible. You asked it with the blue over the pocket and
1:20:09 > 1:20:13the cue ball, where should you be looking? The blue, judging the line
1:20:13 > 1:20:17of the shot. You get down, you've got to make sure that you are
1:20:17 > 1:20:21looking at the white ball. You get down, looking at the blue, in
1:20:21 > 1:20:27position... Look at the centre of the white. Going backwards and
1:20:27 > 1:20:32forwards, you look at the blue, then the white, then the blue, and as you
1:20:32 > 1:20:42pull the cue back for the last shot, at the pause at the back that a lot
1:20:42 > 1:20:46of players have, that is when you can possibly transfer your eyes to
1:20:46 > 1:20:50the blue and then... You can strike! Other players look at the white ball
1:20:50 > 1:20:55when they play the shot. Some players look at the object ball when
1:20:55 > 1:21:00they play their shot. There does not seem to be a definitive answer but
1:21:00 > 1:21:03the question and theory of the game says to look at the object ball.
1:21:03 > 1:21:09Back to you in the studio!Thank you. If you are turning on the
1:21:09 > 1:21:11television, you have missed a masterclass from Mr Ronnie
1:21:11 > 1:21:13O'Sullivan...
1:21:18 > 1:21:22Leading 4-0, let's show you the best of the action from the first four
1:21:22 > 1:21:25frames. A poor opening shot from Marco Fu.
1:21:25 > 1:21:30The boys in the studio agreed with that. A blistering start from Ronnie
1:21:30 > 1:21:36O'Sullivan. This is what the fans paid their money to see.
1:21:36 > 1:21:43Unbelievable from O'Sullivan. Breaking 120 from one. And in frame
1:21:43 > 1:21:48two, another century from Ronnie O'Sullivan. A break of 121. Ten
1:21:48 > 1:21:54minutes and five seconds. Nothing that Marco Fu could do. What a shot!
1:21:54 > 1:22:00This is wonderful stuff from Ronnie O'Sullivan this afternoon.
1:22:01 > 1:22:05O'Sullivan this afternoon. Another century from Ronnie O'Sullivan. A
1:22:05 > 1:22:10glance to us up here in the studio...! We are very much enjoying
1:22:10 > 1:22:18it here, Ronnie. Elaine Prichard, good afternoon. She has tweeted us.
1:22:18 > 1:22:21"Wow, Ronnie O'Sullivan unbelievable! A joy to watch even
1:22:21 > 1:22:25though he proves to be a distraction from a case study I am meant to be
1:22:25 > 1:22:34writing!" This is from Angela, she says good
1:22:34 > 1:22:39afternoon to all at BBC Snooker. Poetry in motion, a joy to watch. I
1:22:39 > 1:22:46am so glad I am not at work today! Keep those coming, using the hashtag
1:22:46 > 1:22:53"BBC snooker". Let's go back to Dennis and John. COMMENTATOR: Thank
1:22:53 > 1:22:59you, Jason.
1:22:59 > 1:23:02you, Jason. Will the mid-session interval change things?
1:23:10 > 1:23:13Hitting the White harder than intended, he is trying to get the
1:23:13 > 1:23:24White tide on the cushion.
1:23:26 > 1:23:34-- tight on the cushion. A touching ball to help the situation, it's
1:23:34 > 1:23:37good to come off a couple of cushions.
1:23:41 > 1:23:49Seeing Ronnie backstage with his friends. Unbelievable. A new tip was
1:23:49 > 1:23:53put on, the first time he used it was on the practice table today.
1:23:53 > 1:24:02That was quite amazing.With how he has played. Not taking that one off
1:24:02 > 1:24:08in a hurry.
1:24:30 > 1:24:40This time, that is not touching. Not a lot that Marco Fu can do here.
1:24:48 > 1:24:55Just a little bit of a stalemate at present...
1:25:01 > 1:25:05Thin off the reds, tight on the cushion. The yellow ball is the
1:25:05 > 1:25:10covering ball, if he can judge it. You have the perfect picture to
1:25:10 > 1:25:15watch the angle of this. There is the yellow. A white coming down
1:25:15 > 1:25:28towards it. Almost!
1:25:33 > 1:25:49Those two reds at the back were close to the corner. Not quite...
1:26:18 > 1:26:23APPLAUSE An excellent shot. Well played,
1:26:23 > 1:26:33Marco. Very good.
1:26:33 > 1:26:47Going to hit these good and thin. It was a little too thin.
1:26:47 > 1:26:48was a little too thin. Marco coming to the table. I think he put it
1:26:48 > 1:26:55back.
1:26:56 > 1:27:00back.Much better to miss the red altogether on the first attempt. You
1:27:00 > 1:27:05can see other reds. If you were to play the same shot again and missed
1:27:05 > 1:27:15it, you would get a warning. Just checking whether, on the monitor
1:27:15 > 1:27:20there, at the top, the referee in the game there. Marcel Eckhardt from
1:27:20 > 1:27:26Germany.
1:27:26 > 1:27:42Germany. That is about spot-on. Anything thin is good.
1:27:43 > 1:27:54Anything thin is good. Would lead Marco in for his first pot.
1:28:07 > 1:28:10All of the makings of being the longest frame in the match so far,
1:28:10 > 1:28:24with the black tied up. The scoring is a little awkward on this frame...
1:28:24 > 1:28:3815 seconds is his average shot time.
1:28:41 > 1:28:46Finding it difficult to think of a path back to the baulk area there,
1:28:46 > 1:28:55Marco. It does look a little awkward. Play off the cluster, there
1:28:55 > 1:29:02is a cluster of five in the play-off. They come around the
1:29:02 > 1:29:07angles.
1:29:43 > 1:29:48Now, then... You can get a terrific round of applause if he knocks in a
1:29:48 > 1:29:54red here. It would be his first point that he has scored in this
1:29:54 > 1:30:11match, believe it or not. How is he going to get on the colour? APPLAUSE
1:30:13 > 1:30:20He knew that he was going to get his first pot but he couldn't get any on
1:30:20 > 1:30:23the colour.That noise happens on the end of a barrage of someone
1:30:23 > 1:30:27playing well, the first opportunity you get and you cannot get onto a
1:30:27 > 1:30:37colour, not from that position. A very good safety shot.
1:31:01 > 1:31:06That is OK. He'll be pleased it went into the pocket. Had a wobble to the
1:31:06 > 1:31:14jaws, could have left Marco in with a decent chance.
1:31:23 > 1:31:32Got to be careful with the cue ball.
1:31:33 > 1:31:37Tough green. You don't want to be forcing this type of shot in to try
1:31:37 > 1:31:42to get up to the reds. Maybe he has to try and make something happen. If
1:31:42 > 1:31:47you are rolling in this, it would be OK.
1:31:50 > 1:31:52Very well played.
1:31:52 > 1:31:56APPLAUSE.
1:31:57 > 1:32:05Still very, very awkward. Black tied up, pink awkward.
1:32:14 > 1:32:18Sizeable contribution - the yellow and brown is a decent target to try
1:32:18 > 1:32:23to get in behind.
1:32:34 > 1:32:37That is as good as he could have done with the weight of the cue
1:32:37 > 1:32:40ball.
1:32:42 > 1:32:54The way he's played that, couldn't have been much better.
1:33:04 > 1:33:10Look at this. Fully concentrating. Fly landed on his head, he got down
1:33:10 > 1:33:14and played the shot as if it wasn't there. Do you think he's trying
1:33:14 > 1:33:22hard? !
1:33:59 > 1:34:03He's gotten away with that. Played that in such a way that he was
1:34:03 > 1:34:09hoping to get the white back down the table. Left very awkward for
1:34:09 > 1:34:18Marco here. When you are on your own and things go your way, there are
1:34:18 > 1:34:22balls all over the place in, and Ronnie knows himself that he's had a
1:34:22 > 1:34:29right result.
1:34:35 > 1:34:37Good shot.
1:34:39 > 1:34:46Right, Marco, this is the chance you have been waiting for.
1:34:46 > 1:34:52have been waiting for. Got to score now, my man.
1:35:01 > 1:35:06Not the best. He's made it awkward for himself already.
1:35:06 > 1:35:15Just trying to build up a bit of rhythm.
1:35:15 > 1:35:28That white cannoning into the blue will spoil things.
1:35:28 > 1:35:32will spoil things. Such a thin shot he took on there.
1:35:32 > 1:35:38He'd love to get the black back on the spot.It was one of those poor
1:35:38 > 1:35:43positional shots the one before that actually forced him into a shot that
1:35:43 > 1:35:49might just get him on the black and that's what's happened. Maybe it's a
1:35:49 > 1:35:57bit too acute.
1:36:01 > 1:36:06Just lift a little bit on the shot. I didn't see him missing that
1:36:06 > 1:36:11though.
1:36:11 > 1:36:15You can see him lifting up. It's a little trait he's always had in his
1:36:15 > 1:36:25game. It's never really stopped him that much. Disappointing miss.
1:36:52 > 1:36:58Not an easy chance this. Black obviously up by the yellow. It's
1:36:58 > 1:37:03just the first sort of positional shot from blue here, for it to land
1:37:03 > 1:37:11on the red, it's not straightforward.
1:37:23 > 1:37:30That's worked out lovely.
1:37:38 > 1:37:43The for mall service has resumed -- if normal service has resumed, you
1:37:43 > 1:37:54will be feeling a little for Marco Fu again.
1:38:31 > 1:38:40We mentioned, one of the Masters best games was when these two played
1:38:40 > 1:38:44each other. The only other time they played in the Masters was the
1:38:44 > 1:38:54quarter-final in 2015 and Ronnie won that 6-1.
1:39:53 > 1:39:58Quite a few flies around in the last couple of days. At one stage we had
1:39:58 > 1:40:04a little ant on the cue ball.
1:40:30 > 1:40:43Not straightforward here to clinch the frame. 30 in front.
1:41:09 > 1:41:15Glancing at the score board there. He needs pinpoint accuracy if he's
1:41:15 > 1:41:20going to get red at the winning post here in this frame. That's pinpoint
1:41:20 > 1:41:24accuracy, you would have to say. APPLAUSE.
1:41:41 > 1:41:48Getting the fell repertoire of the geniuses at work. He's just been -
1:41:48 > 1:41:52any type of break and they've been up and around the black spot. He's
1:41:52 > 1:41:59been knocking those in.
1:41:59 > 1:42:04Once again, this wasn't totally straightforward. It's all coming to
1:42:04 > 1:42:06him.
1:42:19 > 1:42:22For Marco Fu, it's just one of those days where you have to just sit and
1:42:22 > 1:42:27watch.All one-way traffic. Ronnie O'Sullivan is just on fire at the
1:42:27 > 1:42:34moment and leads 5-0.
1:42:40 > 1:42:45He's knocked them in from all sorts of positions and there are some gems
1:42:45 > 1:42:55amongst them, John?He's been fabulous all day.
1:42:56 > 1:43:02fabulous all day. Bounced off the cushion perfectly, that one. The
1:43:02 > 1:43:06frame was over but still this was one of the best positional shots
1:43:06 > 1:43:12I've seen. To come off so many cushions and get on the yellow was
1:43:12 > 1:43:17quite incredible.This was wonderful cueing straight through the ball off
1:43:17 > 1:43:22the two cushions for the black. Ended up clearing up and winning the
1:43:22 > 1:43:27frame so he's been at his very best today. His focus has been superb and
1:43:27 > 1:43:33every time he's get a chance, there's an inevitability about it
1:43:33 > 1:43:37for Marco Fu, I'm afraid. You have to hold your hand up and say, you
1:43:37 > 1:43:41know, well played, not much you can do. He's had a chance in the last
1:43:41 > 1:43:45one, missing the brown when he had to put a bit of power in. But other
1:43:45 > 1:43:48than that, the rest of the match, he's been comprehensively outplayed.
1:43:48 > 1:43:53We are going to show you the brown he missed but prior to that, he had
1:43:53 > 1:44:00to power this and sometimes it's not a strong part, the screw shots. He
1:44:00 > 1:44:04potted the green before and cannoned the blue. That is what spoiled it
1:44:04 > 1:44:08slightly for him.The thing with that shots is, I think he should
1:44:08 > 1:44:12have taken the black there. He's trying to power the brown which
1:44:12 > 1:44:15isn't great. He's 4-0 behind, if he pots the black instead, he's got a
1:44:15 > 1:44:21chance to win the frame there, taking that black. He's ended up
1:44:21 > 1:44:25overpowering it. If he knocks the black in, all those reds down the
1:44:25 > 1:44:31table are there for him with a great chance. He just overhit the brown.
1:44:31 > 1:44:37Once again too hard, missed it and he's had to sit and watch. The
1:44:37 > 1:44:42players are having to sit and watch the people come back into the arena.
1:44:42 > 1:44:48And some weren't back in time.
1:44:48 > 1:44:56Quiet, ladies and gentlemen, please. Marco Fu to break.
1:44:57 > 1:45:01Marco breaks off in frame six and not the best break off he's ever
1:45:01 > 1:45:06played. He'll be hoping it's not his last breakoff in this year's
1:45:06 > 1:45:12Masters.
1:45:12 > 1:45:17Masters. Odds are this could be a whitewash, it has to be said. Hit it
1:45:17 > 1:45:27a bit thick. That is why the red come back up as well.
1:45:46 > 1:45:49When you are playing well, that's the sort of flick you get there,
1:45:49 > 1:45:58play to avoid the reds. Caught them but still got nicely on the colour.
1:46:22 > 1:46:32Nudged out accidentally, it has to be said.
1:46:40 > 1:46:46Both of them go. One either side available. Probably play this and
1:46:46 > 1:46:51leave the cue ball a little bit low so he can play a cannon. A bit low
1:46:51 > 1:47:01now, should be able to pot this and force a couple of reds into play.
1:47:32 > 1:47:38He can play into the top of that pack. A loose one at the back but
1:47:38 > 1:47:48alternatives there. On the right he could go and play into it.
1:48:01 > 1:48:09All about the split now.
1:48:25 > 1:48:32APPLAUSE.
1:48:32 > 1:48:35Ronnie was getting down to see if he could pop along the pink and leave
1:48:35 > 1:48:40the one at the back of the bun of of reds there.
1:48:40 > 1:48:47- bunch of reds there.
1:48:47 > 1:48:50APPLAUSE. That could be the end of break,
1:48:50 > 1:49:00unless he takes a double on.
1:49:03 > 1:49:10Fouled it.He did. APPLAUSE.
1:49:16 > 1:49:19Immediately walked away from the table and declared a foul on
1:49:19 > 1:49:29himself.
1:49:35 > 1:49:40Must have just touched it. Couldn't really say. You touch it with your
1:49:40 > 1:49:45hand. Sometimes straightaway you foul the ball and no-one sees it. So
1:49:45 > 1:49:49proud of our sport that the players still do that, declare the fouls
1:49:49 > 1:49:54themselves.
1:50:13 > 1:50:20Bit of a chance for Marco.
1:50:27 > 1:50:31No touch whatsoever. He's been kept off the table.
1:50:35 > 1:50:41Probably a bit embarrassing for Marco. He just can't get any rhythm
1:50:41 > 1:50:50going.
1:50:54 > 1:50:59Stop him coming back up to the red...
1:51:14 > 1:51:19I think that shot tells you a lot. I think Marco was ready to leave the
1:51:19 > 1:51:21arena.
1:51:31 > 1:51:42One of those days where he probably never got a chance. So 5-0.
1:52:21 > 1:52:25May send the red back up the table here, as long as it doesn't hit the
1:52:25 > 1:52:36green. Played that well.
1:52:37 > 1:52:41Will Marco see enough of this red to possibly get behind the pink.Very
1:52:41 > 1:52:47thin.
1:53:31 > 1:53:39Ronnie O'Sullivan's had breaks of 120, 121, 50, 74, 112, 75. I mean,
1:53:39 > 1:53:47that's phenomenal.
1:53:59 > 1:54:09APPLAUSE.
1:54:11 > 1:54:23I thought there was a possibility. He played it in such a way.
1:54:23 > 1:54:25He played it in such a way. Least looking at the red, the cluster of
1:54:25 > 1:54:28four on the left hand side is available if he just lands on that
1:54:28 > 1:54:33one.
1:54:53 > 1:54:56The reds look safe but they are all going to clear each other as he pots
1:54:56 > 1:55:03one, it will make another available. So this is looking like the end of
1:55:03 > 1:55:14the match. Look at the time. It's coming up to an hour and 20 minutes.
1:55:15 > 1:55:1697% pot success rate.
1:55:28 > 1:55:37The personal spot will be available in a couple of shots' time.
1:55:40 > 1:55:44Pots that and it will clear the other two. You would have to say
1:55:44 > 1:55:51it's all over here. 46 the difference. Feels as if it's a bit
1:55:51 > 1:55:59tight, that red. So if he feels that, he can always play the cannon.
1:55:59 > 1:56:10Which is what he's done.
1:56:17 > 1:56:20Tough afternoon far Marco, but you are still a top class player, mar
1:56:20 > 1:56:25koerks just one of those days where you run into something that is very
1:56:25 > 1:56:25special indeed.
1:56:40 > 1:56:49Starts his defence of the title in this way, he's been in great shape,
1:56:49 > 1:56:55superb, every aspect. He was already favourite for this Championship this
1:56:55 > 1:57:00year. After this performance, he's going to be shorter in the betting,
1:57:00 > 1:57:06that's for certain.
1:57:17 > 1:57:23He's got the angle to do that.
1:57:23 > 1:57:33That's even cleverer. Still left the chance of this difficult red. No,
1:57:33 > 1:57:42no. The defending champion. You have got to feel sorry for Marco Fu. The
1:57:42 > 1:57:46whole of the Ally Pally is standing up in recognition of that
1:57:46 > 1:57:51performance from Ronnie O'Sullivan. Absolutely amazing. He takes the
1:57:51 > 1:57:57match. 6-0. Amazing. All week
1:57:57 > 1:57:57match. 6-0. Amazing. All week I've been saying
1:57:57 > 1:58:02Have you listened to the crowd, I don't know how the noise is coming
1:58:02 > 1:58:05through on your television screens but the noise is cranking up as each
1:58:05 > 1:58:09match goes by. A standing ovation from the crowd today. Just
1:58:09 > 1:58:14absolutely brilliant.Yes. People ask pretournament who do you think
1:58:14 > 1:58:18is going to win and I said it's hard to make a case for Ronnie not making
1:58:18 > 1:58:23the tournament. After that, it's even harder.Not much left to say?
1:58:23 > 1:58:28No. It's tough to keep repeating that standard. Ronnie could do it,
1:58:28 > 1:58:33but yes, somewhere down the line in a long tournament, you do get a dip
1:58:33 > 1:58:37in form or a session that's not as good and the balls don't go right.
1:58:37 > 1:58:41It's not just the potting and the execution of break-building, there's
1:58:41 > 1:58:45safety. The safety is killing as well so it's all departments of the
1:58:45 > 1:58:49game. Very strong, very strong. Here he comes, Ronnie is coming in
1:58:49 > 1:58:53to join us now. Good afternoon, Ronnie. Good to see you, well done,
1:58:53 > 1:58:57congratulations. Just an hour and 22 minutes and 59 seconds' work.Yep,
1:58:57 > 1:59:02yep. Even by your standards, you must
1:59:02 > 1:59:08have enjoyed that.To be honest with you, I was really struggling because
1:59:08 > 1:59:12I've got a virus or something and I feel very dizzy and feel like I'm
1:59:12 > 1:59:18really sort of...Really? !Yes. I was playing off instinct, I was
1:59:18 > 1:59:21thinking, don't think, just pot balls. But I was really struggling,
1:59:21 > 1:59:25the past five or six days.You have been struggling with illness?I feel
1:59:25 > 1:59:37dizzy.Give it to me for a few days! Maybe I've overdone the exercise,
1:59:37 > 1:59:42I'm lacking magnesium maybe. Made myself a bit ill.It seemed like you
1:59:42 > 1:59:46were playing quickly in the first frame to get things going?I felt
1:59:46 > 1:59:49all right the first couple. Then it hit me and I thought, come on, the
1:59:49 > 1:59:54last few days in practise I thought I could get through it but you still
1:59:54 > 1:59:58don't feel good physically.Everyone talks here about the reception you
1:59:58 > 2:00:02get here, but let's hear it from yourself. What is it like? Is there
2:00:02 > 2:00:07a big difference? Is this the venue you love playing in, everyone
2:00:07 > 2:00:11speculates it's Ronnie's home crowd, many newspapers say it and we say it
2:00:11 > 2:00:15but do you feel different?I get this everywhere I go, even in China,
2:00:15 > 2:00:20Europe, so I get very good support. They are a little bit more vocal
2:00:20 > 2:00:24here maybe but I'm used to having the crowd on my side, you know,
2:00:24 > 2:00:31sometimes it can be difficult because you have to try and perform.
2:00:31 > 2:00:34Not many one-table set-ups with 2000 people!
2:00:34 > 2:00:40Not many one-table set-ups with 2000 people! But it is a bus going out on
2:00:40 > 2:00:45that one-table set-up.You've just got to go and do your job. Ignore
2:00:45 > 2:00:49whatever is happening around you, it one table with 2000 people but you
2:00:49 > 2:00:55had to stay in your world and be inspired from it, I suppose.The
2:00:55 > 2:01:02last couple of years, you've been beaten?The last two years I've been
2:01:02 > 2:01:08messing around, I've done a lot of exhibitions, at 60-70%, I was
2:01:08 > 2:01:13winging it. I have hanged in there. But since I started practising more.
2:01:13 > 2:01:19You were dead on your feet in December. You say that you are ill
2:01:19 > 2:01:23but you are feeling fresher?I was gone. At the start of December, the
2:01:23 > 2:01:26last few weeks I really struggled. You've got to keep your head down,
2:01:26 > 2:01:31two weeks off. It was nice to have the break but I'm feeling dazed and
2:01:31 > 2:01:36confused at the moment!And you been doing a lot of running again, your
2:01:36 > 2:01:40fitness is going well?I always do that. It is something I am
2:01:40 > 2:01:44passionate about. It is good to share with other people.You've been
2:01:44 > 2:01:49giving people running tips online? If they want help and support, why
2:01:49 > 2:01:53not? It helps me too.And the year that you have had committed you have
2:01:53 > 2:01:57had success but you been writing books as well. Has that really
2:01:57 > 2:02:00helped you to focus on the big tournaments coming, you've got all
2:02:00 > 2:02:09of that other
2:02:09 > 2:02:12of that other stuff out of your system.Does it help when you get to
2:02:12 > 2:02:14a tournament like this? I feel like a part-time player. I'm like a
2:02:14 > 2:02:17hybrid. I have two careers, one is playing snooker. I devote as much
2:02:17 > 2:02:20time as I can, I have two practice at tournaments to keep the
2:02:20 > 2:02:22foundation and I'm doing a lot of other stuff I enjoyed. It is a
2:02:22 > 2:02:25transition period. I don't want to do what some other guys have done,
2:02:25 > 2:02:28retire and have nothing. I'm trying to build a second career so I have
2:02:28 > 2:02:33something to look forward to Wendy snooker is over.The balance, the
2:02:33 > 2:02:37books and the literature and the TV pundit work as well, suddenly you
2:02:37 > 2:02:48happy happy balance where you are enjoying the
2:02:48 > 2:02:50enjoying the sport that you are so good at.I will not do anything
2:02:50 > 2:02:54unless it is on my terms, snooker or other stuff. I have a set of terms I
2:02:54 > 2:02:57am happy with and if people agree, I am happy. It is my time, whether
2:02:57 > 2:03:00snooker or anything else, it is important to me.It is nice to have
2:03:00 > 2:03:02hobbies that do not compete with snooker, so different styles of
2:03:02 > 2:03:06hobbies. If you take golf and you got involved with that...I wouldn't
2:03:06 > 2:03:14do that, no!CHUCKLES That is pathetic. No, I am meeting
2:03:14 > 2:03:17interesting people. I wouldn't play golf because it is the same as this.
2:03:17 > 2:03:23I am meeting creating and interesting people. This kind of
2:03:23 > 2:03:27world... It has taken pressure off me. I don't feel pressure when I
2:03:27 > 2:03:31play. I go out because I want to entertained and I have pride in my
2:03:31 > 2:03:34performance. I'm a natural competitor. I do not need to find
2:03:34 > 2:03:39motivation to play and to win. It is there naturally. But I do not feel
2:03:39 > 2:03:44the pressure any more. I have other things...Going on in your life?It
2:03:44 > 2:03:48makes things quite interesting.You say you do not care if you win or
2:03:48 > 2:03:54lose...I used to... You have to train yourself. You can train
2:03:54 > 2:03:59yourself to do anything. You have to detach from it. Although I like to
2:03:59 > 2:04:02do well and perform, I think Steven and Steve were more like animals to
2:04:02 > 2:04:07win whereas I like performance. I'm not so disappointed if I lose as
2:04:07 > 2:04:10long as the performance is good. It's probably the wrong way to think
2:04:10 > 2:04:16that it is how I am.Part of playing snooker is dominating the table. In
2:04:16 > 2:04:21losing, you will be out and being beaten by somebody, you are not
2:04:21 > 2:04:27dominating the table...I do not take it personally, if I cannot
2:04:27 > 2:04:31dominate the table I do not deserve to win. That is the challenge and
2:04:31 > 2:04:35always has been. Whether you win or lose, for me it is being competitive
2:04:35 > 2:04:40and enjoying the match, winning or losing. It is trying to get that.
2:04:40 > 2:04:43You have to train yourself at some point in your career. Perhaps when
2:04:43 > 2:04:47you are younger it is OK to have that drive but at 42, there's more
2:04:47 > 2:04:54in life than winning tournaments. You have to get some perspective, I
2:04:54 > 2:04:56think.To continue that longevity. And finally, on the entertainment
2:04:56 > 2:05:00value, Respect are a lot of fans in the arena before coming out today.
2:05:00 > 2:05:04They said that they'd been looking forward to this for weeks. Ie At a
2:05:04 > 2:05:08stage in your career where it is about entertaining people who pay
2:05:08 > 2:05:12their money to watch. Winning tournaments, is it the entertainment
2:05:12 > 2:05:21that is at the top of the list for you?On my tombstone, whether it
2:05:21 > 2:05:26says six, seven or eight worlds, it's not important. While you are
2:05:26 > 2:05:30here, when you are long gone and dead, people put on you Tube and
2:05:30 > 2:05:34hopefully they will see some performances they thought were good.
2:05:34 > 2:05:39It keeps me motivated to have style. A lot of people will play and park
2:05:39 > 2:05:45the bus while I would like to attack the game... Not to the point where
2:05:45 > 2:05:49sometimes it can get scary but it is a bit. You do not want to let
2:05:49 > 2:05:55yourself down but equally, if I lost today I would have had a great time
2:05:55 > 2:06:01today. Everything I do has to be win - win. I have another match here if
2:06:01 > 2:06:06I lost, if I win I got another. For me I need to get like that. I do not
2:06:06 > 2:06:10want anything... You know, where I feel like it is a chore.And when
2:06:10 > 2:06:17you came in when you beat Ricky Walden in one hour, 22 minutes and
2:06:17 > 2:06:2162 seconds, you are slacking!I know, I need to work on my sprint
2:06:21 > 2:06:28work!We will see you on Monday, Ronnie. You play Mark Allen at one
2:06:28 > 2:06:31o'clock then. Thank you very much indeed.
2:06:31 > 2:06:31Let's
2:06:31 > 2:06:34Thank you very much indeed. Let's turn our attention to
2:06:34 > 2:06:36tonight's match... Barry Hawkins plays Kyren Wilson. That is left on
2:06:36 > 2:06:45the red button and on the BBC Sport website and app...
2:06:45 > 2:06:50It would be fair to say that Barry Hawkins, for many years, he looks
2:06:50 > 2:06:57like a journey man player. Suddenly he has upped his stock and in the
2:06:57 > 2:07:02game he is feared by many players.A top-class match player. A very good
2:07:02 > 2:07:07safety game. But I love how he times that bull. He is one of the few
2:07:07 > 2:07:13players who can time that ball with so little effort that the object
2:07:13 > 2:07:17ball arrives at the pockets with practically no pace at all. You make
2:07:17 > 2:07:20the pockets bigger and if you can do that, one of the reasons why he can
2:07:20 > 2:07:25do that is because his positional play is so good.He is very good in
2:07:25 > 2:07:31all aspects of his game. He is very strong. Collecting the old football
2:07:31 > 2:07:41stickers of players, top Trumps, he scores highly in every area. He is
2:07:41 > 2:07:45strong, in defence and attack. Long potting, safety play. Knowing when
2:07:45 > 2:07:50to put a colour
2:07:50 > 2:07:53to put a colour safe, he is very, very strong and I do not think it
2:07:53 > 2:07:58would be long before he wins again. Is he enough of a shotmaker to test
2:07:58 > 2:08:03the top players?I think he has the game, obviously, to beat all of the
2:08:03 > 2:08:06top players. If there is one department you could be slightly
2:08:06 > 2:08:10critical of, it would be his mental strength. I think that is something
2:08:10 > 2:08:16that he has worked on.Not the flag? No, I do not think so. For whatever
2:08:16 > 2:08:20reason he loses the plot and you can see sometimes he will play a shot
2:08:20 > 2:08:25and look up to someone in the crowd and go like this, as if you just
2:08:25 > 2:08:29lost the plot for a second. As we know, at the top level, all it takes
2:08:29 > 2:08:34is one shot.And where is his next win coming from? I know that he is a
2:08:34 > 2:08:41great player. How does he get into the winner 's enclosure? Other than
2:08:41 > 2:08:45waiting for his chance? How does he force his way in?He has the game to
2:08:45 > 2:08:50be world champion.No two ways about that. He is good enough to be world
2:08:50 > 2:08:54champion.If you were being ultra-critical, I don't want to be
2:08:54 > 2:08:59on a fellow player but when he has won in the past, it is part of what
2:08:59 > 2:09:04he has done that week. Scoring better than everyone else. Not
2:09:04 > 2:09:09necessarily all the time being a massive and consistent scorer. You
2:09:09 > 2:09:14know, century after century. He can do it, as everyone can, but to win
2:09:14 > 2:09:22tournaments regularly you've got to be outscoring everybody.
2:09:22 > 2:09:25Barry Hawkins and Kyren Wilson is live on the red button this evening.
2:09:25 > 2:09:32This is how they are lining up in the career head-to-heads. Kyren
2:09:32 > 2:09:36Wilson's second appearance at the Monsters, making his debut last year
2:09:36 > 2:09:41and losing to Ding Junhui.
2:09:44 > 2:09:48How do you see this one going tonight?It is difficult to judge
2:09:48 > 2:09:51these matches, even if you think there is a favourite, it doesn't
2:09:51 > 2:09:55mean they will always be performing. There is always a pressure on the
2:09:55 > 2:09:59favourite. The underdog always has half a chance because of that.And
2:09:59 > 2:10:03Hawkins, given that he did so well here last year?He has a good record
2:10:03 > 2:10:11in big events, he likes a big occasion. He is the higher ranked
2:10:11 > 2:10:15player, it creates some expectation. I cannot pick a winner, I do not
2:10:15 > 2:10:20think either of them have been pulling up trees recently. Certainly
2:10:20 > 2:10:24in terms of winning. It is tricky to pick a winner.Do you like what you
2:10:24 > 2:10:29see with Kyren Wilson?Yeah, I think he is a player who has his head
2:10:29 > 2:10:35screwed on, correctly. He is in a privileged position, he has a jump
2:10:35 > 2:10:41on a lot of the players of his error. It's a good all-round game.
2:10:41 > 2:10:46He is a think about the game. If you look at longevity within snooker,
2:10:46 > 2:10:49you've got to be professional enough to improve all the time. He's doing
2:10:49 > 2:10:55a very good job so far.Both players on their day are heavy scorers. It
2:10:55 > 2:11:00could be a high-scoring match, three or four centuries.And I said to
2:11:00 > 2:11:04Steven Indie Cue Zone in the interval, Kyren Wilson won the
2:11:04 > 2:11:10Shanghai Masters in 2015, when you look at him mentally, could he go on
2:11:10 > 2:11:18one day and when a big ranking title?In a player's career, on the
2:11:18 > 2:11:21way up, you get some players going up and the hit a barrier and they
2:11:21 > 2:11:25never get over it, they never get over the hurdle and somewhere down
2:11:25 > 2:11:29the line, a player like Kyren Wilson can go and jump up another level and
2:11:29 > 2:11:33then another and before too long, you say that he is dominating. Then
2:11:33 > 2:11:37you've got a player who is one of the greats. He isn't anywhere near
2:11:37 > 2:11:41that stage yet but he could be one of the greats with his strong cue
2:11:41 > 2:11:45action and a good all-round game. With his attack and a bit of
2:11:45 > 2:11:49something about him with Steven.We look forward to that, live on the
2:11:49 > 2:11:54red button tonight at 7pm. If you are just tuning in, welcome. Ronnie
2:11:54 > 2:12:00O'Sullivan beat Marco Fu 6-0, a whitewash. Here is how the first
2:12:00 > 2:12:05draw is looking...
2:12:45 > 2:12:51So it is building up quite nicely, isn't it?Yes, it's a fantastic
2:12:51 > 2:12:54event. The best players in the world, possibly minus Neil
2:12:54 > 2:12:58Robertson. But yes, it looks like it will be an interesting week.And do
2:12:58 > 2:13:01we think that people like Mark Williams and Ryan Day can cause a
2:13:01 > 2:13:05further upset in the quarterfinals and possibly make the semifinals?
2:13:05 > 2:13:09Certainly, and while there are a couple of shocks in this event
2:13:09 > 2:13:13already at this level, such is the standard of players, you could argue
2:13:13 > 2:13:17there are no shocks all surprises, when the player is bundled out by
2:13:17 > 2:13:20another great player but there are cracking matches that will be coming
2:13:20 > 2:13:24up for the rest of the week. The likes of Mark Williams coming back
2:13:24 > 2:13:29into form, it's always marvellous. Thank you very much indeed. A quick
2:13:29 > 2:13:34reminder we are back later this evening. At 7pm, live on the red
2:13:34 > 2:13:39button and the website and the app. We will round up all of today's play
2:13:39 > 2:13:43in the highlights tonight. We are back with more live coverage on BBC
2:13:43 > 2:13:49Two tomorrow. Thank you to Steven and Steve, a slightly earlier finish
2:13:49 > 2:14:03because of The Rocket. It is left off. Goodbye for now... -- it is