:00:36. > :00:41.Good evening. We started with 32 players, now we are down to 16. The
:00:41. > :00:51.second round got under way in Newport this evening with a four of
:00:51. > :01:14.
:01:14. > :01:20.Two fascinating, but very different matches coming up. Before that, let
:01:20. > :01:26.me bring you up to date with the last batch of first round games.
:01:26. > :01:35.Ronnie O'Sullivan sent out a warning to his rivals with a fluent
:01:35. > :01:44.first-round performance. He beat Marco Fu by a 4-1. I am delighted
:01:44. > :01:49.to still be playing. To get to the first round is probably the
:01:49. > :01:57.toughest match. You don't want to go out early. It is great to win my
:01:57. > :02:07.first match and I am pleased to still be here. It has been a great
:02:07. > :02:08.
:02:08. > :02:16.week for the veterans, but there was a whitewash of the former world
:02:16. > :02:22.champion at. My finger did not affect me too much today. A few
:02:23. > :02:27.shots were painful, but it was OK. I am quietly confident. Matthew
:02:27. > :02:37.Stevens was the victor in probably the best first round match of the
:02:37. > :02:40.
:02:40. > :02:49.tournament. There is added pressure playing in front of your friends
:02:49. > :02:56.and family, the Welsh crowd. I was very pleased how I played. The
:02:56. > :03:00.match could have gone either way in, but overall, it is great to get off
:03:00. > :03:10.to a good start. And Stephen Maguire is looking comfortable
:03:10. > :03:10.
:03:10. > :03:14.again this year. He led from start to finish against Adam Wicheard.
:03:14. > :03:24.have been competing well after the New Year and putting in a bit more
:03:24. > :03:25.
:03:25. > :03:31.work. It is starting to come together. Now, John Higgins has not
:03:31. > :03:41.lost a match at the Welsh Open at since 2009. In the second round the
:03:41. > :03:51.defending champion faced Ding Junhui. We will pick it up now in
:03:51. > :04:17.
:04:17. > :04:27.the sixth frames. Rikuzentakata is What kind of a shot was that that
:04:27. > :04:59.
:04:59. > :05:09.John Higgins played last to give That was not as nice as he would
:05:09. > :05:19.have liked. If he had played with a bit more spin to pushed the white
:05:19. > :05:31.
:05:31. > :05:41.You would expect Ding Junhui to score heavily and take the match in
:05:41. > :05:41.
:05:41. > :07:15.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 93 seconds
:07:15. > :07:25.That shot was OK. They can He will have to take eight long
:07:25. > :07:25.
:07:25. > :07:35.brick macro into the yellow pocket. -- take along a Tuareg into the
:07:35. > :07:35.
:07:35. > :09:35.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 93 seconds
:09:35. > :09:45.Three more will guarantee him One thing is for certain, both of
:09:45. > :10:00.
:10:00. > :10:10.these players will have to play Whoever wins this match will be the
:10:10. > :10:19.
:10:19. > :10:29.Another miss. We have seen a more missed tonight than we have done in
:10:29. > :10:55.
:10:55. > :11:05.Not sure if that was a bad contact. He picked the wrong angle and took
:11:05. > :11:32.
:11:32. > :11:42.He will need every think if he wants to win this frame. --
:11:42. > :11:42.
:11:42. > :12:24.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 93 seconds
:12:24. > :12:32.He should have been a lot closer to It is an art when you can play
:12:32. > :12:42.poorly and still win. Steve Davis had that down to eight fine art
:12:42. > :13:02.
:13:02. > :13:06.form. -- a fine art form. He That was a better shots. He got
:13:06. > :13:16.into the cue ball that time. It is all about the red ball on the left-
:13:16. > :13:16.
:13:16. > :15:11.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 93 seconds
:15:11. > :15:21.That was a good guess. No where He has left himself a lot longer on
:15:21. > :15:33.
:15:33. > :15:41.And like all great players, when he has needed to pull the best out, he
:15:41. > :15:51.has. Their only chance Ding Junhui has of staying in the match is
:15:51. > :16:14.
:16:14. > :16:24.He has come a little too far to make the pink a certainty. It is
:16:24. > :16:30.
:16:30. > :16:40.He might try to get the white to come across and cover with the
:16:40. > :16:57.
:16:57. > :17:04.black. He has missed it. He hit it John Higgins has missed a great
:17:04. > :17:14.chance to win frame and match. He was trying to concentrate on the
:17:14. > :17:30.
:17:30. > :17:40.So, it all came down to a deciding frame. Higgins is at the table and
:17:40. > :17:40.
:17:40. > :18:56.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 93 seconds
:18:56. > :19:06.He went for it and has left this The pink needs to be in line with
:19:06. > :19:37.
:19:37. > :19:47.the spots. There are three reds out It is all about the next couple of
:19:47. > :19:48.
:19:48. > :20:30.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 93 seconds
:20:30. > :20:40.He will have to play this very pacy He could not have played that any
:20:40. > :20:40.
:20:40. > :20:50.better. He has hit that just about perfect. That is the absolute
:20:50. > :20:50.
:20:50. > :21:38.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 93 seconds
:21:38. > :21:48.Excellent pot. This is now a chance No real damage done. But that did
:21:48. > :22:18.
:22:18. > :22:26.John Higgins is wondering if he can somehow get back to the table. He
:22:26. > :22:36.has to hope Ding plays a bad positional shot. He was only one
:22:36. > :22:36.
:22:36. > :23:36.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 93 seconds
:23:36. > :23:46.There is a bit of work to do here. Again, well controlled. Nicely on
:23:46. > :24:00.
:24:00. > :24:10.To be fair, John Higgins would be the first to say he has played
:24:10. > :24:16.
:24:16. > :24:26.It is looking like it is going to be all over for him. Unless Ding do
:24:26. > :24:26.
:24:26. > :25:10.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 93 seconds
:25:10. > :25:20.something silly. They are looking There does not look to be a problem
:25:20. > :25:22.
:25:22. > :25:26.now. Two more reds and colours will take Ding into the next round. John
:25:26. > :25:36.Higgins can only sit and hope that something goes drastically wrong in
:25:36. > :25:36.
:25:36. > :27:08.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 93 seconds
:27:08. > :27:16.John Higgins did well to hang on to his coat tail, mud but Ding Junhui
:27:16. > :27:26.goes into the next round a 4-3 victory. Yes, I played very good in
:27:26. > :27:26.
:27:26. > :27:36.the final frame. It was a big pressure. I feel good. The safety
:27:36. > :27:42.was very good today. And he scored very highly. He took his chances.
:27:42. > :27:46.So I had to do my best. Tonight's other match pitted two
:27:46. > :27:56.former world champions against each other. Shaun Murphy faced Steve
:27:56. > :28:03.
:28:03. > :28:13.We pick up the action in the fourth frame. Davis is trailing by 37
:28:13. > :28:13.
:28:13. > :29:38.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 93 seconds
:29:38. > :29:48.That was a good example of the way to have Steve's cue. He did not hit
:29:48. > :29:48.
:29:48. > :30:30.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 93 seconds
:30:30. > :30:40.it very hard, and the reds split Steve is taking a lot of care,
:30:40. > :30:44.
:30:44. > :30:54.walking around the table more This 3-1 could easily become 3-2,
:30:54. > :30:54.
:30:54. > :31:47.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 93 seconds
:31:47. > :31:57.and then there would be pressure on At least he has the blue on into
:31:57. > :32:19.
:32:19. > :32:23.This is a tester for him. I am sure I thought it was in. Goodness me.
:32:23. > :32:29.Unlucky, Steve. That may be your last shot in this year's
:32:29. > :32:39.championships. I would be surprised if Shaun did not run out a victor
:32:39. > :33:04.
:33:04. > :33:14.He could have played that one He has a lovely strike off the cue
:33:14. > :33:24.
:33:24. > :33:34.His smooth and fluent. That is how he gets tremendous been out of the
:33:34. > :33:34.
:33:34. > :34:24.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 93 seconds
:34:24. > :34:30.Steve is looking completely fed up. A ginormous kick! Goodness me, what
:34:30. > :34:34.else is going to happen here? Shaun is not looking too impressed.
:34:34. > :34:44.Amazing that he still potted the yellow. That could normally spell
:34:44. > :34:47.the end of anybody's break. They are just enjoying a little joke.
:34:47. > :34:57.That cue ball would have run through another eight or nine
:34:57. > :35:16.
:35:16. > :35:21.inches without the kick. Only Oh, dear. Some players, in a
:35:21. > :35:26.situation like that, would hit the green as hard as they could, hoping
:35:26. > :35:36.to get away with it and also to knock a colour on the cushion or
:35:36. > :35:36.
:35:36. > :36:51.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 93 seconds
:36:51. > :37:01.something. Because Stephen now, on He is content to leave a difficult
:37:01. > :37:34.
:37:34. > :37:40.Can Shaun knock this in for a 4-0 Well played, Shaun Murphy.
:37:40. > :37:49.Interesting match, full of missed opportunities from Steve Davis. But
:37:49. > :37:52.Shaun Murphy goes in. Not as clinical as I would have liked. I
:37:52. > :37:59.missed a couple here and there and did not get the score I would have
:37:59. > :38:05.wanted. But sometimes the game just goes that way. 4-0 is 4-0. Very
:38:05. > :38:09.difficult. He was my boyhood idol. I had his post on my wall. I chased
:38:09. > :38:14.after him in Sheffield one year for his autograph. To shake his hand
:38:14. > :38:20.and be in the same arena is a privilege. To try and beat him is
:38:20. > :38:24.hard work. There is a fantastic day in prospect tomorrow as the second
:38:24. > :38:28.round continues. Some mouth- watering afternoon matches. In
:38:28. > :38:38.particular, world No. 2 Mark Williams leading the Welsh charge
:38:38. > :38:45.