12/02/2013 Snooker: Welsh Open Highlights

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Good evening welcome to the programme, Day Two of the Welsh

Open here at the Newport Centre. Places in the last 16 up for grabs

and Pankaj Advani of India is gunning for the fourth best player

in the world. It was just ten years old when I began my journey into

the world of cue sport. You know, things just happened, I guess. I

never planned a career in sport. I never thought I would make this my

career or my profession. I'm Bert known as a bill yards player. This

is my first season in the professional snooker circuit. I'm

enjoying it. It's exciting. In billiards I have done quite a bit.

I'm satisfied with what I've achieved. I'm not saying I'm

content. I would like to add to my titles. I thought this was the best

time for snooker. They have so many tournaments in the season. The game

is getting global. There are good prize money and good opportunities

to perform and develop as a snooker player. I thought I would give it a

shot for a couple of years and see where it goes. There are certain

things that if you do well in billiards you can use your

knowledge to better your snooker game. There are times when the

techniques are so different. In bill yards you can play follow-on

ball in snooker it's screw-back. They are different in terms of

technique. I struggle at times to go between both disciplines. The

fact I can play both games and play both games pretty well, I don't

know how far I will be able to go in snooker. At least I'm giving it

a shofplt I have won my last two -- shot. I have won my last two games.

Peter Ebdon I won against him, I think I can play better. I hope I

can reproduce some of the best form I had earlier in the season. It's

the first time these two players have met. We join the action with

the match at 1-1. Murphy is at the -- 8-0.

COMMENTATOR: It certainly could go It seemed to drift off a little bit.

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It's a narrow angle. He is leaving He played that well. Fully

That was a very impressive pot. He held the cue ball nicely for the

blue. Will he take the opportunity to put it into the cluster of reds?

He has to be careful not to cannon The fact he played for the red

nearest the corner pocket, the black is available into the corner.

He dropped some into the right centre here, if he chooses to play

Black wasn't available obviously in He will have to go into this pack

of reds this time. Pot in red and He will have to play a cannon on to

the red on the right hand side. He played for power. He had to play a

powerful stun shot into the reds there, rather than screw off them

as he has done here. Needed to stand through the reds there and

not get so much backspin on it. I'm sure Willie Thorne would have had

something to say about the way he Probably in the crowd shouting down

APPLAUSE Just about enough pace on that cue

ball then it leaves an angle off Lovely touch again. Can't even

start to tell you how fast these cloths are. It's like rolling a

ball along a piece of glass. They are so fast once it gets running on

the bed. Yeah, well I played my match yesterday and although it was

on the other table, the cloth was This is perfect. He has a great

angle on the pink to follow the cue ball through into that claster of

six reds. He would be cluster of six reds. He would be very unlucky

Well, he has, the black stayed in play on both pockets, I think. One

When you split the reds like this, you know that you are vulnerable to

a counter attack, should you miss. The problem is here though, Terry,

He may have to use the pack of reds here to hold the cue ball. You

don't really need to go into them a second time. It's just gone wrong a

little bit. As long as he can get That was very well played. He was

awkward there. More or less dead straight, he was trying to force an

angle to make sure he didn't over Taking these well, I must say. Very

He has his own way of doing, it quite effective way too. He reminds

me of Paul Dawkins. He stroked the balls in in the same way. He

This is great stuff. He is 57 points ahead. For Shaun Murphy

there are 51 points remaining. It looks like 2-1 at the moment to

Pankaj Advani. I'm impressed with the way he is playing tonight. Can

he make a century break? He has only made seven in his professional

career to date. This is his first How on earth has that gone in. You

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You would think he had been out there for years. If he were to

clear the table it would be a new There goes the brown for the

APPLAUSE In goes the black. 121 clearance

from Pankaj Advani. A new clear highest break for him. Good enough

to take him into 2-1 lead in this to take him into 2-1 lead in this

best of seven frames encounter. He won the fourth frame with the help

of a 51-break. We pick up the action in frame 5 with Advani

He miss-hit that one, much too thin. He has left the red. An opportunity

Super clean pot from Shaun. That will give him some confidence. The

cue ball ran forward and away from those two reds. Now, will he take

the long pink on into the green pocket? Having gone for this red

and potted, you would think so. Just run through enough that cue

ball for the pink. He knows the importance of this. Can't afford to

He has been given a life here, hasn't he? He would have been

sitting in his chair thinking, "this is all over here." that is a

He can score very quickly when he gets going, if he is given the

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He just made bad contact there. The Balls are now in prime position.

There was only half at Chansa on when he came to the table. -- half

Apology for the loss of subtitles for 40 seconds

at chants. Now they look as good as He will require all the three

remaining reds. I do not expect the one below the black to cause him a

problem, but you can certainly miss That is pretty much where he wanted

it. This rowed macro is frame ball. Confident. And knowledgeable crowd

recognised that it is frame ball. - A good effort from Shaun Murphy. He

was looking out in this frame at one stage. Given half the chance,

he has grass kick with both hands. -- he has taken up with both hands.

His highest break so far. He made a 74 in the second frame. A good time

Very nice clearance. It T9 for Shaun Murphy and he has pulled one

frame back. He is potting some Shaun Murphy just coming around the

table. I think he feels he can pot the red that is on that pink spot.

He has it that much too thick. -- hit that. He has got away with it.

He needs to. He is 28 points in So far in this deciding frame, the

pattern of play has suited Pankaj more than Shaun Murphy. He should

be careful here if he is playing into those reds. They are loosely

packed and they could spread very quickly. He is having a look at a

He did not play that very wisely. Playing the snooker behind the

yellow is a good attempt. Yes, I just think he was more concerned

that he may knock a red near the corner pocket. Sean is looking to

see if those two reds will go into the right corner. -- Shaun Murphy.

It is all happening here. One of the problems they both phase is the

three colours are not on their Quite a heavy contact. You could be

there all week before getting that shot. Yes, he has had a poor run of

the ball in this match. His opponent has played very well. It

definitely sounded like a kick. Well Pankaj be brave and take one

of these on? -- will. There is a Wonderful shot. He deserves to be

on something. He played for the black. It clipped the cluster. The

pink will not go. He is not looking at it. It was a good job the red

went in. Not many left. He was risking that shot. I'm glad he took

it on. Even if he had missed it, it is better to take it on in these

circumstances, at least give yourself a chance. What is he

looking at now? He is looking at one of these special safety shots

he plays. Very unusual but very It is not a huge lead. The pink and

black would become available. He tried to put that safe. That

changes it a bit now. If Murphy does get the chance of a long pot,

which he is very good at, he will be going after it. If the balls

were safe, he would be considering it. Still very difficult to see who

is going to win this frame. It has been a good match. I have really

enjoyed this match. The contrast of styles. One is number four in the

world rankings, the other one is 71. I cannot really see an escape here

for Shaun Murphy. He cannot take off one of the reds next to the

pink. The one in the middle of the table does not offer a any angle at

all. There is nothing down his right hand side. He has got a

problem. He can try to wrest the cue ball on the cushioned somewhere

That was great shot. Tremendous shot. Under a lot of pressure. That

could have gone wrong, big time. Very difficult safety to play. As

it has turned out, it is very awkward for his opponent with the

I wonder if you can just plaything of the red of the black? Does he

try to leave the cue ball in the jaws of the top pocket, maybe even

behind the Al-Qaeda -- the yellow He got the angle wrong. He will be

disappointed with that. That was a mistake. Yes, he will be does it

pointed. He has left a long pot on. -- disappointed. There is pressure

on this one. Shaun Murphy -- if Shaun Murphy was playing this and

running through for the brown, you How good ditty it that? -- how good

did he hit that? Fully committed. Excellent. Yes, he has not missed a

part in this final frame and Shaun Murphy has not had a single chance

to get amongst the Balls. Great stuff, there's a, in the deciding

frame. -- this. For anybody. Can he make enough here to win the match?

He has the chance to do so. He played that with a trace of left-

hand side. If he can get on the red to the right of the pink, he will

He is in his first professional season as a snooker player. He has

already beaten three world champions. John Higgins, Peter

Ebdon... Who was the other one I said her? -- earlier. Steve Davis,

of course. How could you forget Steve Davis?!!! It could be a four

world champions. He is 49 points in front. Cannae get on one of the

If it goes in, this, it is snookered -- snookers required for

Shaun Murphy. He is getting down to He hit the other red first. But he

still potter did. That was a fluke. He did not pot of that claim be.

Amazing. -- he did not pot that clean it. Shaun Murphy is on the

verge of going out of this year's Welsh Open. What a great

performance. Probably the biggest shock today it in this year's Welsh

Open. Shaun Murphy has a look of resignation on his face. Will he

continue? Yes he will. Three four The first big upset of the Welsh

Open as Pankaj Advani progresses. The furthest he has been in this

competition. He will play either Graeme Dott or Fergal O'Brien. Well

I was probably most nervous in the first and last frames of the match.

Sometimes you need that to keep you going. In between I thought I lost

my way a bit. I was not controlling the cue ball. It was my first TV

match. Sometimes you can lose control. I guess, yes, he did make

me nervous when he came back to level. That is the first time I can

remember that I have not had an opportunity in the closing frame.

He had me in trouble all the time. In the end back row I would have

chucked the towel in a fire could have done. It was a magnificent

display from a great, great player. Plan jabbered than the advances.

All day, the world's best had been booking their places. -- plans

about jammy. Neil Robertson beat Ian Burns. The Australian was not

bat pleased. Typical sort a first- round match, really. Feel your way

into the tournament. I have been peeking way to early in Atonements.

Fizzing out towards the end back row. Maybe a complaint that Roberts

to the semi-finals and then start playing really well. Mark Allen

held off a spirited challenge from Marco Fu. It was a scrappy

encounter. A little bit edgy at their today. I played OK. I didn't

feel quite comfortable. My form has been good leading up to the

tournament. Hopefully I can get them or us away and play better

next time. Stephen Maguire knocked in two higher breaks as he beat

Anthony Hamilton. I feel as if my game is close to being good. But

close is not good enough for these tournaments. And in the first major

surprise of the tournament so far, John Higgins found himself on the

wrong side of a 4-1 capitulation at the hands of the 1997 world

champion, Ken tardy. -- Ken Doherty. It was not a great open game. What

you expect from a us two? We are two great tacticians and students

of the game. In lots of different ways, particularly the tactics side

of the game. It is nice to picture what against someone like him, look

up to. Matthew Stevens became the first Welchman into the second

round. He came from 2-1 behind to defeat the Liang Wenbo. I have

played in a number of times in the last few years and he has won one

match and I have one map the other. From 2-1 behind, I should have been

to De Zeeuw ahead. -- 2-0 ahead. I thought I'd do been fairly well.

And also this evening, Alan McManus made it into the last 16 with a 4-2

win over Barry Hawkins. He won the last three frames to seal his place

in the second round. It is a good win. I didn't play very well. Barry

was the same. The match started off all right. We played solid in the

first couple of frames and then it went downhill. Nice to win, the

chance to fight another day. That rounds off day two of the Welsh