14/02/2013 Snooker: Welsh Open Highlights

Welcome to the new board centre. We have seen some dramatic snooker

matches. You do not want to miss this, including Matthew Stevens's

Quest. The watchman was beaten by Stephen Maguire this time last year.

There is nothing between them, they have played four times and it is 2-

2. We pick up the action in frame COMMENTATOR: Matthew Stevens knows

how these reds are spread and Everything that could go wrong with

that shot. It was an awkward shot he was faced with. He would have

expected to at least challenge the pocket. It is fortunate he has not

Played it well. The last two or three frames he has played top draw,

Stephen Maguire. At the start he was a little bit twitchy. But this

Has to be said Stephen Maguire has hardly missed a pot in the last few

games. He must be very pleased with the way he is playing at the moment.

If he can continue that pattern, it should see him to victory here.

That is not ideal. Awkward cueing. This red becomes very miss a ball

A great deal of pressure on this. That man in the picture would be

well poised to level this match at In it is in! What a great shot.

think it is only the pace that kept that one in. They don't at normal

Lear-like going in from there, because they just usually slow roll

You would have to say this has now become a frame and match winning

I think Matthew's Hopes are We will have to ask Terry to come

out of retirement for next year's We might have to extend the

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tournament by a day, but you never With that pink, Stephen Maguire

APPLAUSE Lead increases to 52 In it goes. It has been a very

competent performance, especially the last three frames from Stephen

In this form, Stephen is capable of beating anybody, just needs to

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Stephen Maguire will go through to play the winner of tonight's match

between Joe Perry and Alan McManus. I am sure the crowd are

disappointments -- disappointed not to have a Welsh winner. I'm sure

Stephen Maguire can make the He made a century break it

nevertheless. A very competent performance from Stephen Maguire.

He de feeds the remaining Welsh hope and takes his place in the

quarter-finals. It was probably a 5050 match. I was just trying my

hardest to get to the quarter- finals. The job done. From 2-1 up

he has made a great 90 to go 2-2. I missed a red and he punished me.

And a good break in the last frame. All credit to Stephen, he deserved

to win. Who will he play in the last eight, Joe Perry or Alan

McManus. Joe Perry was sensational in his demolition of Mark Selby

yesterday. He Joe Perry raced into a 3-0 lead before McManus appalled

at the next two back. We join it at the table with McManus with a

He would have liked to have been straighter on it. This is a good

chance to get in behind the black. He played that well. But a lot of

pace into that to force the cue ball off its natural angle to come

Well, that is the end of the frame, Joe will concede on his opponent's

Shot. He won't be coming back to He is. He is making an effort. 44

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He needed to cannon the pink to get the snooker. He is 36 points behind.

He needs three or four point snookers. The very unlikely against

this opponent. They used to call him angled McManus because he is so

Very little room for error on that Joe has been kept off the table.

Hasn't had anything to go at to It was a pretty good pot.

doesn't mean a lot at this stage, Both players will be getting

themselves ready mentally, for the It is McManus who has Paul there

are three frames back. -- Paul there are three frames back.

customary handshake. Joe Perry, a very worried man. He was 3-0 in

front, it is now 3-3. The pressure somewhat goes on to the player who

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Alan McManus breaking off in the He caught that one a bit thin. Will

there be a change of pattern? Do you think this deciding frame were

changed it a bit? Alan will take this on if the black potted. I

cannot see how he can get up to the baulk colours comfortably. He is

not the most aggressive player. Let's look at the angle he has put

The black will go into the right hand corner, but he cannot get on

to it from here. The pink will go. De shot has become easier to Alan

McManus and it would be to Joe Perry, who has been starved of

table time. I think the black pots in the right-hand corner. But I

think the pink will be tied up after this pot. I don't think it

will go back on to its spot. If it doesn't, it will go round the back

of the pack. It could have, if it The first time Alan has been in

front in this match, and it is a crucial time to take the lead. He

won't be frightened to get past the winning post, Alan. He has been a

gritty competitor over the years. It is amazing he has been missing

for so long. It is pretty tough in He would like to beat in the middle

of the three reds. If he is on the He knows now it is a great chance

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Oh dear, he did not want the side He could go into the pack if he

He you hesitate, has lost this. He selected the more difficult shot.

He was worried about getting on behind the pack. He could have just

played it up and down for the one next to the pink. If he does go

want to lose the match, at least he knows he had the first chance to

play a good safety, as he has done He will be delighted to lose as

long as he's had the first chance, will he? You can only complain if

It is amazing. When you are If this was the first frame, he

would be playing a slow drag shot, That he has done. Well played, he

He has not done much wrong in the There is a spring in his debt now.

All of a sudden he seized the It will be an all-Scottish affair

if he wins this match. He will be playing Stephen Maguire in the

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Joe is sitting in his chair horrified. He has let Alan dictate

the last four frames. You have got to be good to dictate, Terry,

haven't you? Yes he ground it out in the first few frames. Now he is

He is not missing anything, his safety has been good. It is

difficult to play against this quality of snooker from Alan

McManus. I cannot really remember Joe Perry having a clear cut chance

It's the kind of thing you and Dennis and Cliff used to do in the

I wonder if Joe welcome back to the table.

AA remarkable comeback from Alan McManus, his first ranking event

qualifying appearance for seven years. A fantastic performance.

do not win many matches from that kind of deficit, so I am really

impressed to have come through that match. The first few frames I was

pretty awful. It is disappointing because I do not feel awful out

there, I actually feel really good. But being the best of seven you

think, a dig in here and maybe hang around for a frame or two, things

can change. It has happened before. Fortunately I managed to scrape

over in the end. Congratulations to Pankaj Advani became the first

Indian to reach the quarter-finals of a world ranking event. He made

breaks of 73 and 100 on his incredible march to the last eight.

World number two Judd Trump seems to be getting better and better. He

got breaks of 87 and 100 to book his place in the quarter-finals.

felt a lot better today. I felt I could score heavier. The conditions

are not great out there, so I think that is why a lot of the players

are struggling. Hopefully I will get into the semi-final and the

table gets a new cloth and the standard will go up. Ding Junhui

went 3-0 up before Mike Alan pulled two back. I had a bit of luck. I

had to win today. He fluked one red and made the pocket in the fourth

frame to get back. Something changed. I just needed one chance,

but sometimes it does not happen. I just waited until the last frame. I

was happier. The man who put out Mark Williams, Robert Milkins,

ranked 26 in the world, continued his impressive run with a 4-2 win

over Sam Baird. I felt like I played all right in matches, really

good in matches, did not seem to get much run of the ball to tell

the truth. I could have won 4-0. I played two really good frames. I

should have done a good clearance in the second frame and played a

good third frame, but especially towards the end I started missing

pinks over the hole and you cannot afford to do that over these top

players. That is why I have never got to the later stages. Neil

Robertson won his title in 2007 and today he took on Stuart Bingham.

This was a terrific match. Bingham had only got two frames in his

previous matches with the Aussie. It went to a decider. Bingham is

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He has got it! What a tremendous pot after all those safety shot.

That is a champion, being able to pot the balls after a long safety

bout. All the good players are good at safety, but the secret is you

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have to get a good pot after a safety battle. That was a very

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strange shot selection from Neil it's own way that makes the pot

more difficult. That was a very brave shot, I must say. That is

perfect. If he knocks this end, he Is he going to regret that

decision? He needs to get good on the blue now. He may play for the

blue in one of the corners. That takes any doubt out of it. Neil

Robertson does not show a lot of emotion. He did play for the corner

pocket and he has slightly overdone it. That is the last place he

wanted to be. He wanted to be straight on this. There could be

another twist. And he has got it right in the heart of the pocket.

Now he has left himself a tough pink. Another one in the heart of

the pocket and he has gone too far again. He has potted some good

shots and has had some good position shots on the reds. Just

black to win. He has done it! What a clearance, what a finish, what a

result for Stuart Bingham. He beats Stuart Robertson by 4-3. -- Neil

Robertson. Whenever you win a match it is great. It is up there in the

top one or two clearances in my life. The adrenalin was immense. I

could have got on the blue, but I thought, do not put all your eggs

in one basket and it came good and I am happy to come out on top. He

was by far the better player. Including his last scoring chance

where he made a great clearance to win on the black. He nearly won the

frame in his opening visit. I did really hang in there, but I did not

play well. I have not played well since the Masters, really. It has

been a little bit difficult to get any sort of momentum going with

practice and things like that. In some ways it could be positive that

I am out so I can get ready for China. And Ken Doherty is at root.

He has a habit of performing well in a year ending with the number

three. He won in 2003. And another final in 2013? I felt nice and

relaxed out there. From being 2-0 up, he came back quite strong. Then

I got another century, so it was quite a good standard. It is great

to be in the quarter-finals. Stuart Bingham takes on 1993 and 2001

winner Ken Doherty tomorrow. Judd Trump is back in action tomorrow as

well. Stephen Maguire who ended Matthew Stevens' hopes plays Alan