:00:53. > :01:00.Good evening. We have enjoyed four of the world's best players here on
:01:01. > :01:04.Saint Davids Day as the Welsh Open reach the semifinal stage. We will
:01:05. > :01:08.show you what happened when Ding Junhui faced Joe Perry but tonight
:01:09. > :01:12.we have a repeat of last year's Crucible final when Ronnie
:01:13. > :01:20.O'Sullivan played Barry Hawkins. Earlier, O'Sullivan opened up a 4-1
:01:21. > :01:23.lead but Barry Hawkins was looking to close the gap in frame six and
:01:24. > :01:34.seem to be clearing up without break of 64. -- with a break.
:01:35. > :01:41.Well, there are six or seven points remaining
:01:42. > :01:41.Well, there are six or seven points lead of 64. Surely he's not going to
:01:42. > :01:51.Well, there are six or seven points lose this frame. He does need high
:01:52. > :01:56.value colours from here, Darren. Can you believe this shot he has just
:01:57. > :02:04.played there? The red to the right centre, and perfect on the black. I
:02:05. > :02:08.wouldn't doubt for a minute that he can clear up and pinch this frame
:02:09. > :02:14.with this visit. What a body blow that would be for Barry Hawkins.
:02:15. > :02:20.From what looked like a winning position. And, all of a sudden, it
:02:21. > :02:27.looks like he's going to get back on the scoreboard. Ronnie O'Sullivan is
:02:28. > :02:40.still there. That one has gone slightly all right. -- awry.
:02:41. > :02:54.He can afford to take the blue. As long as he then takes two blacks.
:02:55. > :03:00.He has his eye on these threads, to get back for the black, the only
:03:01. > :03:03.awkward ball now would be the yellow, and what a steal this would
:03:04. > :03:08.be. This would be utterly heartbreaking
:03:09. > :03:25.for Barry Hawkins. He has already made some fantastic
:03:26. > :03:28.clearances to steal the odd frame from Barry Hawkins. This could be
:03:29. > :03:41.the best. He is straight on this black than he
:03:42. > :03:49.would have liked. He has had a wry smile to himself. He has played a
:03:50. > :03:55.clever shot, there. For this red into the yellow pocket. Perfect.
:03:56. > :04:09.Deep screw shot, again. In the end goes. -- In it goes. This is going
:04:10. > :04:16.to be another deep screw with lots of what am on the cue ball. No
:04:17. > :04:20.problems today. That is looking absolutely perfect. This is Barry
:04:21. > :04:43.Hawkins' last hope. Incredible. How this man can just
:04:44. > :04:47.take a frame away from you. Barry probably cannot believe that he is
:04:48. > :04:59.not going to get back to the table, in all probability.
:05:00. > :05:22.He is the wrong side of the blue. couldn't have picked the cue ball up
:05:23. > :05:30.and put it down any better. It looks like Ronnie O'Sullivan is going to
:05:31. > :05:33.clean up with 67 to pinch the frame. What a ridiculous clearance that
:05:34. > :05:39.was. Barry Hawkins must have thought he was going to take a frame but
:05:40. > :05:43.unfortunately for him, Ronnie O'Sullivan has extended his lead and
:05:44. > :05:50.he now leads by five frames to one. How must Barry Hawkins be feeling?
:05:51. > :06:01.Barry Hawkins made a good start to frame seven. He is on a break of 23.
:06:02. > :06:12.It is never easy when you are playing catch up. Just trying to
:06:13. > :06:19.force it little bit. -- a little bit. Each shot is just further and
:06:20. > :06:22.further out opposition, making good pots. He must hope that Ronnie
:06:23. > :06:31.O'Sullivan does not slot this red in. In his last match he was playing
:06:32. > :06:35.around with his Q-Tip as well. I cannot imagine there is anything
:06:36. > :06:46.wrong with that, the way he has played tonight. -- cue tip. In his
:06:47. > :06:55.last match, he had one bad miscue. So you wonder if it did anything to
:06:56. > :07:07.it. That was a good long red. Possibly it is just a loose fibre
:07:08. > :07:09.sticking out from the tip. It catches your eye sometimes. It is
:07:10. > :07:23.easy to remedy. Dead straight on this blue, as you
:07:24. > :07:30.can see, so he can only go forwards or backwards. He has just try to
:07:31. > :07:37.inch the pocket their, but not quite successfully. The cue ball, further
:07:38. > :07:55.away from the red now than he wanted to be.
:07:56. > :09:33.Amazing, isn't it? He hasn't left anything easy on, for Barry.
:09:34. > :09:42.This is an even better chance for Barry to go and win the frame from
:09:43. > :09:46.here. If it goes to 16 points. If you post this pink and the two red
:09:47. > :10:01.around the black spot area, he will be safe. He wouldn't quite be safe,
:10:02. > :10:05.he would need one of the raids on the ball area, but that should not
:10:06. > :10:07.be too problematic to get onto the one above the brown. That would be
:10:08. > :10:58.the easiest one of them to pot. And in goes the red, he will be
:10:59. > :11:14.feeling much better insight now, Barry Hawkins. -- inside now.
:11:15. > :11:36.Left-handed, this red shouldn't present too much of a problem.
:11:37. > :11:48.Mean a break of 64 in the last frame, Barry Hawkins. And it wasn't
:11:49. > :11:55.quite enough. But no problem this time.
:11:56. > :12:05.If he was to reflect on the first seven frames this evening, the way
:12:06. > :12:15.he has played, he would be amazed to think he has only one two of those
:12:16. > :12:30.seven frames. A break now 61 and counting. Ronnie has made two big
:12:31. > :12:34.centuries, and a 67, and a 65. That was an excellent clearance from
:12:35. > :12:43.Barry Hawkins. Winning the second frame for him of this match, but he
:12:44. > :12:53.still trails by five frames to two. Ronnie breaks off. Just one frame
:12:54. > :12:59.needed to reach this year's final of the Welsh Open at the Newport
:13:00. > :13:40.Centre. That is a mistake by Ronnie. And he
:13:41. > :13:48.has made very few of them. Trying to catch this pink, full in the face.
:13:49. > :13:53.Played it with lots of bottom, to stop the white on the spot or a
:13:54. > :14:01.couple of inches above. He has just caught the side of it. He has split
:14:02. > :14:08.the reds everywhere. He needed to get that think a little bit fuller
:14:09. > :14:35.in the face. It is still a good split if he can pot the next red.
:14:36. > :14:47.It is amazing the gap that that cue ball found through that cluster of
:14:48. > :14:52.reds. Barry has got a nice, easy red waiting for him over the left
:14:53. > :14:54.corner, and he can drop that in the black, so he does not necessarily
:14:55. > :15:13.need to get really close to it. I have got a feeling that he's
:15:14. > :15:19.beginning to sense that Ronnie is not struggling, but losing his
:15:20. > :15:27.concentration slightly, and he had an opportunity to put some pressure
:15:28. > :15:28.on him. But he won't do it by missing yellows like that, and he
:15:29. > :15:59.knows it. It is quite amazing when you see it
:16:00. > :16:18.on camera, how different the angles look, from the commentary position.
:16:19. > :16:25.Looks like this could be a frame and match-winning chance. Obviously a
:16:26. > :16:34.lot of work still to be done, but Barry Hawkins will be fearing the
:16:35. > :16:41.worst. He might have just played his last shot in this year's Welsh Open.
:16:42. > :16:50.And where is that red going? It has gone on the corner. If you were a
:16:51. > :16:57.betting man, and I am not, you would be saying that for Barry Hawkins,
:16:58. > :16:59.this year's Welsh Open is over. He will have to wait another year. That
:17:00. > :17:28.could not have gone much better. He has just got to be careful with
:17:29. > :17:56.this shot. All week in this position he has
:17:57. > :18:27.looked totally in control and ominous. He is scoring for fun.
:18:28. > :18:36.His cue ball control is so good. He very seldom has to change his plans.
:18:37. > :18:40.Look at the way he has taken the reds. He has just left those four
:18:41. > :18:45.all in a line there. They all go into that right-hand corner. Again,
:18:46. > :18:48.look at that shot, how he has come off the cushion and got so close to
:18:49. > :18:52.the black. We've talked about the big bounces all week off the cushion
:18:53. > :19:01.and that, and he could have took a chance there and been right on the
:19:02. > :19:05.black. Absolute perfection. That's the difference, keeping the cue ball
:19:06. > :19:07.under tight control and make the next shot as easy as you possibly
:19:08. > :19:22.can. If Barry Hawkins was playing anyone
:19:23. > :19:27.else tonight, he could have been on the way to the final. Ronnie
:19:28. > :19:32.O'Sullivan has played absolutely terrific. You can't take anything
:19:33. > :19:34.away. It's the best I have seen Ronnie for many a year, even when he
:19:35. > :20:03.won the last two World Titles. Wouldn't it be nice if he could slip
:20:04. > :20:09.this red in the cushion and get the fourth century of this match. It is
:20:10. > :20:21.He is not going to be too bothered if he doesn't. But it has gone in.
:20:22. > :20:31.This has been an unbelievable performance. In goes the green.
:20:32. > :20:40.Everything is potable. APPLAUSE
:20:41. > :20:45.Well, well, well, he is on total fire. Barry Hawkins, he will be
:20:46. > :20:47.admiring this. There is nothing you can take away from Ronnie
:20:48. > :20:51.O'Sullivan. Nothing you can take away from Barry Hawkins really. He
:20:52. > :21:03.had a terrific tournament. He played very well in this match. Ronnie
:21:04. > :21:08.O'Sullivan has been scintillating. Absolutely on fire. The blue doesn't
:21:09. > :21:14.go in. Barry is coming up to Absolutely on fire. The blue doesn't
:21:15. > :21:21.the handshake. Barry Hawkins won't be too disheartened. He will be
:21:22. > :21:28.disappointed he lost. Ronnie O'Sullivan is into this year's Welsh
:21:29. > :21:32.Open final. The second frame was a big frame and that kind of set me on
:21:33. > :21:38.my way and then I had a century and a big frame to go 4-1. And I cleared
:21:39. > :21:42.up again and then I had another century and I missed a couple in the
:21:43. > :21:49.next and then, you know, I let Barry in the last and he missed the yellow
:21:50. > :21:54.and once the balls were there. I felt like seeing the ball right and
:21:55. > :21:57.I was just trying to win each game with one visit. He was a very
:21:58. > :22:00.popular winning in Newport this weaning. Ronnie O'Sullivan --
:22:01. > :22:04.evening. Ronnie O'Sullivan is through to the final. Who would he
:22:05. > :22:08.play? Ding Junhui placed Joe Perry. A top 16 player who only reached a
:22:09. > :22:13.major ranking tournament once before. And it was a closer match
:22:14. > :22:18.this one. Ding was leading 5-4 going into the tenth frame. Ding is the a
:22:19. > :22:19.the table now and there is no -- Ding is at the table now and there
:22:20. > :22:47.is no score. Joe Perry is just shaking his arm
:22:48. > :22:49.because he knows he is going to have a go at this. He is just loosening
:22:50. > :23:11.himself up. He didn't strike that well at all.
:23:12. > :23:18.It was much too thin otherwise he could have got around the black and
:23:19. > :23:26.gone around towards the baulk area. There maybe a plant. The black may
:23:27. > :23:30.come into play then. He may kiss the red that's next to the black and
:23:31. > :23:32.bring the black into play, but he is not bound to kiss this black into
:23:33. > :23:35.play. He did it and that's an excellent
:23:36. > :23:46.shot. APPLAUSE
:23:47. > :23:51.Joe would have gone back to his chair thinking, "I might have got
:23:52. > :23:58.away with it." The plant was perfect. We know what a great
:23:59. > :24:05.builder Ding is and it could be the end. The truth of it is, if he made
:24:06. > :24:06.the red, he would not have been unlucky. That's the way you've got
:24:07. > :24:21.to look at tr. It. You can give as many stories as you
:24:22. > :24:23.like why you lose a match, but the truth is, partly every time it is
:24:24. > :25:04.because you miss pots. He would definitely take the yellow
:25:05. > :25:08.if the blue wasn't where it was. He can get on to the red that's on the
:25:09. > :25:23.same line as the blue spot in the middle.
:25:24. > :25:31.He maybe fortunate here to get on the one nearest the pocket. He can
:25:32. > :25:35.play that slowly if he wants and come on the black.
:25:36. > :25:44.He plays the red in the middle he can only play for the yellow or the
:25:45. > :25:47.blue. It is worth a risk just dragging this in with a little bit
:25:48. > :25:48.right-hand side and staying on the black and you can start at the
:25:49. > :26:03.business end of the table. He knows it is his chance to win
:26:04. > :26:07.frame and match and get to another final with the possibility of
:26:08. > :26:09.winning another fifth ranking tournament of the season which would
:26:10. > :27:15.equal Stephen Hendry's record. At times we thought it was going to
:27:16. > :27:19.be excellent and then the safety has been so good in this match that now
:27:20. > :27:43.and again a player has got bogged down.
:27:44. > :28:04.Well, this black is nasty. He will take it on, but it is tricky.
:28:05. > :28:14.He is not 100% whether to pot this or to get a good cannon on the red
:28:15. > :28:27.and gain position. He has got the pot. There are two reds on.
:28:28. > :28:45.Cueing off the side cushion is never easy.
:28:46. > :29:00.Very good. He is very still on the shot and you need to on those. He
:29:01. > :29:02.doesn't like the yellow. He is taking the more difficult pot on the
:29:03. > :29:20.brown. He would like to get down to this
:29:21. > :29:28.black spot area as quickly as possible. He seemed to have potted a
:29:29. > :29:35.lot of balls there for just the 36 break.
:29:36. > :29:45.I just feel one good position shot on to these reds could clinch it.
:29:46. > :29:52.This all started, of course, when Joe Perry went for a long red and
:29:53. > :29:56.made a bit of a mess of it and it looked as if he had got away with it
:29:57. > :30:02.in the pack, but there was a plant on for Ding that also led to him
:30:03. > :30:12.kissing the black into play as well. This was the long red that you were
:30:13. > :30:16.talking about, Terry. It was a straightforward shot really to go
:30:17. > :30:23.around the back of the black and it was a shot to nothing in baulk, but
:30:24. > :30:39.mis-hit it. It looked at first glance there was nothing on.
:30:40. > :30:48.And this is the next shot. Look what happens, you think you are safe and
:30:49. > :30:53.all of a sudden, luck springs into operation and he played a very poor
:30:54. > :31:04.positional shot there. To keep this break going, he is going to have to
:31:05. > :31:16.cut it in or come around the back. Playing the thin cut. He will have
:31:17. > :31:24.no idea where the cue ball is going. No idea where the cue ball is going,
:31:25. > :31:28.but he has still got the brown on the middle. A lot of players would
:31:29. > :31:30.just roll up to the yellow. He is going all out for the frame and the
:31:31. > :31:56.match. Quite right as well. After all the effort of potting the
:31:57. > :32:02.brown, forgot about the position. Looking at the line Terry, he played
:32:03. > :32:06.a plain ball thinking it would be on the two reds, the one at the back,
:32:07. > :32:09.the three behind the pink or the one that's nearest the black and the
:32:10. > :32:14.angle wasn't there. He is now faced with another very thin cut. Now, how
:32:15. > :32:20.does he miss the kiss on the red on the cushion?
:32:21. > :32:27.I don't think he can. He is having a good look at it. I mean the last
:32:28. > :32:37.thing he wants to do is kiss that red out. Well, he is having a go.
:32:38. > :32:45.He avoided the kiss, but where is the cue ball going? Very close to
:32:46. > :32:50.the cushion or the baulk line. So another good pot needed. Well, the
:32:51. > :32:56.break was on to 48. It is such a crucial time as well in this match.
:32:57. > :33:02.He has potted some good balls and some excellent positional shots.
:33:03. > :33:04.Needs another one here. Two reds at the back of the pack available into
:33:05. > :33:21.the left corner. APPLAUSE
:33:22. > :33:28.What a brilliant shot. He had to play for that gap. He couldn't have
:33:29. > :33:31.played it better. Brilliant. All these top players, you know, when
:33:32. > :33:38.you think about winning the game and the match, they don't refuse
:33:39. > :33:41.anything in the final frame. A couple of times he has been out of
:33:42. > :33:46.position and a couple of times he got back into it and Joe Perry knows
:33:47. > :34:06.the end is nigh. Yes, the top players are. They can
:34:07. > :34:10.play at their best when they are feeling the worst. That's what he
:34:11. > :34:22.has done here. An excellent perform apps. Joe Perry put on a very good
:34:23. > :34:25.show. He played some good snooker. You could have said that a shot here
:34:26. > :34:30.and there would have made the difference, but that's always the
:34:31. > :34:33.case. It is a remarkable case for Ding. I don't think he has got in
:34:34. > :35:40.beat in a final. So whoever gets to the final, it is
:35:41. > :35:43.going to be great. It could be a Ding, Hawkins final. Barry Hawkins
:35:44. > :35:55.is playing exceptionally well. Now a chance for the second century
:35:56. > :36:01.of the match. It would be fitting because this has been an excellent
:36:02. > :36:06.break. He took a few risk shots when he could have played, but that was
:36:07. > :36:35.never his intention. He was going for the win.
:36:36. > :36:46.APPLAUSE What a great performance from Ding
:36:47. > :36:49.in that final frame. He beat Joe Perry by 6-4.
:36:50. > :37:05.Raze raze I started winning 3-1 and he came back.
:37:06. > :37:09.After that I took chances. We both had chances, but we miss some balls.
:37:10. > :37:16.I just keep fighting very hard. I keep putting pressure to my
:37:17. > :37:22.opponent. We don't know each other, what I think and how much I can do.
:37:23. > :37:29.I just do my best, what I do the shots for the best way to go and the
:37:30. > :37:39.match, I will keep going. I never stop. Here is the final line-up for
:37:40. > :37:43.the 2014 Betvictor Open. Ding Junhui will play Ronnie
:37:44. > :37:46.O'Sullivan who is playing superb breath taking snooker. They have
:37:47. > :37:49.played ten times before and Ronnie O'Sullivan had much the better of it
:37:50. > :37:56.winning eight times. Their last meeting was in the quarter-final of
:37:57. > :38:00.the Champion of Champions Tournament. We will have live
:38:01. > :38:05.coverage tomorrow. The first eight frames of the best of 17 match will
:38:06. > :38:09.feature in our programme at 1pm here on BBC 2 Wales tomorr afternoon. It
:38:10. > :38:11.is the final that so many people wanted. From all of us here, good
:38:12. > :38:30.night. Evan Davis examines
:38:31. > :38:36.why London is pulling away