26/02/2014 Snooker: Welsh Open Highlights

Good evening. It has been a busy day of third round matches here with 32

players hoping to reach the fourth round. Among them, Wales' best hope

for the title, Mark Williams. Well, opponents don't come any

tougher than the world number one. Neil Robertson has been in

incredible form this season. He started as favourite. First four

flames were split two appears. -- two appease. A piece. The Australian

has got himself a handy lead. Well, it is hard to see Mark

Williams not taking a 3-2 lead even though he is 30 points behind as we

speak. It just shows you how nerves can

come into the game. He didn't hit that well at all, but he is still

OK. He just has to hold himself together two lead 3-2.

He decides to take it out of the equation. He looks to play it

right-handed. So that was a bit of a steal that

for Mark Williams. Mark Williams leads 3-2. Robertson hit straight

back to take the match into a deciding frame. Williams is at the

table and he is trailing 51 points to 24.

On the other hand it has been an intriguing match. He just lost the

cue ball. He would like to bring the blue into play because he is 26

points behind, but it is too difficult - he is complaining now it

bounced off the cushion. A player knows in his own mind whether he has

got the pace right and he is just bemused the way the white finish.

All of a sudden it sprung off the cushion.

He would have liked to have brought the blue into play on his previous

shot, but he couldn't hide the cue ball. He had to play one that was

definitely going to get the cue ball safe.

He can't believe how good a shot he played there. It is all happening.

Yes, it's an excellent safety shot he played. Mark is going to be

careful here as we see the white disappear. What a good safety shot

he played. A similar situation for Neil here.

He would do well to miss the cannon on the blue.

If he tries to cut the one that's behind the black, he could run it

over the pocket. He is going to play for the red

that's loose and hopefully knock it safe. This could go wrong. This is

dangerous. This is dangerous, but played it well.

Well, he didn't want that. He has given Robertson a nice easy start on

that red. He has got a lot of work to do with

the cue ball. Well, I just can't believe how close

he has come. Neither player has taken this part of the frame by the

scruff of the neck. He can't really go on to the next

red so it is worth just playing a safety shot. It is hard to know what

they are going to play. Going Trying to get the green is not a bad

option. The yellow is only two points. It is OK. But you know, you

are not gaining any advantage from the extra two points.

It is vital that he doesn't catch this too thick. A good shot. Well

done. That was an excellent shot. Well played.

You can just see this match coming down to one really well played

safety or one really good pot. I think that's what it is going to be

decided on. Again, he played a very think that's what it is going to be

good safety. He got a very good cue ball. Mark is in a little bit of

trouble here. He can go off this red to the corner pocket. It will be

very thin. He is going to have to go off it though to miss the jaws. It

is a little bit thicker than he would have liked. And unless Neil

Robertson is willing to take a risk, he can go for this red. He is

looking to see if there is a gap that he can get in around the three

and around the back. Well, he thinks he can and he will probably play it.

It is a big shot. A 23 point lead. I think the safety is a better choice.

Once again, he can't really hit the red thick enough. The one that's to

the extreme right of the table. To A, get the white stuff and B, not

stick it in the pocket. That's his problem.

Usually when Neil is in a bit of trouble he plays a pot, but it

doesn't look like he is playing one here. Unless he decided to play an

excellent safety shot. That's close. Well, Mark tells me that facial

expression that the white has drifted. If he covered that red, he

may even take the pot on in the middle. Cut this in and come in

between the gap between the pink and the red. Ah. Now then. Has he

covered everything? I think he had a slight kick hearing

the contact of it. This still isn't great for Mark, is it? A big shot

this. He has played it with total conviction and he needs a little bit

of luck with the cue ball and I think he has got it. All of a sudden

he has got a chance to get right back into this game and maybe even

when this match this visit. He is on the green. He is on the blue. The

yellow looks the best choice from here. He played this well as well.

This is a good shot. He probably would be reluctant to

play the black here. He tried to do and that's what he got. Now that one

shot will give him the chance to win frame and match. Those two reds

weren't available until he played that cannon. Now then, Mark are

Williams, you have done this many times in your career. You cleared up

from a few behind and you have only got to do it one more time.

Has he played his last shot this the Welsh Open? This black puts him five

points in front. He looks at the paper tomorrow

morning he will forgive himself for playing poorly. For victory is what

it is all about. I am sure his wife, Jo is looking on

and got her fingers crossed. Well, this is the last one that can

go wrong because the brown goes in and the blue is a certainty. This is

frame and match ball. This one shot. Well done, Mark Williams. I don't

know how he has done it. He struggled through. But he battled

and battled and battled. APPLAUSE

I don't know how he made 42 because the last few frames have been really

scrappy. He needs to pot this one because Robertson will carry on. He

needs one snooker to tie. What a time to make a fabulous break of 48.

Very scrappy, but Mark William pulled it out when it mattered most.

Not a great match, but that won't make any difference. The fans are on

their feet. Mark Williams, the last Welsh survivor goes into the next

round. I have not played him many times and to beat him in Wales is an

excellent win for me. I played OK in the match as well. I felt a little

bit nervous towards the end, but after I pot the red towards the

middle all the balls were there and I had to hold myself together and

I'm more than happy that I did. What a great result for Williams, Wales

and the tournament. Let's round-up some of the day's other stories.

Judd Trump breezed through to the last 16 with a 4-1 victory over

Scotland's, Anthony McGill. He will now play John Higgins. Matthew

Stevens fell at the third round stage. The 20th seed led for most of

the match, but he lost to England's Joe Perry.

Dominic Dale bowed out of contention. The Welshman feeling

under the weather as Mark Selby proved just too good.

I started off OK. I had a 70 break the first frame. I was fortunate in

the second frame. I managed to capitalise and win the frame and

after that I played really solid and didn't really miss much. Ronnie

O'Sullivan has shown glimpses of his brilliant best in Newport. His

opponent was Xiao Guodong from China. We are going to join it in

the first frame. There is no score and the world champion is next to

play. He has controlled that very well.

Good angle on this red to get position on the blue and to maybe

attack the pack of reds. I just think the difference for

Ronnie O'Sullivan these days the way he is playing, he has been in a very

good place. You think about how long he has been around. He probably had

more success I was going to say the last couple of seasons, but

obviously he didn't play last year. He looks like a completely different

player these days. There is a red to the left of that

group of three. There is a pink that Ronnie would like to get on. He

maybe able to get on the black. It is awkward to get on the black

because there are a lot of reds in the way.

He started off like a train. He did in his last match as well. He looked

at one stage that he might be making a maximum. It was not to be.

He is certainly looking very sharp at the moment, Ronnie in this first

frame. But he did yesterday and he struggled afterwards.

There are ominous signs for this Young Chinese player, Xiao Guodong.

He is on fire at the moment. He caught the wrong side of one of

the reds in playing that cannon. The century break is stim on. -- still

on. You have got to give it to him, he

is unbelievable to watch when he is in full flow. Unbelievable talent.

APPLAUSE There is the 100. Well, he is

nowhere near the red and he won't be bothered about that. He starts off

with a terrific 100. Xiao Guodong knows he has got all to do. Ronnie

O'Sullivan leads 1-0. Ronnie O'Sullivan extended his lead to 3-1.

To frame five and Xiao Guodong is on a break of 52.

I was about to say he will be very disappointed if he doesn't go on to

win this frame now. What happened there? Maybe thoughts of the winning

line in this frame? Let's have a look. He just didn't

strike it truly. Could he possibly have played his

last shot in this match now? Only he is normally deadly from positions

like this. The only half safe ball would be the

brown and it is quite close to that corner pocket. I don't think that's

going to cause him much trouble. What a miss that was. It looked

really good as well. He was cueing great. How he missed this. It is

just unbelievable. Too easy. A perfect angle to stun off the

yellow. He has got all the colours now, Ronnie. It is all about getting

a nice angle off the brown. It is the only possible saviour for Xiao

Guodong, but I don't think it's going to save him.

He is dead straight on the green so he has got a lot more distance

between cue ball and object ball. And he is going to have to play a

deep screw. And that's good as well. What a terrific shot.

A great performance from Ronnie O'Sullivan. He clinched victory by

4-1 over his Chinese compatriot, Xiao Guodong. He goes through to the

last 16. I practised with him a lot. He beat me two years ago 4-0 and I

hardly got a shot really. You always have to, you know, what the man is

capable of so in the back of your mind you are weary, but that kind of

makes you play a bit better as well sometimes. It was good.

Well, the fourth Welshman to play today was Andrew Pagett. He is a

regular practise partner of Mark Williams. Today he faced Stephen

Maguire who fought his way through a serious bout of back pain to reach

this stage. Ofs moving more freely and raced into a 3-0 lead. Andrew

Pagett conceded 20 points in fouls. We are going to join it with Maguire

at the table and he is leading by 48 points.

This is not the first good opportunity he had in the match, you

but he hasn't really troubled the score too much. It could be a good

time to start now. He did mention to me earlier on in his last round he

thought it was lightening fast and he found it difficult to control

them. I don't think there is many people

in the audience that wouldn't like to see him clear up and win a frame.

It is disappointing when you go out there and don't really show up. Many

people have done it over the years. This is his best effort so far. 29.

Hopefully a bit more to come. Well, once again when he is in a

great position to possibly win a frame. This is something fairly

rudimentary. He missed this by a long way. Possibly too much cannon

he had to play. Well, he couldn't have gifted Stephen Maguire a better

opportunity at a better time. This should secure another victory for

him. Well, everything that's happening

now is purely academic. Stephen Maguire has secured this fourth

frame. It will see him through to the last 16 tie with Joel Walker.

He is not going to worry about the black. Stephen is through to the

last black. Stephen is through to the

Pagett. I played a lot better black. Stephen is through to the

it expected to play. I wasn't too good the first match, but when I got

in there, I fancied potting balls which is a nice feeling. It is hard

on Andrew Pagett because all the fans want him to win and you know,

I've played in Glasgow a few times and I don't handle it very well. It

is pressure, not to me, because they are not here to watch me. When

Andrew started missing, I knew how he was feeling and it is not nice.

That's the best I played out of the three matches. Hopefully tomorrow

just capitalise on that and hopefully push on. The last match to

finish tonight was a cliffhanger. It was the 2012 Welsh Open winner

against Ding Junhui. Mark Williams plays Marco Fu.

And it is that match featuring the world champion that you can see in

our next programme at 1pm tomorrow afternoon here on BBC Two Wales. The

race is on for the quarter-finals. From all of us here. Good night. .

What does Austria want? I mean, what does she want?