Day Three - Highlights Snooker: Welsh Open Highlights

You can only look back at the end of your career and think, did I get it

right most of the time? When you start to play with confidence,

results come. And you don't have time to think about everything other

than what you are doing there and then.

You can only look back at the end of your career and think, did I get it

right most of the time? When you start to play with confidence,

results come. And you don't have time to think about everything other

than what you are doing there and then.

I am just going to try to steamroll through and if I can't then they

will do that to me. I hope to have a tough

You can only look back at the end of your career and think, did I get it

right most of the time? When you start to play with confidence,

results come. And you don't have time to think about everything other

than what you are doing there and then.

I am just going to try to steamroll through and if I can't then they

I hope to have a tough match along the way.

Would he get a tougher test than he did in the previous round? Anderson

between the Rocket and a place in the last 16. He raced into a 2-0

lead. We picked them up in the third frame with Robinson on the table. No

COMMENTATOR: He is making it look very easy at the moment. He is

playing on that black spot. Never misses a trick. In the last frame,

he always tries to make every chance of getting balls in the open very

quickly. Even though there are two or three

loose reds, he might just go behind these two reds actually, that one in

the middle. Well, he has had a massive kick. He

is OK though. That was a very big indeed. He never has it clean,

Ronnie. This is the first test and he is only three frames. It makes no

difference. It makes no difference at the moment.

This is the key shot. If this works it could be another frame gone. And

another kick. A grimace on his face. Once again not bothering him with

the ball clean. Never touched the sides. He is enjoying himself,

because Mackie laughed when that wobbled and then the ball fell in --

'cause he laughed when that wobbled and then the ball fell in.

Unbelievable. When you think, he is now 40 years of age, and I don't

think at any time in his career he has played any better than what he

is playing this week in Cardiff. Absolutely faultless. It is not like

he is missing. Everything he seems to get 50 or above. Already, very,

very close in this third frame. This next black and he will be

passed into the winning frame. Into the red for the same result. It is

exemplary, the way he has played this frame.

I am sure there are a lot of gentlemen in the audience who would

love to play snooker. This is a game not as we know it. Shouldn't someone

tapped him on the shoulder and tell him that this game is supposed to be

difficult? Not guaranteed to get this red.

Fabulous. Absolutely fabulous. Standby, Genius at work, Ronnie

O'Sullivan compiles yet another century.

I think the crowd, as we are, are just mesmerised by how easy he is

making it look. Absolutely frightening, no other word.

Majestic. So, yes, it was all going very

smoothly for O'Sullivan once again, so can he see it out? Letter to

frame format with Robinson at the table trailing by 26 points -- lets

had out to frame four with Robinson at the table trailing by 26 points.

Half a chance for Jimmy here to get the green and brown but it is a

tough yellow. He will take that on. Well done. He didn't want to snooker

himself. Whatever happens, surely, don't go behind the brown. What on

earth is happening here? Oh, that is so cruel.

Well, what a terrible shame. It is a snooker and barring that Ronnie

O'Sullivan will be into the next round, a four winner. -- a 4-0

winner. When a man's playing this well, you

don't want the ball against you, but Ronnie O'Sullivan clearly the better

player this evening. It has been an exhibition from him. He finishes

with an exhibition shot on the blue. He is gonna be tough to beat, isn't

he, this tournament. And they shake hands, Ronnie O'Sullivan and Jimmy

Anderson. Ronnie O'Sullivan is steamrolling into the next round,

winning a game 4-0. Well done to Jimmy. For my own personal point of

view it was a good match as far as that every match I am just not

worrying about how I play but how I can mentally stay in the right place

and not get down on myself, just keep playing the right shots and

just a in and do a professional job. That is the battle for me and it has

been for the last four or five years and I am enjoying working on the

mental site. It is a skill. The more you practise, the better you get --

side. The playing part comes easy to me but it is just kind of managing

it which is the hardest part. Another almost perfect day for him

and he will now play in the fourth round tomorrow. But how many

Welshmen will make it through as well? Michael White was playing this

evening against LianWenbo, the man above him in the world rankings at

16. We will join this one with White leading 3-1.

He has made contact with the red, Michael White. He is left with

something that is far from easy. Both of these fairly difficult. Will

he play another safety? Liang Wenbo cannot afford to make any mistakes.

3-1 behind. He is going for this red. He has played it very well. If

anything he could have done with another couple of inches on the cue

ball. He had a very good run in the championship where he lost in the

final two Neil Robertson. -- to. He really is nice to watch when he is

in full flow. Paul is plenty of faces and grimaces at things and has

a laugh at the audience sometimes. He is blessed with a lot of talent,

that is for sure. He is now back in perfect position. He would like to

be a little bit straighter on this. He is just going to have to push it

out of the way. It should stay on the other one. He has played it with

a little bit of pace but that's OK. The bulls are in perfect position to

get another frame on the board and get right back into the match -- the

balls. That isn't his best. Planning to not

kiss the front red there. He is on the blue. Not a bad choice,

just to play the screw shot off the blue and drift past the pink and

carry into the red, that would slow down the white and bring the balls

into play. He has got the same result. It could

have all gone wrong when you think about it, if it slipped past the two

reds. He is now perfect. Awkward cueing. He likes to jibs when he is

on the cue, it has to be said. Excellent break from Liang Wenbo. He

practices so hard, as all Chinese players do. What a fluke that is.

Goodness me. Strange game. Michael White would have had a chance and he

would have been 38 points behind. Some players would have looked at

their opponents and laughed and said sorry. But he didn't. He just has to

get to get on with it. What a miss that red was in the middle.

Back in prime position now. Did not see that coming. How did it not just

run through to the black? What he has done, he did that in the second

and third frame, put himself 50 odd points ahead in both frames, missed

something he would never normally miss and landed up missing something

he would ordinarily have framed. That is what he did with those two

friends, meet clearances to finish both frames. -- frames. If Liang

Wenbo goes on to lose this match he won't be feeling too clever knowing

he had done all of the hard work and missed something he wouldn't

normally miss. The fact that Michael White is right-handed, this red down

to the question should not pose too many problems and this is a great

chance. Just pushing another red out of the way. Everything is available

now. He will know it. He will know this is a chance to frame.

He could go for all four reds if he wanted to. He could screw back off

the cushion. Rarely do you see a situation like this when you have

five different shots you could play. Well, he has played for the awkward

red down the cushion. If this goes in and he gets nicely onto their

colour, this will be his chance. -- onto a colour. He has made the red

and he is nicely on the blue. This is now a match-winning clearance. It

all changed for Michael White, didn't it, when he won the

shootout. He went on to win a ranking event as well. That was a

poor shot. He will have to try to go it in and out and baulk. He has to

manage to hold it. He will probably pull a little bit too far to do

that. Liang Wenbo has had every chance in

this match and he had first chance in this, what could be the last

frame, with a break of 53, and he knows now that this match is

drifting away from him. He has become a very good player

now, Michael White. Taking these really well. Brown,

blue and pink needed. Per second Welshmen into the next

round. -- the second Welshmen into the next round. He was further away

from the pink than he wanted. 3-0, he lost the previous frame, which he

could have won. This is frame and that is ball. Excellent clearance

from Michael White who was 53 points pint and clears with 75, Michael

White goes into the next round as a 4-1 victor.

So, White into the last 16 of this tournament for the first time, but

if he will make the quarter-finals he will have to beat the defending

champion, John Higgins, who is through to round four after a 4-1

when over Michael Giorgio with hardly a bomb on the road for him,

he stays on course for a record fifth Welsh Open titled -- bump.

Well, looking to lift the trophy for the third time, Mark Williams

against Kurt Maflin in round three. We joined the match with a padlocked

at one -, Maflin at the table trailing 8-4 -- with the match

locked at 1-1. -- join -- title. Very well controlled. This little

shot played in. He is in full flow, Mark Williams, very, very fluent.

Terrific cueist of the ball. He is a real windup merchant.

He likes to play the old pranks. Whiting everybody up. The

professionals has said he is so laid back he is untrue, he doesn't really

get faced by anything -- winding -- fazed. He might be fazed when I told

him he might have to face me in the doubles. But I think for young

players in the game, if they want to watch people with their attitudes

and not let things bother them, you couldn't pick a better role model

than Mark Williams. Well, he was a bit scrappy at the

beginning of this frame but Mark seems to be in control of things

now. He will be very disappointed if he doesn't go on to win this frame

from here, just a few more pots required. The pink in the red will

be enough. 57 actually, he will need one more red that I am sure he is

not expecting a lot more than that. A chance of a century but he will

need all the remaining reds. Certainly getting some reaction out

of that new tip of his. He knows the frame is one now. -- won.

He has had a massive kick on that one, Mark Williams. It meant the red

hasn't quite reached the pocket. I am sure that break is more than

enough for him to regain the lead this time at two frames to one.

Williams one frame for with a break of 76 but Maflin trumped that, he

got a break of 111 to take the fifth, in the frame six we go with

Williams at the table trailing 11-7. -- into.

He hasn't got away with it this time, I don't think. The last two

shots very strange from Mark. Maybe one in ten.

This is a glorious chance for Kurt Maflin.

Must be a little frustrating for Mark, because he is only 3-2 ahead

in this match with the possibility of it being 3-3 now. But he has made

breaks of 76, astronomically better than in his previous two rounds in

the event. Once again he is being put under severe pressure here by a

player who is performing very well on the big stage.

The more worrying thing if you are a Mark Williams fan is how confident

Kurt Maflin is getting. With every shot he looks more composed. You

feel he is really fancying the job out there.

I am sure Mark has concerns that next time he comes back to the table

it will be for a deciding frame. Kurt Maflin needs to make sure he

gets a good angle on this black. He has got to go into them here. If he

can just screen between the little gap of those two reds directly above

the black, that should open up all five reds very nicely. Last,

unlucky. He couldn't have hit that much better. -- alas. It is very

unfortunate he has landed on a red. He is going to need a couple of

others. It might be a good idea to try and put a red on the side

cushion and try and play a good safety. That is what he has done.

The only problem with that shot is he has put the red to the left

cushion. Mark being left-handed he gets the opportunity, that shot

becomes much easier. -- left-handed, if he gets. I wonder if he will take

this on. What a fantastic pot. If that pink goes to the right centre,

what a charge he has given himself. Well... Now there is pressure on

Kurt Maflin. What to do here? What a great pop that was -- pot. I think

he is going to be relying on a lot of luck, which way he plays this.

You could hit it really hard on the question and try and get a

clearance. He has missed that completely and the cue ball is

swinging around. Mark Williams is now going to have a chance to pinch

this frame and win this match with this effort. Kurt Maflin looked in

total control but had bad -- had a bit of bad luck in potting the

black. You would have to put Mark Williams favourite now in this

frame. One thing he doesn't suffer from his clincher's disease. He is

full of bottle. One thing for certain, he doesn't lack in the

bottle department. He got a big bounce off that

cushion. He is still perfect on this red. You just want the cue ball to

travel a couple of inches more. He will be very, very disappointed now

if he doesn't win this match with this effort. I think Kurt Maflin has

probably just played his last shot. He is going to be very disappointed

that I think he can take out of this match that he has played very well.

A lot of people back home, friends and family, he has shown this crowd

how good he is. He is a player for the future I am sure we will be

seeing a lot more of him. He is a lot more thin on this blue than he

would have liked as well. , it just needs to pink. -- just needs to

pink. And he is very, very good with the rest. So then, Mark Williams

with a terrific clearance. Kurt Maflin will be very, very

disappointed. Had his chance, looks like he was going to level up at 3-3

but Mark Williams with a very solid performance runs out a 4-2 winner.

What a turnaround from two days ago. I looked like I was playing with

someone else's Arms two days ago and I actually looked like a snooker

player today. A couple of things changed are up and as soon as I saw

the shot hit it as fast as they could. No pausing on nothing like

that. No thinking, just as soon as I see it, as fast as I could and I

thought if I am going to go out, I am going to go out fast. STUDIO:

Things are about to get a little harder for Mark Williams because he

will face the world number one, Mark Selby. The 2008 champion with a

comfortable 4-2 winner over Fergal O'Brien. Matthew Stevens was hoping

this might be his year but he won't be joining his fellow Welshman in

round four falling victim to the German Masters champion, Martin

Gould, who won the deciding frame in this match with the only century of

the game. So, what about the former world champion Shaun Murphy? He said

Luca Brecel -- played. Let's join the fourth frame. Murphy at the

table on a break of 57. COMMENTATOR: A touch softer that may well have

still gone in but unfortunately it has gone wide and we have a new

favourite for this frame. If we have a look at his attempts, it is a very

good one, but they are the pots. Especially when it can mean winning

or losing the frame. Well, this was a topsy-turvy frame.

It still is, obviously, with three balls to go. There is another

example of just absolute carelessness. Now he has given

himself oceans to do. But this looks just about right. It will be tight

on the cushion. That is all because he played the careless blue. I don't

use the word careless very often, but it was in that case. You have

got to make sure you are firm enough. If you are short, you have

got to play the shot that Luca did. If you missed this it would be very

unfortunate to leave it on. Facing the corner, anything can happen.

Knowing him, he will take the pot on. He has got to be in the right

centre here, surely. I always say to take it on if it is on. But it is an

absolutely simple safety shot. You have got to take it on.

That was a good example though. What do you do here if you are Shaun

Murphy? Ideally he would like to finish up around the brown spot

somewhere. He has caught it and that is too thick. Is he going to get

away with it? Believe me, this is a much tighter angle than it may lock.

-- look. It looks so much easier on your screens that it is in

actuality, I can assure you. Well, the good news for Luca is that Sean

can't take it into the right. -- Shaun. About as good as that could

finish. I don't think he can cut this in, can he? He doesn't have to

go for a pot. It didn't look possible to cut it back in the

middle. If he does, where is the cue ball going to go? Hang on, hang on,

hang on. Would you believe it? Well, what a tremendous cutback that was

from Shaun, but he knew full well that he could not control the cue

ball. We have this match tied up once again. STUDIO: What away from

Brecel to take the frame. Would it prove pivotal? The Belgian won the

next one as well to go 3-2 up. Let's head into the sixth, with Murphy at

the table, no school. -- score. COMMENTATOR: That might have drifted

a little bit too far. It is certainly on if he can see it. He

will have a little look at the shot. Obviously taking his time. He could

propel a little screw back double if he wanted to.

Absolutely brilliant. As played. A chance for Luca to get a sizeable

lead in what could be the deciding frame. Sometimes it can help

position. You can see this pot being played again. He slowed the white

down and now has a perfect handle on the black. Keeps the break going.

The only thing that could go wrong with this of course is by tight on

the cushion with the black. Maybe worth the risk. Everyone loves this

kind of shot where he describes off the back. He still finished nicely.

He is just a bit unlucky to be so straight on the black when he has

left enough reds to go in the centre if he needs to. It is permissible,

but if this goes in, I think Shaun will be rather concerned. --

missable. He appears to have left an easy pot on for Shaun. I don't think

he will want to take anything on too risky. He is already 23 points

behind in this frame and its Luca were to win it, he will pass the

winning post in this match. Good double. Good choice, it is the only

ball he could have left and he would have been on the blue or the black.

He can't afford any more mistakes now, that man, Shaun Murphy.

That safety shot nearly went astray. It is going to be a hard shot on a

killer. Excellent pot. That has now given

him a chance. He is already leading by 24. A lot of loose reds, colours

in play. We will go back to the shot when Shaun Murphy was in front. In

hindsight, that would have cost him the match. Yes, absolutely, he will

be very fortunate if he gets back to the table, given the position of the

reds. For now, 28 looks good. To be honest, there is really only one

tricky red, possibly two with the one by Biello but he will be well

past the post by then. -- the yellow.

Looking very calm and assured here, Luca. A new confidence about his

work. Just needs a couple more reds Luca. A new confidence about his

him home. He has been very consistent in the last three events.

High in the German Masters where he lost the Martin Gould. Almost won

the shootout last week in Redding. He looks like he may well be in the

last 16 of this event, the Welsh Open again. If he does go through.

Awaiting him in the last 16 will either be Ding Junhui or Matthew

Celtic. He has an excellent chance now of

getting a very, very famous scalp. He hasn't beat a top 45 player so

far. -- forum or five -- four or five. Once again we will have to see

how unfortunate Shaun is to have levelled it. He has not really had a

great chance in the last frame and a half.

You would expect Shaun Murphy to be having the better of it but it is

him who has made the biggest rakes. 60, 31, 69 and 57. Luca's highest

break in this match today was 39 but that is enough for Luca Brecel to

find his place in the last 16 of the event. He wins by beating Shaun

Murphy by four frames to two. I am not playing better actually, I am

just winning more matches. That is the difference. In the beginning of

the season, I was playing a lot better than I am playing now but now

I am just getting the results and it is good. Last year I got to the

semi-final, so the final this year would be fantastic. STUDIO: So who

joins Brecel in the last 16? Ding Junhui will go through. Last year's

runner-up goes through as well after beating Anthony Hamilton. Barry

Hawkins got a 4-2 win over Mark Davies. Marco Fu beating Graeme Dott

by the same scoreline. Two others for you. Another Welshman when home

this evening, Ryan Day's tour is over after he was beaten four - won

by Mark Allen. That leaves two Welshman standing, Mark Williams and

Michael White flying the flag for Wales, but who can stop Ronnie

O'Sullivan with the rocket on fire now? His bid to reach the

quarter-finals live tomorrow afternoon. We will also have the

world number one against the Welsh number one. Selby against Williams.

From all of sea, a very good evening to you. -- all