27/02/2014 Snooker: Welsh Open

Good evening. Wales is a country that loves its sporting champion and

for the past 20 years there has been no bigger name in Welsh snooker than

Mark Williams. He was the last winner some 15 years ago and Welsh

hopes rest on his shoulders again tonight. This evening he plays Marco

Fu from Hong Kong in the quarterfinals on a busy day of

fourth-round matches. 19-year-old Joe Walker put out the defending

champion and number one seed Stephen Maguire by 4-3. I had a little bit

of help from Stephen because he did not play particularly well. I played

pretty solid. I missed a few balls under pressure and I am happy to get

through. Mark Selby is safely through to the quarterfinals with a

victory over Ali Carter. I am over the moon because he is one of the

top-class players in the world so to get a 4-1 win over him, I am very

happy. I could have played a bit more clinical. I started missing a

few at the end, but he was not on his game today. Ronnie O'Sullivan

blew away Ricky his game today. Ronnie O'Sullivan

hour with a masterclass performance. It is the best I have felt or played

in this tournament. I was cueing and I felt comfortable on the ball is

and my accuracy was good and my safety was good. I felt really

involved in the match. And three times Welsh open champion John

Higgins won a classic contest against Judd Trump squeezing through

in a final flat -- frame cliffhanger. Relief, because it was

a topsy-turvy game. I was getting luck, he was getting loud, I was

getting bad things happening and so was he. It must have been a good

game to watch, put it that way. But I managed to catch the last to catch

the last red and clear up. Six matches have been played already

today, so the quarterfinal draw is taking shape.

Joe Perry beat Stuart Bingham. John Higgins, the conqueror of Judd Trump

against the reigning world champion, Ronnie O'Sullivan. But 1/4-final is

still to be decided this evening. Our feature match is Mike Williams

against Marco Fu. I am over the moon with that win,

really. Playing the world number one, the best player in the world, I

have not played him many times. To beat him in Wales is an excellent

win for me. I like playing in Newport because it is home for me, I

can travel back and forth. It is lovely when all your family and

friends can watch it. Everybody wants a ticket. In Wales they are

very stingy and they only give you four or five and you cannot get

everybody in! It cannot get any harder when it is down to the last

32. I can still play like that and hold myself together when I need to.

Who knows what will happen? His opponent hails from Hong Kong, a

former world amateur champion and the winner of two ranking titles,

including last year's Australian open. He is currently nine places

higher than Williams in the world rankings. I have been joined by

Dominic Dale. Mark must be feeling so confident after beating Neal

Robinson. Can he bring it into the match tonight? Definitely. There is

nothing like coming out into a capacity audience and they will give

him their full support. He must be full of confidence now. What role

with the fantastic home crowd play here tonight? I will ask them. Will

you give him your support? Yes! There is your answer. First, this

man is seeded number 24 and is a former Asian tour winner. He is in

absolutely superb form. He beat Shaun Murphy. Please welcome the

Liang Wenbo. He is up against the number seven

seed, the most improved player in the circuit, please welcome Barry

Hawkins. Our next player is one of the most

popular players on the circuit. He had a great season last year

reaching the German Masters and the International Championships. From

Hong Kong, please welcome Marco Fu. And he is up against an all-time

legend in front of his home fans this evening. An absolutely packed

audience for a man who has won 18 titles, including two world titles.

Please welcome Mark Williams. It is wales' last man standing. Can

he reach the quarterfinals in front of this partisan crowd this

evening? In commentary, Willie Thorne and Darren Morgan.

Thank you, we are in for a thrilling match tonight in this Welsh open.

Both players are in fine form. Mark Williams had a fantastic win

yesterday over Neil Robertson Robinson. Marco Fu has shown a lot

of form this year so far. Amazingly enough they have played each other

16 times and they are eight matches each.

There was some great cheering from the crowd when Mark Williams walked

on. He has got a couple of options. He

can play into the cluster reds. He could move a couple here and stay on

the red to the left corner and there might be some value in it. He did

not quite get them thick enough. I think Mark thought he potted that

the way he was off down the table. He will be glad he kissed the blue

with the cue ball. It was not far away. What a buzz it must have been,

the crowd erupted as he walked down. To his good friend's Tom Jones'

music, Delilah. On many occasions we have heard Dominic Dale give us a

rendition. Unfortunately, you do not sound quite as good! REFEREE: Can

you turn your telephones down, please.

That was a proverbial mile away. I don't think I have seen him miss one

so far. It gives Mark Williams another chance.

Well, I cannot believe he just missed that blue. Obviously there

are going to be early nerves out there. I don't think Mark can quite

believe it either. You missed it by a long way. Marco Fu has got the

angle a few minutes ago Mark Williams had.

Again it has not quite gone to plan. He has got the red to the left-hand

corner. He is a bit thin on the black. So far, butterflies are

grumbling. Another chance for Mark. This is a

slow start this evening. Today there have been rumblings and grumblings

and earlier I used the phrase sick as a parrot, so I am having a good

day so far. At the minute Mark Williams is

cueing very prudently. I am sure once this first frame is

out the way, both players will settle down. He is having a look at

a three ball plant. It is a bit of a risky one. He has not got away with

it. That is a big risk. He had a massive pounds of that. It

was huge. -- bounce. Well done. It is only for one point,

though. He can get in behind the black if he

hits this pink very thinly. A rise smile from Mark knowing that he has

had four chances, but he is 21 in front.

That was a good safety shot, well played.

He has left the red ball to the corner. That was a clever shot by

Mark Williams. It was a shot to nothing with a double. But he is OK.

It has been a nervous start for Marco Fu. If he plays the red to the

right of the pink, he has two make sure he does not Cameron the yellow

on the way down. That is a nice fluke. It is tough to

hit one of these and get them safe. He will do well to not leave Mark

Williams a pot of this shot. Mark is going to get a few points

off this. I thought he might let him play from

there. He is hoping that when he eventually hits the rate he will

push it to the corner pocket. He has got to hit it soon because he is 36

points behind. Only 39 on. He is trying to come off the two cushions.

He has hit the wrong red and he has left mark a nice easy starter.

It is not over yet. He might play the pink in the Balkan pocket. It is

frame ball as far as snooker required is concerned. He will not

be playing position on a red. He is taking a lot of time over

this. Well played. There was value in going for that.

It could have gone in. This has been a bit of a scrappy affair this first

frame. Both players have had quite a few chances.

That puts the frame beyond any doubt at all. A very slow start for Mark

Williams, but he will have been delighted to get the opening frame.

He tried to bring the yellow into play, but he does not have to worry

about anything now, because he has crossed

One of the very few who play shots like this and he is very good at it.

But it was not to beat this time. It was not a great first frame, but

Mark Williams will be feeling the better of the two. This is the head

to head between these players. They are very evenly matched.

Interestingly, Williams has won both of their previous matches at the

Welsh open. Marco Fu won their last match in the European tour last

year. It is interesting when you look at their careers, that Mark, a

world champion, and Marco Fu, a young player, he is ninth in

it is amazing for me, I did not realise they had played 16 times

before. Eight wins apiece, it does not give as a guide as to who might

win this match. Mark will settle down and he would have felt the

butterflies early on, but he will have settled down now having won the

first frame. Pressure for a home player to play in front of his home

crowd, but he will be delighted to be in front.

That was probably the worst break off he has played.

He has played a good safety shot but has potted the black. That good shot

has now put him in all kinds of trouble. Mark Williams asked if he

was sure it was a free ball. He can pop the one on the left hand side

but he can't play it hard because it will kiss the black. He has got to

take a chance here. At the pace he was playing it, I

thought he was At the pace he was playing it, I

leave the white in the jaws. I agree with you. He might even be tempted

to have a go at this red and come the other side of the black. He

might risk the Finn won one more time.

He took your choice and what a choice it was. When you pot a ball

like that, you deserve a good case. -- kiss. Mark Williams is in full

flight. That cushion bounce did not make

that much difference. He is starting to look very good. It

is amazing the difference a day makes. A fantastic win yesterday

over Neil Robertson. Neil Robertson had three frames pinched from him.

It looked as if he was going through but somehow Mark Williams scraped

over the line. That is all you need for your confidence. A couple of

little things to go your way. He is one of the few players who has

made over 300 competitive centuries. He is disappointed at the way it has

come of the Cushing. -- cushion. That is a good shot.

It is amazing. It seems the older you get, you throw a little loose

one in. His long game is not what it was. He only needed two more raids

and two colours. -- two more reds. If Marco Fu does get this right, he

has an excellent chance of pinching this frame. It is his to win now.

Everything is nicely in the open. This would be a blow for Mark

Williams. He was a couple shots away from securing this frame. He was

starting to look very good. Marco Fu is very proficient in what

he does. He Marco Fu is very proficient in what

action. He stays down. He probably has a longer cue action now than he

has had for years. He has obviously been working on something. He stays

down a long time after he has played his shot.

He is only 16 points behind and this is the most difficult read to get

onto. They next two reds should not be too much of a problem.

Marco Fu is a charming gentleman. Married now with a child. He spends

a lot of time in Hong Kong. This is the key shot. He is two

points behind. He will probably play for the blue of this red to make it

easier to get on the yellow. Mark Williams was perfectly in the ball

and this was a bad miss. It is a bad shot because he knows they should be

in the third frame now and he should be two up. Unless Marco Fu makes

some kind of blunder, it is going to be all square. He has taken these

very well. That is frame ball. It is very hard

to sit in your chair when you realise you have made an elementary

mistake. Sometimes you get away with it but this time, he did not. Mark

Williams made a fabulous break of 52 and missed an easy read. Marco Fu

clears to level the match. Let's have another look at this red in the

middle. Mark must have changed his mind on the shop. I think he was in

two minds whether to screw back for the black or stunt for the pink. He

is under no pressure really. It was that easy. He never thought he was

going to miss that especially after the way he conscripted the break. In

the first frame he needed for chance to -- for chances to win it. It is

hard now sitting in your chair and to get that out of your mind,

missing such an easy ball, is difficult. He will have to forget

about it quickly. It was a great 52 Breaky had to start off. He potted a

great really long read. Breaky had to start off. He potted a

hard work. The first 50 Breaky had to start off. He potted a

is hard and the last 50 points is easy because there is more room to

manoeuvre the white around. The balls were set perfectly. There was

nothing difficult he had to do. Or the had to do was keep in position.

-- all he had to do. Marco Fu took them well. Here we go, the third

frame. Mark Williams has to but that miss behind him. -- put that miss.

I am not sure how straight bases. -- straight this is.

If he had potted it in the centre of the pocket, he would have been two

inches away from the cushion. That was a well struck shot. Never easy.

If he can construct something with this effort here, it will help him

to forget that easy read in the last frame. -- easy read. He can just

come off the cushion. He did not play that that jaw and he is a lot

further away from this red than he would have liked. Look how straight

his cueing is now. No problem. These three more loose reds but if

he goes into the pack, it is not a good pack. He needs to stunt into

them not screw. Mark has decided to play for the loose one. This is the

second time he has refused to go into the pack.

He might play a gentle cannon. He has missed the cannon. He is not

cueing well at the moment. Good recovery. He can come off the

LO to get into these reds. He has got three reds he can hit. That was

a good pot. He has played for the blue but I

think he will have to settle for the LO. -- yellow.

He has put that easy miss in the last frame behind him. This has been

good stuff from Mark Williams. It is good to see him playing well again.

It is amazing what a bit good to see him playing well again.

confidence does you. He did not want this to be straight. That it is dead

straight. The six reds in open play, but nothing into the right-hand

corner. That is where he wants the cue ball to finish. That is the only

choice he's got. He looked at the plant but it

obviously wasn't perfect. But it can be made. It is three or four inches

to the right of the jaws. But that gap makes it possible. He could

screw back for the blue or even the pink. A break of 52 in the previous

frame was not enough. He is on 51 now. The shot he is looking at, what

a big shot that is? He would be leaving everything on so it is back

to the plant. I don't would he was confident. The one with the rest is

the right shot. But he has put the rest away so it is either planned or

the red to the right. -- plant. The plant has to be made.

Luckily, he has put two reds relatively safe.

This is a big shot for Marco Fu. He has played that dead weight. He is

on this black bit thinner than he would have liked. But that was very

well struck. He just rolled it in. A big difference from the first

frame. A good clearance in the last frame for Marco Fu. He will want to

keep this going. He did not hold back with that one either. If this

land is nice, he does not show much expression but I think he thought he

deserved a bit better from that. He tried to bring those two reds into

play. The white kept rolling. He will have to play a safety shot now.

He wants to keep the black in play because he is 43 points behind.

I am not sure if Mark can get to the red to the left corner. He might be

forced into going for the reds to the right corner. Again, big shot.

Of two cushions for the black. It was close. He has not got away with

it. These balls are sitting very nicely for Marco Fu. The only

difficult ones are the two to the right of the pink.

Just enough. You mentioned those two difficult reds but he could play the

cannon of those two reds now. If he'd does kiss them nicely, he will

be favourite for this frame as well. Is he going to play it or not? He

has not played it so Mark has another hope that when he plays the

cannon and a few shots time, he would get it right. -- in a two

shots time. It is not perfect but it looks OK.

He does not have to play for pink or black. He can play for the blue. He

has miss hit that one. He is fortunate to get onto the blue to

the top corner. This is unmissable. -- this is miserable.

Again, unless Marco Fu makes a mistake, you would have to make him

favourite now for this frame. What a blow this would be for Mark

Williams. He had a 52 in the previous frame and lost it and had a

51 in this frame and looks as if he's going to lose it. Marco Fu

looks in total control. In practice, this would be a foregone conclusion.

A little bit more pressure here. If I was a betting man and I'm not, my

money would be on him clearing up. It's slightly overran but there is

no problem. A bit of a shock for Mark Williams supporters because it

looks as if he is going to-1 behind. The brown disappears. Perfect on the

blue. Marco Fu does not need the black.

Mark Williams is going to be so disappointed. Marco Fu now leads two

frames to one. Marco Fu takes the advantage in this

match. On table to wear Liang Wenbo is leading Barry Hawkins by two

frames to one as well. The winner of both these matches will meet in the

quarterfinals. The momentum of this match has

changed. He could easily have been three frames up so he has some work

to do now. It is vital for this tournament and for the home fans

that a Welsh player stays in this competition as we approach the

quarterfinal stage. We will show you the best of the action from this

match at 11:20pm this evening. I hope you can join us then. From all

of us here, have a good evening.