28/02/2014 Snooker: Welsh Open

Good evening. Mr consistent, Mark Selby, is a man who loves the ?

Welsh Open. This is worth he won his first title in 2008. Tonight, we

will be focusing on his quarterfinal match against two Perry on a day of

high drama here in Newport. Ding Junhui was in trouble

high drama here in Newport. Joel Walker who had raced into a 4-2

lead. It brought the best out of the world number three, who won three

frames in a row to go through. I don't think he played badly. I

didn't play well and didn't concentrate hard. Ronnie O'Sullivan

continued his effortless journey into the last four. He booked a

semifinal place 5-1. That is a great result. Whether he is playing well

or not, he is a big scalp. I am hitting the ball really well, the

cue ball was under control. It was all right. Dominic Dale is one of

the world 's top 30 players and he joins me. Ronnie O'Sullivan, fully

justifying his place as the favourite.

For me he has got better and better in this event. His performance today

against John Higgins, winning 5-1, would make him the favourite in this

event. Mark Selby against Joe Perry tonight. Mark Selby be due on the

way to this match tonight. He is looking in good form. He is a great

player. Mentally very strong. The situation doesn't seem to bother

him. He gets on with the game. He is a great break-builder, great

tactician and always difficult to beat. Joe Perry, just in the top 16

in the world at the moment. beat. Joe Perry, just in the top 16

important for him to get a good result at this tournament. That will

be foremost in his mind, to be able to go to the Crucible without having

to qualify. Joe Perry will be full of confidence. He beat Mark Selby

here last made 4-0. We have 2/4-finals to be played this

evening. We have four players to bring into the arena. Let's do that

with our mark -- our master of ceremonies.

Quarterfinals night here in Newport, and what a fantastic

atmosphere! Let's get our players to the tables. First of all, he has

been in fantastic form in the last 12 months. 2013 Australian open

champion, from Hong Kong, please welcome Marco Fu!

His opponent has improved so much in the last 12 months. He reached the

finals of the World Championships last season. Please welcome Harry

Hopkins! -- Barry Hawkins. So, I man seeded number 16. Such a

tough match player. I winner earlier this year, please welcome Joe Perry!

He is up against one of the games greats. A three-time Masters

champion, a former Welsh Open champion, bitter hands together for

Mark Selby! There is a horrific atmosphere here

this evening. It is Mark Selby against Joe Perry. Let's bid a good

evening to our commentators, Willie Thorne and Terry Griffiths.

Good evening, everybody. Two seasoned campaigners. Mark Selby is

a slight favourite. Great atmosphere all week here at the Newport Centre.

Joe Perry has had a couple of good results, beating Matthew Stevens,

Stewart and am. -- Stuart Bingham. Mark Selby seems to be at the

business end of every single tournament he plays at the moment.

APPLAUSE. How was that for a starter?

Mark Selby is very good at this kind of shot, playing into the pack. He

put a bit of screw on at that time. That has come back to the cushion.

He may have to take on this one to the middle. He may try to play in a

night of baulk to get on the brown with the blue. -- or the blue.

He was always going to leave something on. There is a long red on

for Joe Perry. This will settle Jews if you get

this in. -- Joe. If you are going to miss it, Mrs I a lot! It is quite

noticeable that the red macro is wobbling and staying near the pocket

all the time. That looks for all money like it was

going to go in, the previous red. Both these players are very good at

the safety game. If Joe to guarantee cutting this

past the yellow, past the middle pocket, he would be happy. This will

be an easy safety shot. I think the idea is to leave the two reds.

That is a good shot. He has made it difficult for Joe Perry to play a

positive safe and shot on the red macro next to the yellow.

It would be fair to say that Mark Selby one that little safety battle.

-- won. Both players would have some, you

know, sign of nerves when they go out there for the match. The

excitement of opening the quarter-final of a major event. If

you hit a few safety shots early on from distance and get the dead

weight on the baulk cushion, it does settle you down. Selby is one of the

masters of that game. Mark Selby leads 4-3 on the

head-to-heads. The interesting fact, Mark Selby is actually in the last

three occasions they met, never beaten him on English soil. Beat him

way back in 2005 World Championship qualifiers. Since they have been

established pros, every time they played in Great Britain, Joe Perry

has won. I wonder if that will make a difference tonight.

This is the first real chance really, pink in open play, black

available in both corner pockets, if he gets nicely on the red here. You

would expect him to score quite heavily.

One of the hardest players in the game to beat at the moment is Mark

Selby. His b game gets him over the line on numerous occasions. When he

has his a game right, he is capable of winning every tournament he plays

in. A lean spell as far as winning

tournaments are concerned over the last two or three years, at least

over the last year. He's still so hard to beat.

Not quite sure what happened then. Whether he had a bad contact or just

missed the pot. Didn't seem to be a bad contact. Very unexpected miss

there from Mark. Any excuse. Trying to hold it this

side of the black. Not finishing high on the black. He certainly

didn't expect to miss. Nothing breeds confidence for your opponent

if you start missing those, more than something like that happening.

Tried a very delicate shot there. Has he fluked it? He was trying it

get right through the gap of those three reds. Concentrated more on

that than the pot. That will surely cost him this first frame.

He will have to play this red cushion first though.

I wouldn't it's unmissable, every shot you would expect him to get

nine out of ten. Haven't got the angle on the blue to go around the

table or tomorrow down from the reds. He will have to pot something

from distance if he wants to carry this going.

Very tight gap that, Terry, wasn't it? Especially in the middle. These

middles are pretty sharp. Joe is in your stable. What are his

feelings at the moment as the season goes on? Are there the rankings

making any difference to him? Yes. He is into the top 16 again. He is

having a consistent season. I know he lost in the semi-final to Marco

Fu. He's happy with himself at the

moment, I feel. If a snooker player can ever be happy!

Good shot that. He did really good cueing to pot back and screw back

for these reds. He didn't get a kick on that, I

don't think. Strange, he potted a brilliant shot

on the green didn't he? A tough pot. The first time I thought it must

have been a kick. Watching it second time round, I didn't think it was a

kick either. Maybe played with a side and straightened it up. Great

chance now for Joe Perry to get back in the frame.

Nervy start from both of them really. It can be awkward here

mainly because the blue is the shot. He has to be careful because the

pink is in the way. May be able to play it gently into the pink and

hold the white. That's what's he's done. Played it quite well.

Just about fair enough to roll this in and play for the two reds in the

opposite corner. The next two reds and the two

colours are no real problem. He needs an angle on the blue or the

black off the next red to get right in behind those two reds on the side

cushion now. He could do it here. He might try to bring one out. He will

probably play for the lose one this time. -- loose one this time.

He does have an angle to run through to the two reds. It's a little bit

risky to play that. He is leaving the half-ball black. He will try and

get right in behind them. Try and bring at least one of them into

play. He would like to go two cushions and hit them both at the

same time off the second cushion. If he hits one of them, he's sure to

put one on. As long as he hits one he's OK. He didn't hit it well

enough, did he? He would have loved to have hit the split of two reds

and push them both into play. A big target that to make the cannon. A

little bit disappointed there for Joe. Should have hit that better.

He's got the blue, which wasn't intended. I don't think this red

will pass. So no danger, but it's given Mark Selby a chance to put him

in trouble. That flew off the cushion.

Straightened it out a bit. A slow start, this match, just a

point in it. Good safety shot. Hard to judge when

that red is close to the cushion there.

Swing it round the back of the black here, if he wants to, and get in

round behind the blue. Tough shot. Where is that red going? Has he

fluked it? No. Another chance for Joe Perry.

Mark couldn't cater for that really. He played a very good safety. Got

the cue ball exactly where he wanted it. Didn't expect that red to go in

the middle. That's fine. Plenty of angle to get

out for either red. The only thing that looks awkward

here is where the blue is in relation to the yellow. Apart from

that, not many colours on the spots. Only the black and green. At least

they are all in the open. Yeah, probably play for the blue. It

passes the yellow off this last red. That makes obviously the yellow a

lot easier. He has finished perfect to do that. Up-and-down off the top

cushion, if he can't hold it. 15 in front. This will be 16. This

is a terrible white. This could kiss the green.

Didn't hit that well at all. He's perfect on the green. . He just

jabbed at that one a little bit. Not ideal to get perfect on the

yellow here. From there, I'm not even sure he can

pot it. Good escape from the snooker. The

chance gone. Clear-cut opportunity there.

Mark Selby, 19 points behind. 27 left on the table.

We will make way for scrum five Live. A century from Barry Hawkins

has put him 1-0 up against Marco Fu. We will be back at 10.00pm with the

best of the quarter-final tonight. We will see you after Sport Wales at

10.00pm on BBC Two Wales. From all of us here at the Newport Centre, a

very good evening.