28/02/2014 Snooker: Welsh Open

Good evening. It is quarter finals night at the Welsh Open and when you

were with us last, we saw the start of the game between Joe Perry and

Mark Selby. Perry took the first frame. It was a scrappy affair. We

are going to join the match in frame two. Selby is at the table.

He has picked up his pace a bit. He has had spells but where he drags

himself down and takes too long the shots. He is doing that because he

is perhaps not comfortable. On the other hand, he has taken his rhythm

out. Has to take a bit of time on this, it is a tough shot. He almost

brought the other red into play. Once again, we have seen someone at

miss a chance and leave a ball on straight after it.

Breaks of 41 from Joe Perry in this frame. 34 Mark Selby. -- 30 four

Mark Selby. He might try and move the red out,

there is room behind it to try and put it on to the cushion. The way

they are cueing, they need to get this into open play.

He tried to drop behind it. He needs a good shot.

Did not commit to get close to the yellow. It has taken him to a safe

position. A player like Mark Selby, who is excellent at getting smokers,

would like to put this yellow away. -- snookers.

We will rejoin the match now in frame three and Mark Selby as 11

points up. That is not even in. This is very

strange. I do not think I have ever seen him start a match this badly.

That was easy by his high standards. He will not get many better chances

than this to go in front and a major tournament. He will have to do a lot

with the cue ball to keep this going. Just coming around to see if

he can come in the red. He will see if both those reds will pot. If so,

he will play the cannon. Joe Perry is one of those players

you would like to see when a ranking event, he is a hard-working player,

always gives his best. He is in the semifinal.

He has got the all round game to win a major tournament and one day, he

may well do, but the slightly suspect, if his opponents get the

run of the ball, he is like me, he will run -- nod his head and think

why is this happening? His temperament is getting better. He is

improving in that area. He is better than he used to be.

He did well to when that last match, the way his body language was

betrayed. There are circumstances there, I am afraid!

Right in the middle of them. Mark Selby is flattered to deceive in

this frame. Looks like he has the perfect angle

on this red to run through the black again. This looks like it will be

3-0. You know how good Mark Selby is in these matches. It is the best of

nine, it has been the best of seven all week until today.

He never plays it smoothly. A very good break builder, in and around

the black and the pink spot, he is very good.

Can Joe Perry go on to make a century?

It will be tough to get one with the last two reds are -- reds. 188 in

total. -- 108. What a shame. He will not be too

worried, he has played steady in the opening frames. That is the best one

so far, Joe Perry has a 3-1 lead. He extended his lead to 4-0 in the

interval. Mark Selby was in deep trouble, so let us go to frame five.

Joe Perry is the next to play. He may go through the gap there.

Black looks as if it is available in the corner.

One step at a time, as they say. Long way behind, but he can only

play what is in front of him, do as well as he can and see what happens

from there. APPLAUSE. He was not 100% sure

there. It has gone in. With all these top players, they

will continue to play the right shot, whether it costs them the game

or not. That is why they are top players, others do not.

Very important for Mark Selby to put a good break together, not only for

his own belief, but to give Joe Perry something to think about. That

was awkward. No need to play into the pink,

because he can get onto the red behind the black here.

The top one first, but there are three reds and he can still get onto

the black from anyone. -- any one. It does not part, I am surprised he

did not play for at that last red off the blue. -- pot. He has come

out with a plan, he will have a go at everything. He hit the pink

perfectly and luckily for him, it is in a position he can get onto the

black without a problem. He is not feeling comfortable, I

know that both Mark Selby and Marco Fu spent time in the practice room.

By far and away, the biggest break from Mark Selby so far. As Terry

mentioned, he would love to make a big break to give himself some

self-belief. Normally we would be saying that

Mark Selby would be the strong favourite to make a sizeable break

and when the frame at this visit, but the way he has played so far, we

are reluctant to say that. That is a bit more like it from Mark

Selby, looking a bit more positive. He is more positive in his shop

choice and execution, very good. -- shot.

The interval can come to your rescue at times. 4-0 earlier in the week,

he would have gone home. It is strange how intervals can

change matches. There have been so many matches which changed at the

interval, I am sure it the way Mark Selby was feeling, if it had carried

on, Joe Perry would have won 5-0. A little unfortunate there, but the

pink is available. It is almost normal service resumed,

but there is still a ridiculous amount of snooker needed.

No century, but he will be more than delighted to have got a frame on the

board, that was an excellent break of 78. He still trails by 4-0. --

4-1. We are going to pick it up in frame six and Mark Selby is 14

points behind. It is amazing, a moment ago you

thought that Joe Perry was leaving the yellow over the pocket and the

next moment Joe Perry has a chance to win the match. If you put this

in, he is bound to be on the green. -- if he puts this in.

Bit of tension out there. He caught the yellow little bit thick and that

did not help, slowed the pace of the cue ball down. It is a bit edgy.

He might get away with this. This is a difficult shot for Joe Perry.

Quite a thin cut. I do not think he can hold for the brown unless he

plays a dead weight which would be risky. It could be pretty

straightforward. Any clip on that brown and he would

have had the chance of potting the ball he needs. Has to get this brown

safe. He is OK. He will be looking to play a good

safety shot here, to try and trap Joe Perry are either with a snooker

or a difficult safety shot. There was no way back for Mark Selby

as Joe Perry went on to win the sixth frame and take the match, it

is the second year in a row he has beaten Mark Selby and he goes into

the semi-finals following a 5-2 victory. I have so much respect for

Mark Selby. He is a true gentleman. As super player, a great win for me.

I would love to get a ranking event under my belt, and this one, all the

players are in it, it is not like a field where a few of them have not

entered, it is the cream of the crop. It means everything to me. A

lifelong dream as a snooker player. It was more comprehensive in the

other seven -- semifinal. Barry Hawkins, he did not drop a frame as

he demolished Marco Fu 5-0 to reach the last four. I did not expect it.

I had to play well to beat Marco Fu. He played well yesterday. I

expected a tough game. Luckily for me, I scored heavily. When you are

playing well, you seem to get that. I am delighted to beat him and be in

the next round. I need to be on top of my game to

have any chance of winning tomorrow. Here is the semifinal draw. Ding

Junhui we will play Joe Perry and the other match is a repeat of last

year's final, Barry Hawkins against Ronnie O'Sullivan. Dominic Dale has

been an interested observer for these quarterfinal matches, are you

surprised at how one-sided both games were? Yes, especially the Mark

Selby match. Joe Perry had always beaten Mark

Selby on home soil. Mark Selby is normally such a consistent player.

First frame he got in early and he looked to me to be striking the ball

well, it shows how wrong you can be, he got outplayed tonight. At risk

victory for Barry Hawkins. Not many people saw that happening -- a

brilliant victory. Marco Fu is a tremendous player. Tonight, it just

did not happen and Barry played consistently. Well done to him. We

have the two big hitters on opposite sides, Ding John Weir and Ronnie

O'Sullivan. I think this will happen -- Ding Junhui. I got the feeling

I'm listening to Barry, he feels he could be on a hiding to nothing. You

would be surprised if it is not the top players who make the final? He

will be gunning for a fifth title, Ding Junhui. I fancy Ronnie

O'Sullivan and Ding Junhui in the final, but I will go for Ronnie

O'Sullivan. Thank you for joining us. We will be rounding up all of

the quarterfinal matches in our highlights programme, that is at

12:35am tonight. Please stay up for that one, but until then, thank you

for watching our programme, we will see you at 12:35am. From all of us

here, good night.