Quarter-finals - Part 1

:00:36. > :00:50.Welcome to quarterfinals day. We still have these guys looking for a

:00:51. > :01:33.place in the last four. This is it and what it is all about,

:01:34. > :01:37.the Welsh Open Trophy. I will not lay a finger on it because I will

:01:38. > :01:40.probably drop it. Dominic Dale, a very good afternoon to you. Who do

:01:41. > :01:44.you think will get their hands on this on Sunday evening? Do you have

:01:45. > :01:50.a hunch now we know it is down to eight players in the quarterfinals?

:01:51. > :01:55.For me the form horse, I suppose, is Ronnie O'Sullivan, but there are

:01:56. > :02:00.great players in this event, Mark Selby, Neil Robertson, and Michael

:02:01. > :02:04.White, who is doing a fantastic job for Wales, saw Ronnie will find it

:02:05. > :02:09.hard if you want to lay his hands on this trophy. How much does it come

:02:10. > :02:14.no down to psychology and mental stuff? Greatly saw. In the later

:02:15. > :02:19.stages of any tournament is the guys with their pedigree, the winners,

:02:20. > :02:23.the past champions -- greatly so. In all sports, not just snicker. It

:02:24. > :02:26.will be top but better for the guys who can make a semifinals because

:02:27. > :02:31.then it will be best of living and the bigger names will provide it

:02:32. > :02:35.more. As you alluded to a few moment ago, a big night for the Welsh man

:02:36. > :02:38.who did superbly by putting the defending champion John Higgins out.

:02:39. > :02:46.How do you rate his chances of getting through to the semifinals?

:02:47. > :02:50.Highly. He was nearly out before, but potted in that do or die moment,

:02:51. > :02:53.which would have given him confidence and since then he has

:02:54. > :02:58.gone from strength to strength, played some tremendous matches. He

:02:59. > :03:02.is in absolute Top Gear at the moment and it will take something to

:03:03. > :03:05.stop him from playing, he plays an attacking game and is a threat to

:03:06. > :03:11.anybody at the moment, Michael White. A big name for him -- big

:03:12. > :03:14.game for him. One of these quarterfinals has already got

:03:15. > :03:24.underway, the match between Neil Robertson, and Ding Junhui we, who

:03:25. > :03:28.lifted this in 2012. Neil Robertson took the first frame and we will

:03:29. > :03:29.pick it up in friend two with Robertson at the table, and no

:03:30. > :04:15.score. If you catch it to thin you can go

:04:16. > :04:17.round the back... Anywhere near the pot.

:04:18. > :04:22.APPLAUSE That is the way to play those kind

:04:23. > :04:26.of shots. They are so proficient now in the long potting department,

:04:27. > :04:30.there is no need to play to get the cue ball back behind. They play a

:04:31. > :04:35.shot for something no, not necessarily a shot for nothing. I

:04:36. > :04:48.saw Neil Robertson in the previous frame this one. Almost identical. --

:04:49. > :04:50.this one. The red above the black is pottable so I good chance to get a

:04:51. > :04:55.frame on the board. The red above the black is pottable

:04:56. > :05:05.so a good chance to get a frame He certainly should get at least 40

:05:06. > :05:14.from here. He needs to get into play. The quick look at that red

:05:15. > :05:19.there. He feels it is not pottable and then he can get onto a colour to

:05:20. > :05:24.break the reds. Already looking to bring the pink into play. That red

:05:25. > :05:28.above the black, not easy to get on, and that is why he is looking, like

:05:29. > :05:32.all these top players, they make every chance chance to win the

:05:33. > :05:39.frame, get into them quickly. I see that in Coventry. He looks like he

:05:40. > :05:48.is playing for the Lewis reds. Very soon he will be getting into that

:05:49. > :06:49.bunch. -- loose reds. Because black and pink are out of play.

:06:50. > :06:55.I am surprised he's not getting into the pink and reds, because just

:06:56. > :06:59.seeing them he is now looking at that one from the black to get onto.

:07:00. > :07:04.If he doesn't get a right angle on it to bring them into play he will

:07:05. > :07:08.have to go after the blue again... He is playing with topspin so far

:07:09. > :07:17.He is playing with topspin so for two up on the black.

:07:18. > :07:30.If he doesn't have the right angle, what is he going to do here?

:07:31. > :07:39.Very unlike Ding not to have got into that. At least maybe now he

:07:40. > :07:44.feels he can get onto this red just above the black. We will know when

:07:45. > :07:58.he plays this. He still has plenty to do. Yes, I think he is still

:07:59. > :08:04.playing with a little bit of confidence issues, trying to build

:08:05. > :08:08.his confidence slowly, but surely. Normally he doesn't miss a trick to

:08:09. > :08:12.get into the pack and split them everywhere, but he has taken these

:08:13. > :08:20.nicely, it has to be said. Picking them off one by one. He is running

:08:21. > :08:23.out of options. As each red disappears, without opening that

:08:24. > :08:28.cluster, it will get a lot harder to continue this little effort of his.

:08:29. > :08:32.This is not the Ding we know. He always gets pink and black. He has

:08:33. > :08:36.had three chances to go on to the pink. There is the kiss on the black

:08:37. > :08:46.mouth and it is not guaranteed to work. He feels it is not quite the

:08:47. > :08:56.right angle -- black now. That has worked out pretty well, though.

:08:57. > :09:10.Is the red and pink set right? It is not. Why would he not be thinking of

:09:11. > :09:20.going into them here? I am amazed, I really am.

:09:21. > :09:25.It is a three or four back inch target now to go to the pink and the

:09:26. > :09:38.reds. -- four inch. It just looked

:09:39. > :10:33.absolutely straightforward. He is at the table, though. And counting.

:10:34. > :10:42.As long as this cannon goes right now, potting the red to the right

:10:43. > :10:53.corner and moving the red away from the pink spot, this now becomes a

:10:54. > :11:06.frame winning chance for Devon Shaun Ley -- Kim Jong-un we. -- trick-mac.

:11:07. > :11:20.It was all a bit awkward three or four shots on goal and no it is just

:11:21. > :11:35.about ensuring no silly mistakes -- a frame winning chance for Ding.

:11:36. > :11:46.People might think I have been a bit critical in the way I have -- he has

:11:47. > :11:48.played these but this is not the Ding I know. It is plain sailing

:11:49. > :11:51.played these but this is not the now, OK. Possibly getting in the

:11:52. > :13:56.winning line of this visit. Cardiff. Well supported. Players

:13:57. > :14:02.like playing here. It has a lot to offer, Cardiff. This is probably the

:14:03. > :14:06.most awkward part he has had to play in this break so far. He just

:14:07. > :14:20.walloped it straight in there. You feel if this black goes in it

:14:21. > :14:33.will definitely be the century. Still no problem.

:14:34. > :14:46.So are we going to see Ding Junhui make another century? If he does it

:14:47. > :14:53.will be his eighth of this season, which by his standard is very poor.

:14:54. > :15:03.23 last year. He is a long way behind. But this has been a very

:15:04. > :15:15.good response to the first frame. The first frame was a little bit

:15:16. > :15:16.scrappy. Brown for the hundred. APPLAUSE

:15:17. > :15:59.Very well done. APPLAUSE

:16:00. > :16:07.What a terrific-mac ending for Ding Junhui. Will be feeling much better.

:16:08. > :16:11.All level, 1-1. Yes, it was a terrific-mac break by Ding to level

:16:12. > :16:15.it. Just a reminder, that at this stage in the quarter-finals it is

:16:16. > :16:20.the best of nine frames -- eight terrific break. Let's go to frame

:16:21. > :17:03.three in this match with Ding at the table and no score.

:17:04. > :17:28.What a terrific pot. That was top drawer. Couldn't have played it much

:17:29. > :18:29.better off had it much cleaner. -- or hit it much cleaner.

:18:30. > :18:36.It looks like he is going to have to play slightly more difficult cover.

:18:37. > :18:42.Maybe the Brown, a bit more aggressive. And on pot like this,

:18:43. > :18:54.why shouldn't he be aggressive? No problem. Has it rolled enough? If it

:18:55. > :18:59.has, it's a superb shot. As you can see from that picture, not a lot of

:19:00. > :19:06.room to get through the gap. To screw back the black in the same

:19:07. > :19:12.pocket. A good shot that was, on the brown. He will have to play

:19:13. > :19:17.difficult blue or difficult green and took the more difficult of the

:19:18. > :19:37.three balls -- he would have had to play.

:19:38. > :19:44.Ideally he would love to get on the reds just above the black. I think

:19:45. > :19:51.he has landed a little bit too strict on this black to do that. He

:19:52. > :19:54.will be playing lots at the bottom. He has had a look as well to see if

:19:55. > :19:59.one will go into the middle, which would seem a much easier shot. If

:20:00. > :20:07.not, playing this with a lot of bottom and on the left-hand side.

:20:08. > :20:14.Well, the fooled us all. You look at all the other shots and then played

:20:15. > :20:20.the real straightforward one. -- he looked at. I can't understand why he

:20:21. > :20:33.didn't just play that in the first place. All players look at playing

:20:34. > :20:35.different ways, they all have different styles, their favourite

:20:36. > :20:42.shots and shots we don't particularly like. And he is not on

:20:43. > :20:47.the red we thought he was on, and with that blacks, the top two of

:20:48. > :20:55.them will port, and that is why he is looking at the more difficult red

:20:56. > :20:59.on the side of the pink. -- will pot. Yes, and the one just above it

:21:00. > :21:06.he can play through the gap, back down through the blue. This one,

:21:07. > :21:06.certain to be on the pink, should it going.

:21:07. > :21:12.APPLAUSE This one, certain to be

:21:13. > :21:19.on the pink, should it go in. After the next shot he can go onto

:21:20. > :21:38.the black then try to get onto the second of the two reds straight.

:21:39. > :21:52.Made a magnificent 147 of course in the Masters, ?40,000. He wants to be

:21:53. > :22:01.on that second red straight. A little too hard? Getting down very

:22:02. > :22:05.quickly so it must be OK. And now a chance to win the frame on this

:22:06. > :23:26.visit. It wasn't until then. That is just about perfect. Just

:23:27. > :23:31.slightly hampered on the cue ball, but is it going to do a lot. Just

:23:32. > :23:36.drop the red in, and you might even see him play this on and off the

:23:37. > :23:45.cushion. A little bit more of an angle than it first looked. Yes, it

:23:46. > :23:49.is going to move very close to the black, so he may try to dig down to

:23:50. > :23:51.go round the back and possibly in the same pocket. That is what he's

:23:52. > :24:10.doing. The red over the middle pocket, he

:24:11. > :24:19.would play into the bunch because this is not frame ball as yet, so he

:24:20. > :24:21.will play for the loose red. And now one shot away from making the frame

:24:22. > :24:42.safe. Just looking to see if there are any

:24:43. > :24:46.reds available. Obviously if you pot red, colour, red, Ding will come

:24:47. > :24:51.back to the table, so he really needs to get two reds to stop him

:24:52. > :25:03.going back to his seat. He will see if there is one in the middle. Not

:25:04. > :25:07.going to the bunch from here. He has had a look at the one to the right

:25:08. > :25:14.of the pink in the yellow pocket, after the shot.

:25:15. > :25:22.Running down two cushions trying to get into them. It also could play

:25:23. > :25:34.perfectly. Is he on that one through the gap? It is close. It really

:25:35. > :25:40.could do with this red going in because Ding will carry on if it

:25:41. > :25:45.doesn't. I think he has found something somewhere, maybe the one

:25:46. > :25:49.nearest the pink. Yes, trying to play this end.

:25:50. > :26:34.APPLAUSE .

:26:35. > :26:46.The first frame was very scrappy. Ding Junhui eventually got that, and

:26:47. > :26:58.this break has been superb. Every chance of back-to-backs.

:26:59. > :27:06.It shows you the difference between the two players. Robertson has made

:27:07. > :27:10.450 centuries and this will be his 31st this year. It shows you how

:27:11. > :27:22.Ding has been out in the cold little bit this season. 451 coming up, and

:27:23. > :27:23.his fourth of the tournament. Very well done.

:27:24. > :27:35.APPLAUSE Absolutely superb, that frame.

:27:36. > :27:42.This crowd have been entertained greatly. With Ronnie O'Sullivan to

:27:43. > :28:36.come. What an afternoon of snooker they are going to have.

:28:37. > :28:46.APPLAUSE Magnificent. That break from Ding,

:28:47. > :28:53.and Neil Robertson was superb as well. He finishes on 140.

:28:54. > :28:58.STUDIO: Back and front end in some style, Neil Robertson. I can tell

:28:59. > :29:03.you the Aussie also took the next frame, helping him to a 3-1 lead and

:29:04. > :29:13.the players are now at their mid-session interval, so we will be

:29:14. > :29:17.rejoining them live very shortly. We have just had Ding Junhui up here in

:29:18. > :29:21.fact practising in that mid-session interval, just brushing up on one or

:29:22. > :29:26.two things, Dominick. But Neil Robertson looks like a man who is in

:29:27. > :29:31.the zone, in the groove, and on a mission? Is. I think once you get to

:29:32. > :29:35.the quarterfinals stage the turn it really belongs to the top players, a

:29:36. > :29:40.couple more matches closer to the final. This is what we would call a

:29:41. > :29:44.normal distance match. This fifth frame will be big for both players.

:29:45. > :29:48.A bit of daylight now for Neil Robertson so it is all imported for

:29:49. > :29:51.Ding I think, especially because he is a little bereft of confidence of

:29:52. > :29:55.late and need a good performance to get that confidence back so that

:29:56. > :30:00.frame is a big one for him I think, more than four Neil. We saw him here

:30:01. > :30:05.a few mods ago. What do you do during the interval? Do you just

:30:06. > :30:09.like to sit and think, come to the practice table, what you think?

:30:10. > :30:12.Everyone is different. I actually find the more technically minded

:30:13. > :30:17.players are the ones more likely to come up here to the practice table.

:30:18. > :30:22.Someone like Ronnie the more natural players, I would expect him to be up

:30:23. > :30:23.there. He is a natural player and you just expect him

:30:24. > :31:05.there. He is a natural player and right out there. Normally it 3-1

:31:06. > :32:21.Ding, one of the wettest place in the

:32:22. > :34:04.He would want to go there any time soon. That is what he is facing. --

:34:05. > :34:14.he would not want to. Normally very good in the long game department. It

:34:15. > :34:18.has been very strange for King Junhui, his demise over the last is

:34:19. > :34:26.not so. He had that terrific run -- for Ding Junhui. He has been very

:34:27. > :34:34.quiet since then. Loss of confidence, loss of form. He has

:34:35. > :34:48.shown promise this week. A couple of good wins, played very well.

:34:49. > :34:57.That is unlike Neil to play the shot as they shock to nothing there. He

:34:58. > :35:05.probably felt pretty good but having had 15 minutes off, they are not

:35:06. > :35:10.easy shots to play. Going back to that conversation Darren was having,

:35:11. > :35:17.he did win a PTC at the end of last month in China. That put him in the

:35:18. > :35:53.Champion of champions. Still not in the top 16 for definite.

:35:54. > :36:01.That is unforgivable. For a player of his class to miss that shot. Just

:36:02. > :36:05.an ordinary shot, that was impossible not to get onto the rate

:36:06. > :36:31.nicely. It shows what a bit of tension in the arm can do. Careless.

:36:32. > :36:46.No mistakes the second time. Wouldn't touch the sides. Straight

:36:47. > :36:56.in. A couple of reds out in the open. Reds around the black. Causing

:36:57. > :37:07.him problems there. The pink is not really available, so might decide to

:37:08. > :37:12.just play of this blew into the pink, try and develop some reds and

:37:13. > :37:27.develop the pink into a better position. Dropping on the loose one.

:37:28. > :37:30.Can't blame him for doing that. But it didn't feel there was any value

:37:31. > :37:39.in going into the pack but he is going to have to go into them sooner

:37:40. > :37:42.or later. Ideally he would want to get onto the Redd, just to the right

:37:43. > :37:49.of the black ideally, in a way that he can pot it and move the red away.

:37:50. > :38:20.A bit of work to do. For he is in that position.

:38:21. > :38:26.May have to take the choice now after potting this next red and

:38:27. > :38:41.getting high on the blue. The perfect angle to do just that.

:38:42. > :38:45.May decide to go on to the punch to the left of the pink, might not

:38:46. > :38:50.bother to play the thing. The forces through those, he has every chance

:38:51. > :38:57.of not only pushing one on the left-hand corner but also being on

:38:58. > :39:03.the one just to the right the black. He is worried about making a plant,

:39:04. > :39:08.I think. If that's the case, just play the cannon into the two reds.

:39:09. > :39:11.That is what he is worried about, going in-off the other red. If he

:39:12. > :39:16.plays into the two reds to the left of the pink, that plant goes along.

:39:17. > :39:51.It is one of those occasions where he might not play into the pink.

:39:52. > :40:07.He wanted to slide past the blue there. Neil as a player doesn't mind

:40:08. > :40:10.leaving himself a little bit of distance. He has the angle to force

:40:11. > :40:18.this around with the red just above the pack. He has overhit that by a

:40:19. > :40:32.long way. You think you would like to have that one back again.

:40:33. > :40:38.Fit me he would have potted the blue and ended up snookered, he would not

:40:39. > :40:41.have believed it. Can he get through to the second red away from the

:40:42. > :40:50.black? He may be of the hip that very, very thin. He has decided

:40:51. > :40:54.against that, just screwing into the bunch. He could have possibly hit

:40:55. > :40:56.the red thin. He knows this is a short as long as you get into the

:40:57. > :41:26.bunch you should not leave a red on. Just a total miscalculation there.

:41:27. > :42:05.He has caught the red way too sick. A good strike. Just landed a little

:42:06. > :42:12.bit awkward with his cueing. It is his own cue with AQ extinction. -- a

:42:13. > :42:39.cue extension. I think he feels he has had a bit of

:42:40. > :42:46.a bad contact. Load off the question. All of the pace was taken

:42:47. > :42:50.out of the cue ball. -- off the question. Still on the red but it is

:42:51. > :42:53.just a bit more awkward for him now. The natural angle would take him

:42:54. > :44:17.down towards the blue. Still not quite straightforward just

:44:18. > :44:25.yet. Only a couple of shots away. From this being a real good chance

:44:26. > :44:36.to win this frame. Just needs to keep tight control of the cue ball.

:44:37. > :44:41.Yes, it was a frame that Ding really needed to win to have any

:44:42. > :44:51.aspirations of winning this match will stop highly unlikely. It can be

:44:52. > :45:00.done of course but highly unlikely. 45 points in front.

:45:01. > :45:05.Always difficult when you are cueing down on this, if you put a bit of

:45:06. > :45:11.unwanted side on you can miss these things. Straight into the middle of

:45:12. > :45:46.the pocket. Looks like that was the last of the

:45:47. > :45:52.pottable reds. He has got an angle on this blew to play the cannon.

:45:53. > :45:55.Don't go into the pink, go into the red, that is exactly what he has

:45:56. > :46:29.played, exactly what he has got, excellent shot. APPLAUSE

:46:30. > :46:36.The pink put some 64. There will be no heroics here with the pink. He

:46:37. > :46:45.will play a little cannon abut the key thing is making sure you are

:46:46. > :46:52.clear of the thing. Just playing a little-known John the red. He has

:46:53. > :47:06.got past the winning post in this frame.

:47:07. > :47:13.And that shot will leave Ding sitting in his chair whatever the

:47:14. > :47:21.equation is in the next few pots. Get another chance for a century.

:47:22. > :47:33.The could have had four on the trot. Plenty of balls on.

:47:34. > :47:46.Can probably do play the cannon again. Swing it around to cushions,

:47:47. > :47:49.if you missed the kiss, he has played to pot the red in the middle.

:47:50. > :47:58.But he has done more than enough, Neil Robertson goes one away from

:47:59. > :48:02.victory now. He leads 4-1. STUDIO: So Neil Robertson one frame away

:48:03. > :48:07.from victory in this match. Always very hard to read, Neil Robertson,

:48:08. > :48:10.what is going through his head, but he is just going through the thing

:48:11. > :48:16.very mechanically and methodically, and he is getting the results, isn't

:48:17. > :48:20.he? He reminds me of a modern day Steve Davis, very technically good,

:48:21. > :48:25.a beautifully flat cue action. And his transition from ringing the cue

:48:26. > :48:29.back to releasing the grip and putting it back on the cue is the

:48:30. > :48:34.best I have ever seen. That leads to perfection in timing. When Niall is

:48:35. > :48:37.at his best, he is as hard to beat someone like Ronnie O'Sullivan, who

:48:38. > :48:42.also when he is at his best is just almost unplayable. He is supremely

:48:43. > :48:47.confident at the moment, unlike Ding, who looks a little bit ginger.

:48:48. > :48:51.He has been very over careful, cautious about everything. If you go

:48:52. > :48:54.back a couple of seasons when Ding was at his best, winning five

:48:55. > :48:58.ranking events, he would have been more competitive in this match. He

:48:59. > :49:00.has been playing some shots that perhaps we would not have seen him

:49:01. > :49:04.playing 34 years ago. perhaps we would not have seen him

:49:05. > :49:05.at a couple of these here this yellow.

:49:06. > :49:43.at a couple of these here this It is up to Neil Robertson to go and

:49:44. > :50:56.when it from here. Let's go back to the commentary box.

:50:57. > :51:00.when it from here. Let's go back to of a 147, Ronnie Wood be, but it is

:51:01. > :51:10.more important for Ding to stay in the match. Maybe Ronnie Wood go for

:51:11. > :51:37.a 145 instead. He has already have a 146.

:51:38. > :51:52.He might do it himself, Ronnie, he is still in. I read a leading

:51:53. > :52:00.article that one of the leading bookmakers is offering 100,000 to

:52:01. > :52:08.Ronnie if he gets one. Takes a lot of pressure off. He would like to

:52:09. > :52:12.win frames easy. If you win them at one visit, you don't put through as

:52:13. > :52:17.much pressure. It is when you start adding 40 point each, it puts a lot

:52:18. > :52:42.of pressure on you. If you win at one visit, there is no pressure.

:52:43. > :52:50.You probably saw the cue ball bounce. Not too bad. As the cue ball

:52:51. > :52:58.travelled, just look at the way it bounced. It would have ran to three

:52:59. > :52:59.more inches. I think he is OK to go around the back of the black into

:53:00. > :53:13.the same pocket. Yes, he is. So much so, he can aim for the

:53:14. > :53:15.opposite corner. A little cannon here and then he may start thinking

:53:16. > :53:30.about the 147. As long as he hits them for ball.

:53:31. > :53:36.The two reds that are touching just above the black. Doesn't have to

:53:37. > :53:39.play this pacey. Normally you play them quite pacey when you go into a

:53:40. > :53:47.bunch but because they are split apart, bound to be going to the

:53:48. > :53:52.opposite corner. Played it a different way to what I was

:53:53. > :54:00.thinking. Still on a red. Might even be a body get onto a black now.

:54:01. > :54:06.Don't think so. Yes, and I think if he was 4-1 up in this match and not

:54:07. > :54:09.4-1 down, he would be playing the shot to the right, with a lot of

:54:10. > :54:15.right-hand side to swing it down for the black. The fact he is 4-1 down,

:54:16. > :54:24.I would be very surprised if he did not play up for the pink for the

:54:25. > :54:27.blue. He has, he has played the running side shot back for the

:54:28. > :54:55.black, so it is fair to say he has got the maximum. On his mind.

:54:56. > :55:19.He has had five in tournament play, 147s. O'Sullevan think is 13 now.

:55:20. > :55:27.This could be a little bit of a confidence booster to get Ding's

:55:28. > :55:36.season on track. You always need something to knock yourself into

:55:37. > :55:42.gear. He is undoubtedly one of the game 's great breakers, and I don't

:55:43. > :55:52.say that lightly. There are only four or five in the game and he is

:55:53. > :55:57.one of them. Yes, and without giving him commentator's curse, the balls

:55:58. > :56:09.are absolutely perfect. There is nothing on the site cushions.

:56:10. > :56:14.He has potted enough so that Neil Robertson can't win this game. Neil

:56:15. > :56:25.Robertson will be in his chair, cheering him on. Needs to be high on

:56:26. > :56:29.this, and he is. That is a great shot. If he had been low there, that

:56:30. > :56:37.would have been end of maximum, but he has got high. I think there are

:56:38. > :56:45.two of these reds to pot. Can he get through the gap, which would in turn

:56:46. > :56:48.open up the other two reds. But he will take the other one, it is still

:56:49. > :56:50.OK for the black. You don't want to risk anything yet, you are not over

:56:51. > :57:06.the winning line yet in this frame. He just needs one more red to make

:57:07. > :57:15.the frame safe, then he can play a risky shot if necessary to get onto

:57:16. > :57:21.the black. Just a little bounce, he is on the one in the middle.

:57:22. > :57:29.The art of break-building, always get the right angle on the next

:57:30. > :57:36.ball, to make it easy to get onto the black in this case. Ideally he

:57:37. > :57:41.would love to get onto reds here but on and off the cushion, obviously

:57:42. > :57:45.there is a loose one he can get on but if he can get that loose one to

:57:46. > :57:49.get the other red that is there, he will take that one first, and that

:57:50. > :57:53.is what he has played for. That opens the other two reds. Now he

:57:54. > :57:58.doesn't have to play any case, any cannon, to make the 147. That was

:57:59. > :58:08.brilliant, the way he played that shot. Yes, if anything, Neil will be

:58:09. > :58:16.cheering him on now. He knows he has lost the frame. Landed a little bit

:58:17. > :58:21.straighter on that black then he would have liked, but he has played

:58:22. > :58:29.it ever so well. He is back in perfect position. This is now

:58:30. > :58:34.turning into a real great chance. Short this time. He can play for the

:58:35. > :58:38.red, or the two reds in the left-centre, or he can play the more

:58:39. > :58:45.tricky shot, with a trace of right-hand side and swing past the

:58:46. > :58:46.two reds. But it is not a nice shot to play, and definitely not at this

:58:47. > :59:04.stage. He opted for the easier option. It

:59:05. > :59:10.has made this red a little more tricky. He is back in perfect

:59:11. > :59:27.position once again. A little bit of bounce, that is a

:59:28. > :59:34.poor shot, goodness me. OK, he is on the one in the middle but it is not

:59:35. > :59:41.the right angle. Yes, his face tells a story there, he has to dig down on

:59:42. > :59:51.this, go round the back of the black probably. Come on, Ding. It is

:59:52. > :59:54.there. Well played. That is the first difficult shot he has had to

:59:55. > :59:57.play in this break, that's how good this break has been. That's the

:59:58. > :00:07.first time he wasn't perfect on a ball.

:00:08. > :00:14.This Cardiff crowd maybe feel they have been slightly cheated out of a

:00:15. > :00:21.147 early in the week. This, now, is an unbelievable chance. Don't be

:00:22. > :00:25.straight, don't be straight. A little shake of the head. He has got

:00:26. > :00:28.a slight angle, he can't get close to the yellow. He needs to get loads

:00:29. > :00:46.of side on this to widen the angle. He couldn't get close to the yellow.

:00:47. > :00:49.APPLAUSE If he had plotted the black in the

:00:50. > :00:51.left-hand side of the pocket he would have gone wider with the cue

:00:52. > :01:13.ball. Well done. The white is not hard

:01:14. > :01:22.enough though. He doesn't have to do anything with the cue ball, just pot

:01:23. > :01:27.it plain ball. Now the crowd, as you can see, are smiling and hoping.

:01:28. > :01:41.These two girls in the front row, all their fingers crossed.

:01:42. > :02:00.Well played, Ding. Didn't have to do anything with the cue ball. Slow

:02:01. > :02:09.down, white. He needs the right to slowdown. It is never easy, this

:02:10. > :02:14.game. In and out, not guaranteed to be perfect, but he will have some

:02:15. > :02:30.sort of shot on the pink. Getting close to it. They are praying.

:02:31. > :02:34.Do you play in and out or do you just roll it in? That is the choice

:02:35. > :02:47.he has got. Oh, dear. This pink for ?12,000. And

:02:48. > :03:22.I am sure he will pop the black. It's their! What a fantastic shot on

:03:23. > :03:33.the pink. Every chance of making his six maximum in competitive play.

:03:34. > :03:39.Absolutely wonderful! What a fantastic break! He offers his hand

:03:40. > :03:43.and congratulations. The crowd are standing. They love it here in

:03:44. > :03:58.Cardiff. Back in the match with the 147. Although he still trails 4-2.

:03:59. > :04:02.What a wonderful break. First class. Well, well. What a way to drag

:04:03. > :04:07.yourself back into the game, 4-2. Ronnie O'Sullivan mate have turned

:04:08. > :04:13.out 147 but not like that -- may have turned out. That is his six

:04:14. > :04:17.maximum, in fact, bringing him level with John Higgins on the list of

:04:18. > :04:22.all-time maximums, third in fact, for Ding Junhui. Tremendous stuff.

:04:23. > :04:28.The crowd willing him on and that was a great clear up. I liked Willie

:04:29. > :04:33.there, only out of position once. I was worn out watching that. When it

:04:34. > :04:36.is plain sailing and they are always in perfect position you do not get

:04:37. > :04:41.it so tense because you are expected to do it but when you are out of

:04:42. > :04:45.position as often as Ding was on the college there, you stress for him,

:04:46. > :04:51.knowing all these shots are pressure balls and striking that is difficult

:04:52. > :04:58.-- on the college there. That was fantastic for Ding and if anything

:04:59. > :05:01.is the Kit -- kick-start his season it will be something like that.

:05:02. > :05:08.You're getting sweaty palms watching that? Yes. He said he was low on

:05:09. > :05:14.confidence earlier on but he did not look like a playable on confidence.

:05:15. > :05:17.When you are behind, you have a different psychology. But Neil, he

:05:18. > :05:22.wobbled it, they would have had that opportunity himself but when he

:05:23. > :05:27.missed he left him right amongst the balls and at 4-1 down Ding is

:05:28. > :05:32.probably going out there to be himself, be natural, be calm. Not in

:05:33. > :05:36.the match competitiveness yet. If he wins the next frame he certainly

:05:37. > :05:39.will be, someone in Ding's class. Goodness knows how he will be

:05:40. > :05:44.feeling right now, probably tense, quite shaken a little. Who knows,

:05:45. > :05:48.everyone is different, but it is not easy to go out and perform like that

:05:49. > :05:54.for the next frame. We can show you how the crowd were feeling, as he

:05:55. > :05:57.was clearing up the table, real pension in the arena. Say a Little

:05:58. > :06:04.prayer! He got there and got the ?10,000 of course that Ronnie didn't

:06:05. > :06:09.quite fancy earlier in the week. I don't know how he will feel about

:06:10. > :06:13.that, Ronnie. A brilliant performance. Well done, Ding. Just

:06:14. > :06:18.the thing he needed and hopefully that will be the platform for him to

:06:19. > :06:23.perform better for the season now, the lead up to the World

:06:24. > :06:26.Championships in April. A difficult one, leading and then behind, you

:06:27. > :06:34.feel elated, punching the air. But you're still trailing 4-2. A

:06:35. > :06:39.difficult position to be in? I remember Stephen Hendry, I think in

:06:40. > :06:42.the world champion shes, he made a 147 against John Higgins, I think it

:06:43. > :06:48.was, in the second round or something and carried on making it

:06:49. > :06:53.thes, 70s and 90s right afterwards and Stephen Hendry had the class to

:06:54. > :06:58.do that. The 147 tended not mean everything, like it would do someone

:06:59. > :07:02.of a lower ranking. They get 147 and Arsenal elated they can't

:07:03. > :07:06.concentrate in the next frame, but Ding is a bit like Stephen Hendry, a

:07:07. > :07:13.fantastic performer first doing it. He can make those breaks quite

:07:14. > :07:18.often. It happened to Ding couple of years ago in the final when Ronnie

:07:19. > :07:22.cleared it with a 147 to beat him on the 2014 final. He still has work to

:07:23. > :07:29.do if used to get there again, Ding Junhui, despite that fantastic 147.

:07:30. > :07:33.Let's go back to the match. DARREN MORGAN: Well, well, well. We

:07:34. > :09:30.have seen it all now. Absolutely fantastic.

:09:31. > :09:35.of distance between both balls. Playing this the nature of the pot,

:09:36. > :09:43.will have to do nothing with the cue ball. It will naturally come back up

:09:44. > :09:48.towards the bulk colours. He has had a bonus now. If that pink goes into

:09:49. > :09:57.the left medal, passed that red, he has had a major result there. Surely

:09:58. > :10:06.not. It is not there sometimes, this game, is it? Joe Perry suggested

:10:07. > :10:12.Neil Robertson had a good run at the ball when they were practising in

:10:13. > :10:15.Cambridge, but he was almost apologetic there to Ding, potting

:10:16. > :10:29.that pink. We will show you this shot in a few

:10:30. > :10:33.moments time, when he potted the pink. He pots that pink now and when

:10:34. > :10:38.he is walking round the table he holds his hand up there. You saw him

:10:39. > :10:42.hold his hand up to Ding. He had a bit of good fortune. Can he make

:10:43. > :11:42.that good fortune pay and go on to win the frame on this visit?

:11:43. > :11:49.This is going to start to get interesting now. Not a great pack,

:11:50. > :11:54.really, to go in from the pink. It is a little bit further away from

:11:55. > :12:05.that reds than he would like, and there is a loose red. A good pack to

:12:06. > :12:11.go into from the back. Now he might be forced into going into them from

:12:12. > :12:16.the blue. He has come a bit straight on this red. I suppose he could stop

:12:17. > :12:22.the red dead and leave the cue where it is and then play the pink into

:12:23. > :12:27.the bunch. That is what he is trying to do. This match has been superb,

:12:28. > :12:31.hasn't it? After the first frame, which was very scrappy, but since

:12:32. > :12:35.then it has virtually been one visit stuff. Excellent, it has been. Just

:12:36. > :13:15.played for the loose one, there. Well, depending on what he decides

:13:16. > :13:25.to do, we might even see him going at this blue in such a way... I know

:13:26. > :13:29.a bulk colours. He might be playing off two cushions, trying to develop

:13:30. > :13:37.a couple. That is not bad. Still on the green. The red just to the left

:13:38. > :13:43.of the cluster. It could be on. And the fact he is left-handed as well,

:13:44. > :13:50.so don't the cushion is no problem. He can get on three reds from the

:13:51. > :13:55.screen. -- down the cushions is no problem. A little thin to have

:13:56. > :14:02.played the slow role off the pink. A little thin to have played

:14:03. > :14:30.the slow roll off the pink. He had a very heavy contact there.

:14:31. > :14:34.Short. Couldn't see anything with the replay. You'd think it could be

:14:35. > :14:41.detected but obviously he feels he did not have a very good contact.

:14:42. > :14:50.Now he is left with a real awkward shot, if he is to continue this

:14:51. > :14:55.little effort. This is a thin snick down to the right corner. Hasn't got

:14:56. > :15:00.to do a lot with the cue ball, just make sure of the pot. Straight in

:15:01. > :15:10.the medal, very good indeed. APPLAUSE

:15:11. > :15:14.-- middle. Excellent pot, this, but he will be faced with a real tough

:15:15. > :15:18.one because he will have to face this dead weight to bounce on and

:15:19. > :15:22.off the cushions. The pink will go back onto his own spot on there will

:15:23. > :15:29.be a slight gap to get back through to that remaining red at the top of

:15:30. > :15:31.the pack. You don't -- if he doesn't fancy playing slow he can play off

:15:32. > :15:36.the side cushion and onto the other red. That was a pressure pot, that

:15:37. > :15:40.wasn't easy. And once again a big stroke of luck there. If the pink

:15:41. > :15:47.does not come on top of the Black, there is no problem. A good bit of

:15:48. > :15:49.fortune on the first red, getting on the pink, but this time the pink has

:15:50. > :16:27.been his saviour again. And not too sure at first glance

:16:28. > :16:32.whether he can play this and get back into the pockets. It is a very

:16:33. > :16:46.tough one, playing with pace. Finn this time. Oh, dear. It never rains

:16:47. > :16:48.but it pours sometimes. OK, he had a 147, but he has been very

:16:49. > :16:56.unfortunate on three occasions in this one frame. OK, it is not

:16:57. > :16:57.unfortunate there but unfortunate for them red to stay out of the

:16:58. > :17:16.pocket. -- for the red. APPLAUSE

:17:17. > :17:20.It just travelled a little bit too far for Neil, to be able to get into

:17:21. > :17:37.this cluster of reds. It has been a game of ups and downs,

:17:38. > :17:44.something we don't see very much from Ding. After his 147. He will be

:17:45. > :17:48.enjoying it out there. Obviously you want to win. You can't win all the

:17:49. > :17:54.time, but there are signs he's getting back to his very best. As I

:17:55. > :17:58.am saying that, what a great shot Neil Robertson has just played.

:17:59. > :18:08.APPLAUSE Absolute top drawer. That could be

:18:09. > :18:11.frame and matchwinner. Yes, it is a shame a little bit of luck has had

:18:12. > :18:21.to come into this final frame, because it has been a match of the

:18:22. > :18:24.highest quality. If he pots the blue he will easily miss the kiss on the

:18:25. > :18:28.yellow but it is a case of missing the yellow on the way back as well.

:18:29. > :18:44.He will miss it on the way down but will he miss it on the way back?

:18:45. > :18:50.Only just. Once again, played that bit, pink and black out of

:18:51. > :18:58.commission. S reds, two blues. Then into the semifinal.

:18:59. > :19:22.That was about contact. Watch the bounce. Red took off, didn't it? The

:19:23. > :19:25.easy shot is the screw in between yellow and brown but it needs to go

:19:26. > :19:29.in between yellow and green. APPLAUSE

:19:30. > :19:47.The distance it again, because his frame ball... This is for frame and

:19:48. > :19:52.match. Played as shot to nothing and perhaps regrets now not going for

:19:53. > :20:01.adjusted pot it. Is there a lifeline for Ding Junhui?

:20:02. > :20:56.Still, without snookers, Neil Robertson will be in the semifinal.

:20:57. > :21:02.There was just enough room to sneaking behind the green but as you

:21:03. > :21:05.can see there are, the kiss. I don't know whether he can get through to

:21:06. > :21:10.this long straight red. If he can, he will take it on. It is very

:21:11. > :21:16.tight, isn't it, that? Coming road to look at the one nearest

:21:17. > :21:27.discussion. -- coming round. The cut is the one he's taking on.

:21:28. > :21:33.It is a shame this match has finished early because both players

:21:34. > :21:39.have played very well in this match. It doesn't deserve a 5-2 victory,

:21:40. > :21:43.Neil Robertson. I'm not saying he doesn't deserve to win, he does, but

:21:44. > :21:53.perhaps 5-3 would have been a better reflection of the game so far. That,

:21:54. > :22:05.I'm sure, it's going to be the end. Once again the smile is because of a

:22:06. > :22:09.horrendous kick. Luckily for him he didn't have one at 147. A little to

:22:10. > :22:19.do to get into the top 16 for Sheffield. That puts frame and match

:22:20. > :22:23.beyond any reasonable doubt. Ding Junhui, it is nice to see him

:22:24. > :23:05.playing well again, but his chance of winning the Welsh Open has gone.

:23:06. > :23:26.In the middle part of the match it was literally outstanding. We will

:23:27. > :23:30.be talking about the 147 for many an hour this afternoon and this

:23:31. > :23:36.evening. The handshakes coming. It Mendis match from these two great

:23:37. > :23:42.stars from both sides of the world, ladies and gentlemen, what a

:23:43. > :23:45.fabulous match it was. -- a tremendous match. Neil Robertson

:23:46. > :23:49.goes into the final, the vector, at 5-2.

:23:50. > :23:56.Ian Hunt: A good day therefore Neil Robertson, the first man through to

:23:57. > :23:59.the semifinals of the 2016 Wales Open, very happy, but Ding Junhui,

:24:00. > :24:03.you can only imagine what is going through his head after getting that

:24:04. > :24:07.fabulous 147, but he goes home, having won the trophy in 2012. He

:24:08. > :24:13.will have to wait another year to try to win it again but Neil

:24:14. > :24:19.Robertson, he won it nine years ago, back in 2007, so he is on course to

:24:20. > :24:22.try to repeat that success. So a fine victory in the end for Neil

:24:23. > :24:27.Robertson there. Was it a fair reflection, do you think, the

:24:28. > :24:34.scoreline in the end? Willie. 5-3 would have been a better reflection

:24:35. > :24:40.overall. Yes, I thought 5-2, 5-3, something like that. Neil did well

:24:41. > :24:43.today, his long potting was good, he scores well. Ding did well but he is

:24:44. > :24:47.a little short on confidence. A stepping stone for him perhaps for

:24:48. > :24:51.the rest of the season. He has at a few matches, a few wins, something

:24:52. > :24:56.he was shot off, but it is on words and upwards for Neil Robertson. It

:24:57. > :25:01.is, and as for Ding Junhui, as you say, he needed a confidence left.

:25:02. > :25:07.Can he take it from getting in 147, the first of this tournament,

:25:08. > :25:10.obviously? Both things in collaboration really. I think the

:25:11. > :25:13.147 and get into the quarterfinals. He has obviously won three or four

:25:14. > :25:17.matches this year, something he hasn't done for a while. He did win

:25:18. > :25:21.at an Asian event last year which would have given him some

:25:22. > :25:24.confidence, you would have thought, but the big major over here on

:25:25. > :25:28.British soil, at that, he still struggled. He needs to do something

:25:29. > :25:32.in one of the turn and over here, which he has done here. He will not

:25:33. > :25:35.be happy with the quarterfinals because he is such a great player,

:25:36. > :25:39.has won numerous events and is capable of so much more but it is

:25:40. > :25:42.difficult from relative obscurity to winning the major. There is always

:25:43. > :25:46.that in between step or two and today was one of those. Yes, because

:25:47. > :25:51.mentally perhaps your confidence drains away and you start to lose

:25:52. > :25:56.belief in yourself? Can you do that? You can, but he worked a lot with

:25:57. > :25:59.Terry Griffiths and Ding is a technical player, does everything by

:26:00. > :26:06.the textbook. When you watch him play he looks like he can't miss

:26:07. > :26:08.because he is so still on the shot. You sometimes wonder how on earth he

:26:09. > :26:13.can suffer out there, but he You sometimes wonder how on earth he

:26:14. > :26:53.he is human. Absolutely. We are all human. As for

:26:54. > :28:02.he is human. Absolutely. We are all happy? Yes. The match started off

:28:03. > :28:08.he is human. Absolutely. We are all way? Yes, I think so. He had a

:28:09. > :28:13.couple of tricky shots but all the reds and blacks, they were taken

:28:14. > :28:18.perfectly. The colours, that was very unlike him, you could say, but

:28:19. > :28:24.he pulled off a nice pot on the pink, and a yellow was not easy

:28:25. > :28:29.either. You are into the weekend, into the semis. You feel on top of

:28:30. > :28:32.your game right now? Yes, I think that was an improvement on

:28:33. > :28:37.yesterday, so I have gradually sort of improved as... Let's have a quick

:28:38. > :28:42.look at this, Neil, if we can. Sorry to interrupt you there. This is the

:28:43. > :28:50.moment Ding got it and you briefly graciously his hand, as a fellow

:28:51. > :28:55.pro, taking pleasure in seeing that? Taking pleasure in the crowd, yes.

:28:56. > :29:01.They all want to see that sort of stuff and more guys coming back and

:29:02. > :29:06.making that. Ronnie was delighted their! That is the reason we are

:29:07. > :29:11.chuckling because Ronnie is in the background practising for his game

:29:12. > :29:15.against Mark Selby and he obviously got the 146 earlier in the week.

:29:16. > :29:22.Nice to let someone else make that for a change! Ding has done that,

:29:23. > :29:26.made 145, so he is climbing up there too. And the one Welshman we have

:29:27. > :29:31.indeterminate, Michael White, against Mark Allen. If you see that?

:29:32. > :29:34.A really good match will stop was looking to push on in their careers

:29:35. > :29:37.and win many more tournaments, so both of them were really hungry in

:29:38. > :29:44.that match and I think either of them have not have had the best

:29:45. > :29:50.season so far. Mark has got a couple of finals and won Euro tour event

:29:51. > :29:54.and he wants to get into the next. He is a very special player and I

:29:55. > :29:59.rate him very highly and I think he will be in multiple tournaments.

:30:00. > :30:06.Keen eye on that one to see who you get in the semis? I don't really

:30:07. > :30:16.watch anything. I just go back, chill out. Switch off. The cinema?

:30:17. > :30:19.Yes, that was awesome. Well played today, Neil. Thank you for joining

:30:20. > :30:22.the smack in the studio. As we say, Ronnie O'Sullivan practising here

:30:23. > :30:27.for his game against the world number one Mark Selby, and it is

:30:28. > :30:38.Selby's turn to be put under the microscope. Mark Selby, 2040 world

:30:39. > :30:43.champion. Three times Master champion. A formidable match player

:30:44. > :30:47.these days? He is sort of in the mould of John Higgins, I think he

:30:48. > :30:50.has taken over every department of his game -- every department of his

:30:51. > :30:57.game is top notch. Very difficult to beat. A lot of superior tactical

:30:58. > :31:01.shots and a very clever player. As well as, you know, he can score

:31:02. > :31:05.amongst the best in the world as well which makes them a very

:31:06. > :31:09.formidable opponent. As kids, there has been a lot said and written

:31:10. > :31:13.about the fact we are good mates off the table. We came through the

:31:14. > :31:18.juniors together and as a child he was practically as aware as he is

:31:19. > :31:20.now, you know, he practised a lot with Willie Thorne and a lot of

:31:21. > :31:24.professionals and learned his trade by getting beaten up by

:31:25. > :31:27.professionals all the time. He learned right shots from the wrong

:31:28. > :31:31.shots and as a kid he would not play the wrong shot. He always played the

:31:32. > :31:34.right tactical shot but he could not score alike we could score at the

:31:35. > :31:39.time and then towards his late teens and in his early life as a pro, he

:31:40. > :31:44.then learned how to score. Very accurate. Precision like, surgeon

:31:45. > :31:48.like, good cue para, but of course the one thing the public always

:31:49. > :31:50.picks up on is all of the movement, the head movement, the swaying

:31:51. > :31:56.backwards and forwards, before he actually plays the shot. People say

:31:57. > :32:01.he is moving his head, but it is in the build-up, isn't it? It is his

:32:02. > :32:05.upper body that actually moves. It looks like head movement but it is a

:32:06. > :32:08.action as he switched to and fro with the cue. I know it is something

:32:09. > :32:12.he has worked on over the years but he has an action that repeats and it

:32:13. > :32:13.works. And I think him to try to completely under that now would

:32:14. > :32:34.prove a problem, I think. Even though he has won so much, top

:32:35. > :32:37.of the game, like some of the other players, I don't think he has that

:32:38. > :32:43.don't believe every time he goes out there in himself, which he should

:32:44. > :32:48.do. I wouldn't say he is overconfident player or person. I

:32:49. > :32:52.know he is very technically minded, very interested in the finite

:32:53. > :32:57.minutiae of the technique of how to strike a Super Bowl, grip, pressure,

:32:58. > :33:03.stance, length of backswing, all of that type of thing. He is constantly

:33:04. > :33:06.looking for the secret ingredient, whereas if he just sat back a little

:33:07. > :33:12.and realised he has achieved everything he could have ever wanted

:33:13. > :33:18.to, he would be all right. That is the technical Mawr sysop Mark

:33:19. > :33:20.Selby's game but we are ways like to hear the professional talking about

:33:21. > :33:33.each other so let's get the verdict on Ronnie O'Sullivan from some of

:33:34. > :33:40.the other top guys on the tour. Snooker is lucky to have him, the

:33:41. > :33:45.way he is, also I'm lucky, because of the dedicated himself the way

:33:46. > :33:52.Higgins did and Hendry did, we would see snooker more in a different

:33:53. > :33:54.light. It is a mess of the tour when he is not playing. He is someone I

:33:55. > :34:09.look up to in most things he does. Talent to burn, mentally sometimes

:34:10. > :34:16.not quite there, but that is part of why people come to see him. Jekyll

:34:17. > :34:21.Hyde. That is all I can say, really. When he is on the top of his game he

:34:22. > :34:25.is more or less impossible to bid. On the table, the best player I have

:34:26. > :34:31.ever seen. I would put him in front of Stephen Hendry, the best player I

:34:32. > :34:35.have ever seen. I think most people would agree with that. Off the

:34:36. > :34:39.table, very strange. I find with Ronnie in the last for five years,

:34:40. > :34:44.he has been as mentally as good as he has ever been. I have known

:34:45. > :34:47.Ronnie since he was nine years old, and he came into King's Cross

:34:48. > :34:50.snooker club and I was 14 at the time, and I thought this lad has got

:34:51. > :34:56.serious ability, he was just potting balls for fun. Could have been the

:34:57. > :34:59.best player we have ever seen but currently the record suggest

:35:00. > :35:04.otherwise. On his day, he can beat anyone he wants, when he wants. If

:35:05. > :35:11.he is in the right frame of mind, she can't be beaten. Let's give you

:35:12. > :35:48.the comparison between Mark Selby and Ronnie O'Sullivan.

:35:49. > :35:58.Let's here from the two men. The world number one, Mark Selby,

:35:59. > :36:03.against a man who has been playing some stunning future. It is the

:36:04. > :36:09.world finals. Have to set your eyes on trying to win the title now. You

:36:10. > :36:15.have two Braille top of your game, and take your chances. -- you have

:36:16. > :36:20.to play at the top of your game. There are a lot of things that can

:36:21. > :36:22.determine a match, you need a bit of luck, someone to play well against

:36:23. > :36:27.you at the right time. If you can get through those matches you have a

:36:28. > :36:33.chance of winning an event. People say the standard of snooker now is

:36:34. > :36:37.probably the toughest it has ever been, and Ronnie is 40 years old,

:36:38. > :36:45.still at the top of his game, still winning tournaments. Probably the

:36:46. > :36:49.all-time best. He plays the same against everybody. I kind of ticket

:36:50. > :36:52.personal at one stage, because I thought he probably thinks this is

:36:53. > :36:59.the way to beat me. Know, and I think you noticed that. I think in

:37:00. > :37:02.one of his interviews he said I thought I slowed him down and try to

:37:03. > :37:06.use it as a tactic, but then he said when you watch the other games, he

:37:07. > :37:11.sees that I try that hard against everyone, so it is nothing against

:37:12. > :37:15.him. Definitely not. It is just how he plays, a hard match player, you

:37:16. > :37:20.have to be patient and work for every opportunity. That is why he is

:37:21. > :37:24.world number one, because he consistently performs at every

:37:25. > :37:27.tournament he plays in. It is going to be another really tough match for

:37:28. > :37:32.me but at least now I know it is just how he plays, and he doesn't do

:37:33. > :37:35.it just to get on my nerves. Really looking forward to it. No matter

:37:36. > :37:43.what one that I play Ronnie in, it is or is a great occasion. This

:37:44. > :37:48.tournament will be never different. It really is a mouthwatering match,

:37:49. > :37:50.the Rocket has been on fire once again this week but Mark Selby as

:37:51. > :37:56.well as efficiently going about his business to reach the last eight.

:37:57. > :38:02.Ronnie O'Sullivan against Mark Selby.

:38:03. > :38:09.ANNOUNCER: Amazing scenes in Cardiff for the match everyone is talking

:38:10. > :38:12.about, the world's number one up against the biggest name in the

:38:13. > :38:19.world of snooker, this place in the semifinals. Sit back and enjoy!

:38:20. > :38:22.First up, ladies and gentlemen, the five-time world champion, three-time

:38:23. > :38:26.Welsh Open champion, the biggest talent the world has ever seen, they

:38:27. > :38:53.call him The Rocket, it is Ronnie O'Sullivan! CHEERING

:38:54. > :39:05.Grate and the world number one, Mark Selby!

:39:06. > :39:11.It is one we have all been looking forward to, let's join the

:39:12. > :39:14.commentary team, Terry Griffiths and Willie Thorne. COMMENTATOR: That

:39:15. > :39:19.afternoon, everybody. If you have been watching with us live, you will

:39:20. > :39:24.have witnessed the wonderful 147 from Ding, and now we have the icing

:39:25. > :39:29.on the cake. As the MC just mentioned, the world's number one

:39:30. > :39:32.against the game's greatest player. This is going to be Ronnie

:39:33. > :39:48.O'Sullivan's first real test in this tournament.

:39:49. > :40:03.Always breaks off left-handed, these days.

:40:04. > :40:16.APPLAUSE I think Mark Selby is well aware

:40:17. > :40:21.that his long potting has got bigger against Ronnie O'Sullivan. Perhaps

:40:22. > :40:32.not that time, but if he had mis-hit that one, then you would be leaving

:40:33. > :40:36.O'Sullivan the balls. He doesn't normally leave you much on. Big

:40:37. > :40:42.match, the biggest in the tournament so far? Certainly for Ronnie. Ronnie

:40:43. > :40:49.has been quite favourable with the draw in the opening three games. He

:40:50. > :40:55.came through almost silently until the last game. He played very well

:40:56. > :41:04.in his last game. Not yet got in the form he was two years ago. Had a bit

:41:05. > :41:05.of a quiet season. Not won a ranking event for two years. We although how

:41:06. > :41:28.capable he is. Just added the finishing touches in

:41:29. > :41:33.his home very near mine in Leicester, where he has put a table

:41:34. > :41:36.in. They don't have much time to practice much with the travelling

:41:37. > :41:40.they do, so when you are at home, it is nice to pinch an hour and a half,

:41:41. > :41:42.to our sometimes. I know Terry used to have a table at his home when he

:41:43. > :41:57.was at the height of his career. Always been an avid practice. Yes, a

:41:58. > :42:02.table at home seems like the best thing you have ever had in your life

:42:03. > :42:05.on the first of all, but then you find out it is not quite the same as

:42:06. > :42:14.the snooker club where there is atmosphere and players to play

:42:15. > :42:18.against. It is handy to have one. Especially with players busy on the

:42:19. > :42:30.circuit, like you say. Looking good here!

:42:31. > :42:36.Yes, I talk to Mark at length during his tournament play, he mentioned

:42:37. > :42:41.the mark -- the match at the Masters were Ronnie beaten 6-3, he said he

:42:42. > :42:46.did a miraculous clearance of the final frame. The think Mark was 70

:42:47. > :42:50.point different and he cleared up. It would have been 5-4. He says I

:42:51. > :42:54.would have fancied it from there. He knows he has to get up to a fast

:42:55. > :43:12.start, looks like he is doing just that.

:43:13. > :43:20.He hasn't got the silky smooth cue action of Ronnie O'Sullivan coming

:43:21. > :43:21.get the job done, Mark Selby. He can score a player with the best of

:43:22. > :43:35.them. A little bit short for the desired

:43:36. > :43:36.red. He played a good choice there. Can still get through the gap for

:43:37. > :43:45.the black. A wry smile from Ronnie in the

:43:46. > :44:17.background, he knows that break off was not good enough.

:44:18. > :44:28.We have had breaks of 147, 120. Never ending. Fantastic player. A

:44:29. > :48:18.little bit short again this time. Ronnie O'Sullivan this time admits

:48:19. > :48:22.defeat. A good performance by Selby. STUDIO: Ronnie throwing in the towel

:48:23. > :48:26.flare and by far the strongest test that Ronnie O'Sullivan has had this

:48:27. > :48:34.week obviously. The world number one, he just goes about it in such a

:48:35. > :48:38.ruthless efficient manner. First go, framed winning break. Ronnie is

:48:39. > :48:41.playing someone in Mark Selby that he has great respect for and who he

:48:42. > :48:45.knows can put him under a great deal of pressure so this is the first big

:48:46. > :48:48.test this week for Ronnie O'Sullivan. Of course he can handle

:48:49. > :48:55.it but he knows any mistakes he is likely to make against Mark Selby

:48:56. > :48:59.could be severely punished. If you see some of the other pregnancy has

:49:00. > :49:07.played go 1-0 in front, he knows he has the ability to overcome fairly

:49:08. > :49:13.easily. When you are blowing someone like Mark, you might not have that

:49:14. > :49:16.chance. If Ronnie O'Sullivan makes one mistake, as he did in that

:49:17. > :49:20.frame, he was punished for it, it cost him. That could carry on

:49:21. > :49:26.happening. People have to play well and take his chances when they come

:49:27. > :49:37.along. Selby confidently taking that 1-0 lead. As he breaks off.

:49:38. > :49:42.COMMENTATOR: Sometimes that is the difference, very good break off,

:49:43. > :49:44.Ronnie O'Sullivan made a poor one and was punished for it. Small

:49:45. > :50:09.margins in these two matchplay. Dominic said he was punishing

:50:10. > :50:13.O'Sullivan, and quite right as well. Don't for one minute think that

:50:14. > :50:20.Ronnie O'Sullivan doesn't fight out there. He is very deceptive with his

:50:21. > :50:24.game. It is as if he makes the game look very easy and plays as if he

:50:25. > :50:25.has not got a care in the world but the truth is he's a tough

:50:26. > :51:38.streetfighter out there. Who would like to finish on a low so

:51:39. > :51:42.he can bring a couple of other roads into it. Have a little look at the

:51:43. > :53:03.angle now. Can only bring three or four reds into it. Two.

:53:04. > :53:12.The split is a bit better this time but he is still a little way from

:53:13. > :53:21.the read Paul than he would have liked.

:53:22. > :53:30.Vila just about held up. Look for a minute that he could have been tight

:53:31. > :53:34.blue with nothing on. May have to play a little slow cannon. If the

:53:35. > :53:39.red passes the pink, he will go on that. I was going to suggest just

:53:40. > :53:47.playing a slow cannon into the left of the pink spot, but he has taken a

:53:48. > :53:51.green instead. Or was. It is a bit dangerous winning it by the pack so

:53:52. > :53:52.he may just play a little slow cannon. Let's see which way he is

:53:53. > :54:05.going to play it. That is the art of break-building.

:54:06. > :54:09.When the pack is loose like that you don't have to go into them firm. OK,

:54:10. > :54:11.he may have been fortunate to get into the bottom red but now all of a

:54:12. > :55:02.sudden he can win the frame. This would certainly set Ronnie

:55:03. > :55:06.down. Despite being such a great player community get started out

:55:07. > :55:07.there, you don't want to see your opponent making another break in

:55:08. > :55:18.this one. Not quite sure if you can get on a

:55:19. > :55:25.red here. He may have to split it up. Hit it hard enough to make sure

:55:26. > :55:28.that the cue ball went through the pack. Left him with few options.

:55:29. > :55:45.Looking good now. Yes, we have seen two different

:55:46. > :55:52.breaks through the pack. That time he had to make sure the White was

:55:53. > :56:01.freed from the red. Lovely to watch at the moment, Selby informed,

:56:02. > :56:11.O'Sullivan in form. A colour a certainty. APPLAUSE

:56:12. > :56:17.Warmly appreciated by this crowd. They want as much to go the

:56:18. > :56:21.distance. Most of them would be O'Sullivan fans. I'm sure there's a

:56:22. > :56:25.few Selby fans in the audience as well. An absolute gentleman, Mark

:56:26. > :57:29.Selby. Oh, what a shame that was. He had to

:57:30. > :57:34.hit it hard to get up on that last red, but the Hundred doesn't get out

:57:35. > :57:35.but O'Sullivan doesn't really mind, that 93 has drawn level at one frame

:57:36. > :58:48.in each. We enjoy new just-in-time just to

:58:49. > :58:51.see Rayo Sullivan break for the second time. The first one wasn't

:58:52. > :58:55.good. Let's have a look at how this one finishes. Quickly learned you

:58:56. > :59:07.have to do hit it safe. There is room if he wants to play it

:59:08. > :59:28.but it is fraught with danger. I think the reason Ronnie breaks off

:59:29. > :59:31.left-handed, he feels when he breaks left-handed he will always keep the

:59:32. > :59:35.black in play. You think playing right-handed would be the same but

:59:36. > :59:38.Ronnie has obviously practised many times both ways, and he just feels

:59:39. > :59:46.he gets a better chance left-handed to make the black being free. Very

:59:47. > :59:52.rarely when Ronnie O'Sullivan breaks after is the red go near a black.

:59:53. > :59:57.His just decided to take it on with the smallest of gaps, or is he not,

:59:58. > :00:09.can't tell. There he is, he is taking it on. It was very hard to

:00:10. > :00:34.get back to ball from that. -- back to baulk from that.

:00:35. > :00:46.Not keen on this. He is having a look ground to see what is what. It

:00:47. > :01:07.is a tricky position will shop. You could not blame Mark Selby

:01:08. > :02:16.figuring for the difficult long red. He had no other shot on, really.

:02:17. > :02:26.In an but in the expert of this in short. -- not a great shot but

:02:27. > :02:31.Ronnie is an expert at this kind of shot. He will probably play the

:02:32. > :02:40.blues. Next to the pink... That's the one. Will he just drift off the

:02:41. > :02:44.pack here? It is amazing how those six reds have stayed in a triangle

:02:45. > :03:06.all throughout this break. We know it is five reds, five

:03:07. > :03:13.blacks, but I wonder whether he will try to get a possible 147. A little

:03:14. > :03:15.wry smile there. He knows against someone like Mark Selby, winning the

:03:16. > :05:13.frame is more someone like Mark Selby, winning the

:05:14. > :05:53.smiling in a minute! -- two 147s in the same tournament.

:05:54. > :06:02.Mark Selby of course was 57 points behind. From under the table he

:06:03. > :06:08.hasn't got the black, to go for, really. It may stay there. Quite a

:06:09. > :06:16.while. He needs to clear the pink spot a bit. Going for the blue all

:06:17. > :06:21.the time it will be difficult to win from here, but these days the

:06:22. > :06:28.standard of play is so high with the top professionals they can do almost

:06:29. > :06:37.anything. He has possibly already freed the pink for the left-hand

:06:38. > :06:45.corner. And now you would expect him to get four reds and four colours

:06:46. > :06:53.from here. It depends on what colours he takes. He might not need

:06:54. > :06:57.the black. He is almost certain not to need the black. He could win the

:06:58. > :07:13.game just with pinks and blues. Just checking if there is one

:07:14. > :07:16.available into the middle pocket because he has that kind of angle

:07:17. > :07:22.where he is not bound to bounce it off the top. The two reds onto the

:07:23. > :07:32.pink. Maybe playing the one in the middle. He would love to play it,

:07:33. > :07:36.down the line, but because it is a little thicker, it is so easy to

:07:37. > :07:39.make the cannon onto the two reds, which he doesn't want to do. Just

:07:40. > :07:44.looking at that angle now. What about missing the kiss? You would

:07:45. > :07:48.think it would be a certainty but when you have to take this -- keep

:07:49. > :07:49.the white in the middle of the table. He is playing for the one the

:07:50. > :08:30.middle. He could just about get on these

:08:31. > :08:34.reds in the same pocket as the pink. I thought for one minute he was

:08:35. > :08:47.going the way, but still a good chance. Ronnie O'Sullivan of course

:08:48. > :08:56.had a little bit of a smile when he missed that black, but he want be

:08:57. > :09:00.too happy if he loses the frame. -- he will not be too happy. It now

:09:01. > :09:08.goes without saying he is favourite to lose the frame.

:09:09. > :09:33.A little bit of dust must have just dropped down from the roof and gone

:09:34. > :09:41.into his eye. You better get the old damp cloth out, Mark, and make sure

:09:42. > :09:47.it has gone. A bucket of water is handy. It is not great if something

:09:48. > :09:56.goes in your eye out there. Not saying he couldn't see the ball,

:09:57. > :10:04.but... Just too far on that below. That big staring glare at the

:10:05. > :10:08.cushion. He felt that was a bad bounce. Using all of his cue para

:10:09. > :10:15.know if he's playing around the back of the pink. He played it nicely.

:10:16. > :10:17.APPLAUSE The scoreboard will tell him he does

:10:18. > :10:41.not need the black. That was a key shot, then. It can go

:10:42. > :10:45.wrong when you are screwing back like that, over or under screen,

:10:46. > :10:51.leaving yourself awkward on the green. But straightforward now. --

:10:52. > :11:07.over screwing or under screwing. I just noticed he does neither

:11:08. > :11:12.black! He must have potted a couple of blues when I thought he was past

:11:13. > :11:19.the winning line. -- he does need the black. Mark was making sure. I

:11:20. > :11:26.just automatically thought he would not meet the black. No does he play

:11:27. > :11:33.for double or try to screw in behind it? -- now does he play. He missed a

:11:34. > :11:41.trick there, Mark. He could easily have taken the pink and those blues.

:11:42. > :11:50.He has got a bad contact there. The double is on but I doubt whether he

:11:51. > :12:00.will be playing it. I think he will be playing a safety. He did not want

:12:01. > :12:05.to over screw that. No double. Didn't seem to have a clean contact.

:12:06. > :12:16.A good safety. APPLAUSE

:12:17. > :12:19.You saw Selby then put his finger to his head. He realised he had made a

:12:20. > :12:23.mistake in that break when he thought he did neither black. He has

:12:24. > :12:26.not played this very well. Given he played the double, but to get the

:12:27. > :12:30.black light on the table. He mis-hit it. Mind you, what pressure shot

:12:31. > :12:59.this is, dead straight. Has he looked it? -- fluked it? He

:13:00. > :13:03.will still be kicking himself. He realised as he put his finger to his

:13:04. > :13:13.head he made a mistake in counting. I think he's going to have to take

:13:14. > :13:21.this on. What a remarkable pot on the black! Selby will be kicking

:13:22. > :13:23.himself. Going for a maximum, but in the end Ronnie O'Sullivan wins the

:13:24. > :13:28.black ball game and has the lead, too-when.

:13:29. > :13:31.Ian Hunt: Such a thrilling encounter, isn't it? Unlike all the

:13:32. > :13:36.previous matches these two players have had this week. Hope he will

:13:37. > :13:42.this proves to be? A thrilling end to that. Fantastic frame, that one.

:13:43. > :13:46.It is a battle of wits out there really and Ronnie has just got one

:13:47. > :13:50.Mark Selby there. That was tremendous. Who said he would not

:13:51. > :13:56.miss it. I knew he would go for it. I've member him putting a similar

:13:57. > :13:59.shot, in the Masters final, 2006, or something like that, and he had a

:14:00. > :14:03.similar shot facing him and he potted it. He just loves those shots

:14:04. > :14:06.from under the cushion rail he is able to cure straight through it. I

:14:07. > :14:10.thought if Ronnie picks that black on, I fancy him to knock it straight

:14:11. > :14:15.in. It remains a difficult shot. I don't think anyone would have taken

:14:16. > :14:20.that on but I fancied him. Ronnie going out to take a little break.

:14:21. > :14:24.Obviously having seen Ding Junhui get that 147 earlier on, there we

:14:25. > :14:27.are, Ronnie, the man who turned it down earlier in the week gets the

:14:28. > :14:34.chance to go for it and here he is, going for it, but he ends up missing

:14:35. > :14:38.the black. Yes, well, he did not have to play for a black there, but

:14:39. > :14:43.as soon as he did he is thinking of the 147. With the position of these

:14:44. > :14:48.reds, Ronnie is thinking, if I can just get on these I will make the

:14:49. > :15:00.147. Mavi... In his mind, perhaps, a bit of a conflict -- may be. Do I

:15:01. > :15:06.want a 147? Who knows. But it is Ronnie O'Sullivan who has the

:15:07. > :15:09.initiative now and it will # And is in the lead, 2-1. Let's go

:15:10. > :15:30.back. TERRY GRIFFITHS: He will be

:15:31. > :15:34.delighted, wanted? Yes, and putting his finger on his head, thinking,

:15:35. > :15:39.what a stupid thing to do. Mark did not realise until the colours, that

:15:40. > :15:44.he had miscounted. Just look at this. What a stupid thing to do. He

:15:45. > :15:53.had missed red the scoreboard. Very rare for Mark Selby to make a

:15:54. > :15:56.schoolboy error like that. -- misread the scoreboard. Normally he

:15:57. > :15:58.is the type of player who can put those things to the back of his mind

:15:59. > :16:41.immediately. He has come down this side of the

:16:42. > :16:50.table to have a look at the Reds past the green. There can't be much

:16:51. > :16:53.in it. A big target area at the left-hand side of that pack at that

:16:54. > :17:06.cushion. The problem with that shot is quite

:17:07. > :17:10.straightforward. He didn't hit the ball hard enough for the side to

:17:11. > :17:16.take off quick enough, that's why he hit the pink. This time it is what

:17:17. > :18:00.we see. A little bit slow. A little bit harder, I think he

:18:01. > :18:02.played it, that time. Of course it widens the angle when you put it

:18:03. > :18:08.harder. APPLAUSE

:18:09. > :18:16.Of course it widens the angle when you play it harder.

:18:17. > :18:21.Absolutely packed to the rafters, and of course when we get down to

:18:22. > :18:24.the final there will be some seating put on the left-hand side were at

:18:25. > :18:32.the moment we have the other tableware of matches will be played

:18:33. > :18:45.on two tables tonight. A fantastic arena. So glad the Welsh Open is

:18:46. > :18:56.back in Cardiff. One of the world's great cities now, Cardiff. The

:18:57. > :19:05.greatest! The capital city of Wales. We should all signed up together.

:19:06. > :19:19.It looks as if he tried a plant there.

:19:20. > :19:30.What has changed from our day to this day, Terry, you will never see

:19:31. > :19:38.the raw up touching ball, because the costs are so fine, it is most

:19:39. > :19:46.impossible -- the roll-up. You're leaving a gap, as Selby did there.

:19:47. > :19:47.Yes, because obviously the cloth was thicker and it makes a big

:19:48. > :19:59.difference. Paul just asking whether it touched

:20:00. > :20:33.the green. I don't think it did. I thought he was playing that for

:20:34. > :20:37.the blue then, but the pink is available. Certainly not easy from

:20:38. > :20:50.where the cue ball is. You can see it will be very awkward there,

:20:51. > :20:57.bridging. The back of the pocket. Making it a bit more difficult.

:20:58. > :21:24.Lining the cue up is not quite so easy either.

:21:25. > :21:32.This is where things get a bit tricky in your mind sometimes, when

:21:33. > :21:37.you know you should be 2-1 in front. Mind you, I didn't expect Ronnie

:21:38. > :21:46.O'Sullivan to miss that. I was saying, you might think, now I am

:21:47. > :21:52.3-1 behind, thinking Ronnie might score there. That black being out of

:21:53. > :21:54.commission. Interesting to see whether the pink will go on to the

:21:55. > :23:48.same spot. If the pink goes on its spot and goes out of place...

:23:49. > :23:59.Ronnie is used to playing against Mark Selby's safety, one of the best

:24:00. > :24:04.in the game, no doubt about that. I am not sure if he's up to the Fred

:24:05. > :24:10.Davis type of players. Steve Davis, great safety players. But he is to

:24:11. > :24:15.say to me that to become a good safety player you have to have a

:24:16. > :24:18.long pot as well, and you can understand that because there is no

:24:19. > :24:26.point in trapping somebody then missing along part and leaving him

:24:27. > :24:29.in. I like that. I never looked at it that way, and of course Reardon

:24:30. > :24:49.is one of the game's greats, as you were.

:24:50. > :24:58.That is an excellent safety shot from Selby. Two of the game's great

:24:59. > :25:01.break builders, but also two of the greats on safety play. A brilliant

:25:02. > :25:08.safety shot. Once again space for the possible the screw. Once again

:25:09. > :25:12.no easy red to get back in. He should be attempting to play the pot

:25:13. > :25:17.year but will be more concerned about just hitting the jaws and

:25:18. > :25:21.making sure the cue ball comes back up the table. Didn't get the jaws,

:25:22. > :25:25.but he still has a good white. Well done. -- attempting to play the pot

:25:26. > :26:01.here. GROANS FROM CROWD Has found

:26:02. > :26:05.something here but I can't quite see what it is. -- Mark has found

:26:06. > :26:07.something here. This is the yellow, another perfect safety shot.

:26:08. > :26:33.APPLAUSE O'Sullivan and John Higgins would be

:26:34. > :26:37.two that could compete with Selby in the safety department, but once

:26:38. > :26:41.again Ronnie has his back against the wall. Nothing is

:26:42. > :26:45.straightforward. What else is he going to do this ten? Will he play

:26:46. > :26:54.another deep screw? If he can get to the bottom of the cue ball enough to

:26:55. > :26:57.get back... The only problem with this is he will have to get it

:26:58. > :27:03.really thick to swing a ground which brings the blue back into the

:27:04. > :27:08.equation. That is why he is signing a little come he is not sure if

:27:09. > :27:11.anglers on. He is looking at the left-hand one of the three, but has

:27:12. > :27:17.decided against it, playing the deep screw back in the bulk again. -- is

:27:18. > :27:31.My word. That is unlucky, so lucky he is not on the black. He had no

:27:32. > :27:37.shot on and even Selby is smiling at that. He knows that for an extra

:27:38. > :27:44.inch less pays he would have been perfect on a black. That for me is

:27:45. > :27:57.one of the shots of the tournament, so unlucky. -- inch less pace. For

:27:58. > :28:05.all Ronnie likes the fast open game, he does enjoy the challenge of the

:28:06. > :28:09.safety game. Someone like Selby, Higgins, the top safety players in

:28:10. > :28:13.the game. He does enjoy the challenge, but not too much of it.

:28:14. > :28:18.It was a perfect example, Terry, wasn't it? The red was fraught with

:28:19. > :28:26.danger and he had to play to widen the angle. Just an inch away from

:28:27. > :28:32.being absolutely perfect. No Selby is on the eighth, as far as the

:28:33. > :28:36.safety is concerned. Looking at the three reds Ronnie was looking at, if

:28:37. > :28:44.he plays off the left-hand one of the three it brings the pink, blue

:28:45. > :28:57.and brown back into play. He will have to hit it thick to Mr kiss on

:28:58. > :29:01.the left of the black. -- miss the kiss. It has been an excellent boat

:29:02. > :29:07.of safety this, it really has. It has been an excellent

:29:08. > :29:21.bout of safety this, We have seen a few good bouts of

:29:22. > :29:32.safety in the tournament so far. You have to stay online. It is just OK.

:29:33. > :29:37.It may be thin enough, I think he can possibly just cut this red in. I

:29:38. > :29:43.think he can, Terry. And he will be able to go back round the back of

:29:44. > :29:52.the yellow and back into open play, so he could get on yellow or pink

:29:53. > :29:58.here, off this red. He decided just to play for yellow. He needs the

:29:59. > :30:09.bounce, though. He has just about got the bounce. He stopped, then,

:30:10. > :30:10.didn't he? He thought he wasn't high enough to pop the yellow, but he's

:30:11. > :30:13.OK now. He thought he wasn't high

:30:14. > :30:42.enough to pot the yellow, We have had plenty of break-building

:30:43. > :30:47.for the crowd to look at today. This is an excellent safety. Tactics come

:30:48. > :30:52.into it. Nice bit of variety. I'm not saying we're not going to get a

:30:53. > :31:02.big break here, but very unset, the reds. I just go back to that third

:31:03. > :31:08.frame. Should Ronnie go on to win this frame, Selby will be ruing the

:31:09. > :31:18.third frame way he should have won it.

:31:19. > :31:22.O'Sullivan is very hard to come back from. One of the game's best

:31:23. > :32:37.frontrunners. Bringing the other two reds

:32:38. > :33:04.interplay now. He's OK, the two reds could plant.

:33:05. > :33:48.This is a bit risky. He didn't think so, obviously.

:33:49. > :33:59.Looking like a 3-1 now. In some ways, this has been the best frame

:34:00. > :34:04.of the four, although there was quality all the way through from

:34:05. > :34:08.both players, only because he has had a mix of excellent safety as

:34:09. > :34:15.well as the break-building, that wonderful individual threat from

:34:16. > :34:20.O'Sullivan. He has missed the red, Mark Selby has conceded, so Ronnie

:34:21. > :34:31.O'Sullivan goes into the interval 3-1 in front. STUDIO: So, yes, a

:34:32. > :34:34.strong lead for Ronnie O'Sullivan as the players head into their

:34:35. > :34:40.mid-session interval, but an uncomfortable one for Mark Selby. A

:34:41. > :34:43.different kind of frame, that one. More of a tactical battle in the

:34:44. > :34:48.end, if and to the first three frames we saw. I have been really

:34:49. > :34:52.impressed with Ronnie, because he is almost carrying on where he left off

:34:53. > :34:58.in earlier matches. A tremendous long red in that frame, so unlucky

:34:59. > :35:03.not to get on the black. Ronnie has had an answer so far for everything

:35:04. > :35:06.Mark Selby has thrown at him. He deserves the interval lead and I

:35:07. > :35:09.think it will impress people like Neil Robertson and all the other

:35:10. > :35:11.great players in the tournament to see that Ronnie is performing so

:35:12. > :35:19.well against someone that makes it so difficult for him. Let's have a

:35:20. > :35:26.look at that long red. Ronnie doesn't feel he has a safety shot on

:35:27. > :35:34.there. Maybe a couple out of ten, in terms of percentages.

:35:35. > :35:39.Your very tunnel vision, and you understand that it is not going you

:35:40. > :35:44.could well lose the frame, but what a fantastic pot it was. Do you

:35:45. > :35:51.deserve not deserve to be on a colour after a great pot like that?

:35:52. > :35:56.It is open to debate. Scott back in late in the frame and won it in one

:35:57. > :36:00.go. We keep talking about the genius of Ronnie O'Sullivan, it is the

:36:01. > :36:06.arrogance of top players as well, knowing that they have the

:36:07. > :36:13.confidence to play a shot like that. It is backed up by multi-ranking

:36:14. > :36:20.event victories. He is full of confidence, Ronnie O'Sullivan,

:36:21. > :36:23.coming into this event. I am sure a lot of the public is well aware of

:36:24. > :36:26.what he has been saying in social media, he is having fun, and you're

:36:27. > :36:34.still having fun, in spite of the fact he is playing the world number

:36:35. > :36:42.one, in Mark Selby. There he is behind this, practising, he wants to

:36:43. > :36:47.brush up on a few things. Mark needs to win the next frame. The next

:36:48. > :36:53.frame for Mark Selby is very important. If you can somehow start

:36:54. > :37:00.the next frame, frame five, really well, and win it, she is right back

:37:01. > :37:10.in the match at 3-2. Mark Wood have to rely on a few errors if it was

:37:11. > :37:15.4-1. Ronnie O'Sullivan with one tentative foot in the semifinals.

:37:16. > :37:19.Tonight there are two matches with Welshman Michael White playing Mark

:37:20. > :37:26.Allen, and Joe Perry against last year's runner-up, Ben Wollaston.

:37:27. > :37:28.Let's show you how Joe Perry made it through, his match against Judd

:37:29. > :37:39.Trump last night. We will lead it with trump 3-2 up on a break of 39.

:37:40. > :37:45.COMMENTATOR: He has missed the pink. Might even be snookered here, unless

:37:46. > :37:49.it roles. Snookered. That has gone a bit astray. He played a very clever

:37:50. > :37:53.shot to put the blue on the pink spot. If he had come down and put a

:37:54. > :37:54.half ball on it, he could have moved the ball easily but that has now

:37:55. > :38:09.gone. He will be more than happy with

:38:10. > :38:17.that. Joe Perry will be mightily relieved.

:38:18. > :38:27.I can't think of many players that would have played from the brown.

:38:28. > :38:38.Surely across stubble is a shock to play.

:38:39. > :38:44.Putting all his eggs in one basket there and he wasn't far away. If he

:38:45. > :38:47.had caught that pink half ball, he would have been perfectly on the

:38:48. > :38:52.blue. He has played a dream shot again and has moved the pink to the

:38:53. > :38:55.middle of the pocket. Joe Perry will be filling the worst, a real thin

:38:56. > :39:16.step but what a shot that was. In goes the thing. Needs to miss the

:39:17. > :39:26.black. No smile on the face of Joe Smart -- Joe Perry at all. Maybe a

:39:27. > :39:46.little glint of a smile. All to play for.

:39:47. > :39:52.Disappointed he didn't get a more favourable cannon on the black.

:39:53. > :39:59.Across to the players on the next table. Joe has made a good job of

:40:00. > :40:16.that. Could be a difficult situation when he comes to the table next.

:40:17. > :40:27.He has given Joe a slight chance at this black. It is a thin snick.

:40:28. > :42:19.final, whether Blackburn just past the middle pocket. I bet Joe didn't

:42:20. > :42:31.think it was going to clear that pocket.

:42:32. > :42:36.That is the old traditional shop we play. That is why wouldn't let any

:42:37. > :42:43.more. Joe new facility that it was going to come of this cushion.

:42:44. > :42:55.Again, this is not easy, it would probably be a one in ten. He likes

:42:56. > :42:59.potting ridiculous polls, Mr Trump. They don't come much closer than

:43:00. > :43:14.that. I think we are going into a decider.

:43:15. > :43:21.He has. A little bit of movement, but the black goes in, so Joe Perry

:43:22. > :43:32.will be very, very relieved. But like he was going to be comfortable

:43:33. > :43:39.winning that frame. Final frame. STUDIO: These pot on the black

:43:40. > :43:44.proving crucial, and he went on to win frame seven as well, the

:43:45. > :43:50.decider, for that comeback victory and a place in the quarterfinals. I

:43:51. > :43:53.am chuffed to get over the line. It was a strange game, really. It was

:43:54. > :43:57.relieved good standard in patches and then a couple of strange shots.

:43:58. > :44:01.I missed two have the easiest balls I have ever missed tonight from and

:44:02. > :44:05.I am normally the first to say I twitched or missed it, but I was

:44:06. > :44:09.just so relaxed, and I literally just took my offer it. In the end I

:44:10. > :44:14.got away with both of them. Judge could have cleared up on both of

:44:15. > :44:18.those frames, but I rode my luck and came through in the end -- Judd

:44:19. > :44:23.Trump. Let's show you the quarterfinal in full as it stands.

:44:24. > :44:30.Mark Alan against the Welshman Michael White later on. Joe Perry

:44:31. > :44:34.against Ben Wollaston, larger's runner-up. That is to come this

:44:35. > :44:37.evening, but some thoughts on Michael Wright. Everyone in the

:44:38. > :44:43.studio has been gushing in their praise of the 24-year-old. Let's

:44:44. > :44:52.gets more expert opinions on his game.

:44:53. > :44:58.Michael White from the Welsh valleys, another coming through from

:44:59. > :45:06.that area that has produced only great players over the years. If we

:45:07. > :45:11.are looking at players to question Judd Trump. This young man has come

:45:12. > :45:18.through and said I am here. An exciting player, very quick. I like

:45:19. > :45:23.the way the Welsh lads, the players and coaches and the guys that come

:45:24. > :45:27.around with the coaches were billing him from a long time ago, they were

:45:28. > :45:31.saying this lad is coming, watch out for Michael White. He will come and

:45:32. > :45:35.get you. Now he has just started to come through. That grit and

:45:36. > :45:39.determination, you can see it on him. I would like to see improved

:45:40. > :45:46.the fact that he is quite a streaky player. He won the shoot out and the

:45:47. > :45:52.Indian open in back-to-back weeks losses on. But when he just dips, we

:45:53. > :45:57.can and has lost anybody. So I think if he is going to go to the next

:45:58. > :46:00.level and challenge, he will have to improve his consistency. He has a

:46:01. > :46:05.bit of a street fight in him, you can see it in his eyes. He is a

:46:06. > :46:09.really good striker of the ball. The little time, timing the ball but I

:46:10. > :46:15.think he accelerates, and his acceleration when the tip is on the

:46:16. > :46:24.ball is very fast through the ball. So he gets a lot out of the cue

:46:25. > :46:29.ball. The tip is only in contact for about five millimetres, and he gets

:46:30. > :46:35.amatory action out of the cue ball. So his timing is so good. Sometimes

:46:36. > :46:38.too good. He can lose the white on fast conditions, but when he has the

:46:39. > :46:46.ball under control, he can beat anybody. He is a frightening long

:46:47. > :46:50.patter. Very consistent at knocking those long balls in. Getting himself

:46:51. > :46:55.in position to try to win. Not afraid to take shots on either. Err

:46:56. > :47:00.the question is does he have the temperament when it comes to the

:47:01. > :47:04.next level and we don't really know the answer. When I came onto the

:47:05. > :47:07.scene 11 years ago on the world title, it took me a long time before

:47:08. > :47:12.I settled and won again. With Michael winning last year twice, it

:47:13. > :47:17.be interesting to see when he features again at the far end of the

:47:18. > :47:21.event, and undertakes to get to the fact that he is supposed to perform

:47:22. > :47:27.to a particular level but I expect very good things from him. We had

:47:28. > :47:30.Ronnie O'Sullivan in here yesterday talking very favourably about

:47:31. > :47:34.Michael White. This is typically will be the next Welsh winner of

:47:35. > :47:36.this tournament. Fair analysis or not? Let's see what Michael White

:47:37. > :47:52.thinks. I just think it's going the way I am

:47:53. > :47:56.really. Keep putting the hours in. Maybe possibly a bit more belief.

:47:57. > :48:01.That will come with the wins and the confidence. As they said, that is

:48:02. > :48:09.exactly what I would say about myself.

:48:10. > :48:19.I do overhit the ball sometimes. But it has only been from the last month

:48:20. > :48:23.that I have actually bothered practising in exactly the same

:48:24. > :48:27.conditions you play in a match. I have found an improvement,

:48:28. > :48:34.especially in the last couple of events. I have not reached the

:48:35. > :48:44.heights that I wanted to since those two wins, but I think it was sort of

:48:45. > :48:45.expected in a way. My form, I believe, is better now than it was

:48:46. > :48:57.back then. Michael White, it has been a great

:48:58. > :49:04.tournament, never got before the last three. Can he go any further?

:49:05. > :49:08.Definitely. The great when he had against John Higgins, a convincing

:49:09. > :49:11.win, he must be full of confidence. He is in the quarterfinals with a

:49:12. > :49:14.chance to get to the semi. I am really looking forward to that match

:49:15. > :49:19.against Mark Allen tonight because they are very similar layers, both

:49:20. > :49:23.using three quarters queues, both attacking, it could be a really

:49:24. > :49:29.close match Trasch similar players. Hopefully the Welsh support could

:49:30. > :49:32.see Michael Frew. I knew you would bring in some information about the

:49:33. > :49:36.queues somewhere! I know you don't want to call it, but who do you

:49:37. > :49:41.think has got the edge right now? I think Michael will feed off the

:49:42. > :49:49.support he will get. I will have a sneaky suspicion and say Michael

:49:50. > :49:53.White 5-3. Wales is hoping that is the case. Let me remind you, you can

:49:54. > :49:59.watch that with us later on tonight, Mark Alan against the rising star of

:50:00. > :50:08.Welsh hooker. A little later than normal.

:50:09. > :50:19.-- of Welsh snooker. What will happen here, do you think, running

:50:20. > :50:23.3-1 up? A big frame for Mark Selby. Ronnie O'Sullivan has lost big leads

:50:24. > :50:27.against Mark Selby, once here at the Welsh Open. He was for frames up

:50:28. > :50:31.with five to play in the Masters one year and lost that as well to Mark

:50:32. > :50:36.Selby. So he may be foldable even if he does win this next frame, Ronnie.

:50:37. > :50:39.And Selby beat O'Sullivan in the World Championships a couple of

:50:40. > :50:43.years ago, so let's find out what happens.

:50:44. > :50:52.COMMENTATOR: Welcome back, everybody. Now we get to the

:50:53. > :50:59.nitty-gritty part of this game. Ronnie O'Sullivan perhaps fortunate

:51:00. > :51:07.to be 3-1 up. Should have been 2-2, but for Mark Selby misjudging the

:51:08. > :51:12.school board. Another poor break. He broke off Paul in the opening frame

:51:13. > :51:24.and it cost 71. How much will it cost him this time? Not quite sure

:51:25. > :51:26.if he can swing it around. He could screw across and play for the black

:51:27. > :51:44.in the same pocket. I was going to say with that long

:51:45. > :51:47.pot, Mark was well aware that if you missed it he would leave something

:51:48. > :51:53.on, and that in its own way just put a little bit of doubt in your mind.

:51:54. > :51:55.In this game, if your mind is not clear when you go to strike the cue

:51:56. > :52:26.ball, you are in trouble. Whatever can then he gets on the

:52:27. > :52:29.pack, he might play it a bit firm, this unconscious to bring a few more

:52:30. > :52:33.reds into play. I thought he might have played slightly firmer than

:52:34. > :52:39.that. Only because he was bound to be on choice of roads. It is the

:52:40. > :52:40.middle rather than half ball the Middle road, he would have open and

:52:41. > :53:36.better, obviously still perfect. Brought another four reds into play

:53:37. > :53:40.with one shot. CHUCKLING It is amazing family times in a

:53:41. > :53:44.season you see Ronnie O'Sullivan having a chance of a 147, because he

:53:45. > :53:50.just is the way of opening the balls up. I

:53:51. > :54:03.he never misses a trick. Stephen Hendry went to bed. -- was not too

:54:04. > :54:14.bad. All John Higgins. Yes, I was talking about the current players.

:54:15. > :54:39.He took a risky shot in frame three. He got on the black and then missed

:54:40. > :54:41.it. Surely this time he will just make sure of the frame by taking the

:54:42. > :55:08.blue. You would expect the standard of

:55:09. > :55:14.play to have increased at this theatre of the event. The players

:55:15. > :55:18.are in the two-table situation here. Big crowds, and they have had a bit

:55:19. > :55:21.of matchplay as they go through to the stage. I must say, the two

:55:22. > :56:07.matches so far, very high standards. This Bluetooth at the frame beyond

:56:08. > :56:17.any doubt. We will have to see Selby grind. -- this blue to put the frame

:56:18. > :56:23.beyond any doubt. This certainly isn't a 4-1 game the way the match

:56:24. > :56:34.has gone. Selby has had breaks of 71 and 63.

:56:35. > :56:40.He might carry on if he doesn't pot this black, just to try to get

:56:41. > :56:48.Ronnie out of his rhythm. Looking at the referee and nodding. That break

:56:49. > :56:54.of 75 has taken Ronnie O'Sullivan won frame from victory. He now leads

:56:55. > :56:58.4-1. We look at the opening Redd, in the first frame, Ronnie O'Sullivan

:56:59. > :57:01.broke poorly and left a break of 71. In that frame he broke off very

:57:02. > :57:06.poorly but there is a bit of difference with this red. Yes, the

:57:07. > :57:10.difference being that Mark Selby was aware that if you missed this red

:57:11. > :57:15.because he was playing for the black, he would leave O'Sullivan in.

:57:16. > :57:26.Almost flipped it in the middle. Wasn't to be. Don't think he got

:57:27. > :57:32.another chance. Selby would still come I have never seen him make a

:57:33. > :57:35.mistake in counting in his career. He just went through that spell

:57:36. > :57:47.where he thought he had won the game without the black. He has gone into

:57:48. > :57:56.the interval, he would be moaning about the factor should be 2-2

:57:57. > :57:57.instead of 3-1. Ronnie O'Sullivan will be very pleased with his work

:57:58. > :58:20.so far. I always find it interesting to

:58:21. > :58:22.watch the break office, all of the players are different where they put

:58:23. > :58:26.the wide. Some between the yellow and brown, others between the green

:58:27. > :58:30.and brown or closer to one of those colours. They all like to play it

:58:31. > :58:35.differently. I think the key is you don't pitifully want it to be tight.

:58:36. > :58:41.differently. I think the key is you Ronnie was snow could on all balls

:58:42. > :58:48.first he had to play that. Petrova break off and leave a safety shot

:58:49. > :58:52.off the pack to open roads. Of course at this stage of the

:58:53. > :58:56.tournament, the players, as we can see, you make one mistake now and

:58:57. > :58:59.you lose the frame whereas earlier in the tournament it isn't quite

:59:00. > :59:05.like that. You haven't warmed up properly. But like in any sport, it

:59:06. > :59:07.is not about how good you are, it is how many mistakes you don't make,

:59:08. > :00:50.not what you do make. how many mistakes you don't make,

:00:51. > :00:56.opponent a chance to get back into the match. He just wants to go for

:00:57. > :01:03.another Chinese, I think. He has had a few this week! I actually was in

:01:04. > :01:06.the same restaurant as last week. Ronnie actually went twice in the

:01:07. > :02:11.same day, for afternoon tea, and then back again after the match!

:02:12. > :02:17.I know there are some great players left in the tournament who could

:02:18. > :02:24.beat O Sullivan, but he isn't some sort of form this week, isn't he? He

:02:25. > :02:29.really is. When you consider he doesn't play in many things now.

:02:30. > :02:35.Allegedly he talks about his exhibition players practice. He even

:02:36. > :02:40.tried to say he cox about his matchplay practice for his

:02:41. > :02:45.exhibition play -- he speaks about. So achieve this, isn't he? You just

:02:46. > :03:06.never know what's going to happen next -- so mischievous, isn't he?

:03:07. > :03:13.It goes without saying after that wonderful pot on the blue it is no

:03:14. > :03:16.match-winning situation. Mark Selby has hardly done anything wrong in

:03:17. > :03:26.this match and he could no lose 5-1. He has missed two long balls, once

:03:27. > :03:28.on the balls, and that is it, that is how good you have to be. No

:03:29. > :04:15.mistakes. A glance at the scoreboard, just to

:04:16. > :04:20.find out exactly what he needs to get past the winning line. This will

:04:21. > :04:24.decide whether he plays into the bunch or just for the loose red.

:04:25. > :04:31.Maybe just a slow cannon into the bunch. That is probably the end of

:04:32. > :04:55.the match. APPLAUSE

:04:56. > :05:18.Round of applause from the crowd. They know it is enough now for

:05:19. > :05:43.Ronnie O'Sullivan to win this frame and match.

:05:44. > :05:51.Are we going to see the first hundred of this match? There has

:05:52. > :05:58.been a lot of big breaks, and a few maximums possible, which haven't

:05:59. > :06:06.quite come off. But this isn't really the most important part of

:06:07. > :06:11.this break. It is the first chance he played, taking on a green in the

:06:12. > :06:11.centre, a tremendous shot, then a long blue. Very risky.

:06:12. > :06:28.APPLAUSE That is what the crowd think of it.

:06:29. > :06:39.An exhibition of brick building from Ronnie O'Sullivan. -- break

:06:40. > :06:45.building. Mark Selby has played worse than this and won 5-1 in

:06:46. > :06:54.matches, but he has been outclassed a bit today. As Willie said, the

:06:55. > :06:59.fourth frame, the big frame, when he miscoded. Selby will regret that,

:07:00. > :07:08.has regretted it now, I'm sure, but he will be thinking about that for a

:07:09. > :07:20.while. -- when he miscoded. He moves the ball so easily around the table.

:07:21. > :07:27.He will take that! LAUGHTER

:07:28. > :07:29.They are all clapping. What a wonderful exhibition from Ronnie

:07:30. > :07:40.O'Sullivan, beating the world number one by 5-1.

:07:41. > :07:47.Ian Hunt: Mark Selby may be the world number one and he more than

:07:48. > :07:51.played his part in this match with some superb snooker himself, but no

:07:52. > :07:54.surprise really given how incredibly Ronnie O'Sullivan has played this

:07:55. > :07:59.week that he is the one to go through to the semifinals. He joins

:08:00. > :08:05.Neil Robinson in the last four. -- Neil Robertson. Another display of

:08:06. > :08:10.exhibition snooker, Dominic? Fantastic. As I said earlier he was

:08:11. > :08:13.given to many chances in his earlier matches and just annihilated his

:08:14. > :08:16.opponents really. Although in the first round he looked a bit

:08:17. > :08:19.vulnerable, he came through and ended up with that one for six, but

:08:20. > :08:24.today he was playing the world number one, Mark Selby, and he

:08:25. > :08:28.treated him with total disdain, really. Almost disrespectful at the

:08:29. > :08:31.end there, over the green, the middle pocket, deliberately playing

:08:32. > :08:35.for a tough long red, but then to actually go for the blue, a very

:08:36. > :08:41.miscible pot, guaranteeing Mark Selby a good opportunity. You don't

:08:42. > :08:44.normally give world number ones good opportunities, but he is just so

:08:45. > :08:47.full of confidence, saw in control of his emotions and game out there

:08:48. > :08:55.that he doesn't feel he will miss. We will ask -- figure them out there

:08:56. > :08:59.but what moments will Mark Selby regret from that? Think it is quite

:09:00. > :09:03.clear the miscalculation, when there were three reds left surrounding the

:09:04. > :09:07.pink, Mark Selby needed a pink with each of those, then the clear from

:09:08. > :09:11.yellow to pink, it would have seen the match 2-2 at the interval, but

:09:12. > :09:16.he miscalculated and ending up -- ended up putting in blue on one of

:09:17. > :09:20.the reds, and he ended up losing a black ball game to go 3-1 behind.

:09:21. > :09:24.That was the key moment, I suppose. And he lost to this man, Ronnie

:09:25. > :09:27.O'Sullivan. Well done. True to the semifinals. How does it feel? You

:09:28. > :09:31.must be starting to feel this is your year -- through to the

:09:32. > :09:35.semifinals. I ask you that every time but one. At their? Do you think

:09:36. > :09:47.it is my year? It doesn't matter what I think! Good exhibitions. That

:09:48. > :09:51.is exactly what I was picking out there, good practice for the

:09:52. > :09:56.exhibitions. Are just playing snooker, argue? If you start to

:09:57. > :09:59.think about it like a match started not enjoy it so I thought if you

:10:00. > :10:06.just play like an exhibition, even will enjoy it -- aren't you? Just

:10:07. > :10:10.play out there, go for everything, if you mess, it doesn't matter,

:10:11. > :10:15.messed something is another night. We said it was almost like you were

:10:16. > :10:19.treating Mark Selby with disdain and disrespect but it was like you are

:10:20. > :10:25.blocking out who you are playing. I have played always pretty much like

:10:26. > :10:29.that you can't really say because of the opponent, this and that. I

:10:30. > :10:31.probably raise my game and was a bit tighter, obviously, playing the

:10:32. > :10:34.world number one, but other then that I was just going for

:10:35. > :10:40.everything. The green in the middle, you know. Then the long blue to the

:10:41. > :10:46.red at the back of the pack. Side was just thinking, if I mess, great,

:10:47. > :10:50.get one on the next one. -- I was just thinking. You have to enjoy it.

:10:51. > :10:54.This stage in my career, I really just want to entertain, give people

:10:55. > :10:59.a good time, do some stuff that is really good and when I am long gone,

:11:00. > :11:02.and they stick YouTube on, they will come up with a few clips and say,

:11:03. > :11:08.look at this fellow! Look at what he did in Cardiff! Yes, just have a bit

:11:09. > :11:14.of a giggle with it, try not to take it too seriously, but doing it

:11:15. > :11:17.because it is not good at important. Although it is nice to win, don't

:11:18. > :11:21.get me wrong. I am happier winning than when I haven't, but looking

:11:22. > :11:28.forward to next week. My doubles partner, I hope he is getting some

:11:29. > :11:31.practice in. You want needed. Yes but I am looking forward to next

:11:32. > :11:36.week, being chilled, because you get so nervous. You wake up and think,

:11:37. > :11:42.what does that they have in store for me? I can see out there that is

:11:43. > :11:46.exactly how you're feeling. Bringing you back to this match how did you

:11:47. > :11:50.feel when Mark Selby took that 1-0 lead, because he started really

:11:51. > :11:56.well, didn't he? I felt all right, really. I can't actually remember...

:11:57. > :12:02.I broke off... He popped a long one, made 70... I can't remember. It was

:12:03. > :12:07.two hours ago! But Collison, Mark is an amazing player. He is not showing

:12:08. > :12:13.the best form he was showing when winning titles that even when he is

:12:14. > :12:16.not playing his best -- but, listen, Mark is an amazing player. He is

:12:17. > :12:23.still number one and he can play a lot better than that, so you know he

:12:24. > :12:26.is a class act and I think he is this was showing everyone here is

:12:27. > :12:37.the best player in the world, in his prime, scoring for fun. He is like a

:12:38. > :12:40.machine. Jimmy calls him Drago, you know, from Rocky five. The

:12:41. > :12:48.discipline, the long game, everything is right. I just want to

:12:49. > :12:52.have fun and it is nice to get it when. You're into the semis.

:12:53. > :12:55.Returning to the theme of the week for a year, 147s the study had an

:12:56. > :12:59.opportunity when you miss that black. First of all the juicy Ding

:13:00. > :13:05.Junhui get his maximum earlier, and what did you think? I just thought,

:13:06. > :13:09.they had let the lads down, hasn't he? Would you go for 146 rather than

:13:10. > :13:16.147? LAUGHTER

:13:17. > :13:24.Get the maximum is, plus 11, goes to charity, keep several unhappy and I

:13:25. > :13:32.could give a few wed to you. Cheers, Ronnie. No, but Ding got it, so

:13:33. > :13:42.fantastic. At least they have had a 147 this week. And 146. Were you

:13:43. > :13:48.going for it? Yes. Ronnie, thanks for being with us. You play in the

:13:49. > :13:52.semifinals next against Joe Perry or Bell Williston and we will see them

:13:53. > :13:57.tonight in their quarterfinal. Let's show you that, then. Ding Junhui,

:13:58. > :13:59.going out earlier against Judd Trump, but let's show you how he got

:14:00. > :14:16.his 147. WILLIE THORNE: These balls are

:14:17. > :14:25.absolutely perfect. Freely available in both corners. Obviously Ding not

:14:26. > :14:29.necessarily thinking of the 147. Ronnie would be, definitely going

:14:30. > :14:33.for that year, but it is more important for Ding to stay in the

:14:34. > :14:57.match. Maybe Ronnie would go for the 145 instead. We already had the 146.

:14:58. > :15:06.How funny would it be if someone did come along this week now and make a

:15:07. > :15:10.147? He might do it himself. Ronnie, he is still on.

:15:11. > :15:24.I read an article that one of the leading makers is offering money to

:15:25. > :15:28.him to do it so he can offer it to charity. Anyway, it is key for Ding

:15:29. > :15:31.to get a frame winning break saw it takes a lot of pressure off him. One

:15:32. > :15:35.of these nitty-gritty frames at the moment. He needs to get back into

:15:36. > :15:39.it. Obviously he has plenty of work to do. If you can win on one visit

:15:40. > :15:44.you don't get put as much pressure. It is when you have 40 points each,

:15:45. > :15:47.playing the last two reds and colours. If you can win it with one

:15:48. > :16:11.visit, there is no pressure. You probably saw the cue ball

:16:12. > :16:15.balance there. It is not too bad. I thought for a minute it wasn't going

:16:16. > :16:18.to get there but as the cue ball travelled I just watched the way the

:16:19. > :16:24.white bounce, that little bit of pace, that cue ball would have run

:16:25. > :16:28.two or three more inches. I think he is OK to go read the back of the

:16:29. > :16:37.black and into the same pocket. Yes, he is. -- to go round the back. So

:16:38. > :16:42.much so he can go for the opposite corner. A little cannon here and

:16:43. > :16:54.then he may start thinking about the 147.

:16:55. > :17:02.The two reds there are touching, just above the black. He doesn't

:17:03. > :17:05.have to play this PC. Normally going into a bunch like this you play with

:17:06. > :17:15.pace but because they are split apart he is bound to be on

:17:16. > :17:19.was different to what I was thinking but still on a red. Whether he can

:17:20. > :17:28.get to the black mayor, though I don't think so. -- the black now.

:17:29. > :17:33.Yes, and I think if he was 4-1 up in this match and not 4-1 down, he

:17:34. > :17:37.would be playing the shot to the right hand corner, the right-hand

:17:38. > :17:41.side, swaying back down for the black. The fact he is 4-1 down, I

:17:42. > :17:42.would be very surprised if he doesn't play for a pink with the

:17:43. > :19:22.blue. doesn't play for a pink with the

:19:23. > :19:24.commentator's curse. The balls absolutely perfect. Nothing on the

:19:25. > :19:37.site cushions. Obviously once he has potted enough

:19:38. > :19:49.so that Neil Robertson can't win this frame, Neil Robertson will be

:19:50. > :19:53.in his chair, cheering him on. He needs to be high on this. And he is.

:19:54. > :20:00.That's a great shot. If he had been low, that would have been the end of

:20:01. > :20:04.the maximum, but he has gone high. I think there are two of these reds

:20:05. > :20:09.the pot. Can he get through the gap to pot that red there, which in turn

:20:10. > :20:13.will open the other two? He would love to get through the gap to open

:20:14. > :20:17.up the others, but he is still OK for the black. It that of a risk.

:20:18. > :20:28.Not over the winning line yet. In this frame. -- a bit of a risk. One

:20:29. > :20:32.more red to make the frame safe. Then he can play a risky shot if

:20:33. > :20:51.necessary, to give him the black. A little bounce. He is on the one in

:20:52. > :20:56.the middle. This is the art of break building, always get the right angle

:20:57. > :21:02.on the next ball, to make it easy to get onto the black, in this case.

:21:03. > :21:08.Now ideally he would love to get on two reds here, but off petition. If

:21:09. > :21:12.they can get a little gap in between those two reds, to get the other red

:21:13. > :21:16.that is there, he will pick that one first. That is what he has played

:21:17. > :21:21.for. Of course that opens up the two reds and now he does not have to

:21:22. > :21:33.play any kiss, any cannon now, to make a 147. That was brilliant, the

:21:34. > :21:36.way he played that shot. Yes, if anything, Neil will be cheering him

:21:37. > :21:42.on no. He knows he has lost the frame. -- on now. Landed a little

:21:43. > :21:45.bit straighter on that black than he would have liked but he has played

:21:46. > :21:56.it ever so well. Back in perfect position. This is now turning into a

:21:57. > :22:00.real great chance. And he is short this time. Play for the red, or the

:22:01. > :22:05.two reds into the left-centre or he could play the more tricky shot,

:22:06. > :22:11.play on the right-hand side and swing past the two reds. But it is

:22:12. > :22:25.not a nice shot to play and definitely not at this stage.

:22:26. > :22:31.Well, he opted for the easier option. Making the black easier, but

:22:32. > :22:38.it has made this red a little bit more tricky. He is back in perfect

:22:39. > :22:49.position once again. APPLAUSE

:22:50. > :22:56.He needs a little bounce. That is a poor shot. Goodness me. OK, he is on

:22:57. > :23:02.the one in the middle, but it is not the right angle. His face tells a

:23:03. > :23:13.story there, he has to dig down on this and go round the back of the

:23:14. > :23:19.black, probably. Come on, Ding. It's their! Well played. That is the

:23:20. > :23:22.first difficult shot he has had to play in this break, that is how good

:23:23. > :23:35.this break has been. That is the first time he was perfect on a ball.

:23:36. > :23:41.-- wasn't perfect. This Cardiff crowd maybe feel they have been

:23:42. > :23:44.slightly cheated out of 147 earlier in the week, but this now is an

:23:45. > :23:51.unbelievable chance. Don't be straight. A little shake of the

:23:52. > :23:55.head. He has got it at a slight angle. He can't get close to the

:23:56. > :24:03.yellow but needs to get loads of side on this to widen the angle.

:24:04. > :24:16.Spend... He couldn't get close to the yellow. Kiss.

:24:17. > :24:18.APPLAUSE Would be going wider on the cue

:24:19. > :24:37.ball. Come on, not listen. Well done. The white is not hard

:24:38. > :24:41.enough, though. He will have to be faced with another tricky shot.

:24:42. > :24:47.Doesn't have to do anything with the cue ball, just pot it plain ball.

:24:48. > :24:53.Road two cushions and nestle on the brown. The crowd, as you can see,

:24:54. > :24:57.our smiling and hoping. Two Chinese girls in the front row, they've got

:24:58. > :25:08.their fingers crossed -- are smiling. Get in! Well played! He

:25:09. > :25:09.didn't have to do anything with the cue ball.

:25:10. > :25:22.APPLAUSE Slowdown, white. He needs the White

:25:23. > :25:40.to slow down. Slow down. Oh, dear, it is never easy, this

:25:41. > :25:44.game. But he will have some sort of shot on the pink. Or will he play

:25:45. > :25:48.the ball close to? They are praying. Or will he play

:25:49. > :26:01.the ball close to it? Do you play in and out or just roll

:26:02. > :26:08.it in? That is the choice he has got.

:26:09. > :26:18.Oh, dear. This pink for ?12,000, and 147, because if the pink goes in I

:26:19. > :26:47.am sure he will pot the black. It's their! It's their! What a

:26:48. > :26:50.fantastic shot on the pink! Ding Junhui has every chance of making

:26:51. > :26:54.this six maximum in competitive play.

:26:55. > :27:05.Absolutely wonderful, what a fantastic break. Neil Robertson

:27:06. > :27:09.offers his hand in congratulations. The crowd are standing, they love it

:27:10. > :27:15.in Cardiff. Back in the match with 8147, although still trails by 4-2.

:27:16. > :27:29.An amazing break, though. First class. -- with a 147.

:27:30. > :27:32.Ian Hunt: Yes, a wonderful frame for Ding. A decent consolation is all

:27:33. > :27:38.proved to be, because it was Robertson's match. He won the next

:27:39. > :27:43.frame to win 5-2. The 2007 winner is through to the semifinals.

:27:44. > :27:52.Confirmation of how it is all starting to shape up then. This is

:27:53. > :27:56.how it is looking. Neil Robertson will play the winner of this

:27:57. > :27:59.evening's match between Mark Allen and Michael White, and Ronnie

:28:00. > :28:05.O'Sullivan will come up against whoever wins that other match

:28:06. > :28:09.between Joe Carey and Ben Woollaston, who was last's

:28:10. > :28:14.runner-up. -- Joe Perry. A big night for World Snooker and a massive

:28:15. > :28:17.night for Michael White, the young Welsh player to play in the

:28:18. > :28:22.quarterfinals here, but what exactly is he up against? Mark Allen, of

:28:23. > :28:32.course, the Northern Irishman. Let's get some analysis of Mark Allen's

:28:33. > :28:40.game. Mark Allen, had a few knocks on the door before finally

:28:41. > :28:44.converting the world Open Championship in Haikou, China. Won

:28:45. > :28:48.it again in 2014, and not being disrespectful, but not necessarily

:28:49. > :28:52.premiership, but championship material? Knocking on the doors of

:28:53. > :28:57.the premiership? I am not so sure about that. I think when he prefers

:28:58. > :29:02.at his best he can really, you know, I play anybody. He is like a tiger

:29:03. > :29:07.when he is playing sometimes and he wears his heart on his sleeve more

:29:08. > :29:11.often than not but when he gets in around, what he is great at, his

:29:12. > :29:15.positional play, and around the pink and black. His consistency is not as

:29:16. > :29:18.good as some of the top players so I understand where you're coming from

:29:19. > :29:22.there, you can be very inconsistent, and sometimes he does not look

:29:23. > :29:26.interested, or he might throw in the towel to early, but if he is in the

:29:27. > :29:30.mill when he is in around the pink and black he makes lovely little

:29:31. > :29:38.cannons, short cue action, develops the reds beautifully and, you know,

:29:39. > :29:42.he plays with a lot of heart. On his day, he is unstoppable. Pot balls

:29:43. > :29:46.from all over the place, very clever, knows snooker inside out,

:29:47. > :29:50.gritty, or the bottle. All the attributes, I think, that makes a

:29:51. > :29:54.winner, yet doesn't feature in the winner's enclosure as often you

:29:55. > :29:58.would think. I wonder whether a couple of technical things he does

:29:59. > :30:07.in his game don't sit in to the kind of conditions we have in this part

:30:08. > :30:11.of the world in the UK, Ireland and Europe in general -- suit him. I am

:30:12. > :30:17.not sure he is short, -- his short, sharp, punchy techniques, the way he

:30:18. > :30:20.strikes the ball, is suited to our very slippy and Spinney conditions

:30:21. > :30:25.we experience over here and I think that is why he has had the majority

:30:26. > :30:30.of his success in the far east. At the end of the day anything could

:30:31. > :30:33.happen. It could be like Stuart Bingham, at the World Championships,

:30:34. > :30:36.just come through and win it. You expect a big run in one of these

:30:37. > :30:41.tournaments any day. He's quite outspoken and has upset the

:30:42. > :30:47.authorities little bit over the past few years? Mark will not hold back

:30:48. > :30:51.if he had an opinion on something and I am not convinced it always

:30:52. > :30:54.helps. I'm not convinced sometimes you don't have to toe the party line

:30:55. > :30:59.a little and just sort of see the right thing, you know. It is not

:31:00. > :31:01.always wrong, just nod your head and move on. Sometimes you have to pick

:31:02. > :31:09.your fights. Kvyat very interesting thoughts on

:31:10. > :31:12.Mark Allen, the player and the person. I will be very interested to

:31:13. > :31:25.find out what Mark Allen makes of all that. I definitely don't like

:31:26. > :31:28.it, but he is entitled to his opinion, and I respected as well.

:31:29. > :31:34.But I see myself as better than that. Steve, whenever he first

:31:35. > :31:39.played me, my very first match as a professional, said a lot of things,

:31:40. > :31:46.I would not make it, but I have been in the top ten for seven years now.

:31:47. > :31:49.I completely understand the inconsistency part, that has

:31:50. > :31:54.probably been the biggest downfall. I don't know why that is, I work

:31:55. > :31:57.hard all year round, the only time I put the cue away is over the summer,

:31:58. > :32:03.so I'm always a bit rusty at the start of the season, but other than

:32:04. > :32:09.that I work really hard. That could be part of the reason why I'm in

:32:10. > :32:12.consistent. I do rely a lot on my timing, my short action with a lot

:32:13. > :32:14.of wrist movement. It is not something you would teach, not

:32:15. > :32:23.something I would want to teach, but it is hard for me to try and change

:32:24. > :32:27.that now. A big night for Michael White, and for Mark Allen. It is all

:32:28. > :32:31.is fascinating to hear this criticism from other professionals

:32:32. > :32:35.who are still on the tour alongside him, particularly Shaun Murphy, and

:32:36. > :32:38.Ken Doherty less so. But how is that, when you get criticised, and

:32:39. > :32:44.you have to deal with that, and you see these guys are time? I think

:32:45. > :32:47.actually it can be useful. Most professional players, when they

:32:48. > :32:50.listen to constructive criticism from fellow professionals are going

:32:51. > :32:54.to listen to that. And they will take some things on board and maybe

:32:55. > :32:58.dismiss other things that they here, do you know, he has a point here,

:32:59. > :33:02.that could be true and I will work on that, analyse that myself. I

:33:03. > :33:10.don't think that is a bad thing. It can be very useful to a player to

:33:11. > :33:15.get opinions of great players. Championship, not premiership

:33:16. > :33:19.quality, would you agree with that? I don't know whether Mark Alan's

:33:20. > :33:23.problems in terms of consistency are not caused by his style of play, he

:33:24. > :33:32.is a very aggressive player, but the first thing when you are under

:33:33. > :33:36.pressure Israel potting game can go. There are a lot of great players who

:33:37. > :33:39.can put you under pressure. I don't know if Mark Alan has a great love

:33:40. > :33:43.safety and tactical game that can pull him through certain majesty is

:33:44. > :33:47.losing at the moment. Those are the thoughts on Mike and long, let's get

:33:48. > :33:58.the vote on the Welshman, the man he is playing, Michael White.

:33:59. > :34:02.I see Michael first playing at the World Championships when he was

:34:03. > :34:05.about nine. He came on the practice table, and I said there and then at

:34:06. > :34:08.that time he was the best nine-year-old I had ever seen.

:34:09. > :34:13.People talked about a little bit as a junior. We all knew he was coming,

:34:14. > :34:16.he came, and glasses and he won the shoot out and the Indian open in

:34:17. > :34:22.consecutive weeks. A bit of a streaky player. When he plays well

:34:23. > :34:25.he plays very well, and I would just like to see him up his B game

:34:26. > :34:31.standard that little bit and make himself a bit more consistent. But

:34:32. > :34:35.big things in his future. He plays a good attacking style of snooker, he

:34:36. > :34:39.has a bit of a buzz about him, a bit different, energetic, and he gets a

:34:40. > :34:44.bit nervy around the table. But he is good to watch. Accused the ball

:34:45. > :34:51.very well, very good long 's putter. Safety game improving all the time.

:34:52. > :34:59.-- long potter. When he gets on song he is very quick. Nice lad off the

:35:00. > :35:02.table. He is in the top 16 for a reason, playing in the top guys all

:35:03. > :35:06.the time and he could have a great career ahead of him, if he keeps

:35:07. > :35:10.applying himself and takes the game seriously, and doesn't get led

:35:11. > :35:13.astray by anything. He has a good head on young shoulders. He has

:35:14. > :35:21.finally made that breakthrough into the top 16 and I think he will be

:35:22. > :35:28.there for many years to come. They have met three times before, and

:35:29. > :35:36.Mark Alan just has the edge. Let's here from Michael White head of his

:35:37. > :35:40.big quarterfinal tie. I have got to say the crowd this week have been

:35:41. > :35:42.absolutely fantastic. Probably one of the best arenas I have

:35:43. > :35:52.absolutely fantastic. Probably one I can't wait for the quarterfinals.

:35:53. > :35:54.absolutely fantastic. Probably one when I came through the juniors and

:35:55. > :35:59.were never think he was a bit older than me. They will be a tough match

:36:00. > :36:04.but I will just go out there and try to enjoy it. I have often come up

:36:05. > :36:07.short against top players and it is disappointing when that keeps

:36:08. > :36:09.happening. But I have put a lot of work in and it means everything. I

:36:10. > :36:17.have won a ranking event already. work in and it means everything. I

:36:18. > :37:56.am chasing more titles. That is why I placed Luke to