Quarter-finals - Part 1 Snooker: Welsh Open

Good afternoon, everyone, time to find out who wants it the most. From

128 players, we are down to eight, hoping to get their hands on the

trophy on Sunday night. It is quarterfinal date at the Welsh Open

and a line-up that very few would have predicted.

First up, 19-year-old Rocky Zhou Yuelong against Scotland's Scott

Donaldson. The Thai the round, world number four Judd Trump against world

number eight Barry Hawkins. Former world champion Stuart Bingham versus

world number 55 Stuart Carrington. And two men who have never won a

ranking title, Robert Milkins against Norwegian Kurt Maflin. So

who can make it into the weekend and the semifinals of the 2017 Welsh

Open? Good afternoon, Willie Thorne. So many incredible shocks this year,

what you make of this quarterfinal line-up, excited by it? We have got

three regular tournament winners in Judd Trump, Stuart Bingham and Barry

Hawkins the recent tournament winner and we now have five people with a

chance to win their first major ranking. Every time somebody has

knocked a great player out, they got beat in the next round so nobody has

had consistency over a number of runs. You would favour the three

tournament winners but I have a feeling somebody like Kurt Maflin or

Carrington could get to the quarterfinal. You would look at

Barry Hawkins and Judd Trump and Stuart Bingham and maybe it is time

to back a dog horse. I know one of the friends of Stuart Carrington

have had money on him at 250-1, and you would suggest somebody like

Barry Hawkins is in the best form of his life, he won 4-0 the last two

maroons and he will be so hard to beat. Judd Trump is ready to win

another tournament but who knows, five Rockies with a chance to win

their first major. When I said you excited by the line-up, E went,

well... We lost O'Sullivan, no Welsh players survive, it makes it more

intriguing but you lose the box office element. Players are not

always recognised so people do not always want to watch but everybody

here can play, they are regular century break players so it is

important for people to realise it is not about the top 15 players in

the world. Players down to 128, they are very good players. A chance for

some body to make a name for themselves. Let's give you more

information on our first 2/4-finalists.

Zhou Yuelong is from China, just 90 years old and he turned professional

three years ago, 40th in the world and he reached the quarterfinals of

the Champion of Champions tournament but this is his best ever run at a

ranking event. Donaldson, 22, from Perth in

Scotland, he turned professional five years ago at 77 in the world, a

former European amateur champion who made the last 16 of the Northern

line and open earlier this season. This is his best run in Wales --

Northern Ireland open. Who will be the first man to book a place in the

semifinals? This game is already under way so let's bring the Right

up to speed, this is frame one. Zhou Yuelong at the table, and no score.

Yes, well, as we see, Zhou Yuelong missed this red. Remember him three

or four years ago in the final of the world a better when he became

world champion. To beat his fellow countrymen in the final. And also a

couple of years ago, and remember watching Scott Donaldson winning the

European amateur Championship. That is how he got his pro-tickets. Both

players used to the big stage, albeit at amateur level. Both very

capable. Yes, for Scott Donaldson, it is not

that long ago really, it was 2012 when he won the European title. Zhou

Yuelong, it was 230 -- it was 2013 when he won the world title. They

have been professionals the four or five years, both players. And like

Terry said, both in their first quarterfinal. It's great to see some

youngsters coming through after all the oldies making such a come back

this year. I have watched play -- I have watched Scott play quite a bit

on the circuit and I keep thinking he should be doing better because he

plays very strongly out there, he doesn't seem to be suffering with

his temperament at all, he has put a lot of work into his game over the

years. He's willing to travel to practise with other players, he's

doing all the right things and he's getting some rewards now. He had a

tough match in the first round. He beat Mark King, the winner of the

Northern Ireland tournament before Christmas. But Jamie Roberts and was

one of the good players on this circuit and Mark Davis who beat

Ronnie O'Sullivan, so he has had a tremendous run.

So this is a good word., Scott Donaldson. The longer he's at the

table, the more he will settle down. Panic buttons today will not be

going off as previously in this event. Today, they move into the

best of nine matches so there's a little bit of leeway for error. It

has been the first of four and everybody has been on edge, but at

least they know after four frames today there will be an interval, and

it is amazing what a difference that interval makes in the matches. They

will just be playing a little more freely from the word go.

Well, that is the first real awkward one. Just wobbled a little bit. The

pace allowed it to go through and into the pocket. He's looking good.

There are not many players carried their form from the outside tables

here in Cardiff in the Welsh Open onto the match table, they do not

get that much experience on these TV tables. You are absolutely right.

And to be fair, normally in a quarterfinal, you would probably be

expecting to play one of the big names, one of the big seeds.

Obviously, they are playing on that match table virtually match in,

match out. We have seen that this week really with Judd Trump. Every

match he has played, he has played on the match table. When you are on

the outside, you are not supposed to play any different, but they do. It

was quite funny yesterday, one of the players came in, Craig Steadman,

and he said there was a good three foot difference in the pace. It does

not sound a lot, but it is when you are struggling to get position.

Just checking the scoreboard, he will find he's 61 in front. But a

good thing really to be looking at the situation at the moment. -- it

is not a good thing. We have seen in these pressurised matches lots of

players taking too much time on imported balls toward the end of a

break and missing them. It goes something like, take your time here,

don't miss this! Well, he has played a positive shot and he has had a

kiss. He was unlucky there. He tried to deflect off those reds and Steve

for the black and there would have been reds and that is all they

needed, but now he has got some work to do. Normally, in these

situations, he would try and hold on to his lead and put a pot one. Put a

black dead weight into the centre pocket, that is not advisable. He

will be tempted, though I'm a rest assured. Obviously, he needs the

black and one more red to be 100% safe in this frame. I think the

right shot is to try and get a colour safe, he does not need to

chase, he's in the driving seat in this frame. What he cannot do is

leave a part on for his opponent. -- a pot. He's a very good blog potter.

-- long. He has covered that. The only problem is he did not put the

green safe. That is going to cost him, that is not going to cost him

the frame but it puts pressure on him knowing all the colours

available, should he make a mistake. I think he committed more to the

safety than to the pot side. It looks as if there's one red sticking

out. On the right of those two. This is a big ask, he has got a stun to

go down for the black or the pink. Good try. It could cost him the

frame. That red looks as though it is quotable in the centre pocket.

Yes, it is a thin shot, it is not guaranteed a pot. Lining up in the

left corner, more pressure on the shot. He knows if this goes on, it

will be the end of the frame, it should be nicely on the black. Never

in doubt. Once this black goes on, it should be the end of this first

frame and what a great start this has been by the young Scotsman.

He's playing trick shots that, look! On the white, going for the blue.

He looks very confident out there. You don't win the match in the first

frame, but it does help if you get a good break in and you win it

comfortable to keep your opponent on his chair wondering if he has got

good form. It does not help your opponents to settle down. It is nice

to play out there, but it is not nice to be sitting on the chair all

the time. Scott lives in Scotland, I'm not

sure where. In the Perth area. He missed the double, but that would be

a very satisfying first frame for Scotland he's one in front.

Pretty much the perfect start for Donaldson, let's take you into frame

two. He's at the tail that he is at the table, trailing by 21.

Well judged, that could have gone wrong. Playing off the cushion, that

is all he could do, perfect. He would like to be closer to that the

blue, but he can run it through and have that red into the corner.

That was a really good pot. Very clean. And he has got a good angle

on this pink. That was a difficult rest shot, he has made it look very

easy. The pot here, playing with a lot of top. More of a stun shot than

a top. Just a little bit low on the cue ball, you have to be a bit

further up the top. That is the end of this little effort. Looking now

to get a good safety in behind the yellow all the brown, he wants to be

on that side of the table to cut off the escape. Easy escape from the

green side. Very good. Saying that, he might just have gone into the

right corner. Not easy. But faced with a difficult safety shot or a

pot, most players would elect to take on the pot. Yes, he's normally

very efficient in his long potting. But he has got a few things to think

about, now he has missed them all I think, the long ones. No, he has got

one out of three. 33%. So he's taking it on. Once again, he has

caught it the thick, the long pots, he's hitting too much of the year

Len macro rather than too little. -- he's hitting too much of the red. I

would say that pot at the moment is probably at least 40% more difficult

than it would be in another situation, when he's playing well.

After missing a view, he has hit a good shot. The only problem is a

chance to snooker behind the green, but he can't carry on with the

break. Hello! For me, when you are nervous, there's always a chance of

you doing that. You just need to hit it slightly harder than you normally

would. You can see it looks a little bit tentative. Worse than that,

Scott has got a 3-ball now, taking the yellow. Back in again. Perfect

angle on the blue. At this moment in time, the game is looking very easy

to Scotland very difficult to Zhou, that is how it is. Your mind plays

very funny tricks on you out there. How tough is this young man from

China? He has got a bit to do to get back into it and to get his

confidence up. Scott looks as if he's practising with the club, he

has got a temperament that is good, this lad.

Potting this red, it should slide of the cluster. A cannon off the pink.

If he feels he has got too much of an angle, you could see him playing

with a lot of pace to drag back with the blue. It makes the shot a lot of

more difficult, putting a lot of bottom on the cue ball and using the

rest. It is whether he can run through off that pink and control it

for the black. He played it very positively. He can

still get through to this black. It is a big shot. And he knows in

playing it, if he misses, the chances are he's going to leave an

open table. The flip side, it if it goes in, it could be the end of the

second frame. It would be really unfortunate if he makes the pot and

does not get position here. Well, he has overcut it. What damage has he

done? If that red goes to the right corner, major damage. If not and it

is tight, very tight. I think it will go, just off the jaw. Never

easy cutting back into a blind pocket. Yes, it is good to see him

going for them. Scott is very positive and keeping that going.

I expect a lot of players we have seen this week, in my opinion, when

we watch them, they have come here not to lose. Their focus is on,

don't lose. Winning and losing comms if your mind is good. They are all

good players, they have all got form inside them somewhere. It is just

they forget how good they are. This is the highest break so far, he

has not had a lot of chances. He missed a few long pots to get in and

he's normally used to making them. Take it from me, this guy is going

to be very special. We have seen a lot of good players from China,

think over here, this player is a winner, no doubt about it.

I think he played for the pink, but he wanted to be a lot straighter

than this. Instead of dropping into the centre, at he's going to play

the more difficult black. It is very difficult because the pockets

dropping so tight. Is this a fluke? No. It is never easy, but if he had

been a foot behind that lack, just wrapping it in, they are that tight.

Putting enough top spin on it to slide past the red, he took his eyes

off the pot. He's gifted, young Scott Donaldson, a chance to pinch

this frame. He is going to need a complete

clearance. I would say this will be the shot. Black and yellow. He could

play the more difficult pink into the centre which would guarantee him

sliding past the blue. It is a much more difficult pot. He knows if it

goes in the will be on this yellow. No problem. Knocked it in. As if he

was playing down the local club. This will be a real body blow for

Zhou. It will level the match up. One frame all. Starting to look very

positive. I think he probably just picked the wrong shot selection.

Playing for the black he should have got better on the paint and played

the half Paul pink. It has been a confident performance

from Donaldson. He missed the black early on in this frame to give his

opponent a chance, but it wasn't an easy black and it was a good,

positive shot that he'd gone. It looked like it might cost in this

frame. He has got away with it. In those big black. Scott Donaldson

will be feeling over the moon. She has a lot to think about now. He now

trails 2-0. And it didn't stop there for Donaldson. He won the Tour de

France as well. Let's spin forward into frame for with shoot at the

table. No score. Excellent. I mentioned earlier that

when you get in front in these important matches, it is the first

quarterfinal with these two players, you start thinking about calling a

little bit more defensive, a bit tighter, speaking your lead, but

Scott is not doing that. He is doing very well. I have seen him play well

on the tour quite a lot, but usually on the outside tables, which is a

bit different. This is another challenge for these two young

players and he is the only one who has stepped up to at the moment. The

only thing in the young Mann's favour their is there will be the

interval after this frame and he would like to win the frame and get

something on his side of the scoreboard.

Add 3-1 you will still feel you have a chance in the match, but at 4-0,

you haven't totally written it off, but you'd need to take each frame as

it comes and see what transpires. The way Scott Donaldson is playing,

he will be wishing that he had no interval. He would be happy to carry

on. Only 15 minutes, that interval. It is amazing how much of a

difference it makes and, sometimes, a massive turnaround occurs within

that 15 minutes. Sometimes one of the players disappears and goes

home. They are so depressed. Add 4-0 he can still win, but decreases the

odds are very heavily against him. If he can win a free, they call it

the downward spiral when, all of a sudden, you are feeling comfortable

and dominant and then your opponent starts to pick away at you. It is

the worst pressure you can get in all sports. Losing any match when

you are away in front is hard to get out of the mind. It has gone wrong

there. Bit of a shake of the head. He is still doing all right. There

might be a plant there. He has had a look at it. Just below the pink.

There is a safe city as well, of course. He has got the safety.

The game, Scott Donaldson is faced with a long shot. This left corner.

He will have complete with a little bit of pace and hope he gets a

double-kiss of the one red and try to fire the cue ball back up the

table. He might even like to play a safety. If he does go for a safety

shot he will have to cover the left-hand side of the table, get a

good cue ball. It looks like he is lining up for the safety. Well, he

will take that. He got a good cue ball, to be fair to him.

She played a similar shot to the green and didn't quite get to it.

Scott Donaldson has pledged to shot like that in this match and he has

played them very well. He has moved the object ball a bit further. He is

guaranteed the hit on the object ball. It is just unforgivable to be

short. A big margin of air within the last

shot. He is feeling out there. So far this has not been a good

experience for him, his first quarterfinal at a major ranking

event. Is it going to change? What is he, 19 years of age? He has got

plenty of time. He has impressed on the circuit so far. Not today. He

has been on that chair for a long time in this match. The only thing

he is thinking is when I ever going to pass the ball.

Not sure if he got a bad contact there. It was a bit sick. He is

looking at a plant now. That was not his fault. Another big shot coming

up. Well, you could hear that from the

commentary box. Very sad to see this happening all the time the players,

especially in such a desperate situation. Scott also had a kick on

the red before. It doesn't make it any better, does it?

He played the shot which, looking at his official expression, he

definitely did. That was very well controlled. He has played very good,

very confident, striking the ball with authority. Right away from the

word go, he has come out of the blocks fancying the jaw that was

ahead of the Day so far. He is doing a good jaw of it.

He has got a nice angle there. Options on yellow and brown. The

green is a little bit thin. Scott Donaldson has had 66% of the

table time. That is large, to say the least. A bit unlucky. Of course,

his opponent, 34%, sitting in the chair there in the depths of

despair. You can go for the spread across the top cushion and played.

We always like to play these with a little run inside to help the ball

across the cushion. He might even try to do a slow drop for the pink,

a much more difficult shot. That is what he has done. That was a big

risk in the way he has played. I thought he was going down for a full

colour. There was no value there. That is a tough shot. I think he

knows he made the wrong choice there. Never offer a drowning Mann

minstrel. It could turn it here. It looks impossible, but you never

know. Why give him the chance? They confidently played shot. He

could have done with catching the red slightly thinner. It safely. He

needs now to get in behind the yellow. That is not his best one. He

has given a half ball shot from nothing factory Scott. -- back

Touche cup. Another good pot. He is in control

and he is going to stay there. Brown was available down in the

corner that he has definitely made the right shot. When you have got

the domination that he has had in this match so far, he has got to

take into account, Scott Donaldson, what his shot selection should be at

this stage. He has been unlucky. She has not had

the best of luck. We have got to ask the question, as he earned good

luck? I agree. This is a thin shot. He knew he was going to go close.

Now he has given the four points away, the game is still on. It will

be a free ball. Are we going to see another turn? It is a turn should

really needs. In an ideal world he wants to leave himself a half turn

on the brown to play in behind the red or move the red. It is

imperative to get an ankle on the brown and make the pot. The brown is

in. Now, if the red goes to the middle, I cannot imagine he will

play for perfect position, he will try to remove the blue and the red.

If this goes right, he could be in business. He has missed the cannon.

What is worse, I think the pink will snooker itself. It is all going

wrong. He will be very disappointed with that last shot. It was very

badly executed. The brown is a fraction thinner than

he wanted. He wanted more angle deflecting the cue ball toward that

blue and red. He has brought deeply into play. Yellow and black is still

difficult, but Scott knocked one of these in earlier on. Clean as a

whistle. He is having a little luck. His

sister D has been very good, Scott Donaldson, today. That is a very

clever shop there as well. Very good indeed.

I think right across the board, everything is a lot less. He has

just got there at that time. A very well played shot. He has been short

on quite a few occasions. Still everything to play for in this

fourth frame. At that angle, there is a bit more

risk than if he was cutting it the other way. If the red was to the

rate he could drop it in and not leave it on if he missed it. I think

he played the right shot them, but didn't play as well as he should

have done. He has been dominant, Scott Donaldson, he has been taken

on just about everything and getting most of them. He is doing the right

thing. Is he starting to try to hang onto his league? There is an

argument that he could have just dropped the red into the centre. Any

colour would be safe in this fourth frame. Wasn't easy, as you said,

that he might not get another chance as easy as that, or as difficult as

that. Still cant blame him for the way he is playing, but it does look

as if he is playing to protect his lead in this frame. In the area of

friends, Zhou has played just attack and win outright. Again, a very good

shot. It just needs to travel a little bit. That is a perfect

result. He is having a little luckier. He

can get to the edge of this red. That is a bit better. He played to

get behind the pink stuff the one thing you have got to do with safety

is get the object policies. -- object ball safe. Where is that red

glowing? Hello. Well, well. Didn't play that, of course, but he might

have, I don't know. It is unlikely. I think he played it up and down to

hit the bottom cushion and cool on the side cushion. It is OK.

Well, it is available, but it is very thin. It is it more difficult

shot, but if he could play the red up and down, it will swing in behind

the blue. On the other way, he has probably picked the right shot.

We had a 34 minutes frame in the previous frame. 28 minutes here, you

would not expect it with these two. They are both aggressive, quick

players, quick break-builders. Most of the time here, there has

been times when in snooker you miss a pot, the ball stops where it wants

to, it is no choice for you. Good safety about here from both players

so far. That is nasty. I could not see through that green and pink

without a set of binoculars on, to be honest. I think he can get

through. Where is the red going? Needs to go tight on that cushion.

Could have been worse. That is the first safety shot for a

while and Scott Donaldson has it short. He has been in total control

of the safety shots. It shows you on two different days, two different

matches. Playing long, he likes that sort of shot. He has refused it and

played a very good safety. Very important for this young man to get

this frame on the board before the mid-session interval. 3-1, still in

the match. 4-0, you would have to say probably this year's

Championship is going to slip by for him. You still have a chance, but it

would be very unlikely. How is this cue ball going now? That could be a

free ball, as it slows down, or I should say speed up. I think you can

just get through. So no free ball, he's electing to put the cue ball

back. He corrected the position, he struck

the cushion to hit the red that he would have liked this red to come

towards the pink and black behind there. He's looking now at bringing

the black into play. He's of course 22 points down, Zhou Yuelong. So

there could be some value in it. He played for the pink, he looks to

have a good angle. His problem now is trying to get onto that yellow,

that is tough along those cushions. This young lad has no fear. He

thinks this is an easy one. If he can, I would advise him to go behind

the brown, is he going for the yellow? That was an easy shot. Very

good. Very good. Yes, and in the context of this match, that could be

massive. Well, he has not got into that green at all fair, two foot

short of the cue ball. It looks like he did not go to the bottom of the

cue ball, I don't quite know what he has done but he certainly didn't go

through it. He's not going to pot Rhys brown from here, it could be

the brown up and down, white behind the blue, but back in the frame

already at 35 minutes and counting. The longest frame of the match.

These two, normally very quick players.

And he may be able to swerve that what he's so close to the blue, it

may be difficult. From the point of view of Zhou Yuelong, he has brought

the brown away from the cushion because it is easier to snooker than

it was away from the cushion, it seems like a bigger target. And of

course, if he misses the brown, and he leads it and coming he has got

the swerve on. He played it quite fall which did not take the brown on

the other side of the table. When you watch this now, watch this

brown, the spin is still on the cue ball, on the brown ball, spinning

around, going up the table. The side transferred off the cue ball.

That is well spotted, Darren. Obviously, with the swerve, it is

the extreme amount of spin that he put on the ball, but it doesn't

always retain it. He has put a lot on that to turn it round.

Understandable that he missed that, he has not potted a ball for 21

minutes now. Although he's 3-0 in front. It just won't go in. Quite a

difference in points here between the two players. Scott Donaldson

dominated, 226 points. 136 from Zhou Yuelong, that just about sums it up

in this first session. Well, they were going in earlier on.

Obviously a lot of pressure out there now, Scott Donaldson knows he

should be in the interval. 4-0 up at this time, this is probably a bigger

brain for him, in some respects, than it is for Yuelong. It is good

to see, though. It is good to see two young players... And he has

missed that by quite a way! This round is turning into being quite

elusive for both players. -- this brown.

Good pot. 14 in front. Is he going to take this 11? He could win the

frame. -- is he going to take on this double?.

Zhou Yuelong will be very relieved at that blue, that it has stopped

where it has. A couple more inches and I think we would have seen young

Scott Donaldson having a go at that blue. As it is, he just has to play

a good safety. And that's not the best he has ever hit and that blue

has gone close to the middle. So this is probably the last chance in

this fourth frame for Yuelong. What a massive turning point this could

be in this match. 3-1, 4-0 now. It is huge. He's not going to pot pink

and black from here. That was not a very walls -- that was not a very

well struck ball at all, I think he's struggling with his confidence

a little bit. That should have been so far away from that corner pocket.

He might make the pink. No. And it is going to be very disappointing

for him. I think he's resigned to the fact that today, maybe, is not

his day. And Scott Donaldson, he needs that cue ball to slow down. It

is very close to that corner pocket. It doesn't go down the pocket so

very relieved, and Zhou Yuelong has got a lot think about in the

mid-session interval, Scott Donaldson, leading 4-0.

Not looking happy but Scott Donaldson 4-0 in the front and they

are on an interval is we will rejoin them. Welcome to our coverage,

Willie Thorne is our guest today. Donaldson did not look happy going

out but he's 4-0 up. The best two frames dominated and Hubert is to be

the only player playing, the third could have gone either way and the

third frame, he potted a game ball and he's trying not to lose that

rather than to win it and he was lucky to win it. Because that could

have been a big turning point. 3-1 is huge in four frames. Scott is one

frame away from his first major semifinal and I have been

disappointed with Yuelong because he's a good player, a good

break-builder and he won the world team event in China recently. As

Terry mentioned, he's a player for the future. But from what he has

shown so far, you would not think it. Terry said he would be a big

star in the future, how'd you explain what happened? He beats Lee

Walker yesterday convincingly. I think he thought this was his great

chance to get to a semifinal and maybe a final and he thought he was

playing Scott Donaldson, and maybe it is 50-50 and maybe the occasion

got too much for him at this moment. If he wins the first two frames,

there could be a come back, but it is very unlikely a player will come

back from 4-0 behind to win. We have seen both of them in the practice

area, what will be going to Donaldson's mind? Scott went through

20 odd minutes without scoring a point in that last frame and what

happens when you have fallen in France, in the last frame, he

thought he was lucky to win it and let's get my cue going again. In the

first two frames, he played lovely. Let's remind you of the quarterfinal

draw, we have a big one after this match. Donaldson leading Zhou

Yuelong 4-0 and then two of the biggest names left in the draw. Judd

Trump, the world four, coming up against the world number eight Barry

Hawkins. This is the other half, Stuart Bingham, former world

champion and world number two, a game Stuart Carrington, and Robert

Milkins against Kurt Maflin, neither of whom have won a world ranking

title but you think Kurt Maflin is destined to win soon. I'm a big fan

of Kurt Maflin, because he's a good scorer. He does not have the

experience of the latter stages of the tournament so safety play not as

good as the top players. Five players of the eight remaining will

have a chance of winning their first world ranking tournament. We had

Hamilton and Mark King winning. That gave everybody a thrill thinking,

maybe I could win a tournament and they will not get better chances

than this and we still have three of the best players in the world left

in the tournament. That is Judd Trump against Barry Hawkins. Final

thought? One frame for Donaldson and he's in a semifinal of a ranking

event. Without doubt, it is his to lose, I think Scott Donaldson will

win this match and I'm really looking forward to the second match.

Let's see if Donaldson can play out for the match. Remember, it is the

best of nine so the first to 5 wins it and this is Donaldson with that

4-0 lead. Let's rejoin Terry Griffiths and Darren Morgan, our

commentary team. There's nobody up there, they have taken a break! We

will carry on talking. What does Zhou have to do to get back into the

game? As you rightly say, Zhou had to go to the practice room and he

has been kept off the table for the first two frames and should have won

that last frame and Scott Donaldson in fairness almost gave him a

lifeline. Zhou Yuelong really has to take the ball by the horns and go

for everything. Terry and Darren Robison exhausted, just having a cup

of tea, over to you guys, OK? Thank you very much! It was a great

cup of tea, a little bit quicker than we thought, we were running up

the stairs, out of breath. Terry is all right, he's fit as a fiddle. It

is me that is the problem. I'm sure Scott Donaldson enjoyed his

mid-session interval more than Zhou Yuelong. That was a quick return,

that is what he says. Donaldson starting off where he finished. Just

before the interval. Great long red. They're not on this red than he

would have liked. The positive side is if he makes the pot and he gets

on the black, he will be disturbing the reds. Look at the one of the

right centre, he has been positive all match and you would like to stay

him like that. If this goes right, it could be the frame and

matchwinner. Well, he just flipped off big red,

rather than punching into them and opening them out and staying on to

the black. He did not have the angle for that shot. The problem is the

black is not the easiest of the pots. You cannot put much spin on

because you get close to that side cushion. Very good.

I don't know what he played for, but that red goes to the extreme right,

but it doesn't go into this corner pocket. I'm not quite sure what he

played for. Surely he did not think he could hold it for the red to the

left centre. There was no way that was ever going to happen. He still

has a shot at this red. Thinner than he would have liked, it might be a

safety. A good cue ball. He can get through

to this red at the left corner. Horrible shots to be faced with, 4-0

down. We have already said he's normally a great long potter. Just

has not been his day today. I think he's OK with the red to the left

centre, but he has left the red to the green pocket. It is whether

Scott feels there's any value in taking that on, or continuing to

keep things tight. This red is on to the middle but it is a very acute

angle. That is why he's played safe. You cannot blame him, he's in total

control in this match. Darren was talking earlier in

commentary about what happens in the intervals. It turns the matches

round sometimes, not always, of course. I'm more fascinated in what

Scott Donaldson is thinking now, the balance of his shot selection seems

to have changed a little bit in that fourth frame. You are so aggressive

early on and you get into these situations that it is a very fine

line, to be honest, there's no such thing as picking the right shot all

the time. Even if you take the wrong shot and make it and you are

successful, it is the right shot. It is your choice and you have to stand

by it. It is one of the nice things about playing this game of snooker,

nobody can tell you what to do. Well, he has got to be positive.

There's that fine line always, should you have gone for it or not?

That is his style of play, but when he's giving an inform opponent and

opening, you have got to look back and think, can I learn from that for

the next time? Very straight on this red. Safety

screw. That is a bottom, just hold the cue straight back. And he could

have done with another four inches on that cue ball, a bit short on

this blue. He can drag back six inches and still have the red to the

back corner, he would have loved to be playing down towards these three

reds. Obviously, he's a lot of further away and that is for this

neck shot, the further away, the harder the shots get. He's played

with a lot of conviction in this match. He has delivered the cue very

well. He has got a nice crisp noise while striking the ball is, that is

always a sign of good cueing. That cue ball flew above the side

cushion. It came of their much quicker than it went on. It came off

very quick. He is in the driving seat. He doesn't need to take any

undue risks. That is for his opponent to do. Somehow, Zhou has

got to find a way back into this frame and into this match. In this

moment in time, you cannot see that happening. It has been a frustrating

afternoon for the young lad. The red zone, but black is tight. It

looks pink is on side cushion. -- the red is on. When you are 46 or 45

behind, the colours are not available. You feel like you have a

mountain to climb. He has overhead that McCain. It is difficult to tell

how fast the plots are in comparison to the outside tables.

Very positive shot. He is on the green. It will take some shot to get

down to the reds. It is not the easiest pot in the world and he has

got to put a lot of peers in it. This cuts down his chances of the

pocket taking the ball. The tricky brown. No problems. That

little flick of the blue has helped them on this occasion. He is a lot

closer to the corner pocket without the flag. Still a lot of work to do.

He is cutting his deficit down. I am surprised that he played bad

one. He thought he was going to get a cannon on the black with the two

reds. Those shots are so important. You

can call them apart and safety. You are taking into account. Even

without a collar to pot, you can start to roll into something. Put

your opponent in an awkward position and with for another chance.

He knew he had the baulk colours to cover the red. It has come just too

far over. You can see his hand is much closer than it usually is on

the table. Couldn't have done better than that, really. He would take the

whole day. -- take that all day. He has got to be careful, Scott

Donaldson, with this safety shot. The cue ball had travelled the four

or five inches, he would have a pot on this red nearest the black. He

has got to be careful he doesn't push the red over the corner and he

gets a good here. He has played that about as good as he could have. He

has given a shot to nothing. Things haven't gone his way in this match

so far, Yuelong. This is a big ask. The problem with that is, it is the

same for everyone. The more mistakes you make, the more they hurt you.

The first one hurts, Yuelong has missed a lot of pots here in this

match. He is really struggling out there now. I think the crowd loved

him to find something and when this frame. Nobody likes an easy victory

for one of the players. A pot from the player, of course. Just a safety

shot therefrom Scott. He is playing it very tight now. Not a bad thing

at all. He would like to play this tuple up

to the right-hand side of the table behind the green and brown area. I

am not sure if he can get there. It has worked out OK. It is not too

encouraging for Yuelong when he sees the pink and yellow on the side

cushion. 32 behind. He should be thinking to himself,

how good would it be if I want from this situation? Make no doubt, your

opponent will start to struggle when you come back at them. They think

they are giving things away to you, which isn't usually the case. At the

moment, Yuelong is second best by quite a long way.

I wouldn't have played the shot quite like that. He meant to cover

the red is just below the back. He could play this at pace and try to

move the other reds as well. It is a big shot. It would give him a chance

in this frame would lose him the match. That is what he has played.

He needs that cue ball to slow down. That is very unlucky. Played the

positive shot on the red, just needed to hit the two red fuller in

the face. I think he should be playing the

brown into the pink to take it into play. Get the cue ball safe on the

bottom cushion. Yellow and pink will be tough if he is going to win this

frame. He is 31 points behind. A very well found escape. Then we

have fellow professional on the tour for many years, Wayne Jones, still

place in the local league. I remember him looking -- losing a

final two Doug Mountjoy after taking up coaching with Frank Allen.

Doesn't change over the years. A very good player in his time. That

wasn't a good place to go and play when you were an amateur. This name

was there. And when Lloyd has passed away. Great players played there. He

needs a bit of luck and he has got it.

Well, that was a big shock to click on. He did not get the run of the

balls. Scott Donaldson has a good chance. He is 27 points in front.

That takes up to 33 in front. Just this last red. That would be an

excellent win for Scott, should he potted. Nobody expected a 5-0

results between these two young men. He is safe here, so a pot from

Snickers, he will be proud of the Welsh Open this year.

Very much a contrast in performances in this match. It generally is that

5-0. I don't think anyone could put their hand on their heart and say

that Yuelong has been unlucky, because he just has not found his

best form, nowhere near it. Scott Donaldson put a lot of pressure on

him early on. Not quite sure why he played that,

but he has been playing the better shots for most of this match. And

that is enough. Yuelong did not release show his best form. Scott

Donaldson played as well as he could have hoped for. He is punching the

air with his fist and quite rightly. Well done, sir. So, we have our

first semifinalist here at the 20 17th of March open. Scott Donaldson

through to the last four and erecting title for the first time.

It just didn't happen for Zhou. That was an exceptional performance from

Donaldson. It has been the exception. He has compiled in a lot

of first rounds this year. He was never under pressure. He will be

disappointed, delighted with the score, but disappointed he didn't

score more heavily. He will need to score more heavily in the

semifinals. He has been battling on for eight years, this was his big

chance. The drawers were favourable for him and he took his chance with

both hands. He deserves his place in the semifinals. A big moment in the

spotlight for him. He could have played even better. Absolutely. The

key thing is the money. They need ?30,000 or so to play on the

circuit. If you don't get to the semifinals you are almost gone

bankrupt. We can hear from Scott Donaldson. What a week. You just get

better and better. I don't know if I get better, but I am happy to win a

game. It wasn't always pretty but you just have to do the jaw

sometimes. During introductions you looked fairly composed. Really? I

was very nervous. Before the week began, if someone said to you, you

will make at least the semifinals, which you have left them? Don't be

stupid. I am realistic. I just try to win my first match and go on from

there. I am so happy. What has changed for you? I can't pinpoint

that. Maybe you guys can analyse the game. I am just trying my best and

lucky to get the five first. I spoke to you earlier to clarify whether

your mum or dad or hear and he said no because it would be bad luck.

Will you keep flying solo? Yes, solo. They will be watching Baikal.

And a preference, Judd or Barry? No, I will just enjoy it. The Reading

semifinalist, see you tomorrow. Relieved in the end to go through,

to get over the line. It is interesting to see how superstitious

players are, he didn't want his mum and dad to come down. If you are

going to be a professional, you have got to think you can win

tournaments. It is not good enough to win one or two rounds, he needs

to be more positive. He is good enough. Did Zhou black positivity

today? He didn't seem to think he would make the semis. Ahmed in

favourite before the game started because he scores heavily. He was

like a fish out of today. Probably both players were so excited, the

fact they could get to the semifinals, possibly the final and

both players were overawed by the location. The first Mann into the

semifinals is Scott Donaldson. Well done to him. Coming up shortly we

have two men who many would regard as tournament favourites. Judd Trump

up against Barry Hawkins. Let's remind you how Trump made his way

into the quarterfinals. He met the only Iranian on the circuit. That

join with Trump, 2-1 up. Probing and pushing for a mistake.

At last it comes. Not from Judd Trump.

42 behind, but more than enough to take the frame. The red look well

spread. It would just come Judd Trump down a little in this match.

Obviously not panicking yet, he leads to- one, but two breaks, 31 in

the first and 56 in the second. The few minutes just asserting himself

on this match. Seemingly effortless break would just settle down here.

Of course, potting him within one of the win.

The black looks as if it could go into the left corner. That was too

thin and once again he doesn't have the case right. The cue ball running

around the table, steaming as it goes.

He is lucky his arm didn't fall off when he did that. He did it so hard.

The good shot though. He just cant get the right position.

It must be so difficult for jaw and that, he must be wondering what is

happening? He is usually so efficient on the balls. 56 was OK,

but it wasn't great. Since the first frame he has not looked 100%.

That was very noticeable. He is five behind now. I think it is OK.

He's straight on the blue, he has still got the pink. He will be

screwing off the side and bottom cushion. A fraction short, but still

a very good positional shot. Still not in a good position. He's

in between everything. The reds -- the red only goes into the left

corner pocket so you can't play the blue and get on it, surely, even

with this power. Or can he? It is a miracle! That is what makes him

special. These shots that others don't even see.

And Hossein requires snookers. His expression gives away his

frustration. This has been an excellent clearance from Judd Trump,

he has had to work hard for it and produce some good shots. His best

break of the match so far and he's within one of the winning line and a

place in the Welsh Open quarterfinals.

Yes, in great form throughout this tournament, Jackson Page, he knocked

out Welsh wild card Jackson Page earlier yesterday and Vafaei unable

to stop the world number four winning convincingly. It break of 72

to see off Vafaei, the first Iranian professional on the circuit, one for

the future perhaps. Somebody to keep an eye on. Next

would Judd Trump, it is Barry Hawkins, the world number eight.

Look at the difference, six world tanking tri- tolls for Judd Trump,

Hawkins closing in on three, both semifinalists in the past, Jackson

Page in 2013, twice for Hawkins, Barry Hawkins edging the career

head-to-head. So let's hear from the two men about to contest the second

quarterfinal. The only time I have played Jackson

Page, it is a great occasion and I like the way he plays and I like

watching him play. So yes, he's a tough, tough opponent. Got to keep

playing like I'm playing to beat him. Coming into the tournament,

Barry is one of the favourites and the way he has performed, this game,

he has not dropped many games in this tournament so far. The last

couple of times may be, being in the semifinal in the English open, and I

beat him in the Masters. Just take your chances on the day, it is

whoever does that. To compete, I need to raise my game a little bit

and hopefully I can do that against the better players, I normally do. I

kind of know what to expect with him now and how well he's playing. When

things are going well, you have to take it well you can because it is

definitely not going to last long. Just an all-round top player the way

he's playing the top five or six players. Where he's in the rankings,

I think he will keep climbing. Really good game in prospect and

Barry Hawkins has just been in the practice area, I just had a quick

chat with him and he's looking confident and relaxed ahead of what

should be a really good match. Yes, he has nine years of experience and

Judd. Judd has been a juggernaut and he has steamed his way to the top of

the rankings. Barry has improved with age. Like Judd was saying, he's

one of the best in the world, after a fantastic run, losing two frames

in four matches, so the man in form. This is a big test, both have had a

favourable draw and now it is the Clash of the Titans. Judd is one of

the best exhibition players I have seen. Is he right that he has to

raise his game to beat Hawkins? Yes, I think so, is Barry Hawkins a

better potter, a better break at, no, but he's a better all-round

player. It is a big clash but it will be interesting. If it goes

close, I fancy Hawkins. Otherwise, if it is open, Judd. Very difficult

to call, we will see them coming out in a second. At the Motorpoint Arena

in Cardiff, it it is the second of our quarterfinals, which one of

these top 16 players can make their way into the semifinals tomorrow?

But join your commentary team, Dominic Dale and Rob Walker.

Thanks very much. A great atmosphere expected. And delivered by the

crowd. Two of only three players left in the 2017 Welsh Open from the

world's top 30. As Ian was saying, in the studio, they have had some

good battles. Barry is leading the head-to-head 5-3. Each man has

beaten the other once this season. Barry's came just last week, en

route to his third ranking title in Preston. He beat Judd 4-1. Earlier

this season, Judd Trump beat Barry Hawkins 6-2 in the semifinals of the

English open. So one each this season. And for the

real statisticians amongst you, they have played twice when it has gone

to a decider and each one won, so there's little to separate them.

Almost two for the price of one from Judd Trump! A really fascinating

match, this one. Judd's passage through to his third quarterfinal

here has been pretty smooth, winning against Andrew Higginson 4-1. 4-2

against Alex Borg, the man from Malta playing well in the early

stages. Jackson Page was dispatched. And Hossein Vafaei took just one

frame from Judd. Barry Hawkins equally impressive, and the two

frames conceded in four matches and he has now won nine matches in ten

days, after coming here fresh off the back of that fabulous victory in

Preston. So, Dominic Dale, how on Earth to pick a winner between these

two? Yes, it won't be easy to read into too many things because all

these top professionals tend to disregard the history of matches

between them, unless it is severely one-sided. It does make a difference

then, I suppose. Judd seems to be playing some great snooker this week

in Wales. Before he came here, Barry Hawkins would be full of expectation

on the back of his success in Preston. Not seeing too much this

week of these two playing but I know Barry has been winning his matches

rather easily. Winning quite comfortably yesterday. Both players

keen to get off to a good start. At least it is a proper match, as some

would suggest, a best of nine with an interval. Slightly longer

duration and a little more time to settle down.

Just the wrong side of the blue, Judd, so having to really do some

work with the cue ball. Just look at the top spin that Judd gets onto the

cue ball. You would love to be on that red on the black which will

still pot into the right corner but he has to be low on it rather than

high for it to go. Well, he thinks it will just pot, and it did. Just

did not quite judge the cannon correctly, Judd, so good effort.

Judd will be a little disappointed to see that black finding its way

near the side cushion, but playing a great cue ball and Barry in trouble

here. Write down the line of this, I don't know if Barry can see the

faintest edge of any of the reds. From that angle, I would suggest

certainly not. Barry is comprehensively snookered

and he has to be very careful here because there are a couple of loose

reds and he could easily leave something 14 Judd. -- leave

something for Judd. He has been absolutely brilliant in

patches so far this week. Barry Hawkins had not looked too shabby

either. A really intriguing match, this.

In fact, when you look at the CV of Judd Trump, he has won six ranking

titles and we have to go back to 2011 since his last major crown on

British soil. In the UK. A couple of victories in China, the

international Championship in China, the week he became world number one

for the first time in 2012. He has won in Australia and he won the

European Masters. Just the one big one on UK soil and he's not too hot

far away from home territory, with his family making the short journey

from Bristol, so this would mean a lot to him if he was able to get to

the final and get over the line. Yes, it is a little surprising he

has not won a major tournament in Britain since 2011, that is a long

time ago now for Judd. He always gets to the later stages of most

tournaments. And you would think that he has won more than the six

ranking events that he has. I think in the case of Judd, it is his style

of play, he's a very attacking player and when they go in, one of

the hardest players to beat. But he plays such an attacking game and if

they are not going game, players such as Barry Hawkins, and other top

players, they tend to capitalise heavily on any mistakes made by

anybody and it Judd does give those opportunities to them, he will lose

frames and matches. That is what makes Judd and players like Ronnie

O'Sullivan such exciting players to watch. Yes, the likes of Ronnie Way

ahead, and 28 ranking titles. I can't remember how many he had won

by the time he was the age of Judd. A few people could be wondering

whether the combination of Judd Trump and the legendary Terry Riff

is might be intriguing -- Terry Griffiths. Terry is working with so

many of the players and he will be an interested observer of this,

having spent so much time with Barry over recent years. Judd is a player

of immense spectral talent. He has won in the UK, in 2011, but not in a

ranking event. He won Ronnie in conduct an Opec couple of years ago,

that was an intriguing match. Surely it is only a matter of time before

he adds to his collection of six so far. Always interesting to hear what

the bookies think. Slight marginal favourite for this title, I think.

It is very tight with Barry and Stuart Bingham still in the hunt, in

the world's top 30 and the world's top 16. Judd just having a look to

see if there are two reds in that group. For a planned. There's every

chance he could make that, did not catch that red thin enough but

safety was his main priority. He will have to be good against Barry

Hawkins whose long game can be really good sometimes. The red in

this right-hand corner could be a shot to nothing but the problem for

Barry could be that black, does not want to collide with it on its way

back to baulk. He did catch the black and he has

developed it, so one could pot from Judd and you would fancy him winning

this now, already 48 points to the good. Well, not quite sure Judd

recognised the importance of that red, that went in. I'm sure it would

have been 1-0, Judd Trump. A little remiss from Barry. He goes

back over and he stands by his chair. Beautifully judged. From

Judd. Just has the blue off its spot. He makes these tight angles

look so easy sometimes. And Barry was a pretty tired figure

when he arrived here in Cardiff. He just got home to see his son

Harrison... Oh, dear. And then he came down, ready to go on Tuesday. I

guess from a player's perspective, you would want it -- you have won a

couple of big ones, it must be quite difficult to sustain your mental

desire when you have got over the line in a huge match, as he did on

Sunday, and suddenly you are on the motorway at game, away from home,

and you have to do it all over again within 48 hours. Yes, I would not be

at all surprised if that catches up with Barry at some point, maybe in

this match, who knows, but he will be tired. He was nicely up in that

final against Ryan Day and then he lost four frames to Ryan's great

play, making a number of breaks in quick succession and only went over

the line to win 10-7 in the end. And that would have taken something out

Barry. I remember playing him in the World Championships three years ago

and I was 11-5 in the quarterfinals down and I ended up losing only

13-12 and I think that really took something out of Barry for his next

match against Ronnie O'Sullivan, who won rather easily in the semifinals

against him. You really do go through the mental ring that when

somebody put you under pressure as Ryan did just a couple of days ago.

I remember that match. You came back in, you came out and you were

talking about your shoes before it began. Always a man with an eye for

the fashion details, Dominic Dale! So, excellent pot from Barry

Hawkins. The world number eight. He's actually second if you look at

the one-year list, that perhaps is a more accurate indication of current

form. An example of what he has done in the last couple of months.

60 71, with the five reds remaining. More than enough to get back in this

opening frame. -- 67. Barry has misjudged that one. He

played for the black. It did sound like a slight clip, but I don't

think it would have made much difference to the positional aspect

of the shot in that case. Yes, it jumped into it, the cue ball. And

whether or not this meant Barry would have been on the black

otherwise, I don't quite know. The pink is still on, but it is a

difficult pot. Well played shot from Barry, there's pressure on that. 34

points still in arrears. I don't think Barry will feel any of these

reds will prevent -- presents too much difficulty, but the green

could. I was wrong. He will be disappointed at missing that, Barry.

He knows he should have parted that, but it is the first frame and these

mistakes can have been -- can happen early on in the match.

Oh, dear, it is catching. Two of the top three seeds left in this year's

Welsh Open just struggling a little bit here in this first frame.

Not sure Barry would have been expecting to come back to the table

so soon, having left Judd in. Delicately poised this first frame.

By the time the Barry gets to the dream, should he get that far, the

point is probably will be level. Has to use a half-board angle or

something like that on the black to run the cue ball up to a good

position on the yellow. -- a half-board angle. Went off the side

cushion right towards that black, it stopped in time, just the speed that

came off that side cushion. That has just caught the bottom jaw of the

pocket and it has meant he's on the complete wrong side of the yellow to

get on the green. Have a look, it just catches. We did not see it

there, but that is what happened. A problem for Barry, just catching

the bottom jaw of the middle pocket and you saw the narrow angle it went

up the table from, that is why he missed the yellow, having to do too

much work with the cue ball. Great pot from Barry Hawkins. He was

run out of position on the yellow on the first time of asking. It is all

square, 49 each. Oh, dear! He has done all that work to get back on

level terms. And that could be his last contribution to this frame.

Yes, it was a great yellow that Barry potted, very disappointed to

miss that green, gave himself every opportunity to snatch this first

frame from Judd Trump and now just the blue and pink to take it. No big

breaks in this first frame, the highest as 32 from Barry Hawkins.

But in the end, it is Judd Trump who wins this first frame to take it 1-0

lead, it is best of nine, against Barry Hawkins.

I would like to be the loudmouth Floyd Mayweather and at the moment

Colin McGregor. In snooker, it is probably Ronnie's 147 in five

minutes, I don't think that will ever be achieved again. Like most

sports, I would say boxing is up there and is tennis is also quite

good to watch. There was always one to be world number one and one to be

champion, so halfway there and it would be nice to win the World

Championship one day. I think it is a little bit harsh sometimes. I

think I thought a pair of trainers worth ?65, my mum did not want me to

buy those but I said it was my own money and he couldn't do anything

about it! At the Crucible, it is a different class, just so much

atmosphere and it is a buzz, you can feel the pressure and its spurs you

one. Hopefully I make some wise decisions now and I will buy some

property and be sorted after snooker. Maybe relax and be involved

with snooker a bit, a bit of commentating or something. But

hopefully be well off, enough to retire.

Yes, good to find out more about Judd Trump, the character. In terms

of how he's getting on in this quarterfinal, is he a little bit

fortunate to be 1-0 up? He was 48 points in front at one

stage. I would never want to change his game, but when you have the game

like this, look at the PC is playing. He is making the brown

difficult and giving Barry Hawkins a chance to get the frame. As it

happens, Barry Hawkins list and Judd went on to win the frame. Even in

the latter stages, he tends to push the boat. This is why he has not yet

been world champion I love Judd Trump,, he is a future world

champion, but you have to question whether he pushes the boat out too

much. It they beat sums of a difference in style between these

players. Hawkins to break in frame two. Barry Hawkins will be very

disappointed at the manner in which that first frame got away from him

because he did have opportunities, but after he left that green

available, Judd Trump showed no hesitation in getting across the

line. That is only the third frame Barry has conceded in the four and a

big matches he has played so far here in Cardiff this week. It is

interesting, when you look at the pattern of Barry Hawkins's career in

comparison to the world number two, stripping, whereas Judd burst onto

the scene at a very young age, Barry is 37, Stewart is 47, they both seem

to be reinvigorated after winning in Australia. Barry in 2012 done at --

down under and stripped. Now Barry is one of the key players in the

circuit and that is not something people would have predicted five or

six years ago. It might look like that from a public perspective, I

think the majority of professional players realised that Barry Hawkins

is a very classy player for a good decade or more. Very still on the

shot, knows all facets of the game. What has improved with Barry, maybe

his belief as after winning tournaments, as he has done, but he

scores heavily and his long game is very good. If you do those two

things very well, you will be very difficult to beat.

I always find with Judd that he is the momentum player. When he gets

rolling, he is very difficult to stop. I don't know whether that was

in Barry's mind. He missed a couple of crucial pots in that frame,

realising the importance of getting a handle on Judd early on. He just

stopped supporting these balls and making bricks. It is the devil's own

jaw to stop them. He plays with a certain amount of

aggression, Judd. He is always quick to try to get in and split the reds.

Absolutely. If there is one thing I love about his game, other than his

potting and unpredictability, is his shot choices. He does play the game

in a very modern style. He attacks everything, gets the pack of reds

open as early as he possibly can. Some players don't do that as much

as they ought to. Split the ball is far and wide from

the blue. I am not sure Judd would have gone into the pack here from

the blue. He still could do from the side cushion, with top spin. I don't

know if there are any more than spreads available. -- any more loose

reds. It was difficult to generate enough place for the shop to go into

the pack the way it did. He was almost straight on the blue. He

possesses such great to power. Unfortunately he hasn't landed on

anything. A little grimace they the world

number four as he walked back down to this end of the table.

Beautifully judged. That was the best he could do in these

circumstances. Yes. We weren't sure if that was

going to drop. That was stripped of the Judd Trump. -- straight out.

Barry Hawkins most certainly did have a look at those reds. He

attempted the 3-ball plant. Whether it was intended to come in and out

of Boll is another matter. A favourable cannon on the green. This

is no fluke. He has a great opportunity to get

back into this frame. He will need all the remaining reds and some of

the Polk colours. There is one awkward red toward the cushion. I

believe the yellow will pot. That was pot and that will help

Barry significantly should he get as far as the yellow.

I am sure Barry's son, Harrison, got home from school in the last 15

minutes or so and he will be on the TV watching his dad. I wonder if he

was allowed to stay up for the last session of the world Grand Prix? He

did at least get his hands on the trophy when Barry went home for a

couple of hours. I guess, from a player perspective, your whole

family invest in the effort. You are away from home a lot. The whole

family makes a sacrifice, not just the player. Yes, especially the

players who have children. And time I have been in a tournament in

China, I have heard the players complaining about being away from

their families for so long and they are missing their children. The

wonders of modern technology with mobile phones and gadgets, they can

stay in touch rather more easily than they could have done a couple

of decades or so ago. That does help. He played a very good shot

there. He is on this last red. He would have liked to be a little bit

straighter on it, but this could be ideal. He wouldn't have to do

anything with the tuple for a position on the yellow.

Unfortunately, the red was thinner than I thought it was. He has done

his best. A lead of six points, so he will

need green, brown and blue. What is the angle like on this yellow? That

will determine how he gets on to the green. He didn't avoid the pain. He

has got a problem here because the green is very thin. He could block

the brown if he comes back across the table. What will he do here? He

is in a spot of bother here. He could miss the green. A bit of

thinking for him to do here. Well, to be honest, it was an

excellent pot on the green and I think he had to play it the way he

did to get this side of the table for the brown. It might just be a

safety shot number Barry plays. So, a chance here for Judd, maybe.

After Barry got a break of 60. 22 still on. Judd Trump could still

potentially doubled his advantage in these early stages, but Barry

Hawkins has done most of the work in this frame.

We have seen the full repertoire of shots from these world-class

players. We'll Judd Trump fancy this? No, not on the location. He

has gone for those in the earlier matches. No disrespect to Higginson,

so far in the Welsh Open until this match, he has not faced an opponent

of the calibre of Barry Hawkins. A quick check of the scoreboard

terror jaw. The shrapnel from Judd. I wonder if we are destined for a

long one? It will be pretty intriguing.

But brown just crept past the middle pocket. The few inches shorter and

he could have easily left it on for Barry. It is OK now, it is safe.

Barry has made a bit of a mess of that one, I am afraid. If Judd can

support this and get on the blue, it could be frame over. He has missed

it. You will be disappointed, that was a great chance to go 2-0 ahead.

He is very, very fortunate the tuple landed in front of the black. Barry

is not one of the tallest players, so he could struggle with this. I

wouldn't be surprised if he didn't play the pot here now.

It is certainly evident that both of these players have a healthy respect

for each other. They are very conscious of one another. It is

causing them to make the occasional mistake. I wonder how aware they are

of the fact that, other than the two of them, it is only Stuart Bingham

still left in the drop from the top 16. He is down the bottom half. The

winner of this one will play Scott Donaldson. So either Judd or Hawkins

would be the overwhelming favourite to make the final. That is better

from Barry. So, barring a snooker, it is one

each. He had his chances to double his lead. Nicely done by Barry

Hawkins. We are all square in the early stages here. We did say it

would be a difficult one to call, this. That was a very good frame. It

could have been 2-0 either way. Judd left Barry and easy chance on the

yellow. Barry looked certain to clear up in one visit, lost position

on the ground. On reflection on the match so far, 1-1 is a fair sure

that score. Does it come down to trump being more intuitive and

Hawkins more pragmatic? Two years ago I would've said exactly that,

but Hawkins is scoring heavily. If you look at the statistics, Hawkins

is 300 behind Judd Trump. Over the last year, you have to suggest that

Hawkins is up there with the best. He can compete in both compartments.

As Judd got both compartments? I don't think so. Barry Hawkins can

win a messy, I am not sure Judd Trump can. Perhaps the reason he has

not one more major tournaments... Is there a better player to watch in

the world than Judd Trump? I don't think so. He has to ask why he isn't

winning regularly. He says he can work it out. I would never want to

change his game because he is one of the best players I have ever seen,

but now and again just bite the bullet and weight. He doesn't have

the pot everything, just wait a better chance. We were talking the

Barry earlier on, he was talking about the busy wiki had. He was in

Kent and Cardiff and one the world Grand Prix. How is that, doing all

that travelling and constantly playing? We have never had a run of

tournaments like that. It has never been so back-to-back. They go from

here to the shoot out, from there they go to Gibraltar, from there to

China and then the World Championship. I wonder whether Barry

will be booking hotel rooms for his family. Hard to say at the moment in

the early stage of this quarterfinal. It is 1-1. It would be

a brave Mann who could definitively predict an outcome here with

conviction. Plenty of opportunities for both these players in both

frames a break of 60 doing most of the damage for Barry in the second

frame. Judd hasn't had much time on the balls in the last quarter of an

hour. He hasn't potted for 13 and a half minutes. That is a long time.

We were really looking forward to this match before it started and

there have been some misses, but it has the makings of a very good

encounter. A good crowd in here once again. People put in the afternoon

off work, coming here to watch two of the very best in the sport trying

to make it in the semifinals Saturday year in Cardiff.

He attempted the black there because it is available into the right

corner. You would expect both of these

players to be in the 90s at their best. It is just not happening here

in the early stages. 15 minutes since Judd last pot of a ball. Is he

about to get back in the groove here?

He get the feeling he could just do with a little trickier to settle

down, despite the fact that it is 1-1. He has missed the art already

that you wouldn't expect him to miss and he might still be disappointed

that he could not be 2-0 up already, which would have been a great start

in a best of nine. So, sure, he will be looking to find his rhythm again

here. You would like to get on the red just above the black. This looks

perfect. He can just wrote this in and then remove the red away from

the black spot which will make things plain silly. -- plain

sailing. He will have to play a deft little screen shot into the pack of

red Sea. A bit of a heart stopping moment

there. As John Virgo would say, it certainly wiped its feet.

The control that cannon into the cluster very well to run through for

the black. Judd would expect himself to go on and win the frame from

here. He played that one a little better. There

you go. He should have left the red much straight into the centre

pocket. The fact he left such a big angle on it was enough to make an

miss it. You will be hoping it doesn't cost him the frame.

It looked like it was normal service resumed for Judd Trump, but once

again he has let Barry Hawkins in here. He was doing this at times in

a feud of the earlier matches, certainly in the second round. Judd

won 4-2 but he was made to work quite hard for that win. Against

Barry Hawkins, the world number eight, three-time ranking event

winner, surely you cannot get away with too many of those mistakes.

Still only the best of nine. Respect for each other, nervous, bit

of both? Difficult to know. I think once the match gets underway and the

few frames are played, the wariness of each other can disappear and you

get on with your own performance. That was a massive kick. We have

seen a few this week and that led to this mess from Barry Hawkins. A

reprieve for Judd. He asks the Belgian referee to clean the tubal.

Quite rightly when you get a bad contact there is often a chock mark

on the object file. These little things that go on in matches can

affect you. A black and a couple more reds and

other colours, could be enough for Judd Trump to take a 2-1 lead.

Great use of the pink to make sure those three reds are in play.

So Judd is almost there in this frame. And he must have been

concerned. When that red went to the middle, that Hawkins was going to

capitalise on the mistake. Snookers required now for Barry Hawkins.

I'm sure Judd's dad Steve will be relieved to know that this third

frame is heading to Judd. Judd Trump comfortably over the line in this

frame. Cheeky! As only he can, at that

pace, with the frame secured. He's playing on some great entertainment

here. Oh, well, could not keep it going. But Judd Trump has managed to

get himself ahead here in this very tight match against Barry Hawkins,

too one. -- 2-1 up. So it is advantage Trump again in

the battle between the worlds number four and the world number eight, but

we have seen the two side of Trump, the good and the bump. The first

frame, he missed one and Barry had a chance to men and air -- to win and

he did not commit this game, 14 front. This shot, he's 40 in front

and whether he suddenly relaxes, I don't know. Every frame, he misses

an easy shot. He would miss that probably one out of ten. But it

seems to be when he's in front. And we have the exhibition In. He likes

to tame the crowd and I wish more players would do this, he likes to

play the exhibition shocked when the frame is over. We have got to really

entertain the public and Judd Trump certainly entertaining. He stepped

away as if, I meant to do that, it happens all the time. How'd you see

it developing? It is close, Judd Trump is giving too many chances

away, he has been 50 in front in virtually every frame and he's only

2-1 in front. Entertaining from Judd Trump at the end, let's head back

with Hawkins the break. Actor Dominic and Rob. -- back to Dominic.

So now we have moved up to the best of nine. Having been best-of-7 for

the first four days, there will be an interval. Barry Hawkins would

absolutely love to make sure he goes into the break having got back on

level terms. They have both had chances in every frame. It is pretty

tight so far. Very then the connection from Judd. What is your

view, Dominick? He was saying how much he enjoys Judd going for his

shots when the frame is already secured, is he very unusual in that

regard, Judd? For many players, they will simply focus on maintaining

their rhythm and men -- and momentum rather than entertaining the

punters. I think a lot of that to do with how you are as a person, Judd

is a flamboyant character. He loves to play an attacking style of play

not many others are capable of achieving and still winning

tournaments in the process. You can always tell the way a player plays

snooker by the car they drive, the speed they drive, the way they are

in life, it is a reflection of how you played the game, and the

greatest players in the sport, if you look at the history, ten the

beam the more introverted characters like Stephen Hendry and John

Higgins, that type of player. And if it is not in your make up the play

flamboyant shots that please the crowd and the public, it is not

something you will ever see happening. It is Judd's style of

play, he lost entertain and that is why we all love watching him. It is

100 miles an hour and it is a Ferrari!

Oh, dear! Oh, dear! Are still standing over that one. He can't

believe it. The crowd laughing with him. He's very bemused, you can see

the confusion and Barry's face. I don't think he felt he missed that

two. -- that pot. Either the cue ball deviated on its course to the

red all the red would still have gone in off the jaw anyway.

Well, is Judd on a red into the right corner? Can he get past that

group of reds to the left one? It must be tight. There's another one

into the same pocket but it is a very thin cut. I think that goes.

Now, we'll Judd play deep screw into that group of five reds below the

pink? Unfortunately, he just caught them to thin that affects the cue

ball towards baulk. If you play with too much pace, the cue ball does too

much before it can react with the spin on the clock and bite back into

that group of reds, you have to play with the right pace to rip the cloth

early enough and spin enough. If Judd Trump could punish Barry for

that inexplicable miss on the red, that would really hurt. He managed

to head into the interval two away from victory. A fair amount of work

left to do in this frame, but this is a good chance for the world

number four. Well, that is a bit unfortunate for

Judd, into that group of reds and just catching the left-hand side of

that group which is why the cue ball has finished where it has done, but

there's still a red on into this right centre, but he would not be

able to get onto the pink very easily. I don't know if the black

will pot, I don't think you can hold for the black into the right corner,

it would have to go on to the red into the right corner. Oh, well, I

don't think the black will pot past the other red. He tried to get on

the pink anti-court the jaws of the pocket and he finished in No Man s

Land. Just a good safety required now from Judd. He has had leads of

48, 49, 50-0 in the first three frames, just winning two of them.

Again, he has a 40 point lead in this frame. But I think the reds,

they are quite favourably spread for Judd, and it is a good lead given

there are four or five reds in difficult positions.

Well, I think Judd will be tempted by this red into the left corner,

get the cue ball back towards baulk. That is a fantastic pot from Judd.

Just straight into the cue ball up slightly. Left-hand side on that as

we looked, right-hand side to Judd. Just behind the brown now, just to

put Barry Hawkins in deep trouble. Three out of three on his long pots,

acrid to. One of the strengths of his game and it is holding firm

today -- on his long pots, Judd. Barry is coming under real pressure

now in this match. The World Grand Prix champion, he has won nine

matches in ten days. And he had a look. It just would not

go. So another safety. The ace in the pack. The proud Bristolian

living in Essex, not too far from Ronnie O'Sullivan.

We mentioned earlier the sacrifices that the families of players make to

allow them to have their life on the road. Judd's diet is a long-distance

truck driver and he used all of his holiday to drive his young son

around the tournaments. He never had a holiday until Judd made it and won

a couple of big events. I think Judd pay for his mum and dad to go away

on a break somewhere. Amazing dedication. I have

just seen two tremendous efforts and judgment of pace, you can't beat it.

Two shots in a row that cue ball has been nailed to that baulk cushion.

He did try and cut a red into the right corner, he got the wrong one,

but superb. This one, very similar, if he does not find the corner

pocket. Three shots in a row within millimetres of that cushion. I don't

think we will see that happen again very often.

So that time, the mistake came from Judd. A big opportunity for Barry if

he can make the most of it. Oh, dear.

Judd beat Barry 6-2 in the semifinals of the English Open

earlier this season. Is this his chance to go into the interval 3-1

up? I don't think Judd will be too

concerned that he has not got the position on the cut. After this

snooker, he could be a frame-winner anyway.

REFEREE: a foul and a miss. Judd Trump, seven.

There was not much certainty in Barry's demeanour and body language

when he got down on the cue ball at the first time of asking. He's still

having a good, long, hard think about this one.

REFEREE: Foul and a miss. I guess when you have had one of the

biggest wins in your career a couple of days ago, you can afford to be a

little bit generous. With your reactions. Here he goes again.

Third time of asking but can Judd Trump now finished the frame?

Still 67 on. He's almost there, Judd, in this frame, but not quite.

It was an awkward pink to the middle left.

Superb! Absolutely superb! Especially bearing in mind how

little of the cue ball he could control.

So Barry requires a stinker -- a snooker. If he can't get one, Trump

will take a 3-1 lead into the interval.

We have had some showboating from Judd in the previous frames.

Spectacular from Barry, but he does still need a snooker. And Barry

walking straight off, Judd Trump goes in 3-1 ahead.

And he will be very happy to be doing so, some clear blue water

between these two and it is remembered the best of nine, so the

first to 5 wins it as they head into the interval. Where are we, Willie?

It is so hard to visualise what is happening in this game, we have seen

unbelievable pots from Judd and easy misses. 50 points in front here and

he has a chance to get the pink in the middle and he misses it. This is

the pink. If he pots the pink, he wins the frame.

He thinks he only has to pot this and he has won but he lacks

concentration. He's tight on the cushion and gets a long red that

nobody else would go for, and that is what he does, he's so

inconsistent. But at his best, he's very hard to beat. But at the minute

he's vulnerable and Barry Hawkins should have won the first game, Judd

was in front but he should have won. He got the second, it is the best of

nine, they have an interval and they may go into the practice room, but I

can see Barry coming into the room to practise.

Is Trump more nervous of Hawkins? It could be coming he beat him in the

Grand Prix a couple of weeks ago, so he has previous of losing against

Hawkins, but they are close in matches won, 4-3, Hawkins. From what

we have seen this week, Judd would be the favourite, Barry has only

lost two frames and he has had a reasonable draw in this tournament

and Judd has played slightly the better players. There's still a lot

of snooker in this match and 3-1 is not too bad. If Trump makes a good

start to the second session and gets another frame, you would back him to

go all away? If he gets the four before Barry gets three, I think it

is Trump's to win. We will rejoin the match shortly for the second

session. The snooker season never really seems to end, so many

tournaments on the circuit these days, but officially the 2016-2017

season started back in June, so let's remind you of who has won what

this year. Such a busy season, so many

tournaments these days and what that did not show was how many M hours

they have clocked up getting around the world to play. 13 different

winners we have had this season and surprise ones as well, Anthony

McGill in the German Masters at the age of 45 and Mark King winning his

first title and Liang Wenbo, what does it tell us about the state of

the game? Is it healthy to have so many different winners? It is

healthy but I believe the best-of-7 is not enough of a test, why not the

best of nine with no interval? It is like playing golf, one round instead

of four and the player who wins... The thing I have noticed more, how

many players are going in and out of form so quickly? We saw Higgins

winning back-to-back tournaments and Higgins, people go out of form so

quickly -- and Hawkins. Barry Hearn is quite content with the best-of-7

format, I know. Yes, he seems to be and Barry Hawkins is having a

practice ahead of the second session behind here. Barry Hearn has been

quoted today as saying this highlights the strength and depth

and that the fear factor has gone, the lower ranked players believe

they can beat the Best regardless of the draw structure, agree? I agree

with that because the reason is because they play each other week in

and week out, in the 1980s, we had sometimes a month between

tournaments and somebody like Steve Davis who won the previous

tournament would play a little apprehensive. They play each other

week in and week out and not many players have not played the best

players, they have that many tournaments, and from a jaw, there's

a chance you will played the best players from the world.

Some players feel they are suffering burn-out. It is a common complaint.

Any player in form for more than two tournaments in a row will burn out.

I am talking about the top 16 players. They can earn enough to not

play every tournament. The players at the bottom, Scott Donaldson said

I was just happy to get rid of the first round so I could get some

money. He was surprised to get to the semifinal. In the top 120 it is

hard to believe you can win every tournament. It is impossible for

some, but there are a lot of very good players. We talked about it

early on, they need ?30,000 a year to break even. I wonder what your

handwriting would tell us if you were to scribble something down now.

Very illiterate. The BBC has been using an expert to analyse the

handwriting of the top snooker players. Let's find out what Judd

Trump's says about him. This writing his capital letters and that means

somebody who is slightly protecting the image. It is not especially

large. It is about five millimetres and it is middle zone. That is about

somebody who wants to get on with things and they are trying to be

sociable. When you look at the writing, it has a wide left margin

and it is quite straight. That is somebody who has very high standards

and once to slightly reserve. They might want to act on presents. They

are the sort of person who might have studied the snooker Masters and

learned from them because this is a delightfully well written piece.

Here is somebody who has got themselves well under control. Often

you have come with right slant writing, head writing. With that

song writing it is known as head of writing. Here is somebody who has

had a hard right in balance. Around this writing the awkward if you

double strokes. You have an extra EU going in here. And ecstasy. We have

some strong writing pressing through the page. When you have an

overriding like this, it is a sign the compulsiveness. Here is somebody

who will practice strongly for a long time to make sure they get it

absolutely right. I want to move the signature, which is phenomenal. It

is very tall, 30 millimetres, when you'd expect it to be about ten. It

has a wonderful right slant, where's the actual writing is more

controlled, bright. When you meet this person, they are somebody who

can instinctively respond to other people. It has quite remarkably

sharp points. When you have points in writing that is written with such

fluency, such speed, would you have this intelligence and speak, you

have tremendously rapid comprehensive thinking. Somebody who

can grasp ideas instantly and take swift advantage of any

opportunities. An extremely fluent, efficient player. Fascinating stuff

and quick. I dread to think what he would make of the dreadful scrawl on

this piece of paper. Another feature for you, which is really

entertaining, this is driving with Davis. Steve Davis has been taking

the grid and the good of snooker and for a spin. Barry Hawkins hop in the

passenger seat for his turn. Only one order a taxi?

I have driven a car like this since the accident.

Did you pass your test? I did, I passed first time. Had any

accidents? A couple of close ones. I had a close one in a retail

corporate. -- car pot. I nearly had another accident there. Do you know

your blood type? No, I don't. And you are in a car with me? I might

bring my mum. Some, you were adopted. I'm in a car with Steve

Davis. With blood type I? Did you know? No, Zhou doesn't have a clue.

He nearly had an accident. It was just in case I needed some blood.

Zhou don't even know her own. Which reality show would you do one?

Probably the jungle, I should imagine. Strictly? No, do I do have

some ships. Me and joke and through some ships on the dance floor. Well,

we think we can. And it's rid of dance music or stuff. Once the Beeb

gets going, that is us away. We must look like old men. It doesn't happen

that often. We are so busy we don't get a chance. We picture sure we

enjoyed ourselves when we go out. Not the cooking programmes? I am not

much of a cook. What about gardening? I do the gardening. Would

you brush up the leaves in the winter time? That is sad, surely? We

tidied up the leaves a little bit. My Mrs tidies them.

I don't mind doing things like that. I enjoyed that. I am lost. I have

gone past that. It is only a small tent. I might have to do another

U-turn. Thank you for taking me good work. -- taking me to work. Never

looked entirely comfortable, Barry Hawkins in the company of Steve

Davis. It is almost time to rejoin him in his natural habitat. Our

coverage of this second quarterfinal here in Cardiff continuing as they

return for the second session. Scott Donaldson already through to the

semifinals. You could join him? Let's go live to session to. Very

entertaining watching that. Barry Hawkins doing gardening. A release

from the pressure of the table. He has got plenty to do in this match.

Numerous parents from both players before the interval. It is Judd who

has been very handy lead at the moment. Barry up against it a little

bit here. It is important, this frame, for Barry Hawkins. He could

get right back into the match. He has a great deal of capability. You