Day 7 Snooker: World Championship Highlights

Welcome to highlights from the Betfred.com World Championship with

two of the greatest players together for the first time. John

Higgins, the defending champion and Stephen Hendry, the player with the

greatest record of them all at the Crucible. They have never played

against each other at the Crucible before, but today that will change.

Everyone talks about being one of the best players in the world, and

of course he is. Absolutely fantastic. There is only one

Stephen Hendry. He could have done that easily. I have done that in

stops and starts all season. That is why my record is what it is. But

I am still capable of doing that. He got himself under a bit of

pressure as the defending champion. Even when is not playing well, he

still seems to come three matches. A fantastic player who has achieved

everything there is to achieve in the game. Look at what it means to

the defending champion. Stephen has played here a lot longer than I

have. I have played here 18 years now. It is an unbelievable

statistic. Our I am really looking forward to it. A chance to play the

world champion at the Crucible. I have never played him before he

Cammack, so I cannot wait. -- before here, Forster vintage stuff

was provided, particularly from Hendry. We join it at frame nine.

Higgins trailing. Commentators Neal Foulds and John Virgo.

John would never leave that ball near the middle pocket. He would

push it past. The cue ball were to travel pass the baulk line anyway.

A terrible sound. -- travel past. What a terrific shot that was.

APPLAUSE. Not many players in the game would have played that. And he

has finished perfectly on the black. But he is still going to need the

two remaining reds. This one, simple. The last one - very, very

awkward. APPLAUSE. He glances at the scoreboard and a good angle on

the black to disturb that red. That was just about perfect. If he plays

the cannon and does not get it right he could hit the jaws of the

middle pocket and missed the red altogether. He does not have an

ideal shot for the cannon, but he has to play it and he has to play

it perfectly. APPLAUSE. Played it superbly. That was a superbly

cannon. -- superb cannon. Just the red required. It is missable. He is

giving it every care and attention. He has missed it. That is the

tension. The tension of the moment. The best is a perfect kiss which

has left him on the black. The black and the six remaining colours

to steal this frame. Coming in the general direction of the black but

it even game him the angle to get down for the yellow. He can win

this frame. Not big odds at all. This would settle him in, because

he has not looked settled at all yet. The pink is not on its spot, a

slight problem. With a clearance like this, this is probably the key

shot. Potting this brown and getting a good angle on the blue.

Stephen will be kicking himself if he loses this one. He does not want

to come too straight on the blue and he has just about got an angle,

but he will have to force it down for the pink. APPLAUSE. He did not

want to be straight on the pink, because then he could not get on

the back. Looking at his body language, he is straight enough.

APPLAUSE. What a big shot this is. This type of shot used to the into

the left middle, but it does not seem to happen these days. This is

tough for the frame. 0, he has missed it. He has overcut it. In

goes the black!. That is a mighty relief for Stephen Hendry. What a

tense opening frame. The seven times world champion Stephen Hendry

takes it. He now leads by six frames to three. He entry could not

have hoped for a better start to the second session because he also

took frame ten and leads by four. We join it at frame 11.

Cushion first. Trying to retain position on the black. He is not

having to wait for any chances, Stephen Hendry, anytime he comes to

the table. I think that could be the frame winner. I know he needs

the blue, or will need the blue. APPLAUSE. He has a nice angle on

the yellow. It would be very risky to pot the black and bring the blue

into play. It would not be the shot for me. APPLAUSE. It would lack any

guaranteed control, that shot. It could still end up on the side

cushion. To do it from brown to blue is the controlled way off

doing it. For the green, with a nice angle. That looks a bit

straight, though. Yes, so what he will try to do now - he would love

to play for the brown in the same pocket as the green. But if he

cannot, he will have to be leave an angle on the brown and pay is great

screw back for an angle on the blue. -- a straight screw back. APPLAUSE.

Has he got the angle to screw back and bring the blue into play? He is

close. APPLAUSE. He has just knocked it past the middle pocket,

I think. Just wanted to catch that blue a little bit thinner. He

played the position from green to brown inch-perfect. He is already

pretty close to the middle pocket and it is so easy to push it past.

Even thin contact would have been better. He does not believe he can

cut it in. I am sure it is past the pocket. Trying to use the jaw of

the pocket. Is got it! he has got it. APPLAUSE. If he drops now it

will be replaced. APPLAUSE. He has to hit this for a snooker.

thought that the cue ball was going to drop in for a minute. For a

second it looked like it was going to lurch back into the pocket.

think it was worth the risk, as it turned out. That is not going to

help John Higgins. The pink against the right-hand side pushing the

black against the top cushion. It takes a bit of pressure of Stephen.

-- off Stephen. He would be delighted with that double-kiss.

it possible for John Higgins to pot this blue and avoid the kiss on the

black and cannon the pink? No, just concentrated on playing a good

safety and bringing the black into play. And you could not have played

it any better than that. And a tap on the table from Stephen tells you

what he thinks of it. It has improved his chances of winning the

frame now. It was three individual battles aren't pink and black

before that. -- battles on pink and black. He needs this one to bounce.

Unless John doubles the pink, I do not think he can get anywhere near

it from this blue. APPLAUSE. Now, the chance of a double. Of course

if he got the double, likely to be on the black. But if you miss them

you can leave the pink on. What a frame to still. He had chances and

missed them. Stephen sits uncomfortably in his seat. That

made John Higgins feel a lot better. He dug in as he always does.

Brilliant. Closed the gap to three frames, still 7-4 behind.

A Iten re re- established his advantage by winning frame trial.

Frame 13, Higgins at the table. -- by winning frame 12.

When you are struggling, it is not an easy game. This is where John

worldy go very deep. -- John will go very deep. The two reds on the

right are the problem. You can get on them that you have to be right

over on the side cushion. -- but you have to be. He has played on

one of the reds, that is a good shot. Even though he is struggling,

Nick Griffin is the only safe ball. As a right-handed player, he will

not be able to knock down the cushion. That bounced off the top

cushion more quickly than he wanted. It is a bit thinner now. APPLAUSE.

Sir that reduces the difference to just four points. -- so that

reduces the difference. It is just the green now. He has a bit of an

angle on the yellow. Amazingly enough, these 34 break is the

highest he has made in this session. Trying to get behind the green but

he has not judged it correctly. did not time that ball potted

cleanly. -- or a pot to it cleanly. APPLAUSE. John has the advantage.

He needs to claw something back. There is they one cushion escape,

but can he hit the green? Has he got it safe? He could have left it

more easily, but there is a chance of a pot. I think John will pay

this 100%. -- play this. It is not happening. And of course, when it

is not happening, when Eddie you miss you just know that you will be

leaving it for your opponent. -- whenever you miss. And that is what

he has done. That looks inch perfect. John Higgins' look at said

it tall, one of bemusement. -- look said it all. Nicely on the blue, so

John Higgins is looking at another frame slipping away. In all honesty,

Stephen Hendry has not had to do a lot to win these frames this

evening. He stretches his lead it to five. John Higgins is just not

with it. I am sure Stephen Hendry is a little bit stunned by his

opponent's up performance. If alarm bells were not being at

that point, they certainly were in the next frame.

That was perfect. Exactly where he wanted the cue ball. A lot of work

to do here. The reds are slightly awkward, in directly above the

black. There is you can. -- you're cannon. APPLAUSE. One does not

expect him to miss this red it to the right middle. Got a nice angle

Apology for the loss of subtitles for 41 seconds

on the blue. He played that nicely. Inch-perfect. Three reds together.

If he does hit that red he can open the other two. The frame is at his

mercy now. Just 12 points behind. Look at the determination on his

face. He knows what an important frame this is. Like all great

champions, when you have your opponent on the ropes, keep them

there. APPLAUSE. A quick glance at the scoreboard. This black will put

him 3 points ahead. That basically a quake stew the three reds, three

colours and possibly yellow. He might need the green. A lot to do.

-- at that equates to. He underhit that slightly. He will not be happy

with that positional shot. He needs to be good on the next colour to

get onto the awkward last red. And it is awkward to - not in the

middle off the table. APPLAUSE. This positional shot from blue to

this last red will be the key to this last frame. Does he keep it

simple? Does he played from the cushion back toward the red? It

takes him a bit closer to it, that way. That is OK. He did flick into

the red, but he will not mind where it's finished. It was a natural.

This black will put in 25 points in front. So he just needs the yellow.

Another frame slipping away from the defending champion. He has put

a bit of side on that. Would Jubilee effect!. He only needed the

yellow. -- would you believe it! Does he have something wrong with

his tip? He miscued earlier. It is not even a big shot. Unbelievable.

That is twice he has miscued this evening. And it is surprising if

you see at once per season. That was unbelievable. John Higgins

needs the six remaining colours. What a frame this could be.

APPLAUSE. Restraint. This is a player would. A little bit thinner

on the blue than he would have liked, but it is all about this

positional shot. What a frame this could be. He needs a nice angle on

the pink to get on the black. That is not it, really. This is not an

easy pot. And where is the pink going? You know where it is going.

Chalk your cue, Stephen. Put plenty of chalk on it. He has been let off

there. Nothing seems to go right for John Higgins. Every time he

misses he leaves one over the pocket. Stephen Hendry makes the

basic schoolboy error and gets away And Stephen Hendry continued to

disappear almost out of breach, he was leading 12-4 at the end of the

second session. He is now one frame away from the second win at the

Crucible. And a spot in the quarterfinals for the time in his

career. He will need a comeback of 1985 proportions if he is to get

out of this one. Time to bring you news of some of today's other

second-round matches. Maguire mag and Rishi Persad

reviewed her second round -- Steve Maguire and Joe Perry renewed her

second round match but the Scot took it. Perry put together a break

of 56 in the tenth frame, but a combination of luck and skill gave

Perry won the 11th frame but Maguire maintained his four-frame

lead with a break of 91 in the 12th. Into frame 13, and Perry missed a

simple red and a break of 52. Maguire responded with a clearance

of 80. 9-4 to Stephen. Maguire then extended his lead to 10-4, before

Perry hit back with a break of 103 The final frame of the session was

a tense affair. Maguire kept his cool - just about - to end the

session with an imposing 11-5 lead. Just two frames from a place in the

Well, the second round match for these two began on Friday afternoon

and it was the Welsh man who took a tight first frame on the black. Day

took the second frame and a break of 87 gave him a 3-nil lead. Cao

managed to get on the board in the fourth frame as they went into the

interval A break of 62 gave Day the fifth frame before Yupeng narrowed

With Cao struggling in the balls, Day took full advantage to lead 5-2

in the sevenths. Into friem eight and breaks gave day an improseing

6-2 lead as the first session of the match came to a close. So the

final match to bring you up to date on from today is between

Australia's Neil Robertson and Tam wore ooth's David Gilbert.

Robertson led 10-6 at the end of the second session and they shared

the first two frames after the restart so it is now 11-7 to

Robertson. The world number 68 who gained plenty of confidence with

his first-round victory was proving a tough opponent for the 2010 world

champion to shake off. And 30-year- old David Gilbert took frame 19

with a superb break of 121 to go just three behind and provide more

than a few nerves for fans of the However, the next two frames were

shared, meaning that a 12-9 Robertson needed just one more to

make it through to the quarterfinals. We will pick up the

action in frame 22. Commentators are Dennis Taylor and Terry

Oh, what have you done here? A free shot he has left for Neil Robertson

and when you pot the way he does, what did David do there? He just

nudged into them thinking that everything will be safe and he left

He will have to stand there and wait and see if the Australian can

I tell you what, Terri, it just shows you that even a simple little

shot, if you don't give it 10% concentration you can do something

like that. Yes, he will be disappointed in himself there.

Obviously didn't pay the shot due care and attention. If you are

forced to leave something there it is bad enough, but when it is a

self-imposed error, it is more hurtful especially at this stage of

the hatch for David Gilbert. could have rolled on the other end.

He missed a black like this a couple of frames ago. He very

rarely does, but this is a frame that will take him into the

quarterfinal. Let's see how he I don't think it is straightforward

to get on the black without... That is an excellent shot. That is well

thought out. The black wouldn't go as you can see and he used the

other red as a stopper.. It straightened the white up as he

came across the leave the black. He is a great shot maker, that is

Oh, has he snookered himself? I think he is indicating that he got

a quick bounce off the back curbion here. The one on the cushion is

A shauk mark there. Yes, he has just spotted a little chalk mark on

the red. He will have a go at this because all of those Reds are safe

so there not a big deal of pressure on it. Wants a bit of potting,

I think believe it or not this frame has suited Neil Robertson.

Because David Gilbert had won three out of the four frames with one

visit and this frame went very scrappy and when you are up against

one of the best potters in the game, and as Terry said shot makers, he

REFEREE: 33. He has gone a little bit too far this time. The green is

not on its spot so it will cut in and he can finish on the red that

is near the black. He can cut this in go twice across the table and

REFEREE: 36. How hard has he worked for this break? Already 52 points

in front. Black will take him to 59 in the lead. So he needs to develop

He was almost straight so this is too hard. He has covered everything

here. But I will tell you what, he really has put himself in the

driving seat. That 44 break has been superb. Considering the way

the balls were placed. Once again you watch this. He is going to try

to get all the way around the table and hit the brown.

No - what he has done there - he had a way around the table and

decided to put the black out of commission. He didn't quite do that.

What a lead. Considering the way He just moved the ball about an

inch or so, it has cost him 44 points and could well cost him the

match as well. He was staging a What's the Australian got up his

sleeve here? Is he going to play a delicate little one and move the

black even safer? He is. But is indicating there that that turned

off slightly. He hasn't got the David can cut this in. All he was

trying here was a little half ball It is getting harder out there now.

I think David took his eye off the pot there, he was trying to get a

good angle into the colours to try That is a bit to do with it, but

the other thing is he hasn't potted a ball for about 25 minute, David

Gilbert. So.... You get to this stage in the match when you get

that horrible feeling that you think you are going to lose. A

perspective of what fight you have left in you. He can be very pleased

his efforts in the Crucible this year. I think he has done himself

proud. He is still in it., but he has -- but he is hanging on by his

Yeah, I think what David did from 11-6 you mentioned a couple of

times he had breaks at 69, 121 and 68 in three of the four frames to

He has the green safe, along with the brown and the black not too

well placed and Neil Robertson is sitting in a very pretty place at

the moment. Now he took the chance to try to open the reds up. He

needed the reds open but that could be his last shot in this year's

Betfred .com World Championship. But I agree with you David has done

very well here and he 45 to be pleased, -- has to be pleased,

(APPLAUSE) . The balls went rather awkward in

this frame. While David Gilbert hasn't had a shot at one, he hasn't

managed to pot one in this frame, he never got a chance. There was

just one careless safety shot, he only hit the ball a fraction and

left a gap. Neil Robertson knocked in that superb 44 break with not

Short of an exhibition type shot to try to get on the red, but it

doesn't really matter. It has been a very good performance from the

former World Championships here. -- world champions, here. He wants to

And why not? Why not? And every chance now to pot the yellow and

develop the difficult green and might even, if he hits it right,

He has the green out. Well, a wobbly green but a tricky brown to

It doesn't matter about the brown, but, well done!! Neil Robertson,

the former world champion was just that little bit too strong. Every

credit to David Gilbert. He gave his fans something to cheer about

this evening. He had three frame- winning breaks but good from both

players but Neil Robertson goes throw the quarterfinal in the end

winning 13 frames to 9. I think when my match tonight went 12-9 I

kind of hit the stop lose button, really. I made it hard. I think he

was getting a good run on and he felt really good in the balls. I

didn't want it to go scrappy, but if it was scrappy I made sure he

had to work for every point. That is the way it went. I scored really

heavily in my open ing two games, played great safety and, you know,

I think just probably towards the end of the session this morning and

tonight's session as well that is where I have to improve. I can't

really afford to-to-have those off sessions against the likes of Mark

Williams and others especially when it gets down to quarterfinal stages.

The drawn for the second round That brings to a close another

superb day of the Crucible. Don't forget that Snooker Extra is up

next. Then we are back at 10am in the morning for the continuation of

Ryan Day against coo Yupeng and then we will have the start of