Day 1 Snooker: World Championship Highlights

I want my fifth World Championships in 2013. In 2014, I won the Masters

for the fifth time. Let's take a closer look at what EA Sullivan 's

opponent. This is a remarkable story because Robin retired in 2008

because of an irregular heartbeat became back in 2011 will stop 1997

European amateur championship. This is only his second appearance in

Sheffield. But it was the defending champion who roared into a seven -

two first session lead with breaks of 124, 81 and 90. Into the first

frame of the evening session. Hull to play.

He couldn't hope for a better opportunity than this. This is a

chance. A very controlled and efficient cue

action, Robin Hull. A little bit reminiscent of Mark

Williams as he gets down to play these shots. He very carefully gets

down into position and doesn't waste much time. A nice and controlled

action. He just overran that a fraction.

I would have been very surprised if he didn't get that. A 21 point lead.

Three rates in this area. -- reds . As we always say in this game, it is

a matter how good you are sitting in your chat, you can't be potting

balls. It is unusual for him. It is unusual for him not to avoid the

double-kiss. It looks as though it is certain to have cost him this

frame. This red will put Robin Hull 36 ahead with just 35 remaining.

Would you believe it? He can't! The red was all that was required. It

couldn't have been easier. Oh dear. If Ronnie O'Sullivan can get a

snooker from this position, it is really going to put the heat on. And

he has got it. I think he has got it.

Danger now for Robin Hull. If he doesn't get this safe, we could have

a new favourite for this frame. I wouldn't have thought that a minute

ago. He has to trust his like of it. -- luck a bit. If he plays a

swerve, he doesn't know where the Bulls will end up. I would prefer

the depression. -- the cushion. I'm not absolutely sure that is the

way he played it. A bit unlucky to really stick this up.

He struck that ball so well. As crisp as anything. Not easy to get

position on this. Because it was a tricky red, he

couldn't play for it in that easy pocket on the left corner. But he

should be OK. It just leaves a nice angle on the black.

He would be shocked if Ronnie O'Sullivan doesn't clear up from

here. I can only assume that he just put a

bit of right-hand side which just pushed the cue ball into the red.

But still no excuse for missing that, and he will no doubt. -- know

that. Blue, pink and black for a real steal.

A quick look at the scoreboard. And in it goes. Robin Hull will be

absolutely dumbstruck. He was one pot away from winning that frame. He

missed it and then Ronnie O'Sullivan gets one opportunity and now

stretches further clear. Robin Hull then 12 after the next

three frames to make it 9-4. We pick it up in frame 14. Hull is trading

by 12 points. -- trailing. As Ronnie Cotton angle on this red?

-- has Ronnie got an angle on this red? He cued it like a dream.

Superbly played. Lots of players would have played the runthrough, I

think. They would have got themselves into trouble. And now, if

very realistic chance of a frame and match winner.

He has very little to do here. The Bulls a very placed. -- balls are

very nicely placed. Should he convert this opportunity,

he gets the reward of a number of days off before his next match. That

can be a blessing in disguise. It depends if he wants to get on

with it or if he wants to go back home and have a bit of practice and

get ready for the next match. He will need to play many cannons.

Has that gone wrong? It has. It is tight. He can play it with a

fraction of side, but it is not ideal.

He played it with the site and he was walking back to his seat. He did

think it was going to go in. Just little snooker. It is a pretty good

lead. 53 points. 75 remaining. He was on his way back to his seat.

That seems to fly off that commission. It was the first big

bounce we have seen of eight cushion. Usually that is after a few

days of play when it starts to be brushed. Beautiful shot. That could

be the last visit from Robin Hull. He hasn't disgraced himself, but he

just hasn't done enough to convert a couple of frames. So, a match that

what he O'Sullivan went to be raging over, but basically it is job done.

He is into the second round. We have seen a lot of reigning champions for

the first hurdle. 94% pop success. I think he will be disappointed by the

long pot success but he will be happy that he is in good health once

again and it is onwards and upwards from here. He has shown that he is a

very capable player. There are easier draws. But as you say, he has

acquitted himself very well. There'll be a handshake coming after

this. This is the 38th year of the World Championships and for those

who can remember, it is over and out. The world champion reigns

supreme. He waves to his crown. He didn't produce his best but he is

through to the second round. It was a good win. It was a tough

first-round opponent. If one assumes that because he was the lowest

ranked player in the tournament that he would be an easy match for me,

but I knew it would be. I saw a quote from Steve Davis that set he

was fancied to still do well at the Crucible and he is a class act. He

is, he has a Rolls-Royce cue action and plays the game the right way. A

tough match and I'm pleased I got through. Ideally you would like to

go through your matches as easy as possible located in the Masters, but

I am aware that you can't, it doesn't happen all the time.

Sometimes you have to figure out a way of winning the scrappy frames

and try to find some momentum within that. And that is what I tried to

do. This is a long tournament. You're not going to be able to play

fantastically every time. But you must be able to mix it tactically.

That gives you a great opportunity to do well here. Let's bring you

up-to-date with the other first-round scores. Stuart Bingham

took on the 1997 world champion Ken Doherty. Bingham leads by 5-4. A

very interesting battle between Stephen Maguire and Ryan Day. It is

the Welshmen who has the upper hand after that first session, leading by

six - three. Shaun Murphy, the 2005 world champion here, he trails Jamie

Cope by 5-4. The man who what he O'Sullivan beat in two Crucible

finals, Ali Carter begins his World Championship campaign. He is one of

those players list with a great technique which is the reason he can

play the power shots. There is not a shot he can't play. How many times

have we seen him around the table and if he misses a shot, he does

something careless. It doesn't seem to make him play better. It affects

his game for a while. Temperament would be something I'm sure he will

tell you that he needs to work on. It is well documented that he has

had problems with his health. Can you imagine dragging yourself out of

it and going to the practice table and putting in the work that is

necessary to reach the top? He has had all those problems to overcome.

Let's hope it can stay healthy and we can see the best of Ali Carter in

seasons to come. He likes to get into the pack early and spread out

the balls. He scores consistently. He has made over 100 combated

centuries. His tactical and safety play is up there with the best in

the game. That is something that will stand him in good stead

throughout the rest of his career. His record, considering the ability

we have talked about, I think he would be disappointed. He has been

in the final of the World Championship twice. He has met

Ronnie O'Sullivan. No shame in that. But maybe his temperament is just a

little bit suspect sometimes. He beats himself up. If you stop doing

that and takes the rough with the smooth, today he will win a World

Championship. Let's take a look at the man

standing behind -- between Ali Carter and shall do gong. 25 years

old, making his Crucible debut. He has never played Ali Carter before.

Carter raced into a 4- one lead but Guodong to get to make it 4-3.

Carter to play. Tight on the ocean. Not too far from

where the white is at the moment. -- cushion. It makes it difficult for

Ali Carter to get any backspin on this shot. He might be able to go

up. He can cut the one into the left middle pocket. Xiao left the white

bit short. That was a chance that Ali Carter

wasn't expecting. He would love to play the blue into the blind

pocket. I think he is looking at the blue

now. It is the right shot to play. But he does like it. He is now back

at the green. That was a good shot. A very good

shot. It should be a problem putting the

pink. It just makes getting perfect position on this NXT to a bit

trickier than it needed to be. -- next red. Just buy that one careless

positional shot, he is now out of position.

He played it nicely on the left-hand side. Just a touch of left-hand

side. He has been unlucky. Unless he can

cue this one from the middle pocket. That is the one he is faced with. He

always had this red is the second prize. I think he hit that little

bit hard. He just has to play a soft cannon on

the reds to kill the pace of the cue ball.

I thought he would have played a little cannon.

He has a 37 point advantage. He doesn't want to throw that away

taking the difficult one on. If this long rate goes in and Xiao

gets on the black, hold on to your hats. -- red. He might even draw

level. And this is quite a big test of

Xiao's composure. He is right back into this match. There is pressure

on. He will be able to sense Ali

Carter's frustration. It is about taking advantage.

That would have been I ideal, if that had been a straightforward pot

to get on the black. He has to be careful he doesn't click the other

red and one out of position. -- run out. He played that well. And

considering it is his first time at The Crucible, he is doing remarkably

well. He is so dedicated. All sleep

players are. But these Chinese boys really work hard and put a lot of

practice in. They really deserve everything they get.

Two very awkward rates, one next to the pink and the one the right side

cushion. -- reds. So it is not a straightforward one to the winning

post at this rate. I think I would possibly be looking to bring that

read out on the right-hand side. There is still a chance that it

doesn't come out good. He is not kind to play it, though. He just

gives himself the one chance of bringing that red into play. He has

got the angle to do as Stephen suggested. Well has he got the

angle? Can he just drop on the pink and leave the red? All will be

revealed. He could just drop on the pink. He has covered it.

I am surprised he has played that shot. He is only 15 in front. He had

a straightforward safety shot off the other red that was tied up. That

red city pushed over the pot was beside the pink. I think it is the

wrong choice of shot there. This is in no man's land for Ali Carter.

He is looking at getting down and taking degree in on to try to move

the red. This is a brave shot. That is a great effort.

And now a test to pot the red and follow off to questions for the

black. I think this is one of the occasions where a pot is as

difficult as a safety. The pink might be in the way here,

stretching across to try to get the green. You have to be careful there.

He missed a similar yellow to the screen at couple of friends ago. --

green a couple of frames ago. This is more less the exact shot that he

missed earlier on. He has done the same thing. He

missed it. He try to put things like that to the back of your mind. Any

sport psychologist will tell you to do that. That it is easier said than

done. It was in the back of his mind.

Looking at the score he is nine in front. He is going to need the blue.

So it is not a straightforward run once again to the winning line.

That is a better shot than it looked. Very well played, that shot.

It needs to pull up and it has not. I am afraid that shot was as poor as

the last one was good. A huge margin for error there to get on the blue.

As you say, lots of margin for error. He should not have been

anywhere near the blue there. He has the pink safe he may think, he is

looking at it now. This is a tricky cut back.

I tell you what, not only can he cup the blue in, he can bring the pink

into play. So Ali Carter a few moment to go thought this frame had

slipped away from him and all of a sudden, he can pot this and come up

and develop the pink. It is a natural angle. If he pops the blue,

even bringing the cue ball anywhere around the pink you imagine he would

have some sort of pot somewhere. He has played the canon. I wouldn't

have played it myself at that speed. He put far too much left-hand side

in that. He didn't need that much. It would have automatically headed

towards the pink. I just don't think he is thinking 100% clear at the

minute. He thinks he should be far more ahead in this match than he is.

He has played pretty good shot there, though.

Really risked the double. It looks unnatural. That will be a very

relieved Ali Carter if you does double the pink. Because you think

he would automatically finished on the black. He decided to play the

safety shot instead. There is back double on here, I would be having a

go this. He can double the pink into the right corner. The white won't go

into that left corner pocket. Is he just playing the safety shot? He is.

Applause. Is he going to play this question

first or just double the pink back up towards the black. -- cushion.

He doesn't want to knock the black safe. He didn't want that really.

Xiao will be moving the black. If the scores were the other way

around, he would have played the pink onto the black. He wanted to

keep that black tights because it only needs the pink. Ali Carter

needs them both. He could double the pink up towards

the right corner pocket and get it safe. He might even get the double

but it looks as if he is just playing the half ball of the pink.

That is a terrible shot. A shocker. I would have rather had have a go at

the double on the pink up in the corner, now he has left the pink at

an angle for Ali Carter to get onto the black. He has played a few

safety is tonight a bit naively. A lack of experience.

A little wry smile their. A black ball to finish. Exciting for the

crowd, and people watching at home, but not that exciting for the

players. This is not the most straightforward of shots. Easy

taking the double on? Is he? He is. He has tried it.

If he cuts it, there is a good chance of the black coming across

the table again if he meets it -- misses it.

The crowd are really getting involved in this. The little lucky

charm we have seen on his wrist has maybe helped him there.

That is the sort of shot where you try to send the black around the

ankles and try to get around the black spot, but because the black

has come a bit further up the table it is not as straightforward as it

would normally be. He may be looking at another possible double into the

left corner pocket. If he misses the double, the black could go around

the table. He has taken the double on. Can you believe it? He has

screwed the white into the middle pocket. He has thrown the frame away

there. And Xiao still looks as calm as ever. All of a sudden, this young

Chinese player is all square with Ali Carter. Four each. It really was

an excellent frame of snooker. Carter recovering after losing three

on the trot to win it. And end the first session leading by five frames

to four. Xiao showing no signs of nerves. They would resume at 230

later this afternoon. And just before we leave you, developing

story proceeding. The reason opportunity for wild cards to be

given to some of the champions. There has been a lot said about

Steve Davies being given a wild card to stay on to, what are your

thoughts on that? Yes I think it is good. It is good for me because I

would probably be in that position at some point myself. It is

certainly, for selfish reasons, I think if I was in that position and

I wanted to play a wouldn't want to have to go through the qualifying

school. So to be able to come in at round one and still compete, I think

it is good. Steve still loves playing, he has been a great

ambassador for the game. I think those people should have an

opportunity to compete if they want to. Wherever we go around the world

to have them part of it is definitely a plus. To me, I don't

see why they shouldn't get it if it doesn't get pushed through a think

it would be a crazy decision. Not to have them there. Let's hope they do

the right thing and give some of our greatest players that are played

this game that opportunity. Stephen plays 70% of what it can play and

still wins tournaments. Whether he can get that form back, whether he

has the desire and motivation to put the working on the practice table,

which was some unlike Stephen, he will have to do. And I said in the

night, I don't know whether it is a thing I would relish. I am finding

it tough to do it now and I am still competing in the latter stages of

tournaments. As you get older the motivation to put your practice in

is not easy. But if Stephen puts his mind to something, he is very

professional and very dedicated to what he does and I'm sure he will

make a measured decision. If he decides to come onto sure he will

give it as good ago as he can do it. Ronnie O'Sullivan there on the idea

of a wild card later on the snooker to. I am sure we'll hear more about

that here at the Crucible in later days. That is it from us to now. If

you want more snooker, snooker extra is up next and then we are back with

further coverage live from the Crucible here at 10am on BBC Two.

From all of us here, goodbye for now.

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