Day 10 Snooker: World Championship Highlights

Hello again from Sheffield. Both are in the Crucible Theatre tonight it

was all about billing the last couple of births in the quarterfinal

line-up. We will get to that shortly here at the Dafabet World

Championships but not before an update on the epic quest by the

Australian world number one Neil Robertson to record a century of

century breaks this season. It was an American author, William Arthur

Ward, who once wrote, at adversity causes some men to break, others to

break records. Robertson is definitely one of the latter.

Neil Robertson, right at the bottom of the draw here in the final

quarter, was playing Northern Ireland's Mark Allen, the Install

they call him. The Australian went into the match with a two frame

advantage. The first of 13 goes through. Getting across the finish

line is the priority but also on the Australian's mind is the historic

milestone, 99 centuries to this point. He moved 11-7 ahead, still no

sign of the 100th century. Would it come in frame 19? Stephen Hendry and

Willie Thorne were holding their breath.

That's brilliant, that is brilliant. In the position he is, OK he has got

a margin of error, but he cannot afford to let Mark Allen win the

next two friends to get back into the match again. Radiant pot.

Whatever he scores he deserves after that red.

People talk about being in the zone in sport. We are watching someone

right now who is there. I will make an early prediction that

this is the 100th century coming up. As Steve mentioned, it is going to

happen. Should he go on to the next round, you would think he would get

it. He is just so focused on winning the frames at the minute, but if he

is past the 65, but if he is past the 65, 70 marquee will take it on.

One of those players come Neil, who very rarely doesn't get the right

side of the group. A lot of players these days finish to blow on the

blue. -- finish to learn. That is why he is making so many big breaks.

His positional play more often than not is excellent. He has come a

little bit far for comfort that. He won't go into the paint because

there is too much distance between the pink and the pack. The middle

right of those three, I don't know if there is a natural angle. He was

trying to line up there to see if there was a natural half ball. Abe

Eliot player would play the middle of those reds but I don't think he

is on. -- a billiards player. If you wanted to be risky, he could play

the shot you suggested which is not favourable on the pink. Found a gap,

played it very well indeed. That was a lovely shot, a touch of

stun with left-hand side checked. The angle on the paint is not

favourable. He was trying to put the pink on its spot in case he had to

go up for the blue. The angle he has got is not good. If he is dead

straight on the pink he will have to stump to the right corner because I

don't know if the red closest to the pupil passes to the left corner. --

closest to the cue ball. He is playing the red to the right

corner so the reds will be well split here. The more conservative

shot is the right to the left corner with the rest. He will be putting

back for the choice of pink all blue. He will bring the pink into

play here. When you have got that much cute power it is so easy to get

through the ball. Not nice enough on the blue to guarantee getting onto

the reds he would like to get onto, the two to the right of the black,

but he can get on the black at the moment.

I don't think the black is available into the right-hand corner.

He would like to be on the red closest to the right corner. I don't

think he is on that red. I like the state that you talked

about, seeing a player in the zone. His facial expressions have not

changed. Cue ball control is not what it normally is but there is an

enormous amount of pressure on him here.

Can he get onto the black? He could play the one nearest the pocket,

that is an option. Still has not got the cue ball under

perfect control. This blue puts him past the winning post. We can have

our fingers crossed now and hope you mix his 100th century. -- hope he

makes. I think the audience may give him a standing ovation if he makes

it because it is an outstanding feat.

He does have the right angle this time to get onto the black.

Incredible match snooker, though. Nothing Mark Allen can do about it.

OK, he did leave the long red at the start of the brain, but he is just a

spectator. -- the start of the frame. Should he get three reds and

three blacks, he can get to 101. Niall, I am rooting for you now, my

friend. He must be tingling inside, thinking

that this could be it. Normally he would be playing to move the red

into play but I don't think he will play that here.

This is the shot... Starting to breathe a bit deeper now.

CROWD GASPS Can you believe it?

! I knew it would happen! The pressure was just so much! But a

fabulous break of 94. It shows you what it means to this player to

break the record. Absolutely brilliant. 94 takes him 12-7 in

front. Look at the black one more time, unfortunately it was not

there. But 12-7. So that knock of 94, and frame 20

Robertson had another match only to be foiled on a break of 92 this

time. Still, the win was the jaw and the 2010 world champion has another

best of 25 frames in the quarterfinal to try again. He is 99,

not out. I had a pretty short on 90 something, left myself low on the

black. I hit it fine, I thought it was in and I was about to celebrate,

with Hendry in the box, he was going to be the first person I'd look to

but we will have to wait a bit longer. I am on 99 and I have a best

of 25 to play so there will be plenty of opportunities to make a

century. Also this afternoon, Mike and Wasley, the dragon slayer, was

unable to stop Dominic Dale. The Welshman through for the first

time in 14 years. Michael Wasley back to Gloucestershire with a

wonderful win over Ding Junhui, he will never forget that. Well done,

Dominic. I haven't had any close matches, I have not had the tough

mental strain of a close match and the mental pressure associated with

that so I am fresh as a daisy giving into tomorrow's quarterfinal against

Barry, a really tough match. I have got nothing to lose now, I have done

really well to get to the quarterfinals and my best chance to

get to the semifinals is to take it as a match where I have nothing to

lose and to enjoy it. But deep down I know I can win that match. I am

not trying to put myself down and make myself mediocre in any way, I

know I can beat Barry Hawkins but the way to do that is too engineered

and look at the fact I have got to the quarterfinals and that is an

achievement in itself -- and the way to do that is enjoyed it. Some

second round business to be completed, not least the match

between Judd Trump, world number eight, and a former runner-up in

this championship three years ago, Welshman Ryan Day. Judd Trump showed

flashes of the brilliant parting he showed to get to the final a few

years back on his way to a 10-6 advantage. Ryan Day took the first

frame of the evening but a series of errors began to creep into his game

and here we have Judd Trump on the verge of victory at 12-7. Couldn't

get over the line? Ken Doherty and John Virgo were watching. -- could

he get over the line? That we did not go. Good safety,

that has impressed me throughout this match. He has given the safety

bit of extra salt. What it hot that is, he deserves to

be on a colour here. -- what a pot that is. What an opening pot. Tucked

under the cushion. Digging down on the cue ball, he has to hit the top

cushion. You cannot play safe against shots like that, can you?

You would have to say he is unlucky, he is dead straight on this green.

He could not do much with it, decided to just roll it in. He can

put the red and get position on the black but the situation he is in,

there are no easy shots any more for Ryan Day. If he goes for these... ,

he has got to get them. -- if he goes for these pots. He did not

fully committed on the red to play for the black. He might have done

under normal circumstances. A chance for Judd Trump.

We had a perfect view of that. It went down the line, never touched

the sides of the pocket. A Chancellor Jude. -- a chance for

Judd . The black is available into both

pockets. A chance to close out the match.

He left himself low on the black to run into the four reds. A nice split

here... Did not get it. I am surprised at the way he played that,

John. He played with topspin instead of stunning. You have got to bring

the cue ball away from the reds. That was really just hoping he would

be on one red. Should have been playing a bit of bottom here to

bring the cue ball away from the reds.

Ryan having a look at the plant. Two breadth below the pink. If he goes

for it, he needs to be pretty certain it is on. Nowhere near. What

damage has been done? Is that his last shot in this year's Dafabet

World Snooker Championship? It could well be.

Jude was a little bit careless fair catching the black. -- Judd Trump.

He had to drop the paint in, not easy but it was there. Fantastic

shot. Not perfect on this move. -- on this

blue. He cannot believe he has landed

there. The only place at this end of the

table where he would not have had a pot on! Incredible. Anywhere but

there. Of all the places in all the world, it had to finish up there.

Another close long pot from Ryan, but they are just not giving them,

and that is what he needs now. He needs everything to go in.

A tough shot left here for Ryan. I don't see a good safety. If he plays

the pot on the red on the left-hand side as we look, he has got a nice

angle to get close to the baulk cushion.

Not certain to get this safe. In these circumstances, I think I might

play the pot to the right corner pocket. Maybe he thinks he can see

enough of this red to pot it. Oh, the dreaded miscue. What a gift

for Judd Trump. That miscue their just hitting over

the top of the white. You don't see it very often with professional

snooker players. I suppose Ryan, in a way, will think that just about

sums up the match for him. Just lifted his head on the back thing as

he pulled the queue back. -- on the backswing as he pulled the cue back.

He has got to hope Judd Trump messes up this opportunity.

He is still not in ideal position just yet.

CROWD GASPS Where's the cue ball dobbing?

-- going? REFEREE: Foul. Ryan Day, four.

As I say, every long pot he plays now, pressure.

It does not get any easier, this game, when you are within one frame

of being knocked out of the tournament, and this is the

tournament of tournaments, the World Championship. You lose your face,

you lose your belief that you can win it from so far behind. I think

12-8 is probably the one that you remember, and 12-9 the year Joe

Johnson went on to win it, he came from behind against Terry Griffiths,

so it can be done, you have to keep the belief, but easier said than

done. Yes, the 12 eight. I think John

Parrott was telling me about it the other day. I think it happened to

him. Not quite certain who it was so maybe I shouldn't have mentioned it!

Who do you think? I think it might have been Joe Swail. Correct. It was

Joe Swail. Well, not a bad knowledge on the

brown, really. He may be able to pot the brown. -- a bad knock. And the

beauty about knocking the brown so close to the pocket, doesn't have to

do anything with this red. Just knock dead weight. -- just knock it

in. Smashed it down the rail. He is building up a nice lead here

already. It's looking pretty ominous now for

Ryan Day. Just three of these remaining reds required. And this

has been a good performance from Judd. OK, we know Ryan has led him

off in certain frames. But you've still got to clear them up to take

advantage of your opponent's mistakes and he's done that quite a

few times in this match. This blue, one more red and a

colour, and he is in the quarterfinal. And what a marked

improvement we've seen from Judd Trump after the first round victory

over Tom Ford. He really struggled, 10-8 over the line. But he has

certainly improved. In this match. And looking somewhat near his best.

Yes, and I think you saw the draw against Ryan Day. Everybody in the

game knows how good a player Ryan Day is. Don't you worry about that.

This means he will not come back to the table. An excellent performance

from Judd Trump and what a mouthwatering clash in the

quarterfinal against The Thunder From Down Under, Neil Robertson.

Yes, two of the best long porters in the game. -- Potters. And that's the

snooker you were talking about. And don't the crowd loved it!

Well, the yellow has not gone in but Ryan gives Judd a warm handshake and

says, congratulations. Judd punches the air! You feel for Ryan Day. He

was up for it but just made too many mistakes. Judd Trump, he has proven

his real form Commies form of 2011. What a against Neil Robertson. --

his real form, his form of 2011. I didn't feel I got any one of the

ball so it was hard for me to get going but I'm more than happy with

how I think I am playing. I'm confident and fancy beating anyone

left in the tournament. On the other table this evening and

playing for the right to face Ronnie O'Sullivan in the quarterfinal, we

have Shaun Murphy and Marco Fu. These gentlemen have produced some

of the best snooker of the whole season, and in fact, both of them

have a major title under their respective belts. Shaun won his

first big title for him in three years. It was the Englishman who

took the advantage early in the evening. We are going to join them

in the 18th frame in the company, this time, of John Parrott and

Willie Thorne. JOHN PARROTT: Some good stuff at the

moment. Some good safety. Weather gets in, it's 51 points

each, isn't it? -- whoever gets in. Thinking to play cushion first, or

thinking about it. Well, he's having a one of the balls

you can't believe that the moment. He didn't play that in a million. To

flick of the black and leave him snookered is incredible. I think

that's five or six times already that he has fluked snookers on

Marco. And he's played cushion first. Look where it's gone. Top

cushion, cue ball behind the black and the brown has gone in a really

awkward position as well. Yes, he hasn't got the one-cushion escape,

has he? It brings the doors into play so there is every chance he can

go around the back of the brown. Got to be very careful about the jaws of

the middle pocket in this shot. That looks wide to me. No, he's OK. Very

good shot. Very good. He played two excellent escapes,

Marco Fu, in that sequence of shots. Got to be a bit careful playing with

the rest for the shot. You have to get your cue away quite quickly.

Just decided to chip it onto the cushion. Might leave himself onto a

difficult shot with the next one. Marco can just cut the brown onto

the side cushion up to the top and get plenty of distance with the cue

ball. Could leave Shaun on a horrible shot here.

CROWD GASPS Shouldn't have been anywhere near

the jaws, so unlucky to hit them. Just looking... Can he hold this?

Will he play a little cannon? Well, he could. To be honest with you, he

hit that pretty thick. If he had put it at a normal angle, you would have

been fine. Just worried about the cue ball running away. How he has

finished is very awkward. If he plays it firm... It makes the

blue difficult. Looks easy from this picture, doesn't it?

Was going to play topspin but has decided to playback speed. Make your

mind up! -- playback spin. Always going to play at pace. The brown was

the best shot. He hit the brown to thick. -- too thick.

Well, one ahead, we'll need pink and black. Has just come down the table

a little too far. The cue ball needs to slow up... OK, here we go. Lack

411-7. -- black for 11-7. Its there and Shaun Murphy will be very

relieved. What a frame that was! Shaun Murphy takes it and leads

11-7. Shaun won the next as well to

stretches lead. -- to five. Looking for a seventh appearance in the

quarters. Excellent pot. He is blessed with

that cue power but I'm not sure whether he can hold the angle on the

blue. He feels he can get onto it, cut into the pink. Dangerous but

aggressive! At first glance doesn't appear to

have left anything easy. I think the black box quite nicely but one of

those where you can play quite slowly, with the right-hand side

just let the blue go to the right-hand cushion. Decided to stun

round the back of it for the pink. Nothing wrong with that. Might have

got the blue out of the way but that's OK. Yes, has a very good

angle if he wants to manoeuvre if you read out. Not a brilliant pack

to go into. If he came into the one that was below it he really could

open a few read out. Just depends how he sees it. -- a few reds out.

Well, he's going to be looking for an angle heel, isn't he, the next

colour? -- here. He's straightest on the blue so I suppose that's another

choice. Can't quite understand that shot. Well, he's come back to go on

to go onto the pink. He was worried about going to the middle pocket and

ended up putting on it. The angle of the pink of the top of that pack is

ready good. I don't know whether that's hard enough either. Anyway,

the pink goes back on its spot and it's now harder to get into that

pack. Well, it goes without saying that

the black is difficult but the pace he needs to play at to go into the

bunch, and if he hits the middle he won't be on anything. He might play

for the loose red just below the pink off two cushions. And that's

what he's played and played it well. Yes, played beautifully, and he's

got an angle here as well. Get if you read out, get onto the pink. --

get a a few reds out. Still OK. And this is a good effort from Marco. He

is not given in. He's 12-7 down. Here's a quiz question for you.

Anyone come from 12-7 down to win? The man sitting in his chair.

Against Matthew Stevens? Exactly right. Shaun Murphy was 12-7 down

and came back to win 13-12. So it's been done once but it's a very big

ask. It's one of those situations where

every red he pops, another one pops. -- pots. He is 53 in front. Two more

reds, two more colours. Needed to be low on the pink than this. Needs to

play this with a bit of side here. Needs a bit of respect, this shot.

And well played. A lot better than it looked, that. And this is a very

good effort from Marco Fu. OK, the odds are against him but he will go

into the mid-session interval knowing he is still in this year's

World Championship with a squeak. Just one break over 30 in this

evening's session, so he's still in there battling.

Marco has already made a break of 136 in this match.

He will try to move the red out on this visit but he hasn't done it. So

still on the blue. May be able to get the cannon. Too much side, I

would think. Yes. But he will be a bit more relieved going into this

interval. As John mentioned, only one player who has come back from

12-7 but he's still fighting. Shaun Murphy, one away from victory.

HAZEL IRVINE: Marco has certainly found some of the best form of his

career this season but Shaun has plenty more chances. Here we go into

frame number 21. Try to get the cue ball back into

baulk. Not easy, especially with the red over the pocket, but he has

covered it. Good shot. But not really expected to be in after this

one. The top cushion there, just rest on the cushion if you want.

It will be very, very difficult to avoid the double-kiss there. Marco

knows he is going to have to get it. There is a gap on the cushion to go

back into baulk. Found the gap, missed the pot, though. Where's the

cue ball going? REFEREE: Foul. The red next to the

blue is not pottable. If it were, he would be taking that one on.

Well, he's going to play this to the corner, play check side and hold it

for the black. He's got the ability, the cue action. But can he do it

now? Different circumstances at The Crucible. Great shot. Absolutely

brilliant shot. Well played. Very positive and beautifully struck. Not

many can play it like that. A little bit of respect for this shot,

obviously bridging over. Just dropped it in. Obviously that red on

the right-hand side will pot and he was happy with the angle so

shouldn't be a problem back on the black here. It's one of the times

when he would love to be really high on the black. He can do it after the

next black as well. But those four, five reds on the back cushion on no

problem. Can play at some stage. Not this time. Well, didn't get high on

the red so will have to go for blue or bloc colour now. -- baulk colour.

Yes, just checking that if he pops this blew its stance towards the

baulk line. -- this blue it will stun. He could run through for the

angle he has got on the read. But if he's glow on the black, it's no

good. -- if he's low. He has fitted nicely and he needed

to be high and is high. -- he has hit it nicely. Yes, plenty of top

spin on this. Run-through, but, as ever, the priority, make sure you

put the black first. Don't take your eye off the ball. -- you pot. Just a

chip to the red out. Really nicely played, this.

I think one of those two reds will pot in the middle so if he's got

that angle one of them will be available.

He deserves everything he gets after that opening red. That really was a

corker. Plenty of room to go between the

pink and yellow. Just make sure you get into it. Well done. He is

naturally taken onto this red so a nice chance now for frame and match.

Had to play it with loads of check side to straighten it up and he did

do. One more good positional shot on the black and he has the chance of

the frame at this visit. Pier took the choice of playing up the blue

but still needs the kiss. -- he took. Not such a big target to play

for those two on the right. It was unmissable, the two behind

the black. Maybe not. What do you think, John? Does it pot? I think it

might just go. It's very tight. So he's 43 ahead. If he can get red

and black, Marco could only draw so I'm pretty sure he's going to take

this on. Great shot! Absolutely great shot! And the whole difference

in this has been a focus and an intensity in his concentration level

in this. This has been what Shaun Murphy is capable of. He's putting

everything into this break and it has been superb. So there you see

the difference. Just make sure of the red.

Well done! Well done! Not really time for an exhibition shot but just

make sure of the black and that will probably make Marco Fu sit in his

chair. Went all out for the positional shot. Excellent pot on

the black. And if he plays to this level of concentration against

Ronnie O'Sullivan, he will give him a game. He's not afraid of him,

Shaun. We'll play against anybody. Just needs to keep his concentration

levels up. -- he will play. Both these players have been in form all

season but it's Shaun Murphy who booked his place to play Ronnie

O'Sullivan. He is the winner 13-8. It was always going to be a tough

game with Marco. I knew over a long match it would be difficult. To

share the first session... I think my hard work yesterday paid off

because I didn't play quite so well tonight and I'm so relieved to get

over the line. HAZEL IRVINE: So, here they are, the

last eight standing with the great potential for a wonderful second

week. Ronnie O'Sullivan will now be tested by Shaun Murphy. Barry

Hawkins taking on Dominic Dale. Protractor is at the ready with Alan

McManus and Mark Selby. And then the last could be the polar opposite in

terms of style. Two full days of quarterfinal action starting at 10am

on BBC Two. Don't forget, they have only played a possible 44 frames to

get here. A further 93 lie ahead for this year's champion. Good night!

Ted, I... I'm not interested in coming to see Lady Gaga, sir.

Part of the Big Bumper Comedy 50th Birthday Weekend.