Day 13 Snooker: World Championship Highlights

Hello again. To make it to the semifinal stages of this year's

World Championship our four survivors have had had to win 36

frames but if they want to land the world title they've got to win 35

more. Yes, the workload is piling up. But the excitement and tension

levels are rocketing too. What a line-up we have for the

semifinals. Let's remind you of it. A fair degree of deja Vu involved. A

Neil Robertson against Mark Selby. This is the match we will enjoy

first of all. They started this evening. Before we do, let's remind

you of the pedigree of this pair. Neil Robertson came here for five

years before getting to this stage in the semifinals in 2009. He came

back the following year to become champion. The third overseas player

ever to lift this title. As for his opponent, Mark Selby, it

took him three years to get to the final where he was runner-up to John

Higgins. Disappointing follow-up to that the following year but strong

performances with quarters, semiand quarter. He has waited four years to

get back to this stage. This was a fascinating first opening session.

It will be a best of 33 frames-match. Some intriguing

snooker going on as they share the first couple of frames. We are going

to join them in frame five after the interval. We are in the company of

Willie Thorne and Dennis Taylor. He needs the green to the rescue, I

don't think it has. Unlucky. He nearly sent that red in off the

black there. He was always going to be on a

colour as long as he got through that gap. This is not a bad chance

now for Mark Selby. He may split the bunch of four into

play. He will be unlucky not to be on the one nearest the black. He

might play for the loose one. He has played that in a way to bring

the other three reds into play now, maybe all the reds. Got to

the other three reds into play now, careful with the cue ball here.

He made it look so easy. It was far from easy to judge that.

Neil hasn't really had a chance like this. His highest break is still 46.

Mark Selby had a clearance of 133 in the previous frame.

I think Neil was having a glance at the monitor to see how he was on the

red here. There is a few monitors around the arena. You can't always

see when you are in your seat. You are level with the table.

Looks like he is taking the more difficult red, the middle. He has

gone back to the original choice. Made a bit of a mess of this. It's a

tough little pot. We didn't see that coming. Look

where the cue ball was. He hit it all wrong. Never got on the black.

He has been fortunate. That red could have landed anywhere

once he missed it. It came in the most awkward position. It prevents

Neil from attempting any pot. This is going to test Mark Selby

here. He has hit it too thick and left the

lot on here. That's why I thought he might miss it on the first attempt.

Missing it is better than hitting it thick like that.

These two reds are available into the same pocket as the black. Or the

middle. I am wondering if Neil thought the

blue was on-the-spot there because he hasn't got the angle. Look where

he is hitting the cue ball. To get that back spin. Beautifully played.

Can you believe it? It fooled Mark Selby earlier in this match. Didn't

go in. Once again it hasn't gone in. I did think Neil was going to pinch

this frame. Just touched that near jaw.

It will be a relieved Mark Selby that almost had this frame pinched

from him. Well, he will be mighty relieved,

Mark Selby. He looked as if he was going to take the frame easily in an

earlier break of 48 but Neil Robertson had a chance until he

missed that red. Mark won't mind that. He leads 3-2.

Already we are seeing the high drama matchplay that's characterised their

recent meet initial two finals last year in the UK Championship and the

Masters. One win each in those. This time Robertson has work to do in

this frame. Fantastic. Look at the angle on the

brown. I thought for one minute he could screw into those two reds at

the side of the black. He is looking, but he's gone a bit too

thin. What a pot this was. With no blue available he is looking

at the possibility, believe it or not, of bringing the black into

play. If he pots this red in the right corner and gets the correct

cannon he can develop the black here.

Eight frames to be played in this session.

You are always looking to get to four and then you know there's no

way you can be behind going into the second session.

Well, that is quite amazing. What he has done, we talked about it

previously, he missed one to the near jaw and I said you got to play

it in off the other jaw, the 11 as we look at it. He is thinking about

that and done it and it still hasn't gone in. -- the left as we look at

it. It's hard to convince amateur players - they keep saying these

tables that the pros play on are easy compared to a club table. A

club table the pockets are like buckets compared to these. I can't

understand how they can play so different from the two table

situation to this. Three reds missed this evening in that pocket would

have gone in last week. Or sorry, yesterday.

This is a massive frame for Selby. This will be a kick in the teeth for

Robertson. He should have got back in this frame f not won it. Now

Mark's got a chance. Neil Robertson is going to be two

frames behind. The semifinal will be one session of

this match tomorrow and then the two remaining sessions on Saturday.

Ronnie O'Sullivan and Barry remaining sessions on Saturday.

will play at 10.00am and tomorrow evening.

He hasn't got the snooker. Mark Selby goes two clear. That was the

case. Selby won the next with a break of 72. He is in fluent form.

He has already knocked in a break of 133 before the interval. So a

three-frame lead going into the last frame of this opening session. The

final frame of the session, thank you. Neil Robertson to break. We all

say you can't win a match in the first session but you can go a long

way to losing it and that's already the case here. It will be tough to

get back into a match with someone like Selby if you go four behind

early. Makes such a difference getting the

correct side of the blue as we show you the right coming back up the

table. It needed to stop just about there. It kept on going. We know the

cue power that he possesses. Look at that. What a shot. He

deserves to be on something here. Brilliant shot!

I agree. The pace to get into that pack, that shows you the cue power.

If he can split these he has a bit of assurance.

There is an old saying, when the going gets tough, the tough get

going. That's what Neil - he is marching around the table at the

moment. Yes, he knows thinks his best chance since the third frame

where he scored a few points to get a frame on the board.

Needs an angle on the next black to get nicely on the last remaining red

at the back of the pack. He also had a glance at the two reds

to make sure that they're not a plant and two reds to the right, he

had a look at those. The only thing is if he takes this

red and decides to cannon into them he has no red as a bit of insurance.

Maybe the plant is on. It looks as if it's going to the

left. He has glanced at that on a couple of occasions.

If he risks going into the reds he will have to get lots of top spin,

arc the white to bring them into play.

I think he is just OK. He is on this one for the left corner.

You can see the white arc into the reds. Would have been better if he

wasn't quite as close as this. Any closer, and he could have pushed

that but he played it well. What a time to produce your highest

break of the match. He has come up a bit short here,

though. He wants to make sure he leaves

himself on the pink. The blue will put him 65 in front.

Another red and colour. last four frames. His first

opportunity he closes the gap to within two. Just one more red

needed. How many century breaks has Neil

made this season! Could be 101 in a minute.

The way he has gone about this he deserves 100. Selby made 133 in

frame four. To be fair, we have had everything

in this session. Some fabulous tactical play that we have seen in

the early part of the match. We have seen that magnificent 133 from Mark

Selby and now this. It's still difficult to pick a

winner of this one, Willie. Thinks possibly his 8th century of

the tournament, should he get it. -- this is possibly.

Looks a little less concerned about the century now the pressure is off

him. He had three or four great chances before he got the one last

night. There is another record he could look at, Stephen Hendry has

made the most centuries at the Crucible, he made 15 one year.

Very well done Neil Robertson. Determined to make sure the gap was

two frames going into the next session. Would you expect one of the

players to win 5-3 at least in every session.

I think these boys will not have any problems sleeping this evening. A

good night's rest and back again tomorrow afternoon.

As you say, it has been a first-class session of snooker. To

produce this after having lost the previous four frames...

Exhibition time. He could not quite reach it. What a fantastic session

from these two great players. The number one and the number three in

the world. A standing ovation for the first session. Selby takes the

lead into the second session. And they will be back at 2:30pm for

their second session. Let's catch up in the events from the second

semifinal. Ronnie O'Sullivan going against Barry Hawkins, playing a man

he knows a lot about. In the last year, Barry Hawkins has shot up to

world number four and the 35-year-old is no longer the quiet,

underestimated man. Barry's opponent has been odds-on

favourites to win this title ever since Ding Junhui way left in the

competition in round one. But he has said he has always considered Barry

Hawkins the danger man in his part of the draw. As for Ronnie's form,

it has been very good this season. In the seven major events he has

taken part in, he has won three of them including the champions of

champions at Coventry and the Masters. And most impressive, the

Welsh open, where he crowned that victory with a 147 in the final

frame full stop after this match, it was pretty tight and tense early on.

They shared the first four frames. Ronnie took the next. And we will

join them in that frame. Ronnie on a break of 31.

Just as I was singing his praises... You never expect him to miss shots

like that. Unexpected opportunity for his

opponent. It really hurts your opponent and Barry can take full

advantage of this chance. It looked like a frame winning

chance for Ronnie. He will be annoyed. Once the pink

was in play, he had the frame at his mercy. A straightforward pink. No

excuse for missing that. Not the best of angles on the pink.

He wanted to be higher to stand down into the reds. -- stunned.

A good positional shot. He has a perfect angle.

A nice little short. What sort of an angle has he got on the black?

He has overcome that a little. He may use it to his advantage and play

a cannon. No other spots available. Three

points behind. He could not avoid the kiss. He is

going to need these four remaining colours. It is going to be a tough

frame winning chance. Not straightforward any more. In all

honesty, it never was. That was a good shot. More than

likely, he would have blocked the pocket for the red he is going to

play now. It can play it with more confidence. The points are all

square. Four high-value colours. These four remaining reds would be

enough. Plenty of problems facing Barry.

He needs a bit of luck here. It could have been better.

That was as good as he could have played it. Absolutely. All things

considered, he has controlled the cue ball nicely. A nice angle of the

blue for the top cushion. And he still has that red on the right-hand

side. Being left-handed, you would like to not disturb it. Maybe he

could cannon the black off the top cushion?

You cannot believe that. That is so unlucky. A terrible kick. That has

cost him twice already. Look at that. After doing all the hard work.

To get a kick like that, very unfortunate. There was no

legislation for that. What can you do?

20 people have theories as to why we have these bad contacts but it has

stopped Barry in his tracks. And what's worse, it knocked it away

from the potting angle. But he has another chance here.

He did not put all his eggs in one basket. How does a double kiss

affect you, Barry? Not good. A chance for Ronnie. Ronnie comes to

the table nine points behind. With a chance.

The frame could be all about this short. He has to play the red to the

right corner. He held the line short. This red is

not a guinea. -- gimme. No problem. Short of good position

on the blue, though. Another good shot needed.

Good shot. Perfect. An excellent shot. That is as good as he has cued

anything so far. A superb shot. Eight points in the

lead and just brown and blue required.

You would have to say that Barry Hawkins has been very unfortunate.

Not only in this frame but in this session so far. Ronnie pots the

blue. It was that wonderful yellow, cued

in on the side rail, that gave him the frame. Barry Hawkins has two

Ponder that kick. Ronnie O'Sullivan now leads four frames to two. And

the reigning champion is really into his stride. He took four in a row

and here is on his way to an eighth century the Crucible. -- century at

the Crucible. He made four against Joe Perry and two against Shaun

Perry. 55 ahead and we go into the last of the session. -- five -- two

ahead. He was quite a long way away from

that one. Surprised that he missed it by so

far. There is a chance for Barry. He has to seize these opportunities.

Dear me. Would you believe it? So now, we were asking the question,

how much did that match with Dominic Dale take out of them. And we said

we would not know until the session finished. I think there is now a bit

of a hangover. Well, just in the last frame, but I think it is down,

not from the Dominic Dale match but I think he has been affected by the

kicks. Not only did that kicks, but they have cost him frames. -- the

bad kicks. Sometimes you would get a kick but it would not cost to the

frame but it certainly did. -- cost you the frame. It has shaken him. He

needs to slide past this red and he has done. And that should set up

this frame and Barry is in a bad place. He did not want to be four

frames behind at the end of the first session and that looks more

than likely. Still a lot of snooker left in this

match. I would not be panicking just yet. But it is probably better for

Barry even if it does finish 6-2, that this is the last frame of the

session. They will not be back until tomorrow.

Ronnie, 48 points in front. 43 remaining.

That is the end of it. He is ready to shake Ronnie's hand. Eight

frames. A disappointing start for Barry Hawkins when he needed a good

one. Ronnie will not be bothered. He has a four frame advantage after the

first eight frames. He leads 6-2. STUDIO: And I'm sure that Barry

Hawkins first eight frames. He leads 6-2.

STUDIO: And I'm sure will be glad to kick that session into touch. He

will come back in the morning. 10am, and we will return with live

coverage here on BBC Two. What a long weekend we are all in for. No

complaints here. Catch you soon.