Day 6 Snooker: World Championship Highlights

We will be seeing the defending champion, Ronnie O'Sullivan and the

world number one, Neil Robinson, tonight. It might be worth your

while staying up a little bit later. We had the Twix and between on day

six because we have had some unfinished business and the start of

the last 16, with a quarterfinal place certainly insight. That was

the case for Mark Selby and Ali Carter. Both of these men know what

it is like to go the distance at the Crucible. They have been two finals

before, Ali Carter has been to two of them. They produced a session of

real intrigue and quality this afternoon.

Crucible crowd. Another century. He takes the first frame.

I don't know if he's worked this out yet, but it is a re-spotted black.

He just wobbled the black and he goes into the mid-session interval

trailing Mark Selby 3-1. Absolutely top drawer. That is what

you get in the Crucible, that was World Championship quality. Mark

Selby wins the session 5-3. Also this afternoon, Dominic Dale with

his first win at the Crucible since the turn of the millennium.

Struggled to get over the line but Mark Davis is out. One thing you've

got to do is put them under more pressure. That was one thing I said

to myself I've got to do a bit more of, maybe not try and win in one

go. I was definitely more controlled in that frame. Mark Davis is the

fifth member of the top 16 to head for the exit door. That followed

Ding Junhui. What of Ronnie O'Sullivan? He is currently ranked

number 33 in the world that despite the fact that he is a double world

champion defending. He is playing Joe Perry. He is known as the

gentleman, because he is, and he is enjoying the finest season of his

career. Facing Ronnie O'Sullivan, a man who

is trying to win the world title for a third time in a row. This is his

season so far. It has been pretty impressive. Of the seven major

events he has entered, he has won three of them, including Champion of

champions, the Masters, and perhaps most impressively, the Welsh Open.

That was in March. He made a maximum and only conceded ten frames

in-7-mac cheers. Truly extraordinary. Joe Perry has got his

work cut out. -- ten frames in seven games. He won the first frame,

Ronnie did not score a point. He surges into a lead as we join them

in the fourth. Ronnie is five points behind.

This could be good if it runs, just an inch or two short. Possible pot

to the right corner. Not certain he can manoeuvre the cue ball. The

number of times people are told to switch their phones off, it is very

off-putting... He played it consummate lay. He knew

what the angle was to get on the black. Good shot. Terrific

concentration to get away from the shot and back down again after that

distraction. It shows you that, mentally, Joe Perry is really up for

this match. There is his pot success rate. Ahead of Ronnie at present.

Of course, no distractions now. When you're watching at home you think,

what is going on, where is the noise from the other table, that is why,

the session has finished, so they have the whole of the Crucible to

themselves. It becomes a totally different arena when that curtain is

raised. I was a little bit surprised there,

I thought he had a nice angle to maybe pop the black and move the

left hand of the two red balls. Decided against it, did not want to

risk the cannon. Prepared to just chip away at them. Decent chance,

though. It was a superb opening red, played with lots of confidence.

This is it. If he got round the back of the black, it was on.

That tells the story, Ronnie has only ported one of his eight long

pots. He knows that his opponent is cueing extremely well. He knows Joe

Perry is a terrific player. He has had a few semifinals and

quarterfinals and been very consistent throughout this season.

It is amazing, all of a sudden you can hear the pin drop in the

Crucible. It is hard to see him not clinching

the frame at this visit now. He has the pink and the black to play for.

I mentioned about the little targets you have, trying to win a session

before the interval, 3-1. The other thing you have in your mind, if you

can get to four frames, you know you will not be behind going into the

second session because only eight frames are played in this opening

session. 65 ahead, looking good for Joe

Perry. Just need the pink. Every credit,

you would have to say. He has queued beautifully, hasn't

he, John? Yes, good opening red, made the most of it. 96% success in

these first four frames. Ronnie is well down at 80% but I expect that

to improve as the match goes on. But we go into the interval and the

defending champion is going to find himself to frames addressed. If Joe

can pot this black and disturb these reds, every chance of a century

break. Not they are, but Joe Perry will be

well pleased. He will not be too disturbed, he has not had that many

chances, but Joe Perry has laid down his marker. He got the good start he

needed and he leads by three frames to one. Joe Perry looking very

assured and focused, and another break of 35 took him 4-1 in front.

Here he is in frame six, 12 points adrift.

What a chance for Ronnie O'Sullivan now. He hit that too thick. Not a

bad choice, but he hated to think. You will not get a better chance

than this. -- hit it too thick. Still a comfortable pot but that was

not what he was after. He has got to regroup and play a good positional

shot. It's amazing, when you go slightly

out of position. OK, still got the brown, can he get himself back into

the ideal position? He should take full advantage of

this now. Joe Perry played the thin cut on the

red and, in all honesty, should have got it. It is one of those, you are

bound to Potter. Maybe he was concerned about where the cue ball

would finish. -- bound to pot it. No excuse for hitting that too thick.

Did not cure it very well. -- cue. But the one thing about it is Joe

Perry will not be behind at the end of this session. The worst for him

will be 4-4. He will be thinking there is a chance here to get the

lead out of this first eight frames. He will not be winning this frame

now, it is well and truly over with Ronnie O'Sullivan 70 points in front

with 59 remaining. We've had 20 centuries so far in this year's

World Championship. Not going to be straightforward to

make the century but he will be trying because he is closing in on

Stephen Hendry's record. Only 30 centuries behind him, who retired a

couple of years ago. Having said that, she might be playing next

season with the wild card. -- he. They are not going cleanly into the

pocket but they are disappearing, that is the main thing. This is what

this Crucible crowd have come to see. They have enjoyed Joe Perry and

they are now enjoying this century. A wonderful 117 break, he has

reduced his arrears. Two more frames to be played in this session. His

second century of the Championship. The bookmakers have made him the

odds-on favourite to win the title, but the final seems a very long way

away form Ronnie O'Sullivan. He played that very quick, he is

just suffering a little bit. Amazingly, he is just not getting

through the ball. That was a terrific cut. It was

dangerous because it was almost straight. If he had hit the red in

the middle of the pocket, maybe he would not have gone that close but

he is OK, he is on the black. That was a nice little bonus they

are because Ronnie was expecting for the blue, but the jaws of the pocket

has given him this opportunity. Just a little bit further than he

would have liked, you would like to have been further on the blue then

he would have got control of the cue ball. There are a couple of reds

available into the right middle, you could just come off the top cushion

and drop onto. It would be straight and simple. He just managed to glide

past them. Would not want to pop the black if

it went back on its own spot and was tied up.

At the moment he cannot get that positional play which makes the

break easy. That is a great shot, very well worked. The mend this

shot. Look at the way he screwed through those two reds. It is how he

sees that type of shot straightaway. When he has such a quick snooker

brain, that shot was delightfully played, and he is off and running.

The Rocket has certainly taken off. You don't win five world titles

without knowing how to handle these longer sessions. 4-1 down, did not

have to panic, just kept his cool. All of a sudden the frames are not

taking very long. The last frame was short of 11 minutes. This one is 7.5

minutes now. We're nearly at the end of it. Black and one more red would

be enough. I cannot believe it was 1997 that we sat in this very box

and watched him make that magical maximum in five minutes and 20

seconds. That might never be equalled as long as the game of

snooker is played. You can never say never, but I don't think in our

lifetime. The red did not go in and he is disappointed. 75 point lead,

67 remaining, to smokers are required. He should have reduced his

arrears. -- two snookers. These two players met 15 years ago in the

World Championship. Joe Perry has only got a victory in two of their

12, but he did have the benefit of a victory in one of the longer frame

events, so he knows it can be done. This final frame was a big one. Will

he take a lead? It is not bad as long as the black

pots into the right corner pocket. He is OK. I think he was playing for

the one into the right corner. He will settle for this.

Very good chance because as he gets on a red, and removes it, he is

clearing the path for another red. Was not ideal that time, he might

have to play from the blue now but he has a red of the other side of

the middle pocket there, so it doesn't matter what side he gets on

the blue. I think he can get on the red next to the black this time.

Absolutely perfect. That clears the black.

Showing a lot of character here. He was frozen out in the last two

frames. He really is a class player. Good to watch.

Immediately asking for the cue ball to be clean. If you inches of pace.

This is a little thinner than he would have liked.

He recovered the situation well. All set fair now for a frame-winning

contribution. 51 ahead. He should do it. Just

short of two hours. It could be up to the two hours by the time this

frame is finished. That is pretty good going for eight frames.

The average frame time his 40 minute and 22 seconds. -- 14 minutes.

Which ever chooses, it is not straightforward on to the black.

That is a lovely shot. That was not quite as easy as it looks. One more

red. That will mean he wins the first session by five frames to

three. The second session will be tomorrow afternoon.

It is with a two frame advantage. That is something Ronnie will be

very disappointed about. His long past success is just 29%.

That one just struggled in. It would be nice if he could finish with a

century. That would be doing it in style.

His highest break ever is 145 and he did that here at the Crucible. I

think this thread will clip into the middle pocket. -- this thread. The

brown will put him on 99. He needs one more for the century.

Will he be on it? He will have to fluke it. It it had. -- hit it hard.

The balls did not run very kindly for either player. Joe Perry had

just the start he needed. He leads the defending champion five to

three. One in meaning piece of business to

be sorted out from the first round and it is at the bottom of the draw.

It features Neil Robertson and Robbie Williams. No, not that one.

He is from Wallasey and it is the first time for him at the Crucible.

His first session was rather target. He fell behind. Some players do not

make the same amount of centuries in their career. We will pick them up

in the next in the company of Steve Davis and Willie Thorne.

We saw a very clinical performance back Mark Selby today in his opening

session against Ali Carter. I would suggest this is on the same medical

level. Tough to keep this up for the whole

tournament. It is potting a marker down. Two or three players have

played very well. If you cant get rid of this match before the

mid-session interval, that will give him more dressed before going into

the next match. That would help. He went off the ball a little bit. He

did well to get through the tournament in China because he was

struggling. He has not played well in the last two or three tournaments

but he looks to be back to his best now.

Through the gaps behind the black. That is a perfect position. Could we

have another century? 95 centuries so far this season. I

do not want to put a curse on this but the way he is going about

break-building these days, it seems like he is in total control. The

balls are open here but he is making every shot so easy. It is a massive

advantage. He is leaving no distance. Superb control.

A 100 break his session is not an achievable. -- unachievable. He may

be able to disturb some of those with this short and come back for

the blue. They are all covering themselves at the moment.

He could not really catch enough of them. He has a chance, albeit an

awkward one, to stuff the ball into the stomach of the rides.

He is eyeing up the colours. It is hard to know.

That was a tough one. He has not moved them very far but he has

opened them up now. Excellent shot. There's also a chance of the highest

break of the tournament. It must be. 137 is the highest so far. He is on

a possible 141. He is worried about the white bouncing. He could still

screw it across the face of this black. He is guaranteed to get

nicely on the black. This is a good choice.

I would like to know what Neil Robertson did with his

break-building game after Stephen Hendry told him he was

break-building more like an amateur three or four years ago. He went to

ask him and he was told. He must have watched some videos of yours

and Ronnie O'Sullivan. He must have talked to some of his friends who

play the game and reassessed his thought process. He definitely found

out you have to get the park open early. He talked about a baptism of

fire Robbie Williams. He has made the breaks over 30. Robert the top

of his form at the moment. It looks like he has enough.

It looks like another century on the board. A big one as well.

He just about got away with the kick. There has been so much being

made of reaching 99. I wonder if that puts him off?

I think he will be OK. He has other things to think about while making

century breaks. It is there and that is a massive round of applause. The

cue ball has hardly moved. It is as if it has been on a string.

It is not likely to stand but it has one in previous years.

Quite simply an outstanding break from Neil Robertson. The cue ball

control in that break was absolutely sublime. He leads by nine frames to

two. He followed it up with another century break. It is his 97th of the

season. That is the most emphatic performance of the first round in

Sheffield. Robbie Williams, not the most gentle introduction to the

Crucible. Neil will have a big say in the final stages if he continues

that sort of form. Next up is Mark Allen. Congratulations to him was

up. Letters remind you of the shape and look of the last 16 draw.

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It looks very good, doesn't it? We will be back very shortly. In the

meantime, do sleep well and we will catch you again very soon.