Day 8 Snooker: World Championship Highlights

Good evening and welcome to the 2014 Snooker World Championships. We have

had a lot of drama here at Crucible. We pick it up with Perry at the

table. That was always a danger. He just

tried to screw and miss the pink. It was always on.

He seemed to play the double. You can see why he played it. If he had

got it, it would have rolled up. Perry had the safety. These shots

become difficult when you are defending a lead. A bit short of

pace. Caught the pink. Bit short on the red. It will be tough if he goes

for it. Where is the red going? It has

bounced. There is a red on the right middle.

He is just asking for the cue ball to be cleaned. Perry was going to

play that into the corner. It had a shot that had a lot going for it. He

didn't want him to go for it. He was lucky to get the kiss on the red. 18

points the different. Ronnie is behind. Purse is not a

straightforward chance. -- this is not. It is not a certainty to win

this. It won't necessarily pot. Ronnie is trying to bring it into

play. He just missed the cannon. Perry 's eyes are darting to the

table. He is trying to see if he is happy with the situation. That is

what you do, you try to get a clue from your opponent. Can he get the

canon and develop the red? If he didn't get it, he had the chance for

a pot. The points are all square now. This is a good chance. There it

goes. He had to leave that cushion, which wasn't ideal. He didn't like

the angle. He had to underhit it slightly.

It is not easy once you have lost position. Perry is sitting there

thinking that it may have gone now. We have talked about the pressure of

the situation. The way that he floated that yellow in, you wouldn't

think there was any pressure. Just the blue to level the match. The

crowd are really involved in this. There was a wonderful atmosphere. We

are back to the table. If he is going to play it, he has to

run back up the table for the pink, which looks to be available, or

blue. That is the red. He has a nice angle. You have two -- to cue it

properly, though. He has a nice angle. He has to drop the blue in,

and find a nice position for the red. 92% pot success. Perry is

dropping to 71%. That is just from this session. That wasn't an easy

shot. The blue will be the order of the day. The pink is available. He

will have to forget about the black for the time being. He has a choice

of yellow or green here. He is just giving it an extra bet on these

shots. -- beat. He knows we're getting to the distance and. --

business end. He has hard some scary moments. He won two frames earlier.

Apart from that, he has been behind. They say that the best time to be in

front is on the last frame. He has played for this red. In dislodging

about, he will play for the black. -- dislodging that. He might be

putting all his eggs in one basket. You don't want to risk playing for

the black. At least he brings it into play. The table is nicely

open. He just needs a good positional shot. Somewhere near the

circle would be perfect. He played it nicely. If anything, it overran a

fraction, but he will settle for that. He wants to get this red out

of the way. He is playing near to the black. Pretty straight. He

didn't get anything on that, so he is a little low on this round. He

wants to remain on the black. He played it perfectly. He seems to be

gathering a head of steam, but take nothing for granted.

A couple of loose reds. Maybe only one. He might decide to play the

canon. He is just about on one. A thin cut. This is the only one that

is available. He just had to bounce it off the cushion. There is nothing

that Joe Perry can do. The frame is at his mercy.

This is the measure of O'Sullivan. When the red was tied up, he thought

he would get a sizeable contribution. Now it looks like this

red is going to win him the frame. He just overcooked that. He is going

to play another canon. They can go wrong when you are doing that. He

has landed it. Three rates required. -- reds. Perry has not had a chance.

We look at his face. He wanted to see if O'Sullivan had any reaction.

Perfect. He has got that cueball on a string. This will make 67 to

lead. -- the lead. Great response under the utmost pressure. That was

perfect. It was beautiful to watch. We talk about his ability in his

all-round game, but when he is in the right frame of mind, it seems as

if the pressure flies right over his head. In the last frame, he had a

tricky yellow to play, but he floated it right in. He deserves a

century here. He is a wizard. He needs this. There are only two

possible left. He won't be counting his chickens. He has gone a little

bit low on this black. Can he avoid this kiss on the pink? Yes.

Beautifully played. He doesn't look like missing.

What a time to start producing your best speaker of the match. -- best

snooker. He was down when he came out, but these last three frames

have been absolutely superb. He found the extra gear that was

needed. He makes a marvellous break. O'Sullivan takes the lead for the

first time in the match. He wants one frame in the second round. A

magnificent round. Can he finish it off in style? Perry is at the table,

waiting to finish. He has overhead that. -- overhit. Careless. He is at

a point where he can't make mistakes. If he can pot this, this

is a gift of an opportunity. It looked like a formality, but this

red can go. Then it goes. A careless safety. What a mistake. Perry has

had quite a long time in his seat. He has not plotted a ball in 22

minutes. -- potted. If not for the kiss, he might not have finished on

anything good. This is a straightforward blue. This is a good

chance for Ronnie. It was an opportunity that was gifted to them.

He rolled into the reds. You don't even think about leaving anything.

He pushed it too hard. Could this be his last shot in this Snooker World

Championships? It is not beyond possibility because of the weight

Ronnie has played the last few frames. -- the way. He is someone

that starts to find his best form when he is at his worst. He finds

the right time when he is at the end. When you get close to the line,

the more tense it becomes. O'Sullivan doesn't show that he is

stressed. Other players do. His pot success has been good. Perry is

sitting there, hoping. That is all he can do now. That has changed

completely, the pot success. That was a good shot. You could tell

it was a good shot because of the time he took to play it. He has

found another gear. A few people were beginning to doubt him when he

couldn't close the gap on Perry. He struggled in the first session. I

thought that was one of those times when the balls were winning, if you

know what I mean. In the second session, I thought he lost some

discipline. When he went 11-9 behind, his head could have dropped.

No such thing. A good positional shot and you could see it being

over. A great response from Ronnie. 90 remaining. A great effort from

Perry. He missed a few balls that could have given him a bigger

advantage at certain times in the match. It may all be coming home to

roost now. He is out of position. 57 points is the lead. The red he is

closest to will go to the far left corner, but he was looking for

something easier. Nothing looks difficult at the moment for

O'Sullivan. He was looking at Joe. There was an air of resignation.

Perry will need two snookers. Superb. Absolutely superb. The

short-price favourite to win the tournament. People were beginning to

wonder whether this was a hurdle he was not going to get over. Boy, has

he produced some snooker and the last four frames. -- in the. He

never looked like missing. When he went into the session 11-9 behind,

it could have knocked his confidence. Does he want to finish

with another century? He doesn't look like missing. Perry has given

it his all. He is not mean mood for missing. -- not in the mood. We

thought he was going to improve in the second. He struggled a bit. This

is why he is the favourite. This is the kind of snooker that only a

genius can produce. Don't let everyone down. Get the century.

Absolutely perfect. That is his 26th century. Back-to-back centuries in

the heat of battle. When you are 11 -9 down, it doesn't get better than

this. It has to be said that Perry did nothing wrong in the last three

frames. That is what happens when you are playing against someone like

O'Sullivan. You don't have to make a mistake. He makes things happen. He

has done it in style. That was superb. You gave it your all, but

that magic from the reigning champion was too much. He will be

relieved, O'Sullivan. He has made it to the quarter-final.

It's the closest match I've had in a few years. I didn't believe it, to

be honest. To come from behind the whole match... He just kept putting

away. But I just found something from somewhere. I just kept telling

myself, you've won him many times before. Maybe that's the difference

at this stage in the match. I've got that pool of experience. I said to

myself, I showed fighting qualities there. I was proud of myself. I

would have won at another world tour to the Steve Peters. -- if it wasn't

for. Steve has kind of helped me clear my mind and coal focus. I

wouldn't be here in 2012 but wasn't wasn't him. At all my life to him

really. -- if it wasn't for him. It's a nice way to show people what

you're capable of. It was good for the fans to see a little display of

emotion from you at the end. We don't often get that in the early

rounds. Little fit pomp as you came off. -- fist pump. Yes, I pretty

good first match, I competed as hard as they could, no regrets. To get

through was a relief for me, I did feel emotional. Like asset, I was

just really proud I was able to stick in there and make a game of

it. Winning was a bonus for me. -- like I said. Ronnie O'Sullivan

singing the praises of Doctor Steve Peters, the sports psychiatrist was

currently working his magic with Liverpool football club in the

Premier League. The man who while beat in last year 's final, Barry

Hawkins, has been involved in a castle in his second round match.

Like O'Sullivan, Berlocq had to battle all the wake of the man from

Chaston. He is now set up for that quarter-final with either Dominic

Dale or qualifier Michael . It always ends up going scrappy. It was

such a tough game from start to finish. It's a hard place out there

when you feel like you feel like you're not doing well. But she had

determination got me through in the end. In the Dominic Dale match, the

world who holds the advantage, making two century Cross points plus

106 on his way to a 7-1 lead. Judd Trump 14 frames on the spin. That

match resumes at 2:30pm. To see Michael Wasley there, he was just

one back in 1991. They play in the second round. Alan McManus has held

the lead by ten frames to five at the end of the second session. We

pick up the action with McManus at the table leading by 26 points to

three. We've said this was a good chance a

few times in the last frame. He is just about on it, perfect.

Again, for such a simple shot, it's still a cake, but he just let it run

a couple of inches too far from comfort. -- OK. It just means you're

another two or three inches too far for the next shot and it's hard to

get that position back quickly. It multiplies. Now it's back in perfect

position again. Looks a bit more composed around the table now, Alan.

Very shaky in the first two frames. Was getting frustrated, didn't look

happy at all. I don't suppose you could blame him, really. 53 points

ahead, a rat and the colour is all that's needed. I don't know why he

is not playing the roads. -- reds. This pink and put him in front.

61 points in front now. 59 remaining. I think that Black going

in means Dougherty will not be coming back to the table. -- Ken

Doherty. Ken was always on the end of the safety exchange.

Wow. It didn't matter about the yellow. He's gone through a run of

losing frame after frame, but now winning that one, he is four frames

clear again. He then won the next frame to make

it 11-8, but he responded by winning the next one, needing just one more

to make it to the quarter-finals. Canny finished on a colour? -- can

he finish. Yes, he is on the pink. This pink is not a gimme. It may

even take the green. Where did it go? I don't think he hit the first

read properly. What he lacked? They used to say in my day, if you hit

the ball hard enough, there are six problems on the table. That was

amazing. You wouldn't fancy the referee at replacing the balls in

the right place there if there was a foul strikes, you? -- would you.

Yes. This is a tense frame and match. I think whoever loses the

scheme will be disappointed with their performance. Whoever wins it,

of course, they can get better in the next round. Ken is staring into

space, wondering whether that outrageous fluke... It is 82% pot

success for ten. It's just not good enough. -- Ken Doherty. On these

occasions, to not the snooker that you're capable of really hurts you.

The joy that he had when he beat Stuart Bingham in the first round

was lovely to see. He was delighted, he was enjoying it. I don't think he

is enjoying this match. He wants every straight on the red

from the left corner. He could just follow through on the black. He may

take the pink year. -- here. Yes, he desperately wanted a good angle on

the blue. He feels as though you can leave himself straight enough on

this rate and he looks as though he has done. A good stroke. Johnston

WinFrame and match. -- chance to win frame. Allens had comes up at every

single shot. -- Alan's head. The Blackburn goes on to the right

corner. He is obviously playing for the red to the left corner.

He is just leaving himself a little bit high on the black so you can

disturb us to read either side. -- goes -- those two reds. For cannon

on the left of the black, developing it for the corner. That's a K.

Enough angle on the red corner of course the red now below the black

is available. He can still drop is black and

leaves are just below it to the left corner. -- leave the red. He is

missed a few shots, but his technique and his knowledge of the

table, his all-round game... It just shows you, once you, once again

those qualifying situations it's very hard to get through to the

final stages of the tournament. -- once you get through to those. He

took it right for this black to go 56 points in front with 51

remaining. He got nothing to lose, Gnabry will be expecting him to win,

so maybe we will see the best of Alan. -- nobody.

Good performance to beat a young up-and-coming player. Ken Doherty

was unable to replicate that performance. He didn't really get

going in the first session, and then when he was 9-3 behind, and then

10-3 behind, it was all over. But he did put in a little bit of a spurt,

got the gas back to three. But he was just never able to raise his

game enough to get right back in it. It was a battle. Alan McManus was

still in it, he can get better. Ken Doherty waves goodbye to the crowd.

Alan McManus is through to the quarter-final. He will be absolutely

delighted. He beats Ken Doherty Bay 13 frame state. -- by 13 frames to

eight. I just couldn't get going at all. I was just fortunate. I was all

that better than Canon. He wasn't playing like the Ken Doherty

everyone expects. I've done my job decently, not great, but hopefully I

can play better next time. I hope it's my last time, but if it is, I

enjoyed every minute of it. I loved all the battles, and had some great

matches here. Some great memories. If it is, so be it, but I will be

trying and hoping. We look forward to welcoming Ken Doherty back to a

TV studio very shortly. Alan McManus, however, can look forward

to a quarter-final match against Mark Selby. That's also now. Snooker

extra is straight after this programme. -- all for. Goodbye for

now.