Day 9 Snooker: World Championship Highlights

It would make it more special to do it here. I think if I'd already done

it coming into the World Championships, it wouldn't have as

special. Good evening. Yes, he could be a

record-breaker here at the Crucible neather in Sheffield. Neil Robertson

looking to make 100 century breaks in a season. It would be a

remarkable achievement. First, the Australian has a very tough last 16

match on his hands with Northern Ireland's Mark Allen.

I was born 22nd February, 1986 in Belfast.

My nickname is the Pistol. I won the world amateur

Championships in 2004. I turned professional in 2005. I

reached my first semi-final in 2007. Pf

World Championship semi-final. I reached the final in 2011. I won

my first ranking title in 2012. 2013, I won the world open again.

The last time these two met was at the Masters in January. Robertson

edged the first round match by 6-5. Mark Allen very much out for revenge

here at the Crucible Theatre and the World Championships. There was no

separating them after their first session, four apiece and they shared

the first of the two frames. We pick it up with Robertson at the 11th,

trailing by three points. He can call to the aid of the

monitor. Waiting to see if they are happy

with the position of the balls. That's where they were. Pretty good.

That's the problem. He's got to get more swerve on it if he's going to

hit it direct. If he's coming off the cushion, he doesn't need as

much. Mane while, Mark's content to sit there and let Neil try to get

himself out of this problem. He could stand there for another

fortnight and he couldn't pull that shot off. Well, make it longer than

that. Make it a couple of years. He's got that wry smile. He can't

believe what he's just seen there. At least Mark knows this is a tough

shot that he's faced with. Right up against the side panel

there. What a shot this would be. Terrific pot under the

circumstances. What sort of angle has he got on

this blue? Can he get anywhere near the pink? If he's straight, he can

screw back off the cushion. That's what he's playing with reverse side.

Well, look at this sport a shot he's faced with. If he pots the pink,

screws down, this will be a clearance like I've never seen

before. APPLAUSE

The rest of the shots have been well, literally out of this world,

some of the pots he's pulled off here.

Eventually he fluked the green but some of the colours he knocked in

there was quite unbelievable and he's back in the lead, 6-5 to the

world number one. Allen won the next frame thanks to a

break of 77, into frame 13, Robertson looking to a break of 19.

Flick they've red to bring it round. He could play ball. He's missed the

pot though. Amazing. Took so long to decide what he's going to do then

and missed it. That's the last thing Mark wanted

there, was to put the red across to finish nicely on the pink. With the

red over the corner pocket, he's got to pot this yellow. A wee bit of a

stretch there for Mark. Just looking at the angle he has on

this red. Got the angle. He can leave the red

over the pocket. He can go into the red, open some up.

The white has carried on through. A bit unlucky to go on through and

land on that red. He can pot this. But where are the next colours?

Might be able to get through on to the pink. May just cannon the blue.

Might be tight on the cushion then. Needs the extension because of the

red over the pocket. That's about the best he could do.

If he could pot the pink, he's got the red over the pocket now. Looks

like a natural to cannon the green if he pots the pink. Can't get any

action on the cue ball. Pot the pink and let the white take

care of itself. APPLAUSE

And now a bit of a chance. Just plain ball striking there.

Didn't matter that he cannoned the green. A drag shot to hole for the

black. He's going to have to play into the

reds now. He's got to be a wee bit careful.

There's a gap there. If he flicks one, it could end up slightly up the

table. Played that well. Very well. The black he potted then, he had to

give it a bit of attention. A thin cut in regard to what he was playing

for. Last time it was 2-1. Ever since

that, it was just a frame each -- last time he led. Bit of a chance

now to get himself into into the lead. Long way to go yet.

One good shot to get him back up to the high scoring end of the table.

Hue good was that? APPLAUSE

Could have covered something. He had to play for that red.

Could have done with a bit more on that. He's now made things a little

awkward for himself. He's looking to see if the pink would go into the

middle pocket. It's a natural thing to pot that and then cannon the red

in. It does, from that picture, look as though he was just OK there.

He could do with that red being next to the pink. He's going to need

another red. Even if the pink spots, it will go

on to the blue. Good before mance.

Terrific performance. The man from County Antrim.

APPLAUSE Just can't separate these players at

the moment. Both playing well, cueing well.

He's certainly up for this, is Mark. I think he's enjoying this match.

He's got an angle and if, if he can move the blue, he has the chance of

a century. Unlucky. Very unlucky.

LAUGHTER He threw everything at that one!

He knew it was going to be difficult. What a superb break that

was from Mark Allen. He gets himself into the lead for the first time

since he led 2-1. 7-6 to Mark Allen. What a great match this is. Into

frame 14, Robertson at the table, there is no score.

Can't come back up for the blue. Is he going to try to bring the black

into play here? Certainly is. What a shot that is!

That for me is one of the shots of the Championships. That was superb.

He hadn't got the angle to roll back in and get back up for the blue

but... What a shot he pulled out there.

Tell you what, the way they are sitting now, what an opportunity for

the Australian here. A very aggressive shot he took on on

that red. He always looks as if he plays

better when he's walking around the table quicker and being more

aggressive. We also know he's a good safety player and can slow the game

up if he needs. Puts you in a more positive mode.

Look at the shot he's played here. Skimmed the black. Past the black,

skimmed the red. Played the black and he's off to go.

He's no strange tore making a maximum break. Made it twice in the

competition. Ronnie O'Sullivan and Stephen

Hendry. Stephen's had 11 maximums and Ronnie 12.

?25,000 for the play they're can achieve that this year and he won't

even be thinking about it at present. He'll be thinking about the

frame, first of all. Tell you what, he'll have it at the

back of his mind now. It's the right site of the table

from a left-hander. So things could get pretty tense in a couple of

minutes' time. Too near the pink spot. He's put

himself out of position here and the frame is far from safe.

That's Sa poor positional shot. -- that's a poor positional shot.

He's looking at the other end of the table. He looks like he's going to

take this red to the middle pocket. That seems a little risky. Such a

good Potter, this fella. Terrific shot.

Very well controlled. Apart from that last one when he hit the black

too hard and didn't get on the red as intended, that was an excellent

recovery. He's off to go. Mark's had breaks of 84 and 77 in

the last two frames. And the world number one bounces

straight back with this. Already on 67.

One more red needed. That'll put him 68 in front with 67 remaining on the

table. A few more to come here you would feel and maybe the chance of a

century. Two more centuries needed to create a bit of history.

No player has ever made 100 century breaks in a season.

Er might never happen again. That's the frame completely safe

now. Needs a good position on the last

red. Being a left-hander makes it slightly more difficult.

He's going to need the extension on the cue and the rest.

Just leaves the white somewhere near the red. Can't do too much with

this. APPLAUSE

The blue will do. Didn't want to risk the awkward black. This is

quite amazing from the Australian. Superb. Robert Robertson is one more

century clear to his century of centuries.

Well, that's made it a lot more difficult.

Oh, beautiful. What a lovely shot that was.

The cueing on that last yellow was outstanding. He can't beat his own

highest break. He holds the highest break of 140. That yellow was up

there with the best. Let's not forget the red that he

potted to start this break when he kissed the red away from the black.

Absolutely superb. Decided to go out there and play a bit more aggressive

and this is his reward. Clearance here at the Crucible.

APPLAUSE 137 for Robertson. Once again, they

draw at 7-7. Robertson on course to make history. This is the list of

century-makers this season. Robertson ever so close to making

the 100. Robertson then took the next frame

to make it 8-7, we pick it up in the next, Allen to play, trailing by 25

points. That was a chance. It wasn't an easy

chance, but it was a chance. He sat in the wrong chair there, Mark! He

still retained his sense of humour. He can pot this red and come across

the other side for the black. But the pink is the easier pot. But he

is only 25 in front. He is playing it. He must have heard

you in the commentary box, Dennis. He is perfect on the black and he

can stun over behind that red. 34 in front when he pots this. He will

need that red and one more colour. If he can knock this red and black

in, he will be more than pleased, because Mark Allen has been superb.

One more red and black and Mark will have lost the session 5-3. But he

has played well. Looking forward to this one

tomorrow. It's going to be a great third session.

He would like to get this red out of the way. Well, he tried to make sure

of it and missed it. Barring snookers though, he has won the

frame and Neil Robertson will be 9-7 in front. It was enough and Neil

Robertson takes a two frame advantage into the third and final

session tomorrow. It has been an excellent last 16 match so far.

Let's bring you up to date with one of two England versus Wales matches

as Judd Trump takes on Ryan Day. That's worked out brilliantly. That

is a magnificent century from the Welshman.

It is amazing and the good news for Ryan is the blue's come down the

table and gone into a perfect pottable position for this red. A

fabulous effort from Ryan n Day and that break gets one back again. That

is a terrific shot from Judd. How did that stay in the pocket? He got

himself back three in front. Well played. Deserved a bit of good

fortune and he has got it. A 62-point lead, 67 on the table and

how many times has he done that in this match? There is another one. It

is now 10-5. Ryan Day can't believe he lost that one. That was fabulous

cueing. Shake hands, well played Ryan Day in the final frame. Judd

Trump leads 10-6. So it is the Englishman with the upper hand, but

in the other Wales versus England match, Dominic Dale is in front

against Michael Wasley. He needs just one frame to book a place in

the last 16. Here are the other match. 2005 world champion Shaun

Murphy taking on Marco Fu. 4-4 after the first session. Fu pulled one

back and we pick it up from frame 16 with Murphy on a break of 59. This

black and one more red needed. Don't think it's there. He goes back to

his seat he has a 52-point lead, but there is 67 remaining. Just looking

for that black and one more red. A missed opportunity.

He has got quite nice on this black and he can hit it thinner than you

would normally to try and cannon those three reds in the middle. He

has got them. Well, applause, but it's come very awkward.

If he was straight on this red, it wouldn't be a problem. But I think

there is a bit of work to do with the cue ball. He is asking the

referee for the spider. Will it be the normal spider, or maybe the

extended spider. The trouble is the harder he hits it, the wider the cue

ball will go and he will be close to the black.

He looks very close to that red. Oh, so close. He made light work of it.

Very good shot. Very good. He has got a chaps now. -- he has got a

chance now. Not much of an angle on this black.

But a slight one. Look how close he was to this red.

And he played it well considering. This would be a frame to steal. A

blow for Shaun Murphy and a real boost for Marco.

Doesn't look to have a good angle. He is playing for the red past the

pink. Of course, he always had that red in the middle. Shaun will be

knowing that brown is far enough off a cushion that it is no real

problem. Seeing in your chair, you're hoping your opponent makes a

positional mistake. Not ideal on either blue or pink. This could go

wrong. That was the danger. A little bit

was enough to make this missable. When I saw the angle, I thought

there might be a case for just playing a position on the red off

one cushion. But they have had a few bounces off the cushion. Maybe he

wanted to play it off two. He can pot this but it is tricky.

But it's there. We have got a new favourite for this frame now.

Well Marco immediately pointing at the cue ball. Feels as though he got

a bit of a springer off the side cushion. This was a good red that

kept this frame-winning chance going. When he potted the yellow, he

felt it sprung off a bit. He needs a nice angle now on the

brown. OK, Steve said it is far enough away from the baulk cushion,

but doesn't want to finish straight on it.

He still needs these four remaining colours. He is digging his way out

of trouble here. Fantastic response from Marco Fu

this this. This is the really the tonic that

Marco Fu needed. Well played. That was a big, big

frame. Shaun Murphy, OK, gave him the chance, but he had to take it

and he was solid there. And he reduces arrears now to two. Shaun

Murphy leads 8-6. This a way back for Marco Fu? In the next frame,

Murphy to play, trailing by eight. So a chance for Shaun that Marco has

left him here. Should he have played safe there?

This black will put the points all square. He wasn't happy with the

contact there, he was up immediately. Thought he got a heavy

contact which took the pace out of the cue ball. Just a bit of a

bounce. Didn't sound massively like a kick. But you have to trust Shaun

Murphy's judgment of the proceedings there. Because he was up very

quickly. Obviously playing for the red on the side cushion.

Another heavy contact. Didn't destroy the potting angle.

That pink now puts him seven points in front. Four of these remaining

reds would see him get to the snookers required stage.

I don't think the lower of the two reds below the pink is pottable, but

it might be if you get in the right position.

I don't think he can stun for the red on the other cushion either. He

did that nicely. There wasn't much room for manoeuvre there. That is

the advantage of having that lovely cue action. He gets so much reaction

off the cue ball without any real effort. So he can play a delicate

shot like that. But he has come a bit awkward on this. I don't think

either of those two reds are pottable below the pink.

That is not it by a long way. He will be disappointed with that

effort. If he thought there was a problem coming around off two

cushion, why not stun it in and force the cue ball out? Mystifying.

Well it was a chance to win the frame at that visit. But he has put

his disappointment behind him and played the right shot. Put the brown

in a safe position. Too thick, is this red going over

the middle? It is pottable. It is not as easy as it looks, but it is

definitely on. Once again he has lined up the

possibility of getting on the pink to disturb those two reds.

He is going to need the three remaining reds. Now, December it

pratly -- desperately needs an angle on the black. He has got it. He has

landed inch perfect. The one thing you don't want to do when you kiss

that red, don't catch it full. He caught it full. Now, has he got a

red to the right middle? If you catch it half ball either side, both

reds would have been on. Can he see enough of this red? He

could and that now should be the frame-clincher. This black and the

final red to go to the snookers required stage.

Marp Coe won't be winning this one by look of it. -- Marco.

That yellow going in means Marco will not come to the table and try

for those snookers. We have got one more frame to

complete this second session. Marco Fu has done well to come back,

but Shaun Murphy is now three frames ahead. 9-6. One more to play. But

credit to Marco Fu, he bounced back in fine style in the last frame with

a break of 136 and just two frames behind Shaun Murphy. They resume

tomorrow at 7 o'clock. Excellent break from Marco Fu. Still very much

in this, against the 2005 world champion. That is it for now. In you

want more snooker, Snooker Extra follows. We are back at 1 o'clock on

BBC do Two with further live coverage. From all of us here, good

night.