Day 8 Snooker: World Championship Highlights

COMMENTATOR: Mark Selby will be over University.

COMMENTATOR: Mark Selby will be over the

COMMENTATOR: Mark Selby will be over first time. STUDIO: Is Mark Selby

feeling that this evening? Very good evening and welcome to highlights of

the 2016 World Championships, we have had another super Saturday,

with Mark Selby looking to book his place in the last eight.

Mark Selby against Sam Baird from Devon, making his second appearance

at the Crucible, he won his first ever match last week against Michael

White. Mark Selby led 11-7 when we left the match earlier in the

evening. Sam Baird won the next two frames, and now we will show you

what happened after that. COMMENTATOR: What a shot. If it

slows up he will have a chance of the yellow to the middle. You would

think he has enough angle to stun down for the red at the top cushion.

That is a good pot. He is thinking about the snooker. Nice angle on the

yellow to stun down, that has got to be the way to play. Well played.

Superb shot. He is a bit straight. To think of

moving the black and screwing into the black. If he had a side angle

that might be a possibility, but these pockets are very difficult and

long the cushion. A couple of big shots. I would favour the black and

leaving myself a good angle, but I would rather have more angle than

this. You would like to play the black in such a way that if it did

not go in it would stop the red being possible, but now he will have

to fully commit to this. He will have to play this with more pace

than he would have liked. Just off the cushion, you have got to be so

accurate. He could not have played it better. APPLAUSE

Could not have played it any better. He made it look easy. They always do

when they go in. There was pressure on that. He has got to be careful.

Because I think he would like to go up for the blue. The pace he puts

into the shot, the more it makes the red missable. Three points behind.

He campaigned with top spin and right-hand side for the black, but

he is playing the screw shot, and that pace, as you rightly say, it is

missable. The danger of missing it with pace. It needs good cueing and

this black. -- on. He did that beautifully and now it needs to run

past the blue. He is looking for a straight yellow, but he has not got

it, can he reach without using the rest? He looks as cool as a

cucumber. He looks calm and cool on the top, but the feet are going 100

mph under the water might a duck. -- like. So far he is playing well

under pressure. Oh! That is the problem, you are stretching. You

have got to ask the question, do you get right in line with the shot? Ami

times do we see that, when the player puts the extension and the

end of their cue? -- how many times. We see that so often. So, Mark

Selby, five points behind. He has a chance of this yellow, the brown

will be the cable in this frame. Both players need it -- will be the

key ball. Great pot. What is on? It is a bit

thinner than he would have liked. Can he pot the green and cannon for

the brown? He needs the pink, of course. He timed it so well.

Excellent shot. Lovely shop that is. -- shot. He got the link in play, a

quick glance at the scoreboard, the points are level -- he got the pink

in play. This brown, if he is going to get good and be blue with pace,

this is no gimme -- if he is going to get good on the blue with pace.

It was never a gimme at that pace. It is running on the Sam Baird. He

now needs brown, blue and pink, to get within one. Never easy, those.

If you have your hand on the table. But what a chance now for the young

man. So, now, all about position from

blue to pink. He has a natural angle to cut the blue into the middle and

he will come off the baulk cushion and it is all about judging the

pace. I think the line is guaranteed. Judging the pace. He

needs it to run for the middle. It is perfect! APPLAUSE

He has the momentum now. Mark Selby had a few chances, but Sam Baird is

now right back in it, just one behind, 11-10. STUDIO: Into the next

frame, Sam Baird is to play, and he is behind. COMMENTATOR: By dating he

will be playing the pot, just the containing safety, I would have

thought -- I don't think he will be playing the pot. He has not left

anything easy, that is the only thing you can say for that. Well,

although it is not easy, Mark might be tempted into taking the difficult

red into the left-hand centre, playing it as a screw shot with

right-hand side, checking the cue ball off the side cushion and the

baulk cushion for the corner pocket. Tough shot but a great shot. Yes.

That is a good pot. No position, but a chance to put Sam Baird in lots of

trouble. Now, how do you get this safe? You just feel that if Mark

gets the chance for the next red, he will clinch the frame. OK, he needs

three of the remaining reds but two of those are nicely in the open. I

can't see one at red which it can make contact with. That would not

leave a pot on. Is it hit and hope time? Certainly faced with a very

tricky situation. I can see what he was thinking. Hit

the red which is at this end of the table. I would be surprised if Mark

takes this on. I know it cuts back but he's not guaranteed position on

a colour. Maybe he feels in potting this it can run into the red on the

left-hand side. -- he can. He can bring the red interplay, and as I

say, it is clear the remaining five reds -- into play. I'm surprised he

is taking this on. He did not get the can on and the red, but he took

this on because he thought, if he makes it, he has a chance of winning

the frame. -- he did not get the cannon on the red. He has now. He

has played this nicely. 37 ahead, 59 remaining, and when he makes this

red there will only be 51 remaining. He needs red, colour, red, to go

within one frame of a place in the quarterfinal. This black will put

him 45 points in front. With 51 remaining. It is no formality just

yet. He has a slight angle but he is straighter than he would have liked.

He has options. Maybe the deep screw across the table. He has a terrible

contact there, terrible contact. The cue ball has gone nowhere because of

that. The black jumps and that takes the pace out of the cue ball. Maybe

tempted to play a double with a safety in mind. 45 in front with 51

remaining, just needs this red. Yes. I don't think the red on the

left-hand side, you can double. The one closest you can double. This one

you certainly can. We will know before him if it is going in. Not

there. Big favourite. But can't count your chickens in this game.

Made sure he got a good cue there, Mark. There was a chance that he

could leave a cross table double with the red on the left-hand side

cushion and by getting such a good cue ball he made the shot

impossible. That is a good reply from Sam, the safety shot. Yes, made

it look easy. He was not to thick or thin. If he pots the red he will be

further ahead. Did not want to risk the pot, took

the opportunity to put the red safe. I would be surprised if Sam does not

play safe office red that Mark has just pushed to the side cushion, it

looks straightforward enough -- off this red. That is better than it

could have been. The reason it was short, he did not want the red to go

over to the other side. Mark might be tempted to pot this red, it is

frame ball. The only red you could leave is the one that you are

playing, and if it goes in it is a frame and. -- frame-winner.

Playing no risk snooker. I don't know whether he thought of the

cannon on the black. Not something you do, really. You would like to

have the cue ball tight against the cushion. We mentioned cross double

before. I'm wondering if it can avoid the yellow if he plays that

way. Needs to rattle the jaws, and it didn't. Where is the red going to

finish? If Mark Selby has an angle on this, it can play the double and

bring the cue ball back to the top cushion. He will play at. He can

still play the red near the brown spot.

Is he going to play the double or just the safety? You don't want to

inhibit yourself too much. Only need one more pot. Oh! He did play the

double. It looked in for a moment, just a fraction out. I think he

thought that was in. So did I. That was much to thick, if you are

going to miss those you have got to her on the side of heating it --

hitting it too thin. Interesting to see how he plays this, if he plays

it with left-hand side and gets through it a bit quick he did hit

the red a bit thick. Beautifully cued.

So, with a lead of 46 points and just 42 remaining, Mark Selby looks

to be one frame away from a place in the quarterfinal. STUDIO: He went on

to win that frame, into the next, Sam Baird to play and there is no

score. COMMENTATOR: He has played that very

well, under the circumstances that was an excellent shot. The red near

the right corner, that is gettable, even though it is a thin one. One of

those type of shots, you hit that as thin as you can, but where the cue

ball goes, it is anybody's guests. Taking it on and he needs to get it

-- guests. He has got it. Is he going to be on a colour? The flick

off the yellow and he will settle for that and the leg Trip To

-- he will settle for that on the blue. The flick on the yellow slowed

the cue ball down enough. It has not left in nicely on the blue, but on

the blue. Not certain where the pink will go

when it is re-spotted. I do think he's worried about things like that

at the moment. -- I don't think. We have not seen Mark Selby at his

best. Like Hoover, when he who was the balls up, that is what he will

be of right now. -- when he Hoover 's the balls up. Get as many as you

can. Has he hampered himself? Can he cue passed this red? Is a bit

careless if it can't. It was a bit heavy. That was a kick. Just OK.

If he can just cue passed the red... So, 69 is the target and he already

has 20 of them, another 49 points for a place in the quarterfinal.

Just a case of the second red, nicely. He will have to play a

little cannon, just left of the pink. And hold the cue ball in the

middle of the table. Could have worked out slightly

better than that. He is on the red to the corner but the pink is not

available. He's badly hampered with the red to the left of the one is

straight on. Can he force this round the angles or can he stun for the

pink in the opposite middle? That is what he has tried and he has played

it absolutely perfect, great shot. What a shot that was, brilliant shot

from Mark Selby. This is very impressive stuff. When he needed it

most. What an incredible shot that was.

Judge the cannon and beeping perfectly. -- judged the cannon on

the pink perfectly. You can always tell when a player is doing well, no

time for thinking. Sam Baird, sitting there wondering, has he

played his last shot? It has to be said, there have been times in this

match when he has had the world number one on the ropes. But he has

played such an experienced competitor in Mark Selby, you have

got to keep him on the ropes, and just a few chances that Sam has let

go begging, it looks like they will cost him the match. One of the

hallmarks of being an outstanding champion is handling the greatest of

pressures in adversity. Mark Selby has done that time and time again.

He's doing it again right now. Could not avoid the kiss and the

second red. It has not worked out well. The potting angle is taking

him away from the reds at this end. He is pointing where he probably

finished, rolling the red into the bottom corner, leaving himself a

middle distance red. I don't see any value in going for the straight

blue, so just pot the pink. Playing with bottom. Easy going to try and

come in and out of baulk? He is. He got a nudge on that. He will not be

playing this red now, hampered as he is over the yellow. That is the end

of the break for me. This red and the side of the table, surely too

risky -- on the side. A good safety is the order of the day.

Yes, he has played that well. The object ball on the side cushion.

STUDIO: It was very tense in this one, and it is not over yet.

COMMENTATOR: A glance at the scoreboard, pot the brown, he would

be 23 points behind, with 18 remaining. Well, don't tell me he is

going to pot the blue, I don't know why he wanted to get this close to

the blue. No, right. And he's got the snooker

behind the pink. Nice to see a little tap on the table from Mark

Selby, even in the heat of battle, sportsmanship steel shining through.

Fabulous touch from sunbed. Should be easy enough to hit off one

cushion. But another chance to lay that snooker to type.

There you see it, 5-point penalty would leave him 18 points behind

with 18 remaining. And OK, if he potted the blue, one snooker on the

pink to be able to win, but you want a couple of balls to snooker behind,

not just one. Misjudged it. That's it, that is a tremendous pot.

She knows now that the end, and so does sunbed. Unbelievable. Sunbed

looked down and out, he dug in, battled hard, but when he got to

11-11, the experience of Mark Selby came to the fore. He will run out a

very relieved winner. You feel for sand bed, few chances that could

have gone the other way but it's Mark Selby. Made hard work of it but

he's in the quarterfinal. He wins 13-11. STUDIO: Delighted to say Mark

Selby joins us. Many congratulations. I saw some of your

body language, looking to the skies, very angry when chalking your cue,

what happened? I lost my head a bit. Some bad bounces, as there have been

throughout. My concentration seemed to be nonexistent. Whatever reason

that was, I don't know, but I managed to regroup. No reason for

the lack of concentration? Even during the season I can get zoned in

but for whatever reason I lose focus quite easily, old age, I don't know.

Fairplay to sunbed, he played well. I have rated in the years --

Fairplay to Baird. He put me under pressure. When you've been in a

situation like this, such a late night, does it help you in

preparation for the next round? A little bit. Thankful just to get

through, really. Just to get through is nice. Couple of days off now,

back to the practice table to regroup and come back fresh. Mark

Allen or Wilson, how is your luck against those two? I haven't played

Wilson many times, I think I am about even with Mark. But whoever I

play it will be a tough game. Got to ask about the table conditions, we

saw Alan McManus and Ali Carter frustrated with their table, Mark

Williams and Michael Holt complaining specifically about the

bounce, your view? I don't know what it is. Even just throughout the

season the tables have been like that, so inconsistent from one day

to the next. I know they changed a set of balls a few years ago,

whether it is that or not I am not sure. They are changing the tables,

as soon as you finished, the fitters are working on them. There will be

people watching saying, here we have snooker players once again

complaining about conditions, it seems to happen in a lot of

tournaments. It is frustrating, you can be really struggling, you win a

frame and get momentum, play a safety shot, get in and have a bad

bounce through no fault of your own, and you cannot allow for that. I

played in the UK against Neil when the table was playing like that and

at some point I was trying to play for the bounce because I was

expecting it more times than not. Some people say you are just putting

it down to the table and maybe it is about your performance. No it's not.

It is the same for both players, I understand that, but it is

frustrating, it is not just me, it is happening to everybody else. Sam

had some shots with bad bounces to run out of position. Frustrating

more than anything else. Many congratulations and thanks to Mark

Selby for joining us. Looking to join him today Alan McManus and Mark

Williams. Allan McGregor must won the first three frames against Ali

Carter and he retained his lead, after the next two were shared.

Several heavy kicks and bounces off the cushions, Carter fell 12-10

behind after a terrible miscue on the black, but produced a fine break

of 100 to prolong the much. But another missed shot from Carter

enough for McManus to take the frame he needed to inflict a 13-11 defeat.

Conditions are pretty difficult out there. Some of the kicks both of us

had, the bounces, it became really tough. It's difficult to explain.

The cue ball just finishes where it shouldn't. Meanwhile Michael Holt

overcame his own difficulties on the table with this big bounce against

Mark Williams. Later a brilliant shot helped Williams take an 11-6

lead. After a re-rack, Holt replied with a brilliant opening red and a

marvellous break of 120 to take the next two frames. But it was not

enough as Mark Williams held on and won the match 13-8. Happy with the

wind. Played quite good, except for the first session, I was pretty

poor. Had a miracle to get out for- four, could have easily been 6-2,

7-1 to him. Rather than getting frustrated, you can have a laugh

about it. Some of the stuff going on out there was laughable. One of the

score to bring you up-to-date with. Barry Hawkins leading 5-3 against

Ronnie O'Sullivan. That is the first session, they resume tomorrow. Let's

show you what is happening. Mark Selby was with us here. These are

live pictures from the Crucible. You heard Mark Williams and Alan McManus

complaining about the bounce, Mark Selby also said the performance of

the table, the cushions are being changed right now, hopefully we will

see an improvement tomorrow. We've seen to veterans go through to the

quarterfinals, Mark Williams and Alan McManus. John Higgins hoping to

join them, taking on Ricky Walden. We will show you what happened in

the final frame with Higgins to play.

COMMENTATOR: He will be on the practice table to stop that

happening. John Higgins has made three out of the four. That was half

handy, but he pushed the black off its spot. Pink is available,

obviously. Got to play power off that black. Makes the shot that much

more difficult. First time we've got half a bounce off the cushion. The

table has not played well, but we should give them credit, the

fitters. Got it back to normal. How they've done it, I don't know.

Because these players are playing well, there is no tension in their

arm, maybe that makes a bit difference. They are both cueing

beautifully. We've hardly had any kicks, I can't remember one.

Big target to get on a choice of rates, but that one did fly. That's

the first one we've had fly off the cushion. That's gone about two feet

further than John Higgins thought, you can see why he's shaking his

head. Just look how it comes off the third cushion. Whoosh.

No problem with the red, if he plays it slow he will finish virtually on

top of the black. Not quite. He'd be very brave to

take this black on. Is he going to go for this? Could

play a very thin cut on the black with right-hand side, go past the

reds down to the baulk area. Doesn't look like it, though. He's taking it

on. You can't even start to think of how difficult the shop is. He was

leaving everything on, if he missed it. All credit to you, John. There's

many who would have played safe off that.

Another very clever positional shot. He now knows this is a fabulous

chance to take a two frame lead going into the second session. He's

done all the hard work in this part of the break. Now he's got the pink

and the black open. He'll be disappointed if he doesn't score

enough to win the frame. This match is amazingly enough being

played over three days. They play their second session at 2:30pm

tomorrow, 7pm on Monday it finishes. Wouldn't it be great if they both

kept in this kind of form. Ricky Walden shouldn't be disappointed

with the way he has played this evening. Played poorly in the first

game, but it was just about getting over the line.

Virtually every little cannon has been played perfectly.

John Higgins will definitely be taking a 5-3 lead into the second

session. Now to try to finish with his fifth century of the tournament.

If he makes it it will be the 50th century of the tournament. Still got

a lot of big break-builders left in. Played a forcing screw, there. Try

to get on two rates, missed the desired one but is perfect for the

other one. -- two reds. John Higgins has done everything

this evening apart from make a century. The way he's played he

certainly deserves one. This is to take the lead in the

centuries made by one person. To make his fifth at the Crucible this

year. Very well done. Excellent. Very well done. Been a pleasure to

watch and to commentate on. Both players almost at the top of their

game. Ricky can only sit there and admire,

really, because he's played well himself. Apart from his safety being

a little bit poor. But in the balls he's looked exceptional. Magnificent

. They will both be pleased with their night's work. Don't miss this

one in the second session tomorrow. STUDIO: Excellent break from the

four-time world champion, and that match resumes in the afternoon

session. That's it from us, snooker extra follows us shortly on BBC One

if you want some more action. We are back at 10am on BBC Two. A fantastic

day of snooker to look ahead to. Goodbye for now.