Day 13, Part 1

:00:49. > :00:56.Yesterday's crowd at the Crucible waved goodbye to the two-table set-

:00:56. > :01:03.up. Today's will say hello to just the one table as we get ready for

:01:03. > :01:09.the semi-finals of the Betfred.com World Snooker Championship. Having

:01:09. > :01:13.journeyed through 28 matches, there are four men left standing. They

:01:13. > :01:18.have been to this stage before and three have them -- three of them

:01:18. > :01:28.have gone on to contest the final, but any one has had the thrill of

:01:28. > :01:42.

:01:42. > :01:49.lifting the trophy. -- only one of I have been joined by the six-time

:01:49. > :01:53.world champion Steve Davis. We have a tremendous line-up. His Ronnie

:01:53. > :01:58.O'Sullivan the players setting the standard? I think he is. If you are

:01:58. > :02:03.a fan you could be forgiven that he is a shoo-in to win the tournament,

:02:03. > :02:07.such is the standard he has produced. But he is up against a

:02:07. > :02:12.talented player such as Matthew Stevens, who many in the game think

:02:12. > :02:17.should have done better. A and Stephen Maguire, he is against Gary

:02:17. > :02:22.Carter. He had an easy route and Ali Carter had to work harder.

:02:22. > :02:27.you say he is tired, perhaps the fact he has been to the final, and

:02:27. > :02:31.the fact Stephen Maguire has not, balances it out. They have a lot to

:02:31. > :02:35.find it, so even if Ronnie O'Sullivan gets to the final, he

:02:35. > :02:40.will have a tough opponent. A lot is made about the pressure people

:02:40. > :02:47.have to cope with with the one- table set-up. His if you have got

:02:47. > :02:52.to this part of the tournament, you are capable. -- if you. During the

:02:52. > :02:57.tournament, they would have tasted the set-up when the screen is

:02:57. > :03:04.lifted. But when it is in the middle, you know it is close to the

:03:04. > :03:10.end of the tournament and there could be nance. Stephen Maguire has

:03:10. > :03:14.produced scintillating snooker in these last few days. And Ali Carter

:03:14. > :03:22.had to show resilience to get over matches against Judd Trump and

:03:22. > :03:30.Jamie Jones. I took one match at a time. Pretty

:03:30. > :03:39.easy, really. It is my third semi- final at the Crucible. Hopefully, I

:03:39. > :03:44.can really enjoy it. I won the first match in the first session

:03:44. > :03:49.and the second session. I had a session to spare so I have got

:03:49. > :03:59.their relatively easily. pressure is off my shoulders a

:03:59. > :04:00.

:04:00. > :04:08.little bit. Stephen is probably favourite. If I can get one good

:04:08. > :04:18.session, you never know. If I win from here, I deserve to win it

:04:18. > :04:18.

:04:18. > :04:23.because I have been the best players in the world. -- beaten.

:04:23. > :04:27.With our excellent commentary team for the afternoon, and I always

:04:27. > :04:33.think this is one of the great occasions when we are down to one

:04:33. > :04:37.table. It is when the Crucible comes alive. It is completely

:04:37. > :04:43.different with no screen. You are further away from the table to see

:04:43. > :04:47.the action. But two contrasting preparations. Stephen Maguire

:04:47. > :04:52.winning with a session to spare and Ali Carter being put through the

:04:52. > :04:58.mill by Jamie Jones last night. have been here on numerous

:04:58. > :05:03.occasions, what is the mind set to day? You are desperate to get a

:05:03. > :05:08.good start. You want to win every session. You do not have a session

:05:08. > :05:13.tonight and if you get off to a good start, your opponent has to

:05:13. > :05:19.think about it tonight. Ali Carter had some tough matches, will that

:05:20. > :05:24.be a factor? It could be. It went pretty late last night. And using

:05:24. > :05:29.up nervous energy. You get through a match like that, and the one

:05:29. > :05:34.against Judd Trump, and you think your name is on the trophy. Stephen

:05:34. > :05:40.Maguire, what do you make of him? It is difficult to know how well he

:05:40. > :05:46.is playing because he has not been put under pressure. It will be

:05:46. > :05:49.interesting to see how he reacts to pressure. Hopefully, that will be

:05:49. > :05:56.revealed this afternoon. Rob Walker, over tea you.

:05:56. > :06:01.Good afternoon, what an atmosphere we have at the Crucible. Four

:06:01. > :06:11.players and one table. It is semi- final time. What a cracking session

:06:11. > :06:12.

:06:12. > :06:17.of snooker we have in prospect. Please welcome a player who has

:06:17. > :06:22.come through two Epping matches. A superb comeback against Judd Trump

:06:22. > :06:27.and he hung on against Jones last night. His third Crucible semi-

:06:27. > :06:33.final. He is in his best form of the season and says he has nothing

:06:33. > :06:43.to lose. He is the captain, Ali Carter!

:06:43. > :06:59.

:06:59. > :07:04.APPLAUSE His opponent, on one of the nicest guys on the circuit.

:07:04. > :07:08.This is his second Crucible semi- final. He it is his first in five

:07:08. > :07:14.years. It is time for this huge Scottish talent to deliver. He has

:07:14. > :07:21.been on great form this season. He was clinical against his hero. When

:07:21. > :07:31.he is good he is on fire, here is Stephen Maguire!

:07:31. > :07:47.

:07:47. > :07:56.Stephen Maguire! APPLAUSE JOHN VIRGO: What a

:07:57. > :08:04.reception for both players. There is some shouting. This

:08:04. > :08:14.opening session, and I do not care how many frames you have to play,

:08:14. > :08:16.

:08:16. > :08:23.you feel you want a good start. Backstage they did the toss of the

:08:23. > :08:32.coin. Ali Carter obviously won the toss and he has decided to break.

:08:32. > :08:40.It is the best of 33 frames, this semi-final.

:08:40. > :08:44.REFEREE: Please make sure they are switched off. A brand new cloth on

:08:44. > :08:49.the table for the semi-final. It will take a few shots for the

:08:49. > :08:59.players to get the speed. The cloth is from the same role they have

:08:59. > :09:10.

:09:10. > :09:20.been using for the previous few A good start. Can he get through to

:09:20. > :09:28.

:09:28. > :09:38.And nice opening red is just what you need. Maybe he could flick that

:09:38. > :09:39.

:09:39. > :09:44.in with a trace of right-hand side. Is he prepared to risk it? The only

:09:44. > :09:52.problem, if he plays with side, if he pots the black, he is not

:09:52. > :10:02.guaranteed to be on the next red. He wants to stun this, but... It is

:10:02. > :10:35.

:10:35. > :10:39.harder to do. Just a safety. It is He can get to the reds on either

:10:39. > :10:48.side of the table, but nothing that would tempt you to go for the pot.

:10:48. > :10:55.It would be risky to get back to the baulk end. Just playing a

:10:55. > :11:00.containing safety at this end. We were saying before, he did go

:11:00. > :11:09.through the mill last night, Ali Carter. If you come through and you

:11:09. > :11:14.win, you can come out with positive thoughts. As I said to John Parrott,

:11:14. > :11:24.Stephen Maguire has not been put under pressure this tournament and

:11:24. > :11:28.

:11:29. > :11:34.Ali Carter has. He knows he is That was amazing. I could not

:11:34. > :11:38.possibly see any way through the gap. There was a gap between the

:11:38. > :11:48.red and the black! Possibly a guide to pot the red. That is

:11:48. > :11:48.

:11:48. > :12:46.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 57 seconds

:12:46. > :12:49.What I am interested in is if one of these players are going to be

:12:49. > :12:59.the first to show emotion. They both like to show their temper when

:12:59. > :13:04.

:13:04. > :13:10.I think it is good to watch, when players show a bit. The spectators

:13:10. > :13:16.react, if the player does not react, they probably think they are doing

:13:16. > :13:21.the wrong thing. It gets the audience involved. He decided to

:13:21. > :13:31.come off the yellow and go into them. Does the red past the black?

:13:31. > :13:32.

:13:32. > :13:42.If it does, that is nice. If not, well... Inch-perfect. He did not

:13:42. > :13:42.

:13:42. > :13:46.open up the reds as he thought he Just got the pink first, and that

:13:46. > :13:54.took a little bit of pace. He cannot complain way he finished

:13:54. > :13:58.with the cue ball. -- the way. There are a couple of loose reds

:13:58. > :14:06.you could play for, but nothing that goes in the corner, so you

:14:06. > :14:16.would expect another cannon here. There is a little gap between the

:14:16. > :14:36.

:14:36. > :14:46.He got that gap, but he decided to play with a lot of back spin. Maybe

:14:46. > :14:52.if he had stunned through, rather than backspin. He got a reaction.

:14:52. > :15:02.The red the other side of the blue has blocked the par to the pocket.

:15:02. > :15:22.

:15:22. > :15:29.He could consider himself unlucky - That was not easy. He may be feels

:15:29. > :15:36.he should have been on something easier. A lovely graining noise

:15:36. > :15:46.from the Crucible audience. -- groaning. The atmosphere in here is

:15:46. > :15:48.

:15:48. > :15:53.wonderful today. Exciting moments Ali Carter has already been to a

:15:53. > :15:59.final of the World Championship. Stephen Maguire has yet to get

:15:59. > :16:08.there. Interesting, I thought Ali Carter had the chance to play the

:16:08. > :16:14.red to the far right corner. Playing in the right centre. He

:16:14. > :16:18.played it as a safety more than the pot. That was noticeable in his

:16:18. > :16:24.match against Judd Trump. He kept it very tight. He seems to

:16:24. > :16:30.concentrate more on making it difficult for his opponent. He will

:16:30. > :16:36.not take any risks. Let the man you are playing take them. That is OK,

:16:36. > :16:43.sometimes. But you can wait a long time, sometimes, for your opponent

:16:43. > :16:53.to make mistakes. He will settle down. He is a very good scorer when

:16:53. > :17:13.

:17:13. > :17:19.he gets in, is Ali Carter. So is They are not far of a plant, the

:17:19. > :17:24.two reds. He never thought about the plant. He was concerned with

:17:24. > :17:31.getting the cue ball back near the top cushion. He has, but I think he

:17:31. > :17:41.has left a red that will cut to the right middle. He wanted to see if

:17:41. > :17:45.

:17:45. > :17:49.the in-off was on in the green He might play with more pace to

:17:49. > :17:58.create a different angle for the white ball. Being close to the

:17:58. > :18:07.cushion, he cannot do a lot. He did it comfortably. Where is the cue

:18:07. > :18:11.ball finishing? He will settle for that. He is nicely on the black.

:18:12. > :18:21.Particularly as he has four a nice, open reds in the middle to

:18:22. > :18:36.

:18:36. > :18:40.concentrate on. This is a decent He is just about on the red to the

:18:40. > :18:49.middle. By thought he was playing for the red in the corner and keep

:18:49. > :18:55.in the black corner. -- I thought. He played for a percentage shot. He

:18:55. > :19:05.played for an area. He wanted to make sure of potting the black.

:19:05. > :19:19.

:19:19. > :19:29.be fair, he overran by a couple of Analysts recovery. -- that was a

:19:29. > :19:39.nice recovery. It was a tougher pot than it looked. And now, this is a

:19:39. > :19:49.

:19:49. > :19:54.Well... He is asking for the cue ball to be cleaned. When you strike

:19:54. > :20:04.down, the cue ball will be bouncing, but there is no excuse. He is only

:20:04. > :20:07.

:20:07. > :20:17.trying to screw back 18 inches. think that was a bad strike. And

:20:17. > :20:27.

:20:28. > :20:37.now he is forced with a tricky Once again, a good pot. Not exactly

:20:38. > :20:39.

:20:39. > :20:49.recovering the situation. He is not perfect on the red on the D La in.

:20:49. > :21:02.

:21:02. > :21:08.If you just misses the brown and stuns it, he will have more control.

:21:08. > :21:18.Well, he turned it down. I think it is clear to see what his game plan

:21:18. > :21:21.

:21:21. > :21:28.is. I can only presume the angle was not right. I have to admit, it

:21:28. > :21:33.was a surprising shot to turn down. He perhaps does not feel he has

:21:33. > :21:41.settled yet. It is important, the first frame. The longer the match,

:21:41. > :21:51.it seems to be more important to get your first frame on the board.

:21:51. > :22:04.

:22:04. > :22:12.That is one way to relax you. And I He could not play the pot, of

:22:12. > :22:22.course, and he did not want the red to come of the jaw, but he got his

:22:22. > :22:26.

:22:26. > :22:36.main objective, to get the cue ball That has just given the edged 2

:22:36. > :22:56.

:22:56. > :23:03.Stephen Maguire in this exchange. - He did pretty well. And he got a

:23:04. > :23:13.good cue ball. He may have left a possible pot to the right middle,

:23:14. > :23:52.

:23:52. > :23:58.but it will be a brave shot to take He played it, and he looked where

:23:58. > :24:03.the cue ball would finish. I think he thought he was not going to

:24:03. > :24:10.leave anything easy if it did not go in. He has certainly left a pot

:24:10. > :24:20.on here. Whether he can stun off two cushions and play for the black,

:24:20. > :24:31.

:24:31. > :24:41.Just a little bit short of pace. It depends now on whether he can roll

:24:41. > :24:46.

:24:46. > :24:56.the blue in and get good position. He was perfect. And, so far, the

:24:56. > :24:58.

:24:58. > :25:02.table looks as if it can be controlled. For some reason in the

:25:02. > :25:11.quarter-final with Ronnie O'Sullivan, the table looked as if

:25:11. > :25:18.you could not play on it, it was so thick. The tables are recovered

:25:18. > :25:28.every few days. This is a new cloth, and cushions and the bed. Just a

:25:28. > :25:36.

:25:36. > :25:41.When the cloth is new, the cushions trap the cue ball a little bit. It

:25:41. > :25:51.does not come off as fast as it goes on. Once it has been brushed a

:25:51. > :25:59.

:25:59. > :26:09.Every chance now to win the frame at this visit. There is not really

:26:09. > :26:45.

:26:45. > :26:53.a say Fred Goodwin. -- there is not I think the reason he did not play

:26:53. > :27:01.for the blue, he had such an angle that to leave an angle on the blue

:27:01. > :27:08.he would have been left me the cushions. And he just wanted to

:27:08. > :27:18.bounce a little bit more. It would have been a formality. It is a

:27:18. > :27:21.

:27:21. > :27:26.You always frightened of these sorts of shots. -- you will. If he

:27:27. > :27:36.plays the other, he would have to run in and out of baulk for a baulk

:27:36. > :27:41.colour. No. He could hold it. It was straight enough. No harm done.

:27:41. > :27:47.18 points is the lead. And with this colour, and two more reds with

:27:47. > :27:57.colours in this frame, and it would be in the back as far as Ali Carter

:27:57. > :28:10.

:28:10. > :28:16.Well, would you believe it? Just when it was getting to the stage it

:28:16. > :28:26.looked a formality. That will hurt him. A shake of the head. How did

:28:26. > :28:32.

:28:32. > :28:42.Even though it is the first frame and a possible 33, when you lose a

:28:42. > :29:00.

:29:00. > :29:03.frame like this, it will give you This is one area in the World

:29:03. > :29:13.Championship where Stephen Maguire has been so strong, clinching

:29:13. > :29:20.

:29:20. > :29:27.frames when his opponent makes a He wanted to be straighter on the

:29:27. > :29:37.red to the left middle. Digging in to avoid the cannon on the brown,

:29:37. > :29:47.it appears. And it caused him to miss the red. This is quite an edgy

:29:47. > :29:49.

:29:49. > :29:59.Ali Carter will be delighted at that, his mistake did not cost him

:29:59. > :30:06.

:30:06. > :30:16.the frame. It shows you what is at The first day of a three-day semi-

:30:16. > :30:39.

:30:39. > :30:46.Absolutely and that is what the He had to be a little bit careful

:30:46. > :30:52.he did not send the red to close to the brown. If Ali can get past the

:30:52. > :31:02.yellow, it is worth taking the cut on that. That brown is making the

:31:02. > :31:25.

:31:26. > :31:32.Ali has put his hand up and apologise. I suppose he is lucky he

:31:32. > :31:37.did not leave it. There were signs of it being a bit too thick.

:31:37. > :31:44.Funnily enough, from where we are, it looked as though the brown was a

:31:44. > :31:49.lot closer to the pocket. He clipped the brown, but it was not

:31:49. > :31:56.thick enough to go in. You cannot blame Stephen Maguire having a good

:31:56. > :32:04.look at this, because you do not know what he can do with it. Come

:32:04. > :32:14.off the cushion dead weight. You could get a double-kiss and it is

:32:14. > :32:25.

:32:25. > :32:29.hard to know where the balls will Just trusting to luck. His thoughts

:32:29. > :32:39.were that if you rolled to it off the cushion, he was handing the

:32:39. > :32:55.

:32:55. > :33:05.One good pot and Ali Carter could have won the frame at this visit

:33:05. > :33:26.

:33:26. > :33:36.and he will be disappointed with I would suggest there is a bit of

:33:36. > :33:56.

:33:56. > :34:06.tension in the arm as well as the People seem to play these cuts on

:34:06. > :34:17.

:34:17. > :34:22.He is playing the pink, he is playing at the snooker. He is

:34:22. > :34:32.looking to see the score. He would rather have the pink away from that

:34:32. > :34:39.

:34:39. > :34:44.He could have played the snooker better than that. He did not want

:34:44. > :34:54.to leave Ali a path down the right hand side of the table, but that is

:34:54. > :35:00.

:35:00. > :35:10.what he has done. Stephen Maguire He has also put the green into

:35:10. > :35:15.

:35:15. > :35:25.position where he cannot pot it. Ali deciding to hit that yellow

:35:25. > :35:34.

:35:34. > :35:44.He left the yellow on, but the green is tied up. He has got the

:35:44. > :35:58.

:35:58. > :36:08.side.-I do not think the green is He could push the green up towards

:36:08. > :36:15.

:36:15. > :36:21.the brown. He has got a good snooker this time. Ali will be

:36:21. > :36:31.unable to come off the one cushion on the left hand side of the table,

:36:31. > :36:42.

:36:42. > :36:52.which would have made this escape REFEREE: Foul and miss. Stephen

:36:52. > :36:53.

:36:53. > :37:01.Maguire, four. Ali is making a bit of a mess of this. The frame is

:37:01. > :37:11.already approaching the half hour mark. I would not want to start

:37:11. > :37:12.

:37:12. > :37:21.with three of those, John. No, you would not. Stephen had a pot at the

:37:21. > :37:28.green, but he could not get position on the brown. If Ali goes

:37:29. > :37:35.at the same way as he went before, he was so far away from hitting it.

:37:36. > :37:40.To get the impact of the swerve, you cannot hit it that hard. The

:37:40. > :37:50.side you are putting on the cue ball, it will not have time to take

:37:50. > :38:02.

:38:02. > :38:07.This time he swerved it too much. Stephen not planning to get out of

:38:07. > :38:17.his seat and have a look at this situation, but these are valuable

:38:17. > :38:22.

:38:22. > :38:32.Before the snooker Stephen Maguire needed the six remaining colours,

:38:32. > :38:40.

:38:40. > :38:50.but not any more. Does the green pass the brown? If it does, Stephen

:38:50. > :39:06.

:39:06. > :39:14.A good shot. Ali Carter will be kicking himself if he loses this

:39:14. > :39:20.round. He has had every chance. Brown, blue and pink required for

:39:20. > :39:30.Stephen Maguire. He needed a good angle on the blue because the pink

:39:30. > :39:55.

:39:55. > :40:00.He hit that well. He has absolutely hit it beautifully, right in the

:40:00. > :40:09.heart of the pocket. He does not need the black. No heroics with the

:40:09. > :40:15.pink. Stephen Maguire wins the first frame. It could have gone

:40:15. > :40:25.either way, it should have gone Ali Carter's way. Stephen Maguire will

:40:25. > :40:38.

:40:38. > :40:43.There is not much to choose between them. Most importantly, one of them

:40:43. > :40:48.has been to the final of this tournament before, Ali Carter,

:40:48. > :40:52.Stephen Maguire has only been to the semi-final. I imagine they both

:40:52. > :40:59.struggled a little bit with the speed of the cloth. It is

:40:59. > :41:05.absolutely rapid. It could be off a new role. It is so reactive. You

:41:05. > :41:12.can see the play is a little bit unnerving for them. Stephen

:41:12. > :41:17.Maguire's shot brown to blue was about four feet. It will throw the

:41:18. > :41:22.players a bit if there is that much of a difference. It is the same

:41:22. > :41:29.make and cup of cloth, but they differ. This looks like a beautiful

:41:29. > :41:33.piece. I did not think the previous rounds where the same, they were a

:41:33. > :41:39.bit on the slow side. The players have got to quickly get used to the

:41:39. > :41:44.conditions. They have got to readjust. How long would it take

:41:44. > :41:48.them to readjust? Is there a given time? You would expect them to get

:41:48. > :41:54.used to it in the first couple of frames. The cloth has not been

:41:54. > :42:04.brushed or ironed, so it is very reactive. It is a little bit

:42:04. > :42:10.

:42:10. > :42:15.JOHN VIRGO: I think the cloth had something to do with the mistakes

:42:16. > :42:25.in the first round, but not everything. There were a few little

:42:26. > :42:30.

:42:30. > :42:40.snatches put in. The first round was down to semi-final nerves.

:42:40. > :42:48.

:42:48. > :42:56.Stephen Maguire will now be by for He saw the plant and did not hold

:42:56. > :43:06.back, did he? It is what you said, Stephen. It gives him a little

:43:06. > :43:08.

:43:08. > :43:18.boost of confidence. Look at that. The pace and top spin he had to put

:43:18. > :43:29.

:43:29. > :43:39.on the cue ball to force his way He struck that you to play. The

:43:39. > :43:56.

:43:56. > :44:06.problem is the pink and the black He may have an angle to pot the

:44:06. > :44:29.

:44:29. > :44:37.He tried to make the angle. He is a little unlucky. He is badly

:44:37. > :44:47.hampered. He is looking for a red to the far right corner, but it is

:44:47. > :45:00.

:45:01. > :45:10.He really pot balls with great authority. He likes to hear the

:45:11. > :45:30.

:45:30. > :45:40.An attempt to bring the pink into play. Once again, it will depend if

:45:40. > :45:51.

:45:51. > :45:56.he can just pot this red, he could I did not expect him to miss the

:45:56. > :46:06.red in all honesty. Maybe it was the fact he was trying to get

:46:06. > :46:33.

:46:33. > :46:40.position on the pink and was trying I just feel now that Ali needs to

:46:40. > :46:47.make a decent contribution at this visit. Losing that last frame will

:46:47. > :46:56.have hurt. You never feel as though you are in a match until you get

:46:56. > :47:06.that first frame on the scoreboard. Ali did not hit that very well. He

:47:06. > :47:29.

:47:29. > :47:35.should be at least three or four At this stage when you are a bit

:47:35. > :47:45.edgy, you need to play two or three nice positional shots in a row to

:47:45. > :47:52.

:47:52. > :47:59.make you feel a bit better. At the The easiest red is the one to the

:47:59. > :48:09.left of the pink to the left corner. Either that or the red that is

:48:09. > :48:09.

:48:09. > :48:53.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 57 seconds

:48:53. > :49:03.He is overhitting and underhitting, What a bonus that would have been.

:49:03. > :49:39.

:49:39. > :49:45.Ali is smiling, but he is not That is surprising, the bounce off

:49:45. > :49:53.the side cushion. It came off the cushion so much faster than it went

:49:53. > :50:03.on. He might have a red to the left centre. It is not the one he played

:50:03. > :50:29.

:50:29. > :50:39.He played that well. Not quite certain where the pink will go when

:50:39. > :50:39.

:50:39. > :51:22.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 57 seconds

:51:22. > :51:32.The pink could be available into He was up very quick. The first

:51:32. > :51:34.

:51:34. > :51:44.kick of the cue. I do not think he played that with a great deal of

:51:44. > :51:44.

:51:44. > :52:59.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 57 seconds

:52:59. > :53:08.That was a nice little nudge Just at the moment he is not

:53:09. > :53:13.getting through the ball. He is just jabbing at everything. This

:53:13. > :53:23.game is all about cue ball control and getting good position on the

:53:23. > :53:40.

:53:40. > :53:50.next ball. He did not even play A pair of angry players out there

:53:50. > :54:13.

:54:13. > :54:20.He is just about on the green. I would not count my chickens and say

:54:20. > :54:30.he could win the frame from this. At the moment anything can be

:54:30. > :54:30.

:54:30. > :55:14.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 57 seconds

:55:14. > :55:21.Well played, and good positional Oh, dear. At this point in time

:55:21. > :55:31.clue how the ball is going to come off the cushions. The table looks

:55:31. > :55:32.

:55:32. > :55:42.very unpredictable. If I was the referee, I would stay away. Yes, I

:55:42. > :55:44.

:55:44. > :55:54.would keep my distance, so to speak. REFEREE: Green ball. He has

:55:54. > :56:07.

:56:07. > :56:17.I do not think he can get down the right hand side of the table to

:56:17. > :56:18.

:56:18. > :57:32.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 57 seconds

:57:32. > :57:42.Not bad. He could have done without How many times do you see that? You

:57:42. > :57:53.

:57:53. > :58:03.This is a decent chance, but we have seen decent chances spurned

:58:03. > :58:03.

:58:03. > :00:05.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 57 seconds

:00:05. > :00:10.He has conceded. Just not hitting the ball at the moment, Ali Carter,

:00:10. > :00:20.slightly worrying signs. Even though Stephen Maguire is not 100%,

:00:20. > :00:26.

:00:26. > :00:31.The ball has looked like a pinball. Yes, it seems it is a lot different

:00:31. > :00:37.from the cloths they have the use to for the first few rounds. It is

:00:37. > :00:42.sleek and fast on the bed. If it is playing like a thinner cloth, there

:00:42. > :00:46.is less cushioning on the cushions and therefore the robbers are more

:00:46. > :00:52.pronounced and bouncing more and so the balls are bouncing more --

:00:53. > :00:57.rubbers. I would say, although I could be wrong, the four players

:00:57. > :01:00.left in the tournament, the one player who copes with fast

:01:00. > :01:05.conditions best is Ronnie O'Sullivan. The favourite to win

:01:05. > :01:11.the title. We spend how Stephen Maguire has played in a

:01:11. > :01:17.scintillating manner. -- we spoke. Ali Carter does not seem to be in

:01:17. > :01:21.good form. Is that down to the cloth? John Virgo said he had not

:01:21. > :01:30.settle down, Ali Carter, but I think he is being timid with the

:01:30. > :01:40.cloth. You expect a reaction, it does not come, and I think he is

:01:40. > :01:45.

:01:45. > :01:50.all right with his cue ball. Should he compose himself? Awry. Yes, but

:01:50. > :01:55.there is plenty of time at 4 it to there is plenty of time at 4 it to

:01:55. > :02:02.settle down. JOHN VIRGO: He will settle down.

:02:02. > :02:07.When you get to the semi-finals, you come here in decent form. It is

:02:08. > :02:13.just the occasion, it seems to me, is getting the better of the match.

:02:13. > :02:23.When they settled down, we can expect good snooker. I am expecting

:02:23. > :02:59.

:02:59. > :03:09.That was an attacking safety will stop he has a perfect cue ball.

:03:09. > :03:25.

:03:25. > :03:35.This looks like an occasion where the pot looks as difficult as the

:03:35. > :03:46.

:03:46. > :03:50.It is OK. It looked as if he played the pot, but the double-kiss saved

:03:50. > :03:56.him a little bit. It stopped the cue ball bouncing off the top

:03:56. > :04:06.cushion. In looked like it would bounce off the top cushion. It's

:04:06. > :04:06.

:04:06. > :04:50.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 57 seconds

:04:50. > :04:55.just caught the second flick on the APPLAUSE That was better.

:04:55. > :05:05.He got the kiss on the second red, and I do not know whether he tried

:05:05. > :05:18.

:05:18. > :05:23.to avoid it. Can he cue for the That was better. That was good

:05:23. > :05:31.cueing. It just shows you, the way they have been bouncing off the

:05:31. > :05:34.cushion, and that one seemed to check. Potted the black in the

:05:34. > :05:44.right-hand side of the pocket, which is why he is not nicely on

:05:44. > :05:45.

:05:45. > :05:51.He has played a conservative approach by gearing up for a baulk

:05:51. > :06:01.colour rather than the blue. -- going up. An opportunity to get

:06:01. > :06:10.

:06:10. > :06:17.points on the table. The highest It seems to be one or the other at

:06:17. > :06:27.the moment, he is under heating or, in that case, overhitting. --

:06:27. > :06:36.

:06:36. > :06:41.He is nicely on the blue. For his own comfort, he needs to score. I

:06:41. > :06:45.do not think missing an easy ball would do his confidence any good

:06:45. > :06:55.whatsoever. A decent chance. The black is available into both

:06:55. > :06:59.

:06:59. > :07:09.corners. The type of opportunity Looking to see if the pink goes to

:07:09. > :07:41.

:07:41. > :07:46.The pink spot is not available. Finding a place for the pink close

:07:46. > :07:53.to its own spot. A direct line from the middle of the top cushion.

:07:53. > :08:01.There are no other sports available. I'm not certain Ali Carter was

:08:01. > :08:05.aware of -- I am certain he was aware of that. Another red at the

:08:05. > :08:12.top of the cluster, but he is shaking his head because he is on

:08:12. > :08:17.the wrong side of the blue. The pot on the red was easy enough. He is

:08:17. > :08:22.not getting through as he would normally. It is even worse when he

:08:22. > :08:27.is slightly the wrong side, like that. If it had been straight, he

:08:27. > :08:37.could still have played for the red in the same pocket as the blue. It

:08:37. > :08:38.

:08:38. > :08:48.Electing to leave this red. There is pressure on this. He will have

:08:48. > :08:53.

:08:53. > :09:03.to cue this well. Better than he Well played. There was pressure on

:09:03. > :09:07.that. That will make him feel better. And every reason... If the

:09:07. > :09:11.top red of this line of three goes to the right corner, no need to

:09:11. > :09:17.play a cannon, but what a perfect opportunity to play the cannon, if

:09:17. > :09:22.he got the pink half-ball on the right-hand side. That red might not

:09:22. > :09:32.go in his pocket. He got to the half-ball. Well, quarter ball,

:09:32. > :09:33.

:09:33. > :09:43.He just flicked off it, which is why the cue ball is close to the

:09:43. > :09:48.

:09:48. > :09:52.You would rather have this angle on the blue rather than just off

:09:52. > :09:59.straight on the wrong side. You would think the obvious way to go

:09:59. > :10:04.here is in between the brown and yellow. Everybody seems, when they

:10:04. > :10:10.play the shot, they have a tendency to put too much side on it. It is a

:10:10. > :10:14.plain ball shot, really, but we will see. That would be the shot he

:10:14. > :10:19.wants to play. Whether the angle is a little bit thin on the blue to

:10:19. > :10:24.play that... The more bottom you put on the white ball, the more

:10:24. > :10:34.side you seem to put on it. He would like to play it off the baulk

:10:34. > :10:38.

:10:38. > :10:48.He got too much left-hand side on the cue ball and check it up at the

:10:48. > :10:59.

:11:00. > :11:07.baulk cushion. I feel certain that As I say, as long as you do not

:11:07. > :11:12.miss, you get the chance to finish it off with a safety. It is not the

:11:12. > :11:22.best safety. He is not leaving his opponent in amongst the balls, at

:11:22. > :11:51.

:11:51. > :11:56.Stephen Maguire turns away in disgust. He was desperate to bring

:11:56. > :12:06.the three reds into play, but he hit it so thick, it took the pace

:12:06. > :12:10.

:12:10. > :12:20.With a nice angle on the green, surely Ali Carter will sort this

:12:20. > :12:20.

:12:20. > :13:16.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 57 seconds

:13:16. > :13:22.Two reds and two colours should be Not the right side of the blue, but

:13:22. > :13:28.he only has to roll it in to leave the red to the right of the pink.

:13:28. > :13:35.There are signs that he is cueing the ball better, Stephen. It looks

:13:35. > :13:45.more positive. He is looking positive walking around the table.

:13:45. > :13:46.

:13:46. > :13:52.He is getting down on the shots will positively. -- more positively.

:13:52. > :13:57.That red puts him 64 points in front with 59 remaining. -- he

:13:57. > :14:03.should be feeling better now. If he pots the black, he is certain to

:14:03. > :14:13.have his first frame on the scoreboard. He cued the ball better

:14:13. > :14:19.

:14:19. > :14:29.You saw that hit the cushion, but he played it in dead weight and

:14:29. > :14:34.

:14:34. > :14:40.gravity took over more than He has missed the pin, but I do not

:14:40. > :14:44.think Stephen Maguire will come back, he concedes, that was better

:14:44. > :14:53.from Ali Carter. He looked tentative in the first two frames,

:14:53. > :14:57.and more positive in that one. 2-1, Stephen Maguire.

:14:57. > :15:06.I got the feeling in the first frame, Stephen, that Ali Carter had

:15:06. > :15:13.come out thinking, do not make a mistake, but you cannot do that?

:15:13. > :15:18.You want to be aggressive. He is a better player when he is more

:15:18. > :15:23.aggressive. He is quick up around the table and quicker on he shots.

:15:23. > :15:28.He seemed to be looking for problems that were not there.

:15:28. > :15:34.turned down a couple of pots, that I found surprising, and I know you

:15:34. > :15:44.did. He will settle down now. A lot more positive and a lot more

:15:44. > :15:47.

:15:47. > :15:54.purpose of round the table, that The mid-session interval is after

:15:54. > :16:02.this frame. Stephen anxiously hoping the brown comes to his

:16:02. > :16:12.rescue. He knocked a red close to the middle. Can he get past the

:16:12. > :16:32.

:16:32. > :16:37.APPLAUSE He played it with a trace aside.

:16:37. > :16:43.He hoped the cue ball either slowed up or ran on to leave an angle on

:16:43. > :16:53.the green. He had to play it with a trace of left-hand side to bend the

:16:53. > :17:02.

:17:02. > :17:12.It went wide. Another day you would Very unlikely that the pack, as

:17:12. > :17:22.tight as it is, that will cause a problem for Stephen. You could come

:17:22. > :17:37.

:17:38. > :17:44.down. That is the line. You have to He almost ramparts them. He very

:17:44. > :17:54.nearly ran past them com which may have left a pot on. -- he almost

:17:54. > :18:30.

:18:30. > :18:35.It is always dangerous, when playing the safety shot, you catch

:18:35. > :18:45.a baulk colour full in the face, because you can leave the cue ball

:18:45. > :18:48.

:18:48. > :18:56.on the baulk line. There is a He found the path around the back

:18:56. > :19:05.of the black and reds. A nice, solid pot. Bound to be on a baulk

:19:05. > :19:15.colour. That is two nice long balls in the past frames he has potted.

:19:15. > :19:33.

:19:33. > :19:43.He could not do much else with that yellow. Not enough angle play with

:19:43. > :20:00.

:20:00. > :20:05.Again, he played that conservatively. He played for an

:20:05. > :20:09.area he knew where he would be on something, rather than an exact

:20:09. > :20:14.positional shot. You know that when the cue ball keeps travelling up

:20:14. > :20:24.and down the table, it is hard to get him. Position, which is what

:20:24. > :20:37.

:20:37. > :20:43.you need to make a sizeable A demonstration of cue power. He

:20:43. > :20:49.may be OK. I do not know if the black is available to the right. If

:20:49. > :20:59.so, he could pot this red and be on the black for the opposite corner.

:20:59. > :21:22.

:21:22. > :21:27.He is having a look. I would say it He played that very well because he

:21:27. > :21:36.widened the angle by playing a stun shot. I assume he is on it, it

:21:36. > :21:46.looks as if he came far enough off the top cushion. That was a lovely

:21:46. > :21:55.

:21:55. > :22:01.shot he played. He would have loved The red he potted, it will give him

:22:01. > :22:05.more confidence. This is a shot you have to be careful with. We have

:22:05. > :22:15.seen he's missed, particularly when they are trying to hold the cue

:22:15. > :22:16.

:22:16. > :22:21.He played that positively. This time, he has the angle to do as you

:22:21. > :22:26.suggested, to try to remove the red to the left of the black, moving it

:22:26. > :22:36.out of the way and you get the black available to both corners. It

:22:36. > :22:38.

:22:38. > :22:48.It is OK as long as he is on the red for the same pocket on the

:22:48. > :23:08.

:23:08. > :23:12.Looking for an angle of the black to open the reds, but there are two

:23:12. > :23:22.close to the left centre. He wants to be careful if he goes into them

:23:22. > :23:27.

:23:27. > :23:33.He is looking now at that cluster. It is always good to look. You do

:23:33. > :23:39.not want to go into them with pace and suddenly a red the flies in the

:23:39. > :23:44.middle and you think, where did that come from? I think he might

:23:44. > :23:54.play the cannon on the pink. There is a red that might go to the left

:23:54. > :24:08.

:24:08. > :24:18.If he had put this up with his hand, it could not have worked out better.

:24:18. > :24:18.

:24:18. > :25:38.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 57 seconds

:25:38. > :25:47.Another demonstration of his cue This pink to go 62 points in front

:25:47. > :25:52.The mid-session interval comes up after the frame. I think Stephen

:25:52. > :25:58.Maguire will not go into that feeling too happy, Stephen. He took

:25:58. > :26:03.a 2-0 lead but his highest break in a match is still only 21. Ali

:26:03. > :26:13.Carter is getting into a nice rhythm. He seems to be hitting the

:26:13. > :26:34.

:26:34. > :26:38.That was a beautifully controlled We said that it would get better.

:26:38. > :26:44.And it is Ali Carter who has stepped up to the plate. He is

:26:44. > :26:50.looking comfortable around the table. We thought in the third

:26:50. > :27:00.frame that he was looking more positive and purposeful. He has

:27:00. > :27:19.

:27:19. > :27:23.This is tricky. We call it going into a blind pocket, way you see

:27:23. > :27:29.the cue ball, the object ball, but not the pocket. He needs a good

:27:29. > :27:39.angle on the colour to get on the awkward red. Almost on the baulk

:27:39. > :27:47.

:27:47. > :27:56.cushion. Can he force it up -- there. He gave it every chance.

:27:56. > :28:05.That is a tremendous shot. This red is very, very difficult.

:28:05. > :28:07.CROWD GROAN He did not make the century, but boy, is he playing

:28:07. > :28:08.well? Stephen Maguire goes to his

:28:08. > :28:09.Stephen Maguire goes to his Stephen Maguire goes to his

:28:09. > :28:13.dressing room with a lot to think dressing room with a lot to think

:28:13. > :28:20.dressing room with a lot to think about.

:28:20. > :28:24.We will wondering how long it would take Ali Carter also settle.

:28:24. > :28:31.Definitely four frames. The it was a worry that he would blow up at

:28:31. > :28:35.the start of the match. He did well to get back on track. When he went

:28:35. > :28:43.out after the second frame, just to compose himself, he looked

:28:43. > :28:49.irritated. I think he played a good first frame, I just -- he just

:28:49. > :28:55.missed the brown of the spot. He got himself 1-0 behind and 2-0, and

:28:55. > :28:59.he went out and had a quiet word with himself and played well.

:28:59. > :29:03.talk about big occasions and the players feeling the pressure and

:29:03. > :29:12.tension. Ali Carter looks very comfortable now. Stephen Maguire,

:29:12. > :29:19.tune in to the table. That is what it is, tuning into the table. We

:29:19. > :29:24.have seen them overhit shots using the cushions. We have seen them

:29:24. > :29:30.underhitting when they have played a screw shot tos. Can you do

:29:30. > :29:37.anything in practice to get in tune with the cloth? And not really,

:29:37. > :29:44.because the practice table will not play the same. The cloths have been

:29:44. > :29:48.on for some time. As Stephen Maguire, he will want to win a

:29:48. > :29:52.frame with one contribution. were watching him early in the week,

:29:52. > :29:59.and John said he was hitting the back of the pocket very hard. It

:29:59. > :30:04.suggested he was in fine form. How can you lose its so quickly? I do

:30:04. > :30:09.not think he is out of form. It is finding your feet in every match.

:30:09. > :30:14.The scoreline goes back to zero and there is a news story for every

:30:14. > :30:21.match. You effectively grow with the story line. He is not out of

:30:21. > :30:25.form. He can fight and he can win scrappy frames. Expect the standard

:30:26. > :30:29.of play to grow. What will be interesting is that the other

:30:29. > :30:33.players in the other semi-final will probably be looking at the

:30:33. > :30:38.table and see that the cloth is running faster. Apprehension coming

:30:38. > :30:48.in to see how fast it is. Interesting to see how those

:30:48. > :30:51.

:30:51. > :30:55.players cope and how quickly they It is all square. The pub quiz

:30:55. > :31:05.series has so far provided more laughs than evidence of snooker

:31:05. > :31:15.

:31:15. > :31:22.The next round is called catchphrase. There are pictures to

:31:22. > :31:32.do with snooker. Because of all the whingeing from this table, they

:31:32. > :31:33.

:31:33. > :31:42.have now got their own sheets. Could you put your glasses on first.

:31:42. > :31:48.We are three sheets it to the wind. Is that good? It is fine now.

:31:48. > :31:58.write down what those things are. It will be snookered technology. I

:31:58. > :31:59.

:31:59. > :32:05.will not help you. How many of you are taking part in the World

:32:05. > :32:15.Snooker tournament? I shall be talking about it. John, are you

:32:15. > :32:19.

:32:19. > :32:29.playing? I will be listening to Dennis. Are you playing? I will try.

:32:29. > :32:29.

:32:29. > :33:13.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 57 seconds

:33:13. > :33:23.There is not much between the two teams. Everything to play for. Can

:33:23. > :33:32.

:33:32. > :33:42.we have a cheer from the rest of We have got some people from

:33:42. > :33:52.

:33:52. > :33:59.Northern Ireland over here. All Just over halfway. You are not

:33:59. > :34:09.allowed to eat your own food, so they have swapped sand which is. --

:34:09. > :34:45.

:34:45. > :34:55.We are letting Steve do the writing It is virtually impossible. Not

:34:55. > :35:24.

:35:24. > :35:34.many to go on this sheet. Not many We are into the last 30 seconds.

:35:34. > :35:55.

:35:55. > :36:05.10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, four, three, two, one. Can I have your papers,

:36:05. > :36:19.

:36:19. > :36:29.please? Let's see how well we have done. At the end of the round,

:36:29. > :36:29.

:36:29. > :37:20.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 57 seconds

:37:20. > :37:30.which was reasonably difficult, Excuse me, our man put in slow

:37:30. > :37:40.cloth. Thick nap, slow cloth. could not think of another word.

:37:40. > :37:40.

:37:40. > :38:20.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 57 seconds

:38:20. > :38:29.Let's see how well we have done. It is tight. The DJs score seven. It

:38:29. > :38:35.is 75-78. There are only three in it. Take away them 20 questions

:38:35. > :38:42.about Steve Davis' and we would be 10 in front by now. How exciting is

:38:42. > :38:48.that? One more day to go in this fantastic pub quiz series. That is

:38:48. > :38:54.tomorrow and not much to choose between the two teams. Many members

:38:54. > :39:00.of the BBC snooker team also fancy themselves as golfers. So when it

:39:00. > :39:04.rolled into town, we were not short of volunteers. Every year at

:39:04. > :39:10.Sheffield City Council come up with ideas how to incorporate snooker

:39:10. > :39:17.and other sports. Last year it was street soccer. This year it is

:39:18. > :39:23.snooker and golf and we have two great exponents of both, Dennis

:39:23. > :39:27.Taylor and Stephen Hendry. One has played many times on the golf

:39:27. > :39:37.course and one who announced his retirement yesterday. Let's see how

:39:37. > :39:50.

:39:50. > :39:54.they are getting on. So I got a Now we see why he has retired! I'm

:39:54. > :40:04.surprised he is going this far, because he cannot normally see that

:40:04. > :40:08.

:40:09. > :40:18.far. Keep your head down, tennis. Not bad, that was close. -- Dennis.

:40:19. > :40:22.

:40:22. > :40:32.It is not as easy as it looks, is it? Clean the ball. A nice easy

:40:32. > :40:38.

:40:38. > :40:48.black for Stephen Hendry. He has left it hanging. What a match.

:40:48. > :40:51.

:40:51. > :40:59.good. Has it been fun? The same time tomorrow? I think I will get

:40:59. > :41:08.one of those in my living room. If it had been a bit warmer, I would

:41:08. > :41:16.have jumped into water, just to celebrate victory. It is not easy

:41:16. > :41:21.to be Dennis on a black ball. keep bringing that up. What a

:41:21. > :41:27.surprise, Stephen Hendry comes out on top. I am surprised to see

:41:27. > :41:34.Dennis smiling because he had a big game on the golf course. Dennis

:41:34. > :41:40.Taylor get a lot of beatings on the golf course when he comes up here.

:41:40. > :41:50.By you? Not this year, but I thrashed him a lot last year. The

:41:50. > :41:59.

:41:59. > :42:07.second semi-final is taking place It has been very frustrating the

:42:07. > :42:12.past few years, being out of the top 16. It is very pleasing to get

:42:12. > :42:20.back to the semi-final again. It has been very tough, but I have

:42:20. > :42:25.been working hard and it is starting to pay off now. When I

:42:25. > :42:30.turned professional at 17 there were no pressures. I got up to the

:42:30. > :42:34.top more or less and got into finals and semi-finals all the time.

:42:34. > :42:39.I suppose you take things for granted and think you are going to

:42:39. > :42:46.be there together. Then you see other players come along and smash

:42:46. > :42:51.you off the table and it is tough. You fall out of the top 16 and you

:42:51. > :42:55.have to graft hard. That is what I have done and it is extra special

:42:55. > :43:05.when you drop out and come back in. It shows you are mentally strong

:43:05. > :43:06.

:43:06. > :43:11.and you can compete with the younger ones of today. To play

:43:11. > :43:14.Ronnie in any tournament is special. To play him in Sheffield in the

:43:14. > :43:20.semi-final of the World Championships, it is going to be

:43:20. > :43:26.very exciting. I have never played him at the Crucible before. I know

:43:26. > :43:35.what to expect, he can come out and win four frames in 20 minutes. But

:43:35. > :43:41.also I could do the same to him. I am more than capable. It is what

:43:41. > :43:47.you dream of growing up, practising all these years. To win the title

:43:47. > :43:52.would be a dream, but there are two matches to go. I have been in this

:43:52. > :44:02.situation five or six times now, the semi-finals. At the end of the

:44:02. > :44:08.day, it is nice to be back in the semi-final. I was favourite end

:44:08. > :44:13.that took 1005 final. Maybe there was a little bit of pressure. Now I

:44:13. > :44:17.am in the semi-final and I am not expected to win. It is different to

:44:17. > :44:23.what it was seven years ago. I am more than capable of winning a

:44:23. > :44:33.title. I have been here before and I know what to expect. Hopefully,

:44:33. > :44:51.

:44:51. > :44:55.Ronnie has dominated their matches over the last few years. However,

:44:55. > :45:00.Matthew has the pedigree to provide serious concerns for fans of Ronnie

:45:00. > :45:07.O'Sullivan. Matthew is proof that it is not just Hallett you need,

:45:07. > :45:13.you need a bit of application. He has applied himself well. He is on

:45:13. > :45:18.the up as far as Borg is concerned. As we all know in the game, he is

:45:18. > :45:24.one talented players to have ever held a cue and sometimes people do

:45:24. > :45:28.not understand that, but we know. He has got that talent, something

:45:28. > :45:34.people have said about Stephen Maguire, but he has not converted

:45:34. > :45:39.it into that titles. Yes, he was unlucky in one of the finals and he

:45:39. > :45:45.played Mark Williams when he came back from way behind to beat him.

:45:45. > :45:49.But he has won a UK Championship and if you can win that, you can do

:45:49. > :45:55.well in the World Championships. He is very capable. Matthew has been

:45:55. > :45:59.missing from the very top for a few years, does that make you more

:45:59. > :46:05.determined when you get that opportunity in another final?

:46:05. > :46:12.may well do. You may be more mature as a player and be able to take

:46:12. > :46:16.things properly coming into it. He was very close to winning it when

:46:16. > :46:24.he played against Joe Murphy. He may have missed his best chance up.

:46:24. > :46:34.He has got a tough opponent in the next semi-final. Yes, he has. Let's

:46:34. > :46:35.

:46:35. > :46:41.find out what some of the professionals think of The Captain.

:46:41. > :46:51.Ali Carter is a great player and he has done brilliantly and he has had

:46:51. > :46:54.

:46:54. > :47:02.it a lot harder than the rest of us. He is very solid. He has suffered a

:47:02. > :47:08.lot. He has made a maximum at the Crucible. On his day he is a match

:47:09. > :47:14.for anyone. For he is one of the best strikers of the ball.

:47:14. > :47:21.attitude can let him down sometimes. When he is on form, he is a great

:47:21. > :47:27.player to watch. Great cue action. He is there to do her job. He is

:47:28. > :47:34.not a great mixer. There is nothing stopping him from winning if he can

:47:34. > :47:38.believe in himself a bit more. Carter, one of the best strikers of

:47:38. > :47:44.the ball in the game and the same could be said of his opponent,

:47:44. > :47:51.Stephen Maguire, in the semi-final of the World Championship. The

:47:51. > :48:01.players are out for the next four frames. It is currently two apiece.

:48:01. > :48:02.

:48:02. > :48:10.We joined Stephen and John. JOHN VIRGO: Very interesting first four

:48:10. > :48:16.frames. Both players struggling in the first two. It was Ali Carter

:48:16. > :48:26.who got the bit between his teeth and he played the last two frames

:48:26. > :48:50.

:48:50. > :49:00.really well. He has settled in. Can We expect so much of the long

:49:00. > :49:22.

:49:22. > :49:28.potting. Particular it with That was his first long pot missed.

:49:29. > :49:38.The balcony is for the player's guests. Peter Ebdon is on the right.

:49:39. > :49:39.

:49:39. > :49:49.He is in Ali Carter's corner. His experience and mental approach to

:49:49. > :49:55.

:49:55. > :50:00.the game helps. STEPHEN HENDRY: In his career his one weakness has

:50:00. > :50:06.been his temperament, his attitude. It has not been as good as it could

:50:06. > :50:16.be. If there is one man who can tell you to give 100%, it is Peter

:50:16. > :50:20.

:50:20. > :50:28.Ebdon. You had to scrape people like Peter Ebdon off the table!

:50:28. > :50:38.Great determination. Just wondering whether Stephen is going to be

:50:38. > :51:06.

:51:06. > :51:10.tempted by this red to the right You find that in matches, when one

:51:10. > :51:17.player starts missing, the other player starts missing and the game

:51:17. > :51:27.goes scrappy. Then when one player wins at one visit, it tends to

:51:27. > :51:37.

:51:37. > :51:47.He has got a nice angle on the green if he chooses to go into the

:51:47. > :52:15.

:52:15. > :52:25.He just did not get into it. That He looked perfect on the green and

:52:25. > :52:26.

:52:26. > :52:36.he will be disappointed he missed the cannon. It has been declared a

:52:36. > :52:59.

:52:59. > :53:09.I think that was quite an negative safety shot. I think he should have

:53:09. > :53:25.

:53:25. > :53:30.We have got a complete contrast. We have got one man in Ali Carter who

:53:30. > :53:36.has a no-risk policy, even though he played well in the last two

:53:36. > :53:46.frames, and Stephen looked prepared to take anything on. It will be

:53:46. > :53:46.

:53:46. > :55:14.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 57 seconds

:55:14. > :55:24.interesting to see how this match A terrific pot. But it was never

:55:24. > :55:28.

:55:28. > :55:38.going to be that easy to hold the That was an attacking shot and it

:55:38. > :55:40.

:55:40. > :55:50.ran a little bit too far. He is going into the reds. He could not

:55:50. > :55:53.

:55:53. > :56:03.avoid the kiss on the reds. It will still a braver black to take on. --

:56:03. > :56:17.

:56:17. > :56:27.it was still a brave black to take He has got a bit of an angle on the

:56:27. > :56:49.

:56:49. > :56:55.He did not hit the first red thick enough. When you have got an angle

:56:55. > :57:05.like this, the white goes forward before the screw takes effect. He

:57:05. > :57:19.

:57:19. > :57:29.did not have the angle to stun into A good, clean pot, but he has not

:57:29. > :57:58.

:57:58. > :58:03.got control of the cue ball at the He is not happy with that. He is on

:58:03. > :58:13.the red, but it is not the right potting angle to run through and

:58:13. > :58:23.play for the black. A telephone has just run and somebody has said,

:58:23. > :58:24.

:58:24. > :58:32.hello. REFEREE: Is it switched off? He is not a happy bunny, just now,

:58:32. > :58:40.John. He can get frustrated with the game. But it is the best of 33

:58:40. > :58:50.frames. It is taking him a little bit longer than his opponent at the

:58:50. > :59:06.

:59:06. > :59:16.That was a terrific pot. If anyone was nodding off, that would have

:59:16. > :59:21.

:59:21. > :59:31.woken them up. He could have been on something or nothing. Is he

:59:31. > :00:02.

:00:02. > :00:12.going to play a baulk colour? DUP 21 there was his highest break

:00:12. > :00:43.

:00:44. > :00:51.of the match so far. He is going to We have had a kick of the cue, now

:00:51. > :01:01.we have had a rapport of Ditcheat. He is more than annoyed - and knock

:01:01. > :01:19.

:01:19. > :01:24.The that was an excellent shot from Ali Carter. I would be a little bit

:01:24. > :01:34.concerned if I was Stephen Maguire, knocking the cue there. But it

:01:34. > :01:46.

:01:46. > :01:56.If you caught the cue on the wooden part of the cushion, you could put

:01:56. > :02:03.

:02:03. > :02:07.a dent in your cue that would pass Ali Carter, well he was bringing

:02:07. > :02:12.the other reds interplay. If he had played with less speed, there was

:02:12. > :02:21.every chance he could have been on the black in the same pocket as the

:02:21. > :02:31.red. He doesn't appear to be on anything that is very tempting. 20

:02:31. > :02:45.

:02:45. > :02:51.Well, good cue ball, but the blue is out of commission, the green is

:02:51. > :03:01.out of commission, the pink is tight on the side cushion. It is a

:03:01. > :03:02.

:03:02. > :03:12.scrappy frame, unless Stephen knocks the same. - knocks this in.

:03:12. > :03:17.

:03:17. > :03:27.He didn't have many alternatives but to play that. He wasn't far

:03:27. > :03:35.

:03:35. > :03:45.Ali Carter is now getting he's cue through it nice and smooth,

:03:45. > :03:47.

:03:47. > :03:57.That is something that Stephen Maguire has not settled into doing

:03:57. > :03:58.

:03:58. > :04:05.and it shows. You can see the pot success there. If you are not 90 %

:04:05. > :04:10.or above, you are not going to win many matches at this level. I'm

:04:10. > :04:20.sure he will improve, but he has got to be a bit more patient, I

:04:20. > :04:32.

:04:32. > :04:37.There is no doubt that Ali Carter looks the more positive, more

:04:37. > :04:47.focused around the table. He looks in control of his emotions at the

:04:47. > :04:50.

:04:50. > :04:55.moment while Stephen looks very It is always important in a match

:04:55. > :05:05.as long as this, even if you have a bad session, try to limit the

:05:05. > :05:16.

:05:16. > :05:26.That is a careless mess. He has had it so badly he has got nowhere near

:05:26. > :05:51.

:05:51. > :05:58.or is intended position on the next He just can't control the cue ball

:05:58. > :06:08.at the moment. He can't buy and positional shot at the moment. He

:06:08. > :06:09.

:06:09. > :06:19.is spotting lots of good balls, but only single balls. She is just not

:06:19. > :06:40.

:06:40. > :06:44.finding this week spot at all. - He has not covered the two reds,

:06:44. > :06:54.although this is not a straightforward safety. He has to

:06:54. > :07:15.

:07:15. > :07:25.He called that beautifully. That was a decent shot. - Court that

:07:25. > :07:25.

:07:25. > :08:20.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 57 seconds

:08:20. > :08:25.The another terrific plot. Is he on He played that well. He has just

:08:25. > :08:29.got to be careful here, there is a one cushion escape, but I'll always

:08:29. > :08:33.feel that when you're so close to the first cushioned it can be

:08:33. > :08:42.difficult to gauge how it will react. If he doesn't get these reds

:08:42. > :08:52.correctly, she will leave one on. - he will. He would like to hit the

:08:52. > :08:54.

:08:54. > :08:59.right hand red. He could leave one on here. Well, the possibility of

:08:59. > :09:09.his red to the corner, but so close to the cue ball I don't think you

:09:09. > :09:09.

:09:09. > :10:12.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 57 seconds

:10:12. > :10:17.That was a half-hearted attempt at Stephen just coming round to see it

:10:17. > :10:24.because take on this red, what he would be leaving. I think the only

:10:24. > :10:34.red he can leave is the one he will be playing. He has got quite a

:10:34. > :10:43.

:10:43. > :10:46.comfortable safety shot he could In the end you do go for the pot,

:10:46. > :10:55.thinking the only red she could leave is the one he played, and

:10:55. > :11:03.that is exactly what has happened. I don't blame him for playing it,

:11:03. > :11:13.but you never know. You never know where you will end up if you miss

:11:13. > :11:51.

:11:51. > :12:01.He is struggling at the moment. He has spotted some terrific balls,

:12:01. > :12:04.

:12:04. > :12:12.but get nothing for it. He is now struggling with his safety shots.

:12:12. > :12:22.This red is pretty straight. He is not taking anything on that is

:12:22. > :12:30.

:12:30. > :12:40.This looks pretty good to me! Stephen Maguire is in a bit of

:12:40. > :12:59.

:12:59. > :13:09.trouble now. Peter Ebdon seem to That was hit and hope. The red can

:13:09. > :13:13.

:13:13. > :13:23.go into the corner. Surely he can't leave it there. He has got to play

:13:23. > :13:43.

:13:43. > :13:49.the pot, whether he is hampered or He is saying to Stephen Maguire,

:13:49. > :13:59.well, I didn't fancy playing for the pot, so you have a go. I think

:13:59. > :14:10.

:14:10. > :14:20.I think Stephen Maguire tapped the table there in quite a sarcastic

:14:20. > :14:25.

:14:25. > :14:30.way. I don't think it was a tap saying good shot! This is a lot

:14:30. > :14:40.more difficult done the shot that Ali Carter refused as it wasn't

:14:40. > :14:47.

:14:47. > :14:57.that hyped to the red. - and that height to the red. - that hates to

:14:57. > :14:57.

:14:57. > :16:01.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 57 seconds

:16:01. > :16:11.the red. Has she covered the red? He had to claim that what a little

:16:11. > :16:33.

:16:33. > :16:43.bit of speed to get position on the I thought he was going to trying

:16:43. > :16:46.

:16:46. > :16:52.get that red in, but, again, choosing the more cautious approach.

:16:53. > :16:59.From the first couple of shots in this match, you just get the

:17:00. > :17:06.feeling that Ali Carter has a game plan. I think 95 % of professionals

:17:06. > :17:13.would have taken that on. But they are not in the semi-final of the

:17:13. > :17:17.World Championship, John. Correct. It is not all about potting balls.

:17:17. > :17:25.That is what Ali Carter said in his press conference about beating Judd

:17:25. > :17:30.Trump. He is trying to frustrate him, somewhat. Stephen is

:17:30. > :17:37.frustrated. He doesn't want to present Stephen with the easy

:17:37. > :17:47.chances. Stephen is almost prepared to take on anything. Perhaps the

:17:47. > :18:13.

:18:13. > :18:23.approach from Ali Carter is the Good clean pots. Perfect on the

:18:23. > :18:24.

:18:24. > :18:30.green. Ali Carter at the moment is four points behind. It will not be

:18:30. > :18:40.an easy run to the winning line in this frame. This cream will put him

:18:40. > :18:41.

:18:41. > :18:51.one point behind. - This green. The awkward blue is the obvious

:18:51. > :19:01.

:19:01. > :19:06.She could choose to play the red cure to the green, hopefully

:19:06. > :19:16.leaving an angle to play a cannon on the blue and leave himself on

:19:16. > :19:16.

:19:16. > :19:58.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 57 seconds

:19:58. > :20:06.If he catches the blue as he wants to to develop its, he will not have

:20:06. > :20:16.a close position on the brown. There is even a danger of him

:20:16. > :20:20.snookering himself on the ground. - on the brown. He has played it and

:20:20. > :20:28.played it well. He now needs a good pot on the brown. He doesn't have

:20:28. > :20:38.to do anything for position as the blue is there, ready and waiting.

:20:38. > :20:57.

:20:57. > :21:03.So, whatever his strategy is in this match, it is coming to

:21:04. > :21:13.fruition, as he has been in control in this frame, as he was in the two

:21:14. > :21:14.

:21:14. > :21:24.frames before the mid-session interval. He is 16 points in front,

:21:24. > :21:47.

:21:47. > :21:57.Perfect! APPLAUSE.

:21:57. > :22:24.

:22:24. > :22:30.That is the best shot of the match You can't call and miss because we

:22:30. > :22:38.are in the snookers required stage. That is why Ali Carter played at

:22:38. > :22:48.that pace, so if he did miss it, he did not be leaving it on as an easy

:22:48. > :23:12.

:23:12. > :23:22.Good speed on the white ball stops Ali Carter from having a go at the

:23:22. > :23:34.

:23:34. > :23:44.Where is this cue ball going?! Well, would you believe it? Would you

:23:44. > :24:14.

:24:14. > :24:20.believe it's! We have a new Well, at tricky black to play. If

:24:20. > :24:30.he can play this keen without having to avoid an inch off would

:24:30. > :25:01.

:25:01. > :25:06.Because he played it slowly, he has So, there is scared that Ali Carter

:25:06. > :25:13.had when Stephen Maguire needed a snooker, and what a snooker he got.

:25:13. > :25:19.Ali Carter goes ahead. Back couple of friends into the

:25:19. > :25:23.match, we were saying that Ali Carter look to bit irritated.

:25:23. > :25:28.Knight, Stephen Maguire looks like the person he has not enjoying it.

:25:28. > :25:34.It is nightmare snooker for Stephen Maguire. He was given a lifeline

:25:34. > :25:41.with some fantastic shots, but at this level to waste an opportunity

:25:41. > :25:46.where a very pottable pink to get on the black. This speed up the

:25:46. > :25:53.table has messed everybody up. It is very scrappy. A horrible session

:25:54. > :26:00.for both players, what ever player comes out in front at the end of

:26:00. > :26:09.this session will think, forget about it, let's start again.

:26:09. > :26:14.someone had said to me that Stephen Maguire's highest break his 21, I

:26:14. > :26:21.wouldn't have believed that. He could have been in front with a

:26:21. > :26:26.hybrid the 21! Is this a battle of patients? It is a tough part of the

:26:26. > :26:32.two weeks that both players have got to get through. When you are

:26:32. > :26:36.winning the scrappy frames, most players, Ronnie O'Sullivan doesn't

:26:36. > :26:41.like to win scrappy frames, it affects him, but most players if

:26:41. > :26:48.they win the frame they don't care if it has been scrappy if you win

:26:48. > :26:52.it. But if you use the scrappy frames, it can be awful. Maguire

:26:52. > :27:01.needs to win a frame in one visit here just to settle into the match.

:27:01. > :27:08.It will be in the back of your mind that few have since - that you

:27:08. > :27:18.haven't done that. Peter Ebdon is an Ali Carter's corner. It is great

:27:18. > :27:18.

:27:18. > :27:28.to have a world champion in your JOHN: Ali Carter will be very

:27:28. > :27:40.

:27:40. > :27:50.relieved to have won this last Terrific plot! - pot! But brown is

:27:50. > :28:09.

:28:09. > :28:19.What a lift Ali Carter would have got them getting away with that

:28:19. > :28:46.

:28:46. > :28:56.last frame. He must have thought he It was all brought about by the

:28:56. > :28:56.

:28:56. > :29:00.poor positional shot off the red. I didn't expect him to miss it, he

:29:00. > :29:05.was concerned about getting position on the next red and he

:29:05. > :29:15.took his eye off the pot. He didn't seem to play it with any great

:29:15. > :29:19.

:29:19. > :29:29.Ali Carter is a much better player when he is more positive, going for

:29:29. > :29:38.

:29:38. > :29:44.Peter Ebdon is in his corner. Maybe that is the type of thing that

:29:44. > :29:49.Peter has been saying, don't take too many unnecessary risks. But at

:29:49. > :29:56.this level trying to win the match just by forcing your opponent into

:29:56. > :30:06.making a mistake... at the moment it is working. Is it at the cost of

:30:06. > :30:06.

:30:06. > :31:28.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 57 seconds

:31:28. > :31:38.He might be just on the black. Or That was a nice shot, but he is a

:31:38. > :31:39.

:31:39. > :31:49.bit unlucky. It was a very thin cut on the black. He needs to make the

:31:49. > :32:20.

:32:20. > :32:30.He didn't want to touch on the yellow, but it has not done too

:32:30. > :32:41.

:32:41. > :32:48.This is probably the first time in the World Championships that

:32:48. > :32:58.Stephen Maguire has had to dig deep. In the last match, he had it all

:32:58. > :33:20.

:33:20. > :33:23.If you want to win the World Championship you're not going to

:33:23. > :33:33.have it all your own way all the time. These are the times when you

:33:33. > :34:01.

:34:01. > :34:05.Slightly hampered by the pink. The match time is just over two hours.

:34:05. > :34:15.Stephen has an opportunity year, but as I said, he's just hampered

:34:15. > :34:38.

:34:38. > :34:43.by the pink. He is not going to be It is one of those where he was

:34:43. > :34:50.slightly hampered by the pink. I think, in the end, he may have

:34:50. > :34:57.played for the pink. If he could have got his hand on the table he

:34:57. > :35:07.could have stunned it a little bit more. It is his choice. It would

:35:07. > :35:08.

:35:08. > :35:18.not be mine. That is a great pot. Tremendous shot. Maybe born out of

:35:18. > :35:22.

:35:22. > :35:26.frustration, whatever, it still had That blue was a fantastic shot. You

:35:26. > :35:36.could see how frustrated he was that he did not have an easy colour

:35:36. > :35:40.

:35:40. > :35:47.A lot of pressure on this blue. If he misses this there is a good

:35:47. > :35:57.chance he could go 4-2 behind. This makes him strong favourite to level

:35:57. > :36:04.

:36:04. > :36:09.the match at 3-3. John Parrott was Saint in the studio -- was saying

:36:10. > :36:15.in the studio that he could win a frame in one visit. But it looked

:36:15. > :36:25.as if he was getting near to do it, but after that tremendous shot on

:36:25. > :36:31.

:36:32. > :36:41.the blue, it looks like his friend now. -- frame now. 63 ahead, 51

:36:42. > :37:14.

:37:14. > :37:24.The frame is well and truly over, And he may still do, give himself a

:37:24. > :37:47.

:37:47. > :37:55.Terrific shot. Not ideal on green or brown, but it would be a good

:37:56. > :38:00.shot to get good position on the yellow. Well, he had to use a lot

:38:00. > :38:04.of pace to get it in. He will be disappointed he did not make the

:38:04. > :38:09.century but he will be happy with the way he played that frame and

:38:09. > :38:19.that blue was top-drawer. Stephen Maguire will be feeling all lot

:38:19. > :38:21.

:38:21. > :38:25.better having levelled at 3-3. -- a whole lot better. One of the best

:38:25. > :38:30.players we have got on the tour. Aggressive when he needs to be, he

:38:30. > :38:34.knows when to push the button, tactically very clever. He has got

:38:34. > :38:39.an all-round great game as all great players have. He set the

:38:39. > :38:49.standard for myself, Shaun Murphy, Mark's will be, those players

:38:49. > :38:50.

:38:50. > :38:54.coming through. -- Mark Selby. does it all the time. He is a great

:38:54. > :39:00.player. He is short-tempered, banging the table when he gets

:39:00. > :39:08.frustrated about himself, but I like that. He enjoys life. He is a

:39:08. > :39:18.good guy to be around. He is destined to win the World

:39:18. > :39:21.

:39:21. > :39:29.Championship one day because he is Ali Carter gets frame seven under

:39:30. > :39:34.way. This is developing into a very interesting match. Ali Carter is

:39:34. > :39:41.playing an no-risk policy and Stephen Maguire looks as if he is

:39:41. > :39:48.prepared to take anything on. That was close. Is the blue going to

:39:48. > :39:58.come to his rescue? It has. But there may be another red, the one

:39:58. > :40:02.

:40:02. > :40:12.to the right of the cluster to the right corner. He expected to pot

:40:12. > :40:14.

:40:14. > :40:20.that. Risky, going back to ball. He didn't even attempt it. -- back to

:40:20. > :40:25.baulk. You have two different types of game being played and that is

:40:25. > :40:31.going to make it a very interesting match. Ali Carter is going on the

:40:31. > :40:35.defensive. Stephen Maguire can only get stronger. He has not played

:40:35. > :40:45.well so far in this match, although he won the last frame, but sooner

:40:45. > :41:07.

:41:07. > :41:17.or later, these long balls are I think you have a strategy in the

:41:17. > :41:21.

:41:21. > :41:31.match, it is OK, but Stephen commit more purposeful and attacking, and

:41:31. > :41:34.

:41:34. > :41:39.Ali Carter seems to have gone back And that can happen at any time.

:41:39. > :41:49.Stephen has potted a good long red, but has just not got to the right

:41:49. > :41:51.

:41:51. > :41:56.side of the blue. There is a red available if he rolls the blue in.

:41:56. > :42:06.I don't think he can play for the black, the pink is tied up, it is

:42:06. > :42:15.

:42:15. > :42:21.important that he gets a good angle He hit that nicely. He has quite a

:42:21. > :42:31.big angle on the blue. He needs to kill the pace on the white, if

:42:31. > :42:43.

:42:43. > :42:48.He could not have played that any better. He caught the pink full in

:42:48. > :42:55.the face, to stop the cue ball and the middle of the table. And if you

:42:56. > :43:03.do not get anything from that you are very unlucky. He could have

:43:03. > :43:13.wished for something easier than this, this red is pottable but

:43:13. > :43:50.

:43:50. > :43:56.difficult. He was able to control There is a possibility if he judges

:43:56. > :44:04.this right that he could offer the black to the opposite corner. He

:44:04. > :44:09.caught the second red a bit too thick. He has the pink to the left

:44:09. > :44:19.middle he has got to be careful. It is all about getting a good line, a

:44:19. > :44:44.

:44:44. > :44:54.That is why he stunned it in. Really caught the brown, -- near

:44:54. > :45:04.

:45:04. > :45:14.Lee caught the brown. Nothing a straight forward. -- nothing is

:45:14. > :45:24.He wants to play the red that is beneath the pink into the right

:45:24. > :45:26.

:45:26. > :45:30.centre and needs to cannon to get The red that is directly below the

:45:30. > :45:37.red he wants to pot, if he cannons that, he leaves himself of a chance

:45:37. > :45:47.of the pink to left centre. If he catches Idbury could be snookered

:45:47. > :45:48.

:45:48. > :45:52.on the pink and black with nowhere to go. -- catches it a bit thinner.

:45:52. > :46:02.He tried to nudge it over but he caught it too thin, and that is

:46:02. > :46:08.

:46:08. > :46:16.what happens. He just covered himself. His composure takes a

:46:16. > :46:21.little bit of a knock again. He bangs his head. In the last frame

:46:21. > :46:31.he potted a tremendous blue. That is not an option this time. He

:46:31. > :47:05.

:47:05. > :47:11.cannot get through to the potting He slumps back in his seat,

:47:11. > :47:21.disappointed. It can be a frustrating game at the best of

:47:21. > :47:32.

:47:32. > :47:36.This looks a good line. That is a pretty good shot from Ali Carter. I

:47:36. > :47:46.thought he had the line to snooker Stephen behind the yellow, but that

:47:46. > :47:52.

:47:52. > :47:58.is not so. He is taking this on. Strange, this. He seems determined

:47:58. > :48:08.to make things happen. Ali Carter is prepared to sit back and let

:48:08. > :48:12.

:48:12. > :48:17.things happen, if you see what I And don't you think, Stephen, but

:48:17. > :48:23.if Stephen Maguire is going to go for that type of shot, it will only

:48:23. > :48:28.encourage Ali Carter to stick to his game plan? Absolutely. He will

:48:28. > :48:38.think, why do I need to take a risk when my opponent is going to keep

:48:38. > :48:39.

:48:39. > :48:49.He played it with an element of safety, screwing the white back,

:48:49. > :48:59.

:48:59. > :49:08.but it was still a very attacking The only problem with Ali Carter's

:49:08. > :49:12.approach is if Stephen starts potting everything. No one has ever

:49:12. > :49:20.done that. You have come closer few times, but I would not rely on that

:49:20. > :49:30.as a weapon. There are enough reds in the open for Ali Carter to win

:49:30. > :49:30.

:49:30. > :51:35.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 57 seconds

:51:35. > :51:39.this frame. Without having to do He will be disappointed with that

:51:39. > :51:44.shot. Just a little bit of adrenalin there. Just concentrate

:51:44. > :51:48.on pushing the cue through, straight. He got into it too much.

:51:48. > :51:58.He was purposely trying to get high on the pink to stun across to the

:51:58. > :51:59.

:51:59. > :52:04.two reds. Now he has to go round two cushions. Did not have to do

:52:04. > :52:14.much with the white there, just had to concentrate 100% on getting the

:52:14. > :52:15.

:52:15. > :52:18.pot. He looks straight on this red. It is not too difficult. I know

:52:18. > :52:23.that it is near the side cushion but he does not have to do much

:52:23. > :52:33.with the cue ball, just the weight on it, when he drops this red. Then,

:52:33. > :52:37.

:52:37. > :52:45.the black to the opposite corner This black will put him 23 points

:52:45. > :52:53.in front. With the two reds and the open the high value colours will be

:52:53. > :53:03.enough to get to the snookers required stage. Just a quick glance

:53:03. > :53:04.

:53:05. > :53:14.at the scoreboard, red, pink, red, black would be enough. He could

:53:14. > :53:24.play for the black here as well. This black puts him 31 points in

:53:24. > :53:25.

:53:25. > :53:35.Another red and a black, he will be 39 points in front with 35

:53:35. > :53:52.

:53:52. > :53:56.remaining. Fairly well ahead at the Of course, he will be wary of the

:53:56. > :54:01.frame that he should have lost when Stephen Maguire needed one snooker.

:54:01. > :54:08.Similar circumstances. Stephen will be regretting that rash red that he

:54:08. > :54:14.played. Ali Carter needs the black for the frame but he would like to

:54:14. > :54:23.develop the last red. In goes the frame black. Just about developed

:54:23. > :54:33.the red, to the extent that he will take it on. One snooker at the

:54:33. > :54:33.

:54:33. > :54:43.moment needed, for Stephen Maguire to tie. If he pots this red,

:54:43. > :54:46.

:54:46. > :54:56.Stephen will not bother coming back to the table. But not quite there.

:54:56. > :55:08.

:55:08. > :55:17.Stephen Maguire still just about in 39 behind, 35 remaining, four-point

:55:17. > :55:27.snooker to tie. One there is your snooker, although he may be able to

:55:27. > :55:35.swerve. Going across the table like this, it can be missed. He has hit

:55:35. > :55:41.it, he has potted it, has he? Unbelievable. That is frame over. A

:55:41. > :55:49.few people and the audience saw the funny side of that. I don't think

:55:49. > :55:54.Stephen Maguire of it. Stephen will not bother coming back to the table.

:55:54. > :56:02.Frustration there, from Stephen Maguire, handing that chance to Ali

:56:02. > :56:07.Carter. Ali Carter is now back in There was a moment of rashness from

:56:07. > :56:12.Stephen Maguire. He has been playing aggressively all the way

:56:12. > :56:15.through this tournament. Yes, one minute you're in foul stroke and

:56:15. > :56:19.the shot is the right shot, and another time in the game when you

:56:19. > :56:24.have not been firing on all cylinders it becomes the wrong shot.

:56:24. > :56:29.That is the fascinating thing about snooker. There is a points

:56:29. > :56:37.consideration, the score line, even more so. And what is the right shot

:56:37. > :56:43.at one time can become questionable. Analysing that, in your own game as

:56:43. > :56:48.a player, that is something you never always get right. We have

:56:48. > :56:51.seen the first seven frames of the semi-final. How much is it the

:56:51. > :56:59.cloth and how much is it the players? It is hard fought at the

:56:59. > :57:01.minute. Neither of them has really settled down. Jamie Jones, who

:57:01. > :57:04.played relieved when the championship to get over the line,

:57:05. > :57:08.he looked as if he was going to win easier than that and he had to get

:57:09. > :57:12.through the mill to get over the line at the end. I think he just

:57:12. > :57:14.needs the have a cut over in this match to start off with and he is

:57:15. > :57:21.going about it the right weight. Stephen Maguire has not really

:57:22. > :57:28.settled down yet. They have played a lot of snooker to get this far in

:57:28. > :57:33.the event and, all of a sudden, looking at the semi-final, it is

:57:33. > :57:43.four sessions, and it is something that you can be overawed by,

:57:43. > :57:50.

:57:50. > :58:00.knowing that you have got a match I don't know whether Ali Carter can

:58:00. > :58:03.

:58:03. > :58:13.just get past the green. Any break for shot that does not leave a pot

:58:13. > :58:17.

:58:17. > :58:20.Carrying on from what Steve Davis was saying, I always thought when

:58:20. > :58:26.you started the semi-final that you are only halfway through the

:58:26. > :58:36.tournament because the semi-final and the final are so long, the

:58:36. > :58:43.

:58:43. > :58:49.Good pot. Is he on a colour? It needs to run. Not for the first

:58:49. > :58:58.time, good pot, disappointed not to be on one. When you look at the

:58:58. > :59:08.number of frames, you have got a 23 frames semi-final, 35 frame final.

:59:08. > :59:21.

:59:21. > :59:31.How many matches and frames have Fantastic, aggressive, positional

:59:31. > :59:48.

:59:48. > :59:58.He looks to be a little straight on the green and on the yellow. We

:59:58. > :00:14.

:00:14. > :00:24.know that he is going to attack. I think I heard Stephen said that

:00:24. > :00:24.

:00:24. > :00:30.it was a bad contact. The cue ball didn't come back immediately. Yeah,

:00:30. > :00:40.you can see the jumper. Keen eat that was going to take the speed

:00:40. > :01:05.

:01:05. > :01:14.out of the cue ball. Will he play Just looking back at the blue he

:01:14. > :01:18.pottered. People might say, wasn't that rash? The thing was, he gave

:01:18. > :01:25.that thought. We looked at the situation for and look at the two

:01:25. > :01:35.reds. The shot that he played in the frame before, he just went

:01:35. > :01:44.

:01:44. > :01:54.bored and in think about the There was method in his madness

:01:54. > :02:10.

:02:10. > :02:20.with a blue, John. And you played I think Stephen Maguire would be

:02:20. > :02:36.

:02:36. > :02:46.pleased if at the end of the He will have to have another go at

:02:46. > :02:46.

:02:46. > :03:52.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 57 seconds

:03:52. > :03:58.That is the line. The referee has You would never get this in

:03:59. > :04:08.football, were due? As Scottish referee in the game between

:04:08. > :04:18.Scotland and England. No, you wouldn't! He is a good referee. It

:04:18. > :04:56.

:04:56. > :05:06.is a big moment for Leo, refereeing If he has not left anything, he has

:05:06. > :05:38.

:05:38. > :05:48.I think the red might be on, but maybe it is to strip. He can't get

:05:48. > :06:04.

:06:04. > :06:12.He has got control of this frame at the moment with the safety

:06:12. > :06:17.exchanges. One good pot can turn that around. Stephen Maguire is a

:06:17. > :06:21.competitor and he will realise the importance of this frame, even

:06:21. > :06:31.though it days still the first session. He wants - he won't want

:06:31. > :06:55.

:06:55. > :07:05.to go to frames behind if he can That was a really good safety shot

:07:05. > :07:10.

:07:10. > :07:20.there. There is the chance of a pot which could give him position on

:07:20. > :07:24.

:07:24. > :07:30.He could play a safety of that red and possibly get the cue ball back

:07:30. > :07:40.to the baulk end. Would he be tempted by the pot into the right

:07:40. > :07:50.

:07:50. > :08:00.Stephen Maguire realises the importance of this frame. He just

:08:00. > :08:08.

:08:08. > :08:18.needs to get it safe, if that is He caught it much too thin. It

:08:18. > :08:18.

:08:18. > :09:54.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 57 seconds

:09:55. > :10:04.looks as though he has got away It was a good effort. If he has

:10:05. > :10:29.

:10:29. > :10:34.covered the red near the yellow, he There is a straight red on here.

:10:34. > :10:44.But it is not the type of ball that he has been to tempt bike so far in

:10:44. > :10:44.

:10:44. > :11:54.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 57 seconds

:11:54. > :12:04.I think he may have left the path here to a red double go into this

:12:04. > :12:17.

:12:17. > :12:21.That is unlucky. To play at that speed beat the pot very difficult.

:12:21. > :12:26.He was playing at that speed because he was trying to cannoned

:12:26. > :12:35.into the other reds. This is what you would called the banana shot.

:12:35. > :12:40.The top-spin brings it back, the cue ball. At the Manor. - Kade the

:12:41. > :12:46.manner. We have been talking all day about the strategy of Ali

:12:46. > :12:56.Carter, the no risk snooker. He has played some good safety shots and

:12:56. > :13:17.

:13:17. > :13:27.now she's - he has got in with the That is the sort of shot that you

:13:27. > :13:48.

:13:48. > :13:58.play in an exhibition, to spin at He has not played the best

:13:58. > :14:17.

:14:17. > :14:27.positional shot there. It is easy He has just got to be careful of

:14:27. > :14:37.

:14:37. > :14:42.that red near the left-hand cushion. He couldn't get the ideal potting

:14:42. > :14:47.angle on the red. He could have done if he had played to roll it

:14:47. > :14:52.through, but he was far more confident playing the blue, and I

:14:52. > :15:02.understand that. He just has a little bit to do with the cue ball

:15:02. > :15:21.

:15:21. > :15:31.He wouldn't have wanted to put the pink sea. That makes the break a

:15:31. > :15:38.

:15:38. > :15:48.It looks like he is going to have to concentrate on the blue. It will

:15:48. > :16:25.

:16:25. > :16:35.be very difficult to win the frame He is going to need some of these

:16:35. > :16:51.

:16:51. > :17:01.I can't believe you play to cannon on the black. I don't think he was

:17:01. > :17:17.

:17:17. > :17:27.This is the type of shot, but saying this done you will make the

:17:27. > :17:28.

:17:28. > :17:33.shock more difficult. - a shot. You need to fully commit on these. Well,

:17:33. > :17:43.he has played it well. Playing with this done makes it difficult, but

:17:43. > :17:53.every credits. He couldn't have played at any better. - it any

:17:53. > :18:21.

:18:21. > :18:31.34 points in the lead with a possible 67 remaining. He will need

:18:31. > :18:47.

:18:47. > :18:52.He was concentrating so much in finding the gap between the colours

:18:52. > :19:01.he missed the pot. It is not a bad lead for him considering what the

:19:01. > :19:05.balls are. The only thing is about playing this shot it is a little

:19:05. > :19:10.bit risky and the way things have run for Stephen so far, he could

:19:10. > :19:20.pots with the reds, bring the reds into play and end up on nothing.

:19:20. > :19:20.

:19:20. > :20:41.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 57 seconds

:20:41. > :20:51.That is not beyond the realms of Would you believe it's? Would you

:20:51. > :20:55.

:20:55. > :21:05.believe it! Stephen Maguire can't believe it! A controlled swerve,

:21:05. > :21:20.

:21:20. > :21:30.you won't see one better, and he is So, red and black to go 49 points

:21:30. > :21:34.

:21:34. > :21:41.in front with just 43 remaining. Where did that that come from? -

:21:41. > :21:51.that gap? You can't cater for great shots, and that can always happen

:21:51. > :21:54.

:21:54. > :22:00.Stephen Maguire will resign himself to the fact that he is going to be

:22:00. > :22:10.two frames behind. I think this will be very interesting, this

:22:10. > :22:12.

:22:12. > :22:19.match. Two very interesting characters, different characters.

:22:20. > :22:29.So, Ali Carter is edging it, and I would say deservedly so. That is

:22:30. > :22:34.the first of four sessions. A tough session for both players.

:22:34. > :22:41.Ali Carter has performed in the same sort of manner as Peter Ebdon

:22:41. > :22:44.might have done. The idea of the exercise is to win. He may well

:22:45. > :22:54.have thought to date that I'm going to have to have a good start just

:22:55. > :22:55.

:22:55. > :23:03.to get a foothold. He has got to to hold - at two-frame lead. There was

:23:03. > :23:09.an absolutely marvellous were shot. There is a little bit of luck

:23:09. > :23:13.involved here. He hopes that if he connect with their rent it will go

:23:13. > :23:18.safe. The bonus of potting it was massive. The shot that he played

:23:18. > :23:23.there, years of understanding how a ball is going to react. He just

:23:23. > :23:33.said at the right amount and let the cue ball do the work. This side

:23:33. > :23:34.

:23:34. > :23:38.was still on when he potted it. You couldn't have asked for any better.

:23:38. > :23:43.This is an awful session for Stephen Maguire. He will be really

:23:43. > :23:51.disappointed with things. It wasn't necessarily his fault, it is just

:23:52. > :23:56.the way things go. The one thing both if you said was that it is 33

:23:56. > :24:04.frames and there were only two frames in it. If you wake up of the

:24:04. > :24:08.morning of the semi-final you think, I have got 17 frames to win! Being

:24:08. > :24:12.on the only table in the crystal balls lend itself to different

:24:12. > :24:17.kinds of pressure that you might not have faced up until this point

:24:17. > :24:22.of the tournament. You are centre- stage, which is marvellous. You can

:24:22. > :24:26.strut around like a peacock if it is going well. Strangely, if things

:24:26. > :24:30.start to go wrong, you have got to be strong-minded not to think a

:24:30. > :24:36.wonder how this looks to the crowd. Is this entertaining? I should be

:24:36. > :24:46.doing better than this. Those type of thought she had to eradicate.

:24:46. > :24:50.

:24:50. > :24:54.They can creep in. It is Ali Carter with the advantage. A reminder that

:24:54. > :24:58.coming up on Sunday, a special programme on Barry Hearn. There are

:24:58. > :25:04.certain times when you look in the mirror and say to yourself, you are

:25:04. > :25:10.pretty good, the troll - the shoulders go back and you feel good.

:25:10. > :25:16.If Barry was jockeyed, he would eat himself. He is great at making you

:25:16. > :25:20.feel good about yourself. doesn't care what our opinions are

:25:20. > :25:25.about most things. He came from a council estate and he has built his

:25:25. > :25:30.life up from nothing. Pound-for- pound he has delivered more

:25:30. > :25:34.excitement to the punter in the street than any other promoter.

:25:34. > :25:44.Don't start looking over your shoulder and saying I should have

:25:44. > :25:47.

:25:47. > :25:57.done it, do it or shut up. We are going to show you how Ronnie

:25:57. > :26:04.O'Sullivan made it into the last four. Ronnie first appeared here

:26:05. > :26:14.nearly two decades ago. I have always dreamed of playing at

:26:15. > :26:16.

:26:16. > :26:20.Sheffield. It was on the telly. I remember it then. There were good

:26:20. > :26:26.memories of me playing at Sheffield in the early days because I wasn't

:26:26. > :26:32.playing very well so we never really enjoyed it. I still don't

:26:32. > :26:38.get massive enjoyment out of it, it is more endurance. Everybody wants

:26:38. > :26:45.to be world champion, so you just have to go for it. It is a nicer

:26:45. > :26:48.remit, 900 people in it. Sheffield is not a fantastic tournament, it

:26:48. > :26:52.is just the World Championships and everybody wants to be world

:26:52. > :26:56.champion. You can't afford to be too emotional about it. People like

:26:56. > :27:00.you to get emotional and talk about this and that, but you can't afford

:27:00. > :27:05.that. You are there to be professional and try and put that

:27:05. > :27:11.aside into which you have got to do. I think about the history of game,

:27:11. > :27:16.but not about the place. Joe Davis was the first real class snooker

:27:16. > :27:21.player to come along. To look at the history of this you go in that

:27:21. > :27:24.way, he won 20 world titles. Ray Reardon, Steve Davis, Stephen

:27:24. > :27:32.Hendry. I have looked at their history and what people have

:27:32. > :27:39.achieved, but not just because it was the Crucible. I missed the pink

:27:39. > :27:46.on the 147 against Stephen Hendry, that was one of my worst moments. I

:27:46. > :27:56.could have done with the �170,000. The best moments have to be winning

:27:56. > :28:01.

:28:01. > :28:06.One day I am sure Ronnie will say he has done all right here. He was

:28:06. > :28:10.up against Neil Robertson and let nine frames to seven after two

:28:10. > :28:20.sessions. We will pick up with Ronnie at the table, trailing by a

:28:20. > :28:26.

:28:26. > :28:36.THIEF: I thought that was very risky. He could have played side

:28:36. > :28:52.

:28:52. > :28:56.cushion very slowly. Agreed, A wonderful chance for Neil

:28:56. > :29:02.Robertson. He would have been hoping for this opportunity in the

:29:02. > :29:12.first frame. You can never complain if you get a good chance, and this

:29:12. > :29:12.

:29:12. > :30:07.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 57 seconds

:30:07. > :30:11.is a good chance. He is obviously Too many choices? The key thing

:30:11. > :30:21.here is either getting the pink or black on its spot, then it should

:30:21. > :30:44.

:30:44. > :30:54.It would think he will take the black on, because it is hampered. -

:30:54. > :30:54.

:30:54. > :32:03.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 57 seconds

:32:03. > :32:09.He has to be careful when he pots this black that he does not cover

:32:09. > :32:19.the red over the corner. He has a chance now because the balls are in

:32:19. > :32:35.

:32:35. > :32:45.Just noticed Neil Robertson shaking his head. He likes to kind of

:32:45. > :32:57.

:32:57. > :33:00.reshape his cue tip from time to He could have left his extension in

:33:00. > :33:08.the dressing room. Looking to one of his friends in the box there to

:33:08. > :33:18.go and fetch it. That shows you how nervous he is. You would expect him

:33:18. > :33:23.

:33:23. > :33:28.to be well prepared coming into the He had a short with the rest.

:33:28. > :33:38.Perhaps he would have been happier with the extension on the end of

:33:38. > :33:43.

:33:43. > :33:49.Ronnie acknowledges defeat in that frame, I'll be up there was only 52

:33:49. > :33:59.points in it. Neil Robertson gets a frame back -- back and the board,

:33:59. > :34:35.

:34:35. > :34:43.Neil Robertson popped off to collect something from the dressing

:34:43. > :34:48.room, and it was an extension. We saw him shaking his head in the

:34:49. > :34:54.middle part of that game because he realised he wanted the extension on

:34:54. > :34:59.and thought, where is it? T look under the table and under the seat

:34:59. > :35:06.and realised that he had left it in the dressing room. This time, he

:35:06. > :35:11.has left -- he has come out with the extension. A very poor break-

:35:11. > :35:16.off shot from Neil Robertson. How many times have we seen Ronnie

:35:16. > :35:26.O'Sullivan clear the table from the other guy's break off? Even when it

:35:26. > :35:42.

:35:42. > :35:47.That one loose red at the back of the pack, he could go into the pack

:35:47. > :35:50.and still be on that one. I am surprised because Ronnie would

:35:50. > :35:56.normally play to flick the outside, but maybe if he got that too thin,

:35:56. > :36:04.he would not be on the red. He has left an angle on that to get into

:36:04. > :36:08.We'll no problem with those two reds above the black, it is similar

:36:08. > :36:14.to the situation in the previous frame, he is going to play the

:36:14. > :36:24.screw in back to them, but he does not really want to. He could not

:36:24. > :36:28.

:36:28. > :36:38.have played it better. He hit them REFEREE: could you just sit still

:36:38. > :36:49.

:36:49. > :36:54.There is so much cueing power going into the pack of reds, he really

:36:55. > :37:00.did shift them around. It would have been easy to have been stuck

:37:00. > :37:08.on a red. And it was cueing power with very little effort, which was

:37:08. > :37:11.a very important part of that shot. Nine times out of 10 when the pack

:37:11. > :37:15.is flat at the back, the screw shot is not the shot, but the fact that

:37:15. > :37:23.there was one red sticking out, he knew he would be kissing into that

:37:23. > :37:29.red. There you saw the stun into the pack, the screw was no good.

:37:29. > :37:34.And just look what happens. It stuns, and then stops. Brilliant

:37:34. > :37:40.shot again. On that particular shot there were three reds out in the

:37:41. > :37:48.open, but Ronnie O'Sullivan knows full well how to win the frame of

:37:48. > :37:55.snooker - to get more of them in the open. He is a bit betwixt and

:37:55. > :38:05.between. He's not nicely on either red. You would expect Ronnie

:38:05. > :38:32.

:38:32. > :38:36.O'Sullivan to make a very large break from here. At first glance he

:38:36. > :38:39.is not really on one nicely. The one in the middle will cut but if

:38:39. > :38:49.he plays it plain ball he will be kissing the yellow, so he has to

:38:49. > :38:56.

:38:56. > :39:06.play a bit of side on this, rather He took no chances and made sure he

:39:06. > :39:10.

:39:10. > :39:20.That was Neil Robertson's last chance in this frame. It was a very

:39:20. > :39:35.

:39:35. > :39:40.poor break off that gave Ronnie This is the break off. As you can

:39:40. > :39:45.see he brings the red right up to the middle pocket. We will show you

:39:45. > :39:55.in a minute what happened, it came up past the blue leaving Ronnie at

:39:55. > :40:00.

:40:00. > :40:10.I think a total clearance is imminent. And how easy has he made

:40:10. > :40:13.

:40:13. > :40:19.us look? -- this look. Should he go on to make a century it would be

:40:19. > :40:29.number 58 of the tournament. Jamie Jones has had seven. A remarkable

:40:29. > :40:37.

:40:37. > :40:47.What a fly off the cushion that was. That has generated to fit of pace,

:40:47. > :40:52.

:40:52. > :41:00.further than what he wanted. -- 2ft of pace. Luckily, he finished on

:41:00. > :41:07.the blue to the far corner. The referee has to be quick. He needs a

:41:07. > :41:15.pair of plimsolls to get out of Ronnie's way. What a great century.

:41:15. > :41:25.That is another �200 for haven House Hospice, kindly donated by

:41:25. > :41:26.

:41:26. > :41:33.our sponsors, betfred.com. Neil Robertson will be disappointed with

:41:33. > :41:37.the break-up. Ronnie Allsop and with a break of one other than four.

:41:37. > :41:45.Drew her Ronnie O'Sullivan taking advantage, and at this stage of the

:41:45. > :41:55.match, the Rocket was flying. to the table in frame 19 and there

:41:55. > :41:57.

:41:57. > :42:01.He took on a dangerous shot knowing that the only thing that would go

:42:01. > :42:11.wrong if he missed it was to catch the far jaw, and he did catch the

:42:11. > :42:28.

:42:28. > :42:38.far jaw, which has left a pot on for Ronnie. Tough opener for Neil

:42:38. > :42:45.

:42:45. > :42:53.He made it look easy. A bit further away from the blue than he would

:42:54. > :42:58.have wanted. To play the screw into the pack with enough power, so

:42:58. > :43:02.perhaps he's going to take one more stab at getting on an ideal

:43:02. > :43:06.position on the blue or a baulk colour, to get into the pack.

:43:06. > :43:10.how different players see the shot. Ronnie would play off the blue into

:43:10. > :43:18.the bunch. But Neil has decided that it is a little bit too near

:43:18. > :43:25.the cushion. He's looking to make sure that he gets a good angle on

:43:25. > :43:34.the blue or the black to run into them. Ideally, you like to be at my

:43:34. > :43:42.table, that way, you can keep backspin on it, and make the ball

:43:42. > :43:52.fizz, once it hits the pink. Similar to that. Brilliant. Well

:43:52. > :43:54.

:43:54. > :44:04.played. We saw a fabulous 104 in the previous frame. There is a

:44:04. > :44:04.

:44:04. > :45:00.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 57 seconds

:45:00. > :45:04.similar amount on here, the way the He did have a poor contact on the

:45:04. > :45:11.black when he was screwing back. You saw the black bouncing a little

:45:11. > :45:16.bit. How often do you get the white cleaned when you get a kick? Not

:45:16. > :45:26.very often. The only chalk that could have been on the cue ball is

:45:26. > :45:30.

:45:30. > :45:37.the chalk that he put on the cue So it may be a little bit of chalk

:45:37. > :45:47.or bust on the red that made it kick. Or perhaps there is another

:45:47. > :45:47.

:45:47. > :46:36.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 57 seconds

:46:36. > :46:46.reason why the balls kick. Will we It has all gone a little bit wrong.

:46:46. > :46:51.

:46:51. > :47:01.From that good recovery shot, which He did not make it look like a

:47:01. > :47:05.

:47:05. > :47:09.recovery shot, did he? On missable. -- unmissable. Can you believe it?

:47:09. > :47:15.When you look at Neil Robertson over last two years, he is one of

:47:15. > :47:20.the best players in the world at winning when he should win. 4-4,

:47:20. > :47:30.that was a black that for Neil Robertson, is unmissable. It just

:47:30. > :47:32.

:47:32. > :47:36.shows you what the pension can do you at the Crucible. -- tension.

:47:36. > :47:40.often see in commentary that the first 40 or 50 points scored is

:47:40. > :47:45.more difficult than the last 40 or 50, because the balls are spread

:47:45. > :47:53.better and you do not have so many near the cushion, usually. I'll be

:47:53. > :48:03.it, Ronnie is 4-4 behind. He is, some would consider, favourite in

:48:03. > :48:05.

:48:05. > :48:12.this frame. The best line on the black round and off of two cushions.

:48:12. > :48:17.He is hitting the ball beautifully. Not that he doesn't, ever. On a

:48:17. > :48:21.top-spin shot like that he moves the ball so well. The cue ball

:48:21. > :48:26.movement is a pleasure to watch, with pledges little pace, he seems

:48:26. > :48:36.to get more row to be shot than a lot of players. -- precious little

:48:36. > :48:39.

:48:39. > :48:45.pace. And he had a kick there, as well. Because of the kick, it went

:48:45. > :48:55.for 18 inches rather than the 12 he was expecting. He has got to be a

:48:55. > :48:56.

:48:56. > :49:05.little bit careful with this one. Good recovery. With a possible

:49:05. > :49:15.plant, before the easy red, he is playing the plant. They are lined

:49:15. > :49:20.

:49:20. > :49:25.That was a massive black that Neil Robertson missed. It could haunt

:49:25. > :49:29.him tonight. Have you seen him miss one white that the season? I think

:49:29. > :49:34.he thought he had done the hard work, potting that long red to the

:49:34. > :49:41.yellow pocket. Just relaxing a fraction. It is going to hurt him,

:49:41. > :49:46.if Ronnie can clear up. He missed a few balls and the after noon

:49:46. > :49:56.session, but, in stroke, he almost never misses a shot like that. That

:49:56. > :49:58.

:49:58. > :50:04.would have been a shock to his Ronnie O'Sullivan looks like he is

:50:04. > :50:10.in punishing mode. Screwing down for the baulk colours. Makes the

:50:10. > :50:16.position on the red so much easier. He does not want to be dead

:50:16. > :50:25.straight on this, but he can pull it back attraction, for the brown,

:50:25. > :50:30.if he wanted. -- back a fraction. He has been a little bit careless.

:50:30. > :50:40.He is going to have to get into this blue. He hit it three-quarter

:50:40. > :50:51.

:50:51. > :51:01.ball, and held it perfectly. He is Going in front by three frames for

:51:01. > :51:07.

:51:07. > :51:13.the second time in this match at a That is orange alert for Neil

:51:13. > :51:20.Robertson. Neil Robertson will be disappointed, he missed an easy

:51:20. > :51:30.black at 4-4, and Ronnie O'Sullivan replied with a 71 break, and he now

:51:30. > :51:30.

:51:30. > :52:26.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 57 seconds

:52:26. > :52:36.has a real stranglehold on this REFEREE: thank you, frame 20, Neil

:52:36. > :53:02.

:53:02. > :53:07.There will be a 15 minute break after this frame. If Ronnie wins

:53:07. > :53:15.this frame, you can see the distances there, and it went in

:53:15. > :53:20.like a bullet. I was going to say, if Ronnie wins this frame he will

:53:21. > :53:26.not want an interval. Sometimes into balls can change the match. He

:53:26. > :53:36.will beat well-8 in front, and it would be unlike Neil Robertson to

:53:36. > :53:46.win five frames, but you never know. We have seen a couple of four frame

:53:46. > :53:46.

:53:46. > :54:49.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 57 seconds

:54:49. > :54:59.He seems to be in a rush, when a. Already one tour-3, after two

:54:59. > :55:02.

:55:02. > :55:08.minutes, with more to come. -- in a rush, Ronnie. Considering the

:55:08. > :55:18.stopped or three or four seconds on that last red, how quickly he goes

:55:18. > :55:24.in a frame, where he is favourite to win it. He made a 147 break in

:55:24. > :55:31.five minutes and 26 seconds. And he seems in that kind of mood. This is

:55:31. > :55:41.the key shot. Can he get on to read? Trying to leave the blue half

:55:41. > :56:01.

:56:01. > :56:09.-- onto the red. He has got to be careful, though. This would be a

:56:09. > :56:13.great frame to convert. Marvellous shot, perfect angle. Perfect angle.

:56:13. > :56:20.Neil Robertson is looking up, hoping that this split will not

:56:20. > :56:24.work for Ronnie, and, well, it has, the top red is possible into the

:56:24. > :56:30.corner. That red that pushed round and past the pink to make it

:56:30. > :56:40.possible. This is a brilliant break. Just coming up to four minutes and

:56:40. > :56:41.

:56:41. > :56:51.he is one pot away from going 12-8 Four minutes and he has already won

:56:51. > :57:17.

:57:17. > :57:20.Fantastic cueing. Just knocking it in for fun, really. What a great

:57:20. > :57:24.feeling that must be at the World Championship. Ronnie will be

:57:24. > :57:28.catching up with Jamie Jones if he makes a century. Jamie Jones has

:57:28. > :57:38.seven, this will be No. 6 for Ronnie, and No. 6 the of the

:57:38. > :57:43.tournament. -- number 60. How can you play this good, and yet

:57:43. > :57:53.sometimes not want to play? It is really frightening, how good he can

:57:53. > :58:09.

:58:09. > :58:13.If he does win this quarter-final, his opponent... Amazingly enough

:58:13. > :58:20.the break Benz at five minutes and 26 seconds, but he does enough to

:58:20. > :58:24.leave his opponent deeply troubled. Ronnie needs just one more, but

:58:24. > :58:28.then Neil Robertson took the next frame with a break of 89, so the

:58:28. > :58:38.leaders back down to three frames again. As we join it, Neil

:58:38. > :58:48.

:58:48. > :58:58.Robertson is at the table with a He is usually very proficient at

:58:58. > :59:01.

:59:01. > :59:05.Things are starting to happen for Neil Robertson, although he has

:59:05. > :59:13.lost the cue ball a little bit. He would love to take it on. He will

:59:13. > :59:23.not want to play for the snooker at this stage. But what sort of angle

:59:23. > :59:27.

:59:27. > :59:32.As you can see from the next picture, the harder he hits that,

:59:32. > :59:40.the closer he will come to hitting the yellow, and that is one of the

:59:40. > :59:50.reasons why he might not take it on. If it was an inch to the left, this

:59:50. > :59:52.

:59:52. > :59:59.brown would already be in by now. This is tough. Well, usually tough,

:59:59. > :00:04.unlucky, without the kiss on the blue, it deserved to be better. The

:00:04. > :00:09.way that it has kissed the blue has covered the red. The pace that he

:00:09. > :00:16.played that at, Steve. annihilated the brown, into the

:00:16. > :00:26.pocket. So much cue power. Has he been totally unlucky? Is there no

:00:26. > :00:28.

:00:28. > :00:32.shot he can play? He is desperate You do not get many chances against

:00:32. > :00:42.a player like Ronnie O'Sullivan. He did everything to keep the break

:00:42. > :00:47.

:00:47. > :00:57.going. A good safety shot. Not too sure what Ronnie is looking at. His

:00:57. > :01:00.

:01:00. > :01:06.body language tells me he is going for pot. The at side one, if he

:01:06. > :01:11.plays it pocket weight, it the only one he can leave on his the red he

:01:11. > :01:21.is going for and he can get on the black. It looks like he is playing

:01:21. > :01:25.

:01:26. > :01:28.a deep screw and coming back to I think he can see the red. This is

:01:28. > :01:38.chance number two for Neil Robertson and he needs to make this

:01:38. > :01:44.

:01:44. > :01:54.play. At 12-10, it puts a different It would appear the interval has

:01:54. > :01:54.

:01:54. > :03:35.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 57 seconds

:03:35. > :03:45.changed the equation of this match. He is going to have to find another

:03:45. > :03:55.

:03:55. > :04:01.The reds above the black, in a shot's time, he could bring the red

:04:01. > :04:08.into play. It is lovely to go from the blue, but he will probably

:04:08. > :04:14.decide to go from the black. Does he risk the first two reds and arc

:04:14. > :04:19.the cue ball into that space? Does he kiss the one above the black and

:04:19. > :04:26.push through it? He would need to play a stun shot. If he screwed off

:04:26. > :04:33.it, it could go wrong. I think the arc shot into the bunch would be a

:04:33. > :04:43.better choice. That was what he tried to do, unfortunately, it

:04:43. > :05:01.

:05:01. > :05:11.caught the first red. He is still It is amazing how the cue ball too

:05:11. > :05:18.

:05:18. > :05:28.He thought he had missed it. You saw his arm twitched, when the cue

:05:28. > :05:29.

:05:29. > :07:01.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 57 seconds

:07:01. > :07:11.came off the arm, he thought he had It looks like another frame for

:07:11. > :07:12.

:07:12. > :07:16.Neil Robertson. Barring any accident. The referee is just

:07:16. > :07:23.putting the pink as close as possible to its own spot without

:07:23. > :07:33.touching a red in align with its own spots. And there we go. Over

:07:33. > :07:35.

:07:35. > :07:38.the line. Just be a bit careful. And the deficit is two frames.

:07:38. > :07:48.Since Ronnie miss the black off the opening red just after the interval,

:07:48. > :07:50.

:07:50. > :07:59.he has not potted a ball -- missed. Another excellent positional shot.

:07:59. > :08:05.Leaving yourself on the pink just to flick those two reds into play.

:08:05. > :08:12.It depends on whether the top red will pot. If not, he will play the

:08:12. > :08:17.cannon. It is so nice when they are like this. You can have one in the

:08:17. > :08:23.middle and one in the corner, which is great. You just get down and you

:08:23. > :08:33.knock them in. There is still a century on. He should have had one

:08:33. > :08:33.

:08:33. > :09:47.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 57 seconds

:09:47. > :09:52.These great players do not lie down, I had a chance to join Jamie Jones

:09:52. > :09:58.at his last visit when he broke down on 89. Well, amazingly,

:09:58. > :10:08.amazingly enough, he broke down on 89 in the previous frame and 77 in

:10:08. > :10:32.

:10:32. > :10:40.this frame. But he will not be Ronnie O'Sullivan knows it is not

:10:40. > :10:50.over yet. It is never over until the fat lady sings. The last two

:10:50. > :10:53.

:10:53. > :11:03.frames, excellent breaks from Neil That was close. I thought he had

:11:03. > :11:33.

:11:33. > :11:40.That was a bit lucky. I think Ronnie O'Sullivan played it the

:11:40. > :11:50.correct way, split the reds, and, should he get on a colour, it

:11:50. > :12:08.

:12:08. > :12:12.The interval has come at the wrong time for Ronnie O'Sullivan, there

:12:12. > :12:22.is movement going up the stairway from the session coming to an end

:12:22. > :12:27.on the other table. He is out of position, apart from the plant.

:12:27. > :12:37.There are two that will plant in the middle pocket. Expect him to

:12:37. > :12:44.

:12:44. > :12:50.He will be unhappy with the He would have thought that was a

:12:50. > :12:53.chance going missing. He could have done better with the cue ball. A

:12:53. > :13:00.little bit of frustration for Ronnie O'Sullivan trying to get

:13:00. > :13:10.over the line. Can Neil Robertson keep the frustration level up for

:13:10. > :13:19.

:13:19. > :13:29.Ronnie O'Sullivan? Does that go An element of safety? He has not

:13:29. > :13:29.

:13:29. > :13:33.got it. This is the big chance now. He has been kept off the table for

:13:33. > :13:43.a couple of frames. He got in first here, but he did not make the best

:13:43. > :13:43.

:13:43. > :15:15.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 57 seconds

:15:15. > :15:25.He was a bit short of pace there. Now, the positional play gets a bit

:15:25. > :15:26.

:15:26. > :15:30.more difficult. He may go into the I thought it might have been a bit

:15:30. > :15:40.harder than that. This break is coming to a stop, unless he gets a

:15:40. > :15:56.

:15:56. > :16:05.good positional shot from this reds He was lucky. The easy red stayed

:16:05. > :16:11.tight on the cushion. He needed to play that with a lot of left-hand

:16:11. > :16:21.side. This is missable. If you do not get cushion first, it will hit

:16:21. > :16:39.

:16:39. > :16:49.the near jaw. But good shot, well He made that last shot look very

:16:49. > :16:58.

:16:58. > :17:08.Terrible contact on the cue ball. That ruined the position. He can

:17:08. > :17:17.still cut the red into the middle pocket, but, he was lining up to be

:17:17. > :17:22.relatively straight on at red. -- that red. He can pot this and try

:17:22. > :17:32.to get the right position on the blue. That is to smash the reds

:17:32. > :17:36.

:17:37. > :17:42.In trying to do that, he missed the pot. His last hope is that Ronnie

:17:42. > :17:52.O'Sullivan cannot do something similar. To get position on the

:17:52. > :18:00.

:18:00. > :18:10.That angle looked good. These reds are begging to be split open. This

:18:10. > :18:10.

:18:10. > :19:11.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 57 seconds

:19:11. > :19:21.Getting closer to the winning line He may be able to flick the two

:19:21. > :19:31.

:19:31. > :19:37.One more red needed. Neil Robertson has played superbly in the

:19:37. > :19:44.tournament, a pot from one session, and that was the session that cost

:19:44. > :19:50.in this match. In goes the red. APPLAUSE The knowledgeable Crucible

:19:50. > :20:00.audience knows what that means. That was frame ball. O'Sullivan is

:20:00. > :20:08.

:20:08. > :20:14.It must be said that I think he will be a strong favourite for the

:20:14. > :20:24.tournament. This is a great outing for him. Perhaps he has timed his

:20:24. > :20:34.

:20:34. > :20:39.At times, it was absolutely vintage. At times, we wondered whether he

:20:39. > :20:44.was being lacks in his safety when he got excited after playing a poor

:20:44. > :20:48.positional shot, but overall, he has played as good a snooker as we

:20:48. > :20:54.have seen him play at the Crucible. Steve mentioned he would be a

:20:54. > :20:58.strong favourite to win it. There are still three good players at the

:20:58. > :21:04.semi-final stage, but they will have to play at their best to beat

:21:04. > :21:09.this man. Neil Robertson gives his congratulations. Virtually a

:21:09. > :21:14.standing ovation. O'Sullivan will standing ovation. O'Sullivan will

:21:14. > :21:17.standing ovation. O'Sullivan will be tough to beat.

:21:17. > :21:22.Superb from Ronnie O'Sullivan, who meets Matthew Stevens in the semi-

:21:22. > :21:27.final. There is one place between final. There is one place between

:21:27. > :21:37.them in the world rankings. Ronnie O'Sullivan has dominated best

:21:37. > :21:40.

:21:40. > :21:41.O'Sullivan has dominated best has won the world title three times.

:21:41. > :21:45.has won the world title three times. has won the world title three times.

:21:45. > :21:52.That is one of the most important factors.

:21:52. > :21:56.You have one player who has done it before out of the final four.

:21:56. > :22:02.Matthew Stevens has plenty of experience. It is a little

:22:02. > :22:06.advantage, but not a lot. We were chatting about Ronnie

:22:06. > :22:10.O'Sullivan setting a standard, even though other players such as Ali

:22:10. > :22:15.Carter and Matthew Stevens who have been to the final, but everything

:22:15. > :22:21.seems to be going right for Ronnie O'Sullivan so far.

:22:21. > :22:27.Neil Robertson was not firing on all cylinders. Ronnie O'Sullivan

:22:27. > :22:32.has looked as relaxed as he has ever done. He always looks relaxed,

:22:32. > :22:36.even if he is not playing well. He has of three cue action with

:22:36. > :22:42.tension under pressure. Matthew Stevens is not a slouch in that

:22:42. > :22:48.department. The other two are great cueists. If Ronnie O'Sullivan gets

:22:48. > :22:52.on a roll, his cue action can destroy a player. If you can take

:22:52. > :22:59.your practice game into the main auditorium, you have an advantage.

:23:00. > :23:04.He does that better than anyone. He comes closest to it. I have been in

:23:04. > :23:08.a hotel watching you chatting and you have both said when Ronnie

:23:08. > :23:13.O'Sullivan plays as he has in this tournament, there is nothing anyone

:23:13. > :23:21.can do. Does Matthew Stevens have to play better than he has done in

:23:21. > :23:29.his career? Yes, I suppose you are right. But, Matthew Stevens knows

:23:29. > :23:33.he is a great cueist, as well, and can achieve. We were chatting about

:23:33. > :23:38.his expectations. He knows he can get frame after frame because he

:23:38. > :23:44.has the talent, as well. He has to be positive he has the ability.

:23:44. > :23:49.When he is at the table, Ronnie O'Sullivan has to sit in his chair.

:23:49. > :23:54.You can sit as pretty as you like, but you are still in your chair.

:23:54. > :24:01.The this afternoon, we watched the match between Stephen Maguire and

:24:01. > :24:06.Ali Carter. Stephen Maguire led 2-0. Ali Carter went out of the arena,

:24:06. > :24:10.composed himself and came back determined, focus and probably

:24:10. > :24:15.showed more focus through the remainder of the session to finish

:24:15. > :24:21.5-3 and they resume tomorrow morning. I have been joined by a

:24:21. > :24:27.former world champion, Peter Ebdon. You are playing a role with Ali

:24:27. > :24:33.Carter. Tell us how you are helping him. I am not doing that much. It

:24:33. > :24:41.is just nice to have somebody in your corner sometimes. I found that

:24:41. > :24:45.in 2002 when I won the World Championship. Ali Carter has done a

:24:45. > :24:51.lot of work with a sports psychologist and Terry Griffiths,

:24:51. > :24:54.as well. It is nice to have somebody in your corner.

:24:54. > :25:02.mentioned how Stephen Maguire came out on top in the first couple of

:25:02. > :25:10.frames. Ali Carter came out, did he compose himself? The Secret at 2-0

:25:10. > :25:16.was the organic carrot juice he went to the dressing room for!

:25:16. > :25:22.this happen before the World Championship, or was in during, an

:25:22. > :25:26.organic process, as well?! He takes to me after I got beaten, and he

:25:26. > :25:32.said you cannot play any more, but would you help me in the tournament

:25:32. > :25:40.and I said absolutely. I flew back this morning. I do not think my

:25:40. > :25:45.wife is too happy. Beautiful where there in Budapest. I did 12

:25:45. > :25:50.kilometres yesterday. 23 degrees, I come back here and it is eight

:25:50. > :25:58.degrees and reigning! You are known for your mental

:25:58. > :26:04.strength. Can Ali Carter help you with that? -- can you help in?

:26:04. > :26:09.think I can. He is a good friend of mine. He is a great player. He has

:26:09. > :26:14.been to the final before. There is no reason why he cannot win. He

:26:14. > :26:23.needs some luck. He did not get that against Judd Trump. I do not

:26:23. > :26:28.now how he won that tournament. Judd Trump played well and alley --

:26:28. > :26:33.Ali Carter had no run during the match. I was proud of him and he

:26:33. > :26:39.should be proud of himself. When you kiss him live on television if

:26:39. > :26:43.he wins the World Championship?! Anything is possible. In the first

:26:44. > :26:49.round, you lost to Ronnie O'Sullivan. Did you see things from

:26:49. > :26:54.him that made you realise he will be difficult to beat? To be honest,

:26:54. > :26:59.the match did not go for be. I had chances on the first day and did

:26:59. > :27:05.not get the run of the ball. When I made a mistake, I stuck up an easy

:27:06. > :27:13.ball. When he missed, he got away with it. At that level, that is all

:27:13. > :27:16.it takes sometimes. I thought I could come back and win. There were

:27:16. > :27:21.about five flashes of brilliance from Ronnie O'Sullivan and I was

:27:21. > :27:25.comprehensively beaten. He did not have to play that well to beat me.

:27:25. > :27:31.Do you think Ronnie O'Sullivan is expected to come out top against

:27:31. > :27:37.Matthew Stevens? It will be a tough game. Matthew Stevens is playing

:27:37. > :27:43.well again. Ronnie O'Sullivan is a genius and difficult to contain.

:27:43. > :27:48.When he plays well, anybody is up against it. He has been the player

:27:48. > :27:54.to beat. Everybody has been saying that all along. It has been a

:27:54. > :27:59.pleasure to have you today, very briefly. You can join us on BBC Two