Day 13, Part 1 Snooker: World Championship

Yesterday's crowd at the Crucible waved goodbye to the two-table set-

up. Today's will say hello to just the one table as we get ready for

the semi-finals of the Betfred.com World Snooker Championship. Having

journeyed through 28 matches, there are four men left standing. They

have been to this stage before and three have them -- three of them

have gone on to contest the final, but any one has had the thrill of

lifting the trophy. -- only one of I have been joined by the six-time

world champion Steve Davis. We have a tremendous line-up. His Ronnie

O'Sullivan the players setting the standard? I think he is. If you are

a fan you could be forgiven that he is a shoo-in to win the tournament,

such is the standard he has produced. But he is up against a

talented player such as Matthew Stevens, who many in the game think

should have done better. A and Stephen Maguire, he is against Gary

Carter. He had an easy route and Ali Carter had to work harder.

you say he is tired, perhaps the fact he has been to the final, and

the fact Stephen Maguire has not, balances it out. They have a lot to

find it, so even if Ronnie O'Sullivan gets to the final, he

will have a tough opponent. A lot is made about the pressure people

have to cope with with the one- table set-up. His if you have got

to this part of the tournament, you are capable. -- if you. During the

tournament, they would have tasted the set-up when the screen is

lifted. But when it is in the middle, you know it is close to the

end of the tournament and there could be nance. Stephen Maguire has

produced scintillating snooker in these last few days. And Ali Carter

had to show resilience to get over matches against Judd Trump and

Jamie Jones. I took one match at a time. Pretty

easy, really. It is my third semi- final at the Crucible. Hopefully, I

can really enjoy it. I won the first match in the first session

and the second session. I had a session to spare so I have got

their relatively easily. pressure is off my shoulders a

little bit. Stephen is probably favourite. If I can get one good

session, you never know. If I win from here, I deserve to win it

because I have been the best players in the world. -- beaten.

With our excellent commentary team for the afternoon, and I always

think this is one of the great occasions when we are down to one

table. It is when the Crucible comes alive. It is completely

different with no screen. You are further away from the table to see

the action. But two contrasting preparations. Stephen Maguire

winning with a session to spare and Ali Carter being put through the

mill by Jamie Jones last night. have been here on numerous

occasions, what is the mind set to day? You are desperate to get a

good start. You want to win every session. You do not have a session

tonight and if you get off to a good start, your opponent has to

think about it tonight. Ali Carter had some tough matches, will that

be a factor? It could be. It went pretty late last night. And using

up nervous energy. You get through a match like that, and the one

against Judd Trump, and you think your name is on the trophy. Stephen

Maguire, what do you make of him? It is difficult to know how well he

is playing because he has not been put under pressure. It will be

interesting to see how he reacts to pressure. Hopefully, that will be

revealed this afternoon. Rob Walker, over tea you.

Good afternoon, what an atmosphere we have at the Crucible. Four

players and one table. It is semi- final time. What a cracking session

of snooker we have in prospect. Please welcome a player who has

come through two Epping matches. A superb comeback against Judd Trump

and he hung on against Jones last night. His third Crucible semi-

final. He is in his best form of the season and says he has nothing

to lose. He is the captain, Ali Carter!

APPLAUSE His opponent, on one of the nicest guys on the circuit.

This is his second Crucible semi- final. He it is his first in five

years. It is time for this huge Scottish talent to deliver. He has

been on great form this season. He was clinical against his hero. When

he is good he is on fire, here is Stephen Maguire!

Stephen Maguire! APPLAUSE JOHN VIRGO: What a

reception for both players. There is some shouting. This

opening session, and I do not care how many frames you have to play,

you feel you want a good start. Backstage they did the toss of the

coin. Ali Carter obviously won the toss and he has decided to break.

It is the best of 33 frames, this semi-final.

REFEREE: Please make sure they are switched off. A brand new cloth on

the table for the semi-final. It will take a few shots for the

players to get the speed. The cloth is from the same role they have

been using for the previous few A good start. Can he get through to

And nice opening red is just what you need. Maybe he could flick that

in with a trace of right-hand side. Is he prepared to risk it? The only

problem, if he plays with side, if he pots the black, he is not

guaranteed to be on the next red. He wants to stun this, but... It is

harder to do. Just a safety. It is He can get to the reds on either

side of the table, but nothing that would tempt you to go for the pot.

It would be risky to get back to the baulk end. Just playing a

containing safety at this end. We were saying before, he did go

through the mill last night, Ali Carter. If you come through and you

win, you can come out with positive thoughts. As I said to John Parrott,

Stephen Maguire has not been put under pressure this tournament and

Ali Carter has. He knows he is That was amazing. I could not

possibly see any way through the gap. There was a gap between the

red and the black! Possibly a guide to pot the red. That is

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What I am interested in is if one of these players are going to be

the first to show emotion. They both like to show their temper when

I think it is good to watch, when players show a bit. The spectators

react, if the player does not react, they probably think they are doing

the wrong thing. It gets the audience involved. He decided to

come off the yellow and go into them. Does the red past the black?

If it does, that is nice. If not, well... Inch-perfect. He did not

open up the reds as he thought he Just got the pink first, and that

took a little bit of pace. He cannot complain way he finished

with the cue ball. -- the way. There are a couple of loose reds

you could play for, but nothing that goes in the corner, so you

would expect another cannon here. There is a little gap between the

He got that gap, but he decided to play with a lot of back spin. Maybe

if he had stunned through, rather than backspin. He got a reaction.

The red the other side of the blue has blocked the par to the pocket.

He could consider himself unlucky - That was not easy. He may be feels

he should have been on something easier. A lovely graining noise

from the Crucible audience. -- groaning. The atmosphere in here is

wonderful today. Exciting moments Ali Carter has already been to a

final of the World Championship. Stephen Maguire has yet to get

there. Interesting, I thought Ali Carter had the chance to play the

red to the far right corner. Playing in the right centre. He

played it as a safety more than the pot. That was noticeable in his

match against Judd Trump. He kept it very tight. He seems to

concentrate more on making it difficult for his opponent. He will

not take any risks. Let the man you are playing take them. That is OK,

sometimes. But you can wait a long time, sometimes, for your opponent

to make mistakes. He will settle down. He is a very good scorer when

he gets in, is Ali Carter. So is They are not far of a plant, the

two reds. He never thought about the plant. He was concerned with

getting the cue ball back near the top cushion. He has, but I think he

has left a red that will cut to the right middle. He wanted to see if

the in-off was on in the green He might play with more pace to

create a different angle for the white ball. Being close to the

cushion, he cannot do a lot. He did it comfortably. Where is the cue

ball finishing? He will settle for that. He is nicely on the black.

Particularly as he has four a nice, open reds in the middle to

concentrate on. This is a decent He is just about on the red to the

middle. By thought he was playing for the red in the corner and keep

in the black corner. -- I thought. He played for a percentage shot. He

played for an area. He wanted to make sure of potting the black.

be fair, he overran by a couple of Analysts recovery. -- that was a

nice recovery. It was a tougher pot than it looked. And now, this is a

Well... He is asking for the cue ball to be cleaned. When you strike

down, the cue ball will be bouncing, but there is no excuse. He is only

trying to screw back 18 inches. think that was a bad strike. And

now he is forced with a tricky Once again, a good pot. Not exactly

recovering the situation. He is not perfect on the red on the D La in.

If you just misses the brown and stuns it, he will have more control.

Well, he turned it down. I think it is clear to see what his game plan

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

was a surprising shot to turn down. He perhaps does not feel he has

settled yet. It is important, the first frame. The longer the match,

it seems to be more important to get your first frame on the board.

That is one way to relax you. And I He could not play the pot, of

course, and he did not want the red to come of the jaw, but he got his

main objective, to get the cue ball That has just given the edged 2

Stephen Maguire in this exchange. - He did pretty well. And he got a

good cue ball. He may have left a possible pot to the right middle,

but it will be a brave shot to take He played it, and he looked where

the cue ball would finish. I think he thought he was not going to

leave anything easy if it did not go in. He has certainly left a pot

on here. Whether he can stun off two cushions and play for the black,

Just a little bit short of pace. It depends now on whether he can roll

the blue in and get good position. He was perfect. And, so far, the

table looks as if it can be controlled. For some reason in the

quarter-final with Ronnie O'Sullivan, the table looked as if

you could not play on it, it was so thick. The tables are recovered

every few days. This is a new cloth, and cushions and the bed. Just a

When the cloth is new, the cushions trap the cue ball a little bit. It

does not come off as fast as it goes on. Once it has been brushed a

Every chance now to win the frame at this visit. There is not really

a say Fred Goodwin. -- there is not I think the reason he did not play

for the blue, he had such an angle that to leave an angle on the blue

he would have been left me the cushions. And he just wanted to

bounce a little bit more. It would have been a formality. It is a

You always frightened of these sorts of shots. -- you will. If he

plays the other, he would have to run in and out of baulk for a baulk

colour. No. He could hold it. It was straight enough. No harm done.

18 points is the lead. And with this colour, and two more reds with

colours in this frame, and it would be in the back as far as Ali Carter

Well, would you believe it? Just when it was getting to the stage it

looked a formality. That will hurt him. A shake of the head. How did

Even though it is the first frame and a possible 33, when you lose a

frame like this, it will give you This is one area in the World

Championship where Stephen Maguire has been so strong, clinching

frames when his opponent makes a He wanted to be straighter on the

red to the left middle. Digging in to avoid the cannon on the brown,

it appears. And it caused him to miss the red. This is quite an edgy

Ali Carter will be delighted at that, his mistake did not cost him

the frame. It shows you what is at The first day of a three-day semi-

Absolutely and that is what the He had to be a little bit careful

he did not send the red to close to the brown. If Ali can get past the

yellow, it is worth taking the cut on that. That brown is making the

Ali has put his hand up and apologise. I suppose he is lucky he

did not leave it. There were signs of it being a bit too thick.

Funnily enough, from where we are, it looked as though the brown was a

lot closer to the pocket. He clipped the brown, but it was not

thick enough to go in. You cannot blame Stephen Maguire having a good

look at this, because you do not know what he can do with it. Come

off the cushion dead weight. You could get a double-kiss and it is

hard to know where the balls will Just trusting to luck. His thoughts

were that if you rolled to it off the cushion, he was handing the

One good pot and Ali Carter could have won the frame at this visit

and he will be disappointed with I would suggest there is a bit of

tension in the arm as well as the People seem to play these cuts on

He is playing the pink, he is playing at the snooker. He is

looking to see the score. He would rather have the pink away from that

He could have played the snooker better than that. He did not want

to leave Ali a path down the right hand side of the table, but that is

what he has done. Stephen Maguire He has also put the green into

position where he cannot pot it. Ali deciding to hit that yellow

He left the yellow on, but the green is tied up. He has got the

side.-I do not think the green is He could push the green up towards

the brown. He has got a good snooker this time. Ali will be

unable to come off the one cushion on the left hand side of the table,

which would have made this escape REFEREE: Foul and miss. Stephen

Maguire, four. Ali is making a bit of a mess of this. The frame is

already approaching the half hour mark. I would not want to start

with three of those, John. No, you would not. Stephen had a pot at the

green, but he could not get position on the brown. If Ali goes

at the same way as he went before, he was so far away from hitting it.

To get the impact of the swerve, you cannot hit it that hard. The

side you are putting on the cue ball, it will not have time to take

This time he swerved it too much. Stephen not planning to get out of

his seat and have a look at this situation, but these are valuable

Before the snooker Stephen Maguire needed the six remaining colours,

but not any more. Does the green pass the brown? If it does, Stephen

A good shot. Ali Carter will be kicking himself if he loses this

round. He has had every chance. Brown, blue and pink required for

Stephen Maguire. He needed a good angle on the blue because the pink

He hit that well. He has absolutely hit it beautifully, right in the

heart of the pocket. He does not need the black. No heroics with the

pink. Stephen Maguire wins the first frame. It could have gone

either way, it should have gone Ali Carter's way. Stephen Maguire will

There is not much to choose between them. Most importantly, one of them

has been to the final of this tournament before, Ali Carter,

Stephen Maguire has only been to the semi-final. I imagine they both

struggled a little bit with the speed of the cloth. It is

absolutely rapid. It could be off a new role. It is so reactive. You

can see the play is a little bit unnerving for them. Stephen

Maguire's shot brown to blue was about four feet. It will throw the

players a bit if there is that much of a difference. It is the same

make and cup of cloth, but they differ. This looks like a beautiful

piece. I did not think the previous rounds where the same, they were a

bit on the slow side. The players have got to quickly get used to the

conditions. They have got to readjust. How long would it take

them to readjust? Is there a given time? You would expect them to get

used to it in the first couple of frames. The cloth has not been

brushed or ironed, so it is very reactive. It is a little bit

JOHN VIRGO: I think the cloth had something to do with the mistakes

in the first round, but not everything. There were a few little

snatches put in. The first round was down to semi-final nerves.

Stephen Maguire will now be by for He saw the plant and did not hold

back, did he? It is what you said, Stephen. It gives him a little

boost of confidence. Look at that. The pace and top spin he had to put

on the cue ball to force his way He struck that you to play. The

problem is the pink and the black He may have an angle to pot the

He tried to make the angle. He is a little unlucky. He is badly

hampered. He is looking for a red to the far right corner, but it is

He really pot balls with great authority. He likes to hear the

An attempt to bring the pink into play. Once again, it will depend if

he can just pot this red, he could I did not expect him to miss the

red in all honesty. Maybe it was the fact he was trying to get

position on the pink and was trying I just feel now that Ali needs to

make a decent contribution at this visit. Losing that last frame will

have hurt. You never feel as though you are in a match until you get

that first frame on the scoreboard. Ali did not hit that very well. He

should be at least three or four At this stage when you are a bit

edgy, you need to play two or three nice positional shots in a row to

make you feel a bit better. At the The easiest red is the one to the

left of the pink to the left corner. Either that or the red that is

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He is overhitting and underhitting, What a bonus that would have been.

Ali is smiling, but he is not That is surprising, the bounce off

the side cushion. It came off the cushion so much faster than it went

on. He might have a red to the left centre. It is not the one he played

He played that well. Not quite certain where the pink will go when

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The pink could be available into He was up very quick. The first

kick of the cue. I do not think he played that with a great deal of

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That was a nice little nudge Just at the moment he is not

getting through the ball. He is just jabbing at everything. This

game is all about cue ball control and getting good position on the

next ball. He did not even play A pair of angry players out there

He is just about on the green. I would not count my chickens and say

he could win the frame from this. At the moment anything can be

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Well played, and good positional Oh, dear. At this point in time

clue how the ball is going to come off the cushions. The table looks

very unpredictable. If I was the referee, I would stay away. Yes, I

would keep my distance, so to speak. REFEREE: Green ball. He has

I do not think he can get down the right hand side of the table to

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Not bad. He could have done without How many times do you see that? You

This is a decent chance, but we have seen decent chances spurned

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He has conceded. Just not hitting the ball at the moment, Ali Carter,

slightly worrying signs. Even though Stephen Maguire is not 100%,

The ball has looked like a pinball. Yes, it seems it is a lot different

from the cloths they have the use to for the first few rounds. It is

sleek and fast on the bed. If it is playing like a thinner cloth, there

is less cushioning on the cushions and therefore the robbers are more

pronounced and bouncing more and so the balls are bouncing more --

rubbers. I would say, although I could be wrong, the four players

left in the tournament, the one player who copes with fast

conditions best is Ronnie O'Sullivan. The favourite to win

the title. We spend how Stephen Maguire has played in a

scintillating manner. -- we spoke. Ali Carter does not seem to be in

good form. Is that down to the cloth? John Virgo said he had not

settle down, Ali Carter, but I think he is being timid with the

cloth. You expect a reaction, it does not come, and I think he is

all right with his cue ball. Should he compose himself? Awry. Yes, but

there is plenty of time at 4 it to there is plenty of time at 4 it to

settle down. JOHN VIRGO: He will settle down.

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

just the occasion, it seems to me, is getting the better of the match.

When they settled down, we can expect good snooker. I am expecting

That was an attacking safety will stop he has a perfect cue ball.

This looks like an occasion where the pot looks as difficult as the

It is OK. It looked as if he played the pot, but the double-kiss saved

him a little bit. It stopped the cue ball bouncing off the top

cushion. In looked like it would bounce off the top cushion. It's

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just caught the second flick on the APPLAUSE That was better.

He got the kiss on the second red, and I do not know whether he tried

to avoid it. Can he cue for the That was better. That was good

cueing. It just shows you, the way they have been bouncing off the

cushion, and that one seemed to check. Potted the black in the

right-hand side of the pocket, which is why he is not nicely on

He has played a conservative approach by gearing up for a baulk

colour rather than the blue. -- going up. An opportunity to get

points on the table. The highest It seems to be one or the other at

the moment, he is under heating or, in that case, overhitting. --

He is nicely on the blue. For his own comfort, he needs to score. I

do not think missing an easy ball would do his confidence any good

whatsoever. A decent chance. The black is available into both

corners. The type of opportunity Looking to see if the pink goes to

The pink spot is not available. Finding a place for the pink close

to its own spot. A direct line from the middle of the top cushion.

There are no other sports available. I'm not certain Ali Carter was

aware of -- I am certain he was aware of that. Another red at the

top of the cluster, but he is shaking his head because he is on

the wrong side of the blue. The pot on the red was easy enough. He is

not getting through as he would normally. It is even worse when he

is slightly the wrong side, like that. If it had been straight, he

could still have played for the red in the same pocket as the blue. It

Electing to leave this red. There is pressure on this. He will have

to cue this well. Better than he Well played. There was pressure on

that. That will make him feel better. And every reason... If the

top red of this line of three goes to the right corner, no need to

play a cannon, but what a perfect opportunity to play the cannon, if

he got the pink half-ball on the right-hand side. That red might not

go in his pocket. He got to the half-ball. Well, quarter ball,

He just flicked off it, which is why the cue ball is close to the

You would rather have this angle on the blue rather than just off

straight on the wrong side. You would think the obvious way to go

here is in between the brown and yellow. Everybody seems, when they

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

plain ball shot, really, but we will see. That would be the shot he

wants to play. Whether the angle is a little bit thin on the blue to

play that... The more bottom you put on the white ball, the more

side you seem to put on it. He would like to play it off the baulk

He got too much left-hand side on the cue ball and check it up at the

baulk cushion. I feel certain that As I say, as long as you do not

miss, you get the chance to finish it off with a safety. It is not the

best safety. He is not leaving his opponent in amongst the balls, at

Stephen Maguire turns away in disgust. He was desperate to bring

the three reds into play, but he hit it so thick, it took the pace

With a nice angle on the green, surely Ali Carter will sort this

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Two reds and two colours should be Not the right side of the blue, but

he only has to roll it in to leave the red to the right of the pink.

There are signs that he is cueing the ball better, Stephen. It looks

more positive. He is looking positive walking around the table.

He is getting down on the shots will positively. -- more positively.

That red puts him 64 points in front with 59 remaining. -- he

should be feeling better now. If he pots the black, he is certain to

have his first frame on the scoreboard. He cued the ball better

You saw that hit the cushion, but he played it in dead weight and

gravity took over more than He has missed the pin, but I do not

think Stephen Maguire will come back, he concedes, that was better

from Ali Carter. He looked tentative in the first two frames,

and more positive in that one. 2-1, Stephen Maguire.

I got the feeling in the first frame, Stephen, that Ali Carter had

come out thinking, do not make a mistake, but you cannot do that?

You want to be aggressive. He is a better player when he is more

aggressive. He is quick up around the table and quicker on he shots.

He seemed to be looking for problems that were not there.

turned down a couple of pots, that I found surprising, and I know you

did. He will settle down now. A lot more positive and a lot more

purpose of round the table, that The mid-session interval is after

this frame. Stephen anxiously hoping the brown comes to his

rescue. He knocked a red close to the middle. Can he get past the

APPLAUSE He played it with a trace aside.

He hoped the cue ball either slowed up or ran on to leave an angle on

the green. He had to play it with a trace of left-hand side to bend the

It went wide. Another day you would Very unlikely that the pack, as

tight as it is, that will cause a problem for Stephen. You could come

down. That is the line. You have to He almost ramparts them. He very

nearly ran past them com which may have left a pot on. -- he almost

It is always dangerous, when playing the safety shot, you catch

a baulk colour full in the face, because you can leave the cue ball

on the baulk line. There is a He found the path around the back

of the black and reds. A nice, solid pot. Bound to be on a baulk

colour. That is two nice long balls in the past frames he has potted.

He could not do much else with that yellow. Not enough angle play with

Again, he played that conservatively. He played for an

area he knew where he would be on something, rather than an exact

positional shot. You know that when the cue ball keeps travelling up

and down the table, it is hard to get him. Position, which is what

you need to make a sizeable A demonstration of cue power. He

may be OK. I do not know if the black is available to the right. If

so, he could pot this red and be on the black for the opposite corner.

He is having a look. I would say it He played that very well because he

widened the angle by playing a stun shot. I assume he is on it, it

looks as if he came far enough off the top cushion. That was a lovely

shot he played. He would have loved The red he potted, it will give him

more confidence. This is a shot you have to be careful with. We have

seen he's missed, particularly when they are trying to hold the cue

He played that positively. This time, he has the angle to do as you

suggested, to try to remove the red to the left of the black, moving it

out of the way and you get the black available to both corners. It

It is OK as long as he is on the red for the same pocket on the

Looking for an angle of the black to open the reds, but there are two

close to the left centre. He wants to be careful if he goes into them

He is looking now at that cluster. It is always good to look. You do

not want to go into them with pace and suddenly a red the flies in the

middle and you think, where did that come from? I think he might

play the cannon on the pink. There is a red that might go to the left

If he had put this up with his hand, it could not have worked out better.

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Another demonstration of his cue This pink to go 62 points in front

The mid-session interval comes up after the frame. I think Stephen

Maguire will not go into that feeling too happy, Stephen. He took

a 2-0 lead but his highest break in a match is still only 21. Ali

Carter is getting into a nice rhythm. He seems to be hitting the

That was a beautifully controlled We said that it would get better.

And it is Ali Carter who has stepped up to the plate. He is

looking comfortable around the table. We thought in the third

frame that he was looking more positive and purposeful. He has

This is tricky. We call it going into a blind pocket, way you see

the cue ball, the object ball, but not the pocket. He needs a good

angle on the colour to get on the awkward red. Almost on the baulk

cushion. Can he force it up -- there. He gave it every chance.

That is a tremendous shot. This red is very, very difficult.

CROWD GROAN He did not make the century, but boy, is he playing

well? Stephen Maguire goes to his

Stephen Maguire goes to his Stephen Maguire goes to his

dressing room with a lot to think dressing room with a lot to think

dressing room with a lot to think about.

We will wondering how long it would take Ali Carter also settle.

Definitely four frames. The it was a worry that he would blow up at

the start of the match. He did well to get back on track. When he went

out after the second frame, just to compose himself, he looked

irritated. I think he played a good first frame, I just -- he just

missed the brown of the spot. He got himself 1-0 behind and 2-0, and

he went out and had a quiet word with himself and played well.

talk about big occasions and the players feeling the pressure and

tension. Ali Carter looks very comfortable now. Stephen Maguire,

tune in to the table. That is what it is, tuning into the table. We

have seen them overhit shots using the cushions. We have seen them

underhitting when they have played a screw shot tos. Can you do

anything in practice to get in tune with the cloth? And not really,

because the practice table will not play the same. The cloths have been

on for some time. As Stephen Maguire, he will want to win a

frame with one contribution. were watching him early in the week,

and John said he was hitting the back of the pocket very hard. It

suggested he was in fine form. How can you lose its so quickly? I do

not think he is out of form. It is finding your feet in every match.

The scoreline goes back to zero and there is a news story for every

match. You effectively grow with the story line. He is not out of

form. He can fight and he can win scrappy frames. Expect the standard

of play to grow. What will be interesting is that the other

players in the other semi-final will probably be looking at the

table and see that the cloth is running faster. Apprehension coming

in to see how fast it is. Interesting to see how those

players cope and how quickly they It is all square. The pub quiz

series has so far provided more laughs than evidence of snooker

The next round is called catchphrase. There are pictures to

do with snooker. Because of all the whingeing from this table, they

have now got their own sheets. Could you put your glasses on first.

We are three sheets it to the wind. Is that good? It is fine now.

write down what those things are. It will be snookered technology. I

will not help you. How many of you are taking part in the World

Snooker tournament? I shall be talking about it. John, are you

playing? I will be listening to Dennis. Are you playing? I will try.

Apology for the loss of subtitles for 57 seconds

There is not much between the two teams. Everything to play for. Can

we have a cheer from the rest of We have got some people from

Northern Ireland over here. All Just over halfway. You are not

allowed to eat your own food, so they have swapped sand which is. --

We are letting Steve do the writing It is virtually impossible. Not

many to go on this sheet. Not many We are into the last 30 seconds.

10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, four, three, two, one. Can I have your papers,

please? Let's see how well we have done. At the end of the round,

Apology for the loss of subtitles for 57 seconds

which was reasonably difficult, Excuse me, our man put in slow

cloth. Thick nap, slow cloth. could not think of another word.

Apology for the loss of subtitles for 57 seconds

Let's see how well we have done. It is tight. The DJs score seven. It

is 75-78. There are only three in it. Take away them 20 questions

about Steve Davis' and we would be 10 in front by now. How exciting is

that? One more day to go in this fantastic pub quiz series. That is

tomorrow and not much to choose between the two teams. Many members

of the BBC snooker team also fancy themselves as golfers. So when it

rolled into town, we were not short of volunteers. Every year at

Sheffield City Council come up with ideas how to incorporate snooker

and other sports. Last year it was street soccer. This year it is

snooker and golf and we have two great exponents of both, Dennis

Taylor and Stephen Hendry. One has played many times on the golf

course and one who announced his retirement yesterday. Let's see how

they are getting on. So I got a Now we see why he has retired! I'm

surprised he is going this far, because he cannot normally see that

far. Keep your head down, tennis. Not bad, that was close. -- Dennis.

It is not as easy as it looks, is it? Clean the ball. A nice easy

black for Stephen Hendry. He has left it hanging. What a match.

good. Has it been fun? The same time tomorrow? I think I will get

one of those in my living room. If it had been a bit warmer, I would

have jumped into water, just to celebrate victory. It is not easy

to be Dennis on a black ball. keep bringing that up. What a

surprise, Stephen Hendry comes out on top. I am surprised to see

Dennis smiling because he had a big game on the golf course. Dennis

Taylor get a lot of beatings on the golf course when he comes up here.

By you? Not this year, but I thrashed him a lot last year. The

second semi-final is taking place It has been very frustrating the

past few years, being out of the top 16. It is very pleasing to get

back to the semi-final again. It has been very tough, but I have

been working hard and it is starting to pay off now. When I

turned professional at 17 there were no pressures. I got up to the

top more or less and got into finals and semi-finals all the time.

I suppose you take things for granted and think you are going to

be there together. Then you see other players come along and smash

you off the table and it is tough. You fall out of the top 16 and you

have to graft hard. That is what I have done and it is extra special

when you drop out and come back in. It shows you are mentally strong

and you can compete with the younger ones of today. To play

Ronnie in any tournament is special. To play him in Sheffield in the

semi-final of the World Championships, it is going to be

very exciting. I have never played him at the Crucible before. I know

what to expect, he can come out and win four frames in 20 minutes. But

also I could do the same to him. I am more than capable. It is what

you dream of growing up, practising all these years. To win the title

would be a dream, but there are two matches to go. I have been in this

situation five or six times now, the semi-finals. At the end of the

day, it is nice to be back in the semi-final. I was favourite end

that took 1005 final. Maybe there was a little bit of pressure. Now I

am in the semi-final and I am not expected to win. It is different to

what it was seven years ago. I am more than capable of winning a

title. I have been here before and I know what to expect. Hopefully,

Ronnie has dominated their matches over the last few years. However,

Matthew has the pedigree to provide serious concerns for fans of Ronnie

O'Sullivan. Matthew is proof that it is not just Hallett you need,

you need a bit of application. He has applied himself well. He is on

the up as far as Borg is concerned. As we all know in the game, he is

one talented players to have ever held a cue and sometimes people do

not understand that, but we know. He has got that talent, something

people have said about Stephen Maguire, but he has not converted

it into that titles. Yes, he was unlucky in one of the finals and he

played Mark Williams when he came back from way behind to beat him.

But he has won a UK Championship and if you can win that, you can do

well in the World Championships. He is very capable. Matthew has been

missing from the very top for a few years, does that make you more

determined when you get that opportunity in another final?

may well do. You may be more mature as a player and be able to take

things properly coming into it. He was very close to winning it when

he played against Joe Murphy. He may have missed his best chance up.

He has got a tough opponent in the next semi-final. Yes, he has. Let's

find out what some of the professionals think of The Captain.

Ali Carter is a great player and he has done brilliantly and he has had

it a lot harder than the rest of us. He is very solid. He has suffered a

lot. He has made a maximum at the Crucible. On his day he is a match

for anyone. For he is one of the best strikers of the ball.

attitude can let him down sometimes. When he is on form, he is a great

player to watch. Great cue action. He is there to do her job. He is

not a great mixer. There is nothing stopping him from winning if he can

believe in himself a bit more. Carter, one of the best strikers of

the ball in the game and the same could be said of his opponent,

Stephen Maguire, in the semi-final of the World Championship. The

players are out for the next four frames. It is currently two apiece.

We joined Stephen and John. JOHN VIRGO: Very interesting first four

frames. Both players struggling in the first two. It was Ali Carter

who got the bit between his teeth and he played the last two frames

really well. He has settled in. Can We expect so much of the long

potting. Particular it with That was his first long pot missed.

The balcony is for the player's guests. Peter Ebdon is on the right.

He is in Ali Carter's corner. His experience and mental approach to

the game helps. STEPHEN HENDRY: In his career his one weakness has

been his temperament, his attitude. It has not been as good as it could

be. If there is one man who can tell you to give 100%, it is Peter

Ebdon. You had to scrape people like Peter Ebdon off the table!

Great determination. Just wondering whether Stephen is going to be

tempted by this red to the right You find that in matches, when one

player starts missing, the other player starts missing and the game

goes scrappy. Then when one player wins at one visit, it tends to

He has got a nice angle on the green if he chooses to go into the

He just did not get into it. That He looked perfect on the green and

he will be disappointed he missed the cannon. It has been declared a

I think that was quite an negative safety shot. I think he should have

We have got a complete contrast. We have got one man in Ali Carter who

has a no-risk policy, even though he played well in the last two

frames, and Stephen looked prepared to take anything on. It will be

Apology for the loss of subtitles for 57 seconds

interesting to see how this match A terrific pot. But it was never

going to be that easy to hold the That was an attacking shot and it

ran a little bit too far. He is going into the reds. He could not

avoid the kiss on the reds. It will still a braver black to take on. --

it was still a brave black to take He has got a bit of an angle on the

He did not hit the first red thick enough. When you have got an angle

like this, the white goes forward before the screw takes effect. He

did not have the angle to stun into A good, clean pot, but he has not

got control of the cue ball at the He is not happy with that. He is on

the red, but it is not the right potting angle to run through and

play for the black. A telephone has just run and somebody has said,

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

John. He can get frustrated with the game. But it is the best of 33

frames. It is taking him a little bit longer than his opponent at the

That was a terrific pot. If anyone was nodding off, that would have

woken them up. He could have been on something or nothing. Is he

going to play a baulk colour? DUP 21 there was his highest break

of the match so far. He is going to We have had a kick of the cue, now

we have had a rapport of Ditcheat. He is more than annoyed - and knock

The that was an excellent shot from Ali Carter. I would be a little bit

concerned if I was Stephen Maguire, knocking the cue there. But it

If you caught the cue on the wooden part of the cushion, you could put

a dent in your cue that would pass Ali Carter, well he was bringing

the other reds interplay. If he had played with less speed, there was

every chance he could have been on the black in the same pocket as the

red. He doesn't appear to be on anything that is very tempting. 20

Well, good cue ball, but the blue is out of commission, the green is

out of commission, the pink is tight on the side cushion. It is a

scrappy frame, unless Stephen knocks the same. - knocks this in.

He didn't have many alternatives but to play that. He wasn't far

Ali Carter is now getting he's cue through it nice and smooth,

That is something that Stephen Maguire has not settled into doing

and it shows. You can see the pot success there. If you are not 90 %

or above, you are not going to win many matches at this level. I'm

sure he will improve, but he has got to be a bit more patient, I

There is no doubt that Ali Carter looks the more positive, more

focused around the table. He looks in control of his emotions at the

moment while Stephen looks very It is always important in a match

as long as this, even if you have a bad session, try to limit the

That is a careless mess. He has had it so badly he has got nowhere near

or is intended position on the next He just can't control the cue ball

at the moment. He can't buy and positional shot at the moment. He

is spotting lots of good balls, but only single balls. She is just not

finding this week spot at all. - He has not covered the two reds,

although this is not a straightforward safety. He has to

He called that beautifully. That was a decent shot. - Court that

Apology for the loss of subtitles for 57 seconds

The another terrific plot. Is he on He played that well. He has just

got to be careful here, there is a one cushion escape, but I'll always

feel that when you're so close to the first cushioned it can be

difficult to gauge how it will react. If he doesn't get these reds

correctly, she will leave one on. - he will. He would like to hit the

right hand red. He could leave one on here. Well, the possibility of

his red to the corner, but so close to the cue ball I don't think you

Apology for the loss of subtitles for 57 seconds

That was a half-hearted attempt at Stephen just coming round to see it

because take on this red, what he would be leaving. I think the only

red he can leave is the one he will be playing. He has got quite a

comfortable safety shot he could In the end you do go for the pot,

thinking the only red she could leave is the one he played, and

that is exactly what has happened. I don't blame him for playing it,

but you never know. You never know where you will end up if you miss

He is struggling at the moment. He has spotted some terrific balls,

but get nothing for it. He is now struggling with his safety shots.

This red is pretty straight. He is not taking anything on that is

This looks pretty good to me! Stephen Maguire is in a bit of

trouble now. Peter Ebdon seem to That was hit and hope. The red can

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

the pot, whether he is hampered or He is saying to Stephen Maguire,

well, I didn't fancy playing for the pot, so you have a go. I think

I think Stephen Maguire tapped the table there in quite a sarcastic

way. I don't think it was a tap saying good shot! This is a lot

more difficult done the shot that Ali Carter refused as it wasn't

that hyped to the red. - and that height to the red. - that hates to

Apology for the loss of subtitles for 57 seconds

the red. Has she covered the red? He had to claim that what a little

bit of speed to get position on the I thought he was going to trying

get that red in, but, again, choosing the more cautious approach.

From the first couple of shots in this match, you just get the

feeling that Ali Carter has a game plan. I think 95 % of professionals

would have taken that on. But they are not in the semi-final of the

World Championship, John. Correct. It is not all about potting balls.

That is what Ali Carter said in his press conference about beating Judd

Trump. He is trying to frustrate him, somewhat. Stephen is

frustrated. He doesn't want to present Stephen with the easy

chances. Stephen is almost prepared to take on anything. Perhaps the

approach from Ali Carter is the Good clean pots. Perfect on the

green. Ali Carter at the moment is four points behind. It will not be

an easy run to the winning line in this frame. This cream will put him

one point behind. - This green. The awkward blue is the obvious

She could choose to play the red cure to the green, hopefully

leaving an angle to play a cannon on the blue and leave himself on

Apology for the loss of subtitles for 57 seconds

If he catches the blue as he wants to to develop its, he will not have

a close position on the brown. There is even a danger of him

snookering himself on the ground. - on the brown. He has played it and

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

to do anything for position as the blue is there, ready and waiting.

So, whatever his strategy is in this match, it is coming to

fruition, as he has been in control in this frame, as he was in the two

frames before the mid-session interval. He is 16 points in front,

Perfect! APPLAUSE.

That is the best shot of the match You can't call and miss because we

are in the snookers required stage. That is why Ali Carter played at

that pace, so if he did miss it, he did not be leaving it on as an easy

Good speed on the white ball stops Ali Carter from having a go at the

Where is this cue ball going?! Well, would you believe it? Would you

believe it's! We have a new Well, at tricky black to play. If

he can play this keen without having to avoid an inch off would

Because he played it slowly, he has So, there is scared that Ali Carter

had when Stephen Maguire needed a snooker, and what a snooker he got.

Ali Carter goes ahead. Back couple of friends into the

match, we were saying that Ali Carter look to bit irritated.

Knight, Stephen Maguire looks like the person he has not enjoying it.

It is nightmare snooker for Stephen Maguire. He was given a lifeline

with some fantastic shots, but at this level to waste an opportunity

where a very pottable pink to get on the black. This speed up the

table has messed everybody up. It is very scrappy. A horrible session

for both players, what ever player comes out in front at the end of

this session will think, forget about it, let's start again.

someone had said to me that Stephen Maguire's highest break his 21, I

wouldn't have believed that. He could have been in front with a

hybrid the 21! Is this a battle of patients? It is a tough part of the

two weeks that both players have got to get through. When you are

winning the scrappy frames, most players, Ronnie O'Sullivan doesn't

like to win scrappy frames, it affects him, but most players if

they win the frame they don't care if it has been scrappy if you win

it. But if you use the scrappy frames, it can be awful. Maguire

needs to win a frame in one visit here just to settle into the match.

It will be in the back of your mind that few have since - that you

haven't done that. Peter Ebdon is an Ali Carter's corner. It is great

to have a world champion in your JOHN: Ali Carter will be very

relieved to have won this last Terrific plot! - pot! But brown is

What a lift Ali Carter would have got them getting away with that

last frame. He must have thought he It was all brought about by the

poor positional shot off the red. I didn't expect him to miss it, he

was concerned about getting position on the next red and he

took his eye off the pot. He didn't seem to play it with any great

Ali Carter is a much better player when he is more positive, going for

Peter Ebdon is in his corner. Maybe that is the type of thing that

Peter has been saying, don't take too many unnecessary risks. But at

this level trying to win the match just by forcing your opponent into

making a mistake... at the moment it is working. Is it at the cost of

Apology for the loss of subtitles for 57 seconds

He might be just on the black. Or That was a nice shot, but he is a

bit unlucky. It was a very thin cut on the black. He needs to make the

He didn't want to touch on the yellow, but it has not done too

This is probably the first time in the World Championships that

Stephen Maguire has had to dig deep. In the last match, he had it all

If you want to win the World Championship you're not going to

have it all your own way all the time. These are the times when you

Slightly hampered by the pink. The match time is just over two hours.

Stephen has an opportunity year, but as I said, he's just hampered

by the pink. He is not going to be It is one of those where he was

slightly hampered by the pink. I think, in the end, he may have

played for the pink. If he could have got his hand on the table he

could have stunned it a little bit more. It is his choice. It would

not be mine. That is a great pot. Tremendous shot. Maybe born out of

frustration, whatever, it still had That blue was a fantastic shot. You

could see how frustrated he was that he did not have an easy colour

A lot of pressure on this blue. If he misses this there is a good

chance he could go 4-2 behind. This makes him strong favourite to level

the match at 3-3. John Parrott was Saint in the studio -- was saying

in the studio that he could win a frame in one visit. But it looked

as if he was getting near to do it, but after that tremendous shot on

the blue, it looks like his friend now. -- frame now. 63 ahead, 51

The frame is well and truly over, And he may still do, give himself a

Terrific shot. Not ideal on green or brown, but it would be a good

shot to get good position on the yellow. Well, he had to use a lot

of pace to get it in. He will be disappointed he did not make the

century but he will be happy with the way he played that frame and

that blue was top-drawer. Stephen Maguire will be feeling all lot

better having levelled at 3-3. -- a whole lot better. One of the best

players we have got on the tour. Aggressive when he needs to be, he

knows when to push the button, tactically very clever. He has got

an all-round great game as all great players have. He set the

standard for myself, Shaun Murphy, Mark's will be, those players

coming through. -- Mark Selby. does it all the time. He is a great

player. He is short-tempered, banging the table when he gets

frustrated about himself, but I like that. He enjoys life. He is a

good guy to be around. He is destined to win the World

Championship one day because he is Ali Carter gets frame seven under

way. This is developing into a very interesting match. Ali Carter is

playing an no-risk policy and Stephen Maguire looks as if he is

prepared to take anything on. That was close. Is the blue going to

come to his rescue? It has. But there may be another red, the one

to the right of the cluster to the right corner. He expected to pot

that. Risky, going back to ball. He didn't even attempt it. -- back to

baulk. You have two different types of game being played and that is

going to make it a very interesting match. Ali Carter is going on the

defensive. Stephen Maguire can only get stronger. He has not played

well so far in this match, although he won the last frame, but sooner

or later, these long balls are I think you have a strategy in the

match, it is OK, but Stephen commit more purposeful and attacking, and

Ali Carter seems to have gone back And that can happen at any time.

Stephen has potted a good long red, but has just not got to the right

side of the blue. There is a red available if he rolls the blue in.

I don't think he can play for the black, the pink is tied up, it is

important that he gets a good angle He hit that nicely. He has quite a

big angle on the blue. He needs to kill the pace on the white, if

He could not have played that any better. He caught the pink full in

the face, to stop the cue ball and the middle of the table. And if you

do not get anything from that you are very unlucky. He could have

wished for something easier than this, this red is pottable but

difficult. He was able to control There is a possibility if he judges

this right that he could offer the black to the opposite corner. He

caught the second red a bit too thick. He has the pink to the left

middle he has got to be careful. It is all about getting a good line, a

That is why he stunned it in. Really caught the brown, -- near

Lee caught the brown. Nothing a straight forward. -- nothing is

He wants to play the red that is beneath the pink into the right

centre and needs to cannon to get The red that is directly below the

red he wants to pot, if he cannons that, he leaves himself of a chance

of the pink to left centre. If he catches Idbury could be snookered

on the pink and black with nowhere to go. -- catches it a bit thinner.

He tried to nudge it over but he caught it too thin, and that is

what happens. He just covered himself. His composure takes a

little bit of a knock again. He bangs his head. In the last frame

he potted a tremendous blue. That is not an option this time. He

cannot get through to the potting He slumps back in his seat,

disappointed. It can be a frustrating game at the best of

This looks a good line. That is a pretty good shot from Ali Carter. I

thought he had the line to snooker Stephen behind the yellow, but that

is not so. He is taking this on. Strange, this. He seems determined

to make things happen. Ali Carter is prepared to sit back and let

things happen, if you see what I And don't you think, Stephen, but

if Stephen Maguire is going to go for that type of shot, it will only

encourage Ali Carter to stick to his game plan? Absolutely. He will

think, why do I need to take a risk when my opponent is going to keep

He played it with an element of safety, screwing the white back,

but it was still a very attacking The only problem with Ali Carter's

approach is if Stephen starts potting everything. No one has ever

done that. You have come closer few times, but I would not rely on that

as a weapon. There are enough reds in the open for Ali Carter to win

Apology for the loss of subtitles for 57 seconds

this frame. Without having to do He will be disappointed with that

shot. Just a little bit of adrenalin there. Just concentrate

on pushing the cue through, straight. He got into it too much.

He was purposely trying to get high on the pink to stun across to the

two reds. Now he has to go round two cushions. Did not have to do

much with the white there, just had to concentrate 100% on getting the

pot. He looks straight on this red. It is not too difficult. I know

that it is near the side cushion but he does not have to do much

with the cue ball, just the weight on it, when he drops this red. Then,

the black to the opposite corner This black will put him 23 points

in front. With the two reds and the open the high value colours will be

enough to get to the snookers required stage. Just a quick glance

at the scoreboard, red, pink, red, black would be enough. He could

play for the black here as well. This black puts him 31 points in

Another red and a black, he will be 39 points in front with 35

remaining. Fairly well ahead at the Of course, he will be wary of the

frame that he should have lost when Stephen Maguire needed one snooker.

Similar circumstances. Stephen will be regretting that rash red that he

played. Ali Carter needs the black for the frame but he would like to

develop the last red. In goes the frame black. Just about developed

the red, to the extent that he will take it on. One snooker at the

moment needed, for Stephen Maguire to tie. If he pots this red,

Stephen will not bother coming back to the table. But not quite there.

Stephen Maguire still just about in 39 behind, 35 remaining, four-point

snooker to tie. One there is your snooker, although he may be able to

swerve. Going across the table like this, it can be missed. He has hit

it, he has potted it, has he? Unbelievable. That is frame over. A

few people and the audience saw the funny side of that. I don't think

Stephen Maguire of it. Stephen will not bother coming back to the table.

Frustration there, from Stephen Maguire, handing that chance to Ali

Carter. Ali Carter is now back in There was a moment of rashness from

Stephen Maguire. He has been playing aggressively all the way

through this tournament. Yes, one minute you're in foul stroke and

the shot is the right shot, and another time in the game when you

have not been firing on all cylinders it becomes the wrong shot.

That is the fascinating thing about snooker. There is a points

consideration, the score line, even more so. And what is the right shot

at one time can become questionable. Analysing that, in your own game as

a player, that is something you never always get right. We have

seen the first seven frames of the semi-final. How much is it the

cloth and how much is it the players? It is hard fought at the

minute. Neither of them has really settled down. Jamie Jones, who

played relieved when the championship to get over the line,

he looked as if he was going to win easier than that and he had to get

through the mill to get over the line at the end. I think he just

needs the have a cut over in this match to start off with and he is

going about it the right weight. Stephen Maguire has not really

settled down yet. They have played a lot of snooker to get this far in

the event and, all of a sudden, looking at the semi-final, it is

four sessions, and it is something that you can be overawed by,

knowing that you have got a match I don't know whether Ali Carter can

just get past the green. Any break for shot that does not leave a pot

Carrying on from what Steve Davis was saying, I always thought when

you started the semi-final that you are only halfway through the

tournament because the semi-final and the final are so long, the

Good pot. Is he on a colour? It needs to run. Not for the first

time, good pot, disappointed not to be on one. When you look at the

number of frames, you have got a 23 frames semi-final, 35 frame final.

How many matches and frames have Fantastic, aggressive, positional

He looks to be a little straight on the green and on the yellow. We

know that he is going to attack. I think I heard Stephen said that

it was a bad contact. The cue ball didn't come back immediately. Yeah,

you can see the jumper. Keen eat that was going to take the speed

out of the cue ball. Will he play Just looking back at the blue he

pottered. People might say, wasn't that rash? The thing was, he gave

that thought. We looked at the situation for and look at the two

reds. The shot that he played in the frame before, he just went

bored and in think about the There was method in his madness

with a blue, John. And you played I think Stephen Maguire would be

pleased if at the end of the He will have to have another go at

Apology for the loss of subtitles for 57 seconds

That is the line. The referee has You would never get this in

football, were due? As Scottish referee in the game between

Scotland and England. No, you wouldn't! He is a good referee. It

is a big moment for Leo, refereeing If he has not left anything, he has

I think the red might be on, but maybe it is to strip. He can't get

He has got control of this frame at the moment with the safety

exchanges. One good pot can turn that around. Stephen Maguire is a

competitor and he will realise the importance of this frame, even

though it days still the first session. He wants - he won't want

to go to frames behind if he can That was a really good safety shot

there. There is the chance of a pot which could give him position on

He could play a safety of that red and possibly get the cue ball back

to the baulk end. Would he be tempted by the pot into the right

Stephen Maguire realises the importance of this frame. He just

needs to get it safe, if that is He caught it much too thin. It

Apology for the loss of subtitles for 57 seconds

looks as though he has got away It was a good effort. If he has

covered the red near the yellow, he There is a straight red on here.

But it is not the type of ball that he has been to tempt bike so far in

Apology for the loss of subtitles for 57 seconds

I think he may have left the path here to a red double go into this

That is unlucky. To play at that speed beat the pot very difficult.

He was playing at that speed because he was trying to cannoned

into the other reds. This is what you would called the banana shot.

The top-spin brings it back, the cue ball. At the Manor. - Kade the

manner. We have been talking all day about the strategy of Ali

Carter, the no risk snooker. He has played some good safety shots and

now she's - he has got in with the That is the sort of shot that you

play in an exhibition, to spin at He has not played the best

positional shot there. It is easy He has just got to be careful of

that red near the left-hand cushion. He couldn't get the ideal potting

angle on the red. He could have done if he had played to roll it

through, but he was far more confident playing the blue, and I

understand that. He just has a little bit to do with the cue ball

He wouldn't have wanted to put the pink sea. That makes the break a

It looks like he is going to have to concentrate on the blue. It will

be very difficult to win the frame He is going to need some of these

I can't believe you play to cannon on the black. I don't think he was

This is the type of shot, but saying this done you will make the

shock more difficult. - a shot. You need to fully commit on these. Well,

he has played it well. Playing with this done makes it difficult, but

every credits. He couldn't have played at any better. - it any

34 points in the lead with a possible 67 remaining. He will need

He was concentrating so much in finding the gap between the colours

he missed the pot. It is not a bad lead for him considering what the

balls are. The only thing is about playing this shot it is a little

bit risky and the way things have run for Stephen so far, he could

pots with the reds, bring the reds into play and end up on nothing.

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That is not beyond the realms of Would you believe it's? Would you

believe it! Stephen Maguire can't believe it! A controlled swerve,

you won't see one better, and he is So, red and black to go 49 points

in front with just 43 remaining. Where did that that come from? -

that gap? You can't cater for great shots, and that can always happen

Stephen Maguire will resign himself to the fact that he is going to be

two frames behind. I think this will be very interesting, this

match. Two very interesting characters, different characters.

So, Ali Carter is edging it, and I would say deservedly so. That is

the first of four sessions. A tough session for both players.

Ali Carter has performed in the same sort of manner as Peter Ebdon

might have done. The idea of the exercise is to win. He may well

have thought to date that I'm going to have to have a good start just

to get a foothold. He has got to to hold - at two-frame lead. There was

an absolutely marvellous were shot. There is a little bit of luck

involved here. He hopes that if he connect with their rent it will go

safe. The bonus of potting it was massive. The shot that he played

there, years of understanding how a ball is going to react. He just

said at the right amount and let the cue ball do the work. This side

was still on when he potted it. You couldn't have asked for any better.

This is an awful session for Stephen Maguire. He will be really

disappointed with things. It wasn't necessarily his fault, it is just

the way things go. The one thing both if you said was that it is 33

frames and there were only two frames in it. If you wake up of the

morning of the semi-final you think, I have got 17 frames to win! Being

on the only table in the crystal balls lend itself to different

kinds of pressure that you might not have faced up until this point

of the tournament. You are centre- stage, which is marvellous. You can

strut around like a peacock if it is going well. Strangely, if things

start to go wrong, you have got to be strong-minded not to think a

wonder how this looks to the crowd. Is this entertaining? I should be

doing better than this. Those type of thought she had to eradicate.

They can creep in. It is Ali Carter with the advantage. A reminder that

coming up on Sunday, a special programme on Barry Hearn. There are

certain times when you look in the mirror and say to yourself, you are

pretty good, the troll - the shoulders go back and you feel good.

If Barry was jockeyed, he would eat himself. He is great at making you

feel good about yourself. doesn't care what our opinions are

about most things. He came from a council estate and he has built his

life up from nothing. Pound-for- pound he has delivered more

excitement to the punter in the street than any other promoter.

Don't start looking over your shoulder and saying I should have

done it, do it or shut up. We are going to show you how Ronnie

O'Sullivan made it into the last four. Ronnie first appeared here

nearly two decades ago. I have always dreamed of playing at

Sheffield. It was on the telly. I remember it then. There were good

memories of me playing at Sheffield in the early days because I wasn't

playing very well so we never really enjoyed it. I still don't

get massive enjoyment out of it, it is more endurance. Everybody wants

to be world champion, so you just have to go for it. It is a nicer

remit, 900 people in it. Sheffield is not a fantastic tournament, it

is just the World Championships and everybody wants to be world

champion. You can't afford to be too emotional about it. People like

you to get emotional and talk about this and that, but you can't afford

that. You are there to be professional and try and put that

aside into which you have got to do. I think about the history of game,

but not about the place. Joe Davis was the first real class snooker

player to come along. To look at the history of this you go in that

way, he won 20 world titles. Ray Reardon, Steve Davis, Stephen

Hendry. I have looked at their history and what people have

achieved, but not just because it was the Crucible. I missed the pink

on the 147 against Stephen Hendry, that was one of my worst moments. I

could have done with the �170,000. The best moments have to be winning

One day I am sure Ronnie will say he has done all right here. He was

up against Neil Robertson and let nine frames to seven after two

sessions. We will pick up with Ronnie at the table, trailing by a

THIEF: I thought that was very risky. He could have played side

cushion very slowly. Agreed, A wonderful chance for Neil

Robertson. He would have been hoping for this opportunity in the

first frame. You can never complain if you get a good chance, and this

Apology for the loss of subtitles for 57 seconds

is a good chance. He is obviously Too many choices? The key thing

here is either getting the pink or black on its spot, then it should

It would think he will take the black on, because it is hampered. -

Apology for the loss of subtitles for 57 seconds

He has to be careful when he pots this black that he does not cover

the red over the corner. He has a chance now because the balls are in

Just noticed Neil Robertson shaking his head. He likes to kind of

reshape his cue tip from time to He could have left his extension in

the dressing room. Looking to one of his friends in the box there to

go and fetch it. That shows you how nervous he is. You would expect him

to be well prepared coming into the He had a short with the rest.

Perhaps he would have been happier with the extension on the end of

Ronnie acknowledges defeat in that frame, I'll be up there was only 52

points in it. Neil Robertson gets a frame back -- back and the board,