Day 6 Snooker: World Championship

Good afternoon. Welcome to the Crucible in Sheffield. When you

stage a major sporting event in a working theatre like this, there is

always the danger that things will not go to script. That has been the

case in this World Snooker Championship. No fewer than eight

of the top 16 seats in the event have been shown the exit door. That

equals the record -- record set 20 years ago for a first round

casualties. Must be something in This was the year that snooker went

This was the year that snooker went back to work. The players started

playing proper tournament and we've seen the standard increase along

the way as well. Looks like another seed is going to bite the dust... A

famous victory for the Welsh man! Andrew Higginson to go all that was

thrown at him. Where is the cue ball going? What a way to lose!

came here with high hopes of playing well. He put me under

pressure. Jamie Jones it goes through to the last 16. I saw two

reds that I would get every day of the week. I have never felt

pressure like it. I thought he handled his debut remarkably well

and for a better than I did 10 years ago when I played Hendry and

got beaten. Rain continues to miss balls by quite some margin... --

Graeme. Joe Perry marches on. players -- we see players the game

without knocking out big seats. -- we see players knocking out the big

seeds. That is it now. David Gilbert's biggest win of his career.

When you finally get to play them, you probably lose 3 excitement.

That probably takes away the fear factor. There is only one Stephen

Hendry! Stephen Hendry comes out and what a fine player he's delays.

What is your take on plenty of seeds being out? There are a couple

of reasons. All of these qualifiers are playing top seeds in the top 16.

They are coming up against them and beating them. The fear factor is

not as great as it used to be. Also, when the top 16 play here it is

very nervous. Also take into consideration, there may be a

possibility that they are playing a lot of matches. Some of these guys

could have played up to 100 matches before be get to the Crucible.

Sometimes they might have been playing too much and they are not

as fresh as they should be coming into the World Championship. We

will have to wait and see. Ryan Day made a point that qualifiers are so

close and that is making them short. Before you ask, 1992, when it seeds

went out in the first round, that was a record situation. John

Parrott was not one of them. He reached the quarter finals that

year. It was Steve Davis who went out early in the first round.

went out to Peter Ebdon. He sent the home in the first week. -- he

sent me home. We are going to concentrate on today's action.

Today combines the last of the first round action with the start

of the second round matches. This is Howard the draw is shaping up.

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Joe Perry should be fresh after It has been five years since

Matthew Stevens last made it this We have still to find out who will

Exciting times. At least two qualifiers guaranteed to be in the

quarter finals this year. Now, we come to the second round. The first

round, some of the favourites are not out. They are always fearful of

going home early. We are now into the phase where they are predators

come to the forefront. -- where the predators. Everybody is looking

forward to the Scottish legends match. It is incredible that in 16

years they have never faced one another in here. They are big names

and one is going to go wide. Also, the potential for Mark Williams if

he wins this afternoon to play Ronnie O'Sullivan, another big name.

They have got 16 World Championships between them. The

opportunity for some of the lower ranked players to go a long way.

This is the afternoon then you... - - the menu.

We begin with the a Gilberto. into the last 16 and facing Neil

Robertson. He has looked menacingly confidence so far. After a rotten

season, Ali Carter looks to have rediscovered some zest. He is

aiming to finish things off against Mark Davis. He has a battle on his

hands if he is to overturn his deficit this afternoon.

We are back down to the local later for a quiz and some banter with the

boys. We will meet a budding schoolboy

artist whose snooker themed exhibition was opened last night by

a World Championship. What a turnaround in fortunes for

it David Gilbert. He had a bit of a hard time the last 12 months. He

freely admits he took it for granted and dropped off the main

tour this time last year. That was the kick up the backside he needed,

he says, and he went to the qualifying school, we gained his

card and has not looked back since. -- re-gained. He is back in the

last 16 at the Crucible. Getting through to the second round of the

tournament means a lot to me. I really wanted to win the first game

and be part of the tournament proper. The World Championship so

far has been a roller-coaster ride. At the qualifiers I could have lost

my first two games. You could see the excitement at the end. That was

the best balls I have had. -- the best buns. Last time I qualified I

was probably a bit excited. I have been on telly a few times and I'm

getting used to the cameras. I am trying not provide about them and

what is going on around me so much. I think I qualified and probably

did not play for another six weeks. In between, I was helping my dad

who is a farming contractor. That was good fun. I call myself a

professional snooker player now. Five years ago, I was in the top 40

and looking like going up. I never told anybody but I played snooker

or called myself a professional. I was doing all right. I would spend

more time working and playing snooker. Now, it is just complete

snooker. I do not do any work at all. My next opponent is the

Robertson from Down Under. I have never played him before. Obviously

he is a favourite and has probably played his best snooker this season.

His record is second to none. I know I am a massive underdog. I am

certainly not bothered by that. I hope to play well in the first

session and stick with its and as long as the match goes on, you

never know. -- stick with it. David is waiting back stage for his

big moment, as are the other three players. Let's get on with it.

There is the only one man for the job, Rob Walker.

Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. It goes up and not today

as the first round match is finished and the battle for the

quarter finals begin in our midst. -- earnest. Let's get on with it,

shall we? APPLAUSE.

Please welcome a player who first appeared in 1994. He is on the

verge of rejoining the top 16. Wisely has been to the second round.

He is also the winner of the Masters qualifying events, Mark

APPLAUSE. And his opponents, the player

making his 10th consecutive appearance at the Crucible. His

most memorable campaign with a 147 on route to the final. They call

him their captain, Ali Carter! -- The Captain.

On table number two, please welcome a player in uncharted territory. In

his second appearance at the Crucible, his first time through to

the last 16. Beating Martin Gould on Sunday after qualifying through

APPLAUSE. And his opponents, making his

eighth appearance at the Crucible for a 4th quarter final, a player

with a superb Championship record. He took the big one here two years

ago, the reigning Masters champion, the thunder from Down Under, Neil

Robertson. -- Thunder from Down APPLAUSE.

We will be diving between tables this afternoon. Right now we will

concentrate on this one, the first of the second round matches. It is

the best-of- 25 frames and it is the first of recessions. -- three

sessions. Good afternoon. Neil Robertson,

playing a little tune as he rubs his damp cough -- Clough down his

cue. A big day for Gilbert. He knows he is playing one of the best

players in the world. The most important thing in these situations,

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REFEREE: Foul and a miss. I think David Gilbert has found some pride

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in his game, to call himself a Not easy to get into the pack. He

He may have snookered himself on all of the reds. When you have to

go off two cushions there is not a lot of 4th left off the cue ball. -

Good line and length on that safety shot. When Robertson comes to the

table he will find himself Potential banana-skin of an escape

here... Even if he just laze on to the pack of reds, there is the

opportunity to just leave one on. Taking time to work out the best

If you hit the wrong red, you can't get through and eight is a case of

whether you try and play it safe down the right hand side or left-

hand side. -- it is the case. You are not guaranteed to not leave a

REFEREE: Foul and a miss. With that shot, if you are close to

the kitchen you cannot play it with You could not get much closer than

that without hitting it. He does not want to hit the red it too

thick. OK, I do not think he has He will not be pleased with that.

He should have been able to judge the rebound over the corner. This

For all of a young players, 2000, 2002, he fell off the tour and had

a difficult start to his career. The first time I ever saw him he

was just a potter, he had nothing else. In the years since that he is

one of the best all-round players in the game at the moment. If at

first you don't succeed, keep The white still had backspin soap

span through the back of the pack. -- so it. Very thin cut if he

decides to take this on. He might In it goes. Is he on a colour? Not

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In the old days, that was called a REFEREE: Foul and a miss.

The player can use the first Adjusted well, he looks to have

Any shot from Robertson to try and pot a ball here is a risk. But then

cut into the right hand corner, apart from being not guaranteed,

you do not know where the cue ball is going. -- the thin cut. It is

He could have done a better job of that. That is not a good shot. He

was so concerned about the red he played, knocking it over from the

left corner, he has not played a He did not get the pot. You feel

like Gilbert needs to take those Gilbert has got to get position on

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the black. He has got to hit this He needs a good position on the

blue from us, that would help. -- from this. That looks inch-perfect

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That is right, just compose yourself. He nearly missed this and

he knows it. That is why he is taking some time over the next shot.

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He now has a realistic winning Gilbert is keeping himself under

control. He is very quick. A little

straighter on this black than I would have liked. That was the

He has played that well, just a cannon nicely to finish on the pink.

This pink and one more red and me Robertson, world number three, will

Would you believe it? I cannot believe that entered his mind but

he cannot afford to miss shots like that. What a pity! This is that

most high profile match of Dave Gilbert's professional career and

he will not be feeling so good. You know with a player might Robertson,

every chance he will clear up. -- a Just seeing where he wants to leave

the cue ball. He has got to remove the pink. This will be a body blow,

even early on, for Dave Gilbert. If he wins the frame you can maybe

forget about the missed pink. If he loses it, it will be very hard to

The only saving grace I can see is that Roberts and his left handed

and will have to play the red down the cushion. It is pretty close so

There is probably a police work Robertson can't reach over and

leave himself a cut on the cushion. I would not say that is inch-

He had to guarantee the angle on the blue, of course, but he could

And that is what made it missable. He played it with a bit of side,

which made it more difficult. This will cut, I think, into the right

He just needs this red and a colour to clinch the frame. It is much

more difficult than the pink, but he will be pleased to get another

You would be wondering why he did not play it to the far-right, but

if you have one like that, hit it as thin as you can. You must pot it.

It did not go in and he was not far away. He was probably fearful of

That looked like a good safety shot from Neil Robertson. That slowed up

more than I thought. I think the Last night, it was definitely

difficult to judge. Hopefully, they He did not play that. I am not sure

whether he will settle for that or not. He has given Neil Robertson a

I think the path for the cue ball Dave Gilbert has a 26 point lead,

but you would feel it is a one It is always risky to send it

towards a pocket. He felt confident he would get the yellow. Covering

That was a nice flick on three blue. This is a good chance for Dave

Gilbert to try to use the brown, blue, pink and black and stun in

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behind the baulk colours. He has The red is over the middle, but can

Dave Gilbert get past the yellow? He will not be winning the frame,

if you like, in style, because he missed opportunities, but he can

Apart from the pink he has missed, he has cued smoothly. If you hit it

too hard, you give less chance for the balls to go in the pocket and

they do start bouncing. If you hit smoothly, it keeps the cue ball on

There is a long way to go. You So the world number three, Neil

Robertson, loses the first frame. David Gilbert, apart from missing

the pink, did not do a lot wrong. HAZEL IRVINE: A confident booster

for Dave Gilbert. This is the biggest day of his career. What do

you know about in? I played him once as a professional. In the

qualifiers, he dropped off the tour and got back on. He is very capable.

He beat Fergal O'Brien, and I heard from him he was probably among the

top five performances as he has been a professional and he has

played against top players so that his great words the Dave Gilbert. I

have not seen much of him but he is a capable player. He gets on with

it when he gets in. He will be loving it today. A mistake that

John Virgo picked up on, but very encouraging for him he can put it

behind him. He will be nervous. As much as he will enjoy it. If you

can cut down the misses, it is important for Neil Robertson --

Dave Gilbert not to let Neil Robertson run away with the match.

Get some frames under his belt and JOHN VIRGO: Neil Robertson breaks

off in frame two. He did not have much of a chance in the first frame.

He had one decent chance. But he was unable to develop the reds into

a frame-winning position. He will If you miss that shot, hit it on

the thin side. On the thick side, it means the cue ball does not go

A little bit careless to kiss the brown. If he has a nice angle, he

can still bring the cue ball to this end. He is checking to see if

the red to the right of the black will go to the left corner. If it

That was very nicely judged. That was all about pace. Until you have

settled down in a match, those The red to the right will go, I

think. The reason he did not play at that time, it is one of those

you want to be nicely behind it. I thank it will go. He has an angle

on the blue and he could go into He played the cannon. Well, that

worked out nicely. He has removed That could not have worked out

I think at the moment the black is not available to I've the pocket.

Until he clears those corner pockets, not the best chance just

yet. -- the pocket. He will try to generate enough power while

bridging over the reds to get up He might be able to sneak this red

Well, he took more time than I Steady Eddie Charlton would not

That was a clever shot. Guaranteeing position on a red into

the corner, which will open up the That was a nice judgement of pace

and the correct side of the blue. That takes the aggravation out of a

break, not having to go in and out Many different ways to go about

break-building. In a situation like this, some are slightly more

So far, Neil Robertson has not put That was not quite as played, but

he still has a choice of reds. He has work to do with the cue ball to

guarantee a nice position on a He could not have played that

better. You would expect him to -- to win the frame at this visit. No

doubt he has arrived in Sheffield with the game in order. Plenty of

practice. He is the type of player, it appears to me, that builds

himself up for the bigger and longer events. It suits his game,

as well. He won the Masters. That was a tremendous performance. One

of the great matches when he beat Judd Trump in the semi-finals. He

came here last year as defending champion. He lost out to Judd Trump.

At the time, it seemed like a surprise. But the way Judd carried

on throughout the tournament, he has scores to settle. The

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Australian mentality, they do not The pink will put him 68 in front

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A pity, not to see a century, but that was more than enough. Neil

Robertson has showing Dave Gilbert that he is given a chance and he

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We had some nice music there. It had us rocking and rolling in the

That was a decent break-off shot. Anything that does not leave the

pot on nowadays is regarded as aid decent break off. -- a decent break

That was an excellent reply. That is what you get with Neil Robertson.

You get the full package. 80 he is a good break-builder and tactician

That was a good shot from Dave Gilbert. He knows that is the type

of safety he will have to produce to keep Neil Robertson at bay. He

Hawkeye is showing us... Well, there is a chance of a pot. He is

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not playing it, just up and down. 80 amateur into the middle pocket -

Neil Robertson has the possibility of long reds into the corner. At

least one. I am not too sure he As long as he left the cue ball

tight under the baulk cushion, you cannot just play the red. He is

Reverse psychology. Play safe up to Neil Robertson is having a look to

see if there is a path past the Now, has he left it? The fact that

Dave Gilbert is coming round means it is on. Very close to the pot.

Running the loose, you never know Those are never certain, for some

reason. You think it would be an easier shot than potting the ball,

but it is not. It did not really look lined up. It was amazing. If

that ball had not been over the pocket and he was playing the pot,

I am sure he would have got closer. Rattling the jaws, enough to knock

it in. I am sure the striking area is the same. The margin of error is

roughly the same. You do not feel The black goes on the spot and then

covers itself with the reds, so Neil Robertson is trying to clear

He could not play for the red you mentioned a few moments ago, but I

agree with you, the first chance he gets, get the red to the left of

the black. He needs a good angle on If the black is potted, it will be

He feels that something put him off slightly. A bit of noise coming

from somewhere. Some squeaking, apparently. It is not a pocket, is

it?! If I had been quicker, I would It is 16 minutes since Dave Gilbert

potted a ball and it will be a bit longer. But, a decent safety. That

is the thing about this game, if the other man is potting balls, you

It looks like a spot of bother for Neil Robertson, suddenly, is he

honestly lining up the two ball plant and screwing back to the

baulk area?! Is that really an option? Certainly not for me. But

he has as much if not more cue That is what he was trying to do

with top spin, getting the cue ball back down the table, but the red

stopped that. I do not think he has The first red just stayed there.

That is what he caught on the way back. Lucky not to leave anything.

Just a safety left for Dave Gilbert. That was a big slice of luck. Dave

Gilbert has and particularly played A mid-range shot for Dave Gilbert

That was a nice pot. He is on the blue. He looked at the yellow, but

maybe the blue is the best shot to play. He could cannon into the pink

and maybe bring it into play. He needs a high value colour other

There is always the chance you get the black into play. I would

Just as he was about to hit the ball, a big cheer came from the

other side of the Crucible and, well, and betting money on that

I remember once I played here, I think it was Cliff Thorburn, signed

-- and the other side of the war Terry Griffiths was playing Alex

Higgins. Alex made three centuries. He must have played a shot that

thrilled everybody and I swear, I was stretching over for an

important shot and my heart stopped beating for a split second. It is a

shock. You are not expecting it. You concentrate on your shot, and

Alex Higgins could create atmosphere in this venue. You are

aware of what is happening on the other table, but you cannot see it.

We had an experiment in the UK Championship this year which most

players thought was OK, and that was to have a partition, but not a

low one, -- but a low one, so you could see the other players. The

Barbican in York has more floorspace. It is a bit intimate

here for having no real partition. You still have the noise but you

might have awareness of where they were in the frame. Looks like a

stalemate here. This is going Robinson does want to keep going. -

- Robert SEN. It is going to be a There was no solution to that. When

you get a red at the baulk end, you're not going to resolve it. The

applause that we heard from the other side of the table meant that

that session finished, so it is a chance for the wall to be lifted

and the two players will have their concentration are not affected by

noise. Certainly, the crowd on the other side will be able to see this.

The Crucible Theatre does change as an venue. -- a venue. We have two

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tables it is cramped, but once it That is a tough shot. When you miss

it by bad for you get the double- kiss and you lose the red. -- by

Well, he just played that right shot and it just went off line by

the time he reached the red and He totally committed himself to the

positional pot as well as the shot. There is now a chance for a Gilbert

If you can get the correct position on the black from this red he might

Normally you think off the blue is the best way to go into the perk --

the pack but the pink just makes it a little bit more difficult. First

of all, you need a good angle on the blue. Maybe, that red that has

just separated will be available. Precise positional shot will be

needed, though. He has played it Once again, not the ideal angle to

It would be nice for Dave Gilbert's confidence if he could make a break

He has got enough of an angle to go into the reds but he needs some

Because he was having to force it, he probably did not get into the

reds he would have liked. He did not release many but he can keep it

going with the red to the right Good shot! That was an excellent

I think he is just low enough done the table to keep position on the

Those three reds on the left hand side, I know it might seem negative

to say, but this is the biggest match he has ever played in his

life so every single bet that takes a bit of pressure off is an

advantage. -- every single thing. He can win with the four reds in

the middle of the table, he does In his interview at the start he

intimated that he would want to keep in touch with Robertson, as if

he had, or would, settle for 4-4 We are applying best of 25. Two

sessions of eight and one final That will be the test of his

That is this frame so not now, 75 points in front with 67 remaining.

That's a pity. I thought he was going to make a century but he will

be happy with 76. Robert since stays in his seat, and Gilbert

leads. -- Robertson. Tell me what changes in the second

round. We have had the race to 10 but the fact that we are in three

sessions, how does that change the approach? It does not change it

very much. What you do is look at every ball of the time and every

frame. It is longer to play but it does not ensure approach. Upped as

long as you do not lose anything you will be fine. If you can win,

brilliant, but try not to lose. Does it suit the more experienced

player? He has obviously gone through the situation. It obviously

suits the more experienced player, particularly the top players.

Gilbert will be completely out of his comfort zone. Bed is a new

experience for him. He would never have experienced this before in a

competitive match. He has got to settle him well and take each

session as he will. If he can get an lead it will give him a lot of

confidence. He started off very calm me. He looks very assured when

he gets in amongst the balls. have played him once? I but he was

very talented. When he first started he was widely inconsistent.

I did not think he had an all round game when I played him meant but

there is nothing better for focusing ban losing your card, then

winning and coming back. -- man losing your card. He is practising

and playing for a better. Robertson has not settled into it yet.

Able to play the safety shot back to the baulk end. Yes, I would

think it Gilbert is very pleased. - - think that Gilbert. Yes, he

nearly threw one away, but apart from that, he is looking confident.

I am glad he has worked the mistakes out of his memory. He did

not get enough side spend and caught the blue a big thing, but he

does not look to have done too much damage. -- he did not get enough

side spin and caught the blue a bit That was a very good safety shot.

He cannot played and the right hand side table. -- he cannot play ate

Will he risk playing ace work? hard to swerve with the cue ball so

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close to the cushion. Excellent Once again, can he just get past

the pink? Another terrific reply, excellent safety shot. This time

there is not an easy path back to baulk. Neil Robertson may be forced

Obviously, there is a pot on the red but no guarantee of any

position. He would like a chance to get back down the table. I think he

is looking at your mind! --! He has got! -- he has got it! What a shot

And that is why Steve Davis was six There is a tempter into the middle

right, I think. Or perhaps not, You would have wanted that cue ball

tight against the baulk cushion. The safety shot not difficult. He

is looking at the line. I do not know if this red from the pink goes

to the left corner or whether he feels he can play the pot. I think

he can miss the pink and get back There is a plant on here. It plant

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and a shot to nothing at the same This will be some shot from

Robertson to pop this red and get on a colour. -- pot this red. He

will need masses of top-spin. I do He was making certain that he

Good pot on the yellow, he did not mean a kiss on the blue. That has

spawned things somewhat. -- sport things. That is why he is such a

dangerous player. There are not many balls on the table he cannot

pot. He is looking at a long screwed back to safety. -- screw

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Still, a difficult opportunity. White might -- He will do well to

make 30 points here. If the pink goes, into the left corner, he will

certainly have the pink but they were. -- to play with. And it does

go. He did not play at that time. It looks like the pink spot is

available. He is asking for the cue ball to be cleaned, he is not happy

with the reaction. Dave Gilbert has got a nice and deft touch. I have

not seen him playing a great deal over the years. He strikes the ball

for me. I would imagine he is very good at judging the pace of a shot.

We know that from the safety he has already played. He is nicely on the

It is not too bad and there are one or two loose reds. He is straight

on this. If he screws back. -- if he screws back he will not have the

He needs a good angle on the pink and he has not quite got it. He

needed it to be another six inches I'm not certain what is available

now. They seem to be covering one Trying to make something happen,

using pace. That is what through the pink completely off line. It

It is a very acute angle to come into the middle pocket for the red.

Guaranteed to be on the black. He has to trust the at the table runs

It went in. He breathed a sigh of relief, although he was -- as

though he was disappointed. I He was not bad on the black. Black

only available to the right corner. I do not think he is perfect on the

red to stay on the black. But he has the blue in the vicinity that

he could use. For a left-hander, if he can get across to the side of

the table, pot the blue and smash into the reds. This is a chance to

Six inches shy of pace for certain. Now a change of plan. He would have

been wanting to be closer to the cushion. He could have split the

I think he has spotted something. He suddenly found a spring in his

No. He spotted something else that goes. Regardless, it is not an

ideal situation to try to win the frame in one visit as it would have

been if he were closer to the cushion. Coming up the table for

the blue and using that is split open the balls. In potting this,

you wonder if he opens up something else. There is not much of a gap. I

think he convinced himself. Once he has cleared that red, I am sure

there is one that will go to the These are horrible shots. To adjust

the potting angle on the red, the Yes. He played that really well.

Really, really well. He is not perfect on the blue, but he will

settle for that. He has to get the cue ball in and out of the baulk

end, but he is playing the green anyway. I do not blame him. He does

not have to avoid anything if he pots that. Now he is playing the

It was made easier by virtue of the facts about the green was not on

its spot. He can consider himself unlucky by not disturbing the reds

further apart. There is still some He left the cue ball closer to the

cushion than he would have liked. He has to play for the red closest

Always remembering that the black is only available to the right

corner pocket. He has a nice angle I thought by catching the near jaw,

that would have dropped. I do not think it should have dropped. There

will be cries of buckets everywhere in snooker clubs! That is what they

think. They were drawing towards the top cushion a bit, I cannot

remember on which table. Perhaps It makes the table easier.

Particularly when they go in of jaw. He looks as if he can snick this

It looks as if it is on. Does he know about billiards!? It looks

If you played it with more pace you could throw it wider. He has to

play a safety shot that clears the pocket. If he does not choose to be

aggressive, it is a containing And what a shot! He worked on the

principle that if he dig there at the black would cover the path to

the to open reds -- did that. did not even look as if he

considered that option to start with. It is a great strike. A if

you give it enough thought, inspiration can come into you, into

your mind. The us is a marvellous chance. -- and this is. I do not

suppose anybody predicted this. Just the start he would be looking

for. He knows he is playing one of the best players in the world. That

can relax you. You get the feeling that only your best will be good

enough. That is not the point, you still have to produce, and he has

done in these first four frames. The only frame Neil Robertson had a

good chance that, with a break of But for a few snookers, it will be

3-1. In fact, four snookers are required. Four point snookers, that

Neil Robertson missed a chance in the first frame. Perhaps a

positional mistake in this one. And he is staring 3-1 in the face. This

That was a big target. Both players are trying to see if there is a gap.

I think there is. That is amazing. How do you find a gap like that? If

he past brown... He might have not Field problem, can you get it safe?

I am certain if Dave Gilbert knocks the red in, we will be going to the

dressing room for the mid-session interval. Very interesting. We have

had good potting, good break- building and excellent safety. And

a safety escape from my fellow commentator Steve Davis that will

go down in the annals. It is the best shot I have played in this

year's World Championship! Better A the brown did not matter. That is

enough for Neil Robertson. The world number three is in a spot of

bother. 3-1 Dave Gilbert. HAZEL IRVINE: There is a spring in

the step of Dave Gilbert. No wonder. An excellent performance. A he has

done well. It is so important to get a good start. Sometimes, when

you have got played somebody, it is not a bad thing. You do not know

what to expect. The when you think about how he dispatched Martin

Gould, he grew in confidence. The way he punched the air, it showed a

big breakthrough in the first match. The biggest match of his career.

This is the second biggest. Probably bigger. He is calm and

composed and he is playing great safety. He is matching Neil

Robertson, who is a top-class safety player. He does not seem to

be nervous. That is important for Dave Gilbert. You can look at this

red. He worked it out very well. And a fantastic pot. Screwing off

the cushion to finish on the black. Look at the cue ball, he was my

leaving anything if he missed that. He is thinking clearly. That was a

crafty Ken Doherty shot. Just in case you are wondering if Ken

Doherty got dressed in the dark this morning, he has to different

shoes on. It is this special day in Ireland for a charity I am involved

in. It is to raise money for young adults suffering from mental

illness. Everybody involved in this day, thank you for your support.

You have to wear mismatched shoes or funky shoes. A lovely cause. You

are looking daft for a reason! And we talk about Ali Carter lot. At

the UK Championship, you might remember when he told us he was

thinking about retiring. He announced this on his Twitter

account. He said his health was a big issue "and with my Crohn's

disease, and all the travelling and going abroad all the time, it seems

to make it more difficult to control." we are not sure what his

plans are, but this is what he told us recently. It is a problem I have

had for ten years. The severity comes and goes. I have had it quite

bad. When I habit at its worst, it bad. When I habit at its worst, it

bad. When I habit at its worst, it makes me feel really tired. Anyone

who has it knows. If you have not got it, you cannot explain it. I

deal with it the best I can and I have never used it as an excuse. I

talked about retiring because at the time it makes you feel

depressed. And the travelling. It was not agreeing with me. I was

going through a bad patch and thinking I did not want to do it

any more. I thought nobody was forcing me to do it and so why not

not do it? I want to get my health right. It was great to see Ali

Carter finding form. He had not got past the last 16 until he went to

China. He looked sharp in his first session against Mark Davis last

night. That is a welcome return to form because he has struggled.

spoke to him this morning. He said he has been in good health for a

change. He has worked hard and practised before he came here and

feels happy with his game. What do you make of the way he has handled

this condition? He has never used it as an excuse. That is admirable.

It is easy to use something like that as an excuse. He has tried to

cope with it as best as possible. Friends of mine suffer from the

same disease and it is tiring, particularly when you -- when you

are travelling. But hats off, he has never complained about it. He

has got on with it and tried to deal with it. We saw a good return

to form in the opening session against Mark -- Mark Davis. He came

back this afternoon needing two more frames. It went 9-2 in Ali

Carter's favour. Now we will see Carter's favour. Now we will see

number 12 with Willie Thorne and DENNIS TAYLOR: The pink is out of

WILLIE THORNE: The black will be available to both corners. He'd

like to get on to the one left of his hand. He will probably have to

Apology for the loss of subtitles for 41 seconds

He is one shot away from making this nice, once he gets on to the

black. Play the cannon on any of those three reds above the black.

Then he is in a position where he In five minutes' time, Ali Carter

It is a nice position to be in, leading 9-2 and being in amongst

the balls. Not a lot of pressure on you. You can keep control of the

He enjoys playing at the Crucible. He did not get to the Crucible for

the first six years. But his record over the last five or six years,

second round, semi-final, losing to A final against Ronnie O'Sullivan

2008. Quarter-final the year before. So, he likes to play at the

Crucible. In it is one of those places. I never settled playing at

the Crucible. You obviously really liked it having been in a couple of

finals. It is special. It would be a retrograde step to take it away

from here. Every player will tell you that when they turn

professional their ambition is to become world champion and they want

Can you remember your first opponent? In 1977? Off the top of

my head, I cannot. I lost to Cliff Thorburn in the semi-final. I

cannot remember what I did yesterday! It is an age thing.

Meanwhile, he is a few pots away It is nice if you can clinch a

match in style. The top players seemed to be able to do that. He

I doubt whether Mark Davis would come back to the table. A tough

couple of days for Mark Davis. It is a shame he was not well

yesterday, but it is one of those things. And look at that. It would

be wonderful to make a century and finish in style. Our sponsor

Betfred.com is giving �200 to the chosen charity of the Association,

it is a children's Hospice. If he had not cannoned a pink, he would

almost certainly have made a He will have to take the blue. We

That was a great shot. He is He has made 19 centuries at the

The average for top 16 players is about 21. He is a view behind. I am

sure he will catch up in this tournament. -- that is a few behind.

On 139th century of his career. Coming in the deciding frame, that

Very impressive. He has not been What a match we will have on

Saturday evening. Ali Carter against Judd Trump, who by Saturday

will be back to full health. He had food poisoning also but managed to

beat Dominic Dale in those circumstances. He might have to go

around the table here if he is going to make a total clearance.

That is another way of doing it! I wonder if he attempted that. He is

feeling pretty good. What a way to finish.

APPLAUSE You have to feel sorry for Mark Davis, but a great performance

from Ali Carter. 10-1.

10-1. 10-1.

I beg your pardon, 10-2. HAZEL IRVINE: Willie Thorne asked

Dennis who he first played at the Crucible. It was Perrie Mans. We

are interested in that match, Ali Carter, congratulations. You have

struggled but it is good to see you back in form. That was a convincing

win. What turned it around? I have been on an exclusion diet. I have

cut-out eating wheat completely. That is a nightmare. It is in

everything. It does not happen overnight, but it has given me a

new lease of life. Health issues we have discussed. We respect you

because you have never used it as an excuse. How difficult is it to

manage? This season, I have had a nightmare of experience, feeling

tired on a daily basis. Not getting your cue out of the case and doing

-- or doing half-an-hour of practice. But this past four weeks

I have practised two or three hours a day, which is enough and more

than I have done for one year or so. The pressure is off. I feel I have

the shackles off. My 16 spot has gone unless I win it back. I will

have a crack at Judd Trump and see what happens. Before we talk about

that match, we know the problems you suffered made use several times

say you cannot take any more and you have had enough and you were

going to retire. When he's down now? Is in December, I was in a bad

place at my health -- where do you stand? I spoke to Jason Ferguson

about taking a sabbatical. He said he would represent me with the

board in doing that. I have been in constant touch with my consultant.

He said obviously something is affecting year and you have to do

the exclusion diet. It has everything under the sun you cannot

eat. What do you eat? Over the last few years I found that dairy

affected me. I had cut that out anyway. And now bread, that sort of

thing, you cannot grab a sandwich. You have to be prepared. When you

go to China and have to order food, it takes about an hour to get the

order going and when it comes it is wrong. You are going down the route

of Peter Ebdon, and his vegan diet? No. I like my food. I want to get

myself feeling better. You say the 16 spot has gone but you played

good stuff. The longer matches have suited you. You have got a thing

you have a chance. I think I have a bit of a chance. I have played well.

I made a century in the last frame, which I was pleased to do. I have

been to the final and semi-finals here. I know what it is about. If I

can use experience. A you are looking forward to playing Judd

Trump. Yes. The heat is on him. I am hitting the ball reasonably well.

What is your record against in? played him in a PTC this year and I

beat him 4-3. But that is totally different. I think he has beaten me

a couple of times. I do not think I What do you make of the way he

plays? He was so exciting to watch last year. Are you aware of his

potential or do you just play the balls? He plays a very open game.

He is very confident and he smashes the balls everywhere. More often

than not, they go in the right places. When he has a few defeats

from winning positions, a few battle scars, things start to get

more difficult. I have felt those things, like we all have. You start

thinking more which is the worst possible thing you can do. Judd

Trump, I would say he is not thinking too much about it at the

moment. It would be interesting to see what happens when the run comes

to an end. It might not. I hope for him it doesn't. You cannot keep

knocking in the balls that he is knocking in, in my opinion. He it

is absolutely to ref it to see you looking and sounding so great.

are off for lunch now. What is it going to be? Bananas? Apples?

the water! Thank you for coming. But we go to the first of the

second round matches. It is Dave Gilbert with the surprise 3-1

Dave Gilbert has just broken off He has snookered Neil Robertson on

all of the reds, I think. Just a case of coming off the side cushion

and rolling into the side of the cluster. Hawkeye confirms our first

impression. You would not expect The reason why Dave Gilbert did not

try to get down the table there, he sacrificed the tactical advantage.

Not too much damage is going to be done with the pack this tight

Another excellent safety shot. His safety has been absolutely

Whenever you avoid the baulk colours, you know it will be

reasonably good. He just missed the pink. He would like a touch in

Apology for the loss of subtitles for 41 seconds

baulk here. He has got it. A nice There was a red that went towards

the right corner pocket. Excellent length and direction on the cue

ball. Dave cannot get through to the pottable red. The green

Because the red was in such a dangerous position, he could not

risk trying to get the cue ball back to the baulk end. An easy shot

for Neil Robertson to clear the red from the pocket. But then he will

not put his opponent under pressure. Has he seen something else? The

chance of a safety shot to keep the red over the corner? But a bit of

heat on his opponent? If he found the right spot, he would have the

blue and the yellow to cover the red. So often these days, it is all

about potting position. A lot of the modern-day players, for them,

safety is overrated. They have not told these two today. There has

been some great stuff. Absolutely. Looking at the possibility here of

a three ball macro plant. Four ball It was smack on! John, if that was

on the for Neil Robertson played his safety shot, it was a big

mistake. My memory is not good enough for that. Was it there?

think it was probably nudged into that position because he played the

safety of that side of the reds. When he got the plant, he got the

pump in the middle pocket. Sometimes it can be helpful. That

time he would have wished he could do without it. He had enough pace

in the cue ball to come in and out Once again, found the area covering

the path to the right corner. You asked the question, Steve, let us

have a look. That is what made the It would appear that Neil Robertson

has actually got Dave Gilbert in a He is going to be leading a ball

into the middle pocket. He gets the perfect kiss on the red. Still

going to leave the ball macro into the middle pocket but it is a

little bit more missable than if he could have got a bit more of a cue

Has he got away with it?! There is a red to the right corner back goes.

It has certainly opened this frame up. Up until now, Dave Gilbert has

kept Neil Robertson under wraps, hasn't he, John? That does not

happen often. He has played some He is just about on the green. He

knew that was going to kiss off the second red. He knew the most

important part of the shot was a knock to miss the pot. -- not to

miss the pot. He has got a missable green here in one respect. It

depends how he decides to play the positional part. If he puts power

into the shot, it is missable. The pink does help. Very rarely do you

see Neil Robertson role one. Very nicely struck, that was. Made that

A frame-winning chance, I think. A very early call. Not wrong, surely,

John? Tell me I am not wrong. We do get criticised for saying it

is a frame-winning chance but we look at it from the perspective of

the player at the table. Neil would be looking at this as an

Can he get through to the pink? I am surprised he played it like that.

I really am. He had a red to the opposite corner. I do not know what

he was thinking. It is no good me trying to second-guess. Maybe he

thought if he played the red to the right and played up for the pink,

the pink might go on the black spot and try things up. If he can get

That frame-winning chance you were talking about... Don't! He will be

very happy how he has gone about this. A couple of shots that seemed

to have been strained. I think he could have played the pink plain

ball and come up the table. Does it It did. But he is not good on the

colour. That could be end of break. He has got a very thin green. And a

very missable brown into the middle pocket, should he want to continue

the break. Surely the roll-up behind the pink gives it his

Even though Dave Gilbert is behind the pink in trouble, he will still

be quite pleased he has got back to the table. There is a chance he can

get out of trouble. Where is Do you like that, do you?! OK. I

think if he were to hit the red full ball, I do not think he would

I think the red goes in the middle. Creeping around. I think we can

just get enough of that red that is He does play those shots well, when

he is near the cushion. Another one he plays well, the deep screw back

with sides then. That widened the angle of the cushion. -- with side

spend. To try to get as far up the He is OK. The green darts is not

available but the only other spot is available is the yellow. That

does not interfere with the reds at this end. This is a second decent

He would like to be on the black. The pink spot is now in the open.

The black going on the pink spot would not be a problem whatsoever.

It is available into both corner It has to be said, another frame-

It would appear that normal service has been resumed. Neil into his

stride. They're very confident pace around the table. -- a very

confident. I always feel that he fancies potting every ball on the

table. He has a bit of a strut He thought long and hard about the

angle he wanted to look on the black for off stop I assume he is

exactly where he wants to be. They He did not play that kiss. But it

is not too bad as it turns out. He has left himself a straight red to

the left middle. He will settle for that. The problem is that... He

could play for the yellow. He is 47 in front. He decided to go for the

black. I said he could play for the yellow, because even though it

would get tied up with the green, he can win the frame quite

comfortably with these reds that 63 points in front with just 59

remaining. Maybe the reason he did not play for the yellow, he did not

want to tie it up two small -- to spot the chance for a century. I

know that is thinking a little bit Nothing Dave macro can do here. --

nothing Dave can do here. He was in trouble and trapped. He did not

managed to escape from the snooker This needs a slight angle on the

black to stun across for the red. He did not screwed back far enough

on the blue. Once again, he is very good of the cushion, playing with

pace. There is an example. Is it going to be hard enough? He may be

snookered when the blue is respotted. He might just be able to

sneak the yellow in. It is immaterial, the frame is well and

truly over. But he would like to make a century, if he could. There

is every chance he will. Unlucky to not miss the kiss on the pink. As I

say,... It was a foul. That was an excellent contribution from Neil

Robertson. Always in control of The bustle of the packets of sweets.

The only time you can open them, in between the frames. I remember one

time playing in a final and a lady next Jimmy opened a packet of mints.

I said, give one to me. That happened yesterday. Someone came

down in between friends and offered Mark Williams a sweet. That is the

charm of it. Not so charming when you have to play him is Neil

Robertson from a technical perspective. You did play him in

the first round. Surrey. He watched him, anyway. I know you are

slightly slanted in the way you viewed that match but how

impressive was the? He was very impressive. He has become more of a

complete player over the last few years and probably from watching

the others. He has become more tactically astute. His all round

game is a lot better. A few years ago before he started winning, he

was an all-out potter and break- builder. Now he is more of a

complete player. He has a really good safety game and takes more

care and attention and time. He knows his way around the table now.

I always thought he was a fantastic player and his long game is

terrific. The performance in the Masters was the one for me. He was

not at his best scoring wise but he never wasted a single shot. Every

shot had a purpose. He was a nightmare to play against. He was

very like John Higgins. That week he was going to be to ever played

against him. Ironically, it was Shaun Murphy beat in the final.

Shaun Murphy said exactly that. He thought he had batted the standard

of the all-round play back to John Higgins had the cheek. John Higgins

is as good at anyone who has ever You join us, Hazel, when I thought

he had snookered with that. But he could just squeezed past the yellow.

He knocked the red towards the corner. That was the only red he

could hit. If the brown comes to his rescue, you have got to say

that it was fortunate. Every credit for getting a good cue ball. If you

get the ball on the bottom cushion, those baulk colours do cover a fair

bit of the top part of the table. He did and he thought it was a

biggish pocket. In all honesty, I know the pace kept it out, but how

I do not know. A great attempt from Dave Gilbert. He should consider

himself very unfortunate that the I think Neil Robertson suspected he

would be going into the pack there and splitting them on -- splitting

them up and perhaps staying on the black. As it is, he has got second

best, I suppose. At least he is in Of all the places in all of the

world, he had to finish up there. He will be a little bit

disappointed. Just a couple of inches out on the positional side

of the shot. That is what stopped A chance to play an aggressive

safety off the side of the pack. He mishit that completely. The

first poor safety shot he has No real excuse. Hand on the table.

It just caught the first red much too thinly. That is why he cannoned

the blue. As you say, Steve, you can count them on one hand, the

poor safety shots he has played. It only takes one in a frame and it

No guarantees of position now for Oh, dear. That is a horrible

situation. Now what do you do? Red begging to be potted but a risky

colour. He will go for the yellow. He is one of the players that you

do not fancy mission. It is tough near the cushion. You just do not

fancy him missing those! A superb shot there. So important to be able

to knock those balls in. He did it positively as well. Got down very

Apology for the loss of subtitles for 41 seconds

It was so easy for that shot to He has a nice cannon to run into

the cluster. He will not do it with just the one loose red. I do not

see how he can refuse the opportunity. If he catches the top

red for in the face, he should be on that one. He played that with

more pace than I thought he would have done and now he is left with a

Against the cushion, it is not easy. I am surprised he played with so

much pace. I suppose he expected to That was wonderful. Wonderful play.

They are so difficult. When you are tight under the cushion like that.

As we have mentioned, particularly playing with pace. Just no problem.

He is an excellent striker of the I will not accuse you of after

timing as he only needed one more black. All right, I lost my

confidence a bit! We knew see Neil Robertson playing like this, this

is what is the worry for his opponent. And Dave Gilbert knows

that. He may not have played him but he would have watched him

enough times and he will know how good he is at potting and break-

building. You are sitting there when you leave him a chance,

thinking, I have lost the frame. There are not many balls you do not

expect him to pot. The initial yellow he potted to keep the break

going was superb. Here is an early shout for you. Neil Robertson 2012

world champion. Is that early enough for you? Yes. OK. That's

your opinion. I'll lot of people fancy him, in the snooker sense.

are always asked for our selections. I say if Ronnie O'Sullivan produces

the goods, he will take a world of beating. Judd Trump, they made him

favourite. Never discount John Higgins. The two I went for were

Neil Robertson, I thought he was a big contender. My other one went

out in the first round, Mark Allen. But this is a tremendous response.

He was 3-1 down against an opponent playing good snooker and keeping

him under wraps. He has come out after the interval and he is

APPLAUSE The 28th century of this year's championship.

And the 200 and the 11th of Neil Robertson's career. -- 211th.

harder to pick the winner of this or the Grand National? What -- I

would have to say the Grand National as I did not pick the

winner on. HAZEL IRVINE: That was some break.

John is shaking his head in disbelief. He went through the

gearbox seriously. The yellow he potted from the side cushion, that

was a test of your cueing. Another red from the side cushion. Both of

them went into the heart of the pocket. If Dave Gilbert can win one

of the next two, it will be good because Neil Robertson looks as if

he is on a roll. That is his 52nd century of the season. Mark Selby

has won 55. They reckon that is the best number of the season. It shows

how well he has been scoring. Not only is he a good potter and break-

builder, he made three centuries in a row in his first round match

against me. He is fluent among the balls. He hit them hard, even into

the middle. He punches the ball. You hear the beautiful sound when -

- it hits the back of the pocket. When he is in that mode, he is

tough to beat. Dave Gilbert had not really seen what he was like and he

has just found out. These next JOHN VIRGO: I cannot remember when

he has broken off and not left a pot off -- on in a break-off shot.

Every time Dave Gilbert has played safe he has not left anything. It

has caused Neil Robertson to hit that too thin. Can he get past the

blue, it could have been an early Just needed another role of the cue

ball and he would have been able to get through to it. The chance of a

thin snick. He has to be careful he He is getting bad luck. He is

getting so close. But they are staying there. It looks like he has

got away with it, but he has not. Neil Robertson could come off the

side cushion and pot the red. The only positional part of the shot

You would think he would play one Well... Maybe that is the secret.

Leave him a plant. His way was more guaranteed for position, I know

That rattled, but it dropped. can get this black. He has not had

much table time so he will have to play positively, screw into the

He played it just as you said. Considering he has not had much

table time in their two previous frames, only scoring five points,

that was an excellent shot. Can he make the most of this opportunity?

It is decent. The black is available to both corners. He did

You could see Neil Robertson in the background as he played the shot,

peering around. Were you a watcher of the other player and everything

happening on the table? All the time. Me-2. -- me, too. Keep

yourself involved and get an idea of what does go and what doesn't go.

Other players look at the floor and try to ignore what is happening on

If he were to win this frame, there is only one more frame to be played

in the sessions. Eight frames per session now. That is until you get

to the final session when you may need nine. If you can win this, you

will not be behind going into the second session. A couple more of

the loose reds in the pack. I'm not It is nice to have the red over the

yellow pocket as a last gasp He would like to be moving the pack

quite quickly. Unless there is He does not want to be straight. He

did not hit that hard enough. He might have got a kick. He got up

quickly. It was imperative to get a good angle on the black. Can we

detect a kick? Maybe. As you say, he has the red at the far end of

the table. But he is so straight on He is considering if he screws back.

Could he get in behind the red at this side of the table? It is one

reason why players do not like to leave a shot to smash into the pack

until the last chance, just in case He courted on the way up. He still

The best chances the black. -- is He had the perfect line. Just a

I think the black will cut. Is The first thing he has to do is

For a second, he was looking to screw into the reds. He is turning

that down now. He is not over the line with 45 points. Get the

colours say. Not the worst option. -- safe. He will be disappointed

not to have won the frame there and The two reds on the side cushion

and a green on the side cushion. Not necessarily any heroics from

Neil Robertson at the moment. He would like to change the position

of the balls before he starts to go An attacking safety shot from Neil

Robertson. The red just above the black will cut. It is thin. At

least if he hits it thin, he will not go near the red on the left-

Just a fraction too pacy. I say that, because as we have seen, he

is such a good potter, Neil Robertson. It puts pressure on you

to find the baulk cushion. With his hand on the table, you do not think

there is any ball he cannot pot. am not too sure he has a very good

safety shot. He has been presented with a long pot. He might decide to

He was undecided. He was about to play the shot. There is not a good

safety. The red he looked at on the left-hand side, if you play thin of

He might as well go for the long ball. He does not want to, but he

will have to. If you decide to go I was not looking, de rigueur in?!

The sound as it hit the back of the pocket -- did it go in? Marvellous.

I wonder if he can move the green It was risky. It was. It is OK, he

is on the red mangrove. I thought if he hit it full he could end up

They never cease to amaze us, these days, the clearances. But he would

do well to win the frame from this There was a ripple of applause from

the crowd. How well was that struck? A chance at the very least

Unfortunately, even though he collided with the green, he did not

It would be a bit of a clearance, There is a chance to remove the red

from the left-hand side cushion. No guarantee to be on the next red.

And he played it. And he knocked it on and that was as good as he could

have hoped for. There is one So far, this is fantastic. A chance

to shift the red from the side cushion and played position on the

red into the middle pocket, if he so wished. What a shot that would

I think it is on. Whether he plays it is another matter. Dave Gilbert

is just below the 90% with pot success, he wants to improve that a

little. Neil Robertson is on track. If he played that, it would have to

He has got it. The only problem is that he is close to the cushion.

But you see many times with Neil Robertson, being close to the

He is flying now. What a monstrous The only real problem, apart from a

tricky red along the top cushion, and they are the ones I consider

tricky. If they are not tight, just off the cushion, they can be missed.

Of course, the green is the big As John Parrott's suspected, --

suddenly he has moved up a few I was commentating on the other

table and they seemed tighter than A perfect shot here. Through the

gap. And the kip may have helped him. -- the clip. He might not have

been able to get on the green but now he's got the angle he could

And he missed it. How many times do we see that? Playing the cannon,

take your eyes off the pot. But it was a great break until then but it

is not a frame-winner. He had the chance to pot the yellow and get

behind the green and he decided on the more aggressive option of

trying to clear the green from the cushion. He had to put side spin on

APPLAUSE That shot was a bit of everything.

I do not know. Hawkeye is looking. Perhaps it's and separation between

them White and the green. -- I do not know about the swerve. If

you come off the side cushion, you have to hit it half-ball, as you

say, on the other side. Do not hit If you are going to hit it full,

hit it harder. But we are wise after the event. Neil Robertson

comes to the table with a ten-point lead, needing green, brown and the

He did not draw the cue back perfectly, but he struck the shot

so well. For a left-hander, this is Nicely on the blue. That will put

him 22 points in front with 13 The way the players sees it, he is

looking at what the break-ins. -- And that is the seventh frame him

they bag. Neil Robertson came out 3-1 behind, he is now one in front.

And he is playing well. It is April, it is Sheffield and

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HAZEL IRVINE: A fantastic response from Neil Robertson. Just when we

were complementing Dave Gilbert for getting into that frame.

opening red. There are jaws on the snooker table, but you would not

know at the moment. He is in trouble and he decided he had to

take the pot on. He could not keep this any better. And the sound of

it, straight into the middle of the pocket is beautiful. That was one

of several. He also played this pink. Most players would have

rolled in the black. Coming off the side rail, which is not easy.

Writing to the pocket. We talked about century breaks and how could

they make you feel, but that break to get back in, he missed the

yellow, but he won the frame. But that break was fantastic. Taking

reds of cushions. Brilliant. summed it up. John, you said

everything is like a rapier. When when Dave was losing position, I

said put your hand on the table. When you are playing somebody who

is left-handed, put the ball on the side cushion. There is so much to

think about. That is one element you have to consider. He was 3-1 up

and he will not know how he got so behind. He has played so well.

Against anybody else he would Dave Gilbert has got to win this

frame to draw level at the end of the first session. Much too thick

He has joined the big boys now at the Crucible Theatre and he has

done very well so far but it is new territory for Dave Gilbert. Feeling

the heat all of a sudden, even after a great session of snooker.

That is what it is like out there. Of course, John, a match that is

guaranteed free sessions over two days, that is a new experience if

you have never got this far before -- three sessions. Once one player

gets in full stride as Neil Robertson has here, you are sat in

your seat for a few frames and start to get disheartened and lose

a bit of rhythm. It is all with Neil Robertson at the moment. As a

little aside, this will be his He has got the loose red by the

blue. He can pot the black, split into the reds now. It is his choice.

He will not be happy with the position there. He wanted to be

very straight on the red. I thought he may have gone into them because

of the red being in the middle of the table... It was all reds and

black until then. He has got the perfect position you were talking

about, Steve, on the blue to smash into the pink and make the reds

come into play. He did not quite connect with the pack of reds

perfectly. Has he got an easy one? He did not connect with the pink

properly. You have got to hit the pink full in the face if you are

going to get the best effect and By the pink palace pot into the

right corner that would be the positive one to go for. That is the

It is going to take some shot to get on the black there. Just

looking at the end result of it, I thought he may get a cannon on the

left-hand side of the table. The black does go but it is a thin cut

and maybe not all of the pocket available. I think he is looking at

the baulk end looking for a way to play a good safety. He wants to be

as far over to the left as possible if he plays the safety down the

bottom of the table. If he does, if he could pot, as John Parrott would

say, put the brown on the side cushion, for the right hander to

have a problem. That may be the shot. A risky pot on the black.

Very risky. He does not need to play this shot on the black. He

I was surprised he took that on. I am not surprised he got it though.

Dear me. How is that for confidence?! Neil Robertson as we

speak is currently 9-2 second favourite for this event. What a

performance he has shown in this many session of snooker. Absolutely

taken the frame and the game by the scruff and made it his. Dave

Gilbert must be thinking, what has gone on here? It is the best I have

played for ages! Perhaps the has -- perhaps the best he has played. He

will not be displeased? No, he has got nothing to reproach himself for.

The last black that Neil Robertson played, I think you would be sat

there thinking, go on, take the To turn around this match from 3-1

behind at the interval in the way Aggressively as well. I think that

is a fair point. He has not clawed his way back into it. He has made

breaks of 84, 106. Dave Gilbert got in first in the last frame with a

break of 45. Neil replied with a 57. He just did not get the middle of

the pocket with that black. I am You get the feeling there is a

century break here. �200 going to the Children's Hospice. Company

macro very kindly paying up every time a century break his mate --

The commentator's curse there! That was the blue to keep the break

going. It keeps us interested if he I definitely think that he and drug

Trump -- Judd Trump are two of the cleanest potters in the game at the

moment. And they are prepared to take on the big shot. This

tournament is warming up nicely. We have got Ronnie O'Sullivan, John

Higgins still in the event. Stephen Hendry still in the event. And Judd

Trump and Neil Robertson in good shape. Another �200 for the charity.

What a marvellous break. People are clapping and smiling. That is a

smile of pleasure. He has given them some and these last four

frames. This is wonderful snooker. Or you could criticise him for here

is being woefully short of the highest break of the event so far.

I was concerned about the yellow because in cricket it is an unlucky

number for the Australians. He will be delighted with his performance

today. But Dave Gilbert should not be displeased. Every session is a

different one. Some spin on that! He put side on it and it reacted

Wonderful snooker. I agree with you, Steve, Dave Gilbert has to take it

on the chin and hope he does not play it as well this next session.

He has played very well today, every credit to the young man. But

he knows that whatever level he plays out, this man is going to be

hard to beat. A gentle roll... Get in! Unlucky. Absolutely marvellous

performance. That could have been the second highest break of the

tournament. He will not play, -- he will not care, Neil Robertson. Dave

Gilbert knows the standard you have got to get due to be a contender.

Neil Robertson finishes the session They will come back tomorrow

morning. Give me the adjective that best describes the latter part of

that session. Awesome. Absolutely awesome. By far the best session

played at this championship. Brilliant application. Every shot

went into the middle of the pocket. Dave Gilbert can be proud. He came

out of that 5-3. It was that good. Your assessment? From Dave

Gilbert's point of view, he probably would be happy with 5-3.

The way Neil Robertson has played, awesome stuff, as John said. He is

unstoppable. You cannot hide away. When everything is going clean into

the pocket. It is amazing. The best thing fought Dave Gilbert is that

it has finished. Honestly. He made a good response but let us get out

of there. If Neil Robertson had carried on, let us have a night off.

He was warming to it. Absolutely. Robinson has played so well but he

is still only two frames behind. That should give Dave Gilbert

comfort. I hope you enjoyed that at home. Fantastic top quality snooker

from Neil Robertson and Dave Gilbert. A great debut in the

second round from Dave Gilbert. Shall we lighten the mood a little