Day 8, Part 2

:00:42. > :00:47.Good afternoon. This second Saturday she read the World Snooker

:00:47. > :00:53.Championship. Big crowds here. A full house over in the Crucible.

:00:53. > :01:00.What an event or seven days! Half of the players went out in the

:01:00. > :01:05.first round, and the seeds all been bumped! We have had a maximum break

:01:05. > :01:10.and maximum controversy as well. A few of the title favourites remain

:01:10. > :01:18.on track for another championship. This afternoon in the Cristobal we

:01:18. > :01:26.have a caught it on show which has induced in our MC estate of

:01:26. > :01:36.stratospheric excitement! - A state. In 90 minutes time this arena will

:01:36. > :01:51.

:01:52. > :01:56.be packed for a simply sensational Table 1, the conclusion of John

:01:56. > :02:04.Higgins again Stephen Hendry, two of Scott and's all-time greats.

:02:04. > :02:13.Stephen Hendry, 36 event titles, seven times a winner here. At 147

:02:13. > :02:20.on Saturday. He is back. Absolutely fantastic! There is only one

:02:20. > :02:29.Stephen Hendry. John Higgins, 24 titles, three Cristobal grounds in

:02:29. > :02:32.the last five years. - Cristobal. Tabled to come at the start of

:02:32. > :02:39.Ronnie O'Sullivan against Mark Williams, arguably the finest that

:02:39. > :02:49.England and Wales have ever produced. Mark Williams, 18 titles,

:02:49. > :02:52.

:02:52. > :02:58.twice a world champion. One of the coolest left-handers in the game.

:02:58. > :03:04.Ronnie O'Sullivan, written off earlier this season, but he is back.

:03:04. > :03:09.Three times a king here at the Crucible. This is a piece of

:03:09. > :03:17.snooker history, the most decorated caught it of players ever to appear

:03:17. > :03:22.on the stage at the same time. For men, 16 world titles, 101 event

:03:22. > :03:28.victories, it is the best of the best and it is not to be based -

:03:28. > :03:34.not to be missed. Mark Williams and Ronnie O'Sullivan taking centre-

:03:34. > :03:40.stage today. Mark has a pretty appalling record against Ronnie

:03:40. > :03:45.O'Sullivan. Yes, Hants in a game where the other player is not

:03:45. > :03:51.really your enemy, it is the table and the Balts, it is unusual how

:03:51. > :03:58.that comes into play. Ronnie O'Sullivan is the best snooker

:03:58. > :04:03.artist we have ever had. Stephen Hendry was fantastic in the early

:04:03. > :04:09.session yesterday, then it was the huge turnaround in John Higgins

:04:09. > :04:16.came back. What ever writ was come at the session last night was not

:04:16. > :04:21.like John Higgins at all. He was a champion in 2011, but I don't think

:04:21. > :04:26.the name of John Higgins will be going in there this year.

:04:26. > :04:31.It is a match between Scotland's greatest-ever players. It is

:04:31. > :04:36.amazing to think that John Higgins said never played Stephen Hendry at

:04:36. > :04:43.the Crucible before now. Stephen Hendry is in sight of the finishing

:04:43. > :04:48.line. Ronnie O'Sullivan was the epitome of calm as he found his way

:04:48. > :04:56.past Peter Ebdon in the first round. Now she will tackle the most laid-

:04:56. > :05:02.back competitor in the game. This is their 35th match. Stephen

:05:02. > :05:12.Maguire is fired up again, five years after his run to the semi-

:05:12. > :05:14.

:05:14. > :05:20.finals. He needs three more frames against James Perry. Ryan Day will

:05:20. > :05:27.be playing Cao Yupeng. We will find out how snooker can help in the

:05:27. > :05:31.classroom. Sit up straight and Mr Davies will explain! What do you

:05:31. > :05:38.think about how this year's Championship is taking place? Let

:05:38. > :05:44.us know, please. For it so, that is what is coming up. When he arrived

:05:44. > :05:50.in Sheffield, Stephen Maguire was one of the men well fancied to have

:05:50. > :06:00.a run at this title. She has won a minor title and been a runner-up in

:06:00. > :06:01.

:06:02. > :06:06.two major once this season. Here is how his colleagues rate him now.

:06:06. > :06:12.One of the best players on tour. Aggressive when he needs to be. He

:06:12. > :06:18.knows when to push the button. Tactically, very clever. He has a

:06:18. > :06:24.great all-round game. He set the standard for myself, Shaun Murphy,

:06:24. > :06:29.Mark Selby, those players coming through. And very aggressive player

:06:29. > :06:35.around the table. Shows his emotions a lot. He tries to bully

:06:35. > :06:41.players. Short-tempered, banging tables. They get so frustrated. But

:06:41. > :06:48.I like that about him. Somebody you don't mind going for a drink with.

:06:48. > :06:58.He enjoys life. He is a good guide to be around. She is destined to

:06:58. > :07:06.

:07:06. > :07:12.win the World Championship one day figure on the tour for 20 years. In

:07:12. > :07:19.1999 keep beat Steve Davis on his debut. He made the highest break of

:07:19. > :07:29.the 2004 championships. He had a run to the semi-final in 2008. He

:07:29. > :07:34.

:07:34. > :07:44.found himself five frames to 11 Maguire needs two more frames for a

:07:44. > :07:55.

:07:56. > :08:05.place in the quarter-finals. This DENNIS TAYLOR: The middle pocket is

:08:06. > :08:10.

:08:10. > :08:20.not an option. That was a total Maybe he couldn't see enough of the

:08:20. > :08:23.

:08:23. > :08:29.left side cushion. A can only presume, was he playing the first

:08:29. > :08:39.read? It was either that or hitting at the other side to get it up to

:08:39. > :08:46.

:08:46. > :08:56.the baulk area. We will never know, He was trying to catch it and run

:08:56. > :09:03.

:09:03. > :09:13.He could have done with hitting that a little bit harder, but it

:09:13. > :09:31.

:09:31. > :09:38.At first I thought it was going to be the start that Joe Perry needed.

:09:38. > :09:48.He got a quick break in this frame and then broke down. That mistake

:09:48. > :09:50.

:09:50. > :10:00.could cost him the frame. These I'm not sure if the reds nearest

:10:00. > :10:02.

:10:02. > :10:08.the black king go into the corner. He is coming round to have a look.

:10:08. > :10:18.If she gets it in the right spot, he can get that. If she doesn't, he

:10:18. > :10:51.

:10:51. > :10:57.can get the one into the right He has it that miles too hard. -

:10:57. > :11:00.hits. He was a bit reluctant to play the cannon on to the three

:11:00. > :11:07.reds, which would have opened everything up, but didn't want to

:11:07. > :11:17.risk it. He over head that by quite a way. He has dropped on this quite

:11:17. > :11:49.

:11:50. > :11:53.comfortably, as you can see. Hang The are you surprised, like I am,

:11:54. > :11:58.that there are so many people who are out of form at this tournament

:11:58. > :12:04.when you consider how many matches they have played? Other players in

:12:04. > :12:08.to be in great form. It seems to be the players who are

:12:08. > :12:15.coming through the qualifiers. All the players are getting so much

:12:15. > :12:20.match practice now. The top players are not safe. The law players are

:12:20. > :12:26.coming through. Just look at Stephen Hendry, the way she has

:12:26. > :12:32.played. He had to go back playing in qualifiers, now back playing as

:12:32. > :12:36.well as I have ever seen him play. I am surprised that John Higgins, I

:12:36. > :12:42.don't know what has been happening with him. He hasn't been playing in

:12:42. > :12:47.that match at all. Is it too much with the final qualifying match

:12:47. > :12:53.just a week before the tournament? I think they have got a busy

:12:53. > :13:03.schedule anyway. When you get here it is uneven playing field. It does

:13:03. > :13:11.

:13:11. > :13:18.help the player coming through that I think she can still get the pink

:13:18. > :13:28.in. He could have finished a little bit better than this. It was just

:13:28. > :13:32.about the only case that was no good! It has put the black Sea if

:13:32. > :13:39.and the pink is very, very thin! You would have thought he was going

:13:39. > :13:46.to be on both colours! It is the case when you are struggling a bit,

:13:46. > :13:50.the ball start to run all awed. When you are in good form the balls

:13:50. > :14:00.end up in perfect conditions. That was about the best he could do from

:14:00. > :14:19.

:14:19. > :14:23.Good shot, that. Perfect angle to Only a couple of moments ago we

:14:23. > :14:33.were saying that Stephen Maguire had a great chance to win the frame,

:14:33. > :14:35.

:14:35. > :14:43.now Joe Perry has a fantastic If you can only get the pink of the

:14:43. > :14:53.last red bomb macro ideally, he would like the black, but he can't

:14:53. > :15:00.

:15:00. > :15:10.do that. If you could get the blue I think I would rather take the

:15:10. > :15:12.

:15:12. > :15:16.pink here. He has definitely got to get another red. If he had to take

:15:16. > :15:26.the pink, Stephen Maguire would only be able to tie. He must get on

:15:26. > :15:31.one of these reds. That'll do nicely! Thank you very much! What

:15:31. > :15:36.an excellent shot. There was precious little room to play that

:15:36. > :15:42.little cannon. But was an excellent shot. He deserves to win the frame

:15:42. > :15:52.because of that one shot, which she has done now. He judged it to

:15:52. > :16:19.

:16:19. > :16:23.I don't think he will worry too much about missing that. Stephen

:16:23. > :16:27.Maguire just not to the referee. That is the perfect start for Joe

:16:27. > :16:31.Perry. To middle Saturday here is always a

:16:31. > :16:39.good one to have tickets for. There was an extra attraction this

:16:39. > :16:48.morning. There was a much of the day here, when Brian Wright, a

:16:48. > :16:53.snooker fan of 20 years and his girlfriend was here. A year ago she

:16:53. > :17:01.met Lisa. Their first it was here at the Crucible so he thought this

:17:01. > :17:11.would be an appropriate venue to Ascot the question. Lisa, I want to

:17:11. > :17:16.share the rest of my life with you. You are amazing. Don't do it!

:17:16. > :17:26.are truly beautiful, you are my best friends and my soulmate. And I

:17:26. > :17:36.

:17:36. > :17:46.love you with all my heart. Lisa, Lisa it, we need you to just sit

:17:46. > :17:51.

:17:51. > :17:57.down. Just a filly in on the story. - Phil at you in on the story. We

:17:57. > :18:05.have been so excited about this. They had been it snooker fans for

:18:05. > :18:10.many, many years. They met in 2005 and had their first clinch a year

:18:10. > :18:20.ago at the Crucible. He has been walking round backstage like a cat

:18:20. > :18:31.

:18:31. > :18:36.on a Hot Tin roof. Brian, do the business! Go on, Brian!

:18:36. > :18:42.Congratulations to Brian and Lisa. A lovely moment. Brian is a very

:18:42. > :18:46.big Coventry fan, and to put the dampener on his day, they had two

:18:46. > :18:52.goals down to Southampton. That was a great moment. They will remember

:18:52. > :18:59.that for the rest of their lives. Relegation for Coventry, but at

:18:59. > :19:03.least he found happiness somewhere else. Not quite your style, Stephen,

:19:04. > :19:10.you are more modest. It has been the home of many of performance and

:19:10. > :19:17.that was marvellous. We wish them all the best. After that pleasant

:19:17. > :19:24.distraction, back to the action. We saw Joe Perry take the first of the

:19:24. > :19:34.morning, and the second. McGwire hit back to move 12 frames to seven

:19:34. > :19:47.

:19:47. > :19:57.in front. This is free and 20. - Joe Perry needs to win this frame

:19:57. > :20:18.

:20:18. > :20:24.He hit that all wrong. It looked as if it might have been a free shot

:20:24. > :20:34.their. He was trying to come off the cushion, but he cannoned off

:20:34. > :20:46.

:20:46. > :20:56.Undoubtedly, he will have many chances left in this match to go on

:20:56. > :21:04.

:21:04. > :21:14.to win it, but this is the one he It is little shot like that that

:21:14. > :21:19.

:21:19. > :21:24.these great brick builders can spot A lot of the great players have the

:21:24. > :21:34.knack of clinching a match with one contribution. Can Stephen Maguire

:21:34. > :21:35.

:21:36. > :21:41.do that here? They call it clinches disease, some players, when they

:21:41. > :21:46.get close to the finishing post, they just go back into their shell

:21:46. > :21:56.of it. The great players just went to get over that - just want to get

:21:56. > :22:11.

:22:11. > :22:16.over the line as quickly as I think she has got a choice here.

:22:16. > :22:23.He could play the one of the back. If you get on a colour here, this

:22:24. > :22:33.frame will be there for the taking. You just come play that shot any

:22:34. > :22:36.

:22:36. > :22:45.better! That is played with top- You would never think that you're

:22:45. > :22:55.going to finish like that! Loads of top-spin. How has it forced its way

:22:55. > :22:55.

:22:55. > :23:41.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 46 seconds

:23:41. > :23:47.through and then finished The only thing that worries me is

:23:47. > :23:57.that his long game at the moment, he will not be able to compete with

:23:57. > :24:03.

:24:03. > :24:13.that at the moment. In the balls, it looks like she will be up again

:24:13. > :24:13.

:24:13. > :24:20.Stephen Hendry in the quarter final. She is well in the driving seat

:24:20. > :24:29.against John Higgins. In fact, Stephen Maguire used to be a

:24:29. > :24:34.practice partner of Stephen Hendry. These two players have got a lot of

:24:34. > :24:44.respect for Stephen Hendry. They would have learnt the game from him.

:24:44. > :24:52.

:24:52. > :24:58.They have played thousands of It is not a bad way to get

:24:58. > :25:02.experience, is it, playing Stephen Hendry for money every day? When

:25:02. > :25:07.you start winning a few quid against him, you know you can play

:25:07. > :25:13.against the best players in the world. John Higgins, multiple world

:25:13. > :25:22.champion, and Stephen Maguire he would dearly love to lift the world

:25:22. > :25:32.title. Graeme Dott, John Higgins, Stephen he would like to be the 4th

:25:32. > :25:43.

:25:43. > :25:53.Scot to fit the title. - lift the He has got a shock to clinch the

:25:53. > :26:03.match. He missed a couple and got a bit angry. He is steadying himself.

:26:03. > :26:21.

:26:21. > :26:31.He knows that this green will put He took longer than normal on that

:26:31. > :26:59.

:26:59. > :27:09.67 in front, 67 on the table. That A good performance, but as we were

:27:09. > :27:12.

:27:12. > :27:19.saying... yet, the second session wasn't the best for Joe Perry. He

:27:19. > :27:25.set off with the break of 115 and looked in terrific form. I don't

:27:25. > :27:31.know what that was to finish the match! Joe Perry put up a decent

:27:31. > :27:36.show. He made a fighter that this morning. It was too big a target to

:27:36. > :27:43.set himself. In the end, Stephen Maguire goes through to the quarter

:27:43. > :27:47.final as a comfortable winner. can only lose that match from 11

:27:47. > :27:56.frames to five up. There was no pressure on Joe after the second

:27:56. > :28:00.session. All the pressure was on me to finish it. That can add pressure.

:28:00. > :28:06.I have to improve my game this week because I am not playing well

:28:06. > :28:16.enough. I have a few days off and I will see if I can improve for the

:28:16. > :28:16.

:28:16. > :28:24.next match. We have had three centuries from a Stephen Maguire.

:28:24. > :28:27.The damage against Joe Perry was really the second session. He has

:28:27. > :28:36.written to form as a snooker player. I think people were expecting him

:28:36. > :28:42.to be the player that was going to win it. I wouldn't worry about

:28:42. > :28:46.trying to play too well now, it is the second week word kicks off.

:28:46. > :28:51.2007 when he came here he played the best snooker in the first

:28:51. > :28:56.couple of rounds. He have punched and software for the next round.

:28:56. > :29:01.The first round wasn't brilliant. He can definitely improved from the

:29:01. > :29:09.match. It is great that he is the quarter final without hitting top

:29:09. > :29:16.gear. He is very come but - very combustible. He does strive for

:29:16. > :29:23.perfection. He is constantly beating himself up at the table.

:29:23. > :29:26.Everybody is different. Some people need that. Maguire is like that. He

:29:27. > :29:35.must have very strong knuckles because he likes to wrap them on

:29:35. > :29:40.the table! It comes down to form. If there is more tournaments and he

:29:40. > :29:43.has lots of run-outs and benefits from that, if he is the type of

:29:43. > :29:53.threat that improves by playing a lot, the second week at the

:29:53. > :29:56.

:29:56. > :30:00.Well, Stephen Maguire is through and will play either Stephen Hendry

:30:00. > :30:07.or John Higgins. Now, as you remember, there was a number of

:30:07. > :30:17.Chinese players and the awning jaw, but only one remains - Cao Yupeng.

:30:17. > :30:17.

:30:17. > :30:23.This is his first year on the tour. Now, he obviously came into a lot

:30:23. > :30:32.of controversy with his match against Mark Allen, when the

:30:32. > :30:42.Irishman accused him of cheating. The Cao Yupeng is aiming to become

:30:42. > :31:15.

:31:15. > :31:25.the first Chinese player to win the He was hoping to face his fellow

:31:25. > :31:51.

:31:51. > :32:01.countrymen, but that hope was The Ryan continued the trend of

:32:01. > :32:01.

:32:01. > :32:48.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 46 seconds

:32:48. > :32:53.With Sheffield United preparing for a promotional battle again

:32:53. > :33:03.Stevenage today, he is hoping for a double celebration in his adoptive

:33:03. > :33:10.

:33:10. > :33:19.Now, Ryan Day was the first person to make three centuries and his

:33:19. > :33:26.Crucible Theatre debut. The formwork world No. 6 has found

:33:26. > :33:32.something in the past week and he led 6-2 overnight. Cao Yupeng won

:33:32. > :33:42.the first frame of the morning and this is the tenth frame. Terry

:33:42. > :33:48.

:33:48. > :33:58.Griffiths and Neal Foulds are He is the little unfortunate. He

:33:58. > :34:09.

:34:09. > :34:15.Ryan Day would have been looking to push Shaun from 6-2 in front. He

:34:15. > :34:25.would have been hoping to win this session and finish with a quick

:34:25. > :34:31.

:34:31. > :34:41.session tonight. But if that does not happen, you are giving you're a

:34:41. > :34:47.

:34:47. > :34:57.poignant a life. -- you're This looks a bit like the Mark of

:34:57. > :35:01.

:35:01. > :35:11.Zorro, but this is the sort of writ he is going to have to take. He has

:35:11. > :35:18.

:35:18. > :35:22.just got to get the cue ball past It is this general direction and

:35:22. > :35:31.the problem is that the we it slides when it hits the last of

:35:31. > :35:41.these four cushions. It looks a complicated shot, but it is one you

:35:41. > :35:47.

:35:47. > :35:57.will see players trying a few times. Almost an identical shot, but has

:35:57. > :36:01.

:36:01. > :36:11.If Cao Yupeng feels this is on, he will definitely take it and hope to

:36:11. > :36:13.

:36:13. > :36:19.score from it. He was a bit close to it. He played it well. It is the

:36:19. > :36:29.shots you have to stop me Q coming through to make sure you do not

:36:29. > :36:40.

:36:40. > :36:50.The reds are not great. One or two or sitting out. He played that very

:36:50. > :37:05.

:37:06. > :37:15.Quite noticeable that he is not the sort of player who is going to

:37:16. > :37:19.

:37:19. > :37:29.going and train smash up their pack Most players would have done into

:37:29. > :37:42.

:37:42. > :37:50.the back of the pack. But he plays Yes, what he does do is repeating

:37:50. > :38:00.that cueing action. He played particularly well in the first

:38:00. > :38:10.match early on particularly. Playing someone like Mark Allen was

:38:10. > :38:10.

:38:10. > :38:17.as tough as it gets. He was not fazed by Mark Allen, who can be

:38:17. > :38:23.quite intimidating to play against I kid think. He played very air

:38:23. > :38:33.well early on in that match. As I say, he does not take a lot of

:38:33. > :38:46.

:38:46. > :38:56.risks and does not have the great He has done into the reds this time.

:38:56. > :38:58.

:38:58. > :39:08.I think he might have won in to the Sometimes you can be unlucky and be

:39:08. > :39:21.

:39:21. > :39:28.on nothing. This war also bring the It is a nice change to see a player

:39:28. > :39:34.just dislodging a few reds at that time. It takes you back to the days

:39:34. > :39:43.of George Davies, who never went into the pack. Of course, the balls

:39:43. > :39:48.where a lot heavier men and the cloth was not as responsive. At the

:39:48. > :39:57.end of the day, you are trying to import all the balls and the way

:39:57. > :40:04.you go about it does not really matter. He did not play for this

:40:04. > :40:14.red to the right, but he has caught on to it. He would have been very

:40:14. > :40:20.

:40:20. > :40:30.unlucky not to have been on Plenty of choices here. There are

:40:30. > :40:43.

:40:43. > :40:51.released to red the pot into the This is his best efforts of the

:40:51. > :41:01.match. His previous best break was 43. After winning the first frame,

:41:01. > :41:01.

:41:01. > :42:07.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 46 seconds

:42:07. > :42:12.if he makes a big break here, it There is the equation. If Ryan Day

:42:12. > :42:20.got back to the table, he could only time with six reds and six

:42:20. > :42:26.colours. That will not be happening now. As Terry said, I think this is

:42:26. > :42:32.the best he has played and I think that Ryan Day has slightly let him

:42:32. > :42:41.off the hook. He missed an absolute sitter in the first frame. You

:42:41. > :42:51.cannot give your opponents' confidence. Any player you have

:42:51. > :43:01.beaten, you cannot give them any sort of break. Now, we are down to

:43:01. > :43:03.

:43:03. > :43:11.just the two-frame deficit. Yes, never give a drowning man as strong.

:43:11. > :43:21.He was wanting to start quickly and keep Cao Yupeng in his chair, but

:43:21. > :43:33.

:43:33. > :43:42.it has worked out exactly the Slightly out of position. That was

:43:42. > :43:52.a good shot. He made a lot of these and his first-round match, but not

:43:52. > :43:53.

:43:53. > :43:58.so many here, but he has clinched this frame in style. He will feel a

:43:58. > :44:08.completely different player than he did 30 minutes ago. But that is

:44:08. > :44:36.

:44:36. > :44:46.This will be the 37th century of the championships. I cannot see him

:44:46. > :44:54.

:44:54. > :45:01.It went slightly and not just any that he had made these two

:45:01. > :45:06.centuries against Mark Allen. He did not really finish the way he

:45:07. > :45:16.wanted, with his opponent going in- off on the black ball. It was not

:45:16. > :45:20.the way he would have wanted the biggest win of his career to finish.

:45:20. > :45:30.This is his first full season on the professional tour. He is doing

:45:30. > :45:31.

:45:31. > :45:41.You can only dream of getting to the Crucible Theatre in your first

:45:41. > :45:48.season. And to win a match is something very special. Regardless

:45:48. > :45:58.of what happened in this match, he will be very happy with his first

:45:58. > :46:16.

:46:16. > :46:22.Beautifully compiled this break. He has missed a black, so it is not a

:46:22. > :46:32.complete clearance. But another frame back and hear only trails now

:46:32. > :46:33.

:46:33. > :46:43.by 6-4. And on a roll, he took the next frame as well, to move within

:46:43. > :46:49.

:46:49. > :46:59.one of Ryan Day. Here is frame 12, I thought that maybe the first

:46:59. > :47:04.

:47:05. > :47:12.couple of shots in this frame that It is turning into a bit of a

:47:12. > :47:20.disastrous session for Ryan Day so far. But he would not be the first

:47:20. > :47:27.person to suffer a disaster at 10 o'clock in the morning. But I know

:47:27. > :47:37.he as any early riser anyway, as he normally takes the children to

:47:37. > :47:40.

:47:40. > :47:47.school before he goes off to We have seen it all now. Yes,

:47:47. > :47:57.straight over the top of that. We can see get shot again, the

:47:57. > :48:15.

:48:15. > :48:23.Horseracing jumps season finishes I think if you're playing nine-ball

:48:23. > :48:31.pool, you are allowed to play that shot. You are allowed to do a lot

:48:31. > :48:41.of things and nine-ball pool. That is better, a good split. The black

:48:41. > :48:47.

:48:47. > :48:53.is available. Here is, he must take This is his big chance to get

:48:53. > :49:03.something from the first four hour mac frames of ready and he will not

:49:03. > :49:13.

:49:13. > :49:22.But is he playing well enough to do it? I always think you only play as

:49:22. > :49:29.well as you are feeling and he must be feeling rough at the moment. If

:49:29. > :49:39.he does not make a big break, he will be disappointed, as that is

:49:39. > :49:39.

:49:39. > :50:46.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 46 seconds

:50:46. > :50:56.Despite the blue been away from its It may have to be the red into the

:50:56. > :51:04.

:51:04. > :51:14.middle, unless there is a gap there. No, it is not quite on. He was

:51:14. > :51:15.

:51:15. > :51:22.always going to call into a colour. It was looking perfectly a few

:51:22. > :51:29.shots ago, but he is having to stretch now. He is a tall lad, but

:51:29. > :51:34.it is much easier if you do not have to use the rest. But he has

:51:34. > :51:44.not even looked comfortable in this effort, as if something could go

:51:44. > :51:51.

:51:51. > :51:57.Yes, he has been in among the balls at more than once. Now, he is left

:51:57. > :52:07.with the difficult shot. It is not so much the pot, but avoiding

:52:07. > :52:22.

:52:22. > :52:32.colliding with three yellow and Again, he would like to be closer

:52:32. > :52:39.

:52:40. > :52:48.to a red. But he is good enough to pot something from this mid-range.

:52:48. > :52:58.So, 53 points in front, so he needs to keep going. Very good. That is

:52:58. > :53:02.

:53:02. > :53:10.the best shot he has hit all day. That is just what he needed. He

:53:10. > :53:20.needs to get the belief back. In the circumstances, if he was flying,

:53:20. > :53:55.

:53:55. > :54:05.he would pot that no problem. It is He played that well. Now he has

:54:05. > :54:06.

:54:06. > :54:15.come to the crucial time in the next few shots. He played for the

:54:15. > :54:25.black, but knew he would have the pink into the centre. Very well

:54:25. > :54:26.

:54:26. > :54:36.done. He has got through a very The pressure can get you out there.

:54:36. > :55:02.

:55:02. > :55:08.So, that miscue from Cao Yupeng looks to have cost them this frame.

:55:08. > :55:18.However, he will be quite pleased to have won three of the first four

:55:18. > :55:19.

:55:19. > :55:29.frames and get himself right in the match. If Ryan Day had lost this

:55:29. > :55:48.

:55:48. > :55:57.frame, it would have been a He is starting to flow now and, in

:55:57. > :56:07.a way, he will not be wanting the interval to come at this moment.

:56:07. > :56:10.

:56:10. > :56:20.Yes, his highest break before this You certainly feel that when he

:56:20. > :56:29.hits the ball aggressively, he is so much better as a player. Yes, it

:56:29. > :56:36.is in the mind, not in my cue action. But there is a link. When

:56:36. > :56:46.you see him hitting the ball like this, very similar to the way Shaun

:56:46. > :56:46.

:56:46. > :56:55.Murphy does. Very aggressive. This has been a good session. Both

:56:55. > :56:59.players have had it a century break. Yes, there has been a big breaks

:56:59. > :57:09.and mistakes and it has all added to the mix. It has certainly not

:57:09. > :57:13.

:57:13. > :57:23.He put me an offer on their black, but it does not matter. Ryan Day

:57:23. > :57:27.

:57:27. > :57:37.puts his first frame on the board and the session and now leads 7-5.

:57:37. > :57:42.

:57:42. > :57:51.HAZEL IRVINE: That was actually the 30th century of the tournament. 80

:57:51. > :58:01.C/ three years ago as the record at the Crucible Theatre. The news is

:58:01. > :58:01.

:58:01. > :58:07.that �200 goes to charity for or every century break. Sock, 38 of

:58:07. > :58:17.them so far. Let us get back into this game and back in the next

:58:17. > :58:28.

:58:28. > :58:37.How is his luck? You can sometimes my shots, but this is just what

:58:37. > :58:47.happens. This is the clear cut chance. But we have seen many of

:58:47. > :58:47.

:58:47. > :58:54.these going astray in this match so This is the shot which left the

:58:54. > :59:03.chance. You can get good and bad luck, but usually missing it on the

:59:03. > :59:11.thick side as he did it means you will probably stick it up somewhere.

:59:11. > :59:21.He still has a jaw to do, because the green is away from its spot. He

:59:21. > :59:30.

:59:30. > :59:35.has just got to decide which pocket I am still not sure which pocket he

:59:35. > :59:40.decided! There was an element of difficulty about it. I still

:59:40. > :59:44.thought he would manage it. I suppose he could have played safe

:59:44. > :59:48.and played the green into the right middle. With the brown at the other

:59:49. > :59:58.end I suppose he didn't want to do it that way. This is a really

:59:59. > :00:01.

:00:01. > :00:06.important for him. - frame. That is a good shot, actually. It was the

:00:06. > :00:16.blue was the problem. He played a very bad positional shot on the

:00:16. > :00:19.

:00:19. > :00:25.yellow. There is pressure out there! Hello! What happened there?

:00:25. > :00:35.Dog is being shared out here. It normally works like that. The luck

:00:35. > :00:48.

:00:48. > :00:52.He hit that so hard, it is hard to work out what he was going to play.

:00:52. > :01:02.Not the kind of speech you would normally see that shot her that, no

:01:02. > :01:27.

:01:27. > :01:31.I suppose if you hit it very hard out of the snooker, you think there

:01:31. > :01:41.are a lot of cushions it could land near, but there are also a lot of

:01:41. > :01:42.

:01:42. > :01:52.This is a hard shot. The green is available, but if you're going to

:01:52. > :02:09.

:02:09. > :02:19.play for it you have got to play He didn't go for the pot, I am

:02:19. > :02:24.

:02:24. > :02:34.It is not natural to play for the pot and finish with the cue ball

:02:34. > :02:34.

:02:34. > :03:29.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 46 seconds

:03:29. > :03:39.That can be a crucial shot by Ryan Day. It was very well played. It

:03:39. > :03:52.

:03:52. > :04:01.She has gone past it! File under miss. I would be inclined not to

:04:01. > :04:07.have those put back. The pink has been moved slightly into open play.

:04:07. > :04:11.I think Ryan Day is more likely to need that than his opponent. I

:04:11. > :04:21.would have him playing from there, if it was me. That is what he is

:04:21. > :04:24.

:04:24. > :04:34.If he took the free ball he would have to play a position on the

:04:34. > :04:56.

:04:56. > :05:06.It is a very difficult green now The pot was on, but good value to

:05:06. > :05:26.

:05:26. > :05:32.turn it down. He has played a very This will be very difficult, the

:05:32. > :05:42.pot. He could possibly get on the brown, but I don't know if he would

:05:42. > :05:55.

:05:55. > :06:05.I think he played it so he would try to get a snooker on the brown.

:06:05. > :06:45.

:06:45. > :06:52.Lots of good and bad luck in this Ryan Day was in first scoring in

:06:52. > :07:02.this frame after anode Regis fruit - an outrageous fluke. Now it has

:07:02. > :07:09.

:07:09. > :07:19.come down to a dog fight on the That was a pretty poor effort. He

:07:19. > :07:36.

:07:36. > :07:39.is very fortunate where the green That is a very important fluke. It

:07:39. > :07:49.looked like a double-kiss. It should have been an important

:07:49. > :07:52.

:07:52. > :08:02.flick! He had a big advantage. He knew he had a terrific chance to

:08:02. > :08:39.

:08:39. > :08:49.I am not sure what you played there! The brown is safe and that

:08:49. > :09:09.

:09:09. > :09:19.this is the longest frame of the session, mostly due to mistakes

:09:19. > :09:37.

:09:37. > :09:46.rather than good snooker play. That That shot is about as bad as it

:09:46. > :09:56.gets. He got it horribly fake. Cao Yupeng will not be needing the

:09:56. > :09:56.

:09:56. > :10:37.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 46 seconds

:10:37. > :10:42.Just the kind of shot you feel that Cao Yupeng pots and important brown,

:10:42. > :10:49.blue and pink and wins a frame he could have lost. Ryan Day will be

:10:49. > :10:57.annoyed at that. This is getting very tight! What a determined

:10:57. > :11:06.performance so far from Cao Yupeng. This is the first time he has

:11:06. > :11:16.reached the last 16 in any ranking events! Cao Yupeng has already made

:11:16. > :11:19.

:11:19. > :11:24.a 35 break on a previous visit - on This could be the opportunity that

:11:24. > :11:34.Ryan Day has been looking for, a scoring opportunity. He has been

:11:34. > :11:43.

:11:43. > :11:48.Massive disappointment there. He is really getting into the session,

:11:48. > :11:58.showing some interesting emotions. It shows you how much it all means

:11:58. > :11:58.

:11:58. > :12:08.to him. He will be hoping it isn't the last shot of the frame for him,

:12:08. > :12:39.

:12:39. > :12:43.but the balls are in an excellent The I like somebody who shows

:12:43. > :12:48.emotions out there. It is an important part of the game. I won't

:12:48. > :12:54.say he is dramatic in any way, that he is affected by the shot he has

:12:54. > :13:04.just played, that seems a very natural thing to be doing. He wants

:13:04. > :13:19.

:13:19. > :13:25.Ryan Day reminds me a little bit of Stephen Hendry in that no matter

:13:25. > :13:31.how badly he is playing he will always do breaks once he has got

:13:31. > :13:35.inside the Bulls. He is that kind of player. In my humble opinion if

:13:35. > :13:45.you one more of the scrappy games he would have won many more

:13:45. > :13:54.

:13:54. > :13:58.Who knows, if you can come through this match and get into the

:13:58. > :14:01.quarter-finals, they say in this championship but there is no point

:14:01. > :14:06.playing great in the first week, just play well enough to win and

:14:06. > :14:10.hope to push forward with better form in the second week. We have

:14:10. > :14:19.seen many here who played outstandingly in the first week and

:14:19. > :14:25.have fallen in the quarter-final stages. We have. There are other

:14:25. > :14:29.players who can't afford to be anything other than at the top of

:14:29. > :14:36.the game or they will be watching the second week on the television!

:14:36. > :14:43.It is the great players who can coast three. Ryan Day is at the

:14:43. > :14:53.very top when he is on his game. There are lots of the top seeds

:14:53. > :15:00.

:15:00. > :15:05.In today's rankings, the top 16 are very strong. Sometimes over the

:15:05. > :15:09.years there have been two or three players that you think they are not

:15:09. > :15:15.the most difficult of draws out of the top 16, but this year there

:15:15. > :15:19.didn't seem to be anybody like that there. Some surprising results.

:15:19. > :15:24.top 16 a very strong, but they have certainly played a lot of snookered

:15:24. > :15:31.this year. I think some of them were a little bit jaded mentally.

:15:31. > :15:38.That is why we have seen so many of them beaten. There has never been

:15:38. > :15:43.so much snooker played as in this season. Very busy. This could be

:15:43. > :15:53.the end of the break. I don't know if there is any value in taking

:15:53. > :16:07.

:16:07. > :16:12.this black. To finish were he has There you have it, he is not on the

:16:12. > :16:22.red. He has taken on a difficult black with nothing to follow. Maybe

:16:22. > :16:29.

:16:29. > :16:34.There was a lot of risk involved and that shot. The cue ball was

:16:34. > :16:44.touching the side cushion. He could have got on the red but he would

:16:44. > :16:44.

:16:44. > :17:26.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 46 seconds

:17:26. > :17:36.have had to hit it perfectly. He is The red has drifted into position

:17:36. > :17:48.

:17:48. > :17:58.Looking at the angle he might have on the pink, he could take it into

:17:58. > :18:11.

:18:11. > :18:21.He got a little bit of stun on that the to could wider than the natural

:18:21. > :18:52.

:18:52. > :18:59.That was a good a tent. He kept his His two fists go up again, we have

:18:59. > :19:09.seen that once before. Interest and reactions when things go wrong. -

:19:09. > :19:48.

:19:48. > :19:53.That is an excellent shot! It is so hard to do. He is 20 points in

:19:53. > :20:03.front now. That shot could get in the frame, or at least the chance

:20:03. > :20:13.

:20:13. > :20:18.to win it. That was a touch of Cao Yupeng, his first season,

:20:18. > :20:24.probably wouldn't have played that shot in the way that Ryan Day did.

:20:24. > :20:34.It seems to be the difference in frames now. That was a very

:20:34. > :20:39.

:20:40. > :20:45.important shot. Cao Yupeng knows now that he would be leading going

:20:45. > :20:55.into the final session. This frame has gone, and as it goes down to

:20:55. > :21:01.

:21:01. > :21:11.snookers. - unless it goes down to Ryan Day has sprung into life when

:21:11. > :21:23.

:21:23. > :21:30.That could have been a very crucial frame. The Chinese player lost it.

:21:30. > :21:36.Ryan's doctors, his eldest, Francesca, got so fed up but

:21:36. > :21:42.telling him to win, she now tells him to lose because it seems to

:21:42. > :21:52.work better. Ryan Day looks strong, doesn't he? He looks strong. Cao

:21:52. > :22:27.

:22:27. > :22:34.Yupeng is 31 points to the good as Thinking about wild cards, I

:22:34. > :22:38.suppose there has only so many players who can get well cards. It

:22:38. > :22:42.is great to see Tony Drago playing. He has been given a wild card to

:22:42. > :22:52.compete next season. Other Chinese players will be looking for one as

:22:52. > :22:56.

:22:56. > :23:02.There was nothing difficult about that shot, it was just natural. He

:23:02. > :23:11.just took his eye off it. How often do you see that when there is a

:23:11. > :23:15.cannon involved? It is unforgivable. You think you're going to miss it,

:23:15. > :23:25.you would miss it on the other side of the pocket. That was a very

:23:25. > :23:25.

:23:25. > :24:13.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 46 seconds

:24:13. > :24:18.He will have to be careful. Just looking at that red. He was a

:24:19. > :24:28.little bit short of speed there. He will have to play this quite gently.

:24:29. > :24:55.

:24:55. > :25:05.He might use the pink as a buffer. Welsh hopes are a little bit higher

:25:05. > :25:27.

:25:27. > :25:37.The class that he showed to win the last game is showing again. He

:25:37. > :25:42.didn't want to go anywhere near the red there! Cao Yupeng knows that

:25:42. > :25:47.the ball he Mr the left corner trick but - could cost him a place

:25:47. > :25:53.on the tour, let alone anything else. Those of the pressures these

:25:53. > :25:57.guys around you. - are the pressures. I think if he didn't

:25:57. > :26:06.stay on picture, that would be a great shame because he has shown a

:26:06. > :26:10.lot in this championship. We know about the recent history of the

:26:10. > :26:15.championship. At one time this was the only tournament and there was

:26:15. > :26:19.so much history involved with the World Championship, people have to

:26:19. > :26:25.reflect on what people achieve in this tournament if there are wild

:26:25. > :26:34.cards going. A still don't know how he missed that, to be honest.

:26:34. > :26:44.Unsure he is wondering the same thing, sitting there. - I am sure.

:26:44. > :26:44.

:26:44. > :27:28.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 46 seconds

:27:28. > :27:36.That was a very easy shot to miss. Things have started to happen for

:27:36. > :27:42.Ryan Day just in the nick of time. It has taken him and off the long

:27:42. > :27:46.time to settle into the session. If he has got any chance of going

:27:47. > :27:56.further in this championship he has got to get switched on a little bit

:27:57. > :28:16.

:28:16. > :28:21.quicker. He is playing well now, That was a really good break their

:28:21. > :28:29.from Ryan Day. A mistake by Cao Yupeng. Ryan Day will lead going

:28:29. > :28:37.into the final session. Back Cao Yupeng came again to take

:28:37. > :28:42.the last of the session and he will go into the final session this

:28:42. > :28:47.evening two frames down. It has been really interesting stuff. What

:28:47. > :28:51.have been your observations about Cao Yupeng? It shows that you have

:28:52. > :28:56.got to balance your game. It is OK when things are going well, but he

:28:57. > :29:01.has been fighting a rearguard action. It would be a shame if you

:29:01. > :29:06.drop off the tour. The world of snooker is realising that we need

:29:06. > :29:16.more overseas players, especially with the Chinese were the game is

:29:16. > :29:22.so popular. A couple of people might get caught in the crossfire

:29:22. > :29:26.of the transformation to at 128 tour. If you go some place in the

:29:26. > :29:31.qualifying school, he has got every chance of getting back on anyway.

:29:31. > :29:36.This is only his first season on the main tour. What had been your

:29:36. > :29:42.observations? He is not to be underestimated. You wouldn't look

:29:42. > :29:48.at the way she plays an think flair, but sometimes that can make you

:29:48. > :29:56.underestimate somebody. If you take liberties with them and don't give

:29:56. > :30:00.him 100 % respect, you could be in trouble. We are looking forward to

:30:00. > :30:10.one of the most amazing line-out work out some years. Ronnie

:30:10. > :30:12.

:30:12. > :30:17.O'Sullivan, John Higgins, Stephen In the last 22 years, they had been

:30:17. > :30:21.so busy a massing world titles, 11 between them, it has escaped

:30:22. > :30:26.everybody's notice they have never faced one another on the way to

:30:26. > :30:30.those titles. Quite remarkable, really. There's plenty of history

:30:30. > :30:35.between these men are but never at this venue. Their first session was

:30:35. > :30:45.intriguing, this second last night, a real twist in the tail. Let's

:30:45. > :31:01.

:31:01. > :31:11.The two legends shake hands. For In goes the black. He now leads by

:31:11. > :31:16.

:31:16. > :31:26.What is John doing tonight? He looks all over the place. Stephen

:31:26. > :31:28.

:31:28. > :31:34.Hendry is putting clear daylight The black goes in and that will

:31:34. > :31:44.make John Higgins feel a whole lot better. Closes the gap now to three

:31:44. > :31:56.

:31:56. > :32:06.In goes the pink. Stretches his No. Now he is running away with the

:32:06. > :32:14.

:32:14. > :32:22.match. 11-4. Who would have Stephen Hendry must be delighted.

:32:22. > :32:31.John Higgins will be pretty HAZEL IRVINE: Look at that

:32:31. > :32:36.All four players are ready and waiting back stage and front-of-

:32:37. > :32:41.house, so too is rob Walker. Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen.

:32:41. > :32:46.Welcome to the middle Saturday of the Betfred.com World Snooker

:32:46. > :32:51.Championships. The Crucible is absolutely walking this afternoon.

:32:51. > :32:55.We have a four of the greatest players ever to grace the game.

:32:55. > :33:03.Their achievements will live on long after they have a tired of.

:33:03. > :33:06.The stage is set. They are ready and so are the players -- they have

:33:06. > :33:12.a retired. Please welcome first of all, the most naturally gifted

:33:12. > :33:18.player. Written off earlier this season, but he's absolutely still

:33:18. > :33:23.got the magic. Winner of 23 ranking event title, here after victory

:33:23. > :33:33.over Peter Ebdon, three times champion of the world of. Ronnie

:33:33. > :33:34.

:33:34. > :33:44.Ronnie O'Sullivan: MUSIC: "Let Me Entertain You" by

:33:44. > :33:46.

:33:46. > :33:50.His opponent, one of the greatest Welsh sportsmen of the era, making

:33:50. > :33:55.his 14 appearance in the second round at the Crucible. Twice he has

:33:55. > :34:05.won the Welsh, UK and world title. A player who always stays ice-cool

:34:05. > :34:20.

:34:20. > :34:26.on the big stage, the Welsh potting Table number one, please welcome

:34:26. > :34:30.the most decorated snooker player ever want history. On the verge of

:34:30. > :34:35.a 19th Crucible quarter-final, it's been a memorable we could in his

:34:35. > :34:41.career with a memorable 147 last Saturday, being catalyst for his

:34:41. > :34:51.success. Seven-times a winner here. That's why we call him the king of

:34:51. > :35:09.

:35:09. > :35:14.And finally, also one of Scotland's finest exports, winner of 24

:35:14. > :35:17.ranking event titles, his three world crowns in the last five years

:35:17. > :35:27.have contributed to some of the most memorable moments in Crucible

:35:27. > :35:40.

:35:40. > :35:43.history. The defending world Red button covered online for the

:35:43. > :35:48.Ronnie O'Sullivan and Williams match for now. We could well join

:35:48. > :35:52.it live later won on BBC Two, depending how things go between the

:35:52. > :35:56.two Scots. A great atmosphere. John Virgo and Dennis Taylor have teamed

:35:56. > :36:02.up for this one. This is going to have to be a miraculous comeback

:36:02. > :36:08.today, guys. I couldn't agree more, Hazel. I can't believe the

:36:08. > :36:14.scoreline. Stephen Hendry has won 10 of the last 11 frames. What a

:36:14. > :36:20.performance. John Higgins, you commentated on the match, John,

:36:20. > :36:25.didn't seem with it. Yes, he had the perfect start to the match,

:36:25. > :36:30.winning the first two frames and and Stephen got rolling. In all

:36:30. > :36:34.honesty, you know what it's like, Dennis, sometimes the balls just

:36:34. > :36:42.don't run in your favour, and I think that's what happened to John

:36:42. > :36:52.Higgins. The longer it went on and as frames were slipping away, the

:36:52. > :37:05.

:37:05. > :37:13.92%, John Higgins. Within eight frames, that was down at 83, I

:37:13. > :37:18.think it was. Oh, that's a long way off. So, an early chance for John

:37:18. > :37:24.Higgins. OK, it's the first frame. The players need to settle in again

:37:24. > :37:29.to the session. He never got anywhere near that on that attempt.

:37:29. > :37:34.A long way away from Stephen. Of course, he's in a comfort zone.

:37:34. > :37:38.John Higgins, it has to be said of the moment, is just playing for

:37:38. > :37:45.pride. I can't think he has any aspirations to win this match. Not

:37:45. > :37:51.yet. But pride is a thing which has stood him in good stead over the

:37:51. > :38:01.years. As we saw that red bounce into the pocket, it took the pace

:38:01. > :38:03.

:38:03. > :38:06.out of the cue ball which is why he It was an amazing statistic, when

:38:06. > :38:14.we realise these two players had never played each other at the

:38:14. > :38:17.Crucible Theatre. 17 wins to Stephen Hendry and 18 wins to John

:38:17. > :38:22.Higgins, and it looks like that score is going to be levelled up.

:38:22. > :38:29.In fact, you have got to go back to the 2008 Premier League since

:38:29. > :38:35.Stephen beat John. A chance, maybe, to bring the black and the pink

:38:35. > :38:41.into play here. A little nudge. That has opened certainly the pink

:38:41. > :38:47.up. And the black after one of the reds are removed will also be pot a

:38:47. > :38:51.ball. This is an example, Dennis, he's played the right shot, to the

:38:51. > :39:01.corner, but it's those types of situations where you finish up on

:39:01. > :39:31.

:39:31. > :39:38.nothing. Fortunately, the reds on Well, if he's on the black, he's OK.

:39:38. > :39:45.If he has run too far, it's not perfect. He is down at pretty quick

:39:45. > :39:55.so he's on the black. Well, makes this pink a little bit more

:39:55. > :39:57.

:39:57. > :40:04.And that's exactly what you were saying, John. Just fractions,

:40:04. > :40:14.wasn't on the colour. Just misses the pick -- pink, fractionally, but

:40:14. > :40:14.

:40:14. > :40:56.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 46 seconds

:40:56. > :41:01.You know, it's amazing, John, it's just over a week ago, Stephen was

:41:01. > :41:04.in the hotel and had arrived back from China. He said last year, he

:41:04. > :41:09.got a lot of preparation and didn't play very well. He said, I thought

:41:10. > :41:15.I would go to China and see what happens. And, sure enough, the next

:41:15. > :41:18.day he came out and made a maximum break. And here he is needing macro

:41:18. > :41:28.one frame against the defending champion. Quite an incredible story,

:41:28. > :41:31.

:41:31. > :41:34.radio. -- really. Yes, the thing was, you could call it the world

:41:34. > :41:38.and thus times for a prolific winner like Stephen, he kept saying,

:41:38. > :41:46.in practice he's playing as well as ever but not produce it on the

:41:46. > :41:51.table. Then everybody begins to Yes, you don't suddenly forget how

:41:51. > :41:54.to play snooker. OK, it's a young man's game these days but when you

:41:54. > :42:04.think back to the great John Spencer and Ray Reardon, they were

:42:04. > :42:10.in their mid-forties when they That was a good shot. Made the

:42:10. > :42:20.angle. You have got to hit the pot very clean if you hit it at that

:42:20. > :42:30.

:42:30. > :42:35.pace and that's what he did. Good Has he spotted a plant, as well?

:42:35. > :42:39.Everything goes. One to the right, one to the middle. A possible plant.

:42:39. > :42:49.When you are playing well, everything seems to open up nicely

:42:49. > :43:00.

:43:00. > :43:04.Stephen went back home after his first-round match. And relaxed.

:43:04. > :43:09.Some players prefer to stay around the venue and practise here in the

:43:09. > :43:15.Crucible. They have three practice tables. I remember when we didn't

:43:15. > :43:25.have any practice tables. We had to get onto the main table. For a

:43:25. > :43:50.

:43:51. > :43:57.This is developing into a very good Yeah, I wonder what the odds would

:43:57. > :44:04.have been on Stephen Hendry beating John Higgins 13-4, John? Long odds,

:44:05. > :44:14.no doubt about it. This will be a match John Higgins will just have

:44:14. > :44:19.to forget about, really. As I say, he didn't have the best run on he's

:44:19. > :44:25.always someone... John would have been brought up with Stephen as his

:44:26. > :44:31.hero. Two people John Higgins would have really inspired him as a

:44:31. > :44:41.youngster, Stephen Hendry, and two years ago, Steve match, who he lost

:44:41. > :44:43.

:44:43. > :44:48.to. Coincidence? I don't know. John Higgins was Stephen Hendry's

:44:48. > :44:53.practice partner for a good number of years in Stirling Spencers Club,

:44:53. > :44:57.which is no longer there. They played thousands of frames together.

:44:57. > :45:01.John Higgins would have learned so much from Stephen but who would

:45:01. > :45:11.have thought the master would have been back giving the people a bit

:45:11. > :45:12.

:45:12. > :45:15.of a lesson here? It's incredible. And, of course, after John Higgins,

:45:15. > :45:20.Stephen Maguire used to go and practice with Stephen. I guess

:45:20. > :45:30.that's the reason why John got to be world number one and world

:45:30. > :45:30.

:45:30. > :45:40.Yes, he's certainly inspired a lot of snooker players, Stephen Hendry,

:45:40. > :45:45.

:45:45. > :45:51.30 points, the lead. This pink will put him this is 6 points in front.

:45:51. > :46:01.He's looking at the black in the middle. Two more reds and two more

:46:01. > :46:03.

:46:03. > :46:07.I e see no reason why he would make a mistake. Terrific performance in

:46:07. > :46:12.his first-round match and, to be fair, he has played good, solid

:46:12. > :46:20.stuff here. OK, he maybe got drags down a little but last night with

:46:20. > :46:30.the type of game it turned out to be, but no doubt about it, Stephen

:46:30. > :46:38.

:46:38. > :46:48.All the press have been waiting years for Stephen Hendry to win his

:46:48. > :46:49.

:46:49. > :46:58.8th world title. Waiting to write that headline, Caine -- King Hendry

:46:58. > :47:03.VIII. Who is to say he won't do it this year? Well, he misses the red.

:47:03. > :47:13.44 points behind, 43 remaining. Macro one snooker needed. He will

:47:13. > :47:17.

:47:17. > :47:27.And the red behind the pink is in the perfect position. A great

:47:27. > :47:30.

:47:30. > :47:34.chance to put Stephen Hendry in a He could make this quite difficult.

:47:34. > :47:44.He wants to keep the red away from a cushion. It would be nice if he

:47:44. > :47:51.

:47:51. > :47:58.could get the snooker, and get the He might be able to just swerve

:47:58. > :48:02.around the pink, hit the side cushion and get the red. He feels

:48:02. > :48:07.he can't swerve around the pink. It's more difficult going the right

:48:07. > :48:17.side of the table. I think he can, get a swerve shot around the pink

:48:17. > :48:20.

:48:20. > :48:26.on the cushion. The middle pocket. I agree with you, Dennis. If he can

:48:26. > :48:30.go off the left-hand side cushion, it's a tough one to hit. It's

:48:30. > :48:34.typical, the blue is in the middle of the table may need awkward. A

:48:34. > :48:40.good shot needed here. Lots of left-hand side he is playing on

:48:40. > :48:50.this cue ball. That's how close he had to go to the blue but it's a

:48:50. > :48:57.

:48:57. > :49:01.great escape. It really is a great Oh, he has brought the red up and

:49:01. > :49:07.hit the blue. This could be the end of. Yes, the defending champion

:49:07. > :49:11.comes forward and shakes Stephen Hendry's hand. It has been a very

:49:11. > :49:16.disappointing defence. But take nothing away from Stephen Hendry.

:49:16. > :49:20.What a performance to knock John Higgins out of this year's

:49:20. > :49:26.Betfred.com championship. 13-4. Can you believe it?

:49:26. > :49:31.HAZEL IRVINE: Surprising and after that first session in which Stephen

:49:31. > :49:35.Hendry and John have produced some terrific stuff, how are surprised

:49:35. > :49:39.are you are that defeat for the defending champion? I think it's a

:49:40. > :49:44.shock when John Higgins does not fire on all cylinders. I suppose

:49:44. > :49:48.the clues were there. He's had a poor season by his standards, but

:49:48. > :49:54.you still expect him to come good on the big stage so still a shock.

:49:54. > :50:00.Great for Stephen Hendry. Fantastic. Let's hear from Stephen Hendry.

:50:00. > :50:07.Stephen, this is quite a run? obviously I'm delighted to win the

:50:07. > :50:12.match. I'm a little bit fortunate. I watched John play a because of

:50:12. > :50:17.the last night and it was the worst he played in his life. You could

:50:17. > :50:21.not expect to get chances like that of someone of his quality, so

:50:21. > :50:25.referee was a strange session of snooker but I have got to take the

:50:25. > :50:31.winner. I'm in the quarter-finals and very happy. Are you surprised

:50:31. > :50:36.how yesterday turned out? Yes, very surprised. John has not had his

:50:36. > :50:42.best season, obviously. He's had a poor season by his standards. But

:50:42. > :50:46.the mistakes he was making last night, it was a shock to the system

:50:46. > :50:51.to me because, after the first session, we both played pretty well

:50:51. > :50:54.and I was expecting a big game last night but it never materialised.

:50:54. > :51:01.People are getting quite excited about this one are you're putting

:51:01. > :51:06.together. Where has it come from? wouldn't call it a run, it only two

:51:06. > :51:10.matches. Well, I qualified, it's a small one. This a long way to go

:51:10. > :51:17.for the Stephen Maguire? Another Scottish clash. Yes, everything is

:51:17. > :51:22.a bonus for me. I'm having a fantastic tournament. I had got

:51:22. > :51:25.Maguire next and I can't wait. you just a ride here with no

:51:25. > :51:29.pressure, you are enjoying your snooker and it just happy to see

:51:30. > :51:35.what comes. Yes, pretty much. I spent the week before the

:51:35. > :51:40.championship playing pool. It's very relaxed. Well done, Stephen.

:51:40. > :51:43.That's the secret. Everybody is playing pool these days. It's a

:51:43. > :51:50.wonderful surprise to see Stephen back in the quarter-finals for the

:51:50. > :51:54.19th time. But when you think about his attitude coming in, what has a

:51:54. > :51:59.differentiated this from previous years? He said he sometimes feel

:51:59. > :52:04.like he was overpaid, and he's just gone for a different approach it's

:52:04. > :52:07.entirely. I think his coach has a bit to do with it. He is hitting

:52:07. > :52:11.the ball better than I've seen for a while and I think he has

:52:11. > :52:18.discovered the middle of the white, which is very important. It sounds

:52:18. > :52:22.bizarre to say that. You can lose that over a period of time. I think

:52:22. > :52:26.his confidence has come from that. He's making more breaks and

:52:26. > :52:29.enjoying it. It goes to show him but this time last year we were

:52:29. > :52:34.talking about whether he would ever return and he has done so in

:52:34. > :52:38.spectacular fashion. For you, is the all is a feeling that there's

:52:38. > :52:43.one more title in you? This one more something good around the

:52:43. > :52:48.corner? I always felt with Stephen Hendry there was the time to nail

:52:48. > :52:52.it down to the World Championships was not easy but we do know he is a

:52:52. > :52:58.course and distance winner and I think it comes into the equation.

:52:58. > :53:02.He feels comfortable in the venue. It would be a fantastic achievement

:53:02. > :53:06.for him to come back in the modern game and win this. He's not getting

:53:06. > :53:12.too carried away but people are saying, his standard is good enough.

:53:12. > :53:21.Indeed, Stephen Maguire now. What kind of match-up Willoughby? Very

:53:21. > :53:25.tough. He has not hit top form yet -- will it be? There's plenty

:53:25. > :53:31.prospects of there. If Stephen keeps up the scoring, he has got a

:53:31. > :53:35.chance. Looking forward to that one. John Higgins on his way home today.

:53:35. > :53:38.Hopefully we will hear from him shortly but I did promise you that

:53:38. > :53:41.if it wrapped up quickly we would be straight into the arena again to

:53:41. > :53:45.watch Ronnie O'Sullivan against Williams and that's exactly what we

:53:45. > :53:50.are going to do. They are still playing the first frame and I

:53:51. > :53:55.should point out, that this record between Williams and O'Sullivan is

:53:55. > :53:59.very worrying for the twice world champion, the Welshman, who has not

:53:59. > :54:07.beat Ronnie in a world champion to event for nearly a decade. Surely

:54:07. > :54:10.It's been a fascinating first round but they both had half chances to

:54:10. > :54:16.win it. O'Sullivan started with the third break and Mark Williams

:54:16. > :54:20.replied with 38. The brown has been the cue ball in this game and has

:54:20. > :54:24.been on the cushion for a few shots. Now it is an open play, as we can

:54:24. > :54:31.see. Even though Ronnie his 16 points behind, I think whoever pots

:54:31. > :54:41.the green would win this frame and another wonderful safety shot. Were

:54:41. > :54:46.

:54:46. > :54:55.any three-quarters through the Yes, this is a possibility. He has

:54:55. > :55:05.got to hit this green with full pace. Well, he hit it but was

:55:05. > :55:11.

:55:11. > :55:21.unlucky with it. A double kiss and UMPIRE: Would you please turn it

:55:21. > :55:28.

:55:28. > :55:38.Obviously, a little bit of movement He needs the blue to come to his

:55:38. > :55:53.

:55:53. > :55:57.That was an excellent pot from Mark Williams. He wasn't on the green

:55:57. > :56:07.and had to swerve it around the blue. Brown for the first frame.

:56:07. > :56:41.

:56:41. > :56:51.He is 22 points ahead. Blue, pink He has gone to pot the blue which

:56:51. > :56:53.

:56:53. > :57:00.means he only needs one six. To win Has he got the pace? This is an

:57:00. > :57:07.excellent shot. What a super shot from O'Sullivan. Beautiful shot.

:57:07. > :57:12.Lots of left-hand side. And very, very sporting from Mark Williams

:57:12. > :57:16.there. We saw Mark smiling and tapping the table. If you play that

:57:16. > :57:20.shot 10 times, you could get it six out of 10, but he has blocked off

:57:20. > :57:26.the one cushion escape and hit it absolutely perfectly to get so

:57:26. > :57:36.close to the black. Consequently, with it being two cushions, this is

:57:36. > :57:44.

:57:44. > :57:49.I have put these lines in but it It is such a tough position. He

:57:49. > :57:53.would love to get close to the middle pocket, maybe, and tried to

:57:53. > :58:01.hit it from there but the angle is just not there, so maybe of two

:58:01. > :58:05.cushions. It's very difficult here from Mark Williams. It won't go put

:58:05. > :58:09.back if he misses it. He has the chance to get the white safe. He

:58:09. > :58:15.doesn't want Ronnie O'Sullivan to win the frame but it's a great line

:58:15. > :58:25.because if he misses it, he's not going to lead Ronnie an easy pink.

:58:25. > :58:26.

:58:26. > :58:31.Well, win or lose, this is, for me, the wrong way. He will leave a pot

:58:31. > :58:40.on whatever happens but he has hated and that's the main thing.

:58:40. > :58:50.Fantastic hit. -- he has hit it. Super shot from Mark Williams. He

:58:50. > :59:08.

:59:09. > :59:18.As you would expect, there is not a receipt to be had and the Crucible

:59:19. > :59:19.

:59:19. > :59:25.Theatre this afternoon. The crowd on the other side are waiting, as

:59:25. > :59:35.their match has finished and the other wanting that screen to come

:59:35. > :59:39.

:59:39. > :59:49.up, which it will do after the end It is going to be tough for Ronnie

:59:49. > :00:04.

:00:04. > :00:11.O'Sullivan to get beyond the black I think it is quite interesting

:00:11. > :00:17.that it shows Ronnie O'Sullivan is up for a fight. At other times in

:00:17. > :00:27.his career, he might not even have tried to get this snooker. It is a

:00:27. > :00:37.

:00:37. > :00:42.All, this is a great shot. This is a superb shot! Mark Williams taps

:00:42. > :00:52.the table once again. He really appreciates what great shots these

:00:52. > :01:12.

:01:12. > :01:22.He is finding it very hard to win this first rain! -- first frame. He

:01:22. > :01:52.

:01:52. > :01:55.Debt was the very fascinating first frame. Ronnie O'Sullivan played two

:01:55. > :02:05.marvellous snookers towards the end of that frame, but it is Mark

:02:05. > :02:05.

:02:05. > :02:15.Williams to take the opening frame. When he was virtually snookered and

:02:15. > :02:17.

:02:17. > :02:27.had to swerve round the green, that was a great shock. Yes, look at

:02:27. > :02:32.

:02:32. > :02:40.that, a slight little square. -- We will see a lot of big breaks by

:02:40. > :02:50.these two players over the next possible 25 frames, but it is also

:02:50. > :03:00.very interesting to see he's safety battles. A cup of great shots by

:03:00. > :03:19.

:03:19. > :03:27.Ronnie O'Sullivan to ladies' And very relieved Mark Williams

:03:27. > :03:37.gets the second frame under way. He thought he had won the frame easily

:03:37. > :03:42.

:03:42. > :03:52.That is a bit then. Mark Williams may be able to actually see this to

:03:52. > :04:21.

:04:21. > :04:31.I fancied him to pot that. I do not think Ronnie O'Sullivan will play

:04:31. > :05:06.

:05:06. > :05:16.such a poor safety shot as that for Again, he did not find the baulk

:05:16. > :05:25.

:05:25. > :05:35.cushion and left another half- Normally, you would expect him to

:05:35. > :05:35.

:05:35. > :06:16.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 46 seconds

:06:16. > :06:26.Obviously, the players are reluctant to simply roll into the

:06:26. > :06:40.

:06:40. > :06:50.pack. But there is really not a lot REFEREE: Foul. Ronnie O'Sullivan,

:06:50. > :07:03.

:07:03. > :07:13.and he has not played that very He has just got to try and avoid

:07:13. > :07:52.

:07:52. > :08:02.hitting green. That was always the This might be tempting for or

:08:02. > :08:02.

:08:02. > :08:12.Ronnie. When it is a match over 25 frames, you would expect him to

:08:12. > :08:22.

:08:22. > :08:32.take the odd risk, but perhaps not, A tricky pot for Mark into the

:08:32. > :08:33.

:08:33. > :08:41.middle. This is a shot he is particularly good at. Lot of

:08:41. > :08:51.pressure on it. Yes, bit of pressure on it, it was not

:08:51. > :08:58.straightforward. It is the type of shot where if you are not leaving

:08:58. > :09:01.anything on, it takes a lot of pressure off, but it becomes a bit

:09:01. > :09:11.more difficult when you know that you are going to be leaving

:09:11. > :09:11.

:09:11. > :11:03.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 46 seconds

:11:03. > :11:11.He is just Clearing up a few of these reds any baulk area. After

:11:11. > :11:21.that, he will be getting back up for the reds near to their black

:11:21. > :11:31.

:11:31. > :11:41.It looked as if he had hit that a little bit slow, but the sidespin

:11:41. > :11:51.

:11:51. > :12:01.meant that it bounced off the He is still needing another 25

:12:01. > :12:10.

:12:10. > :12:20.points to make the frame the sea. - He is looking to disturb the red

:12:20. > :12:27.

:12:27. > :12:37.Sea and bring a couple more into Yes, he was lucky to get on to that

:12:37. > :12:59.

:12:59. > :13:04.one, as he hit the wrong ball. That Ronnie O'Sullivan just needed that

:13:04. > :13:12.red and that is very careless. He was trying to bring the other reds

:13:12. > :13:22.into play. It has given Mark Williams half a chance. At all key,

:13:22. > :13:28.

:13:28. > :13:38.he is 62 points behind and a couple He seemed to just changed his mind

:13:38. > :13:54.

:13:54. > :14:01.That has gone in a fraction too far. When you are cutting back into a

:14:01. > :14:10.blind pocket, it is a much more difficult shot. We are only talking

:14:10. > :14:20.about half an inch. Yes, it is fractions, but you still do not

:14:20. > :14:56.

:14:56. > :15:06.On reflection of the match, 1-1 is I must admit, I have not seen

:15:06. > :15:06.

:15:06. > :15:54.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 46 seconds

:15:54. > :16:03.Ronnie's de meaner looking quite so It is amazing when he plays the

:16:03. > :16:13.shots left-handed. The crowd are just very used to it now. They yes,

:16:13. > :16:31.

:16:31. > :16:41.in years gone by, it would have That is what the fans have come to

:16:41. > :16:49.

:16:49. > :16:57.see Phil stock Ronnie is off the A Ronnie O'Sullivan for me is the

:16:57. > :17:06.most brilliant snooker player I have ever seen in my life. It is

:17:06. > :17:10.unbelievable what he does. He makes the game look ridiculously easy.

:17:10. > :17:20.has still under-achieve, even though he has won everything in the

:17:20. > :17:27.

:17:27. > :17:34.game. When he is making breaks, he never seems to call out of position.

:17:34. > :17:44.I have always respected him as a player. The are not many people I

:17:44. > :17:45.

:17:45. > :17:52.would pay to watch, but he is one That was really interesting getting

:17:52. > :18:02.the insight and what other players think of Ronnie. What is your

:18:02. > :18:05.

:18:05. > :18:15.opinion, Ken? Absolute legend. I think he is the most naturally

:18:15. > :18:25.

:18:25. > :18:35.gifted player who has ever graced That yellow has just drifted over

:18:35. > :19:04.

:19:05. > :19:12.In fairness, Ronnie knew that that Mark is struggling a bit. The last

:19:12. > :19:22.couple of safety shots he has played, he has booked some

:19:22. > :19:38.

:19:38. > :19:46.He is cueing beautifully. He is hitting the ball very sweetly. That

:19:46. > :19:56.is the beauty of Ronnie. He get so much reaction from the cue ball

:19:56. > :20:24.

:20:24. > :20:34.Yes, it is that delayed reaction. Ronnie in this mood is going to be

:20:34. > :20:41.

:20:41. > :20:51.a tough player to beat over the next 10 days. You can always tell

:20:51. > :20:55.

:20:55. > :21:03.either way he looks. He looks as if Yes, we are always looking for

:21:03. > :21:08.tell-tale signs - is his mind wavering, is he fully focused on

:21:08. > :21:18.the jaw in hand? But there does not seem to be any doubt about that

:21:18. > :21:21.

:21:21. > :21:31.You could hear a pin drop in the Crucible Theatre. We used the word

:21:31. > :21:58.

:21:58. > :22:06.genius Babette likely, but this is If you played that as a screw shot,

:22:06. > :22:16.the white may have bounce-back, but he stunned it, so that the cue ball

:22:16. > :22:16.

:22:16. > :23:32.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 46 seconds

:23:32. > :23:42.Similar situation here. He has just It appears that all the reds are

:23:42. > :23:49.getting into each other's way. That is a good shot. He had to play that

:23:49. > :23:59.with a lot of left-hand side. A a very good chance now for his second

:23:59. > :24:37.

:24:37. > :24:47.E pink will put and 62 points ahead, so he will just require one more

:24:47. > :24:57.

:24:57. > :25:07.red after that. He is on that Reporting that, a taut opened up

:25:07. > :25:36.

:25:36. > :25:46.the other two reds just below the The sponsors are giving �200 to

:25:46. > :25:55.

:25:55. > :26:05.eight children's Hospice for every Yes, Ronnie has made 107 centuries

:26:05. > :26:16.

:26:16. > :26:26.It is going to be tougher now, he What a shame. But the crowd were

:26:26. > :26:35.

:26:35. > :26:38.treated to more brilliance. Ronnie Lochee, impressions of the game?

:26:38. > :26:45.Yes, Mark Williams must have been feeling quite good about winning

:26:45. > :26:54.that first flight first frame on the pink and black. But Ronnie has

:26:54. > :27:00.a long and has been very impressive since. Ronnie O'Sullivan has seemed

:27:00. > :27:07.very relaxed around the venue. He has not played in all the events

:27:07. > :27:13.this season, but has responded well. But no one is going to judge Ronnie

:27:13. > :27:23.O'Sullivan on his snooker ability, but on his temperament. We do not

:27:23. > :27:24.

:27:24. > :27:31.judge other players like that. We tend to only judge Ronnie like that.

:27:31. > :27:38.He has looked very camp around the table, which was expected to be a

:27:38. > :27:44.psychological thriller when he played Peter Ebdon. Yes, there was

:27:44. > :27:52.none of that happening. He did not get upset. And the one thing we

:27:52. > :28:02.look at Ronnie for things like his temperament is simply that there is

:28:02. > :28:07.

:28:07. > :28:17.often absolutely nothing else that Yes, that was very interesting. He

:28:17. > :28:30.

:28:30. > :28:39.is very disappointed to have left a You would have expected him to get

:28:39. > :28:44.there. At the moment, he is struggling. No, there's no fluency

:28:44. > :28:54.in his stroke. He seemed to get at it, as opposed to going through

:28:54. > :28:55.

:28:55. > :29:05.But Ronnie will not be pleased with that shot. He was trying to stay on

:29:05. > :29:20.

:29:20. > :29:30.His heart possibly skipped and beat Now, has he got an angle on this

:29:30. > :29:39.

:29:39. > :29:43.I saw him kick his foot. He just wanted to miss the blue. He won't

:29:43. > :29:53.get the desired pace on the cue ball as it goes into them. It will

:29:53. > :29:55.

:29:55. > :30:05.He deserves to be on one. It was a very, very tough shot. The white

:30:05. > :30:16.

:30:16. > :30:26.loses its top spin. He just managed Unfortunate, for Ronnie, the pink

:30:26. > :30:28.

:30:28. > :30:38.is blocking the path of the black Trying to get on the pink here. Has

:30:38. > :30:41.

:30:41. > :30:48.the over hit it? Looks to be OK, Trying to stay low on this red. He

:30:48. > :30:58.Even the referee is getting excited!

:30:58. > :31:04.He can't keep up with the pace of Ronnie O'Sullivan in this flow.

:31:04. > :31:09.reds are going to be spread here, him playing the shot. No side. I

:31:09. > :31:14.thought he would play with a bit of side there to get the white up to

:31:14. > :31:24.the top of the table. If this goes in, this could be another frame

:31:24. > :31:36.

:31:36. > :31:45.over in the blink of an eye, as This time every spot cupboards of

:31:45. > :31:48.the blue has to get as near to the pink as possible. In a direct line.

:31:48. > :31:58.Something obviously gone moved because didn't the pink go on the

:31:58. > :32:32.

:32:32. > :32:36.A little shot between the two reds Mark is looking a bit forlorn,

:32:36. > :32:40.sitting in the chair and Ronnie can get to like that sometimes. You end

:32:40. > :32:45.up watching the player do things you know you can do but you wonder

:32:45. > :32:55.why that's not happening. Sometimes you think it might not be best to

:32:55. > :32:59.

:32:59. > :33:09.You just love watching him play. He makes the game look ridiculously

:33:09. > :33:12.

:33:12. > :33:22.He can't time it better than he is timing it at the moment, that's for

:33:22. > :33:26.

:33:26. > :33:31.sure. Just absolutely stroking the There's a couple of loose reds, but

:33:31. > :33:41.he may take the opportunity to play a little cannon. The last couple of

:33:41. > :33:46.

:33:46. > :33:53.He can play a slow pink or the blue into the two reds, as you suggested.

:33:53. > :34:03.Didn't hit to be desired red, but still got a good result. -- didn't

:34:03. > :34:11.

:34:11. > :34:21.hit the desired red, but still got And, because he couldn't guarantee

:34:21. > :34:29.

:34:29. > :34:33.getting perfectly on the pink, I had the pleasure of... Ryan Day

:34:34. > :34:39.played one of those shots earlier today and it definitely pulled to

:34:39. > :34:46.the right-hand side. It was always going but the last food, it ran

:34:47. > :34:54.another inch. Somehow, Mark, if you can clear it from there, this will

:34:54. > :35:04.hurt O'Sullivan, because it becomes out two each from this little Mini

:35:04. > :35:17.

:35:17. > :35:24.session, he will think he has won There is Ronnie, having a look at

:35:24. > :35:29.the pink on the right-hand side cushion. An excellent controlled

:35:29. > :35:39.shot from Mark Williams, there. Always difficult to control a ball

:35:39. > :36:01.

:36:01. > :36:05.Mark would love to get the blue out of the way to open up the black up.

:36:05. > :36:15.Certainly and the next couple of shots, he would like to get the

:36:15. > :36:26.

:36:26. > :36:31.Might be able to play at this time, and finish on the blue, on to the

:36:31. > :36:35.red. Just checking the scoreboard. Plenty of points available, Surrey

:36:35. > :36:45.doesn't have to worry about what colour he takes off the reds. -- so

:36:45. > :36:57.

:36:57. > :37:02.he doesn't have to worry about. Well played. Good shot, that. Still

:37:02. > :37:10.able to hold for the red. And now, he's just got to be careful. And

:37:10. > :37:18.this would be the stealer Paul steeples. -- this would be the

:37:18. > :37:28.steel of all steels. Yes, he will feel like he's won the session.

:37:28. > :37:35.

:37:35. > :37:45.He's going to hit that black as He's going to need all six

:37:45. > :37:50.

:37:50. > :37:55.remaining colours. If he pots this When Mark Williams was sitting in

:37:55. > :38:05.his chair, little did he realise he was going to get another chance in

:38:05. > :38:06.

:38:06. > :38:11.Yes, Ronnie has not played a bad shot, has he, really? In the last

:38:11. > :38:21.three frames, I can't think of one bad shot he has played. It just

:38:21. > :38:28.

:38:28. > :38:35.shows you the standard. A pretty Because the black is off its spot,

:38:35. > :38:45.it's not a natural shot. He would like to drop right in behind it so

:38:45. > :38:51.

:38:51. > :39:01.Now, what kind of angle does he have? A pretty good one. Not

:39:01. > :39:09.

:39:09. > :39:13.Well played, Mark Williams. He was kept off the table for two-and-a-

:39:13. > :39:20.half frames and the one chance he had to clear, he did it with a 64,

:39:20. > :39:24.HAZEL IRVINE: There is always a danger when you have two prize

:39:24. > :39:29.fighters out there like these two, it's not going to live up to

:39:29. > :39:33.expectations. Anything but, John. fantastic opening session and what

:39:34. > :39:39.Williams has done is what he's good at, he looks like not winning and

:39:39. > :39:44.then a wonderful clearance. At the start of the frame, it look like he

:39:44. > :39:49.was not totally settled. When you think about his record against

:39:49. > :39:54.Ronnie, I don't know whether it galvanises all parts some body of

:39:54. > :39:58.when you going to imagine someone you have not beaten for 10 years.

:39:58. > :40:02.He has done for you in the last three years. It's quite remarkable

:40:03. > :40:06.record. Yes, and it depends on the character of the person how they

:40:06. > :40:12.deal with it. I don't think Mark Williams would do well on anything

:40:12. > :40:17.like that. When he was in his prime, couple of years back, he was

:40:17. > :40:22.brilliant under pressure, potting it lots of difficult balls when he

:40:22. > :40:26.needed to. When he's in that form, he's a very dangerous animal indeed,

:40:26. > :40:30.as is Ronnie O'Sullivan, one of the best pressure player is in the game.

:40:30. > :40:35.Clearances may make the difference in this and they are both capable

:40:35. > :40:38.of that. They have a 50 Mid interval during which time we will

:40:38. > :40:43.reflect on the exploits of Stephen Hendry who, for a second Saturday

:40:43. > :40:49.in a row, has been the focal point of attention at the Crucible. Not

:40:49. > :40:55.only has the put John Higgins out in a straightforward fashion, but

:40:55. > :40:59.only seven days ago we were talking about a 147, at the Crucible, we

:40:59. > :41:03.didn't see it in full at the time it because we were going back and

:41:03. > :41:13.forth between both live matches and I think we can put that right for

:41:13. > :41:32.

:41:32. > :41:39.COMMENTATOR: That sounded good as Stephen will take a lead into the

:41:39. > :41:46.second session, but he would like to drive the point home. Take the

:41:46. > :41:53.big advantage through. I always think, in this round, when you have

:41:53. > :42:03.nine frames, 6-3, you still got work to do. Would you get to 7-2,

:42:03. > :42:04.

:42:04. > :42:10.or a greater advantage, you can see Lost the cue ball there. This will

:42:10. > :42:15.take a good shot to continue the break. Just didn't quite get into

:42:15. > :42:25.that. I think he hit the wrong red, actually. Tried to hit the left of

:42:25. > :42:26.

:42:27. > :42:36.the pack. He may not even try. But he's been attacking mode. -- he's

:42:36. > :42:45.in attacking mode. Now a chance of being on the black. Great potter

:42:45. > :42:55.but he has lost the cue ball. I suppose he did play it off the two

:42:55. > :42:58.

:42:58. > :43:08.Again, though, he's already looked at the potting angle. A bit low on

:43:08. > :43:15.

:43:15. > :43:21.the cue ball. He's not just rolling Well played. He's not perfectly on

:43:21. > :43:31.a bed, still, but still has something to go at it. This is

:43:31. > :44:01.

:44:02. > :44:11.Let's have a look at this one. It's safe to say that this table is not

:44:12. > :44:13.

:44:13. > :44:21.playing difficult, pocket wise. You I think it will change. You don't

:44:21. > :44:31.expect them to play easy throughout, but it is a new cloth on here. The

:44:31. > :44:31.

:44:31. > :45:14.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 46 seconds

:45:14. > :45:20.He's on reds and blacks. I think he would like to continue along those

:45:20. > :45:25.lines. He might, even have the chance came, continue on the black

:45:25. > :45:29.rather than taking a lower value colour. As we always say, you have

:45:29. > :45:39.got to put the frame on the board first. But, the fact remains, this

:45:39. > :45:54.

:45:54. > :46:04.is a good chance to make a very big Well, he's made it 10 in

:46:04. > :46:15.

:46:16. > :46:25.You always wonder with the pink is going to be. I would like to be on

:46:26. > :46:29.

:46:29. > :46:34.its spot for a chance of this. It's A little run-through. Sometimes you

:46:34. > :46:44.think the only thing which can go wrong is bad contact, or something,

:46:44. > :47:12.

:47:12. > :47:22.Well, you couldn't set much better As I was saying, in between frames,

:47:22. > :47:27.

:47:27. > :47:37.what a great temperament Stephen Forced it in and has finished

:47:37. > :47:41.

:47:41. > :47:47.absolutely inch perfect. He can Just a question of getting higher

:47:47. > :47:57.up the table. This would have been the most difficult of the three to

:47:57. > :48:03.

:48:03. > :48:10.get on the black from but it's This, for the century. But bigger

:48:10. > :48:20.fish to fry after this. Now he needs an angle on this red to the

:48:20. > :48:20.

:48:20. > :49:02.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 46 seconds

:49:02. > :49:12.This red, followed by the black and This is absolutely perfect. Can't

:49:12. > :49:14.

:49:14. > :49:19.Can you believe this? Very similar to the shot Cliff Thorburn had on

:49:19. > :49:25.this very table, this one. It will run through on to the green. It's

:49:25. > :49:30.almost the same shot, isn't it? unfortunately, Stephen is

:49:30. > :49:36.stretching. Cliff was a little bit further away from the yellow. We

:49:36. > :49:45.had got a rollover of �40,000. People are praying for this. This

:49:45. > :49:49.is the key shot. In it goes! Perfect on the green. �40,000 for

:49:49. > :49:59.the maximum. �10,000 for the highest break of the tournament so

:49:59. > :50:02.

:50:02. > :50:09.these five remaining colours for a And another magical Crucible moment

:50:09. > :50:19.created by the king of the Crucible, Stephen Hendry. Just one more shot

:50:19. > :50:19.

:50:20. > :50:29.and on to the blue perfectly and I'm sure he will see it. Well, if

:50:30. > :50:30.

:50:30. > :50:37.he can get that, and I'm sure he Decider to play for the pink into

:50:37. > :50:47.the middle. Rather than hold it. His temperament has always been his

:50:47. > :51:01.

:51:01. > :51:07.main strength. Can he just hold it Absolutely! Fantastic! At 41,

:51:07. > :51:12.Stephen Hendry, huge congratulations. Well done, Stephen.

:51:12. > :51:17.You had done the game proud once again. His 11th century.

:51:17. > :51:21.Congratulated by everybody. Stephen Hendry, who said he's not the

:51:21. > :51:28.player he was? Absolutely fantastic!

:51:28. > :51:32.HAZEL IRVINE: Stephen happily reflecting on events. He's got

:51:32. > :51:38.change now out of the dicky bow tie. Congratulations on getting through

:51:38. > :51:46.to the quarter-finals for the 19th time. I wonder how this ranks in

:51:46. > :51:50.the list of 11 for you? It's hard to differentiate. To make a maximum

:51:50. > :51:54.at the Crucible is phenomenal. I played three shots in a row which

:51:54. > :51:57.were quite tricky at the beginning of the break and after that, it was

:51:57. > :52:02.one of the quickest I've ever made because I was always in position

:52:02. > :52:08.from then on. A great moment, as was will victory to their over John

:52:08. > :52:12.Higgins. We were surprised at last night. How surprised are you at the

:52:12. > :52:17.straightforward man of the victory? If someone had said I was going to

:52:17. > :52:21.beat John Higgins 13-4, I haven't won two matches in a row at the

:52:21. > :52:26.venue for a long long time. Last night was one of the strangest

:52:26. > :52:29.sessions of snooker I have been involved in. Unfortunately, John

:52:29. > :52:33.has never played as bad at the Crucible in his life. I said to the

:52:33. > :52:38.boys, you hope to get maybe one good chance against him and I was

:52:38. > :52:41.getting five or six. It's weird, because it's harder keep your focus

:52:41. > :52:46.because you go to the table in shock. I could not believe the

:52:46. > :52:52.mistakes he was making. Let's go John's side of the story. He has

:52:52. > :53:02.been reflecting on a defeat earlier today. It was really bad. The

:53:02. > :53:03.

:53:03. > :53:08.second session, probably the worst I've ever played, maybe. It was a

:53:08. > :53:12.really bad. I felt Stephen was hitting the ball great. The best I

:53:12. > :53:19.have seen him in a long time and I was getting myself ready for a

:53:19. > :53:23.great game, hopefully, but I could have nicked the first frame of the

:53:23. > :53:30.evening session and I missed it, over cut the black and from then on,

:53:30. > :53:37.it was torture. Not nice going to bed 12-4 behind. You would rather

:53:38. > :53:42.the match last another frame and go home. To sleep on it, and know it's

:53:42. > :53:46.a minor miracle to get back into it. A tough match.

:53:46. > :53:51.You can guarantee he will be back and trying for another world title.

:53:51. > :53:56.He's trying to beat you in your quest for seven. You managed to

:53:56. > :54:00.delay it. What is the level of satisfaction in a match which, I

:54:00. > :54:05.think, surprised everybody, when it realised you've never played each

:54:05. > :54:09.other here before. A phenomenal statistic. He is defending champion

:54:09. > :54:15.and John, in my eyes, is the favourite in this event. Even today,

:54:15. > :54:19.people were saying, the matches over, when the play next? But John

:54:20. > :54:25.could easily have come out and made four frames and I would have been

:54:25. > :54:30.under pressure. So, as I say, I was just amazed how he played last

:54:30. > :54:35.night. I've never seen him play like that, luckily for me. By your

:54:35. > :54:39.standards, it looks good. Do you put this down to a change of

:54:39. > :54:44.attitude? Technique? You look like a different player at the moment.

:54:44. > :54:50.Yes, I think and hitting the ball as well as I have done for a long

:54:50. > :54:57.time. I'm working with Chris Henry, and I think I'm hitting the white

:54:57. > :55:02.in the middle, which helps a lot. I'm very relaxed for the bits well

:55:02. > :55:07.documented, my troubles the week before. I played pool all week. I'm

:55:07. > :55:11.not putting too much pressure on myself. A lot of frames I am now

:55:11. > :55:15.winning them in one visit, which you have to do here. You have been

:55:15. > :55:21.forced to pay more match played this year. Yes, I've enjoyed it

:55:21. > :55:25.sometimes and not other times. Qualifying is never easy. Yes, I've

:55:25. > :55:28.surprised myself this year what I had done in the qualifiers. I know

:55:28. > :55:36.you brought your golf clubs back which, in your heyday, would have

:55:36. > :55:42.been unthinkable. What were your preparation be for the next match?

:55:42. > :55:46.I might fly to Kuala Lumpur, look at the airport and then fly back.

:55:46. > :55:51.No, I brought the golf clubs because but by last, I was working

:55:51. > :55:59.with you guys for the rest of the week and I might have got a few

:55:59. > :56:04.games in. You would probably three- putt all afternoon! What about your

:56:04. > :56:08.record again Stephen Maguire? How do you fancy that? Lately, not so

:56:08. > :56:13.good. He's been other top players for the last three years. I watched

:56:13. > :56:18.his game with Joe Perry yesterday. His long game was not what it

:56:18. > :56:22.usually is. I'm one match away from being in a one table situation

:56:22. > :56:31.again, which is amazing for me considering I've had no record here

:56:31. > :56:36.for the past few years. Can you win this title? I can win it. You take

:56:36. > :56:39.it one match at a time. As I say, there is no place where I'm more

:56:39. > :56:43.comfortable playing snooker than at the Crucible but there is a few

:56:43. > :56:47.players left in it which will have something to say about it.

:56:47. > :56:50.Absolutely pulls up it's been great to see you this season. Well played.

:56:50. > :57:00.Can we look forward to working with you next week. That's going to put

:57:00. > :57:03.All right, but was a heavyweight contest between Stephen and John

:57:03. > :57:08.and we are currently enjoying the other one out there between Ronnie

:57:08. > :57:13.and Mark. If you extend the analogies into boxing, you will

:57:13. > :57:19.know Mark Williams has a bit of boxing history. He used to lose an

:57:19. > :57:29.amateur boxing and coach to joke Haas It. -- he used to do a bit of

:57:29. > :57:39.

:57:39. > :57:45.amateur boxing. -- he used to coach You've had a bit of heavy hitting

:57:45. > :57:49.company on the table. What's your assessment? Very good, yet. And try

:57:49. > :57:53.not to pot too many against him in case he hits me but I'm enjoying it,

:57:53. > :57:57.very good. You are a big fan of boxing but your career came to an

:57:57. > :58:01.end abruptly but this man is going from strength to strength.

:58:01. > :58:07.Brilliant. I've watched most of his fights. Especially the last one.

:58:07. > :58:11.The atmosphere was unbelievable. I might ask him nicely if he can

:58:11. > :58:19.sneak my couple of tickets for the next game for the do you enjoy

:58:19. > :58:24., when you're in a hard training camp, it's good having your mates

:58:24. > :58:30.around and having a knock around in a snooker to relax. I like watching

:58:30. > :58:37.it on TV. You have a big fight in July. How soon do you think we

:58:37. > :58:42.might see going for world title? You never know, maybe next, the one

:58:42. > :58:46.after, surely. I'm number 7 in the world now. It's come to that time

:58:46. > :58:50.for the world title fight for myself. It's good to see the banter

:58:50. > :58:59.between you. A few rumours you might have been sent down to dish

:58:59. > :59:09.out a slap up his comments about the Crucible. Well, we've been

:59:09. > :59:10.

:59:10. > :59:15.having a little knockabout there HAZEL IRVINE: It's been a very

:59:15. > :59:25.enjoyable first Mini session. Two frames a piece. We will head back

:59:25. > :59:44.

:59:44. > :59:54.WILLIE THORNE: this week. That was great hearing from Stephen Hendry

:59:54. > :59:54.

:59:54. > :00:49.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 46 seconds

:00:49. > :00:53.and it is fantastic what he has KEN DOHERTY: The pack. The referee

:00:53. > :01:03.has called touching also Ronnie was able to just play away from the

:01:03. > :01:08.

:01:08. > :01:18.But was a difficult shot, because if he got it too thick, he could

:01:18. > :01:58.

:01:58. > :02:08.The red at the bottom of the pack will call into the bottom right-

:02:08. > :02:26.

:02:26. > :02:36.It has just run away from him slightly. Is he on it? He just

:02:36. > :02:46.

:02:46. > :02:56.needed to square of its slightly. - Any old days, with the thicker

:02:56. > :03:06.

:03:06. > :03:16.cloths, you simply could not have This is one of those that he has to

:03:16. > :03:16.

:03:16. > :03:57.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 46 seconds

:03:57. > :04:07.ask their cue ball off the top Look at this for a shot. Well done!

:04:07. > :04:15.

:04:15. > :04:21.He did not want to take -- to hit their cue ball twice, but he took

:04:21. > :04:27.their cue away before he had even hit the shot!. But that is the

:04:27. > :04:37.terrible kick for Mark Williams. That has taken three feet off the

:04:37. > :05:08.

:05:08. > :05:18.Mark Williams knows how well Ronnie O'Sullivan is plain. If Mark can

:05:18. > :05:22.

:05:22. > :05:30.keep putting him by pinching frames, like he did in the last frame. If

:05:30. > :05:40.he can keep coming with ease counter punching comebacks, it will

:05:40. > :05:40.

:05:40. > :06:43.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 46 seconds

:06:43. > :06:53.really hurt Ronnie and may change That was not the ideal angle and

:06:53. > :06:53.

:06:53. > :07:38.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 46 seconds

:07:38. > :07:48.the black. He was trying to force That was a great shot from Ronnie

:07:48. > :08:02.

:08:02. > :08:12.O'Sullivan. Mark Williams had to Ronnie O'Sullivan can play this as

:08:12. > :08:14.

:08:14. > :08:24.a shot to nothing. But because he hit it so poorly, very thin. That

:08:24. > :08:31.

:08:31. > :08:35.is the first really poor shot he But the way Mark Williams has been

:08:35. > :08:45.pinching frames, it has just put that little bit of extra pressure

:08:45. > :08:45.

:08:45. > :11:10.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 46 seconds

:11:10. > :11:20.He can play this very thin and get It is also a free ball. He could

:11:20. > :11:29.

:11:29. > :11:39.take the ground into the middle. -- So, Mark Williams is now the

:11:39. > :11:59.

:11:59. > :12:09.Main points ahead, so he will be looking at the scoreboard and doing

:12:09. > :12:11.

:12:11. > :12:21.his calculations. If he takes the three open red, Ronnie will need

:12:21. > :12:22.

:12:22. > :12:31.snookers, so he will not need a He has got to be careful. He got

:12:31. > :12:41.down very quickly there and his shot was very nearly touching he

:12:41. > :12:57.

:12:57. > :13:07.Excellent shot. This will cling to the cushion if he plays it nice and

:13:07. > :13:19.

:13:19. > :13:29.He can get on any red it is on the bottom cushion. He wants to be able

:13:29. > :13:39.

:13:39. > :13:49.The below net will be enough, so there will not be any heroics on

:13:49. > :14:00.

:14:00. > :14:04.this. He will just be looking to You have to take your hat off to

:14:04. > :14:14.any Mark Williams has held himself together over the course of the

:14:14. > :14:27.

:14:27. > :14:37.But there is a good chance for The yellow isn't a good position

:14:37. > :14:43.

:14:44. > :14:53.because the E pink has crept up the He wants to be able to knock it

:14:54. > :15:05.

:15:05. > :15:15.I did expect him to get that. it would have been a lot easier if

:15:15. > :15:26.

:15:26. > :15:36.he had got the cue ball along This is another good chance for

:15:36. > :15:36.

:15:36. > :16:26.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 46 seconds

:16:26. > :16:30.It is a snooker, but I do not think This looks good. What a shot! We

:16:30. > :16:40.saw in the first frame he laid a couple of brilliant snookers and

:16:40. > :16:41.

:16:42. > :16:51.Mark Williams shaking his head as he went round the table! We saw

:16:52. > :17:00.

:17:00. > :17:10.This is the possible escape route. The fact that the brown is close to

:17:10. > :17:17.

:17:17. > :17:27.the top cushion makes it a bit REFEREE: Foul. Ronnie O'Sullivan,

:17:27. > :17:27.

:17:27. > :18:26.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 46 seconds

:18:27. > :18:36.The cushions are very lively. That He may well try unscrew this then,

:18:37. > :18:46.

:18:46. > :18:56.because it is a natural end off He judged it OK. It will be a very

:18:56. > :18:56.

:18:56. > :19:56.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 46 seconds

:19:57. > :20:06.The Welsh potting machine inflicts another defeat in a frame for

:20:07. > :20:07.

:20:07. > :20:17.Ronnie O'Sullivan. Mark Williams Another frame with so many twists

:20:17. > :20:24.

:20:24. > :20:32.and turns than it? Yes, Ronnie stuck the cue ball into the pack.

:20:32. > :20:42.But critically, from this, he needed to pit the black safe and he

:20:42. > :20:45.

:20:45. > :20:55.really should have taken a bit more What do you make of the way that

:20:55. > :21:04.

:21:04. > :21:11.Mark has taken his chances? Highlighting Mark Williams's de

:21:11. > :21:21.meaner across the table. It is the best I have seen my name 10 Mark

:21:21. > :21:26.

:21:26. > :21:36.It has been an interesting few days for Mark Williams, starting with

:21:36. > :21:45.his comments about the venue on Twitter. I think other people may

:21:45. > :21:50.have gone into the shell a bet with the Allmey controversy. Bobby so,

:21:50. > :22:00.he cannot be allowed near a Twitter account, as it is far too

:22:00. > :22:28.

:22:28. > :22:33.I enjoyed that little chat. Do you I am afraid I do not understand all

:22:33. > :22:43.this technology. I have enough trouble with the microphone in the

:22:43. > :22:58.

:22:58. > :23:08.He is just saying to his friends, that was close, I got within six

:23:08. > :23:21.

:23:21. > :23:31.There he is, scratching his head. This red is on into the middle and

:23:31. > :24:03.

:24:03. > :24:13.it may be worth the risk. He played He is looking up at a gap and it

:24:13. > :24:14.

:24:14. > :24:24.looked very tight. Imagine having to replace all of these! Now,

:24:24. > :24:39.

:24:39. > :24:49.members of the audience, remember We mentioned earlier that these

:24:49. > :24:59.

:24:59. > :25:03.reds along the top cushion to claim. He played it in such a way that he

:25:03. > :25:13.thought it would be a shot to nothing, but it has not worked out

:25:13. > :25:14.

:25:14. > :25:19.that way. When Mark Williams is at his best, these are the type of

:25:19. > :25:29.shots he loves to play, but his long potting has not been up to the

:25:29. > :25:29.

:25:29. > :26:57.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 46 seconds

:26:57. > :27:07.usual high standard. That is a bit That was amazing that one shot. It

:27:07. > :27:42.

:27:42. > :27:46.looked for all the world as if it Ideally, Mark would love to get a

:27:46. > :27:56.cue ball all were to the left-hand side of the table, but that is not

:27:56. > :27:59.

:27:59. > :28:09.straightforward. He can use the blue as a blocker. Not, he is

:28:09. > :28:34.

:28:34. > :28:38.actually tried to go over with a There is a couple of red the and

:28:38. > :28:48.that could be close to a plant, but Ronnie was not going to entertain

:28:48. > :28:52.

:28:52. > :29:02.I thought he was going to stop it with his cue! By actually to write

:29:02. > :29:04.

:29:04. > :29:14.Mark does not have a safety shot. He was trying to just roll into

:29:14. > :29:45.

:29:45. > :29:55.The Ronnie O'Sullivan is putting it He will still have the same shot on

:29:55. > :29:55.

:29:55. > :30:05.the reds, even if he touches them here. A similar position to what

:30:05. > :30:05.

:30:05. > :30:47.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 46 seconds

:30:47. > :30:57.Mark Williams had a couple of shots He would like to have got that very

:30:57. > :31:00.

:31:00. > :31:10.thin. Because he has left that a bit quicker, he has let her read on.

:31:10. > :31:22.

:31:22. > :31:32.Mark won't know exactly what the He has got a little bit of work to

:31:32. > :31:52.

:31:52. > :32:02.I didn't see that one coming! You would expect somebody of his class

:32:02. > :32:04.

:32:04. > :32:09.to knock this in. His long potting is very poor, considering he is

:32:09. > :32:19.normally one of the best long potters in the game. There is

:32:19. > :32:19.

:32:19. > :33:03.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 46 seconds

:33:03. > :33:13.enough room to get in behind the He picked - you pick that one might

:33:13. > :33:13.

:33:13. > :34:19.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 46 seconds

:34:19. > :34:23.nicely. He can pick Ronnie This is not a safe - not a

:34:23. > :34:27.straightforward safety because of for the black haze. He may be

:34:27. > :34:37.forced to take on the pot. He doesn't want to have to, but there

:34:37. > :34:50.

:34:50. > :35:00.is no clear way back to the block The how well did he hit that! He

:35:00. > :35:22.

:35:22. > :35:32.deserved the case on the pink. That is not the best shot from

:35:32. > :35:51.

:35:51. > :36:01.A lot of players this week have missed the shot into the middle

:36:01. > :36:10.

:36:10. > :36:19.pocket on the near side. He judged That was a great shot. There was a

:36:19. > :36:29.bit of pressure on that shot but he hated very well. - hit its very

:36:29. > :36:29.

:36:29. > :37:16.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 46 seconds

:37:16. > :37:26.Has he gone too far? It is a bit too far for the pink. It is very,

:37:26. > :37:28.

:37:28. > :37:35.very tight. He just helped it in with a little bit of left-hand side.

:37:35. > :37:45.This table seems to be playing off the top draw. He played that very

:37:45. > :38:12.

:38:12. > :38:16.well. He has started to get back We had an excellent 10 minutes of

:38:16. > :38:26.safety play at the beginning of this frame, and it took an

:38:26. > :38:26.

:38:26. > :39:06.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 46 seconds

:39:06. > :39:16.excellent pot from Ronnie He did that in the first round as

:39:16. > :39:19.

:39:19. > :39:29.well! Frame ball and he missed it! Quite surprising. He has thrown

:39:29. > :39:49.

:39:49. > :39:52.That is just about perfect! He is on the red, maybe a little bit

:39:52. > :40:02.straight on it and he would have loved to have brought that lack

:40:02. > :40:20.

:40:21. > :40:29.He was too straight on the pink there. We didn't have the angle to

:40:29. > :40:39.get into the reds. Funnily enough, he can't swing at around three

:40:39. > :40:49.

:40:49. > :40:59.cushions and get it behind the I am surprised that Mark Williams

:40:59. > :41:30.

:41:30. > :41:40.The only thing Mark Williams is worried about is knocking at the

:41:40. > :41:54.

:41:55. > :42:02.He could try to make the plant, but unless he gets it, he may leave it

:42:02. > :42:06.and that is what he is worried about you. Also, he has got to play

:42:06. > :42:16.it with a bit of speed because should he miss that he wants the

:42:16. > :42:26.

:42:26. > :42:33.wreck to come back across the table That is what he is a little bit

:42:33. > :42:41.scared off. That is why he is putting Ronnie O'Sullivan back in.

:42:41. > :42:51.He just needs to be careful he doesn't leave on I read here. - a

:42:51. > :42:51.

:42:51. > :44:09.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 46 seconds

:44:09. > :44:19.Ronnie O'Sullivan was very pleased to see the green staying where it

:44:19. > :44:49.

:44:49. > :44:52.The a little tap on the table from Mark Williams because Ronnie

:44:52. > :45:02.O'Sullivan didn't want to cannon into the two reds. He wants to keep

:45:02. > :45:42.

:45:42. > :45:49.That is a clever little shot, making sure that he finished right

:45:49. > :45:59.on top of the red So Ronnie couldn't clip off it. This will

:45:59. > :46:09.

:46:09. > :46:14.cling to the cushion light blue if Now he could be in trouble. He is

:46:14. > :46:24.disappointed, that wasn't a great shot. That is careless as well.

:46:24. > :46:59.

:46:59. > :47:08.That is not a snooker. He should Ronnie can get through to this red.

:47:08. > :47:18.He can get the cue ball ride on the top cushion. - right on the top

:47:18. > :47:18.

:47:18. > :48:29.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 46 seconds

:48:29. > :48:39.He played a beautiful shot there to bring the green into play and then

:48:39. > :48:39.

:48:39. > :49:28.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 46 seconds

:49:28. > :49:33.just spun around the back of! He He took the blue purposely to try

:49:33. > :49:43.and bring the prying into play. He will find it hard to keep oneself

:49:43. > :49:56.

:49:56. > :50:06.in the frame now. He will need a In goes the double! Thatcher put it

:50:06. > :50:06.

:50:06. > :50:16.beyond doubt. Only 22 remaining. After a long bout of safety play.

:50:16. > :50:25.

:50:25. > :50:30.Mark Williams gives the nod to the referee. He has had enough. Ronnie

:50:30. > :50:36.O'Sullivan levels again it is three apiece. It would be interesting to

:50:36. > :50:41.find out how many have yet home are watching this match in a passive

:50:41. > :50:50.way by letting our clock up - letting the computer clock up this

:50:50. > :50:56.course, or do you count up the points yourself? This sport can

:50:56. > :51:02.certainly help you arithmetic. The classroom comes to do Cristobal.

:51:02. > :51:12.Welcome to functional snooker, a new way for her kids to learn maths

:51:12. > :51:24.

:51:24. > :51:30.We brought the classroom here, bringing youngsters under 16 and

:51:30. > :51:38.over 16 to launch functional snooker. We have got hold of the

:51:38. > :51:42.scoring game, tweeted to see if we could improve their maths. They are

:51:42. > :51:44.playing the game and putting into practice what they had learned. At

:51:44. > :51:50.the end the don't even realise they have learnt as much as they have

:51:50. > :51:57.done. I think it is a way of enjoying learning maths, rather

:51:57. > :52:05.than having to learn. Anyway she poor form people can get kids to

:52:05. > :52:10.enjoy their learning experience is a good one. Instead of just sitting

:52:10. > :52:19.down and maybe getting boards or not learning much with just a

:52:19. > :52:23.teacher talking, you get to be involved in the learning yourself.

:52:23. > :52:28.One in five people in the country have got a reading age of 11 and

:52:28. > :52:34.under. That is spurring us on to try to do something to support that

:52:34. > :52:44.in schools, after-school, but really give the initiation to get

:52:44. > :52:44.

:52:44. > :52:54.into snooker. We put smiles on people's faces. 12 times for. 12

:52:54. > :52:55.

:52:55. > :53:00.times for? We try to get people not in education or training. They

:53:00. > :53:06.become excited about learning. Hopefully everybody will be a

:53:06. > :53:10.winner and people have a future. It's a great idea, isn't it? After

:53:10. > :53:20.a lifetime in the game, Ken and Billy have got games like

:53:20. > :53:39.

:53:39. > :53:49.computers! KEN: Ronnie O'Sullivan WILLIE: This was the lovely potter

:53:49. > :53:49.

:53:49. > :54:42.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 46 seconds

:54:42. > :54:47.Am sure he will attempt to go into the pack. That is OK. He has got a

:54:47. > :54:53.red to the Left Centre if he wishes. That means he could stay on the

:54:54. > :55:03.black. You know how much you love staying down a descent of the table

:55:04. > :55:34.

:55:34. > :55:44.I may be getting ahead of myself, but that is for reds and for

:55:44. > :55:51.never in the history of the Crucible have we had two players

:55:51. > :56:01.making the maximum break, have we? Yes, we did a couple of years ago,

:56:01. > :56:02.

:56:03. > :56:12.Ali Carter and Ronnie O'Sullivan. It would be interesting to see if

:56:13. > :56:19.

:56:19. > :56:27.He seems to have changed his base as well. Ron Lees slowed down and

:56:27. > :56:37.the plague - and the play slowed. When they get in, both players are

:56:37. > :56:41.playing very fluently. Mark Williams just glancing up any

:56:41. > :56:51.reason - and realising that Ronnie only needs another couple of reds

:56:51. > :57:13.

:57:13. > :57:21.Those two reds around the pink spot That is an excellent shot! The

:57:21. > :57:31.white just arced into the pack. Watch the cue ball. All the top-

:57:31. > :57:52.

:57:53. > :58:00.This break has been top draw so far. The only thing that is missing in

:58:00. > :58:04.the match is a century. There have been some great bout of safety play,

:58:04. > :58:14.great bricks, some great steals from Mike Quint - from Mark

:58:14. > :58:15.

:58:15. > :58:20.Williams. It is one of the great sights in sport, watching one of

:58:20. > :58:30.the great players making a century break, seeing how they work the cue

:58:30. > :58:45.

:58:45. > :58:50.ball round. But one has gone What a shame! It seemed that we

:58:50. > :58:59.were going to get a century, but he broke down at 88. Ronnie O'Sullivan

:58:59. > :59:03.When Ronnie O'Sullivan is playing at his own pace, he looks

:59:03. > :59:10.unbeatable but in the tactical battle, Mark Williams get the upper

:59:10. > :59:15.hand. Yes, he's missed a couple of vital shots particularly framing

:59:15. > :59:20.balls, but we saw in the last frame, a lovely long red. Even in this

:59:20. > :59:26.frame, he knocked in a beautiful long red to start the break off.

:59:26. > :59:31.His long game has been better. Just look at the shot. Purposely held

:59:31. > :59:38.out for the black and went on to make a frame with a break of 86.

:59:38. > :59:48.It's been a fascinating game. think Mark has done well to hang on

:59:48. > :59:49.

:59:49. > :59:54.to his coat-tails, really, the way He's the only one frame behind and,

:59:54. > :59:59.once again, if Ronnie O'Sullivan does not win this 5-3, he is

:59:59. > :00:04.entitled to be disappointed. If Mark Williams cannot level at 4-4,

:00:04. > :00:14.he will think this afternoon's work has gone well. Dead right. He's

:00:14. > :00:52.

:00:52. > :00:56.almost been hanging on to Ronnie's Trying to use the green as the

:00:56. > :01:01.snookering ball there, and that's an unusual way of playing it, but

:01:01. > :01:11.fortunately, he has not snookered it's so Ronnie can play a good

:01:11. > :01:11.

:01:11. > :01:21.Well, he didn't play it. You can tell he's disappointed, the fact

:01:21. > :01:25.it's gone in. Ronnie expected the red to stay on the table and the

:01:25. > :01:30.white behind the brown. I don't know it they are suggesting the

:01:30. > :01:40.cushion as squared up a little bit. He and Mark are having a little

:01:40. > :01:41.

:01:41. > :02:30.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 46 seconds

:02:30. > :02:38.discussion to say that they are Well, that was wonderful, wasn't

:02:38. > :02:41.it? The last frame of the afternoon session. Took the bull by the horns.

:02:41. > :02:48.Mark Williams decided to play the aggressive shot and I don't think

:02:48. > :02:51.it has worked. I don't blame him, a tall, for playing that. A lot of

:02:51. > :03:01.players would have gone for the loose one but these players do not

:03:01. > :03:01.

:03:01. > :03:06.miss a trick when it comes to So this is a chance. The green is

:03:06. > :03:16.off its spot which makes the shot easier. This is very

:03:16. > :03:17.

:03:17. > :03:27.Right over the green spot, you see. It made it a massive target on the

:03:27. > :03:27.

:03:27. > :04:18.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 46 seconds

:04:18. > :04:22.He felt he was going to bounce off the cushion there. He was surprised.

:04:22. > :04:28.He knew because it bounced off the cushion, it appeared to go slightly

:04:28. > :04:38.wider. He was planning to hit the middle of the red ball. This shows

:04:38. > :04:48.

:04:48. > :04:53.you how much the reaction was Had to play another kiss. The red

:04:53. > :05:03.on the black was played very carelessly. Left at completely the

:05:03. > :05:12.

:05:12. > :05:22.He is going to try and put the blacks safe here. He has a 25 point

:05:22. > :05:37.

:05:37. > :05:46.lead. He will try to put the black I mentioned in commentary, the bad

:05:46. > :05:49.shot was not the black but this is the shot. He under hit it. Yes, it

:05:49. > :05:59.would have been straightforward for him had he been perfect on the

:05:59. > :06:00.

:06:00. > :06:10.And it's those little shots, those errors of judgment, which sometimes

:06:10. > :06:26.

:06:26. > :06:31.Clever shot from Mark Williams, putting another red safe. The fact

:06:31. > :06:41.is he has a 25 point lead, he knows Ronnie is going to need those two

:06:41. > :06:56.

:06:56. > :07:01.He has left a couple of tempting shots in the middle pocket. Doesn't

:07:01. > :07:07.fancy either of them. If he gets the white on the back cushion, if

:07:07. > :07:12.it goes in, the black will cling to the cushion. It may be worth a risk

:07:12. > :07:22.but does he want to risk bringing the black in play at this stage? 35

:07:22. > :07:22.

:07:22. > :08:41.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 46 seconds

:08:41. > :08:51.points in front. He just puts the Does the pink going to the left

:08:51. > :08:57.

:08:57. > :09:02.Good pot, but has he screwed the cue ball over too far? I'm not sure

:09:02. > :09:06.if he can see enough of the pink to pot. If he can see enough of it,

:09:06. > :09:16.can he do it without hitting another red? This would be very

:09:16. > :09:24.

:09:24. > :09:29.It was all there, that was. It was Just had a look at the pink. This

:09:29. > :09:35.is what we've been talking about. Watch it pours slightly at the end.

:09:35. > :09:40.And, at that pace, it was always going to drop. Why is that

:09:40. > :09:45.happening? In the last four years, it goes to top drawer, it hits top

:09:45. > :09:50.drawer. I'm not quite sure. I always remember playing here and

:09:50. > :10:00.it's always been like that. It has always fallen to the near jaw.

:10:00. > :10:02.

:10:02. > :10:08.Maybe it's something to do with the A few moments ago, we were thinking

:10:08. > :10:15.Mark Williams could escape from this session with a 4-4 scoreline.

:10:15. > :10:20.Ronnie O'Sullivan now has a chance to take a 5-3 first session lead.

:10:20. > :10:22.And this is a three-day match, which is unusual at the Crucible.

:10:23. > :10:32.Normally it's a two-day match but they are going to play the next

:10:33. > :10:40.

:10:40. > :10:48.session tomorrow afternoon, and The only possible saving grace for

:10:48. > :10:54.Mark Williams in this frame is the red close to the cushion. Just up

:10:54. > :11:04.from the middle pocket. Which he put himself there. He pushed it

:11:04. > :11:42.

:11:42. > :11:52.The red is safe. How is he going to A little bit too PC. -- pacey. Does

:11:52. > :11:53.

:11:53. > :11:59.not want to be straight on the pink. That looks to have the again. Is

:11:59. > :12:05.it? Is it going to bounce off the cushion? -- that looks a bit heavy

:12:05. > :12:09.again. Makes it more difficult. It is a couple of inches closer to the

:12:09. > :12:13.cushion, it's a straight red. does decide to play on the blue,

:12:13. > :12:23.he's got a massive target to come off the baulk cushion and play the

:12:23. > :12:38.

:12:39. > :12:42.cannon on the red. A chance to get It's amazing, a couple of inches

:12:43. > :12:52.and it would have bounced off the cushion there. He made that pot a

:12:53. > :13:03.

:13:04. > :13:08.Funny enough, bad kiss is not too bad now. I know he will take the

:13:08. > :13:12.pink to get the six points but it it was a bit further, blue to get

:13:12. > :13:19.the red out would have been just as good. Might even play the cannon

:13:19. > :13:29.here. He has kissed a lot of balls. Likely that was in his favour

:13:29. > :13:45.

:13:46. > :13:50.otherwise he would have been It's a big target. Blue, green and

:13:50. > :14:00.brown. He's got to be careful of the red ball, make sure he keeps it

:14:00. > :14:05.

:14:05. > :14:15.A little bit unlucky there because he's let enough room, sticking out.

:14:15. > :14:20.

:14:20. > :14:30.The reds spread out a little bit. A bit careless, that. He could have

:14:30. > :14:47.

:14:47. > :14:57.left it a bit thinner. Has the Played a very, very well. Avoided

:14:57. > :15:04.

:15:04. > :15:14.the kiss on the yellow with the cue Good hit from Mark Williams. Needs

:15:14. > :15:18.

:15:18. > :15:20.a little bit of luck. Has he got Here is the shot again. Watch him

:15:20. > :15:26.dividing the yellow by fractions and getting onto the blue.

:15:26. > :15:30.Fantastic shot. Ronnie Look not the angle in the middle rather than the

:15:30. > :15:40.corner, which means he's playing for the pink. The yellow was fight

:15:40. > :15:43.

:15:43. > :15:48.7 in front. Pink, 13, up to and including the brown. Yellow to

:15:48. > :15:51.green appears to be the only stumbling block to a 5-3 lead.

:15:51. > :16:01.Finishing right on the top cushion is the best way to get the yellow

:16:01. > :16:03.

:16:03. > :16:13.If he can get anywhere there, with the cue ball, it will be perfect

:16:13. > :16:19.

:16:19. > :16:29.How careless is that? He had so much room to play with their. It's

:16:29. > :16:33.

:16:33. > :16:37.You have to say, it's a little bit careless. A massive margin of error.

:16:37. > :16:47.He could have played it to two cushions to take the green out of

:16:47. > :17:21.

:17:21. > :17:31.Ronnie may get another chance now. The 30 point lead is pretty good.

:17:31. > :17:51.

:17:51. > :17:57.It means, obviously, Mark will need Good hit. Ronnie had a very good

:17:57. > :18:06.chance of playing in an area. This is the shot he played first time

:18:06. > :18:12.Let's show you what we think could have played without taken the green

:18:12. > :18:22.out of picture. Mark is faced with a choice. Does the play a good

:18:22. > :18:24.

:18:24. > :18:33.He needs a bit of good fortune. Has he got any? He has. This has been a

:18:33. > :18:39.strange game but in fairness, the snooker gods, when you miss a trick,

:18:39. > :18:48.Ronnie had a very, very good chance on the pink to play a two cushion

:18:48. > :18:58.Here is what we thought he should have played. That is the one

:18:58. > :18:59.

:18:59. > :19:03.We thought the side cushion and then the other side cushion to get

:19:03. > :19:13.onto the yellow. Anywhere on that baulk cushion would have been

:19:13. > :19:24.

:19:24. > :19:28.Looks like this yellow could be a When you considered there shot time

:19:28. > :19:32.average is 19 seconds and 17 seconds, it's amazing this session

:19:32. > :19:42.will take three hours to complete because it's been very, very good

:19:42. > :19:55.

:19:55. > :20:05.snooker. It shows you how good the In all the places, in all the world,

:20:05. > :20:20.

:20:20. > :20:30.This is one of those where you need He has hit it half, and that could

:20:30. > :20:53.

:20:53. > :21:03.be the mistake Mark was opening for. Ronnie can see just enough of the

:21:03. > :21:09.screen. -- green. He can play it pretty hard. He's going to try and

:21:09. > :21:19.Snooker him using the brown here. He would want to put the black on

:21:19. > :21:49.

:21:50. > :21:55.the side cushion, safe, wouldn't How costly will that fluke be?

:21:55. > :22:01.Particularly if you are a Mark Williams support of. Does the brown

:22:01. > :22:11.past the pink into the left centre? It pretty close. -- support of.

:22:11. > :22:29.

:22:29. > :22:39.18 points ahead. 18 points left on the table. Work they pot in the

:22:39. > :22:45.middle, maybe? No heroics with the blue. Is it there? It is there.

:22:45. > :22:52.Good shot. It's a shame for Mark Williams. For that fluke on the

:22:52. > :22:57.green. He would have had a chance. 4-4. But that fluke has proved

:22:57. > :23:04.costly. And Ronnie O'Sullivan will be absolutely delighted. He wins

:23:04. > :23:08.the final frame of this session. Goes to a 5-3 lead into tomorrow.

:23:08. > :23:12.HAZEL IRVINE: We will be back tomorrow afternoon and I'm really

:23:12. > :23:17.enjoying it. A brilliant session with everything in it. Great

:23:17. > :23:21.tactical play. Break-building, a wonderful session. I thought Mark

:23:21. > :23:25.Williams played really well in there. Maybe you would have thought

:23:25. > :23:30.4-4 but a wonderful session. were discussing a little while ago,

:23:30. > :23:35.the fact Mark Williams has been working with Doug Mountjoy who

:23:35. > :23:42.plays in the same club as him. They were working on a few things. Any

:23:42. > :23:46.idea what it might be? Playing snooker? I think it's nice to

:23:46. > :23:51.always have another player who understands the problems you face.

:23:51. > :23:56.Not just on the table in practice but also at a competitive level.

:23:56. > :24:00.It's nice to have a friend in your corner like that. Technically, he's

:24:00. > :24:05.not doing anything we don't know but he looks in great shape. A

:24:05. > :24:13.great session. Ronnie O'Sullivan looks in excellent shape. Stephen

:24:13. > :24:18.Hendry came into the studio and said there were other players who

:24:18. > :24:23.could destroy anybody on the table. Is his demeanour the key component

:24:23. > :24:28.to his improvement in the last five months? Absolutely, yes. It's the

:24:28. > :24:37.most important thing. When he wants to play, the amount of talent he

:24:37. > :24:41.has got, if it's all there together, he's a handful. Dr Steve Peters,

:24:41. > :24:46.he's the sports psychiatrist. A very eminent man. Just before the

:24:46. > :24:50.championship last year, they work together, and I think working with

:24:50. > :24:57.him seems to be paying dividends. He's much, around the table these

:24:57. > :25:01.days. Yes, never a problem with Ronnie O'Sullivan on the table. His

:25:01. > :25:08.match play. Sometimes his temperament is the only question.

:25:08. > :25:12.If he gets it right, he's the full article. Four fellas who between

:25:12. > :25:17.them had 16 world titles so far because the others was their

:25:17. > :25:23.Higgins against Hendry match. 11 world titles between them and John

:25:23. > :25:32.Higgins has lost, the defending champion. He capitulated in the end,

:25:32. > :25:36.13-4. A very surprising scoreline. John, not happy, Stephen, happy.

:25:36. > :25:43.think someone had said before I would win 13-4 against John Higgins,

:25:43. > :25:47.I would have said they had been having a bit too much to drink.

:25:47. > :25:53.Last night, I was fortunate in the fact that that's the worst he's

:25:53. > :25:59.ever played at the Crucible. He was hitting the ball grade, the best in

:26:00. > :26:04.a long time. I was getting myself ready for a great game hopefully

:26:04. > :26:10.but I could have taken the first frame of the evening session. I

:26:10. > :26:13.over cut a black and then, from then on, it was torture. I'm just

:26:13. > :26:17.the right to be in the quarter- final. I think of the first time

:26:17. > :26:22.I've won two matches in a row at the venue for God knows how long so

:26:22. > :26:27.really happy. It must be torture for a man who is so decorated and

:26:27. > :26:31.so full of fight. It just wasn't happening for him last night.

:26:31. > :26:37.not at all. I think he needs to forget about snooker for a while

:26:37. > :26:41.and have a good break. 25th June before he's got to play again. He

:26:41. > :26:46.will have to be prepared for that but he could do with having a

:26:46. > :26:51.complete break. He looked tired at the start of the tournament for the

:26:51. > :26:58.by contrast, Stephen Hendry, a new lease of life. A little bird told

:26:58. > :27:03.me in his qualifying he seemed to find something. At that point, his

:27:04. > :27:10.confidence appeared to grow. I don't know what it is but when you

:27:10. > :27:14.get something, a little spark seems to pursue forward. Yes, we have

:27:14. > :27:20.seen the green shoots coming throughout the season. At the risk

:27:20. > :27:25.of being totally cliched, form is temporary and class is permanent

:27:25. > :27:29.and we thought was going to come back to form and John Higgins was

:27:29. > :27:33.in the slump of his career but Stephen Hendry does seem to be

:27:33. > :27:43.riding that Crest well at the moment and is more relaxed because

:27:43. > :27:47.of it. A brief word about tonight between Judd Trump and Ali Carter.

:27:47. > :27:54.I think it should be a cracking match to watch. They both want to

:27:54. > :28:02.score the. They don't want safety exchanges. Big breaks all night.

:28:02. > :28:06.How do you think that will go? Judd Trump had food poisoning in his

:28:06. > :28:11.match against Dominic Dale. With a few days' rest, it will have done

:28:11. > :28:16.him good. Yes, he's happy at the moment. When Judd Trump knocks them