:00:41. > :00:46.World Snooker Championship. Unprecedented levels of excitement
:00:46. > :00:51.and anticipation ahead of the Championship. Much of it centring on
:00:51. > :00:57.the return of the Rocket, Ronnie O'Sullivan. What can we expect? We
:00:57. > :01:01.are not sure. And neither is Ronnie. Almost 12 months ago, it was here in
:01:01. > :01:07.this arena, that the Rocket claimed his fourth world title. Since then
:01:07. > :01:17.he has barely lifted a queue. The day he has turned up to face the
:01:17. > :01:34.
:01:34. > :01:44.toughest mission of his long career. arena. It was just me and my little
:01:44. > :01:52.
:01:52. > :01:55.boy for an amount of time. I will carry that with me for the rest of
:01:55. > :02:01.my life. It seems quite fitting to end it on that note. My final
:02:01. > :02:04.parting was last year. In some way I still see that as saying, thank you
:02:04. > :02:10.very much. That was the final chapter. I struggled with my sport,
:02:10. > :02:14.if you like, but I stuck with it. And for me to finish playing the way
:02:14. > :02:24.I did last year, and having little Ronnie there, it does not get any
:02:24. > :02:28.
:02:28. > :02:33.better for me. It was the right time to say goodbye, I suppose. As soon
:02:33. > :02:40.as I stopped playing snooker, I assumed I would be running
:02:40. > :02:47.marathons, and it was the opposite. I was lying in bed until 11am,
:02:47. > :02:53.thinking I could not run at this time of the morning. I kind of
:02:53. > :02:56.just... I thought I was just existing. But then it came to a
:02:56. > :03:02.point when I thought, you know, it is important that I go to work.
:03:02. > :03:10.Whether that is playing snooker or doing something, I needed to go to
:03:10. > :03:16.work. Things never took off for me because I was looking to work do
:03:16. > :03:22.other stuff away from snooker. I got a bit scared because it did not
:03:22. > :03:30.happen. I thought, if I leave sneaker for much longer, that
:03:30. > :03:34.opportunity might not be there -- snooker. I am not overly enamoured
:03:34. > :03:40.about coming back. I was content with my decision. But I was not
:03:40. > :03:47.happy with the fact I lost focus in my life. I needed to do some sort of
:03:47. > :03:57.work. It would need to be something that would bring, it you know,
:03:57. > :04:03.elevate my self-esteem. I had no income. I felt exposed in some sort
:04:03. > :04:13.of way. My insecurities were popping up. I thought, I need to have some
:04:13. > :04:23.income to pay the bills and pay my way in life. I have never taken this
:04:23. > :04:25.
:04:25. > :04:31.amount of time off from the game. So, I do not know what to expect.
:04:31. > :04:38.Talking about me winning it and being the favourite, I do not know.
:04:38. > :04:42.In some ways, I think it needs a player to come along and have the
:04:42. > :04:48.confidence to say this will be my world title. Forget Ronnie
:04:48. > :04:53.O'Sullivan. He is 37, the oldest world champion since Ray Wealden.
:04:53. > :05:02.They should say, I am the new daddy, the new governor. No one
:05:02. > :05:07.seems to have back confidence. -- that confidence. There is nothing
:05:07. > :05:10.left for me to prove in sport. I am going back to Sheffield, with the
:05:10. > :05:17.opening match, another opportunity. What is the worst that can happen? I
:05:17. > :05:21.get beaten in the first round and I am number 30 in the world rankings.
:05:21. > :05:26.People say, you should have stayed at home and not come back. Why did
:05:26. > :05:30.you come back? But, for me, it is more about the journey. It has got
:05:30. > :05:35.me out of bed for the last two months. I have had a good two
:05:35. > :05:38.months. People will only see the disappointment of me losing the
:05:38. > :05:43.match at Sheffield but I have had a good two months leading up to
:05:43. > :05:53.Sheffield. And I will have another break after Sheffield. I will get my
:05:53. > :05:53.
:05:53. > :05:56.cue out again and hit a few balls but because I want to do it.
:05:56. > :06:00.Steve Davis and John Parrott know what it takes to win here. You have
:06:00. > :06:05.seen a lot in sport. How would you describe the mission that Ronnie
:06:05. > :06:09.O'Sullivan has today? Monumental. This is the hardest tournament in
:06:10. > :06:13.the world to win. And after not playing for 12 months, in a
:06:13. > :06:19.competitive match, it is a huge task. What will be the toughest part
:06:19. > :06:22.of the assignment? You have to focus on the table and forget the
:06:22. > :06:28.excitement and the hype around you. That is something Ronnie O'Sullivan
:06:28. > :06:32.does well anyway, so I do not think he will struggle. Can he win it? And
:06:32. > :06:42.what would it mean? Good morning from BBC London News. I'm Alex
:06:42. > :06:47.
:06:47. > :06:52.Bushill he can. He needs to get past me. It is monumental. This
:06:52. > :06:56.championship was already shaping up before Ronnie O'Sullivan decided to
:06:56. > :07:06.take part, as one of the greatest for many years. Letters remind you
:07:06. > :07:14.
:07:14. > :07:24.of all 32 in the draw and how they what to expect from Ronnie today.
:07:24. > :07:34.
:07:34. > :07:40.Higgins has a tough opener against Mark Davis, who beat him at the UK
:07:40. > :07:45.Championships in December. King of the Crucible in 2005, Shaun Murphy
:07:45. > :07:53.taking on Martin Gould, who has won three titles this term. This one is
:07:53. > :07:58.a repeat of the 2006 final, Graeme Dott against Peter Ebdon.
:07:58. > :08:05.Both Matthew Stevens and Marco Fu have come close at the Crucible
:08:05. > :08:12.before. And indeed, so has the talented Jud
:08:13. > :08:22.Trump against Dominic Dale. And Neil Robertson aiming to become
:08:23. > :08:30.
:08:31. > :08:39.the first oversee's player to win Mark Williams against the star of
:08:39. > :08:43.the future Michael White. Scotland's Stephen Maguire faces
:08:43. > :08:53.Dechawat Poomjaeng. The first type player at the Crucible. And Mark
:08:53. > :09:02.Allen is against Mark King, making his 14th appearance. And Ding
:09:02. > :09:07.carrying the hopes of the Chinese. Barry Hawkins taking on one of the
:09:07. > :09:12.most exciting newcomers Jack Lisowski.
:09:13. > :09:22.And Mark Selby trying to achieve the Triple Crown against Mark -- Matthew
:09:23. > :09:31.
:09:31. > :09:36.eye? The bottom half. That is the half of doom. Coming through the
:09:36. > :09:42.bottom half is like winning the top -- tournament itself. The bottom
:09:42. > :09:47.half look so hard to win. And of the six rookies, five from the UK and
:09:47. > :09:53.one from Thailand, which do you think could inflict the most damage?
:09:53. > :09:58.That is so unfair. They will capture the imagination of the public. There
:09:58. > :10:03.are some great lads coming through. We are seeing new blood make it to
:10:03. > :10:08.the Crucible. The other side of the coin is the fact that there is
:10:08. > :10:12.disappointment for the Chinese contingent. We only have during and
:10:12. > :10:16.we expected more to come to the Crucible. So many subplots and
:10:16. > :10:21.storylines to discuss in the next 17 days. So much to look forward to on
:10:21. > :10:31.this opening day. We are moments away from live play. C what is on
:10:31. > :10:38.
:10:38. > :10:44.Ronnie and his opponent Marcus Campbell. Perhaps the highest
:10:44. > :10:47.profile match of his long career. Also in action this morning on table
:10:47. > :10:55.two is Ricky Walden, who won the first event of the season in China,
:10:55. > :10:57.and hopes to butt end that season in style. And expect plenty of
:10:57. > :11:05.self-expression from Michael Holt. We always love watching Michael
:11:05. > :11:10.play. This afternoon we gauge the form of the 2005 champion Shaun
:11:10. > :11:15.Murphy, under way against Martin Gould at 2:30pm. And this evening,
:11:15. > :11:23.two-time Crucible winner Mark Williams pits his experience against
:11:23. > :11:27.Michael White. And keen to get the first frame is
:11:27. > :11:33.under way. We have John Virgo and Stephen Hendry in the commentary
:11:33. > :11:39.box. Stephen, you were with Roy last night -- Ronnie. What mood was he
:11:39. > :11:43.in? We did not chat about snooker. He was very relaxed and is looking
:11:43. > :11:47.forward to it. He will be excited, walking out in the Crucible as
:11:47. > :11:51.defending champion. There is no better feeling. And so much chat
:11:51. > :11:56.about Ronnie. But Marcus Campbell of Scotland is a wily character. How
:11:56. > :12:01.would you assess his game and what kind of occasion is it for him
:12:01. > :12:08.today? It is an occasion where he has nothing to lose. All the focus
:12:08. > :12:15.is on Ronnie. A few years ago he beat Stephen in the UK. He is
:12:15. > :12:19.capable. He is a better player than he was then. In terms of the
:12:19. > :12:24.excitement generated ahead of the Championship, what if has Ronnie's
:12:24. > :12:27.inclusion done for the profile of the event? It is like Tiger Woods
:12:27. > :12:31.being away and coming back to golf. He is the best player in the world.
:12:31. > :12:36.There would be a huge gap if he was not here. I'm looking forward to
:12:36. > :12:40.seeing how he plays. He has been installed as the third favourite,
:12:40. > :12:46.remarkable given his lack of practice and matchplay. Yes, it is
:12:46. > :12:53.amazing. I think it should be 10-1. It is the most open championship I
:12:53. > :12:56.can remember. It is when the Crucible nerves start. That will be
:12:56. > :13:03.the test for Ronnie. It will be interesting to see how he performs
:13:03. > :13:07.this morning. If it is not Ronnie, and can he come back having only
:13:07. > :13:10.played one competitive match, and retain his title? If it did not win,
:13:10. > :13:16.it would not be that much of a shock. But it would be an amazing
:13:16. > :13:23.achievement. It would not surprise me too much. And of the other
:13:23. > :13:28.players, we have talked about Matt Selby, it would be an extraordinary
:13:28. > :13:37.achievement for him. He has been solid all season and that is why he
:13:37. > :13:44.is back at world number one. There are so many players you could put up
:13:44. > :13:50.as a winner. Ronnie to win it would be unbelievable. The campaign starts
:13:50. > :14:00.here and now. There are four players in this opening session this
:14:00. > :14:01.
:14:01. > :14:05.morning. Our MC is wearing to go. MC: Good morning ladies and
:14:05. > :14:15.gentlemen. This has to be one of the eagerly anticipated days in Crucible
:14:15. > :14:21.
:14:21. > :14:25.history. Welcome to the 2013 World Snooker Championship. Please welcome
:14:25. > :14:30.iPlayer that came through a tough match in qualifying to put in his
:14:30. > :14:34.sixth Crucible appearance. He is a philosopher, a student, a man with
:14:34. > :14:44.his eye on the bigger picture and he is seriously fired up. From
:14:44. > :15:00.
:15:00. > :15:04.Nottingham, the Hitman, Michael MC: And his opponent, a player who
:15:04. > :15:08.won his second ranking event earlier this season.
:15:08. > :15:18.He always travels with noisy home support, UK Championship
:15:18. > :15:29.
:15:29. > :15:35.semifinalist, hoping to get on a APPLAUSE
:15:35. > :15:38.MC: And on table number one, please welcome iPlayer making his fourth
:15:38. > :15:42.appearance at the Crucible. He reached his first ranking event
:15:42. > :15:52.semi-final this season. Marcus Campbell.
:15:52. > :16:11.
:16:11. > :16:18.MC: And finally, please welcome the most naturally gifted player ever to
:16:18. > :16:24.grace the modern game. Winner of 24 ranking event titles in
:16:24. > :16:34.all. We are counting down to the return of the defending champion,
:16:34. > :16:50.
:16:50. > :16:53.because this is the relaunch of the What a moment for the four-time
:16:53. > :16:57.world champion. So often we have seen Ronnie rise to
:16:57. > :17:06.the challenge but what a challenge he has set this time. 19 frames in
:17:06. > :17:16.the first round and two sessions to play today. This is it.
:17:16. > :17:36.
:17:36. > :17:42.What a reception. I think they are first round is always cagey. Both
:17:42. > :17:52.players will be nervous. Absolutely. They might not look it but there
:17:52. > :18:03.
:18:03. > :18:13.will be a few nerves underneath the meeting the world champion in the
:18:13. > :18:13.
:18:13. > :18:19.first match, then play some other sport. It will be an interesting
:18:19. > :18:29.opening few frames. We do not know what to expect from Ronnie. What can
:18:29. > :18:55.
:18:55. > :19:05.First chance for Marcus. With Ronnie not playing for a year, he will not
:19:05. > :19:41.
:19:41. > :19:51.have had experience of the cloth in APPLAUSE
:19:51. > :20:26.
:20:26. > :20:36.Ronnie was positive with that one. round. To get your cue arm going. To
:20:36. > :20:36.
:20:36. > :22:47.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 130 seconds
:22:47. > :22:51.there. He will have to go for the nerves. But there was no sign of
:22:51. > :23:01.them so far. He is cueing beautifully. Just making it look so
:23:01. > :23:01.
:23:01. > :23:47.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 130 seconds
:23:47. > :23:57.enough, that created this to one red needed, just the red with
:23:57. > :24:22.
:24:22. > :24:32.last seven or eight weeks, since he announced he was defending his
:24:32. > :24:43.
:24:44. > :24:48.title. And it shows. He looks very thick, but damage done already,
:24:48. > :24:53.Marcus Campbell says in his seat. The Rocket is back and he takes his
:24:53. > :24:58.first frame in style. HAZEL IRVINE: He is back all right,
:24:58. > :25:02.and we are back in our winter garden studio. John, opening impressions of
:25:03. > :25:06.The Rocket? I told you he be rusty! I thought he
:25:06. > :25:12.would get a century, cue beautifully and made a break straightaway.
:25:12. > :25:16.Looking dangerous after one frame! It is ridiculous, isn't it?
:25:16. > :25:20.It is sad to get involved in this, you will laugh, but if I was Marcus
:25:20. > :25:24.Campbell, I would have got up and not a few balls in if I had the
:25:24. > :25:28.chance, just to get a feel of the thing. The modern way is to just
:25:28. > :25:32.give the frame. Ronnie has been practising recently
:25:32. > :25:39.here in Sheffield with the likes of Peter Ebdon, and Peter said, don't
:25:40. > :25:44.be fooled - this man has indeed put the work in on the table, and if
:25:44. > :25:49.anything, Peter said - and he is not prone to exaggeration - if anything
:25:49. > :25:54.he looks better than he did before. Well, one way of looking at it is he
:25:54. > :25:57.is certainly fresh. The one thing you are always worried about is that
:25:57. > :26:07.lack of match practice, but after the first frame I don't think is a
:26:07. > :26:13.problem for him. The last thing Marcus Campbell
:26:13. > :26:23.wanted was to make a bad break of shot like that, he caught the end
:26:23. > :26:37.
:26:37. > :26:47.read much too thick. -- the end red. side on the cue ball there than he
:26:47. > :27:01.
:27:01. > :27:08.would have liked to play for the view, it was not an easy starter. He
:27:08. > :27:16.just played the one port. -- he just played the one pot in that last
:27:16. > :27:20.frame, just a little tentative with it. A poor safety from Ronnie and of
:27:21. > :27:30.course that was the end of frame. Then followed off with a bad break
:27:31. > :27:55.
:27:55. > :28:05.of shot, and back at the table again and because he was playing so much
:28:05. > :28:05.
:28:05. > :29:18.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 130 seconds
:29:18. > :29:24.back script -- backspin he is short at the time where he needed a good
:29:24. > :29:34.positional shot, because there is no easy red to get on now. He decided
:29:34. > :29:46.
:29:46. > :29:56.he could not play for the black in And a perfect angle on the black.
:29:56. > :29:56.
:29:56. > :30:39.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 130 seconds
:30:39. > :30:49.That is the way he plays the game, he found the perfect angle, forgot
:30:49. > :30:49.
:30:49. > :31:51.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 130 seconds
:31:51. > :31:55.close to the red he has to be there, perhaps that is a lack of
:31:55. > :32:01.match practice. He got down very quick to play it and it was a tricky
:32:01. > :32:06.shot. But he had not missed up until then, so he was obviously confident.
:32:06. > :32:12.The problem is, you play a shot like that and you play the cannon to
:32:12. > :32:19.bring reds into play. He got the cannon, but missed the pot, so now
:32:19. > :32:23.he is going to have to sit there. He was quite a way off with that
:32:23. > :32:33.yellow, you wonder if he had parted it whether he would have got the
:32:33. > :33:02.
:33:02. > :33:07.straight on this black. The bottom red will go to the right, . He has
:33:07. > :33:12.not played that well. He is asking for the cue ball to beat cleaned,
:33:12. > :33:19.but I think he was trying to play a little stun runthrough, and that
:33:19. > :33:25.caused the cue ball to jump, more than a heavy contact. I know that
:33:25. > :33:29.the two bowls jumped in the air, but when you are striking down trying to
:33:29. > :33:34.force an angle, you can get the cue ball leaving the bed of the table
:33:34. > :33:44.before it reaches the object ball. He would be a brave man to try and
:33:44. > :33:59.
:33:59. > :34:05.I think Ronnie can get through to the red close to the top cushion,
:34:05. > :34:15.but... Well, he may be able to get through the gap of the green and
:34:15. > :34:19.
:34:19. > :34:29.left-hand side to check it. I don't think it is safe, there is a
:34:29. > :35:01.
:35:01. > :35:11.has not left the red he played for, but that was an opportunity and he
:35:11. > :35:15.
:35:15. > :35:19.certain, don't we? If Marcus is going to get a result here, he is
:35:19. > :35:29.going to have to play well. Anything but his best is not going to be good
:35:29. > :35:41.
:35:41. > :35:46.percentage of his half chances, never mind the good chances he gets.
:35:46. > :35:56.That was in between a half chance and a good chance, that red. If he
:35:56. > :36:05.
:36:05. > :36:09.potted that, he would be favourite Ronnie, with not playing matches.
:36:09. > :36:14.When he is in amongst the bowls hill BB is -- he will be as good as ever,
:36:14. > :36:24.but when it comes to these scrappy frames it will be keeping his
:36:24. > :36:54.
:36:54. > :37:04.There is no way he could have envisaged that happening, that was a
:37:04. > :37:16.
:37:16. > :37:20.He is not certain to be on it. He will be disappointed with that.
:37:20. > :37:30.Again, similar to an earlier shot, far too much left-hand side on the
:37:30. > :37:43.
:37:43. > :37:49.That is careless by Ronnie if he has left him. He is using the spider so
:37:49. > :37:54.obviously cannot get to the cue ball enough.
:37:54. > :38:01.I think he is looking at the possibility of the cut. Maybe he can
:38:01. > :38:06.just get to the side of the cue ball. No, a little shake of the
:38:06. > :38:12.head. The only problem is, if he did play the cut into the corner, there
:38:12. > :38:22.you see, there is just not enough of that red. This is very, very
:38:22. > :38:22.
:38:22. > :39:07.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 130 seconds
:39:07. > :39:17.second frame, just looking for two What a chance this is now for
:39:17. > :39:50.
:39:50. > :40:00.The pink will be needed for Marcus Campbell to win the frame at this
:40:00. > :40:06.
:40:06. > :40:12.that red, he was 18 points in arrears. Even if he got these two
:40:12. > :40:22.blacks, yellow, green, brown and blue, he will still need the pink,
:40:22. > :40:22.
:40:22. > :42:22.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 130 seconds
:42:22. > :42:32.at. The angle is a little thin on can tell from his facial
:42:32. > :43:07.
:43:07. > :43:17.it looks inch perfect. But still the awkward pink. A fabulous shot. He
:43:17. > :43:26.
:43:26. > :43:30.had to avoid that bottom left-hand he could leave himself a double on
:43:30. > :43:38.the pink but he has such an angle on the blue, surely he has to try the
:43:38. > :43:48.cannon. He is thinking about the double. It looks to me like he
:43:48. > :44:10.
:44:10. > :44:12.should stun off the top cushion and the cushion. He would like it not be
:44:12. > :44:22.so close to the cushion. It feels like you do not have control of the
:44:22. > :44:32.
:44:32. > :44:41.boost for Marcus Campbell. They never looked like he would win the
:44:41. > :44:44.frame. He pulls it out with a double on the pink.
:44:44. > :44:48.With a maelstrom of publicity that really showed some character for
:44:48. > :44:51.Marcus Campbell. It is important to stress his kit and chills this week.
:44:52. > :44:57.He has been in the quarter-finals of a major championship and a semi
:44:57. > :45:01.finals as well. He can play. Yes, considered by many to be a journey
:45:01. > :45:09.man of the game but at one stage she beat a certain person in the
:45:09. > :45:13.commentary box. Mr Hendry.Yes, you realise how great a player he is.
:45:13. > :45:16.What an important frame for Marcus Campbell. That was an incredible
:45:16. > :45:19.shot. Everybody thought he could probably get that cue ball to the
:45:19. > :45:27.side cushion and trustee could get past the pink and the middle pocket
:45:27. > :45:31.to get back on the brand. That is a superb win. Reason, the way he got
:45:31. > :45:35.back into that match, because Ronnie was playing so well, and getting
:45:35. > :45:41.everything Tom but he ended up playing a risky yellow and gave
:45:41. > :45:47.Marcus Campbell a lifeline. Assess the match from Marcus' perspective.
:45:48. > :45:53.It is a huge occasion for him. has come with a lot more pressure
:45:53. > :45:57.than it would have done. He probably thought, if I ever have a chance of
:45:57. > :46:02.beating Ronnie O'Sullivan, this is it. That adds to the pressure of the
:46:02. > :46:11.occasion. He will feel that he has to score. Both players have indeed
:46:11. > :46:19.done that, one frame apiece. Very nice of Steve to bring back
:46:19. > :46:25.those memories. It is in the record books. It will get mentioned as long
:46:25. > :46:27.as Marcus Campbell is playing. stared at the start of the match
:46:27. > :46:37.committee is a much better player than he was then. Much more
:46:37. > :46:48.
:46:48. > :46:58.Ronnie. Unfortunately for Marcus comedies just the wrong side of the
:46:58. > :46:59.
:46:59. > :47:09.blue. He has quite a bit of work to do with the cue ball. Or he roles in
:47:09. > :47:09.
:47:09. > :47:56.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 130 seconds
:47:56. > :48:02.the blue and leaves a mid-distance last frame. He will be feeling more
:48:02. > :48:12.comfortable out there now. He has his first frame on the board. Now he
:48:12. > :48:30.
:48:30. > :48:40.will be looking forward to the rest than he anticipated. If you can drop
:48:40. > :49:15.
:49:15. > :49:25.the Redding, the black will be to pay it -- play it with a bit of
:49:25. > :49:31.
:49:31. > :49:41.pace. Now we will want to stay on this red above the black. Just screw
:49:41. > :49:55.
:49:55. > :50:00.thought he would do. The more pace you play it with, it gives you less
:50:00. > :50:10.time for the back spin to take effect. That is why he did not get
:50:10. > :50:49.
:50:49. > :50:56.disappointed. He did not make the Ronnie getting plenty of
:50:56. > :51:06.encouragement. Most people are probably wondering how his tactical
:51:06. > :51:19.
:51:19. > :51:29.side of the game will be. That was a corner, the black available for the
:51:29. > :51:29.
:51:29. > :52:43.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 130 seconds
:52:43. > :52:49.opposite corner. Good cueing is confidence, due to the distance
:52:49. > :52:59.Ronnie missed that ball boy. It does not put so much pressure on the
:52:59. > :52:59.
:52:59. > :53:39.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 130 seconds
:53:39. > :53:49.safety shot if your opponent is not right corner. It gets on down to the
:53:49. > :53:50.
:53:50. > :54:00.business end. Had he run too far? Can he get through to it? It is
:54:00. > :54:00.
:54:00. > :55:05.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 130 seconds
:55:05. > :55:15.has a 36 point lead. The reds are an angle on the black if he could
:55:15. > :55:25.
:55:25. > :55:33.stun into them. I am not certain could not play it any better. A big
:55:33. > :55:43.favourite now for this frame. Ronnie flew out of the block with an 82 in
:55:43. > :55:58.
:55:58. > :56:04.had done all the hard work. He missed a sitter. He chose to bring
:56:04. > :56:14.the cue ball back. I do not know if he would have followed through for
:56:14. > :56:14.
:56:14. > :56:24.the black. I would not have expected him to miss it. So, another test for
:56:24. > :56:24.
:56:24. > :57:18.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 130 seconds
:57:18. > :57:21.been a confidence booster for Marcus, and if Ronnie could pull
:57:21. > :57:31.this one out, it will boost his confidence. That is the game of
:57:31. > :57:50.
:57:50. > :58:00.most important thing. He has almost had a year off. These are the big
:58:00. > :58:36.
:58:36. > :58:41.tests. If you're going to win this knocked that red a little bit too
:58:41. > :58:51.far. I do not think it passes the blue so he will have to play it into
:58:51. > :58:59.
:58:59. > :59:09.positional shot on this last red, and we have another favourite for
:59:09. > :59:34.
:59:34. > :59:44.pink, checking the scoreline. This will be a bit of a body blow for
:59:44. > :59:55.
:59:55. > :00:02.to play the run they are, rather the wall, but that just adds to the
:00:02. > :00:06.atmosphere, you have to hold yourself together. Ronnie has done
:00:06. > :00:16.that absolutely superbly. The points on level, blue and pink to pinch the
:00:16. > :00:30.
:00:30. > :00:40.mixed emotions, Ronnie O'Sullivan will be delighted, Marcus Campbell
:00:40. > :00:43.
:00:43. > :00:45.will be kicking himself. He had the chance to go to -1, but now he is
:00:45. > :00:47.behind. HAZEL IRVINE: This is certainly a
:00:47. > :00:50.decent workout from both men so far. This was the betting odds before
:00:50. > :00:55.play began this morning. Neil Robertson is trying to win
:00:55. > :00:59.back-to-back events, he won the China open a few weeks ago, and he
:00:59. > :01:04.has been installed as the favourite. Mark Selby is going for the troubled
:01:04. > :01:13.crown, the Masters, the UK and the world Championship in the same
:01:13. > :01:16.season. Ronnie O'Sullivan is second favourite.
:01:17. > :01:23.You can see it is wide open, ten ranking events, ten different
:01:23. > :01:28.wonders. The interesting thing about Ronnie O'Sullivan is, you could have
:01:28. > :01:34.backed him at 10-1 last year when he was in fooled tournament situations,
:01:34. > :01:39.this year he has not played for 12 months and he is 6-1. Obviously some
:01:40. > :01:45.people think he can win. Quite a few people do! When we look
:01:45. > :01:50.at these odds, in some respects some of the players like Robertson and
:01:50. > :01:57.Mark Selby are coming in with the attention firmly on Ronnie. Does
:01:57. > :01:59.that help or hinder their cancers initially? -- there are chances
:02:00. > :02:03.initially? I don't think it matters, you turn
:02:03. > :02:08.up for your match and press the button and hope you are playing in
:02:08. > :02:13.form and get more in form as the tournament progresses. I always
:02:13. > :02:18.think that being a distance winner here at the Crucible helps your
:02:18. > :02:22.cars, so would John Higgins at 11-1, you could make those odds look a
:02:22. > :02:29.little stupid. A couple of other players like Ali Carter could have
:02:29. > :02:33.there say. And Shaun Murphy. But Ronnie O'Sullivan there made an
:02:33. > :02:43.incredibly difficult clearance looked like a walk in the park. That
:02:43. > :02:47.
:02:48. > :02:53.augurs well for him the rest of the Not only did he miss the pot by
:02:53. > :02:59.quite a distance, that is why he ran through in-off. Obviously the in-off
:02:59. > :03:03.was not on. At the moment his long game is not quite what he would
:03:03. > :03:08.like. Even back when he was playing
:03:08. > :03:17.regularly, he was never happy with his long game. He has missed a
:03:17. > :03:27.couple by a long way. That does not make you feel good inside. It puts
:03:27. > :03:47.
:03:47. > :03:55.pink, but it has worked out nice. He played to avoid the pink, obviously,
:03:55. > :03:59.but it has not done him too much damage.
:03:59. > :04:09.He has those two reds to go into the corner and then he is on the black.
:04:09. > :04:09.
:04:09. > :04:53.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 130 seconds
:04:53. > :04:56.Perfect angle. He has a choice of US himself to straight on that
:04:56. > :05:05.Black, a little work to do with the cue ball here. This is not
:05:05. > :05:15.straightforward. Catching the bomb, leaving himself the wrong side of
:05:15. > :05:17.
:05:17. > :05:27.the blue does not help. -- catching He is going to have to leave himself
:05:27. > :05:42.
:05:42. > :05:50.corner, that would be a chance for a positional shot, he could stunt
:05:50. > :06:00.through for the black. -- he could stunt through. He has to clear these
:06:00. > :06:09.
:06:09. > :06:15.positively by just following if he was playing a follow-through.
:06:15. > :06:19.He played a little drag shot, hitting low centre to take the pace
:06:19. > :06:28.out of the cue ball, but he has left himself very low on this black.
:06:28. > :06:38.He potted the red on the left-hand side of the pocket, it was thick. He
:06:38. > :06:39.
:06:40. > :06:42.has to make contact with the bunch to keep the break going. You cannot
:06:42. > :06:52.say he never played that positively! He did, but having come of the
:06:52. > :06:54.
:06:54. > :06:56.rents, what is he going to be on? -- having come off the reds. A little
:06:56. > :07:06.bit of unintentional right-hand side, it could not have worked out
:07:06. > :07:12.
:07:12. > :07:15.better. Well, he would not have been opportunity in the last frame. He
:07:15. > :07:23.needs to make amends here. Midsession interval after this
:07:23. > :07:32.frame. The best of 19, the first matches. The play nine and the
:07:32. > :07:38.remaining frames will be played this evening.
:07:38. > :07:43.I think he has to play some sort of cannon here. He has not got too much
:07:43. > :07:53.angle to drop on the reds. The two reds together to the left of the
:07:53. > :07:54.
:07:54. > :08:36.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 130 seconds
:08:36. > :08:46.now, so this is an excellent chance started he was going to get chances.
:08:46. > :09:25.
:09:25. > :09:30.runthrough and bring these reds into he was playing for the pink so he
:09:30. > :09:34.could just roll it in and play for one of the loose reds. He was not
:09:34. > :09:44.thinking about bringing the other reds into play, there was no need,
:09:44. > :09:56.
:09:56. > :10:04.Still there will be a possible 83 remaining, so he is a little bit
:10:04. > :10:14.away from the winning line. A couple of reds and a couple of colours
:10:14. > :10:21.
:10:21. > :10:31.needed. A good positional shot He did not get the cue ball enough.
:10:31. > :10:31.
:10:31. > :10:34.Played for this red to leave the cue ball in the left corner. He tried to
:10:34. > :10:44.get a lot more bottom and left-hand side on the cue ball, but did not
:10:44. > :10:56.
:10:56. > :11:06.He will be disappointed not to have won the frame there. Two or three
:11:06. > :11:19.
:11:19. > :11:25.shots and all you was in perfect red, but he was more concerned about
:11:25. > :11:30.getting the cue ball back to the baulk cushion. He did a pretty good
:11:30. > :11:40.job of it. Marcus will not want to play safe of the reds in the middle
:11:40. > :11:54.
:11:54. > :12:01.of the table. He does not want to table being tied up suits him fine
:12:01. > :12:11.at the moment. After what happened in the last frame, it puts more
:12:11. > :12:37.
:12:37. > :12:44.trickle dead weight onto the brown layer, but he has given Marcus
:12:44. > :12:54.Campbell a slight problem here. You would think coming off the side
:12:54. > :13:13.
:13:13. > :13:19.cushion and nestling into these four Ronnie will be asking him to have
:13:19. > :13:23.another go at that, and it was just sliding past the reds slightly.
:13:23. > :13:28.You have to watch you don't overcompensate this time and hit it
:13:28. > :13:38.too hard. If you could sit too hard and opens the rents up, Ronnie goes
:13:38. > :13:38.
:13:38. > :14:58.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 130 seconds
:14:58. > :15:07.Is there one to the right middle angle on the next colour, whether it
:15:07. > :15:17.is pink or blue. Certainly the bottom of the two reds will go to
:15:17. > :15:17.
:15:17. > :16:13.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 130 seconds
:16:13. > :16:18.the right corner, I don't know because this is a tricky shot. If
:16:18. > :16:28.the Brown was on its spot it would be a formality. He has to be give
:16:28. > :17:01.
:17:01. > :17:09.for this does not snicker him for He has made these clearances look
:17:09. > :17:19.easy. His positional play has never been in doubt.
:17:19. > :17:21.
:17:21. > :17:27.Another example, a gimme of a pink to go into the midsession interval.
:17:27. > :17:32.You could say that Marcus Campbell has handed two frames on a plate to
:17:32. > :17:37.Ronnie, but he still had to take them. Marcus will be disappointed,
:17:38. > :17:41.Ronnie will be happy with a 3-1 lead. HAZEL IRVINE: To terrific
:17:41. > :17:47.clearances to establish that lead, but what can be gauged on this date
:17:47. > :17:53.of Ronnie's game and what is rusty? If you were picky, you could see he
:17:53. > :17:58.has missed a couple of balls, that is about it. The two clearances were
:17:58. > :18:03.magnificent, cue ball control fantastic. I feel a little sorry for
:18:03. > :18:06.Marcus, he has played very well. And he looks comfortable, like he is
:18:06. > :18:12.enjoying the experience. So often when you come to the divisible
:18:12. > :18:18.nerves can play a big factor. Yes, I think he has handled himself
:18:18. > :18:22.very well. Unfortunately, 55 does not get the job done in one visit
:18:22. > :18:29.against Ronnie O'Sullivan. He has had two great clearances, so he will
:18:29. > :18:33.be kicking himself a little bit. I wonder what the gentlemen and
:18:33. > :18:36.ladies in the media room make of the opening exchanges of this match.
:18:36. > :18:43.Steve Davis is down there. What are they saying?
:18:43. > :18:49.From one legend on the snooker table to two legends of the media room,
:18:49. > :18:53.firstly, Hector, what do you think of Ronnie O'Sullivan's inclusion in
:18:53. > :18:57.this? Is it making any difference to your job?
:18:57. > :19:07.It certainly has. With Ronnie O'Sullivan playing at the Crucible,
:19:07. > :19:10.snooker fans play -- follow the game gear, but Ronnie O'Sullivan playing
:19:10. > :19:14.at the Crucible brings in a different wider sporting audience
:19:14. > :19:19.and makes my life a lot easier selling that to papers that are
:19:19. > :19:23.competing with lots of other sports. It is not just about Ronnie
:19:23. > :19:28.O'Sullivan, he is playing a gentleman from Scotland, more copies
:19:28. > :19:34.sold to Scotland, as well? Absolutely right, there is plenty of
:19:34. > :19:37.interest from Scotland. The Scots are all pretty close, the old
:19:37. > :19:42.practice together. The biggest advice they were all giving him was
:19:42. > :19:47.to, just try and stay with it in the face of any possible onslaught. The
:19:47. > :19:51.onslaught may be coming and it is vital for him to hang in there.
:19:51. > :19:55.Philip, many wise people in snooker have said no player is bigger than
:19:55. > :20:00.the game, perhaps a radio five live disagrees?
:20:00. > :20:03.We had an hour and a half long extravaganza in the last tournament,
:20:03. > :20:07.I am not entirely convinced that would have happened if Ronnie
:20:07. > :20:12.O'Sullivan had not been involved. He is the best player in the world, as
:20:12. > :20:17.he proved 12 months ago. I think his absence has left a whole, not just
:20:17. > :20:21.for the media, but also for the other players. They will probably
:20:21. > :20:27.feel inside that perhaps any of the achievements are slightly devalued
:20:27. > :20:37.by his absence. It takes the heat of them, and it is great for us. Thank
:20:37. > :20:39.
:20:39. > :20:42.you very much, back to the studio. We heard from Ronnie O'Sullivan in
:20:42. > :20:44.an interview just before the match began. It was an interview he gave
:20:44. > :20:47.us on Monday and it was certainly worth listening to a little more of
:20:47. > :20:50.it. He discussed one of the reasons why he has not played in the last
:20:50. > :20:53.few months and what he has been up to over the last few months.
:20:53. > :21:00.The idea of working on the farm, it was in the forest are used to run
:21:00. > :21:06.in. I thought, I will get to the farm around 8:30am, run for 40
:21:06. > :21:10.minutes, comeback, dry out and help out on the farm. I did not want to
:21:10. > :21:14.work on the farm, I just picked the job that got me to the forest. It
:21:14. > :21:18.was the farm, I could not go and work in some building where there
:21:18. > :21:23.was computers and IT, that is not for me. I just wanted to get out and
:21:23. > :21:28.keep my fitness levels up. After a while, that didn't work, so I
:21:28. > :21:34.thought, you know, I need something in my life to give me the
:21:34. > :21:38.motivation, to go and keep fit and do that sort of stuff, so -- because
:21:38. > :21:43.that is what I love about my life. But then I thought, it is important
:21:43. > :21:48.that I go to work, whether that is playing snooker or doing something,
:21:48. > :21:54.I had to go to work. Things never took off for me, because I was
:21:54. > :22:00.looking to do other stuff away from snooker, find a new career, if you
:22:00. > :22:06.like, but it kind of never happened and I got a bit scared. I thought,
:22:06. > :22:10.if I leave snooker for much longer, the opportunity to go back might not
:22:10. > :22:14.be there. I came back to snooker with a mind of, I am looking for
:22:14. > :22:21.something else to replace snooker, but I will not take that blind
:22:21. > :22:25.faith, leap, jump, whatever you want to call it, and totally disregard
:22:26. > :22:29.snooker. The changes that Barry has made to the game, I thought, it
:22:29. > :22:33.allows me to come in with everybody else in the majority of tournaments,
:22:33. > :22:38.so it gives me the opportunity to play without having to qualify,
:22:38. > :22:41.because I don't want to do that at this stage in my career. My reasons
:22:41. > :22:49.for playing melodies are different. People were saying, if you go back
:22:49. > :22:53.it will affect your brand. That word, brand! I understand it and get
:22:53. > :22:58.it, but I have never been about brand, I have always been someone
:22:58. > :23:01.who plays from the heart, plays from instinct, and I don't plan things,
:23:01. > :23:09.because I know that would this affect -- that would affect
:23:09. > :23:15.everything I do. You know, I thought about the risks, it did enter my
:23:15. > :23:19.mind but I thought, the risk is that I lose the first round and people
:23:19. > :23:24.say you should not have come back and played. So what? In another 20
:23:24. > :23:29.years will people be talking about that? I doubt it. All I will say is
:23:29. > :23:33.I have an opportunity. You know, the last few months have been good for
:23:34. > :23:37.me, I have been practising, getting away from home, something to feel
:23:38. > :23:42.good about, a little bit of purpose in my life. Myself this team has
:23:42. > :23:46.come back, I am out in a restaurant having a bit of food, when I am
:23:46. > :23:50.putting petrol in my car, I don't feel like I have not got the money
:23:50. > :23:57.to pay for it, I feel like I am grafting, I am putting back, I am
:23:57. > :24:02.having a go. As long as I am having a go, I don't really care. It is
:24:02. > :24:06.good to be back. As far as... I don't know, for me... Talking about
:24:06. > :24:13.me winning it and being the favourite and second favourite, I
:24:13. > :24:19.don't know, mate. I don't know. In some ways, I think it needs a player
:24:19. > :24:23.to come along and have the confidence to say, no, this will be
:24:23. > :24:25.my world title. Forget Ronnie O'Sullivan, he is 37, he is the
:24:25. > :24:30.oldest world champion since Ray Reardon, why is there no one out
:24:30. > :24:34.there saying, no, I am the new governor, I am the new daddy, his
:24:34. > :24:44.time is over. No one seems to have that confidence to want to grab that
:24:44. > :24:53.
:24:53. > :24:55.to say this is my game. So, I do not to say this is my game. So, I do not
:24:55. > :24:57.know. I think they should be coming to say this is my game. So, I do not
:24:57. > :25:03.know. I think they should bit more and standing up to the plate a bit
:25:03. > :25:07.more, rather than trying to make me the favourite. If they are still
:25:07. > :25:14.making me the favourite, and I have not played for a year, people need
:25:14. > :25:20.to get their heads tested. My final parting was last year. I still see
:25:20. > :25:24.that as my way of saying that was the final chapter. I had 20 years
:25:24. > :25:28.and I struggled with my sport but I stuck to it. For me to finish
:25:28. > :25:32.playing the way I did last year, and have little runny there, it does not
:25:32. > :25:37.get better than that. Even if I won ten more titles, to me, that will be
:25:37. > :25:41.the most special one, because what had happened in the three or four
:25:41. > :25:43.year period and how my life had changed and how I went from one
:25:43. > :25:50.situation to another situation and did not know if I was coming or
:25:50. > :25:57.going. To end it as I did, was, for me, enough. Can I be happy with my
:25:57. > :26:06.career? I was happy with four world titles. I can end there. I thought,
:26:06. > :26:10.I have put enough on my CV. I had not done too badly. For me to think
:26:10. > :26:15.about winning this year, if I won this year, it will never be as good
:26:15. > :26:20.as last year. No way in a million years. It is impossible. It would be
:26:20. > :26:27.nice, do not get me wrong, but it cannot... That one meant so much to
:26:27. > :26:33.me. To the point that I felt like choking up. But I did not. I am not
:26:33. > :26:37.a big one on looking back and crying. I tried to hold back. But,
:26:37. > :26:44.when I was clearing up that last frame, I was so emotionally charged
:26:44. > :26:50.inside, I do not know how I did it. I felt like bursting out crying. It
:26:50. > :26:53.meant that much to me. I could not believe, that if you took me back
:26:53. > :26:58.two years, and said you will be there with your little one winning
:26:58. > :27:01.the world title, I would not have believed you. So, for me to
:27:01. > :27:05.experience that, after what I have experienced before, it was
:27:05. > :27:10.unbelievable. This year I am in a happy place. I took a year out and
:27:10. > :27:16.had a great year. I have had two good years after two horrendous
:27:16. > :27:21.years. This year is about making a start. Just having something to do
:27:21. > :27:25.in my life. But listen, it will be nice to come back. How long it lasts
:27:25. > :27:29.for, I do not know. That is the exciting part. You have to take one
:27:29. > :27:34.tournament at a time. Sheffield is the first tournament. If I'm good
:27:34. > :27:42.the game, I am good for the game. Hopefully, people will enjoy that
:27:43. > :27:48.and enjoy the experience. That was a truly fascinating
:27:48. > :27:55.interview that money gave. What kind of perspective do you think his
:27:55. > :28:00.absences -- his absence has lent him? He has missed snooker. He has
:28:00. > :28:02.always been a good practice and put in plenty of hours. He took himself
:28:02. > :28:09.to the Academy in Sheffield and has been practising with Peter Ebdon.
:28:09. > :28:13.That is great much pain -- matchplay practice. I think he genuinely
:28:13. > :28:16.missed the game. He is trying not to put too much pressure on himself.
:28:16. > :28:22.But the way he started the match, you should have. He is starting to
:28:22. > :28:29.look good. The players are almost goading him. The difficult thing is
:28:29. > :28:32.that there are so many good players. It is basically now on what form you
:28:32. > :28:35.are in that particular week. There is so little between all of them. I
:28:35. > :28:40.think he is the best player when he plays at his best and the other
:28:40. > :28:44.players know that. It is just a matter of when he will hit his
:28:44. > :28:47.heights this week. And he has said it is not a goal of his to win the
:28:47. > :28:52.world title again this year. But he has said, he is now 37, that he
:28:52. > :28:56.would like to win it in his 40s. So, he is clearly thinking in the
:28:56. > :29:01.longer term. Yes, and he could do it as well because he keeps on self
:29:01. > :29:05.it. He is back running a game which gives him perspective. You have to
:29:05. > :29:09.be physically and mentally fit for the 17 days here. If he keeps
:29:09. > :29:14.playing the way he's playing at the moment, she has to a chance. A lock
:29:14. > :29:18.to be decided in the coming hours. Hardly a sideshow but the second
:29:18. > :29:21.billing this morning is the match on the other side of the wall. We have
:29:21. > :29:25.been hearing the trickle of applause and some loud moments from the other
:29:25. > :29:30.side. It features the world number 13 Ricky Walden and 34-year-old
:29:30. > :29:38.Michael Holt. Ricky is from Cheshire and has been twice before here but
:29:38. > :29:48.never won a match at the Crucible. We will dip into this one. He has
:29:48. > :30:15.
:30:15. > :30:19.established a 2-0 lead and this is fantastic shot. For people watching,
:30:19. > :30:29.you have played at this venue many times, when you play at 10am in the
:30:29. > :30:36.
:30:36. > :30:46.Have an early breakfast and get some fresh air. Yet here for 9am and get
:30:46. > :30:56.
:30:56. > :31:06.When you knew you had a 10am session, did you practice the week
:31:06. > :31:22.
:31:22. > :31:32.before at any? No, not really.I will be pins going in all over the
:31:32. > :32:00.
:32:00. > :32:10.good. There are a couple of loose threads. Any kiss on the pink is
:32:10. > :32:10.
:32:10. > :33:49.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 130 seconds
:33:49. > :33:54.there. Caught the pink a little bit right-hand side, as we look from the
:33:54. > :34:04.black, even if he does not bring any reds into play, you still has the
:34:04. > :34:04.
:34:04. > :35:08.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 130 seconds
:35:08. > :35:13.red over the right-hand corner black. That was controlled nicely.
:35:13. > :35:18.Ricky is nice to watch when he gets into the balls. He gets on with it.
:35:18. > :35:23.He tries to win a frame at one visit. He does not try and get 20
:35:23. > :35:30.before he takes a risk that takes a risk early on in a break. He has the
:35:30. > :35:34.frame at his mercy again now. That blue will live in his mind for a few
:35:34. > :35:44.moments yet. He has to get rid of the thought of missing the frame
:35:44. > :35:44.
:35:44. > :36:50.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 130 seconds
:36:50. > :37:00.scrappy. Since then it has been round but should have made a
:37:00. > :37:23.
:37:23. > :37:33.good break. I expect at least a to be the highest break. There is the
:37:33. > :37:33.
:37:33. > :38:35.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 130 seconds
:38:35. > :38:43.prize, as well as money for the playing, if you are playing as well
:38:43. > :38:49.as Ricky is at the moment, he could beat anybody. A magnificent break.
:38:49. > :38:55.That could be a tournament winner. He sprints into a 3-0 lead.
:38:55. > :39:01.That has since become 4-02 Ricky Walden. Ricky Walden with a chance
:39:02. > :39:07.for the high break prize. A golden cue this year. Much more about that.
:39:07. > :39:11.You can continue to watch that match online, available by the BBC
:39:11. > :39:16.website. Now, we go across to the other side of the dividing wall
:39:16. > :39:19.inside the Crucible arena. We have five more frames to play this
:39:19. > :39:25.morning in his opening match featuring Ronnie O'Sullivan and
:39:26. > :39:31.Marcus Campbell. It is Ronnie who has established a 3-1 lead.
:39:31. > :39:37.Remember, this is his first major match since departing the very arena
:39:37. > :39:45.almost 12 months ago with the World Championship trophy. Stephen and
:39:45. > :39:50.John, all yours. Thank you, Hazel. We have fingered snooker from both
:39:50. > :39:55.players. Marcus Campbell will be kicking himself that he is 3-1
:39:55. > :40:05.behind. It is all to play for. And five very important frames coming
:40:05. > :40:15.
:40:15. > :40:19.Marcus, he got a huge boost of confidence and he could have easily
:40:19. > :40:27.won the two frames after it. It could have been him that was the -1
:40:27. > :40:32.up. Two great clearances from Sullivan, and to me that was the
:40:32. > :40:42.biggest indicator of his chances in the World Championship so far, that
:40:42. > :40:59.
:40:59. > :41:09.force the cue ball, I don't think he can get it back to baulk. If he
:41:09. > :41:33.
:41:33. > :41:43.takes that Well, I did not see that one coming. He did get the cueball
:41:43. > :41:51.
:41:51. > :41:58.the green into the middle and screw off a couple of cushions, but he
:41:58. > :42:02.wants to keep it tight with the reds spread the way they are. Not easy to
:42:02. > :42:07.get this safe. You always look to see if there is a
:42:07. > :42:15.point where you can hit and not leave a pot on, but it is not always
:42:15. > :42:25.easy, this two cushion escape. He thinks he can get this safe just by
:42:25. > :42:30.
:42:30. > :42:40.below the pink go to the left middle? If it does, can he see
:42:40. > :42:40.
:42:40. > :43:23.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 130 seconds
:43:23. > :43:33.don't want to be doing when you are playing safe is catch a baulk
:43:33. > :43:42.
:43:42. > :43:52.to the right corner. He just has to avoid running into the other reds if
:43:52. > :44:02.
:44:02. > :44:12.for the cueball, and he got a decent length. All in all, he will be happy
:44:12. > :44:40.
:44:40. > :44:45.little bit heavy. -- that was a better line. He will come round and
:44:45. > :44:52.see if he has left anything, he has left Marcus with his hand on the
:44:52. > :45:02.table. Just over one hour, it has been a very interesting start to
:45:02. > :45:14.
:45:14. > :45:20.this first round match for the session will be to get to five, then
:45:20. > :45:25.he has another lead going into tonight's second session. If he gets
:45:25. > :45:35.to five with more frames to play, try and open up of big -- as big a
:45:35. > :45:40.
:45:40. > :45:49.Once again, catching a baulk colour. You see this happened so many
:45:49. > :45:54.times, a little boat of safety, reds going near the cushion. The black is
:45:54. > :46:04.slightly in the open, the pink is obviously available, the blue is on
:46:04. > :46:27.
:46:27. > :46:37.its spot, so any mistake on the covered the red to the right
:46:37. > :46:48.
:46:48. > :46:58.corner? He must have done. Just red near the right corner. It is not
:46:58. > :46:58.
:46:58. > :47:38.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 130 seconds
:47:38. > :47:47.was not the red he intended to hit, it was the one above it. He tried to
:47:47. > :47:52.hit it thin and missed it. It is not the best chance, this. As I say, he
:47:52. > :48:02.played to hit that one thing, just above it, and having missed that hit
:48:02. > :48:15.
:48:15. > :48:20.the frame at this visit will be hard break building, making sure he is
:48:20. > :48:30.reporting that pink and leaving room for the pink to go in both corners,
:48:30. > :48:57.
:48:57. > :49:07.balls are open, he is not really bothered that the black is tied up,
:49:07. > :49:20.
:49:20. > :49:26.He just got into that cueball a little more than he intended. He did
:49:26. > :49:36.not want to be as close to this red with his cue. He got a kick they
:49:36. > :49:36.
:49:36. > :49:46.are. -- he got a kick there. Yes, it sounded a heavy contact. No
:49:46. > :49:49.
:49:49. > :49:54.doubt about it. I don't think there Because of the kick, the cueball did
:49:54. > :50:04.not travel on its original path, and that is why it has ended up where it
:50:04. > :50:19.
:50:19. > :50:28.He did not really make the most of that opportunity, Marcus. There was
:50:28. > :50:31.a good target their behind brown and pink. I am not saying he has left
:50:31. > :50:40.Ronnie the easiest shot, because he will be slightly hampered by the
:50:40. > :50:50.green, but a smoker would have been a lot better. -- but a snooker would
:50:50. > :50:56.
:50:56. > :51:01.can get through to the red just to the left of the black, but if he
:51:01. > :51:11.does that he has to be careful not to knock one over the right corner.
:51:11. > :51:22.
:51:22. > :51:32.enough, that is why the cueball ran with pace -- not enough pace and
:51:32. > :51:50.
:51:50. > :51:55.finished on the red Lane, rather Once again, didn't make the most of
:51:55. > :52:05.that opportunity, well short of pace. That was a good chance again
:52:05. > :52:25.
:52:26. > :52:35.He has just caught the bump of a middle pocket, but not too bad, he
:52:36. > :52:46.
:52:46. > :52:56.has left the blue to the far right He got into that too well, I think.
:52:56. > :53:02.
:53:02. > :53:06.I don't think this is the red he He is a little disappointed, as you
:53:06. > :53:12.see, I think he just got into it a little bit too much. I can't believe
:53:12. > :53:17.he played for this red. He must have been playing for the red closest to
:53:17. > :53:22.the right corner, because if he was on that he could play for the black.
:53:22. > :53:27.From that look on his face, I think he will just have to bite the
:53:27. > :53:37.bullet. He just cue it too well. Can he get in behind the brown and pink
:53:37. > :53:48.
:53:48. > :53:58.there, that was half a chance to build up his lead in this frame,
:53:58. > :53:58.
:53:58. > :55:03.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 130 seconds
:55:03. > :55:08.That was a better safety by Marcus That is a good length. That is an
:55:08. > :55:11.excellent length and put a little bit of pressure on this safety shot
:55:12. > :55:21.from Ronnie. It makes all the difference if you can stop your
:55:22. > :55:28.
:55:29. > :55:37.opponent from putting his hand on not to risk playing the cueball back
:55:37. > :55:47.to the baulk end. As he left anything? -- has he left anything? I
:55:47. > :56:02.
:56:02. > :56:12.that red, he will be disappointed not to have found the baulk cushion
:56:12. > :56:26.
:56:26. > :56:30.He never plays his safety with topspin, he always likes to hit down
:56:31. > :56:35.on the cueball with side. Yes, I suppose sometimes you feel as
:56:35. > :56:41.if you get a little bit more control, but we know on these
:56:41. > :56:51.superfine class, just hit it -- overhit it a bit and this aid never
:56:51. > :57:10.
:57:10. > :57:20.Well, that is the second good fluke he has had. A little smile from
:57:20. > :57:33.
:57:33. > :57:43.fluke, but it certainly put him in a good position, and Ronnie now with a
:57:43. > :57:49.
:57:49. > :57:59.Snickers. Someone flicks the ball, apologises and the next thing, the
:57:59. > :57:59.
:57:59. > :59:14.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 130 seconds
:59:14. > :59:20.still a big target up there for Excellent shot. Good length. I don't
:59:20. > :59:29.know whether or not there is a chance here to be able to port this
:59:29. > :59:39.red. -- to be able to pot this red. He might have a path back to the
:59:39. > :59:45.
:59:45. > :59:55.and I think that was the aim, he has made sure he got back to near the
:59:55. > :00:14.
:00:14. > :00:24.baulk cushion. But not take enough He was not too far away with that,
:00:24. > :00:27.
:00:27. > :00:37.but it did not go in. This is half a chance now. One good pot, the black
:00:37. > :00:37.
:00:37. > :01:20.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 130 seconds
:01:20. > :01:24.cushion for comfort. If the black does not go into the right corner,
:01:24. > :01:34.which I do not think it does, then he will have to go for the blue or
:01:34. > :01:52.
:01:52. > :01:56.yellow. That will not be easy with Yes, a great shot. Never easy
:01:56. > :02:05.playing a shot like that. He has a nice angle to come back down for the
:02:05. > :02:15.reds. He can play a cannon offer the loose threads. -- or for the loose
:02:15. > :02:15.
:02:15. > :03:24.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 130 seconds
:03:24. > :03:28.cannot believe he played that Ronnie, so I presume he played the
:03:28. > :03:38.cannon and it was a great shock. Just seven points behind now but a
:03:38. > :03:38.
:03:38. > :04:21.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 130 seconds
:04:21. > :04:31.black, what sort of cannon he will black. It was a difficult shot and
:04:31. > :04:39.
:04:39. > :04:49.there was not much chance to get a close to the red so he could play a
:04:49. > :05:28.
:05:28. > :05:38.coming off a couple of questions to land in by these two reds. --
:05:38. > :05:38.
:05:38. > :06:25.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 130 seconds
:06:25. > :06:33.inside the green. Ronnie has played that perfectly. He will do well not
:06:33. > :06:38.to leave a pot on here. He is six points behind, but knows that if he
:06:38. > :06:48.leaves a pot for money, it could be the end of the frame. He's in a of
:06:48. > :07:23.
:07:23. > :07:33.bother. -- a pot for Ronnie getting too close to the blue. I
:07:33. > :07:33.
:07:33. > :08:20.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 130 seconds
:08:20. > :08:30.think this is a case of hit and cannon and now there is a tricky
:08:30. > :08:51.
:08:51. > :09:01.are always tricky. What a chance he long, scrappy frames. Your
:09:01. > :09:17.
:09:17. > :09:21.concentration can lapse a little along the cushion. He wanted to try
:09:21. > :09:31.and develop the other red but it has gone wrong. There is still quite a
:09:31. > :09:53.
:09:54. > :10:00.ball to the baulk end. He has left Ronnie with the problem. The red
:10:00. > :10:10.close to the top cushion. He has to hit it just right to get back to the
:10:10. > :10:10.
:10:10. > :10:55.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 130 seconds
:10:55. > :11:05.do not think the yellow has come to his rescue. The red cuts into the
:11:05. > :11:05.
:11:05. > :12:06.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 130 seconds
:12:06. > :12:16.talk about, when you are tight under the cushion, and playing at pace,
:12:16. > :12:16.
:12:16. > :13:21.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 130 seconds
:13:21. > :13:31.which he had to, it is difficult. on the black. The blue is hampered
:13:31. > :13:42.
:13:42. > :13:52.by the yellow, sorry the pink and coming off the side cushion, hitting
:13:52. > :14:16.
:14:16. > :14:26.the green, it creates a snooker. With the miserable being as harsh as
:14:26. > :14:37.
:14:37. > :14:47.it is, he did get quite a few Ronnie wants to come in and get into
:14:47. > :15:04.
:15:04. > :15:14.REFEREE: Foul and a miss I think it does encourage people to
:15:14. > :15:21.
:15:21. > :15:27.play a snooker, rather than go for a risky pot. This is better. He had a
:15:27. > :15:37.chance the last time, Marcus, to put the red. The black is close to the
:15:37. > :15:37.
:15:37. > :16:19.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 130 seconds
:16:19. > :16:27.There is half a chance if Marcus decides to take the spot on. -- to
:16:27. > :16:37.take this pot on. Eyeing up the potting angle. I think he will be
:16:37. > :16:55.
:16:55. > :17:05.which makes it difficult to go for the blue he will have liked to have
:17:05. > :17:34.
:17:34. > :17:44.leaving Ronnie the option of going REFEREE: Foul and a miss
:17:44. > :18:05.
:18:05. > :18:08.He needs the yellow, green and surprised. I think he is dead
:18:09. > :18:15.straight on the yellow and cannot get the cue ball close to the
:18:15. > :18:25.green. He stands on the yellow, you left with a horrible shot. -- if he
:18:25. > :19:05.
:19:05. > :19:10.REFEREE: Foul and a miss That is disappointing. He has put on
:19:10. > :19:18.more right-hand side than he intended. I think, when you play at
:19:18. > :19:22.that pace, it you expect it to check of the cushion. It never really did.
:19:22. > :19:32.He made the same mistake as he did the first time and now no replacing
:19:32. > :19:54.
:19:54. > :20:04.because Marcus Campbell needs yellow see the green, he has been
:20:04. > :20:04.
:20:04. > :20:07.fortunate. Whether he will fancy playing the pot, I do not know. I
:20:07. > :20:17.did not see any reason to leave the cue ball along the baulk cushion. He
:20:17. > :20:35.
:20:35. > :20:43.only needs the green. I think it was No, he did not. That was a great
:20:43. > :20:53.opportunity he let go begging. More interested in getting the cue ball
:20:53. > :21:32.
:21:32. > :21:38.at this end of the table, which he safe. It is all about one good
:21:38. > :21:48.positional shot from green to brown. If he can get on the brown, the
:21:48. > :22:17.
:22:17. > :22:27.bit of side. You have to be careful have put that better. In potting the
:22:27. > :22:59.
:22:59. > :23:05.brown, you need a good angle on the absolutely disgusted with the
:23:05. > :23:11.opportunity he had which he missed. And Ronnie O'Sullivan stretches his
:23:11. > :23:15.lead to 4-1 in front. Certainly a tale of three clearances
:23:15. > :23:22.so far, all of them by Ronnie O'Sullivan. He has established a 4-1