Day 1, Part 2 Snooker: World Championship

Breaking snooker news. Ronnie O'Sullivan has decided to misthe

rest of the snooker season. He has person issues to resolve. Doubts

have been cast on whether he will The Rocket. Ronnie O'Sullivan.

Good afternoon, never has there been an opening morning in the snooker

Championship as keenly anticipated as this one. I featured a defending

champion who has raised his cue in competitive anger only oning in the

last 11-and-a-half months, he has dared to come back and try to win

for the fifth time. Quite a challenge, and one in which John

Parrot and Steve Davis has been watching since this morning at ten

o'clock. That is when the Rocket walked out to defend his title. It

was a fascinating the moment and they shared the first couple of

frames with Marcus Campbell. The world number 27, a very very good

player indeed. Thereafter, it was a tale of flee clearances. . Yes, very

much so. The first, this was an indication of the early sharpness.

The balls weren't easy. He flick flicked out a red. Got another one,

typical O'Sullivan fashion, made it look very easy.

So, Ronnie that the point going to 2-1 up. In frame four, Marcus,

having made a break of 55 was 59 in front here, and it was O'Sullivan

who dished up again. It looks as if Marcus Campbell was in excellent

form and go into the interval at 2-2. It shows the power of Ronnie

O'Sullivan. Cleared up in that frame and the previous one, and made two

difficult clearance, under pressure, look so easy. You talk about

pressure, the pressure here on cap bell, once again he is in early.

he did all the work, he got down to the final five colour, made the

mistake, once again O'Sullivan pounced. Got the black in the

centre. He won't miss this. Marcus Campbell will kick himself because

they are frames he could have won. By this point Ronnie had taken a

4-1. When we left you, it has been a long intriguing day here, a long bay

to go on this opening day, and 17 Tays worth of great action coming

your way. We are going to rejoin this match in frame six. It is the

Scot at the table. He is being watched by Stephen Hendry and John

I thought he had a slight angle op the blue but he was straight.

So he will try to find a way of getting the black into play.

Formally you think he could play a canon but that pink is loose from

the rends. He didn't bring the black into play,

but... Plenty of loose reds to go The red is slightly to the left hand

jaw of the pocket. He still should get it but it is not

a for mamty. corner.

Thought it would pass the other red. He didn't play the plant. You

couldn't have played it from that side. You just wonder whether that

mistake is an aftermath of the few The frustration is building. It is

building up, the frames he has He thought that red would go. Maybe

it would have phone it had got right into the jaw, but he didn't get

canon on the ping and the brown. -- pink.

He had to be careful he didn't screw off into the middle. It was close

a potable position. I don't know if the pink will go on its spot and

That was nicely played. Made it look easy, but believe me, it was

Unwanted kiss on that red. He is out of position slightly.

Makes the pink a bit more difficult. Not guaranteed to be good on the

Good pot nevertheless. Good pot nevertheless.

He needs another one. Nicely played. He is cueing the ball beautifully.

You know, I can criticise some of his safety catching the baulk

colour, but when he has been in he has cued it beautifully. The key

shots when he played the pink from the brown spot. What a lot of

professionals would have played the easy blue. He played the more

difficult pink. Got it back on the spot and that is what has created

spot and that is what has created this chance.

The only thing he seems to be having trouble with is distance, he is not

judging his side shots. The safety has not been brilliant. In the balls

he as looked as good as ever. of the clearance, I know Marcus will

be thinking that the frames he should have won, but Ronnie has made

some beautiful clearance, and made them look so easy.

He was telling me he had a new tip put on and he is not 100% -- happy

with it, which can be the reason why he is not playing the long distance

Doesn't look like a new tip, particularly, but a lot of the

players cut them down, so they are ready to play, rather than having

them brand-new. It is a brand-new tip, but they just

cut them down so they are not as A good chance to make his first

century. It's odds on now. He might have been

a bit straighter on this black. Oh,! Thank goodness for gravity. I don't

think he will be disappointed. He just marches on and he has reached

that five frame that you mentioned Steven, so he cannot be behind after

this first session, can he press on from here? A break of 86 to go with

the 82 he knocked in in the first frame. So looking very comfortable

op his return, 5-1 in frame. Frame seven, let us get in there, this

time it is Ronnie in catch up mode. If this works out right... Deja vu.

Absolutely. As you say Marcus with just a couple of pots away there,

and whether there was value in playing the red as he did, but

whether he purposely played to overcut it, just caught it much too

thin, I don't know, but playing the pot, as I say, at that pace, if it

was close to jawers and didn't go in frame. And it worked out perfect as

we go over the two hour mark and it is two hours of intrigue intriguing

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snooker, it has to be said. well, it is not pinpoint position,

and it makes it all the more difficult. This is a tough pot at

He has to concentrate on getting a So he just needs the colour and the

final red to leave Ronnie needing a snooker. I think he has come the

wrong side of the pink. He would love to follow the cue ball through

and have a nice easy red. But the cue ball is further away from the

red than he would like, if he plays the pink.

rest. He only needs the red so what has gone before. A frame he was

desperate to win. Ronnie had his chance, just couldn't keep tight

control of the cue ball on his last visit. It caught him out in the end.

This will be a mighty relieved Marcus Campbell. This pink puts the

I don't think Ronnie will bother coming back to the table now. 37

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This time, it wasn't punished by result and Marcus Campbell reduces

his arrears to three. But he still trails five frames to

two. Marcus Campbell is ranked one place

above Ronnie O'Sullivan in the world ranks right now due to Ronnie's

decent down after his sabbatical from snooker and Campbell, the Scot

who is a 40-year-old has proven he can mix it with the very best

player, he has had a quarter-final and semi-final appearance in two of

the biggest events of the season and he very much in this match as we

head into frame eight. He couldn't do much with the cue

ball. But the most important thing in those type of shots you make

certain you pot the red. At least you get the next shot, but it has to

be made and he just give the plant that bit more concentration, rather

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I don't know what Rony was playing there, whatever it was, it has not

gone well. He has left this red to Another long pot missed.

And that could be costly, because he has left Ronnie with a nice easy

starter. He is just having a look to see if

he can play for the black and bring it into play, he has a pink in the

He played for the plaque, tried to clear it. Is it available into the

long time, competitive wise, he certainly looked to be scoring well

enough, when he has had the opportunity.

This is where he has looked This red to the right corner, he may

have to put a little trace aside on the cue ball to throw it over. It

looks like he can get through to it. The red the right of the black will

pass into the same pocket as the black. Maybe it doesn't, that is why

He has overscrewed that. He will be Hizb ut-Tahrir hand he could not

have put it in a better place than that, that is unbelievable. That was

a clever shot, he played for a choice of two reds.

See where the cue ball end up, he either has the red to the left

Careless. That is careless. That is two positional shots he has

played on the pink. He is just a bit loose with them.

The blue is missable. Oh, wonderful.

Wonderful. Right in the heart of the pocket and

Just this red and a colour needed. Because now that red's disappeared

Can he make a Ton here? But that is the one thing, the

bottom line of this game, at this level. When you get your

opportunities you have to score. And Ronnie has proved that today,

given the opportunities he will OK, we can question his safety play

has not been spot on, but that can Well, still no century, but another

frame on the score board, which will please him more than the century

break. And he now leads by six frames to

two. There is just one more frame to play in this session. At third break

over 80 already from the defending champion, and he looks very

comfortable, almost as though he has never been away. 6-2 in front, but

this now is the last frame of the morning session and Campbell has a

Omars can you need to take those opportunities!

mark is going to have to sit and suffer as to whether he will get

another chance in this frame. This was a big, big frame.

And he has had two excellent Underhit it slightly. Shouldn't be a

problem, though, playing for blue or possibly pink. Play some sort of

canon. I think Ronnie would be wary of

where the pink is going to go, if he plays for the pin, when it is

respotted. Because I think those two reds are

available. At least the bottom one. He played that well. Played the

canon perfectly. I don't know he is ideal on the pink, but he could roll

it in and play for the red to the He was going to do and he wasn't

going to do. We always say if you are not certain get up and get down

again, but... Didn't make any difference of course, it was such an

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been ideal. But straight enough. He didn't have to do too much with the

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far enough there. Yellow, green and proper match since last year - he'll

be really happy with this performance. A seven - to lead. -

concerned, he is behind but he has had plenty of chances to have been a

lot closer. But that's the game and Ronnie O'Sullivan, defending

champion, ends the first session leading seven frames to two going

into tonight's final session. HAZEL IRVINE: Well, if he was

nervous, it didn't show. I think that shows the pedigree of Ronnie

O'Sullivan. The story of the match so far has been that both players

have given as good as they got. Marcus Campbell's been in front many

times but Ronnie O'Sullivan is one the frame. -- Ronnie O'Sullivan has

won the frame. If you are clearing up as regularly as Roddy, you are

informed. It begs the question, which aspects of the game are

particularly challenged by months of not playing competitive snooker?

being in the venue. It's not so much about the game but the fat you've

been out of the venue. I think if you are playing in cubicles all the

time, it your own use to that. But the fact that you're not playing at

the biggest venues, it's just strange and different to come back.

But he's played as if he's never been away. Would you have expected

more rust to be evident in his game? The reports were that he was

playing excellently in practice but what you could have expected was a

game that didn't go that way. It could've been a bit more and tuck.

But that was an excellent snooker. Marcus Campbell will be disappointed

that he hasn't converted more frames but he's up against one of the best

players. For mere mortals, that would have been a five - for match.

We know the importance of sticking Ronnie O'Sullivan -- sticking with

Ronnie O'Sullivan. Marcus would have loved to have stuck with him of it

more closely in the opening frames. Yes and it does put a lot of

pressure on the player because Marcus Campbell knows he has got to

try to do that and you're always looking over your shoulder. If

you're 50 points in front and you know there are no threads on the

table, you're never really comfortable. It puts pressure on

converting the frame. Marcus is a great player. He's got to 50 but

those 50s have got to be 75. That's what O'Sullivan does to you if you

don't make 75. That is one of five of our first 16 first-round matches

to get under way today. Only one finishes on the opening day

traditionally. The line-up also features two other world champions -

Shaun Murphy playing Martin Gould. Mark Williams will face 21-year-old

Michael White this evening. He's one of the more fancied of large

compliment of Crucible rookies. And fellow debutant Jack Lisowski will

be stepping out this afternoon to take on the Aussie open champion

Barry Hawkins. Barry Hawkins is one of ten different winners of

snooker's ten different events this season and albeit that Ronnie

O'Sullivan is the main story in town today, there's been plenty of life

without him on the global snooker to a over the last 12 months. --

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smaller events. The players have been gainfully employed very much. I

talk about the ten major events with the different players but when you

go back, it's actually the last 13. What does that tell us about the

snooker scene at the moment? There's a lot of good players around! What I

think is very difficult to maintain is to keep your form to the highest

level when there are so many good players around so therefore we see

players peaking at some stage in the season but they don't know when it's

going to be. That's the trouble - how can you guarantee to pick for

the World Championship? No one dominant player, which I guess is

healthy. Yes, and you also need a bit of luck. No matter how good or

what form you are in, you need luck. Sometimes it's your week and

sometimes it isn't. There is so little between the players and such

a high standard. I don't think if someone gave you the draw for the

tournament, you could put yourself in any part of the draw where you

would be happy. What's also indicating the changes that have

come in in the last couple of years is the fact that we've got six

rookies at the Crucible this year. Five of them are British. Yes and

that's encouraging from the UK perspective because we have been

talking up the Chinese contingent and the fact that they are going to

come in and swung the game, and the Asian players in general. But from

my perspective, it's nice to see that we've got young talent in the

game. And they are going to be making their mark. They've been used

to playing throughout the season - best sevens, best of nines. This is

a step up psychologically into the best of 19 is. This is the one you

get your teeth into. -- Best of 19s. This is the marathon event.

know Ronnie's dominated this event but there are so many others going

on as well not least Mark Selby. He is looking to become one of an elite

group to do the triple Crown. Neil Robertson, as well, trying to become

the first overseas player to win two titles. A huge number of interesting

stories. I mentioned it earlier today, talking about the bottom

half. The bottom half is so competitive. You got Mark Allen in

the bottom half, Ding Junhui, there are so many good players. I think

Stephen Maguire's right back to his best. His match with Neil Robertson

was an absolute classic. There's nothing between them so whoever

comes through the bottom half is going to have to play good snooker.

Even without worry out of his return seven weeks ago, this was shaping up

as a great championship. Yes and everybody is asking who you think is

going to win and it could be picking any made out of a hat. But I do

think this tournament... You start to get a flavour of who was informed

in the second week. Who times their run to perfection. Even though you

don't, it's just who happens to get the look. I'd think that's harder to

do than it's ever been. If you're not at it from ball one in this

event, because of the standard... A few years ago, you might have gotten

easier draw in the first round and you might have wanted to stumble

over the line and get progressively better. You can't do that now.

There's no breathing space. Ricky Walden won the first of the main

prizes this year. He'd love to but can the season in style. He was out

there this morning. This is his third visit to the Crucible. He

hasn't won a match yet but the world above 13 was up against Michael Holt

from Nottingham, who has gone within touching distance at the

quarter-finals a few years back. We're going to see how they both

settle this morning in the company of Ken Doherty and Willie Thorne.

Ward and speeding off to the lead. the way he would have played but he

would have been happy with that. You have to make sure you pop the object

ball. -- pot. Ricky Walden has got to do some -- has got decent breaks

in every frame. Michael has just played three long pots that he

perhaps should have got. He missed an easy blue in the second frame.

With this standard, you can't afford to make mistakes. It's the mistakes

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power. He can play screw shots as pot into this bottom corner pocket.

-- below. This is a good shop occurs when he pots this thread it will

release the black into the same black cueball and try to go into the

two reds that are together just above the black spot because that

will hold the cueball for one of black, he scores very quickly. He's

got a good pace around the table. He tries to get the balls and

particularly the pink and black into open play as quickly as possible.

doesn't abuse the game, doesn't leave it alone for three or four

days. He plays virtually every day. People sometimes ask about how you

practice and the line-up is as good as anything because it makes you

play the stuns and screws. You can play it different ways. There are

different ways of playing the line-up but players of this class

would make a century break every time in the line-up serving have to

give themselves targets. Maybe play all pinks one day, all blues the

next day. But what you are playing cueball because that is the most

first session but you can lose one and as far as Michael Holt is

concerned, he has to just grab bottom one will pot into the

all the time in the line-up - little stuns and screws and just trying to

keep the cue ball about a foot away from the object ball. That's what

makes brick buildings so good when you've got total control of the cue

of 40 total clearance. The possibility of making another

season. He just missed the red and will be disappointed with that but

he's certainly happy he's got another frame on the board. The

march goes on for Ricky Walden. He goes into a 5-0 lead.

HAZEL IRVINE: Not a great situation for Michael Holt having to sit there

and remember that there's only been one whitewash in the first round.

John Parrott beat Eddie Charlton in 1992. Michael Holt does not want to

make that kind of history today. Plenty of time to get friends on the

straight forward went on his previous visit, he's found one now.

pink ear. -- link here. He has been struggling with the cue ball. He

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doesn't have much work to do with has been a break of 49 in the second

angle to get the top side of the blue. It looks straight to me. Just

40, so one red and a high value colour. I'm sure he'll get a warm

round of applause should he go on to win this spring because it's not

been a match where Ricky Walden has deserved to be 6-0 in front. Ricky

has played exceptionally well but you can't expect beat a top player

to nil so a big frame. It looks like please don't miss the red. He's a

lovely chap. I've got a lot of time for him. He really is a good kid. He

knows it shouldn't be 6-0 or 6-1. You should be a lot closer. But now

he's got to concentrate on winning the next two. But 6-3, he has got

and a break of 54 has got him on the board. He now trails by six frames

to one. He hit his stride at last in this

opening match and I'm sure that will be a great relief to Mike, who is

very well respected and well liked in the game. On his sixth

appearance, he's off and running and now in we go the penultimate frame.

Its Ricky Walden to play and he's the back of the pack. Is there

does. He played it well. He had to play it with enough pace for the

blue to reach the pocket to try to hold off the red and he's played it

into the bottom right hand corner pocket so he'll drop onto the

black, pot Black and take the red closest to the cushion. Then he'll

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cue ball little bit. The quarter ball, read just lost the cue ball

little bit. -- quarter ball on that about but he got a quick bounce of

percussion. That's the first sign of he would still take on the black.

He's looking at the pink. Now looking at a safety. The fact that

he's 60 points in front, he may think it too risky to play the

just put the blues safe. -- shot. may have got the blue safe but I

wouldn't say it's the best shot he's ever played because playing the blue

that way leaves this cut on the red directly above the black. Michael

Holt will certainly be having a go going to be frame number seven for

Ricky Walden. He couldn't have played that better. As Ken

mentioned, he didn't play very well on the last visit so quite fortunate

to have got an easy chance such as that. Michael Holt unfortunate that

the red he played went over the would have carried on if Ricky had

missed that black, but he's now gone 76 points in front so it's unlikely

that Michael will come back to the Tabb. He concedes the frame and

Ricky Walden goes into a seven frames to one lead.

Ricky Walden wasn't here at the Crucible last year. He is qualified

by right as a number of the top 16 but last year he didn't come through

final qualifying so it's been a two-year wait to get back and he's

certainly making the most of it. We get into the last frame of their

The fact the blackspot is free, once he gets rid of the red directly

above the blackspot would make this break a little easier.

Regardless of what happens in the frame, this has been a fantastic

This is the man that is suffering, the young man there, Michael Holt.

It is a lonely place when you are It looks like the two reds are

planted into this bottom corner pocket. If he managed to take it on.

There you see the dead set. He could go into the reds and bring more into

play and end up on the blue, still, but for some reason he doesn't like

That was a delicate stun shot with side, he had to get top side of the

blue, he couldn't have picked it up better by happened.

-- hand. Decided to play for the plant this

Perfect position again on the blue. Decided not to use the reds, and

bring some more into play from that shot.

But still, there is a few reds he can go at here, I think the red

directly above the black will pot as well. He could possibly go into the

reds if he wanted, but he doesn't have to this in position. There is

plenty of reds available. I think it is key if you are going

to get to the latter stages of any Championship, to make sure if you

have a chance to win a match, to make sure you do that, because close

match after close match, it is tiring, 17 days here. It certainly

As you said if you can get a match away early, it certainly, in the

long run, does you the world of He looks a bit disponted with the

positional shot there, so he is obviously not on in addition easy.

There is not of room to go in between the black and the red.

Well, Michael, this is probably yor last chance in this match, this is a

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What an excellent shot this was. To One good canon, that is all you need

here, anything but full-ball, half-ball, either side is OK.

Should definitely be pushing towards the middle.

It is better to screw into them, if he gets half-ball low he could come

he gets half-ball low he could come Played it nicely, well done, should

Just watch the cue ball here, hits the pack and goes again, lovely

That was careless, Ken. You should guarantee getting on the blue

three-quarter ball, he is on it Needs a nice kiss on the red and

he's got it. He has had to travel a bit. I think

it just has. Doesn't want to canon into any ball, now they are in

perfect position. It has gist gone nine points in front, so four reds

and four colour, he will have won He has to keep control of the cue

ball. He is still going to be 7-2 down.

Should he win this, he still has an uphill battle, but it keeps him in

the hunt, just with a slight opportunity or chance to win this

you believe it. It is hard to believe. He has missed

a few relatively easy pots in this match, but... That is what has cost

him. The blue in frame two was easy but that was even easier, so there

is two frame, now we are looking at possibly being 5-4 rather than 7-2.

Obviously, there is a slight chance now it can go 8-1, but goodness me

that was a bad miss. Well, he has a chance Ricky Walden.

He is trail trailing, but... 24 points now, here is this miss from

I think we know how he feels. have all been there. That was a sigh

of almost defeat there, wasn't it. If he beats the canon on the yellow,

oh, mind you, no, he hasn't kissed the red. Goodness me. What a result

the red. Goodness me. What a result This is going nowhere, there is

nowhere. What a sickener for So he is 12 points behind, so up to

and incluing the pink, will suffice doesn't want to be straight on the

green. That is not the angle he desired. It

makes it a bit more difficult to get the cue ball close to this brown. He

can skew on and off the side cushion, but he can play it with

side. It looks like he is imparting a lot of right hand side.

This brown is not easy, with the This brown is not easy, with the

Would you try and screw this in, Ken? I think he could certainly just

screw it in, he doesn't have to get right up close to the blue, as you

said, the most important thing is pot the brown, and leave yourself

some sort of shot on the blue. But I think these cloths are so lively,

you can get into the cue ball very There you see it.

Excellent shot, wasn't it. He overscrewed it. I can't believe he

got top side of the blue from that One good shot here.

This will be a hard pill for Michael Holt to swallow. He has the frame at

his mercy. But it is pink for Ricky Walden.

There you see it, in goes the pink. Great players, Ricky Walden, what a

marvellous session of snooker from him and on the opening day of The

Crucible. Betfair World Championships Phe

leads eight frames to one. And they will be back tomorrow

morning to finish that one off and John, there is one shot in

particular that will haunt Michael Holt. Look at this, he is on the

blue and he got a good up and down for pink. To miss that, that is a

knock the system. That was frame two, from there it was all down hill

from Michael's perspective 6789 all the practicing, the build up,

the optimism, the expectation, all the bravado and confidence you might

get, as John said it can evaporate in one shot like that, it is, we

didn't really see enough, we were watching mainly the Ronnie

O'Sullivan match, but it is hard to know whether Michael collapsed after

that or Ricky Walden did a good job on keeping him under wraps I think

is probably what happened. They will be back tomorrow morning to finish

that off but Ricky Walden looking very good indeed. We are changing

channels again, and we are hopping on to BBC Two, we will be there in

20 seconds time as we continue our live coverage from The Crucible with