:01:16. > :01:21.time at the Crucible on the last and 17th day of the BetVictor World
:01:21. > :01:25.Snooker Championship. From the first day Ronnie O'Sullivan has been the
:01:25. > :01:30.star attraction. No wonder dashed to come back and almost reclaim his
:01:31. > :01:34.title after a year out? Surely it could not be done. He is eight
:01:34. > :01:40.frames away from making that a reality, but his opponent, Barry
:01:40. > :01:44.Hawkins, is no secondary act in this final. The prospect of a major
:01:44. > :01:46.sporting upset is not so far-fetched, either.
:01:47. > :01:51.far-fetched, either. What a fantastic first day in the
:01:51. > :01:54.Crucible final between Barry Hawkins and Ronnie O'Sullivan. Everyone was
:01:54. > :01:59.wondering how the demeanour of both players would be. Could Ronnie
:01:59. > :02:02.O'Sullivan Corp after being out for a year? Then Barry Hawkins really
:02:02. > :02:06.struggled in the semi-final come everyone thought he would capitulate
:02:06. > :02:11.and are delighted he is playing well.
:02:11. > :02:17.We had some fantastic break building yesterday, Barry Hawkins had that
:02:17. > :02:21.clearance of 133, which was superb. Excellent break, he levels the
:02:21. > :02:27.match! But what does Ronnie do? He makes
:02:27. > :02:31.for centuries. He has now made over 600 in his career and we can expect
:02:31. > :02:35.more of that today. Long potting is always a very
:02:35. > :02:40.important factor in smoking. They are both around 60% at the moment
:02:40. > :02:48.but I think Barry Hawkins needs to start get up to -- getting up to
:02:48. > :02:51.75%, then he could push Ronnie all the way. The safety could be a key
:02:51. > :02:54.factor, O'Sullivan is not renowned for it but on his day one of the
:02:54. > :02:59.best in the world. So clever. You would think Barry
:02:59. > :03:09.Hawkins would win that battle, but watch O'Sullivan last night, how he
:03:09. > :03:11.
:03:11. > :03:16.manoeuvred to set up that last frame This was the worst part of the day
:03:16. > :03:20.for me, before the final. You put the work in on the practice table,
:03:20. > :03:25.come back to the dressing room but cannot relax. You are like a coiled
:03:25. > :03:30.spring, you just want to get out there, it is a nightmare. But for
:03:30. > :03:34.one person it is a dream come true because he gets to put his name on
:03:34. > :03:44.this iconic piece of snooker history. The other guy may win a lot
:03:44. > :03:51.
:03:51. > :03:53.of money, but as far as this trophy is concerned he may as well have
:03:53. > :03:55.lost in the first round. It is a cruel game. 13 world titles
:03:55. > :03:58.between them. There is an air of anticipation, excitement, tension
:03:58. > :04:00.backstage at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield. The players have been in
:04:00. > :04:04.the dressing room for about five minutes, they have had a practice
:04:04. > :04:09.session, and I am going to knock the door for Ronnie O'Sullivan then
:04:09. > :04:15.Barry Hawkins to tell them the Crucible Theatre and millions of TV
:04:15. > :04:25.viewers worldwide await them. All set?
:04:25. > :04:27.
:04:27. > :04:31.He is just grabbing his cue. Good luck to you, Ronnie. Ronnie goes
:04:31. > :04:41.into the holding area. I am now going to knock the door for
:04:41. > :04:46.
:04:46. > :04:47.Barry Hawkins. What a phenomenal He is getting his cue. He says
:04:48. > :04:57.goodbye to Terry Griffiths. How are you feeling?
:04:57. > :05:01.Very good. Good luck. What a moment, Barry
:05:01. > :05:05.Hawkins and Ronnie O'Sullivan are around the corner, it is good to be
:05:05. > :05:09.incredible. It has been brilliant all the way through, the opening
:05:10. > :05:13.session was superb, heavy scoring, breaks in every frame, but
:05:13. > :05:18.O'Sullivan has captured this lead in the final through two bursts of
:05:18. > :05:26.brilliance. He was 3-2 behind, went to 5-3 and
:05:26. > :05:30.last night threatened at 7-7. To win the last two frames Barry had two
:05:30. > :05:34.centuries. That is why he has the 10-7 lead.
:05:34. > :05:38.We have been so impressed with Barry Hawkins, has he got another big
:05:38. > :05:44.performance in him? Absolutely, and he knows now, he has
:05:44. > :05:47.been out in the final, he covered himself in glory yesterday. He is
:05:47. > :05:51.still in this match. If Ronnie O'Sullivan wins today, it
:05:51. > :05:54.has to be one of the great British sporting stories of all time. It
:05:54. > :05:59.would be an unbelievable achievement, do not play for 12
:06:00. > :06:05.months to come back and win, in incredible performance. Here is Rob
:06:05. > :06:08.Walker. Good afternoon, ladies and
:06:08. > :06:18.gentlemen. What a sense of anticipation we have here at the
:06:18. > :06:19.
:06:19. > :06:23.Crucible. We are closing in on the coronation of the BetVictor world
:06:23. > :06:33.can -- world snooker Championship. We have a historic session in store
:06:33. > :06:51.
:06:51. > :06:56.been outstanding in this, his first world final. This is the stage he
:06:56. > :07:01.dreams of when he first picked up a cue. Many people said this match
:07:01. > :07:07.would almost be over this afternoon, but he is still in the hunt. This
:07:07. > :07:10.performance today could define a lifetime's work. Can he close in on
:07:10. > :07:14.one of the greatest upsets in Crucible history? LEDs and intimate,
:07:14. > :07:24.raise the roof for the eagle eyed Barry Hawkins. -- ladies and
:07:24. > :07:50.
:07:50. > :07:55.another like him here at the Crucible. What a start, what a
:07:55. > :08:00.talent, what a career. He has already produced four centuries in
:08:00. > :08:03.this match and may need more to secure a fifth world crown. Victory
:08:03. > :08:12.today would surely rank as one of snooker boss Michael all-time great
:08:12. > :08:22.performances. Can he do what many said is impossible? He is your
:08:22. > :08:40.
:08:40. > :08:45.defending champion, blink and you families are both here. You cannot
:08:45. > :08:48.beat this, fantastic. We have another eight frames to play this
:08:48. > :08:53.afternoon and the possibility of in this evening. We know the good
:08:53. > :08:58.weather may have a drawer for you this afternoon, but we reckon this
:08:58. > :09:01.final has greater pulling power. final has greater pulling power.
:09:01. > :09:11.Good afternoon, gentlemen. Good afternoon, Hazel, good
:09:11. > :09:15.
:09:15. > :09:25.afternoon everybody, and this is the Barry Hawkins. What has he got left
:09:25. > :09:31.
:09:31. > :09:36.in the locker? Against the genius Yes, he certainly has and he has
:09:36. > :09:44.done fantastically well, stood up to the challenge. How crucial will that
:09:44. > :09:50.last frame last night be? The black ball finish gave Ronnie a bit of
:09:50. > :10:00.light between him and Barry Hawkins. Long pot success, 93% from
:10:00. > :10:08.
:10:08. > :10:18.fantastic or vision the received coming into this wonderful Crucible
:10:18. > :10:40.
:10:40. > :10:43.spectator, Ronnie junior, Ronnie's Well, he went for it, he thought the
:10:43. > :10:53.only red he could leave was the one he was playing, and that is what he
:10:53. > :10:58.
:10:58. > :11:08.pocket, the red would have stayed at this end, but it didn't, and he has
:11:08. > :11:21.
:11:21. > :11:31.played on the blue. Whether he just assumed the blue was on its spot...
:11:31. > :11:31.
:11:31. > :12:12.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 41 seconds
:12:12. > :12:22.He has overrun it and he is on the had plenty of room to work for fear.
:12:22. > :12:30.
:12:30. > :12:34.too straight on the blue to do anything. He is on this red to the
:12:34. > :12:44.right corner, but I don't think the black is that accessible. A good
:12:44. > :13:09.
:13:09. > :13:19.world championships, an absolute genius on the dartboard, Phil
:13:19. > :13:30.
:13:31. > :13:40.Taylor. And of course, Stephen Fry, Ronnie's. He is always here at the
:13:41. > :13:47.
:13:47. > :13:51.is good to have someone with you, because it is quite a lonely life,
:13:51. > :13:55.isn't it? Yes, he has been great company for
:13:55. > :14:00.him, and it is always nice to have someone in your dressing room you
:14:00. > :14:10.can talk to, helping you relax, and certainly that man has been a great
:14:10. > :14:17.
:14:17. > :14:27.kissed that blue another inch or so. He is still OK, but because the cue
:14:27. > :14:32.
:14:32. > :14:42.ball is so close it makes it more difficult. As we look at the
:14:42. > :15:14.
:15:14. > :15:20.He is a little unlucky there, in all but I tell you what, he has done
:15:20. > :15:30.well to get this far on the table. He is going to have to record
:15:30. > :16:10.
:16:10. > :16:15.another good shot with the rest excellent shot. It always amazes me,
:16:15. > :16:25.he plays so many shots left-handed you would think using the rest would
:16:25. > :16:32.
:16:32. > :16:39.be a weakness because he does not think he was undecided which all to
:16:39. > :16:49.play for. -- which balls to play for. He has finished not good on the
:16:49. > :17:00.
:17:00. > :17:05.black, not good on the pink, looking even when he was plotting that red,
:17:05. > :17:12.try and get in between the pink and black. It looked like he was trying
:17:12. > :17:22.to get up the table to hit the pink into one of these bottom corners. If
:17:22. > :17:31.
:17:31. > :17:40.he pots that red he has a choice. Unfortunately, Barry comes to the
:17:40. > :17:44.table, the four reds near the top cushion are out of commission, there
:17:44. > :17:54.are three in between the pink and black, he just hasn't got the right
:17:54. > :18:02.
:18:02. > :18:06.OK, he is going to be slightly hampered by the black. I don't think
:18:06. > :18:16.he has to do much with the cue ball, so it makes this a little bit
:18:16. > :18:16.
:18:16. > :19:12.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 41 seconds
:19:12. > :19:17.and get a nice angle of that red to almost exactly where the red is now.
:19:17. > :19:27.If he does, he will have a lovely angle on the black to try and stun
:19:27. > :19:51.
:19:51. > :19:58.one of them is going towards this It certainly didn't turn out as he
:19:58. > :20:04.would have wanted. In fact he only released one of the reds. He was
:20:04. > :20:14.hoping to bring two or three in -- of them into play. He is right back
:20:14. > :20:20.
:20:20. > :20:27.Ronnie red like this. It should have been tight against the side
:20:27. > :20:37.cushion. He has given Ronnie and opportunity. Good cueing needed, but
:20:37. > :20:37.
:20:37. > :21:40.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 41 seconds
:21:40. > :21:44.right, Barry's father, Steve, and for them. They will be so proud of
:21:44. > :21:54.Barry and proud of the wiki is performing. Most people were him
:21:54. > :21:54.
:21:54. > :22:56.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 41 seconds
:22:56. > :23:06.right corner, so he played it with Ronnie, Ronnie missed it, but he
:23:06. > :23:16.
:23:16. > :23:26.he has not got away with it. It ran across and developed the reds. What
:23:26. > :23:26.
:23:26. > :23:36.a chance now for Barry Hawkins. He has looked at the scoreboard. If he
:23:36. > :23:44.
:23:44. > :23:53.can get high-value colours with He was doing his calculations, four
:23:53. > :24:03.reds, four blacks. That will put him 26 ahead with 27 on, so he will need
:24:03. > :24:14.
:24:14. > :24:24.players are thinking four or five will need before Ronnie will
:24:24. > :24:31.
:24:31. > :24:41.Hawkins's point of view, that red on the left-hand side of the table is
:24:41. > :24:42.
:24:42. > :24:52.Imperative on putting this red he gets a good angle on the black to
:24:52. > :25:25.
:25:25. > :25:31.be able to come at it from the side, but he is using the rest. He has the
:25:31. > :25:36.perfect angle on the red. As Ken said, by taking blacks with these
:25:36. > :25:46.remaining reds, he only needs the yellow to leave Ronnie needing a
:25:46. > :25:56.
:25:56. > :26:06.nicely on the black. The black and the yellow. That will put him in the
:26:06. > :26:18.
:26:18. > :26:28.has done really well here. He looks very comfortable.
:26:28. > :26:40.
:26:40. > :26:48.Yes, he has a nice momentum and Of course, he knows the importance,
:26:48. > :26:58.although it is one snooker needed, he wanted that green in. Then it
:26:58. > :27:17.
:27:17. > :27:23.needs to run a bit more, but... It won't matter now. No matter what
:27:23. > :27:28.happens, Ronnie will concede. Ronnie had a great chance at the frame but
:27:28. > :27:34.had a really loose positional shot which will annoy him. Barry Hawkins
:27:34. > :27:40.took the opportunity and looked really solid. He is just two behind
:27:40. > :27:45.now. 10-8, O'Sullivan. HAZEL IRVINE: And from the tension
:27:45. > :27:48.inside the Crucible, here we are in the Winter Gardens and the last day
:27:48. > :27:54.of the Championship, and it is beautiful here. What I am looking
:27:54. > :27:58.at, pretty as a picture, Steve, John and Stephen. What a terrific frame
:27:58. > :28:02.from Barry Hawkins, Terry Griffiths says this man is a real fighter.
:28:02. > :28:07.Yes, and he take his chances well, because Ronnie O'Sullivan is the
:28:07. > :28:10.person who should have won that frame. That is the first frame we
:28:10. > :28:20.have seen in this final where a player has got in front and not
:28:20. > :28:21.
:28:21. > :28:23.converted what was ability we easy chance at this level, and it has
:28:23. > :28:26.come from Ronnie O'Sullivan. It was not necessarily just one clearance,
:28:26. > :28:28.but he did his job very well. Last night's final frame of the
:28:28. > :28:32.session was massive in the overall context of this match. When you have
:28:32. > :28:35.been through something like this and come out on the losing end of that
:28:35. > :28:41.frame, I much doubt that play on your mind overnight?
:28:41. > :28:45.It probably wasn't a bad way to go, thinking about it overnight, because
:28:45. > :28:51.you would not have wanted to carry on after that. That response today,
:28:51. > :28:55.though, that is top class. A couple of people in the Hotel today said,
:28:55. > :29:00.he will not win ten frames, what do they think now?
:29:00. > :29:04.The fact this final is itself a marathon, what is your attitude
:29:04. > :29:08.coming into the second day of the final?
:29:08. > :29:12.On Monday you realise you are in the final, it feels more like a final.
:29:12. > :29:17.You can see all of the VIPs, everyone turning up, the whole
:29:17. > :29:26.buyers of the place is different. It is certainly buzzing in here and it
:29:26. > :29:35.is certainly buzzing in the Crucible Yes, Ronnie has made an excellent
:29:35. > :29:42.break-off there. He has not left at pot on. Just to give you a look at
:29:42. > :29:49.what Barry is seeing from the baulk N. He will not be playing that, it
:29:49. > :29:59.does not look as if there is a return to the baulk N. He will be
:29:59. > :30:03.
:30:03. > :30:13.The only prat - problem about playing the containing safety is
:30:13. > :30:37.
:30:37. > :30:42.He is in a precarious situation He has that - decided to leave that
:30:42. > :30:52.red, and that might be a mistake. He was contemplating a few
:30:52. > :31:13.
:31:13. > :31:22.Nicely played. Not quite certain what Barry Hawkins had in mind in
:31:22. > :31:32.his last safety shot. It went all wrong. He knows he can't offer up
:31:32. > :31:50.
:31:50. > :31:54.easy starkers for Ronnie. - A bit short on the blue again. He
:31:54. > :32:04.is having a few problems at the speed of the table to start this
:32:04. > :32:04.
:32:04. > :32:57.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 41 seconds
:32:57. > :33:05.She would love to get the cue ball somewhere in that circle. Just
:33:05. > :33:15.about perfect. People take the want directly above the black. - he will
:33:15. > :33:32.
:33:32. > :33:42.The pink is possibly on into the right centre. That is what he is
:33:42. > :34:03.
:34:03. > :34:08.As you say, he wasn't happy with the angle. I think the red just
:34:08. > :34:18.below the pink is available. I think that is why he decided not to
:34:18. > :34:25.
:34:25. > :34:35.The pink cannot go back on that spot, so it goes in a direct line
:34:35. > :34:40.
:34:40. > :34:50.as close as it can do it spot in a Certainly, the top red goes into
:34:50. > :35:04.
:35:04. > :35:08.Normally Ronnie is the type of player who goes into the red bunch
:35:09. > :35:12.at the first opportunity. It shows you have focused he is. He will be
:35:12. > :35:22.disappointed to lose that first frame and he will not want to make
:35:22. > :35:24.
:35:24. > :35:28.any mistakes here. Absolutely. He just didn't get the backspin
:35:29. > :35:36.required. Again, he will be disappointed he didn't win the
:35:36. > :35:46.frame from that position. It just needed that bit more power on the
:35:46. > :35:46.
:35:46. > :36:46.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 41 seconds
:36:46. > :36:52.Without taking any undue risks, he When you hit it as well as that,
:36:52. > :36:56.you can stop your opponent from playing any kind of safety shot! He
:36:56. > :37:06.could not have played that any better, perfect line, perfect
:37:06. > :37:28.
:37:28. > :37:32.Well, that was very admirable. She called at foul on himself. Barry
:37:32. > :37:42.announced he fouled the ball even before the referee sold the file
:37:42. > :37:57.
:37:57. > :38:07.He is nicely on the green. The reds that he needs to win the frame are
:38:07. > :38:24.
:38:25. > :38:34.possible. He will be disappointed Just this black to go 70. To end -
:38:35. > :38:43.
:38:44. > :38:53.70 points ahead with just 67 That means that Barry Hawkins will
:38:54. > :39:14.
:39:14. > :39:23.not bother coming back to the table The average frame time is just over
:39:24. > :39:33.15 minutes. The Bill in the snooker club wouldn't be that big, would
:39:34. > :40:02.
:40:02. > :40:11.It used to take Terry Griffiths 15 minutes just to break off, didn't
:40:11. > :40:18.it? In those days we used to work on an average frame time of 26-27
:40:18. > :40:27.minutes. This is a man who has made a maximum break in this arena in
:40:27. > :40:34.five minutes and 20 seconds. Yesterday he became the man who has
:40:34. > :40:39.had more century breaks here than anyone else. He has had 129
:40:39. > :40:49.centuries just at the Crucible, breaking Stephen Hendry's record,
:40:49. > :40:54.
:40:54. > :41:01.He will be very pleased getting this frame, especially what
:41:01. > :41:08.happened and the last frame. Everything is going into the middle
:41:08. > :41:18.of the pocket. He is in free- flowing mood. What has been
:41:18. > :41:19.
:41:19. > :41:25.impressive to me, just that steely determination. He made breaks of 54
:41:25. > :41:31.and finished top of the 76. Young Ronnie will be pleased. Well done,
:41:31. > :41:36.Dad! Not just big applause in the
:41:36. > :41:42.Crucible, but also outside. This is Tudor Square in the heart of
:41:42. > :41:46.Sheffield. You can see lots of people enjoying the beautiful bank
:41:46. > :41:51.Holiday sunshine, having a few drinks and watching the output on
:41:51. > :41:57.the big screen. We have Shannon and Peter from Northern Ireland. What
:41:57. > :42:02.have you made of it so far? It has been a great final, really close.
:42:02. > :42:07.Peter? I have been really enjoying it. The first session yesterday
:42:07. > :42:13.were quite tight, tighter than I thought. Just looking for to the
:42:13. > :42:21.rest of the day, really? How come you're right side? Tickets are in
:42:21. > :42:27.scarce supply. Luckily enough we have some tickets for tonight.
:42:27. > :42:34.Ronnie by three off-fore, at least. I think it is looking close. Let's
:42:34. > :42:37.have a chat to a Barry Hawkins fund. My name is Sammy. While her you
:42:37. > :42:42.supporting Barry Hawkins? I just think he has come a long way in the
:42:42. > :42:48.competition and has done really well. He has had a few comebacks
:42:48. > :42:57.from far behind. I think somebody should win for a change, not just
:42:57. > :43:07.Ronnie O'Sullivan! JOHN: Another bad safety shot from
:43:07. > :43:22.
:43:23. > :43:27.Barry. He can keep leaving these This is certainly not an easy
:43:27. > :43:37.chance. The fact that there is no easy path round the back of the
:43:37. > :43:46.
:43:46. > :43:56.black, that is why Ronnie has At first glance, it looks as if he
:43:56. > :43:58.
:43:58. > :44:01.might have covered this red. The body language tells us that the red
:44:01. > :44:11.is covered. He is having a look at the one into the bottom right
:44:11. > :44:12.
:44:12. > :44:17.corner pocket. He will have to pull off some shot here but, the only
:44:18. > :44:27.colour he could possibly get on is the blue. It would be some shock to
:44:28. > :44:37.
:44:38. > :44:41.get the cue ball back-up for the That is absolutely superb. You can
:44:41. > :44:51.forgive him for being on the wrong side of the blue. The most
:44:51. > :44:51.
:44:51. > :45:47.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 41 seconds
:45:47. > :45:57.important thing was pop the red and Great opening red, but only six
:45:57. > :46:34.
:46:34. > :46:44.He just try to force the angle, didn't he? Good straight cueing was
:46:44. > :46:54.needed, but if you hit the red in the middle, the white was always
:46:54. > :46:54.
:46:54. > :48:27.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 41 seconds
:48:27. > :48:36.He tried to run past the black, but Are he is just thinking, a fairly
:48:36. > :48:46.cue ball tight on the top cushion, this red would be tempting. But
:48:46. > :49:13.
:49:13. > :49:23.that black has come down and Back the cue ball needs to slow up
:49:23. > :49:46.
:49:46. > :49:53.there. He could get through to the He is on it. The problem is, the
:49:53. > :50:03.red that is closer to its, that will be in the way if he does not
:50:03. > :50:43.
:50:43. > :50:53.Tight on the top cushion would have This frame has gone a bit scrappy
:50:53. > :50:54.
:50:54. > :51:04.with the black not on that spot, the pink tied up. At that speed, it
:51:04. > :51:19.
:51:19. > :51:29.is never easy for the pocket to He has let it cue ball tight on the
:51:29. > :51:39.top cushion. Barry with the problem. That was a very clever little shot,
:51:39. > :52:00.
:52:00. > :52:04.wasn't it? Bringing the black into This is where snooker is a funny
:52:04. > :52:09.game sometimes. You can put some money in real trouble. He is
:52:09. > :52:14.looking at all the options of getting a decent safety. Then all
:52:14. > :52:20.this sudden, you get to a situation where it can get it safe, but there
:52:20. > :52:28.is a pot to the right metals. Is it better to play the risky pot or the
:52:28. > :52:31.risky safety? So many times you see people go for the pot, not kicked
:52:31. > :52:41.in and have a frame winning chance. He hasn't really looked at that,
:52:41. > :52:53.
:52:53. > :53:03.has a, to the right hand corner The best he could do that situation
:53:03. > :53:16.
:53:16. > :53:24.was just not leave Ronnie with It needs to be tight on the cushion.
:53:24. > :53:33.He is not tight. He is contemplating this red into the
:53:33. > :53:43.right centre. Again, it is a very tough pot if you mishits it. - if
:53:43. > :54:13.
:54:13. > :54:17.He has not got it tight to the top cushion, but he has not let
:54:17. > :54:27.anything easy for Ronnie. All the colours that are available are in
:54:27. > :54:29.
:54:29. > :54:39.the top half of the table. As I say, it has gone a little bit scrappy.
:54:39. > :54:44.That is what he didn't want. He has got to played his safety shot that
:54:44. > :54:53.he wanted Barry to play! For once, a fluke didn't help. Quite
:54:53. > :55:01.incredible, isn't it? You get a fluke, and keep yourself in
:55:01. > :55:06.trouble! Again, he has the problem that Barry Hawkins did a minute ago.
:55:07. > :55:14.He is trying to see if he can leave the cue ball on the top cushion.
:55:14. > :55:22.There are a couple of reds available for Barry. That is what
:55:22. > :55:27.he is afraid of. The pink doors pot into the Left Centre. This may be
:55:27. > :55:37.one of the shots you spoke about, John. He may be as well just have a
:55:37. > :55:53.
:55:53. > :56:00.Is the safety guaranteed? Her he is just looking to see if he can get
:56:01. > :56:07.through to the blue. Maybe not leave one of the reds into the
:56:07. > :56:17.centre pocket. Now having a look once again at the potting angle on
:56:17. > :56:31.
:56:31. > :56:41.Well, we talk about costly flukes, but not the other way around. What
:56:41. > :56:49.
:56:49. > :56:59.That chance to get a black right on that spot. The pink is now in the
:56:59. > :57:39.
:57:39. > :57:49.She has gone a bit straight on the black, but this should not hamper
:57:49. > :58:17.
:58:17. > :58:26.This is a great chance, and one you Through reds she needs all in good
:58:26. > :58:36.positions. - he needs. He kinky - he can get a blue back on it spot
:58:36. > :59:08.
:59:08. > :59:18.Just about perfect on the blue. He can hold for either of these reds
:59:18. > :59:19.
:59:19. > :00:07.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 41 seconds
:00:07. > :00:17.She would have preferred an ankle. That was a nice pot, right in the
:00:17. > :00:31.
:00:31. > :00:41.bit too close to the cushion than he would have liked. -- he has let that
:00:41. > :00:52.
:00:52. > :01:02.close to the cushion there. 54 points behind, 59 remaining on the
:01:02. > :01:11.
:01:11. > :01:21.with, Ronnie, this is the big problem he has. The reds are in a
:01:21. > :01:37.
:01:37. > :01:47.reasonable position, but they are at to the left corner pocket, but he
:01:47. > :01:59.
:01:59. > :02:09.shot-macro. Not perfect on the black.
:02:09. > :02:12.That was a nice pot, just a little bit low on this black. Anywhere in
:02:12. > :02:22.behind this, close to the cushion, try and get it into the right
:02:22. > :02:57.
:02:57. > :03:02.Just calculating the scores, he can he cannot get close. It was always
:03:02. > :03:04.going to be difficult because he did not have that many points to play
:03:04. > :03:12.with. If he puts the blue, he will go 32
:03:12. > :03:22.points behind. From this last red, it has to be blue or above if he is
:03:22. > :03:50.
:03:50. > :03:54.to win the frame at this visit. What -- around the angles here. I thought
:03:54. > :04:01.he might go round a few two shins to get close to this year low, but he
:04:01. > :04:07.is now going to require another good pot.
:04:07. > :04:17.Barry will be sitting in his seat suffering, because he only needed
:04:17. > :04:35.
:04:35. > :04:41.that one red. He missed his chance - what a shot. He is pulling them out
:04:41. > :04:51.of the fire here. This will hurt Barry Hawkins. This could be the
:04:51. > :05:15.
:05:15. > :05:21.amount of right-hand side. Now the black to win the frame by one point
:05:21. > :05:25.and make Barry Hawkins really regret missing that frame ball red. In it
:05:25. > :05:33.goes! It doesn't get much better than that. That was a sensational
:05:33. > :05:37.clearance. No points to Speyer, absolutely brilliant. Barry Hawkins
:05:37. > :05:43.had his chance, missed one red and that was enough for Ronnie
:05:43. > :05:46.O'Sullivan to go four clear. 12-8, what a frame.
:05:46. > :05:51.Sensational clearance from Ronnie O'Sullivan and that really does tell
:05:51. > :05:56.you everything you need to know. Let's discuss that miss from Barry.
:05:56. > :06:02.He played a slight positional shot where he left the cue ball too close
:06:02. > :06:06.to the cushion. He just tweaked it a little bit, but what a clearance,
:06:06. > :06:10.you never had a lot of points to play with and a fabulous clearance.
:06:10. > :06:14.It will take a lot of character for Barry to come back from that.
:06:14. > :06:20.The way he was able to go through the colours.
:06:20. > :06:23.I could pick about seven or eight shots through it. You have to get
:06:23. > :06:31.right through this near the bottom with enough cue to hold the White to
:06:31. > :06:38.get on there. To hit this as pure and to come back with side on it to
:06:38. > :06:43.get on the brown is superb. What it kicked off the cushion, absolutely
:06:43. > :06:52.he could not have played that any better. Phenomenal. Graeme Dott got
:06:52. > :06:56.eight frames against Ronnie in 2004, Ali Carter got eight frames in 2008,
:06:56. > :06:59.and Ken Doherty said he thought that could be a turning point in the
:06:59. > :07:02.match. It is looking like the best defence
:07:02. > :07:07.of a title ever from perhaps the best player we have ever seen in the
:07:07. > :07:11.game and the best player under pressure. It is easier to look over
:07:11. > :07:14.your shoulder when you are a favourite and panic getting close to
:07:14. > :07:22.the finishing line, he desperately wants to win this to show how good
:07:22. > :07:26.he is, and every time he has been asked a question he has come back,
:07:26. > :07:35.he has been producing all tournament. He is at what speed now
:07:35. > :07:45.as we go back to the Crucible. The buzz in the crowd after that
:07:45. > :07:47.
:07:47. > :07:53.frame was electric. It was a bit of Some of the shots he played, yellow
:07:53. > :07:59.to green, blue to brown, fantastic clearance. It could be the biggest
:07:59. > :08:03.frame of this final, it could be a turning point. It will take every
:08:03. > :08:08.little inch of steel in Barry Hawkins's character to come back
:08:08. > :08:13.from that now. But he has done it before, he was well down against
:08:13. > :08:18.Ricky Walden, he has nerves of steel himself but he is going to have to
:08:18. > :08:28.draw on them in this final to come back from frames like that, they
:08:28. > :08:43.
:08:43. > :08:53.for a safety shot. They are so hard to judge. To find the baulk as good
:08:53. > :08:59.
:08:59. > :09:09.want to be looking at a success rate of around 90%, the tournament safety
:09:09. > :09:17.
:09:17. > :09:27.success is a bit low for both Barry cushion. Nor easy path back to baulk
:09:27. > :09:38.
:09:38. > :09:43.Ronnie, but Barry will not be happy with that result.
:09:43. > :09:53.He certainly will not, he has left an almost dead straight red into the
:09:53. > :10:00.
:10:00. > :10:05.pocket, and there is no pressure on anything, but that was the only
:10:05. > :10:15.possibility, that he would leave this red. He did not hit it as hard
:10:15. > :10:41.
:10:41. > :10:48.Yes, particularly after losing the really. Just to prove to himself
:10:48. > :10:58.that he can get over reversals like he had in the last frame. He is a
:10:58. > :11:26.
:11:26. > :11:32.very tough competitor. He just has going on the blackspot, that will
:11:32. > :11:35.not bother him too much, I don't think, apart from the fact at the
:11:35. > :11:45.moment the pink is only available into the left corner, but he can
:11:45. > :11:45.
:11:45. > :12:42.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 41 seconds
:12:42. > :12:52.top cushion and clear the pink for release another into the opposite
:12:52. > :12:57.
:12:57. > :13:07.screw back for the loose red directly above the cue ball at the
:13:07. > :13:15.
:13:15. > :13:20.moment, but he has a nice angle if pink spot? If it does, there is
:13:20. > :13:25.nothing. That is unfortunate. was the danger of going into the
:13:25. > :13:30.cluster. He had a few loose reds to play for and it was always the
:13:30. > :13:40.danger he could clear the pink spot and put the pink bed of play. But to
:13:40. > :13:42.
:13:42. > :13:52.not finish on a red, as you say, Can he pot this one into the bottom
:13:52. > :14:22.
:14:22. > :14:29.looks like he has an angle on the decided to stand it in, rather than
:14:29. > :14:39.just run it in with topspin. He is going to require another good pot
:14:39. > :14:39.
:14:39. > :15:21.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 41 seconds
:15:21. > :15:24.here. This is good stuff from Barry pace. It can make all the
:15:24. > :15:34.difference. If that had run on another couple of inches he would
:15:34. > :15:48.
:15:48. > :15:54.absolutely loves snooker. A big fan of Steve Davis. Of course, Phil
:15:54. > :16:00.Taylor, who has been in so many world finals he will be appreciating
:16:00. > :16:06.the nerves out there. And that is absolutely inch perfect, very well
:16:06. > :16:16.played indeed. We knew he needed to be on the pink, but to get that
:16:16. > :16:22.
:16:22. > :16:32.win the frame at this visit. But remember the last one, he was just
:16:32. > :16:35.
:16:35. > :16:40.one red short. That will be in his in the last frame, you said he
:16:40. > :16:45.needed a response, and what our response we have got. Absolutely,
:16:45. > :16:55.and he has posed a question. It looks like Barry has come up with
:16:55. > :17:17.
:17:17. > :17:22.confidence, after the last frame, and as we keep saying, he has been
:17:22. > :17:27.behind, he was long way behind in the match with Ricky Walden in the
:17:27. > :17:37.semi-final but hung on in there, and he is hanging on again. A tough
:17:37. > :17:54.
:17:54. > :18:04.losing the last frame, but he just this, so it could be a positive
:18:04. > :18:04.
:18:04. > :18:55.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 41 seconds
:18:55. > :19:02.midsession talk with Terry that is from Barry Hawkins. Ronnie
:19:02. > :19:06.left him one chance and that is all he needed. That was superb stuff,
:19:06. > :19:10.still three behind but he will go to the dressing room feeling an awful
:19:10. > :19:15.lot better. 12-9 to Ronnie O'Sullivan.
:19:15. > :19:25.Harry Hawkins was an ET-1 shot before he turned up in Sheffield,
:19:25. > :19:30.never been past the second round. -- ET-1 shot. For five years he lost in
:19:30. > :19:33.the first round, two years in the second round, and here he is in the
:19:33. > :19:39.second -- final. It is encouraging that he is doing justice to his
:19:39. > :19:43.talents in this final. It is a fantastic performance, but the only
:19:43. > :19:47.problem is it is being overshadowed by Ronnie O'Sullivan, but what a
:19:47. > :19:51.rearguard action. To turn it around, what a storyline it would be.
:19:51. > :19:57.assess the way he has gone about his business today. What a daunting
:19:57. > :20:04.process it must have been to even turn up to the? Absolutely, he was
:20:04. > :20:07.60-1 in this final, Ronnie O'Sullivan was 1-7. I have seen
:20:07. > :20:12.Ronnie play as nearly as good as I have ever seen anyone play and he
:20:12. > :20:20.has to win 18 frames against him. He has done a magnificent job so far.
:20:20. > :20:25.His record is not great, he has lost five matches against Ronnie. He beat
:20:25. > :20:29.Ronnie in the 2002 Scottish open, but he has never won since. What do
:20:29. > :20:32.you make of his performance two I don't want to sound patronising but
:20:32. > :20:36.he has gone right up in my estimations. I never thought he
:20:36. > :20:40.would compete in this final. I must admit I was one of those who never
:20:40. > :20:46.thought it would get to a fourth session. But incredible character,
:20:46. > :20:50.what Ronnie did in that last frame, to come back and win it, incredible.
:20:50. > :20:55.I always thought he was a high-quality match player, I did not
:20:55. > :21:01.know he had this ability to compete in the cauldron of the Crucible, but
:21:01. > :21:06.he is doing a fantastic job. Well, another 17 days in Sheffield
:21:06. > :21:08.are whizzing by in a slow motion flash, as usual. We have had so many
:21:08. > :21:18.twists and turns this year and we have been even talking about
:21:18. > :21:28.
:21:28. > :21:32.Bernard, just amongst pundits, never on the returning champion back from
:21:32. > :21:36.his snooker 's sabbatical - Ronnie O'Sullivan, the Beethoven of big
:21:36. > :21:41.building, the Shakespeare of shotmaking, the da Vinci of
:21:41. > :21:51.developing the Reds, the man known as the Mozart of... Snooker? Was
:21:51. > :21:54.
:21:54. > :22:00.mindbending best. But even Mozart would have taken a couple of
:22:00. > :22:04.concertos to crank back up to speed after a year out of composing. Peter
:22:04. > :22:08.Ebdon against Graeme Dott, a match that crawled along so slowly at one
:22:08. > :22:13.point it seemed Peter Ebdon had hibernated on the table. At one
:22:13. > :22:17.stage, Peter Ebdon disappeared for four minutes between frames, giving
:22:17. > :22:27.Graeme Dott some quality time alone to ponder on ways to speed snooker
:22:27. > :22:39.
:22:39. > :22:42.out in the first round, proving there is no substitute for
:22:42. > :22:47.experience. Four veterans were also knocked out in the first round,
:22:47. > :22:55.proving there is a substitute for experience. One of those who did
:22:55. > :23:01.make it through was Thailand's Dechawat Poomjaeng. He applauded his
:23:01. > :23:05.own shots, as if the balls were his children in an unexpectedly flawless
:23:05. > :23:11.nativity play. He waved them into the pocket but like a trainee
:23:11. > :23:16.Shepherd with the disappointing news sheepdog. He knocked out Stephen
:23:16. > :23:23.Maguire 10-9 in a first round thriller. Stephen suggested that
:23:23. > :23:27.Dechawat Poomjaeng was not the Phil Schilling. That he was a John Virgo
:23:27. > :23:32.short of commentary box. He even tried to leave by the wrong exit.
:23:32. > :23:36.Where is the screwball going? In the first round he did everything short
:23:36. > :23:39.of coming out dressed as a pantomime horse. In the second round team-mate
:23:39. > :23:45.as well have done that, because not only did Michael White make
:23:45. > :23:51.mincemeat out of him, but at one point he was reduced to grazing on
:23:51. > :23:56.the beautifully mown Crucible turf. Into the second round, and more
:23:56. > :24:02.shocks and some electrifying snooker. But Graeme Dott did not
:24:02. > :24:06.have quite enough spark. He lost to Shaun Murphy. This set up a
:24:07. > :24:11.quarter-final showdown with 2011 finalist, Judd Trump, who avoided
:24:11. > :24:18.the carnage of the early rounds, despite this mess, which provoked
:24:18. > :24:23.this reaction from his opponent. To be fair to Dominic Dale, he was not
:24:23. > :24:27.concentrating on the snooker this time, he had heard that Hazel Irvine
:24:27. > :24:31.had displaced Angela Merkel as Forbes most powerful women in the
:24:31. > :24:36.world. Anything is possible.
:24:36. > :24:41.Judd Trump was formidable in arguably the biggest showdown of the
:24:41. > :24:49.second round. Referee Adrian Williams against the miss rule.
:24:50. > :24:54.Poor Adrian Williams, it was like a food fight.
:24:54. > :24:59.Elsewhere, Mark Selby was knocked out and complaint about burnout.
:24:59. > :25:03.I don't know if it has been a long season and I had nothing left coming
:25:03. > :25:07.into the championships. Barry Hearn then complained about Mark Selby
:25:07. > :25:09.complaining about Bernard. It is tough flying around the world
:25:09. > :25:17.staying in 5-star hotels and earning loads of money, don't come to me
:25:17. > :25:22.with your excuses. As Barry himself would no doubt say,
:25:22. > :25:26.Bernard? Before I came along there was nothing so much as a fire, no
:25:26. > :25:35.dress up like a marshmallow and toast yourself!
:25:36. > :25:45.What is that other second-round match? Ding Junhui in a match that
:25:46. > :25:49.
:25:49. > :25:53.Mark King played the shot of this tournament is that most resembled
:25:53. > :26:00.1940 -- 1950s America, going all over the place unsuccessfully trying
:26:00. > :26:06.to locate the reds. That is one for all of due Cold War fans out there.
:26:06. > :26:16.In the quarter-final, The Rocket was starting to look more unbeatable
:26:16. > :26:22.
:26:22. > :26:28.than a hungry wheel in a plankton The Rocket can place the curfew can
:26:28. > :26:33.match and he can find shots other playbook -- players would not even
:26:34. > :26:38.see. He can play snooker is so beautiful it makes you want to set
:26:38. > :26:48.your children on your knee, point at the television and say, watch this,
:26:48. > :26:49.
:26:50. > :26:53.this is why I had you. Don't tell out the match of the Championship, a
:26:53. > :27:01.seesaw classic that culminated in another final frame frenzy. Enough
:27:01. > :27:09.and Ali Moore intends than the -- in a finale more intense than the
:27:09. > :27:12.Glastonbury crowd, we -- Judd Trump triumphed. Hands up if you put money
:27:12. > :27:17.on Barry Hawkins against Ricky Walden semi-final. If you have your
:27:17. > :27:24.hand up, put it down again, you are a liar or you are a close member of
:27:24. > :27:28.either player and you are a liar. -- close family member. The dedication
:27:28. > :27:33.to hitting a tiny ball in a pointy stick -- with a pointy stick in a
:27:33. > :27:39.dark room and the lifestyle of spending a lot of money on
:27:39. > :27:44.waistcoats paid off in style. After beginning the tournament with a
:27:44. > :27:49.played nine, lost seven Crucible record was about to have a much
:27:49. > :27:55.busier bank holiday than he used to. Either Judd Trump Ronnie O'Sullivan
:27:55. > :28:05.could find their fluid best. For once, physics was not doing as it
:28:05. > :28:06.
:28:06. > :28:11.was told. He has left this green on!
:28:11. > :28:16.Yes, there were breaks, but not always the kind of breaks you would
:28:16. > :28:24.want in a world semi-final. The last time I heard a noise like
:28:24. > :28:29.that it was playing against... And it was Ronnie who was told off
:28:29. > :28:32.for naughty snooker. In the end, he made it through. He had mixed a
:28:32. > :28:37.trademark cocktail of technical brilliance with the eye of a
:28:37. > :28:47.champion, still in the flush of his youth but with 20 years of added
:28:47. > :28:48.
:28:48. > :28:54.then being on stamps is not for the Queen. Are you going to be the man
:28:54. > :29:02.to tell her that? Really? So, now, as many predicted, it has
:29:02. > :29:05.all come down to the final. Again, as tournaments do, generally. This
:29:05. > :29:10.Championship has had it all and at the end of it we are left with one
:29:10. > :29:18.man seemingly born to play in finals and another man who never thought he
:29:18. > :29:22.would get there. Thanks be to snooker. Amen. Well, from one witty
:29:22. > :29:25.character to another, it is a great pleasure to welcome Stephen Fry to
:29:25. > :29:29.our studio. Crucible debut, Stephen?
:29:29. > :29:32.Yes, I Dreams Come True, I can honestly say I could be struck dead
:29:32. > :29:39.tomorrow by a bulldog licking and would code my life complete.
:29:39. > :29:42.What was it like in there for you? -- struck dead tomorrow by a bolt of
:29:42. > :29:47.lightning. You always hear people talking about
:29:47. > :29:51.net the 1970s saying it is unmatched in any arena, and you think, it has
:29:51. > :29:55.three sides and a table in the middle, but when you get there it is
:29:55. > :29:59.so true, you are so close to the action. This session has been
:29:59. > :30:09.astonishing, I cannot believe that Barry Hawkins managed to pull out a
:30:09. > :30:13.frame winning century, nearly, after that fantastic steel. The yellow to
:30:13. > :30:18.green to brown was as good as you will ever see. I had to close my
:30:18. > :30:21.eyes, I heard the green rattle in. On the brown it was just
:30:21. > :30:26.extraordinary. It is fantastic to hear you talking so passionately,
:30:26. > :30:28.because you know on Twitter you are always extolling the virtues of
:30:28. > :30:33.snooker. Once you said I would rather watch
:30:33. > :30:38.snooker than do anything else. What is the fascination two some people
:30:39. > :30:44.say it is the quiet rhythm, to me that is nonsense - it is the human
:30:44. > :30:52.drama. In golf, you don't really see enough of a person's face and body
:30:52. > :30:56.language. You only see it a bit, but in snooker you can actually watch
:30:56. > :30:59.the transcendent moment of being in the zone following up a player and
:30:59. > :31:02.they have it and they have the rhythm and the timing and the focus
:31:02. > :31:12.and you can watch them when they lose it. It can be because of a
:31:12. > :31:14.
:31:14. > :31:24.fluke. It is just extraordinary.
:31:24. > :31:34.
:31:35. > :31:38.analysis for that frame before the played? I used to have a table.Have
:31:38. > :31:48.you ever worked at the Crucible? Twice, I think. I have done a
:31:48. > :31:50.
:31:50. > :31:53.reading. It is a lovely theatre, no question about it. The Crucible is a
:31:53. > :31:59.medieval receptacle in which elements and metals are fused in
:31:59. > :32:05.heat, and that is a very good analogy for the arena. There is this
:32:05. > :32:08.incredible sense of drama. It is the human drama more than anything else.
:32:08. > :32:13.Clearly you will have had your favourites over the years? You know
:32:13. > :32:23.these guys very well. Of all of the players, who would be your favourite
:32:23. > :32:28.one? I mean, Ronnie O'Sullivan is magic. But for me, I always had a
:32:28. > :32:38.special place in my heart for Jimmy White. Partly, because he never won
:32:38. > :32:41.
:32:41. > :32:47.this event. But also, to watch his movement. I bought his book. There
:32:47. > :32:57.was a think about how to do screw. He said, could be kept lower than
:32:57. > :32:59.
:32:59. > :33:07.that, no, lower, no, lower. He seemed such a lovable character,
:33:07. > :33:12.completely unchanged. Steve Davis transformed the game, I have to say.
:33:12. > :33:17.And the idea that you were a machine is complete drivel, you just
:33:17. > :33:25.happened to be much better than everybody else. And then there was
:33:26. > :33:31.Joe Johnson... He used to have separate press conferences! What
:33:31. > :33:41.about what about you to go for a little bit of a knockabout? -- what
:33:41. > :34:01.
:34:01. > :34:11.Stephen Hyde to screw back? Are you going to ask me to do it? Play the
:34:11. > :34:34.
:34:34. > :34:44.send you away empty-handed. We are going to pot this black in the
:34:44. > :34:47.
:34:47. > :34:57.middle pocket. That is impressive. Which all are my -- am I aiming for?
:34:57. > :35:07.
:35:07. > :35:13.Hit the red full in the face. yes! Thank you for coming in.
:35:13. > :35:23.It is great to see celebrities watching the game. There are still
:35:23. > :35:37.
:35:37. > :35:42.characters who play the game. Let's MUSIC
:35:42. > :35:48.That is enough of that! They say the golden age of snooker was in the
:35:48. > :35:52.1980s. What a cast of characters we had. I do not go along with the
:35:52. > :35:56.theory that there are no characters in the modern game. There was one
:35:56. > :36:06.show man who showed that in this year? World Championship. Can you
:36:06. > :36:35.
:36:35. > :36:45.guess who it is? We know him as the do not hit a ball you will lose the
:36:45. > :36:49.
:36:49. > :36:54.frame. Yes. He is applauding himself! People come here to be
:36:54. > :37:01.entertained. He reminded me of Dennis Taylor. He is the only
:37:01. > :37:05.character am on these great snooker stars. The game has changed so much
:37:05. > :37:15.since the 1980s. It is difficult for players to become household names.
:37:15. > :37:17.
:37:17. > :37:23.Back then, we did not have hundreds of TV cameras. In the 1980s, snooker
:37:23. > :37:28.was one of the only things on TV. There were a lot of characters. It
:37:28. > :37:34.is more professional now than it has ever been. In the 1980s, players had
:37:34. > :37:41.to try and sell themselves a lot more on TV. You will probably see a
:37:41. > :37:49.lot more characteristics coming night on TV in the 19 new days,
:37:49. > :37:55.because they had to make money from exhibitions. -- in the 1980s.
:37:55. > :37:59.Because of the lack of tournament in the 1980s, we had to display a
:37:59. > :38:02.little fun to hope we would get a booking in a club or something. We
:38:02. > :38:06.could not make a living from tournament snooker honesty won every
:38:06. > :38:09.single one. We used to do the holiday camps and the working men's
:38:09. > :38:19.clubs, the Conservative clubs, things like that, to try and earn an
:38:19. > :38:27.
:38:27. > :38:31.probably compare them with the characters when they first started
:38:31. > :38:38.watching. We had a section of players trying to prove to the
:38:38. > :38:41.public that snooker was worth watching. In the good old days, when
:38:41. > :38:48.touring round the country was your red and butter, the players learned
:38:48. > :38:52.how to laugh and joke and have fun with the crowd. That has gone away a
:38:52. > :38:56.little bit now. Everybody is playing for their livelihood and things are
:38:56. > :39:02.so important. Ask people in the street how much fun they have at the
:39:02. > :39:08.office. Snooker is so tough. It is hard to find a balance of having a
:39:08. > :39:15.laugh and also focusing. I can understand why character does not
:39:15. > :39:23.come out on the table. Everything you do of the table -- off the
:39:23. > :39:29.table, you get a fine of �250. get fined for breaking rules, not
:39:29. > :39:33.for being interesting. A lot of today passed my players are so
:39:33. > :39:40.intent on the semantics and the game itself that they forget that they
:39:40. > :39:49.are in the entertainment business. What do you have to do to be a
:39:49. > :39:53.character? Do you have to head-butt somebody? The Crucible that not sell
:39:53. > :39:59.out in the 70s and 80s like it did this year. People love snooker and
:39:59. > :40:04.they love the people that are playing it, there is no doubt. If
:40:04. > :40:09.people keep printing in the papers that there are no characters, people
:40:09. > :40:13.reading it will believe it. Will we ever get back to the good old days
:40:13. > :40:18.with familiar faces in every household? Probably not. The game
:40:18. > :40:28.can still be a lot of fun and the characters, well, for right or
:40:28. > :40:32.
:40:32. > :40:39.wrong, they are still creating is Ronnie O'Sullivan junior. He has
:40:39. > :40:44.had a big haircut since we last saw him, last year, when Ronnie picked
:40:44. > :40:50.up the trophy. He is just having a little bit of a knockabout before he
:40:50. > :41:00.goes back in. He is showing some form. At least he is big enough for
:41:00. > :41:05.the table! He looks like he enjoys it. He does indeed. We are going to
:41:05. > :41:10.keep an eye on this young man. We are also keeping an eye on his dad.
:41:10. > :41:20.It is back to work for him. We have four more frames to play this
:41:20. > :41:21.
:41:21. > :41:26.afternoon in the third session. Here is daddy, coming back out. He needs
:41:26. > :41:30.six more frames for a world title. Dennis Taylor is about to leap into
:41:30. > :41:40.action in the commentary box alongside Willie Thorne. Good
:41:40. > :42:05.
:42:05. > :42:15.on. That last frame, I thought Barry Hawkins was sensational, to come
:42:15. > :42:53.
:42:53. > :43:03.back and make a 90 break after screw and trying to get to the two
:43:03. > :43:03.
:43:03. > :43:55.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 41 seconds
:43:55. > :44:04.amazing. He just looks so comfortable. I used to switch hands
:44:04. > :44:14.because I did not like the rest. This fellow can make century breaks
:44:14. > :44:14.
:44:14. > :45:08.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 41 seconds
:45:08. > :45:18.for in death -- eight loose red he can play for in the middle. He
:45:18. > :45:18.
:45:18. > :46:05.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 41 seconds
:46:05. > :46:15.possibly believes there is a better from the black. To come in from two
:46:15. > :46:28.
:46:28. > :46:38.cushions, that was special. It does something special, Ronnie seems to
:46:38. > :47:14.
:47:14. > :47:20.think he has to put his foot on the pots needed to open up a four frame
:47:21. > :47:29.advantage. We talk about Ronnie being such a natural player. He just
:47:29. > :47:39.seems to fall into position. He doesn't seem to do any shuffling
:47:39. > :47:39.
:47:39. > :48:27.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 41 seconds
:48:27. > :48:37.equal the highest number of centuries made in a final, five. He
:48:37. > :48:37.
:48:37. > :49:32.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 41 seconds
:49:32. > :49:42.has a difficult red near the he lifted the crime, and what a
:49:42. > :50:16.
:50:16. > :50:25.sensational year this has been. Not that! He got half a chance and he
:50:25. > :50:35.knocked the lot in. He is back to four in front at 13-9. What can you
:50:35. > :50:39.
:50:39. > :50:45.do about that? Barry Hawkins, one shot, it was the end of frame. What
:50:46. > :50:54.happens on the snooker ball is amazing. In the old days, that would
:50:54. > :51:04.have been a foul. They just keep bouncing. It shows you how accurate
:51:04. > :51:11.the players are. What about those shots? Sometimes its spoils the
:51:11. > :51:21.game. I think they should play with a thicker cloth to stop the bouncing
:51:21. > :51:21.
:51:21. > :52:51.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 41 seconds
:52:51. > :52:59.start to take pots like this to get the way, but what are the chances of
:52:59. > :53:06.that? He needs a nice little knowledge, but that is not the one
:53:06. > :53:11.he wanted. Because the brown is off its spot the yellow is more
:53:11. > :53:21.difficult. He wants to stun the cue ball towards the brown and move it
:53:21. > :53:22.
:53:22. > :53:30.around the table, but it is more difficult now. He has got to get
:53:30. > :53:40.onto the right side of the table. He has a long way to travel with the
:53:40. > :53:44.
:53:44. > :53:54.cue ball. He could do with a favourable little kiss... And he has
:53:54. > :53:54.
:53:54. > :56:27.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 41 seconds
:56:27. > :56:37.and Caroline, his mum. They must be shot on the black to get into the
:56:37. > :56:38.
:56:38. > :56:48.reds. He would be better off going for the pink. Could he hold it for
:56:48. > :56:49.
:56:49. > :56:57.the pink? Let's have a look. He just needs one good positional shot. And
:56:57. > :57:01.that is not bad. He can stun into these. He does not have to screw
:57:01. > :57:11.this. If he plays it with stun he should be able to open them up and
:57:11. > :57:17.
:57:17. > :57:27.not lose the clue ball -- the cue it, you come away from the reds
:57:27. > :57:59.
:57:59. > :58:09.whereas if you stun it, you keep it head the left-hand job. Ronnie still
:58:09. > :58:09.
:58:09. > :59:37.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 41 seconds
:59:37. > :59:45.needs a long pot to get himself in APPLAUSE. Well, a good opener from
:59:45. > :59:53.Barry Hawkins. Every chance now to meet Ronnie pay for that miss. --
:59:53. > :59:57.Make runny date. That will annoy Ronnie. In frame 19 she had an
:59:58. > :00:03.unbelievable clearance to clinch it on the black. You could count on
:00:03. > :00:13.one hand misses like that throughout this championship from
:00:13. > :00:13.
:00:13. > :01:01.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 41 seconds
:01:01. > :01:09.This is a very important stage of There is not much of a pocket there
:01:09. > :01:19.to squeeze it in-off. He has a red '' pass the pink, or will it? Maybe
:01:19. > :01:34.
:01:34. > :01:42.Should Ronnie go on to win this frame, there have been at least
:01:42. > :01:51.three frames now that he has pinched. Barry Hawkins could have
:01:51. > :02:01.been Grainne Close him, if not in front. Barry has been ahead by more
:02:01. > :02:24.
:02:24. > :02:31.than 40 points in three frames and Just! Let's have a look at this.
:02:31. > :02:41.That didn't look back it was going to go in. With the new cloth, they
:02:41. > :02:47.
:02:47. > :02:57.Ronnie has only missed one shot with the rest could have 18 in this
:02:57. > :02:57.
:02:58. > :03:07.final. He has probably played about another 50 shots left-handed! Back
:03:08. > :03:25.
:03:25. > :03:35.This will be another body blow for Barry Hawkins. This could be a
:03:35. > :03:42.
:03:42. > :03:52.third frame he loses after being Ronnie being five frames in front
:03:52. > :04:09.
:04:09. > :04:19.of be a tall order for Barry. -- Getting the Prime back on that spot
:04:19. > :04:20.
:04:20. > :04:24.is ideal. It is blocking the path for the yellow at the moment. You
:04:24. > :04:31.can see the yellow will go past the brown, that is why he played for
:04:31. > :04:41.the brown. This is Barry's last hope of a positional shot going
:04:41. > :04:41.
:04:41. > :05:32.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 41 seconds
:05:32. > :05:38.Barry did have his chance, but there was just one short were he
:05:38. > :05:48.clipped that black on the way across, leaving him a more
:05:48. > :06:06.
:06:07. > :06:16.difficult one. This has been the Barry has been responding with
:06:16. > :06:22.decent breaks of 40 and 50, but Ronnie keeps pinching the frame.
:06:22. > :06:32.That was frame ball. This standard has been excellent. Both players
:06:32. > :06:39.
:06:39. > :06:44.For the first time in this final he is about five frames. He has made a
:06:44. > :06:49.habit recently of pinching the crucial frames. If you think back
:06:49. > :06:55.took the first day at the Crucible Theatre this year, he played Marcus
:06:55. > :07:00.Campbell that very easily could have been 7-7, but it ended being
:07:00. > :07:06.10-4 because if the magnificent clearances. That is what he's doing
:07:06. > :07:12.today, as well. This would be a staggering achievement. Ronnie has
:07:12. > :07:18.not played for almost a year. As great former champions yourselves,
:07:18. > :07:28.if you have contemplated coming back after a year out, what would
:07:28. > :07:30.
:07:30. > :07:36.you have been most scared about so? In our prime, we just wanted to
:07:36. > :07:40.play in more events. You would have come back in been worries that
:07:40. > :07:46.perhaps the standard had moved on. Or that you would not be able to
:07:46. > :07:51.pick up the range. He would have treated it as a challenge. It could
:07:51. > :07:56.take the heat off a bit. All of the players have been playing all year
:07:56. > :08:01.round. Their expectations are very high coming into the World
:08:01. > :08:04.Championship. His expectations were probably a bit lower. That could
:08:04. > :08:11.have helped him. What would you have been as concerned about,
:08:11. > :08:15.Stephen? John brought it up there. His first match against Marcus
:08:15. > :08:22.Campbell, he was always going to score heavily, but when he pinched
:08:22. > :08:25.those frames. When we used to have long summer breaks, that was my
:08:25. > :08:32.sign in the first tournament that you were back and ready to win if
:08:32. > :08:37.you could pinch frames. That was the first thing I noticed. That is
:08:37. > :08:42.when it thought he could be a competitor here. A as a man who has
:08:42. > :08:47.won seven of these, how do you rate swap is going on? It wouldn't be
:08:47. > :08:57.that much of a shock to maybe one it, because he is so good. It just
:08:57. > :09:05.
:09:05. > :09:08.shows how much better he is then DENIS: He has been practising,
:09:08. > :09:18.doing a few exhibitions, and somebody like Ronnie does not
:09:18. > :09:21.
:09:21. > :09:31.forget her to play, even in the match arena. He makes a mistake.
:09:31. > :09:41.
:09:41. > :09:47.When you are 14-9 behind, these are WILLIE: Well played, well played! A
:09:47. > :09:57.lot of pressure there. He played that right into the heart of the
:09:57. > :10:10.
:10:10. > :10:17.Would eat it be nice if he could clinch the frame with this visit,
:10:17. > :10:22.just to show everyone that he is not going anywhere. He wants to be
:10:22. > :10:32.right here in the evening session, trying to win his first ever world
:10:32. > :10:49.
:10:49. > :10:59.professional snooker championship. Both of these reds teapots. -- do
:10:59. > :11:18.
:11:18. > :11:27.Just this frame and one more before the night session, which begins at
:11:27. > :11:37.7 o'clock. Can he win them both and get back to 14 to 11? He has just
:11:37. > :12:00.
:12:00. > :12:10.It is just pulled up a little bit. He could slide of the bunch and
:12:10. > :12:43.
:12:43. > :12:53.He tried to free the pink, and he He might have to stun him round the
:12:53. > :13:04.
:13:04. > :13:13.Very nicely played. If that red at the back of the bunch of four goals,
:13:13. > :13:17.he is perfect. It does, and he will open up the other ones. He could
:13:17. > :13:27.have done with being just a little bit further up the table. This is
:13:27. > :13:42.
:13:42. > :13:52.not guaranteed to be a good If it pinking go, that would be a
:13:52. > :14:04.
:14:04. > :14:12.bonus. This is close, but it does Well, that was absolutely
:14:12. > :14:17.ridiculous! That is probably the worst cake I have seen this year.
:14:17. > :14:24.Look, it went full ball on to the red. There is the last thing that
:14:24. > :14:28.he needed. We were just talking that they need to start having a
:14:28. > :14:34.thicker cloth to stop these. A lot at times it doesn't make any
:14:34. > :14:38.difference, but there is an example where Barry could get back into
:14:38. > :14:48.this match, possibly win the frame, but through no fault of his own he
:14:48. > :14:59.
:14:59. > :15:09.It does make the player look a little bit silly. It is not their
:15:09. > :15:10.
:15:10. > :15:20.fault. Surely, Ronnie O'Sullivan can binge another game were Barry
:15:20. > :15:31.
:15:31. > :15:41.It is not going to be easy, but we know that Ronnie relishes the
:15:41. > :16:01.
:16:01. > :16:04.situation when it is even more 93 % for the tournament. That
:16:04. > :16:14.standard from Ronnie O'Sullivan is exceptional. It would take some
:16:14. > :16:24.
:16:24. > :16:28.If you took away these four frames that he looks like pinching from
:16:28. > :16:38.behind, and put them on to Barry Hawkins's scored, he would be
:16:38. > :16:46.
:16:46. > :16:56.competing very well in this match, He has gone a little bit close to
:16:56. > :17:24.
:17:24. > :17:34.Not this time! He knew it was not in as soon as he hits it. It is
:17:34. > :17:52.
:17:52. > :18:02.always difficult when you're back I think it is safe. Little smile
:18:02. > :18:27.
:18:27. > :18:30.from Barry. He is one of the nicest All these lads are terrific
:18:30. > :18:34.characters. They may not be laughing and joking on the table,
:18:34. > :18:44.but it is a different game these days. There is a lot of money for
:18:44. > :18:48.
:18:48. > :18:54.these guys to play for. They are all one-man businesses. It is a
:18:54. > :19:04.tough old sport. It is like golf in that it is just getting tougher as
:19:04. > :19:04.
:19:04. > :20:44.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 41 seconds
:20:44. > :20:49.She popped it that far too thick. - Barry Hearn have done a terrific
:20:49. > :20:59.job for the players. Lots of tournaments, lots of prize-money.
:20:59. > :21:01.
:21:01. > :21:08.There is 16 times world champion, Barry Hearn looks after him. If you
:21:08. > :21:18.want to book him for a darts exhibition, it will cost you �8,000.
:21:18. > :21:26.
:21:26. > :21:36.He has made a mess with the safety! Barry needs all the reds and the
:21:36. > :21:36.
:21:36. > :22:27.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 41 seconds
:22:27. > :22:34.On reflection, Barry deserves to The black is not one that spot. If
:22:34. > :22:41.he plays for the black, would he have enough room to negotiate to
:22:41. > :22:46.get on it nicely? If it was on that spot, no problem. I don't blame him
:22:46. > :22:56.at all for this. He needs an angle on the green to be able to get onto
:22:56. > :23:16.
:23:16. > :23:26.That took out all the risk of getting from black to yellow. Now
:23:26. > :23:31.
:23:31. > :23:38.just degree needed to. -- the the Well done Barry Hawkins. The family
:23:38. > :23:48.are certainly pleased. His sister, Tanya, getting really excited there.
:23:48. > :24:17.
:24:17. > :24:21.That is a terrific clearance. He had that terrible contacts and the
:24:21. > :24:29.has cleared up with 47. He is still four frames behind. It is not over
:24:29. > :24:36.yet. It is amazing, Dennis, that black cake could have cost him the
:24:36. > :24:42.frame there. Just explain it. Why should it happen? It is still
:24:42. > :24:51.difficult to describe what causes it. There was plenty of room for
:24:51. > :24:56.the pink to going. He has not cued it badly. He pushes the QEIII. Have
:24:56. > :25:06.a look at the pink, it straightened up. I am pleased that that did not
:25:06. > :25:08.
:25:08. > :25:16.cost him the frame. You can see it just bouncing.
:25:16. > :25:19.It was almost poetic justice. Barry Hawkins is hanging on in. Like it
:25:19. > :25:24.terrier arranger leg. He is playing -- probably playing the best match
:25:24. > :25:28.of his life. Again somebody else in the final it could be a completely
:25:28. > :25:32.different story and the could be world champion. Ronnie O'Sullivan
:25:33. > :25:37.is such a strong player in all departments. You have to pay
:25:37. > :25:41.tribute to Barry Hawkins. Only a couple of days ago, on Saturday
:25:41. > :25:47.morning playing in the semi-final, he looked all at sea. He did not
:25:47. > :25:57.seem happy at all. What has changed? He found some form, it is
:25:57. > :26:02.as simple as that. What he showed was persistence and character
:26:02. > :26:09.against Ricky Walden. He came through that by finding form and
:26:09. > :26:14.has found form in this match. Stephen, you may be good point that
:26:14. > :26:21.he had to take something from this session to make a foothold in this
:26:21. > :26:27.match. He has to enjoy the atmosphere. It is such a massive
:26:28. > :26:36.event. All these important people are here. I think he is just
:26:36. > :26:42.enjoying it. WILL LEITCH: In the semi-final, he looked like a fish
:26:42. > :26:52.out of water. I think the occasion got too much for him. Now he is
:26:52. > :27:04.
:27:04. > :27:12.totally relaxed. You hit it on This is what you start playing the
:27:12. > :27:22.game for. You're ambition is to get to the Crucible when you turn
:27:22. > :27:22.
:27:22. > :28:36.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 41 seconds
:28:36. > :28:46.professional. You're ambition is to He to reds are possible, but he
:28:46. > :28:46.
:28:46. > :29:30.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 41 seconds
:29:30. > :29:40.would not be able to get back into Already the reds were getting very
:29:40. > :29:40.
:29:40. > :30:30.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 41 seconds
:30:30. > :30:38.World Championship trophy has been around in the 1927. Will it be runny
:30:38. > :30:42.for the fifth time? This last frame could tell the story. If Barry can
:30:42. > :30:52.take it and get back to 14-11, there will be a lot of snooker to be
:30:52. > :30:52.
:30:52. > :32:35.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 41 seconds
:32:35. > :32:45.all of the famous names on their. -- a colour, so he will be playing back
:32:45. > :32:55.
:32:55. > :33:05.playing slower yesterday, but it seems to be slower today, the way
:33:05. > :33:18.
:33:18. > :33:23.table and the new cloth. This was Ronnie yesterday, checking to see if
:33:23. > :33:29.the cloth was a little loose. When they are in the balls there is no
:33:29. > :33:33.problem. They still get the reaction. It might just be slightly
:33:33. > :33:43.slower. That is not necessarily a bad thing and the breaks that have
:33:43. > :34:10.
:34:10. > :34:14.been fabulous. Both have had a break over, just in case he misses it.
:34:14. > :34:24.think he is looking at the red to cannon into the black and bring it
:34:24. > :35:02.
:35:02. > :35:08.into play, if he pops it. -- if he stage she would have been concerned
:35:08. > :35:18.about the pink because it looked as if it was going to hit the jaw of
:35:18. > :35:31.
:35:31. > :35:40.the pocket. Not a favourable kiss on there is very little else available,
:35:40. > :35:50.only a safety. Not easy to get a good safety shot. That really is
:35:50. > :35:50.
:35:50. > :36:45.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 41 seconds
:36:45. > :36:55.could pot it into the left middle pocket. But close to the cushion...
:36:55. > :36:55.
:36:55. > :37:52.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 41 seconds
:37:53. > :38:02.He still tried it, but that was near minutes and he hasn't angle to get
:38:03. > :38:29.
:38:29. > :38:35.up to the red above the blue. -- he I had never seen Ronnie concentrate
:38:35. > :38:45.so hard. He knew the importance of opening up the three frame
:38:45. > :39:11.
:39:11. > :39:15.advantage. He is doing the same he could not do anything else. He is
:39:15. > :39:25.just looking to see if he could possibly pot the black. What a bonus
:39:25. > :40:05.
:40:05. > :40:15.that would be. We will find out on the other red he will go out of
:40:15. > :40:23.
:40:23. > :40:33.position, but it should be OK. -- if he cannons the other red. He is
:40:33. > :40:33.
:40:33. > :41:19.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 41 seconds
:41:19. > :41:29.minutes for this break, because he to screw up loss -- across and play
:41:29. > :42:00.
:42:00. > :42:08.played Ronnie O'Sullivan in top form. Yes, he would have beaten most
:42:08. > :42:18.normal players with a 91% success rate. The angle he has he may risk
:42:18. > :42:28.
:42:28. > :42:38.playing the cannon onto the red and the pink at the same time. He may
:42:38. > :42:39.
:42:39. > :42:43.have to go for the blue, but that will not be a problem. His
:42:43. > :42:49.positional play is perfect every time. One of the sessions against
:42:49. > :42:59.Stuart Bingham, it was as good a session as I have ever seen Ronnie
:42:59. > :42:59.
:42:59. > :44:39.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 41 seconds
:44:39. > :44:49.play. He has played some fabulous It is all about the tricky red on
:44:49. > :45:00.
:45:00. > :45:10.the cushioned, whether or not you He has got to get nicely on the
:45:10. > :45:11.
:45:11. > :45:21.green. Has she got an angle to get behind it? So, he needs this green
:45:21. > :45:52.
:45:53. > :45:57.at distance to get this century. how he has only won three frames.
:45:57. > :46:07.There is a standing ovation from the Crucible crowd, Ronnie O'Sullivan
:46:07. > :46:12.
:46:12. > :46:21.under the nose as Stephen Hendry. That was his sixth century of the
:46:21. > :46:26.Crucible final, beating the record. Barry Hawkins is putting up a heck
:46:26. > :46:31.of a fight, but Stephen, let's not go into the record's business. Let's
:46:31. > :46:35.get your assessment of the way Ronnie is demolishing Barry.
:46:35. > :46:45.Whenever he is put to the test he is stepping up a gift. If you look at
:46:45. > :46:46.
:46:46. > :46:50.the sessions, he has not completely taken Barry Hawkins Park. -- taken
:46:50. > :46:55.Barry Hawkins apart. When you look at what he has achieved and the
:46:55. > :47:03.standard he is playing to, you could feel in that last frame how
:47:03. > :47:07.important Ronnie sensed it was. was the same as last night. He
:47:07. > :47:14.played a granite final frame. Same thing again. As soon as he saw his
:47:14. > :47:19.chance, fully focused, and he is brilliant at it. To press on in the
:47:19. > :47:28.match, he just knows when to do it. I was looking at some of the stats
:47:28. > :47:31.from the last few matches. Barry Hawkins has come back from being
:47:31. > :47:41.behind. He will have to produce something of that magnitude this
:47:41. > :47:45.
:47:45. > :47:48.evening. He has to but that is not going to go until you can get over
:47:48. > :47:51.the line against Ronnie O'Sullivan. He has not lost a session. The best
:47:51. > :47:55.anybody has been able to do is hold him level and they have had to play
:47:55. > :48:05.their brains out to do that. Tonight, they are going to have to
:48:05. > :48:14.be shared frames at worst for Ronnie O'Sullivan. Every time he has had a
:48:14. > :48:22.slap, he has responded. He has had standards that would have had most
:48:22. > :48:25.players in front. Every time, he has come back and given him another one.
:48:25. > :48:30.What can we expect this even in? What would be your philosophy, your
:48:31. > :48:37.strategy as you go out? Ronnie should just want to finish it as
:48:37. > :48:44.soon as possible and not let Barry in. He will be fired up to win
:48:44. > :48:48.quickly. Ronnie has never lost a final. How much does play into his
:48:48. > :48:54.hands? He has got all of the experience but the first frame is
:48:54. > :49:00.very important. If he wins it he will kick off from here. Do you
:49:00. > :49:08.think Barry has any answer at this stage? Yes, he does. He can probably
:49:08. > :49:12.relax and enjoy it for the occasion. You may see him cueing freely and
:49:12. > :49:17.enjoying the first session. He has got to win the first session, at the
:49:17. > :49:21.very least. Barry Hawkins is certainly justifying his
:49:21. > :49:25.performance. As Willie Thorne said, there is a genius at work. We will