:00:39. > :01:28.Good evening. It has taken 13 days. They've had to win 36 frames to make
:01:29. > :01:35.it here. This is what it looks like when you make it to the semi-finals
:01:36. > :01:39.- one table. A lot more class-class accommodation, with a lot more
:01:40. > :01:43.leg-room in the seating area. There's more work to do to win this
:01:44. > :01:48.title. Four of the five top seeds have got to this top seat.
:01:49. > :01:53.Tonight, it is the turn of the world number one, Neil Robertson, facing
:01:54. > :01:56.world number three, Mark Selby. An Australian and an English man, who
:01:57. > :02:02.have seen a lot of each other recently.
:02:03. > :02:09.There's been a lot of attention on me this week, with 100 centuries.
:02:10. > :02:13.Ronnie O'Sullivan, defending champion, almost playing unbeaten
:02:14. > :02:18.snooker in some of the sessions. In some ways Mark has been going,
:02:19. > :02:23.flying under the radar, going about his business.
:02:24. > :02:31.This year I have not won a major tournament as yet. I have gone
:02:32. > :02:36.unther the radar a bit. -- under the radar a bit. We've had
:02:37. > :02:41.good matches over the years, Mark and I. Playing big finals where
:02:42. > :02:45.we've got the better of each other at times. The last two or three
:02:46. > :02:49.seasons we went from not playing each other to playing each other two
:02:50. > :02:53.or three times a season. I think I beat him in the Masters last year.
:02:54. > :02:59.He beat me in the UK final this year. It will be a tough game. I
:03:00. > :03:03.cannot see it being a scrapie game. I will not enjoy that. I don't want
:03:04. > :03:09.to play, playing unenjoyable snooker. I want to enjoy it. I want
:03:10. > :03:15.to attack. I want to pot long balls and for the crowd to enjoy it. I am
:03:16. > :03:20.sure Mark will too. . We go back a long way. When he first came to the
:03:21. > :03:24.UK, we lived together for a year-and-a-half and practicing
:03:25. > :03:30.together. It is nice to see him do what he's achieved.
:03:31. > :03:39.At least I'll have the honour to be the first to congratulate him if
:03:40. > :03:46.this green goes in! Absolutely! Unbelievable! The crowd
:03:47. > :03:53.enjoyed it. It was like I made four sevens in a row at the Crucible - it
:03:54. > :03:58.was that electric! If there's any cricketer who's been 199 twice and
:03:59. > :04:05.got out and then finally doing it. Making a century a century... Maybe
:04:06. > :04:09.Brian Lara making a 400 - that is the vision I had in my mind. I
:04:10. > :04:14.remember seeing Lara do it when he got to 400. For me, it was that kind
:04:15. > :04:20.of achievement. People like Ken Doherty and thaw, they have been
:04:21. > :04:26.saying someone one day will do it. To be that person is a great honour
:04:27. > :04:31.that I can be that player for the wonderful game we play.
:04:32. > :04:37.And with me this evening is a man who's been in six World Championship
:04:38. > :04:42.finals. Both are history-makers. Selby made snooker's 100 maximum
:04:43. > :04:46.break. Last night Neil Robertson with his tonne of tonnes. How
:04:47. > :04:50.significant is this for your sport? It is amazing. We have more
:04:51. > :04:54.tournaments in the season. Regardless, Neil Robertson is
:04:55. > :05:00.playing a relentless level, arguably better than the snooker he played to
:05:01. > :05:03.win in 2010. It will take a monumental performance by anyone to
:05:04. > :05:08.better 100 centuries in a season, unless we have more tournaments.
:05:09. > :05:13.He's going to be firing from now on in because he played superbly. They
:05:14. > :05:18.can never take that away from him as well. When we look at the
:05:19. > :05:22.head-to-head between these guys and compare their careers, world number
:05:23. > :05:27.one, playing world number three. Mark Selby has taken the spoils in
:05:28. > :05:32.the Masters. Robertson turning the tables to become UK champion in
:05:33. > :05:36.York. How do their games match up now? Right now, Neil Robertson is a
:05:37. > :05:41.winner this season, in ranking events. Mark Selby isn't, but he's
:05:42. > :05:45.been very close. I think we've got two monsters on a match table here.
:05:46. > :05:49.It will be fascinating. Whoever gets through is in with a shout in the
:05:50. > :05:53.final. I don't know which one to pick. I will not ask you. Neil
:05:54. > :05:58.Robertson knows what it takes to be world champion. He did it in 2010.
:05:59. > :06:02.Mark Selby has waited four years, the same time to try and get back
:06:03. > :06:07.into this final. Let's try not to keep them hanging around any longer.
:06:08. > :06:11.It's over to you. Thank you. Good evening ladies and gentlemen. After
:06:12. > :06:16.one of the most memorable moments we have ever witnessed at the Crucible,
:06:17. > :06:20.late last night, the sense of anticipation has been immense. World
:06:21. > :06:27.number three, world number one - England against Australia for a
:06:28. > :06:32.place in the World Snooker Championship Final. It doesn't get
:06:33. > :06:44.much better than this. APPLAUSE
:06:45. > :06:49.Please welcome, first of all, a player who has nerves of steel on
:06:50. > :06:59.the biggest stages. He's back in player who has nerves of steel on
:07:00. > :07:03.semis, runner up in '07. He has three Masters crowns and the UK
:07:04. > :07:06.Championship. He is a brilliant ambassador for this sport, who
:07:07. > :07:17.always plays with a smile on his face, so here he is The Jester
:07:18. > :07:24.fromLesser - here's Mark Selby -- from Leicester, here's Mark Selby!
:07:25. > :07:42.CHEERING AND APPLAUSE And his opponent - what a comeback
:07:43. > :07:47.against Trump and what a moment for this proud Australian. He was a
:07:48. > :07:52.world champion, a UK champion and a Master's winner. He became a
:07:53. > :07:55.history-maker - a day many thought would never come, 100 centuries in a
:07:56. > :07:59.single season. Congratulated by would never come, 100 centuries in a
:08:00. > :08:05.Chelsea today, he'll be roared in by his dad who has flown in tonight.
:08:06. > :08:17.He's the world number one, can you hear The Thunder from Down Under,
:08:18. > :08:21.he's the Centurian - Neil Robertson. CHEERING AND APPLAUSE
:08:22. > :08:28.It is best of 33 frames now. First of 17 will be in Sunday's final.
:08:29. > :08:33.This is the first of four sessions. Eight frames to play this evening.
:08:34. > :08:38.We'll enjoy them in the company of Willie Thorne and Dennis Taylor.
:08:39. > :08:46.A very good evening to everyone watching. What an atmosphere! What a
:08:47. > :08:55.reception for both these players! This is when the Crucible theatre
:08:56. > :09:05.comes into its own. The one-table situation - every
:09:06. > :09:09.player's dream to get to this stage. Getting themselves ready, getting
:09:10. > :09:19.their drinks of water ready. They are not sitting on top of each other
:09:20. > :09:27.now - they have got their own seat. APPLAUSE
:09:28. > :09:37.Thank you ladies and gentlemen, the first frame, Mark Selby to break.
:09:38. > :09:46.It is a match I have been looking forward to since last night. I
:09:47. > :09:52.commented on Robertson's 100th century in a season. I know you were
:09:53. > :09:58.watching it in your hotel room and you cannot play any better than that
:09:59. > :10:03.as he did against Trump. Well, he can relax a little bit. He's
:10:04. > :10:17.achieved that milestone, created a bit of history with a century of
:10:18. > :10:22.centuries. Fantastic that was! We heard Neil say he was going to
:10:23. > :10:27.attack here. Look at that safety. I suppose that's one of the reasons
:10:28. > :10:31.why Mark Selby might just be the better tactician.
:10:32. > :10:36.There's the highest break. Neil Robertson holds that at the moment -
:10:37. > :10:49.a break of 140. Fascinating start to the semi-final.
:10:50. > :10:52.Not the best shot from Mark. I don't think he's covered that red. An
:10:53. > :10:59.early chance for the Australian. Coming to see if the black is
:11:00. > :11:51.available as well. He may have been rather fortunate
:11:52. > :11:57.there. He missed the black and the red that he intended. He's not
:11:58. > :12:01.missed many of those in this year's World Championship. There may be a
:12:02. > :12:07.red available, but the black has gone and the pink is awkward. Maybe
:12:08. > :12:12.he can hold for the pink here. And he could.
:12:13. > :12:19.So, he didn't get away with that. So, an early unexpected chance for
:12:20. > :12:26.Mark Selby. I have to say after Neil missing the black off the spot.
:12:27. > :12:38.A good early chance. We have our youngest ever viewer watching this
:12:39. > :12:44.evening. The lady I dance with is watching this snooker this evening
:12:45. > :12:48.with her baby - three or four days old - amazing! Mark Selby looks to
:12:49. > :12:52.be pretty concentrated at the moment. He's always been blessed
:12:53. > :12:58.with a very good concentration, as has Neil Robertson. With the pink
:12:59. > :13:11.going on the black spot, this is a decent chance.
:13:12. > :13:19.Might just have run a little too far. He'll have to head back for the
:13:20. > :13:26.blue. And this time he's come up a little
:13:27. > :13:31.short. It shows the importance of keeping close control. Going to have
:13:32. > :13:36.to leave a medium pot on the red. That is the angle Hawk-Eye is
:13:37. > :14:09.showing - the wrong side of the blue, to get back to the reds.
:14:10. > :14:23.It may have got in his way, so purposefully played for the blue.
:14:24. > :14:32.That doesn't sound right. That sounded like a heavy contact. You
:14:33. > :14:43.can tell by the sound the balls make when... It may have jumped a little.
:14:44. > :14:59.One of the top referees in this semi-final. A nice chap to boot.
:15:00. > :15:14.That didn't come out right - a nice chap to boot! You know what I mean!
:15:15. > :15:19.Wrong side of the blue again. Round the back of the pack. If this
:15:20. > :15:25.bounces, he's got a good chance of getting on those two.
:15:26. > :15:37.A chance to win the frame now. Look at the way the white suddenly picked
:15:38. > :15:42.up pace with a topspin. From a psychological point of view
:15:43. > :15:46.it is so important for Mark to punish Neil for that black he missed
:15:47. > :15:50.off the spot. He'll be hoping to score enough to win this opening
:15:51. > :15:56.frame. He'll be putting everything into this.
:15:57. > :15:58.I haven't seen him miss many of these through this year's
:15:59. > :16:49.championship. Just that little further than he
:16:50. > :17:14.intended there. It should be OK. shot here, on the right side of the
:17:15. > :17:27.blue and he'll take this opening frame.
:17:28. > :17:31.He can drop the blue in. Maybe he's gone too
:17:32. > :17:33.He can drop the blue in. Maybe he's body language. That is where he
:17:34. > :17:37.would like to be there. Let's have a look now, if he dropped
:17:38. > :17:43.that in he might not be able to hole for the reds.
:17:44. > :17:51.That's why he's looking at an alternative to
:17:52. > :17:57.If they do pot in the middle, he'll certainly play for them.
:17:58. > :18:02.Decided to take probably the red that's on the cushion now. Low for
:18:03. > :18:09.the ones on the middle, but he still fancies it. Nice to see him playing
:18:10. > :18:13.well again. It shows you what a great player he is to still be able
:18:14. > :18:28.to get to finals. APPLAUSE
:18:29. > :18:41.The applause was a little bit late there from one person! Stopped in
:18:42. > :18:42.his tracks. That's frame ball. APPLAUSE
:18:43. > :18:55.Selby. You don't get to win three Masters' titles without enjoying it.
:18:56. > :19:04.When you are at the latter stage of tournaments.
:19:05. > :19:24.think Neil, he might come for a bit of practise. He's not made his mind
:19:25. > :19:28.up, but he signals to the referee he concedes the frame, so Mark Selby
:19:29. > :19:34.capitalised on that mistake and he's taken the opening frame.
:19:35. > :19:39.It is lovely to welcome you to our bubble studio - it is a great view.
:19:40. > :19:45.You can really sense the atmosphere and how sense it is out there. You
:19:46. > :19:51.can. Mark Selby a uf to a fantastic start from Neil Robertson's
:19:52. > :19:58.perspective - out of the frying pan into another. Mark Selby is like a
:19:59. > :20:04.cast-iron, compared to Trump - a bit Teflon coated! I don't know!
:20:05. > :20:08.It is a great start - it asks another question of Neil Robertson.
:20:09. > :20:13.It does. Most have assumed, his style of play, Mark Selby, can be
:20:14. > :20:18.ponderous and can be granite - rock-hard safety. He's capable of
:20:19. > :20:24.some very heavy scoring, even if he's not renown for the flare
:20:25. > :20:29.Robertson has. In similar styles both relentless players, mopping the
:20:30. > :20:33.balls up, making few careless shots. It will be a tough first session. It
:20:34. > :20:44.sure will. Frame two. A new innovation - that little booth
:20:45. > :20:47.there, just to the right of the commentary box.
:20:48. > :20:54.The lights go down before they get to the table, to make sure it's not
:20:55. > :20:58.in the players' way. Robertson breaks off. Hasn't done a lot wrong
:20:59. > :21:06.in the first round - just missed the one pot.
:21:07. > :21:13.It is hard to see a weakness in Robertson's game at the moment,
:21:14. > :21:15.isn't it? Yes, I think he'll be tested here the way Mark Selby has
:21:16. > :21:28.set off. That's not the best. He's pushed the
:21:29. > :21:36.red over the pocket. It might be dead-straight. If he can screw the
:21:37. > :21:40.white back here... It is bringing it back a little bit. If he's dead
:21:41. > :21:45.straight and he can screw back to somewhere near there, he'll be on
:21:46. > :21:51.the black. It all depends as to whether he's straight.
:21:52. > :21:58.APPLAUSE He had a bit of angle. As you can
:21:59. > :22:02.clearly see from that picture, so he decided to just go further up the
:22:03. > :22:24.table. This is a much more difficult black than the one he missed.
:22:25. > :22:32.Look at that! I mean, that is the biggest kick you could ever wish to
:22:33. > :22:37.see. Look where the cue ball's finish finished! That, just awful
:22:38. > :22:41.when that happens. You could see the red leave the bed of the table and,
:22:42. > :22:46.at least the people now understand what happens. When it used to happen
:22:47. > :22:57.in the early das, people thought you just played a bad shot, you know --
:22:58. > :23:08.day days, people thought you just played a bad shot, you know!
:23:09. > :23:17.His plan would be to leave himself on the black. He's in a good
:23:18. > :23:28.position there. Just stopped in the middle of the
:23:29. > :23:56.red. Without the kick the white would have followed on through.
:23:57. > :24:00.I think he's decided to have a bit of a go this evening. Been fortunate
:24:01. > :24:12.there this time. That was the only ball that could
:24:13. > :24:14.leave the one he was taking. When he kissed the white he could easily
:24:15. > :24:33.have put it on. It was interesting to hear Neil
:24:34. > :24:39.talking after his match, before this match, that his good friend Joe
:24:40. > :24:43.Perry, who gave Ronnie O'Sullivan quite a scare, told him that he
:24:44. > :24:49.should quicken his game up and Joe said he was playing too slow and he
:24:50. > :24:56.obviously took his good friend's advice and prepared dividends
:24:57. > :25:01.against Judd Trump in the end. In the last four frames, he's played
:25:02. > :25:07.flawless snooker. This is one of the things that was so strong - his
:25:08. > :25:12.safety. I've got to be honest, his safety against Judd Trump was
:25:13. > :25:16.superb. I can't remember Trump being anywhere other than two inches from
:25:17. > :25:20.that cushion at least. You can see the shot time the same time.
:25:21. > :25:25.Robertson was at 33-seconds a shot last night at one stage.
:25:26. > :25:40.Actually it is slow for him. Better to miss it with the first
:25:41. > :25:45.attempt than the two, but this is a tough shot. If he doesn't catch it
:25:46. > :25:49.right, the white could wobble in the jaws of the packet and stay up this
:25:50. > :25:51.end of the table. Could be better off if the white went in the pocket
:25:52. > :26:06.if he didn't hit it correctly. Let's have a look. Just asking the
:26:07. > :26:13.scorer, one of the other referees - I think it must be Brendan Moore -
:26:14. > :26:20.yes, directing the old traffic again.
:26:21. > :26:24.That's pretty good! Very sporty of Mark there, because
:26:25. > :26:30.he said to the referee, I don't think I could see the two reds below
:26:31. > :26:35.the pink. So he made it even harder for himself.
:26:36. > :26:43.At first glance he holds his hand up and apologised. The white was better
:26:44. > :26:53.in the pocket than wobbling and staying up among the reds.
:26:54. > :26:58.The red next to the black pots, but where would the cue ball go? He's
:26:59. > :27:01.not even entertaining that. He's just playing a shot where he would
:27:02. > :27:08.want to get the white, somewhere near the yellow.
:27:09. > :27:15.He's under-hit that by a long way. Well, that is probably one of the
:27:16. > :27:20.worst safety shots he's played for quite some time. Just hit it too
:27:21. > :27:24.thick. He was trying to swing that around the angles and get over
:27:25. > :27:31.behind the yellow. Just caught it too thick.
:27:32. > :27:37.Mark has just looked at the gap there and there's not too much of a
:27:38. > :27:42.gap. Maybe it went into the red and forced through the red to get into
:27:43. > :27:47.the same pocket, but this could go wrong - position-wise, that is.
:27:48. > :27:50.It is always going to be tough. The pink is in the middle but looks
:27:51. > :28:07.far too dangerous. Of He had a quick glance at the
:28:08. > :28:12.pink. He's looking at the brown now. If he can get through to hit a brown
:28:13. > :28:19.and leave the white, well, he's got to get the white near where the tip
:28:20. > :28:25.of the cue was, otherwise he'll left a red for the corner.
:28:26. > :28:50.-- leave. He has looked at the possibility of
:28:51. > :29:02.the pink again, but he is back looking at the safety shot. Think he
:29:03. > :29:11.is going to come very close to kissing the blue. He didn't really
:29:12. > :29:25.fancy that. He didn't fancy that one, but he did
:29:26. > :29:30.not have an easy safety because of the red bridges over the left corner
:29:31. > :29:43.-- the red which is over. The pink spot, I don't know if it is
:29:44. > :30:02.covered. It must be awkward and that is why
:30:03. > :30:13.he did not play for the black. He has only got the green to go at.
:30:14. > :30:22.It must be very tight as to whether he can get through to that pink.
:30:23. > :30:30.Can't quite see from that angle. You need to be right behind it as meal
:30:31. > :30:43.is -- as Neil Robertson is. It is a bit tight. Now he has got the rest
:30:44. > :30:48.out, it looks like the green. The green bowl get him back up to the
:30:49. > :30:56.reds. There are plenty of reds available.
:30:57. > :31:03.That was a very, very confident shot. He is tall so he does not use
:31:04. > :31:11.the rest as much as other players do. He wanted to be left of the blue
:31:12. > :31:16.spot. He has just gone right of the blue spot, which means he needs the
:31:17. > :31:33.rest again. The black is not available in the left-hand corner.
:31:34. > :31:42.He is going to need breast again. He is getting plenty rest! -- need the
:31:43. > :31:48.rest. With the rest, it takes a very good
:31:49. > :32:09.shot to screw back of that. He is looking at the green again
:32:10. > :32:29.because it is easier to get to the reds from the green.
:32:30. > :32:44.This time, he tried to screw it a little less. Just looking to see if
:32:45. > :32:52.the one that is on the pink spot will pot. Will he get the right
:32:53. > :33:02.angle this time without needing the rest?
:33:03. > :33:13.He doesn't need the rest to pop the pink, but the yellow is in the way.
:33:14. > :33:21.He did not intend to cannon that red. But it could work to his
:33:22. > :33:42.advantage. Just got into it too much there.
:33:43. > :34:01.He has had a result here. He may be straight on this red to the right
:34:02. > :34:03.corner, but he is so close to it. When he let all those balls, look
:34:04. > :34:18.with a white finished. He might be able to cut this in.
:34:19. > :34:44.Yes, good shot. Clever shot. Once it has hit the
:34:45. > :34:54.second cushion, it comes running. It takes off. Another two inches would
:34:55. > :34:56.have been perfect on the green. As it happens, blue is going to be his
:34:57. > :36:51.choice. Hazell mentioned how closely these
:36:52. > :36:55.two players are matched. In the longer matches, it is just 2-1 to
:36:56. > :37:09.Neil Robertson. The way he set off here, Mark Selby,
:37:10. > :37:16.he is looking very good indeed. It is still going to be difficult with
:37:17. > :37:20.the reds as they are. Yes, I think the black spot has probably been
:37:21. > :37:30.covered here. He will play the one that is nearest the pocket. Just
:37:31. > :37:35.checking to see. It is out of commission with a black going on the
:37:36. > :37:42.yellow. He has to be a little careful here, he wants to miss the
:37:43. > :37:55.red above it. That is why he stunned it in.
:37:56. > :37:59.One person shouted out there and if he does it again, he will be leaving
:38:00. > :38:34.the Crucible Theatre. Mark just correcting the referee.
:38:35. > :39:04.The score is correct now. Just needed that cue ball to spring
:39:05. > :39:23.of the cushion another two insurers. -- two inches.
:39:24. > :39:37.He has played the cannon. The shot is brilliant. Brilliant shot. He
:39:38. > :39:46.only just had to touch this. That was perfectly played. I can't tell
:39:47. > :39:52.you how good that shot was. When I first saw it, I thought he would not
:39:53. > :39:59.get past the pocket. He just had to touch it and he played it
:40:00. > :40:03.perfectly. If you just get down and play the cannon, you have to knock
:40:04. > :40:10.it past the middle pocket. Just look at this. He just flicked it.
:40:11. > :40:30.Superb. 22 points in front, so he will need the last red.
:40:31. > :40:52.There will be no federal weeks here with the pot. -- no heroics.
:40:53. > :41:04.Can you believe it! All you have to do was drop it in and he put it on
:41:05. > :41:16.the jaw of the pocket. Now he has two sit and see what happens here. A
:41:17. > :41:25.little turning point. He may have to take the black here.
:41:26. > :41:35.Just roll it in. He could even have hit it easier than that. It is the
:41:36. > :42:05.black. He has got no option. He cannot see
:42:06. > :42:15.a safety shot. He potted a similar green to this against Judd Trump.
:42:16. > :42:30.That is so good. At that pace. If he played it ten times at that pace, he
:42:31. > :42:32.would probably hit it three. Brilliant. Deserves what he gets
:42:33. > :43:08.from here. It could be the frame. Mark Selby had a 65 break in the
:43:09. > :43:18.opening frame. He had a 54 in this frame. He should have clinched it.
:43:19. > :43:25.He hasn't played this very well. He will have to go round the houses.
:43:26. > :43:34.There are three ways of playing it. Just before the middle pocket, or
:43:35. > :43:45.screw off one cushion. This may be too hard. And then again, it may be
:43:46. > :43:54.perfect. I've got it was going to head to the cushion, but what a shot
:43:55. > :44:01.he has played there. Mark Selby looks on, having known he should
:44:02. > :44:14.have won this frame. What a frame of snooker. He is nodding his head in
:44:15. > :44:18.disgust. We are all square at 1-1. Both men looking extremely sharp so
:44:19. > :44:26.far. Mark Selby will be kicking himself. Yes, he played it and it
:44:27. > :44:31.hit the near jaw. We saw a shot this afternoon that Barry Hawkins played
:44:32. > :44:38.where a ball left the top cushion and rolled back in a bit. If that
:44:39. > :44:47.was a case and he played it all key, perhaps it wasn't as much as
:44:48. > :44:52.fault, but we don't know. They are both having to feel this thing out
:44:53. > :44:56.and get used to it. It is surprising the speed at which they have
:44:57. > :45:05.adjusted. There does not seem to be any sense of nerves. They both look
:45:06. > :45:16.so sharp. That has been the hallmark. Robertson is superb when
:45:17. > :45:22.he needs to be. The standard is so high. From my perspective, it is
:45:23. > :45:27.hard to pick a winner. I was ready to brave about Mark Selby's start.
:45:28. > :45:31.It is fascinating to be in here, so close to the action, you catch your
:45:32. > :45:58.breath. Steve Davis, six times champion
:45:59. > :46:08.licking his lips at the prospect of this. It is all going to be terrific
:46:09. > :46:24.stuff. The yellow and green, to fit it at that pace, it doesn't get any
:46:25. > :46:36.better than that. And what it does is it puts a seed of doubt in Mark
:46:37. > :46:54.Selby's mind. He knows he should be two in front.
:46:55. > :47:03.He might finish taking the yellow here. He was unlucky to hit the red.
:47:04. > :47:07.There is a path through to the yellow, just off the right side of
:47:08. > :47:38.the yellow. Neal is looking at the two reds to
:47:39. > :47:41.see if there could be applied. But surely you couldn't get through to
:47:42. > :48:05.them. I'm not sure if they are in line. If
:48:06. > :48:11.they are, he will have to be careful. He might be able to get
:48:12. > :48:17.through to that possible plant. He got a good length with the cue
:48:18. > :48:42.ball. Mark Selby will have a look at that.
:48:43. > :49:20.That is a good shot from Neil. Just swinging the cue ball perfectly.
:49:21. > :49:23.That little flicked on the red helped. He may just play the cannon
:49:24. > :49:25.on the one to the right of the pink. He does not want to cannon the
:49:26. > :49:54.one in front of it. He didn't want the flicked on the
:49:55. > :50:05.red. Without that He didn't want the flicked on the
:50:06. > :50:35.have been perfect on it. Use another cannon now as a stopper.
:50:36. > :50:43.How did he miss these? How did he get through that gap? He flicked the
:50:44. > :50:53.red, but how did he get the white that far? I can't believe it.
:50:54. > :51:05.There is no gap there, but he's found one. He can cut it into the
:51:06. > :51:10.corner. Making sure of getting a good white. A good white means
:51:11. > :51:49.virtually tight on the cushion. Such a dangerous shot to play. If
:51:50. > :51:52.you play it thick, it will catch on the jaws of the pocket. But he
:51:53. > :52:39.played it well. Some of these safety shots, there
:52:40. > :52:45.are not straightforward. They are having to hit them a lot thinner
:52:46. > :52:50.than they normally would like to do. But they are judging them so well.
:52:51. > :53:32.They are so evenly matched in all departments, these two players.
:53:33. > :53:52.I don't think he will have this put back, he can put a pot on here. I do
:53:53. > :54:03.love whether he hit that too thick, or got heavy contact. That seemed to
:54:04. > :54:14.straighten up so that was not a good contact. And another thing one
:54:15. > :54:30.needed here. To avoid the pocket. -- thin one. A couple of thin ball
:54:31. > :54:42.wizards! It would be great to have the eyesight of them. There is a
:54:43. > :54:52.chance of putting this one. -- potting. Brilliant. He needs the cue
:54:53. > :54:59.ball to slow up so he is on the green.
:55:00. > :55:23.He's looking at the green. It's quite close and difficult to judge.
:55:24. > :55:37.I think he put more concentration into the green and just cannoned the
:55:38. > :55:44.blue accidentally. If he misses the blue, he is perfect on a couple of
:55:45. > :55:45.threads. But he will have to be careful not to head towards the left
:55:46. > :56:12.middle pocket. He is entitled to be a little bit
:56:13. > :56:18.frustrated. He has done all the scoring in this match. Very unlucky
:56:19. > :57:31.to finish there. Played the thin safety shot. That is
:57:32. > :57:38.Paul Hunter's father. The late, great Paul Hunter. A couple of days
:57:39. > :57:43.ago, they had a standing of Asian in the arena. It was supposed to be for
:57:44. > :57:53.a minute, but it went on for two minutes, the crowd just went on
:57:54. > :57:59.clapping. Quite a few of the players are very involved with The Paul
:58:00. > :58:02.Hunter Foundation. We go along and meet youngsters at different
:58:03. > :58:31.centres. Alan is very proud of that. That was another example of
:58:32. > :58:44.excellent potting. What a great pot this was. One good positional shot
:58:45. > :58:46.and Neil could give himself a great opportunity here, the way that the
:58:47. > :59:07.reds are spread. That will open this frame up and
:59:08. > :59:23.give him an excellent chance to possibly win the frame.
:59:24. > :59:29.Straight away he played for that red that you suggested. It wept too far.
:59:30. > :59:33.He wanted it to be dead straight, which should have made it easier to
:59:34. > :59:38.get the black into the left corner. That is the easier corner to pot the
:59:39. > :59:46.black into. That is why he's taken an alternate shot.
:59:47. > :59:49.He will see if he can get it right this time. It should be OK. He's got
:59:50. > :00:29.quite Two reds above the black spot. Can
:00:30. > :00:33.probably just go behind those two reds. Doesn't have to make contact
:00:34. > :00:43.with them. He could drift by them. He has drifted by them. Mark Selby
:00:44. > :00:46.knows how important that last frame was. Obviously lots of frame toss
:00:47. > :02:01.go. 17 frames a target. 45 points in front. Just checking
:02:02. > :02:06.where the next red will come from. Potted the red and the pink. 52 in
:02:07. > :02:42.front. That puts him 52 points in front.
:02:43. > :02:49.This red will probably pass along the top cushion.
:02:50. > :02:52.That's the one he's played for. And we'll know before him whether this
:02:53. > :03:05.is in. That's amazing! That shows you how
:03:06. > :03:07.tight these pockets are. Mark Selby missed the last red. He thought it
:03:08. > :03:50.was in. 45 behind. It's only one snooker, if
:03:51. > :03:56.he could drop this red in and get the black - a great chance of the
:03:57. > :04:04.snooker, but can he send it along the cushion? Yes! This time he has.
:04:05. > :04:26.Oh, he's in with a shot now, I can tell you. Oh, he's not gone far
:04:27. > :04:34.enough, has he? Oh, don't tell me he's snookered himself! Just OK, I
:04:35. > :04:39.think. Could get the white and red in
:04:40. > :04:44.behind the yellow and brown as well, but he couldn't do it from that
:04:45. > :04:56.angle. APPLAUSE
:04:57. > :05:03.Not straightforward. You always like to come off a couple of cushions
:05:04. > :05:07.rather than just the one cushion. The right middle pocket seems to be
:05:08. > :05:12.in the way of the two-cushion escape. So it has to be one cushion,
:05:13. > :05:19.because the yellow's in the way of escaping down the other side of the
:05:20. > :05:25.table two cushions. He feels if he gets enough, he can swing it off the
:05:26. > :05:47.red to the two cushions. Has he got enough side on it? He has.
:05:48. > :05:57.You can see mark coming a-- Mark coming around the table. There's a
:05:58. > :05:59.chance he could snooker him back. He's hit it full ball. Is he going
:06:00. > :06:43.to snooker a different way? Almost looks like he's got it
:06:44. > :06:50.snookered again. He can't do much with that.
:06:51. > :06:54.We can see more with this red. Could have played in behind the black. It
:06:55. > :07:02.is a possibility - a moment ago, the angle on this is very, very thin.
:07:03. > :07:08.If this pulls up, he's got a chance of getting behind the yellow. What a
:07:09. > :07:30.great effort! Unlucky! What about this for a shot if it
:07:31. > :07:35.runs! Just going to pull up. Nothing wrong with potting this last
:07:36. > :07:40.red, so long as he can get on a high-valued colour.
:07:41. > :07:42.He's glancing around at the score board. A natural angle would take
:07:43. > :08:01.him up to the pink or black. A good shot. Very well played.
:08:02. > :08:07.The perfect angle to get the white in such a position. He can... I mean
:08:08. > :08:28.the brown is out of commission at the moment.
:08:29. > :08:35.That's pretty good. I think he can get up behind... Maybe not - I
:08:36. > :08:39.thought he could get up behind the black. He might be able to do that.
:08:40. > :08:53.A little trace at the right-hand side.
:08:54. > :09:00.He had three balls to possibly get the snooker behind.
:09:01. > :09:03.And with the yellow so close to the cushion, you have to
:09:04. > :09:08.And with the yellow so close to the with this escape.
:09:09. > :09:13.Yes, you don't have a second cushion to it, do you. The yellow - two
:09:14. > :09:17.chances off one cushion and of course miss it off two. The fact it
:09:18. > :09:25.was so close to the cushion makes it very, very difficult.
:09:26. > :09:38.He has to be careful he doesn't leave a free ball.
:09:39. > :09:45.Is it going to be a free ball? If it keeps on running - he can put Neil
:09:46. > :09:50.in from this position. No miss can be called whenever a snooker's
:09:51. > :09:54.needed. He'll look at this. If he doesn't see an easy
:09:55. > :09:58.needed. He'll look at this. If he nothing wrong with putting it back
:09:59. > :10:01.in there. That's what he's decided. If the brown had been right over the
:10:02. > :10:06.pocket, he would have risked playing the thin cut on the yellow and
:10:07. > :10:09.behind the black again and pushed the yellow towards the brown. As you
:10:10. > :10:13.can see the brown is away from the pocket, which would have meant the
:10:14. > :10:15.yellow would have been potable. Neil has to be careful he doesn't do
:10:16. > :10:46.that. Is there enough room to get behind
:10:47. > :10:50.this? That's what he's looking at. If he could, there's every chance
:10:51. > :10:54.the yellow could finish up behind the black. If he makes the right
:10:55. > :11:00.contact the yellow will go up towards the black. He'd have to be
:11:01. > :11:06.very precise with this and get so much side on it. He's got to be
:11:07. > :11:11.careful he doesn't play it with too much side and hit the yellow direct.
:11:12. > :11:23.He could cut it over that pocket you mention. He's got to get the cushion
:11:24. > :11:35.first. That's what he wanted to play.
:11:36. > :12:00.He will breathe a big sigh of relief. An excellent safety shot
:12:01. > :12:06.Neil played to put Mark under pressure. Without doubt, he's one of
:12:07. > :12:11.the greatest potters seen. Mark wasn't expecting the yellow to
:12:12. > :12:16.disappear there, I can tell you. Just the one snooker needed again,
:12:17. > :12:19.so Neil can't just roll this over the pocket. He's got to be a little
:12:20. > :12:29.careful. He was extra careful. I thought he
:12:30. > :12:34.could put the pot up into the corner, possibly. If Mark gets a
:12:35. > :12:42.chance, he'll pot the green and the brown because the brown's no use to
:12:43. > :12:49.him for snooker where it is. But you never are comfortable when
:12:50. > :12:54.Mark Selby needs one or two snookers. He's so good at it. He'll
:12:55. > :12:59.try a special one here to get in behind the blue.
:13:00. > :13:11.And that's excellent! APPLAUSE
:13:12. > :13:23.It looks easy enough. I tell you what, that is so difficult to play.
:13:24. > :13:48.It dos without saying, he goes around the back of this.
:13:49. > :13:56.He's so close to the blue, he'd had to come off the blue cushion with so
:13:57. > :14:03.much side, because he can only see a certain amount. He's not right on
:14:04. > :14:07.top of the blue, so he can curve it. How difficult does that make the
:14:08. > :14:14.shot? It's the shot that Selby just
:14:15. > :14:20.played. They've got so close to the blue, that he's had to screw that
:14:21. > :14:27.cue ball back to cut that angling off.
:14:28. > :14:36.-- angle off. He can only come to the green from the left side of the
:14:37. > :14:44.table. The pink and black there. Well, there's the shot time.
:14:45. > :14:46.It could well be just over two minutes by the time he plays the
:14:47. > :14:57.shot. It is an important shot. It is not
:14:58. > :15:01.an easy escape. He's looking at one, two, three
:15:02. > :15:07.cushions - middle pocket - left side of the table seems to be in the way.
:15:08. > :15:16.I think his first choice is really the only escape route.
:15:17. > :15:22.He cannot leave the green on. Playing it this way if he misses the
:15:23. > :15:28.snooker, he can leave the green on. He'll hit possibly four cushions.
:15:29. > :15:32.Have a look at this! Just count the cushions. If he gets out hitting
:15:33. > :15:34.four cushions, what an escape that will be.
:15:35. > :15:49.There's one, two, three... Well! That's amazing. Selby has done
:15:50. > :15:54.brilliantly to get him to miss the snooker. Again he's not left the pot
:15:55. > :15:57.on. You cannot cue down on this to get the white behind the black. He's
:15:58. > :16:08.a little bit too near the cushion. There may be a gap between black and
:16:09. > :16:57.pink. It has made it difficult for Mark.
:16:58. > :17:03.He tapped the table because he knew that the pace that he needed to play
:17:04. > :17:08.that at, to leave it so close to the cushion was top class there.
:17:09. > :17:12.I don't know if he'll play that back double. The pink looks to be in the
:17:13. > :17:18.way. He could cannon into the green. If he tries that, then a lot could
:17:19. > :17:23.go wrong with it. The green up and down and he's
:17:24. > :17:28.missed the double kiss. I tell you what, had he hit that a little
:17:29. > :17:36.harder, he would have had the snooker.
:17:37. > :17:43.He may be the best potter in the world, or one of the best we've
:17:44. > :17:46.seen, but would Neil Robertson think about taking this on? Would it be
:17:47. > :18:00.the safety shot? Where is that cue ball?
:18:01. > :18:02.It's what we call a green-ball fight - whatever pots the green should win
:18:03. > :18:27.the frame. It looks a good weight. I think this
:18:28. > :18:30.table is playing a little slower than the tables were yesterday.
:18:31. > :18:34.Whether the fact it's a brand new clothe, I'm not sure. . It could
:18:35. > :18:43.have been that and of course with the atmosphere today - it been a
:18:44. > :18:47.damp day. We have table heaters and there is discussion as to whether
:18:48. > :18:50.they should try without the heaters. When it is damp like that I think
:18:51. > :19:08.they are very important. He'll be lucky if the blue comes to
:19:09. > :19:11.the rescue here. He's underhit that, but he'll settle for it because the
:19:12. > :19:26.brown is hampering the cue action. If he plays a little thin one here -
:19:27. > :19:32.he'll have to be careful he doesn't get the double kiss again. He's
:19:33. > :19:39.looking at the possible angle that's awkward!
:19:40. > :20:02.It was a pretty good effort. At first glance I can't see an easy
:20:03. > :20:04.safety shot. If he plays it up and down he'll have to avoid the double
:20:05. > :20:11.kiss. Neither player yet has been left
:20:12. > :20:25.with an easy opportunity on the green. I wonder when that will come?
:20:26. > :20:32.it up towards the blue, so long as he gets a good white, whether Mark
:20:33. > :20:37.can risk playing the pot. I don't he gets a good white, whether Mark
:20:38. > :20:42.see how you can do both - a good white and good green. Get behind the
:20:43. > :20:46.pink but not the black if he sends the green up the table.
:20:47. > :20:48.Well, he has got in behind the black. He's put the green off the
:20:49. > :20:55.table. APPLAUSE
:20:56. > :20:59.Even if he didn't get behind the black, he got a good green there and
:21:00. > :21:04.he had the pink and blue as covering balls. I don't expect Mark to miss
:21:05. > :21:08.this. He can swerve this. If he hits the
:21:09. > :21:14.cushion first, he can send the green back up the table. That's what he's
:21:15. > :21:19.looking at. It is a great battle this. We have
:21:20. > :21:24.two of the game's best safety players in the modern game.
:21:25. > :21:27.Well, he's going for the same cushions - same result, try and push
:21:28. > :21:38.the green back up the table. Can you believe it? He had the easy
:21:39. > :21:42.swerve. I thought he would have created that. He thought, I can not
:21:43. > :21:48.miss it off the side cushion! How did he get around the back of this,
:21:49. > :21:52.by the way? We are talking about fractions there. Like you, I think
:21:53. > :21:57.the swerve would have been the guaranteed hit.
:21:58. > :21:58.So, once again, he's got two snookers and made Neil Robertson
:21:59. > :22:29.miss them. He's got to do it again. He's put them back in again and
:22:30. > :23:03.well, he knows his way around the table.
:23:04. > :23:17.Going around to see if he can play the long double.
:23:18. > :23:25.He's played the long double. It looks pretty good to me! That's what
:23:26. > :23:30.he's played! APPLAUSE
:23:31. > :23:36.I don't think Mark Selby was expecting that. What a shot the
:23:37. > :23:38.Australia has pulled off there. That was a -- Australian has pulled off
:23:39. > :24:00.there. That was a little beauty. Judged to perfection. He knew he
:24:01. > :24:05.could not knock the brown in. When he walked around the table, he knew
:24:06. > :24:09.he'd hit it absolutely perfectly. Oh! What's the difference? 30, 22 on
:24:10. > :24:21.the table. Two snookers to tie. He's got to be very careful because
:24:22. > :24:29.it is a massive target behind the pink and black. I would pect Mark
:24:30. > :24:47.Selby to get -- expect Mark Selby to get very close.
:24:48. > :24:58.He hasn't missed the jaws. That was conceded. Yes, too much.
:24:59. > :25:03.What a fascinating frame! It lasted for almost 40 minutes and the
:25:04. > :25:07.Australian, Neil Robertson, will be delighted he leads 2-1.
:25:08. > :25:11.39-minute frame. If you like tactics, this is the match for you.
:25:12. > :25:25.It is absolutely sensational. That was a masterclass of at thety
:25:26. > :25:29.at thetial -- of at theal play. They are giving it everything. It is
:25:30. > :25:34.fascinating to see. From my perspective, the type of snooker
:25:35. > :25:38.which has a bit of a throwback to it, but the standard of safety was
:25:39. > :25:47.so strong. Even so, when they battled for the green and Selby
:25:48. > :25:50.takes on for a long putt, he's giving you -- pot, he's giving you
:25:51. > :25:55.nothing out there. Neither will put their hand in their pocket to buy a
:25:56. > :25:59.drink - it is brilliant to watch. It can only get better. I don't think
:26:00. > :26:03.the standard will drop much. They are fired up for this. We have four
:26:04. > :26:08.sessions of this. This is the semi-final. If it will be hard...
:26:09. > :26:12.How much will they have left, whoever gets through to this final?
:26:13. > :26:16.This is only halfway. They have only just start. Halfway and the amount
:26:17. > :26:22.of sessions they have to play. Ronnie O'Sullivan, if he was to get
:26:23. > :26:29.off to a flyer in his next session, he would be relaxing watching two of
:26:30. > :26:32.the others punch each other out. The first half an hour of this has gone
:26:33. > :26:54.in a flash! Excellent break-off from Neil
:26:55. > :27:12.Robertson. He's virtually pinched the two frames he's won.
:27:13. > :27:22.I would say that must be touching. You could tell just the way it stuck
:27:23. > :27:33.on the red, which makes it a lot easier for Neil Robertson.
:27:34. > :27:41.I don't know whether you noticed, but the last couple of matches, it's
:27:42. > :27:47.as if Neil is chewing. I don't know if he's chewing gum. It might be for
:27:48. > :27:51.concentration. I remember Steve Davis used to bite on his tongue a
:27:52. > :27:56.little bit. That is the sort of things they tell you just to help
:27:57. > :28:02.with the concentration. Of course in our game now, there are
:28:03. > :28:07.a lot of sports psychology involved. There never used to be. You just had
:28:08. > :28:25.to do it your own way and hope for the best.
:28:26. > :29:16.Of He's trying to find an alternative.
:29:17. > :30:21.That might look a bit reckless. But look at the cue ball. He hit it hard
:30:22. > :30:50.enough to take the cue ball back to safety.
:30:51. > :31:05.Steve mentioned how good this safety was. It really has been talk for --
:31:06. > :31:19.top drawer. I can remember Abu safety shot being played in this
:31:20. > :31:24.match -- a poor. The natural angle was to hit the pink. He put so much
:31:25. > :31:27.side on it. When you play it at that case, you don't give the site much
:31:28. > :32:20.chance. He judged it to perfection. Who is going to make the first
:32:21. > :32:49.mistake? Well, that is a mistake. And it
:32:50. > :32:59.might be a free ball. It is tight. They are all having a look. He is
:33:00. > :33:05.going to put his ball marker... He is going to put the yellow next to
:33:06. > :33:11.the red and see if he can hit the yellow full bowl. If he can, it is
:33:12. > :33:18.not a free ball. You have to hit the red on both sides. He will go round
:33:19. > :33:28.and have a look at the white and see if you can hit... That is tight.
:33:29. > :33:45.What a decision to have to make. I think it is a three -- free ball.
:33:46. > :33:54.The referee thinks it is a free ball. He may be right. If he hits
:33:55. > :34:08.the yellow, he would have to catch the blue before hitting the yellow
:34:09. > :34:18.full bowl. If neocons and have a look -- if Neil Robertson comes and
:34:19. > :34:24.has a look at this side... You would expect him to score pretty heavily
:34:25. > :34:35.for this. Mark Selby says I will leave it to you two. Adding he would
:34:36. > :34:43.be kissing into the blue if he played the centre of the yellow. How
:34:44. > :34:51.many ball markers has he got in his pocket? He is putting the green next
:34:52. > :34:56.to the blue. But he did declare a free ball and I think Neil should
:34:57. > :35:10.just have accepted it. The referee's decision is final.
:35:11. > :35:21.I don't think this tells as much, having the yellow next to the red.
:35:22. > :35:28.Well, they are creating history. It is the longest I have ever seen this
:35:29. > :35:43.going on. I have never seen one so close. If he moves the blue, we are
:35:44. > :35:57.just talking about a fraction... I think he has got to make a decision.
:35:58. > :36:04.He did make a decision. My mistake. He has changed his mind and said no
:36:05. > :36:15.free ball. Now Mark is going to have a look!
:36:16. > :36:26.Our television camera is right behind it. And I thought it was a
:36:27. > :36:31.free ball. I think it was when the yellow was next to it. From there,
:36:32. > :36:35.it looks... To hit that red on the extreme right as we look at it, you
:36:36. > :36:45.would think he would catch the blue. There we go. The referee changed his
:36:46. > :36:51.mind. And Mark is going to accept that. He is putting him back in from
:36:52. > :37:14.where he finished. That lasted for Mac minutes -- four
:37:15. > :37:16.minutes. Tony Gregg would have finished frame of snooker in that
:37:17. > :37:53.time. Mark said, is it a free ball? That
:37:54. > :38:05.is why they call him the Jester from Leicester.
:38:06. > :38:23.He did it so well. The cue ball has travelled to the baulk cushion. I
:38:24. > :38:25.think a draw would be a fair reflection on these first four
:38:26. > :39:11.frames. That was a great pot. He is going that the extension to
:39:12. > :39:26.try to get a good cue ball and use the green is a snickering ball,
:39:27. > :39:32.possibly. -- as a snookering ball. The safety shot is a lot more
:39:33. > :39:34.difficult now. He may have to leave the cue ball at this end of the
:39:35. > :40:12.table. He made sure it did not go round the
:40:13. > :40:37.back of that first red. The Grinder, the foreign-born is in
:40:38. > :40:46.town. And these two boys are doing a bit of grinding at the moment.
:40:47. > :41:09.town. And these two boys are doing a Cliff Thorburn is in town.
:41:10. > :41:14.Hit the red nearest the cushion, but it has to be judged to perfection.
:41:15. > :41:21.If he goes round the it has to be judged to perfection.
:41:22. > :41:28.not very good. Mark it has to be judged to perfection.
:41:29. > :41:55.into the pack at speed to bring the pink into play.
:41:56. > :42:20.He has run that. They can get to the black. That was a pretty good shot.
:42:21. > :42:41.It goes without saying, this is missable.
:42:42. > :42:46.There is Mark's wife giving him a round of applause because they
:42:47. > :43:01.thought he might possibly miss this one as well.
:43:02. > :43:15.He has got a terrific chance. If you could get that bred out of the way,
:43:16. > :43:45.-- that red out of the way. A fascinating semifinal so far.
:43:46. > :44:00.Mark will be disappointed if he does not score 60 or above from here. 2-2
:44:01. > :44:39.would be a fair reflection on these opening frames.
:44:40. > :44:51.That has gone a little awkward. An alternate red to the right middle.
:44:52. > :45:14.Just got to be a bit careful. Any harder and I'm not sure this
:45:15. > :45:19.would have gone in. I think one of the reasons these boys and at the
:45:20. > :45:24.top of the world rankings is they can play tactical and safety
:45:25. > :45:28.battles, and then then they get their chance, they have not lost
:45:29. > :45:40.their victim. They can still score heavily. -- their rhythm. Those
:45:41. > :46:07.colours are always tricky to get through.
:46:08. > :46:18.Just have a look where he has put the cue ball.
:46:19. > :46:26.That has kicked. But it has not affected the shop this time. At
:46:27. > :46:33.least he is on the pink and the red went in the pocket. One of those
:46:34. > :47:09.kicks back and do you a favour, it slowed the cue ball down.
:47:10. > :47:23.The last frame, he made a 54 break and should have won it.
:47:24. > :47:43.That's Oki, no problem. -- that's OK, no problem. He has made 46
:47:44. > :47:44.centuries this season. It just shows what Neil Robertson achieved, making
:47:45. > :47:55.100 in a season. We haven't had the abundance of
:47:56. > :48:13.centuries of the normally have. Amazingly, there were only 55 last
:48:14. > :48:38.year. I think 80 is the record. This all came from Neil Robertson's
:48:39. > :48:48.pure safety shot when he miss judged this snooker. The rest has been
:48:49. > :49:18.pretty straightforward. He has made 335 centuries in his
:49:19. > :49:29.illustrious career. And this one coming just at the right time for
:49:30. > :49:32.Mark Selby. I'm with you, I think 2-2 is a true reflection of the
:49:33. > :49:57.first four frames. Very, very good. He might be disappointed he did not
:49:58. > :50:05.win the second frame. That known shouter is still there.
:50:06. > :50:16.Neil Robertson still holds the highest break in this championship,
:50:17. > :50:44.140. One of the game's best
:50:45. > :50:52.break-builders. This is a prime example of how to make a break from
:50:53. > :50:56.nothing. What a fabulous first four frames we have had. Mark Selby
:50:57. > :51:08.clears 2-level the match. Just about fear. There was an
:51:09. > :51:14.incident in frame for with their free ball, or not free-ball. In many
:51:15. > :51:21.other sports, in tennis, rugby and football, we add encourage --
:51:22. > :51:27.encouraged not to question the referee. You could argue that you
:51:28. > :51:33.shouldn't argue with the referee, it has always been the case that the
:51:34. > :51:37.referees have not been bombastic in making their decision. They are
:51:38. > :51:42.quite happy to be questioned and to ask opinions of both players, in
:51:43. > :51:48.order to get it right. They want to be as accurate as possible. The
:51:49. > :51:54.situation was quite nice, they both agreed in the end. The referee would
:51:55. > :52:02.not have felt that his authority was being questioned. He wants to get it
:52:03. > :52:12.dead right. It is a very important decision to get right. As it turned
:52:13. > :52:20.out, 133 for Mark Selby. He has not been to the one-table set-up for
:52:21. > :52:27.four years, and he looks born to it. They are both big occasion players.
:52:28. > :52:39.From Neil Robertson's perspective, he has what a rearguard action in
:52:40. > :52:42.the first four frames. We have only got a few more minutes, but we want
:52:43. > :52:48.to bring you up to date on the progress of the first semifinal.
:52:49. > :52:56.Ronnie O'Sullivan and Barry Hawkins. They shared the first four
:52:57. > :53:07.frames, then Ronnie began to find his rhythm. Here note the final
:53:08. > :53:14.frame of the session with John Virgo and Ken Doherty.
:53:15. > :53:23.That was always a danger. But he thought it was worth the risk. He
:53:24. > :53:37.should have brought the black into play. But he needed a better cue
:53:38. > :53:40.ball than this. 73% long pot success. He has got eight from 11
:53:41. > :54:07.long pots. He just came right across it. Quite
:54:08. > :54:31.a long way away. A little bit surprised he missed it
:54:32. > :54:44.by so far. He is a chance for Barry. Dear me. Would you believe it. We
:54:45. > :54:50.were asking the question, how much did that match the Dominic Dale take
:54:51. > :54:53.out of him and we said we would not know until this session was
:54:54. > :55:00.finished. You think that there is a bit of a hangover? Just in the last
:55:01. > :55:08.frame. But I think it is not from the Dominic Dale match, but those
:55:09. > :55:18.kicks. They have cost him the frames. Sometimes, you get a kick
:55:19. > :55:23.and it does not cost to the frame, but these ones have and that has
:55:24. > :55:38.shaken him. He needs to slide past this red, and
:55:39. > :55:46.he has done. That should set up the screen. Barry is in a bad place at
:55:47. > :55:56.the moment. He did not want to be four frames behind at the end of
:55:57. > :56:09.this session. Ronnie O'Sullivan is on a roll.
:56:10. > :56:22.Still a lot of snooker left in this match.
:56:23. > :56:27.It is probably better for Barry that this is the last frame of the
:56:28. > :56:49.session and he will not be back until tomorrow.
:56:50. > :56:55.Ronnie O'Sullivan is 43 points in front.
:56:56. > :57:18.He has potted some tremendous balls in this first session, and Barry has
:57:19. > :57:30.had some bad luck. 8-3. A very disappointing start for Barry
:57:31. > :57:34.Hawkins. Ronnie O'Sullivan has a four frame advantage.
:57:35. > :57:40.Your summation of that opening session? I think Barry Hawkins will
:57:41. > :57:47.have gone back to his dressing room very aggrieved with what happened.
:57:48. > :57:51.The kicks destroyed his good play early on. Who is to see what would
:57:52. > :57:59.have happened if he had not got the kicks. It halted him in his tracks.
:58:00. > :58:03.He crumbled towards the end. Very difficult to swallow that. He has
:58:04. > :58:13.got to come back tomorrow and try to turn the tables. That can be very
:58:14. > :58:19.difficult against Ronnie O'Sullivan. Two sessions tomorrow. We have four
:58:20. > :58:25.more frames to play here, but we will have to do that somewhere else.
:58:26. > :58:35.You can continue to watch the last four frames online, or on the red
:58:36. > :58:37.button. That is it. Good night.