Day 14, Part 2

:00:35. > :00:42.Good afternoon. We are getting closer to the final of the 20 14th

:00:43. > :00:47.world Snooker Championships. Four players are dreaming of lifting

:00:48. > :00:55.snooker's most coveted prize. This is the story so far.

:00:56. > :01:04.Ronnie O'Sullivan against Barry Hawkins. It was oh Sullivan who got

:01:05. > :01:14.off to a flyer. But Barry Hawkins matched it.

:01:15. > :01:27.Very well played indeed. Hawkins edges ahead 2-1. A horrendous kick

:01:28. > :01:34.could have been turning point in this match. Ronnie O'Sullivan did

:01:35. > :01:38.what he did best to level it. After the interval, it was a continuation

:01:39. > :01:43.of bad luck and a succession of missed easy pots from Barry Hawkins

:01:44. > :01:49.which allowed his opponent to gain lots of momentum. And from then on,

:01:50. > :02:02.it was the Ronnie O'Sullivan show as he took the four remaining frames of

:02:03. > :02:08.the session for a win. What a second semifinal we have in

:02:09. > :02:17.prospect. Mark Selby took the first frame with a break of 65. He really

:02:18. > :02:22.is one of the best match players in the game. As you would expect, the

:02:23. > :02:28.world number one came back to win the next two frames, albeit looking

:02:29. > :02:35.slightly out of sorts. Can you believe it? Then Selby reeled off

:02:36. > :02:46.the next four friends including a magnificent break of 133. He wants

:02:47. > :02:51.to pot the lot. It was essential for Robertson to stay close in this

:02:52. > :03:01.match and boy did he do it, with a century of his own. Exhibition time!

:03:02. > :03:08.Mark Selby goes into the second session of this match leading by

:03:09. > :03:11.five games to free. Barry Hawkins got off to an

:03:12. > :03:18.excellent start but then he got a couple of horrible kicks? Yes, this

:03:19. > :03:23.was in the third frame. The most hurtful one was the second kick to

:03:24. > :03:29.the middle pocket. This was a terrible blow. Later on in the

:03:30. > :03:35.session, most probably the most hurtful shot from a mistake point of

:03:36. > :03:42.view. I think Barry's head was a bit scrambled after the match

:03:43. > :03:49.previously. The Neil Robertson Mark Selby match got off to a great

:03:50. > :03:56.start. Neil went on to make a fantastic clearance to win the

:03:57. > :04:02.frame. Mark Selby really showed he was on form. He looks really

:04:03. > :04:10.determined. A really tough call this match. Mark

:04:11. > :04:15.Selby won in 2013. Robertson is the current UK champion. He beat Mark

:04:16. > :04:18.Selby in York. A very busy programme for you this afternoon. This is what

:04:19. > :04:22.is coming up. He is looking to complete a

:04:23. > :04:27.hat-trick. We will have the best of the action from Ronnie O'Sullivan's

:04:28. > :04:32.semifinal match with Barry Hawkins. But the Hawk has only beaten the

:04:33. > :04:38.Rocket once and that was in 2002 and he is struggling.

:04:39. > :04:40.World number one, Australian, record-breaker Neil Robertson

:04:41. > :04:47.resumes his match against Mark Selby. We will see that at 2:30pm.

:04:48. > :04:55.Selby out for revenge after losing the UK Championship final.

:04:56. > :05:05.We will have some mind-boggling trick shots. And stand-by for

:05:06. > :05:10.Richard Osman and today's populous question. We would like you to get

:05:11. > :05:14.involved. But we start with a match between Barry Hawkins and Ronnie

:05:15. > :05:18.O'Sullivan. This is a repeat of last year's final at the Crucible which

:05:19. > :05:32.Ronnie O'Sullivan won. Some key stats to show you. Look at the pot

:05:33. > :05:37.success. When Barry Hawkins had back kick in frame six, it had an effect

:05:38. > :05:43.on his game. His pot success has gone down whereas Ronnie O'Sullivan

:05:44. > :05:49.maintains his. And everything was happening to Barry Hawkins between

:05:50. > :05:54.frames nine and ten. We will show you what happened in frame 11.

:05:55. > :06:08.Ronnie O'Sullivan to play, nine points ahead.

:06:09. > :06:16.Ronnie has left a pop to the right corner. A superb length of cue ball.

:06:17. > :06:47.That is the problem for Barry coming to the table.

:06:48. > :07:10.He has played the safety. He had to be very, very thin. Ronnie may not

:07:11. > :07:12.have it replaced. He is doing. He sees it as a very difficult safety

:07:13. > :07:35.shot for Barry. He will get a warning now. I would

:07:36. > :07:42.come around and have a look at the possible plant. He did have a glance

:07:43. > :07:49.at it but he has got to hit a red otherwise he loses the frame. Ronnie

:07:50. > :07:55.could take that on. There is a path around the back of the black. You

:07:56. > :07:59.would have to hit the first red on the right-hand side as the player

:08:00. > :08:21.looks at it, to push the second red to the left.

:08:22. > :08:43.I do love that side on the shot. It shows you how long the snooker table

:08:44. > :08:49.is. It is 12 foot six foot. Sometimes it looks smaller on the

:08:50. > :08:55.television. It shows you how big the table is in comparison with the

:08:56. > :08:58.player. I think when people come to the Crucible for the first time,

:08:59. > :09:14.they say, I did not realise the table was so big.

:09:15. > :09:22.Look at this shot. He can get out on the black. I thought he would be

:09:23. > :09:31.unlucky at first. He went to the cushion but bounced

:09:32. > :09:50.out. He has got the perfect angle. He could definitely think about

:09:51. > :10:44.playing this plant. That is where he is so good. He

:10:45. > :11:13.makes it look so easy. You have got to have a good touch to play them.

:11:14. > :11:27.What a shot this is. He made that look easy. That was so difficult

:11:28. > :11:41.from that angle. All my top spin and side on it sent

:11:42. > :11:54.it right around the table. That was a little beauty.

:11:55. > :12:00.Sometimes the little fivers, you can see it when you look down the cue.

:12:01. > :12:12.-- little fibres. He may decide to play the cannon

:12:13. > :12:56.here. He has got a red to the right

:12:57. > :12:58.corner. He will be slightly hampered cueing. He did not want to risk

:12:59. > :13:30.playing the cannon on the pink. He cues it so nicely. No problem.

:13:31. > :13:47.You would not expect him to not take full advantage of this opportunity.

:13:48. > :13:54.This is another frame that Barry Hawkins will not get much of a

:13:55. > :14:02.chance on. It is hard for him at the moment. Ronnie's tactical game can

:14:03. > :14:06.freeze players out. You say that about Steve Davis. You would never

:14:07. > :14:12.have said that about Stephen Hendry at his safety play would freeze a

:14:13. > :14:16.player out. Stephen was a potting machine, a break building machine

:14:17. > :14:18.but Ronnie has got an all-round game that you felt, even if he was not at

:14:19. > :14:37.his best, he could win matches. Stephen Hendry's great line used to

:14:38. > :14:47.be that he thought safety was overrated! That is why he became one

:14:48. > :14:51.of the greatest cueists of all time. I thought he would remain the

:14:52. > :15:32.greatest of all time but I think Ronnie may have overtaken him.

:15:33. > :15:40.He is cueing so well here. He is back at his best. He is doing what

:15:41. > :15:54.comes naturally to him. He has made seven centuries so far

:15:55. > :16:07.this year at the Crucible. This will be his eighth.

:16:08. > :16:28.I think the record is 80 or 81. This has been flawless.

:16:29. > :16:55.He looks very comfortable out there this morning.

:16:56. > :17:12.And that is Ronnie's eighth century in this year's world Championship.

:17:13. > :17:19.The Rocket is on fire at the moment. He extends his lead even further. He

:17:20. > :17:23.now leads nine frames to two. STUDIO: Sheer brilliance. Let's show

:17:24. > :17:39.you what happens next. I have seen him this very few shots

:17:40. > :17:45.with the rest but it is the situation that caused that. He knows

:17:46. > :17:48.the way the reds are. It is not easy to get onto a colour. The pressure

:17:49. > :18:23.on that pot was too much. He didn't play to cannon the red but

:18:24. > :18:27.he will take that. He was playing to miss that and get nicely on the

:18:28. > :18:32.black but the cannon has worked out OK. It will need a delicate little

:18:33. > :19:25.cannon here. It is amazing, you can put the white

:19:26. > :19:30.amongst the reds and you are not on a pot. The only possible pot is the

:19:31. > :21:08.one into the corner. He would love to get on that red

:21:09. > :21:14.left of the Black sooner rather than later. Then that clears path from

:21:15. > :21:26.both sides of the table to get on the black.

:21:27. > :21:45.Very worrying times for Barry Hawkins. There will be a mid-session

:21:46. > :21:47.interval after this frame. I know he does a lot with Terry Griffiths.

:21:48. > :21:58.Terry will have to work some magic. If Ronnie goes on to win this frame

:21:59. > :22:13.it will be nine frames in a row. I think Barry Hawkins has only

:22:14. > :22:14.managed to score nine points this morning because he had very little

:22:15. > :22:51.chance. It is there. That is the difference,

:22:52. > :22:54.Ronnie playing with all the freedom that you can go for anything. Barry

:22:55. > :23:09.Hawkins has not got that luxury. If you can go on to win this match

:23:10. > :23:13.quite comfortably, and it looks like he will do that, the other

:23:14. > :23:19.semifinal, Mark Selby and Neil Robertson, they will have such a

:23:20. > :23:39.battle. He is certainly going to be fresher than his opponent will be.

:23:40. > :23:45.A quick glance at the scoreboard. Balls pot of this session, 101 now,

:23:46. > :23:59.Ronnie. Barry had a couple of chances early

:24:00. > :24:04.on. He was not able to make them count. Before you know it,

:24:05. > :24:08.particularly with a talent might Ronnie O'Sullivan, before you know

:24:09. > :24:36.where you are, the first four frames are over and you have lost them.

:24:37. > :24:46.The next red is not a certainty. He is just reckoning the score up. You

:24:47. > :24:50.have got to work it out yourself. Sometimes, especially early in the

:24:51. > :24:58.morning, sometimes your brain is a little bit scrambled. I don't know

:24:59. > :25:00.about you, this early in the morning, I had a problem seeing the

:25:01. > :25:38.scoreboard! Is brilliant with his right hand and

:25:39. > :25:40.his left hand. I am always amazed how good he is with the rest. He

:25:41. > :25:55.does not use it that often. Possible back-to-back centuries. He

:25:56. > :26:24.is on fire, is the Rocket. He will go ahead of Neil Robertson.

:26:25. > :26:28.This will be his ninth century. It is an absolute pleasure to watch, a

:26:29. > :26:36.really is. You feel for Barry Hawkins.

:26:37. > :26:57.The brown doesn't go in but that won't matter to Ronnie.

:26:58. > :27:06.Disappointment once again for Barry Hawkins. The Rocket has got a skip

:27:07. > :27:13.in his step. He now leads by ten frames to two.

:27:14. > :27:16.The Rocket is definitely in one of those moods. Somebody who was

:27:17. > :27:20.watching in the Crucible earlier this morning is this man, Paul

:27:21. > :27:26.watching in the Crucible earlier Hollywood. Welcome to our studio

:27:27. > :27:31.here. You were in the audience. Yes, I thought

:27:32. > :27:34.here. You were in the audience. Yes, been a bit stubborn starting but he

:27:35. > :27:39.is still hugely in front. I can see Barry coming back. It is one of the

:27:40. > :27:45.great British sites in sport when you see Ronnie in full flow. I had

:27:46. > :27:50.no idea, all the time I had watched on television, but when you are

:27:51. > :27:54.there, how small the reds are in comparison. They look huge on the

:27:55. > :27:59.television. And the speed of this cloth is just incredible. Dennis

:28:00. > :28:05.Taylor was saying in commentary when they put up a shot of you that you

:28:06. > :28:10.were a big snooker fan. Do you play? Are used to. Most of the hotels I

:28:11. > :28:16.worked in had a snooker table so I had a break I would play. I used to

:28:17. > :28:22.play pool a lot. But the angles were so different. It totally freaked me

:28:23. > :28:27.out. After a while of playing, you start to get it. It was something I

:28:28. > :28:36.really enjoyed. I will probably do it again, I must get back into it.

:28:37. > :28:46.We are calling this part of the programme the great British Break

:28:47. > :28:50.Off. Did you see what I did there? What are you doing? Are you in

:28:51. > :28:56.Sheffield just here to see us? I am on tour. I am travelling around the

:28:57. > :29:03.country, thoroughly enjoying myself. Is it a cue and A or are you

:29:04. > :29:09.doing life were? It is a demonstration. I am setting people a

:29:10. > :29:16.challenge on stage. The audience have to judge them. It is bury

:29:17. > :29:21.interactive but we have a giggle. So you pick people from the audience.

:29:22. > :29:29.That must be pretty nerve wracking. I am with Alex Altman, a warm up guy

:29:30. > :29:33.who is the comedian. I say, go out there and find four people. So you

:29:34. > :29:39.are in Wolverhampton tonight. That means you cannot go to the afternoon

:29:40. > :29:43.session. No, unfortunately. I saw as much as I could this morning. I will

:29:44. > :29:48.take division wake of the frames I saw this morning. The highlights are

:29:49. > :29:55.on tonight on BBC Two. I will be there. We have a treat for you, the

:29:56. > :30:04.one and only legend Steve Davis coming in. Ladies and gentlemen, a

:30:05. > :30:10.round of applause. Usual when you say what is your high highest break,

:30:11. > :30:15.they say, oh, I made a 70 once. It is very refreshing. It is only fair

:30:16. > :30:25.and the tradition that any guests who come into the studio, they must

:30:26. > :30:29.do a shot. I have one in the oven they prepared earlier! See what I

:30:30. > :30:35.done. Your opponent snookered you behind the yellow. The reds are all

:30:36. > :30:40.scattered but you can only see the one red, really. What you have to do

:30:41. > :30:44.is to pot a red in one shot. I'm not going to say any more than that,

:30:45. > :30:52.other than perhaps that little tip I gave you earlier, so a full, strong

:30:53. > :31:00.whack at that centre red there and at the middle pocket.

:31:01. > :31:07.Congratulations! Thank you! Maybe I should take it up again! Very good.

:31:08. > :31:15.Who'll win the world World Championship? I think Selby will do

:31:16. > :31:21.quite well. I can see a Selby v Ronnie O'Sullivan final. I think

:31:22. > :31:26.Ronnie will take it again. Good luck in Wolverhampton. Have a

:31:27. > :31:28.great weekend. Barry Hawkins taking on Ronnie O'Sullivan into frame 13.

:31:29. > :31:44.O'Sullivan to play. Oh, a rare miss hit from Ronnie. Has

:31:45. > :31:50.he got away with it? It's amazing. It a east a half chance, but -- it's

:31:51. > :31:54.a half chance, but once he played the poor shot, you would have

:31:55. > :32:00.thought he'd have something easier than this to go at. This red passes

:32:01. > :32:11.the blue up into the corner, but under the circumstances, when you've

:32:12. > :32:18.been kept off the table for 32 minute minutes since his last pot,

:32:19. > :32:20.he'll get a great cheer if this goes in.

:32:21. > :32:28.Well played! And he got a kick. Did you see how

:32:29. > :32:54.the white jumped in the air there? Come on, Barry, let's see if he can

:32:55. > :33:06.knock a few in! He'll be trying so hard here.

:33:07. > :33:12.He's lost nine frames in a row. Everyone would love Barry to win a

:33:13. > :34:47.frame. He's playing the far right corner.

:34:48. > :34:51.Needs every due care and attention this. Well played.

:34:52. > :35:03.APPLAUSE As you can see the way the reds are

:35:04. > :35:08.situationed, particularly that one tight to the right-hand side cushion

:35:09. > :35:11.- it's not going to be an easy opportunity to clinch the frame at

:35:12. > :35:31.this visit, by any means. He could bring the pink into play. I

:35:32. > :35:33.wouldn't risk that myself. He's not going to. What he wants no u is a

:35:34. > :35:45.good position on the blue. He's trying to force an angle. That

:35:46. > :35:50.is the problem, as we see so many times. Watch the cue ball leave the

:35:51. > :36:09.table. That takes all the pace out of it.

:36:10. > :36:47.OK, this is a tough red to the middle pocket if it goes in.

:36:48. > :36:55.That was very difficult and the cue ball is closer.

:36:56. > :37:00.Barry can cut this into the left middle pocket, but slightly awkward

:37:01. > :37:13.cueing. Well done!

:37:14. > :37:46.APPLAUSE He's hit it too hard. As we keep

:37:47. > :37:53.saying, when you don't get a lot of table time, you don't necessarily

:37:54. > :37:57.get the pace of the table. He's had many opportunities this morning.

:37:58. > :37:59.Can just about cut this red in, but he needs to control the cue ball to

:38:00. > :38:23.be either op yellow or brown here. Maybe not too bad. Can pot the blue.

:38:24. > :38:35.He may have the angle to come up for this remaining red.

:38:36. > :38:43.This looks pretty good to me. He's given himself a chance now. 10

:38:44. > :38:46.points t lead. He won't need the awkward pink or

:38:47. > :39:04.the black. A quick glance around at the score

:39:05. > :39:12.board. He would have worked out what he needs.

:39:13. > :39:24.Nicely played. Deserves it, you would have to say.

:39:25. > :39:29.He's showing a lot of character here because he's lost nine frames in a

:39:30. > :39:40.row. Well, he could have been better on

:39:41. > :39:43.the brown. He only needs the brown. He would have loved to have just had

:39:44. > :39:52.a nice straightforward pot. Well played, Barry Hawkins!

:39:53. > :40:11.APPLAUSE That was lovely to see that. He's

:40:12. > :40:19.one of the nicest lads. He encouraged the crowd to applaud

:40:20. > :40:22.more. Ronnie is in his seat and Barry Hawkins had stopped the ruck.

:40:23. > :40:28.Great to see Barry Hawkins smiling. Let's show you what happened in

:40:29. > :40:49.frame 14. Frame 14 and this one and two more

:40:50. > :40:53.to complete this second session. Barry Hawkins will be feeling that

:40:54. > :40:57.bit better having won the last frame. He needed a few

:40:58. > :41:02.opportunities. Whether he's going to get that every time or not - I

:41:03. > :41:16.wouldn't think so. Any way, the frame is on the score board.

:41:17. > :41:24.If he hits the green full ball, he's OK, he's on the brown. A good, long

:41:25. > :41:33.pot. Maybe he's feeling a little better and he's got the distance. If

:41:34. > :41:37.he can pot this, he can go right into them.

:41:38. > :41:42.He needs a bit of good fortune and he's not had it. That is so unlucky,

:41:43. > :41:53.to stick on that red and not finish with a pot is so unlucky.

:41:54. > :41:59.He couldn't hit this any better. That is rather unfortunate.

:42:00. > :42:14.For a split second he was on a red and the cue ball just drifted.

:42:15. > :42:31.. If Ronnie cannot get to the red on the left-hand side of the table,

:42:32. > :42:37.coming down the right-hand side of the table, he's got to be a little

:42:38. > :42:44.careful of this red, near the right-hand curbingtion.

:42:45. > :42:52.-- cushion. Oh, much too thin! And that was a

:42:53. > :42:54.kiss on the green. Otherwise that cue ball would have come down to

:42:55. > :43:32.this half of the table. A big mistake. Got the safety all

:43:33. > :43:43.wrong. Sits down with an air of resignation.

:43:44. > :45:03.This was the safety area. Just hit it far too thin.

:45:04. > :45:10.Found a nice gap there to be on the pink. It is quite interesting when

:45:11. > :45:15.he played the red just below the pink, a few shots ago, he went for

:45:16. > :45:19.the blue. You would have thought he could have run off the side cushion.

:45:20. > :45:22.the blue. You would have thought he Ronnie knows, we talk about these

:45:23. > :45:27.bounces, in you can play position without coming off the cushion -

:45:28. > :45:31.just these little stuns and cues, it feels like you have more control of

:45:32. > :45:37.the cue ball. It is a little bit careless to not

:45:38. > :45:41.leave himself - he was playing to the red for the left corner, but he

:45:42. > :45:47.should is a run through another couple of inches, so if he's not any

:45:48. > :45:50.good, he would not have been hampered from this left to the

:45:51. > :46:10.middle. Just got an angle on the blue.

:46:11. > :46:15.The black is out of commission at the moment. A nice angle. Maybe drop

:46:16. > :46:21.off the cushion for that red on the right-hand side of the table. It is

:46:22. > :46:25.the most obvious red to play on. You see what happens when you use the

:46:26. > :46:28.cushion - you can just bounce off that little bit more than you

:46:29. > :47:06.expect. Didn't want to be using the extension on his cue here.

:47:07. > :47:11.He's playing the next shot pretty quick. That is usually a sign that

:47:12. > :47:19.he's happy with the potting angle on the pin took get on to the next red.

:47:20. > :48:07.-- pink, to get on to the next red. He didn't make the best job of that

:48:08. > :48:13.one. He didn't really - a little rye

:48:14. > :48:20.smile there. He didn't get any - squared it up and it went towards

:48:21. > :48:24.the blue, just for safety. Once again he gets down, plays the

:48:25. > :48:54.right shot and doesn't woirp about playing out of position. -- worry.

:48:55. > :49:01.APPLAUSE Ronnie has a 35-point lead, but this

:49:02. > :49:25.is a tough safety. He's looking for the comfortable

:49:26. > :49:30.cueing, but can he get past the blue to hit this thin enough? He could!

:49:31. > :49:35.OK, not the best length, but believe me, when you are hampered like that

:49:36. > :49:54.you are pleased to get back to the ball.

:49:55. > :50:08.Look where the cue ball finish sclad he took the red on and now that he's

:50:09. > :50:13.potted it, he can put Ronnie in all sorts of trouble. If he hadn't

:50:14. > :50:18.potted the red, he still have a good cue ball, so he could run up behind

:50:19. > :50:21.the brown, but he feels Ronnie may come off a couple of cushions and

:50:22. > :50:26.land on the red that is to the left of the black there.

:50:27. > :50:33.And that's what he's going to do. He was thinking of playing the green

:50:34. > :50:37.there, but... Oh, now that he's so tight to the brown, Ronnie's going

:50:38. > :50:43.to have to find an alternate way around the table to that red. He can

:50:44. > :50:47.do it off the baulk cushion. He's normally good at these sort of

:50:48. > :51:09.shots, but he has to be so accurate at this.

:51:10. > :51:16.Not the red he intended to hit. He's left a possible long red for Barry

:51:17. > :51:19.Hawkins. Depending on the angle, it might be

:51:20. > :51:28.worth taking this on. Looks good. Right in the middle of

:51:29. > :51:43.the pocket. So Ronnie's great escape there

:51:44. > :51:50.didn't keep them safe. He just caught the wrong red when he went

:51:51. > :52:39.around the angles. This looks good.

:52:40. > :52:44.He has to do more work with the cue ball. If it had been on the red, it

:52:45. > :52:51.would have been a formality to pot it beyond the pink. I don't think he

:52:52. > :52:58.can risk playing for the black. He's playing for the pink and he's got

:52:59. > :53:02.the right angle on the pink, so he needs to pull out a good pot here.

:53:03. > :53:12.Makes the pink missable. What an excellent pot, and oh, that

:53:13. > :53:17.little rub on the black has not helped.

:53:18. > :53:22.It has not helped his situation. If he just misses the black, he would

:53:23. > :53:25.have been inch-perfect. That was the problem. He just lost control on the

:53:26. > :53:45.red and wasn't perfect on the pink. It's not all that easy to get where

:53:46. > :54:14.he wants to. Considering he was so close to the

:54:15. > :54:18.red, he'll be very disappointed with that.

:54:19. > :54:29.It should have been on the cushion, not the line.

:54:30. > :54:41.But it hasn't cost him. Comes to the table, 14 points

:54:42. > :54:46.behind. You can see the big problem - Ronnie missed running up to the

:54:47. > :54:50.black. That red will be a big hurdle to overcome.

:54:51. > :54:56.If he's any thoughts of winning the frame at this visit.

:54:57. > :54:58.He's gone a fraction too far to cannon the red and black. Can't do

:54:59. > :55:10.that from that angle. That will be his plan, if he could

:55:11. > :55:15.get a decent angle. Really to get to the black and red,

:55:16. > :55:20.you'd have to do it off the pink. Blue would be no use. The pink would

:55:21. > :55:29.be in the use of the cannon on to that difficult red and black.

:55:30. > :55:34.If he strays on the blue, he can't get on the red, so he may have to

:55:35. > :55:47.take the pink again. That's a good shot. A very good

:55:48. > :55:52.shot! Oh, I just wonder if he's got the

:55:53. > :56:00.angle to screw this in and cannon the red and send the black over the

:56:01. > :56:06.mock ket. He -- the pocket. He doesn't have it - if he had been to

:56:07. > :56:15.the right he could have screwed back and moved that black.

:56:16. > :56:21.Now, he knows straight away - no angle on the pink now, so, he's got

:56:22. > :56:26.himself one point in the lead. He could take the six points and

:56:27. > :56:28.play a decent safety shot or just refuse the pot. I have to take the

:56:29. > :56:43.six points and play a good safety. He's just making certain that when

:56:44. > :56:48.he clips the red he doesn't send the black into the right corner. I am

:56:49. > :56:57.sure he's not aware of that possibility.

:56:58. > :57:00.APPLAUSE He's played a very good cue ball

:57:01. > :57:07.here. He's got Ronnie snookered.

:57:08. > :57:12.And he's got a seven-point lead now has Barry.

:57:13. > :57:37.Will he risk it? He's just had a little think about it there.

:57:38. > :57:39.He doesn't fancy the cut. You can tell by the little shake of the

:57:40. > :57:57.head. It needs to bounce.

:57:58. > :58:00.And it hasn't. Now, this is almost dead straight. This one requires

:58:01. > :58:13.perfect cueing. This is not easy. He delivered that in a straight

:58:14. > :58:42.line. What a pot! He's not going to need the black.

:58:43. > :58:44.He's got a nice angle on this yellow. He needs a good angle on the

:58:45. > :59:04.green. Doesn't want to be straight. This green is still a tough shot.

:59:05. > :59:11.Now, you can make it easier, as Barry sits there, watching Ronnie

:59:12. > :59:16.knock in that last red - he can make it easier playing for the brown into

:59:17. > :59:23.the middle pocket. Well, even then the green was

:59:24. > :59:27.missable. He gave it every chance. He played for the brown into the

:59:28. > :59:34.middle pocket. It stayed there. So, Barry - the

:59:35. > :59:45.points are all square. He's up to and including the pink.

:59:46. > :59:52.Could this be another boost for the very likeable Barry Hawkins? Just a

:59:53. > :59:58.funny angle if he screws straight back he could go in the pocket. He

:59:59. > :00:02.doesn't want to screw it too much. I always feel when you are making a

:00:03. > :00:07.clearance, the shot from brown to blue is important. He doesn't need

:00:08. > :00:17.the black, so he should be OK. Should be on the pink.

:00:18. > :00:23.And that's just about perfect. That green, just off the baulk cushion

:00:24. > :00:33.found Ronnie out. And in goes... He puts his second

:00:34. > :00:40.frame of the morning on the board. He was 10-2 behind. Those two frames

:00:41. > :00:50.have made it 10-4 to the reigning champion.

:00:51. > :01:12.Into the next, Ronnie O'Sullivan to play, leading by 11 points.

:01:13. > :01:31.Ronnie missed that long pot by quite a margin. Since the mid-session

:01:32. > :01:34.interval, where Ronnie made back-to-back centuries, he has not

:01:35. > :01:52.had many opportunities. I could see that red straighten up

:01:53. > :02:16.there. Not the best, JV. No, he will be

:02:17. > :02:33.disappointed. You would favour the right middle.

:02:34. > :02:58.Anything but straight. Looks to be straight enough.

:02:59. > :03:07.They are tough enough fees when you are close. He is a bit further away.

:03:08. > :03:08.Needs good cueing to sneak that one in -- snack that one in. Well

:03:09. > :03:25.played. I think the only way he could get

:03:26. > :03:30.into the reds is to power the blue and go round the back of the black.

:03:31. > :03:52.That is the only way he can do that. That is a pretty good effort.

:03:53. > :04:01.APPLAUSE He will be quite happy that he has

:04:02. > :04:04.knocked one red on to continue it. In an ideal world, he would like to

:04:05. > :04:06.play that red in the middle of the table to get a nice angle on the

:04:07. > :04:33.blue. He has got the red over the right

:04:34. > :04:42.side of the table. He could play a couple of shots in one here.

:04:43. > :04:49.Do you not always feel that if you playing with a lot of pace, it can

:04:50. > :05:08.swing the cue ball wide? That is the problem here.

:05:09. > :05:17.He has been very unfortunate at first glance. He really was. He is

:05:18. > :05:22.one of the best I have ever seen using the rest and he played that as

:05:23. > :05:47.well as he possibly could and was unlucky to finish where he has.

:05:48. > :05:57.He has done very well here, Barry Hawkins. From 10-2 down in the

:05:58. > :06:12.mid-session interval, he seems to have changed things slightly.

:06:13. > :06:18.I think the red that is in between will prevent him from making the

:06:19. > :06:24.plant. He has pointed the cue at it but it will be interesting this. He

:06:25. > :06:54.is taking the other red. APPLAUSE

:06:55. > :06:59.He is on the green. In the end, it did go in. He looked like taking the

:07:00. > :07:03.more difficult red. He was not sure if it would be in the way. In the

:07:04. > :07:08.end, he has spread the reds perfectly and is on the green. One

:07:09. > :07:41.good positional shot and they are all there for the taking.

:07:42. > :07:57.The last frame was in its 20th minute.

:07:58. > :08:11.Just struggling with the cue ball here. The frames get a little bit

:08:12. > :08:22.scrappy. You lose that fluency. Ronnie with the tricky red here.

:08:23. > :08:27.He played it such a way that he was either on the blue wore the green.

:08:28. > :08:53.He may favour the green. Once again we go back to Ronnie

:08:54. > :08:58.O'Sullivan and how focused tears. He didn't even bat an eyelid when he

:08:59. > :09:10.was unlucky there. -- how focused he is. He landed on the red, never

:09:11. > :09:15.batted an eyelid. It was a difficult pot but cut it in the middle pocket

:09:16. > :09:23.and continues. That shows you. The focus that he has.

:09:24. > :09:31.He will be even more annoyed this time because he has got no

:09:32. > :09:32.alternative. He shows a little bit of frustration which is quite

:09:33. > :09:42.understandable. A couple of seasons ago, something

:09:43. > :09:46.like this would really upset Ronnie but he is coping with things when

:09:47. > :09:51.they just don't go right. That was a bit careless. I can only assume he

:09:52. > :10:06.played a little cannon on that red. He took a few moments pause to get

:10:07. > :10:12.over the disappointment of not winning the frame. A wrap of the

:10:13. > :10:23.knuckles on the table. That must hurt, mustn't it? Michael Holt did

:10:24. > :10:35.that once and he broke his finger. At least it got him a nickname.

:10:36. > :10:44.He competed in this year's world Championship. His nickname is the

:10:45. > :11:06.Hit man halt. He went out to Mark Allen.

:11:07. > :11:19.He could have left this easier for Barry.

:11:20. > :11:56.As I say, he is very good with the rest here.

:11:57. > :12:07.That was very well played. I think this man is as good as Jimmy white.

:12:08. > :12:34.Barry is right up there. Jimmy is staying on the main tour

:12:35. > :12:38.because of Dominic Dale and how well he played. That has kept Jimmy on

:12:39. > :12:43.the main to war. It looked like he would drop off. If Michael Wasley

:12:44. > :13:00.had beat Dominik then he would have to go back to cue school. Oh, Barry!

:13:01. > :13:08.There we are, idle gossip because we thought he was in, and unmissable

:13:09. > :13:10.red. I think he got a kick. I am sure I saw the red jumper. It

:13:11. > :13:49.jumped. He may try to cannon one of the reds

:13:50. > :13:58.away from the side cushion. That is what he has done. A good choice of

:13:59. > :14:04.shot. This cue ball tight against the side cushion does not make this

:14:05. > :14:12.pot any easier. Two reds, two colours needed.

:14:13. > :14:55.Every time you strike a ball low and you hit it hard, the ball seems to

:14:56. > :14:57.leave the bed of the table. When they bounce, of course they can be

:14:58. > :15:05.thrown off line. One more frame to be played after

:15:06. > :15:37.this. Barry Hawkins badly needs it. Played with a terrific amount of

:15:38. > :15:42.side. Does not need the black but he wanted to play a little exhibition

:15:43. > :15:50.type shop there. He is not bothered about that. That break of 47 stops

:15:51. > :16:00.the mini fightback by Barry Hawkins. Ronnie O'Sullivan takes the frame

:16:01. > :16:02.and he now leads 11 frames to four. Thank you, the final frame of this

:16:03. > :16:20.session, Ronnie O'Sullivan to break. As you just heard, the referee

:16:21. > :16:25.telling us this is the final frame of the session. Barry Hawkins

:16:26. > :16:38.started this session four frames behind, 6-2. If he can win this

:16:39. > :16:45.frame and take it to 11-5... As I said at the start of the session, he

:16:46. > :16:48.needed to start winning these eight frames, 5-3 claws away back. But he

:16:49. > :17:05.just cannot close the gap enough. If he loses this frame, he has lost

:17:06. > :17:11.his second session 6-2. If he wins it, this last frame, he will have

:17:12. > :17:13.lost it five - three. Not making any inroads this moment on Ronnie's

:17:14. > :18:02.lead. Another Ronnie special there. A

:18:03. > :18:03.terrific long pot. Almost six foot away from it. He cued it

:18:04. > :18:24.beautifully. It is not bad. If he can pop this

:18:25. > :18:32.and flick the red near the black, he might need to play it with quite a

:18:33. > :18:38.bit of side. This could be the shot which sets up a frame winning chance

:18:39. > :20:00.if this one goes right. No. That is the problem.

:20:01. > :20:09.That is a very difficult table at the moment. The reds ROK but pink

:20:10. > :20:22.and black are awkward. -- the reds are OK.

:20:23. > :20:33.He has got a red to the right middle pocket. That has really tied the

:20:34. > :20:38.back-up now. If you are having a good day, that red and black would

:20:39. > :20:51.be a plant to knock the red in. That is not the case.

:20:52. > :21:14.We were talking in the last frame about how good Barry was with the

:21:15. > :21:19.rest. We mentioned he was as good as one of the greatest players ever at

:21:20. > :21:24.using the rest, Jimmy White, and believe it or not, it is his

:21:25. > :21:31.birthday today, he is 52 and he will be on the main tour. Happy birthday,

:21:32. > :21:38.Jimmy. Looking forward to seeing you hopefully qualify for the televised

:21:39. > :21:42.stages next season. He will not stop trying to stop he absolutely loves

:21:43. > :21:50.the game and still loves the practice and the playing.

:21:51. > :21:56.That is the hardest part when you get to a certain age. Not being out

:21:57. > :22:02.here, this is the icing on the cake, it is going to the snooker

:22:03. > :22:08.club and putting in the four or five hours practice a day.

:22:09. > :22:16.I think that is the hardest thing for Ronnie O'Sullivan. He loves to

:22:17. > :22:18.run but he finds the practice quite difficult. But you have to do it, no

:22:19. > :22:31.matter how much talent you have. A 12-4, he will be an awful long way

:22:32. > :23:02.back. APPLAUSE

:23:03. > :23:10.Justified applause. Good positional shot.

:23:11. > :23:20.He would love to get back black into play. Pink will put him 28 points in

:23:21. > :23:38.front. I think he had a thought in his mind

:23:39. > :24:16.here. His plan would be the red, pink, get

:24:17. > :24:19.on the red next to the, cannon the other red, he can do that. He's

:24:20. > :24:39.already thinking three or four shots ahead.

:24:40. > :25:06.He will be very disappointed if he does not win this frame now.

:25:07. > :25:20.He is showing a lot of character, Barry, battling the way out there.

:25:21. > :25:30.Nicely played. He screwed that back in such a way, he would have black

:25:31. > :25:37.or pink and it is the one that gets into the two reds.

:25:38. > :25:45.The only thing is, can he run through here and avoid a kiss on the

:25:46. > :25:55.red just below the black? If he cues it well, he can.

:25:56. > :26:10.He is not perfect on this red. Red, colour, red, still needed.

:26:11. > :26:27.APPLAUSE It wobbled away into the pocket. As

:26:28. > :26:50.you say, it wobbled its way in. The pocket just about accepted it.

:26:51. > :27:08.In a goes! -- in it goes! Just this red needed.

:27:09. > :27:16.And in it goes. Well played, Barry Hawkins. After losing the first four

:27:17. > :27:23.frames this morning, we were getting very concerned for him, but he has

:27:24. > :27:28.shown his battling qualities. He still loses a session 5-3, and he

:27:29. > :27:33.needed to at least level the session, you felt, or win it, but at

:27:34. > :27:46.least he has taken something out of it.

:27:47. > :27:51.It will be nice for him to make a century because it has been Ronnie

:27:52. > :27:54.who has been getting all the headlines so far in this match.

:27:55. > :28:02.Barry has been a bit part player, so headlines so far in this match.

:28:03. > :28:05.to speak, no disrespect meant. If you can make a 100 break here, it

:28:06. > :28:37.would really make you feel good. This would be the 15th century, if

:28:38. > :28:44.he can make it. He has already made three so this is Barry's fourth.

:28:45. > :29:15.He avoided a kiss on the brown. This green for the hundred.

:29:16. > :29:29.APPLAUSE Very well played, Barry Hawkins.

:29:30. > :29:40.I think he was so relieved that the green had gone in, he didn't really

:29:41. > :29:45.get on the blue. After losing the first four frames this morning, to

:29:46. > :29:51.come out and win three of the next four, well played, Barry Hawkins,

:29:52. > :29:54.but he still trails Ronnie O'Sullivan by six frames. Ronnie

:29:55. > :30:00.O'Sullivan now leads by seven frames to five.

:30:01. > :30:01.It is amazing what difference an interval can make. Look at the stats

:30:02. > :30:25.of this match. It is amazing how you relax once you

:30:26. > :30:32.get your first points on the board. And a bit of pride for the rest of

:30:33. > :30:36.the session and half a shout for the match. Still in danger of this match

:30:37. > :30:42.is not going to a final session, but he has given himself a chance to get

:30:43. > :30:47.back into the match. Let's turn our attention to the other semifinal.

:30:48. > :30:56.You are up to date with Barry Hawkins taking on Ronnie O'Sullivan

:30:57. > :31:14.will. Mark Selby is looking to renew his rivalry with Neil Robertson.

:31:15. > :31:17.Mine. If you were to look at Ronnie's frame winning break to

:31:18. > :31:38.ratio, it is better than anyone else's. Mine. Ding Junhui. It is the

:31:39. > :31:58.best in the game. I'd say John Higgins. All-round safety play.

:31:59. > :32:18.Mine. Mine. Shaun Murphy. He is the best rest player I have ever seen.

:32:19. > :32:23.Mine. I'd say Stephen Hendry. Ken Doherty is very good at that, great

:32:24. > :32:32.creativity coming off the cushions. Ronnie O'Sullivan by the long way.

:32:33. > :32:39.He is the best I have ever seen. He is the worst player to be behind

:32:40. > :32:49.against for sure. Tactical awareness I would say John Higgins.

:32:50. > :33:02.John Higgins is the worst player to have a big lead against. This is

:33:03. > :33:07.beautifully set up after yesterday evening's session. We have got some

:33:08. > :33:14.cracking snooker ahead this afternoon. Talking you through it

:33:15. > :33:20.this afternoon is John Virgo and Willie Thorne. This is set up

:33:21. > :33:24.perfectly. Absolutely. It was a great eight frames last night and it

:33:25. > :33:29.could have gone either way. From Neil Robertson's point of view if

:33:30. > :33:38.you lose the first session, you cannot afford to lose the second

:33:39. > :33:44.session. He will be looking at for a piece, but he will want to win this

:33:45. > :33:50.session. Do you fancy Selby to go all the way? Why not? They have both

:33:51. > :33:57.made a century. Robertson cannot afford to lose in this session. But

:33:58. > :34:03.being from Leicester I am going to support the Leicester man. How much

:34:04. > :34:07.will Mark Selby be fired up? He lost the UK Championship to Neil

:34:08. > :34:13.Robertson in Europe. He was suffering from a lack of confidence.

:34:14. > :34:17.But I said to him, you're a big goal is the World Championship and it

:34:18. > :34:21.looks as if that is what he has got himself prepared for and he is

:34:22. > :34:26.playing the best snooker of the season now. We have seen Neil

:34:27. > :34:31.Robertson become a record-breaker. Now he has got it out of his system,

:34:32. > :34:35.has he got the potential to go all the way? Without doubt. Barry

:34:36. > :34:43.Hawkins is not dead yet in that match. Either of these players will

:34:44. > :34:47.give Ronnie again. It will be a classic final. Rob Walker is

:34:48. > :34:53.standing by and the players are ready and the Crucible Theatre is

:34:54. > :34:56.ready. Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen.

:34:57. > :35:05.A growing sense of anticipation because this has the makings of an

:35:06. > :35:10.absolutely epic afternoon. It is a drive to the final of the World

:35:11. > :35:23.Championship. It is all to play for here today. World number three and

:35:24. > :35:29.world number one. Please welcome a player who has nerves of steel on

:35:30. > :35:33.the biggest stages of all. Bidding for his first Crucible final for

:35:34. > :35:39.seven years. Three times a Masters champion, he has won the Welsh, the

:35:40. > :35:43.Shanghai and the UK Championships. He is a brilliant ambassador for

:35:44. > :35:48.this sport who always plays with a big smile on his face. That is why

:35:49. > :36:08.he is the Jester from Leicester, Mark Selby.

:36:09. > :36:17.And his opponent. What a fabulous fortnight so far for this proud

:36:18. > :36:21.Australian. Already a world champion, UK champion and Masters

:36:22. > :36:27.winner. He arrived in Sheffield on the verge of a magic milestone many

:36:28. > :36:34.thought impossible. But against Judd Trump he did it, 100 centuries in a

:36:35. > :36:40.season, amazing. Last night he added another to stay in touch. He is the

:36:41. > :37:03.thunder from down under. He is the Centurion. He is Neil Robertson.

:37:04. > :37:09.Yet again a terrific welcome for these two players and a wonderful

:37:10. > :37:18.atmosphere inside the Crucible Theatre. This is going to be a

:37:19. > :37:25.cracker. Thank you, Jason, the scene is set

:37:26. > :37:32.for the second session. It is a big one for Neil Robertson. But Mark

:37:33. > :37:38.Selby will be well aware of that. If he could win this session, he will

:37:39. > :37:45.have a for frame advantage. All these frames, the best of 33. It is

:37:46. > :37:54.the first to 17. Every frame is very important, Willie. Yes, it was one

:37:55. > :38:03.of the most enjoyable sessions of the tournament so far with these two

:38:04. > :38:09.yesterday. Mark Selby definitely deserved to win the first session.

:38:10. > :38:34.It has been pretty high standard if you look at the stats.

:38:35. > :38:53.He did not get enough backspin on the cue ball. That was a bit

:38:54. > :38:58.careless. He was looking as if there was something wrong with the cue

:38:59. > :39:26.ball. But he hit the red full ball and it took all the spin out of it.

:39:27. > :39:33.He did not expect it. He is just checking with the referee that it is

:39:34. > :39:40.touching ball. You mentioned after the UK final you had a good chat

:39:41. > :39:47.with him and it is amazing for a player with such an abundance of

:39:48. > :39:53.talent and negative he could be. It was the after drinks party and Neil

:39:54. > :40:01.and Mark were there. That is when Neil was chatting to Stephen Hendry

:40:02. > :40:05.about break-building. Mark was suffering from a lack of confidence.

:40:06. > :40:13.It is surprising with all the ability he has got and a wonderful

:40:14. > :40:20.technique. But as you may know, if you are not getting results, then

:40:21. > :40:25.your confidence does take a drop. Harsh but true. I did not mean you

:40:26. > :40:45.personally! I am talking about any player.

:40:46. > :41:03.A pretty good line, but there may be a path past the green.

:41:04. > :41:07.In their first session the safety play was the best we have seen in

:41:08. > :41:39.the tournament so far. You said it was an easy safety shot,

:41:40. > :42:02.but he has not made the best job of it. He will not be happy with that.

:42:03. > :42:55.Not the best kiss. It pushed the white right to the cushion.

:42:56. > :43:08.It is a massive help when a baulk comes of its spot. All the reds

:43:09. > :43:18.appear to be in the way of one another.

:43:19. > :43:33.Just trying to see what kind of an angle he has got.

:43:34. > :43:42.Absolutely nothing has happened. Even contact with the Blackwood not

:43:43. > :44:18.have been bad to bring it into play. When the cue ball is not tight

:44:19. > :44:26.against the baulk accretion, it allows Neil to play this with a

:44:27. > :44:41.little bit of side. As baulk cushion.

:44:42. > :45:07.Nothing will go to the right corner. They are all blocking one another.

:45:08. > :45:36.That was a clever little shocked to bring the black into play. -- shot.

:45:37. > :45:49.He did not hit that safety shot as he would have liked. This red to the

:45:50. > :46:12.left of the black will cut. But it is dangerous.

:46:13. > :46:22.It is a bit narrow, but the yellow has come to the rescue. He hit that

:46:23. > :46:41.a bit thinner than he intended, but he will take that.

:46:42. > :46:45.He probably tried to get in behind the green, but he will be happy with

:46:46. > :47:36.the result. He is giving this plenty of thought

:47:37. > :48:11.and why not? It is not safe. He hit the wrong

:48:12. > :48:34.red. This is a chance for Selby to get four or five red and the black.

:48:35. > :48:43.The three red to the left of the black are all covering one another.

:48:44. > :49:03.Would you want to risk bringing those reds into play?

:49:04. > :49:11.If he does play it, and does not get on one, he will be kicking himself

:49:12. > :49:37.for not playing one of the two loose reds.

:49:38. > :49:55.It is amazing, if you hit them full volume, they don't move.

:49:56. > :50:14.He was trusting to luck for position. He did not have a lot of

:50:15. > :50:26.idea where the cue ball would end up. But a clever little short. This

:50:27. > :50:35.is a little bit more difficult to get safe. That red just above the

:50:36. > :50:53.black is pottable into either pocket.

:50:54. > :51:07.Believe me that is not the red he played to hit. Has he got it safe?

:51:08. > :51:21.Looking at Neil's body language, he did not look too happy. That is

:51:22. > :51:36.tight. It is not on. Neil was a bit fortunate.

:51:37. > :51:54.That is a good shot. Mark is keeping the pressure on.

:51:55. > :52:27.That was a tough shot. It was so thin that the red would hardly move.

:52:28. > :52:54.I think he has asked the score to bring it up.

:52:55. > :53:10.Michaela Tabb is giving the instructions.

:53:11. > :53:29.Brilliant! Absolutely brilliant! We used to have eyesight like that,

:53:30. > :53:42.didn't we, Willie?! A very good safety. There is a gap between the

:53:43. > :53:50.yellow and the green, but not enough for him to be able to play the pot

:53:51. > :54:03.on this red. Playing a two cushion escape with pace.

:54:04. > :54:43.Expecting to get closer this time, but the one thing he is wary of is

:54:44. > :55:00.catching this red toothache. As adjusted? Not quite. With this

:55:01. > :55:09.misrule you don't have to be able to hit the ball on either side like you

:55:10. > :55:29.can with a free ball. Oh, free ball. He will be taking the green on.

:55:30. > :55:38.Two shots in one you can play there. But it was important to pot the

:55:39. > :55:43.green and that is what he has done and it has given him a chance. The

:55:44. > :56:12.black is in the open at the moment. Just the wrong side of that red so

:56:13. > :56:24.that is why he had to go back up for the blue, but no problem.

:56:25. > :56:31.He would love to pot the red below the pink and free dipping up. --

:56:32. > :57:12.free the pink up. He needed a bounce. Then he would

:57:13. > :57:25.have had a choice of reds. This red is pottable, but it is difficult.

:57:26. > :57:46.Yes, they are difficult shots. He has not got away with it.

:57:47. > :58:06.Not a great angle on this red. I could see him missing that. It was

:58:07. > :58:10.so awkward to get a good cue ball. I am wondering whether he played the

:58:11. > :58:16.cannon on the black and that is why he caught the red a bit thick. You

:58:17. > :58:24.are definitely right, he did play the cannon. Maybe he was in two

:58:25. > :58:29.minds when he was playing the shot. He has given Neil Robertson a shot

:58:30. > :59:07.now. He will not take this black for granted.

:59:08. > :59:10.A perfect angle on the blue to drop it on the cushion between those

:59:11. > :59:54.reds. Very good. There is an example of

:59:55. > :59:59.wine a player is perfect. He was playing that before the referee had

:00:00. > :00:14.a chance to put the blue on its spot.

:00:15. > :00:23.Still plenty left to play for. Good cue ball control, but would not say

:00:24. > :01:01.that is inch perfect by any means. He has two go in and out of baulk.

:01:02. > :01:16.Needs to find the gap between yellow and brown.

:01:17. > :01:31.Red, colour, red, that is what is still needed.

:01:32. > :01:39.Once again, we saw the problem, when a ball is tied, almost tied to a

:01:40. > :01:44.cushion, you hit them anything but half-ball contact portable, you get

:01:45. > :01:48.the double-kiss and they do not move, hardly. That one red he needed

:01:49. > :01:50.to clinch the frame, you will need to wait for his next visit, because

:01:51. > :02:33.he will not be potting it now. Hawk-Eye, he would have played as a

:02:34. > :02:52.little bit less than half ball. That was half the chant their four

:02:53. > :03:00.mark. That was a week safety shot. -- that was half a chance for Mark

:03:01. > :03:01.Selby. There you see it, 48 ahead, Neil Robertson, but still 51

:03:02. > :03:27.remaining. He needs to try and cover the red in

:03:28. > :03:48.baulk with the yellow. There was always a danger he may

:03:49. > :04:02.leave the plant, but it is not quite on.

:04:03. > :04:07.There may be a possibility here, it depends if you want to take the

:04:08. > :04:11.risk. The further you leave the cue ball from the object ball, it just

:04:12. > :04:15.makes it more difficult. You can go up the middle of the table and use

:04:16. > :04:21.the pink and brown or possibly the blue to cover the red in baulk. It

:04:22. > :04:30.is just about the distance between the two macro reds in the cue ball.

:04:31. > :04:57.-- the two reds in the cue ball. There is a little disturbance in the

:04:58. > :04:59.crowd, somebody is not feeling very well, they are waiting for them to

:05:00. > :05:11.be taken out. Play will commence once they have

:05:12. > :05:43.left the auditorium. , this time, Neil has got the path

:05:44. > :05:49.to the yellow in the baulk and. -- now, this time, he has the past to

:05:50. > :05:52.the yellow in the baulk and. The right shot is to play safe office

:05:53. > :06:35.red. -- from this red. Is a Greenwich safety shot, these

:06:36. > :06:48.two macro players. Four. Now, he needs a snooker.

:06:49. > :06:58.So, that is the end of the first frame.

:06:59. > :07:04.This was the start that Neil Robertson was looking for. He did

:07:05. > :07:06.not want to drop any more friends behind. This is a very important

:07:07. > :07:54.second session for him. Just a little bit too much side on

:07:55. > :07:59.the cue ball. That is why he ran into the brown. The frame as well

:08:00. > :08:06.and truly over, he is just getting a little bit of practice. If there is

:08:07. > :08:14.one thing this man can do, it is pot a ball. But not when he is snooker

:08:15. > :08:21.decks mag anyway, it doesn't matter. It was a typical frame, very

:08:22. > :08:24.competitive. The Australian will be very pleased that he took it and

:08:25. > :08:30.reduces his arrears to just one frame.

:08:31. > :08:37.Five times they have met recently, there is something about Neil

:08:38. > :08:42.Robertson, since he has broken his record, use walking around the table

:08:43. > :08:50.very confidently. The first little bit, I thought he looked out of

:08:51. > :08:54.sorts. We were watching Mark Selby looking like he had a good

:08:55. > :09:05.break-building opportunity. He tried to break those temp -- break those

:09:06. > :09:09.reds, he played a shot with the rest, much more guaranteed

:09:10. > :09:20.positionally. If anything, Mark Selby is tending to go for the

:09:21. > :09:24.difficult shots. Given his recent record against Neil Robertson, does

:09:25. > :09:33.that affect a player, Steve? , you would have expected him to go for

:09:34. > :09:36.the keeping the cue ball at the top of the table. -- you would have

:09:37. > :09:49.expected. Back to the table we go. We are expecting a very tough battle

:09:50. > :10:02.out here. Mark Selby had two macro chances in

:10:03. > :11:01.that frame, you will be disappointed not to have scored more than he did.

:11:02. > :11:10.That was a good pot. An excellent pot. A little bit -2 roll-up to the

:11:11. > :11:24.brown, but after one cushion it should be easy to work. -- a little

:11:25. > :11:37.bit negative two roll-up to the brown.

:11:38. > :11:41.An easy escape here from the side cushion, there is more danger from

:11:42. > :11:52.Mark playing this. He caught the red well, he deserved

:11:53. > :13:51.the little rub off the green. all the pressure is on mark to play

:13:52. > :14:39.a better safety shot. But he has not.

:14:40. > :14:59.Always have to be wary of that red near the left-hand cushion. He has

:15:00. > :15:04.not hindered his safety shot too much, but Mark Selby can get past

:15:05. > :15:10.the yellow. He can do a little bit with the cue ball, but you need to

:15:11. > :15:19.trust in looking for a position. In these situations, the pot is the

:15:20. > :15:23.priority. Good position, at least he gets to play the next shot, and it

:15:24. > :15:31.is OK, it worked out nicely! Yellow or blue!

:15:32. > :15:41.You know that you are running into another ball, but do not take your

:15:42. > :15:43.eye off the pot. He would love to get rid of one of the reds at either

:15:44. > :16:14.side of the black. Play that ten times, you will go

:16:15. > :16:29.well to get to their 1's! -- to get through their once. When you get the

:16:30. > :16:39.chance, you need to get in and open it up. That red he just played, he

:16:40. > :16:43.is thinking if I go into the cluster, at worst, I will be on that

:16:44. > :16:48.red at the middle, so you cannot blame him for playing the cannon.

:16:49. > :16:53.This is a shot, that red near the right middle, you think, at worst,

:16:54. > :16:56.he would be on that. Of course, Hawk-eye would have spotted the gap.

:16:57. > :17:16.Oh, what a pot! That was his time to be a little

:17:17. > :18:00.unlucky! You would not expect Mark Selby to

:18:01. > :18:03.leave a pot on here. But after he found that gap before, anything is

:18:04. > :18:20.possible on these snooker tables. He is playing on such a way that

:18:21. > :18:23.there is no pattern back to baulk. . He will be a bit wary not to leave a

:18:24. > :18:58.touching ball. As he left an opportunity for Mark

:18:59. > :19:08.Selby to get back to baulk? -- has he left. He is very close to that. A

:19:09. > :19:12.possible plant. He would have to be sure that it was, because he would

:19:13. > :19:34.be risking all. He cannot take that on. Neither of

:19:35. > :19:39.these players likes this type of game to develop like this, because

:19:40. > :19:49.it just stops the flow of everything.

:19:50. > :19:57.He needed to be careful not to get the double-kiss! E is OK! -- he is

:19:58. > :20:32.OK! These safety exchanges, it is so

:20:33. > :20:40.important, who is going to get the next chance?

:20:41. > :20:48.Not the best safety shot once again, but the fact that there is awkward

:20:49. > :20:55.bridging for Neil Robertson, with the green and brown, I do not think

:20:56. > :21:01.you will be thinking about the pot, just a safety. But what a target

:21:02. > :21:08.that is, the green, the brown and the yellow, to try and get the cue

:21:09. > :21:14.ball behind. But yet again, another very average safety shot. If Mark

:21:15. > :21:21.Selby cannot get to the middle of the cue ball, he would be very

:21:22. > :21:41.fortunate there. Can he get past the yellow?

:21:42. > :22:22.the angle, it threw out into the middle of the table and nestled

:22:23. > :22:44.behind yellow. He immediately tried to get onto the

:22:45. > :22:49.one to the right. He is still behind the back of the pack. Trying to make

:22:50. > :22:54.sure there is another one on it, just looking at the plant. If the

:22:55. > :22:59.plant is a certainty, he can stunt to get to the pink. He might have to

:23:00. > :23:01.get up to the blue this time, because the red is in the way of the

:23:02. > :24:05.pink. Once again, he has come up a little

:24:06. > :24:06.short on this blue. I'm surprised he did not play its low with check

:24:07. > :24:30.side. -- play it slow. He played at plain ball, that is why

:24:31. > :25:16.he finished closest to the cushion. He will be playing for the pink this

:25:17. > :25:18.time. He would like to be straight on the pink so he can play the red

:25:19. > :25:55.to the right of the black. That is the red that he played for.

:25:56. > :25:59.We know that he has got to play for the pink or the blue. But the black

:26:00. > :26:06.at the moment, that is not available.

:26:07. > :26:19.He has got an angle. You would think the red that he would like to play,

:26:20. > :26:26.he has just pointed out there, and getting the pot on this Reg... --

:26:27. > :26:39.red... That looks absolutely into perfect

:26:40. > :26:56.on the pink. -- inch perfect. Not a straightforward run to the

:26:57. > :27:19.line. This pink will put him 46 points in

:27:20. > :27:20.front with still 75 remaining. One or two precise positional shots are

:27:21. > :28:02.still needed. This may be a little bit pacey. Not

:28:03. > :28:04.sure if he can get to the one that is nearest to the pocket between the

:28:05. > :28:41.black and the red. Not a nice angle. When the cue ball travels

:28:42. > :28:42.distances, you never get a guaranteed position on the next

:28:43. > :28:54.ball. Played that very well, that was

:28:55. > :29:04.perfectly played. This red, the black, and one more red. That is all

:29:05. > :29:11.that is required. This Blackwell put in 57 pointed front with a possible

:29:12. > :29:19.59 remaining. -- this black well put him.

:29:20. > :29:23.Mark Selby will have to be pretty concerned about possibly losing the

:29:24. > :29:46.first two frames, but has not Just this red to go 58 ahead with

:29:47. > :30:49.only 51 meaning. He looks a bit bemused by the bounce

:30:50. > :30:52.off the top cushion. But this table is playing better than the tables at

:30:53. > :31:04.the quarterfinal stage of the competition. He just keeps so still

:31:05. > :31:12.on every shot. He gets through the ball. If the red goes in, you would

:31:13. > :31:26.expect a century. He is a century machine, this boy,

:31:27. > :31:46.at the moment. If he gets this it will be his ninth

:31:47. > :31:48.century at a World Championship. That is the number that Ronnie

:31:49. > :32:09.O'Sullivan is on. Of course everything now is going to

:32:10. > :32:16.set the standard. Another flawless break-building display. He was given

:32:17. > :32:19.a second chance by Mark Selby, but the rest was perfect. It levels the

:32:20. > :33:30.match at 5-5. That was Neil Robertson by numbers,

:33:31. > :33:37.and some very impressive numbers. He just seems to be setting the bar

:33:38. > :33:41.higher and higher. Certainly on the centuries. It is hard to see why he

:33:42. > :33:45.is not winning absolutely everything. He is the best long

:33:46. > :33:52.potter and the best break-builder in the game at the moment, but he must

:33:53. > :34:06.have a floor somewhere. It could be a guy called Ronnie O'Sullivan!

:34:07. > :34:09.REFEREE: Mark Selby to break. Mark Selby gets the third frame of this

:34:10. > :34:17.session underway. He has lost his lead. He came with a two frame

:34:18. > :34:24.advantage. I must say he was a bit unlucky in the last frame. Things

:34:25. > :34:29.happened that can only happen in a game of snooker. But you have to put

:34:30. > :34:38.that behind you and just look at the scoreboard. He is not behind. This

:34:39. > :34:47.frame and one more before the mid-session interval. That is more

:34:48. > :34:59.like the safety play we have come to expect from Neil Robertson.

:35:00. > :35:14.It looks dead straight. That will put him off.

:35:15. > :35:28.He did not want to catch a ball colour. And he has. But fortunately

:35:29. > :35:47.for Mark, no real value. The black is now tied up.

:35:48. > :35:57.It was a Robertson ripper! That was excellent. We knew he could not

:35:58. > :36:04.leave anything on. Look at the distance of that pot. An excellent

:36:05. > :36:21.shot. He will not be too happy with that.

:36:22. > :36:30.Believe it or not, he played for the black. He is having a look at the

:36:31. > :36:41.tip. Nothing wrong with that, is there? He just overdid it. It still

:36:42. > :36:59.cuts, but not what he wanted. Everything is going Neil's way at

:37:00. > :37:45.the moment. It all depends. You cannot do a lot

:37:46. > :37:51.with the cue ball. He is having a look to see if the other red is

:37:52. > :38:03.pottable to the middle. With that he might have more control of the cue

:38:04. > :38:19.ball. He has got to avoid the case on that red at the top cushion.

:38:20. > :38:43.You get two points for that! Well, there is a surprise. It was as good

:38:44. > :38:51.as he could have expected to be on the pink. It went in and it nipped

:38:52. > :38:53.out. It is not the best chance with the pink in the other half and the

:38:54. > :39:45.black tied up. That is not the perfect angle on

:39:46. > :39:58.this red. He will be thinking even now, can I get that black into play?

:39:59. > :40:07.Nicely on the blue and maybe a chance here. With the line of three

:40:08. > :40:27.reds, with the bottom one, he could bring the black into play.

:40:28. > :40:35.It gives him a thought he can win the frame at this visit and wouldn't

:40:36. > :40:42.he loved to do that? But once again it is a poor positional shot. The

:40:43. > :41:01.pink is a bonus if he is on that. He is blessed like Robertson with a

:41:02. > :41:09.lot of cue power. Beware the middle pocket. He will not be interested in

:41:10. > :41:14.playing anything until that black can go on its spot. He will be

:41:15. > :41:58.concentrating on the pink and the blue. This is a chance.

:41:59. > :42:14.That is OK. The three reds below the pink are all available into the

:42:15. > :42:15.opposite corner. There are no cannon is required, just good positional

:42:16. > :42:42.play. He does not want to play for the

:42:43. > :43:13.black year. He may have to, though. At least three or four of these five

:43:14. > :43:27.remaining reds are required. He does not want to play for the black, but

:43:28. > :43:34.he may have no other option. Well, he decided he did not want to risk

:43:35. > :43:42.the black. But he is not the right side of the blue. He is not out of

:43:43. > :43:44.the woods yet. You would like to have some sort of angle on this blue

:43:45. > :44:08.and he does not appear to have one. The red to the left of the pink goes

:44:09. > :44:22.to the corner pocket. This could be the frame winner.

:44:23. > :44:57.He played that well. Red, colour, red required. What a kick that was.

:44:58. > :45:08.All he was looking for was a decent angle on the blue. He may have to

:45:09. > :45:10.play the more difficult pink here. He still needs a colour and one more

:45:11. > :45:31.red. He only needs the red, but it would

:45:32. > :45:46.be a lot easier if he was closer to it. Well played, Mark. He would have

:45:47. > :46:03.been disappointed not to have a good angle on the blue. 40 points in the

:46:04. > :46:16.lead and 35 remaining. It is not quite over this frame, yet.

:46:17. > :46:28.You would like to get the cue ball up in the baulk end. But he does not

:46:29. > :46:59.want to be tight on the cushion. I know you think there are a good

:47:00. > :47:16.line up balls, but tight on the cushion means no guaranteed snooker.

:47:17. > :47:22.A good effort, but not quite there. I think Mark can just about support

:47:23. > :47:52.this. -- pot this. If that had gone in, Neil Robertson

:47:53. > :47:58.would not have bothered carrying on. We are in the situation here where

:47:59. > :48:58.Neil at the moment needs two snookers.

:48:59. > :49:28.He has caught that very nicely. That is a bonus.

:49:29. > :49:49.He has got to play this with a little bit of side.

:49:50. > :49:55.I have seen so many one cushion snookers missed. At this level you

:49:56. > :50:21.do not expect it. Neil Robertson will think he is back

:50:22. > :50:58.in this frame. He needs one snooker. He is trying behind the black, but

:50:59. > :51:00.he has caught it much too thick. This yellow would put this frame to

:51:01. > :51:21.bed. Mark Selby is a little bit relieved.

:51:22. > :51:31.He looked as though he had the frame well one. But he had to go through

:51:32. > :52:11.an agonising few minutes where he missed one snooker.

:52:12. > :52:25.That was good cueing. Plenty of top spin on the cue ball. That will

:52:26. > :52:33.please him. He has got his nose back in front. Where is the cue ball

:52:34. > :52:38.going? It doesn't matter. Mark Selby will be relieved. That is the first

:52:39. > :52:40.frame he has won in this second session and it puts him back in the

:52:41. > :52:55.lead. Just a hint of a smile. Neil Robertson lived in or some form

:52:56. > :53:02.and then he missed the easy pink in the middle. It is great from Mark

:53:03. > :53:07.Selby's perspective. There was a minor moment when there was just one

:53:08. > :53:12.red left on the table and if you pot the red and the black, you need two

:53:13. > :53:20.snookers and you keep the rhythm on the table. You would rather leave a

:53:21. > :53:26.red on the table and the chance of a free ball. He potted it and from

:53:27. > :53:34.then on he needed to. It is a small point. He would have conceded. What

:53:35. > :53:39.would you have done? You would keep the red on the table but the

:53:40. > :53:43.possibility of getting a free ball and only needing one snooker. He

:53:44. > :53:49.could have got a snooker on the pink, but as it turned out he will

:53:50. > :53:56.look at the missed pink in the middle pocket as the problem. From

:53:57. > :54:00.Mark Selby's point of view that is the perfect response. He is

:54:01. > :54:02.displaying his fighting qualities. It shows

:54:03. > :54:09.displaying his fighting qualities. temperament he has got. He is a

:54:10. > :54:15.tremendous match player and he can put disappointment behind him very

:54:16. > :54:20.easily. It was the perfect response. It was hard fought. You would expect

:54:21. > :54:24.nothing less from these two. They have got great respect for each

:54:25. > :54:31.other. In the technical department they can both outplay each other. It

:54:32. > :54:39.is a case of who can create the most opportunities and convert every

:54:40. > :55:17.opportunity they get. Back to Willie and John.

:55:18. > :55:26.Mark Selby will be a little bit disappointed with his safety play.

:55:27. > :55:33.He is not finding that baulk cushion often enough for me. OK, he has not

:55:34. > :55:37.left a pot on, but you have got to find the baulk cushion at this level

:55:38. > :55:40.and with a potting machine like Neil Robertson. He is guilty of the same

:55:41. > :56:07.thing. There you are, once again. I don't

:56:08. > :56:13.know if these baulk colours are bigger than what they normally are,

:56:14. > :56:20.but they keep catching them! You keep leaving Neil Robertson these

:56:21. > :56:37.type of long pots and you know the long pot success of Neil Robertson.

:56:38. > :56:40.There you go. You cannot keep hitting the baulk colours and

:56:41. > :56:48.leaving the cue ball on the baulk line. You are asking for trouble

:56:49. > :57:52.with this man. We have had a rasp, a ripper and that was a snorter!

:57:53. > :58:00.I think he is OK. On a bad day he could have caught that red a little

:58:01. > :58:28.bit full and been on nothing. Now he just has to play it playing

:58:29. > :58:36.ball. This is a good chance to take this frame. It is just coming up to

:58:37. > :58:41.four hours of play and this bottom cushion is causing a problem for

:58:42. > :58:46.these players. Both of them have not been happy with the bounce. Usually

:58:47. > :58:53.it is too high, but that appears to be to low. Maybe they are playing

:58:54. > :59:07.for bounces sometimes and they are not there.

:59:08. > :59:22.He might not be able to reach this left-handed. It has given him a

:59:23. > :59:23.chance of the blue, but as you say, Willie, being left-handed he will be

:59:24. > :59:51.at full stretch. And hampered. That looked fake to me. It was not

:59:52. > :00:00.easy, believe me. If you do not hit that cue ball right in the middle,

:00:01. > :00:17.and that appears to be what happened there...

:00:18. > :01:44.Any red here, that would give him position to the black.

:01:45. > :01:57.I do not think I have seen anybody concentrate as much as Mark Selby.

:01:58. > :02:04.It shows you what a fantastic match player he is. He is certainly

:02:05. > :02:20.showing his best form of the season so far in this tournament.

:02:21. > :02:31.Slightly underhit, but the pink is OK. The pink doesn't go to the

:02:32. > :02:40.middle. That was a little bit careless. Just needed to stun past

:02:41. > :02:50.that red to the right, and it is so awkward now for the black. You have

:02:51. > :02:57.to be careful. It has checked. Where has the cue ball gone? ! Could not

:02:58. > :03:10.be in a much worse position than that, I promise you! He could have

:03:11. > :03:21.played the blue cushion first. There was always going to check up with

:03:22. > :03:33.top spin. -- the white was always going to check up. He was suckered

:03:34. > :03:51.by that one. Wants to get through to the ones at the right of the pink.

:03:52. > :04:03.He will settle for that. When he snooker to himself, I thought he was

:04:04. > :04:17.in real trouble. But there is a chance for a pot here. That is a

:04:18. > :04:40.result! E has not missed many of those today! -- he has not missed.

:04:41. > :05:02.It is going to be some performance to win the frame at this visit, the

:05:03. > :05:08.way that the balls are situated. This blue will put him 13 points in

:05:09. > :05:16.front, but there is one easy red, that is the one adjacent to the

:05:17. > :05:21.pink. But everything else is a little bit difficult. He needs to

:05:22. > :05:23.run the cue ball little bit. Just a little bit short of his intended

:05:24. > :05:48.target, but not too bad. Schoolboy error! Those pockets are

:05:49. > :05:59.always there! I think you felt like you got a bad contact.

:06:00. > :06:08.Nobody saw that coming. But he leads by nine.

:06:09. > :06:21.REFEREE: Foul and a miss. Very, very surprised when you're Robertson was

:06:22. > :06:29.playing from anywhere in the baulk area, he would have brought the lack

:06:30. > :06:43.into play. -- Neil Robertson. This is a little bit easier to go for.

:06:44. > :06:56.Another hard-fought and tense frame. Your guess is as good as mine as to

:06:57. > :07:02.what the outcome will be. A similar shot to what Neil Robertson played

:07:03. > :07:08.here. Miss it on the way down, hit it on the way back. You would prefer

:07:09. > :07:16.to hit the question first. -- hit the cushion. Yes, played the cushion

:07:17. > :07:21.first knowing that the black would not come into play. An excellent

:07:22. > :08:33.safety shot. Neil Robertson will do well to get

:08:34. > :08:36.this say. I will be very surprised if he doesn't leave a pot on of some

:08:37. > :08:51.kind after this shot. He did just about as well as he

:08:52. > :08:57.could. An excellent shot. Well worked out. Is there any value?

:08:58. > :09:05.Let's take a look at the scoreboard. 13 points the lead. I do not think

:09:06. > :09:11.if he plays a safety of this red closest to the black, he can

:09:12. > :09:19.guarantee getting the cue ball at the baulk cushion, very would like

:09:20. > :09:28.to. -- where he would like to. He is looking for an alternative.

:09:29. > :09:54.That looks pretty good to me. He is granite with his safety shot.

:09:55. > :10:14.I'd do not think he can see enough of the red to pot it.

:10:15. > :10:27.Just missed the double-kiss, but a chance for Mark Selby here. This red

:10:28. > :10:32.to the far left corner. He has got the insurance, if you like, of that

:10:33. > :10:38.red next to the black. So if you made a mistake, it would not be

:10:39. > :10:41.automatic for Neil Robertson to win the frame, whereas if you knocked

:10:42. > :10:56.this red in, you would fancy winning it.

:10:57. > :11:15.He has left a chance of two long putts. -- pots.

:11:16. > :11:27.That is two he has missed in this frame. It is not like Neil Robertson

:11:28. > :11:31.to miss these types of shots. It is the second one he has missed in this

:11:32. > :11:42.frame. Could have put him right back into it. By a long way also will --

:11:43. > :12:03.also. Perfect on the yellow. Not a

:12:04. > :12:05.frame-winning opportunity by any stretch, but he can certainly put

:12:06. > :12:46.himself in a really strong position. The pink, exactly half ball, just

:12:47. > :12:47.before the baulk line in between the Gap of the brown and the green and

:12:48. > :13:14.he would get nicely on the red. Two reds, two colours to win the

:13:15. > :13:43.frame. If he has not covered the left-hand

:13:44. > :13:52.side cushion, then that is a bad shot. Very difficult when you're

:13:53. > :13:58.hitting the first cushion very quickly. Just a bit narrow. This is

:13:59. > :14:13.a free ball. Now, that does make a difference. 28

:14:14. > :14:17.point the lead, if the managed to pot the brown and the pink, that

:14:18. > :15:11.would put in 35 in front but still 35 left.

:15:12. > :15:44.I think this red is available. He played the snooker.

:15:45. > :15:55.It is not safe in the respect that if Mark was to pot this, Neil

:15:56. > :16:00.Robertson would concede. It is a thin cut, so he might shy away from

:16:01. > :16:07.it. It is uncertain whether cue ball would run to. -- where the cue ball

:16:08. > :16:13.would run to. A cover shot, pushing the brown into

:16:14. > :16:41.a slightly more difficult position. Mark Selby will not be bringing the

:16:42. > :16:47.green into play, he will be keeping everything away from the green.

:16:48. > :16:50.Because Neil Robertson needs the black, you would think he might

:16:51. > :17:11.leave the red at that end of the table.

:17:12. > :17:16.A big favourite for this frame, but as we all know, it is a funny old

:17:17. > :17:42.game, things can happen. When he be tempted with this cut?

:17:43. > :17:53.Getting key may be. -- I think he may be.

:17:54. > :18:02.That is certainly end of frame. He was made to sweat therefore a little

:18:03. > :18:09.bit. After two players, Mark Selby will definitely be the more pleased

:18:10. > :18:16.of the two to have shared this mini-session of four frames. You

:18:17. > :18:19.would have thought it 2-0 in the session that Neil Robertson would

:18:20. > :18:27.have had the chance to win one of them. Mark Selby has dominated the

:18:28. > :18:30.last couple of friends, really. I'm sure that Neil Robertson will stay

:18:31. > :18:43.in his chair or a walk to his dressing room, and he has done that.

:18:44. > :18:50.What an interesting four frames, who will be the happier? Mark Selby will

:18:51. > :18:57.be delighted to get his lead back, it's looked at one stage that Neil

:18:58. > :19:01.Robertson would get stronger. In the UK final, the first session, Mark

:19:02. > :19:06.Selby, he dragged Neil Robertson into this kind of game, and Neil

:19:07. > :19:10.Robertson didn't like it and in the evening session, he stepped up the

:19:11. > :19:16.pace, so those kind of long, scrappy frames they seem to suit Mark Selby

:19:17. > :19:20.more. If you look at when Mark Selby is in front in semifinals, Neil

:19:21. > :19:27.Robertson pulled himself back in, and he managed to win it, so the key

:19:28. > :19:31.to Mark Selby is to stay in front. There is not much to choose between

:19:32. > :19:36.this two players. Every time they play mini sessions, Mark Selby is in

:19:37. > :19:46.front, you cannot argue with that at this level. Ken Doherty is at the

:19:47. > :19:52.Winter gardens with his assessment. A wonderful shot, it proved

:19:53. > :19:59.dividends. He tries to split the pack, he trying to bounce it.

:20:00. > :20:11.He was hampered slightly on the blue. When you bounce the cue ball

:20:12. > :20:21.over the top of the red, the top spin helps the reds to split up and

:20:22. > :20:26.you bring the cue ball away from the reds and hopefully onto a colour.

:20:27. > :20:30.OK, let me see if I can do this with this shot, trying to bounce the cue

:20:31. > :20:43.ball on the top of the reds, a similar shot to what he had. You

:20:44. > :20:47.bounce over these six reds. Something like that. A similar

:20:48. > :20:50.situation where Neil Robertson was, but you can see the way that the

:20:51. > :20:54.colours come out and sometimes it goes right and sometimes it does

:20:55. > :21:02.not, and that is my history of demos!

:21:03. > :21:06.Thank you. Time to catch up with Richard Osman, we have turned his TV

:21:07. > :21:29.hit quiz show into Potless! We asked our 100 people, we gave

:21:30. > :21:33.them 147 seconds to name anybody that has ever beaten Stephen Hendry

:21:34. > :21:41.or Steve Davis at the Crucible, hundreds of answers on the list.

:21:42. > :21:52.Steve or Stephen, if you do not win this one, I do not know what to say!

:21:53. > :22:06.Stuart Bingham. Willie Thorne. Peter Ebdon. Steve James. Tony Knowles. So

:22:07. > :22:21.many people have beaten me here. 10-1 or 20-0? What about Willie

:22:22. > :22:27.Thorne? ! So depressing. It is as bad as a 10-0 in the UK, but not in

:22:28. > :22:37.the world! We're talking about the world. 10-1. Tony Knowles. A big

:22:38. > :22:46.shot a long time ago, one of the seismic shocks. Tony Knowles. I

:22:47. > :22:56.would definitely go with Steve James. That is a great shot. A great

:22:57. > :22:59.shot. Terry has come up with Steve James. I think that is a good shot.

:23:00. > :23:12.9-0. Steve James. What you think at home? Some

:23:13. > :23:15.pointless answers you may not have got. We will give you all of the

:23:16. > :23:27.answers at the end of the interval. To get involved, use the hashed

:23:28. > :23:47.tiger, we will be back with Richard later. -- hashtag.

:23:48. > :23:56.Let's catch up with Mark Selby now, he beat Alan McManus in the

:23:57. > :24:01.quarterfinals. Let's go back to those heady days

:24:02. > :24:05.when you approach the world finals, can you describe that incredible run

:24:06. > :24:11.and what it felt like in the midst of that? It was strange, I was going

:24:12. > :24:16.to the World Championships not in the top 16, I was like an outsider.

:24:17. > :24:21.I had qualified the year before, a year later I am playing Stephen

:24:22. > :24:24.Lee, so I had no real expectations. As a sportsman, you want to win

:24:25. > :24:29.every single tournament, but knowing that I had never achieved anything

:24:30. > :24:34.prior to that, so I was just really going to enjoy it. I was 5-0 dentist

:24:35. > :24:47.evenly thinking I would go out, and I managed to turn around the match.

:24:48. > :24:50.-- 5-0 against Stephen Lee. Then you get to the final against John

:24:51. > :24:54.Higgins and an amazing performance on the Monday. He got within one

:24:55. > :25:01.frame of him. Did you really think you would do it at that point? I

:25:02. > :25:04.did, it was disappointing because I got into the final and the World

:25:05. > :25:08.Championships, it is such a long tournament, mental and physically

:25:09. > :25:11.draining, and I woke up on the morning of the first session and I

:25:12. > :25:17.felt like I had not slept all night and I had nothing left, and when it

:25:18. > :25:22.happened, it really showed, because I felt I had nothing left and John

:25:23. > :25:27.capitalised on my mistakes. I was heartbroken, I thought this is my

:25:28. > :25:32.chance to win, and I thought I am a thing left, there is no way I can

:25:33. > :25:37.beat someone of John's class, but I just thought I would go out there

:25:38. > :25:42.and try my best and obviously, not lay down and enjoy the day, really.

:25:43. > :25:47.It was a fantastic occasion and before I knew it, I was 14, 13, then

:25:48. > :25:52.I had the chance to win. The last five frames, John showed for the

:25:53. > :25:56.champion he was and pulled away and played some great snooker. What is

:25:57. > :26:03.your ultimate goal? People have said with July to go back to number one?

:26:04. > :26:08.Obviously, it is an aim, but because I had got there before, it is not an

:26:09. > :26:11.ultimate goal, but at the back of my mind, the World Championships is

:26:12. > :26:16.what is missing for me, and two win more tournaments. Have you peaked,

:26:17. > :26:23.how much more is there to come, and what are you doing to make sure that

:26:24. > :26:27.you have not beat? I think there is a lot more, I'm still putting in the

:26:28. > :26:31.work, obviously, travelling comes into it a lot, you need to balance

:26:32. > :26:35.it a lot more for the major tournaments. It gives you a better

:26:36. > :26:39.chance. I have to just keep putting in the hard work and if you keep

:26:40. > :26:46.playing well, you're still not guaranteed to win a tournament with

:26:47. > :26:49.the standard the way it is. I had a chat with Mark Selby in the practice

:26:50. > :26:51.room yesterday and he said that he finds coming to the Crucible, he

:26:52. > :26:56.comes with that weight of expectation, and we have referred to

:26:57. > :27:02.this before, last year he felt that expectation on him completing the

:27:03. > :27:10.triple Crown, big expectation on him. Perhaps he's coming in now with

:27:11. > :27:13.less expectation from himself, but he is definitely one of the

:27:14. > :27:17.favourites, and one thing, after what happened in the Masters against

:27:18. > :27:22.Ronnie O'Sullivan, I think he is dying for another crack at Ronnie

:27:23. > :27:26.O'Sullivan, definitely. And if it was Ronnie O'Sullivan in the final

:27:27. > :27:30.against him, it would be a difference in styles, do you think

:27:31. > :27:36.he has enough to win against Ronnie O'Sullivan? I think it is still

:27:37. > :27:41.Ronnie O'Sullivan's title to lose. Mark Selby probably has got the game

:27:42. > :27:45.that might mess up his rhythm if he gets a good start. Mark Selby has

:27:46. > :27:50.got to finals this season, but he has lost them, you know what it

:27:51. > :27:57.takes to win out, do you see these qualities in him to win the title?

:27:58. > :28:00.Oh, yes. You could argue that by having a little bit of

:28:01. > :28:05.disappointment this season, this has toughened him up and he is raring to

:28:06. > :28:08.go, and I think that the way that he walked out to start the semifinal,

:28:09. > :28:13.he looked really as if he was very, very focused, and you obviously

:28:14. > :28:16.should be, but it just looks like he was not afraid of what was

:28:17. > :28:20.happening. If he gets to the final against Ronnie O'Sullivan, he is one

:28:21. > :28:27.of the few players that will not be afraid. He will not be afraid

:28:28. > :28:32.against one of the best players the game has ever seen. You need to be

:28:33. > :28:35.like that going into the match. I thought it was significant this

:28:36. > :28:39.morning, when you do the morning programmes, I am in the practice

:28:40. > :28:43.rooms and you can hear the officials coming in to talk to the players,

:28:44. > :28:46.and I found it really interesting, I'm referring to Barry Hawkins and

:28:47. > :28:50.Ronnie O'Sullivan from one moment, against Shaun Murphy, the officials

:28:51. > :28:54.came out and asked Shaun Murphy was he ready and he said, how long have

:28:55. > :28:59.I got? He wanted more time. The same was with Barry Hawkins today, I am

:29:00. > :29:03.in no sports psychologist, I just wonder if it is a real big issue

:29:04. > :29:08.that these boys are afraid to step out here and play Ronnie O'Sullivan

:29:09. > :29:13.and that Mark Selby will achieve and to go to Ronnie O'Sullivan if that

:29:14. > :29:17.happens? Ronnie O'Sullivan really outplayed him from shot one in the

:29:18. > :29:24.final of the Masters, and Mark Selby looked a little bit afraid of him

:29:25. > :29:27.and a bit intimidated. But if it is Neil Robertson, the same goes, he

:29:28. > :29:31.will not be afraid either, so whoever faces Ronnie O'Sullivan...

:29:32. > :29:34.We're talking as if Ronnie O'Sullivan has won at! Whoever he

:29:35. > :29:41.faces, if that is the case, they will go there and hold their own.

:29:42. > :29:51.Thank you. Now, time for the trick shots.

:29:52. > :29:59.This shot here is pretty crazy as well. This will jump out of the rail

:30:00. > :30:24.and the ball well and here in motion.

:30:25. > :30:35.This shot here is what I call a double draw shot. I'm going to hit

:30:36. > :31:16.it into the five. I will hit the triangle.

:31:17. > :31:24.This shot here, what I'm going to do is hit the white ball, the white

:31:25. > :31:27.ball will go along the rail, hit the a ball and then it will finish in

:31:28. > :32:03.the corner. He is fast becoming the star of this

:32:04. > :32:11.year's Crucible Theatre shenanigans. Wonderful stuff from Florian Kohler.

:32:12. > :32:18.However, he has not completed a century of century breaks. This man

:32:19. > :32:24.has. Ladies and gentlemen, channel mode -- champion of the world, Neil

:32:25. > :32:27.Robertson. We saw you draping the flag over your shoulders.

:32:28. > :32:39.How often do you recall those moments? When I went 17-13 up, I was

:32:40. > :32:44.pretty certain I was going to win. It was getting pretty late. Graeme

:32:45. > :32:54.was tiring. I thought there is no way he can win five frames in a row.

:32:55. > :32:59.I potted the match-winning hole. She was there and was waving the flag.

:33:00. > :33:05.It was brilliant she could come over for the final. I had no idea she was

:33:06. > :33:09.coming. It was only when I checked my voice mail after the match with

:33:10. > :33:14.Ali Carter, she had left me a voice mail saying they had left Singapore

:33:15. > :33:17.and would be riding on the day of the final. She came over fully

:33:18. > :33:25.prepared with the Australian flag just in case. To have the flag

:33:26. > :33:31.draped around me, holding the trophy, there with my mum, was a

:33:32. > :33:37.memory I will have for the end of my days, for sure. Now you have an

:33:38. > :33:41.opportunity to become the most decorated in terms of world ranking

:33:42. > :33:47.titles that you have one but no overseas player has won a world

:33:48. > :33:58.title twice. Is that a focus for you as a man who knows his stats? It is

:33:59. > :34:03.a focus to build up to the world Championship properly. I felt with

:34:04. > :34:07.myself lasted, especially in the world Championship, that I had

:34:08. > :34:24.entered too many tournaments. I did have a feeling. If you are world

:34:25. > :34:28.champion, everyone, you get a lot of recognition for being world

:34:29. > :34:32.champion. I do not believe in anyone fluking a world title. I do not like

:34:33. > :34:38.it when someone says you have to win another one to prove yourself, but

:34:39. > :34:42.to join the likes of someone like Mark Williams who is on two, there

:34:43. > :34:47.are not many multiple world champions in our sport. It is not

:34:48. > :34:51.something I want to win to prove to something else, it is something I

:34:52. > :34:56.want to win to become part of a special group of players. Obviously,

:34:57. > :34:59.I have achieved a lot in my career already and I am doing everything

:35:00. > :35:04.possible to make sure I can win more masters and more World

:35:05. > :35:09.Championships. I am on the right path and hopefully, I can be

:35:10. > :35:13.standing alongside some of the greats.

:35:14. > :35:18.Neil Robertson. We will not forget what happened the other night for a

:35:19. > :35:25.long time. It was great to see that emotion. Amazing. To get a hundred

:35:26. > :35:31.century, the pressure was so intense and you could see the release when

:35:32. > :35:36.he finally did it. To repeat myself from what I said before, obviously,

:35:37. > :35:40.there are more tournaments in the season but it smashed Judd Trump's

:35:41. > :35:44.record from last year which was 60 odd and I suppose the question is,

:35:45. > :35:47.when will someone better that? If there are no more tournaments in the

:35:48. > :35:53.season, when will some be better that. The way the new system is, top

:35:54. > :36:01.players might pick and choose tournaments now are not play in as

:36:02. > :36:07.many so it might never get beaten. Thank you for the moment. Time to

:36:08. > :36:14.catch up with Richard and our Potless answer.

:36:15. > :36:25.Welcome back to top two. Earlier I asked if Enron had beaten Steve

:36:26. > :36:32.Davis or Stephen Hendry --. Tony Knowles would have scored you 16.

:36:33. > :36:40.Steve James, not a bad answer at all, six points.

:36:41. > :36:52.There are quite a few answers which would have beaten six.

:36:53. > :37:01.There are two pointless answers, the players who have beaten Steve Davis

:37:02. > :37:06.are Anthony Hamilton and Andy Hicks. Well done if you said him. Stuart

:37:07. > :37:08.Bingham is the lowest score of a player who has beaten both of those

:37:09. > :37:26.players. Well done if you said that. Thank you for those tweets. Well

:37:27. > :37:34.done to people who said Andy Hicks and Anthony Hamilton. Let's dissect

:37:35. > :37:41.some of those matches. I just want to talk about the league tables. We

:37:42. > :37:49.are not doing that yet. All I want to say is losing 9-02 Marcus

:37:50. > :37:58.Campbell, at least I won the frame. Let's have a look at the league

:37:59. > :38:08.table. At least Hazel and I are not propping up the table.

:38:09. > :38:16.Have you got anything to say? Considering we spent our time

:38:17. > :38:23.winning we did not notice the other players. Well I was only a my purse

:38:24. > :38:31.so I do not remember those matches! And I have got more hair than you!

:38:32. > :38:58.Back to our commentary team, John Virgo and Willie Thorne.

:38:59. > :39:07.Mark Selby, definitely from Leicester, and he has got that two

:39:08. > :39:12.frame advantage back. Not a bad break off but there may be an

:39:13. > :39:16.attempt here for Neil, if he can roll this red to the right corner

:39:17. > :39:17.and without do anything, get a position on the black, and he will

:39:18. > :39:45.take it on. He won the first two frames of this

:39:46. > :39:48.session. He will be a bit disappointed when he went to the

:39:49. > :40:09.mid-session break, still two behind. There have been sometime frames. --

:40:10. > :40:14.some tough frames. It is really turning into a battle. The average

:40:15. > :40:23.frame time is moving up. Nearly 22 minutes frame.

:40:24. > :40:31.The average shot time is about normal for both these players. Neil

:40:32. > :40:40.Robertson can get a bit bogged down sometimes and get up in the 30s.

:40:41. > :40:45.Yes, the frame time is being this long is not because they are missing

:40:46. > :41:00.balls. The standard of safety has been pretty good, except just then.

:41:01. > :41:30.He had a couple of long pot chances which he missed.

:41:31. > :41:39.He has got a nice target with the green and brown. A bit too much side

:41:40. > :42:04.on that. He has missed yellow. There was a little tap on the table

:42:05. > :42:11.and I am sure Mark said shot. It is not easy to play safe. It is a bit

:42:12. > :42:38.congested. This is his these. -- this is his view.

:42:39. > :42:44.APPLAUSE A flick of the yellow. That has made

:42:45. > :43:17.it pretty good. A containing safety.

:43:18. > :43:34.APPLAUSE Pretty good.

:43:35. > :44:00.I don't think he can get in behind the brown and green.

:44:01. > :44:22.He was obviously trying to get the other side of the middle pocket. A

:44:23. > :45:00.couple of long pots but the black now not available.

:45:01. > :45:13.Deciding to leave the straight red. The pink is available. He may have

:45:14. > :45:14.ideas of screwing back for blue or bought colour. This next pot more

:45:15. > :45:32.difficult. A good pot it was. That is the

:45:33. > :45:38.advantage, when you're opponent goes off, you can adjust that cue ball

:45:39. > :46:10.anywhere you like in the D. He found the angle to make it easier.

:46:11. > :46:14.I think the black may be available in to the opposite corner. Not a bad

:46:15. > :46:33.chance now. APPLAUSE

:46:34. > :46:38.I was sure for a moment Neil thought he had let that cue ball won just a

:46:39. > :46:47.bit too far but it stopped just in time. Straight on this black, it

:46:48. > :46:49.would have been a formality, just roll it in and play for the red that

:46:50. > :47:22.is just below the cue ball. I think he thought he was going to

:47:23. > :47:31.kiss that second red there. Just getting up off the shot. Something

:47:32. > :47:35.was whistling, I do not know if it is a phone. It is a distraction he

:47:36. > :48:29.could do without. He wants to be high on this black

:48:30. > :48:33.rather than low. With him being hampered, he just had to play the

:48:34. > :48:37.run-through. You would expect him to be on a red but it is not a

:48:38. > :48:48.straightforward positional shot, this.

:48:49. > :48:55.He is trying to push the red out of the way that I still do not see how

:48:56. > :49:05.he can get the white into play. The white was not going to do anything.

:49:06. > :49:06.He was lucky to get through to this. The white could not do anything

:49:07. > :49:33.there. This is a big second prize.

:49:34. > :49:39.APPLAUSE That was a bonus to be on that red.

:49:40. > :49:43.And now pot the blue, play a little cannon on the two reds together,

:49:44. > :49:51.just a soft little cannon, catch the join of them.

:49:52. > :50:01.You would not want to hit it hard. If he hits it hard, or too hard, one

:50:02. > :50:14.of those reds could block the black from going in the left corner.

:50:15. > :51:00.Was he too thin on the blue to play the delicate shot? I think he was.

:51:01. > :51:09.A great recovery. Once again, you can say he was a little bit

:51:10. > :51:15.fortunate to have that as an option, but take nothing away from

:51:16. > :51:16.the pot. He is looking at the pink. I thought the black went into the

:51:17. > :51:28.left corner. He played it nicely. A great chance

:51:29. > :51:53.now. I can only presume the black must

:51:54. > :51:58.have been tight in that left-hand corner. The pink was more difficult

:51:59. > :52:27.than the black. But he has done it nicely this time.

:52:28. > :52:36.Goodness me, it has been hard work this break. Give him credit for

:52:37. > :52:42.playing the more difficult pink because the black was unmissable but

:52:43. > :52:45.he played the pink for position. Such belief in his potting prowess

:52:46. > :52:56.has Neil. He will be making certain of this

:52:57. > :54:15.black. It may encourage Mark Selby to play

:54:16. > :54:19.on, it looks as if he is. I think Neil Robertson has done enough but

:54:20. > :54:21.he would love to have potted that red and have this frame put to bed

:54:22. > :54:40.now. Mark will concentrate now and try

:54:41. > :55:43.and get the black through these remaining three reds.

:55:44. > :56:42.He did not play the pot. He played safe of that red.

:56:43. > :56:46.You would think, just drop this in and that is the point of no return

:56:47. > :57:58.for Mark. He reduces arrears once again to

:57:59. > :58:05.just one frame. It was an interesting frame. When Neil was

:58:06. > :58:11.hampered by the green and played that containing safety, you did not

:58:12. > :58:17.see a lot of danger therefore Mark. The fact that the blue was in his

:58:18. > :58:23.line. He was trying to hit it thin and swerve it. But the side did not

:58:24. > :58:28.take, its kids. You could see it at the last minute start to swerve. He

:58:29. > :58:36.was expecting the cue ball to arc but it did not happen. You camp at

:58:37. > :58:50.the cue ball anywhere in the D. He managed to find the red. -- you can

:58:51. > :58:54.put the cue ball anywhere in the D. Good straight cueing and from that

:58:55. > :59:05.he made a 72 which in effect, was the frame winner.

:59:06. > :59:19.Thank you, frame 14. Neil Robertson to break.

:59:20. > :59:27.He will be trying to level the match now at seven all. It always looked

:59:28. > :59:29.like a close encounter. Who would take the match by the scruff of the

:59:30. > :59:53.neck? Mark Selby sometimes plays the

:59:54. > :59:58.attacking safety. Could have played the green to the bunch and screw

:59:59. > :00:04.back. Let's see what he does this time. These players are too good to

:00:05. > :00:11.play an escape. I thought Neale would do this earlier on in the

:00:12. > :00:22.match -- Neil. Didn't quite get the bunch. He's clipped the corner.

:00:23. > :00:25.Strange, isn't it... And a little careless because he

:00:26. > :00:29.should have known the angle there, where to hit the green to go to the

:00:30. > :00:35.main bunch of reds. Didn't have to hit them that hard but that was his

:00:36. > :00:39.intention. Good, attacking safety, but flicking the reds.

:00:40. > :00:57.He can't believe it. He's knocked the red in but won't be

:00:58. > :00:58.happy where the cue ball's finished. Unless he can just drop this green

:00:59. > :01:28.in and find a red to go for. Slight angle on this green, but near

:01:29. > :01:37.the cushion. Tough shot. That was a very good effort.

:01:38. > :01:42.To be that close to the cushion and get that, it made the pot more

:01:43. > :01:48.difficult and the movement on the cue ball an excellent shot.

:01:49. > :02:09.As I said earlier, he can pot a ball, this boy.

:02:10. > :02:22.Not guaranteed to get a good angle. There is only one loose red left.

:02:23. > :02:34.If the red pots in the middle, that is OK, but he may then have to

:02:35. > :02:39.cannon one. He's made the pot easier by playing for the pink, but being

:02:40. > :02:44.on the pink at this angle, I'm not certain where the next red comes

:02:45. > :02:54.from. He's going to have to push that red in.

:02:55. > :03:03.It bounces. Has it gone far enough? His body language tells me no. That

:03:04. > :03:07.picture tells you no. I can see the reason now he played for the pink

:03:08. > :03:13.because the pink spot wasn't available, he was going on the black

:03:14. > :03:14.spot, so another inch of roll and he would have been on the red to the

:03:15. > :03:26.corner. Trying to bend the cue ball. Oh,

:03:27. > :03:31.that was risky. Basically he played a lot of left hand side and thought

:03:32. > :03:33.he could just push the red to the right, but that was a risky shot to

:03:34. > :04:07.take on. A secondary spin, so to speak. That

:04:08. > :04:15.nestled the cue ball further into the red balls. That back spin just

:04:16. > :04:22.took them into the reds. I'm saying, he's not had anything. Obviously had

:04:23. > :04:27.a couple of second prizes in the second frame.

:04:28. > :04:33.That was a terrific pot and very good control of the cue ball. Quell

:04:34. > :05:06.played. Looks as though the top red of the

:05:07. > :05:19.cluster will certainly go to the right middle.

:05:20. > :05:40.This is the last of the loose reds apart from the one up the top.

:05:41. > :05:44.Doesn't want to hit one of the Reds to the right of the black ball. If

:05:45. > :05:46.it hits either half ball or either the joint of the two reds, he'll

:05:47. > :05:58.push one towards the middle. That was always the problem. Yes,

:05:59. > :06:07.playing at that pace, it's very difficult to know exactly which way

:06:08. > :06:12.you are going to git into dumb Get into. He could haven't played it

:06:13. > :06:17.much better. When you come off the top cushion, with a bit of top spin,

:06:18. > :06:22.it reverses to almost like a stun shot. When it hits the pack, yes.

:06:23. > :06:26.Cut the black and the red at the same time. Little unlucky to have

:06:27. > :06:31.stuck on them. A similar pattern to quite a few of

:06:32. > :06:51.the frames this afternoon. We have got this tactical battle. If

:06:52. > :07:02.Mark Selby gets the next chance, you fancy him winning the next frame.

:07:03. > :07:08.He was thinking he wouldn't leave anything should he miss it, but he

:07:09. > :07:37.was wrong. No good to him. It would send the

:07:38. > :07:41.white towards that and then the flip on the black.

:07:42. > :07:49.Going to take him to the cushion until then.

:07:50. > :07:57.If Mark can win this frame, he can relax a little bit. When you get to

:07:58. > :08:08.eight, you know you can't go behind into the next session.

:08:09. > :08:31.Certainly he'll feel a lot better when he gets to eight.

:08:32. > :08:38.It's always the Daning we are that shot isn't it, you are frightened of

:08:39. > :08:46.over-screwing and then you can bet your life you'll under-screw. --

:08:47. > :08:51.always the danger. He knew he couldn't get the right andth angle,

:08:52. > :09:01.wanted to screw back a couple of inches.

:09:02. > :09:07.Didn't manage that. He was trying to hold it and that's the problem, he's

:09:08. > :09:11.trying to hold them and you just take your eye off the pot. Big

:09:12. > :09:29.chance gone. Just tried to pinch a little bit of

:09:30. > :09:39.the pocket to hold for the red. Big shot this now.

:09:40. > :09:51.Where's that red going? ! Well, I thought for a moment it

:09:52. > :09:54.might be going into the left middle. There's twhawn will go to the right

:09:55. > :09:58.middle and Mark Selby will be very, very relieved having missed that

:09:59. > :10:06.last pink on his last visit, he's come straight back to the table with

:10:07. > :10:15.a chance of winning the frame. The worrying thing for Neil

:10:16. > :10:22.Robertson supporters is that every shot's difficult. He'st he's --

:10:23. > :10:28.every shot's thick that is difficult. When you look at that,

:10:29. > :10:30.you think maybe a trace of the right hand side and he's pushing the cue

:10:31. > :10:45.ball into the red. Very straight on that pink.

:10:46. > :10:51.With it being so close to the pocket, it could use all of the

:10:52. > :10:57.pocket for position. Taking the opportunity to follow the

:10:58. > :11:02.red but it's not worked out ideally this. OK that red's potable, but

:11:03. > :11:05.he's not got the right angle on the blue. He may have to force this cue

:11:06. > :11:23.ball in and out. Is it going to run? It's OK. But

:11:24. > :11:34.this red, it's very close to the middle. It's a very thin cut. So

:11:35. > :11:39.much so, does he fancy it? It's very thin.

:11:40. > :11:59.No. Now, what's he left? We know that the red to the left middle

:12:00. > :12:13.isn't on from where the cue ball is, the yellow's covering the red baulk.

:12:14. > :12:18.Mark's got to sit down and wonder. This is the type of shot he's missed

:12:19. > :12:19.a few of the last couple of frames and there's another one to add to

:12:20. > :12:49.the list. That's twice he's made mistakes,

:12:50. > :12:53.come back to the table with a chance of clinching the frame. How often at

:12:54. > :13:15.this level do you make two mistakes and get another chance to win? Very

:13:16. > :13:28.rare. Pots this red, goes 44 ahead with 43 remaining.

:13:29. > :13:36.It's a bit of a relief. No worse than all square, but this has really

:13:37. > :13:40.been a bonus. Made a lot of mistakes in this frame and it hasn't cost

:13:41. > :13:44.him. If that doesn't give you confidence, nothing will.

:13:45. > :13:47.When you win a frame, those mistakes, you can erase out of your

:13:48. > :14:04.mind. They don't stay with you. Obviously Mark Selby will be going

:14:05. > :14:11.8-6 in front. Needs to make sure of this last red now.

:14:12. > :14:18.This is of course what no player wants, to have a frame drag on

:14:19. > :14:20.needlessly. If he'd have potted that red, there's no way Neil would have

:14:21. > :14:26.come back to the table. Looking to be on the black. Nothing

:14:27. > :14:49.else will do. The possibility of one snooker.

:14:50. > :15:48.One sneerk would be enough. Didn't play the pot. He tried to

:15:49. > :15:51.stun cue ball behind the yellow and was just an inch, that's all, short

:15:52. > :16:32.of pace. The worrying thing for me, OK John's

:16:33. > :16:41.won a couple of things this afternoon, but he's been doing it

:16:42. > :16:47.with not big breaks -- Mark's won, John. He's going to have to win more

:16:48. > :16:52.frames in more than one visit. He may show more form in the next

:16:53. > :16:55.frames where he's not being punished for his mistakes. Yes, you can't

:16:56. > :16:57.rely on your opponent to keep leaving you chances. You've got to

:16:58. > :17:09.do it yourself at this level. They are both blessed with amazing

:17:10. > :17:31.cue power. He's got that cue ball round the table. Two clear again at

:17:32. > :17:44.8-6. Definitely a pattern emerging here.

:17:45. > :17:47.A two frame advantage once again to Mark Selby. You get the feeling this

:17:48. > :17:51.is going to go to the wire? Yes, but that was the most tense frame I

:17:52. > :17:56.think from the players' perspective. They felt the heat. Both players

:17:57. > :18:00.uncharacteristically missing the balls from some distance, so it's

:18:01. > :18:06.getting tough out there. Steve describes it as tense, some may

:18:07. > :18:10.describe it as a bit scrappy? Yes. If you were polite, you would say

:18:11. > :18:15.it's tough match snooker and it is. You can't get much more to play for

:18:16. > :18:19.than being in the final. Mark Selby will at least be level going into

:18:20. > :18:24.the next session, so he can relax a little. Steve, wren you look at Mark

:18:25. > :18:36.Selby's record this season, the UK champion final, he lost. Is the hurt

:18:37. > :18:40.of his past driving him on? The built is between his teeth as regard

:18:41. > :18:47.to having some resolve. One thing he's not short of is match practice.

:18:48. > :18:51.We talk about ding and O'Sullivan being the big winners and they have

:18:52. > :18:56.had plenty of practice and Mark is there or thereabouts. Marks out of

:18:57. > :19:01.ten, schoolteacher Hendry what would you give? Robertson's one step

:19:02. > :19:05.forward, two steps back, he's scoring heavier but Selby is just

:19:06. > :19:08.brilliant at putting bad shots behind him and soldiering on and

:19:09. > :19:11.winning frame after frame. That, ladies and gentlemen, is a refusal

:19:12. > :19:15.to give marks out of ten. That's how to do it, politician's answer, very

:19:16. > :19:21.diplomatic. Thank you very much. Back to John and Willie.

:19:22. > :19:40.Always very interesting to hear the comments of two of the legends of

:19:41. > :19:45.the Gateshead. -- legends of the game.

:19:46. > :19:51.Robertson, of course, already a world champion.

:19:52. > :19:58.I think this session, Willie and the importance of it, has just overtaken

:19:59. > :20:07.the match really. There's a lot of tension out there and I think both

:20:08. > :20:11.players, as was indicated by Steve Davis, is there. Neither player's

:20:12. > :20:16.taken the session by the scruff of the neck and gone for balls.

:20:17. > :20:20.Robertson probably played the more aggressive of the two. Mark, albeit

:20:21. > :20:26.once again, not at his best, but he's winning frames. That's what

:20:27. > :20:31.makes him difficult to beat. He won't be happy with that. Safety

:20:32. > :20:37.play, to be honest, it's as bad as I've seen it. It really is. He's

:20:38. > :20:56.found the baulk line more than the baulk cushion.

:20:57. > :21:06.Missed quite a few of these. I think the fact he played it a shot for

:21:07. > :21:11.something, a shot for nothing, do you think the fact he was able to

:21:12. > :21:16.power it in made it easier? Yes, certainly does make it easier. The

:21:17. > :21:31.harder you hit them, the more accurate your cueing's got to be.

:21:32. > :21:47.I think it's OK. Match time coming up, five hour, 14 frames.

:21:48. > :22:00.Average. If you think one player starts to get a grip, the average

:22:01. > :22:03.frame time will probably come down to around 17 or 18 minutes. It's

:22:04. > :22:08.just that they are needing two or three chances per frame at the

:22:09. > :22:11.moment to win frames. Four frames in the match only that the player's won

:22:12. > :22:34.the frame at one visit. Might just flick the pink into play

:22:35. > :22:40.here if the red behind the pink doesn't pot. If the red pots behind

:22:41. > :22:44.the pink, he won't. He'd like to hit the two reds together and miss the

:22:45. > :22:47.pink. He's playing it low so might be playing straight into the pink.

:22:48. > :22:50.Whatever he was playing, it hasn't worked.

:22:51. > :22:54.I don't know whether he's playing to miss them or hit them both at the

:22:55. > :23:00.same time. What do you think, John? I think he was trying to miss it. He

:23:01. > :23:05.didn't get on to the cue ball enough. It appears that red did go.

:23:06. > :23:58.Maybe the one he kissed went as well. It's a head-shaker.

:23:59. > :24:08.Having a look at the three reds here.

:24:09. > :24:13.He's going to go close. The only thing that would concern him if he

:24:14. > :24:18.played this to plan, there's no clear path for the cue ball back to

:24:19. > :24:39.baulk end, so if you go for it, you'd better be sure you can get it.

:24:40. > :24:49.He's taking it on. And he's got it! And he's on the black. Considered it

:24:50. > :25:24.worth the risk. And he was right. Just coming round hoping this black

:25:25. > :25:39.will go to the right corner. The black obviously goes. This is a

:25:40. > :26:21.golden opportunity. This is the first time for as long

:26:22. > :26:36.as we can remember that we've had Mark around the black spot and it's

:26:37. > :26:40.come right at the right time. He's made over 300 centuries from

:26:41. > :27:30.this position. You'd expect him to win the frame.

:27:31. > :27:38.You these in practise to get the cue arm going.

:27:39. > :27:45.Always a good practise routine when you're playing on your own at the

:27:46. > :27:46.club, trying to make 50 or 60 points without touching the cushion and you

:27:47. > :28:18.set them up like this to do that. Four shots on the trot without the

:28:19. > :28:21.cushion. I just wonder whether he finished low enough on the black to

:28:22. > :28:24.hold the white again. It's not easy when you don't hit cushions, you

:28:25. > :28:28.never know how they are going to react. This time he's just used the

:28:29. > :28:43.cushion, it's a little lower, but it's still OK.

:28:44. > :28:51.He's played the cannon. Has it gone wrong? 59 points remaining. He could

:28:52. > :29:01.not have expected that. Whether he played the cannon or

:29:02. > :29:08.thought he was going to drift past that red, what's happened there is

:29:09. > :29:12.unbelievable. I April souped he would have played

:29:13. > :29:17.the cannon on the pink. Selby is too good a player to have risked it on

:29:18. > :29:23.the red. You couldn't believe it would be on nothing. It was the red

:29:24. > :29:24.to get on to the black, just finished too low on the black. It's

:29:25. > :29:37.been costly. APPLAUSE

:29:38. > :29:43.Still plenty of points on. Should Robertson get an

:29:44. > :29:48.opportunity... And there you see it again. Maybe he

:29:49. > :29:50.just thought, if I hit that red, I'm bound to be on the one in the

:29:51. > :29:58.middle. As I've said on many occasions at

:29:59. > :30:06.this game, you can't drop your guard for a second, don't assume anything.

:30:07. > :30:20.First test for Neil Robertson. Can he get this safe?

:30:21. > :30:24.He is just having a look. There is a chance he could play the pot and

:30:25. > :30:39.find a chance for the cue ball. He found the path back to the ball

:30:40. > :31:34.Kent. -- baulk end. This is a very dangerous road to

:31:35. > :31:36.play safe off. -- dangerous red. This red he is playing now is

:31:37. > :31:54.pottable. He would like to have seen that red

:31:55. > :32:32.go in, believe me. You talked about it earlier, he is

:32:33. > :32:39.not finding the top cushion. Second prize there. This time there is a

:32:40. > :32:44.possibility of playing off that red that is Ray close to the left-hand

:32:45. > :32:47.cushion. Because he can hit it caught a ball the side, you avoid

:32:48. > :33:17.the double-kiss. I'm surprised that Mark is not

:33:18. > :33:24.having a look to see if there is a possibility of a plant on these two

:33:25. > :33:26.reds in the middle. I think there is a bit of value of taking this red

:33:27. > :33:50.one. -- red on. He would not have been moving reds

:33:51. > :34:00.around if he had taken the outside one of the two. There was a wry

:34:01. > :34:03.smile on Mark's face when he looked at that so I assume he feels he has

:34:04. > :34:18.left this on for Neil. He did not. The blue has come to his

:34:19. > :34:34.rescue. He has not got it behind the brown.

:34:35. > :34:48.He played the snooker and did not get it.

:34:49. > :35:05.Too thick. He has been fortunate. Once you hit the safety that thick,

:35:06. > :35:07.you are entitled to leave something a little bit easier than he has

:35:08. > :35:32.done. He will be disappointed that he has

:35:33. > :35:38.not got anything easier than this. As you say, you feel sometimes that

:35:39. > :35:42.one good pot, one good positional shot and we could have a new

:35:43. > :35:47.favourite for this frame. But this is tough. It must be thinner than it

:35:48. > :36:03.looks from our commentary position. It is there but he did not really

:36:04. > :36:33.get into it as he would have liked. He is not on this black good at all.

:36:34. > :37:05.It is amazing that extra four points.

:37:06. > :37:12.The red on the back cushion is no problem. And a lot of thinking to do

:37:13. > :37:19.for Mark. I hope Mark can reach this. If he needs the long rest with

:37:20. > :37:41.the spider, he will need a box to stand on.

:37:42. > :37:51.Well played. That was not easy. Some nervy moments in this match. That

:37:52. > :38:31.took for a steady hand. The red is all he needs. If it is

:38:32. > :38:53.tight on the cushion, I would fancy Mark to potted. It is just off.

:38:54. > :39:00.The red that is past the middle pocket, he would like to hit that

:39:01. > :39:04.full in the face. But the red is likely to kiss into the brown or

:39:05. > :39:14.yellow. That is what is causing him a problem.

:39:15. > :39:27.I think it is more important to try and get the red safe. He took a

:39:28. > :39:30.chance. He played a good white as well. An excellent safety shot, well

:39:31. > :39:36.played. APPLAUSE

:39:37. > :39:43.He will be very pleased where the red has finished. That has tied

:39:44. > :41:28.those two reds up on the top cushion. A little bit of insurance.

:41:29. > :41:39.Once again the red is on, if he takes it on, there is a gap around

:41:40. > :41:44.the black. If he hit it thick it might can into the two reds which is

:41:45. > :41:56.what you don't want to do. -- might cannon into the reds.

:41:57. > :42:13.Amazing. Knocking the red in means he now needs snookers. 48 points

:42:14. > :42:14.behind. 43 remaining. I was a little bit surprised he played it at that

:42:15. > :42:38.pace. Yesterday, he made a break of 133.

:42:39. > :42:44.What he would not give for one of those.

:42:45. > :42:51.APPLAUSE And that is it. Mark Selby stretches

:42:52. > :43:16.his lead. Neil Robertson wanted to win this

:43:17. > :43:22.session. He can't win it now. The best he can do is go all square. And

:43:23. > :43:28.he concedes. So Mark Selby has done very well in that frame. He played a

:43:29. > :43:30.very good plant early on in it. That was the catalyst for him going three

:43:31. > :43:41.frames ahead. 24 minutes on the nose. I suppose

:43:42. > :43:46.the danger for these two is that these boys will go through a

:43:47. > :43:50.mentally draining couple of frames of snooker and that could have an

:43:51. > :43:55.impact on Sunday's final, whichever player gets through. Each player is

:43:56. > :44:03.putting themselves through undue stress. We are left with 15 minutes

:44:04. > :44:10.or 20 minutes strategy at the end of each frame and that can take its

:44:11. > :44:15.toll. Steve? To some degree, it has gone a little bit flat, the match,

:44:16. > :44:20.because it has become tactical. There is a lot of posing and

:44:21. > :44:26.studying going out there. Not posing, studying. Not posing! There

:44:27. > :44:32.is a lot of walking around the table to work out. The tactics are so

:44:33. > :44:35.strong. Mark Selby is arguably one of the hardest tacticians to play

:44:36. > :44:43.against. It is hard to break free of that. Perhaps the same has applied

:44:44. > :44:48.to Neil Robertson, someone said try and speed it up or push it. It is

:44:49. > :44:54.hard to push the pace against Mark Selby because he is a predator. He

:44:55. > :44:59.will wipe all the ball flop. He is not unable to knock them all in,

:45:00. > :45:04.given the chance. And also, given what is at stake? This is a massive

:45:05. > :45:11.session. There are also two sessions tomorrow. Selby now has the lead.

:45:12. > :45:17.Like last night, can he extend to four frames because that will be

:45:18. > :45:21.huge. Sometimes they win four or five frames in a row. Is Mark Selby

:45:22. > :45:25.in the same position that you would want to beat at this stage of the

:45:26. > :45:33.match, Steve, going into the third session? You cannot argue against

:45:34. > :45:37.having the chance to open up a four frame lead. It is a marvellous

:45:38. > :45:42.position to be in. Let's see what Neil Robertson can do. Can he haul

:45:43. > :46:04.themselves back into this match? Here we go.

:46:05. > :46:14.Mark Selby, even though he is in front, his safety will improve. That

:46:15. > :46:37.is the best safety shot he has played off the afternoon.

:46:38. > :46:45.Well, he thought when he played that raged there was not a lot of danger.

:46:46. > :47:04.Take nothing for granted, this game -- when he played that red.

:47:05. > :47:09.He was able to control it nicely on the green. A better angle to get the

:47:10. > :47:33.cue ball back to this end. He possesses a wonderful amount of

:47:34. > :47:44.cue power. You will see this cue arc and once again, he needs a half bull

:47:45. > :47:54.-- half ball kiss. This time, he has got the half ball kiss. Look at the

:47:55. > :48:13.arc he gets on this as well. It couldn't have turned out better.

:48:14. > :48:22.Tooth in a potting angle to go for the blue but nicely on the green. --

:48:23. > :48:28.too thin a potting angle. He will know the magnitude of this frame. He

:48:29. > :48:35.won the first session 5-3. If you can win this game, then he will have

:48:36. > :48:43.won this session 5-3. 93% pot success. It is the pot success which

:48:44. > :48:59.Ronnie O'Sullivan is producing in the other semifinal.

:49:00. > :49:03.I do not think he has missed many easy balls but he has run out of

:49:04. > :49:54.position a few times. APPLAUSE

:49:55. > :50:19.He did not have to do a lot with the cue ball.

:50:20. > :50:32.What a kick that was. If that red was not over the middle pocket, you

:50:33. > :50:39.can see the ball bouncing all over the place, it would be almost out of

:50:40. > :50:42.position. Sometimes you get those kicks. As you say, could be end of

:50:43. > :51:01.break. Still on track to have a four frame

:51:02. > :51:08.advantage at the end of the second session. And a night off to

:51:09. > :51:13.recuperate, John, because it has been a tough battle. It has been

:51:14. > :51:30.hard. And spare a thought for the referee.

:51:31. > :51:35.He has got to concentrate on every shot. He does not have time sat

:51:36. > :51:40.down. I was talking to him at the mid-session break. He said he has

:51:41. > :51:45.got to have his wits about him because there is a lot of safety and

:51:46. > :51:57.things to keep his eye on. He has done well this afternoon.

:51:58. > :52:05.This black will put him 60 points in front.

:52:06. > :52:16.Didn't see that one coming! I can only think he changed his mind

:52:17. > :52:21.there. He was thinking about playing for the loose red and then he

:52:22. > :52:23.thought, I cannot miss the black. I will play to get the four reds into

:52:24. > :52:35.play. The key thing is he has got the

:52:36. > :53:10.black safe. Neil has been very fortunate there.

:53:11. > :53:22.To win it at this visit, he will need the black to win the frame, if

:53:23. > :53:35.he gets that far. That has been Mark Selby's Achilles heel this season.

:53:36. > :53:45.He has got that little bit of doubt. When he knew it was an

:53:46. > :53:50.important frame. We were looking at Mark and that black key missed. Neil

:53:51. > :53:54.Robertson must have been having a worrying moment because the referee

:53:55. > :54:13.was trying to get the pink on its spot. It would not go on.

:54:14. > :54:17.He just wants to get through the gap. Does not want to risk any

:54:18. > :54:32.kisses here. Somebody appears to be moving in the

:54:33. > :54:44.crowd. Can you please sit still in the crowd?

:54:45. > :54:48.It was a lady putting something in her handbag which was the problem

:54:49. > :55:08.but she has stopped now. That is what creates the

:55:09. > :55:12.atmosphere, the theatre, you have got to be very careful and

:55:13. > :55:21.frightened to breathe sometimes. It all adds to the atmosphere. No place

:55:22. > :55:49.like the Crucible. The semifinal of the world Championship, one table.

:55:50. > :56:09.32 points behind. Three reds and three pinks will put him 11 points

:56:10. > :56:15.behind. He can win this frame without the black.

:56:16. > :57:08.If he can take pinks with these reds, he will not need the black.

:57:09. > :57:15.STUDIO: I am afraid it is at this point that we have to say goodbye to

:57:16. > :57:22.you here on BBC Two. Coverage continues right now, if you hit the

:57:23. > :57:31.red button, you will be able to watch Neil Robertson play Mark

:57:32. > :57:35.Selby. Hazel Irvine will be back tomorrow -- this evening. Goodbye.