:00:37. > :01:21.Good evening. Two players stand head and shoulders above any others here
:01:22. > :01:28.in Sheffield. They have proved it by reaching the final in this year's
:01:29. > :01:35.Dafabet World Championships. Ronnie O'Sullivan could match the
:01:36. > :01:46.achievements of Reardon and Davis if he were to win a third a row. Mark
:01:47. > :01:57.Selby has got a foothold in this final.
:01:58. > :02:04.Ronnie O'Sullivan returns to a standing ovation. His opponent, the
:02:05. > :02:10.lowest ranked man in the tournament, from Finland. In the end,
:02:11. > :02:17.straightforward for Ronnie. A 10-4 winner.
:02:18. > :02:22.Not so comfortable for Mark Selby as he was unable to shake Ofqualfier
:02:23. > :02:28.Michael White. It went to a decider.
:02:29. > :02:30.What a great match, Michael White, you deserve every round of applause
:02:31. > :02:44.you're going to get. Anything but straightforward for the
:02:45. > :02:50.defending champion against Joe Perry. It was a tight match. Ronnie
:02:51. > :02:55.O'Sullivan rallied in the end w a wonderful censure -- with a
:02:56. > :03:00.wonderful century to finish. Magnificent. The Rocket was superb.
:03:01. > :03:05.And you can see what it meant to him!
:03:06. > :03:15.Mark had a tough second-round draw in Ali Carter.
:03:16. > :03:23.He stayed ahead all match and won 13-9.
:03:24. > :03:33.Ronnie faced the 2005 world cham pi champion Murphy. 13 of the next 14
:03:34. > :03:39.frames Ronnie had a winner with a session to spare.
:03:40. > :03:49.There was a similar situation for Mark after a tight first section
:03:50. > :03:58.against Macmanus. He was able to pull away a comfortable winner.
:03:59. > :04:04.In the semi-final, the defending champion faced Barry Hawkins, a
:04:05. > :04:09.repeat of last year's final. Nothing left in the tank for Barry Hawkins,
:04:10. > :04:16.Ronnie wins with a session to spare and a day off before the big final.
:04:17. > :04:22.Ronnie O'Sullivan is into the final for three years in a row.
:04:23. > :04:28.Mark would have been expecting a huge battle against Neil Robertson
:04:29. > :04:33.and that is what he got. The game went to the wire and Mark
:04:34. > :04:39.eventually came out a winner. What a fantastic match!
:04:40. > :04:44.Congratulations to Mark Selby. His second Crucible final.
:04:45. > :04:52.There were some significant shots in that A-frame. Ronnie O'Sullivan,
:04:53. > :04:57.tight to the cushion - pink across - beautiful shot. You could expect to
:04:58. > :05:01.be tight with your cueing, but how beautifully did he hit that? And
:05:02. > :05:04.played position when he got the red into the pocket after that. Into the
:05:05. > :05:10.third frame, Ronnie O'Sullivan is cueing beautifully. He has
:05:11. > :05:14.third frame, Ronnie O'Sullivan is trademark blue to split the pack. We
:05:15. > :05:18.have spotted it there because one of the reds will dislodge that and put
:05:19. > :05:22.it into play. Table at his mercy, a great shot. Ronnie O'Sullivan seems
:05:23. > :05:28.to be in trouble, but he has spotted a long red. This is a brilliant
:05:29. > :05:32.piece of cueing. Lands on the brown, perfect shot, makes 63, wins the
:05:33. > :05:38.frame. Into the last frame, very important. Mark Selby 4-3 behind.
:05:39. > :05:42.Tries to work out a safety shot, looks OK. Double kiss, red into the
:05:43. > :05:46.pocket and all of a sudden, a chance for Mark Selby to get to 4-4, then
:05:47. > :05:50.this. One or two said he played this a little bit quickly. There is
:05:51. > :05:53.pressure isn't there? Once you have played that and had position, you
:05:54. > :05:56.have left the table for Ronnie O'Sullivan. That is what happened.
:05:57. > :06:07.It is 5-3 to Ronnie O'Sullivan. More to play for in the evening. Thank
:06:08. > :06:13.you. There's been a quickle 80 -- a quick 80-minute turn around. They
:06:14. > :06:18.await another call from our MC, Mr Walker. Thank you ladies and
:06:19. > :06:21.gentlemen. The time for the second act in an absolutely fabulous final
:06:22. > :06:29.here at the Crucible. Once again, we tonight!
:06:30. > :06:34.Two of the very best. But of one will become the Dafabet World
:06:35. > :06:45.Champion. APPLAUSE
:06:46. > :06:49.Please welcome a player who was brilliant here in the semis late
:06:50. > :06:53.last night. P seven years after his first Crucible final, he's back for
:06:54. > :06:59.another chance to take the sport's ultimate prize. She a
:07:00. > :07:04.multiple-ranking event winner, a multiple Masters winner. He holds
:07:05. > :07:08.his nerve on the big occasion. A brilliant ambassador for the sport.
:07:09. > :07:10.He plays with a smile on his face. Here comes the Jester from
:07:11. > :07:34.Leicester, Mark Selby. And his opponent. He's been gracing
:07:35. > :07:40.the And his opponent. He's been gracing
:07:41. > :07:45.than two decades now. Without a doubt, the most exciting snook ter
:07:46. > :07:49.player ever to grace the game. Winner of 26 title, including five
:07:50. > :07:54.Crucible crowns. Here he is, Winner of 26 title, including five
:07:55. > :08:03.to entertain once again. Raise the roof for the defending world
:08:04. > :08:11.champion. Blink and you'll miss him - the Rocket, Ronnie O'Sullivan.
:08:12. > :08:18.And a reminder that it is first of 18 in this best of 35-frame. They
:08:19. > :08:25.are playing nine more this evening. Ronnie had a two-frame advantage. It
:08:26. > :08:30.is surely to be lively in the commentary box. It is always lively
:08:31. > :08:35.with Ken in the box, as you well know. I am looking forward to this
:08:36. > :08:38.session. Good evening everybody. This afternoon, Mark Selby got away
:08:39. > :08:44.with a bit. The fact he's come out of the session 5-3 and could as you
:08:45. > :08:46.have seen have levelled at 4-4. This is a massive session. He needs to
:08:47. > :09:03.either win or at least hold Ronnie. Absolutely! What an atmosphere here.
:09:04. > :09:07.Both players received an ovation as they came in. We spoke about what
:09:08. > :09:11.sort of effect that match last night against Neil Robertson would have on
:09:12. > :09:35.Mark Selby and he certainly wasn't himself in the first session today.
:09:36. > :09:39.The highest break is the one I am really concerned about for Selby
:09:40. > :09:43.supporters. You cannot beat O'Sullivan if you don't make
:09:44. > :09:47.frame-winning breaks. Mark knows he'll have to improve in that
:09:48. > :09:49.department, which he obviously will. He didn't get with it at all this
:09:50. > :10:11.afternoon. Does that look all right? Yes?
:10:12. > :10:15.Mark Selby is saying just a little bit more. Making the shot a little
:10:16. > :10:21.harder, trying to get that cue ball in its original spot. He can just
:10:22. > :10:26.about clip the left-hand side of this red. He's got to be careful.
:10:27. > :10:31.If he hits it too much it might hit the jaws of the pocket. Now, he
:10:32. > :10:35.won't be warned here, because he cannot see that red full ball. He
:10:36. > :10:40.does not want to leave a free ball here. I think he has and I think
:10:41. > :10:45.he's left an easy opener for Ronnie O'Sullivan. A yellow into this
:10:46. > :11:43.pocket. Pretty straightforward, you would have to say.
:11:44. > :11:47.It had a wonderful angle on that brown to go into the pack as well.
:11:48. > :12:06.Take a chance. The table is very, very fast.
:12:07. > :12:59.He'll be disappointed with that, though.
:13:00. > :13:15.the way, having to swing it around three cushions. He'll have to play
:13:16. > :13:23.behind the yellow. He cannot behind the brown. He's played it super
:13:24. > :13:31.thin. It was all about the pink being in the way there.
:13:32. > :13:45.You have a wonderful view here, no matter where you sit in this
:13:46. > :14:18.wonderful theatre. A round of applause, but he may have
:14:19. > :14:23.left a possible pot. I am not sure the bottom red, will attempt to pot
:14:24. > :14:33.into this pocket on the right-hand side.
:14:34. > :14:40.That's pretty good! . That is one of the things Mark Selby did not get
:14:41. > :14:46.right and you would expect him to this afternoon, it was
:14:47. > :14:47.right and you would expect him to He's one of the best safety players
:14:48. > :15:49.of all time. In the final you play the match in
:15:50. > :15:55.sessions - minisession, even. If Mark Selby will be hoping for a 3-1
:15:56. > :16:00.or better and particularly over the evening session if you can win 5-3,
:16:01. > :16:06.then we're all level again. Were you ever behind in the final -
:16:07. > :16:11.I can't remember. Were you always in front? I was always ahead. I am sure
:16:12. > :16:23.Stephen would say the same. He would play exactly that same way.
:16:24. > :18:29.APPLAUSE That is better. Yes, a good reply.
:18:30. > :18:37.There's a chance for Ronnie here. The extreme left red. He'll try and
:18:38. > :19:30.knock this into the black and maybe bring it back to play.
:19:31. > :20:15.Well, just trying to nestle on to that red. He has over-hit that by
:20:16. > :20:21.some way. He's left a chance of a red down the
:20:22. > :20:25.cushion here. I am not sure, if the pink is available into the
:20:26. > :20:32.left-centre, he's having a quick look I looks very, very tight. What
:20:33. > :20:37.if the pink was available - he'd have to drop it into the corner
:20:38. > :20:40.pocket and have the pink into left-centre. Obviously the pink
:20:41. > :21:08.doesn't pot. Almost too clever there, using the
:21:09. > :21:14.red up and down, hoping to miss the kiss on the way back.
:21:15. > :22:10.At first glance, doesn't seem to have left anything easy.
:22:11. > :22:17.The fact he's got the brown now has left Selby pot into this left-hand
:22:18. > :22:39.corner pocket. That's very unlucky!
:22:40. > :22:44.Tried to find a gap and pot the red. Just have a look at this. Got a kiss
:22:45. > :22:54.and then of course it is the second kiss on the second red.
:22:55. > :23:55.A tiny kiss would have been OK. Try number two - maybe off the brown
:23:56. > :23:58.this time if he can't off the yellow. He'll try and bring one of
:23:59. > :24:43.them into play. Un Unbelievably - missed it by a
:24:44. > :26:32.fraction again! You expected him to score a few and
:26:33. > :26:38.all of a sudden, all the hard work, having potted three reds, three
:26:39. > :27:08.yellows, that was the first time he had the ball where he wants them.
:27:09. > :27:14.Black looked slightly off the cushion. He may be able to screw
:27:15. > :27:17.back. There is just that red left of the black spot. If he can get that
:27:18. > :27:24.into the same as the black the black spot. If he can get that
:27:25. > :27:26.he's just hit it perfectly! the black spot. If he can get that
:27:27. > :27:55.Absolutely perfect! A great shot! I am not sure he can play the kiss
:27:56. > :28:21.thick enough to push them both away. He will probably try and catch it
:28:22. > :28:25.half ball. Now, it is not guaranteed to get
:28:26. > :28:39.half ball. colour here off the angle here.
:28:40. > :28:48.That's very good. Not a lot of margin of error.
:28:49. > :28:53.Still not out of the woods yet! Nothing pots this side. He would
:28:54. > :28:55.love to get a kiss somehow. Doesn't know the angle because the reds on
:28:56. > :29:55.the Russian is in the way. Such a difficult pot. If those reds
:29:56. > :30:02.were not the way it would be straightforward. When you go into
:30:03. > :30:11.reds, it takes your eye off the pot slightly.
:30:12. > :30:24.Ronnie, deciding to hold the black. This is a tough pot.
:30:25. > :30:49.This has been a very scruffy game. Both players have had to work hard
:30:50. > :31:03.to make an opening. This now, is the best chance to score.
:31:04. > :31:13.Again, Ronnie can leave an angle on this red, just position the cue ball
:31:14. > :31:25.before the pink spot. He may disturb the red next to the pink. He has
:31:26. > :31:42.gone a little bit too far. Needs to go back down for black.
:31:43. > :32:06.He never, ever seems to miss that shot for some reason. It doesn't
:32:07. > :32:19.matter which one he hits, if he doesn't fancy it, he can play for
:32:20. > :32:38.the loose reds. Decided to play for the loose red, cannot blame him.
:32:39. > :33:10.Well, he attempted the double and almost got the trouble. -- treble.
:33:11. > :33:18.It is not straightforward to get this cue ball in a safe position.
:33:19. > :33:30.The red looks like it is touching the pink.
:33:31. > :33:40.That was risky. It is hard to understand that shot. He could see
:33:41. > :33:47.the red next to the pink. That was a risk. He did not want to hit the red
:33:48. > :33:49.next to the pink and put that red into the baulk area when he is 43
:33:50. > :34:22.behind. Three in France now for the second
:34:23. > :34:24.time in the match. -- three in front. Mark Selby will have to play
:34:25. > :34:42.catch-up again. A lovely shot, just floated the
:34:43. > :35:17.yellow in two cushions. Screw back, left handed on to the
:35:18. > :35:23.pink. What a shot at! -- shot! . He would be very pleased. He gives
:35:24. > :35:33.three clear at 6-3. The difference is now back to three
:35:34. > :35:42.frames and Mark Selby is struggling to find some fluency, the top break
:35:43. > :35:45.of 38, John. I obviously the leafy can compete matchplay wise, he has
:35:46. > :35:57.just not been scoring heavily and not. -- in. If you do not scorer
:35:58. > :36:04.against Ronnie, you are in trouble. Struggling with position. The rest
:36:05. > :36:09.sometimes when he had options. He had a bunch of reds, then an option
:36:10. > :36:14.for the red into the middle, and he got himself in trouble position
:36:15. > :36:21.wise. But I agree with John and with Willie, if he is not going to score,
:36:22. > :36:26.he has no chance. Four centuries, very positive in how he has gone in
:36:27. > :36:35.the last 16 days, but his dress sense that the final can inhibit
:36:36. > :36:40.you? He has been a bit inhibited. He is not scoring like he used to, but
:36:41. > :36:46.he is taking two chances to win those frames, not winning in one.
:36:47. > :36:49.Ronnie O'Sullivan have to take his chances. He is being clinical in
:36:50. > :36:58.finishing frames, as we have just seen.
:36:59. > :37:04.Couldn't agree more with the boys in the studio, Mark Selby does not have
:37:05. > :37:09.his scoring boots on in this final so far. In those last few frames
:37:10. > :37:14.last night in the semifinal, he was back to his imperious best, but at
:37:15. > :37:16.the moment in this final, he has not showed up yet, but he is still well
:37:17. > :37:31.in the match. But he has to improve. There is a lot more to come from
:37:32. > :37:43.Mark Selby, no doubt about that, but it has to come very, very quickly.
:37:44. > :37:49.He has clearly left the pot in the baulk, no chance to get onto a
:37:50. > :39:35.colour. The best result would be the brown on the middle pocket.
:39:36. > :39:43.Not quite sure if this angle is here on this red, but it is possible to
:39:44. > :39:48.try and pot this in the left corner and Mr Blackdown towards baulk. --
:39:49. > :40:02.and miss the black down. Just another example of how quick
:40:03. > :41:14.this table is. REFEREE: Foul and a miss. A bit
:41:15. > :41:20.short. Ronnie has the option to put them back. There is a red he can
:41:21. > :41:29.go. He can certainly get on the black. It is worth a chance. No
:41:30. > :41:32.point in putting them back. A chance for a pot and there you go. Well
:41:33. > :41:59.worth the risk. These two reds will pot into the
:42:00. > :42:13.left pocket. Pink and black are still available.
:42:14. > :42:20.Black is a little bit straight. A nice angle on the pink. Still a
:42:21. > :43:20.couple of loose reds available. Ironman 3 going to play for the one
:43:21. > :43:39.loose red this time, do not have do anything with the cue ball, just
:43:40. > :43:43.plain ball. -- he is going to play. Almost got a wry smile this
:43:44. > :43:46.evening, because he's a bit disappointed. Has not got the cue
:43:47. > :43:52.ball under control this evening so far. This will probably bring one
:43:53. > :44:04.red out right now because he knows he has got the red in the middle.
:44:05. > :44:10.Using the cannon, trying to nudge one ad, but it did not quite work.
:44:11. > :44:44.-- one out. From the blue into the pack is not
:44:45. > :45:06.easy. He ran a little bit too far to make it a certain.
:45:07. > :45:29.Not played this before from Ronnie, the extension without the rest.
:45:30. > :45:34.That is the first time I have ever seen Ronnie use the extension
:45:35. > :45:58.without the rest. Can't have been comfortable.
:45:59. > :46:06.He had to force that in. Bouncing the cue ball of the caution. --
:46:07. > :46:15.caution. Watch the cue ball bouncing. We talked about it
:46:16. > :46:26.yesterday in commentary... Sometimes it is about the angle. There, you
:46:27. > :46:35.can see the stats, equal, incredible.
:46:36. > :46:43.Just did not have the angle on the brown. Tried a similar shot that he
:46:44. > :46:53.played before, trying to bounce it and forced the angle.
:46:54. > :47:02.Maybe the three balls with a planned to put one safe. He has not looked
:47:03. > :47:09.at it. -- may be the three balls was a plant.
:47:10. > :47:21.A 57 point lead and a good safety shot.
:47:22. > :47:30.Whether market tends this pot here? He is coming down this end of the
:47:31. > :47:34.table, if you can leave the cue ball... Somewhere down the left-hand
:47:35. > :47:46.corner pocket. That is a pretty good return of
:47:47. > :48:49.safety. He did attempt that safety. He knew
:48:50. > :48:53.where he was putting the cue ball. It was very difficult for Mark Selby
:48:54. > :48:58.to attempt the pot. There was a red in the middle of those four. It is
:48:59. > :49:08.on into the yellow pocket. A couple in the middle of those four. It is
:49:09. > :49:10.of them. Two to the left. It may be worth taking on here, because again,
:49:11. > :49:18.it will not be leaving too much, worth taking on here, because again,
:49:19. > :49:37.should he miss. 57 points behind, you need to make something happen.
:49:38. > :49:47.Heaters the cue ball over too much. -- he turned the cue ball. At first
:49:48. > :50:03.glance, nothing easy. He will take this red on into the
:50:04. > :51:01.green pocket. That is not the best safety shot he
:51:02. > :51:17.has played. This red has gone pretty close to the right middle pocket.
:51:18. > :51:41.It is certainly not easy, but he will be taking it on.
:51:42. > :51:44.Very clever that in such a way he could only leave on the one he was
:51:45. > :52:02.going for. Made the pot difficult. Luckily for him, the red kissed the
:52:03. > :52:03.pink. Mark Selby can see this red passed the brand which means he can
:52:04. > :52:21.pot this red. -- the brown. This frame is now huge. If he could
:52:22. > :52:25.now clinch this frame... Apart from the green, you would think you would
:52:26. > :52:27.have a good chance. He will not have to worry about the pink until
:52:28. > :53:33.virtually the last ball. He is having some trouble with that
:53:34. > :53:38.top cushion out there today. Just about enough to be able to screw in
:53:39. > :53:42.behind the red. This is a good chance will stop as you said, he
:53:43. > :54:12.would be leaving that red in baulk until last.
:54:13. > :54:25.He played for the red in baulk this time. Does he have an angle to
:54:26. > :54:36.Brendan Green interplay? -- to bring green into play?
:54:37. > :54:47.Did he generate enough pace? I think it was a bit too thin? Yes.
:54:48. > :54:56.The key thing is getting back into the frame, blue, red, colour,
:54:57. > :55:00.yellow. Then, a good safety shot, and he will be right back into it,
:55:01. > :55:03.but he would love to have a go at the green. Doesn't want anybody to
:55:04. > :55:55.be involved in a safety battle. He needs to get a nice angle on the
:55:56. > :55:56.yellow. He may be able to force into the side cushion and get close to
:55:57. > :56:13.the green. Oh, dear, I do not think you will
:56:14. > :56:18.play this down the question. Just about the worst place he could have
:56:19. > :56:22.finished. The green is absolutely tight on the question. If he was
:56:23. > :56:31.behind it, you would fancy him knocking it in, but at this angle, I
:56:32. > :56:36.do not see the value. He will try to knock it off four, five cushions and
:56:37. > :56:50.get it close to the pink and black. A little bit higher with that break
:56:51. > :57:25.of 42. An excellent safety shot from
:57:26. > :57:29.Ronnie. Very good. That shot, it creates a lot of distance between
:57:30. > :57:36.black and pink and of course, Mark, if he's going to win this frame, he
:57:37. > :57:37.needs all remaining five colours, so a clever shot from Ronnie
:57:38. > :58:15.O'Sullivan. A nice shot. The caution first. --
:58:16. > :58:17.cushion. He has gone the other way. Try to bridge the green behind the
:58:18. > :58:36.black. He would love to play loads of
:58:37. > :58:51.right-hand side and straighten up the yellow behind the black.
:58:52. > :58:54.If he could cannon the green onto the black, he would play that, but
:58:55. > :59:09.it is too thin. It containing safety, lining them
:59:10. > :00:16.up, but not quite, it is not a snooker.
:00:17. > :00:24.He may plan an alternative shot than that. Plays on the left-hand side,
:00:25. > :00:28.he could get behind the black and brown. That's what he's gone for.
:00:29. > :00:38.There's the side. Perhaps a little bit too much.
:00:39. > :00:58.Looking to play a similar shot that he played on the other side of the
:00:59. > :01:16.table a little while ago. What's worse - a double kiss. I am
:01:17. > :01:48.sure this green pots. He only needs the brown and he's 18
:01:49. > :02:00.points ahead. Brown will put him 22 ahead, with just 18 remaining.
:02:01. > :02:03.Fantastic cueing from Ronnie O'Sullivan.
:02:04. > :03:19.Impeccable! Didn't hit that particularly well,
:03:20. > :03:58.so Ronnie will certainly be taking this blue on.
:03:59. > :05:21.The only problem with this is you don't get too many chances when you
:05:22. > :05:36.have only one ball to get behind, but not a bad chance here.
:05:37. > :05:58.And in it goes! What a pot from Ronnie O'Sullivan. He edges further
:05:59. > :05:59.ahead now in this match. It is Ronnie O'Sullivan, seven. Mark
:06:00. > :07:08.Selby, three. The last couple of frames have taken
:07:09. > :07:12.29 and 26 minutes. He was saying it is not often you have a match with
:07:13. > :07:18.Ronnie O'Sullivan than involves that kind of length. What concentration
:07:19. > :07:22.is he having to perform out there? Ronnie is prepared to do what is
:07:23. > :07:27.required to win it. He's made a huge improvement in his
:07:28. > :07:31.focus. He needs to apply himself in this
:07:32. > :07:39.match. If you are plafing Selby, that is one thing you've got to do.
:07:40. > :08:42.-- playing Selby, that is one thing you've got to do.
:08:43. > :09:00.APPLAUSE He's very fortunate there.
:09:01. > :09:09.Unless it is my mistake, there's nine frames tonight. There's still
:09:10. > :09:15.time to get back into this session. Not
:09:16. > :09:25.time to get back into this session. Robertson last night. It was top
:09:26. > :09:34.quality in the last session, but it was over 12 hours of play, that
:09:35. > :09:44.semi-final. It must have taken a little bit out of Mark's game today.
:09:45. > :09:52.This man, of course, had the afternoon off, winning a session to
:09:53. > :09:54.spare against Barry Hawkins, even the previous day against Shaun
:09:55. > :10:10.Murphy as well. Clever shot there. Trying to flick
:10:11. > :11:04.off the pack and bring another red into play.
:11:05. > :11:12.APPLAUSE REFEREE: Can you not call out when
:11:13. > :11:18.players are at the table, please? We could have a bit of a stalemate here
:11:19. > :11:24.because the problem ball is the red in the corner pocket. Ronnie may
:11:25. > :11:40.attempt to use the yellow and blue, but not on this occasion.
:11:41. > :11:47.Snrf have decided to start the frame again. I was wondering, the while
:11:48. > :11:52.the referee sets up the reds - do you think that match has taken a bit
:11:53. > :11:55.out of Mark today? He doesn't look like he has that sparkle that he had
:11:56. > :12:00.towards the end of that match last night? It is expectations, really.
:12:01. > :12:05.Having finished and played so well last night, he must have been so
:12:06. > :12:09.excited to think he can play against Ronnie in all departments. He must
:12:10. > :12:16.have come in shell shocked and all of a sudden it's not there.
:12:17. > :12:22.He's such a great match-player and I don't say that lightly. He does have
:12:23. > :12:28.time, but he's got to stay with Ronnie in this session.
:12:29. > :12:32.Absolutely and here we go again! Ronnie O'Sullivan breaks off.
:12:33. > :13:18.Left-handed, of course. APPLAUSE
:13:19. > :13:24.Didn't spot that plan, did you? A massive slice of luck. He's come
:13:25. > :13:39.close to the side cushion. Watch the red.
:13:40. > :14:00.Perfect! That's better! That will certainly
:14:01. > :14:12.give him a bit of confidence. Needs one good positional shot here.
:14:13. > :14:18.I think he's decided to try and push the boat out a bit now - find a pace
:14:19. > :14:32.that suits him better. Selby, at his best, I think you will
:14:33. > :14:33.agree somewhere around 23 seconds. When he's really playing well, he
:14:34. > :15:30.can be under 20. REFEREE: CAN YOU STOP CALLING OUT
:15:31. > :15:35.PLEASE? ONCE MORE AND YOU'RE GOING TO LEAVE.
:15:36. > :15:54.Somebody is getting a little cheery. Cheering Mark on.
:15:55. > :15:58.The red directly above the black - that is the red he would love to get
:15:59. > :16:11.on here. Just a bit too much - just a top-red
:16:12. > :16:18.pot. Maybe a red in the middle of that
:16:19. > :16:22.bunch, into the middle pocket. Unfortunately, for Mark, he's out of
:16:23. > :16:24.position again. He was trying to get on that red, just above the black
:16:25. > :16:56.and had a nice angle to knock it. The yellow into the corner. The
:16:57. > :17:03.right-hand side, just taking off. Full-ball contact on that red would
:17:04. > :17:09.have been perfect. That second prize - he has to really
:17:10. > :18:05.be scoring an awful lot more of those chances.
:18:06. > :18:12.He'll have to play an aggressive shot here. There is every chance a
:18:13. > :18:52.black will be brought into play with this shot.
:18:53. > :18:55.He would be worried about kissing the left just
:18:56. > :19:02.He would be worried about kissing two reds and get it back into baulk.
:19:03. > :19:09.That's the angle the cue ball would be taking. Of course, if he kisses
:19:10. > :19:15.that red... If the plant is a certainty, he'll take it on and
:19:16. > :19:27.he'll hope he gets on to pink, blue or baulk colour.
:19:28. > :19:54.Just can't get on the ball at the minute!
:19:55. > :20:04.Still got the cue ball here. It will not be easy to get this, not only
:20:05. > :20:31.hit the red, but to get it safe. Didn't even bother getting out of
:20:32. > :20:40.his chair there. He knew there was nothing that could definitely score.
:20:41. > :20:54.It is almost like the mark of Zorro here!
:20:55. > :22:34.Oh, goodness me! We often talk about this game being a game of fractions
:22:35. > :22:36.and as you can see from Mark's expression on his face, he thought
:22:37. > :24:38.he'd got that. These are the ones he wants to play,
:24:39. > :25:11.these two below the pink spot there. He's played it perfectly.
:25:12. > :25:20.The second one above the black - I presume he'll try and get on here.
:25:21. > :25:28.That will release, I am sure the sure.
:25:29. > :25:33.Just having a quick look at the score. He could get that middle red
:25:34. > :26:38.in and bring the black into play as well, if he wishes.
:26:39. > :26:46.These are worrying times for Mark Selby.
:26:47. > :26:52.Starting to look a little bit weary out there. Missed a couple of pot
:26:53. > :27:02.pots. APPLAUSE
:27:03. > :27:17.40 ahead. Two snookers required. APPLAUSE
:27:18. > :27:37.A rye smile from Ronnie there. He's just doing enough, Ronnie, at
:27:38. > :27:43.the moment. He's not playing anything like he can and we know
:27:44. > :27:47.Mark's not. He's still able to do just enough.
:27:48. > :27:54.This was the one that Mark was hoping to get a lead in the 23 he
:27:55. > :27:59.already had. It just bounced there. Look how many times that jawed -
:28:00. > :28:45.eight, ten times before it eventually stayed out.
:28:46. > :29:24.Yellow was a little bit of a problem ball here.
:29:25. > :29:39.Just clipping the yellow here. Why didn't he pot the red or even pink?
:29:40. > :29:55.He might not get a better chance! APPLAUSE
:29:56. > :30:23.He needs got it.
:30:24. > :30:39.Not so straightforward to pot the red because it is very hard to hold
:30:40. > :31:55.for the pink into the middle pocket. He played to slow the cue ball down
:31:56. > :32:04.by kissing into the black. Needs to be careful and hit the
:32:05. > :32:36.He has got a full ball snooker, but a straightforward hit from Ronnie
:32:37. > :34:01.O'Sullivan here. He didn't want the jaw a few shots
:34:02. > :34:03.ago, he was disappointed the jaw lost in the snooker, but this time,
:34:04. > :34:15.the jaw has gotten a snooker. That is the end of the frame, Mark
:34:16. > :34:40.Selby concedes. We were asking why didn't Mark Selby
:34:41. > :34:45.pot the red? Pot the red, pot the yellow, pop the black, he's just not
:34:46. > :34:50.thinking straight. If you missed it last night, he came to a classic
:34:51. > :34:53.semifinal against Neil Robertson, and a lot of frames in that
:34:54. > :34:58.semifinal were characterised by that, the failure to be able to come
:34:59. > :35:05.back and a lot of safety play taking up to ten, 15 minutes. It takes its
:35:06. > :35:10.toll, John. It all adds up. We have been watching it in the commentary
:35:11. > :35:16.box, the amount of times the player has not parted the last red and
:35:17. > :35:20.there is 15, 20 minutes, they've had to have another 20 minutes of mental
:35:21. > :35:28.energy expended before getting over the line. How weary does Mark Selby
:35:29. > :35:32.look right now in your opinion? He looks down. Ronnie has not been his
:35:33. > :35:36.best by any stretch, but he has not been able to get any authority in
:35:37. > :35:41.this match at all. He has not scored, he has not been able to
:35:42. > :35:53.impose himself. They car fire frames. Five on the bounce, and
:35:54. > :36:01.Ronnie has won four of them. Five clear.
:36:02. > :36:06.Mark Selby breaks off in this 12 frame, desperate to get a frame on
:36:07. > :37:36.the board this evening. He may have left this one to the
:37:37. > :37:42.corner pocket. The cue ball is very close to the red, of course, but...
:37:43. > :38:03.You have got to be carefully. Tried to screw it back away from the
:38:04. > :38:16.pink and possibly try to get on the pink and the black.
:38:17. > :38:32.A better pot. Needs to slow up, needs to slow up. Again, everything
:38:33. > :38:53.just being overhead from Mark Selby. -- over hit.
:38:54. > :39:06.He is getting a little frustrated, Mark. The cue ball has run away from
:39:07. > :39:12.him. Left half a chance from Ronnie O'Sullivan. He is coming around to
:39:13. > :39:19.see if he can take anything on and if it will cover the pot up? It
:39:20. > :39:24.doesn't look like he wants to entertain a pot now, going to play
:39:25. > :39:29.the safety. I do not think Ronnie was going to push the boat out. He
:39:30. > :39:39.will sense that Mark is struggling and will want to keep the pressure
:39:40. > :39:44.up. Doesn't want to give him any easy opportunities to get himself
:39:45. > :39:50.settled, because he has not settled so far this evening. Not a long way
:39:51. > :39:56.to go in this match. You win a couple of frames and then things can
:39:57. > :40:02.change very, very quickly. The part success for Mark Selby is down to
:40:03. > :40:05.84% within 90% average for Ronnie O'Sullivan. -- pot success. This is
:40:06. > :41:01.a big statistic. There is every chance now that Mark
:41:02. > :41:08.Selby could have lost the first four frames of this evening's session. He
:41:09. > :41:11.lost the last one of the afternoon session when he was looking like he
:41:12. > :43:02.was going to settle for-4. -- 4-4. Even though he missed judged the
:43:03. > :43:06.safety, he did not leave anything easy on. It is very tight, as you
:43:07. > :43:49.can see. A possible red to the right centre,
:43:50. > :44:49.but again, quite tricky. Ronnie O'Sullivan, he has Mark Selby
:44:50. > :44:55.on the rack at the moment, and he wants to keep him down, that is why
:44:56. > :45:03.he is not taking the red. He's been ultra-cautious. Joe Perry is the
:45:04. > :46:25.only one to have pushed him to the limit.
:46:26. > :47:57.Very rarely do you see a player playing a safety shot like that.
:47:58. > :48:04.This is the first safety shot that has got to be played perfectly. The
:48:05. > :48:26.last few safety shot said a lot of margin of error, not with this one.
:48:27. > :48:33.Such was the strength of Mark's safety, Ronnie O'Sullivan decided to
:48:34. > :48:39.push the boat out, he had no other shot. Now, Mark Selby, if he has got
:48:40. > :48:41.any aspirations of getting back into this session, that needs to start
:48:42. > :50:02.now. He doesn't have to worry about
:50:03. > :50:48.disturbing any reds. He needs to play a cannon soon,
:50:49. > :50:57.because the five reds will not be available to the middle pocket.
:50:58. > :51:14.He would really like another 40 points from here!
:51:15. > :51:49.The red directly above the lack will pot. -- the black.
:51:50. > :51:57.He wants to make everything perfect at the minute and I do not blame him
:51:58. > :51:59.at all. This is his highest break of the match so far. He really needs to
:52:00. > :52:18.make it a frame when. -- winner. He could run through for the black
:52:19. > :52:34.but he is screwing back for the blue.
:52:35. > :52:42.He could just about hold it. Does not have to pay the cannon hard on
:52:43. > :53:20.the blue. That was a big mistake, he missed
:53:21. > :53:56.his target of the four reds. Sometimes, you try to make sure that
:53:57. > :54:08.you will not make any mistakes, so you do not take a risk. A good
:54:09. > :54:11.safety shot, 56 point in front. -- points. A favourite, at last, to win
:54:12. > :54:48.a frame in this session. He is 60 points ahead, so just this
:54:49. > :54:50.red to leave Ronnie O'Sullivan needing a snooker. Such a relieved
:54:51. > :55:54.Mark Selby. Ronnie O'Sullivan, purposely trying
:55:55. > :56:01.to get the pink on the spot, because that would make things easier.
:56:02. > :57:03.Trying to drop the pink in dead weight.
:57:04. > :57:07.They should be in their dressing room now, waiting for the next five
:57:08. > :57:18.frames. When you're struggling like Mark
:57:19. > :57:27.Selby is at the moment, everything goes wrong. Did, covered the
:57:28. > :57:40.right-hand cushion. Plenty of room round the back of this red.
:57:41. > :57:47.If you play it two cushions, there is room around the pack. Two
:57:48. > :58:12.cushions gives you a bigger target. An excellent shot. Not out of the
:58:13. > :58:52.woods just yet. Straightforward off the red down behind the black again.
:58:53. > :58:58.With the green where it is, Ronnie could not leave the red on. It will
:58:59. > :59:23.certainly be frame over now. He would be relieved. His cup of tea
:59:24. > :59:30.will taste a little bit better! Now he has got his first frame for
:59:31. > :59:32.tonight's session on the board. Still, he has got a lot of work to
:59:33. > :59:49.do. Four frames behind, but the first of
:59:50. > :59:56.18, a long way to go. This match, along which go just yet. Certainly
:59:57. > :00:24.not going to throw in the towel, he is a fighter.
:00:25. > :00:31.Well the pink doesn't go in but Mark Selby won't mind. His has his first
:00:32. > :00:36.frame on the board this evening but still, Ronnie O'Sullivan leads by
:00:37. > :00:38.four frames now, -4. ?
:00:39. > :00:44.STUDIO: He has his first frame on the board and top break of 55. Those
:00:45. > :00:49.four frames have taken nearly two hours to complete. Not often you say
:00:50. > :00:54.that in a match involving Ronnie owe you will have van. He has been
:00:55. > :00:55.showing concentration and respect for Mark Selby in