:00:57. > :01:21.Welcome to one of the best days in sport, the last day, we are half way
:01:22. > :01:25.through the Crucible final between the defending champion and the world
:01:26. > :01:31.number three who hung on grimly as the Rocket threatened to turn on the
:01:32. > :01:34.afterburners yesterday. There is only three frames between these men
:01:35. > :01:41.with a possible 18 more to play today, so what will happen when
:01:42. > :01:50.snooker's irresistible force meets its immovable object? We're about to
:01:51. > :01:56.find out. Mark is a great player. I have had my problems with Mark in
:01:57. > :02:09.matches over the years. The way he played, he played fantastic. Over
:02:10. > :02:12.the last two or three years I have had more admiration for Mark Selby
:02:13. > :02:23.because I know how tough the mental side of the game is. He is a tough
:02:24. > :02:27.nut to crack. If it goes scrappy, I am willing to stay out there as long
:02:28. > :02:37.as possible and I believe in my own ability. When I won it before, I
:02:38. > :02:51.thought it cemented my legacy in the game. It is my childhood dream to be
:02:52. > :03:09.a world champion. If I got, I could compare myself to Stephen Hendry. --
:03:10. > :03:14.six. As Ronnie O'Sullivan I felt comfortable out there, but even so I
:03:15. > :03:25.think I have missed the trade by only being 10-7 overnight. I
:03:26. > :03:29.suffered a bit of a hangover from the semifinal match but I can be
:03:30. > :03:36.really proud of myself the way I hung around all day and to win the
:03:37. > :03:39.final two frames, I slept well. Even though I know my opponents will
:03:40. > :03:45.probably play better today than he did yesterday, I think I can handle
:03:46. > :03:51.anything he throws at me. If I can win this afternoon's session, I more
:03:52. > :03:55.or less have my hands on the trophy. If I can win the session, I am right
:03:56. > :04:03.back in the match and I am not going anywhere. Mark Selby has had a
:04:04. > :04:07.chance to get some rest overnight. You looked drained yesterday after
:04:08. > :04:19.his marathon semifinal -- he looked. Ronnie looking for a sixth
:04:20. > :04:27.world title. The Crucible arena awaits.
:04:28. > :04:34.History is about to be made once again in this atmospheric arena, the
:04:35. > :05:06.last they all adapt at the bit World Championship final. Let us get the
:05:07. > :05:10.boys. -- Dafabet. Please welcome a player who so often thrives on the
:05:11. > :05:18.Billy Dahmer biggest occasions of all, he has lifted six major titles
:05:19. > :05:24.and become when of the very best in the world. He is one of the sport's
:05:25. > :05:55.finest ambassadors, he always plays with a smile on his face, the Jester
:05:56. > :05:59.from Leicester, Mark Selby. His opponent, the most exciting player
:06:00. > :06:04.ever to grace the modern game. He has been entertaining the world for
:06:05. > :06:08.more than two decades, five times a winner at the Crucible, the
:06:09. > :06:32.defending world champion, the Rocket, Ronnie O'Sullivan.
:06:33. > :06:41.Eight more frames to play. We will not be short on talking points. We
:06:42. > :06:51.have Ken Doherty and Dennis Taylor in the commentary box.
:06:52. > :07:00.Good afternoon to everyone watching. What an important session Mark Selby
:07:01. > :07:03.is about to start. The atmosphere is fantastic. The final day of the
:07:04. > :07:19.World Snooker Championship. He needs to carry on from where he
:07:20. > :07:30.left off. He finished off with a 58 and 62 break. So important, those
:07:31. > :07:35.last two games. It does not get much better than this as a snooker
:07:36. > :07:45.player. Mark Selby will have got a good night's sleep having won those
:07:46. > :07:52.two frames. A good start from Mark Selby. I am sure this table is
:07:53. > :08:07.getting quicker. Watch the cue ball, it keeps on
:08:08. > :08:20.running. That was an attacking shot.
:08:21. > :08:28.That sends out the intention from Ronnie O'Sullivan.
:08:29. > :08:45.It is great to see Stephen Fry here again. Most players would have
:08:46. > :08:54.rolled in behind that. Watch the side spin he got off the second
:08:55. > :09:15.cushion particularly. An excellent shot.
:09:16. > :09:23.He is definitely going to go for his shots. He is not going to get locked
:09:24. > :09:27.in a safety battle even though he is quite proficient in that part of the
:09:28. > :09:36.game. He is going to attack from the front.
:09:37. > :09:43.He showed that with the yellow we keep referring to. This is the start
:09:44. > :09:53.he was looking for, not the start Mark Selby was after.
:09:54. > :10:23.Cannot separate them on the tactical side of the game.
:10:24. > :10:35.Not a good pack to go in. The highest break for Mark just 62. He
:10:36. > :10:37.made four centuries against the semifinal -- in the semifinal
:10:38. > :10:46.against Neil Robertson. He does not want to go into the two
:10:47. > :11:07.reds next to the pink. They do not think he is on
:11:08. > :11:13.anything. Possibly into the green pocket. A possible bubble on. --
:11:14. > :11:27.double. He stunned it in, which was the way
:11:28. > :11:34.to open up the reds, but it did not work out for him. He took the
:11:35. > :11:42.to open up the reds, but it did not on. He played it to nothing.
:11:43. > :11:51.to open up the reds, but it did not not think he can see
:11:52. > :11:57.to open up the reds, but it did not This could be an awkward frame.
:11:58. > :11:58.to open up the reds, but it did not Because of the two reds at the top
:11:59. > :12:10.of the table. How did that stay out? That is three
:12:11. > :13:00.reds up the other end of the table. What an unusual frame. Look at the
:13:01. > :13:13.green. I have never seen that before at the start of the frame. Amazing.
:13:14. > :13:54.There is the drummer of iron -- Iron Maiden.
:13:55. > :14:05.He has to be a little bit careful with the yellow and his waistcoat.
:14:06. > :14:12.There is another red headed up to the other end.
:14:13. > :14:27.That is Ronnie Junior. He looks like his dad. I do not know how they are
:14:28. > :14:53.going to resolve this. Having a look to see if he can get
:14:54. > :15:01.by the bunch of reds. I am not sure if he has enough of it. If he can
:15:02. > :15:15.see in-off of it, it is worth taking it on. -- enough.
:15:16. > :15:33.Not enough of the red to attempt the pot. This is quite unusual.
:15:34. > :15:38.I wonder if there is a possible plant. Two reds quite close
:15:39. > :15:48.together. He has not entertained the
:15:49. > :16:09.possibility. It is quite amazing, we have had
:16:10. > :16:20.three re-racks in this match and we might have another. Ronnie would not
:16:21. > :16:27.really want to have a re-rack with this lead. It happened once in the
:16:28. > :16:42.world team Championship, Northern Ireland against England.
:16:43. > :16:58.The balls were re-rack -- re-racked and then Steve made a great break.
:16:59. > :17:12.That was the end of that frame. He has to watch the double case if
:17:13. > :17:22.he is trying to get over to the black. That has sorted things out
:17:23. > :17:30.because there is a red on for both middle pocket Santi Cazorla move the
:17:31. > :17:41.yellow or the green. -- pockets and he can remove the yellow.
:17:42. > :17:48.What a chance he has gifted Mark Selby. He will try to remove the
:17:49. > :17:56.green from the pocket. That will open it up for the four
:17:57. > :18:13.reds into that pocket. Red, green, red, yellow, pretty easy
:18:14. > :18:35.prediction. The frame is back to normal. He does
:18:36. > :18:40.not have to remove that yellow. The back red of the three will go and
:18:41. > :18:49.that will clear the path for the other two.
:18:50. > :19:11.To nudge one of these reds further into open play. The pink spot is
:19:12. > :19:36.freed. This is an excellent opportunity to close the gap.
:19:37. > :19:41.From a psychological point of view, it is a big frame for Mark Selby
:19:42. > :19:55.because Ronnie will be thinking, that was a careless shot I played.
:19:56. > :19:58.Starting to get a little awkward with all the
:19:59. > :20:10.He will have to pot quite a few to of the table.
:20:11. > :20:35.He will have to pot quite a few to leave himself where Ronnie needs
:20:36. > :20:44.A little bit straight on this red. He will have to use his extension.
:20:45. > :20:47.Ideally he would like to get on the yellow from this red, if he can
:20:48. > :21:03.somehow get across. To bring the red further into play,
:21:04. > :21:33.that would be perfect. He did not have the angle to get
:21:34. > :21:42.over to the red, but still he is in a good position.
:21:43. > :21:48.The red beside the green is no problem because once the yellow is
:21:49. > :22:19.potted that red will be open to that pocket.
:22:20. > :22:47.He will have to get high value colours.
:22:48. > :23:22.If he takes the brown with these two remaining reds, Ronnie will require
:23:23. > :23:40.a snooker. Certainly looking a little bit
:23:41. > :23:55.fresher this afternoon. At times last night he looked jaded. He had a
:23:56. > :24:06.big semifinal against Neil Robertson. At times last night it
:24:07. > :24:18.looked as if it had taken it out of him, but he looks fresher today.
:24:19. > :24:25.If people at the red, the brown and the yellow Ronnie will need a
:24:26. > :24:54.snooker. -- key pots the red. He has taken them well. It was
:24:55. > :25:16.carelessness from Ronnie that was what created this.
:25:17. > :25:32.Steve Davis was saying before, I am sure Mark had a good night was Max
:25:33. > :25:35.the -- Nate's sleep, and it is the best possible start for him, but the
:25:36. > :26:04.frame is not quite safe. A nice 55 break from Mark Selby. He
:26:05. > :26:18.will not be happy with where the pink has gone.
:26:19. > :26:39.That was some shot on the green, but he did not play the pot.
:26:40. > :26:55.He did not get enough side. A very good start from Ronnie. It was just
:26:56. > :27:09.the split on the reds. He made a mistake on me in-off.
:27:10. > :27:16.It was an unusual frame with the yellow offer one pocket and the
:27:17. > :27:32.green over another, something very rarely seen at the start of a frame.
:27:33. > :27:40.Playing an exhibition shot. You would not say it was perfect. He has
:27:41. > :27:51.gone for another trick shot. What about that for a finish! Mark Selby
:27:52. > :27:56.with a break of 55 has given himself the best possible start.
:27:57. > :28:04.He looks fresher today. I wonder what part he would have
:28:05. > :28:12.taken from winning the two final frames. It has changed the match. I
:28:13. > :28:19.spoke to him immediately after the session outside and he said, I
:28:20. > :28:28.missed the black off the spot, and last night I only lost 5-4, I am
:28:29. > :28:38.shattered. From Ronnie's perspective, to be 10-7 ahead, 10-8
:28:39. > :28:44.now, will he be starting to worry? Yes. If you are playing much better
:28:45. > :28:50.than Europe on and you want to be pulling away a bigger lead. -- your
:28:51. > :29:05.opponent. It'll be interesting to see Ronnie reacts.
:29:06. > :29:22.That was a good rake off -- break. Every time he breaks off, that red
:29:23. > :29:32.goes next to the black, it is amazing, it happens all the time.
:29:33. > :29:52.It is quite unusual. He seems to get more spin on the ball.
:29:53. > :30:10.He has not missed the middle pocket. Let us look at the break. He gets a
:30:11. > :30:21.little bit more side spin. REFEREE: Foul and a miss. Ronnie
:30:22. > :30:35.O'Sullivan 4. DENNIS TAYLOR: That is what he is
:30:36. > :31:02.trying to do. REFEREE: Foul and a miss. Ronnie
:31:03. > :31:08.O'Sullivan 4. He will have to lose that nickname
:31:09. > :31:20."Sat-nav" Selby! KEN DOHERTY: If Hawkeye ever takes
:31:21. > :31:44.up the game we are all in trouble! REFEREE: Foul and a miss. Ronnie
:31:45. > :31:48.O'Sullivan 4. This is baffling. There you see it again. It seems
:31:49. > :32:02.like it is coming off at a strange angle.
:32:03. > :32:10.REFEREE: Foul and a miss. Ronnie O'Sullivan 6.
:32:11. > :32:18.This is incredible. 22 points away in fouls. He won't really
:32:19. > :32:19.This is incredible. 22 points away doesn't want to give Ronnie an easy
:32:20. > :32:30.opening. He has the pace of the table. That
:32:31. > :33:51.was judged to perfection. Mark just checking to see if he will
:33:52. > :34:06.be knocking any reds towards the left-hand corner pocket.
:34:07. > :35:18.The standard of safety play at the moment is excellent.
:35:19. > :35:24.We showed you the stat at the beginning, that they were evenly
:35:25. > :35:47.matched in the safety success department. Ronnie 1% ahead now.
:35:48. > :35:54.Does this red go at the back of the bunch, the one to the right of the
:35:55. > :35:58.cue ball? If it does, he could take it on and push the white through
:35:59. > :36:08.those reds and maybe bring the pink into play.
:36:09. > :36:19.That has opened the game up. He only hit one red there, believe it or
:36:20. > :36:25.not. Look where he's knocked it to. He thought most of the reds would
:36:26. > :36:26.move there. Amazing. One of those shots that you try and bounce the
:36:27. > :36:34.cue ball. We have seen a lot of those shots
:36:35. > :36:40.this week. It was a rule that did change. It
:36:41. > :37:13.used to be a foul shot, that. Then they worded the rule "jumping
:37:14. > :37:34.an intervening ball". He may just - can he see enough of that red? No.
:37:35. > :38:05.At the moment, Selby's safety is forcing opportunities from Ronnie
:38:06. > :38:13.O'Sullivan. That's a bit too hard. The black is
:38:14. > :39:27.tied up. He's got the blue into the middle.
:39:28. > :39:29.He's so close to that cushion on the right-hand side. It makes the pot
:39:30. > :39:55.more difficult. Good pot. His intended red was to
:39:56. > :40:00.the right of the pink. Potting this red next to the black will certainly
:40:01. > :40:04.release the black and maybe those two reds beside it. I think he'll
:40:05. > :40:36.play the safety here. If he gets back to 10-9 after being
:40:37. > :40:38.five frames behind, you know, suddenly you would have to think
:40:39. > :40:57.Mark Selby is looking the favourite. We have seen what Ronnie can do.
:40:58. > :40:59.Against Joe Perry he made a couple of century breaks when he was asked
:41:00. > :41:20.the question. The two reds you see Mark looking at
:41:21. > :41:29.- he is wondering if he can make The two reds you see Mark looking at
:41:30. > :41:39.them into a plant into this bottom left-hand corner pocket. He has to
:41:40. > :41:41.hit the first red almost full-ball. He will be taking a chance
:41:42. > :41:56.hit the first red almost full-ball. Maybe worth having a go.
:41:57. > :42:03.I don't think he's left it for Ronnie, so good shot.
:42:04. > :42:08.I don't think he's left it for a look at it. I don't think he can
:42:09. > :42:38.get at it from where the cue ball is positioned.
:42:39. > :42:47.That would be a brave shot for the pink to the middle pocket.
:42:48. > :42:52.He is normally pretty attacking, is Mark, when he gets going. He is
:42:53. > :42:57.checking to see what he would leave if he did take that on.
:42:58. > :43:11.He looks in a pretty confident mood. He is taking it on.
:43:12. > :43:18.Just have a look where he's put the cue ball. Mind you, once he missed
:43:19. > :43:23.the pot by so much, that red could have brought some of the other reds
:43:24. > :43:25.into play. I don't think there is any available for Ronnie.
:43:26. > :43:27.into play. I don't think there is jawed that red, it could have
:43:28. > :44:04.definitely pushed a few on. He is coming back down to have a
:44:05. > :44:19.look at those two reds. They haven't moved. So will he take a chance?
:44:20. > :44:44.Well worked out. No colour to follow. So, a safety shot. Yeah, the
:44:45. > :45:00.plant was quite a difficult one. If he could drop in behind the
:45:01. > :45:03.green, it would be quite a good shot. He will have to do it off the
:45:04. > :45:09.brown. He's played it well.
:45:10. > :45:53.REFEREE: Mark Selby, 1. He's got to land on the red to the
:45:54. > :46:03.left of the two from behind, to leave everything safe.
:46:04. > :46:17.REFEREE: Foul and a miss. Mark Selby, 4.
:46:18. > :46:30.He's decided to put Ronnie back in. Hoping that Ronnie will hit it
:46:31. > :46:34.harder and leave an easier pot. It is amazing, Ken, since that opening
:46:35. > :46:40.frame when he split into the reds on 32, he hasn't been in with any sort
:46:41. > :46:50.of chance, Ronnie, has he? He hasn't had a chance at all.
:46:51. > :47:14.They are going to check with the monitor.
:47:15. > :47:20.I think Ronnie could see more of the cushion. That is what he is trying
:47:21. > :47:31.to explain to the referee. That looks pretty good.
:47:32. > :47:54.I don't think it makes much difference to the shot.
:47:55. > :48:02.REFEREE: Foul and a miss, Mark Selby, 4. That was the reason Mark
:48:03. > :48:04.had it put back. He had a difficult red into the middle and he thought
:48:05. > :48:18.about it. Ronnie's hit it too hard. He is in with a very good chance
:48:19. > :48:24.here. OK, the black is out of commission. There are three or four
:48:25. > :48:31.reds available. The pink and blue are on their spots virtually.
:48:32. > :48:40.At the moment, it's Mark Selby's matchplay, good safety play that is
:48:41. > :49:01.creating these opportunities. This is not the type of game Ronnie
:49:02. > :49:05.wants. It is a classic of completely different styles, Dennis. Mark was
:49:06. > :49:09.saying in his interview, if he wants an open game, I don't mind that. He
:49:10. > :49:19.is quite capable of knocking the big breaks in.
:49:20. > :49:29.You don't get to win three Masters without being able to mix it and
:49:30. > :49:35.break-build. He is a class act. The only thing missing from his CV is
:49:36. > :49:37.the World Championship. He will give it his best shot now, you can sense
:49:38. > :49:56.that. REFEREE: Quiet up there, please.
:49:57. > :50:52.A little bit of noise in the crowd. There is not much available now to
:50:53. > :50:57.Mark. He hasn't got the greatest of angles.
:50:58. > :51:05.If that red goes into the left corner, he can get back up. He has
:51:06. > :51:12.plenty of cue power to screw that back. Not sure if that red, two from
:51:13. > :51:19.the left side of the black, is available.
:51:20. > :51:31.No problem with the power. He's played a great shot there.
:51:32. > :51:55.Great shot, wasn't it? A tremendous amount of screw-back and sidespin.
:51:56. > :52:41.Ronnie O'Sullivan looking very comfortable last night at 10-5. At
:52:42. > :52:56.the moment, he will be feeling a bit more uncomfortable in that chair.
:52:57. > :53:07.Still got a couple of tricky ones here.
:53:08. > :53:14.They have played each other 18 times and Ronnie has won 11. They have
:53:15. > :53:18.only played each other once in the World Championship. That was the
:53:19. > :53:27.quarterfinal in 2010. Mark won that 13-11.
:53:28. > :53:33.This is going to turn out to be a fascinating final. 44 the
:53:34. > :53:43.difference. That clears the path for that red.
:53:44. > :53:52.When he pots the pink, he will need That clears the path for that red.
:53:53. > :54:30.one more red to make the frame safe. Interesting choice from Mark. If he
:54:31. > :54:37.had potted the black, Ronnie would need a snooker.
:54:38. > :54:49.Oh! Can you believe it? REFEREE: Mark Selby, 52.
:54:50. > :54:54.Ronnie has to get on the black. He can still tie, but can he get nicely
:54:55. > :55:11.on the black? He just had to roll that in.
:55:12. > :55:19.Just ran a bit further than he would have liked.
:55:20. > :55:28.No. REFEREE: Ronnie O'Sullivan, 1.
:55:29. > :55:34.He wanted to be a bit straighter on that black.
:55:35. > :55:47.APPLAUSE Ronnie comes to the table, 50 points
:55:48. > :56:28.behind. Ronnie carrying on, simply because
:56:29. > :56:30.of the black and green. They are in a pretty good position for possible
:56:31. > :56:49.snookers. Not often you would see Ronnie play
:56:50. > :57:09.on when he needs three snookers. He's played this well. He may stay
:57:10. > :57:13.on his seat here. REFEREE: Frame conceded. Frame to
:57:14. > :57:19.Mark Selby. He does! Mark Selby, what a start
:57:20. > :57:25.for the Jester from Leicester. He is one behind now.
:57:26. > :57:36.STEVE DAVIS: Mark Selby has clawed his way back into this match. Mark
:57:37. > :57:41.Selby was helped by bizarre circumstances. Ronnie O'Sullivan
:57:42. > :57:46.missed a massive tactical trick here. The yellow and green over the
:57:47. > :57:50.bottom two baulk pockets. Six reds down in that area. It was going to
:57:51. > :57:54.be very difficult for Ronnie O'Sullivan to force an error from
:57:55. > :58:00.Mark Selby, who didn't have to push the situation. He could play for a
:58:01. > :58:04.stalemate. He could play for a draw. Ronnie O'Sullivan, swayed by the
:58:05. > :58:07.fact he was 32 points in front, and he thought that was an advantage. In
:58:08. > :58:20.this situation, it is not much of an advantage. How is he going to get
:58:21. > :58:25.Mark Selby to to play a positive shot. Ronnie O'Sullivan could try
:58:26. > :58:29.and get the cue ball down behind the black and somehow force an error. It
:58:30. > :58:32.was going to be so difficult. I think all of the reds were going to
:58:33. > :58:36.be pushed into the bottom half of the table and the safety play was
:58:37. > :58:42.going to be played to the top. Ronnie O'Sullivan should have said
:58:43. > :58:45.look, I'm happy with a re-rack. Mark Selby was delighted. Ronnie
:58:46. > :58:49.O'Sullivan played the shot. He mis-hit it and he went in-off. He
:58:50. > :58:55.was asking for trouble by not asking for the re-rack. He hit this far too
:58:56. > :59:02.thick. Mark Selby was left with a chance he should never have had.
:59:03. > :59:06.HAZEL IRVINE: He's won the last four frames and he is drawing Ronnie into
:59:07. > :59:10.the game he doesn't want to play? It is amazing. The first half a dozen
:59:11. > :59:18.shots of each frame are vital for Ronnie. If he doesn't get in first,
:59:19. > :59:29.it will turn into a half-hour frame. John, how much he -- is he breaking
:59:30. > :59:33.Ronnie's rhythm? For an hour-and-a-half Ali Carter didn't
:59:34. > :59:37.see a ball the other night. Every time he came to the table, he was in
:59:38. > :59:42.trouble. Every shot Selby played had a purpose about it. Let's put it
:59:43. > :59:48.where it's the maximum trouble and he did it all through the game. Ali
:59:49. > :59:53.Carter said he froze him out in that match.
:59:54. > :59:56.Mark Selby is on a roll in this final.
:59:57. > :00:11.REFEREE: Mark Selby to break. Mark Selby breaks all just one frame
:00:12. > :00:32.behind. It is very true what Stephen Hendry
:00:33. > :00:38.said, the first half a dozen shots for Ronnie O'Sullivan, if he does
:00:39. > :00:39.not get in early, the frame becomes more prolonged and Mark Selby
:00:40. > :01:00.becomes the favourite. Where is the red going to finish? He
:01:01. > :01:07.could not really play for the black because he knew he would put Mark
:01:08. > :01:15.Wright in amongst them. He tried to screw back for the blue. He does not
:01:16. > :01:19.want to start pushing the boat out and going for too many risky ones
:01:20. > :02:32.because his safety is top drawer. He wanted to get the black back on
:02:33. > :02:36.its spot but he could not do that until he removed the red. That is
:02:37. > :02:58.why he played for it. An unwanted kiss. He could still get
:02:59. > :03:06.on the red. That was the unwanted flick on the red. He could avoid the
:03:07. > :03:15.cannon on the green. I thought he could avoid the green. I think he
:03:16. > :04:38.thought he was going to avoid the green.
:04:39. > :04:49.The red has come up to the other end of the table. There is
:04:50. > :04:50.The red has come up to the other end ball. He could take this onto one of
:04:51. > :05:08.the corner pockets. He did not attempt it, instead led a
:05:09. > :05:11.more aggressive safety shot. Has he left the red into the corner? It
:05:12. > :05:25.does not look like it. He wanted to get the game open, but
:05:26. > :05:37.Mark Selby is such a good safety player.
:05:38. > :05:51.He might be able to get through to this one. Near the left corner
:05:52. > :05:52.pocket. A key shot. He has been kept away from the scoring end of the
:05:53. > :06:16.table for a couple of frames. He is looking at the tip again. He
:06:17. > :06:28.did that last night and then missed an easy black.
:06:29. > :06:38.A nice this on the pink to bring that into play. Excellent viewing.
:06:39. > :07:03.There was a bit of pressure on that shot. -- cueing.
:07:04. > :07:15.Trying to get that black back on its spot.
:07:16. > :07:22.It shows you, these pockets, Ronnie is one of the best at potting these
:07:23. > :07:30.along the cushion, but when the pressure is on, it is amazing, if
:07:31. > :07:31.you force them, to be fair, the red jumped, maybe just threw it off line
:07:32. > :08:04.slightly. You could see even the white jumped
:08:05. > :08:05.a little bit. These pockets seem tighter since we got to the
:08:06. > :08:59.semifinal stages. A delicate little shot. Sometimes
:09:00. > :09:13.you put yourself in trouble. He has cut off the escape.
:09:14. > :09:19.He has left a red for the middle. If he has an angle to go for the blue,
:09:20. > :09:36.he will take this on. There are two reds he could take to
:09:37. > :09:49.the middle. Maybe the angle is not there for the easier pot.
:09:50. > :10:13.Good shot, he has cannoned the pink. He did not intend to cannon the
:10:14. > :10:19.pink. That has gone a little bit awkward. He can still cut this
:10:20. > :10:47.Barone back -- brown. When you are struggling sometimes
:10:48. > :10:49.you are dropping behind the black when things are not going well for
:10:50. > :11:01.you. He is OK. He has covered the brown. That is
:11:02. > :11:16.very unlucky. He could try to attempt the blue,
:11:17. > :11:47.but it is very risky. It is almost straight. He has to
:11:48. > :12:25.raise the cue. That was a nice little run, as we
:12:26. > :12:36.show you the red going in. He would not have had an easy pot, I
:12:37. > :13:13.do not think. Watch the white, it flicks the jaw
:13:14. > :13:20.of the pocket and over next to the red.
:13:21. > :14:24.Mark Selby looks completely different player from yesterday. --
:14:25. > :14:39.a completely different player. Nice break.
:14:40. > :14:46.42 on the first 11 frames. Looking at completely different player now.
:14:47. > :14:55.He is showing fantastic character. He still has that mannerism where he
:14:56. > :15:12.moves around. He has always He is the complete player. He has
:15:13. > :15:24.worked on that and his technique. This would be five in a row, believe
:15:25. > :16:01.it or not. He needs the black, he needs one
:16:02. > :16:16.more red and a colour to take the frame. That will draw him level.
:16:17. > :16:57.Yes, it is in. This black would secure the frame. This has been an
:16:58. > :17:08.incredible turnaround. His family will look on.
:17:09. > :17:53.You could hear a pin drop. The crowd were not expecting this from Mark
:17:54. > :17:59.Selby. It is a fascinating contest, the way Ronnie O'Sullivan started
:18:00. > :18:08.this match, even Stephen Hendry said it could be over very soon, but Mark
:18:09. > :18:15.stuck in. He has shown all his qualities and all of a sudden this
:18:16. > :18:19.match has swung in his favour. Ronnie O'Sullivan's fans and friends
:18:20. > :18:32.will be very earned at the moment. -- concerned.
:18:33. > :18:39.Ronnie O'Sullivan stays in his chair. An incredible comeback from
:18:40. > :18:48.Mark Selby. That is five in a row that Ronnie
:18:49. > :18:57.O'Sullivan has lost, he has only done that once in a final. What a
:18:58. > :19:04.turnaround. There was a blue to middle early on. What did this tell
:19:05. > :19:10.us? If there was any doubt about how he is under pressure, there is one
:19:11. > :19:15.gold on this. That was a massive shot with lots of pressure. He is
:19:16. > :19:21.very confident. He is playing good stuff. What might surprise everyone
:19:22. > :19:36.is that when you look at Mark Selby 's cheeks violently -- he shakes. A
:19:37. > :19:41.few players do this. They play the best snooker when they are doing
:19:42. > :19:51.that. I think he has had a 50 break in every frame he has won.
:19:52. > :20:08.It is even. An intriguing last frame before the mid-session interval.
:20:09. > :20:19.Mark Selby is creeping higher with his highest break.
:20:20. > :21:00.There is not a lot Ronnie can do, and vice versa.
:21:01. > :21:20.Until we get touching ball, it is a little bit of a stalemate. There is
:21:21. > :21:27.no way you can get up the table from that position.
:21:28. > :21:46.We have had three re-racks. That could be touching.
:21:47. > :21:58.Can he see enough of the top cushion to get up? He cannot see the top
:21:59. > :24:33.cushion, so he has to be careful. He had to bend that. He got too much
:24:34. > :24:44.on it. That was a very difficult shot he attempted.
:24:45. > :24:50.He just tried to bend it round the green and flick any of those reds to
:24:51. > :25:31.get back up the table. He has to be careful. If he does not
:25:32. > :25:39.bend it enough, he can leave the cue ball this end of the table or the
:25:40. > :25:51.cue ball could go in-off if he does not get it properly. -- hit. He hit
:25:52. > :26:04.the first and second red and then went in-off. It was a possibility.
:26:05. > :26:08.It means that Ronnie is left with a straight pot. This to restore a bit
:26:09. > :26:15.of confidence. Brilliant shot. Under the
:26:16. > :26:37.circumstances, that was excellent. It was a little bit too straight to
:26:38. > :27:00.get on the pink. He could catch a red if he tries to
:27:01. > :27:12.run through. He had no angle on the blue to work
:27:13. > :27:50.with. He tried to force the angle and
:27:51. > :28:13.almost pulled it off. It was almost straight when he tried
:28:14. > :28:44.to power it in and it did not quite get away from the pocket.
:28:45. > :28:54.He is getting some cracking pots, Mark Selby. There is no sign of
:28:55. > :28:56.tiredness. The adrenaline has kicked in. It is going to be difficult to
:28:57. > :29:05.pick a winner. It looked when we earlier on in the
:29:06. > :29:36.match. -- one way. That is unlucky. I thought it had blocked it, but it
:29:37. > :29:44.did not. Does he have the angle to force it into the pink? You can
:29:45. > :29:59.sense the little things happening in this game.
:30:00. > :30:04.I thought he was going to power it in and try to bring the pink and
:30:05. > :30:21.reds into play. DENNIS TAYLOR: He is looking around
:30:22. > :30:23.at the crowd. There was a cough on his backswing and that was enough to
:30:24. > :31:29.distract him. It is going to be a tactical final
:31:30. > :31:43.frame to end this session. What a session for Mark Selby so far.
:31:44. > :31:51.CROWD: Come on, Mark! Pink and black are still tied up. He
:31:52. > :32:45.mis-hit that one. REFEREE: Mark Selby 6.
:32:46. > :32:50.He was shaking his head the previous shot. I didn't expect him to miss
:32:51. > :32:52.it. The shot before was the one where he didn't get on the red as he
:32:53. > :33:00.intended. Good shot from Ronnie O'Sullivan.
:33:01. > :33:08.That is better. He needs to string a few balls
:33:09. > :33:16.together here. Nice angle on the yellow to get down
:33:17. > :34:19.to the two reds below the pink. He'd like to play the two reds that
:34:20. > :34:25.are near the black and bring the black into play. He would have to be
:34:26. > :34:28.careful he didn't cannon the red on the right-hand side of the table. He
:34:29. > :34:32.is now looking at them to see what would happen. If he tried that shot,
:34:33. > :34:36.he might send the black into the other red and knock it right over
:34:37. > :34:37.the corner pocket. That's the reason he is not playing that particular
:34:38. > :34:47.shot. He still brought the black into play
:34:48. > :35:00.on and he has played it well. He still brought the black into play
:35:01. > :35:05.going down the left side of the table. He's only made one mistake in
:35:06. > :35:07.these four frames, that red with the rest, Ken. I can't recall any other
:35:08. > :35:21.mistakes. Safety has been good. He is keeping
:35:22. > :35:23.Ronnie under a bit of pressure. He hasn't had much to go at in these
:35:24. > :36:00.four frames. Another good safety shot from Mark
:36:01. > :36:02.Selby, blocking all the reds. He can just about see this red on the
:36:03. > :36:56.left-hand side. Mark Selby's target when he come out
:36:57. > :37:03.this afternoon would be to try to win three of the four frames. There
:37:04. > :37:20.is every chance he could win all four. Wouldn't that be something?
:37:21. > :37:29.He's overscrewed that for the intended red, the one closest to the
:37:30. > :37:37.pink in the left centre. Doesn't look like he has enough of the red
:37:38. > :37:47.to the extreme left, or maybe he can just about swing it. No, not enough.
:37:48. > :37:58.No, it's not there. REFEREE: Mark Selby, 8.
:37:59. > :37:58.Again, hasn't left anything straightforward for Ronnie
:37:59. > :38:09.O'Sullivan. I think this is a huge frame for
:38:10. > :38:11.Ronnie O'Sullivan. He is looking at a very difficult pot to the middle
:38:12. > :38:55.here. He is faced with a long blue, but
:38:56. > :39:00.he's looked at the green, he's looked at the blue and he is in a
:39:01. > :39:03.pretty confident mood. The blue was the better shot for
:39:04. > :39:41.position and he hammered it in! You did say this is a huge frame for
:39:42. > :39:44.Ronnie O'Sullivan, but also would strike a psychological blow for Mark
:39:45. > :39:48.Selby should he go ahead for the first time in this match. He's
:39:49. > :40:14.played an excellent cannon on that red.
:40:15. > :40:20.You sense that Mark Selby is really enjoying himself out there. It is
:40:21. > :40:26.the final of the World Championship. He has been to the final once
:40:27. > :40:31.before. It's the only major he hasn't won, but he is getting
:40:32. > :40:46.stronger and stronger. He can quite easily turn things
:40:47. > :40:52.around, as we mentioned before, as he did against Joe Perry. Look at
:40:53. > :41:19.the pot success rate. Gone up to 94% in the last four frames.
:41:20. > :42:16.That is a great shot. Excellent shot from Ronnie O'Sullivan. He was in a
:42:17. > :42:53.bit of trouble. Mark Selby can't push the cue ball
:42:54. > :42:58.down to the green pocket. If he pushes the cue ball up past the
:42:59. > :43:23.black, maybe he'll be able to cover that red beside the green.
:43:24. > :43:41.Interesting to see Mark Selby's face as he was coming to the table. He
:43:42. > :43:44.turned to the crowd and smiled as if to say surely, you didn't play that,
:43:45. > :43:48.Ronnie? REFEREE: Foul and a miss. Ronnie
:43:49. > :44:17.O'Sullivan 4. Can Ronnie belt the two balls up the
:44:18. > :44:22.table? It is a bit risky. He's been unlucky. He's knocked the red
:44:23. > :44:29.towards the yellow pocket. He wanted that cue ball tight on this
:44:30. > :44:39.behind the black. REFEREE: Quiet, please.
:44:40. > :46:43.If the red goes in, it's four in a row. What can Ronnie summon up?
:46:44. > :46:55.Oh, it was close. Where is the red going?
:46:56. > :47:16.Six frames in a row it would be - amazing. What a turnaround.
:47:17. > :47:34.The last time six frames in a row was John Higgins against Shaun
:47:35. > :47:37.Murphy in 2009. Where is the red again? It is all about the red. It's
:47:38. > :47:48.OK. Doesn't want to knock the black
:47:49. > :47:52.completely safe. Ronnie needs the red and black.
:47:53. > :47:58.34 the difference with 35 on the table.
:47:59. > :48:05.Will Mark play red up into baulk and try and cannon the black towards the
:48:06. > :48:18.top cushion? It's a bit risky. He has a lot of colours there as
:48:19. > :48:52.possible blockers. He tried to knock the plaque tight
:48:53. > :48:54.on the cushion -- black tight on the cushion to make it more difficult
:48:55. > :50:33.for Ronnie. He didn't want the red to go in. He
:50:34. > :50:37.had to rely on a bit of good fortune there.
:50:38. > :50:49.This looks to be almost dead straight, this red.
:50:50. > :51:02.He may have no alternative but to play a possible pot here.
:51:03. > :51:08.Lots of interest on Twitter on this year's World Championship, has
:51:09. > :51:10.Ronnie. Playing with his watch hoping he will get a possible chance
:51:11. > :51:51.here. The interval coming up after this
:51:52. > :52:11.frame and I will be answering viewers' questions after the
:52:12. > :52:19.interval. If you want to tweet - #bbcsnooker.
:52:20. > :52:28.Ronnie could play for the pink and go for a re-spotted black.
:52:29. > :52:38.He is unlucky. He went for the win. He could easily have played for the
:52:39. > :52:44.pink. He thought, "I'll try and develop the black."
:52:45. > :52:47.If the black had been nearer the cushion, he would have knocked it
:52:48. > :52:56.towards the pocket. He is looking at possibly playing
:52:57. > :53:25.the double on the black. He tried to double that black into
:53:26. > :53:27.the corner pocket and that was the first rash shot that Ronnie has
:53:28. > :53:39.played. He tried to develop the black and it
:53:40. > :53:42.didn't work out. Who could have seen this coming? Mark Selby has come out
:53:43. > :53:48.here this afternoon and he has been superb. Ronnie started off so well,
:53:49. > :53:50.with a 32 break. He didn't open the reds. Since then, it's been all Mark
:53:51. > :54:00.Selby. What a final we have on our hands
:54:01. > :54:20.now. 10-7 behind. You can't do any better
:54:21. > :54:22.than win all four frames and didn't he look delighted as he left the
:54:23. > :54:28.arena? What a final we have he look delighted as he left the
:54:29. > :54:31.our hands now. Mark Selby leads 11-10.
:54:32. > :54:39.HAZEL IRVINE: Six frames in a row and that hasn't been done since
:54:40. > :54:44.2009. In fact, an interesting tweet from the man that Mark Selby beat to
:54:45. > :54:49.get into this final, he says, "Selby set anchor today and keeping Ronnie
:54:50. > :54:54.cold. Mark is almost favourite at this stage." That is a fascinating
:54:55. > :55:00.observation from Neil Robertson. What have you got for us, Steve?
:55:01. > :55:06.Well, I would imagine all snooker players will be buzzing now. It is
:55:07. > :55:13.the type of match they are fascinated to see how both players
:55:14. > :55:23.will react. That is how you can contact us us - #bbcsnooker. Mike
:55:24. > :55:28.Dunn - "If you were ever fighting a war, Selby would be first on your
:55:29. > :55:34.list, frontline." Joe Perry, "This is more like the Mark Selby who I
:55:35. > :55:46.practise with - a machine." We saw the one from Neil Robertson. Judd
:55:47. > :55:52.Trump, "Back in England watching the snooker in bed. Such a good
:55:53. > :56:02.atmosphere." It will be fantastic tonight. Wherever you are watching
:56:03. > :56:06.it, I hope you are enjoying it. It was Clive Everton who described the
:56:07. > :56:11.World Championship as a marathon of the mind. He is right. After 17
:56:12. > :56:17.days, we get a bit punch drunk. But from the players' perspective, they
:56:18. > :56:22.are long days of mental fatigue and strategy and extremes of emotion as
:56:23. > :56:24.well as stamina. Managing that emotion, that is a science in
:56:25. > :56:39.itself. If I learned one thing during my
:56:40. > :56:43.career in this game, no matter how hard you work or how talented you,
:56:44. > :56:47.there will be more disappointments than successes, more tears than
:56:48. > :56:53.elation. It's a fact. It truly is a game for hard knocks.
:56:54. > :57:11.It's a tough sport. It is like the survival of the fittest. It is quite
:57:12. > :57:17.a sadistic type of sport. It is a hard game. The transformation of
:57:18. > :57:23.Ronnie O'Sullivan has been a revelation. The biggest talent in
:57:24. > :57:26.the history of the game has found a way to control his mind, to deal
:57:27. > :57:35.with the knocks and to unleash his awesome potential.
:57:36. > :57:38.COMMENTARY: Goodness me! Working with a sports psychiatrist,
:57:39. > :57:41.he has developed an ability to play at his best when under the most
:57:42. > :57:46.pressure. COMMENTARY: This is superb snooker.
:57:47. > :57:53.Everything I have to thank to Steve. I owe my life to him, really.
:57:54. > :58:05.The mental demands are unique. How do they compare to other sports?
:58:06. > :58:12.This man is a renowned sports psychologist. He has worked with
:58:13. > :58:17.Manchester United, GB Basketball and England Rugby. This is his first
:58:18. > :58:22.visit to The Crucible. I have had the good fortune to be involved in
:58:23. > :58:27.some of the best and biggest arenas in the world. I was astonished when
:58:28. > :58:32.I walked into The Crucible, how tiny it was. It is intimate, the players
:58:33. > :58:36.can see the faces of the crowd. In my games, we don't see the faces of
:58:37. > :58:40.the crowd. We hear them. In snooker, you see them, but you don't hear
:58:41. > :58:47.them. This arena is a very intimidating place. If you allow it
:58:48. > :58:51.to be. I have been fascinated by how these players deal with being sat
:58:52. > :58:55.down. Most athletes like to keep on the move. If you keep on the move,
:58:56. > :59:01.you are not thinking, if you are not thinking, you are not becoming
:59:02. > :59:04.negative and anxious. Most athletes love momentum. These players have to
:59:05. > :59:08.deal with momentum when they are at the table, doing well, and then that
:59:09. > :59:11.moment when they are not at the table and that moment when they
:59:12. > :59:14.realise they are not going to be at the table for some considerable time
:59:15. > :59:18.and they have o to deal with that and stay focussed for the next time
:59:19. > :59:23.they come to the table. It's a very tough game, mentally. You have to
:59:24. > :59:31.switch on. You have to have a routine. Otherwise, minds get lazy
:59:32. > :59:36.and you make mistakes. And we prepare our athletes to go on the
:59:37. > :59:40.field, or on to the court, or into the pool, not to think. It's helped
:59:41. > :59:48.because everything happens so quickly. Here, you get a lot of time
:59:49. > :59:52.to think. So, mental control, the discipline to keep your internal
:59:53. > :59:56.dialogue positive and confident while you are sat down for long
:59:57. > :00:06.periods and while the game stretches, very difficult skill.
:00:07. > :00:11.There are moments in all games that are similar to snooker but the
:00:12. > :00:15.difference with snooker is you have to recreate your preparation, your
:00:16. > :00:21.habits, again and again and again because it's a game of great
:00:22. > :00:29.technique. And one mistake - just one mistake - can enter the frame.
:00:30. > :00:34.-- can end the frame. Losers find a reason to lose because their mental
:00:35. > :00:41.strength cannot take them the whole way. So in individual games, it's a
:00:42. > :00:46.battle of EU versus you, strong side versus weak side. You are constantly
:00:47. > :00:52.facing that battle as you go through a long match. If you haven't got the
:00:53. > :00:59.mental strength to endure, then slowly your mind will give you
:01:00. > :01:02.excuses to lose. "This is not my day, he's never played as well as
:01:03. > :01:09.this, the balls aren't breaking for me, I've had some bad luck today,
:01:10. > :01:13.I've done enough" . That's when the mind weakens and the loser loses and
:01:14. > :01:17.the champion steps up. Champions enjoyed. They are not only very
:01:18. > :01:25.talented but they've got tremendous mental strength. -- champions
:01:26. > :01:27.endure. I'm totally impressed. To produce the performances they
:01:28. > :01:32.produce in the environment they are expected to produce it in, and
:01:33. > :01:39.repeat it in for a number of days, it is a very tough game. And what
:01:40. > :01:44.I've learned is that it's a very tough game mentally and emotionally,
:01:45. > :01:49.and it fascinates me. The champion does get the mine game right, finds
:01:50. > :01:53.a way to deal with the inevitable hard knocks and is truly the last
:01:54. > :01:59.man standing. Some fascinating observations. You
:02:00. > :02:04.spent some time with bill. What did you learn from him? I thought he was
:02:05. > :02:08.fascinating. I could have spoken to him all afternoon and the fact that
:02:09. > :02:14.he came here as Crucible Virgin and was blown away by it was amazing to
:02:15. > :02:15.me. He is used to working with teams and to see the individual side