:00:32. > :00:40.Hello, and a good morning to you. Welcome to the Crucible Theatre here
:00:41. > :00:45.in Sheffield, day three of the 2014 World Snooker Championship. Two
:00:46. > :00:50.former champions already through to the second round, Ronnie O'Sullivan
:00:51. > :00:53.safely through on Saturday night and yesterday the 1997 world champion
:00:54. > :00:57.Ken Doherty beat world number six Stuart Bingham, one of the greatest
:00:58. > :01:01.stories of the Crucible so far. Today, Michael White of Wales takes
:01:02. > :01:06.on UK Championship finalist Mark Sullivan.
:01:07. > :01:14.Well, Mark has worked so hard on his technique in the early part of his
:01:15. > :01:18.career he had a lot of movement with his head, he was so far away with
:01:19. > :01:23.his bridge hand from the cue ball and he has worked very hard on those
:01:24. > :01:28.two departments of his game. He still moves his head slightly, years
:01:29. > :01:32.working on that, but, listen, to get to world number one, what a player.
:01:33. > :01:35.When you talk about temperament, Mark Selby is the one to watch.
:01:36. > :01:40.He is undoubtedly one of the best of all time. The cat Higgins, Davies,
:01:41. > :01:44.all of those great players of years ago, he is up there with the best of
:01:45. > :01:50.them. Mark has had a wad of problem with his neck and has had his career
:01:51. > :01:56.curtailed somewhat due to that. -- Mark has had a neck problem.
:01:57. > :02:01.Considering all that, to have had the seasons he has had recently, I
:02:02. > :02:05.think there is certainly a lot more to come. In Mark you are looking at
:02:06. > :02:08.one of the best match players the game has ever seen.
:02:09. > :02:11.I have seen them play against Ronnie O'Sullivan and he has totally
:02:12. > :02:16.outplayed him, not many people can do that. He is such a solid
:02:17. > :02:20.all-round match player and is a treat to watch. He has been coming
:02:21. > :02:24.to my club since 14 years old plane from 7am up until midnight.
:02:25. > :02:28.He was never the greatest player at the start of his career but his
:02:29. > :02:32.professionalism has made him one of the greatest players of all time.
:02:33. > :02:35.For someone who was hovering around the number one in the world spot for
:02:36. > :02:39.the last few years, you might think his record is a little bit as
:02:40. > :02:42.appointing, particularly in ranking events.
:02:43. > :02:46.Only one final in the World Championship. He wants that on his
:02:47. > :02:49.CV and that will be his goal for this season and seasons to come, he
:02:50. > :02:54.is capable of being a world champion.
:02:55. > :03:00.Our three experts casting their eye over that man, Mark Selby, getting
:03:01. > :03:04.ready to start his 2014 campaign against Michael White, who I have
:03:05. > :03:08.two C was very runner-up -- relaxed in the practice room earlier this
:03:09. > :03:13.morning. That is on table two, our live match for you this morning.
:03:14. > :03:18.Over on table one Jamie Burnett leads Joe Perry by six frames to
:03:19. > :03:24.three. Let's join the game. Rob Walker. Thank you, Jason, Monday
:03:25. > :03:29.morning and they are still not back at work.
:03:30. > :03:34.Hence the brilliant atmosphere for another dramatic day at the World
:03:35. > :03:39.Snooker Championship. Last night we had two 10-9 thrillers. Will we have
:03:40. > :03:44.the same today? Let's find out. Please welcome a player who earns
:03:45. > :03:48.his fourth appearance here are the hard way after three qualifying
:03:49. > :03:52.rounds. He has arrived fully warmed up and ready to go, bidding for his
:03:53. > :03:55.maiden Crucible win this morning, proudly flying the flag for
:03:56. > :04:20.Scotland, here comes Jamie Burnett! And his opponent, after a great
:04:21. > :04:26.season he is back in the world's top 16. He has made major semifinals in
:04:27. > :04:30.China and at the Welsh open and what a memorable year in 2008 when he
:04:31. > :04:32.made the last four here. From Cambridge here comes the gentleman
:04:33. > :05:00.Joe Perry! And now, please welcome the return
:05:01. > :05:03.of us stand out -- standout debutant from last year's Championship. He
:05:04. > :05:09.enjoyed a memorable run to the quarterfinals. He has booked his
:05:10. > :05:10.second Crucible appearance, the pride of Wales, years Michael White
:05:11. > :05:36.lightning! -- C is. And, finally, please welcome one of
:05:37. > :05:41.the most colourful characters on the circuit. Three times a winner of the
:05:42. > :05:48.Masters, he has made three major finals this season and produced one
:05:49. > :05:51.of the most memorable 147s in history at York in the UK
:05:52. > :05:53.Championship. This is his 10th successive year at the Crucible, the
:05:54. > :06:23.Jester from Leicester, Mark Selby! What could be better? Bank holiday
:06:24. > :06:28.Monday morning snooker for you, sit back, relax and enjoy. Remember,
:06:29. > :06:32.Michael White reached the World Championship quarterfinals on his
:06:33. > :06:37.debut Crucible last year eventually losing out to Ricky Walden. This
:06:38. > :06:38.will be terrific. Good morning to our commentators, John Parrott and
:06:39. > :06:47.Terry Griffiths. Good morning. COMMENTATOR: Good morning,
:06:48. > :06:52.everybody, what should be a very attractive match here this morning.
:06:53. > :07:00.Michael White acquitted himself very well last year and he is up against
:07:01. > :07:06.one of the world's greatest in Mark Selby. I have known this man for a
:07:07. > :07:09.long time, Michael White. You are helping him out at the
:07:10. > :07:12.moment? I would not say hoping an outcome I am giving him a little bit
:07:13. > :07:16.of advice you unfair. I remember him coming to my club
:07:17. > :07:24.around eight years old, he was a top player then, really come in his age
:07:25. > :07:26.group. It is nice to see him mature through the ranks into the
:07:27. > :07:37.professional game and have some success. Years carrying on the
:07:38. > :07:40.strong tradition we have in Wales. We have Dominic Dale and of course,
:07:41. > :08:17.Ryan Day, who won last night. Just a little clip of this. Trying
:08:18. > :08:21.to get round of the angles come inside the blue. What you don't want
:08:22. > :08:24.to do with that shot is stick a red over the corner. That is a poor shot
:08:25. > :08:51.he has played there. Blue is available to keep position
:08:52. > :09:11.on the loose red. Not fully committing himself to the
:09:12. > :09:20.position, but he is on the red. Quite a contrast in styles year.
:09:21. > :09:24.Mark Selby is one of the best all-round players in the game come
:09:25. > :09:27.his safety is as good as most, and Michael White, the younger
:09:28. > :09:34.player... I did not expect him to miss that.
:09:35. > :09:35.Early on, a bit of early-morning nerves there. I think he went for
:09:36. > :09:46.it. As I was saying, Michael White is a
:09:47. > :09:54.very aggressive player. We saw him last year when he got to the
:09:55. > :09:59.quarterfinal. Like most of the young players, they tended to play very
:10:00. > :10:04.open. They scored very well when they are on form.
:10:05. > :10:11.Yes, I have to say it is one of the features that has slightly changed
:10:12. > :10:15.in Mark's game. I remember seeing him a couple of years ago in the
:10:16. > :10:19.Masters when his heavy breaks and scoring was a great feature. He's a
:10:20. > :10:24.great safety player and tactician, as well, but then he was scoring
:10:25. > :10:27.heavily, as well. It just looks like that side of his game has gone
:10:28. > :10:32.slightly awry in the last few seasons, he does not score as many
:10:33. > :10:36.centuries as he was doing then. But he has changed into one of the best
:10:37. > :10:40.match players you will ever see. Very hard to beat, and I am pretty
:10:41. > :10:47.sure he would like to get a little bit more fluency back, where the
:10:48. > :10:50.scoring is concerned. There was a good chance here, because he has a
:10:51. > :10:51.lot of frames to play at the World Championship, so you can get
:10:52. > :11:06.yourself going. That looked as if it was a very easy
:11:07. > :11:10.shot to play, that, he has covered all the reds with the black, but if
:11:11. > :11:15.you try and play that on a club table you will likely get it one out
:11:16. > :11:20.of 20. He has a very good touch, Mark Selby, very good judgement on
:11:21. > :11:24.pace and safety play. I think you are right, John, he has perhaps
:11:25. > :11:28.relied on little too much on his safety. It is not what he would
:11:29. > :11:32.want, but he knows he can outplay the majority of the players on the
:11:33. > :11:39.circuit with his safety, not all of them, of course. At the end of the
:11:40. > :11:41.day, you have to score points. Against the very best players you
:11:42. > :12:08.have to score heavy. Just looking at this from my
:12:09. > :12:12.position in the commentary box, I wonder whether he could sneak past
:12:13. > :12:17.the blue for the red. He does not fancy it, obviously that
:12:18. > :12:43.is not on. A little bit cat and mouse at the moment.
:12:44. > :12:53.Good pupil there from Michael. -- cue ball. It may just be a role up
:12:54. > :13:02.to the back of the pack for Mark Selby here.
:13:03. > :13:07.He is raising the butt of the cue, and this is one you have to fit
:13:08. > :13:21.right. -- hit. He has played it reasonably well.
:13:22. > :13:24.There should not be any problems for Michael to get back there if he
:13:25. > :13:29.wants to. The red on the right-hand side is easy to come back behind the
:13:30. > :13:35.black spot again. This should be the choice. You really want to get this
:13:36. > :13:41.cue ball absolutely tight on the cushion, if you can.
:13:42. > :13:50.And that is a mistake. He hit that really poorly there.
:13:51. > :13:56.He did not get into the cue ball at all. Instead of it coming back to
:13:57. > :14:01.the left it came off nearly straight and it has left this cut into the
:14:02. > :14:03.centre pocket. Michael's only hope there is that Mark Selby does not
:14:04. > :14:19.get position. And he has not. Very tricky, that.
:14:20. > :14:27.Not too many frames you see with the ball is spread like this. -- the
:14:28. > :14:30.balls. He just flipped off that read, he was trusting to a little
:14:31. > :14:38.bit of luck. You cannot do much else, you can only part that red
:14:39. > :15:01.playing ball and hope you get lucky. -- you can only pot that red.
:15:02. > :15:23.Yes, as my dear old dad used to say, it looks like an explosion in a
:15:24. > :15:29.paint factory. All over the place. That was not great, either. He has
:15:30. > :15:33.had two shots, the last couple of CDs, where the cue ball has not come
:15:34. > :15:40.back far enough. Mark Selby may be tempted here to take this pot on. In
:15:41. > :15:49.fact, I am sure he will be. -- the last couple of shots.
:15:50. > :15:54.Playing for the yellow in the centre, not leaving anything else
:15:55. > :15:59.on. It is the golden rule, especially in these long matches,
:16:00. > :16:03.you cannot make errors like he did one after the other. Everyone makes
:16:04. > :16:06.mistakes but when you have made one you have to concentrate hard to make
:16:07. > :16:15.sure you keep it tight after that in a safety boat. -- match.
:16:16. > :16:19.Sometimes they are the ones you tripped up on, because it is not
:16:20. > :16:24.difficult you do not put the concentration into it. I think I am
:16:25. > :16:28.not in any trouble here, I will just play the shot, but as you see, not
:16:29. > :16:29.enough on the cue ball and consequently he is now sitting down
:16:30. > :17:54.watching. There are three reds he can play
:17:55. > :17:55.for, if he plays anywhere he will be on one of them, but you're better
:17:56. > :18:07.off to play in the exact position. The problem is, when you start going
:18:08. > :18:12.up towards the baulk colours, you're not getting so many points. The
:18:13. > :18:17.coloured balls are all low numbers down there.
:18:18. > :18:21.That was a slightly funny choice of shot, I probably would have
:18:22. > :18:25.preferred the red next to the green here. He has slightly gone into it,
:18:26. > :18:31.so it should not be a problem. It looks like he can hold it.
:18:32. > :18:38.Just played on the yellow, instead, as you say, Terry. It is just a
:18:39. > :18:41.multitude of yellows and greens and not scoring many points. Better to
:18:42. > :18:52.get up this end. Do you know the minimum number of
:18:53. > :18:57.points you can score to win a frame, John? I am just about to be told!
:18:58. > :19:08.You think I know the answer, do you? No, I'm not going to tell you.
:19:09. > :19:30.Sorry. If you break-off and smash the rents
:19:31. > :19:37.up and part the 15 reds and go in off -- smash the reds, then go
:19:38. > :19:40.in-off, that is for Michael points, then you get up to the pink and you
:19:41. > :19:56.have won it. That is it, not difficult. -- that is four points.
:19:57. > :20:05.Meanwhile, Mark Selby, potting his way around the table. Highly unusual
:20:06. > :20:09.table, it has to be said, with the ball is being where they are, but he
:20:10. > :20:15.is taking this very well. -- with the balls. Sometimes with the balls
:20:16. > :20:51.being all over the table it is a slightly different way of thinking.
:20:52. > :20:59.A nice way to start the match, this. OK, he missed an opening red
:21:00. > :21:02.by quite a way, a bit nervous to start off, but this chance has been
:21:03. > :21:08.taken reasonably well, he has not really been out of position at all.
:21:09. > :21:13.Just to get a settled down, try and get that first frame on the board.
:21:14. > :22:11.-- just get settled down. Yes, this has been excellent. We
:22:12. > :22:14.mentioned, Mark Selby needs to be scoring in this year's
:22:15. > :22:16.Championship, and this is an early indication that that is exactly what
:22:17. > :22:29.he is going to do. Very impressive. And it also tells Michael White that
:22:30. > :22:43.if he plays any loose safety shots, this is what he can expect.
:22:44. > :24:12.What about this for a shot? That is brilliant. It is all happening.
:24:13. > :24:22.Well played, Mark Selby. That was Michael White with that lacks safety
:24:23. > :24:24.shot, and that wonderful clearance to 95 takes the opening frame, he
:24:25. > :24:32.leads 1-0. And we can have a little look at
:24:33. > :24:34.what Michael White did in that frame, Terry. The safety shot cost
:24:35. > :24:47.him there. Yes, it was a poor attempt, you did
:24:48. > :24:51.not get enough backspin on that. -- C did not.
:24:52. > :24:59.I am sure you know what he was trying to do, get the white tight on
:25:00. > :25:03.the cushion. It was all he had to go for, it was a difficult one, and a
:25:04. > :25:09.typical Mark Selby game with lots of good safety play from Mark then he
:25:10. > :25:13.scores. He had a couple of similar shots, Michael, one up this end of
:25:14. > :25:17.the table he did not quite get to the top cushion, then Mark clipped
:25:18. > :25:21.the lead and did not get position, then he played virtually the same
:25:22. > :25:24.shot at the other end and it didn't quite get there.
:25:25. > :25:28.It is early in the match, sometimes you expect the table to be more
:25:29. > :25:30.reactive, but he has just found out whether or not Mark Selby is in good
:25:31. > :25:48.form or not, that is for sure. He is one of those players that
:25:49. > :25:53.break-off from the unusual side, I call it. Everyone else who is
:25:54. > :25:56.right-handed generally goes between yellow and brown with the cue ball,
:25:57. > :26:07.but the same effect, really. Players try and get the cue ball tight on
:26:08. > :26:10.the cushion. Then get the ball behind yellow and green, if
:26:11. > :26:14.possible. Really you would like cue ball tight on the cushion, there is
:26:15. > :26:29.a better chance of forcing safety error from your opponent.
:26:30. > :26:35.That is an excellent shot, that is really good. That is what he will
:26:36. > :26:42.have to do. Appreciation from Mark Selby, tapping the table. I like
:26:43. > :26:46.that, appreciation for a good shot from your opponent. You do not
:26:47. > :27:05.always mean it, but it is nice to go and do it.
:27:06. > :27:10.There you go. If you play good safety, you get good opportunities.
:27:11. > :27:31.He hit that far too thick. Yes, that was caused by the cue ball
:27:32. > :27:39.begin tight on the cushion. Never easy for any player from there. --
:27:40. > :27:42.being tight. Can he play this dead weight or does
:27:43. > :27:45.he have to bring it around for the blue?
:27:46. > :27:54.He is OK. Now then, these are the chances that Michael White needs to
:27:55. > :28:09.take today in this match to beat Mark Selby.
:28:10. > :28:19.He played very well in his opening round. It is the first time Michael
:28:20. > :28:23.White has been in the top 32, which is a big achievement for him. It
:28:24. > :28:30.keeps him moving forward in the rankings, you cannot ask much more
:28:31. > :28:33.than that. I did not know he was 6-3 behind, that is a really good
:28:34. > :28:39.result. Matt is a good player.
:28:40. > :28:49.He should be used to the Crucible. As I say, he was here before, had a
:28:50. > :28:55.good result. He beat Dechawat Poomjaeng convincingly. It always
:28:56. > :28:58.stand you in good stead coming to the Crucible, the first time you
:28:59. > :29:03.have a look around, get used to the venue. I know there are players who
:29:04. > :29:06.have turned up first time and played well here, but there is nothing like
:29:07. > :29:18.the experience. It is totally different.
:29:19. > :29:48.Choice now of safety or pot, of course. Just have a look then if you
:29:49. > :29:51.can take this red into the right corner and hold the cue ball
:29:52. > :29:55.somewhere near the middle pocket. He would be on the blue then and would
:29:56. > :30:04.not leave an easy shot 14 Mark Selby. -- and easy shot four Mark
:30:05. > :30:09.Selby. He did not fancy it, did not get a
:30:10. > :30:14.good length on the cue ball. He will be kicking himself, to be
:30:15. > :30:18.honest, because that would really good chance. He needed a little
:30:19. > :30:20.stunned of the black to play for the list red and played it poorly. The
:30:21. > :30:36.opportunity has gone West there. that wasn't the best from Mark Selby
:30:37. > :30:42.either. He hit that one thick. So even though he made that 95 in the
:30:43. > :30:55.first, still feeling in a bit. Two pool safetys. -- poor.
:30:56. > :30:59.They are not playing great coverage you think we have any chance of
:31:00. > :31:07.playing them in a doubles match? Or do not fancy as a doubles partner?
:31:08. > :31:08.-- do you not. I said they were struggling a bit, I didn't say they
:31:09. > :32:23.were gone! Awkward here. It is the red on the
:32:24. > :32:32.right-hand side of the table causing the problem.
:32:33. > :32:45.I didn't see that one. One fluke each so far, and more to come. See,
:32:46. > :32:50.he caught that red on the way back up. A bit unlucky not to be perfect
:32:51. > :33:37.on a colour. And I was going to say he is a very
:33:38. > :33:41.good rest player. I'm glad I did and I was going to say he is a very good
:33:42. > :33:45.rest player. I'm glad I didn't now. He's not the tallest lad in the
:33:46. > :33:50.world now, but when he was very young and started playing, he was an
:33:51. > :33:55.excellent rest player. He will be very disappointed. he has had a
:33:56. > :33:59.result where he has finished. I don't know if there is up pot
:34:00. > :34:27.available for Mark Selby. -- a pot. Got a chance here with the red in
:34:28. > :34:31.the left corner. Not a 100% certainty to avoid the reds in the
:34:32. > :34:44.blue area. He was always going to be on a
:34:45. > :34:59.colour. How is his luck this time? Could have been worse.
:35:00. > :35:06.Mark is just coming down to survey the scene, see if the black Wilco.
:35:07. > :35:07.He obviously thinks this isn't too bad to cut into the yellow pocket,
:35:08. > :35:20.as we call it. Just the one question, hit that
:35:21. > :35:25.nicely. And obviously, it goes. So this is a good chance.
:35:26. > :36:51.Could have done with a bit more on the cue ball, but he is OKed.
:36:52. > :37:05.Three colours than the bottom off the spot, so he may stay then this
:37:06. > :37:08.site, get more points per colour with pink and black available. --
:37:09. > :37:48.stayed down the side. He would ideally like an angle on
:37:49. > :37:52.this red to get back down for the black, but with the pink going on
:37:53. > :37:53.the blue spot, he could play up there as well. Just depends on his
:37:54. > :38:07.angle. Yes, so it is up for the pink. And a
:38:08. > :38:11.bit of a kick as well. Doesn't seem to have done too much damage, I
:38:12. > :38:17.think he's the right side of the pink. You see the two balls leaving
:38:18. > :38:18.the bed of the table. No greater damage done, might have to force an
:38:19. > :38:43.angle. -- no great damage. Michael White hasn't settled down
:38:44. > :38:47.yet, he is struggling a bit out there. Not great when somebody is on
:38:48. > :38:49.the table all the time and you are making a few errors. Such an
:38:50. > :39:08.uncomfortable seat. Back -- that was really well played,
:39:09. > :39:14.very well controlled. There is a cannon into the pack.
:39:15. > :39:24.Played really well. A little bit unlucky that one of the loose reds
:39:25. > :39:27.has come out and gone on top. He is on one no problem but that read
:39:28. > :39:29.coming out and sitting on the other one has made it difficult. -- that
:39:30. > :39:59.red. Does he have an angle to pot this
:40:00. > :40:04.black and disturb the two reds? No, he is virtually straight. I don't
:40:05. > :40:08.think the other two reds behind the pink spot are perfect. He is just
:40:09. > :40:14.looking to see how high he has got to get. So there is work to be done.
:40:15. > :40:27.16 points is the lead. Not over the line yet.
:40:28. > :40:47.Yes, best shot of the morning. He did absolutely perfectly.
:40:48. > :40:59.I am very impressed with Mark Selby this morning. Hardly any mistakes,
:41:00. > :41:05.scoring wise, very impressive indeed. If he is going to win this
:41:06. > :41:09.year's World Championships, and a lot of people think he is in with a
:41:10. > :41:14.chance, he has to improve his scoring and that is what he has been
:41:15. > :41:22.doing. And since I gave him the builder, he goes and plays his worst
:41:23. > :41:27.shot this morning. -- the build up. Got to stay high on the black and he
:41:28. > :41:35.knew it as soon as he heated. Lost the cue ball. -- as he hit it. All
:41:36. > :41:43.of that work and still not over the line.
:41:44. > :41:48.No interest in taking the Black or the brown on, he's playing the
:41:49. > :42:02.yellow safe and probably a snooker behind the green. Good effort.
:42:03. > :42:10.Yes, very surprised there. Perfect position and he knew straightaway he
:42:11. > :42:15.had let the cue ball go. That is what Hawkeye is telling us he should
:42:16. > :42:23.have done. It has never played a bad shot, has it, Hawkeye? Not yet.
:42:24. > :42:35.He has hit the reds, all of these things are happening to Michael
:42:36. > :42:39.White and it went helping to settle. I thought he may have had a glimmer
:42:40. > :42:40.when Mark Selby lost position but he didn't quite hit those reds as
:42:41. > :43:09.intended. There is not really an easy red in
:43:10. > :43:11.the Crucible but Mark Selby has had one in the first few frames this
:43:12. > :43:17.morning. Michael White stays in his seat.
:43:18. > :43:34.Michael Selby goes 2-0 in front. Yes, 2-0 to Mark Selby but there was
:43:35. > :43:38.a cracking shot played in that break. He may have lost the cue ball
:43:39. > :43:44.in the end but this was a superb shot. he has to get right back into
:43:45. > :43:50.the cue ball, screw back on the reverse side and get over to the
:43:51. > :43:53.other side to hit the bottom red. Throwing the angle wider and he
:43:54. > :43:59.couldn't have hit it better. Beautifully played. And he looks in
:44:00. > :44:06.good scoring form, it has to be said. He is probably one of those
:44:07. > :44:08.players, you would have him in the top three or four of the best
:44:09. > :44:12.players never to win a championship. Jimmy White is obviously one of
:44:13. > :44:19.those but Mark Selby would be up there with him. Yes, he came close
:44:20. > :44:27.one year but lost in the final to John Higgins. He came back from 12-3
:44:28. > :44:30.behind. Fantastic performance but he ended up getting beaten. He got
:44:31. > :44:36.involved in one of the matches where it is the best I ever saw anyone
:44:37. > :44:40.play at the Crucible and lose. He lost 13-12 to John Higgins and
:44:41. > :44:45.produced unbelievable snooker. It was a monumental performance to
:44:46. > :44:54.knock him out. So he is capable. And this is the big one that he wants.
:44:55. > :45:03.Yes, he has won the UK and the Masters, looked upon as the majors.
:45:04. > :45:07.And remarkably, if you ask people how many ranking events Mark Selby
:45:08. > :45:12.has one, I wouldn't think too many people think it is only three. --
:45:13. > :45:16.won. An amazing stat for someone who has played in finals and played so
:45:17. > :45:21.well. You are used to seeing him lifting trophies but he has only won
:45:22. > :45:31.three ranking events. Three ranking events, he has made 333 centuries.
:45:32. > :45:42.Andy lives at number three in Leicester! -- and E.
:45:43. > :45:50.This is just what Michael White was looking for, and easy starter. He
:45:51. > :45:53.had an easy chance in the last frame, got amongst the balls for the
:45:54. > :46:01.first time and lost position. That will have hurt him.
:46:02. > :46:14.He played for the blue. Not a lot of table to aim for out there.
:46:15. > :46:20.And these tables being so quick, you don't have to be off your game too
:46:21. > :46:28.much to lose the cue ball. They really are rapid. These tables are
:46:29. > :46:32.shaved down, there is hardly any nap in them. The cushions have been very
:46:33. > :46:36.quick as well, we have noticed that in the championship so far. So it
:46:37. > :46:38.can take you a while to get used to your cue ball control. That was an
:46:39. > :46:57.excellent shot. He is playing the stun across. He
:46:58. > :47:03.could hold it. He needs to calm himself down a bit now, take a bit
:47:04. > :47:09.of time, get into a zone, make sure he is focused. He is changing his
:47:10. > :47:13.mind to three times, sometimes you think you want to stand up and start
:47:14. > :47:16.again but he managed to negotiate it. I agree, he is a little bit on
:47:17. > :47:40.edge, understandably. That doesn't help a lot. That was a
:47:41. > :47:43.gimme. I can't even see what he was playing for. He must have been
:47:44. > :47:45.playing for those two reds that go into the yellow pocket. Unless there
:47:46. > :48:12.is a planned on. -- a plant on. Selby has been here, he had three
:48:13. > :48:17.matches here last year... There is nothing that is unmissable, but that
:48:18. > :48:23.is close to it. When you see that situation, you wonder why he didn't
:48:24. > :48:26.drop on the red on the top. Not easy but just as well as playing that
:48:27. > :48:59.one. But as you say, shouldn't be missing the black.
:49:00. > :49:07.It wasn't a good safety by Michael White but still an excellent pot
:49:08. > :49:14.from Mark Selby. Plenty of distance between the two balls.
:49:15. > :49:27.Struck it as well as he possibly could. A bit awkward now. Always
:49:28. > :49:34.easily missed, those shots. The good thing to him, he didn't get good
:49:35. > :49:40.position. I'm still surprised he missed it. Especially with his
:49:41. > :49:46.scoring this morning. Breaks of 95 and 57 and looking pretty fluid
:49:47. > :49:48.doing it. Now, can Michael White sneak past that pack of reds for the
:49:49. > :50:05.black? You have already had one chance,
:50:06. > :50:20.Michael, you have got to go to work now.
:50:21. > :50:26.There is one red about the black but a cannon into the pack would be
:50:27. > :50:33.great, open it out and stay on those reds.
:50:34. > :50:39.It is strange the way some people make the breaks these days. You have
:50:40. > :50:44.got to play the cannon into the pack. If you play that, you cannot
:50:45. > :50:46.not be on a red and you open more out. It is strange the way he played
:50:47. > :51:12.that. Still not a straightforward here. --
:51:13. > :51:18.still not straightforward. He could just about get the other side of the
:51:19. > :51:22.pack. Hit it well. He played that really well. He can see the side
:51:23. > :51:38.just kicking in. He is just making things a little
:51:39. > :51:44.bit hard for himself. I am harping on about it, but if he had played a
:51:45. > :51:48.positive shot into the pack, open the balls out and make the break
:51:49. > :51:53.easy of yourself. He is trying to pick reds out at the moment and the
:51:54. > :51:54.way he is feeling, it is not the right way. Give yourself more
:51:55. > :52:28.options. -- easy on yourself. Hard to cannon that read. It has
:52:29. > :52:33.gone wrong. -- red. We go on about the earlier shot but he is on the
:52:34. > :52:39.black perfectly. In that situation, hit the back of the pack, get on a
:52:40. > :52:43.red, put some more in play and make the break easy. He is not on his
:52:44. > :52:48.own, there are more players doing that. But I can bet your bottom
:52:49. > :52:55.dollar, Ronnie O'Sullivan would have been into that pack. First thing he
:52:56. > :53:00.would have looked at. As it turned out, it didn't cost him too much.
:53:01. > :53:06.Michael White is usually one to try and get in the reds. It was unusual.
:53:07. > :53:13.Perhaps he is trying to make things as simple as possible or not
:53:14. > :53:17.thinking clearly, who knows? We have all been there, you are cautious and
:53:18. > :53:21.try not to make mistakes but unfortunately, you stop doing what
:53:22. > :53:29.you are good at. And what he is good at is scoring, there is no doubt.
:53:30. > :53:33.A little awkward here, unless he can get through past the blue to the
:53:34. > :53:48.right-hand side. No problem. Didn't played perfectly,
:53:49. > :53:52.but the main objective of any safety shot is to keep the object all safe.
:53:53. > :54:53.-- object ball safe. That is Hawkeye's view of it and it
:54:54. > :55:03.is not particularly attractive, is it? He won't be taking the pot on, I
:55:04. > :55:08.think, unless he is forced into it. He has got him in a spot of bother.
:55:09. > :55:13.You can't get back to baulk, the yellow is covering half of the pack.
:55:14. > :55:21.I think he's going to try and swerve it.
:55:22. > :55:30.He overdid it. A tricky shot, this. And the tricky bit is going to be
:55:31. > :55:43.getting it spot on where it was before.
:55:44. > :55:54.Referee is looking for it. Mark is just saying to check on the monitor.
:55:55. > :55:59.Which we have. It is on the back of the table. They are able to look at
:56:00. > :56:24.it. Just checking where it was. Everybody seemed happy enough.
:56:25. > :56:42.May be doesn't fancy the same shot again. Change of plan.
:56:43. > :56:48.Amazing. He refused the very give a gold safety shot to go before the
:56:49. > :56:54.pot. It was there the first time, of course. I said the shot in the last
:56:55. > :56:56.frame was the shot of the morning and that has just beaten it. What a
:56:57. > :57:10.shot that was. To get out of the amount of trouble
:57:11. > :57:16.he was in and have a scoring opportunity, but is fantastic from
:57:17. > :57:17.Mark Selby. He was in some bother but that was a fantastic opening
:57:18. > :57:34.red. I think Mark Selby is up there with
:57:35. > :57:35.John Higgins and Steve Davis the with the best tactical players in
:57:36. > :57:46.the game. He might not have quite the belief
:57:47. > :57:51.of those players, because they had so much success, but he has plenty
:57:52. > :57:56.of time. I think if he wins this World Championships, and I am sure
:57:57. > :57:58.at some point he will, it will give him a hell of a boost of confidence
:57:59. > :58:18.and take him to another level. It has been a remarkable turnaround
:58:19. > :58:24.that the way he approaches the game. When he first came onto, he had set
:58:25. > :58:28.up an action that looked very amateurish and realised it wouldn't
:58:29. > :58:31.take him very far in the game. His cue action change, got more compact
:58:32. > :58:52.-- changed. What shot is. Brilliant attempt. He
:58:53. > :58:53.has got a red in the centre. He has played some shots this morning,
:58:54. > :59:27.certainly in this break. This is quality match play of the
:59:28. > :59:32.very highest level. He has kept things tight, he knows his opponent
:59:33. > :59:36.is struggling a little bit and he is making the most of it. Keeping the
:59:37. > :01:07.pressure on Michael White, keeping him in his chair.
:01:08. > :02:41.It is all going wrong this morning. He nearly got the red on a double,
:02:42. > :02:53.then he got the in-off. Mark Selby Justin looks at the scoreboard, 23
:02:54. > :03:13.ahead. He could go into a 3-0 lead, he will definitely be taking it on.
:03:14. > :03:20.24 point lead, just what the black, no need for any heroics. -- just
:03:21. > :03:36.pot. He made sure he potted the black
:03:37. > :03:52.there. It is only one snooker to tie, so he still has to be careful.
:03:53. > :04:07.Was that carefully enough for you, John?
:04:08. > :04:15.Yes, I agree entirely, Terry, it is quality match play at the minute
:04:16. > :04:19.from Mark Selby. Even when he loses position there is always a good shot
:04:20. > :04:25.played afterwards. He does keep the pressure on his opponent, he potted
:04:26. > :04:29.of the black and played an excellent safety shot, forced another mistake.
:04:30. > :04:38.He is keeping the pressure on his opponent this morning. 3-0 down, not
:04:39. > :04:42.had a lot of people time. -- table time.
:04:43. > :05:00.And his young opponent concedes, Mark Selby with some quality
:05:01. > :05:12.matchplay takes the 3-0 lead. 3-0, and he played a couple of
:05:13. > :05:19.cracking shots in that particular frame. One of them on the blue,
:05:20. > :05:22.superb cueing. To hit this and go around the ankles to try and
:05:23. > :05:27.manoeuvre of the reds was a brilliant shot. The ball jumped up
:05:28. > :05:42.in the air, came back and can end the reds. -- and cannon the reds.
:05:43. > :05:50.You can see after he made contact with the object ball, he has to try
:05:51. > :05:54.and retain the spin. When it hits the ball it will take a little bit
:05:55. > :06:02.of the speed from the cue ball, but that was a wonderful shot from Mark
:06:03. > :06:09.Selby. No room for error, at all. He seems in pretty good form. 3-0 up
:06:10. > :06:13.and you just feel as if Michael White really has to get playing this
:06:14. > :06:20.morning in this frame. You do not want to be going into the interval
:06:21. > :06:24.4-0 down. He has had a couple of chances.
:06:25. > :06:36.He has missed a couple of sitters. He has to start playing.
:06:37. > :06:42.I mentioned earlier that Michael White is very aggressive and likes
:06:43. > :06:47.to get into the balls and knock long balls in and make breaks, but so far
:06:48. > :06:53.in this match he has missed his chances when he got in the balls,
:06:54. > :06:58.and missed a few easy pots, as well. But his safety is not good enough to
:06:59. > :07:02.then hold him in the game. Selby, if he is not playing well, his safety
:07:03. > :07:09.is good enough to hold him in the game. These players are not at their
:07:10. > :07:13.very best, but even his bead game is very strong. Whereas Michael, he
:07:14. > :08:03.just needs to lift it up a little bit. -- his B game.
:08:04. > :08:12.No more than half a chance there. If he was on full swing, Michael White,
:08:13. > :08:20.he would have made that one. When you struggle out there, every shot
:08:21. > :08:24.increases in difficulty by a few degrees every time. Until you start
:08:25. > :08:30.making a few, getting a frame on the board and meeting a few breaks, it
:08:31. > :08:35.is a very lonely place out there. -- making a few breaks.
:08:36. > :08:38.Yes, it is not like Saturday afternoon, if you don't feel like
:08:39. > :08:46.playing you can pass the ball to your mates. We have all done it
:08:47. > :08:54.here, been on the chair on the end of a few somethings. You just have
:08:55. > :09:05.to sit and suffer and hope when you get your chances you can take them.
:09:06. > :09:10.-- been on the end of a few thumpings. Unfortunately he is up
:09:11. > :09:12.against someone who does not make it easy for you, even when he's not
:09:13. > :10:10.playing at his best. All of the players come here with
:10:11. > :10:13.great expectations, but when you start very slowly, like Michael
:10:14. > :10:20.White has come and your opponent is playing well, it is a tough pill to
:10:21. > :10:23.swallow. You are so excited, everyone is nervous, including
:10:24. > :10:30.Selby... He has misjudged that, he did not
:10:31. > :10:37.manage to avoid the knuckle of the middle.
:10:38. > :10:42.He is giving him another go. I think his judgement of angles is
:10:43. > :10:47.as good as Alan McManus, who we call angles. He will be on in the
:10:48. > :10:55.Championship leader on against John Higgins. -- later on. Yes, this
:10:56. > :10:59.afternoon, that one starts, two pals who have grown up together playing
:11:00. > :11:03.each other in the club. Alan McManus and John Higgins were
:11:04. > :11:07.actually sitting next to each other when the draw was made in the
:11:08. > :11:11.championships, both wondering who they were going to get, and they
:11:12. > :11:16.ended up getting each other. So the practice they had scheduled for the
:11:17. > :11:20.next day was cancelled immediately. Mark is just going to pass the
:11:21. > :11:39.centre pocket and slide down into the pack. Brilliantly paid. -- laid.
:11:40. > :11:43.-- played. Mark Selby knows his way around the
:11:44. > :11:51.snooker table as good as anybody. I know that Michael came from 6-3
:11:52. > :11:55.down to beat Matthew Selt in qualifying, but you do not want to
:11:56. > :12:28.go six - three down against Mark Selby.
:12:29. > :12:40.It is absolute rubbish by his high standard, I must say.
:12:41. > :12:46.As it turns out he has been a little fortunate there. Michael can get
:12:47. > :12:49.past the pink to get to that red. Past the black, I meant. Well, he
:12:50. > :13:00.could. REFEREE: As quietly as possible,
:13:01. > :13:03.please. The referee just asking for a little
:13:04. > :13:06.bit of order on the table on the other side, their frame has finished
:13:07. > :13:10.so they are all having a little chat.
:13:11. > :13:11.You can see the auditorium, people standing up, having a little stretch
:13:12. > :13:23.between frames. That is two shots on the spin he has
:13:24. > :14:00.not hit correctly, safety wise. Just looking at his choices, it is
:14:01. > :14:08.very awkward with that black on the right-hand side of the pack there.
:14:09. > :14:12.He may just roll into the reds, that is the shot he is looking at. It is
:14:13. > :14:19.not a short you see a lot of these days, but it looks like the obvious
:14:20. > :14:26.one. -- it is not a shot. Just trundle down and try and stick onto
:14:27. > :14:30.the reds, that is all you can do. Playing it with a little bit of
:14:31. > :14:38.drag, trying to take the play -- the pace off.
:14:39. > :14:47.He has probably set himself up for a bit of trouble, really. If he can
:14:48. > :14:52.just snick off that read he will leave it in a line with the yellow
:14:53. > :14:56.and blue. He has stunned it in there. He must not have been able to
:14:57. > :15:00.play that, and he has played that very well indeed. Excellent shot.
:15:01. > :15:09.That is as good a safety as he has played this morning.
:15:10. > :15:20.Yes, you mentioned Mark Selby played and rags shot -- a drag shot. This
:15:21. > :15:25.is what drag is, hitting it at the bottom, follow-through, the ball has
:15:26. > :15:29.backspin and all of a sudden down the path it will turn round and
:15:30. > :15:30.convert to top spin and get to the object ball. He played it really
:15:31. > :16:45.well. I must confess, I did not see that
:16:46. > :17:05.one. Mark Selby just having a little
:17:06. > :17:11.laugh. Here is the flick coming up, off that one, hitting that one, in.
:17:12. > :17:19.Did you teach him that, Kerry? It was always on. -- Terry.
:17:20. > :17:23.His safety has been a bit better this frame, Michael White.
:17:24. > :17:26.Mark Selby is struggling a little bit here. If he is struggling to
:17:27. > :17:32.find angles, then everybody would be!
:17:33. > :17:37.He has not done really well after the last few years. After Barry
:17:38. > :17:42.Hawkins he went out two years ago in the first round then in the second
:17:43. > :17:50.round last year. He had some wrist trouble, didn't he? I think he had
:17:51. > :17:57.some problems with his wrist. Still number three in the world committee
:17:58. > :18:01.has been up to number one few times. -- number three in the world, he has
:18:02. > :18:08.been. This will have to be superb. Nowhere
:18:09. > :18:15.near. It must be tricky, as you say, if Mark Selby did not know where he
:18:16. > :18:21.was going. One thing about it, he has had a look at it, he should do
:18:22. > :18:26.better the second time. It is not easy to judge the angles
:18:27. > :18:34.when the cue ball is very close to the first cushion you are striking.
:18:35. > :18:41.There is no doubt he was trying to get to the right-hand side of those
:18:42. > :18:46.reds on the right of the ink. -- Inc.
:18:47. > :19:00.He is on the pink this time. REFEREE: Foul and this, Michael
:19:01. > :19:06.White six. -- foul and a miss.
:19:07. > :19:15.There are no marks on those cushions, you have to judge it.
:19:16. > :19:36.REFEREE: Foul and a miss. Michael White, six.
:19:37. > :19:44.Just looking to see if he can get through the gap, he obviously can't,
:19:45. > :19:51.so it is going straight back. He is just a fraction off getting
:19:52. > :19:55.into those reds here, but you cannot blame him for persisting with this
:19:56. > :19:59.shot, it is the right one to play. Yes, there are plenty of reds on the
:20:00. > :20:04.table, but he obviously does not want to stick one of those up. It is
:20:05. > :20:07.just worth giving away those penalty points to get where he wants to be.
:20:08. > :20:16.Attempt number four. Well, he has hit it, but he has left
:20:17. > :20:34.one. He may have left two. Not straightforward, but Michael I
:20:35. > :20:42.think will be a bit surprised to have a chance, with Mark so good at
:20:43. > :20:48.escaping. He could pot here, or stun round. It is a brave shot into this
:20:49. > :20:52.pocket. It gives him an absolutely perfect angle on the black.
:20:53. > :20:58.It is not easy. But a long read into the corner leads you on the black
:20:59. > :21:04.with a great chance. 3-0 down, not had a lot of table time, is it too
:21:05. > :21:07.much to take on? Well, he is going for it. I suppose he could play a
:21:08. > :21:10.run throughout the table, but I suppose if you are going to play
:21:11. > :21:12.this you will play it properly and go for the black. Is it in? Well
:21:13. > :21:24.played. Good call, John. There was a risk
:21:25. > :21:29.involved, but this young man does play with an element of risk in his
:21:30. > :21:33.game. I think that is what gets the adrenaline pumping. I like to see
:21:34. > :21:37.that, though. I mentioned earlier in the match he did not play the
:21:38. > :21:41.aggressive shot into the pack. Taking that shot on was the right
:21:42. > :21:50.thing to do for Michael, that is his game.
:21:51. > :21:59.Just looking to see if he is on one. He is, just about. The trouble is,
:22:00. > :22:06.he can only really play onto the brown here. If he was going up to
:22:07. > :22:10.the baulk area, yellow and blue are tied up. Good position required on
:22:11. > :22:14.the brown, and he has got it, played that really well.
:22:15. > :22:21.Now, Michael, you are 3-0 down, this is your chance. It involved. -- get
:22:22. > :22:39.involved. That was a big shot, he had to get
:22:40. > :22:49.that right. Not the easiest pack of reds here to
:22:50. > :23:02.make a break from. And he is looking at a red in the
:23:03. > :23:07.centre, so he is not in a good position. Yes, I think you are
:23:08. > :23:09.right. I think word would be the word.
:23:10. > :23:37.-- awkward would be the word. Can he play the cannon and drop on
:23:38. > :23:39.the other one? I don't think so, the cue ball has to much pace on it to
:23:40. > :23:53.stay on the black. -- too much. Just looking to see if he plays a
:23:54. > :23:54.cannon of one and off the red and onto the black. This will be
:23:55. > :24:00.intricate. This is a pretty high tariffs, this
:24:01. > :24:23.shot. Well, that is fantastic, that really
:24:24. > :24:25.is fantastic. You do not see that shot played every day of the week,
:24:26. > :24:47.very good. That is better. He has missed a few
:24:48. > :24:51.cannons in the match so far and lost position because of it. This is a
:24:52. > :24:57.much better effort just to settle him down.
:24:58. > :25:07.The spider is out again, it is having a busy day.
:25:08. > :25:14.He has over hit that one. Not so easy to judge the pace when you are
:25:15. > :25:20.playing with the spider and you are striking down on the cue ball. One
:25:21. > :25:24.thing he had to do was stay low on this black, rather than high. Can
:25:25. > :25:33.you avoid these reds? There you are, too much on the
:25:34. > :25:36.positional side because of the previous poor shot, he forgot to pot
:25:37. > :25:48.the black. Yes, that is a badness, but, as you
:25:49. > :25:52.said, the shot before, just make sure you stay low. Play the cannon
:25:53. > :26:06.into the reds, open them up, anything, the one thing you could
:26:07. > :26:19.not do there was do what he did. -- yes, that is unfortunate.
:26:20. > :26:23.That is where he wanted to be, he could have played into the reds for
:26:24. > :26:32.the loose red. Mark Selby has not played that very
:26:33. > :26:37.well, a slightly awkward angle on the pink. He could just about play
:26:38. > :26:44.into the reds but could not hit them feel enough to move them out. He had
:26:45. > :26:49.no other option. -- hit them full enough.
:26:50. > :28:02.Another good safety there, bridging courtly.
:28:03. > :28:11.I am just wondering how close that is to a plant. It is not quite
:28:12. > :28:33.there, is it? It is close enough to have a try. It
:28:34. > :28:41.is one of those you do not want to leave your opponent.
:28:42. > :28:51.He could not really hit enough of that red to move the other one over
:28:52. > :28:57.into the pocket, but Mark Selby has a second chance now. A little bit
:28:58. > :29:08.easier than last one. He read is still awkward. -- the red. He would
:29:09. > :29:12.like that back again. He sure would. Even like to be high
:29:13. > :29:17.on the pink just to pot it and move the two red is silly, but where he
:29:18. > :29:20.has finished he would do well to land on anything. -- move the two
:29:21. > :29:28.reds away. I suppose he could pot this and try
:29:29. > :29:36.and go around the full extent of the table, through baulk and back and
:29:37. > :29:51.hope he lands on one, but it will take some cue power.
:29:52. > :30:00.That is a great try. Great try. The movement of the cue ball fair after
:30:01. > :30:08.potting the pink was as good as he could have done, really. Look at the
:30:09. > :30:12.spin on that. Just a fraction more power, he would have been perfect.
:30:13. > :30:17.He is still on the red to the right corner. He did not play for that
:30:18. > :30:23.one. He will take it, and that is an excellent shot.
:30:24. > :30:31.Fabulous. How he has kept this break going after that initial red,
:30:32. > :30:39.absolutely superb. 2 billion shots, one after the other. -- two
:30:40. > :30:49.brilliant shots. We were talking earlier on in the
:30:50. > :30:55.commentary about Mark Selby. When he is behind in frames he is much more
:30:56. > :30:59.aggressive. He has won a lot of matches from being well behind,
:31:00. > :31:03.especially in the Masters. But when he is in front he tends to be a
:31:04. > :31:08.little bit more negative. I would say it is one of those features that
:31:09. > :31:11.has got away from him a little bit. When he was winning the Masters
:31:12. > :31:20.tournament he was getting in front and making 100s, now he is making
:31:21. > :31:24.80s, 90s. In the last couple of seasons he has not really pressed
:31:25. > :31:28.ahead, but he is a master of winning frames he should not. When you add
:31:29. > :31:35.those up in this season it gets a lot of prize money.
:31:36. > :31:41.Plus the effect on the opponent, of course. There is nothing worse than
:31:42. > :31:51.sitting in the chair seems someone pinch the frame of view, as we call
:31:52. > :31:58.it. -- pinch the frame from you. Well, well, well. After all that he
:31:59. > :32:03.has missed a pink off the spot. OK, he had to power it through the two
:32:04. > :32:10.cushions for this red, but he did not expected to miss that. He will
:32:11. > :32:15.be disappointed. You can see the cue ball bouncing, as we saw earlier
:32:16. > :32:23.when we had the slow motion on. If you hit it with more pace, it
:32:24. > :32:29.bounces more. If you take -- it takes the cue ball off track to the
:32:30. > :32:31.object ball. Good pot, but he cannot win the frame from here. No angle to
:32:32. > :33:02.get onto these reds. That was a very good shot. The
:33:03. > :33:07.reason I like that is he could easily have taken them up the pink,
:33:08. > :33:17.but he put another ball safe, the green on the side cushion.
:33:18. > :33:28.He is a long way away there. Once again, not like Mark. I don't think
:33:29. > :33:29.Michael will be moving anywhere, no shoe leather here. He will be
:33:30. > :33:38.standing where he is. I think we have seen a few shots in
:33:39. > :33:43.this match with Mark Selby, who is probably one of the best players
:33:44. > :33:48.escaping from smokers in the game, but the cushions are coming off
:33:49. > :33:54.slightly more narrow -- escaping from snookers.
:33:55. > :34:05.Very good. You see, when you hit it slowly into the first cushion, there
:34:06. > :34:09.is less chance of it coming off at a narrow angle. When you use to
:34:10. > :34:16.cushions, you can hit it harder and it changes the angle slightly -- two
:34:17. > :34:20.cushions. He has not only got out of it but where he has left it, it is
:34:21. > :34:25.very tricky for Michael to play a good safety off it. You have to be
:34:26. > :34:27.careful with this shot. If you can get this anywhere near Fick, you are
:34:28. > :34:39.in trouble. -- thick. I'm not surprised he didn't played
:34:40. > :34:43.down to the baulk area. I hope he hasn't left the plant. There is a
:34:44. > :34:51.gap but it might be a shot to nothing.
:34:52. > :35:00.Maybe it is a bit too thin for Mark Selby to play that shot. So too in
:35:01. > :35:15.one, have a go at the plant and play the safety as well. We will see?
:35:16. > :35:20.He played one half of the shot. He could maybe have made the plans but
:35:21. > :35:41.he tried to get close to the yellow. That is OKed. The cue ball needs to
:35:42. > :35:46.run. It looks like it would go to behind the pink but it slowed up. He
:35:47. > :35:49.has to be careful, Michael he played a good shot before but he is
:35:50. > :35:53.virtually guaranteed, if he doesn't move it and Mark Selby gets these
:35:54. > :36:03.two reds, he will we snookered behind the blue and yellow.
:36:04. > :36:11.One good pot from Mark Selby puts him right in the frame. That wasn't
:36:12. > :36:20.it, though. He didn't get near it, did he? He courted thick, of course.
:36:21. > :36:29.If he had potted it, the White would have come and can the other red. --
:36:30. > :36:44.had a cannon off the other red. He is in two minds. Looked like he
:36:45. > :36:50.was going to play the double, surely not? He was looking at it. Not the
:36:51. > :36:57.long, I hope. -- not for long. That is a much
:36:58. > :37:12.better shot. Very skilful shot. I think people
:37:13. > :37:19.who don't play don't understand how skilful the shops are. A little
:37:20. > :37:24.touch of stun, a little touch of side. It wasn't a natural angle, he
:37:25. > :37:33.hit it wasn't a natural angle, he hit it beautifully to he gets.
:37:34. > :37:54.-- he deserves everything he gets. How close is that? It may be a free
:37:55. > :38:04.ball. He had a glance, had a good look, and the referee... This is one
:38:05. > :38:06.of those situations when you want a baulk colour hanging over the hole.
:38:07. > :38:16.He may well put him back into bat. Just thinking about it, decisions to
:38:17. > :38:37.be made. If he misses the pink, he will
:38:38. > :38:44.probably be in trouble. But he didn't. What I like about that from
:38:45. > :38:51.Michael White, he took plenty of time to take the decision. He didn't
:38:52. > :38:54.rush into it. Yes, played it beautifully. Two of the best shots
:38:55. > :38:59.he has played so far have been the positive ones. It suits his game
:39:00. > :39:54.more. He deserves to win the frame after that shot, it was excellent.
:39:55. > :39:59.He was desperate to get that frame but he still trails.
:40:00. > :40:04.Sir Michael White finally wins a frame but very much up against it.
:40:05. > :40:07.We have had three days of snow here at the Crucible. Ken Doherty, Ronnie
:40:08. > :40:11.O'Sullivan, Shaun Murphy and Ali Carter roll through to the second
:40:12. > :40:15.round -- of snooker. We had late-night drama last night as
:40:16. > :40:18.Stephen Maguire took on Ryan Day. A terrific match, went down to the
:40:19. > :40:33.wire. This is what happened in the final frame.
:40:34. > :41:17.JOHN VIRGO: he caught the bump. I think he would like to play the red
:41:18. > :41:20.to the right corner. But he will be hampered by the green and black,
:41:21. > :41:23.which she wouldn't be to the left corner. Can he reach either? --
:41:24. > :41:40.which he wouldn't be. A little bit careless of Ryan to
:41:41. > :41:43.catch the bump in the middle pocket. It is amazing how many times the
:41:44. > :41:50.simple shots cost you the match. Not the difficult ones.
:41:51. > :41:57.That used to be the old saying, if you can cut out the simple mistakes,
:41:58. > :42:10.the easy misses, you will not lose many matches.
:42:11. > :42:17.We said before, the feel of the cue when you have the extension arm is
:42:18. > :42:35.not the same. This is not easy by any means.
:42:36. > :42:41.Right in the heart of the pocket. Boy, has he potted some good balls
:42:42. > :42:45.in this comeback. He really has. Full stretch, extension on, never
:42:46. > :42:55.looked like touching the sides. The only downside is he hasn't
:42:56. > :43:01.compassed the blue, so he needs another good pot. -- come past. The
:43:02. > :43:13.red to the left of the pink looks like the one he will play for.
:43:14. > :43:21.The Black may go past the green. A choice of shots. He would love to
:43:22. > :43:30.get the black then this end the table. -- down.
:43:31. > :43:35.If the red closest to the pocket went, this would be a really good
:43:36. > :43:46.chance. But of course, deciding frame, everything is at stake.
:43:47. > :43:56.A good solid pot, a nice angle on the blue. As you said, Stephen, he
:43:57. > :44:02.would love to have the black on its spot, it will be the blue this time.
:44:03. > :44:13.He may play a cannon. I know you don't want to risk it, but if he can
:44:14. > :44:19.just get that line there... Can he just loosen those a little bit? He
:44:20. > :44:26.may just even clear the pink spot area.
:44:27. > :44:34.Yes, I suppose if he plays the cannon, it would be ideal to run
:44:35. > :44:38.straight for the red in the left corner to stay on the pink in the
:44:39. > :44:48.centre. You always need a bit of luck if you play the cannon.
:44:49. > :44:53.A little bit pacey than I thought he would have done but he still has the
:44:54. > :45:06.red along the top cushion. No easy shots at this stage of the
:45:07. > :45:07.match. He has got the one to the right centre. Wherever you look,
:45:08. > :45:45.there is pressure. Couldn't do much with that, it was a
:45:46. > :45:55.tough pot. He knew he couldn't get the right side of the blue. So he is
:45:56. > :45:59.not going to be close to the next red. Although we did see him play
:46:00. > :46:01.the shot when he went in and out the baulk, which was superb, the amount
:46:02. > :46:24.of topspin he got on it. I am not quite certain... I suppose
:46:25. > :46:30.the red that is just below the pink will go, but that is a tough one.
:46:31. > :46:33.The one near the corner, he can't get through, I don't think. I don't
:46:34. > :46:41.think he can carry on this visit there. He has a two . Lead and I
:46:42. > :47:04.think he will have to settle for that. -- a two point lead.
:47:05. > :47:44.So both players have had a chance. Who gets the next one?
:47:45. > :47:54.Courted much too thin -- he caught it much too thin and he may have
:47:55. > :48:01.left one to the right corner pocket. I know it is tricky but the mindset
:48:02. > :48:03.Brian Gay at the start of this deciding frame looked to be
:48:04. > :48:26.attacked. Having second thoughts here. -- to attack.
:48:27. > :48:36.He has left the cue ball tight to the baulk cushion. Made it difficult
:48:37. > :48:52.for Stephen Maguire to play a good safety.
:48:53. > :49:02.That is the problem. Whenever they are close to the top cushion, you
:49:03. > :49:10.hit them a fraction thick and you go up the table with the cue ball. Does
:49:11. > :49:16.this go past the two reds to go in the corner? Just. Not all of the
:49:17. > :49:18.pocket. It is tight. Needs to be accurate.
:49:19. > :49:32.And it was. So second chance to Ryan Day, but not the right side of the
:49:33. > :49:37.blue. He put all of his concentration into the pot, didn't
:49:38. > :49:40.he? He has an angle on the black but he has two hit this really well to
:49:41. > :49:56.get the cue ball back down the table.
:49:57. > :50:07.Every credit, Ryan. That was the brave man's route.
:50:08. > :50:17.We say this game is all about fractions and the fractions at the
:50:18. > :50:21.moment look to be in favour of Ryan. This is a great chance for
:50:22. > :50:37.frame and match. He has hit the ball well in the last
:50:38. > :50:48.frame. His cue is going through really
:50:49. > :51:04.positively. Yes, from shot one, he has looked
:51:05. > :51:10.positive and said, it is a deciding frame and if I get a chance, I am
:51:11. > :51:13.going to go for it. Every credit, because he has been bombarded by
:51:14. > :51:18.Stephen Maguire over the last few frames. Sat in his chair, over 200
:51:19. > :51:28.points without reply was scored. But this is his opportunity now. Can
:51:29. > :52:01.he make the most of it? Have to follow of the cushion for
:52:02. > :52:06.the red here, so he will be further away than he would like.
:52:07. > :52:23.29 points lead, three reds, three colours and he will be in the second
:52:24. > :53:05.round. He played it well. It looks a
:53:06. > :53:06.formality but there is no such thing as a formality at this stage of a
:53:07. > :53:31.match. Yes, it looks like all the great
:53:32. > :53:34.snooker Stephen Maguire has played to Carmack is all in vain though. --
:53:35. > :53:49.to come back. Stephen Maguire can't be too hard on
:53:50. > :53:55.himself. He lost in the first round last Year 10 -90 Dechawat Poomjaeng.
:53:56. > :54:02.He has left nothing behind here -- 10-9. It is all about getting the
:54:03. > :54:07.chances. He had one chance, Ryan had one chance but then he got the next
:54:08. > :54:13.one and he has made the most of it and taken these really well. After
:54:14. > :54:20.the mid-session interval, it has been a tremendous match.
:54:21. > :54:26.And that will mean that Stephen well not bother coming back to the table.
:54:27. > :54:32.His hopes of being a world champion have to be put on the shelf for
:54:33. > :54:36.another year. As I say, he has given his all, he has left nothing behind
:54:37. > :54:43.and that is all you can ask from anybody. Fair play to Ryan Day, he
:54:44. > :54:47.came to this deciding frame and he came out with an attitude of, well,
:54:48. > :54:51.I'm going to go for it and if I get a chance, I am going to try and win
:54:52. > :54:56.the frame. And that is what he has done.
:54:57. > :55:09.It is sad that there has to be a loser, but that is sport. Ryan Day,
:55:10. > :55:14.we all know his talent and if he can get a boost of confidence from
:55:15. > :55:45.this, he is a match for anybody on his day. No pun intended.
:55:46. > :55:53.Puffing out of the cheeks is Ryan. He is so relieved to get through
:55:54. > :55:58.this. It was a great match. Stephen Maguire gives him a warm handshake.
:55:59. > :56:03.He didn't do anything but give his best, but Ryan Day just had that
:56:04. > :56:06.lead. He hung on and came out in the deciding frame with an attitude of
:56:07. > :56:10.give me one chance and I'm going to win the match. He needed two but
:56:11. > :56:16.well played, Ryan Day, you are through to the second round. He has
:56:17. > :56:21.beaten Stephen Maguire 10-9. Yes, indeed, well played Ryan Day. A
:56:22. > :56:26.very late night for us all at the Crucible because as well as the game
:56:27. > :56:31.between Ryan Day and Stephen Murphy, Jamie Cope and Shaun Murphy went all
:56:32. > :56:36.the way as well. Shaun Murphy triumphing. Let's look back with
:56:37. > :56:40.John. For Ryan Day, really good win, 14 years since his last win over
:56:41. > :56:43.Stephen Maguire. A heck of a long time and you would have looked at
:56:44. > :56:48.the form guide and think Stephen Maguire would win it. He has had
:56:49. > :56:53.health problems, a bad back, didn't go to China to play and has had the
:56:54. > :56:58.season from hell. But from 9-6 behind, he didn't half try hard.
:56:59. > :57:03.Shaun Murphy went all the way against Jamie Cope. What does that
:57:04. > :57:07.do for a play? In his post match conference, Shaun Murphy describe it
:57:08. > :57:11.as a bloodbath. When you have been through a final frame decider, what
:57:12. > :57:15.does it do as you go into the second round? It is relief and then you are
:57:16. > :57:20.proud of yourself and if you finish up like Ryan Day, with a 90, it is
:57:21. > :57:24.good pure confidence. But just getting through the first round,
:57:25. > :57:28.plenty of players find it twitchy. Jamie Cope will be happy just to be
:57:29. > :57:33.playing good snooker. He will be disappointed to have lost,
:57:34. > :57:35.obviously, but he had bad health and had the equivalent of the yips
:57:36. > :57:40.playing snooker, so he will be glad to be playing decent snooker. For
:57:41. > :57:47.Shaun Murphy, it will be relieved. You are going back into the
:57:48. > :57:52.commentary shoe. You can continue to watch the Michael White and Mark
:57:53. > :57:58.Selby game on the red button. We are going there soon. Not got going yet?
:57:59. > :58:02.Michael missed a couple of blacks off the spot early, Mark Selby was
:58:03. > :58:07.scoring well but he has gotten back to 3-1. If it was 4-0 at the
:58:08. > :58:13.interval, it would be a sickener. He has to step it up a bit. Back to the
:58:14. > :58:19.commentary box the year. That is it. I am stuck in there for the day,
:58:20. > :58:22.I am losing my tan. If you want to continue watching that Mark Selby
:58:23. > :58:26.and Michael White match, it is available online and on the red
:58:27. > :58:30.button. Hazel will be back at 1pm this afternoon as Ding Junhui's
:58:31. > :58:34.match against Michael was Lee continues. And we will see John
:58:35. > :58:38.Higgins take on Alan McManus.