:00:37. > :00:41.Am Good morning from the Crucible Sheffield -- the Crucible Theatre in
:00:42. > :00:49.Sheffield, no ordinary day here, this place still shell-shocked after
:00:50. > :00:53.Ding Junhui was dropped out by the world number 73 Michael Wasley. Some
:00:54. > :00:58.great snooker ahead today, the match we are focusing on this morning is
:00:59. > :01:05.the old Scottish clash between Alan McManus and John Higgins.
:01:06. > :01:20.I was born on the 18th of May, 1975. I turned professional in 1992. I won
:01:21. > :01:26.my first ranking title in 1994. I won my first World Championship in
:01:27. > :01:31.1988. I also won my first European Championship that year.
:01:32. > :01:48.I won my fourth World Championship in 2011. I have won 25 ranking
:01:49. > :01:54.titles. I am married to Denise and I have
:01:55. > :02:03.two sons and one daughter, Pearce, Oliver and Claudia.
:02:04. > :02:06.Alan McManus getting this first match under way, this is like a
:02:07. > :02:12.rolling back the years. Where is the cue ball going?
:02:13. > :02:27.Unlucky. John Higgins leads one - zero.
:02:28. > :02:29.Alan McManus has been a great player, he has proven he still is
:02:30. > :02:54.that and levels the score at 1-1. Angles McManus. They see he is the
:02:55. > :03:06.best in the business at getting out of snookers.
:03:07. > :03:23.It has been easy PC. He leads by 6-1.
:03:24. > :03:30.With one to play in this session, Alan McManus leads by six frames to
:03:31. > :03:38.two. 6-3, John Higgins will be very, very
:03:39. > :03:42.pleased. It could have been a lot worse.
:03:43. > :03:49.The players are ready, there is John Higgins, Alan McManus sporting those
:03:50. > :03:53.tartan trousers once again. You have to go back to 2006 for Alan
:03:54. > :03:57.McManus's last win over John Higgins.
:03:58. > :04:00.That is our live match today. And Marco Fu takes on Martin Gould on
:04:01. > :04:05.table one. We are ready, the Crucible is ready,
:04:06. > :04:10.are you ready? Rob Walker, I am sure you are ready.
:04:11. > :04:14.Thank you, good morning ladies and gentlemen, it is a pretty gloomy day
:04:15. > :04:20.outside in Sheffield but it will be top class snooker of the date --
:04:21. > :04:28.every step of the day right here at this year's Dafabet World Snooker
:04:29. > :04:30.Championship that is warming up beautifully.
:04:31. > :04:34.The drama last night when Michael Wasley is win over Ding set this
:04:35. > :04:42.crowd alight. Please welcome a player who one time
:04:43. > :04:50.had to juggle a job with being a pro, but his hard work has played --
:04:51. > :05:11.paid off. He won snooker's smoke out last January, Martin Gould!
:05:12. > :05:20.And his opponent, a player who has thrived under snooker's busy
:05:21. > :05:23.calendar. He has rocketed back up the rankings, now once again in the
:05:24. > :05:29.top eight. Semifinalist here in 2006, winner of
:05:30. > :05:34.the snooker Grand Prix in 2011, last July he won his second world ranking
:05:35. > :05:36.title down under. Full of eastern promise, there is
:05:37. > :05:57.Marco Fu! And on table two, please welcome
:05:58. > :06:04.back a player returning 23 years after his debut. A two-time ranking
:06:05. > :06:09.world event winner who also swept to a famous Masters win at Wembley 20
:06:10. > :06:12.years ago. He beat double world champion Mark Williams to qualify
:06:13. > :06:17.and is continuing to roll back the clock in style at the Crucible. Here
:06:18. > :06:40.he comes with his new tartan trews, it is Alan McManus!
:06:41. > :06:46.And his opponent, a player who has graced the Crucible stage with 20
:06:47. > :06:51.consecutive appearances. Four times he has gone all the way to the final
:06:52. > :06:54.and lifted the big one. He showed his qualities yesterday taking the
:06:55. > :06:58.last two of the session and he will be up for the challenge right from
:06:59. > :06:59.the very start. Ladies and gentlemen, here comes the wizard of
:07:00. > :07:32.Wishaw, here comes John Higgins! Here we go at the Crucible Theatre,
:07:33. > :07:37.ready for this battle between two Scottish warriors, John Higgins and
:07:38. > :07:46.Alan McManus, good morning to our commentary team, John -- Dennis
:07:47. > :07:51.Taylor and Stephen Hendry. COMMENTATOR: Good morning and good
:07:52. > :07:56.morning to everyone watching. The question is, can John Higgins
:07:57. > :08:04.continue where he left off? He needs to keep that going, Stephen.
:08:05. > :08:08.Yes, it was a strange John Higgins yesterday afternoon, he looked a
:08:09. > :08:10.little bit under it. All credit to Alan, I was impressed with him, he
:08:11. > :08:21.played very well. One of John's main assets is his
:08:22. > :08:27.heavy scoring ability and he did not get that going at all. 100 and 80 in
:08:28. > :08:32.the -- he made an 80 in the second last frame but he was not getting
:08:33. > :08:38.going in the balls. His highest break, those two breaks, ET and 57,
:08:39. > :08:43.coming just at the right time. -- 80.
:08:44. > :08:52.He is a long way behind in total points department.
:08:53. > :08:58.A little flick would help. Not enough.
:08:59. > :09:08.Good opening red, but no position. Obviously for times, so he is
:09:09. > :09:13.experienced, he will know the importance of this first frame. He
:09:14. > :09:58.will be looking to win this session 3-1.
:09:59. > :10:04.He can always push one over the corner, he has a good cue ball.
:10:05. > :10:08.Though he can get over to the one on the right corner. He has a gap
:10:09. > :10:15.around the back of the black. These are the sort of shots that give you
:10:16. > :10:18.confidence, Stephen. Yes, you practice these come as well. There
:10:19. > :10:29.is a bit of pressure on this, the reds have opened up now.
:10:30. > :10:37.He managed to find a path. REFEREE: Could you please turn the
:10:38. > :10:43.volume down on your earpieces? Thank you.
:10:44. > :10:47.Is there a gap? I don't think so it is very, very
:10:48. > :10:53.tight, he is having a good, long look at it.
:10:54. > :10:56.There is not much of a gap there, is there?
:10:57. > :10:59.If he could get past that Greene, that would be extraordinary. The gap
:11:00. > :11:58.is almost there, but not quite. It is hard to pick between these two
:11:59. > :12:07.in the tentacle department, they are both extremely good. -- in the
:12:08. > :12:13.tactical department. Although Alan McManus currently ahead in the
:12:14. > :12:22.safety department. In his heyday, there was not many
:12:23. > :12:31.players who would like to come back from six behind to beat him. He will
:12:32. > :12:54.have to try for every point against Alan McManus.
:12:55. > :13:04.The red's has come up with the cue ball. But it might not be that bad.
:13:05. > :13:12.It is a thin one into the middle pocket. He is looking at it. I think
:13:13. > :13:15.he is looking to see if he can hold for the blue and maybe play it in
:13:16. > :13:17.such a way that he would not leave a great deal. This is an early lead
:13:18. > :13:31.shot. -- key shot. That was close. If he had knocked
:13:32. > :13:40.that then... Just look at where the ball is well placed. -- if he had
:13:41. > :13:56.knocked that in... Just look at where the balls were placed.
:13:57. > :14:16.Not easy, this shot, to steer the cue ball back into position.
:14:17. > :14:24.That was a bad one to miss there, especially with the table as it is,
:14:25. > :14:35.all nicely in the open. What was that,? Total misjudgement
:14:36. > :14:50.with the cue ball. He was trying to find a gap and head
:14:51. > :15:19.back up towards the pink or blue fair. -- there.
:15:20. > :15:25.We have seen a few matches where players have lost from leading 6-3.
:15:26. > :15:29.There is something about an opening frame when you have a free frame
:15:30. > :15:33.advantage. We will just show this can in straight into the reds. Let's
:15:34. > :15:37.see what Hawk-eye thought he was trying to do. That is exactly what
:15:38. > :15:51.he was trying to do. It makes it fascinating, Stephen,
:15:52. > :15:56.you want to get four in front, because you know you are going to be
:15:57. > :15:57.two in front. It all makes it very fascinating, and opening frame with
:15:58. > :16:32.that scoreline. They have missed a couple of pots,
:16:33. > :16:33.these two, but the quality of the safety has been excellent, as you
:16:34. > :16:44.would expect. He is smiling about the bottle of
:16:45. > :16:50.water, years keeping it out of reach of the referee. The referee bent
:16:51. > :16:54.down to look at a shot yesterday and he remembers it, too. I thought his
:16:55. > :17:18.bottle had gone yesterday! Not quite.
:17:19. > :17:25.This adds to it at the Crucible Theatre, everything is very tight,
:17:26. > :17:26.there is not a lot of room. The spectators are so close to the
:17:27. > :17:47.table. I was on the other table yesterday,
:17:48. > :17:50.but I managed to hear the nines. He bent down to see the shot and
:17:51. > :18:06.knocked the bottle all over the place.
:18:07. > :18:14.Yes, Stephen and I were discussing it in the studio and we thought it
:18:15. > :18:19.was an error by Alan to leave the top of the bottle. Yes, schoolboy
:18:20. > :18:22.error to leave the top of the bottle.
:18:23. > :18:27.He has it on now! And all of a sudden it is turning
:18:28. > :18:31.into an awkward frame. Just five minutes ago the balls were all
:18:32. > :18:34.nicely in the open, now they are starting to get tied up.
:18:35. > :18:42.Hello! He could be on the yellow if it kicked coming forward. As it come
:18:43. > :18:58.forward enough? That is a little bonus. I think he
:18:59. > :19:01.can cut the yellow in. In a few shots' time he can convert this and
:19:02. > :19:23.be on the high-value colours. he is faced with a thin cut year,
:19:24. > :19:29.but he should be on the black to the same pocket.
:19:30. > :21:30.He did not play to kiss the black. That was a little bit careless.
:21:31. > :21:40.What an error there. He made contact with the wrong red. He is playing
:21:41. > :21:45.thing of the one on the right and he has caught the first red. You do not
:21:46. > :21:51.see John Higgins making errors like that very often.
:21:52. > :21:53.He could have left something easier than this, he has blocked the pink
:21:54. > :22:02.up. The reason Allen is not playing this
:22:03. > :22:06.red in the middle of the table is because it is difficult to steer the
:22:07. > :22:14.cue ball round of the angles for a colour. -- Alan.
:22:15. > :22:21.It is almost 39 minutes since his last pot.
:22:22. > :22:28.He does not really want to take that pot on with the rest, because he
:22:29. > :22:34.could cannon want to use red near the black there. -- he could cannon
:22:35. > :22:39.onto the red. There may be a path through... No,
:22:40. > :22:56.it is still blocked. Just a gap to be able to land on
:22:57. > :23:12.that red near the pocket. Has he got away with this? He has
:23:13. > :23:17.miss hit that. He hit that red on the wrong side. There is a red that
:23:18. > :23:21.may go in the middle pocket, but there is no colour, I don't think,
:23:22. > :23:28.and this one is too thin to cut in. He may have two heads down -- we may
:23:29. > :23:29.have to head down towards the yellow, tight on the cushion behind
:23:30. > :23:53.the yellow. I am not sure if he can make the
:23:54. > :24:23.angle just to get over there. That is not bad.
:24:24. > :24:30.Now the player would -- neither player would have wanted the frame
:24:31. > :24:33.to finish like this. It was amazing, all was nicely in the
:24:34. > :25:15.open, it looked like one mistake would cost the frame.
:25:16. > :25:23.I'm just concerned he may leave the one next to the white available. He
:25:24. > :25:25.was trying to get in behind a colour adjust to leave it far enough over
:25:26. > :26:04.so that that red would not cut in. He can take that one to the left
:26:05. > :26:15.corner as a shot to nothing. It is a three shot -- it is a free shot.
:26:16. > :26:17.That was close. Now he has hit the ground. The blue
:26:18. > :26:36.has come to his rescue. The baulk colours are perfect to get
:26:37. > :26:53.snookeredbehind. You know if you get the white
:26:54. > :26:57.anywhere in that area there is every chance you are going to snooker your
:26:58. > :27:08.opponent on most of the reds. There is one near the pocket, I am
:27:09. > :27:15.not sure whether he can get through to that. Maybe he can.
:27:16. > :27:19.Yes, obviously the cue ball is going to be going into the reds, so there
:27:20. > :27:19.is no guarantee where the cue ball will end up.
:27:20. > :27:39.A bit of a hit and hope that. Well, just for a moment I thought he
:27:40. > :27:46.was going to flick the black across the cushion. He has the yellow,
:27:47. > :27:47.brown and blue to cover the red near the right corner when he plays the
:27:48. > :28:03.green here. Just starting to open up the reds
:28:04. > :28:08.again, so any error now would be more costly.
:28:09. > :28:18.I don't think this is a frame that John Higgins was wanting this
:28:19. > :28:24.morning. I think he wanted to get in and dominate this match, scored
:28:25. > :28:31.heavily, get the frames won quickly. He is fantastic, one of the best
:28:32. > :28:35.all-round games in the game. He prefers to be scoring.
:28:36. > :28:48.He has had two or 3/2 chances, but he has only scored six points so
:28:49. > :29:41.far. -- he has had two or three half chances.
:29:42. > :29:52.Well, that is his second fluke. This time he has dropped nicely on the
:29:53. > :29:57.brown. Have a look at this for a little
:29:58. > :30:01.beauty. Not what Alan McManus wanted to see. But John will try and take
:30:02. > :30:23.full advantage. He would have loved to have been on
:30:24. > :30:31.one of the reds to the right on the black. It has gone awkward again.
:30:32. > :30:41.That was quite well judged, about the best he could do. Tricky pink to
:30:42. > :30:42.the left centre, though. Awkward bridging, we have seen these shots
:30:43. > :30:57.missed. Well played. Couldn't do too much
:30:58. > :30:59.with the cue ball. He may be able to drop this red in dead weight for the
:31:00. > :31:23.black. Just the rhythm. With so much
:31:24. > :31:43.tactical play, lost the rhythm of the cue action.
:31:44. > :31:50.A little thin shot needed of the red that is just above the black to
:31:51. > :32:04.avoid the four reds on the left side of the table. Should be OK.
:32:05. > :32:12.He didn't hit it thin enough. That is a careless shot. If he has
:32:13. > :32:20.covered this red with the pink, he is very fortunate. He hit it too
:32:21. > :32:24.thick and he has covered the red. He has had a pretty decent run of the
:32:25. > :32:29.balls. He has not played well and if you play badly, normally you get
:32:30. > :32:48.punished. Two Flukes and a couple of safety shots all wrong.
:32:49. > :32:54.Alan left with the problem that if he takes the red to the right of the
:32:55. > :32:55.pink and plays into the baulk area, you can leave the one that is
:32:56. > :33:13.covered by the pink. That is a terrific shot. I think he
:33:14. > :33:31.was forced into having a go at that because there was no easy safety.
:33:32. > :33:40.It is great to see Alan McManus back in the big arena. One of the top
:33:41. > :33:47.eight players for many, many years and every credit to him for coming
:33:48. > :33:51.back and beating Mark Williams in the final qualifying round. That was
:33:52. > :34:01.a terrific victory. But he is looking for more. He needs the
:34:02. > :34:07.spider and he needs the extension, probably on the spider as well. I'm
:34:08. > :34:11.not sure if he can reach this. Maybe he can.
:34:12. > :34:19.It is a shame that red is in the way because he had an opportunity to
:34:20. > :34:25.part this red and stunned over to the cushion disturb those four reds.
:34:26. > :34:40.-- pot this red and stone over. I am wondering if he has enough
:34:41. > :34:44.angle to screw into those reds, if he can bring in of right-hand side
:34:45. > :34:54.and bring at least two of them into play. -- enough right-hand side. If
:34:55. > :34:55.he hasn't got enough angle, he can play the one to the right of the
:34:56. > :35:04.black. It could have finished a lot better
:35:05. > :35:13.than this. I think he was trying to hit the red
:35:14. > :35:41.that he cannoned. Normally, you would coach players to
:35:42. > :35:44.stay dead still on those shots but Alan has that little rise when he
:35:45. > :36:03.hits the cue ball. He has always had that.
:36:04. > :36:10.See the head just come up slightly as he is about to strike the cue
:36:11. > :36:21.ball. One of Alan's main characteristics.
:36:22. > :36:33.Another great Welsh player used to just move forward slightly when he
:36:34. > :36:36.hits the cue ball, Doug Mountjoy. We were talking about it last night, he
:36:37. > :36:41.beat you in the UK championship final when he was 50 years of age.
:36:42. > :36:46.He was a terrific player, Doug Mountjoy. He still plays the game.
:36:47. > :36:54.He was being coached by all of the top players' coach, Frank Cannon of
:36:55. > :37:01.Blackpool. Frank was the Pathfinder for coaching in snooker. He was even
:37:02. > :37:05.looking at the great Joe Davis and studying the game way back then and
:37:06. > :37:09.a lot of the world champions, including yourself, Steve Davis,
:37:10. > :37:15.Terry Griffiths, even myself, were seeing Frank for a while. And he is
:37:16. > :37:16.still doing a bit of work. I hope you're keeping well, Frank. Great
:37:17. > :37:44.character. I think the red to the right of
:37:45. > :37:48.centre will pot. It is a tricky shot.
:37:49. > :38:15.He could have done with getting a little bit closer to this. I think
:38:16. > :38:25.at the angle he has, he can only just drop it in the pocket.
:38:26. > :38:31.It just means the pink is a little bit more difficult. But he may have
:38:32. > :38:35.an angle to run through and bring those reds into play. It looks
:38:36. > :38:54.pretty good. He would liked to have brought the
:38:55. > :38:59.cue ball right into the middle of those two reds, which would have
:39:00. > :39:06.knocked one towards the left corner. It still pots.
:39:07. > :39:18.Great shot. Maybe too straight on the black to get on this last red,
:39:19. > :39:29.he may have to Cannon off the, deep screw. -- of the cushion.
:39:30. > :39:55.He had the angle, but but didn't get enough. Needed right-hand side.
:39:56. > :40:04.It is a good lead, though. He just needs the red. We have said before
:40:05. > :40:08.that with Alan's safety prowess, he is not going to give you easy
:40:09. > :40:23.chances. John needs everything to win this first frame.
:40:24. > :41:47.This frame has been going not far off 34 minutes and with the yellow
:41:48. > :41:59.over the pocket, it may go on for a while longer.
:42:00. > :42:08.That has helped John Higgins' cause, bringing the blue into play. Because
:42:09. > :42:14.at the moment, John would need the red and above the yellow, then the
:42:15. > :42:20.remaining colours to win the frame, being 30 behind. If he was to get a
:42:21. > :42:25.chance to pot the red and the yellow, he would only be able to
:42:26. > :42:27.tie, but the fact that he has brought the blue into play makes it
:42:28. > :43:05.very interesting indeed. It is quite easy for John to come
:43:06. > :43:09.off the cushion first and hit the red, but he can't afford to hit it
:43:10. > :43:28.with any pace, because he could leave it on.
:43:29. > :43:38.He may have pushed the red on. It is going to dropping behind the pink --
:43:39. > :43:51.drop in. What a result he has had there. Well, he is called Alan"
:43:52. > :44:04.Angles" McManus. You may be able to swerve it. I don't think he can see
:44:05. > :44:08.enough of the cushion to come off it and hit the red. He may have
:44:09. > :44:42.depended. -- he may have two end it. Does he risk trying to get in behind
:44:43. > :45:05.the blue here? He has heaped it all wrong. -- heat
:45:06. > :45:21.it. But at least he hasn't put the red in a pottable position.
:45:22. > :45:25.He could double this red back down towards the blue and possibly knock
:45:26. > :45:42.it safe. He will take that, I am not sure if
:45:43. > :45:44.he was trying to flip the blue. If he played the cannon onto the blue,
:45:45. > :45:58.that was extraordinary. And John immediately brings it back
:45:59. > :46:27.into play. It is all great tactical stuff going on here.
:46:28. > :46:37.That has flicked the blue back onto the cushion. This is what I mean
:46:38. > :46:40.about when you are behind Alan McManus. If you are waiting for him
:46:41. > :46:57.to make a mistake on safety shot, you will be waiting for a time.
:46:58. > :47:02.He prevented you from winning six Masters titles in a row. He beat you
:47:03. > :47:10.in the final and played extremely well to do that. Yes, for a while,
:47:11. > :47:13.he was a bogey player than me. He beat me more than I beat him. A very
:47:14. > :47:36.tough player. Yes, he is just a little younger
:47:37. > :47:45.than you as we see John try to get in behind the black. Not quite. Yes,
:47:46. > :47:48.Alan is 43 years old. Just a year younger than the oldest player in
:47:49. > :48:02.the tournament, the darling of Dublin, Ken Doherty.
:48:03. > :48:10.That drifted. I was right behind the shot, it can do at that pace, it
:48:11. > :48:43.definitely turned a little bit to the left as we look at it.
:48:44. > :48:52.Jon showing a bit of patience there. Could have been tempted to try the
:48:53. > :49:12.red along the baulk cushion -- John. It was a half chance.
:49:13. > :49:23.He is just about OK. There is one possible chance of a back double
:49:24. > :49:27.here. I'm not sure if John would think about taking it on. He is
:49:28. > :49:37.looking at the angle of it. He might just be tempted.
:49:38. > :49:44.He is. It is not there, but it is safe. Look at that, he was on the
:49:45. > :49:59.black and the yellow was over the pocket, so it was worth the risk.
:50:00. > :50:06.I wonder if Alan will be tempted by the same shot, bring the cue ball at
:50:07. > :50:24.them somewhere behind the black. Yes. Well called, Stephen. He played
:50:25. > :50:27.the double just that little bit better than John did and that should
:50:28. > :50:36.secure the frame as we show you this. A back double, as we call it.
:50:37. > :50:40.It is one of the reasons he is called Angles McManus. He is good at
:50:41. > :50:49.picking up the angle is not only at getting out of snookers, but the
:50:50. > :50:52.shots like that. Showed you the little pouch there in the back of
:50:53. > :51:00.his trousers. That is the sort of things that players use in practice.
:51:01. > :51:05.-- the sort of thing. He has got a belt on today. He had a problem
:51:06. > :51:12.after the first frame yesterday. John conceives to the referee, he
:51:13. > :51:17.has had enough in this frame, so it was a long, tactical frame, but in
:51:18. > :51:19.the end, it was Alan McManus who took it. Always nice when you win
:51:20. > :51:31.the long frames. Yes, John, early morning at the
:51:32. > :51:34.Crucible and he did make quite a few errors. We have a few of them here
:51:35. > :51:38.while they are setting the balls up. This one just a mis-judgement
:51:39. > :51:45.totally up the position, didn't mean to cannon those reds. This one here,
:51:46. > :51:53.just to flick the black ball out of position. And this one, Stephen
:51:54. > :51:57.picked it up, he hit the wrong red playing a safety shot. So he
:51:58. > :52:03.certainly hadn't settled. Another mis-judgement, trying to nestle on
:52:04. > :52:09.the red on the right side and almost left Alan write-in amongst them. And
:52:10. > :52:16.finally, to fit a shot, quite a few errors in that first frame. -- too
:52:17. > :52:20.thick. Yes, he doesn't look like the John Higgins you expect at the
:52:21. > :52:23.Crucible. He normally starts matches really quickly, really stamped his
:52:24. > :52:36.authority straightaway. He just doesn't look 100% confident.
:52:37. > :52:45.Alan McManus breaks off, he will be delighted to win the first frame and
:52:46. > :52:49.increase his lead to four. You now think it must be imperative for John
:52:50. > :52:50.Higgins to win at least two of the next three before the mid-session
:52:51. > :53:14.interval. Yes, I was just telling you about
:53:15. > :53:17.Alan McManus' belt as John Higgins conceded the frame. After the
:53:18. > :53:21.opening frame yesterday, Alan left the arena and he had to borrow a
:53:22. > :53:25.belt from somebody in the press office to hold those beautiful
:53:26. > :53:28.tartan trousers up. I don't know what happened to his belt. Some of
:53:29. > :53:37.the players used to wear braces. A lot of these young players
:53:38. > :53:56.wouldn't know what a pair of braces were. I just had them on my teeth.
:53:57. > :54:03.Is the yellow going to come to his rescue? I don't think so. John
:54:04. > :54:08.Higgins needs to get into gear here and get something going. He wants to
:54:09. > :54:24.produce the form he did in the last two frames of the first session.
:54:25. > :54:30.He has got a lovely angle on the blue. The pink is slightly away from
:54:31. > :54:37.the pack, so he might not go into them.
:54:38. > :54:44.If the pink ball was touching the pack, I think John might have gone
:54:45. > :54:48.into them. Just thinking, this red and whether black is, if he has
:54:49. > :55:04.enough angle, he can smash into the reds here -- where the black is.
:55:05. > :55:08.The red that is closest to the black, I don't think it will part
:55:09. > :55:20.once the black is re-spotted. This shot, he will be looking for an
:55:21. > :55:30.angle on the blue, to go into the bunch.
:55:31. > :55:36.He has not got the angle but there are two read that part to the left
:55:37. > :55:45.corner, so he is still OK. -- there are two reds that pot.
:55:46. > :55:49.The game, a loose positional shot from John Higgins. A big margin of
:55:50. > :56:07.error there. He has to start one of these frames
:56:08. > :56:10.in one visit to get back into this match. He doesn't want to be
:56:11. > :56:14.involved in too many scrappy frames like the last one, that will just
:56:15. > :56:24.suit Alan. Yes, I couldn't agree more.
:56:25. > :56:29.He has picked up the loose ones and once he has parted this, it is not a
:56:30. > :56:46.good pack to go into. -- potted. He might be able to hold for the red
:56:47. > :56:56.behind the black but this pulled up in its tracks.
:56:57. > :56:59.Because the way the pack is, to cannon into those from the black,
:57:00. > :57:14.you have to be very careful. He is going to have to do it from
:57:15. > :57:18.the black if he gets a good angle. If he plays it well, he will be
:57:19. > :57:20.stunning into the side of the bunch rather than straight into the red in
:57:21. > :57:32.the middle of the pack. He nearly missed the red. Now he
:57:33. > :57:48.will have two hit the edge of the pack. -- he will have to hit.
:57:49. > :58:00.That was the problem with the angle but he left after almost missing the
:58:01. > :58:17.red. -- that he left. Can he get past the pink? Maybe.
:58:18. > :58:26.There was no problem getting past the pink but didn't hit that well to
:58:27. > :58:58.knock it on to the other red. There was plenty of room there, Stephen.
:58:59. > :59:11.A little bit angle to work with but not straightforward. -- of angle.
:59:12. > :59:17.Just playing for the one between the yellow and the blue. Looking at that
:59:18. > :59:19.angle, he could have played it with topspin. He felt it was better if he
:59:20. > :59:34.could get the red and a good angle. I think you can get to the blue.
:59:35. > :59:39.This is a key shot coming up and if he was to open the reds, he could
:59:40. > :59:43.get right back in this frame, a frame that John Higgins should have
:59:44. > :59:47.put away with that last chance. He just has to catch this first red
:59:48. > :00:02.fall in the face. If he catches it either side, he could go in-off.
:00:03. > :00:11.This red still cuts to the right corner. It is a thin one. He just
:00:12. > :00:15.didn't catch that first read full in the face, that is why the cue ball
:00:16. > :00:17.goes towards the corner pocket. And this is a good chance to pinch this
:00:18. > :00:28.frame. Might even be a three-ball plant.
:00:29. > :00:34.The other one might also go, three choices. The first one he looked
:00:35. > :00:38.at, he can cut into the opposite corner to this, but it is a good
:00:39. > :00:46.chance that the three-ball plant is on. He is just working out where he
:00:47. > :00:54.would have to hit the second red to plant the third one into the pocket.
:00:55. > :01:01.I think, unless it is absolutely straight, I would not be taking the
:01:02. > :01:06.plant. He has other options that are guaranteed, but he is going for it.
:01:07. > :01:11.But we are talking about Alan McManus, though.
:01:12. > :01:16.Yes, I forgot that. John may be able to see a monitor
:01:17. > :01:25.there, that is what he is looking up at.
:01:26. > :01:44.Well, if he goes on to take this frame and lead 8-3, even for someone
:01:45. > :01:53.like John Higgins it will be a tall order and an awful long way back.
:01:54. > :01:57.Yes, you would say that John is not out of it, the normal John Higgins
:01:58. > :02:01.at scoring, but he does not look like he is playing well enough to
:02:02. > :02:06.come back from 8-3. Certainly not at the moment.
:02:07. > :02:10.It is a strange game. In practice John has been absolutely flying, but
:02:11. > :02:13.we have had that throughout their history of snooker players.
:02:14. > :02:24.Brilliant in practice, but sometimes cannot take it to the match table.
:02:25. > :02:32.Unfortunately, confidence is something you just cannot buy, you
:02:33. > :02:37.cannot create it, it has to come from wins and performances on the
:02:38. > :02:39.match table. Well, John Higgins and yourself have
:02:40. > :02:55.certainly done it for many years. Once you start losing a few, that
:02:56. > :02:56.confidence just starts disappearing slightly, it becomes a very tough
:02:57. > :03:35.game. He really is striking the ball well,
:03:36. > :03:40.Alan. He looks composed, focused. The only slight problem, you would
:03:41. > :03:45.imagine, is the two reds in the corner. He has to get a colour in
:03:46. > :03:46.such a way as to get on them, but I would not expect that to pose too
:03:47. > :04:08.much of a problem. When you think he went six years
:04:09. > :04:15.without qualifying for the Crucible...
:04:16. > :04:22.Last year he lost to Ding in the first round, but this is great to
:04:23. > :04:23.see, a player like this coming right back.
:04:24. > :04:38.He nearly slipped there. When you are stretching their, if
:04:39. > :04:44.your shoes and a little bit slippy you have to be careful. -- when you
:04:45. > :04:49.are stretching there, if your shoes are a little bit slippy.
:04:50. > :04:51.He has to be careful, he has got himself into the lead in this second
:04:52. > :04:56.session. Is he on the red to the right
:04:57. > :05:16.centre? That would be a bonus. A lot of players would have played
:05:17. > :05:18.that black off to cushions. A more exact position of shot from Alan
:05:19. > :05:36.there. That was a clever shot, as well,
:05:37. > :05:43.using the other red to hold for the black.
:05:44. > :05:48.They are there for the taking now. 15 in front, all of the colours on
:05:49. > :06:02.their spots. Very worrying times for John
:06:03. > :06:05.Higgins. He purposely played up for the green there, which meant he had
:06:06. > :06:16.very little to do to get onto the yellow.
:06:17. > :06:36.It is always a sign of how confident player is, if he can pinch these
:06:37. > :06:48.frames. He has never looked like missing, Alan.
:06:49. > :07:22.And the way he is striking the ball, he is hitting it with authority.
:07:23. > :07:29.A little trick shot fair, played with loads of side to hold for the
:07:30. > :07:35.black. That is a magnificent clearance from
:07:36. > :07:40.Alan McManus. John Higgins had an earlier break of 47 then missed a
:07:41. > :07:48.red. Then it was all Alan and he now leads eight frames to three.
:07:49. > :07:52.Well, Stephen, I suppose it is no surprise to us, we know that Alan is
:07:53. > :07:56.capable of that, a lot of people at home may be thinking how is Alan
:07:57. > :08:01.McManus beating John Higgins? But he is out playing him at the moment,
:08:02. > :08:06.John Isner at the races. Absolutely. We will have another
:08:07. > :08:13.look at this three ball plant, I thought this was a risky. As you
:08:14. > :08:17.say, he is so good at working these shots out. From there it looks
:08:18. > :08:21.pretty straight on, but it was so important for John to win the first
:08:22. > :08:26.frame to put Alan on the back foot today.
:08:27. > :08:30.If you look at it, years not knocking the first red towards the
:08:31. > :08:36.pocket, he had to hit it to the left to then get the correct angle to
:08:37. > :08:39.make the plant, but that is why his nickname is Angles McManus, he
:08:40. > :08:43.really is superb with that type of thing. And, John, two more frames
:08:44. > :08:49.before the mid-session interval, you would have to say he has to win both
:08:50. > :08:57.frames. But he certainly was looking for a start as he finished the first
:08:58. > :09:01.session of the match, but it just has not happened. Alan has dominated
:09:02. > :09:12.the two frames and there is these stats. The safety success, he is way
:09:13. > :09:16.ahead of John in that department. No century break, but the pot success
:09:17. > :09:32.rate, when you are over 90% you know you are in a good chance of winning.
:09:33. > :09:42.Yes, those stats reveal there is going to have to be a complete
:09:43. > :10:14.turnaround in this match. One player is dominating.
:10:15. > :10:22.That is what I mean about playing Alan, so difficult to get back into
:10:23. > :10:29.the match with the red on the corner, but he has managed to keep
:10:30. > :10:32.it tight. He is never going to give you any chances, certainly not the
:10:33. > :10:36.way he is playing. And there is another poor attempt by John
:10:37. > :10:40.Higgins. Well, after watching that shot, the
:10:41. > :10:46.confidence is gone completely, you would have to say. Confidence and
:10:47. > :10:56.concentration on that particular shot, he just hit it too thick.
:10:57. > :11:05.And that usually happens when you are playing well. You get the run of
:11:06. > :11:10.the ball. If you are struggling, you would hit the reds and finish on
:11:11. > :11:12.absolutely nothing. He did not intend to cannon into the reds here,
:11:13. > :11:23.but look how he flicked them. That is the nature of this game. You
:11:24. > :11:28.get the run of the ball when you are playing well.
:11:29. > :11:30.Poor shot there, though. He should not be as far from this red as he
:11:31. > :11:45.is. It has now become miss-able. He is striking the ball so well. As
:11:46. > :11:50.you are seeing, Dennis, with authority.
:11:51. > :11:55.He has a little spring in his step, as well. I am just watching Alan's
:11:56. > :11:57.body language and he is certainly enjoying himself out there at the
:11:58. > :12:11.moment. The old left leg came up and
:12:12. > :12:30.everything that when he played that a screw shot.
:12:31. > :12:49.When you are just rolling them in easily like that across the nap,
:12:50. > :12:53.sometimes they just turned slightly. A little bit of fine sandpaper keep
:12:54. > :13:05.probably has in his waistcoat pocket just to keep the tip of the cue
:13:06. > :13:16.flush with the feral that protects the wood of the cue.
:13:17. > :13:19.Not bad, you can play this with the right hand side, go between the
:13:20. > :13:26.green and brown as back-up for the Reds. There is a couple of loose
:13:27. > :13:35.reds, or he could go into them, it just depends how he feels.
:13:36. > :13:38.Well, you was going right into them, -- C was going rate into them and
:13:39. > :13:43.cannon and the green on the way down. As soon as he did that there
:13:44. > :14:44.was no chance of getting into the bunch.
:14:45. > :14:53.It will be interesting to see how this match goes on and how Alan
:14:54. > :14:54.holds his nerve. As he gets closer to the winning line, let's see if he
:14:55. > :15:09.does get twitchy. Well, if he takes this frame, and
:15:10. > :15:10.leads 9-3, he could do quite a bit of twitching and still get over the
:15:11. > :15:35.line. You have to make your chances
:15:36. > :15:42.against Alan McManus. You just have to try and play better safety shots
:15:43. > :15:53.than he does, and that is easier said than done.
:15:54. > :16:00.Yes, you would almost think a different plan for John would be to
:16:01. > :16:06.start getting more aggressive, open more balls up. You cannot say to
:16:07. > :16:12.start going for everything, because he is 8-3 down, but maybe just
:16:13. > :16:18.change the plan a little bit. Maybe try and upset Alan's rhythm. At the
:16:19. > :16:24.moment it is being played at Alan's pace, it is Alan's type of game.
:16:25. > :16:32.There you see the shot time, Alan just for micro seconds slower than
:16:33. > :16:34.John, but he will not be too concerned about that.
:16:35. > :16:43.-- Alan just four seconds slower. That has opened up the reds quite a
:16:44. > :16:55.bit and he has covered most of them. If the yellow is covering the one to
:16:56. > :16:58.the left it is quite a good shot, if not, Alan can get back to that baulk
:16:59. > :17:29.cushion. The green almost blocking the safety
:17:30. > :17:38.route off down the right-hand side of the table. Maybe it has. Let's
:17:39. > :17:44.have a look. Yes. Hawk-eye just showing you that he can see enough
:17:45. > :17:46.of those reds. That was a useful little nudge on the green that Alan
:17:47. > :17:50.had there. Well, he is having a go at this.
:17:51. > :18:08.What a shot this will be. A bit of safety also in mind, but
:18:09. > :18:12.you never know where the red was going to finish. When it is not
:18:13. > :18:19.going for you, you always somehow managed to leave one. Now, he is
:18:20. > :18:23.dead straight, and if he stops for fight where the red is he may finish
:18:24. > :18:31.on the black. If he stuns it through one or two inches I think the plaque
:18:32. > :18:41.will be -- I think the black will be available.
:18:42. > :18:47.He just did not hold the cue ball enough for the black, he may have
:18:48. > :18:51.the pink to the right centre, but it is a dangerous shot. He struck it
:18:52. > :19:06.really well, again. Obviously not on the pink.
:19:07. > :19:16.That tells a story - the long pot success rate, 83% for Alan McManus.
:19:17. > :19:38.John, way down on 63%. I suppose not too bad for a long pot success rate.
:19:39. > :19:46.It is amazing, when you are struggling you always get the wrong
:19:47. > :19:51.flick or the wrong cannon. Once again, he probably caught that
:19:52. > :19:58.thicker than he intended, and, sure enough, hit the blue.
:19:59. > :20:04.Every time he comes to the table he is faced with a difficult shot. Alan
:20:05. > :20:31.is just completely out of playing John. -- outplaying.
:20:32. > :20:38.Noise coming now from the other side of the arena, they are at their
:20:39. > :20:44.mid-session interval, people just getting up to stretch their legs,
:20:45. > :20:50.maybe get a cup of coffee. You always give yourself just a little
:20:51. > :20:58.bit more time, get yourself used to the noise.
:20:59. > :21:03.He may be out of position here. He may have covered everything. That is
:21:04. > :21:10.a mistake from Alan. He just didn't judge the cannon as
:21:11. > :21:24.he intended. Maybe that was a little laps therein
:21:25. > :21:30.concentration, but it was a delicate little shot that he was playing.
:21:31. > :21:34.This is a tough shot, but there is a path.
:21:35. > :21:36.He could take this on and screw it into the gap and get round the table
:21:37. > :21:45.again. There is a little screw shot on here
:21:46. > :21:50.if he gets it right. He may get friendly angles, somewhere near the
:21:51. > :21:52.line would get him on the pink. -- he may get round the angles.
:21:53. > :22:09.He has played it well. The top red of the little bunch of
:22:10. > :22:24.four will play to that corner. A touch of the right-hand side to
:22:25. > :22:28.check the white just to make sure it straightens up when it gets to the
:22:29. > :22:32.black position. It looks like he is playing the
:22:33. > :22:36.cannon, he is angled down on the cue ball.
:22:37. > :22:42.It certainly was not the black he was playing to cannon, but I think
:22:43. > :22:49.he is still on a red to the right corner.
:22:50. > :22:57.Yes, he played to cannon one of the reds, rather than the black, but he
:22:58. > :23:01.is OK, and maybe he has found another plant here. When things are
:23:02. > :23:04.going well for you and you run out of position slightly, it is
:23:05. > :23:22.amazing, when something like this comes to the rescue.
:23:23. > :23:30.Maybe he is starting to tense up little bit, seeing the winning line.
:23:31. > :23:51.Careful with this pink up to the green pocket.
:23:52. > :24:00.Now back in position. A greater chance now to go 3-1 up.
:24:01. > :24:07.You have to go back to 2005 for the last time he got past the first
:24:08. > :24:14.round. He got to the quarterfinal here. He lost that year to Ian
:24:15. > :24:19.McCulloch from Preston, who I used to practice with. Unfortunately, Ian
:24:20. > :24:25.is not playing on the tour any more, a shoulder injury prevented
:24:26. > :24:32.him. He looked like he was going to go all the way to the top, Ian. A
:24:33. > :24:43.great player, got to the semifinal that year. And here is Alan McManus,
:24:44. > :24:49.back again. It would really rank with one of his best victories. I
:24:50. > :24:53.know he has beating you, Stephen, in the Masters, but to come back this
:24:54. > :25:21.year and produce this at the Crucible is fabulous form.
:25:22. > :25:29.Yes, when you have been used to the success Alan had in the early part
:25:30. > :25:33.of his career, and then have two rededicate yourself, go through all
:25:34. > :25:41.of these PTC tournaments, all of the qualifiers... Certainly something I
:25:42. > :25:42.did not enjoy, but he has rediscovered his appetite for the
:25:43. > :26:10.game. That was the first one he sort of
:26:11. > :26:16.jab at. That was a nervy one. He did not hit that smoothly at all. Is
:26:17. > :26:30.this the first sign of a bit of tension?
:26:31. > :26:36.He has not left anything. John is looking at a ridiculous plant at the
:26:37. > :26:43.moment, he is trying to make something happen. But there is quite
:26:44. > :26:48.a bit of distance between the reds. And then, well, if he pulls this
:26:49. > :26:51.plant off... He is trying to make something
:26:52. > :26:55.happen, but, what a shot this would be.
:26:56. > :26:58.The plant is nowhere near on. Have a look at that.
:26:59. > :27:10.As he flicked it? Dear me. He is a bit anxious. He is
:27:11. > :27:17.looking for stuff that is not really there.
:27:18. > :27:23.He played it as a shot to nothing, you can see where the cue ball has
:27:24. > :27:33.ended up, but this yellow is tough across the table.
:27:34. > :27:41.Who do this be the turning point of this match?
:27:42. > :27:44.Alan McManus was two or three pots from being another frame up.
:27:45. > :27:58.This would hurt Alan. Not only the fact that he missed the
:27:59. > :28:05.shot with the rest, but then that John went for a desperate plant and
:28:06. > :28:39.fluked the red, that would hurt even more.
:28:40. > :28:45.Alan must know how good John is at coming from behind in a match. He
:28:46. > :28:48.has done it so many times here at the Crucible, John Higgins. His back
:28:49. > :29:18.has been against the wall. Just having to think a little bit
:29:19. > :29:24.more about the fact that the colours are not on their spots.
:29:25. > :29:27.He will have done it so many times with the colours on their spots, but
:29:28. > :29:31.when it is like this you have to be a little bit careful. This will get
:29:32. > :29:39.the Brownback onto its spot and will help.
:29:40. > :29:43.I say that, but it is not a good angle on the brown to get nicely on
:29:44. > :29:45.the yellow. He will take the yellow and come back up again. He must be
:29:46. > :30:10.dead straight on the yellow. It is going to be a tense finish to
:30:11. > :30:28.this frame, a frame that John Higgins badly needs.
:30:29. > :30:37.It is all going to be about how he gets on the pink.
:30:38. > :30:49.Alan not even looking at the table at the moment. Now he is.
:30:50. > :31:02.Alan will be thinking about that red with the rest.
:31:03. > :31:09.He will be already thinking about where he wants to put the cue ball.
:31:10. > :31:10.That is where he would love to be after potting the blue and the pink.
:31:11. > :31:22.How does he get on the pink? He will be dead straight if he can't
:31:23. > :31:31.get too close to the black. He is not far off.
:31:32. > :31:38.He couldn't get close to it. These can be tricky. If it is touching the
:31:39. > :31:56.cushion... Especially at 8-3 down. Well played, John Higgins. What a
:31:57. > :32:04.clearance that was. Alan McManus missed that shot with the rest but
:32:05. > :32:10.John Higgins putting a soupy clearance -- put in a superb
:32:11. > :32:14.clearance. You called it there, he said he is usually prettily reliable
:32:15. > :32:21.with the rest, Alan, and this would have put him 9-3 up, virtually. It
:32:22. > :32:28.is not a smooth cue action, it is a bit of a jab. His right elbow just
:32:29. > :32:34.wasn't smooth. You can tell by the reaction on his face, he knows that
:32:35. > :32:41.was probably frame, probably 9-3, that red going in. And John, in
:32:42. > :32:48.desperation, he tried to pull off plans that wasn't in, not even in
:32:49. > :32:53.line with the pocket. He played it in desperation but have a look at
:32:54. > :32:59.this beauty going into the corner. Then he took the pressure yellow on.
:33:00. > :33:04.He could have rolled up behind the green, but he potted a great yellow.
:33:05. > :33:09.You can see here that the blackest tight to the cushion, so if you hit
:33:10. > :33:18.the ball and the cushion at the same time... John played it at a nice
:33:19. > :33:22.pace, he didn't force it. He queued -- played it absolutely perfectly.
:33:23. > :33:31.And John couldn't wait to get out of the arena. He is back in again. Alan
:33:32. > :33:34.also left. Those are the stats, he is way ahead in all departments but
:33:35. > :33:40.not over the line just yet. Could that be a turning point, that last
:33:41. > :33:46.frame? We have one more before the mid-session interval. If John gets
:33:47. > :33:52.that, game on again. Yes, I am looking forward to seeing Alan's
:33:53. > :33:57.reaction from that red and losing that frame. They are chatting,
:33:58. > :34:02.looking pretty relaxed. That is nice to see. You don't see it much these
:34:03. > :34:05.days. When I used to do battles with Cliff Thorburn, we would have the
:34:06. > :34:10.odd chat but once the frame starts, there is no friendship on the table.
:34:11. > :34:16.Great to see that, though. Yes, you wouldn't get much change out of me,
:34:17. > :34:24.talking in the seat. I was frightened to look at you, Stephen!
:34:25. > :34:31.Can't wait to see how Alan copes with losing that frame.
:34:32. > :34:40.And, obviously, John, will he get a bit of inspiration from that
:34:41. > :34:46.clearance? Yes, he definitely needs this one as well, because 9-4 at the
:34:47. > :34:48.mid-session interval, even the great John Higgins I don't think can come
:34:49. > :34:58.back from that. We always say that as long as you
:34:59. > :36:11.are at least two frames out, you are still in the match.
:36:12. > :36:19.That shows you that if you catch the near cushion, there is no way it
:36:20. > :36:35.will go in. Alan can come off the cushion to pot
:36:36. > :36:44.this, but it is not guaranteed. Well played. Controlled the cue ball
:36:45. > :36:49.well. You keep forgetting he is Angles McManus, those are easy for
:36:50. > :36:56.him. He made it look easy, a tough little shot to judge.
:36:57. > :37:08.A touch of left-hand side on the cue ball.
:37:09. > :37:14.He played that well and he is unlucky. He had a long pause than
:37:15. > :37:20.normal, because he knew he was putting a lot of power into it but
:37:21. > :37:28.he is very unfortunate. Watch the cue, pause, pause and bank. A bit
:37:29. > :37:31.unlucky. Didn't even look at the red on the back cushion. Didn't even
:37:32. > :38:08.give it a glance. He is still keeping this match tight.
:38:09. > :38:48.Good safety shot by John. This needs a thin contact.
:38:49. > :38:53.While the safety battle is going on, I'm going to ask your question. If
:38:54. > :38:56.you are Ken Doherty, waiting for the of this match, who would you like to
:38:57. > :39:08.win? It is a nice question. If it is going to be Alan, it is
:39:09. > :39:14.going to be some tough match snooker, I will tell you that.
:39:15. > :39:23.You didn't really commit yourself there, did you?
:39:24. > :39:29.I think if he is honest, he would rather play Alan. I think John is
:39:30. > :39:42.the heavy scorer and is four times winner.
:39:43. > :39:48.You would have to put Alan up there in the all-time greats in the
:39:49. > :39:55.tactical department. Without a doubt, in the top three in my book,
:39:56. > :40:01.of all-time. There have been lots of great safety players. Ray Reardon
:40:02. > :40:04.was terrific tactician. Rex Williams, the chairman of our
:40:05. > :40:23.association, kept the game going for many years, a brilliant tactician.
:40:24. > :40:31.It was great and the other night to watch 50 years of BBC Two and to see
:40:32. > :40:39.the old Pot Black programme, listening to whispering Ted Lowe.
:40:40. > :40:47.That is where we all made our names back in those days. If you got to
:40:48. > :40:51.play on Pot Black, you knew you had arrived. You could go and play
:40:52. > :41:00.exhibitions. People have seen you on TV.
:41:01. > :41:06.That was a rare careless safety shot there by Alan McManus. It allowed
:41:07. > :41:37.John to get his hand on the and play a better one. -- on the table.
:41:38. > :41:43.There is a possible escape but then to the baulk area, but it has to be
:41:44. > :41:51.a very thin contact. He knows he has to be very precise. And if you play
:41:52. > :41:55.of the left side of that red, it could go off into the corner pocket.
:41:56. > :42:01.If he catches it thin enough, it could go back down the table. It
:42:02. > :42:06.might be the one he is looking at. But he is not happy with it. He
:42:07. > :42:11.knows if he doesn't catch it right, he could leave John in amongst the
:42:12. > :42:27.reds. It is the best option, though. Can't see any other escape route.
:42:28. > :42:34.No, containing shot. Even if the white goes in, it is not all that
:42:35. > :42:36.bad. So he thought long and hard about the thin one and decided that,
:42:37. > :42:51.in the end, it was too risky. The alternative he was looking at
:42:52. > :42:56.was a thin one, but he knew it was fraught with danger if he tried
:42:57. > :44:10.that. In the end, just a containing safety.
:44:11. > :44:16.He hasn't covered that red that is near the right corner pocket but
:44:17. > :44:22.there is not a lot of value in that. I don't think he can come off two
:44:23. > :44:27.cushions for the pink and the black is out of commission. Let's see if
:44:28. > :44:29.he thinks he can get on the pink with a bit of topspin. But it is a
:44:30. > :44:39.tough one. He didn't even try the shot. He just
:44:40. > :46:53.played to make sure the red... It is going to be quite a battle
:46:54. > :46:59.after the mid-session interval. Alan, if he wins this session 3-1,
:47:00. > :47:45.will only need one more frame for victory.
:47:46. > :47:48.Just having a step back to sit with the cue ball is. I think he is
:47:49. > :48:02.playing it thin. -- to see where. He has pushed it over the corner. It
:48:03. > :48:06.is not all that bad, because the black, as I say, is tied up. The
:48:07. > :48:10.pink won't go into the middle pocket, so there is no value in John
:48:11. > :48:21.taking that red onto the left corner. -- on to the left corner. He
:48:22. > :48:29.could roll it in and then play safety shot. If he could get the
:48:30. > :48:35.white out there, he could give himself a chance at the black.
:48:36. > :48:52.But it is not a gimme, the red, because it is on the side cushion.
:48:53. > :49:03.He has mishit that completely. In the end, he might have been better
:49:04. > :49:28.just rolling the red in and playing a safety shot after that.
:49:29. > :49:59.It is not an easy chance, but he has got the pink and blue in play.
:50:00. > :50:27.It hasn't quite rolled through as far as he would have wanted.
:50:28. > :50:32.A big side from Alan McManus, he didn't get through that and it was
:50:33. > :50:37.probably down to having the extension on the cue. We didn't have
:50:38. > :50:44.those around in the good old days. Do they practice with the extensions
:50:45. > :50:48.on the cue? It is always a different feel when you put the extension on
:50:49. > :50:53.and you strike the cue ball. But to me, it is another little sign of May
:50:54. > :51:01.be the right arm showing a little bit of tension -- may be the right
:51:02. > :51:06.arm. A good part, there, though. -- pot.
:51:07. > :51:11.The first thing that starts to happen when you are nervous, you
:51:12. > :51:28.don't go through the ball as much as you do when you are relaxed.
:51:29. > :51:44.Another Alan McManus special. He has got John Bang in trouble again. --
:51:45. > :51:58.bang in trouble. What is he attempting here? He can
:51:59. > :52:00.just see enough of that to get back down the table and have a look at
:52:01. > :53:12.this. That is what he is faced with. If he
:53:13. > :53:14.can't see an easy safety, he may be tempted to take that red on. He has
:53:15. > :53:24.studied all the options. He could get himself onto the pink,
:53:25. > :54:08.but it would be a great shot. There is one red that will pot, but
:54:09. > :54:12.he has got to cannon into other reds, the one that is closest to the
:54:13. > :54:15.pink and to the left, that goes into the corner, but the white goes
:54:16. > :54:20.straight into the red to the right of it, that is what he is looking
:54:21. > :54:24.at. There is the possibility that if he took the pot on, he might finish
:54:25. > :54:26.on the black or the pink and that is what he's going to go for. This is
:54:27. > :54:45.tough. Well, how close was that? And he was
:54:46. > :54:50.on the black. Look at those reds all along this back cushion.
:54:51. > :54:58.A great attempt, Stephen. Yes, and I think that is the sort of shot John
:54:59. > :55:05.has got to take on, take a bit of a risk, because he is getting beaten
:55:06. > :55:10.on the safety bouts. If Alan can pot this red and black, there is the
:55:11. > :55:13.possibility of a plant on to these reds over the one that is on the
:55:14. > :55:17.pocket. It would bring everything into the open. The two that are at
:55:18. > :55:24.the top certainly pointing towards the red in the corner pocket.
:55:25. > :56:04.Made just enough room for the black to go onto its own spot. It is
:56:05. > :56:23.totally out of the game at the moment.
:56:24. > :56:30.Had a choice of shots. He could play to leave the plant for the red
:56:31. > :56:33.closest over the pocket and just roll it in and that would remain
:56:34. > :56:37.over the pocket and he could get himself nicely on the pink. That
:56:38. > :56:38.might be an option, rather than just playing the one that is over the
:56:39. > :56:49.pocket. Let's see where he puts the cue
:56:50. > :56:53.ball. The only thing is to get nicely on the pink, if he plans one
:56:54. > :57:01.onto the other, he might not believe that over the pocket. -- planneds.
:57:02. > :57:06.If you play this in practice, you played with a lot of pace and
:57:07. > :57:12.disturb all of the reds with a lot of left-hand side.
:57:13. > :57:20.That is what he has done, a good aggressive shot. He has not really
:57:21. > :57:29.disturbed the reds that were on the cushion but it is a good shot.
:57:30. > :57:40.It is amazing how he has finished upon the black from that position.
:57:41. > :57:44.Within a couple of shots' time, he could be in a frame-winning
:57:45. > :57:52.situation. He has got to lose reds and it wouldn't be a problem to hit
:57:53. > :57:57.the cannon onto those -- two loose reds.
:57:58. > :58:07.In fact, if anything, would you want to play off the black or the blue to
:58:08. > :58:09.get into them? It is a wider target on the blue. He won't go into them
:58:10. > :58:18.this time. It looks like it will be the black
:58:19. > :58:35.if he leaves it the left side of the table.
:58:36. > :58:42.Anywhere in that circle and he has an angle to go off the black and
:58:43. > :58:47.into the reds. You have got to play this with a lot
:58:48. > :59:09.of power. That will do. There may be a planned
:59:10. > :59:11.after this -- plant. So it is the easy red and that plant could be
:59:12. > :59:26.made. That is what he has spotted. It is
:59:27. > :59:34.not in a direct line but he can make the plant.
:59:35. > :59:42.He has to hit the first red on the left side as he looks at it. He is
:59:43. > :59:45.already 61 ahead, so if this works out, it could give him the frame. It
:59:46. > :00:14.is going to the left of the pocket. He is going to take some stopping
:00:15. > :00:21.now, Alan McManus. Three out of the four frames, it is good going.
:00:22. > :00:28.As I said before, he has outplayed John in every department. We have
:00:29. > :00:31.seen the stats, he has beating him in almost every safety duel this
:00:32. > :00:53.morning. A great performance. Still that 92% with his pot success
:00:54. > :00:59.rate. John says that is enough, so Alan
:01:00. > :01:04.McManus has won three out of the four frames played and puts himself
:01:05. > :01:09.in a very strong position now. He only needs one more frame to beat
:01:10. > :01:14.the great John Higgins. COMMENTATOR: And remember the winner
:01:15. > :01:18.of that tiny to the 1987 world champion and our BBC colleague Jock
:01:19. > :01:24.-- Ken Doherty in the second round. We now turn to the other match that
:01:25. > :01:30.started today at 10am, Marco Fu taking on Martin Gould making his
:01:31. > :01:34.sixth Crucible appearance. Marco Fu was 3-1 up when we join it in a
:01:35. > :01:46.frame five. Marco Fu to play. I don't see the point of attempting
:01:47. > :01:51.this. That is one way of getting back into baulk, the red has come
:01:52. > :01:56.back up there, otherwise that would have not been too bad.
:01:57. > :01:58.He played just a containing pot, rather than playing a safety shot
:01:59. > :02:05.for the baulk colour. First chance after the interval goes
:02:06. > :02:19.to Marco. This is the key shot, this red in
:02:20. > :02:24.the centre. Of course, he could play for the blue if he wanted to and
:02:25. > :02:27.then get on a red. He does not have to play for the black of this. --
:02:28. > :02:46.off this. Well, this could go wrong.
:02:47. > :02:50.It's certainly slowed up. It is amazing, yesterday that would have
:02:51. > :02:54.been up level with the pink spot. I thought there was no way in the
:02:55. > :03:00.world he could be on the black there and it ended up absolutely perfect.
:03:01. > :03:03.I thought he did that far too hard. He has not got a great sport here.
:03:04. > :03:20.-- spot. He has played that well. What a good
:03:21. > :03:24.positional shot that was. It may have looked very easy, but I
:03:25. > :03:26.tell you, it is not. He had a slight angle on the black, he had to make
:03:27. > :03:42.sure he got past the red. A succession of easy shots - that is
:03:43. > :03:46.what break building is about. You may have one or two recovery
:03:47. > :03:52.shots somewhere in a break, but generally the more you do that, the
:03:53. > :03:53.more recovery shots you have, the greater the chances of breaking
:03:54. > :04:16.down. It is all about images these days.
:04:17. > :04:21.Once you lose the image when you are playing the shot, just an upset in
:04:22. > :04:26.the mind, you have to be strong to fight against it.
:04:27. > :04:29.He has to play a little cannon into the pack.
:04:30. > :04:36.He has to make sure he does not stick on them, he made snooker
:04:37. > :04:38.himself. He played it nicely. It is amazing how some players see it
:04:39. > :04:42.differently to others. I would have played at a fraction firmer than
:04:43. > :04:48.that, but then you would risk not being on the red. Marco knew at
:04:49. > :04:53.least playing it that way he was bound to be on the red. OK, he has
:04:54. > :04:54.not brought any other reds into play, but he will do that at a
:04:55. > :05:15.future time. He has played to clear this red out
:05:16. > :05:23.of the way, because it was a bit of obstacle for Marco Fu. This is a
:05:24. > :05:28.tougher pot, going into the narrow pocket.
:05:29. > :05:37.He is striking the ball very nicely, very smooth with his cue action.
:05:38. > :05:44.We have talked about his lack of power. I mean, most players now
:05:45. > :05:47.would go into them, Marco is playing for the loose one purely because he
:05:48. > :05:52.cannot really generate enough spin. The middle of the three reds just
:05:53. > :05:56.above the black spot that is what many players would have gone into
:05:57. > :06:04.with pace, but Marco does not generate the spin a lot of other
:06:05. > :06:09.players to, -- other players do, so years playing for the loose red.
:06:10. > :06:34.This red to the back of the pack is available into the left corner, as
:06:35. > :06:41.well. He may use that later on if he carries on making these. Use that
:06:42. > :06:47.red to split the pack. He played to finish low on that red
:06:48. > :06:52.to bring the other reds into play without using the power. Very
:06:53. > :06:55.clever. He's just looking at the angle on that red you suggested at
:06:56. > :06:57.the back of the pack. He would like to finish low on that so he can
:06:58. > :07:32.flick the other reds into play. He now either has a tough blue or a
:07:33. > :07:38.tough black. This is what I was speaking about, once you use -- lose
:07:39. > :07:41.control of the cue ball, the image is gone, and these shots become a
:07:42. > :07:47.lot more difficult. If his opponent left in this black to win he would
:07:48. > :07:53.be very comfortable on it. It is just your state of mind. What isn't?
:07:54. > :08:06.Very good. It is so nice to watch different players, the way they
:08:07. > :08:10.break build. Marco Fu likes to play aggressively, but when he has not
:08:11. > :08:18.got the power shot he will think of another way of opening the bunch. A
:08:19. > :08:21.prime example is the way he left that red at the edge of the pack.
:08:22. > :08:25.Now he has them at his mercy, very good.
:08:26. > :08:32.Mark Williams has a bit of that engine, as well. He is a good break
:08:33. > :08:35.builder, a good player. Strange not to see him here this year, he lost
:08:36. > :08:49.to Alan McManus in the qualifiers. This is a very, very high standard
:08:50. > :09:32.we are seeing at the moment. I was not going to suggest there was
:09:33. > :09:37.a possible maximum on until now because he was making sure he won
:09:38. > :09:44.the frame. He has just glanced at the scoreboard, he has had 11 reds,
:09:45. > :09:48.ten blacks. He is looking at this cannon. He would be unlucky not to
:09:49. > :09:55.bring the reds into play. It all depends on what he fancies.
:09:56. > :10:16.It needs a bounce. It is no good. He knows that was a great chance.
:10:17. > :10:23.You can never guarantee what you will get with those kisses, but he
:10:24. > :10:27.is very unfortunate not to have any option at all on. Sometimes you get
:10:28. > :10:33.a double into the centre pocket or something, but...
:10:34. > :10:44.He is playing a triple. Well, what a shame, no century.
:10:45. > :10:49.Martin Gould stays in his chair, Marco Fu now leads 4-1.
:10:50. > :10:55.Marco Fu playing very well this season, he has risen in the rankings
:10:56. > :10:58.from 17th to seven, and he of course won the Australian Open.
:10:59. > :11:02.Into the next frame, can be moved closer to a second-round place? --
:11:03. > :11:20.can he move? Two choices, he can check side and
:11:21. > :11:33.check it for the brown, or just play at playing ball, leaving himself
:11:34. > :11:45.more distance now. -- or just play it plain ball.
:11:46. > :11:49.He has given himself a chance now to get good on the pink so he can get
:11:50. > :12:03.right behind that black. Under the circumstances, this would
:12:04. > :12:06.be an unbelievable clearance. There were two reds that looked virtually
:12:07. > :12:08.safe, the black has been on the cushion, he will play that as the
:12:09. > :12:16.last ball. Somebody coughing when he is down on
:12:17. > :12:21.the shot, he has turned round and said cheers.
:12:22. > :12:26.When you have to cough, you have to cough. He is more or less saying you
:12:27. > :12:31.are trying to cough when I am down on the shot trying to put me off. I
:12:32. > :12:35.don't think that is right. He is on to the black, just going to
:12:36. > :12:36.roll it in. This could be a turning point in the match, an excellent
:12:37. > :12:58.effort from Martin Gould here. A great clearance from Martin, this
:12:59. > :13:00.could change this game, he is still four - two behind.
:13:01. > :13:05.Martin Gould definitely needed that against Marco Fu. He has a decent
:13:06. > :13:10.record against Marco here at the Crucible comedy has beaten him in
:13:11. > :13:15.the first round in 2010 and 2011. If you want to continue watching that
:13:16. > :13:18.much it is available online on connected TVs on mobile and on
:13:19. > :13:22.public, however if you want to follow the Alan McManus John Higgins
:13:23. > :13:26.match, and of course Alan McManus only needs one frame to big his
:13:27. > :13:29.place in the second round and a date with Ken Doherty, that is available
:13:30. > :13:33.on the BBC Red Button. Hazel Irvine will be back at 1pm
:13:34. > :13:35.with further live coverage when we will see Judd Trump take on Tom
:13:36. > :14:01.Ford. Goodbye. They dig, they sow, they plant,
:14:02. > :14:06.they water,