:00:43. > :00:51.# He wore black and I wore white # He would always win the fight
:00:52. > :00:58.# Bang bang he shot me down # Bang bang I hit the ground
:00:59. > :01:07.# Bang bang, that awful sound # Bang bang, my baby shot me down...
:01:08. > :01:13.HAZEL IRVINE: The revolving door is spinning in sport, comings and
:01:14. > :01:18.goings at Manchester United this morning and plenty of drama here as
:01:19. > :01:21.well in the Dafabet World Championship at the Crucible
:01:22. > :01:24.Theatre. We are only halfway through the first round and it already feels
:01:25. > :01:29.like we have had two weeks' worth of drama and tension, yet to more final
:01:30. > :01:34.frame decider is here last night and we will reflect on those shortly,
:01:35. > :01:42.but the top seeds are not feeling so secure -- two more final frame
:01:43. > :01:48.deciders. Could Tom Moores Spring the next decider against -- Spring
:01:49. > :01:53.the next surprise against Judd Trump. The quiet man Barry Hawkins
:01:54. > :01:58.might be a big noise again this time. We will look back at the
:01:59. > :02:01.late-night drama with Ding Junhui and Mark Selby, the world numbers
:02:02. > :02:09.two and three teetering on the brink of early exits. Meanwhile Florian
:02:10. > :02:16.collar can relieve the tension levels with exhibition stuff. And we
:02:17. > :02:21.welcome our guests for table talk. Is Judd Trump the snooker trump card
:02:22. > :02:24.and like Trump, do you believe the Snooker Championships needs a bigger
:02:25. > :02:29.venue? We will discuss that later on but I am sure you, like us, have
:02:30. > :02:33.been engrossed in events at the Crucible. Jason has been on air
:02:34. > :02:37.since 10am and let me show you what he has been watching. It is the all
:02:38. > :02:40.Scottish matchup between John Higgins and Alan McManus. Alan
:02:41. > :02:44.McManus turned up in a pair of tartan trews, tartan, they are
:02:45. > :02:55.McKenzie tartan. They were going very well until the mid-session, but
:02:56. > :02:59.they rub it loose and he got a belt from the press office and it seemed
:03:00. > :03:04.to have the desired affect -- they felt a bit loose. They came back at
:03:05. > :03:09.ten this morning, Alan very comfortable in his trousers, because
:03:10. > :03:13.he is 9-4 in front. Since then, Higgins has come back into things
:03:14. > :03:19.with a break of 111 in the last frame, so he is four behind as we
:03:20. > :03:20.join it in the 15th frame, McManus looking good, 43 points up as we get
:03:21. > :03:34.to it. DENNIS TAYLOR: there was definitely
:03:35. > :03:52.no Pap back down the table for Alan and what a chance for John Higgins.
:03:53. > :04:00.-- no path. You would always put John Higgins favoured this frame
:04:01. > :04:02.now. It is not the gimme by any means, but you couldn't wish to put
:04:03. > :04:19.the reds in a better position. That has cleared the back for the
:04:20. > :04:25.left corner pocket. The black was blocked into the opposite corner by
:04:26. > :04:46.the other red. He will remove that in a couple of shots' time.
:04:47. > :05:20.Perfect. Great chance. John Higgins is not finished yet, by any means.
:05:21. > :05:31.STEPHEN HENDRY: Allen wouldn't have minded the last frame, John won it
:05:32. > :05:34.with a century -- Alan, but now he has had a golden opportunity to win
:05:35. > :05:55.this match and it will prey on his mind a little bit.
:05:56. > :05:58.Slight change of plan. Played for the blue but the pink was always
:05:59. > :06:15.there as an option. You think you would have to come
:06:16. > :06:21.down for pink to get easy access for the two reds. I think they both pot
:06:22. > :06:22.to the left corner. So he should be able to come off the cushion with
:06:23. > :06:40.left-hand side. There is the little bit of side that
:06:41. > :06:44.Stephen was talking about. The natural angle would have taken him
:06:45. > :06:49.into the reds. The little trace of side left him perfect.
:06:50. > :06:59.And the black that Alan mist off the spot is proving very, very costly.
:07:00. > :07:06.-- missed. He wasn't many shots away from securing the frame. This was
:07:07. > :07:08.the one, he tried a delicate little one instead of playing a cannon and
:07:09. > :08:00.opening a few more up. He seems to have just found a little
:08:01. > :08:11.bit of an extra gear, John Higgins. 111 in the previous frame.
:08:12. > :08:17.15 ahead, just the brand needed. -- brown needed. And the comeback
:08:18. > :08:28.continues. This match could start to get very
:08:29. > :08:52.interesting now. Doesn't matter about the pink. That
:08:53. > :09:10.should be more than enough to pull another one back.
:09:11. > :09:17.Two snookers needed for Alan McManus. John, does he plunge a Zen
:09:18. > :09:26.rather than rolling it over the pocket? -- punch this in? Safely in
:09:27. > :09:30.the heart of the pocket and John Higgins, as I mentioned earlier, he
:09:31. > :09:36.is not finished just yet, pulls another one back but he is still
:09:37. > :09:43.three behind. In the last few seconds, Higgins has just won the
:09:44. > :09:48.next one as well. It is 7-9 now. Remember, Higgins was 1-6 and 4-9
:09:49. > :09:52.down and it is getting rather interesting and twitchy now, Stephen
:09:53. > :09:56.and Dennis? DENNIS TAYLOR: yes, even Stephen and
:09:57. > :09:59.myself are twitching in the commentary box, it has been a
:10:00. > :10:01.fascinating comeback from John Higgins. Alan was almost over the
:10:02. > :10:11.finishing line. We showed the shot a couple of
:10:12. > :10:16.times, but for the viewers just joining us, he was 40 odd in front
:10:17. > :10:21.and he had a shot on the black, this was it, and Stephen said he should
:10:22. > :10:25.have played a cannon onto two reds, open them up. He tried to get on a
:10:26. > :10:29.difficult red and took his eye off the pot. Otherwise he would be doing
:10:30. > :10:31.his press conference and he would have been in the next round. But he
:10:32. > :10:48.has got it all to do now. And as the top player that John
:10:49. > :10:55.Higgins is, he can sense weakness in his opponent, thinking maybe he
:10:56. > :11:14.can't get over the line. And he has pounced on it.
:11:15. > :11:21.We have had some great battles over the year. John is ahead 12 wins to
:11:22. > :11:34.seven. They have only played each other once here in the World
:11:35. > :11:36.Championships -- twice here. Alan won the first one, John got his
:11:37. > :11:48.revenge the following year. You would still make Alan favourite
:11:49. > :11:51.to get through to the second round but after what we have witnessed
:11:52. > :12:05.from John Higgins, it is not a certainty.
:12:06. > :12:14.John is getting quicker by the frame. He tried to split the bunch
:12:15. > :12:16.up their, he went through a gap. How did he manage to get the red all the
:12:17. > :13:06.way around the table? John has had breaks of 111, 97, 64.
:13:07. > :13:10.This is a man who has made many centuries at the Crucible. I think
:13:11. > :13:17.you made 14 one year. It is not the record. There were 16 made here by a
:13:18. > :13:18.player back in 2002, sitting about six inches from me. Well done,
:13:19. > :13:45.Stephen Hendry. A little tap on his table with the
:13:46. > :13:46.chalk. He can only land on the red on the side cushion. No escape
:13:47. > :14:00.route. There hasn't been much talk between
:14:01. > :14:05.these two great friends when they are sitting at the table, but they
:14:06. > :14:06.did have a little bit of a laugh and joke with each other in between one
:14:07. > :14:24.of the frames, was great to see. That is close to the corner pocket,
:14:25. > :14:26.very close. It is in, and it leaves John with the chance of a long part
:14:27. > :14:37.here. The one next to the blue. He hasn't made many errors in the
:14:38. > :14:43.safety Department, just mishit back slightly. A test of the John Higgins
:14:44. > :15:57.here. He pulled off a 3-ball planned
:15:58. > :16:01.earlier -- plant. That is risky, even for Angles McManus. But he is
:16:02. > :16:05.looking for that one chance that will get him to the winning post.
:16:06. > :16:12.But you don't want to be pushing the ball out too much. I think if he
:16:13. > :16:18.wasn't hampered by the blue, he would definitely take it on. It
:16:19. > :16:27.doesn't look so easy to be able to strike the middle of the cue ball.
:16:28. > :16:39.He's lining the plant up from where he is. I'll tell you what, if he
:16:40. > :16:48.pulls this off, even for Angles McManus, this would be some
:16:49. > :16:57.He wants to take it on, he is just making absolutely certain. Boy, it
:16:58. > :17:01.takes some judgement, this. I think it is worth the risk. It looks
:17:02. > :17:08.pretty good. That is what he is looking at. Speaker
:17:09. > :17:33.It is a beauty. Angles McManus strikes again.
:17:34. > :17:37.Well judged. That shows you how difficult it is, from that picture
:17:38. > :17:49.there, side on. And red nicely over the corner, so
:17:50. > :18:11.no problem stunning the brown for that red.
:18:12. > :18:20.I don't know why he was anywhere near the blue, but he is still OK. I
:18:21. > :18:27.think he just made sure of the brown. He didn't play with any site
:18:28. > :18:40.or any stone. He wants to get a bit closer to the black.
:18:41. > :18:48.The three reds are right above the black. If he cannons the middle one,
:18:49. > :18:51.it will open everything up. I don't think he will played, but the way
:18:52. > :18:56.the red Tsar, they are not very easily placed at the minute. I think
:18:57. > :19:01.he will be fancying some sort of cannon here. Maybe he will remember
:19:02. > :19:04.the previous one we showed, when he decided not to and played for the
:19:05. > :19:32.single one and missed the black. You have played so many times
:19:33. > :19:36.against him, you know how he goes about things. He actually played
:19:37. > :19:42.that shot very well, held the cue ball nicely for the choice of two
:19:43. > :19:44.reds. I didn't think the red at the back of the bunch went to the right
:19:45. > :20:16.corner, so that was a good shot. He has gone too far. Yes, you would
:20:17. > :20:19.have to put that down to a bit of adrenaline, just overhit that. This
:20:20. > :20:41.is a big match for Alan McManus. Another plant. He is looking at it.
:20:42. > :20:48.Just a bit of noise from the other side of the arena, that session is
:20:49. > :20:58.at an end. He has already had 23 ball plants in this match so far --
:20:59. > :21:15.two three-ball plants. There is another one. I'll tell you
:21:16. > :21:19.what, he is going to plant his way to victory here. The bonus are
:21:20. > :21:23.playing that, at some point he was going to have to break open those
:21:24. > :21:31.reds because they didn't all pot, and he has done that now.
:21:32. > :21:47.Now, chants number two to close out this match --
:21:48. > :21:55.Chance. The second oldest player in this tournament, and if he wins, he
:21:56. > :22:00.will play the oldest, the Darling of Dublin Ken Doherty waiting for the
:22:01. > :22:05.winner of this one. What a tactical battle that could prove to be.
:22:06. > :22:16.What has he done with that? A big sigh from Alan. Playing with that
:22:17. > :22:19.extension. What did he do with that shot? The black may go into the
:22:20. > :22:26.middle pocket but it is not the shot he wants to be playing. He had to
:22:27. > :22:35.stun the cue ball. Just a complete mishit.
:22:36. > :22:42.Welcome you mention earlier that Alan was going to feel the heat
:22:43. > :22:50.trying to get over the line. That was a total mishit. When you are not
:22:51. > :22:53.used to clinching matches, it is much more difficult to win that
:22:54. > :23:03.deciding frame that get you over the line. -- gets you.
:23:04. > :23:06.All it does is give John Higgins more hope, more confident that he
:23:07. > :23:25.can do this. -- more confidence. He is whistling a little tune to
:23:26. > :23:35.himself, John, now. But there is no easy path back then the table, a lot
:23:36. > :23:51.of obstacles in the way. -- back down.
:23:52. > :23:58.What has he spotted here? He's going to try and screw his way out of
:23:59. > :24:08.trouble by the looks of things. The balls are all over the place.
:24:09. > :24:12.One has gone towards the middle pocket, the yellow may cover it. He
:24:13. > :24:16.got a good Skewbald Mare, he couldn't see a path back without
:24:17. > :24:24.screwing back and was relying on a little bit of good fortune, hoping
:24:25. > :24:59.that red wouldn't come up a pocket. -- he got a good cue ball there.
:25:00. > :25:20.That red to the side of the blue is pottable from quite a few positions.
:25:21. > :25:32.He's looking at the red that is in the middle of the table, the one in
:25:33. > :25:36.the circle, but if he was to try and cut VAT into the left corner pocket,
:25:37. > :25:47.he is trying to see if he can find a gap past those reds then the table,
:25:48. > :25:57.but that is not guaranteed. If he can't see a safety shot, he might as
:25:58. > :25:59.well have a go at the part. He has thought for not far off two minutes.
:26:00. > :26:22.Boy, is that tough. In the end, it was too tough. But
:26:23. > :26:31.the red is doubled up, it will go into the corner pocket -- middle
:26:32. > :26:35.pocket. It will cut... He has got to cannon the blue, but you would think
:26:36. > :26:54.he would finish on a colour if he converts the red.
:26:55. > :27:19.Somebody walking up the stairs right in the line of John's vision they
:27:20. > :27:27.Of the blue hasn't bounced enough to make it an easy pot next to the
:27:28. > :27:38.red, with the brown available. It has got to be yellow.
:27:39. > :27:46.How was your luck here, John? Bit closer to the cushion than he wanted
:27:47. > :27:48.but if he can get that one to the left the black, one good shot and he
:27:49. > :28:02.could be in business. He is looking very good, in fact the
:28:03. > :28:06.best he has looked in the match so far. Yes, a couple of frames ago,
:28:07. > :28:16.the real John Higgins finally turned up. You said is it too late, but in
:28:17. > :28:20.my eyes, he has slowly growing favourite to win this match. If Alan
:28:21. > :28:55.keeps throwing up these chances to win.
:28:56. > :29:01.He is going to need the extended rest to get to that. It is pretty
:29:02. > :29:03.straightforward, you would have to say, just drop in and get on the
:29:04. > :29:58.black. He has got himself one point into
:29:59. > :30:09.the lead. There is only one really difficult
:30:10. > :30:19.red, the one he is cueing alongside at the moment.
:30:20. > :30:34.If he gets high value colours he may not need that difficult red.
:30:35. > :30:38.No noise from the other side of the arena now, they have the Crucible
:30:39. > :30:50.all to themselves. There is the ball that is still
:30:51. > :30:59.there, it will come up after this frame. That is if John wins it.
:31:00. > :31:06.He is disappointed with that last positional shot, I don't think the
:31:07. > :31:09.two reds closest to him pot, so he will have to have a good positional
:31:10. > :31:10.shot here. He wanted to be straight on this
:31:11. > :31:19.pink. He is a lot further away from the
:31:20. > :31:26.red than he would have liked. It has now become miss-able, this red. The
:31:27. > :31:28.way it looks now, you would fancy him to win a frame at one visit,
:31:29. > :32:03.whenever he gets to the table. All caused by a simple positional
:32:04. > :32:06.shot. He was trying to stay on the high
:32:07. > :32:11.value colours, because he would have worked out he did not need to be
:32:12. > :32:14.difficult red, he could have clinched this frame without needing
:32:15. > :32:33.the red on that side cushion near the brown.
:32:34. > :32:39.Here is the positional shot, he wants to leave the fight were it is
:32:40. > :32:42.but he let it travel about one foot further than he wanted, which made
:32:43. > :32:53.the angle on the pink difficult for position.
:32:54. > :32:59.Well, John may be able to take a pot onto the right corner here. Played
:33:00. > :33:10.in such a way that he is heading back up the table. Plenty of colours
:33:11. > :33:12.and available if he does not it. -- knock. He does not want to hit it
:33:13. > :33:22.too thick. Boy, that was close! I think he has
:33:23. > :33:29.covered everything into this right corner.
:33:30. > :33:33.I think he can possibly see the red closest to the right cushion and he
:33:34. > :33:38.can follow-through off to cushions to the black. This is a chance.
:33:39. > :33:50.He is coming round to have a look at the shot you have suggested. Just
:33:51. > :33:55.past the six hour mark in this fascinating tussle. It looked to be
:33:56. > :33:56.all one way at one stage, but, boy, this is another key shot coming up
:33:57. > :34:18.here. The pressure is mounting now.
:34:19. > :34:23.He was close, but I tell you what, he will be happy with the result.
:34:24. > :34:24.Once he took it on he thought if you missed it he would stick them up,
:34:25. > :35:17.but he got away with it that time. Now, that has made things
:35:18. > :35:25.interesting. Alan has brought the only difficult red into play.
:35:26. > :35:56.Which means, one mistake could be costly.
:35:57. > :36:04.Alan has had the better of the tactical battle in this match, his
:36:05. > :36:33.safety success rate slightly ahead of John's.
:36:34. > :36:41.He could have played that better. OK, he has a good cue ball, but the
:36:42. > :36:46.red is portable. It is a tough one into the middle pocket, but you know
:36:47. > :36:49.what John is like - if he sees half a chance he will take it on. That is
:36:50. > :36:52.such a tough shot from that position, it really is.
:36:53. > :37:29.This is horrible. A horrible shot. Superb cueing to knock that in. OK,
:37:30. > :37:33.he has not dropped on the colour nicely, but I tell you what, he
:37:34. > :37:37.could put Alan in a spot of bother here.
:37:38. > :37:43.Might even be worth just nudging it behind the brown. The brown will
:37:44. > :37:47.pot, but a little nudge in behind the brown...
:37:48. > :37:52.He can get down behind the green, also. That is what he fancied,
:37:53. > :37:58.rather than the delicate little shot. I think there may just have
:37:59. > :38:03.left a little bit of the red sticking out.
:38:04. > :38:22.Is there enough there to get to the potting angle?
:38:23. > :38:34.That is a terrific shot from Alan McManus. Mind you, it is a shot that
:38:35. > :38:39.John should not have let him see. He could have just nudged off the brown
:38:40. > :38:45.and got the snooker behind that. He put the brown safe.
:38:46. > :38:49.When John played that, he looked to the skies, he knew it was a careless
:38:50. > :39:02.shot to give Alan the option. Let us have a look at his reaction.
:39:03. > :39:07.He knew he had left a little bit sticking out. It wasn't a bad choice
:39:08. > :39:13.to put the brown safe, and he needed to get the snooker.
:39:14. > :39:20.Alan is going to need that brown if he keeps potting balls.
:39:21. > :39:25.Just thinking whether it was worth trying to play for the blue off of
:39:26. > :39:38.the last red. It will be pretty hard to do that
:39:39. > :39:41.now. Just one point behind now, still
:39:42. > :39:50.looking for that one frame that will give them a famous victory at
:39:51. > :39:51.getting into the second round. -- give him a famous victory and get
:39:52. > :39:57.him into the second round. That is just the tension creeping
:39:58. > :40:06.in. That frame that gets you over the
:40:07. > :40:20.line is always the toughest to get. Yes, and it is purely the fact that
:40:21. > :40:27.Alan has not been in this situation enough over the last few years.
:40:28. > :40:40.Great shot. Now John can play the blue. He can clear the path for the
:40:41. > :40:55.brown to the left-centre. Well, he cannot believe that.
:40:56. > :41:03.He is not the only one! Did he take his eye off of the pot?
:41:04. > :41:07.A tight pocket, but he over cut it. He was playing it with left-hand
:41:08. > :41:12.side to avoid the cannon on the brown. That is widely missed it.
:41:13. > :41:22.What a chance now. Well, he led 8-3, he led 9-4. He has
:41:23. > :41:26.suffered an onslaught from John Higgins, and could John have thrown
:41:27. > :41:33.it all away with that this on the blue? -- that this?
:41:34. > :41:43.He will go one better than last year, when he lost in the first
:41:44. > :41:57.round to Ding Junhui. They are the best of friends, these
:41:58. > :42:02.boys, but it has been a battle royale, as it has turned out. John
:42:03. > :42:08.Higgins made a great fightback, winning three frames in a row. Alan
:42:09. > :42:15.is not going to rush anything at this stage. What a performance.
:42:16. > :42:24.His stomach will be turning here. -- churning.
:42:25. > :42:28.He could have been in a spot of bother if he hit the black, but he
:42:29. > :42:43.is on the pink. Well, Alan McManus has certainly
:42:44. > :42:47.rolled back the years. He beats his good friend John Higgins, what a
:42:48. > :42:52.fantastic fightback John made of it. He just gave himself too much to do,
:42:53. > :42:56.and in the end Alan McManus goes through to the second round with a
:42:57. > :43:05.famous victory. He beats his good buddy 10-7.
:43:06. > :43:10.Labels... STUDIO: Yes, Alan McManus through since -- for the first thing
:43:11. > :43:13.since 2005. He plays Ken Doherty next.
:43:14. > :43:16.since 2005. He plays Ken Doherty Let's mull over
:43:17. > :43:21.the ramifications for Alan McManus and how he got over the line.
:43:22. > :43:26.Great credit to him, he has not been playing a lot in the last few years.
:43:27. > :43:30.Alan is a terrific match player, he plays the right shot at the right
:43:31. > :43:34.time, but when you are at that point and someone is coming back at you it
:43:35. > :43:38.is a terrible night of pressure on you. He had some twitches at the
:43:39. > :43:46.end, helped by John Higgins over cutting that blue. Alan McManus has
:43:47. > :43:49.done exceptionally well in that match today.
:43:50. > :43:53.43 years young, he will be happy to get there. Let's get his views on
:43:54. > :43:58.this, he is with Rob Walker now. Alan, it has been a while since we
:43:59. > :44:00.have seen your magic at the Crucible and I bet there have been moments
:44:01. > :44:05.when you thought another day would not come, but what a way to do it,
:44:06. > :44:09.and against John, as well. Yes, it was a bit of a tense finish
:44:10. > :44:13.today, I got a good start but it is never easy to put John away.
:44:14. > :44:18.Although he probably never played as well as he would have liked. He came
:44:19. > :44:21.on strong towards the end, I kind of fell over the line, so I feel very
:44:22. > :44:26.fortunate. It must be a touch of release,
:44:27. > :44:30.because if anyone can pull back that kind of deficit it is John,
:44:31. > :44:38.especially Europe where he has won four before. Yes, I know he's good
:44:39. > :44:40.to come back strong, that is the way great champions are.
:44:41. > :44:44.It was a pretty big league to close the match out, I was getting a
:44:45. > :44:47.little bit nervous and twitchy and I had a couple of Justice to put it
:44:48. > :44:52.away and did not manage it. Thankfully I fell over the line in
:44:53. > :44:56.the end. -- a couple of chances. It is your first win here since
:44:57. > :45:01.2005, what does it mean to prove to everyone you still have the touch?
:45:02. > :45:05.It means a lot. I just wanted to compete. I will be happy if I can
:45:06. > :45:10.compete with guys like John. I will take a lot of satisfaction out of
:45:11. > :45:17.that and move on and play my fellow old stage, Ken. I really look
:45:18. > :45:20.forward to -- I really look forward to it.
:45:21. > :45:24.You are both setting a great example, what a contest that will
:45:25. > :45:29.be. Both great champions from the past and you have to go toe to toe
:45:30. > :45:34.with another great mate. Absolutely, I played Kenneth Europe
:45:35. > :45:39.last time, in the last 16. We had a good match, I think it was 13-11, so
:45:40. > :45:43.we will do it all again and I am sure Ken will be looking forward to
:45:44. > :45:47.it as much as I am. We are looking forward to seeing that match, don't
:45:48. > :45:54.forget your tartan trews, they seem to be giving you a bit of luck.
:45:55. > :45:58.I will remember those, thanks. From the John points Mike point of
:45:59. > :46:05.view -- from John Part macro point of view -- from John's point of view
:46:06. > :46:10.it is the second leg he has gone out at this stage in the last two years.
:46:11. > :46:13.You could sense that Alan McManus could smell the victory at the end
:46:14. > :46:16.of the game but did not seem to be able to pull it through.
:46:17. > :46:19.You no sense a little bit of weakness when your opponent is not
:46:20. > :46:23.able to get over the line. But he managed it and when he was starting
:46:24. > :46:27.to get on that role, John can do that, he has done it so many times
:46:28. > :46:31.in the past, once you get on a roll, you win a big frame and it gives you
:46:32. > :46:34.a boost and all of a sudden the frames coming quicker, and it looks
:46:35. > :46:39.like he was going to win a frame in one visit every time. He had a
:46:40. > :46:43.chance in that last frame and he will be disappointed. That blue he
:46:44. > :46:47.missed, we could not believe it. It looked like John Higgins was going
:46:48. > :46:51.to go favourite, but that blue, I cannot believe he missed it, to be
:46:52. > :46:54.honest. The black that Alan McManus mist off
:46:55. > :46:59.the spot we thought would turn things, didn't we?
:47:00. > :47:02.It was one part of the match ready they could someone played...
:47:03. > :47:06.Generali Alan McManus plays very high snooker and always plays the
:47:07. > :47:12.right shot. He did not there. He had the black
:47:13. > :47:17.of the spot, a little stunned of the red, not a difficult shot comedy is
:47:18. > :47:20.already over the line, you guessed -- decelerated, missed the black and
:47:21. > :47:22.all of a sudden give himself aggravation for the rest of the
:47:23. > :47:26.morning. It is not often we say we cannot
:47:27. > :47:33.hear Ken Doherty... We didn't hear you there. Tell me
:47:34. > :47:37.about the prospect of playing Alan, because clearly this is so exciting
:47:38. > :47:44.for the two of you. Absolutely. It is a flag up for the
:47:45. > :47:48.40-year-olds plus. The battle of the pensioners. It
:47:49. > :47:53.will be fascinating, it has been a while since we played here. He is a
:47:54. > :47:56.great competitor and, as Stephen said to me last night, he said, it
:47:57. > :48:02.is not a match I will be looking forward to commentating on. It could
:48:03. > :48:07.go up to four sessions. There will be plenty of craft in it, I suspect.
:48:08. > :48:10.I am joking with him, but they are two of the best quality players to
:48:11. > :48:13.have played the game. If you are a purist and you like
:48:14. > :48:16.matchplay snigger, tune in for that one.
:48:17. > :48:21.And it will be a long one! It will be top, there will be plenty
:48:22. > :48:24.of thinking going on in that one. Exciting stuff so far this morning
:48:25. > :48:29.here on the fourth day of the World Championship, but last night it was
:48:30. > :48:32.breathtaking once again. We had two final frame decider is
:48:33. > :48:39.but the first we will show you was a potential shock of the hugest
:48:40. > :48:42.proportions, because Ding Junhui up against Michael Wasley, world number
:48:43. > :48:47.73. Ding had not looked comfortable
:48:48. > :48:52.throughout their earlier sessions, and despite the fact he took a 6-3
:48:53. > :48:59.lead into this session he was coming right back at him. He made it 6-6
:49:00. > :49:08.into the afternoon session, then 8-8, then name -- Ding looking very
:49:09. > :49:11.frustrated and the match was called off at 6:30pm with the evening
:49:12. > :49:15.session looming. Then the players had to come back at 11pm last night
:49:16. > :49:18.and pick up where they left off in frame 18.
:49:19. > :49:25.Terry Griffiths and John Virgo were in for the long haul here.
:49:26. > :49:35.Great shot. What a shot under extreme pressure. Wonderful stuff.
:49:36. > :49:40.He thought long and hard whether it was worth taking on. Good pop. --
:49:41. > :49:48.pot. Now, can he make the most of this
:49:49. > :49:50.opportunity and take us into a deciding frame? He has given himself
:49:51. > :50:03.a chance. The black only available into the
:50:04. > :50:17.left corner. He has played that nicely, he can
:50:18. > :50:21.port this red and play for the black into the same pocket. He would love
:50:22. > :50:24.to get rid of the red just to the right of the black so he could have
:50:25. > :50:29.the black available into both corners.
:50:30. > :50:35.There are reds in the middle of the table, so I would not put all my
:50:36. > :50:41.eggs in one basket by playing the cannon here, it could go wrong.
:50:42. > :50:47.He managed to be able to screw past the red. What a chance.
:50:48. > :50:54.Yes, a great long pot to get started, remarkable positional play
:50:55. > :51:07.since then. He has to keep that going, though.
:51:08. > :51:10.We talked about commitment earlier, and he certainly committed on that
:51:11. > :51:18.red. Those are the type of shots that get
:51:19. > :51:26.the adrenaline pumping. Risk involved. He may well have been out
:51:27. > :51:34.of this tournament if he missed that red.
:51:35. > :51:48.I must say, this has been an outstanding debut appearance from
:51:49. > :51:52.Michael Wasley at the Crucible, drawing in the number two in the
:51:53. > :52:11.world and he has played at a very high standard.
:52:12. > :52:16.Just slipped out of position there for the first time.
:52:17. > :52:20.Yes, he wanted to put a little bit of side on that, but he is still on
:52:21. > :52:47.it to the middle. Nicely in.
:52:48. > :52:53.He has not looked like missing here.
:52:54. > :52:58.Yes, and it is all blacks, but I am not thinking about maximums, and he
:52:59. > :52:59.will not be, he will be playing for the frame, the frame is the most
:53:00. > :53:09.important thing. Pot the blue, another couple of
:53:10. > :53:13.reds, a couple of colours will take us to that decider.
:53:14. > :53:14.He may have to play the cannon here, unless there is a red he can play
:53:15. > :53:27.for. He has played the cannon, and it has
:53:28. > :53:36.worked out nicely. I say nicely, he would just be slightly hampered by
:53:37. > :53:40.that red closest to the cue ball. He may not be able to get to the
:53:41. > :53:46.centre of the cue ball, which makes this red a little bit awkward.
:53:47. > :53:53.But he played it well, the frame is at his mercy now. Decider coming up.
:53:54. > :54:04.What a performance. Brilliant long red, and, as you say, Terry, never
:54:05. > :54:09.looked in any danger from that moment on. He has looked completely
:54:10. > :54:15.at ease. Ding Junhui is going to go to a
:54:16. > :54:25.decider. Another one. We have had quite of --
:54:26. > :54:31.quite a few of those this year. Yes, how much do we say that the seeds
:54:32. > :54:35.are the ones under pressure in the first rounds.
:54:36. > :54:39.Ding Junhui has won five ranking events this season, equalling
:54:40. > :54:42.Stephen Hendry's record, but it counts for nothing when you come out
:54:43. > :54:47.at the Crucible. Anything can happen.
:54:48. > :54:55.Well, he got a bit of balance their, it seems to me, of that
:54:56. > :54:59.cushion. -- a bit of a balance there.
:55:00. > :55:20.He is walking on water out there at the moment.
:55:21. > :55:31.Not so long ago he was worried about staying on tour.
:55:32. > :55:40.For most players their first objective is to stay on tour, and
:55:41. > :55:43.that is not easy. Now he is in the Crucible going to a deciding frame
:55:44. > :55:47.against the number two player in the world.
:55:48. > :55:50.There goes the double, so we may just see a century, and what a
:55:51. > :55:52.performance that would be, considering the situation.
:55:53. > :55:59.Pink or black for the century. 13 reds, one blue, 11 blacks.
:56:00. > :56:31.Wonderful, absolutely wonderful. And in that one goes. Now, if that
:56:32. > :56:33.red stops, the black maybe available. He has put his arms up,
:56:34. > :56:47.the black does not go to the corner. It could go in anywhere, this, I
:56:48. > :56:52.tell you, anything could happen. Well, not quite, but what a
:56:53. > :56:57.marvellous break, 103 from Michael Wasley. A great opening red and he
:56:58. > :56:59.has now taken the world number two and one of the favourites for the
:57:00. > :57:41.Championship to the decider. corner, did not envisage that, and
:57:42. > :57:47.he has left it. You could not have envisaged that.
:57:48. > :57:53.Your worst nightmare come true there.
:57:54. > :57:58.You would just never think about something like that, would you?
:57:59. > :58:03.You would just think, as long as I get a good cue ball. He did not
:58:04. > :58:12.expect to knock this red right over the pocket so it is unmissable.
:58:13. > :58:18.Well, it was unmissable, but he is not good on the colour. This is
:58:19. > :58:26.miss-able. If he had not clipped the pink
:58:27. > :58:27.affair he would have been on nothing.
:58:28. > :58:39.At least he has a chance of a pot. Once again, he has not considered
:58:40. > :59:04.the safety side of it, he is going to go for it.
:59:05. > :59:25.He did not want that. Not easy now. He concentrated so much on the pot,
:59:26. > :59:30.and, in a way, just thinking if he potted it he was bound to be on a
:59:31. > :59:39.red. Deciding frame, things don't always work out that simply. He
:59:40. > :59:43.needs a good pot here. He's looking at the cut, but it is a thin one. He
:59:44. > :59:47.has a red to the far right corner which he does not seem to have
:59:48. > :59:50.looked at yet. He has to be careful he does not go in-off in the middle
:59:51. > :00:14.from this. IM with you. He did not look at the
:00:15. > :00:19.red into the green pocket. Such full concentration for taking that one
:00:20. > :00:27.on, it was a tough shot. Now, this is a little bit dodgy. Where ever he
:00:28. > :00:35.puts the white, for the red into the left corner, there will be lots of
:00:36. > :00:44.faculty avoiding the kiss on the black -- difficulty. 14 points, the
:00:45. > :00:59.lead. Went for it, confidently, got it, he
:01:00. > :01:35.is on the pink, he has got a chance. Now, what is he on? They red that is
:01:36. > :01:36.closest to the cue ball will go to that right-hand corner. It is thin,
:01:37. > :01:58.but it will pot. I would rather be playing the one
:01:59. > :02:06.that is closest to the cue ball. Now, he is playing the snooker. I
:02:07. > :02:19.think he felt, and of the utmost pressure, do not take a risk. And
:02:20. > :02:32.that is a good snooker. I am not certain that a one cushion escape is
:02:33. > :02:42.on. 21 point behind his opponent at the moment, looking for two reds,
:02:43. > :02:52.two colours. This could be hit and hope. If, if you can get to the top
:02:53. > :03:00.cushion. He is having a close look. Is it touching? The referee has not
:03:01. > :03:16.declared. He said it was not watching a few moments ago. --
:03:17. > :03:25.touching. Just a fraction off, OK? It has made a big difference. If it
:03:26. > :03:32.was touching you would need to go off the side cushion, a lot more
:03:33. > :03:36.difficult, but can play this gentle and just drop on the red. He did not
:03:37. > :04:11.do that. But he has got out of it. Good safety. This red just below the
:04:12. > :04:15.pink will go to the left corner. But if he plays it, you will need to be
:04:16. > :04:20.very wary of the red and the right-hand side season. -- side of
:04:21. > :04:41.the table. Thankfully for him, he missed the
:04:42. > :04:56.cannon. And he has finished up with a snooker and Michael Wasley off all
:04:57. > :05:11.three goals. How do you like them apples? Just over seven hours match
:05:12. > :05:19.time. You always look at the red that is closest to the cushion to
:05:20. > :05:28.see if you can nestle on that. But if you just catch it wrong, can
:05:29. > :05:45.knock it on. He has got to be wary of the blue in the middle of the
:05:46. > :05:58.table. Foul and a miss. He came off that cushion very straight. Which
:05:59. > :06:12.ever red he tries to hit, he is in difficulty. And Ding definitely did
:06:13. > :06:21.not say that shot -- play that shot to get behind the green. That
:06:22. > :06:33.irritates you slightly. Looks like he is coming off two conditions to
:06:34. > :06:38.try and it is from behind. -- hit it. These points are all adding up
:06:39. > :07:10.in favour of Ding Junhui. Foul and a miss. Ding Junhui is
:07:11. > :07:23.quite happy to take all these penalties. All of a sudden, his only
:07:24. > :07:32.nine behind. This is a better line, but could leave one into the middle.
:07:33. > :07:42.As it turns out, the corner. At least she has stopped giving away
:07:43. > :07:52.foul points. A quick glance at the scoreboard.
:07:53. > :08:11.No easy clearance, even if he pops the red.
:08:12. > :08:33.Nice angle on this red. Lots will depend on the angle going on the
:08:34. > :08:47.angle going onto the black. The last red, as it turns out, that will be
:08:48. > :08:54.difficult to get on. Now, a choice. He could disturb the red, or just
:08:55. > :09:06.stand behind it. Maybe trying to move it. He tried to move it. I am
:09:07. > :09:14.not certain about that choice. He could have dropped behind it. He
:09:15. > :09:27.could have cannoned the red and still not in on it. You must leave
:09:28. > :09:34.yourself a pot at this stage. I cannot see him playing the double
:09:35. > :09:40.here. Michael Wasley will be thinking, I will get back to the
:09:41. > :09:50.table. Surely the double is too risky.
:09:51. > :10:13.It was. He has played an excellent safety. AdVantage, Ding Junhui. Good
:10:14. > :10:17.hit. He needs to get it safe, for the Brown to come to his rescue. And
:10:18. > :10:40.it may well have done! Yes, he can hit it, but he cannot
:10:41. > :10:44.potted in the middle. Ding Junhui had a lucky snooker earlier on which
:10:45. > :10:50.could have decided this deciding frame. But the truth is that both of
:10:51. > :11:06.them have had plenty of chances to win the match. He may be forced into
:11:07. > :11:10.attempting the pot. But there is always a chance of coming off the
:11:11. > :11:22.side cushion and going into the left middle, he will be wary of that. He
:11:23. > :11:36.managed to play the containing safety. But the initiative now goes
:11:37. > :11:40.to his opponent. You can look at it and try to get behind colours, but
:11:41. > :11:46.you must keep the red ball in a safe has issued. -- position. Yes, the
:11:47. > :12:10.priority, do not leave a pot. He is looking to come top cushion
:12:11. > :12:23.first, but that is always a bit risky. The red could run into the
:12:24. > :12:36.pink. Or it could run into the pocket! What a fluke? And what a
:12:37. > :12:43.time to get one! We have seen everything now! So much drama, you
:12:44. > :12:52.just had a feeling something strange would happen. But what an awful way
:12:53. > :13:01.to lose a frame and a match. Although it is not one yet. We have
:13:02. > :13:06.always said it is a cruel game. Needs to go up to the blue for a
:13:07. > :13:17.shock against one of the major title contenders.
:13:18. > :13:38.What can you do about that? The blue, to go 15 in front with just 13
:13:39. > :13:45.remaining. Ding Junhui will be very disappointed with his performance.
:13:46. > :14:03.Throughout this match. But he did not deserve to lose like this. It is
:14:04. > :14:08.not over yet! One snooker needed. If Ding Junhui does not get it, Michael
:14:09. > :14:15.Wasley has produced one of the biggest shocks ever at the Crucible.
:14:16. > :14:21.A shake off their heads. He knows it was almost a handshake, back to the
:14:22. > :14:38.dressing room. But now, one snooker... The underhit that I long
:14:39. > :14:46.way. -- by a long way. You only get one chance at a snooker. Just roll
:14:47. > :14:58.this towards the corner. Even if it is in the chores, you will not get a
:14:59. > :15:02.snooker from there. -- in the jaws. From the perspective of Ding Junhui,
:15:03. > :15:15.make sure you get the object ball safe.
:15:16. > :15:43.What a shock! Did he get a double kiss? What a wonderful snooker.
:15:44. > :15:51.Unbelievable. If he is going to play this way, he should be playing to
:15:52. > :16:06.the right-hand cushion first. It gets straight on, or hit the cushion
:16:07. > :16:13.first. Has he got it? Great hit! The tension is unbelievable. 38 minutes
:16:14. > :16:23.of this frame has lasted, tension from start to finish.
:16:24. > :16:32.Once again, trying to get the cue ball behind the black. He has just
:16:33. > :16:52.about got it. But anything can happen here. DMA! -- Dear me!
:16:53. > :16:59.I am not sure I can cope with this excitement at midnight. It is a bit
:17:00. > :17:16.much for us! He needs the black to cover the
:17:17. > :17:32.potting angle again, and once again, he has done it. But you must be
:17:33. > :17:42.careful where the cue ball finishes. He will not want to hit this to
:17:43. > :17:55.heart. -- too hard. You do not want the cue ball running loose.
:17:56. > :18:12.A lot thinner than he intended. What a great effort from Ding. Three
:18:13. > :18:15.great snookers behind the black from difficult positions. That is what
:18:16. > :18:33.champions do, hold on. Another good effort, but where is
:18:34. > :18:41.the pink going? Over the middle. That is the end. Ding Junhui puts
:18:42. > :18:48.his head in his hands. He knows his dream of being world champion 2014
:18:49. > :18:58.is over. And nice to see a little tap of the cue underfloor for
:18:59. > :19:10.Michael Wasley, in congratulations. -- on the floor. But their play, --
:19:11. > :19:19.fair play, Ding Junhui loss like a gentleman and a champion. But what a
:19:20. > :19:26.performance from Michael Wasley! 10-9!
:19:27. > :19:40.I felt confident even when I was 6-3 down. I know that there was so much
:19:41. > :19:44.pressure on Ding Junhui, he has done so well this season, being the
:19:45. > :20:00.best, I just had to capitalise on the pressure. It is the end of the
:20:01. > :20:08.season, I can have a bit of rest. I have missed out on the main tour a
:20:09. > :20:22.couple of times. But there has been a tool around, I felt good for quite
:20:23. > :20:28.a while now. This was a hit and run, I chose the best tournament to do
:20:29. > :20:35.it. I won a few of the fans over, they supported me. When you are down
:20:36. > :20:45.a few frames, that is a great help. I love the Crucible, I'll get back
:20:46. > :20:47.out there, but I have a couple of days to relax, take it all in, then
:20:48. > :21:01.the second round. I wonder how much sleep you got! The
:21:02. > :21:08.giant killer joins us. How does it feel?
:21:09. > :21:15.Fantastic. I did not get much sleep last night. The adrenaline was still
:21:16. > :21:21.going through my body. You are entitled to sleep in! The question
:21:22. > :21:26.is, how did you help yourself together? When you were forced to
:21:27. > :21:33.come back and finish the game so late in the evening? I tried not to
:21:34. > :21:38.dwell on the situation of being pulled off and having to come back.
:21:39. > :21:43.I had a shower, treated it like any other match, came in fresh,
:21:44. > :21:56.regardless of the scoreline, did not think of myself as 98 down, -- 9-8.
:21:57. > :22:08.How did you hold it together? You showed such composure? Over the
:22:09. > :22:15.years I have worked with Terry Griffiths and practised at the
:22:16. > :22:18.Academy with top players. It puts you in pressure situations all the
:22:19. > :22:25.time and I have learned to cope with it well. Instead of letting panic
:22:26. > :22:36.sets in, positive thinking, 100% effort, and paid off. The Crucible
:22:37. > :22:44.is different to any venue, how did you feel playing such a top player?
:22:45. > :22:52.It was such a buzz to walk out here for the first time, be introduced. I
:22:53. > :22:58.came out strong after losing the first frame, and I felt I matched
:22:59. > :23:06.him through the first four frames, that settled me down. I was saying
:23:07. > :23:13.to Dennis, you looked like you were totally enjoying yourself. Embrace
:23:14. > :23:16.the pressure and be as natural as you can. That is exactly how you
:23:17. > :23:28.came across, from the commentary box. We saw you with friends and
:23:29. > :23:34.family. How was the reaction? Everybody has just called me,
:23:35. > :23:39.message me, congratulated me. I have had a lot of support and I thank
:23:40. > :23:51.everybody who has supported me. I am on cloud nine. How far do you think
:23:52. > :24:00.you can go? I made myself tough to beat in that match. Played solid
:24:01. > :24:10.snooker. If I play the same way, whoever plays me will have a tough
:24:11. > :24:16.match ahead. Who knows? John, I know you are itching to discuss a few
:24:17. > :24:30.aspects of that match. Come into my office! This is the final frame
:24:31. > :24:38.fluke. We all had sweaty palms watching this. What was going
:24:39. > :24:57.through your mind? I played aliens when I was younger. -- billiards.
:24:58. > :25:03.You play one red safety matches. But the risk ratio here was just too
:25:04. > :25:12.much for me. I thought, come off the bottom cushion, get it between the
:25:13. > :25:18.pink and black. That is the thing. If you miss judged it, you can
:25:19. > :25:34.contact the black. But this was the happy outcome. Talk us through it. I
:25:35. > :25:42.hit the red OK. If I missed the middle jaw, I would be OK, I was
:25:43. > :25:49.lucky to pot it, but it was always on, it can happen with that snooker.
:25:50. > :25:58.I put my hand up and just got on with playing. And now you will play
:25:59. > :26:02.best of 25, a first for you. Yes, I'll just go home and prepare for
:26:03. > :26:10.that, find out the best way taking on that match ahead. We were just
:26:11. > :26:23.discussing seismic defeats. You have joined the ranks. Very well done
:26:24. > :26:31.indeed. Good luck in the next round. We have lost Ding Junhui, and John
:26:32. > :26:39.Higgins, seeds are falling. Murphy just scraping through. So the
:26:40. > :27:44.championship shaping up in a way different from many predictions.
:27:45. > :28:04.OK, live play coming up soon, but first, Table Talk.
:28:05. > :28:19.Joining us, I am delighted to say, Hector Nunns, one of the chief
:28:20. > :28:27.writers for the Times and Inside Snooker. I presume that the
:28:28. > :28:36.headlines regarding Ding Junhui and Michael Wasley came a little late?
:28:37. > :28:42.Yes, we could not sleep them into the early editions. But what a
:28:43. > :28:50.dramatic evening. And it almost could have been Mark Selby going
:28:51. > :28:58.home also. Where does that rank in the list of all-time Crucible
:28:59. > :29:03.shocks? You could go back to Tony Mills defeating Steve Davis. It has
:29:04. > :29:09.got to be right up there. As you say, could not sneak it into the
:29:10. > :29:19.early editions. But some other stories. Judd Trump had his say
:29:20. > :29:23.yesterday. He reckons it might be time to red the Crucible because he
:29:24. > :29:28.does not think that the sport is thinking big enough, he thinks the
:29:29. > :29:34.venue is a little too cramped because of the expanded appeal.
:29:35. > :29:40.Where do you stand? I would make the caveat that he did not say he did
:29:41. > :29:45.not like the Crucible. Just that the biggest matches are big enough to
:29:46. > :29:52.sell thousands of tickets. Rather than 980. He is looking at sports
:29:53. > :30:04.like arts that are selling out 20,000 arenas. -- darts. You can see
:30:05. > :30:09.it in your paper, Judd Trump makes the case for a change of venue. You
:30:10. > :30:16.guys have played in a Berlin venue which holds 5000. Some things are
:30:17. > :30:22.worth more than money. You cannot buy history and nostalgia. The
:30:23. > :30:28.Crucible is the home of snooker, as long as I'm playing, I don't want it
:30:29. > :30:37.to move. It is just a special place to play. Big arenas can feel
:30:38. > :30:42.soulless. For me, the Crucible has all those
:30:43. > :30:46.attributes and you can never buy that. It is something we always come
:30:47. > :30:50.back to about where this Championship should be played. There
:30:51. > :30:55.is a piece in the Daily Mail today, about snooker funding, perhaps
:30:56. > :31:00.Sheffield Council may be thinking about renewing the World
:31:01. > :31:05.Championship contract that expires in 2015. Where do you stand on this
:31:06. > :31:09.one, John? I am with Ken Doherty all the way.
:31:10. > :31:13.This venue, if you are a young aspiring player, this is your
:31:14. > :31:20.Wembley. If you turn up to play here, the first time you come into
:31:21. > :31:23.this venue like Michael Wasley, it is a very stressful occasion. If it
:31:24. > :31:28.goes somewhere else, if someone comes in and offers a ?1 million
:31:29. > :31:33.prize, what are you going to do, but I hope it doesn't come to that. Judd
:31:34. > :31:37.Trump, he has had a huge mode of expectation on him ever since he
:31:38. > :31:40.emerged as a teenage wonder. Let's get our view on the
:31:41. > :31:44.expectation of him to win a world title pretty soon.
:31:45. > :31:57.What is your life like? For me it is a lot of living out of
:31:58. > :32:01.a suitcase. I find it hard to unpack, I normally just leave all my
:32:02. > :32:05.clothes in a suitcase and get a different suitcase. I am quite lazy
:32:06. > :32:10.like that. It has been good fun the last couple of seasons. A future and
:32:11. > :32:15.-- times you get the chance to go out and experience the city or the
:32:16. > :32:22.country. The worst is the jet lag. I think a lot of the time you find it
:32:23. > :32:26.quite hard to get acclimatised to everything and you sometimes end up
:32:27. > :32:29.losing because of that. What is your strategy for coping
:32:30. > :32:35.with jet lag? That is quite unusual, isn't it?
:32:36. > :32:41.I have one, I have sought or tried to stay on English time, not going
:32:42. > :32:47.to bed until 5am, not waking up until 5pm. I skipped half the day
:32:48. > :32:54.and go and play my game and I did that for the whole week. In a way it
:32:55. > :32:59.is better, because you get to concentrate on snooker. In England
:33:00. > :33:03.you have more distractions, so it is probably harder to winter months
:33:04. > :33:07.here than in China. How do you travel, up the front or
:33:08. > :33:18.down the back? Normally up the front. Django has
:33:19. > :33:22.made it that I have to travel there, he wants me to be as relaxed
:33:23. > :33:26.as possible while I am getting there and when I am there.
:33:27. > :33:33.You better appreciated there than in this country? Would you rather the
:33:34. > :33:38.verse -- the reverse was true? It would be ideal if it could get to
:33:39. > :33:41.the same level in both, but for me the main game here is football and
:33:42. > :33:47.it is never going to live up to that. I am happy that in China we
:33:48. > :33:56.have kind of got the appreciation football has got over here. In a
:33:57. > :33:58.sense, I can kind of see how hard it is for football sometimes, the
:33:59. > :34:04.attention on them, they cannot really do anything without signing
:34:05. > :34:09.autographs, they can't just relax. People just to see footballers
:34:10. > :34:12.getting paid whatever amount week and think their lives are easy, but
:34:13. > :34:20.it is not as easy as that. It is the same as snooker sometimes in China.
:34:21. > :34:23.Are you a live for today by or squirrel away for the future type of
:34:24. > :34:31.person? Or are you somewhere in between?
:34:32. > :34:35.I think I have a good balance. After snooker I want to be able to retire,
:34:36. > :34:39.so I have to be careful, but at the same time it was my dream to own a
:34:40. > :34:43.Ferrari so I am going to live that dream and when the time is right I
:34:44. > :34:48.will get rid of it and invest my money wisely. So that I don't have
:34:49. > :34:53.to do anything after snooker. I don't want to.
:34:54. > :34:58.And there is this little shopping addiction, the old shoes.
:34:59. > :35:03.It was an addiction, I think, at one point, but I have tried to stop it
:35:04. > :35:08.now. I was getting calls from shops to let me know when they had a new
:35:09. > :35:14.pairing, I think that is pretty bad. I got to about 11 or 12 and cut it
:35:15. > :35:18.down, I have completely stopped it and tried to go for less expensive
:35:19. > :35:22.shoes. What is the new addiction, if
:35:23. > :35:26.anything? Eating. Good restaurants, I have
:35:27. > :35:33.moved on to restaurants now. I love tasting good food. For me, I did not
:35:34. > :35:40.realise the different tastes you could get out of food until I
:35:41. > :35:44.started eating in London. Who teach you grounded in all of
:35:45. > :35:48.this? Is there one person who says come off, put your money back in
:35:49. > :35:58.your pocket? Not really. I think living up here
:35:59. > :36:01.alone is quite hard, because my parents are not here to see what I
:36:02. > :36:11.am doing, so it is on myself to know when to stop. Django nose and then
:36:12. > :36:14.tell me that I need to concentrate on sticker and get practising, so he
:36:15. > :36:17.is happy as long as I am working hard. Off the table I can do what I
:36:18. > :36:23.want. I tell you, he is very pleasant
:36:24. > :36:29.company, Judd, I have two say. You have seen his reaction in China,
:36:30. > :36:34.why does that market in particular take to Judd Trump?
:36:35. > :36:37.It is interesting, celebrity culture in China is very strong, as it is
:36:38. > :36:43.here, perhaps even more so over there. From an early stage they have
:36:44. > :36:48.latched onto Judd and the designer shoes and the Ferraris. He has a
:36:49. > :36:53.deal with Ferrari in China, he often arise at a venue in a Ferrari and
:36:54. > :36:57.that goes down well over there. There was a little blip, some of the
:36:58. > :37:00.Chinese media thought he was not signing enough autographs and doing
:37:01. > :37:04.enough for the fans but I think he has come through that and remains a
:37:05. > :37:08.huge draw over there. He is, but something he has not lived up to
:37:09. > :37:14.that image on the table. The summit of the world rankings for
:37:15. > :37:18.15 months he did not get past the last 16 in a major event. What has
:37:19. > :37:22.happened in the interim? I think there was a moment when he
:37:23. > :37:26.took his foot off the gas a little bit, maybe on the practice side.
:37:27. > :37:30.Again, if that happened I think it was only for a few months and I
:37:31. > :37:35.think he is back on it now, practising hard. From December
:37:36. > :37:39.onwards there has certainly been a real signs of a return to form and I
:37:40. > :37:43.arrived here expecting Judd to have a good run there. He is in a draft
:37:44. > :37:48.draw but he will have a good game here.
:37:49. > :37:51.-- he is in a tough draw. If you were in his corner, John, is
:37:52. > :37:55.there any other nuggets of wisdom you would pass on?
:37:56. > :37:59.I think the type of game and the style he plays with his brilliant
:38:00. > :38:02.when it is on, but when it is not a police opportunities for an
:38:03. > :38:12.opponent. There are quite a few better players with a better B game,
:38:13. > :38:17.sometimes it is not as good as Robertson or Selby, someone who can
:38:18. > :38:21.win matches when not at their best. If he can get that form back when he
:38:22. > :38:26.got to the final that time, it would be great for the tournament, because
:38:27. > :38:30.he is due for a big event. He got to the final a few years ago,
:38:31. > :38:33.Judd Trump just waiting backstage with the rest of our protagonists
:38:34. > :38:38.this afternoon. I wonder if he has his expensive
:38:39. > :38:45.nonslip loafers today. He's backstage there, they are
:38:46. > :38:49.silvery, they look lovely, anyway. We are about to get the rest of the
:38:50. > :38:55.Crucible cast list today and front of house, as ever, MC Rob Walker.
:38:56. > :38:58.Thank you, Hazel. Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen.
:38:59. > :39:01.Nine players already have a place in the second round of this year's
:39:02. > :39:06.Dafabet World Snooker Championship, and that means there are a
:39:07. > :39:08.magnificent seven spots still available.
:39:09. > :39:12.Another cracking atmosphere here in the Crucible as the world class
:39:13. > :39:17.action looks set to continue once again.
:39:18. > :39:23.Please welcome our player making his third appearance at the Crucible,
:39:24. > :39:29.two years ago he made the last 16 year after re-qualifying for the
:39:30. > :39:35.tour through the cue School, beating Jimmy Robertson on the final frame.
:39:36. > :39:56.On Twitter he calls himself the angry father, so here he comes,
:39:57. > :39:59.ready for action, David Gilbert! And his opponent, returning to the scene
:40:00. > :40:04.of one of his finest moments in the game. Last year he stormed his way
:40:05. > :40:11.to the World Championship final, beating Selby, Ding en route. This
:40:12. > :40:15.player has come of age in the last few seasons, winning the Australian
:40:16. > :40:19.Open in 2012 and the players Championship last month. Ladies and
:40:20. > :40:21.gentlemen, he is back, he is ready for action, he is the Hawk, Barry
:40:22. > :40:45.Hawkins! And on table number two, please
:40:46. > :40:49.welcome our player making his second appearance at the Crucible, beating
:40:50. > :40:54.the two-time World Championships finalist Matthew Stevens in the last
:40:55. > :40:59.round of qualifying. A PDC grand final semifinalist last year, he has
:41:00. > :41:00.also reached the last four Michael of the snooker shoot out. From
:41:01. > :41:26.Leicester, here comes Tom Ford! And his opponent, one of the most
:41:27. > :41:32.exciting players of his generation. Runner-up here in 2011, he made the
:41:33. > :41:36.semifinals last year. Winner of the UK Championship, the international
:41:37. > :41:41.Championship, when he is on a roll years absolutely irresistible to
:41:42. > :41:46.watch, so dearly comes, with his own brand of naughty snooker and naughty
:41:47. > :42:06.shoes, the pride of Bristol, the ace in the pack, he is Judd Trump!
:42:07. > :42:13.Nice one, Rob. Maybe the bank manager thinks they are not eat, but
:42:14. > :42:17.they looked very smart. BBC Red Button and online options available
:42:18. > :42:22.for you for the Barry Hawkins and Gilbert match for you.
:42:23. > :42:32.It is Judd Trump and Tom Ford back in the arena after a four-year wait.
:42:33. > :42:39.Add to the commentary box it is Steve Davis and John Virgo.
:42:40. > :42:44.Good afternoon, Hazel, good afternoon, everybody. This will be a
:42:45. > :42:47.very interesting opening session because to Judd Trump has all the
:42:48. > :42:51.ability you need to win this Championship and it is always
:42:52. > :42:54.interesting to see how he starts off. Some people have said he has
:42:55. > :42:57.got a bit negative in the last couple of tournament 's, turning
:42:58. > :43:04.down shots, but that cannot be a bad thing, Steve?
:43:05. > :43:05.I think just getting the balance right is a journey that every player
:43:06. > :43:23.goes on. We certainly know that he can
:43:24. > :43:26.attack. If he does improve his B game, as John Parrott was saying,
:43:27. > :43:28.and gets the balance right I think he is going to be a force for many
:43:29. > :43:38.years to come. That safety shot from Tom Ford
:43:39. > :43:44.caught it a little bit thin, but he found a nice place behind the brown.
:43:45. > :43:50.Not a bad escape, but he has left Tom Ford red to the right of
:43:51. > :43:53.centre. A good player, Tom Ford, make no
:43:54. > :43:57.mistake. As we always say, everyone that
:43:58. > :44:00.qualifies for the Crucible, as we have seen with the other seeds going
:44:01. > :44:26.by the wayside, they are all capable.
:44:27. > :44:30.If you have not seen Tom Ford play before on your television screens,
:44:31. > :44:55.very easy on the eye. Yes, they met six times in the main
:44:56. > :45:03.events, the-3. -- in the main events. The score is 3-3. When I say
:45:04. > :45:08.main matches, they are not long ones like this, best of 19, they have
:45:09. > :45:44.usually been best of seven, and there was one best of nine.
:45:45. > :45:50.Now the angle on the red, so hopefully an angle on the blue.
:45:51. > :45:54.There are a couple of loose reds and he can play onto one. He just has an
:45:55. > :46:04.angle to stand down for that red to the right of the pink.
:46:05. > :46:10.He will be a bit disappointed, he could have done with being straight
:46:11. > :46:12.on this red. He needed to make sure he was not
:46:13. > :46:25.going into the pack. He now has a bit more work to do to
:46:26. > :46:34.try and get on great position. Nicely threaded through the gap.
:46:35. > :46:36.Excellent break builder, Tom Ford. He has made 147s in competitive
:46:37. > :47:02.play. I should know. It looks like he gave it a bit of
:47:03. > :47:06.flash there, a bit of modern movement -- of body movement when he
:47:07. > :47:11.played the shot. There was a bit, but they have to be hit hard. Yes,
:47:12. > :47:15.they have to be hit hard, but you still have to do cue it nicely.
:47:16. > :47:24.That was more of a bang and getting the cue through the cue ball. Judd
:47:25. > :47:29.thinks he can just about get to this. He was going to try and play
:47:30. > :47:36.at right-handed but he cannot reach, so he usually is in the spider. --
:47:37. > :47:41.so he is using. As in Micheala Tabb get something
:47:42. > :47:42.else from under the table. -- he is asking Micheala Tabb to get
:47:43. > :48:02.something else. He is an excellent ambidextrous
:48:03. > :48:03.player, Judd Trump, not in the same league as Ronnie O'Sullivan, but he
:48:04. > :48:17.is without doubt talented. Perhaps not as talented as Ronnie!
:48:18. > :48:23.I think that was a bit of risk, really, he was off balance, really
:48:24. > :48:30.struggling. Yes, he was at full stretch and in the end in an effort
:48:31. > :48:34.not to file of the reds he just lifted the cue up, practically and
:48:35. > :48:37.air shot. Yes, I think that was the most
:48:38. > :48:43.sophisticated safety shot I have ever seen. He has left Tom Ford a
:48:44. > :48:53.real tempter of a thin cut. That was not as thin as I thought, I
:48:54. > :48:57.don't know why Tom was... Taking so long over that one. He was
:48:58. > :49:01.worried about where the cue ball was going to be.
:49:02. > :49:05.He knew it was going to run into the second red, but the most important
:49:06. > :49:14.thing in that situation, just concentrate on the pot.
:49:15. > :49:26.This will be another interesting attitude of Judd Trump's game, how
:49:27. > :49:31.his safety play will hold up. Well, I have been fortunate enough
:49:32. > :49:40.to play Judd a couple of times this season -ish, I suppose. A couple of
:49:41. > :49:45.events out in Thailand and in a PDC event. My judgement of his safety
:49:46. > :49:50.play is that it is excellent. -- PTC. He is known for being an
:49:51. > :49:55.outrageous potter. Yes, and sometimes it can boil down
:49:56. > :50:00.to an attitude of mind when you come to the table. You are immediately
:50:01. > :50:03.looking for a pot rather than the safety. The safety is second in your
:50:04. > :50:07.mind. That was a good effort from Tom, and
:50:08. > :50:11.if he has covered this red over the left corner with the yellow that is
:50:12. > :50:16.an excellent shot. He played that with an awful lot of right-hand side
:50:17. > :50:20.to check the cue ball and keep it on the left-hand side of the table.
:50:21. > :50:30.Well played. Look B side he had on this. -- look at the side.
:50:31. > :50:35.If you see the line of his cue, compared to the line that the cue
:50:36. > :50:42.ball took... Very lucky to have not left the red.
:50:43. > :50:48.There is the line of his cue. The cue ball has gone well to the right.
:50:49. > :50:52.Obviously it has gone a fraction after, so that is a bit misleading.
:50:53. > :51:15.It has given Judd a small problem. Pretty good effort, that. I don't
:51:16. > :51:19.think it is completely safe. I think this red closest to the right corner
:51:20. > :51:23.will cut back. The one in the middle of the corner -- table he is playing
:51:24. > :51:35.may go into the left corner. There certainly was a path for that
:51:36. > :51:41.red. Now there is an opportunity for Judd, the chance of a pot year. --
:51:42. > :52:09.here. The last place he needed to finish.
:52:10. > :52:15.The key to this frame at the moment is the first player that can get on
:52:16. > :52:22.the blue correctly so that they can put the blue -- pot the blue and
:52:23. > :52:30.manoeuvring the pink and black into play. He's looking to see whether he
:52:31. > :52:35.can just lay on top of the brown and cause Tom Ford more problems, giving
:52:36. > :52:38.him a chance at a red, the than trying to play a snooker to the
:52:39. > :52:52.baulk cushion. It is not a bad shot laying it on
:52:53. > :52:58.top of the brown committees whether he can get it so that Tom cannot hit
:52:59. > :53:01.either of the extreme reds at either side of the table. I quite like that
:53:02. > :53:09.shot. It would certainly make it awkward
:53:10. > :53:14.cueing. It would be a little bit easier to rest your hand on the
:53:15. > :53:16.right-hand side if right-handed. He does not want to risk playing a
:53:17. > :53:22.snooker behind the yellow. All of the reds are in the open, so
:53:23. > :53:56.Tom has got to be very careful here. Well, he played the containing
:53:57. > :54:00.safety, but the idea was to try and leave the cue ball as close to the
:54:01. > :54:01.top cushion as he could, but he has not done that. But it does not look
:54:02. > :54:20.as though he has left a pot on. Well, Judd did have a tempter into
:54:21. > :54:31.the yellow pocket that he could have played as a sort of attempt at a
:54:32. > :54:35.shot to nothing. He saw what was a relatively easy chance to get a good
:54:36. > :54:43.snooker on all of the nine reds on the table. If Tom Ford cannot get to
:54:44. > :54:50.the top cushion, to fit that red, then he has a bit of a problem.
:54:51. > :54:58.There is the possible line to get to this. It could be the middle pocket
:54:59. > :55:05.is in the way. Yes, but he has not looked at it
:55:06. > :55:08.very strongly, so... I suppose he could try and go off
:55:09. > :55:27.the other side cushion, but that looks a bit more difficult.
:55:28. > :55:33.He is looking now as if he is going to come off two or three cushions.
:55:34. > :55:44.That blue in the middle of the table is something he has to avoid.
:55:45. > :55:52.REFEREE: Foul and a miss. Judd Trump, four.
:55:53. > :55:55.He has not even come round the table to look. They have been going in
:55:56. > :56:08.quite easily along the top cushion. But, first frame, so far Judd has
:56:09. > :56:15.turned down a couple of minor chances. I would not say it is
:56:16. > :56:20.negative play whatsoever. Trying to make an adjustment. Well,
:56:21. > :56:23.he did not play to hit that one! But he will settle for it. He has got it
:56:24. > :57:24.safe, somehow. Perhaps a realistic chance of trying
:57:25. > :57:28.to get into it behind the yellow off of this with no real risk of leaving
:57:29. > :57:38.a red up. He did not hit it that hard, he decided to play a more
:57:39. > :57:43.containing safety. It will be harder to get a snooker from distance
:57:44. > :58:14.behind the yellow. Tom Ford can get through the gap.
:58:15. > :58:18.Judd having a close look. Can he get through to the red closest to the
:58:19. > :58:51.left corner? Well, this red does go, but with the
:58:52. > :58:58.rest... He can get past that one, that is even better. The red to the
:58:59. > :59:06.right of the one years lining up on also goes, but that is a tough pot.
:59:07. > :59:09.This may be easy if he can get a fraction of left-hand side on the
:59:10. > :59:32.pot. Both of them are very miss-able.
:59:33. > :59:38.I think Tom felt as though he had to go for a pot there. Perhaps there
:59:39. > :59:40.were alternatives, but it was a shot he did not like. The first realistic
:59:41. > :59:42.opportunity.