Day 4, Part 2 Snooker: World Championship

# He wore black and I wore white # He would always win the fight

# Bang bang he shot me down # Bang bang I hit the ground

# Bang bang, that awful sound # Bang bang, my baby shot me down...

HAZEL IRVINE: The revolving door is spinning in sport, comings and

goings at Manchester United this morning and plenty of drama here as

well in the Dafabet World Championship at the Crucible

Theatre. We are only halfway through the first round and it already feels

like we have had two weeks' worth of drama and tension, yet to more final

frame decider is here last night and we will reflect on those shortly,

but the top seeds are not feeling so secure -- two more final frame

deciders. Could Tom Moores Spring the next decider against -- Spring

the next surprise against Judd Trump. The quiet man Barry Hawkins

might be a big noise again this time. We will look back at the

late-night drama with Ding Junhui and Mark Selby, the world numbers

two and three teetering on the brink of early exits. Meanwhile Florian

collar can relieve the tension levels with exhibition stuff. And we

welcome our guests for table talk. Is Judd Trump the snooker trump card

and like Trump, do you believe the Snooker Championships needs a bigger

venue? We will discuss that later on but I am sure you, like us, have

been engrossed in events at the Crucible. Jason has been on air

since 10am and let me show you what he has been watching. It is the all

Scottish matchup between John Higgins and Alan McManus. Alan

McManus turned up in a pair of tartan trews, tartan, they are

McKenzie tartan. They were going very well until the mid-session, but

they rub it loose and he got a belt from the press office and it seemed

to have the desired affect -- they felt a bit loose. They came back at

ten this morning, Alan very comfortable in his trousers, because

he is 9-4 in front. Since then, Higgins has come back into things

with a break of 111 in the last frame, so he is four behind as we

join it in the 15th frame, McManus looking good, 43 points up as we get

to it. DENNIS TAYLOR: there was definitely

no Pap back down the table for Alan and what a chance for John Higgins.

-- no path. You would always put John Higgins favoured this frame

now. It is not the gimme by any means, but you couldn't wish to put

the reds in a better position. That has cleared the back for the

left corner pocket. The black was blocked into the opposite corner by

the other red. He will remove that in a couple of shots' time.

Perfect. Great chance. John Higgins is not finished yet, by any means.

STEPHEN HENDRY: Allen wouldn't have minded the last frame, John won it

with a century -- Alan, but now he has had a golden opportunity to win

this match and it will prey on his mind a little bit.

Slight change of plan. Played for the blue but the pink was always

there as an option. You think you would have to come

down for pink to get easy access for the two reds. I think they both pot

to the left corner. So he should be able to come off the cushion with

left-hand side. There is the little bit of side that

Stephen was talking about. The natural angle would have taken him

into the reds. The little trace of side left him perfect.

And the black that Alan mist off the spot is proving very, very costly.

-- missed. He wasn't many shots away from securing the frame. This was

the one, he tried a delicate little one instead of playing a cannon and

opening a few more up. He seems to have just found a little

bit of an extra gear, John Higgins. 111 in the previous frame.

15 ahead, just the brand needed. -- brown needed. And the comeback

continues. This match could start to get very

interesting now. Doesn't matter about the pink. That

should be more than enough to pull another one back.

Two snookers needed for Alan McManus. John, does he plunge a Zen

rather than rolling it over the pocket? -- punch this in? Safely in

the heart of the pocket and John Higgins, as I mentioned earlier, he

is not finished just yet, pulls another one back but he is still

three behind. In the last few seconds, Higgins has just won the

next one as well. It is 7-9 now. Remember, Higgins was 1-6 and 4-9

down and it is getting rather interesting and twitchy now, Stephen

and Dennis? DENNIS TAYLOR: yes, even Stephen and

myself are twitching in the commentary box, it has been a

fascinating comeback from John Higgins. Alan was almost over the

finishing line. We showed the shot a couple of

times, but for the viewers just joining us, he was 40 odd in front

and he had a shot on the black, this was it, and Stephen said he should

have played a cannon onto two reds, open them up. He tried to get on a

difficult red and took his eye off the pot. Otherwise he would be doing

his press conference and he would have been in the next round. But he

has got it all to do now. And as the top player that John

Higgins is, he can sense weakness in his opponent, thinking maybe he

can't get over the line. And he has pounced on it.

We have had some great battles over the year. John is ahead 12 wins to

seven. They have only played each other once here in the World

Championships -- twice here. Alan won the first one, John got his

revenge the following year. You would still make Alan favourite

to get through to the second round but after what we have witnessed

from John Higgins, it is not a certainty.

John is getting quicker by the frame. He tried to split the bunch

up their, he went through a gap. How did he manage to get the red all the

way around the table? John has had breaks of 111, 97, 64.

This is a man who has made many centuries at the Crucible. I think

you made 14 one year. It is not the record. There were 16 made here by a

player back in 2002, sitting about six inches from me. Well done,

Stephen Hendry. A little tap on his table with the

chalk. He can only land on the red on the side cushion. No escape

route. There hasn't been much talk between

these two great friends when they are sitting at the table, but they

did have a little bit of a laugh and joke with each other in between one

of the frames, was great to see. That is close to the corner pocket,

very close. It is in, and it leaves John with the chance of a long part

here. The one next to the blue. He hasn't made many errors in the

safety Department, just mishit back slightly. A test of the John Higgins

here. He pulled off a 3-ball planned

earlier -- plant. That is risky, even for Angles McManus. But he is

looking for that one chance that will get him to the winning post.

But you don't want to be pushing the ball out too much. I think if he

wasn't hampered by the blue, he would definitely take it on. It

doesn't look so easy to be able to strike the middle of the cue ball.

He's lining the plant up from where he is. I'll tell you what, if he

pulls this off, even for Angles McManus, this would be some

He wants to take it on, he is just making absolutely certain. Boy, it

takes some judgement, this. I think it is worth the risk. It looks

pretty good. That is what he is looking at. Speaker

It is a beauty. Angles McManus strikes again.

Well judged. That shows you how difficult it is, from that picture

there, side on. And red nicely over the corner, so

no problem stunning the brown for that red.

I don't know why he was anywhere near the blue, but he is still OK. I

think he just made sure of the brown. He didn't play with any site

or any stone. He wants to get a bit closer to the black.

The three reds are right above the black. If he cannons the middle one,

it will open everything up. I don't think he will played, but the way

the red Tsar, they are not very easily placed at the minute. I think

he will be fancying some sort of cannon here. Maybe he will remember

the previous one we showed, when he decided not to and played for the

single one and missed the black. You have played so many times

against him, you know how he goes about things. He actually played

that shot very well, held the cue ball nicely for the choice of two

reds. I didn't think the red at the back of the bunch went to the right

corner, so that was a good shot. He has gone too far. Yes, you would

have to put that down to a bit of adrenaline, just overhit that. This

is a big match for Alan McManus. Another plant. He is looking at it.

Just a bit of noise from the other side of the arena, that session is

at an end. He has already had 23 ball plants in this match so far --

two three-ball plants. There is another one. I'll tell you

what, he is going to plant his way to victory here. The bonus are

playing that, at some point he was going to have to break open those

reds because they didn't all pot, and he has done that now.

Now, chants number two to close out this match --

Chance. The second oldest player in this tournament, and if he wins, he

will play the oldest, the Darling of Dublin Ken Doherty waiting for the

winner of this one. What a tactical battle that could prove to be.

What has he done with that? A big sigh from Alan. Playing with that

extension. What did he do with that shot? The black may go into the

middle pocket but it is not the shot he wants to be playing. He had to

stun the cue ball. Just a complete mishit.

Welcome you mention earlier that Alan was going to feel the heat

trying to get over the line. That was a total mishit. When you are not

used to clinching matches, it is much more difficult to win that

deciding frame that get you over the line. -- gets you.

All it does is give John Higgins more hope, more confident that he

can do this. -- more confidence. He is whistling a little tune to

himself, John, now. But there is no easy path back then the table, a lot

of obstacles in the way. -- back down.

What has he spotted here? He's going to try and screw his way out of

trouble by the looks of things. The balls are all over the place.

One has gone towards the middle pocket, the yellow may cover it. He

got a good Skewbald Mare, he couldn't see a path back without

screwing back and was relying on a little bit of good fortune, hoping

that red wouldn't come up a pocket. -- he got a good cue ball there.

That red to the side of the blue is pottable from quite a few positions.

He's looking at the red that is in the middle of the table, the one in

the circle, but if he was to try and cut VAT into the left corner pocket,

he is trying to see if he can find a gap past those reds then the table,

but that is not guaranteed. If he can't see a safety shot, he might as

well have a go at the part. He has thought for not far off two minutes.

Boy, is that tough. In the end, it was too tough. But

the red is doubled up, it will go into the corner pocket -- middle

pocket. It will cut... He has got to cannon the blue, but you would think

he would finish on a colour if he converts the red.

Somebody walking up the stairs right in the line of John's vision they

Of the blue hasn't bounced enough to make it an easy pot next to the

red, with the brown available. It has got to be yellow.

How was your luck here, John? Bit closer to the cushion than he wanted

but if he can get that one to the left the black, one good shot and he

could be in business. He is looking very good, in fact the

best he has looked in the match so far. Yes, a couple of frames ago,

the real John Higgins finally turned up. You said is it too late, but in

my eyes, he has slowly growing favourite to win this match. If Alan

keeps throwing up these chances to win.

He is going to need the extended rest to get to that. It is pretty

straightforward, you would have to say, just drop in and get on the

black. He has got himself one point into

the lead. There is only one really difficult

red, the one he is cueing alongside at the moment.

If he gets high value colours he may not need that difficult red.

No noise from the other side of the arena now, they have the Crucible

all to themselves. There is the ball that is still

there, it will come up after this frame. That is if John wins it.

He is disappointed with that last positional shot, I don't think the

two reds closest to him pot, so he will have to have a good positional

shot here. He wanted to be straight on this

pink. He is a lot further away from the

red than he would have liked. It has now become miss-able, this red. The

way it looks now, you would fancy him to win a frame at one visit,

whenever he gets to the table. All caused by a simple positional

shot. He was trying to stay on the high

value colours, because he would have worked out he did not need to be

difficult red, he could have clinched this frame without needing

the red on that side cushion near the brown.

Here is the positional shot, he wants to leave the fight were it is

but he let it travel about one foot further than he wanted, which made

the angle on the pink difficult for position.

Well, John may be able to take a pot onto the right corner here. Played

in such a way that he is heading back up the table. Plenty of colours

and available if he does not it. -- knock. He does not want to hit it

too thick. Boy, that was close! I think he has

covered everything into this right corner.

I think he can possibly see the red closest to the right cushion and he

can follow-through off to cushions to the black. This is a chance.

He is coming round to have a look at the shot you have suggested. Just

past the six hour mark in this fascinating tussle. It looked to be

all one way at one stage, but, boy, this is another key shot coming up

here. The pressure is mounting now.

He was close, but I tell you what, he will be happy with the result.

Once he took it on he thought if you missed it he would stick them up,

but he got away with it that time. Now, that has made things

interesting. Alan has brought the only difficult red into play.

Which means, one mistake could be costly.

Alan has had the better of the tactical battle in this match, his

safety success rate slightly ahead of John's.

He could have played that better. OK, he has a good cue ball, but the

red is portable. It is a tough one into the middle pocket, but you know

what John is like - if he sees half a chance he will take it on. That is

such a tough shot from that position, it really is.

This is horrible. A horrible shot. Superb cueing to knock that in. OK,

he has not dropped on the colour nicely, but I tell you what, he

could put Alan in a spot of bother here.

Might even be worth just nudging it behind the brown. The brown will

pot, but a little nudge in behind the brown...

He can get down behind the green, also. That is what he fancied,

rather than the delicate little shot. I think there may just have

left a little bit of the red sticking out.

Is there enough there to get to the potting angle?

That is a terrific shot from Alan McManus. Mind you, it is a shot that

John should not have let him see. He could have just nudged off the brown

and got the snooker behind that. He put the brown safe.

When John played that, he looked to the skies, he knew it was a careless

shot to give Alan the option. Let us have a look at his reaction.

He knew he had left a little bit sticking out. It wasn't a bad choice

to put the brown safe, and he needed to get the snooker.

Alan is going to need that brown if he keeps potting balls.

Just thinking whether it was worth trying to play for the blue off of

the last red. It will be pretty hard to do that

now. Just one point behind now, still

looking for that one frame that will give them a famous victory at

getting into the second round. -- give him a famous victory and get

him into the second round. That is just the tension creeping

in. That frame that gets you over the

line is always the toughest to get. Yes, and it is purely the fact that

Alan has not been in this situation enough over the last few years.

Great shot. Now John can play the blue. He can clear the path for the

brown to the left-centre. Well, he cannot believe that.

He is not the only one! Did he take his eye off of the pot?

A tight pocket, but he over cut it. He was playing it with left-hand

side to avoid the cannon on the brown. That is widely missed it.

What a chance now. Well, he led 8-3, he led 9-4. He has

suffered an onslaught from John Higgins, and could John have thrown

it all away with that this on the blue? -- that this?

He will go one better than last year, when he lost in the first

round to Ding Junhui. They are the best of friends, these

boys, but it has been a battle royale, as it has turned out. John

Higgins made a great fightback, winning three frames in a row. Alan

is not going to rush anything at this stage. What a performance.

His stomach will be turning here. -- churning.

He could have been in a spot of bother if he hit the black, but he

is on the pink. Well, Alan McManus has certainly

rolled back the years. He beats his good friend John Higgins, what a

fantastic fightback John made of it. He just gave himself too much to do,

and in the end Alan McManus goes through to the second round with a

famous victory. He beats his good buddy 10-7.

Labels... STUDIO: Yes, Alan McManus through since -- for the first thing

since 2005. He plays Ken Doherty next.

since 2005. He plays Ken Doherty Let's mull over

the ramifications for Alan McManus and how he got over the line.

Great credit to him, he has not been playing a lot in the last few years.

Alan is a terrific match player, he plays the right shot at the right

time, but when you are at that point and someone is coming back at you it

is a terrible night of pressure on you. He had some twitches at the

end, helped by John Higgins over cutting that blue. Alan McManus has

done exceptionally well in that match today.

43 years young, he will be happy to get there. Let's get his views on

this, he is with Rob Walker now. Alan, it has been a while since we

have seen your magic at the Crucible and I bet there have been moments

when you thought another day would not come, but what a way to do it,

and against John, as well. Yes, it was a bit of a tense finish

today, I got a good start but it is never easy to put John away.

Although he probably never played as well as he would have liked. He came

on strong towards the end, I kind of fell over the line, so I feel very

fortunate. It must be a touch of release,

because if anyone can pull back that kind of deficit it is John,

especially Europe where he has won four before. Yes, I know he's good

to come back strong, that is the way great champions are.

It was a pretty big league to close the match out, I was getting a

little bit nervous and twitchy and I had a couple of Justice to put it

away and did not manage it. Thankfully I fell over the line in

the end. -- a couple of chances. It is your first win here since

2005, what does it mean to prove to everyone you still have the touch?

It means a lot. I just wanted to compete. I will be happy if I can

compete with guys like John. I will take a lot of satisfaction out of

that and move on and play my fellow old stage, Ken. I really look

forward to -- I really look forward to it.

You are both setting a great example, what a contest that will

be. Both great champions from the past and you have to go toe to toe

with another great mate. Absolutely, I played Kenneth Europe

last time, in the last 16. We had a good match, I think it was 13-11, so

we will do it all again and I am sure Ken will be looking forward to

it as much as I am. We are looking forward to seeing that match, don't

forget your tartan trews, they seem to be giving you a bit of luck.

I will remember those, thanks. From the John points Mike point of

view -- from John Part macro point of view -- from John's point of view

it is the second leg he has gone out at this stage in the last two years.

You could sense that Alan McManus could smell the victory at the end

of the game but did not seem to be able to pull it through.

You no sense a little bit of weakness when your opponent is not

able to get over the line. But he managed it and when he was starting

to get on that role, John can do that, he has done it so many times

in the past, once you get on a roll, you win a big frame and it gives you

a boost and all of a sudden the frames coming quicker, and it looks

like he was going to win a frame in one visit every time. He had a

chance in that last frame and he will be disappointed. That blue he

missed, we could not believe it. It looked like John Higgins was going

to go favourite, but that blue, I cannot believe he missed it, to be

honest. The black that Alan McManus mist off

the spot we thought would turn things, didn't we?

It was one part of the match ready they could someone played...

Generali Alan McManus plays very high snooker and always plays the

right shot. He did not there. He had the black

of the spot, a little stunned of the red, not a difficult shot comedy is

already over the line, you guessed -- decelerated, missed the black and

all of a sudden give himself aggravation for the rest of the

morning. It is not often we say we cannot

hear Ken Doherty... We didn't hear you there. Tell me

about the prospect of playing Alan, because clearly this is so exciting

for the two of you. Absolutely. It is a flag up for the

40-year-olds plus. The battle of the pensioners. It

will be fascinating, it has been a while since we played here. He is a

great competitor and, as Stephen said to me last night, he said, it

is not a match I will be looking forward to commentating on. It could

go up to four sessions. There will be plenty of craft in it, I suspect.

I am joking with him, but they are two of the best quality players to

have played the game. If you are a purist and you like

matchplay snigger, tune in for that one.

And it will be a long one! It will be top, there will be plenty

of thinking going on in that one. Exciting stuff so far this morning

here on the fourth day of the World Championship, but last night it was

breathtaking once again. We had two final frame decider is

but the first we will show you was a potential shock of the hugest

proportions, because Ding Junhui up against Michael Wasley, world number

73. Ding had not looked comfortable

throughout their earlier sessions, and despite the fact he took a 6-3

lead into this session he was coming right back at him. He made it 6-6

into the afternoon session, then 8-8, then name -- Ding looking very

frustrated and the match was called off at 6:30pm with the evening

session looming. Then the players had to come back at 11pm last night

and pick up where they left off in frame 18.

Terry Griffiths and John Virgo were in for the long haul here.

Great shot. What a shot under extreme pressure. Wonderful stuff.

He thought long and hard whether it was worth taking on. Good pop. --

pot. Now, can he make the most of this

opportunity and take us into a deciding frame? He has given himself

a chance. The black only available into the

left corner. He has played that nicely, he can

port this red and play for the black into the same pocket. He would love

to get rid of the red just to the right of the black so he could have

the black available into both corners.

There are reds in the middle of the table, so I would not put all my

eggs in one basket by playing the cannon here, it could go wrong.

He managed to be able to screw past the red. What a chance.

Yes, a great long pot to get started, remarkable positional play

since then. He has to keep that going, though.

We talked about commitment earlier, and he certainly committed on that

red. Those are the type of shots that get

the adrenaline pumping. Risk involved. He may well have been out

of this tournament if he missed that red.

I must say, this has been an outstanding debut appearance from

Michael Wasley at the Crucible, drawing in the number two in the

world and he has played at a very high standard.

Just slipped out of position there for the first time.

Yes, he wanted to put a little bit of side on that, but he is still on

it to the middle. Nicely in.

He has not looked like missing here.

Yes, and it is all blacks, but I am not thinking about maximums, and he

will not be, he will be playing for the frame, the frame is the most

important thing. Pot the blue, another couple of

reds, a couple of colours will take us to that decider.

He may have to play the cannon here, unless there is a red he can play

for. He has played the cannon, and it has

worked out nicely. I say nicely, he would just be slightly hampered by

that red closest to the cue ball. He may not be able to get to the

centre of the cue ball, which makes this red a little bit awkward.

But he played it well, the frame is at his mercy now. Decider coming up.

What a performance. Brilliant long red, and, as you say, Terry, never

looked in any danger from that moment on. He has looked completely

at ease. Ding Junhui is going to go to a

decider. Another one. We have had quite of --

quite a few of those this year. Yes, how much do we say that the seeds

are the ones under pressure in the first rounds.

Ding Junhui has won five ranking events this season, equalling

Stephen Hendry's record, but it counts for nothing when you come out

at the Crucible. Anything can happen.

Well, he got a bit of balance their, it seems to me, of that

cushion. -- a bit of a balance there.

He is walking on water out there at the moment.

Not so long ago he was worried about staying on tour.

For most players their first objective is to stay on tour, and

that is not easy. Now he is in the Crucible going to a deciding frame

against the number two player in the world.

There goes the double, so we may just see a century, and what a

performance that would be, considering the situation.

Pink or black for the century. 13 reds, one blue, 11 blacks.

Wonderful, absolutely wonderful. And in that one goes. Now, if that

red stops, the black maybe available. He has put his arms up,

the black does not go to the corner. It could go in anywhere, this, I

tell you, anything could happen. Well, not quite, but what a

marvellous break, 103 from Michael Wasley. A great opening red and he

has now taken the world number two and one of the favourites for the

Championship to the decider. corner, did not envisage that, and

he has left it. You could not have envisaged that.

Your worst nightmare come true there.

You would just never think about something like that, would you?

You would just think, as long as I get a good cue ball. He did not

expect to knock this red right over the pocket so it is unmissable.

Well, it was unmissable, but he is not good on the colour. This is

miss-able. If he had not clipped the pink

affair he would have been on nothing.

At least he has a chance of a pot. Once again, he has not considered

the safety side of it, he is going to go for it.

He did not want that. Not easy now. He concentrated so much on the pot,

and, in a way, just thinking if he potted it he was bound to be on a

red. Deciding frame, things don't always work out that simply. He

needs a good pot here. He's looking at the cut, but it is a thin one. He

has a red to the far right corner which he does not seem to have

looked at yet. He has to be careful he does not go in-off in the middle

from this. IM with you. He did not look at the

red into the green pocket. Such full concentration for taking that one

on, it was a tough shot. Now, this is a little bit dodgy. Where ever he

puts the white, for the red into the left corner, there will be lots of

faculty avoiding the kiss on the black -- difficulty. 14 points, the

lead. Went for it, confidently, got it, he

is on the pink, he has got a chance. Now, what is he on? They red that is

closest to the cue ball will go to that right-hand corner. It is thin,

but it will pot. I would rather be playing the one

that is closest to the cue ball. Now, he is playing the snooker. I

think he felt, and of the utmost pressure, do not take a risk. And

that is a good snooker. I am not certain that a one cushion escape is

on. 21 point behind his opponent at the moment, looking for two reds,

two colours. This could be hit and hope. If, if you can get to the top

cushion. He is having a close look. Is it touching? The referee has not

declared. He said it was not watching a few moments ago. --

touching. Just a fraction off, OK? It has made a big difference. If it

was touching you would need to go off the side cushion, a lot more

difficult, but can play this gentle and just drop on the red. He did not

do that. But he has got out of it. Good safety. This red just below the

pink will go to the left corner. But if he plays it, you will need to be

very wary of the red and the right-hand side season. -- side of

the table. Thankfully for him, he missed the

cannon. And he has finished up with a snooker and Michael Wasley off all

three goals. How do you like them apples? Just over seven hours match

time. You always look at the red that is closest to the cushion to

see if you can nestle on that. But if you just catch it wrong, can

knock it on. He has got to be wary of the blue in the middle of the

table. Foul and a miss. He came off that cushion very straight. Which

ever red he tries to hit, he is in difficulty. And Ding definitely did

not say that shot -- play that shot to get behind the green. That

irritates you slightly. Looks like he is coming off two conditions to

try and it is from behind. -- hit it. These points are all adding up

in favour of Ding Junhui. Foul and a miss. Ding Junhui is

quite happy to take all these penalties. All of a sudden, his only

nine behind. This is a better line, but could leave one into the middle.

As it turns out, the corner. At least she has stopped giving away

foul points. A quick glance at the scoreboard.

No easy clearance, even if he pops the red.

Nice angle on this red. Lots will depend on the angle going on the

angle going onto the black. The last red, as it turns out, that will be

difficult to get on. Now, a choice. He could disturb the red, or just

stand behind it. Maybe trying to move it. He tried to move it. I am

not certain about that choice. He could have dropped behind it. He

could have cannoned the red and still not in on it. You must leave

yourself a pot at this stage. I cannot see him playing the double

here. Michael Wasley will be thinking, I will get back to the

table. Surely the double is too risky.

It was. He has played an excellent safety. AdVantage, Ding Junhui. Good

hit. He needs to get it safe, for the Brown to come to his rescue. And

it may well have done! Yes, he can hit it, but he cannot

potted in the middle. Ding Junhui had a lucky snooker earlier on which

could have decided this deciding frame. But the truth is that both of

them have had plenty of chances to win the match. He may be forced into

attempting the pot. But there is always a chance of coming off the

side cushion and going into the left middle, he will be wary of that. He

managed to play the containing safety. But the initiative now goes

to his opponent. You can look at it and try to get behind colours, but

you must keep the red ball in a safe has issued. -- position. Yes, the

priority, do not leave a pot. He is looking to come top cushion

first, but that is always a bit risky. The red could run into the

pink. Or it could run into the pocket! What a fluke? And what a

time to get one! We have seen everything now! So much drama, you

just had a feeling something strange would happen. But what an awful way

to lose a frame and a match. Although it is not one yet. We have

always said it is a cruel game. Needs to go up to the blue for a

shock against one of the major title contenders.

What can you do about that? The blue, to go 15 in front with just 13

remaining. Ding Junhui will be very disappointed with his performance.

Throughout this match. But he did not deserve to lose like this. It is

not over yet! One snooker needed. If Ding Junhui does not get it, Michael

Wasley has produced one of the biggest shocks ever at the Crucible.

A shake off their heads. He knows it was almost a handshake, back to the

dressing room. But now, one snooker... The underhit that I long

way. -- by a long way. You only get one chance at a snooker. Just roll

this towards the corner. Even if it is in the chores, you will not get a

snooker from there. -- in the jaws. From the perspective of Ding Junhui,

make sure you get the object ball safe.

What a shock! Did he get a double kiss? What a wonderful snooker.

Unbelievable. If he is going to play this way, he should be playing to

the right-hand cushion first. It gets straight on, or hit the cushion

first. Has he got it? Great hit! The tension is unbelievable. 38 minutes

of this frame has lasted, tension from start to finish.

Once again, trying to get the cue ball behind the black. He has just

about got it. But anything can happen here. DMA! -- Dear me!

I am not sure I can cope with this excitement at midnight. It is a bit

much for us! He needs the black to cover the

potting angle again, and once again, he has done it. But you must be

careful where the cue ball finishes. He will not want to hit this to

heart. -- too hard. You do not want the cue ball running loose.

A lot thinner than he intended. What a great effort from Ding. Three

great snookers behind the black from difficult positions. That is what

champions do, hold on. Another good effort, but where is

the pink going? Over the middle. That is the end. Ding Junhui puts

his head in his hands. He knows his dream of being world champion 2014

is over. And nice to see a little tap of the cue underfloor for

Michael Wasley, in congratulations. -- on the floor. But their play, --

fair play, Ding Junhui loss like a gentleman and a champion. But what a

performance from Michael Wasley! 10-9!

I felt confident even when I was 6-3 down. I know that there was so much

pressure on Ding Junhui, he has done so well this season, being the

best, I just had to capitalise on the pressure. It is the end of the

season, I can have a bit of rest. I have missed out on the main tour a

couple of times. But there has been a tool around, I felt good for quite

a while now. This was a hit and run, I chose the best tournament to do

it. I won a few of the fans over, they supported me. When you are down

a few frames, that is a great help. I love the Crucible, I'll get back

out there, but I have a couple of days to relax, take it all in, then

the second round. I wonder how much sleep you got! The

giant killer joins us. How does it feel?

Fantastic. I did not get much sleep last night. The adrenaline was still

going through my body. You are entitled to sleep in! The question

is, how did you help yourself together? When you were forced to

come back and finish the game so late in the evening? I tried not to

dwell on the situation of being pulled off and having to come back.

I had a shower, treated it like any other match, came in fresh,

regardless of the scoreline, did not think of myself as 98 down, -- 9-8.

How did you hold it together? You showed such composure? Over the

years I have worked with Terry Griffiths and practised at the

Academy with top players. It puts you in pressure situations all the

time and I have learned to cope with it well. Instead of letting panic

sets in, positive thinking, 100% effort, and paid off. The Crucible

is different to any venue, how did you feel playing such a top player?

It was such a buzz to walk out here for the first time, be introduced. I

came out strong after losing the first frame, and I felt I matched

him through the first four frames, that settled me down. I was saying

to Dennis, you looked like you were totally enjoying yourself. Embrace

the pressure and be as natural as you can. That is exactly how you

came across, from the commentary box. We saw you with friends and

family. How was the reaction? Everybody has just called me,

message me, congratulated me. I have had a lot of support and I thank

everybody who has supported me. I am on cloud nine. How far do you think

you can go? I made myself tough to beat in that match. Played solid

snooker. If I play the same way, whoever plays me will have a tough

match ahead. Who knows? John, I know you are itching to discuss a few

aspects of that match. Come into my office! This is the final frame

fluke. We all had sweaty palms watching this. What was going

through your mind? I played aliens when I was younger. -- billiards.

You play one red safety matches. But the risk ratio here was just too

much for me. I thought, come off the bottom cushion, get it between the

pink and black. That is the thing. If you miss judged it, you can

contact the black. But this was the happy outcome. Talk us through it. I

hit the red OK. If I missed the middle jaw, I would be OK, I was

lucky to pot it, but it was always on, it can happen with that snooker.

I put my hand up and just got on with playing. And now you will play

best of 25, a first for you. Yes, I'll just go home and prepare for

that, find out the best way taking on that match ahead. We were just

discussing seismic defeats. You have joined the ranks. Very well done

indeed. Good luck in the next round. We have lost Ding Junhui, and John

Higgins, seeds are falling. Murphy just scraping through. So the

championship shaping up in a way different from many predictions.

OK, live play coming up soon, but first, Table Talk.

Joining us, I am delighted to say, Hector Nunns, one of the chief

writers for the Times and Inside Snooker. I presume that the

headlines regarding Ding Junhui and Michael Wasley came a little late?

Yes, we could not sleep them into the early editions. But what a

dramatic evening. And it almost could have been Mark Selby going

home also. Where does that rank in the list of all-time Crucible

shocks? You could go back to Tony Mills defeating Steve Davis. It has

got to be right up there. As you say, could not sneak it into the

early editions. But some other stories. Judd Trump had his say

yesterday. He reckons it might be time to red the Crucible because he

does not think that the sport is thinking big enough, he thinks the

venue is a little too cramped because of the expanded appeal.

Where do you stand? I would make the caveat that he did not say he did

not like the Crucible. Just that the biggest matches are big enough to

sell thousands of tickets. Rather than 980. He is looking at sports

like arts that are selling out 20,000 arenas. -- darts. You can see

it in your paper, Judd Trump makes the case for a change of venue. You

guys have played in a Berlin venue which holds 5000. Some things are

worth more than money. You cannot buy history and nostalgia. The

Crucible is the home of snooker, as long as I'm playing, I don't want it

to move. It is just a special place to play. Big arenas can feel

soulless. For me, the Crucible has all those

attributes and you can never buy that. It is something we always come

back to about where this Championship should be played. There

is a piece in the Daily Mail today, about snooker funding, perhaps

Sheffield Council may be thinking about renewing the World

Championship contract that expires in 2015. Where do you stand on this

one, John? I am with Ken Doherty all the way.

This venue, if you are a young aspiring player, this is your

Wembley. If you turn up to play here, the first time you come into

this venue like Michael Wasley, it is a very stressful occasion. If it

goes somewhere else, if someone comes in and offers a ?1 million

prize, what are you going to do, but I hope it doesn't come to that. Judd

Trump, he has had a huge mode of expectation on him ever since he

emerged as a teenage wonder. Let's get our view on the

expectation of him to win a world title pretty soon.

What is your life like? For me it is a lot of living out of

a suitcase. I find it hard to unpack, I normally just leave all my

clothes in a suitcase and get a different suitcase. I am quite lazy

like that. It has been good fun the last couple of seasons. A future and

-- times you get the chance to go out and experience the city or the

country. The worst is the jet lag. I think a lot of the time you find it

quite hard to get acclimatised to everything and you sometimes end up

losing because of that. What is your strategy for coping

with jet lag? That is quite unusual, isn't it?

I have one, I have sought or tried to stay on English time, not going

to bed until 5am, not waking up until 5pm. I skipped half the day

and go and play my game and I did that for the whole week. In a way it

is better, because you get to concentrate on snooker. In England

you have more distractions, so it is probably harder to winter months

here than in China. How do you travel, up the front or

down the back? Normally up the front. Django has

made it that I have to travel there, he wants me to be as relaxed

as possible while I am getting there and when I am there.

You better appreciated there than in this country? Would you rather the

verse -- the reverse was true? It would be ideal if it could get to

the same level in both, but for me the main game here is football and

it is never going to live up to that. I am happy that in China we

have kind of got the appreciation football has got over here. In a

sense, I can kind of see how hard it is for football sometimes, the

attention on them, they cannot really do anything without signing

autographs, they can't just relax. People just to see footballers

getting paid whatever amount week and think their lives are easy, but

it is not as easy as that. It is the same as snooker sometimes in China.

Are you a live for today by or squirrel away for the future type of

person? Or are you somewhere in between?

I think I have a good balance. After snooker I want to be able to retire,

so I have to be careful, but at the same time it was my dream to own a

Ferrari so I am going to live that dream and when the time is right I

will get rid of it and invest my money wisely. So that I don't have

to do anything after snooker. I don't want to.

And there is this little shopping addiction, the old shoes.

It was an addiction, I think, at one point, but I have tried to stop it

now. I was getting calls from shops to let me know when they had a new

pairing, I think that is pretty bad. I got to about 11 or 12 and cut it

down, I have completely stopped it and tried to go for less expensive

shoes. What is the new addiction, if

anything? Eating. Good restaurants, I have

moved on to restaurants now. I love tasting good food. For me, I did not

realise the different tastes you could get out of food until I

started eating in London. Who teach you grounded in all of

this? Is there one person who says come off, put your money back in

your pocket? Not really. I think living up here

alone is quite hard, because my parents are not here to see what I

am doing, so it is on myself to know when to stop. Django nose and then

tell me that I need to concentrate on sticker and get practising, so he

is happy as long as I am working hard. Off the table I can do what I

want. I tell you, he is very pleasant

company, Judd, I have two say. You have seen his reaction in China,

why does that market in particular take to Judd Trump?

It is interesting, celebrity culture in China is very strong, as it is

here, perhaps even more so over there. From an early stage they have

latched onto Judd and the designer shoes and the Ferraris. He has a

deal with Ferrari in China, he often arise at a venue in a Ferrari and

that goes down well over there. There was a little blip, some of the

Chinese media thought he was not signing enough autographs and doing

enough for the fans but I think he has come through that and remains a

huge draw over there. He is, but something he has not lived up to

that image on the table. The summit of the world rankings for

15 months he did not get past the last 16 in a major event. What has

happened in the interim? I think there was a moment when he

took his foot off the gas a little bit, maybe on the practice side.

Again, if that happened I think it was only for a few months and I

think he is back on it now, practising hard. From December

onwards there has certainly been a real signs of a return to form and I

arrived here expecting Judd to have a good run there. He is in a draft

draw but he will have a good game here.

-- he is in a tough draw. If you were in his corner, John, is

there any other nuggets of wisdom you would pass on?

I think the type of game and the style he plays with his brilliant

when it is on, but when it is not a police opportunities for an

opponent. There are quite a few better players with a better B game,

sometimes it is not as good as Robertson or Selby, someone who can

win matches when not at their best. If he can get that form back when he

got to the final that time, it would be great for the tournament, because

he is due for a big event. He got to the final a few years ago,

Judd Trump just waiting backstage with the rest of our protagonists

this afternoon. I wonder if he has his expensive

nonslip loafers today. He's backstage there, they are

silvery, they look lovely, anyway. We are about to get the rest of the

Crucible cast list today and front of house, as ever, MC Rob Walker.

Thank you, Hazel. Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen.

Nine players already have a place in the second round of this year's

Dafabet World Snooker Championship, and that means there are a

magnificent seven spots still available.

Another cracking atmosphere here in the Crucible as the world class

action looks set to continue once again.

Please welcome our player making his third appearance at the Crucible,

two years ago he made the last 16 year after re-qualifying for the

tour through the cue School, beating Jimmy Robertson on the final frame.

On Twitter he calls himself the angry father, so here he comes,

ready for action, David Gilbert! And his opponent, returning to the scene

of one of his finest moments in the game. Last year he stormed his way

to the World Championship final, beating Selby, Ding en route. This

player has come of age in the last few seasons, winning the Australian

Open in 2012 and the players Championship last month. Ladies and

gentlemen, he is back, he is ready for action, he is the Hawk, Barry

Hawkins! And on table number two, please

welcome our player making his second appearance at the Crucible, beating

the two-time World Championships finalist Matthew Stevens in the last

round of qualifying. A PDC grand final semifinalist last year, he has

also reached the last four Michael of the snooker shoot out. From

Leicester, here comes Tom Ford! And his opponent, one of the most

exciting players of his generation. Runner-up here in 2011, he made the

semifinals last year. Winner of the UK Championship, the international

Championship, when he is on a roll years absolutely irresistible to

watch, so dearly comes, with his own brand of naughty snooker and naughty

shoes, the pride of Bristol, the ace in the pack, he is Judd Trump!

Nice one, Rob. Maybe the bank manager thinks they are not eat, but

they looked very smart. BBC Red Button and online options available

for you for the Barry Hawkins and Gilbert match for you.

It is Judd Trump and Tom Ford back in the arena after a four-year wait.

Add to the commentary box it is Steve Davis and John Virgo.

Good afternoon, Hazel, good afternoon, everybody. This will be a

very interesting opening session because to Judd Trump has all the

ability you need to win this Championship and it is always

interesting to see how he starts off. Some people have said he has

got a bit negative in the last couple of tournament 's, turning

down shots, but that cannot be a bad thing, Steve?

I think just getting the balance right is a journey that every player

goes on. We certainly know that he can

attack. If he does improve his B game, as John Parrott was saying,

and gets the balance right I think he is going to be a force for many

years to come. That safety shot from Tom Ford

caught it a little bit thin, but he found a nice place behind the brown.

Not a bad escape, but he has left Tom Ford red to the right of

centre. A good player, Tom Ford, make no

mistake. As we always say, everyone that

qualifies for the Crucible, as we have seen with the other seeds going

by the wayside, they are all capable.

If you have not seen Tom Ford play before on your television screens,

very easy on the eye. Yes, they met six times in the main

events, the-3. -- in the main events. The score is 3-3. When I say

main matches, they are not long ones like this, best of 19, they have

usually been best of seven, and there was one best of nine.

Now the angle on the red, so hopefully an angle on the blue.

There are a couple of loose reds and he can play onto one. He just has an

angle to stand down for that red to the right of the pink.

He will be a bit disappointed, he could have done with being straight

on this red. He needed to make sure he was not

going into the pack. He now has a bit more work to do to

try and get on great position. Nicely threaded through the gap.

Excellent break builder, Tom Ford. He has made 147s in competitive

play. I should know. It looks like he gave it a bit of

flash there, a bit of modern movement -- of body movement when he

played the shot. There was a bit, but they have to be hit hard. Yes,

they have to be hit hard, but you still have to do cue it nicely.

That was more of a bang and getting the cue through the cue ball. Judd

thinks he can just about get to this. He was going to try and play

at right-handed but he cannot reach, so he usually is in the spider. --

so he is using. As in Micheala Tabb get something

else from under the table. -- he is asking Micheala Tabb to get

something else. He is an excellent ambidextrous

player, Judd Trump, not in the same league as Ronnie O'Sullivan, but he

is without doubt talented. Perhaps not as talented as Ronnie!

I think that was a bit of risk, really, he was off balance, really

struggling. Yes, he was at full stretch and in the end in an effort

not to file of the reds he just lifted the cue up, practically and

air shot. Yes, I think that was the most

sophisticated safety shot I have ever seen. He has left Tom Ford a

real tempter of a thin cut. That was not as thin as I thought, I

don't know why Tom was... Taking so long over that one. He was

worried about where the cue ball was going to be.

He knew it was going to run into the second red, but the most important

thing in that situation, just concentrate on the pot.

This will be another interesting attitude of Judd Trump's game, how

his safety play will hold up. Well, I have been fortunate enough

to play Judd a couple of times this season -ish, I suppose. A couple of

events out in Thailand and in a PDC event. My judgement of his safety

play is that it is excellent. -- PTC. He is known for being an

outrageous potter. Yes, and sometimes it can boil down

to an attitude of mind when you come to the table. You are immediately

looking for a pot rather than the safety. The safety is second in your

mind. That was a good effort from Tom, and

if he has covered this red over the left corner with the yellow that is

an excellent shot. He played that with an awful lot of right-hand side

to check the cue ball and keep it on the left-hand side of the table.

Well played. Look B side he had on this. -- look at the side.

If you see the line of his cue, compared to the line that the cue

ball took... Very lucky to have not left the red.

There is the line of his cue. The cue ball has gone well to the right.

Obviously it has gone a fraction after, so that is a bit misleading.

It has given Judd a small problem. Pretty good effort, that. I don't

think it is completely safe. I think this red closest to the right corner

will cut back. The one in the middle of the corner -- table he is playing

may go into the left corner. There certainly was a path for that

red. Now there is an opportunity for Judd, the chance of a pot year. --

here. The last place he needed to finish.

The key to this frame at the moment is the first player that can get on

the blue correctly so that they can put the blue -- pot the blue and

manoeuvring the pink and black into play. He's looking to see whether he

can just lay on top of the brown and cause Tom Ford more problems, giving

him a chance at a red, the than trying to play a snooker to the

baulk cushion. It is not a bad shot laying it on

top of the brown committees whether he can get it so that Tom cannot hit

either of the extreme reds at either side of the table. I quite like that

shot. It would certainly make it awkward

cueing. It would be a little bit easier to rest your hand on the

right-hand side if right-handed. He does not want to risk playing a

snooker behind the yellow. All of the reds are in the open, so

Tom has got to be very careful here. Well, he played the containing

safety, but the idea was to try and leave the cue ball as close to the

top cushion as he could, but he has not done that. But it does not look

as though he has left a pot on. Well, Judd did have a tempter into

the yellow pocket that he could have played as a sort of attempt at a

shot to nothing. He saw what was a relatively easy chance to get a good

snooker on all of the nine reds on the table. If Tom Ford cannot get to

the top cushion, to fit that red, then he has a bit of a problem.

There is the possible line to get to this. It could be the middle pocket

is in the way. Yes, but he has not looked at it

very strongly, so... I suppose he could try and go off

the other side cushion, but that looks a bit more difficult.

He is looking now as if he is going to come off two or three cushions.

That blue in the middle of the table is something he has to avoid.

REFEREE: Foul and a miss. Judd Trump, four.

He has not even come round the table to look. They have been going in

quite easily along the top cushion. But, first frame, so far Judd has

turned down a couple of minor chances. I would not say it is

negative play whatsoever. Trying to make an adjustment. Well,

he did not play to hit that one! But he will settle for it. He has got it

safe, somehow. Perhaps a realistic chance of trying

to get into it behind the yellow off of this with no real risk of leaving

a red up. He did not hit it that hard, he decided to play a more

containing safety. It will be harder to get a snooker from distance

behind the yellow. Tom Ford can get through the gap.

Judd having a close look. Can he get through to the red closest to the

left corner? Well, this red does go, but with the

rest... He can get past that one, that is even better. The red to the

right of the one years lining up on also goes, but that is a tough pot.

This may be easy if he can get a fraction of left-hand side on the

pot. Both of them are very miss-able.

I think Tom felt as though he had to go for a pot there. Perhaps there

were alternatives, but it was a shot he did not like. The first realistic

opportunity.