:00:00. > :00:11.Dale against Mark Davis. This is one of the then use that Dominic Dale
:00:12. > :00:17.loves coming to. When you come here to play, there is not an atmosphere
:00:18. > :00:25.like it. The crowd are right there with you, you could almost push the
:00:26. > :00:29.cue, they are so close. Every shot you play, you are in the middle of
:00:30. > :00:36.the riskier. I do not know any other venue you feel that. I'm a billiards
:00:37. > :00:50.historian. Joe Davies popularised snooker. Historically, it is a very
:00:51. > :00:55.important trophy for me to get my hands on. I do not think I will be
:00:56. > :01:01.known as the fashion king. I Wear some outlandish gear, but they don't
:01:02. > :01:05.match with each other. I am 42 no, I tend to go a little bit grey on the
:01:06. > :01:10.sides. Every time I go to the hairdressers I dye my hair, covered
:01:11. > :01:14.it up a little bit. Six months ago I noticed my hairdresser had a good
:01:15. > :01:19.shade of blonde and I liked it, so I wondered whether to peroxide my hair
:01:20. > :01:29.again. I did it just before the shoot out, yes. Mark Davis is a
:01:30. > :01:34.tough player. Psychologically he is better than he has ever been. He is
:01:35. > :01:37.probably secretly disappointed because he is doing so well over the
:01:38. > :01:41.past few years that he probably wishes he was like that 20 years
:01:42. > :01:46.ago, and probably feels he could have been if he had had the help
:01:47. > :01:49.back then. If anything will bring the best out of you and the worst
:01:50. > :01:55.out of you some things, it is always at The Crucible. Dominic Dale loves
:01:56. > :02:00.it here. This is the man standing between Dominic Dale and a place in
:02:01. > :02:04.the last 16 here that The Crucible. He is Mark Davis, 41 years old from
:02:05. > :02:07.Hastings. He reached the last 16 last year. They ended the session
:02:08. > :02:40.last night with Dominik leading 5-2. It is maybe sticking out below the
:02:41. > :03:22.pink. He was giving someone the old
:03:23. > :03:32.stayer, Dominic. -- stare. I think someone in the audience. Someone
:03:33. > :03:34.shouted, come on, Mark. But you have got to have supporters, that is how
:03:35. > :04:41.it is. You know has the opportunity to go
:04:42. > :04:49.back into the same spot. You could see a little hair on the ball. Has
:04:50. > :04:50.Willie Thorne been practising on the table? That is definitely not one of
:04:51. > :05:24.his. If someone gets the chance, they
:05:25. > :05:28.could go on and clinch it. There is one short year, he could go off the
:05:29. > :05:38.left side of the red, and go behind the back. -- black. He has played it
:05:39. > :05:46.well. Not a bad effort. Brilliant shot. APPLAUSE
:05:47. > :06:12.He was tucked on the condition, so he did well to achieve that.
:06:13. > :06:16.He should have stayed up there because the weight is going to go
:06:17. > :06:50.into the same spot. Pretty good. Safe enough. When Mark
:06:51. > :06:52.Davis played the excellent snooker behind the black, Davis did not have
:06:53. > :07:16.the table, All he seemed about was getting the
:07:17. > :07:43.white back-up table, but he should have looked at that.
:07:44. > :07:52.What I liked about that shot, he did not force it, he just hit the shot
:07:53. > :08:09.beautifully. That is what you have to do.
:08:10. > :08:31.He could have done with a slightly better angle on this.
:08:32. > :08:46.You have to be a little bit careful when you are forcing them.
:08:47. > :08:50.He could have done with the white running a few more inches to leave
:08:51. > :09:06.more or less straight blue. Or the green, I should say. Amazing.
:09:07. > :09:08.If he is straight on the green, it is easy. But when you are having to
:09:09. > :10:10.roll them in, He is looking anxiously to see that
:10:11. > :10:55.he has finished at the right side of the blue.
:10:56. > :11:03.He just went a bit too far there, so it was not straightforward as it
:11:04. > :11:06.should have been. But he has played it well. Mark Davis missed the green
:11:07. > :11:13.into the left middle pocket. If it had gone in he would have took the
:11:14. > :11:23.frame. -- taken the frame. He now leads 8-2.
:11:24. > :11:29.He does not look happy. We will bring you the conclusion of that
:11:30. > :11:37.later in the programme. Our feature match is Mark Selby taking on
:11:38. > :11:48.Allister Carter. Yes, both players are very focused. This has been very
:11:49. > :11:57.good so far. Let us join Steve Davis and John Virgo.
:11:58. > :11:59.Yes, this has been quality. Just coming up to one hour and 40 minutes
:12:00. > :13:07.much time. Just to remind us of how the frame
:13:08. > :13:11.before the interval finished, he was thinking, if it does not go in, it
:13:12. > :13:14.will go back along the top position, but he got so close to the double
:13:15. > :13:22.but it stayed in the pocket and he gifted it.
:13:23. > :13:33.He may have left a chance here. He may have (in a portable position.
:13:34. > :13:37.That she may have left one of the reds. Yes, before the interval Mark
:13:38. > :13:47.Selby played a perfect black which got him in a lot of trouble.
:13:48. > :13:53.Perhaps Ali Carter could have pleaded that harder. But that is
:13:54. > :14:03.going back in time. -- played that harder. Advantage, Mark Selby.
:14:04. > :14:15.That was a cracking pot. He is just about on the yellow. The one just
:14:16. > :14:17.above the black, is that classed as long pot? It got to be over six
:14:18. > :14:31.feet. The reason why it should be is
:14:32. > :14:36.because the distance the raid had to then go to -- the raid has to go to
:14:37. > :15:20.the pocket. He chose the wrong red. Yes, if he
:15:21. > :15:26.had chosen the one nearest, he would have gone into the same pocket as
:15:27. > :16:29.the black. So it has gone wrong. He could have hit that a lot firmer.
:16:30. > :16:34.I do not think he is thinking about a plant, he does not want to knock
:16:35. > :17:42.the red over the corner. Three inches too hard with that one.
:17:43. > :17:46.Ali Carter has to be careful if he plays across this at the left-hand
:17:47. > :18:03.cushion. He would be unlucky to stick it up
:18:04. > :18:15.with the green, yellow and pink blocking.
:18:16. > :18:57.That one was slightly different, and he has left that. No -- he needs to
:18:58. > :19:02.screw into the reds at the top cushion. The reason I say that, he
:19:03. > :19:06.could not just run through because he could catch the second red. But
:19:07. > :19:22.if he gets it right he will be on the black.
:19:23. > :19:38.He left it too thin, so he did not get the cannon.
:19:39. > :21:31.He did not hit the red cool enough. So he missed the pot and the cannon.
:21:32. > :21:46.Looking pretty sharp, Mark Selby. After a nervous couple of shots to
:21:47. > :21:50.start off this match. And then losing the first frame. He has
:21:51. > :22:10.looked very sharp and very strong. That is not good. No, he will be
:22:11. > :22:19.disappointed with that. And even more so because the pink spot is not
:22:20. > :22:22.available. If he had played this red more comfortably, he could have
:22:23. > :22:29.controlled the cue ball. He has to drop the red in, dead weight. Not
:22:30. > :22:55.the easiest position to put the spider. Got to be careful.
:22:56. > :23:10.He just let the cue ball... He is the one who has to remove it from
:23:11. > :23:19.the table, he cannot Aske the referee to do it. Delicately done! A
:23:20. > :23:22.round of applause for taking a piece of equipment off the table, are very
:23:23. > :23:45.appreciative crowd. Nicely controlled. Gave himself
:23:46. > :23:50.every chance of being on a choice of The reds. Don't think the pink pops
:23:51. > :24:14.into the right corner. Probably not. I think it will go to
:24:15. > :24:22.the left corner. But he will have to try and get back up for the blue
:24:23. > :24:26.here. Got the blue to the right corner. He is looking at a baulk
:24:27. > :24:32.colour but the blue is in the right corner, he does not have to do much
:24:33. > :24:38.with the cue ball. What he had to do was make sure he was the correct
:24:39. > :24:51.side of the blue. Even going down for one of the baulk colours.
:24:52. > :25:19.I thought that was a bit of a risk, to be honest. He tried to pot the
:25:20. > :25:24.red and clear the red away from the pink. Didn't have to play it in that
:25:25. > :25:47.way. Right in the heart of the pocket. I
:25:48. > :25:55.think the lower red of the three, just below the pink, is available.
:25:56. > :26:03.He judged the weight of that to perfection.
:26:04. > :26:20.He is back in prime position here. I think we spotted it from the first
:26:21. > :26:22.frame when he played the blue. We thought he had come out with a
:26:23. > :26:36.positive attitude. He is very confident indeed. He has
:26:37. > :26:42.got all the ability in the world has Mark Selby. If he has got his
:26:43. > :26:50.confidence up as well, he will take some stopping. Ali Carter has played
:26:51. > :26:54.good safety, it just seems Mark Selby seems to be getting their
:26:55. > :26:59.chances at the moment and Ali Carter is being frozen out. They were
:27:00. > :27:04.saying in the first match against Michael White, he didn't look
:27:05. > :27:11.impressive. Albeit he closed the match out in great style. A great
:27:12. > :27:18.performance to get over the line. I think this is the difference. The
:27:19. > :27:24.top-class players, desperate to get their teeth into the tournament, get
:27:25. > :27:27.past the first match. This is certainly a different Mark Selby who
:27:28. > :27:39.has come out of the starting blocks today.
:27:40. > :27:55.Well! He got a flick on the pink which meant he wasn't sure where the
:27:56. > :28:07.cue ball was going to go, but unlucky. So the difference, 57 and
:28:08. > :28:14.59 remaining. The frame was over until that cue ball dropped. Is Ali
:28:15. > :28:23.Carter looking at playing the most aggressive shot he can? Pot the red
:28:24. > :28:25.and split open the two reds on the top cushion. He needs a total
:28:26. > :28:45.clearance. He has changed his mind. REFEREE: can you turn your earpieces
:28:46. > :29:13.down, please? The volume is a bit high on some of them.
:29:14. > :29:33.Big problem, the earpieces. Got to be honest, I am not a fan.
:29:34. > :29:40.For some reason he does not fancy this red in the middle of the table.
:29:41. > :29:44.I don't know why, really. Only the red needed to go 58 points in front
:29:45. > :29:59.with just 51 remaining. Once the red went in it was going to
:30:00. > :30:28.be snookers required. Probably a bit too late now. Two,
:30:29. > :30:31.four point snooker 's. It has been done. He can pop this and get a
:30:32. > :30:50.position on the black. That was a good shot, at that pace.
:30:51. > :31:09.Excellent. One snooker required and a free
:31:10. > :31:16.ball. That is another scenario. He is going to have a good shout at a
:31:17. > :31:24.snooker here. Can he get a telling one? It is very difficult to get an
:31:25. > :31:31.misjudgement of an escape these days from the players, but... You never
:31:32. > :31:36.know, he has lost the cue ball a bit. But as long as he has got the
:31:37. > :31:44.line right, it may have poked its nose out past the pin, which it has
:31:45. > :32:07.done. Yes, he has just over stunned that.
:32:08. > :32:16.The colours are not too badly situated. If you are going to make
:32:17. > :32:20.it a telling snooker, as we come up to the two-hour mark in this match,
:32:21. > :32:48.you need to be tight in on the colour. He has misjudged that.
:32:49. > :33:06.That is the end of the frame. Ali Carter sits back in his seat. He now
:33:07. > :33:09.knows he is 4-1 behind against a man who is playing well and looks to be
:33:10. > :34:07.full of confidence. Just playing a little exhibition
:34:08. > :34:12.shot. But it shows you how well he is cueing with the top spin and a
:34:13. > :34:22.little bit of side he used to get round the table. Not bothered about
:34:23. > :34:28.the black. Cueing well, everything running smoothly at the moment for
:34:29. > :34:34.Mark Selby. He stretches his lead to three. He now leads 4-1. And an
:34:35. > :34:41.interesting thing in that frame, when Ali Carter had a long red and I
:34:42. > :34:46.was suggesting he could pot the red into the corner and play a cannon.
:34:47. > :34:51.That plant was there then and he missed the red and it looked as
:34:52. > :35:03.though he might have got it safe. But he left that plant? It is
:35:04. > :35:10.unusual for a top player to miss a shot like that. But I think he was
:35:11. > :35:19.smitten with the red and have the opportunity to get onto the black
:35:20. > :35:24.spot. Hawk-Eye is so good. Never misses anything. Then when Mark
:35:25. > :35:28.Selby came to the table, looked as though Ali Carter had not left
:35:29. > :35:34.anything easy but of course that plant was still there. It just shows
:35:35. > :35:40.you it is worth coming down and looking at the balls even though you
:35:41. > :35:44.have picked a shot to play and look at what else is available. I think
:35:45. > :35:52.if Ali had spotted the plans, he would have played it in preference.
:35:53. > :35:58.I had not spotted it, I was looking at the opportunity he had, the same
:35:59. > :36:06.as Ali. In a bit of a hole now, Ali Carter. 4-1 behind. Fantastic
:36:07. > :36:12.turnaround by Mark Selby. Eight frames in these sessions is two
:36:13. > :36:21.sessions of eight and then the remaining frames, possible nine. The
:36:22. > :36:25.third session makes up the 25, so Ali needs to win a couple of these
:36:26. > :36:32.frames. He'd like to win all three, obviously but if Mark Selby wins one
:36:33. > :36:44.more he is certain of a two frame advantage after the first session.
:36:45. > :36:52.Only two sessions of play today. Afternoon and evening. He has sent
:36:53. > :36:58.the reds to the corners. Got a good cue ball, but he could not really
:36:59. > :37:04.guarantee how the reds were going to split. A very aggressive opening of
:37:05. > :37:09.the pack. Perhaps he feels he has got to force the pace a fraction.
:37:10. > :37:15.The problem is it was the correct path for the cue ball so he had to
:37:16. > :37:22.play it ritzy thick. He has played some good safety in this it's just
:37:23. > :37:30.Mark Selby's long potting has been very good. I think that 79% safety
:37:31. > :37:36.success from Ali Carter is made to look worse by the fact Mark has been
:37:37. > :37:42.knocking in these balls and there is another one. This is as good I have
:37:43. > :37:50.seen Mark Selby for quite a while. I remember speaking to him after the
:37:51. > :37:56.UK, and he said although he had got to the final, he was lacking in
:37:57. > :38:07.confidence. Maybe expecting too much from himself sometimes?
:38:08. > :38:26.Arguably, he has had a good season, but as a bridesmaid. He did win a
:38:27. > :38:38.PTC, but in the big events, frustration at the final hurdle. The
:38:39. > :38:45.standard he produced in winning the Masters... At is very best, I think
:38:46. > :38:54.he is a potential world champion, this year.
:38:55. > :38:59.One of the few players in the game who has genuinely caused Ronnie
:39:00. > :39:46.O'Sullivan problems on the table. Not certain if the black will go
:39:47. > :39:57.into the right corner pocket. If it doesn't, it is not going to be easy
:39:58. > :40:05.to get a sizeable break here. Just blue and baulk colours to play for.
:40:06. > :40:13.He will do well to make a frame-winning contribution here. Got
:40:14. > :40:30.a nice angle on the blue. Huge amount of experience goes into
:40:31. > :40:38.working out the correct order of clearing these reds. He is clearing
:40:39. > :40:44.one of the two reds that locks the path to the black. He could have
:40:45. > :40:53.been forgiven for playing the two reds that go into the same pocket
:40:54. > :40:58.that are in the main pack. But he has got to use one of those to get
:40:59. > :41:04.back on the black. It is Advantest positional play. He has always got
:41:05. > :41:09.to be on the right side of the blue. That is the critical shot at this
:41:10. > :41:14.level. He noticed a little grimace. He is practically straight, may be
:41:15. > :41:25.able to force a little bit of an angle. Just about got away with
:41:26. > :41:33.that. He had lots of left-hand side spin on.
:41:34. > :41:56.He didn't really come back as he would have liked and that is why he
:41:57. > :42:03.is close to the side cushion. He will do well to keep this rake
:42:04. > :42:14.going. It is not straightforward any more. An advantage of playing with
:42:15. > :42:20.pointed shoes. More ability to reach over the table. If you have clown
:42:21. > :42:33.shoes on, you could have reached further! I saw a pair of shoes last
:42:34. > :42:36.night, I was watching it on the red button. It is the man playing on the
:42:37. > :42:47.other table, it looked like something out of Madagascar.
:42:48. > :43:01.They are the ones we are talking about. I love them, but would you
:43:02. > :43:10.wear them! Dominic Dale's shoes. He is involved on the other table. Bit
:43:11. > :43:17.of a clash with the socks, but let's not get involved. I never even
:43:18. > :43:22.noticed his socks. They kiss on the yellow and looking at Ali Carter's
:43:23. > :43:26.face, he has left this red and it is an nice angle. Ali Carter cannot get
:43:27. > :43:48.any table time at the moment. That is the first shot Mark Selby
:43:49. > :43:52.has let off the hook for a while. Yes, it seems just a minor mistake
:43:53. > :44:02.from Ali has been costing him frames. Can Ali now get a foothold
:44:03. > :44:08.back in this frame? He has not got an easy one. Even though you expect
:44:09. > :44:18.him to get this, it is miscible. He hasn't had many shots recently. You
:44:19. > :44:23.called it, Steve. That is the problem with this game of snooker.
:44:24. > :44:28.Sometimes you can be sat in your chair not getting a lot of table
:44:29. > :44:32.time. Then when you get a half chance like that you have got to
:44:33. > :44:39.come to the table and produce. It is not easy.
:44:40. > :44:51.I think he has covered everything. If he could get past the black, the
:44:52. > :44:56.possibility of a planned. But I don't think he can see enough of the
:44:57. > :45:04.red if he goes past the black. I don't think he can even risk going
:45:05. > :45:10.back to the baulk ends here? No, he will lay on the red. Even though he
:45:11. > :45:25.does not want to play the shot, he loses any tactical ad. -- advantage.
:45:26. > :45:41.Great effort! Had to get the screw back the right amount as well. Ali
:45:42. > :45:48.sits back in his seat. Shakes his head. But there is nothing you can
:45:49. > :45:54.do about it. Fair play to Mark, he spotted the double. Being a very
:45:55. > :46:02.good pool player he is used to playing those doubles and plants.
:46:03. > :46:09.Excellent shot. Sometimes there have been players, people have criticised
:46:10. > :46:14.Mark Selby for being a bit negative. He certainly isn't showing this. I
:46:15. > :46:21.have never thought that is a view for me, but that was an aggressive
:46:22. > :46:28.opportunist shot he took out there. I will refer back to the blue he
:46:29. > :46:30.played in the first frame which he missed. But from then he has looked
:46:31. > :46:39.in a positive frame of mind. And when he is good, of course, he
:46:40. > :47:13.is very good! Bit low on this but that could have
:47:14. > :47:19.been intentional. Is he on a colour? He is on the blue to the far
:47:20. > :47:24.right corner. If he knocks it in, you can see the way the reds are.
:47:25. > :47:38.APPLAUSE Clean as a whistle. Just red and
:47:39. > :47:47.colour needed to stretch his lead even further.
:47:48. > :47:58.Very impressive this, Steve? Yes, this is as clinical and outing as we
:47:59. > :48:01.have seen, I would say so far in this tournament. Obviously Marco Fu
:48:02. > :48:17.was very impressive. Ding Junhui is a player who is
:48:18. > :48:22.extremely clinical. He did not get off the ground in his match, he has
:48:23. > :48:24.already gone home. This is the level of snooker you need to produce to
:48:25. > :48:54.win this event. Perhaps the other two players,
:48:55. > :49:01.without picking out the names of Ronnie O'Sullivan and Neil Robertson
:49:02. > :49:15.playing relentless snooker to this level. Obviously on occasions, Shaun
:49:16. > :49:22.Murphy as well. You can include Ali Carter in that. But if you are sat
:49:23. > :49:38.in your oilseeds, there is nothing you can do about it. -- sat in your
:49:39. > :49:44.seat. It does not matter about the red, the frame was over before that.
:49:45. > :49:52.Ali Carter, even in this first session sees it slipping away
:49:53. > :49:58.slightly. Mark Selby leads 5-1. Mark Selby was beaten by Barry
:49:59. > :50:02.Hawkins last year and it was a match he did not get going in. I am
:50:03. > :50:10.looking at him now and thinking how focused is he today? It is awesome.
:50:11. > :50:16.He is in absolute match mode. You can say he is not making 100 breaks,
:50:17. > :50:24.but every mistake Ali Carter makes, he is getting punished. I think Mark
:50:25. > :50:29.Selby has been awesome. Do you think Mark Selby is playing without the
:50:30. > :50:32.pressure. He came into the Crucible last year because people were
:50:33. > :50:39.talking about the triple Crown, but this year he has come without the
:50:40. > :50:42.extra pressure? He looks very relaxed and very composed up the
:50:43. > :50:48.table. I think he is desperate for another crack at Ronnie O'Sullivan.
:50:49. > :50:53.Both of them have got a long way to go before that happens, but I think
:50:54. > :50:57.he would love it. He has reached his first target of this match, he has
:50:58. > :51:04.got to five and will be ahead going into the second session. If he can
:51:05. > :51:11.win this session by even more, what a lead. Ali Carter has got to get
:51:12. > :51:19.something from somewhere. But how is he getting a chance? He has been
:51:20. > :51:23.awesome, Mark Selby. It is so difficult to play against because it
:51:24. > :51:28.is relentless. Looking here, he found the double, played it straight
:51:29. > :51:34.into the pocket. Ali is sitting in his chair and cannot get going.
:51:35. > :51:41.There was a little smile from Ali Carter, nothing he could do? He is
:51:42. > :51:45.starting to look frustrated. As John Virgo said, when you are kept in
:51:46. > :51:52.your seat, there is nothing you can do, then you get a half chance, and
:51:53. > :51:57.you snatch at it. Chances become even more important. You have been
:51:58. > :52:04.frozen out, you haven't got a cue action. All of a sudden it is on you
:52:05. > :52:11.and you have to go and do it. The key factor is, you go into the
:52:12. > :52:16.mid-session interval having just lost and it affects you mentally? It
:52:17. > :52:21.is a massive point in this match. The fourth frame could be a major
:52:22. > :52:23.turning point in this match. Mark Selby in sparkling form, but to
:52:24. > :52:49.Steve and John. JOHN VIRGO: another excellent safety
:52:50. > :52:54.shot from Ali Carter. He has hardly done anything wrong, and is looking
:52:55. > :52:59.at a 5-1 deficit. Two more frames to be played in this session. So
:53:00. > :53:10.important. If he could win the next two and get out of this. Look at
:53:11. > :53:17.that. He found the line. It is relentless at the moment. As he sits
:53:18. > :53:22.in his chair here's hoping he wins one of these two friends. -- he is
:53:23. > :53:40.hoping. It looked to be a decent angle on
:53:41. > :53:51.the brain. This is where the match play comes in. He reminds me of a
:53:52. > :54:16.modern-day Cliff Thorburn. He scores heavily but has a tactical game.
:54:17. > :54:25.He did not like the bounce of the cushion there. Yes, I can only
:54:26. > :54:32.assume the shot he played is not on. He was trying to make it stick to
:54:33. > :54:57.the cushion with lots of right-hand side.
:54:58. > :55:11.He will be pleased with that. Beard is a red at the top corner. Ali
:55:12. > :55:12.Carter is frightened to leave anything for Mark Selby at the
:55:13. > :55:34.moment. Slightly awkward cueing. Is that not
:55:35. > :55:39.always the way in this game? When you are in front, playing well, you
:55:40. > :55:53.always seem to get a good run of the ball. Yes, it was a bigger risk than
:55:54. > :56:08.he has been taking on. , that red. Yes, as I say, he was hampered. He
:56:09. > :56:12.could send the cue ball across to the left-hand side of the table,
:56:13. > :56:24.with a bit of insurance involved in that.
:56:25. > :56:33.Added shot, and he played at the best way. Is that red does not drop,
:56:34. > :56:36.it would have stayed in the jaws of the pocket. So he fully committed.
:56:37. > :56:47.Good shot, can he make the most of -- can he make the most of this? It
:56:48. > :56:54.is not an ideal opportunity. He needs to get the right angle on the
:56:55. > :57:14.blue. PHONE RINGS Switch it off, please.
:57:15. > :57:18.If the one touching the black pot is, he wants to get it out of the
:57:19. > :57:49.way as quickly as possible. He must think he has got a chance.
:57:50. > :58:04.He has to make sure there are no obvious plants.
:58:05. > :58:10.He has a red to continue with, and that is normally all they are
:58:11. > :58:28.looking for. But the pink they hate has gone safe. -- the pink he hit.
:58:29. > :58:39.Think he might be able to get round the back. He says it doesn't go. I
:58:40. > :58:45.don't think it goes. It would go in the middle. But that would be a
:58:46. > :58:57.difficult additional shot to play. Maybe there is no alternative. I
:58:58. > :59:07.think that is too tight. He could not risk it. I think he tried to go
:59:08. > :59:13.up the table for the blue. There is no way he would be on the black.
:59:14. > :59:21.So, just a safety. It was on this judgement not getting through the
:59:22. > :59:35.gap in the black. -- behind the black.
:59:36. > :59:39.Is crabby free in developing. But Ali Carter wants to get his hand on
:59:40. > :59:59.the table. Mark Selby is in no rush. This red is over the corner, and if
:00:00. > :00:06.the green does not come to his rescue, he can pot it. Ali Carter
:00:07. > :00:15.has two begin here. He needs to have the attitude, no matter how you do
:00:16. > :00:19.it, when the frame. It is difficult to control this cue ball. He does
:00:20. > :00:33.not want it to go into the bulky area. -- the baulk area. I do not
:00:34. > :00:40.think he is playing badly, but we have not seen much of him.
:00:41. > :00:49.That is the fascination of the three sessions second-round. Mark Selby
:00:50. > :00:57.has an advantage, a healthy advantage.
:00:58. > :01:01.As long as Ali Carter believes in himself, who is to say he cannot
:01:02. > :01:12.turn this around? If this was the first to ten, he
:01:13. > :01:19.would be thinking he had to win the next two friends to keep himself in
:01:20. > :01:30.the match. But sometimes players forget it is three sessions.
:01:31. > :01:39.If he can get out of this 5-3, he will spend the rest of the day
:01:40. > :01:42.thinking, that was not so bad. I really was up against it and I now
:01:43. > :02:43.on the two friends behind. He is a bit close to the cushion
:02:44. > :02:49.here. He likes controlling the cue ball harder. -- makes controlling
:02:50. > :03:04.harder. He had to hit that softer than he would have wanted. Suburban.
:03:05. > :03:39.If that had just run on another six inches it would have been perfect.
:03:40. > :03:49.This is a big frame for him. He has to win it, he has got to take it for
:03:50. > :03:52.his own self-esteem. He has been frozen out, through no fault of his
:03:53. > :03:56.own. Just great play from his opponent. He has a bit of a problem
:03:57. > :05:03.here. He has got to commit to this. If he had been straight on this it
:05:04. > :05:14.would not have been a problem. He played that well. It was a delicate
:05:15. > :05:21.shot. He needed an immediate reaction from the cue ball.
:05:22. > :05:40.Sometimes when we see these shots they look easy. He will need the red
:05:41. > :06:06.undercover to clinch this frame. -- and a colour.
:06:07. > :07:35.If he pots this, he needs the black. If he pots that think he will need
:07:36. > :08:03.another snooker to carry. This will mean more chance of a
:08:04. > :08:15.comeback. He nearly took to the yellow with his arm.
:08:16. > :08:23.That is the end of the frame, and Ali Carter will be relieved. He will
:08:24. > :08:25.be thinking of the last frame of this session. It is going to be a
:08:26. > :08:38.big one. It will either be a deficit of four
:08:39. > :08:44.or two friends. A big difference. That shows what he thinks about
:08:45. > :08:50.that! He just wants to get on with the last frame of the session. He
:08:51. > :08:58.lost five in a row, but he won that one. Can he reduce this to two? Fair
:08:59. > :09:01.play to him, digging and against Mark Selby. That could be a big
:09:02. > :09:07.frame because John Virgo was rightly saying that if he can get out of
:09:08. > :09:14.this first station at 5-3 he would delighted. Absolutely, he has been
:09:15. > :09:21.dominated by his opponent. He would arguably be the better of the
:09:22. > :09:27.players. Yes, there are chances. He has already done this and has the
:09:28. > :09:35.bait of the cherry to get 5-the. There's a lot to go on this, and
:09:36. > :09:37.they all have talent. He has shown enormous character because he has
:09:38. > :09:49.been under pressure all through the session. To do what he did was
:09:50. > :09:59.great. He will be cock-a-hoop. He has been saying that he wants a real
:10:00. > :10:02.role that long run, but it is hard. This is what it is about here,
:10:03. > :10:09.sometimes there is a bad session but you have to limit the damage. O back
:10:10. > :11:32.to Steve Davis and John Virgo. He felt he had more control over the
:11:33. > :11:48.cue ball, but this red to the right of the blue pots.
:11:49. > :12:05.He chose to play for the colour, and he played it harder than I thought
:12:06. > :12:17.he was going to. Perhaps it was wider than I first anticipated.
:12:18. > :12:23.People were groaning. That is exactly what was going through Ali
:12:24. > :12:42.Carter's mind. That was a fluke. He does not have enough pace on the
:12:43. > :12:43.cue ball. He can get one into the middle pocket, and then get onto the
:12:44. > :13:04.pink. That was six inches to five. It
:13:05. > :13:14.wasn't easy to get the right position. Now he is looking to come
:13:15. > :13:17.in between the green and brown, then back out up the table, and that
:13:18. > :13:54.would be a fantastic shot up the table.
:13:55. > :14:05.He controlled it well. This is making Ali Carter squirm in his
:14:06. > :14:28.chair. These are all the looks. -- flukes.
:14:29. > :14:44.Ali Carter is frustrated young belief. He is picking out shots.
:14:45. > :15:05.He will struggle to keep it going now, though.
:15:06. > :15:10.He hit them well, a bit more pace to get the cue ball to come off the
:15:11. > :15:29.side of the cushion. He may have been on a red.
:15:30. > :15:49.A bit careless to hit the green, but he got 22 points from a night Regis
:15:50. > :15:55.look -- out outrageous fluke. APPLAUSE
:15:56. > :16:07.He needs a good kiss on the brain. He cannot play the brain, he would
:16:08. > :16:22.come into the green. -- on the brown.
:16:23. > :16:34.It is a very aggressive yellow into the top pocket to play for one of
:16:35. > :16:35.the red balls into the middle. You have got to more or less guarantee
:16:36. > :17:26.the yellow to play this. That shot required good cue action,
:17:27. > :17:36.but he is showing great characters out he had at the end of this
:17:37. > :17:40.session. -- out here. He had to force the angle round. Does the red
:17:41. > :18:09.pass the angle to the pink and the right middle?
:18:10. > :18:30.This has been a fascinating session of snooker between heavyweights.
:18:31. > :18:44.This was a trend is red. It had him squirming in his seat. It means so
:18:45. > :18:56.much when you know you are going to have to sit down for a while.
:18:57. > :19:27.In his first match, he produced at the right time.
:19:28. > :19:35.In the cluster, the left-hand one might go to the corner. He does not
:19:36. > :19:38.have to play any cannons. Not just at the moment. He has a 6-point
:19:39. > :19:51.lead. That leaves it to straight on the
:19:52. > :20:16.black, so he has played for this red.
:20:17. > :20:20.He is just coming to have a look to see if it is available into the
:20:21. > :20:47.middle. He does not think so. In the modern game they make these
:20:48. > :21:11.shots look easy. They have got to be so accurate.
:21:12. > :21:18.I do not know if he has enough angle to pot this and play a cannon on the
:21:19. > :21:40.outside red stop he would have to force this. Can he play a cannon and
:21:41. > :22:33.leave himself on that? He can! This was a big frame for Ali Carter.
:22:34. > :22:41.They are both on equal potting, but this has been about both players
:22:42. > :22:45.given the opportunity playing well, and one of them was frozen out for a
:22:46. > :23:06.while, and is showing great character. Ali Carter at least will
:23:07. > :23:14.take something out of this session now. Obviously he will be
:23:15. > :23:19.disappointed to have lost the session, but when he lost five on
:23:20. > :23:27.the trot and was 5-1 down, he had to dig deep. These last two frames have
:23:28. > :23:31.been very important. You speak to Mark Selby and he will be pleased to
:23:32. > :23:38.have won the session. He has not done a lot wrong. Ali Carter started
:23:39. > :23:42.with a century. Can he top and tail this session with another one?
:23:43. > :24:03.Highly likely. When he got one in the first frame,
:24:04. > :24:21.it was the 17th century of the tournament so far.
:24:22. > :24:31.This, for the century. 102 in the first. Marvellous! Absolutely
:24:32. > :24:39.marvellous. He has played a man at the top of his game who has had him
:24:40. > :24:44.sat in his seat most of this session. But what a finish from Ali
:24:45. > :24:49.Carter and what a session from both players. Absolutely top drawer. That
:24:50. > :24:53.is what you get at the crucial ball. It is the World Championship
:24:54. > :24:57.and bat was World Championship quality. Mark Selby wins the session
:24:58. > :25:13.5-3. It will resume at 10am tomorrow
:25:14. > :25:17.morning. That was the best session of snooker played by a country mile.
:25:18. > :25:25.Mark Selby was all some from 1-0 down. Two showed the character Ali
:25:26. > :25:30.Carter has shown, play as well as that. There is a shot in the last
:25:31. > :25:36.frame, he has lost the cue ball slightly, he came down and straight
:25:37. > :25:43.into the pocket. Ali Carter will be delighted with himself and so he
:25:44. > :25:47.should be. We were thinking is this going to be a repeat of what
:25:48. > :25:51.happened at a Welsh. But fair play to Ali Carter he has really come
:25:52. > :26:01.back this afternoon? We know he has got back character. 5-1 down, it is
:26:02. > :26:07.looking desperate. 6-2 would have been a massive mountain. But great
:26:08. > :26:14.character. When they have their night in the hotel this evening, who
:26:15. > :26:19.will be the happiest player? Both will be happy. It won't be talking
:26:20. > :26:26.about the last two frames in the Mark Selby camp. There is a bit in
:26:27. > :26:30.that result for everybody. Looking forward to Joe Perry this evening.
:26:31. > :26:37.This is what we can expect now in this second round? I have been
:26:38. > :26:44.critical about some of the standard in the first round, but that was
:26:45. > :26:49.proper snooker today. These boys have set the bar? That is the
:26:50. > :26:55.standard they will have to reach themselves to get through this
:26:56. > :27:06.match. There is one match remaining in the first round and that is
:27:07. > :27:11.between Dominic Dale and Mark Davis. When you get past the age of 35,
:27:12. > :27:17.people say your career is coming to an end but Mark Davis is 41 and is
:27:18. > :27:26.playing some of the best snooker in his life. The older he has got, the
:27:27. > :27:29.better he has got. Mark Davis is an example to anybody thinking of
:27:30. > :27:40.turning professional. His technique has stayed the same. He sticks at
:27:41. > :27:43.things and that is why he is edging closer to the top eight players. It
:27:44. > :27:48.does not have to happen overnight, if you have got a good technique,
:27:49. > :27:54.stick with it and you will get the rewards eventually. They have
:27:55. > :28:01.alluded to his age and Mark Davis has saved his best snooker for when
:28:02. > :28:08.he turned 40. He has battled away for all those years now reaping the
:28:09. > :28:13.rewards. Mark Davis is becoming very consistent. He is getting to the
:28:14. > :28:24.latter stages in every tournament he plays in. He is one to watch.
:28:25. > :28:29.Weakness of his game to me is control of the cue ball. We see so
:28:30. > :28:37.many times, you only get one chance. Can he do it consistently, I am not
:28:38. > :28:48.too sure. Mark Davis up against it taking on Dominic Dale. Seven bash
:28:49. > :28:49.to overnight. Mark Davis is at the table in the 11th, just a point
:28:50. > :29:03.behind. He could have done without that. The
:29:04. > :29:10.blue is off its spot, so that makes it a bit easier. Yes, pot the blue
:29:11. > :29:28.and the White will be going over the brown spot.
:29:29. > :30:16.Yellow, green, Blount and blue needed. -- brown and blue needed.
:30:17. > :30:38.Has left himself a bit to do here. If he was in front, that would have
:30:39. > :30:39.been easy enough. So straightforward clearance has been missed by Mark
:30:40. > :31:43.Davis. Just a fraction short of pace.
:31:44. > :31:53.Hasn't given Mark Davies a lot of options.
:31:54. > :32:01.As to be careful as he heads towards the black. He could see enough of it
:32:02. > :32:11.to just send it on to the side cushion.
:32:12. > :32:17.He will have two play this with a lot of side. He is looking at the
:32:18. > :32:33.top and side cushion now. This is dangerous. He has done well.
:32:34. > :32:41.May have put himself in a spot of bother. A little thin one. He is not
:32:42. > :32:44.looking at it yet but the possibility of getting down behind
:32:45. > :32:50.the black. He will keep the brown safe and try and get the white on
:32:51. > :33:08.the cushion back where his body is. Pretty good.
:33:09. > :33:27.Two-cushion escape. Pretty good. A bit unlucky that the blue got in the
:33:28. > :33:31.way. The blue is in the way again, if Mark Potts the brown. He will be
:33:32. > :33:35.hoping to not the blue into a possible position. I am not sure if
:33:36. > :34:04.the angle is there. You cannot miss them when you are so
:34:05. > :34:30.far behind. Pretty good. A bit thin on this blue
:34:31. > :34:37.than he would have liked, but still a good pot on the brown. His face
:34:38. > :34:41.tells you he does not want to take this on. He would try and get the
:34:42. > :34:47.snooker. Send the blue around the angles onto the baulk cushion. Don't
:34:48. > :35:19.blame him for that. Even though he is leading, keep the pressure on.
:35:20. > :35:35.Nicely played. I wonder if Dominic can get in behind the black?
:35:36. > :35:55.Has got the blues safe. -- blue safe.
:35:56. > :36:00.It is what we call a blue Ball fight. Who ever Potts the blue
:36:01. > :36:28.should win the frame. This is not a good shot. You have
:36:29. > :36:32.got to keep the object ball safe. It does not matter about the snooker,
:36:33. > :36:38.when the scoreline is as it is, you must always keep the object ball in
:36:39. > :36:40.a safe desertion. Difficult to control when the ball is so close to
:36:41. > :36:51.the pocket. That was played beautifully. It
:36:52. > :37:21.wasn't easy to control the cue ball. He is going to need the rest but the
:37:22. > :37:31.black is comfortable here, you have two say.
:37:32. > :37:43.It may look comfortable to you, Dennis. He has got it, though. Good
:37:44. > :37:50.clearance from Dominic pushes him close to the winning line. Dominic
:37:51. > :37:58.Dale needs just one frame to seal a place in the second round. Into the
:37:59. > :38:28.second and there is no score. He needs this frame to take us to a
:38:29. > :38:33.mid-session interval. Is he going to go crashing into The reds? There is
:38:34. > :38:40.a loose one at the back and a couple of other ones but he may try to
:38:41. > :38:43.scatter them all over the table. How is your luck? It is pretty good.
:38:44. > :39:28.Well played. His highest break so far has been
:39:29. > :39:34.63. But he did lose that frame. He has a good chance here. He would
:39:35. > :39:37.like to state in the match, do a big break and then he Mayfield that
:39:38. > :39:44.otherwise he has not shown here in this match. That is the feeling you
:39:45. > :40:06.get out there when you are missing chances.
:40:07. > :40:18.I tell you what would make Mark Davies feel better, that is for reds
:40:19. > :40:23.and for blacks. There is a matter of ?25,000 for a maximum break. Not a
:40:24. > :41:17.bad way to keep yourself in the match.
:41:18. > :42:35.There is the 25,000 gone. Still the chance of a big break.
:42:36. > :42:57.His touch has not been with him in this match. As lost position a
:42:58. > :42:58.number of times. He has been put under a lot of pressure with Dominic
:42:59. > :44:10.Dale. 69 in front, so that part would have
:44:11. > :44:20.been enough. -- that part. It looked in, but then it caught the jaw. Not
:44:21. > :44:28.a bad effort, but as Terry mentioned he made a 63 break and lost the
:44:29. > :44:32.second frame. Surely he cannot make 69 and lose this frame? He needs
:44:33. > :44:39.this and the last frame to take us to a mid-session interval. Dominic
:44:40. > :44:40.will want to try and get a match finished as soon as possible and get
:44:41. > :45:09.himself ready for the second round. As they used to say, pick the bones
:45:10. > :45:32.out of that one. The flick on the brown has left it
:45:33. > :45:38.awkward for Mark Davis. He tried to move the red away from the corner
:45:39. > :45:40.pocket. It is a clever little shot coming off the corner of the middle
:45:41. > :45:54.pocket to get back up there. Needed good cueing. Cannot really
:45:55. > :47:07.hit a ball better than that. He is OK, he has got the red in the
:47:08. > :47:13.centre. Not quite. Mark Davis has got a frame on the board after a
:47:14. > :47:21.while. That was his highest break of the match so far. Into frame 13 and
:47:22. > :47:25.after two misses, it is Mark Davis to play. He has two hit a red
:47:26. > :47:48.otherwise he will forfeit the frame. He doesn't have to play the same
:47:49. > :47:55.shot again. It looks as if he is going to take the pot on the right
:47:56. > :48:02.corner. He will cannon into the red and the pink.
:48:03. > :48:20.What about that for a shot. Look where all the rats have gone. Have
:48:21. > :49:25.you ever seen as many reds near this back cushion? -- The reds.
:49:26. > :49:33.Nice to see Mark Davis making an effort. You see some players who are
:49:34. > :49:42.long way behind, not putting a lot of effort in. At least he is giving
:49:43. > :50:05.it 100%. Chances of him winning from here are very slim.
:50:06. > :50:16.I remember the night Cliff Thorburn last from being nine in front. Had
:50:17. > :50:24.to have a few drinks with him just to commiserate. You paid, obviously?
:50:25. > :51:35.Always, you know me. I bet Mark Davis is wishing this
:51:36. > :51:38.match was just starting now. He is looking like the Mark Davis we have
:51:39. > :51:44.seen over the last couple of seasons. It is getting more and more
:51:45. > :52:33.difficult now. Still a couple of reds available to him.
:52:34. > :52:43.He doesn't need many more pots. He is 51 in front. If he can cut this
:52:44. > :52:51.read in and get on the blue all the pink, then the red nearly opposite
:52:52. > :52:52.corner pocket, he'll be over the line without having to risk a
:52:53. > :53:16.cannon. He can't do much with the cue ball.
:53:17. > :53:25.Dominic knows there will still be enough on the table for him to tie.
:53:26. > :53:36.He's looking at the pink. He's got a choice. He could just click the
:53:37. > :53:40.black onto the cushion and then you no chance for Dominic to get the
:53:41. > :53:45.four reds and four blacks. It would be impossible.
:53:46. > :53:55.If he holds the pink in, that is the frame safe.
:53:56. > :54:02.A nice effort of 61 from Mark Davis. Every chance now that we will go to
:54:03. > :54:41.the mid-session interval. APPLAUSE
:54:42. > :54:46.That is worth a go with the Blackbeard of its spot.
:54:47. > :54:55.-- with the black being off its spot.
:54:56. > :55:07.Dominic can't win or even tie. He's taken the more difficult read on.
:55:08. > :55:14.Good idea. Gives him a chance. -- the more difficult red.
:55:15. > :55:48.It was a close but he's covered the red in the pocket. -- wasn't close.
:55:49. > :55:54.I'm wondering what angle he's got onto the red in the middle pocket.
:55:55. > :56:03.He may have an angle to pot this and dropping behind the black.
:56:04. > :56:17.Now it's a tricky cut. A few more inches with the white and it would
:56:18. > :56:32.have been a decent chance. This to keep the frame alive.
:56:33. > :56:43.GROANING Well, well, well. Dominic may think
:56:44. > :56:44.it's worth playing on now. If that red had gone in, he would have
:56:45. > :57:19.definitely conceded. Dominic Dale needs two four point
:57:20. > :58:34.snooker is. Dominic Dale will be a little
:58:35. > :58:36.disappointed but he's still trying to finish the match off before the
:58:37. > :59:13.interval. He's looked very good in this
:59:14. > :59:20.session today at times. Made a few breaks. Over 60 in the last two
:59:21. > :59:40.breaks but he's missed a few balls in the last few breaks.
:59:41. > :59:48.APPLAUSE A good effort from Mark Davis. He
:59:49. > :59:54.pulls another one back but he's still trailing 9-4.
:59:55. > :00:00.JASON MOHAMMAD: Two frames on the boughs Web rebounds for Mark Davis.
:00:01. > :00:02.Is an unlikely comeback, cards? Into frame 14 we go. 16 points the
:00:03. > :00:14.difference. TERRY GRIFFITHS: Certainly knocking
:00:15. > :00:34.those long ones in. He struck that very well.
:00:35. > :00:40.Dennis said earlier, no danger yet for Dominic but if Mark Davies
:00:41. > :00:45.carries on like this and keeps Dominic in his chair, there will
:00:46. > :00:52.come a time when he's going to start to think. A strange balance in your
:00:53. > :00:56.mind when you are a long way in front. You don't want to think
:00:57. > :00:59.you've already won the game or that you can't lose it but you've still
:01:00. > :01:05.got to keep concentrating all the time. Sometimes the balance loses
:01:06. > :01:33.its way somewhere. DENNIS TAYLOR: He's had breaks of 69
:01:34. > :01:36.and 61 in the two previous brains and is well on his way here. --
:01:37. > :02:53.frames. Who is this guy? Missing so little
:02:54. > :03:17.at the moment. Earlier on, he was missing a few vital shots.
:03:18. > :03:25.Once again I think the difference here is cue ball control, although
:03:26. > :03:29.he did have a good pot to get in. He's kept it under control and had a
:03:30. > :04:40.succession of easy shots. Just needed that pink for another
:04:41. > :04:51.frame on the board. Still a possible 59 on the table so he's got to get
:04:52. > :04:55.on the black here and he can do. If he just dropped it in dead weight,
:04:56. > :04:57.he has to be careful he doesn't snooker himself for the red that is
:04:58. > :05:07.closest to the cue ball. That is going to cling to the
:05:08. > :05:13.cushion. Always helps. APPLAUSE
:05:14. > :05:19.When the blackest tight on the cushion, it's much easier than when
:05:20. > :05:26.it's just a fraction of. -- when the black is tight.
:05:27. > :05:31.He didn't hit that hard enough and is going to have to go all the way
:05:32. > :05:35.round the angles here and play a trick shot. This is the black
:05:36. > :05:54.clinging to the cushion. APPLAUSE
:05:55. > :05:59.He played it well. He might be a little bit unlucky but that's a
:06:00. > :06:06.great effort. In fact, it's touching the red. We'll show you the white
:06:07. > :06:15.threading its way through the green and brown. He declared a touching
:06:16. > :06:16.ball. He could still pot this red into the right-hand corner but he'd
:06:17. > :06:36.have to get out onto the black. Got to hit this one my -- nicely.
:06:37. > :06:43.From that angle, it is touching the cushion again. Dominic, you could
:06:44. > :06:50.never get it into the pocket at that pace!
:06:51. > :06:56.It's difficult to turn a shot down sometimes but you've got to be
:06:57. > :07:00.strong enough to do it. That wasn't the right shot at that pace. He was
:07:01. > :07:09.still in the frame. He kept Mark Davis thinking about
:07:10. > :07:18.the pinky missed in the previous shot. Not an easy one. -- the pink
:07:19. > :07:22.he missed. Mark Davis missed a few shots in the previous frames to win
:07:23. > :07:30.and when you come to the pink that he missed, you think, "let's make
:07:31. > :07:34.sure of this, " and that's the worst thing you can think and everything
:07:35. > :08:02.seizes up inside you and you miss the pot.
:08:03. > :08:18.He hasn't been punished for the red he missed along that cushion.
:08:19. > :08:26.It is in Mark Davis's favour to keep the reds down behind the ball line
:08:27. > :08:28.because Dominic needs two blacks and two reds to win the frame, and all
:08:29. > :08:49.the colours. He doesn't want to play is the one
:08:50. > :08:53.down the side of the table and put it up the top. In his favour to keep
:08:54. > :09:02.it in the baulk area. That is a pretty good attempt to get
:09:03. > :09:12.behind the pink. A very aggressive shot.
:09:13. > :09:19.Mark Davis is snookered on both balls. I think he tried to get
:09:20. > :09:23.behind the pink but he's got behind the yellow anyway. There was a
:09:24. > :09:30.chance when the blue was in that line.
:09:31. > :09:56.Danger signs here. Pretty well played. The best thing to do is to
:09:57. > :10:44.try to get the red safe. Is Dominic going to be tempted with
:10:45. > :10:51.this long red? No. He's looking at the other is to play safe off. He
:10:52. > :10:54.needs two reds and two blacks, all the colours, to pinch the frame and
:10:55. > :11:30.match. He's having a go. What a great
:11:31. > :11:36.shot! APPLAUSE
:11:37. > :11:41.He was a bit unlucky. He didn't quite pocket clean but it was a
:11:42. > :11:45.tremendous shot. I didn't think he would get a better chance and he's
:11:46. > :11:50.played a very good shot there and he's going to need another good one
:11:51. > :11:57.if he's to take the black on and get the last frame. He will have to go
:11:58. > :11:58.all the way around the angles. He's taking the pink, which means he can
:11:59. > :12:11.only tiny. -- only tie. He could have been snookered there.
:12:12. > :12:21.He needed to slip past the black and he did. Very good. 35 behind, 35 on.
:12:22. > :12:27.Surely he isn't going to win the match on a re-spotted black because
:12:28. > :12:29.if he clears up, that's what will happen. It will be the toss of a
:12:30. > :12:41.coin. The yellow is just off its spot,
:12:42. > :13:08.which makes it slightly more difficult.
:13:09. > :13:17.He's not going to strike one better than that. Mark Davis sitting down,
:13:18. > :13:32.I think, now. He has got a lot to do.
:13:33. > :13:36.Very little to do with the blue. Just drop it in and he'll be perfect
:13:37. > :13:42.on the pink. So it was a good choice to take the
:13:43. > :14:04.pink rather than the black. That's a very good clearance from
:14:05. > :14:10.Dominic Dale. APPLAUSE
:14:11. > :14:17.So tense. A little bit of excitement. You always want to win
:14:18. > :14:22.the toss. The referee gets the black back on its spot and he will toss
:14:23. > :14:32.the coin. If you win the toss, you put your opponent in. It's a head.
:14:33. > :14:38.He has won the toss so he puts Dominic in. The shot these days
:14:39. > :14:40.seems to be to put the shot over on the black cushion. In the old days,
:14:41. > :14:53.it was on the spots. That seems to be the shot all the
:14:54. > :14:58.players play and it's left Mark Davis with a tricky little shot.
:14:59. > :15:03.I've seen people take the double on. He's looking at the angle here. I've
:15:04. > :15:07.seen them take the double on rather than try a delicate safety shot.
:15:08. > :15:10.He's looking at the pocket and looking at the black. I think he's
:15:11. > :15:22.having a go at the double. Well...
:15:23. > :15:26.APPLAUSE It looks pretty good. In fact, it's
:15:27. > :15:40.very good. Oh, he's left a possible double now
:15:41. > :15:51.to the middle pocket. He'll definitely take the double on
:15:52. > :15:59.here. Not quite.
:16:00. > :16:25.APPLAUSE A black ball fight! If Dominic pots
:16:26. > :16:34.it, he's in the second round for the first time for quite some time. Care
:16:35. > :16:38.he's lost in the opening match here on the last three occasions, once to
:16:39. > :16:57.Judd Trump, last time to Ronnie O'Sullivan. -- twice to Judd Trump.
:16:58. > :17:04.Well, he decided it was worth the risk. Oh, he's left an awkward one
:17:05. > :17:07.here for Mark Davis. Mark asked to take this on. Difficult to play a
:17:08. > :17:19.good safety shot. Just off straight. Steadying himself up. A little shake
:17:20. > :17:47.of the head. " Do I or don't I?" APPLAUSE
:17:48. > :17:52.Brilliant cueing from Mark Davis! They don't come any better than
:17:53. > :17:56.that. But is a superb black to keep himself in this year's World
:17:57. > :17:59.Championship. Still a long way back but if you are in it, you can win
:18:00. > :18:06.it. JASON MOHAMMAD: A great shot for
:18:07. > :18:10.Mark Davis. Dominic Dale needed just one frame to take on self into the
:18:11. > :19:43.second round. -- take himself. DENNIS TAYLOR: He needed that to
:19:44. > :19:55.avoid canning into the reds on the right-hand side of the table.
:19:56. > :20:01.DENNIS TAYLOR: This is a tough shot he's taking on because if he doesn't
:20:02. > :20:06.cannon that red off the right side of the table, then... Oh, well
:20:07. > :20:31.played. Dominic might free the black here.
:20:32. > :21:14.He played off the other reds and has freedom black. -- freed the black.
:21:15. > :21:20.TERRY GRIFFITHS: He just tried to avoid those two but he hasn't got
:21:21. > :22:39.the pace on it now. I think there is a path through to
:22:40. > :22:46.the one that is over the pocket. The green is not in the way. He is
:22:47. > :23:04.coming round to see. Not a problem getting onto the black here.
:23:05. > :23:30.He has started clearing very nicely, Mark Davis. After he lost the second
:23:31. > :23:35.frame in this match, a frame he made a 63 break in. You don't lose many
:23:36. > :23:38.frames when you make a break like that, but he did and it seemed to
:23:39. > :24:11.turn the match around. It is difficult Dominic because he
:24:12. > :24:16.has been dominant in the match. Then psychologically you are not prepared
:24:17. > :24:21.for that when suddenly you are being bullied. It is difficult to get your
:24:22. > :24:26.mind to think of what is, rather than what it was. That is what
:24:27. > :24:34.happens out there. When someone is coming back at you from a long way
:24:35. > :24:41.behind, time seems to stop. There is no other sport like it. If you are
:24:42. > :24:46.playing golf, you can hit a good shot. If you are out there on the
:24:47. > :24:54.snooker table, and you are knocking all of the balls in, there's nothing
:24:55. > :24:56.I can do about it. Which means the psychology plays such a big part in
:24:57. > :25:22.this game. It really does. We talk in athletics about mental
:25:23. > :25:28.preparation. 100 metres, you run the 100 metres in your mind before you
:25:29. > :25:29.have even started, but it is difficult to do that with a game of
:25:30. > :25:39.snooker. Imagery is used a lot into Dave's
:25:40. > :26:16.world of sport. -- to Dave's. Where did that come from? He was
:26:17. > :26:21.playing for the pink in the middle. I don't know if he got a bad contact
:26:22. > :26:29.or not, but he had no spin on the ball. It is the first shot he has
:26:30. > :26:34.not timed correctly for quite a long period. The last three frames he has
:26:35. > :26:37.been stroking the ball beautifully. This is the first real chance
:26:38. > :26:56.Dominic has had for quite a while. Just a little awkward with the black
:26:57. > :27:03.being on the pink spots and the reds all to the left of the black and
:27:04. > :27:20.pink. It is not a straightforward chance to make a sizeable break.
:27:21. > :27:29.Dominic would like to get the black back onto its spots, or part of the
:27:30. > :27:34.pink and get that onto the black spot. He has looked a bit tense
:27:35. > :27:39.these last few frames, understandably. He has got to relax
:27:40. > :27:44.and try to focus. Just play the shot in front of him. It is difficult to
:27:45. > :27:51.take the occasion out of the way. That was nicely played. Good chance
:27:52. > :28:17.now. This is like a practice session. You
:28:18. > :28:24.would throw the balls around the table and the pink and black, and
:28:25. > :28:35.practice your break-building. But this is not a practice session. A
:28:36. > :28:42.series of little stun and screw shots. Keep close control. For the
:28:43. > :28:45.last three or four shots, the White has moved hardly more than 12
:28:46. > :29:10.inches. You still get a feeling some thing
:29:11. > :29:18.still may go wrong here. The strangest of things can happen. Mark
:29:19. > :29:22.Davis will be hoping it is not his last chance in this year's
:29:23. > :29:30.championship. It would be a horrible way to go out. Don't like to see
:29:31. > :29:35.anybody missing an easy shot. You don't mind going out if your
:29:36. > :29:42.opponent knocks in a cracking part and be too, but if you missed a
:29:43. > :29:52.sitter like the one he missed. There, you could see him leaving
:29:53. > :29:57.himself a choice of reds. Couldn't have played that any better. People
:29:58. > :30:01.said, you are thinking three, four or five shots ahead but sometimes
:30:02. > :30:04.you are playing the white into an area like Dominic did and then you
:30:05. > :30:13.have got yourself a choice of shot. He is hampered slightly. But he has
:30:14. > :30:52.the other two. There is only one red that is safe
:30:53. > :30:55.and Dominic is not going to need that. He can clinch this match with
:30:56. > :31:36.those open reds. He is looking a bit more relaxed
:31:37. > :31:43.now, Dominic. He was looking a bit tense. Nothing worse than being
:31:44. > :31:46.almost the a few times, like he has been in this match. Chances to get
:31:47. > :32:10.to ten. A good few frames ago. He just needs to roll the black in
:32:11. > :32:18.and let the white slide up past the pink and then he will be on those
:32:19. > :32:28.two reds. Slide up past the pink, Dominic. To cannon the pink is very
:32:29. > :32:32.careless. He is only a couple away from getting himself into the second
:32:33. > :32:44.round. Schoolboy error to cannon the pink. He knows that. Dominic was
:32:45. > :32:47.looking at the one on the question, that red. He has got a 40 point
:32:48. > :33:01.lead. Plenty on the table. Why doesn't he
:33:02. > :33:11.take the double on? He can get back towards the black. Definitely would
:33:12. > :33:14.be taking the double on. Even if he didn't get on the black, put himself
:33:15. > :33:19.41 in front and pushed the black safe will stop if he takes the
:33:20. > :33:21.double there is every chance he could finish on the black. He would
:33:22. > :33:38.not leave anything. A good rate of 57 but a
:33:39. > :33:50.disappointing end when he cannoned the pink. -- break. He knows the
:33:51. > :33:55.match should have been over. If Mark Davis brings this red into play,
:33:56. > :34:04.Dominic knows only too well that things can happen. Terry said that
:34:05. > :34:08.there might just be something else could happen in this match, but not
:34:09. > :34:31.a good one from Mark Davis. He could be in trouble here.
:34:32. > :34:44.He didn't get in behind the black, but he has knocked a red safe and
:34:45. > :34:50.not the yellow near the cushion. -- knocked the yellow. 40 points
:34:51. > :35:14.behind. He has had a look. Nicely played, brought the yellow
:35:15. > :35:18.into play. A very good safety shot. Dominic has got to be careful here.
:35:19. > :35:25.He can see the red closest to the brown. B tries to get back up the
:35:26. > :35:27.table he can send that red that is tied up and bring that back into
:35:28. > :35:43.play. Or he could part it! -- pot it. What a matchwinner that
:35:44. > :36:01.could prove to be. Just made sure of the brown. Another
:36:02. > :36:07.quick glance at a scoreboard. 45 the difference. Possible 43 on the
:36:08. > :36:23.table. Barring that snooker, Dominic Dale
:36:24. > :36:32.gets himself into the second round and he takes the match 10-5.
:36:33. > :36:37.Mark Davis Dominic Dale out there a bit longer but then he finally
:36:38. > :36:41.sealed his place in the last 16. Mark Davis is out and Dominic Dale
:36:42. > :36:48.will play Michael Wasley in the second round. Dominic, keeping us
:36:49. > :36:52.all waiting but eventually he runs out the winner and seals his place
:36:53. > :36:57.in the last 16. Well played. Here he is. As well as his lovely pair of
:36:58. > :37:02.shoes. Would you like to show the audience. There have been lots of
:37:03. > :37:10.social network action about them. They are made by a company in
:37:11. > :37:20.Italy. But I think they have gone out of business. I am shocked. Very
:37:21. > :37:24.few people can get away with them. I know, I cannot afford Gucci ones
:37:25. > :37:37.like you. I got them in Cardiff. I used to live there. You play Michael
:37:38. > :37:44.Wasley in the next round, how is your form against him? I use to
:37:45. > :37:52.practice against him in Gloucester. I used to get the better of him most
:37:53. > :37:56.of the time, but in the last 18 months his game has come on in leaps
:37:57. > :38:05.and bounds. Since he has become professional his whole attitude has
:38:06. > :38:15.changed, he is more serious. He has just beaten Ding. You must be
:38:16. > :38:25.delighted he has beaten Ding? Absolutely. I had just seen Michael
:38:26. > :38:31.beating Ding so we have a great chance of getting to the
:38:32. > :38:34.quarterfinal. Are you going to hang around are you going to go home
:38:35. > :38:43.eventually, you have been here longer than the cleaner rush to mark
:38:44. > :38:52.I came to the conclusion that if I only had about 17 days to stay at
:38:53. > :38:56.the Crucible. You do get to spend some time in the practice room and
:38:57. > :38:59.you have been practising a lot and you seem to be hitting the ball
:39:00. > :39:04.well? The difference with the World Championships more than any other
:39:05. > :39:10.tournament is the first round is played over five or six days. The
:39:11. > :39:18.only get six or seven players here at one time and there are enough
:39:19. > :39:23.practice tables. You are playing and practising in tournament conditions.
:39:24. > :39:28.Reflecting on your first round match, are you surprised Mark Davis
:39:29. > :39:32.did not hit his groove in that first session? He has been playing some
:39:33. > :39:38.fantastic snooker and got into the world 16 on the back of some great
:39:39. > :39:43.performances but for the last couple of months he has been struggling. I
:39:44. > :39:46.don't know why. I have got a reasonable record of late against
:39:47. > :39:53.him. I was quietly confidence going into the match having played well in
:39:54. > :40:00.the qualifier to get here. Thanks for coming in, will you be wearing
:40:01. > :40:05.those in the second round? I am being slaughtered on Twitter, I
:40:06. > :40:12.don't think I will. Well you have won a few quid after that round, you
:40:13. > :40:13.can afford new shoes. Dominic Dale through to the last 16. Let's look
:40:14. > :41:31.at the draw. As you can see, one first time --
:41:32. > :41:38.first round match to be completed between Robbie Williams and
:41:39. > :41:42.Robinson. The second session begins this evening and we will see the
:41:43. > :41:49.return of the defending champion, Ronnie O'Sullivan. Expect a terrific
:41:50. > :41:51.atmosphere this evening. He is taking on Joe Perry, who is
:41:52. > :42:08.blossoming in his 30s. I have had a good year and one loss
:42:09. > :42:14.is of matches so the fear of losing isn't there. -- one lots. Everybody
:42:15. > :42:21.has been winning tournaments in the last ten years, I am beating them. I
:42:22. > :42:28.know I can beat them. I am approaching 40, we can complete with
:42:29. > :42:33.the youth of today. Plenty of good enough to mix it with the players
:42:34. > :42:36.coming through. When the likes of Higgins and O'Sullivan came
:42:37. > :42:42.through, the older generation of the top 16 players got knocked over like
:42:43. > :42:47.pins and could not compete with the new standard of snooker. I don't do
:42:48. > :42:52.the new band of snooker coming through is any better than what is
:42:53. > :42:56.here already. I don't know if this will be the latter end of my career.
:42:57. > :43:02.I could have quite a few more years left. Two years ago I probably
:43:03. > :43:07.thought I had three to four years left. But now I am one of the best
:43:08. > :43:14.players on the tour this year. Perhaps I should be looking at
:43:15. > :43:23.further afield. It is different against Ronnie to anybody else. You
:43:24. > :43:28.can include Higgins, Hendry, Ding, Robertson. It is different playing
:43:29. > :43:32.Ronnie O'Sullivan, he is the greatest player there ever will be.
:43:33. > :43:38.Everyone loves watching him play. But the flip side of that, I know I
:43:39. > :43:42.can win. It will be extremely difficult and I will have two play
:43:43. > :43:47.at my best. Hopefully get lucky here and there as well, but I can win and
:43:48. > :43:53.that is what I had to keep telling myself. That is what I have to keep
:43:54. > :43:56.taking into the match. A big night ahead for Joe Perry taking on Ronnie
:43:57. > :44:00.O'Sullivan. You have missed a big first
:44:01. > :44:04.second-round match between Mark Selby and Ali Carter, if you are
:44:05. > :44:09.just tuning in. You can see highlights of that match later
:44:10. > :44:13.today. John, fighting talk from Joe Perry. He has been telling reporters
:44:14. > :44:18.he thinks he can be Ronnie O'Sullivan. There is not much point
:44:19. > :44:23.in him turning up if he does not think he can win. Sometimes he has
:44:24. > :44:28.lacked a bit of confidence over the years. So it is great how he has
:44:29. > :44:32.been playing this year. But with O'Sullivan, the first session is
:44:33. > :44:39.important. If he gets in front, he can steam-roll EU. It is handling
:44:40. > :44:44.the occasion is a net given that plays well be rocking when Ronnie
:44:45. > :44:49.walks out? Yes, he has beaten Ronnie a few years ago so he does have
:44:50. > :44:52.previous success against him. You have got to be with him after the
:44:53. > :44:59.first session. Are you still going with Ronnie to win it. Well you have
:45:00. > :45:03.too. You would have to go with him, he is the favourite and there is a
:45:04. > :45:08.good reason why he is. Stephen? Absolutely agree. Thanks for your
:45:09. > :45:14.company. Hazel will be back at 11:20pm this evening. You can see
:45:15. > :45:15.highlights of Ronnie O'Sullivan taking on Joe Perry. Banks are
:45:16. > :45:36.watching.