:00:32. > :00:41.Hello and good morning and welcome to the Crucible theatre and the
:00:42. > :00:48.World Snooker Championship. The second round is under way. Ricky
:00:49. > :00:53.Walden and Barry Hawkins get their second round match under way. Our
:00:54. > :01:04.live match this morning sees Mark Selby resume his cracking last 16
:01:05. > :01:13.match with Ali Carter. I was born in Coll cresser the in -- Colchester in
:01:14. > :01:21.1979. My nick name is The Captain. I turned professional in 1996. I made
:01:22. > :01:29.a 147 at the 2008 World Championship. In 2008 I also reached
:01:30. > :01:38.the final of the World Championship. I won my first ranking title in
:01:39. > :01:43.2009, which was the Welsh Open. In 2010 I won the Shanghai Masters. I
:01:44. > :01:49.reached the final of the World Championship in 2012 for the second
:01:50. > :02:07.time and played Ronny O'Sullivan. In 2013 I won the German Masters.
:02:08. > :02:25.The crewsable crowd - Crucible crowd love a century. He takes the first
:02:26. > :02:39.frame. That is outrageous. Outrageous. He now leads 2-1.
:02:40. > :02:51.I don't know whether Jan's worked this out yet, but it is a re-spotted
:02:52. > :03:02.black. Jan said seven and the frame! Ali would take that.
:03:03. > :03:12.He just wobbled the black and he goes to the mid session interval
:03:13. > :03:23.trailing Mark Selby by three frames to one. Terrific long pot. Now four
:03:24. > :03:36.frames behind. Selby leads 5-1. Absolutely top drawer. That's what
:03:37. > :03:44.you get at the Crucible. It is the World Championship and that was the
:03:45. > :03:51.World Championship quality. Mark Selby wins the session 5-3. It was
:03:52. > :03:55.an afternoon of excellent snooker. Ali Carter showing great character.
:03:56. > :04:03.That is the match we are showing live this morning. Over on table 1
:04:04. > :04:08.it is Barry Hawkins taking on Ricky Walden. Ricky so disappointed to
:04:09. > :04:12.have missed a place in the final last year, losing to Hawkins.
:04:13. > :04:19.Revenge today possibly for Ricky Walden. The players are ready let's
:04:20. > :04:25.join Rob Walker. Good morning. What an array of talent we have waiting.
:04:26. > :04:31.All four players are ranking vent title holders. We have a rerun of
:04:32. > :04:36.one of last year's semis and on the other the battle between two former
:04:37. > :04:54.finalists. Day seven is about to start in style.
:04:55. > :05:01.Please welcome first a double ranking vent winner with titles in
:05:02. > :05:06.Shanghai and an amazing run to the semies here last year. He also made
:05:07. > :05:11.the last four at the UK Championships in December. Here
:05:12. > :05:29.comes the pride of Chester - here comes Ricky Walden.
:05:30. > :05:36.And his opponent, a player who has discovered the best form of his
:05:37. > :05:44.career since he turned 306789 he has come of age -- since he turned
:05:45. > :06:05.306789 he has won -- turned 30: Here is the The Hawk, Barry Hawkins!
:06:06. > :06:14.And here on table 2 please welcome a player who has no shortage of kurnl
:06:15. > :06:19.on and - courage on and off the table. Winner of three ranking event
:06:20. > :06:24.titles, the last two frames yesterday have kept him right in
:06:25. > :06:32.touch. He is a double Crucible finalists. When he is flying high,
:06:33. > :06:43.he is The Captain. So here comes Ali Carter!
:06:44. > :06:50.And finally, a player who is always ice cool under pressure. Hi
:06:51. > :06:55.displayed all that calmness in the first round, beating Michael White.
:06:56. > :07:00.Three times a Masters champion, three times a ranking event winner.
:07:01. > :07:09.Here comes the Jesser the from Leicester, here comes Mark Selby! --
:07:10. > :07:39.the jester from Leicester. COMMENTATOR: A wonderful atmosphere.
:07:40. > :07:50.If you want to see Hawkins playing Walden, that is on the red button.
:07:51. > :07:54.Here we go. Comment morning everybody. And everybody looking
:07:55. > :07:59.forward to this second session, because the first session was
:08:00. > :08:15.tremendous. Great match play. It had just about everything. Would
:08:16. > :08:18.this be classed, Steven, like a golf tournament a moving day? I think
:08:19. > :08:31.your right. The second session is the important
:08:32. > :08:34.one. You would definitely want to have a lead going into the final
:08:35. > :09:14.session. Where is that cue ball going? Very
:09:15. > :09:20.close. But Mark Selby was just, sometimes you could say a little bit
:09:21. > :09:27.clever in certain situations, where he uses all his ring craft so to
:09:28. > :09:35.speak. A very tough competitor to play.
:09:36. > :09:46.He can be attacking and then he can go into a shell and just make
:09:47. > :10:51.chances few and far between. So an interesting match up.
:10:52. > :10:57.You generally take those pots on, thinking the only bridge you could
:10:58. > :11:00.leave is the one you're playing. They're risky, but he has got away
:11:01. > :11:25.with it. There was half a chance of that red,
:11:26. > :11:43.but caught it much too thick. No harm done.
:11:44. > :11:55.Just caught the green. And that just slowed the cue ball down enough. But
:11:56. > :12:06.the only red that is potable is the one closest to the right corner.
:12:07. > :12:52.He could leave a red to the left corner. The brown's blocking the
:12:53. > :12:56.line to the red that is nearest to the black cushion. So a spot of
:12:57. > :13:20.bother here. You're always wary of the blue in
:13:21. > :13:44.the middle of the table. So you play a bit lower. But he doesn't like it.
:13:45. > :13:54.Misjudged it. If he hits the red. Oh, well! I don't know whether there
:13:55. > :14:01.is a red available into this corner pocket. It will be a plant, John.
:14:02. > :14:27.There is a bit of a gap between the two balls.
:14:28. > :14:34.The first opportunity in this important first frame of the session
:14:35. > :14:55.goes to Mark Selby and it is not a bad chance.
:14:56. > :15:10.He'd love to get on that red below the black.
:15:11. > :15:18.I think John, Mark Selby, he is one of the best players in the world at
:15:19. > :15:27.screwing a cue ball. He just hits it so well that shot.
:15:28. > :15:42.We always talk about the movement of the head, but he delivers the cue.
:15:43. > :15:49.He would have loved to have an angle on the blue and come down for that
:15:50. > :15:56.red that Stephen was mentioning. To get the black into play. He had a
:15:57. > :16:01.nice angle on the brown. First thing in the morning you tend to play the
:16:02. > :16:16.easier shot to get your cue arm going.
:16:17. > :16:25.Played beautifully. He played that so well. Look at how much room he
:16:26. > :16:36.has got to get around the back there. Excellent positional shot.
:16:37. > :16:57.This time he will be trying to land straight on the black.
:16:58. > :17:08.The red definitely goes into the same pocket as the black.
:17:09. > :17:24.The black will be available into both corner pockets. A good chance.
:17:25. > :17:31.That was another shot that was played well. It looked easy, but he
:17:32. > :17:45.had to avoid the red that was nearest the black cushion.
:17:46. > :17:49.Both players would have been on the the practice table for a good hour
:17:50. > :18:09.or 45 minutes this morning. If you look again that red did not
:18:10. > :18:17.go in the middle of the pocket. If it had he would have had another cub
:18:18. > :18:25.of -- cub of inches of -- couple of inches of pace on the cue ball. If
:18:26. > :18:28.the red goes in the middle he would have got a couple inches more pace
:18:29. > :18:48.on the cue ball. He is faced with a tricky red now.
:18:49. > :18:52.From being in perfect position and looking as though he had a
:18:53. > :19:11.frame-winning opportunity. He needs a good recovery here.
:19:12. > :19:28.Not ideal. When you lose position in a break it often takes you three or
:19:29. > :20:02.four shots to get back into perfect position.
:20:03. > :20:15.Well so far this morning this is very impressive stuff, it really is.
:20:16. > :20:20.Cued that lovely. Look at the red right in the heart of the pocket. He
:20:21. > :20:30.may have to play for the red along the top cushion here.
:20:31. > :20:38.Doesn't want to be straight. He needs a slight angle. Looking at his
:20:39. > :20:47.body language, he seems happy enough.
:20:48. > :20:53.I don't know if any red pots. If it doesn't, it will be a cannon into
:20:54. > :21:11.that gap and it would be perfect. He didn't get the gap. He may still
:21:12. > :21:57.have a red to the centre. 59 ahead. 75 remaining.
:21:58. > :22:11.He will play a thin cut to the left centre.
:22:12. > :22:20.Over a minute thinking time. He is one of those type of players. He can
:22:21. > :22:32.can play a quick game. If a shot needs a bit of thought. He doesn't
:22:33. > :22:40.mind taking his time. I think he is deciding on the safety.
:22:41. > :22:50.In the end he decided to play that. Not with any great conviction and he
:22:51. > :22:57.will be disappointed. That was a frame-winning opportunity. Yes the
:22:58. > :23:00.careless shot was not leaving himself a nice angle on the black to
:23:01. > :23:19.go into the bunch. You think one opportunity could
:23:20. > :23:22.still cost him. If that cue ball had finished tight on the top cushion,
:23:23. > :23:26.he would have a problem here. Because he can strike down on the
:23:27. > :23:32.cue ball, there is a chance to get in it back to the cushion. Although
:23:33. > :23:36.having said that, that red that is, well almost tight to the left hand
:23:37. > :23:42.side cushion, that being there he won't want to move that red. That is
:23:43. > :24:07.a bit of an insurance policy. It was never guaranteed to be a good
:24:08. > :24:12.safety. Not left anything easy. But possibly a tempter for Ali, because
:24:13. > :24:14.I don't see a good safety. If there is no good safety, you might as well
:24:15. > :24:45.go out having a go at a pot. Watch where the red goes. No. He
:24:46. > :24:48.needed the top cushion behind the black. That is no good. He has left
:24:49. > :25:37.the red to the left middle. That is the first frame over. Ali
:25:38. > :25:53.hasn't got anything really to That is the first frame over. Ali
:25:54. > :26:02.Reproach himselves for. He has never really had a chance. Mark Selby lost
:26:03. > :26:15.the first frame in the match. He then went on to win the last
:26:16. > :26:17.five. It was only Ali winning the last two that gave Ali some
:26:18. > :26:57.respectability. So far this morning, he looks to be
:26:58. > :27:08.cueing really well. He is getting tremendous action on
:27:09. > :27:34.the cue ball. Well close. The frame well and truly
:27:35. > :27:42.over before that, Ali Carter concedes and Mark Selby leads by
:27:43. > :27:47.three again. A great start from Selby. Timing the ball very well. We
:27:48. > :27:53.have some examples of how well he is timing it. Here is the first one. He
:27:54. > :28:01.under screwed this, but you can see the action. Takes the tip right back
:28:02. > :28:09.to his hand. The next shot is not a deep screw shot, but you have to
:28:10. > :28:15.time it so well. You see the action of the cue ball, just missing that
:28:16. > :28:17.red on the black cushion. Great examples of the technique of Mark
:28:18. > :28:45.Selby. Carter gets frame 10 under way.
:28:46. > :28:52.Eight frames to be played in this session and this match will finish
:28:53. > :28:57.this evening. So it is a long day. They have got the afternoon to
:28:58. > :29:05.regroup. But you want to be within touching distance.
:29:06. > :29:12.It is Ali who needs to up his game and not give his opponent too much
:29:13. > :29:16.of an advantage going into that final session tonight. I think with
:29:17. > :29:21.the first frame, the reason it was important for Ali to win was hi
:29:22. > :29:27.doesn't want to be playing catch up this whole match. Specially with
:29:28. > :29:30.somebody like Mark Selby that will not make many mistakes with many
:29:31. > :29:48.unforced errors. He would love to win this session
:29:49. > :29:52.and get back on level terms. They are both having a good close look
:29:53. > :30:00.and now Mark is having a good close look. It must be tight.
:30:01. > :30:07.I don't think he can get to the potting angle from there but because
:30:08. > :30:12.he is not tight on the baulk cushion, that is an option. Play to
:30:13. > :30:19.the right-hand side but where the cue ball finishes up, I'm not
:30:20. > :30:31.certain. Just didn't get enough side on it to get the potting angle. But
:30:32. > :30:36.it is safe enough. As I say, I think you wanted to bend the cue ball
:30:37. > :30:55.over. But he may have run into the main bunch and been on nothing.
:30:56. > :31:02.A little bit disappointed. Just overran that, Ali. When you leave
:31:03. > :31:06.your opponent on the baulk line, you can expect to be in a little of
:31:07. > :31:15.trouble the next time he comes to the table.
:31:16. > :31:23.Well, it didn't look as though he was going to be in trouble when he
:31:24. > :31:27.made contact with the yellow, but just a hardball contact, left the
:31:28. > :31:40.cue ball" on. The cue ball". A bit fortunate there.
:31:41. > :31:53.Good shot. At this level, when you play safe, you have got to miss the
:31:54. > :32:14.baulk colour. And Ali did that and played it well.
:32:15. > :32:21.I think one of the other problems, as well, when we have had the safety
:32:22. > :32:25.exchanges, and it's always nice to get in first, even if you are going
:32:26. > :32:29.to win the frame, you could build up a 40 point lead and it seems as if
:32:30. > :32:36.Ali can never seem to be able to get the first chance. He always seems to
:32:37. > :32:39.lose out on this tactical exchange. He has played another excellent
:32:40. > :33:01.safety shop there, though. Beautiful lengths.
:33:02. > :33:11.There is Hawk-eye's view, and if that is the correct angle, you made
:33:12. > :33:23.decide to take that read on. On the baulk end. -- red. Well, too risky.
:33:24. > :33:29.Coming off the side cushion, nestling into the red just below the
:33:30. > :33:36.pink. Perfect. APPLAUSE
:33:37. > :33:39.As I said, he was just trying to trap Mark Selby into making a
:33:40. > :33:47.mistake. Early on in the frame. It just seems
:33:48. > :33:55.that Ali, not enough times, has ruined that first opportunity.
:33:56. > :34:00.Catching ball was declared, was it? That just made it that bit easier.
:34:01. > :34:21.He will be disappointed he didn't get in behind the yellow there.
:34:22. > :34:41.It's a long day. You start at ten o'clock in the morning, the second
:34:42. > :34:46.session this evening is at 7pm. It could finish at 10:30 at night. When
:34:47. > :34:51.you played at 10am, what time did you get up? I used to arrive at the
:34:52. > :34:54.venue around about 9am. I used to get up around, not especially early.
:34:55. > :35:05.Eight o'clock maybe. I was never able to eat breakfast
:35:06. > :35:09.before a match. I just didn't have any appetite but get down here about
:35:10. > :35:17.nine o'clock, half an hour on a table, great. And then, in the
:35:18. > :35:24.afternoon, when you're whiling away the afternoon? I sleep? Yes, go back
:35:25. > :35:37.to the hotel, relax, watch TV. You possibly end up having a power nap.
:35:38. > :35:41.A power nap! Yeah, normally it's only the final when you play two
:35:42. > :35:43.sessions on Monday. A final ranking event, so it's a real test here at
:35:44. > :36:06.the Crucible. Your analogy early on, moving day, I
:36:07. > :36:09.thought that was perfect to describe a second session. Ali Carter could
:36:10. > :36:14.be out of this match this morning if he does not stay with Mark Selby.
:36:15. > :36:21.These are very important frames and this tussle still goes on. Who can
:36:22. > :36:35.get the first chance? There has been some excellent safety play.
:36:36. > :36:42.Just a little flick on the green stop it being extra good. You can
:36:43. > :36:46.always tell when it's good. They have caught the yellow and green,
:36:47. > :36:51.but the blue is on the spot, the black is available. Nothing negative
:36:52. > :36:57.about the safety. It's just a case of trying to keep your opponent Bay.
:36:58. > :37:02.Bash at bay. A mistake. He called the blue. A bit fortunate but the
:37:03. > :37:08.cue ball was going to the side cushion. This does not make the pot
:37:09. > :37:25.on the red any easier. But it's the first mistake.
:37:26. > :37:33.But not cost him anything. As I say, without cue ball being on the
:37:34. > :37:41.side cushion, it just made that pot a little bit more awkward.
:37:42. > :37:47.A tough read. It's pretty close to the corner pocket. Virtually
:37:48. > :37:55.straight. -- red. This needs good cueing.
:37:56. > :38:05.And that is excellent. Excellent technique.
:38:06. > :38:23.He has got an option on the brown but he could drop to the red in the
:38:24. > :38:28.left corner. It's a smelly one. That's why he is refusing it. A
:38:29. > :38:31.little bit of a surprise he is refusing it but it's important for
:38:32. > :38:36.him to get a frame on the board. Yeah, if he was going to refuse it,
:38:37. > :38:41.surely he would have liked to have gone in behind the blue? But what an
:38:42. > :38:45.excellent opening red and that was from Ali, and that will give him
:38:46. > :38:53.good vibes for the rest of the session, because he couldn't a
:38:54. > :38:57.queued much better than that. That he couldn't have queued it much
:38:58. > :39:12.better than that. That is a loose one. From Mark.
:39:13. > :39:27.I'm surprised how he has not tried to pot this red and get the black.
:39:28. > :39:33.When you miss, you are always looking to see what you are going to
:39:34. > :40:11.leave. He will be quite pleased with that outcome.
:40:12. > :40:22.Is there a red which goes to the right corner?
:40:23. > :40:31.Well, there was. That was a little bit of a killer shot from Mark Selby
:40:32. > :40:39.to leave that red honour. Yes, I'm surprised Ali missed it by so far.
:40:40. > :40:58.That has messed it up a little bit. The black and they red tied up.
:40:59. > :41:04.A massive bounce off the baulk cushion though. That's why Mark
:41:05. > :41:24.Selby was pulling a face. It's been happening a lot this week.
:41:25. > :41:29.The players are not happy with the tables and the bouncers are quite
:41:30. > :41:34.inconsistent, big bouncers and the cue ball comes percussion almost
:41:35. > :41:40.twice as fast as it goes on. -- comes off percussion. He is just
:41:41. > :41:46.playing a normal shot -- comes off the caption -- cushion. . What a
:41:47. > :42:05.difference it can make. Some of the time if there is chalk
:42:06. > :42:12.left on the cushion, and then another shot, the cue ball hates
:42:13. > :42:15.that chalk and accelerates. Bash heads that chalk. It's incredible
:42:16. > :42:22.how fast it can go and rebound off percussion. -- that cushion. I did
:42:23. > :42:38.not know that. Well, he could just get through.
:42:39. > :42:48.Funnily enough, didn't seem to me as if Mark Selby was firing far away
:42:49. > :42:51.from the same position as Ali there. Possibly he could swerve it but I
:42:52. > :42:57.think he has got the pink to the right middle. He could then do that.
:42:58. > :43:00.I think he could be able to get to the pink. Yeah, in practice, it's
:43:01. > :43:12.not a difficult shot. He knows the importance and doesn't
:43:13. > :43:17.want to take any risks. The fact that the black is practically over
:43:18. > :43:20.the pocket, you automatically going to be on a red because it is the
:43:21. > :43:35.side of the cue ball. Oh, he has missed it! And he knows
:43:36. > :43:42.with the chance of coming few and far between, he can't afford to miss
:43:43. > :43:49.chances like that. I'm surprised he did not play the black. It wasn't a
:43:50. > :43:53.tough shot really. I think if he was 6-3 ahead, instead of 6-3 behind, he
:43:54. > :44:49.would have no hesitation in playing that black.
:44:50. > :45:00.This is when, as a top player, you sense your opponent is weakening.
:45:01. > :45:07.You sense he is under pressure. It's about stamping on him, basically.
:45:08. > :45:13.Mark Selby will know he can win this match in this session. Maybe not by
:45:14. > :45:15.getting to 13, although that's possible. Just by getting enough of
:45:16. > :45:41.a lead going into tonight session. I don't know if he was expecting a
:45:42. > :45:52.little flick on the two reds but he will be annoyed at that.
:45:53. > :46:04.Sometimes you could knock a few onto the cushion so everything is still
:46:05. > :46:17.in the open. Yes, I suppose, in a way, the black
:46:18. > :46:25.was made easier, the perfect angle, to kiss the second red macro-sunday
:46:26. > :46:27.in the face, hold the cue ball. He has got quite a bit of work to do to
:46:28. > :46:43.win the frame -- macro-sunday. -- cannoned the right-hand side and
:46:44. > :46:53.bring them both into play. Played nicely. But precise positional play
:46:54. > :46:59.now is key. If he's going to build up a frame-winning lead here. The
:47:00. > :47:00.red is not ideally situation the particularly those four between the
:47:01. > :47:29.black and the top cushion. The first one that I can remember
:47:30. > :47:38.that he has missed that you did not expect. I mean, that was simple.
:47:39. > :47:44.Just put a trace of side on it, obviously, unwanted right-hand side,
:47:45. > :47:49.but ball into the pink. He will be kicking in self. What a chance. He
:47:50. > :47:55.had a great opportunity to put Ali Carter under pressure. Now, Ali, can
:47:56. > :47:58.you take this opportunity? He will still have the problem is that Mark
:47:59. > :48:00.Selby was going to have. He will just be glad to be back at the
:48:01. > :48:48.table. If he finishes a little bit more
:48:49. > :48:54.higher on the black, he could roll onto the two reds and leave a red on
:48:55. > :49:05.the red corner. He's going at a great pace at the moment. Well, that
:49:06. > :49:51.red only just went in but he has run it absolutely perfect on the black.
:49:52. > :50:00.Excellent sportsmanship there. I don't think the referee saw it. No,
:50:01. > :50:07.he was concentrating to get close. Let's have a look. Yes, there you
:50:08. > :50:17.see it. A double hit on the cue ball. You don't see that very often.
:50:18. > :50:25.But, fair play to Ali, he would feel the second hit.
:50:26. > :50:31.But that was a good chance to get right back in it. Stopped it in its
:50:32. > :50:55.tracks, fortunately not leaving a pot on.
:50:56. > :51:10.This is not a nice situation. One question dead weight to the back of
:51:11. > :51:17.these three reds. Oh, a little bit pacey, was it? It was OK. It's OK as
:51:18. > :51:27.long as his red doesn't go to the right middle. But it may well do. No
:51:28. > :51:43.value in taking it on if he can't get position on a colour.
:51:44. > :51:54.That's a bit careless from Mark. You can see his frustration when he
:51:55. > :51:55.slapped the table there. So close to the reds. He should never have
:51:56. > :52:10.kissed the yellow. Where is this cue ball going? He
:52:11. > :52:33.didn't want that. He may just have left a chance now of a pot.
:52:34. > :53:21.Playing the cue ball in behind the yellow there. This is an opportunity
:53:22. > :53:35.to part of this thread. -- to pot this red.
:53:36. > :53:49.Good pot, good kiss on the second red, and on the pink. A
:53:50. > :53:53.frame-winning chance. We mentioned earlier how Mark Selby will not make
:53:54. > :53:57.many unforced errors. He did make one in this frame, missing that easy
:53:58. > :53:59.pink. But he has not been punished for it so far anyway. Now the chance
:54:00. > :54:20.to open up a four frame gap. That is almost identical. OK, at the
:54:21. > :54:27.other end of the table, but the pink he hit two full and he was trying to
:54:28. > :54:31.overcompensate. The last one he missed a little bit, he'd seem to
:54:32. > :54:36.plague little bit quicker than at his normal pace. That he seemed to
:54:37. > :54:44.play it a little bit quicker than at his normal pace. This was his chance
:54:45. > :54:49.to capitalise. What you should do is just focus and concentrate on the
:54:50. > :54:54.shot in front of you. What a let off that was for Ali Carter. Ali will
:54:55. > :54:58.have been sat in his seat thinking, that's the second frame are gone
:54:59. > :55:01.this morning, but he has been handed a lifeline. Can he take it? A big
:55:02. > :55:09.shot, this pink. Excellent. Excellent shot. He queued
:55:10. > :55:23.that beautifully. Yes, could not have hit it better.
:55:24. > :55:31.Just got the perfect angle for the black. He took quite a few obstacles
:55:32. > :55:37.which have come his way. The green, the blue was not in a good position.
:55:38. > :55:47.At the moment, just concentrating on reducing his arrears.
:55:48. > :55:51.To me, though, this is the magic of the World Championship, these long
:55:52. > :55:59.frame matches. We are so there's so much pressure in this
:56:00. > :56:15.clearance. A little straight on the black. He
:56:16. > :56:17.is best with great cue power. The only thing you have got to be
:56:18. > :56:23.careful of here, you don't overdo it. Because, if you overdid it, with
:56:24. > :56:30.the yellow not being on its part, you could be with the brown. He has
:56:31. > :56:40.got to hit this well. Doesn't want to go too far, that brown will come
:56:41. > :56:43.into play if he does. Well, again, blaming a big bounce off the
:56:44. > :56:50.cushion. He did not seem to hit that very hard, that black. Let's see how
:56:51. > :56:54.fast the cue ball comes off the Krishna. Yeah, that seemed to
:56:55. > :57:11.spring. Off the cushion. Well, it's not difficult to hit. Can
:57:12. > :57:18.he get the yellow safe? He did as well as he could there. He did as
:57:19. > :57:19.well as he could. But the frame still in the balance, just five
:57:20. > :57:56.points behind now. Well, that's a great shot. The same
:57:57. > :58:01.problem. It's so much more to forgot to give the object ball safe when it
:58:02. > :58:11.is in the middle of the table. -- so much more difficult. Mark Selby has
:58:12. > :58:18.got up and sat back down, so we know what his intention is. I wouldn't
:58:19. > :58:24.expect Ali to miss the yellow on this site. The age-old problem. Can
:58:25. > :58:36.he hit it? Get it safe? Well, that is a surprise. I told you
:58:37. > :58:39.you could not miss it second time around. Here's a professional, for
:58:40. > :58:50.goodness sake not only has he left the pot on the
:58:51. > :58:57.yellow, he has left it a cross-border green. -- cross for the
:58:58. > :59:09.green. Just didn't get far left over for
:59:10. > :59:14.this green, and this is a tough shot. 11 points, the lead. Green,
:59:15. > :59:34.brown and blue. Good shot. Just wanted to drift past
:59:35. > :59:36.the brown. Now he has kissed it. He won't be winning the frame at this
:59:37. > :00:44.visit. Now this cue ball, where is it
:00:45. > :00:51.going? Is there a gap? Look at Ali Carter's body language, I think Mark
:00:52. > :00:58.Selby can get through to this brown. And maybe he can cut it in. He is
:00:59. > :01:03.going to have a look at the potting angle. Well, you see, you can
:01:04. > :01:29.clearly get through to it. It is a thin one.
:01:30. > :01:37.A strange situation that pot when Mark Selby went for it. You hope to
:01:38. > :01:55.miss it by a long way to make it safe.
:01:56. > :02:07.That is OK. A pretty good shot. Quite an interesting frame this. It
:02:08. > :02:12.has been going on now. We are in our 34th minute. But it has been
:02:13. > :03:12.quality. And mistakes add to the excitement.
:03:13. > :03:20.Well, it is not bad. He was trying to get it in behind the black and
:03:21. > :03:22.run the brown into the blue to keep the brown that end of the table. But
:03:23. > :03:59.it is safe enough. Just having a look here, Ali, if he
:04:00. > :04:14.clips the brown thin, clip it on to the black.
:04:15. > :04:24.Not bad. When you finish up in these situations, just the four colours
:04:25. > :04:39.left. Just to not leave your opponent the pot on is a bonus.
:04:40. > :04:48.Coming around quickly to see if he got the snooker behind the pink. But
:04:49. > :04:51.that is not the case. Can he go twice across and get the cue ball
:04:52. > :05:07.behind the blue? He didn't want to hit it that hard.
:05:08. > :05:40.Just an edge of this brown sticking out.
:05:41. > :05:50.Got a bit thicker than I thought he could. But that is OK. He was mainly
:05:51. > :06:13.concerned with getting the cue ball back to the baulk end.
:06:14. > :06:25.Oh, the double-kiss! Now needs a bit of luck. Looks like he's had it.
:06:26. > :07:16.Once he was getting the double-kiss, the brown could have gone anywhere.
:07:17. > :07:37.He needs that brown to run. May just have run far enough.
:07:38. > :07:46.He didn't get the snooker behind the blue and he has not played it well
:07:47. > :07:52.at all. He has given Ali Carter half a chance. The longest frame in the
:07:53. > :08:08.match, but what an important one for Ali.
:08:09. > :08:25.Much more important for Ali than Mark this frame.
:08:26. > :09:04.If Ali loses it he falls four frames behind.
:09:05. > :09:10.Well, that was a strange type of shot. He obviously didn't feel as
:09:11. > :09:11.though he could get a telling safety and just made certain he didn't
:09:12. > :09:30.leave the pot on the brown. Just bounced off the cushion a
:09:31. > :09:40.fraction. They have been tight on the baulk cushion. He may have been
:09:41. > :10:02.a bit more difficult. Still got to hit this safety shot right.
:10:03. > :10:09.Another one hit badly and he has not got away with this one. Well, this
:10:10. > :10:16.is your chance and that was a poor safety from Mark. The last two of
:10:17. > :10:18.three safeties he has played, he seems to have been playing to just
:10:19. > :10:36.get the brown safe. He got another big bounce there as
:10:37. > :10:41.well. But it is not a bad angle on the blue. He needs blue, pink and
:10:42. > :11:00.black. The good thing about the angle on
:11:01. > :11:03.the blue, you're always going to have an automatic angle on the pink
:11:04. > :11:17.to get on to the black. This is a good shot required from
:11:18. > :11:24.pink to get to that left hand side cushion. Got to be positive with the
:11:25. > :11:36.cue action here. Played it well. Would have liked to
:11:37. > :11:45.be closer to the black. It is missable.
:11:46. > :11:57.A big frame! Big, big frame for Ali Carter. What an excel leapt frame it
:11:58. > :12:03.was -- excellent frame it was. Didn't look like winning that for
:12:04. > :13:05.the most part of it. But he has done and reduces arrears to two.
:13:06. > :13:14.Well that was a nice bit of music. It had Steven and I doing a bit of a
:13:15. > :13:19.jig in the commentary box. Meanwhile Mark Selby reflects on the mistakes
:13:20. > :13:22.he made in that last frame. Surprising, Steven? Very much so.
:13:23. > :13:27.When you have got your opponent down, you want to keep him down. You
:13:28. > :13:32.think if he had, his concentration would be intensifying and making
:13:33. > :13:40.sure he punishes Ali and keeps him in his chair. Really strange lapses
:13:41. > :13:51.of concentration. Or perhaps a wee bit of tension. So we are back to
:13:52. > :13:57.where we started. A two-frame deficit.
:13:58. > :14:04.Let's see what sort of boost Carter has got from that last frame. He
:14:05. > :14:55.should feel a lot better now. It will be interesting to see how
:14:56. > :15:02.Ali reacts and how Mark Selby reacts. Because hi has been look
:15:03. > :15:07.soing solid. -- because he has been looking so solid. The two missed
:15:08. > :15:15.pots and the bad safety shots at the end.
:15:16. > :15:27.Of course you go through so many emotions in these longer matches and
:15:28. > :15:32.you mentioned one point, oh that is a nice shot. Maybe Mark did sense it
:15:33. > :15:38.was a chance to press on and you just lose that bit of focus. He
:15:39. > :15:43.thought I have got a chance to stretch to four frames and if I win
:15:44. > :15:47.the next couple I can be looking to have a nice big lead going into
:15:48. > :16:03.tonight. Don't look ahead. Exactly. That is
:16:04. > :16:11.an excellent shot on to the baulk cushion. He is on the brown, but the
:16:12. > :16:13.cue ball will cannon into the green. So not easy for position. I don't
:16:14. > :16:36.think he can avoid the green. He play this red in he wants to
:16:37. > :16:41.dislodge the black from the side cushion. If he misses the cannon he
:16:42. > :16:43.will still be on the blue or baulk colour. It is almost a natural angle
:16:44. > :17:03.to get into the black. Not quite certain if he did have the
:17:04. > :17:07.cannon in mind. If he was going to play the cannon he would have played
:17:08. > :17:16.it with more depth. The natural angle just wasn't there.
:17:17. > :17:23.That was a tremendous opening red. I was asking, or posing the question
:17:24. > :17:26.how was he going to react to losing the last frame. Well so far very
:17:27. > :17:38.good. I think that is one of Mark Selby's
:17:39. > :17:43.strengths he can forget bad shots quickly. That is one reason he has
:17:44. > :17:45.become so difficult to beat. He can grind out matches while not at his
:17:46. > :18:01.best. Excellent temperament. He will be
:18:02. > :18:03.hoping the pink doesn't go back on its spot and it goes on the black
:18:04. > :18:34.spot. Just caught the wrong red first
:18:35. > :18:39.there and gone into the bunch. There was a gap on the right hand side of
:18:40. > :18:44.the pack. He just flicks the first red ever so slightly and the cue
:18:45. > :18:52.ball's come back to the black cushion.
:18:53. > :19:04.I think that is end of break. There is a lot of reds close to a plant in
:19:05. > :19:24.the middle. Just under hit. The one I was
:19:25. > :19:30.thinking of, well maybe if the black was on its spot you would attempt
:19:31. > :19:33.it. As there is no colour at this end, it is no value and it won't be
:19:34. > :19:46.there. A bit thin, a bit pacy. And I have
:19:47. > :19:51.got to be honest with you, when I said pacy, I didn't expect it to
:19:52. > :19:59.come that far off the baulk cushion! No it was another big
:20:00. > :20:01.bounce. The kungssing being -- cushions being like this it makes
:20:02. > :20:23.safety so difficult. Well it has not cost Ali. In it fact
:20:24. > :20:29.it has created a an opportunity. When Mark Selby misses, sometimes he
:20:30. > :20:31.misses by a long way. It as though he has not got right in the line of
:20:32. > :20:43.the shot. This is a decent chance for Ali. At
:20:44. > :20:45.the moment you forget about the black. You you would like to get the
:20:46. > :21:01.pink into play. There is every possibility he could
:21:02. > :21:36.leave an angle on the blue to play a cannon into the pink and the reds.
:21:37. > :21:45.That is a nice shot. Still a little bit tied up, the pink. But this is
:21:46. > :21:52.becoming a better opportunity all the time. He is just losing the
:21:53. > :21:55.pink, but he is losing the reds around it. I don't think the pink is
:21:56. > :22:15.available just yet. Just slightly more angle on the blue
:22:16. > :22:56.than he would have liked. So didn't have you judge the kiss on
:22:57. > :22:59.the second red as he would have liked there. Must have thought he
:23:00. > :23:02.was going to be able to drift past it. So there is a bit of pressure on
:23:03. > :23:30.this blue now. Just concentrate on the pot and
:23:31. > :23:34.you're bound to be on a red. I'm surprised he played it as hard as
:23:35. > :24:01.that. Well, didn't make the most of that
:24:02. > :24:14.opportunity. Always tricky shots. Can't see the
:24:15. > :24:54.pocket. Got the double-kiss. I don't think
:24:55. > :25:02.it's left anything that easy. He has left the pot on. Maybe a couple of
:25:03. > :25:17.pots. We will see where the colour comes from.
:25:18. > :25:26.The reason he hit it too thick, he is more concerned with hitting
:25:27. > :25:43.another red. Now he will be wishing he fully committed.
:25:44. > :25:54.That is a poor shot. It is funny this game, you make a few errors, a
:25:55. > :26:01.few mistakes and sometimes the balls don't forgive you. So often one
:26:02. > :26:07.player starts making errors, the other player does again and the
:26:08. > :26:15.match becomes scrappy. They set just a high standard yesterday. They
:26:16. > :26:17.haven't achieved that yet today. Both players realise the importance
:26:18. > :27:05.of the second session. Caught the red near the side
:27:06. > :27:10.cushion. Now, what has he left? Just the red near the baulk line. But in
:27:11. > :27:24.potting it looks to have a natural angle to come down for the blue.
:27:25. > :27:32.That takes Mark Selby into a one point lead in this frame. This blue
:27:33. > :28:07.and the remaining reds with colours will see him over the line.
:28:08. > :28:16.He will be a little disappointed with that. Overran it by a good foot
:28:17. > :28:36.there. He will have to play a cannon you
:28:37. > :29:46.feel. It could go wrong. It can always go wrong. A good chance gone.
:29:47. > :30:03.Fine shot, you could say, and helped by the yellow. The one red might
:30:04. > :30:22.have pocketed into this corner. That was the red which would've been
:30:23. > :30:27.potted had he not been hampered by the yellow, so this is a chance now
:30:28. > :30:37.for Ali. He comes to the table 12 points behind. He won't need the
:30:38. > :30:43.black. To win the frame. It's all down to this one good pot needed
:30:44. > :30:48.here. Yeah, he would like to play to the left corner but the black is on
:30:49. > :30:59.the way. He may go for the blue here.
:31:00. > :31:04.Good, solid pot, but he has not got to the right side of the blue, I
:31:05. > :31:20.don't think. Just on the wrong side. Just potting
:31:21. > :31:25.it, screwing back for the red in the middle of the table. Of course, if
:31:26. > :31:29.he had a good angle on the blue, he would've been a lot closer to this
:31:30. > :31:34.thread. As I say, he doesn't have too worry about the black. Just
:31:35. > :31:57.concentrate on potting this red and getting on any colour.
:31:58. > :32:03.He seemed to play that at quite a strong pace. I don't know if he was
:32:04. > :32:08.planning to Cameron into the black at such a strong angle. Yeah, he
:32:09. > :32:12.published thought I'm going to run into the black so I need some more
:32:13. > :32:18.pace. He does not want to kiss the black finish near the Krishna. It's
:32:19. > :32:25.a tricky blue, this. And is a lot of pressure on it. -- cushion.
:32:26. > :32:32.We are right in the heart of it. What a good shot that was. The
:32:33. > :32:36.points are all square now in this frame.
:32:37. > :32:42.If he doesn't win the frame from here, you will be kicking himself,
:32:43. > :33:11.giving himself a great opportunity. Can he let that cue ball drift a
:33:12. > :33:16.little bit for comfort? To make it an automatic shot? This is when you
:33:17. > :33:24.want everything straightforward, no problems.
:33:25. > :33:33.And that's what happens. Amazing. A couple of shots ago you would put
:33:34. > :33:46.your house on Ali clearing up. The blue in the middle would be the
:33:47. > :33:52.obvious shot. And down the table for the yellow. The way the cushions are
:33:53. > :34:01.reacting, it's putting you on edge. You don't know how fast the ball
:34:02. > :34:02.will come off the cushion. Good pot. Little flick on the black would
:34:03. > :34:16.help. Not on the yellow. And that's exactly what happened.
:34:17. > :34:18.That was at the back of his mind, definitely, what is going to happen
:34:19. > :34:26.when the cue ball hits the cushion? What a chance missed. Will he get
:34:27. > :34:43.another one? A pretty good safety, though. Yeah,
:34:44. > :34:50.he will be disappointed at not winning the frame at that visit. So
:34:51. > :34:52.the age-old problem for Mark, no problem hitting the yellow, needs to
:34:53. > :35:10.get it safe. Has he got the snooker behind the
:35:11. > :35:17.green? Oh, unbelievable. Well, he puts his hand up to apologise to Ali
:35:18. > :35:24.but I don't think Ali is too keen to accept the apology. Not in the heat
:35:25. > :35:29.of battle. No, as a player, Ali is thinking how unlucky he has been,
:35:30. > :35:34.but, to be brutally honest, it is caused by himself. He had a killer
:35:35. > :35:35.shot on the pink for the last red. A careless positional shot, and this
:35:36. > :35:40.is the outcome. A very good swerve. But he has left
:35:41. > :35:58.half a chance for Mark. A superb swerve and he does not kiss
:35:59. > :36:00.the black any more. It would run a lot further away from the yellow,
:36:01. > :36:17.but this is half a chance. Not perfect on this green and the
:36:18. > :38:04.blue was going to make it slightly awkward when he gets the rest out.
:38:05. > :38:09.He will want to play this cushion first. It's the easiest way to play
:38:10. > :38:16.the safety shot but you must make sure you get the brown full ball.
:38:17. > :38:20.Half ball, and you will get stuck. Yeah, well played.
:38:21. > :38:37.Yes, good shot. Eight points in it. You would have
:38:38. > :38:45.to say slight advantage to Ali. And he is such a good tactician, Mark
:38:46. > :38:50.Selby. He knows his way around the snooker table as well as anybody in
:38:51. > :39:35.the modern game. Believe me. It's hard to force him to make an error.
:39:36. > :39:57.Good shop there from Ali. -- good shot there from Ali.
:39:58. > :40:05.An excellent reply from Mark. Ali just coming down to significant
:40:06. > :40:10.getting behind the brown again, but the same thing still applies as
:40:11. > :40:15.Stephen mentioned earlier. It's OK if you can get right behind it. If
:40:16. > :40:22.you don't, the brown and the cue ball can go back up the table
:40:23. > :40:30.together. Maybe too far in behind it that time. Left a chance of a pot.
:40:31. > :40:41.Mark Selby needs the four remaining colours. Brown, blue and pink would
:40:42. > :40:49.put him seven points in front with seven points remaining. It's hard to
:40:50. > :40:55.see the angle here. Is it enough on to the right middle? You would think
:40:56. > :41:00.not if he is playing the part. -- pot.
:41:01. > :41:22.No. Good pot. Excellent, fully committed.
:41:23. > :41:33.He could do with this cue ball slowing up a bit. I don't think it
:41:34. > :41:40.is ideal. Is he able to roll the pink into the middle and dropped to
:41:41. > :41:51.the side question? Behind the black? -- side cushion? Maybe not. Maybe,
:41:52. > :41:59.after playing it with a bit of pace, screw off the top cushion, he's not
:42:00. > :42:02.ready to play this. Looking at that angle the I don't think you can just
:42:03. > :42:09.roll the paint in and be on the black. I think the obvious thing,
:42:10. > :42:18.play it firm, stun off the top cushion. A big shot, this. Superb
:42:19. > :42:20.exploration Mark superb, it will win the frame and come in all honesty,
:42:21. > :42:35.he deserves to win the frame. A little punch on the table to show
:42:36. > :42:40.his delight. Ali Carter will be very disappointed. He had his chances but
:42:41. > :42:48.did not take them. He is three frames behind again, 7-4.
:42:49. > :42:58.I was born in Leicester on the 19th of June, 1983. My nickname is the
:42:59. > :43:04.Jester from Leicester. I turned professional in 1999. In 2007, I
:43:05. > :43:15.reached the final of the World Championship. I won the Masters at
:43:16. > :43:23.Wembley in 2008. I won my first ranking title at the Welsh Open in
:43:24. > :43:30.2008. In 2010, I'd be too Ronnie O'Sullivan in a final frame disaster
:43:31. > :43:33.-- decider at the Masters. In 2012, I won the UK championship. I won the
:43:34. > :43:46.Masters again in 2013. COMMENTATOR: While the players are
:43:47. > :43:53.out, Stephen, let's have a look at a few examples, you were saying how
:43:54. > :43:58.the chalk affects the bounce of the cushion. When the players are
:43:59. > :44:02.playing, the cue ball is very close to the cushion and you can see the
:44:03. > :44:09.chalk left from the Q-Tip. As I was saying earlier, you can see how the
:44:10. > :44:16.chalk, when it's magnified, how much comes off the tip when you play the
:44:17. > :44:25.shots. When it hits it, the exact Mark, the bounce is exaggerated so
:44:26. > :44:32.much. Yeah, it's amazing the super slow motion, isn't it? That is an
:44:33. > :44:43.ash cue, by the way, you can tell by the grain. Chalk dust. Chalk dust.
:44:44. > :44:49.McEnroe used to say that in tennis. You cannot be serious! In all
:44:50. > :44:55.seriousness, the players are not happy. I wouldn't be. The cushions
:44:56. > :44:59.looks so applicable. Whenever you play a thin shot when the cue ball
:45:00. > :45:03.is running out of control, it's so difficult to play. Yes, you have got
:45:04. > :45:12.enough things on your mind, haven't you, about worrying about the table.
:45:13. > :45:23.A mid-session interval after this frame. I think Ali needs it badly.
:45:24. > :45:31.More than Mark. Just to stay within those two frames. And feel as though
:45:32. > :45:35.he has got something out of the first four frames, although, having
:45:36. > :45:40.said that, it was his own faulty did not win the last frame. Absolutely,
:45:41. > :45:46.John. He had a golden opportunity and he can't keep passing of these
:45:47. > :46:13.opportunities to win these frames. -- passing up.
:46:14. > :46:21.In the back of Ali's mind, is that he knows Mark is not playing as well
:46:22. > :46:25.as he was yesterday, and if he is not capitalising on his chances,
:46:26. > :47:29.what if Mark Selby starts playing well again?
:47:30. > :47:41.He's struck that well. A fantastic pot.
:47:42. > :47:49.Unfortunately, he couldn't get position on the baulk colour. So he
:47:50. > :47:58.just had to content himself with rolling into the brown, but very
:47:59. > :49:36.unlikely that he is going to lead anything here, Mark Selby.
:49:37. > :49:44.You think he would play a safety shot by the two reds to open that
:49:45. > :50:00.up. Safety shot. Yeah, the safety play, it will go
:50:01. > :50:04.down as 85% Mark Selby, but he has got quite a few baulk colours. He
:50:05. > :50:09.was not doing that yesterday, in the safety exchanges.
:50:10. > :50:18.Ali just can't get to one of those long ones. There was more concerned
:50:19. > :50:24.therewith finding the path back to the baulk end and, understandably
:50:25. > :50:55.will stop gives Mark a chance now, though.
:50:56. > :51:10.That interval cup of tea will taste very nice indeed. On the other hand,
:51:11. > :51:13.Ali desperately would like to keep his arrears at just two frames and
:51:14. > :51:20.then, after the mid-session interval, hopefully try and level
:51:21. > :51:28.ready for this evening's final session. Big moments in the match.
:51:29. > :51:42.This session was always going to be that way. Well, decided to play the
:51:43. > :51:49.part. -- pot. The cue ball had just run past the pack. This is the
:51:50. > :51:56.advantage, of course, having the Ali Carter. You can screw off the side
:51:57. > :52:05.cushion back to the baulk end. That is safe.
:52:06. > :52:57.He can just get to the edge of this red, near the blue. A bit too thin.
:52:58. > :53:34.Another example of the player playing the safety shot, not missing
:53:35. > :54:13.the baulk colour. Make such a difference.
:54:14. > :54:19.Well he was knocking lots of those in in the first session. He has
:54:20. > :54:44.missed a few in this session so far this morning.
:54:45. > :54:52.Another factor in the long matches, with four sessions, you're not going
:54:53. > :54:56.to play your best in every session. A lot of the time it's about getting
:54:57. > :55:03.the best out of that session. I know. Mark Selby has not been in the
:55:04. > :55:15.form of yesterday. He is still 2-1 up in the session so far.
:55:16. > :55:31.OK, I think. If he can judge, as we watch again the blue, going in,
:55:32. > :55:40.could he pot this red and screw run the back for the black in the same
:55:41. > :55:49.pocket? He's going for pink or blue. Didn't fancy playing for that
:55:50. > :55:52.precise positional shot. But, once the cue ball has to keep travelling
:55:53. > :55:58.up and down the table, it makes it just that little bit more difficult.
:55:59. > :56:02.Yeah, he seems to be taking the more percentage shots at the minute.
:56:03. > :56:06.Definitely an opportunity to screw around for the black to the back
:56:07. > :56:12.pocket. It's understandable. There is a lot of tension out there at the
:56:13. > :56:16.moment. And that is the thing when you are behind in a match like this.
:56:17. > :56:18.Every frame becomes massive and it puts more pressure on every shot,
:56:19. > :56:52.constantly playing catch-up. I don't know if you can drop this
:56:53. > :57:06.pink in. Play it to the right corner.
:57:07. > :57:18.That's not bad. Depends what sort of angle he has got on this thread. He
:57:19. > :57:51.has come very straight on it. A bit of work to do here.
:57:52. > :58:04.STUDIO: This is where we lead you on BBC Two for now but only one hour
:58:05. > :58:08.and we will be back so grab some lunch, make a cup of tea and join us
:58:09. > :58:13.at 1pm for live coverage of Joe Perry against Ronnie O'Sullivan, the
:58:14. > :58:18.match resuming at 2:30pm. If you want to carry on watching,
:58:19. > :58:22.press the red button. Coverage is online, tablets and mobiles, and
:58:23. > :58:28.incidentally, over on table one, Barry Hawkins is taking on Ricky
:58:29. > :58:30.Walden. He leads 3-1. They are on a mid-session interval. We will see
:58:31. > :59:12.you at 1pm. Bye bye for now. Ted, I... I'm not interested in
:59:13. > :59:15.coming to see Lady Gaga, sir.