:00:26. > :00:35.The three balls, I am wondering if they are right for a plant into the
:00:36. > :00:52.left corner. He has had a quick look at that just in case.
:00:53. > :01:49.Ronnie deciding it was too difficult to attempt that.
:01:50. > :02:14.Joe put his hand up to apologise. That was not as he intended.
:02:15. > :02:24.This could develop into a bit of an awkward frame with the two reds at
:02:25. > :02:26.the other end of the table. The safety area is the cushion behind
:02:27. > :02:38.the black. With the white tight to the cushion,
:02:39. > :02:59.that is not a lot Joe can do. He could leave this one close to the
:03:00. > :03:16.cue ball. I think it is a good enough shot. It
:03:17. > :04:35.is definitely on. It is a bit of a stalemate. I am
:04:36. > :04:51.wondering what the players will do. There is no score.
:04:52. > :04:56.It is not quite tight on the cushion. He can always get a little
:04:57. > :05:14.bit of backspin. Stretching his arm to get a little
:05:15. > :05:26.bit of backspin. Ronnie is looking to see if he can
:05:27. > :06:19.get the cue ball into the corner. He is catching the middle pocket.
:06:20. > :06:24.What a difference that has made. He was trying to get back down behind
:06:25. > :06:28.the yellow and Brian to snooker Ronnie. When you catch the middle
:06:29. > :06:39.pocket you never know where it is going to finish.
:06:40. > :06:45.Because Ronnie got that tight shot before, it made that a bit more
:06:46. > :06:54.difficult for Joe. He will play for the red after he
:06:55. > :07:22.pots the black. He missed a very easy black off the
:07:23. > :07:40.spot at the start of this match. He kept his cool. That was something
:07:41. > :07:56.a couple of seasons ago Ronnie was not doing, but he kept his focus.
:07:57. > :08:25.These are tough shots, blind pocket. Not certain, those shots.
:08:26. > :08:32.Ronnie had an anxious look to see of the red would go into the middle
:08:33. > :08:46.pocket. Maybe it does not. Maybe he is OK.
:08:47. > :09:15.He has blocked the escape on the side cushion. He is looking at
:09:16. > :09:25.getting on the red to the left of the black.
:09:26. > :09:35.The yellow and blue seems to be in the way.
:09:36. > :09:43.I do not think it is on. Getting the cue ball kite behind the brown has
:09:44. > :10:17.made the difference -- tight. The red on the left might be the one
:10:18. > :10:27.he is trying to hit. That has come up short. It is an awkward angle. He
:10:28. > :10:30.would definitely play for the red to the left of the black, but there are
:10:31. > :10:53.balls bothering him problems. There is a red that goes into the
:10:54. > :11:33.right corner. He was in a bit of a hole.
:11:34. > :11:43.That red at the back of the bunch is available.
:11:44. > :11:47.If he leaves it in the right position he can bring more reds
:11:48. > :12:16.interplay. Every frame is key. If Joe can open
:12:17. > :12:18.up a three frame advantage, it is going to ask a big question of
:12:19. > :12:38.Ronnie O'Sullivan. He is in pretty good form. He is
:12:39. > :12:52.hitting the ball well. He got a little bit of contact.
:12:53. > :14:07.You give yourself the chance of extending the lead further.
:14:08. > :14:21.The natural angle would have taken him into the reds, which he did not
:14:22. > :14:29.want. He is straight on the black, so he
:14:30. > :14:51.needs something available. He was trying to move that on, with
:14:52. > :15:23.his body, but not quite. Keeping the pressure on all the
:15:24. > :15:26.time. If you score every time your opponent makes a mistake, you will
:15:27. > :15:39.go far in this game. I do not think the two reds are
:15:40. > :16:15.planned. -- a plant. There is very little to play behind
:16:16. > :16:24.when you come back down the table. He has got it.
:16:25. > :16:38.He is cueing so smoothly at the moment. That is unlucky.
:16:39. > :17:12.What has he done? He did not want to go that close to the pocket. He has
:17:13. > :17:25.a 43 point lead, but this is a dangerous board.
:17:26. > :17:36.He is the favourite for the frame, but if Ronnie gets in, he might not
:17:37. > :17:44.be. At the moment, Joe Perry seems to have all the answers.
:17:45. > :17:56.Knocking the pink did not do him any good.
:17:57. > :18:03.If he tries the plant, which he is lining up, he has to make sure he
:18:04. > :18:10.keeps well away from the right corner pocket with the cue ball. If
:18:11. > :18:12.you can take it on without the white going in, he can turn it into a
:18:13. > :18:21.plant. The jaws are in the way of the red
:18:22. > :18:59.on the left. This is the longest frame of the
:19:00. > :19:01.match, believe it or not. It has only been going coming up to 90
:19:02. > :19:28.minutes. -- 19. The one next to the yellow might be
:19:29. > :19:49.slightly hampered with the blue, although he is looking at that.
:19:50. > :19:57.It was one of those where the red must have been slightly in front of
:19:58. > :20:10.the yellow, because if you hit both at the same time it is a foul.
:20:11. > :20:26.No hesitation from Ronnie to get the pink back in play.
:20:27. > :20:32.He is trying to make it as easy as possible that if he does get a
:20:33. > :20:41.chance he can make a counter clearance. Superb.
:20:42. > :21:08.There is a possibility of the one closest to the green.
:21:09. > :21:21.He could find himself in trouble here.
:21:22. > :21:35.Is Ronnie hard enough? Just a fraction out.
:21:36. > :22:02.Not hard enough. As he left a chance? I think he might have done.
:22:03. > :22:28.This is not an easy one. I have a sneaky feeling he had to
:22:29. > :22:48.play that with a little bit of swerve because of the pace on it.
:22:49. > :22:56.If he was to take the blue, another red and another blue would be enough
:22:57. > :23:07.to leave Ronnie needing a snooker. Just the red would do, he did not
:23:08. > :23:37.need the colour. It is always difficult, but when you
:23:38. > :23:46.are playing against the crowd favourite, even more so.
:23:47. > :24:00.Joe is not missing much and he looks comfortable.
:24:01. > :24:05.He said, if I play well I can beat the defending champion, and he is
:24:06. > :24:19.certainly playing well. You can have that belief, but you
:24:20. > :25:06.have to back it up. It is as good as I have seen him
:25:07. > :25:23.play for a long time. A clearance of 46 and break of 48
:25:24. > :26:11.and he has a three frame advantage. Fantastic control from Joe Perry. It
:26:12. > :26:15.is about controlling the cue. When you're talking about controlling the
:26:16. > :26:25.cue, what Joe Perry does very well, the controls the backswing. Let us
:26:26. > :26:33.look at the different pew actions. Ronnie O'Sullivan is a bit faster.
:26:34. > :26:37.He pulls back and has more of a swing, not too much of a swing. Joe
:26:38. > :26:40.Perry prefers to control the backswing slower and have more of a
:26:41. > :27:02.pause. If you are panicking, slow down the
:27:03. > :27:10.backswing and pours like Joe Perry. -- pause.
:27:11. > :27:19.They will all be practising that at home. Just like golf, no two swings
:27:20. > :27:52.are the same! The interval is coming up after this
:27:53. > :27:57.frame. 7-5 would be the scoreline that Ronnie O'Sullivan would be
:27:58. > :28:00.looking for. But if gentlemen Joe Perry goes four in front, that will
:28:01. > :28:54.make things very, very interesting. Could play the red onto the pink if
:28:55. > :28:57.he wanted to. Knows he wanted to. Those who were not scattered too
:28:58. > :29:05.much by playing that shot. He can find the gap which is even better.
:29:06. > :29:10.Good safety from jail, once again. That department is working very well
:29:11. > :29:14.today, tactically, very adept. Certainly scoring well. At the top
:29:15. > :29:40.of his game. Well, that is a beauty. A fabulous
:29:41. > :29:43.shot. He is at the wrong side of the blue. But he could have things
:29:44. > :29:56.opened in a couple of shots time. I think that came far enough. That
:29:57. > :30:07.was OK. His brain works so quickly when
:30:08. > :30:28.there is a break in front of him. I think he is sensing a bit of
:30:29. > :30:34.danger in this match. The scoreboard, 7-4, thought, better go
:30:35. > :30:38.through big box a bit here. You can see he is already quicker around the
:30:39. > :30:39.table in this particular contribution, so he knows how
:30:40. > :31:04.important it is. That wasn't a great bunch to go
:31:05. > :31:16.into. It was always going to be difficult with a pack like that.
:31:17. > :31:30.When he attempted double here? Yes. -- will he a attempted double here?
:31:31. > :31:36.It was not a shot to nothing, but he got close to the double.
:31:37. > :31:51.Where will this finish? He has been lucky. It could easily have gone
:31:52. > :31:54.over the pocket. In fairness, I think that is the first ball he has
:31:55. > :32:06.missed. He has been berry good today. -- very good. That is another
:32:07. > :32:12.double, but he has brought the white add far enough. That was too risky.
:32:13. > :32:25.I think he just over a hit that and the red will just pot now. --
:32:26. > :32:29.overhit. Would you believe it? ! Would you believe it? That was a
:32:30. > :32:44.distraction for him. That is not the best shot he has
:32:45. > :32:51.ever played. Needed a little bit more side on that. Yes, need to hit
:32:52. > :32:57.this properly and get right in with the cue ball. Absolutely brilliant.
:32:58. > :33:01.A lot more difficult than it looked. And the way it has come out, a
:33:02. > :33:04.straight run through and end up on the black. A great, really good
:33:05. > :33:35.shot, really well played. A possible planned, the red is
:33:36. > :33:37.definitely available. The red over the green is an insurance policy
:33:38. > :34:00.also. Missed a check, Joe Perry, if you
:34:01. > :34:02.hit the front, they do not go in. You can nearly overcut and they go
:34:03. > :34:23.in-off the far, so a slight mistake. Still has that read that John
:34:24. > :34:28.mentioned. A little bit of insurance, the one over the pocket.
:34:29. > :34:50.He may call on that note to keep this break going.
:34:51. > :34:56.Not far away from securing this frame.
:34:57. > :35:12.That is just about perfect. This is a massive frame in a match like
:35:13. > :35:22.this. We'll be delighted to get back to just 7-5 will -- back to just
:35:23. > :36:04.7-5. That will give him a chance now to
:36:05. > :36:30.clear the lot. The shots that John mentioned, he
:36:31. > :36:34.got the red slightly in the way and put some side on it. Just left it in
:36:35. > :37:10.the jaws. High-quality stuff from these two
:37:11. > :37:17.players. Ronnie O'Sullivan, that 93 break.
:37:18. > :37:30.Very good stuff indeed. The red doesn't go in. Ronnie O'Sullivan
:37:31. > :37:38.pulls one back, but at the interval, Joe Perry leads by 7-5.
:37:39. > :37:45.What you think so far, Steve. Joe Perry is doing well to keep
:37:46. > :37:50.initiative, he has got Ronnie O'Sullivan on the back foot. Ronnie
:37:51. > :37:54.O'Sullivan was pushing it a fraction taking on the second double. It was
:37:55. > :37:59.mentioned that maybe he did not need to go for that. Another day, Joe
:38:00. > :38:02.Perry doesn't miss the red on the top question and into the top
:38:03. > :38:08.pocket, and he punishes Ronnie O'Sullivan and the scoreline is
:38:09. > :38:12.different. Ronnie O'Sullivan has made light work of mopping up the
:38:13. > :38:21.balls, so a fair fresh and that they have had 2-2 each. -- a fairer
:38:22. > :38:28.session. He is pushing Ronnie O'Sullivan more than any other
:38:29. > :38:31.player in the recent past? Yes, his confidence will be high because of
:38:32. > :38:35.what he has achieved so far, and this is a very hard test for Ronnie
:38:36. > :38:38.O'Sullivan, harder than people thought. People thought he would
:38:39. > :38:42.wipe the floor with everyone, and play like you did in the Welsh and
:38:43. > :38:48.in the Masters, that he would not come up against any resistance, and
:38:49. > :38:54.it has been proven not to be true by Joe Perry. In 2009, these two
:38:55. > :38:58.played, Ronnie O'Sullivan ran out the 6-5 when, that is the tightest
:38:59. > :39:04.match between these two, doesn't have the potential to go like this?
:39:05. > :39:08.It is going that way, you would expect Ronnie O'Sullivan to put on
:39:09. > :39:12.the heat, but it Joe Perry responds, it will be difficult for
:39:13. > :39:18.Ronnie O'Sullivan to turn it around completely. Let us look at the other
:39:19. > :39:23.match that began at 2:30pm here at the Crucible, it is Scotland versus
:39:24. > :39:27.the Republic of Ireland, two old wily campaigners, Alan McManus
:39:28. > :39:39.taking on the man who lit up the Crucible in 1997, Mr Doherty.
:39:40. > :39:44.You never forget your first time at the Crucible, it is so special, the
:39:45. > :39:53.crowd, the atmosphere, everything about it is unbelievable. The best
:39:54. > :39:58.place in the world to play snooker. In 1991, I first came through those
:39:59. > :40:04.curtains and sat over their playing Steve Davis. The first four frames I
:40:05. > :40:08.was in a complete days, 4-0 down within 30 minutes, mesmerised by the
:40:09. > :40:12.place, mesmerised by who I was playing, the atmosphere, the
:40:13. > :40:20.proximity of the people beside you. The whole ambience of the entire
:40:21. > :40:25.theatre. I watched Alex Higgins in 1982, Dennis in 1985, something I
:40:26. > :40:30.wanted to try to achieve, follow in their footsteps, take that trophy,
:40:31. > :40:35.give it a big kiss, hold it aloft, the backdrop of the lights that look
:40:36. > :40:37.like stars in the ceiling. It is like all of your dreams, all of your
:40:38. > :40:43.birthday is coming together, that particular moment. It was like just
:40:44. > :40:49.what I dream to bed as a kid and fritter finally come true, that was
:40:50. > :40:55.an amazing feeling. -- dreamt about as a kid. It was absolutely
:40:56. > :41:00.beautiful. Walking to the curtains again being introduced to the
:41:01. > :41:04.crowd, a wonderful feeling. All of the great memories coming back, that
:41:05. > :41:08.is one of the reasons why I kissed the carpet, I will not be doing that
:41:09. > :41:12.again, it was a bit dirty! It was a sign to the crowd to show how much I
:41:13. > :41:19.love being here and how much I love playing here and paying, edge to the
:41:20. > :41:22.place, I do not know how many times I be back here. Hopefully it will be
:41:23. > :41:29.a few times more! I did get quite emotional. A fantastic feeling,
:41:30. > :41:32.great to go back to the dressing room, Mickens Dennis Taylor coming
:41:33. > :41:40.in, I said he should get his cue back out, he could make a comeback
:41:41. > :41:49.as well! It was fantastic. Some fantastic memories. So, microphone
:41:50. > :41:52.down, snooker cue out, the old adversary, Alan McManus, I played
:41:53. > :41:58.him first on this old table back in 1994, around 20 years ago, well, a
:41:59. > :42:04.lot of water under the bridge since then! I think we were both really
:42:05. > :42:07.enjoyed it and relish every moment. Savour it, play our hearts out and
:42:08. > :42:17.see what happens. Love it. Cannot wait. Add a cup of tea with her BBC
:42:18. > :42:22.colleague this morning, Ken Doherty in good spirits, looking forward to
:42:23. > :42:26.the match today, just so happy to be back at the Crucible and performing.
:42:27. > :42:31.Let us take a look at how the stats are looking between these two
:42:32. > :42:36.players. This is the 24th meeting between these two old campaigners,
:42:37. > :42:40.one apiece in World Championship matches and they started playing way
:42:41. > :42:45.back in 1991. It began at 2:30pm this afternoon, Kent at the first
:42:46. > :42:48.frame, we join it at the start of the second. -- Ken Doherty took the
:42:49. > :43:14.first frame. That break off was all wrong. The
:43:15. > :43:20.cue ball is meant to come between the green and pink.
:43:21. > :43:31.This is very similar to a break-up for Alan McManus. For a player that
:43:32. > :44:15.is renowned for his safety play, that was a shocker.
:44:16. > :44:19.He was expecting the first kiss, but not the second key is to take him
:44:20. > :45:19.into the red. The bounce off the cushion widens a
:45:20. > :45:25.little bit. Kenny believe he is not putting it in there again? -- can
:45:26. > :45:57.you believe? He is trying to maybe tempt Ken into
:45:58. > :46:10.going for something here. He goes for it and he gets it.
:46:11. > :46:21.That has turned out to be a good decision. Quite an ankle in this red
:46:22. > :46:23.closest to the left hand corner to stun up to the black and the left
:46:24. > :47:10.centre. Need an angle on the red to get to
:47:11. > :47:12.the right-hand side of the blue. Does not want to be straight on the
:47:13. > :47:24.red. Clearly did not settle in the
:47:25. > :47:29.opening frame, but with the lack available to both corners... He has
:47:30. > :47:34.got an excellent chance of getting 30, 40 points on the board without
:47:35. > :49:37.doing anything too strenuous. This is a great chance.
:49:38. > :49:41.For a second, I thought he had overcooked that, but he is OK on the
:49:42. > :50:53.red. Probably a little bit more
:50:54. > :51:09.aggressive on the black. Only three more red and three
:51:10. > :51:35.colours needed. Perhaps the ankle he has on the red
:51:36. > :51:44.in the middle is not good. -- the angle. He judged that very well. He
:51:45. > :51:46.knew exactly the path that the cue ball would take and cannon into
:51:47. > :52:01.those two reds. On reflection, both their first
:52:02. > :52:03.round wins, I think Alan was the high scorer, consistently, in his
:52:04. > :52:22.match against John Higgins. A little bit careless that he has
:52:23. > :52:28.left himself straight on the blue. A bit more distance on this pot then
:52:29. > :52:37.there should have been. -- Sander should have been.
:52:38. > :52:42.But a little bit of extra pressure on the pot, and they did not need to
:52:43. > :53:10.be. The black to put himself 70 points
:53:11. > :53:35.ahead will stop 67 on. -- 70 points ahead. 67 on.
:53:36. > :53:42.You would think he is on this red nicely to the left centre, and that
:53:43. > :53:53.would secure the frame, it is always nice to win a frame at one visit at
:53:54. > :54:13.the start of the match. It settles you down.
:54:14. > :54:25.The leader 76, so he can take this on with some confidence knowing that
:54:26. > :54:28.can cannot come back. -- that Ken. J -- that Ken Doherty cannot possibly
:54:29. > :54:37.come back. He has levelled the match at 1-1.
:54:38. > :54:42.1-1, then Alan McManus rattled in a break of 107 to win the third frame
:54:43. > :54:46.to take a 2-1 lead, and this is really interesting, his first
:54:47. > :54:53.Crucible century since 2005 when, guess what? He beat Ken Doherty in
:54:54. > :54:59.the second round of the World Championships 13-11. Is history
:55:00. > :55:03.repeating itself? An excellent break. Alan McManus has just gone
:55:04. > :55:07.3-1 at the interval, so it is all going the way of the Scotsman right
:55:08. > :55:12.now and that match will continue on the red button after the mid-session
:55:13. > :55:16.interval. The live match on BBC TV this afternoon is Joe Perry taking
:55:17. > :55:22.on the defending champion Ronnie O'Sullivan. Joe is leading the
:55:23. > :55:26.Rocket by 7-5, so the players are heading back out, and let's rejoined
:55:27. > :55:34.Dennis Taylor and John Parrott, a big couple of friends coming up,
:55:35. > :55:40.Dennis? Yes, certainly, nothing to pick
:55:41. > :55:46.between the two players in the first couple of frames. Can Ronnie
:55:47. > :55:48.O'Sullivan close the gap? It will be fascinating tomorrow. But what is
:55:49. > :55:57.the scoreline going to be? That would be the big question.
:55:58. > :56:05.Joe Perry has been very relaxed throughout this match so far. Always
:56:06. > :56:39.nice to start with a good break-off shot.
:56:40. > :56:46.A decent break off, and, well, the problems with the red on the
:56:47. > :56:51.right-hand side, because when he plays off the pack, used to make
:56:52. > :57:01.sure not to get the cannon on the red on the right.
:57:02. > :57:14.He missed the cannon, but he has hit it far too thick.
:57:15. > :57:19.He thought he might get away with this, but look at this series of
:57:20. > :57:42.cannons. It must be quite warm inside the
:57:43. > :57:44.Crucible. I have noticed Ronnie wiping his hands and his face with
:57:45. > :58:03.the cloth. He looks a little bit tired. It is a
:58:04. > :58:15.long session. You have to stay focused. How lucky is that? --
:58:16. > :58:19.unlucky. He has not pink in and left a red at the back the bunch. That
:58:20. > :58:50.was very unfortunate. He was guaranteed to be on the
:58:51. > :58:56.black. Very unlucky for Joe. It is amazing how it changes around.
:58:57. > :59:04.Ronnie had a bit of misfortune when he left the red. He was looking, not
:59:05. > :59:06.flustered, but tired. All of a sudden, he is out of his seat
:59:07. > :00:36.because of Joe's misfortune. I am just wondering how much of a
:00:37. > :00:51.turning point that is going to be in this match. You do not mind if you
:00:52. > :00:54.make a bad shot losing a frame, but if you bought the blue and the pink
:00:55. > :01:05.at the same time, something you could never envisage happening, it
:01:06. > :01:14.is difficult to take. He is completely out of position. It is
:01:15. > :01:22.touching the red. How could that happen? Joe had seriously bad luck
:01:23. > :01:25.but he will be delighted he has got away with it because Ronnie
:01:26. > :01:44.O'Sullivan is glued to that red. It is touching, so that is not a bad
:01:45. > :01:54.thing, he can play snooker. -- a snooker.
:01:55. > :02:07.The red will not be cut a ball from where he is. It never ceases to
:02:08. > :02:36.amaze you what happens on the snooker table.
:02:37. > :02:43.You could hear a pin drop in the Crucible because the other table is
:02:44. > :03:43.at the mid-session interval. There is a long pot success rate,
:03:44. > :03:55.that always tells a story. Ronnie will have to improve.
:03:56. > :05:45.If Joe can pinch this frame, what a boost that would be.
:05:46. > :05:55.A nice little cannon here. The other red cause and it clears the other
:05:56. > :06:09.two. No problem. Ronnie pushed the yellow near 80
:06:10. > :06:39.cushion. I said he broke down, he did not
:06:40. > :06:56.really break down, Ronnie, just the safety or positional shot he played.
:06:57. > :07:09.Will he play for the more difficult red? The one near the cushion.
:07:10. > :07:27.Ronnie early in the frame after he lost position, any cannon on this
:07:28. > :07:30.and he has one tarmac won frame, but I wonder if that yellow is going to
:07:31. > :08:01.come to his rescue, because he is going to need it.
:08:02. > :08:12.It is all about the position on the yellow. He has a choice. He can
:08:13. > :08:26.cannon the yellow out if he does not fancy that.
:08:27. > :08:36.He has maybe not hit it hard enough. He only needed the yellow and the
:08:37. > :09:06.green. Well played. An excellent shot. Left
:09:07. > :09:11.Ronnie Innocent occur. -- in a snooker. He will be pretty happy
:09:12. > :09:27.with that, I should think. I think he is playing this so it
:09:28. > :09:49.will come back across. He has to be careful if he tries to
:09:50. > :09:50.swing this around behind the black that he does not put the yellow into
:09:51. > :10:00.a pottable position. That looks pretty good. Just coming
:10:01. > :10:30.up a bit short. No double-kiss required, but he got
:10:31. > :11:08.one. I would be tempted to get the yellow
:11:09. > :11:24.up the table. He has gone the other way, but it is the same thing.
:11:25. > :11:29.He would be looking to hit the yellow from behind. He has hit it
:11:30. > :11:51.too thin. One good pot, one good positional
:11:52. > :12:04.shot and Ronnie might take this frame.
:12:05. > :12:21.This is a big clearance in the context of the match. We have had
:12:22. > :12:37.all sorts in this frame. He needs the three remaining
:12:38. > :13:02.colours. Joe new Ronnie was going to clear
:13:03. > :13:08.up. A frame that could have gone either way, but the defending
:13:09. > :13:18.champion takes it in the end. He is just one frame behind.
:13:19. > :13:26.Acknowledgement from Joe Perry that he could have won that frame. When
:13:27. > :13:30.he potted the pink, he did not hit it hard enough and it opened the
:13:31. > :13:37.door for Ronnie O'Sullivan to counterattack after Ronnie had been
:13:38. > :13:43.desperately unlucky himself. A fantastic frame of snooker, it had
:13:44. > :13:48.everything. We were looking back at the history books and looking at the
:13:49. > :13:53.people Ronnie beat last year. He was never really threatened a have to
:13:54. > :13:57.give credit to Joe Perry. Last year I do not think he was behind or if
:13:58. > :14:01.he was pushed he moved up a gear. This is the first time for a while
:14:02. > :14:06.we have seen him behind at the World Championships. A different scenario
:14:07. > :14:10.for Ronnie O'Sullivan. I do not think he would have been panicking,
:14:11. > :14:17.but he knew his opponent was playing well. If you were Joe Perry, what
:14:18. > :14:21.would you be thinking? I think you have to be realistic in terms of how
:14:22. > :14:28.your opponent can play, I think he is enjoying it, enjoying the match,
:14:29. > :14:33.he has nothing to be, not nothing to be ashamed of, but he is thriving
:14:34. > :14:41.given that he is holding his head up.
:14:42. > :15:04.Can he get one of the two remaining frames?
:15:05. > :15:29.If someone had said to Joe Perry before the match, you will be
:15:30. > :15:40.beating the defending champion 7-6, I think he would have taken that.
:15:41. > :17:11.He has played well, the best I have seen him play in a while.
:17:12. > :17:19.I am not sure why he put his hand up to apologise, maybe the flick on the
:17:20. > :17:27.red, but it looked as if he took the pot on.
:17:28. > :17:36.He is in-off. If you do not catch that correctly, you have to hit the
:17:37. > :18:32.pink pool ball -- full ball. The black does not go past the red.
:18:33. > :18:43.He was trying to punch it round the angles.
:18:44. > :18:50.It was not going to be easy for any path. He will be disappointed with
:18:51. > :19:15.that gave the shot. -- safety. Almost straight. It has a slight
:19:16. > :19:42.angle. If he plays it with a little bit of
:19:43. > :19:50.pace, he might be able to find the gap.
:19:51. > :20:02.He did find the gap. He is on the green.
:20:03. > :20:22.He must have hit that soap your -- very pure.
:20:23. > :20:27.Not a brilliant chance, the black tied up, the pink is available, but
:20:28. > :20:54.off its spot. He cannot believe what the pink
:20:55. > :21:08.because it would go on to the black spot.
:21:09. > :21:39.He is nicely on the pink. He has the pink and blue to work with.
:21:40. > :22:02.If he can get to there, he can take the pink into the left middle
:22:03. > :22:20.pocket. It depends on the ankle he has on the red.
:22:21. > :22:38.He does not really want to be off angle. Three reds definitely pot in
:22:39. > :22:53.the top. Ideally he would have liked to have
:22:54. > :23:46.been straight. He is taking these very well at the
:23:47. > :24:04.moment, Joe Perry, this is good stuff.
:24:05. > :24:08.Just had a quick glance to see of the red above the black will go into
:24:09. > :24:25.the left corner, I think he is OK. If you can get to eat frames, there
:24:26. > :25:28.is no way you can be behind going into the final session.
:25:29. > :25:53.57 ahead. This red and any colour would do.
:25:54. > :26:07.There is definitely one Joe Perry sign -- fan! A lot of Ronnie
:26:08. > :26:13.supporters, but if you are doing the business on the table, they will get
:26:14. > :26:22.behind you, and Joe Perry is doing the business at the moment.
:26:23. > :26:30.He talked a good game beforehand, and he is backing it up. He said he
:26:31. > :26:41.could beat Ronnie and he is going to get himself two frames ahead again.
:26:42. > :26:57.He was not being cocky, he was just being confident. Why not?
:26:58. > :27:05.You've got to be ruthless on the table and he has a killer in stibgt.
:27:06. > :27:39.-- instinct. Look where the yellow is. The only
:27:40. > :27:50.way he can lead it is into the right middle pocket.
:27:51. > :28:03.He would need this for the possibility of a century.
:28:04. > :28:12.Joe Perry will be delighted. He has taken the frame with that break and
:28:13. > :28:18.he has opened up a two-frame advantage again. 8-6. That was a
:28:19. > :28:23.fantastic break by Joe Perry and the opening red of the break was superb.
:28:24. > :28:29.I think Ronny O'Sullivan had left Joe Perry down the bottom of the
:28:30. > :28:34.table. Joe Perry has a difficult long red. Now, when I do run the
:28:35. > :28:39.shot, note where Joe Perry pots the red into the pocket. He plays it
:28:40. > :28:43.thick. If he plays to tr middle of the pocket after the white ball
:28:44. > :28:48.leaves the red, it will collide with this red and he will lose position.
:28:49. > :28:56.But Joe pots the red into the pocket thick and the cue ball Comes off
:28:57. > :29:01.narrower. He misses the red and he then is able to get back down the
:29:02. > :29:05.table and pots it thick into the pocket. An excellent shot. To be
:29:06. > :29:10.able to judge to pot into one side of the pocket as oops posed to the
:29:11. > :29:18.middle of the pocket shows Joe Perry is cueing beautifully. Both players
:29:19. > :29:37.have left the arena. Ronny O'Sullivan has the highest
:29:38. > :29:43.break. But it is beautifully poised still, JP? Yes, it has been very
:29:44. > :29:48.high quality. I have been impressed with Joe Perry. He is a top class
:29:49. > :29:53.player. But it has been a while since he has been in a world or the
:29:54. > :29:59.UK in the final stages and playing as well as this. He is at the top of
:30:00. > :30:03.the game. I have said numerous times when Ronny O'Sullivan is at his
:30:04. > :30:07.best, he is virtually unbeatable. But he is not unbeatable when he is
:30:08. > :30:13.not quite at his best and somebody else is almost there. Ronnie, you
:30:14. > :30:18.know hen he gets a couple of frames ahead he can steam roll a player.
:30:19. > :30:24.Burr Joe has played so well. That is what he predicted he would have to
:30:25. > :30:28.do to win. Ronnie still looks calm and collected, but he could do with
:30:29. > :30:36.the last two frames. He is not going to settle for just one. He wants the
:30:37. > :30:41.both frames to level at 8 going into tomorrow's final session, which will
:30:42. > :30:54.be fascinating. Joe is back in the arena. And it is Joe's turn to break
:30:55. > :31:14.off. Just getting himself ready there.
:31:15. > :31:21.There is the black immediately tied up. It is amazing the number of
:31:22. > :31:43.times the red goes either side of the black.
:31:44. > :31:48.I was thinking Joe could snooker him behind the black. But there is not a
:31:49. > :32:07.lot of advantage in that. All Ronnie will do is come off the
:32:08. > :33:08.side cushion and into the edge of the reds.
:33:09. > :33:16.That gets the frame back to normality, sending the red up the
:33:17. > :33:35.table. That is the normal safety end of the table.
:33:36. > :34:08.That was lovely. That was the side, but I think he may have left a red
:34:09. > :34:24.on. He glanced off the red, he wanted to nestle into the reds.
:34:25. > :34:31.Not sure what happened there. He had been for a comfort break and maybe
:34:32. > :34:57.forgot something! There was a good way that red could
:34:58. > :35:02.have been left on. This is what he has left. At the moment, the odds on
:35:03. > :35:37.favourite for the World Snooker Championship is in big trouble.
:35:38. > :35:50.There was lots of laughter there. Joe just, he had been to the toilet
:35:51. > :35:52.and obviously forgotten to just... Adjust himself! In fairness he has
:35:53. > :36:52.got other things on his mind. I'm not so sure the black is at good
:36:53. > :37:08.at the moment. It is up for blue or pink at the
:37:09. > :38:14.moment. His positional play has been superb this afternoon.
:38:15. > :38:27.At the moment it is hard to play on anything else but the blue.
:38:28. > :38:32.That is the first time the cue ball hasn't gone far enough for quite a
:38:33. > :38:46.while. A little bit underdone there. He is further away than he wanted to
:38:47. > :39:08.be. Just got a slight angle. If the red,
:39:09. > :39:12.well you can see where he is cueing. That red at the back of the bunch is
:39:13. > :39:26.available. Looks like he is - well he decided
:39:27. > :39:32.the one that is in the middle of the bunch there pots. What do you think
:39:33. > :39:35.jachlt P, he got a big bounce off that cushion there. He did. It came
:39:36. > :39:44.off very lively. -- JP. Pinged off there, but he still has
:39:45. > :40:08.the red in the centre. He has got into that too well. He
:40:09. > :40:12.might drop on the pink. Difficult to control that when you're using the
:40:13. > :40:19.other reds and playing with side and screw and he hit it too well. But if
:40:20. > :40:32.he has an angle on the pink, it has turned out very nice for Joe Perry.
:40:33. > :40:39.Another kick there. And an absolute shocker as well. He knows
:40:40. > :40:46.straightaway. It jumped straight up in the air that. Took all the pace
:40:47. > :40:50.out of it. You could see it lift off the bed. No surprise that the
:40:51. > :40:59.referee is having the cue ball cleaned there. There is just one red
:41:00. > :41:09.available to him now. The one in the circle. He will have to run away to
:41:10. > :41:14.the baulk area. If he pots this he will need too make sure he gs on a
:41:15. > :41:28.colour. It is coming all right for Joe this
:41:29. > :41:38.afternoon. As good as I have seen him play for a long time.
:41:39. > :41:45.But he is doing it against a red hot favourite for this year's World
:41:46. > :41:50.Championship. You can't do anything about it when you're kept in your
:41:51. > :41:57.seat and Joe Perry has keep the defending champion in his seat for
:41:58. > :42:10.white a while in this -- for quite a while in this match. A tougher blue
:42:11. > :42:19.into the corner to get good position.
:42:20. > :42:27.The only thing he didn't need to do was overscrew that, which he has
:42:28. > :43:16.done slightly. He wanted to keep the cue ball higher up the table.
:43:17. > :43:24.You could see that long pause, both players' cue actions and how
:43:25. > :43:41.different they are. No two players play the game the same.
:43:42. > :43:49.Boy has Joe Perry been playing well here. When you can clinch a frame
:43:50. > :43:55.with one visit, it makes a vast difference. Doesn't matter about the
:43:56. > :43:59.pink. Ronny O'Sullivan stays in his seat and Joe Perry has played
:44:00. > :44:10.another excellent frame and he has taken the frame with one vuz sit and
:44:11. > :44:15.he -- visit and he leads 9-6. One more frame to be played and Ronnie
:44:16. > :44:22.could need this last frame. If Joe Perry was to go into tomorrow's
:44:23. > :44:25.session 10-6 in front, what a tall order it would be for Ronny
:44:26. > :44:33.O'Sullivan, even the great Ronny O'Sullivan. But this last frame will
:44:34. > :44:38.be so key, John. Yes, I think the way the play has been, if Ronnie
:44:39. > :44:43.gets out of it 9-7, I think he will be delighted with that. Because he
:44:44. > :44:49.has been probably outplayed this afternoon. Joe looks more relaxed
:44:50. > :44:54.than Ronnie, who was puffing his cheeks and wiping his feet. We had a
:44:55. > :45:00.bit of light relief. Joe had been for a comfort broke and forgot to do
:45:01. > :45:05.his fly up and everybody had a laugh. I think somebody on the front
:45:06. > :45:16.or second row told him he was flying low!
:45:17. > :45:24.Ronny O'Sullivan breaks off in the final frame of this sex and how --
:45:25. > :45:27.session and how important is this? Joe Perry has been outstanding all
:45:28. > :45:33.through the match. But this afternoon he has been excellent. He
:45:34. > :45:35.has taken a lead into the final session. But will it be two frames,
:45:36. > :45:55.or will it be four? He has hit this a bit too hard. He
:45:56. > :46:03.is going to leave the red over the corner. But I tell you what, it is
:46:04. > :46:05.not an easy pot. If he cuts this red in and misses the brown, there is a
:46:06. > :46:16.chance he could finish on the black. Is it too hard or is he on the
:46:17. > :46:48.black? It is just too hard. There was a natural appingle for --
:46:49. > :46:50.angle for the white to come back up the table and he almost dropped opt
:46:51. > :47:08.black. This is a huge frame for both
:47:09. > :47:14.players. If it is 9-7, it will still be tough to pick a winner. If it is
:47:15. > :47:31.10-6, Joe Perry would be favourite. Straight into the heart of the
:47:32. > :47:48.pocket. Ronnie straightaway trying to get
:47:49. > :47:59.the top end of the table among the black and pink and reds.
:48:00. > :48:47.They have got away from the nerves of the opening match.
:48:48. > :48:54.Well, can you believe that? Just about to say what a brilliant
:48:55. > :48:56.standard you get with these two players, but what a miss that was.
:48:57. > :49:09.Didn't see that coming. That was a total lapse in
:49:10. > :49:12.concentration from Ronny O'Sullivan, lost a bit of focus there. He really
:49:13. > :49:34.did. Oh, he is unlucky, he is stuck on
:49:35. > :49:39.the reds. He is not on anything. If the reds had opened up, what a
:49:40. > :49:51.chance that would be to punish that bad miss from Ronnie.
:49:52. > :50:00.He is unlucky to finish where he is, but there was a chance that could
:50:01. > :50:02.happen. This has been an exceptionally high standard right
:50:03. > :50:55.the way through this match. That is a terrible shot. He wanted
:50:56. > :51:00.much thicker contact. He has lost a bit of focus at the moment has Ronny
:51:01. > :51:06.O'Sullivan. Let's look at this again. OK, but you know he nearly
:51:07. > :51:35.hit that three quarter or half ball. It needed a fuller contact.
:51:36. > :51:45.He can just drop this pink in and the pink will go on to the black
:51:46. > :51:50.spot, which will be a big help. But this is a pink earlier in the frame,
:51:51. > :51:53.well it can only be a lapse in concentration to miss that. Thinking
:51:54. > :52:04.about the position that much, he took his eye off the pink. Oh, Joe!
:52:05. > :52:07.Have you let it go? Yes, you have indeed. The cue ball shouldn't have
:52:08. > :52:44.been anywhere near the pink. Very little available to Ronnie
:52:45. > :52:49.there. Got to get his head cleared and just concentrate and try and
:52:50. > :52:55.take this last frame. Because he knows that Joe Perry after that last
:52:56. > :52:57.shot has got plenty of adrenaline pumping around. Because he just hit
:52:58. > :53:15.that far too hard. It didn't look as though the double
:53:16. > :53:19.was on, but he decided to have a go at it, because he didn't want the
:53:20. > :53:26.leave anything. So it was worth the risk. Looked a if -- as if that red
:53:27. > :53:45.was in the way. But it wasn't a bad effort.
:53:46. > :53:53.That red has helped Joe. If that had been covered up it it would have
:53:54. > :54:08.been trouble. He would have to get back to the baulk area.
:54:09. > :54:16.I thought he was playing safety, but he went for the pot, thinking it was
:54:17. > :54:21.the only one he could leave. Has he been lucky? It was a great effort
:54:22. > :54:42.and Ronnie will have to play a cushion first.
:54:43. > :54:54.He didn't want to risk it. He knows the importance of this last frame.
:54:55. > :54:57.One of those horrible little shots that you have just got to play and
:54:58. > :55:03.know you're going to be in the baulk area and just stand for it. Joe
:55:04. > :55:07.looked at the red in the middle pocket. He is thinking I'm cueing
:55:08. > :55:09.well, if I can knock this in the middle pocket. He is going to go for
:55:10. > :55:28.this. Brilliant cueing. It really was. He
:55:29. > :55:32.has been so positive and to take that on and get it, it was a
:55:33. > :55:44.terrific chance. Oh, wow! Just played a brilliant
:55:45. > :55:51.shot in the middle and now he is stuck on the reds. There is just one
:55:52. > :56:16.red available to him. It's there. You know something, he
:56:17. > :56:21.deserves everything he gets for that shot into the centre pocket. It is
:56:22. > :56:31.one of the bravest shots you will see. Very confident.
:56:32. > :56:51.I could sense Joe was going to take that on.
:56:52. > :56:56.Will he get another chance in this frame, that is the question? He has
:56:57. > :56:59.to be careful with the shot. Make sure you come inside the black and
:57:00. > :57:19.just come inside it. Watch the white. It flicks the black
:57:20. > :57:20.and it's put the black awkward. But Ronnie won't be too concerned about
:57:21. > :57:32.that. Too close to the blue, so he may
:57:33. > :57:53.only get one point. # I don't think he can even see the green.
:57:54. > :58:02.Well played. Just see enough of the black. That was a great shot. It
:58:03. > :58:04.really was. Brilliant. Brilliant, no other word. The cue through that,
:58:05. > :58:10.absolutely perfect. And the cue ball ran past the other
:58:11. > :58:21.red on the right and this is a great chance.
:58:22. > :59:02.It must go, because he didn't risk it.
:59:03. > :59:12.The chance goes begging. What a frame this is turning out to be.
:59:13. > :59:20.Chances for both players. Well, I mentioned earlier the last frame
:59:21. > :59:23.here is massive. 10-6. Now 9-7. That's why we have seen a few errors
:59:24. > :00:30.creep in. If it's tight on the cushion it's
:00:31. > :00:34.slightly easier. If it's away and it's away from the cushion. Not so
:00:35. > :00:41.straightforward, this. You have to try to play these
:00:42. > :00:57.absolutely dead right in the pocket. Hopefully. Don't catch the jaw.
:00:58. > :01:02.We show you this again, because he's got an angle on the black to get to
:01:03. > :01:17.the difficult last red. Once again, the adrenaline and
:01:18. > :01:21.tension, he hit it harder than he intended to. I tell you what,
:01:22. > :01:26.Dennis, this is a difficult shot for the rest. We practised this the
:01:27. > :01:30.other day. Myself and Steve were doing a piece and one of these came
:01:31. > :01:35.up. It was a little more difficult than this, but it's tough down the
:01:36. > :01:40.cushion. I'm not surprised with that. He's got it safe, unless Joe
:01:41. > :01:48.decides to take a double on. And don't be surprised, as we show you
:01:49. > :01:53.that difficult red with the rest. Is it the double?
:01:54. > :02:01.No. He hasn't hit this hard enough. This is just a little bit of tension
:02:02. > :02:15.creeping in, after overhiting. It's quite understandable.
:02:16. > :02:24.Just needs to miss the yellow. Oh, hasn't done it. Still a good red.
:02:25. > :02:33.Decent cue ball as well. That was a chance for a snooker there.
:02:34. > :02:44.That's going to hit the brown. Well, we've had most of these frames with
:02:45. > :02:55.one visit. This has been the most tense of frames, the last one.
:02:56. > :03:06.That's OK. It's a great effort. Had he have potted that, then there
:03:07. > :03:27.would have been a gap. But there's a gap between green and black.
:03:28. > :03:33.He's just a little bit frightened of putting the red over the pocket.
:03:34. > :03:37.That's why he's hit that a little bit too hard.
:03:38. > :03:44.Has he hit this too hard? The red needs to pull up, and it does.
:03:45. > :04:03.Get it nice and thin. Not that thin. I'm not surprised he's done that, to
:04:04. > :04:06.be honest with you. You know full well when you are playing that
:04:07. > :04:12.Dennis, if you get it thick you'll stick it up. When it's so close to
:04:13. > :04:23.the cushion, yeah. Even a half ball and you've put the red on.
:04:24. > :04:29.The referee looking at the monitor to make sure it's in the right spot.
:04:30. > :04:31.It looks pretty close. Can he get that thin edge that he's looking
:04:32. > :04:42.for? I'll tell you what, he'll get it the
:04:43. > :04:47.next time. Now he's got to hit it thick. Well, he can't risk playing a
:04:48. > :04:50.thin. He will lose the frame. He's going to lose the frame if he
:04:51. > :04:54.doesn't hit the frame. There might be the Osama Bin Ladened double kiss
:04:55. > :04:59.shot. It's not a bad one. If you hit the white with lots of bottom and
:05:00. > :05:02.the red full ball, and spin the white back up the table, the only
:05:03. > :05:05.thing is if you don't get it right, you leave the red on, but that's not
:05:06. > :05:45.a bad choice. I think he's pushed it on. He has
:05:46. > :05:52.left it. He got too much side on that. The white wouldn't have spun
:05:53. > :05:57.across the table. Bad news and good news. Bad news is he left it on.
:05:58. > :06:00.Good news for Ronnie is it's absolutely bolt straight. Not much
:06:01. > :06:13.you can do with the cue ball other than stick on it.
:06:14. > :06:17.It might just be a case of dropping the pink in and taking the mid-range
:06:18. > :06:28.yellow. He hasn't even got the snooker. That
:06:29. > :06:52.was strange. Very strange. Oh, the middle pocket has come into
:06:53. > :06:55.play again. That would have been a snooker without the yellow hitting
:06:56. > :06:59.the middle pocket. There's a pot on here, but the white will do
:07:00. > :07:03.dangerously close to the right middle pocket, as we show you the
:07:04. > :07:08.yellow catching that jaw, but this is a big pot coming up. The natural
:07:09. > :07:22.angle will take the white towards the right middle pocket.
:07:23. > :07:36.A chance for Ronnie now. Had he have potted that he might have missed.
:07:37. > :07:40.The corner of the middle pocket. Well, the chance is there now. It
:07:41. > :07:43.will be a very relieved Ronnie O'Sullivan and his supporters.
:07:44. > :07:54.This match is well and truly on now, John. It certainly is. What shot did
:07:55. > :07:59.Joe Perry play there? If you are not going to guarantee the snooker, just
:08:00. > :08:01.pot the pink and get the six points. What he's played there is very
:08:02. > :08:19.strange. It can only be tension. He had every chance of opening up a
:08:20. > :08:28.10-6 lead. He didn't do it. So the session has been shared. Ronnie
:08:29. > :08:32.O'Sullivan, overall, will be quite pleased to be just two frames behind
:08:33. > :08:37.going into the final session tomorrow. It's all to play for.
:08:38. > :08:41.Dennis is absolutely right, it is all to play for. How tense was that
:08:42. > :08:46.final frame? I didn't think so far in the championships we have had so
:08:47. > :08:50.many ahs and oohs. I was getting nervous. For the first time I was
:08:51. > :08:54.nervous. As a player you know what's going through their minds. The
:08:55. > :08:58.significance of that frame was told by the pictures both players started
:08:59. > :09:03.to feel the tension. Effectively, Joe Perry had gone Ronnie on the
:09:04. > :09:07.ropes there. Unfortunately for Joe, he saw the finishing line, even
:09:08. > :09:12.though it wasn't the finishing line of the match, he saw it of that
:09:13. > :09:17.session and he saw 10-6 and froze. Do you think that's what happened?
:09:18. > :09:21.Yeah. Listening to John and Dennis. They were saying that Joe's playing
:09:22. > :09:25.with confidence. Do you think it was overexuberance, maybe? He had
:09:26. > :09:29.chanced and he knew and just a little bit of panic. He missed a pew
:09:30. > :09:33.pots. The positional play wasn't straight. Excellent chances once
:09:34. > :09:38.Ronnie had missed the pink into the middle. We have all been there. He
:09:39. > :09:42.knows full well all he needs to do is deliver the killer blow and he's
:09:43. > :09:46.done so well. It's not a criticism. It's just that's what happened.
:09:47. > :09:51.Still advantage Joe Perry, but he'll go back to the dressingroom and even
:09:52. > :09:54.though he is still in front after two sessions, he'll be disappointed
:09:55. > :09:59.with himself and slumped in the dressingroom and thinking what it
:10:00. > :10:04.could have been. It could have been 10-6. Now it's 9-7. He's let Ronnie
:10:05. > :10:08.in. He had golden opportunities to go up. We shouldn't be surprised as
:10:09. > :10:11.to how well Joe Perry has been playing today and yesterday simply
:10:12. > :10:18.because he has played well this season and he has beaten mark Selby.
:10:19. > :10:22.This is fantastic, regardless of the last frame. Tomorrow, when they come
:10:23. > :10:26.out, it will be a tough ask for Ronnie to get back on level terms,
:10:27. > :10:29.because Joe will have got over the disappointment and he'll be back in
:10:30. > :10:33.the zone again tomorrow. It's a superb performance. After last
:10:34. > :10:37.season, in the World Championship, when nobody stretched Ronnie at all,
:10:38. > :10:41.you can't underestimate how good a performance it is by Joe. Can you
:10:42. > :10:46.call this one? I think John Parrott got it right. 9 - 7 is probably in
:10:47. > :10:50.the bookmakers' eyes is even money. I think it's set up very, very
:10:51. > :10:56.nicely. It is. We'll show you that match live at 10.00am, Saturday
:10:57. > :10:59.morning snooker. Joe Perry and Ronnie O'Sullivan, the third and
:11:00. > :11:08.final session. Do not miss it. Get up nice and early get a cup of tea.
:11:09. > :11:13.Join us. Next now to the other second-round match taking place this
:11:14. > :11:18.afternoon. Ken Doherty, 19197 wRleed champ taking on -- world champ
:11:19. > :11:25.taking on the last remaining Scottish player in this
:11:26. > :11:32.championship, Alan McManus. I've been a pro 20, 30 years, so the
:11:33. > :11:37.1990s were the glory years, or I made myself an OK player for
:11:38. > :11:40.probably a period of eight or ten years. I don't look back with
:11:41. > :11:44.regrets. Some of the finals that I did lose, I played great players and
:11:45. > :11:49.some of the finals I lost I played really well. Some of the finals I
:11:50. > :11:53.won I was poor, so I don't look at things like that and think or brood.
:11:54. > :12:01.I just get on with it. It's nice to be back playing a decent level and
:12:02. > :12:06.competing again. Alan McManus has certainly rolled back the years. He
:12:07. > :12:10.beats his good buddy. The bottom line is when you're a player you
:12:11. > :12:15.have to do your own job and try as best you can to forget who you are
:12:16. > :12:20.facing and I've done that all right against John. I was just happy to
:12:21. > :12:24.come through and still be there. Nine years ago it was quite amazing,
:12:25. > :12:27.when I think about it. I've had so many good battles with Ken in the
:12:28. > :12:30.past. We have played in the finals, albeit, that was back in the day and
:12:31. > :12:35.we both have big respect for each other's game. A lot of people think
:12:36. > :12:40.it's going to be maybe a long, drown-out game, but I don't think
:12:41. > :12:46.so. I've got a mindset and I want to attack the balls and when I get half
:12:47. > :12:49.a chance want to attack. I'll play semi-aggressive, I would say and I
:12:50. > :12:55.want to get in and score quickly. I'll try to up the pace a little
:12:56. > :13:00.when I get the chance. He found out it's the McKenzie clan tartan. We
:13:01. > :13:05.had a little conversation in a hotel a couple of months ago and if anyone
:13:06. > :13:09.gets to the Crucible we'll made get tartan trousers sorted out. Went
:13:10. > :13:13.into Glasgow city centre and found what I thought was a nice pair,
:13:14. > :13:17.maybe others don't, and away I went. I thought why not? It's a bit of
:13:18. > :13:29.fun. It's good for the crowd and fans, so why not?
:13:30. > :13:39.We are now going to take you live to The Crucible theatre and rejoin this
:13:40. > :13:45.match. Ken Doherty and Alan McManus. Over to Willie and Stephen.
:13:46. > :13:54.It's been excellent before the interval and a bit pedestrian since.
:13:55. > :13:58.Ken is the surprising factor and his safety has been nowhere near the
:13:59. > :14:01.formal standard and that's why Alan is in front.
:14:02. > :14:08.Yes. Ken's highest break is only 24. Alan dominated second, third and
:14:09. > :14:15.fourth frame and won the frames in one visit. Part of the game you
:14:16. > :14:21.expect Ken to excel at, it's been very poor. He's the weak link today.
:14:22. > :14:27.Consequently he's not been getting many chances and he's not found a
:14:28. > :14:48.ridge up at all -- ridge up at all. -- rhythm at all.
:14:49. > :14:56.The safety is quite difficult, rolling up to the reds. Ken can play
:14:57. > :15:01.the half-ball. He can't get behind the green, but he can get behind the
:15:02. > :15:05.brown or blue, whichever he decides what choice. Getting behind the
:15:06. > :15:07.brown and yellow off two cushions is the better thought because you've
:15:08. > :15:43.got to pick a target. It's interesting to hear the
:15:44. > :15:48.interview that he's going to play more aggressive. He was doing that
:15:49. > :15:52.in frames two, three and four. But since then the balls have gone
:15:53. > :15:59.scrappy. He's not been able to score and neither has Ken.
:16:00. > :16:05.Sometimes the ball dictates the way the game goes and now this frame has
:16:06. > :16:17.already been going over 23 minutes. And no signs of a finish any time
:16:18. > :16:20.soon. The players are known for their tactical game. They want to
:16:21. > :18:02.get on with it, but sometimes it's the way the frame turns out.
:18:03. > :18:08.He's underhit it to make sure knocking the green in wasn't an
:18:09. > :18:11.option. Ken will hope to definitely pot this. He doesn't have to worry
:18:12. > :18:54.about the cue ball because it's naturally going down no the area.
:18:55. > :19:08.Another chance of a pot for Ken Doherty in the corner.
:19:09. > :19:50.He's just really struggled today, Ken.
:19:51. > :19:56.Alan has gone off the boil a little bit as well. Perhaps he senses a
:19:57. > :19:59.chance to really stamp his authority on this match. A chance to lead 6 -
:20:00. > :20:27.2, 7-1. Another prime example of how poor
:20:28. > :20:30.Ken is cueing. If you get the jaws there's no problem playing at that
:20:31. > :20:33.speed, because it comes back into a safe position, but to not catch the
:20:34. > :20:44.jaws is very tough. He'll be really disappointed in how
:20:45. > :21:12.he's played. He was looking forward to being in the second round.
:21:13. > :21:17.A little bit of cheering from the crowd when a red goes in, but that's
:21:18. > :21:27.how this frame has gone and Ken smiling up to the crowd and it's
:21:28. > :21:34.what you feel like saying, "Does anybody want to grab the cue because
:21:35. > :21:54.I'm struggling?" That's what Ken is doing, struggling.
:21:55. > :22:17.Nicely controlled. Make sure you finish high on this black.
:22:18. > :22:23.If he's dead straight he can get on the red, unless he plays for a
:22:24. > :22:50.double and it's on the right-hand cushion.
:22:51. > :23:04.Just slightly underhit it. This red's on for Ken. 23 points behind.
:23:05. > :23:13.Something has got to happen and happen soon.
:23:14. > :23:47.He managed to avoid the red on the left side of the cushion.
:23:48. > :23:53.Once you miss the red you expect to leave the red on, but it's gone too
:23:54. > :23:56.far for a cut in the middle and not far to have a go at the one on the
:23:57. > :24:32.ball pocket. Good safety. Key to cover the loose
:24:33. > :25:10.red, which he has done. There are finger marks on the table
:25:11. > :25:26.that could make the cue ball roll off, but that was pretty good.
:25:27. > :25:35.This looks pretty good. Once across. Has it flicked in? That's his first
:25:36. > :25:37.fluke of the day, really. Certainly since the first frame when he fluked
:25:38. > :25:59.the first shot he played! 22 points in front, Alan. He could
:26:00. > :26:08.do with hitting one of these first shot. He doesn't want to give eight
:26:09. > :26:09.or 12 away. The lead is massive. He doesn't want to give more than four
:26:10. > :27:23.away, if he can help it. Foul and a miss. Look at the angle
:27:24. > :27:29.he is trying to come off. He could miss this another couple of times at
:27:30. > :27:34.least. It is not beyond the realms of possibility that Ken could be in
:27:35. > :27:51.front the next time he comes to the table.
:27:52. > :27:59.You see the way it is sliding off that third cushion, I don't think
:28:00. > :28:02.getting the two reds is on. You can play to the loose red, but he
:28:03. > :28:23.doesn't want to do that. I don't know what's happened. He has
:28:24. > :28:28.got the ball marker on the yellow. It is not touching ball. Why he
:28:29. > :28:36.would do that, I don't know. Maybe it is touching and he feels it is
:28:37. > :28:39.the only way he can get it to touch again and stop the yellow from
:28:40. > :28:53.moving. This is try number four. He played for the loose one this
:28:54. > :28:59.time and hit it poorly. Ken, you have got to get an angle on this
:29:00. > :29:14.black to move those two reds, or even the pink.
:29:15. > :29:48.He has over done it. Is he on the pink with an angle?
:29:49. > :29:58.This is not easy to get safe now. He would love the cue ball to go up
:29:59. > :30:13.behind the blue. He has fluked it again I think.
:30:14. > :31:23.Second prize, I think it has gone safe, so that is not too bad.
:31:24. > :31:42.Caught the safety much too thick. Red to the left centre.
:31:43. > :31:56.A decent pot, but is he on a colour. For the brown. He is still on the
:31:57. > :32:21.brown. The brown is the most obvious angle to get on the red.
:32:22. > :32:30.Maybe Ken's turn to get some points off a snooker. This one is not quite
:32:31. > :32:34.as difficult as Alan's one was. There is more room to get around the
:32:35. > :32:57.back of the blue. So this is a chance. McManus is
:32:58. > :33:04.leading by four points. A 40-minute frame.
:33:05. > :33:16.A good pot. Half ball pink, he will take the yellow. If not he can take
:33:17. > :33:21.the green. I don't know if he screw back off the pink. He is just having
:33:22. > :33:26.a look at the green now. He doesn't have the angle on the pink to do
:33:27. > :33:30.that. The only problem with going for the keen is you don't want to
:33:31. > :33:32.land straight on the yellow. Because you have to get back on the green
:33:33. > :33:47.again. In the end I'm not sure what pocket
:33:48. > :34:14.he played for the yellow there. Needs that cue ball to be tight on
:34:15. > :34:19.the brown to cut off the escape from the baulk cushion. There is a chance
:34:20. > :34:28.he could get a snooker back here. Oh, he has been lucky there. How has
:34:29. > :34:46.that blue not gone in? Ken has a sense of humour, but he is
:34:47. > :35:22.anything but laughing inside. He could get the white in behind the
:35:23. > :35:27.black. But he has hit it too thin to get both. But he knows where the
:35:28. > :35:39.blue is. It is worth the risk of getting the cue ball behind the
:35:40. > :36:23.black. Now, has he got it? Looks like it from here.
:36:24. > :36:41.Once again Alan has had a big slice of luck. He is ten in front. A bit
:36:42. > :36:45.of value in taking this on to be fair? You have to take the pot on
:36:46. > :37:03.somewhere, even if it is to the left centre.
:37:04. > :37:09.Thought he would take it on in the baulk pocket. He would have had a
:37:10. > :37:23.chance of getting away with it. Amazingly enough Ken's highest break
:37:24. > :37:27.in this match has only been 24. This clearance would give him the frame
:37:28. > :37:47.and his highest break of the match so far with 25. Could it happen?
:37:48. > :37:52.I'm always surprised when a player gets a cue ball cleaned at this
:37:53. > :38:07.stage. The brown safely in. The object ball
:38:08. > :38:14.is so far in the jaws of pocket like the blue is, it is difficult to get
:38:15. > :38:21.ideal position. And he wants an angle on the pink to get to the
:38:22. > :38:50.black. So by no means favourite to win the frame at this visit yet.
:38:51. > :39:04.It has finished pret which well -- wet pretty -- pretty well that.
:39:05. > :39:25.He is not happy with his bridge hand either.
:39:26. > :39:36.He only needed the pink. I thought he needed the black. Ken Doherty has
:39:37. > :39:40.won the frame and now trails 4-2. Ken needed that frame. I have been
:39:41. > :39:52.looking at the history books, these two started playing each other in
:39:53. > :39:57.1991. We heard Alan say he would be more aggressive. But sometimes you
:39:58. > :40:03.have to play the balls. McManus has been strong, but he has gone off the
:40:04. > :40:10.boil. Ken is a bit hurried on the back swing. We talked about Joe
:40:11. > :40:15.Perry's lazy back swing and pausing and then deliver. And Ken is
:40:16. > :40:20.pausing. But there is a lot of pressure and he is having a tough
:40:21. > :40:24.session. But he has got to up his game. Because the standard is
:40:25. > :40:30.lacking and he will be frustrated. Perhaps we shouldn't be surprised
:40:31. > :40:34.the average time is 26 minutes. If the players don't get the balls in
:40:35. > :40:38.the pockets, you never end up where they will end up. When both players
:40:39. > :40:43.are knocking them in, the Bams, the colours remain on their spots and
:40:44. > :40:48.the game follows patterns that the players are used to. Listen they go
:40:49. > :40:52.all over the place, you have -- when they go all over the place, you have
:40:53. > :40:58.to think about the shots. And they can make it difficul Ken would have
:40:59. > :41:02.been optimistic after an excellent win in the first round. It is a bit
:41:03. > :41:08.of an anticlimax in some respects the way he has played. I think the
:41:09. > :41:13.way to look at it is hang on in there. Because it is only one
:41:14. > :41:20.session out of three. For Alan McManus, he looks stronger
:41:21. > :41:25.generally. He is more comfortable with his game. But anything can
:41:26. > :41:30.change. Ken said this to us, he said he is so happy to be back at the
:41:31. > :41:35.Crucible and he is going to enjoy it. Yes, but at some stage the
:41:36. > :41:39.tension does hit. One minute you have nothing to lose. You win your
:41:40. > :41:45.first round match against the player that is supposed to beat you. And
:41:46. > :41:47.you get through that. Next match you're playing a player that you
:41:48. > :41:55.have a chance to beat. And perhaps the book makers make it evens. Make
:41:56. > :42:06.you favourite. Now the equation changes and you're not the unddog
:42:07. > :42:08.and you have to expect to win. Alan McManus leads. Let's rejoin our
:42:09. > :42:19.commentary team. Apologies for saying that Ken needed
:42:20. > :42:41.the black. But it was a long frame! In the end it Wurz a decent -- was a
:42:42. > :42:43.decent clearance. Obviously without the black. But will that give him a
:42:44. > :43:04.lift? There is a possibility they may get
:43:05. > :43:10.taken off. They need to start the next game before 20-past. That is
:43:11. > :43:53.not a good start for it being a quick frame.
:43:54. > :43:58.This looks a good line. The sort of safety shot you expect from Alan
:43:59. > :45:20.McManus. Similar to the other frames, apart
:45:21. > :45:42.from the middle three frames. Balls have gone safe again. Ken
:45:43. > :45:44.doesn't want to change the pattern of game, because he knows he is not
:45:45. > :46:02.cueing very well. He decided to bring the black into
:46:03. > :46:04.play, now that should quicken things up again and very nearly an
:46:05. > :46:36.excellent safety. Playing that shot with an element of
:46:37. > :46:53.safety. Ken just looking to see where he
:46:54. > :46:55.wants to put the cue ball. Sometimes you think, where would I not want to
:46:56. > :47:20.play from? He would love to find a way to get
:47:21. > :47:40.on that red on the black spot. The two reds together.
:47:41. > :47:48.If Ken was playing confidently, he would try and get on the pink. So he
:47:49. > :48:03.may decide to screw up for the blue or the black.
:48:04. > :48:09.Thinking about to screw back to leave the blue in the other pocket.
:48:10. > :48:15.That is asking a bit the way he has played today.
:48:16. > :48:21.Can he screw back enough on too this blue to get on to the reds either
:48:22. > :48:37.side of the black spot? He has got the black. He is trying
:48:38. > :48:49.to get on that. He is not quite on the black nicely.
:48:50. > :49:00.He tried to move the two reds that are on the black spot there. Now, he
:49:01. > :49:12.will be wishing he took the blue on. A straight blue to screw back.
:49:13. > :49:16.Look where the black has gone. The last colour he will be playing will
:49:17. > :49:40.be the black. Ken Doherty's last win over McManus
:49:41. > :49:45.was at the Welsh Open. If you want to continue watching this now it is
:49:46. > :50:01.available on the red button and online. And tonight we have Hawkins
:50:02. > :50:05.and Walden online. From all of us for now. Goodbye.