:00:33. > :00:38.Fellow and a very good morning to you and welcome to the Crucible
:00:39. > :00:42.Theatre. We have reached the second round of the 2016 Betfred World
:00:43. > :00:49.Snooker Championship. Mark Williams knows what it's like to win this
:00:50. > :00:52.trophy, of course. He has won it on two occasions. Read tournament he
:00:53. > :00:57.said he had no chance of winning the crown once again but now he says he
:00:58. > :01:03.is a tough man to beat. -- pretournament.
:01:04. > :01:09.Well, I call him my hero. You could not possibly meet a more
:01:10. > :01:13.down-to-earth guide than Mark Williams. He's probably the most
:01:14. > :01:17.relaxed player I've ever played. It takes his practice game into the
:01:18. > :01:28.tournament and if it's good enough, you wince. Mark Williams, I love
:01:29. > :01:33.him. He's so calm and so laid-back. If he was any more laid-back he
:01:34. > :01:39.would fall over. Always looks as if the game is just so easy to him. It
:01:40. > :01:48.makes you a little bit mad sometimes! If you look back and back
:01:49. > :01:57.to walk around the tournament... He looks like he is just having a
:01:58. > :02:01.scroll. -- a stroll. Funny, some great one-liners. He likes a bit of
:02:02. > :02:06.banter. Other there is one of the best ever. Doesn't take life too
:02:07. > :02:13.serious but probably one of the all-time greats. Great pity. --
:02:14. > :02:19.great pity his clothes aren't as good as his Snooker! Mark Williams,
:02:20. > :02:23.what can you say? It's a good thing he's a good snooker player! His
:02:24. > :02:31.dress sense is completely nonexistent! Well, Williams, the
:02:32. > :02:35.Welshman, looking pretty sharp this morning and making his 19th
:02:36. > :02:40.appearance at the Crucible, winning 47 matches here. Incredibly in the
:02:41. > :02:43.second round for the first time since 2012 will stop as for his
:02:44. > :02:49.opponent today, Michael Holt, who you just saw in that film saying he
:02:50. > :02:51.loves Mark Williams, knocked out the 2010 world champion Neil Robertson
:02:52. > :02:56.on his way to the second round and played very well indeed. He is in
:02:57. > :03:01.the second round for the first time since 2005. That is our first match
:03:02. > :03:05.on BBC Two for you this morning. On table two, the second session of
:03:06. > :03:12.Marco Fu against Anthony McGill, that is on the red button and the
:03:13. > :03:16.BBC Sport at. Marco Fu leads Anthony McGill 5-3. Look at the
:03:17. > :03:21.concentration on Anthony McGill's face. The players are ready. Let's
:03:22. > :03:28.join our MC, Rob Walker. Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. After
:03:29. > :03:33.six long days and six Long nights of action, we at last have our round-up
:03:34. > :03:40.for the second round here at the World Championship and by the end of
:03:41. > :03:43.tonight we will know the identity of the first player through to the
:03:44. > :03:44.quarterfinals. It's getting serious here in Sheffield!
:03:45. > :04:00.APPLAUSE Please welcome a young player who is
:04:01. > :04:04.clearly at home in the Crucible arena, knocking out Shaun Murphy en
:04:05. > :04:08.route to his second successive appearance in the last 16. The
:04:09. > :04:14.bigger the occasion, the longer the match, the more relaxed he appears!
:04:15. > :04:17.He will relish the challenge to come. He is Scotland's giant killer,
:04:18. > :04:39.Anthony McGill! And his opponent, making his seventh
:04:40. > :04:44.appearance in the second round here, he reached the one tables set up a
:04:45. > :04:48.decade ago. Winner of two ranking tournaments and a finalist at the
:04:49. > :04:52.Masters and the UK championship. On of the sport's most important
:04:53. > :05:01.ambassadors around the world. Ladies and gentlemen, raise the roof for
:05:02. > :05:10.the man from Hong Kong, Marco Fu! APPLAUSE
:05:11. > :05:19.And on table one, a hugely popular player who has just produced one of
:05:20. > :05:23.the most important victories of his 20 year career as a pro, knocking
:05:24. > :05:28.out former world champion Neil Robertson to make it into the second
:05:29. > :05:35.round for the first time in more than a decade. He is absolutely
:05:36. > :05:40.buzzing, he's the Hitman, he's Michael Holt!
:05:41. > :05:55.And his opponent, who also beat a former world champion in the first
:05:56. > :06:02.round, victory over Graeme Dott bringing him a 15th appearance in
:06:03. > :06:06.the last 16. Twice he's lifted the big one. 18 career ranking titles so
:06:07. > :06:10.far. One of the most laid-back characters on the circuit but he
:06:11. > :06:15.will fire it up this morning... Here comes Mark Williams!
:06:16. > :06:35.STUDIO So, it is Williams Holt on table one
:06:36. > :06:41.and that is live on BBC Two this morning. If you want the second
:06:42. > :06:46.session of the second round match between Marco Fu and Anthony McGill,
:06:47. > :06:49.that is an red button and the marvellous BBC Sport at. Let's say
:06:50. > :06:54.good morning to John Parrott and Steve Davis. We should say our best
:06:55. > :06:58.wishes to Dennis Taylor, who is recovering in a local hospital this
:06:59. > :07:02.morning after having his appendix out. Speedy recovery, Dennis.
:07:03. > :07:17.COMMENTATOR: Here here. We wish you all the best, DT, our good pal. This
:07:18. > :07:25.is unusual! It's usually a handshake, but that is a love- in!
:07:26. > :07:35.Yes, great camaraderie amongst the players. And I think this is a
:07:36. > :07:39.fascinating matchup. Both players very adept at around the snooker
:07:40. > :07:42.table but for Michael Holt, Mark Williams is obviously one of the
:07:43. > :07:45.cleverest players you can play against and Michael Holt has got to
:07:46. > :07:49.back up, which was the best result for me in the first round, anyone
:07:50. > :07:53.who beats Neil Robertson by ten frames to six at the Crucible has
:07:54. > :07:56.played exceptionally well. He will be looking to back that result up
:07:57. > :08:04.with a good performance against Mark.
:08:05. > :08:18.Yes, and a player, Michael Holt, currently working with Terry
:08:19. > :08:19.Griffiths in his corner. Mark Williams used to work with Terry
:08:20. > :08:32.Griffiths. He must have played well in the
:08:33. > :08:36.first round, Mark, because for him to say he played quite well, in the
:08:37. > :08:40.interview, that is about as excited as Mark gets about his performances.
:08:41. > :08:47.He did play well to beat Graeme Dott. Graeme Dott has been in three
:08:48. > :08:50.finals here at the Crucible, so to beat him as come principally as Mark
:08:51. > :08:53.did coming you must have played well. Touching ball, so mark will
:08:54. > :10:00.play away here. A long way away with that one.
:10:01. > :10:07.Pretty sure he stuck the red up as well. , first chance to Mark
:10:08. > :10:29.Williams. Got a chance here, he can play on a
:10:30. > :10:34.baulk colour here and leave a half ball shot on the brown or yellow and
:10:35. > :10:37.come down that way, or play of ski the blue. He decided it's going to
:10:38. > :10:45.be the blue, although he's hit that very poorly. It of a nervy one,
:10:46. > :10:50.that. The one place he didn't want to leave the cue ball was there.
:10:51. > :11:04.Trying to stun that a bit more over towards the side cushion.
:11:05. > :11:28.Beautifully struck. No need now, of course, to go into the pack of this.
:11:29. > :11:44.He has got four reds available. -- repack off this.
:11:45. > :11:52.Couldn't have asked for a better contact on the pack, after potting
:11:53. > :11:59.that brown. Whilst that shop is always available, off the baulk and
:12:00. > :12:09.side cushions, it's not easy to judge. Mark Williams very quickly
:12:10. > :12:14.seems to be into a bit of rhythm. Obviously the players practice on
:12:15. > :12:18.the tables at the back of the Crucible in the build-up to the
:12:19. > :12:23.match. It's still a bit different coming out of it -- coming out here
:12:24. > :12:34.in the opening frame. He hit that one quite poorly I
:12:35. > :12:42.think, John. Yeah, almost a dead white when he played that. Little
:12:43. > :12:48.reaction on it. Good recovery. Just needs another one now as well.
:12:49. > :12:54.Position required here, just to leave an opportunity to get into the
:12:55. > :12:58.pack again. Let's see which way he goes about it.
:12:59. > :13:15.Could drop it in slowly, I think he could perhaps get around the back of
:13:16. > :13:16.the black. Perhaps he's playing down for a baulk colour, the way he lined
:13:17. > :13:30.up there. That's a clever option as well,
:13:31. > :13:34.wasn't it, John? He has ended up in the worst place. He had a look
:13:35. > :13:42.beforehand, trying to get a half ball on the green to be able to go
:13:43. > :13:48.into the pack. He can't do it now. He didn't want to play the very slow
:13:49. > :13:58.roll into the corner pocket. He wanted to hit the ball firmer. It
:13:59. > :14:03.looks like end of break here. So, with a 40 point lead, do you put a
:14:04. > :14:09.ball safe? I don't think he's ever going to get onto a red here, so the
:14:10. > :14:17.insurance policy... Nothing wrong with that, Steve, I would be a big
:14:18. > :14:23.fan of that shot. If he doesn't put Debaltseve, I feel it would be a
:14:24. > :14:33.mistake. -- if he doesn't put a ball safe. I'm with you, I would like to
:14:34. > :14:37.be putting the green safe. Don't worry about the cue ball here
:14:38. > :14:42.because you're not going to leave anything. Just put the green on the
:14:43. > :14:49.side cushion or the top cushion. Interesting, I think it was better
:14:50. > :14:55.to go to the side. A few options here. He could put the brown -- he
:14:56. > :15:03.could have put the brown safe on the side cushion, got the rest out. That
:15:04. > :15:07.green is not safe, not at all. Yeah, and that was the priority with that
:15:08. > :15:11.shot, wasn't it? I said ignore the cue ball because it wasn't
:15:12. > :15:16.important, it was just important to get an object ball safe. Anyway, we
:15:17. > :15:32.will see if it happens later in the frame.
:15:33. > :15:50.Chance for Michael Holt to open the reds up. He needs to be careful he
:15:51. > :15:53.doesn't believe that left red out. OK, he hasn't covered the path back
:15:54. > :16:00.to baulk down the right-hand side of the table but he has stopped Mark
:16:01. > :16:05.Williams from attempting a pot into the left-hand corner pocket.
:16:06. > :16:09.Potential plant here but I don't think it will go anywhere near come
:16:10. > :16:13.he would have to hit it too thin. Didn't really come round to look at
:16:14. > :16:20.it, probably felt he would have to hit it too hard. Other balls are all
:16:21. > :16:24.open, aren't they? It looks like a long, straight red. If he stands
:16:25. > :16:28.this in he will have position on the black and after those few safety
:16:29. > :16:31.shots, these reds are always open. Didn't get that eagerly close with
:16:32. > :16:42.his first attempt at a long red, what will he do here? Oh! Well, he
:16:43. > :16:47.has hit it and potted it but look at the White. That is massive. If he
:16:48. > :16:52.had just got that cue ball there, that would have been a great chance.
:16:53. > :17:00.He can certainly get the green off the cushion, if he feels it is
:17:01. > :17:03.advantageous. If the green were tight on the cushion, I think he
:17:04. > :17:15.would probably have played the green, but I think he feels it is
:17:16. > :17:20.quite pottable from there. Is he going to try and sneak in behind the
:17:21. > :17:26.green? Well, whatever that was, it wasn't that, the double-kiss. He did
:17:27. > :17:29.have a chance that actually. As it has turned out, it has forced Mark
:17:30. > :17:58.Williams into a more containing safety shot.
:17:59. > :18:06.He has got a 41 point lead, Mark, but the way these balls are
:18:07. > :18:13.auditioned on the table, it's not as big a lead as you would think. One
:18:14. > :18:21.good pot from Michael all a mistake from Mark...
:18:22. > :18:34.A bit risky, that shot. He would be glad to see it get the bump on the
:18:35. > :18:40.middle pocket. But a good pot from Mark Williams...
:18:41. > :18:49.Now! Chance, Michael Holt. An expected miss from Mark Williams,
:18:50. > :18:58.this. Can he make the counter clearance? A statement of intent
:18:59. > :19:03.early in the match, if he can. Could have ended up better for Michael
:19:04. > :19:38.Holt. He is between two reds. Well, it's not an easy pot on this
:19:39. > :19:42.green, these can be missed, but it's a natural angle to come back down
:19:43. > :19:47.the table. One good pot here should put him in a strong position. And
:19:48. > :19:49.Mark Williams didn't put that green safe before and already it has had a
:19:50. > :20:07.bearing in this frame. Yes, sticking the green to the
:20:08. > :20:11.right-hand side cushion, as Michael Holt is a right-hander, would have
:20:12. > :20:24.been far more ideal. Yes, it's not really like Mark to
:20:25. > :20:30.miss a trick, is it? But he certainly did, there. Well, Mark
:20:31. > :20:36.Williams will be assessing the table, hoping for one or two things,
:20:37. > :20:45.even early nerves or tension in his opponent... Or the fact that the
:20:46. > :20:52.yellow is not as well-placed as it would be if it were on its spot.
:20:53. > :21:05.Michael Holt showed fantastic form and nerve in his first round match.
:21:06. > :21:12.Yes, his level of ability has never been in question with Michael, but
:21:13. > :21:17.he may have lost position there. If he has, that's a stinker. Perhaps
:21:18. > :21:24.just a bit of adrenaline, overhit the shot. Definitely doesn't go. So,
:21:25. > :21:40.a long red. APPLAUSE
:21:41. > :21:44.Particularly good when you know you have made a mess of the positional
:21:45. > :21:52.shot beforehand, because he shouldn't have had to take that. I
:21:53. > :21:56.was thinking that was the red you should be leaving till last, to deal
:21:57. > :21:57.with the tricky yellow. Ideally that Redwood have been the last one to
:21:58. > :22:06.play. But this is a good shot. On this side of the table, ideally,
:22:07. > :22:27.all three reds go. As it turned out, a good confidence
:22:28. > :22:34.builder, that long red. Can he hold himself together?
:22:35. > :22:40.Similar sort of shot to the one he had before, made sure he stayed low
:22:41. > :22:48.there so he didn't snigger himself on it. No excuses from here. But
:22:49. > :22:52.other than the circumstances of it being the opening frame at the
:22:53. > :23:19.Crucible. If he were in the club, he wouldn't be missing these all day.
:23:20. > :23:28.OK, Steve, where would you like to finish here? Well, obviously he can
:23:29. > :23:32.just screw up to a level perhaps just past the blue line and leave
:23:33. > :23:37.himself the shot with the rest. Or he could try it in the right middle
:23:38. > :23:46.pocket. That's what he's played and his overhit it! -- he has overhit
:23:47. > :23:51.it. But he has got it in the corner, though. I would fancy him knocking
:23:52. > :23:55.this in but I think I would be with you there, just to guarantee
:23:56. > :24:03.position. If you play with the rest, you've got to be on the green. I
:24:04. > :24:04.still expect a him to knock this in but it's not as easy as it could
:24:05. > :24:26.have been. That was a fantastic shot. He played
:24:27. > :24:32.that the right way. If he stands it in, he's further away from the green
:24:33. > :24:39.with angle. He committed totally to rolling that in. That tells me he is
:24:40. > :24:40.feeling pretty good about his game, because that was the shot of a
:24:41. > :24:56.confident man. Terrible contact. And it has left
:24:57. > :25:00.the blue awkward, but... I've got to say, other than that he would have
:25:01. > :25:06.been over the line guaranteed. I'm sure he will still get this. This is
:25:07. > :25:11.as good as I have seen Michael Holt around the table. I know it's early
:25:12. > :25:17.in this match. His demeanour is fabulous, isn't it? It was the other
:25:18. > :25:21.day, against Neil Robertson. At the risk of repeating myself, he's
:25:22. > :25:31.always had the talent. Just never showed the public at the Crucible
:25:32. > :25:54.what he's capable of. Is it there? Ooh! Top jaw, but it is.
:25:55. > :26:41.REFEREE: Michael Holt, 61. APPLAUSE
:26:42. > :26:50.20 points is a big ask for two snookers, where this is concerned.
:26:51. > :27:00.The black is not in a bad spot, it has to be said. Mark Williams led by
:27:01. > :27:04.41 points in that frame. But Michael Holt with a terrific contribution
:27:05. > :27:11.takes the first frame. More of this please, boys. 1-0 to Michael Holt.
:27:12. > :27:15.Yes, and we see this shot here, John, which was really a pivotal
:27:16. > :27:20.shot in many ways. Mark Williams has decided he's going to put the green
:27:21. > :27:23.safe to the baulk cushion. We suggested that possibly a better
:27:24. > :27:29.place to put the green was somewhere up this side cushion. He could have
:27:30. > :27:33.possibly put the yellow safe on to the left-hand side cushion, as we
:27:34. > :27:37.look, but of course the problem with that is for the right-hander the
:27:38. > :27:43.yellow is more gettable, easy to get to. He could easily have put the
:27:44. > :27:50.brown to the side cushion as well. The cue ball would then go over into
:27:51. > :27:56.the middle of the table, but the balls were all safe. It was a
:27:57. > :28:00.strange one to play that way. It's unusual to see anybody play it that
:28:01. > :28:05.way. I'm with you, put it on the side cushion, you keep it nice and
:28:06. > :28:07.safe and that eventually this happens, Michael Holt gets good
:28:08. > :28:13.position, the green isn't tied on the cushion and it's a natural angle
:28:14. > :28:15.to come down. If he plays the green tide on the cushion, he's not
:28:16. > :28:25.guaranteed to put it. So, Mark Williams breaking off in
:28:26. > :28:34.the second frame, 1-0 behind, after looking in pretty good form himself.
:28:35. > :28:35.Overhit that break-up shot by a fair distance and has given Michael Holt
:28:36. > :29:02.a tempter. Nice pot. There you go, that was the
:29:03. > :29:07.distance. Beautifully struck. Straight in the centre of the pocket
:29:08. > :29:12.and there is a red in the bottom which does pot. -- at the bottom of
:29:13. > :29:31.the pack. Well played. That was made to look a
:29:32. > :29:35.lot easier than it was. He has a great cue action, Michael Holt. We
:29:36. > :29:39.talk about other players with a good cue action but he has a solid cue
:29:40. > :29:49.action. Here's a shot coming up, would you play the top spin on the
:29:50. > :29:54.black disc into the pack? The good thing about the top spin shot is
:29:55. > :29:59.that the cue ball doesn't get stuck in the pack. This is more guaranteed
:30:00. > :30:05.to get the cue ball perhaps back for the blue. He played it so well, he
:30:06. > :30:10.played it with a bit of side spin, fantastic shot. A bit of reverse
:30:11. > :30:13.side here. Normally the cue ball comes back up the table but it
:30:14. > :30:18.checks back towards the black. Beautiful shot.
:30:19. > :30:41.It makes the pot so much harder, and missable, if you play it with side
:30:42. > :30:49.spin. Got a kick there he feels. There is a mark on the black. And it
:30:50. > :30:53.jumped off the spot, didn't it? He looked confident against Neil
:30:54. > :30:55.Robertson. But I would imagine beating Neil Robertson has given him
:30:56. > :31:13.a bit more confidence. He has never really shone at the
:31:14. > :31:18.Crucible, Michael Holt. 2005 you have to go back to for the last time
:31:19. > :31:31.he was in the second round, which is quite amazing for somebody of his
:31:32. > :31:37.talent. Fantastic cue power. It was very difficult to open the pack up.
:31:38. > :31:42.A stunned shop would have not done too much damage, so he tried to make
:31:43. > :31:54.something work with a lot of back spin. Just a safety shot now.
:31:55. > :31:58.Championship 2005, he lost in the second round to some bloke called
:31:59. > :32:10.Davis, have you ever heard of him? Yeah, and he should have beaten me.
:32:11. > :32:18.This is not a nice safety shot for Mark Williams. Not guaranteed to get
:32:19. > :32:27.the cue ball back down the table into a nice place. So he's playing a
:32:28. > :32:32.containing shot. There's a lot of players wouldn't have spotted that.
:32:33. > :32:36.He's a clever player, Mark Williams. Sometimes you are just in trouble
:32:37. > :32:40.and all you can do is play the containing shot. You realise you are
:32:41. > :32:45.going to be down the table for the other one, but you can't always
:32:46. > :32:48.pre-empt what your opponent is going to do and they are not necessarily
:32:49. > :32:54.guaranteed to play a great shock when they do it. So I think
:32:55. > :33:09.containing shots have a purpose -- play a great shot.
:33:10. > :33:14.Little bit fortunate to finish where he did. He was probably just trying
:33:15. > :34:09.to line it up. Good line. Well spotted by Michael Holt. Fairly
:34:10. > :34:13.bog-standard sort of angles around the table that more or less
:34:14. > :34:21.guarantee the tubal goes into the pack of the reds. -- the cue ball
:34:22. > :34:33.goes into. But you've still got to know the shops. -- the shots. Can't
:34:34. > :34:38.really do too much with this. Could just tap into the back of the pack.
:34:39. > :34:44.There is no real advantage here, is there? No. If he tries to get away
:34:45. > :34:52.from the reds, he sacrifices the safety advantage. There's always the
:34:53. > :34:56.chance of a touching ball when you do that, which is sacrificing the
:34:57. > :35:02.safety advantage. You've got to be careful sometimes. But it's not
:35:03. > :35:08.going to be easy for Mark Williams to put Michael Holt in massive
:35:09. > :35:14.trouble from this situation. You more or less knew you would be stuck
:35:15. > :35:35.on the Walker cushion. Tricky safety shot -- the baulk cushion.
:35:36. > :35:44.Well there is an outside chance of a pot, to screw across the face of the
:35:45. > :35:51.pack for the black, but needs a lot of cue power. It was a very risky
:35:52. > :35:58.shot even if it was on, I'm not absolutely sure that the angle was
:35:59. > :36:00.there. At the moment I don't think Mark Williams has got the pace of
:36:01. > :36:21.the table as well as Michael Holt. A lot of players playing the theme
:36:22. > :36:27.shot with a little bit of run inside, because these balls are so
:36:28. > :36:32.reactive. If you catch anything that you can promote one to the corner
:36:33. > :36:37.pocket quite easily. He can see something, Mark. I don't think there
:36:38. > :36:42.is a plant on. He's checking, where he hit this outside red, where it
:36:43. > :37:03.goes off the black, does it tie up the black?
:37:04. > :37:11.Got a kick, there, did he? That's certainly not what he wanted to
:37:12. > :37:14.play. He was trying to play that a bit thinner. Pushing that read to
:37:15. > :37:21.the corner pocket. He would have known it was on. He has got away
:37:22. > :37:26.with it -- push in that red to the corner pocket. For all the skilful
:37:27. > :37:34.play these players have, you can't beat a bit of luck. Miss hit that
:37:35. > :37:39.one. Can't see it. Maybe Mark is just going to try and cover it
:37:40. > :37:44.somehow. Whether he can leave a little cut, he could leave the cue
:37:45. > :37:50.ball in the top pocket on the other side but that then may cut in.
:37:51. > :37:56.Awkward, Steve. Yeah, at first glance it doesn't look to have a
:37:57. > :38:01.safety shot. I suppose he could try to get the cue ball on the left hand
:38:02. > :38:10.side cushion, perhaps that would cover everything. But he's committed
:38:11. > :38:14.to get out of this in a more conventional way. You've got to say
:38:15. > :38:21.it's a great shot from Mark Williams. Couldn't have played that
:38:22. > :38:39.any better. We mentioned he was clever, there's an example.
:38:40. > :38:54.Half a revolution on that ball, it was big trouble. He can see this
:38:55. > :39:00.outside red, now. There you go, Powell.
:39:01. > :39:06.Great safety shot from Mark Williams, he knew if he played a
:39:07. > :39:12.shame there was a chance that red would go over the corner pocket.
:39:13. > :39:17.Four cushion safety avoiding collisions with all colours. Superb.
:39:18. > :39:23.To crush an escape from Michael Holt, here. Seems to be a bit wide.
:39:24. > :39:30.Got a big bounce off the cushion, there. And he got the gap. Can you
:39:31. > :39:52.believe it? Wasn't his fault. Just sneaked through the get and got
:39:53. > :40:02.a ping off the side cushion. Ideally Mark Wood try to get position. It
:40:03. > :40:10.seems to have pinged off discussion. Massive bounce, yeah -- this
:40:11. > :40:38.cushion. If he can get that away, this is a good chance. Well played.
:40:39. > :40:56.Lovely touch. Seems to drop balls in, float them in.
:40:57. > :41:17.Twice a champion here at the Crucible. But he wasn't a champion
:41:18. > :41:28.by missing those. Seemed to be a bit tight on that shot. Not hurry it,
:41:29. > :41:39.but some head movement, perhaps feeling the pressure. Doesn't you
:41:40. > :41:43.lease -- he doesn't usually show signs of that. We mentioned him
:41:44. > :41:46.being laid-back. But all the players feel it, bit of pressure, feel the
:41:47. > :42:02.tension, because they want to win. The interesting thing is, Mark
:42:03. > :42:08.Roberts Williams probably assumed he would be playing Neil Robertson.
:42:09. > :42:11.Some psychological changes. You feel as though from previous experience
:42:12. > :42:18.he should beat Michael Holt, so puts more pressure on himself. Yes, made
:42:19. > :42:24.favourite for this match to beat Michael. If that means anything.
:42:25. > :42:33.You've still got to go and do it. But yeah, you can sort of get
:42:34. > :42:39.yourself geared up, can't you? Good shot, there. Yeah, he made that look
:42:40. > :42:45.a lot easier than it was. Pretty straight on that blue. I think one
:42:46. > :42:55.of the big advantages Michael Holt has got, is he can hit the ball very
:42:56. > :42:58.hard, with not too much effort. Just having a look, there, whether
:42:59. > :43:05.Michael can drop the red in Nonda left side. He's got one in the
:43:06. > :43:09.middle. -- on the left-hand side. The that could be the shot that
:43:10. > :43:16.could open this up. Hasn't really looked at it as an option, yet. He
:43:17. > :43:23.could have everything to look at if he gets in tight. Another kick but
:43:24. > :43:30.he's got the cue ball the right side of the blue. Of course he can win it
:43:31. > :43:34.improves. The trouble is you are always trying to get the right place
:43:35. > :43:42.on the blue, the right side of it -- of course he can win it in blues.
:43:43. > :43:56.You can always come unstuck coming back up for a red, going back down
:43:57. > :44:01.for a blue. Bit like a practice scenario. You would keep playing
:44:02. > :44:08.read up for blue, just a practice routine. -- red up for blue. Because
:44:09. > :44:13.just like in this instance, it can happen. You only have to go to hit
:44:14. > :44:25.it a fraction, it makes the position harder. Easy for me to say. Nicely
:44:26. > :44:32.judged. Now he's got a two collection stunt. Very difficult to
:44:33. > :44:41.control for perfect position on the blue. It may be able to play it top
:44:42. > :44:45.spin, I'm not sure. No problem touching book he's playing away from
:44:46. > :44:55.the one he's touching, it will not move. If it did it would be a foul
:44:56. > :45:08.shot. That was well struck. Very good.
:45:09. > :45:16.Once again, a bit further down the table for comfortable position. So
:45:17. > :45:25.back spin to try to slow the cue ball down a bit. Didn't want Matt
:45:26. > :45:34.Fleck on the road. But we'll settle for it. Good news, the flick was a
:45:35. > :45:42.thin one -- he didn't want that flick on the red. It has turned out
:45:43. > :45:55.to be pretty good. Hit that well, really did. Yeah, that positional
:45:56. > :46:00.shot could be frame when. -- frame-winner. Two more reds
:46:01. > :46:41.required. Fly off the cushion. Only way he
:46:42. > :46:50.could get on the pink, Steve. Couple of reasons why the cushions can
:46:51. > :46:54.bounce. At certain times it depends on the conditions perhaps in the
:46:55. > :46:59.room. Sometimes chalk on the cue ball between ball and cushion can
:47:00. > :47:06.play a part. Sometimes if the nap of the cloth is up, that can also make
:47:07. > :47:13.a difference. It is actually perfect ball, if he knocks this in, natural
:47:14. > :47:25.angle to come over for the two reds. Worked out all right, didn't it?
:47:26. > :47:53.Shotframe ball. Butchered it, but got it. Wipe wiped
:47:54. > :48:01.its feet, that one. He can play the blue. Just onto the side cushion.
:48:02. > :48:06.Doesn't have to do much with the cue ball. I always think these are
:48:07. > :48:10.important parts of the Merc with a Mouth, you have got past the winning
:48:11. > :48:21.-- I always think these are important parts of the frame. You
:48:22. > :48:28.have got past the winning line, knocked the next one in and put it
:48:29. > :48:36.to bed. Yeah, awkward cueing. He didn't want to do too much with the
:48:37. > :48:50.cue ball. This is very impressive from Michael Holt, it really is. Pot
:48:51. > :48:51.success of 98%, that will work. Another rubbish connection between
:48:52. > :49:14.balls. Obviously got a bit of work to do,
:49:15. > :49:20.51 points behind. Got to pop the black, obviously. At least he knows
:49:21. > :49:31.the first snooker is going to be quite easy. Welcomer he's not out of
:49:32. > :49:34.this yet, because if he can play a good snooker behind the black, get
:49:35. > :49:41.the red somewhere near a baulk colour, he's got free ball options.
:49:42. > :50:52.Didn't want the kiss on the green, though.
:50:53. > :51:00.Mark Williams thought that was enough. Hugely impressive start from
:51:01. > :51:05.Michael Holt, he's taken the second frame as well and he leads 2-0.
:51:06. > :51:13.John, just getting back to that shot. The Mark Williams, sorry, the
:51:14. > :51:17.Mark Williams shocked when he played that black, from my perspective, a
:51:18. > :51:25.little bit tight. -- Mark Williams shot. Seemed a little bit like, he
:51:26. > :51:31.didn't quit on it, but had more body movement, as if he was nervous.
:51:32. > :51:38.There's been a couple of bounces off the top cushion. He's coming for the
:51:39. > :51:45.loose red. He might be thinking, if I get a big bounce, I will be out of
:51:46. > :51:51.position. If he'd had a funny bounce somewhere, sometimes that can change
:51:52. > :52:01.your shot. Yeah. And going back to the moment where Michael Holt got a
:52:02. > :52:09.big bounce off the cushion, we had discussed actually, John, at board
:52:10. > :52:12.level, along the way, that the possibilities for a referee in
:52:13. > :52:20.between frames... You see it comes off this next cushion, it flies off.
:52:21. > :52:26.The referee, in between frames, very quickly, with a piece of cloth, to
:52:27. > :52:30.go around the cushions, not a brush, but just like the cushions with a
:52:31. > :52:36.piece of cloth to calm them down and get rid of any chalk. Certainly
:52:37. > :52:44.would help with that one. Interesting suggestion. Might be
:52:45. > :52:49.worth trialling it. Wouldn't take a lot of time, only walking round the
:52:50. > :52:53.table once. Michael Holt breaks off in frame three, and it's a shocker.
:52:54. > :53:18.He's completely mis-hit it. But it's not the worst.
:53:19. > :53:32.There is the break off. The Kuwait in the air. Player knows immediately
:53:33. > :53:36.he has not hit it right. I do think Mark Williams is hitting the ball
:53:37. > :53:48.very well at the moment. This looks to be wonderful.
:53:49. > :53:57.Going back to that first frame, that one tactical decision and all of a
:53:58. > :54:02.sudden youth got yourself on the back foot. It can set the tone for a
:54:03. > :54:07.match. You know as well as anybody the first frame is important in a
:54:08. > :54:16.match. Massively important. Just not putting that green safe. Yeah, OK,
:54:17. > :54:30.there's a lot of shots that you could say if sand buts about them
:54:31. > :54:35.all. -- ifs and buts. Clever route looks like he's going to be able to
:54:36. > :55:04.play the shot correctly. With a couple more efforts.
:55:05. > :55:32.Missed a chance, there. OK, he's still got a very good cue ball, not
:55:33. > :55:41.easy to cue it from there, but could have had him a little bit further
:55:42. > :55:45.over. He's still not settled down now, Mark Williams. Just not
:55:46. > :56:05.catching the safety shots correctly. Obviously a long way to go, best of
:56:06. > :56:07.25, so plenty of time to recover. But it's always nice to get off to a
:56:08. > :56:31.flying start. Maybe a shot to nothing here for
:56:32. > :56:42.Michael. Quick look in the corner. Cue ball will go down somewhere that
:56:43. > :56:48.he is pointing now. Not quite thin enough. Thought it was worth having
:56:49. > :57:06.a go at. Chance for Mark Williams, now. I'm
:57:07. > :57:12.with you, though, Steve. I don't think he has settled, has he? And he
:57:13. > :57:18.has missed that by a mile. Well, he was looking good in the first Merc
:57:19. > :57:22.with a Mouth, but he has an settled -- he was looking good in the first
:57:23. > :57:30.frame, but he has an settled himself. This is not a gilt-edged
:57:31. > :57:32.chance for Michael Holt. He's got his cue arm going, now, so expect
:57:33. > :57:53.some points on the board. Don't know whether he has just
:57:54. > :58:00.overhit that. Needed to be shorter with the cue ball to leave the
:58:01. > :58:09.natural angle. He has come relatively bowled straight, there.
:58:10. > :58:30.Bit more pressure on this pink. Hit it with top spin. There is some real
:58:31. > :58:33.authority with his cueing. Right in the middle of the white as well.
:58:34. > :58:45.Everything is in the middle of the pocket. Great strike, that was.
:58:46. > :59:01.Looks like he can screw back, get this cue ball back for the blue. How
:59:02. > :59:08.well has he hit that with the rest? Absolutely perfect. Timed it to
:59:09. > :59:14.perfection. He'd like one of these big colours into play as quickly as
:59:15. > :59:28.possible. It's not clear cut how he's going to do that at the moment.
:59:29. > :59:37.Bit shy of pace. Don't know if he can use a red. To open the bunch up
:59:38. > :59:40.after potting this. Otherwise he's got to play a pretty deep power
:59:41. > :59:48.screw back to get the right side of the blue again. It's a bit of a
:59:49. > :00:01.stretch. Not the tallest player, Michael.
:00:02. > :00:10.Well, great effort. Fantastic effort. He did brilliantly well. I
:00:11. > :00:14.don't know if he knew he was going to hit the black, perhaps he felt he
:00:15. > :00:19.would hit the red and open up a few balls. But he made sure with the top
:00:20. > :00:24.spin he got the cue ball out into open play to keep the break going.
:00:25. > :00:29.Still tight at the top. If he could come down the table, there is the
:00:30. > :00:33.red on the top cushion, he could come down the right-hand side and
:00:34. > :00:36.try to land the cue ball on the cushion. That might be a place to go
:00:37. > :00:49.to, if he wants. That is the red that we are thinking
:00:50. > :00:56.about. If he can get past the green, he may choose to play up and down.
:00:57. > :01:00.That might be the one I would be thinking about for keeping the break
:01:01. > :01:07.going. Well, he's played it that way. I don't really see the value in
:01:08. > :01:16.it that way. Well, there's possibly a more advantageous red to open the
:01:17. > :01:20.whole thing up near the black spot, from that side. He is a bit too
:01:21. > :01:25.close to the cushion to make this comfortable. If he had been about
:01:26. > :01:29.six inches off the cushion, he could have parted the red next to the
:01:30. > :01:37.black as we see it on our TV screens and opened it all up. Now there's
:01:38. > :01:41.pressure on this. I would fancy him more for this if it was absolutely
:01:42. > :01:45.guaranteed a natural angle to get position. But there is a bit of
:01:46. > :01:50.trickiness involved with the cue ball to get position. These can be
:01:51. > :01:57.missed. You've almost just got to concentrate on making the pot and
:01:58. > :02:05.hoping it works for you. And that is why he missed it. Because it was
:02:06. > :02:16.fraught with, not danger, but a great degree of difficulty.
:02:17. > :02:22.Players don't really like the uncertainty of a shot like that,
:02:23. > :02:28.they like to know that they are guaranteeing themselves position.
:02:29. > :02:35.Now, Mark... Well, he didn't want the cue ball there. I was just about
:02:36. > :02:48.to say you've got to start putting a feud -- potting a few. Well, this is
:02:49. > :02:58.horrible. He may be better cutting his losses here. Although the yellow
:02:59. > :03:06.is cuttable. Not a great time to sneeze, was it? Probably needs to
:03:07. > :03:07.put a bit of side spin on this to avoid the enough on the right
:03:08. > :03:24.centre. It makes the pot harder. Well, is not going his way this
:03:25. > :03:28.morning. He's not got going. But the first positional shot, he will be
:03:29. > :03:33.kicking himself. Pretty tricky, but those yellows. This just shows you,
:03:34. > :03:42.championship pockets, even though it was going at that pace, in the jaws,
:03:43. > :03:47.it couldn't drop in. Michael Holt can't believe it! Not only did he
:03:48. > :03:54.miss the yellow but he couldn't have left him any better. Brilliant
:03:55. > :03:58.chance for 3-0, this. Got to solve a couple of problems around the black
:03:59. > :04:07.spot area, but you would expect him to negotiate these pretty easily.
:04:08. > :04:11.He's already got a 30 point lead and the way the reds are positioned, no
:04:12. > :04:17.great problem for somebody of Michael's capabilities. I think he
:04:18. > :04:21.got off to a flying start against Neil Robertson, won the first three.
:04:22. > :04:29.Quick out of the blocks is very nice to have in your armoury.
:04:30. > :04:36.He can play a little screw shot here and give himself options is around
:04:37. > :04:42.the red on the left or the red on the right. The cue ball played in
:04:43. > :04:53.exactly that spot, so he has a choice. This really is a fabulous
:04:54. > :04:58.chance. Needs to get to 69 points. And there's a very good chance he
:04:59. > :05:10.will. Put it this way, he will be disappointed if he doesn't.
:05:11. > :05:22.It's pretty hard at the moment to lose position.
:05:23. > :05:33.From Mark Williams's perspective, is only a missed pot -- only a missed
:05:34. > :05:44.pot or a bad contact is how he's going to get back in.
:05:45. > :05:54.Nice shot. 54 ahead, you can see. Nice little shop he played there,
:05:55. > :05:59.just disc done up for the pink. All screws and stuns here, the cue ball
:06:00. > :06:06.doesn't need to move very much. And assuming Michael Holt does get this
:06:07. > :06:10.frame on the board, a very important next frame and one that perhaps has
:06:11. > :06:16.some significance, pressure wise, even for Michael Holt. There is a
:06:17. > :06:25.bit of pressure on the play in front at 3-0 to push on for 4-0. Yes, the
:06:26. > :06:29.stupid psychology of our wonderful game, isn't it! You get in front and
:06:30. > :06:36.start feeling the pressure. -- the snooker psychology. We've seen some
:06:37. > :06:37.players leading and then getting a bit anxious and stop doing what
:06:38. > :07:18.they've done. Well, there's no doubt about it,
:07:19. > :07:24.this is the best I've seen Michael Holt play. His demeanour, his
:07:25. > :07:29.attitude around the table, the way he's striking the ball. He's looking
:07:30. > :07:34.like the surprise package of this year's championship. Been around a
:07:35. > :07:39.long time, so it's odd to say surprise package, but he has never
:07:40. > :07:46.really fulfil his potential, despite having all this talent, at this is
:07:47. > :08:21.what he can play like. -- but this is.
:08:22. > :08:30.APPLAUSE He can't miss!
:08:31. > :08:34.He's going to play a run through and just nudge the red off the cushion
:08:35. > :09:01.here. Fabulous stuff. APPLAUSE
:09:02. > :09:05.Mark Williams is up against it here. It is Michael Holt who's looking
:09:06. > :09:10.very impressive and aggressive, and he races into a 3-0 lead top yellow
:09:11. > :09:15.fantastic performance by Michael Holt in the first week at the
:09:16. > :09:19.Crucible. And he has got Mark Williams cold at the moment.
:09:20. > :09:26.Take a look at this shot from Mark Williams. While we are having a look
:09:27. > :09:33.at the situation, he's got all types of positions on the table he can get
:09:34. > :09:37.the cue ball to. Where can he leave the cue ball there, Steve? A load of
:09:38. > :09:45.places he could try to leave the cue ball.
:09:46. > :09:53.Let me show you where he could possibly play this, cue ball wise.
:09:54. > :10:00.There, there, there, there, there, there, there... There or there, for
:10:01. > :10:07.position. So he had one or two options? He had a few options, but
:10:08. > :10:13.he decided to play there! And basically once you've decided to
:10:14. > :10:18.play there, you can't pot the brown, he was struggling on a yellow which
:10:19. > :10:22.was thin and he had to take it on. I thought this was OK. A couple of the
:10:23. > :10:28.players have been saying the pockets were a bit generous, but that
:10:29. > :10:34.grabbed in the pocket. Very close, but... And now of course this is a
:10:35. > :10:37.massive frame. Got to get this and at least you are only two behind at
:10:38. > :10:41.the interval if you're Mark Williams. If you are four behind,
:10:42. > :10:45.it's important stuff. REFEREE: Frame four, Mark Williams
:10:46. > :11:00.to break. So, Mark Williams breaks off in this
:11:01. > :11:06.fourth frame. As yet, he hasn't seemed to have settled down,
:11:07. > :11:12.catching a lot of shots length of the table either thick or thin. Even
:11:13. > :11:20.with that break off, he must have thought that a bit thick for the red
:11:21. > :11:28.to come down the table, John. Yes, that's a poor one from Michael. He
:11:29. > :11:32.shouldn't have been leaving Mark this chance. This is very important
:11:33. > :11:40.for Mark Williams, he has to start scoring here. Just when he needs a
:11:41. > :11:51.bit of concentration... There's a bit of noise on the other table. Not
:11:52. > :11:58.an easy chance, but a player in stroke would perhaps make something
:11:59. > :12:02.happen here. Yes, it's just a little bit tricky because the right-hand
:12:03. > :12:08.red of the two near the black isn't that easy to get on. You've only got
:12:09. > :12:12.a small gap between that back of the pack and the gap, that is the window
:12:13. > :12:21.of opportunity for you. Got to hit this properly. Has he done it? No.
:12:22. > :12:36.Hasn't quite reached it. It wasn't easy, that.
:12:37. > :12:57.Mark Williams, six. Quietly, please! That has told them!
:12:58. > :13:06.Of course the vast majority of people in the auditorium can only
:13:07. > :13:11.see one table at anyone time. There is a section in the middle where you
:13:12. > :13:14.are imagine they are prime spots where you can see both tables fully
:13:15. > :13:31.from. We could there was a situation last night
:13:32. > :13:33.where they could look up at the screens just to let them know what
:13:34. > :13:45.was going on. That would have been some pot, to
:13:46. > :13:48.get that red into that pocket at that angle. He had a good chance at
:13:49. > :13:58.it. Yes, and we've got one of those
:13:59. > :14:02.interesting frames coming up where the players are going to have to tap
:14:03. > :14:10.into the reds for a while because there are two reds up near the baulk
:14:11. > :14:18.area. Nowhere you can play safe up there now. We saw one of these
:14:19. > :14:22.yesterday and I think I was in the studio talking about the fact that
:14:23. > :14:26.they used to be a time where you would get frames where all the reds
:14:27. > :14:30.were pushed into the bottom of the table but that doesn't seem to
:14:31. > :14:37.happen now, players seemed to take a chance earlier. Yes, middle pocket
:14:38. > :14:43.play has improved markedly. Sometimes people have jacked the cue
:14:44. > :14:48.up in the air, played a shot and it brought a red backed down, that has
:14:49. > :15:01.happened quite a bit. That shot was the undoing of Shaun Murphy. Yes.
:15:02. > :15:06.You're playing the cue ball away from them, onto the reds and back,
:15:07. > :15:10.you think there is no way... And all of a sudden it comes back into the
:15:11. > :15:15.cluster. You've always got to be careful with that shot. Michael
:15:16. > :15:19.eyeing up a speculative plant into the side pocket but perhaps play the
:15:20. > :15:22.cue ball to the cushion and it is safe in that area. What a great
:15:23. > :15:30.shot! APPLAUSE
:15:31. > :15:35.The trouble with that was, if he didn't get behind the black, he left
:15:36. > :15:40.a red into the middle pocket. Now he has potted it, he can perhaps,
:15:41. > :15:44.deftly, just about, get a telling snooker. But he screwed his face up
:15:45. > :15:48.at that. So difficult to get absolutely tight on these clots, and
:15:49. > :15:53.the one thing you absolutely don't want to do is not reaching the
:15:54. > :16:04.object ball through trying to be too clever. As Mark Williams left an
:16:05. > :16:09.opportunity to knock this red into the middle pocket? It's obviously
:16:10. > :16:49.tight. Surely if he could see it he would be going for it.
:16:50. > :16:58.Just looking about what sort of shot. Taking his time here, coming
:16:59. > :17:02.up to a minute. But Anthony has decided that playing it down there
:17:03. > :17:09.and putting a red safe on the side cushion... That is quite a clever
:17:10. > :17:16.shot. Yes, well picked out. Can Mark Williams play this red into the
:17:17. > :17:23.corner? And somehow get the cue ball into a safe position? Or is it just
:17:24. > :17:35.the safety shot? What a great shot! APPLAUSE
:17:36. > :17:46.What a pot that was, cueing down. Now, he's got to get this green in.
:17:47. > :17:50.And in it is. And now, Mark, you've got to score. The last chance wasn't
:17:51. > :17:56.brilliant, because you had a small gap to play through and didn't quite
:17:57. > :17:59.manage it. You've got to show your opponent that you are here to score
:18:00. > :18:13.and so far you haven't done that. A full ball kiss on the green
:18:14. > :18:20.wouldn't have been ideal, so a little flick has got him nicely on
:18:21. > :18:25.the red. I still don't think he's absolutely cueing at his best yet,
:18:26. > :18:43.but every shot that he plays will calm him down.
:18:44. > :18:50.A little bit of running side there, played that beautifully. Now for
:18:51. > :18:57.this red, drop it in and play for the blue. Shouldn't be any problem
:18:58. > :19:00.for the next few reds, but he will need to move something in that
:19:01. > :19:26.cluster just behind the pink at some point. None of them appear to pot.
:19:27. > :19:33.Well, I would suggest he has got the tension out of his arm now. But
:19:34. > :20:01.still a bit of work to do position wise.
:20:02. > :20:13.Once Mark plays on the bottom red here, screws back for it... Well, he
:20:14. > :20:19.should have done! He seemed to miss hit that. He doesn't seem to be
:20:20. > :20:25.striking the ball with authority. Woefully short of back spin. Played
:20:26. > :20:30.the red in the other pocket. I thought he might have got it in but
:20:31. > :20:36.all of a sudden now Michael Holt has got a great chance, hasn't he, John?
:20:37. > :20:43.It is a good chance. The red next the pink he could play to with pace,
:20:44. > :20:47.pot the Echo Crimson over the hole and split the pack up at the same
:20:48. > :20:58.time. He has gone with the other one. Well, he has played wonderfully
:20:59. > :21:03.well but why didn't he potty the red with the other red, cannon into the
:21:04. > :21:06.pink as you say and open the pack up. Because that wasn't a guarantee,
:21:07. > :21:11.he could have ended up dead straight on the black, he could have
:21:12. > :21:18.under-screwed. Yet, he has hit this wonderfully well. You couldn't fail
:21:19. > :21:23.to pot the red over the pocket. That was guaranteed. And open the reds
:21:24. > :21:26.up. He didn't even look at it. Anyway, a chance to open the reds up
:21:27. > :21:37.now if he wants to. The way you suggested, John, was
:21:38. > :21:44.more guaranteed. I think if he had played the shot you said, he would
:21:45. > :21:47.have been on the blue for certain. It was basically a guarantee. I
:21:48. > :21:51.still think he could knock this one in, just a little thin cut, but he
:21:52. > :21:57.was virtually guaranteeing he would be on a colour laying it the other
:21:58. > :21:58.way. Hopefully he will knock this in and what we've said will be history,
:21:59. > :22:07.but it was a chance. In trying to keep control of the cue
:22:08. > :22:13.ball with back spin, it makes the shot harder.
:22:14. > :22:19.Well, the first potential turning point in the game against Michael
:22:20. > :22:38.Holt, that choice of shot. APPLAUSE
:22:39. > :22:49.I wonder if Terry Griffiths is watching this match as his coach, in
:22:50. > :22:54.his corner, and is talking to him about shot selections or just the
:22:55. > :22:59.mental side of things? Surely as a coach, do you go into your room and
:23:00. > :23:03.tell your player he should have played a different shot, or do you
:23:04. > :23:07.forget about it? I think you forget about it, don't you. He is well
:23:08. > :23:20.aware that Michael knows how to play the game but we don't all see the
:23:21. > :23:26.shots. Look at this! That cue ball has bounced off the top cushion and
:23:27. > :23:31.probably bounced two feet more than it should have done. You hear the
:23:32. > :23:35.sound of Mark Williams example paraded. He can't control the
:23:36. > :23:39.cushions at the moment. We've had lots of complaints about big bounces
:23:40. > :23:45.for many years now in the game. The players have always asked about fast
:23:46. > :23:47.conditions and they have got them, too fast, perhaps.
:23:48. > :23:58.It is so upsetting as a player, he has potted the black and hit it
:23:59. > :24:02.perfectly and he's ended up miles away from where the cue ball should
:24:03. > :24:14.have been. Just unnerving for the players.
:24:15. > :24:24.Both players have just realised the significance of this frame, I think.
:24:25. > :24:31.Mark could go into the interval two behind instead of four behind. He
:24:32. > :24:36.could press on. More balls missed in this frame then the opening three.
:24:37. > :24:39.And there's another one. How strange, isn't it? A comedy of
:24:40. > :24:47.errors appears from nowhere and it seems catching. It's a disease! I
:24:48. > :24:52.quite like the shot here, he can pot this, leave himself an angle on the
:24:53. > :24:55.baulk cushion and legions of an angle to flick the red off cushion
:24:56. > :25:02.on the left and at least leave himself position on the Echo Crimson
:25:03. > :25:09.on the right. He's got to move those reds at some time. Well, you've got
:25:10. > :25:25.to pot the ball! Was it a kick? I don't know.
:25:26. > :25:36.And ironic cheer from the crowd and a little aside from Mark Williams.
:25:37. > :25:44.He looks on the brink of getting his first frame on the board here. He
:25:45. > :25:49.will be mightily relieved. Yes, it's not been convincing, has it, by
:25:50. > :25:57.Williams's standards? But he won't mind as long as he's got one. As I
:25:58. > :26:00.mentioned earlier, only two behind at the interval instead of four, a
:26:01. > :26:05.massive difference at the start of this match. Yes it's first to 13 and
:26:06. > :26:21.it's a long old trip, but you do have to have a good start.
:26:22. > :26:30.Not to become a Mark Williams's break of 12. Both players leave the
:26:31. > :26:31.auditorium, and it is Mark Williams who has got his first frame on the
:26:32. > :26:37.board and trails 3-1. STUDIO
:26:38. > :26:43.So, the players are on mid-session interval now. Fantastic start by
:26:44. > :26:46.Michael Holt, leading by three frames to one. Mark Williams has not
:26:47. > :26:50.really got in the group so far this morning, he will need to get in the
:26:51. > :26:53.scoreboard -- in the groove and on the scoreboard after the mid-session
:26:54. > :26:57.interval. We're expecting Steve Davis to join us shortly for a quick
:26:58. > :27:02.chat and assessment on that match. He's just hopping out of the
:27:03. > :27:06.commentary box. We hope he's going to join us very shortly.
:27:07. > :27:15.So, Michael Holt in front, then. Best of 25 as we move onto second
:27:16. > :27:18.round. A drastic performance by Michael Holt against Neil Robertson
:27:19. > :27:22.in the first round, winning that one by ten frames to eight, knocking out
:27:23. > :27:27.the 2010 world champion. He really has picked up where he left off
:27:28. > :27:33.against Robertson in the first round.
:27:34. > :27:40.I have no idea what has happened to Steve Davis, but we shall talk to
:27:41. > :27:45.him very shortly! He has got lost on his way out of the commentary box!
:27:46. > :27:50.Anyway, let's turn our attention do a fantastic match yesterday evening
:27:51. > :27:55.between Joe Perry Kyren Wilson. Wilson won the Shanghai Masters in
:27:56. > :27:57.2015. This one went down to the wire. We're going to join it with
:27:58. > :28:05.Wilson to play. REFEREE: Foul and a miss, Kyren
:28:06. > :30:21.Wilson four. -- foul and a miss, Callum Wilson
:30:22. > :34:47.four. APPLAUSE
:34:48. > :36:17.. APPLAUSE
:36:18. > :41:58.. Good pot. Some pressure on this
:41:59. > :42:05.black. One of the problems here is the peak being on its spot, where
:42:06. > :42:09.that red is positioned. -- pink being on its spot. Not only does he
:42:10. > :42:11.have to pop the black, but also make sure he doesn't snooker himself on
:42:12. > :42:47.this next red. Two reds, two plaques. Finish high
:42:48. > :42:51.on the black. -- two blacks. I can't see him sailing from here. Well,
:42:52. > :42:57.he's got every opportunity to get over the line, here. Attempted shot
:42:58. > :43:02.to nothing from Joe Perry which caught the knuckle, certainly wasn't
:43:03. > :43:06.a shock to nothing, the way he played it, looks like it's going to
:43:07. > :43:28.put him out of this year's championship.
:43:29. > :43:38.Played fantastic tonight, Callum Wilson. Some of the pots he has come
:43:39. > :43:51.out with have been incredible. Got to make sure of this red. He knew
:43:52. > :43:59.how important that was, and he's held himself together exceptionally
:44:00. > :44:03.well, this young man. It's been a brilliant match, and Joe Perry puts
:44:04. > :44:08.his hand out. What a game that was. Best match of the championship, for
:44:09. > :44:14.me. Callum Wilson, how well did you play tonight? Because Perry played
:44:15. > :44:21.fantastically well as well. Well played, young man. Great performance
:44:22. > :44:26.from Callum Wilson. Won the Shanghai Masters in 2015. Yesterday on BBC
:44:27. > :44:35.Two you called it and said, if he goes on to win this, he could be a
:44:36. > :44:39.danger to anybody. Especially as he has proven he can win, and what
:44:40. > :44:42.greater testament than Ronnie O'Sullivan tweeting that he could be
:44:43. > :44:48.one of the greatest players and dominate the game? I think he's got
:44:49. > :44:52.an all-round solid game. He's got the match ability intensive
:44:53. > :44:57.temperament. Obviously he cannot pot balls, but we can all do that. If
:44:58. > :45:01.you play against a player enough, and Ronnie O'Sullivan has seen him
:45:02. > :45:07.play and rates him as a player, high testament. Joe will be disappointed
:45:08. > :45:12.by his overall performance? Yes. But first round, World Championship, you
:45:13. > :45:17.are never settled in it. In a way you could say it was a tough draw.
:45:18. > :45:21.There will probably be easier draws for him against players who were not
:45:22. > :45:25.on the up. Let's go back to Mark Williams, Michael Holt, which you
:45:26. > :45:29.are commentating on very shortly. Fair to say Mark Williams has not
:45:30. > :45:34.got into his rhythm this morning? Very fair to say that. He was
:45:35. > :45:39.getting into his rhythm in the first frame and he failed to put the green
:45:40. > :45:42.safe, the end result was that he allowed Michael Holt to get off the
:45:43. > :45:49.mark and forcing the issue. Strange last frame, which I think Mark
:45:50. > :45:52.Williams will have been delighted to get over the line. He has been in
:45:53. > :45:56.here practising on the practice table to, not absolutely happy with
:45:57. > :46:02.his game, and not happy with the table. The bounces off the cushions
:46:03. > :46:05.have been playing their part. Michael Holt seems to have picked up
:46:06. > :46:11.where he left off against Neil Robertson. Yes, and he seems to have
:46:12. > :46:14.a different mental attitude. Sometimes he has been vulnerable in
:46:15. > :46:21.that department. Perhaps his work with Terry Griffiths is paying off,
:46:22. > :46:26.or Obi-Wan Kenobi, as we nicknamed him. You were late to the studio
:46:27. > :46:32.today, have you been DJ in? No, it was a natural break. Talking to John
:46:33. > :46:39.Parrott is enough to send anybody down that road. Thanks for coming
:46:40. > :46:42.eventually. COMMENTATOR: That was a nice line from my co-commentator.
:46:43. > :46:49.Wait until he gets back to the commentary box. We are in two frame
:46:50. > :47:00.five. Very interesting opening session. Match time just over an
:47:01. > :47:05.hour and a quarter. And it was interesting stuff. Michael Holt got
:47:06. > :47:12.out of the blocks pretty quick. Mark Williams struggling a bit. Let's see
:47:13. > :47:29.if the interval makes any difference.
:47:30. > :48:01.This shot Mark Williams has been left with is very tricky.
:48:02. > :48:07.Good to be back, John, have I missed anything? You've come back, have
:48:08. > :48:14.you? You didn't have your earphones on, did you? Didn't hear what I
:48:15. > :48:23.said? I didn't mean it, I was just trying to be entertaining. Yeah,
:48:24. > :48:28.they've got a wall in the auditorium, Steve. I've just asked
:48:29. > :48:45.them to put one up in the commentary box. Steptoe and son style!
:48:46. > :48:57.Had to be extra thin. I was chatting to Pete Godwin in the interval,
:48:58. > :49:03.bumped into him and asked him, if you were listening to the friends we
:49:04. > :49:09.watch under Renfrew, about a bit of cloth on the cushions to try to calm
:49:10. > :49:14.down the map. During the interval, this is what Steve was doing. He was
:49:15. > :49:17.out with a prong that you put into the cushions to check the temper
:49:18. > :49:23.Joe, I have not seen that before. He has done everything to make sure
:49:24. > :49:33.they are not too hot. The reason why there was a possibility of calming
:49:34. > :49:39.the knap down, they did try let at a PTC event, it was inclusive. Whether
:49:40. > :49:44.it actually made any difference. Perhaps it is just down to, if there
:49:45. > :49:52.is any bit of chalk on the cue ball. If it traps between ball and
:49:53. > :49:57.cushioning. Good though, once again, Steve, isn't it? I spoke to Mark in
:49:58. > :50:01.the interval, and he said it was pinning all over the place, so good
:50:02. > :50:05.that they were straight out. The players are obviously very critical
:50:06. > :50:10.of anything other than perfect conditions. But I've got to say the
:50:11. > :50:16.standard of table we now play on, and how much attention, certainly,
:50:17. > :50:21.is put into it, is far and above anything that's ever been in the
:50:22. > :50:25.game before. Quite rightly so. But they are forever trying to work out
:50:26. > :50:33.how to get the ultimate playing conditions. It's not as easy as you
:50:34. > :50:37.would think. Ramrod straight cue action from Michael Holt, write down
:50:38. > :50:50.the throat. You saw that cue never deviated. Very good shot, that was.
:50:51. > :51:06.Very attacking safety shot. Very good cue ball.
:51:07. > :51:14.Tempter in the middle pocket. Bigshot to take on. Think the cue
:51:15. > :51:29.ball will be going in and out of baulk into an unsafe area.
:51:30. > :51:41.One of those shots, you are trying to pot it, if you miss, don't hit
:51:42. > :51:55.the near jaw. A lot of players miss that on the thick side. Nearly went
:51:56. > :52:03.in-off as well. Have to say, where it finished, there is quite a bit of
:52:04. > :52:06.trouble. Mark's got a similar shot to the last one he played. It
:52:07. > :52:24.easier. He's played that very nicely. -- a bit easier. A bit shy
:52:25. > :52:49.of pace. Looks like Michael Holt is setting up to attempt a pot, here.
:52:50. > :52:59.Got the white into the right position. Hmm. Thinking might have
:53:00. > :53:29.just left the pot on. Kick. There seem to be some funny bounces
:53:30. > :53:32.on this table today. I did commentary on the other table last
:53:33. > :53:54.night and there was hardly a kick all night. Good shot, that.
:53:55. > :54:20.Funny situation, this. If he puts Mark Williams back in, he more or
:54:21. > :54:31.less knows he will hit it this time. Not surprised he said I'll play from
:54:32. > :54:35.here. He's missed one or two in the last frame. Cueing not quite as good
:54:36. > :54:44.as it was initially. He's back on track, here. He certainly is.
:54:45. > :55:02.Beautiful cueing. Just a fantastic shot. Got the cue
:55:03. > :55:04.ball down into a safe area as well. Obviously he couldn't have
:55:05. > :55:14.guaranteed that, had he missed the red. The cue ball would have been
:55:15. > :55:18.travelling on a different path. Looks to be just the wrong side of
:55:19. > :55:23.the potting line for the yellow to get back up the table, so he's going
:55:24. > :55:32.to have to leave a red from distance. Terrible kick. Didn't make
:55:33. > :55:39.any difference to the pot because it was straight. The kick is more of a
:55:40. > :55:45.problem for an angled pot. Not only did it destroy the path of the cue
:55:46. > :55:49.ball, you would have been further forward, but it just destroys the
:55:50. > :56:04.trust the players have in the table, or the playing conditions.
:56:05. > :56:16.Another marvellous pot there. Yeah, Randall Little bit ragged by his
:56:17. > :56:19.incredibly high standards early on -- ran a little bit ragged. He's got
:56:20. > :56:36.it back now. Just checking whether he can play
:56:37. > :56:41.the thin blue and avoid contact on the way back up off the baulk
:56:42. > :56:45.cushion, or whether he can pop the pink, played baulk cushion, side
:56:46. > :56:56.cushion, come back up into the areas of the reds.
:56:57. > :57:12.He got another flyer off the cushion. It absolutely
:57:13. > :57:26.whizzed off there. These are both tough shots, aren't they? He had won
:57:27. > :57:32.earlier in the match as well, didn't he? Not guaranteed position. Just
:57:33. > :57:42.makes it that little bit harder. This is not an easy pot. Brilliant.
:57:43. > :57:47.Wonderful, wonderful touch, to play that, to drop the cue ball in there,
:57:48. > :58:13.you deserve everything you get. STUDIO: Michael Holt playing very
:58:14. > :58:17.well indeed. This is where we leave you on BBC Two, but full coverage
:58:18. > :58:22.continues on the red button and BBC sport. You can keep right up to date
:58:23. > :58:27.with Marco Fu against Anthony McGill in the second session of their
:58:28. > :58:34.match. We are back live at 2:30pm. Programme starts at 1pm. Mark Selby
:58:35. > :58:37.taking on the English qualifier sunbed. We'll see you then. Goodbye
:58:38. > :58:38.for now.