:00:39. > :00:58.Excellent pot. We may have a new favourite for the tournament! Here
:00:59. > :01:15.comes angles. Absolutely remarkable! Never seen in my life! The world
:01:16. > :01:20.number one. Finishing in style. Four men, one dream. Good morning and
:01:21. > :01:25.welcome to the Crucible Theatre, the semifinals of the 2016 Betfred World
:01:26. > :01:29.Championship. Later, we will see if Marco Fu can produce a comeback
:01:30. > :01:36.against world number one, Mark Selby, but this morning, it is all
:01:37. > :01:37.about Ding Junhui taking on Alan McManus. Yesterday, Ding was in
:01:38. > :01:53.sparkling form. Ding Junhui takes the opening
:01:54. > :02:23.frame... Ding Junhui leads Alan McManus. He
:02:24. > :02:28.is playing superbly. He takes all four friends with ease. 4-0. That is
:02:29. > :02:56.awkward. Terrific! It is now 5-2. That is a
:02:57. > :03:04.poor attempt. Plenty of ton ups there. It has been leading Junhui
:03:05. > :03:14.show this afternoon. He takes the session, 6-2. Whatever happens
:03:15. > :03:19.today, for this man, at the age of 45, he has rolled back the years.
:03:20. > :03:24.His last semifinal was 1993. He will win the award for best dressed man.
:03:25. > :03:32.What a suit he is wearing. Alan McManus needs to get off to a good
:03:33. > :03:36.start. Devastating Ding. One of the headlines this morning. He has never
:03:37. > :03:43.been to a World Championship final. Knocked out by Judd Trump in the
:03:44. > :03:47.semifinals in an epic match in 2011. A few stretches on the tournament
:03:48. > :03:53.office tables. It looks like he is ready. And finally able to reach a
:03:54. > :03:59.World Championship final. And, possibly, a final. Players are
:04:00. > :04:07.ready. Let's say good morning to our MC, Rob Walker. Good morning, ladies
:04:08. > :04:10.and gentlemen. After the qualifying rounds, and almost evil fortnight of
:04:11. > :04:14.action here at the Crucible, we are at last now just four days away from
:04:15. > :04:18.finding out who will be crowned the 2016 Betfred World Championship
:04:19. > :04:23.snooker champion. It is little to play for them. Welcome to a fabulous
:04:24. > :04:42.Friday here in Sheffield! CHEERING AND APPLAUSE
:04:43. > :04:49.Please welcome, a man who has rolled back the years in style here at the
:04:50. > :04:53.Crucible, beating four-time world champion and good friend, John
:04:54. > :04:57.Higgins, to because first semifinal since 1993.
:04:58. > :05:02.He dug in yesterday and will use all his experience to take it all in his
:05:03. > :05:05.huge part strides today. Please welcome, the pride of Glasgow, Alan
:05:06. > :05:08.McManus! MUSIC: Waterfront
:05:09. > :05:35.by Simple Minds. And his opponent, a player clearly
:05:36. > :05:40.peaking at just the right time. He was brilliant in the opening session
:05:41. > :05:44.of this match yesterday. This is his first semifinal for five years and
:05:45. > :05:49.he has come through the qualifiers in fine style. 11 time ranking event
:05:50. > :06:01.winner, carrying the hopes and expectations of a nation. So, enter,
:06:02. > :06:14.the Chinese Dragon, Ding Junhui! CHEERING AND APPLAUSE
:06:15. > :06:22.COMMENTATOR: We are edging closer to the World Championship final.
:06:23. > :06:25.Semifinal date today. So exciting. A packed Crucible Theatre. Good
:06:26. > :06:32.morning to Willie Thorne and Ken Doherty. Good morning. The semifinal
:06:33. > :06:39.at the Crucible. Alan McManus has to get a good start today. He has to
:06:40. > :06:42.win this session. I have to be honest, Alan McManus looks great
:06:43. > :06:50.this morning in his tartan waistcoat and trousers. A wonderful
:06:51. > :06:56.championship he has had so far. Absolutely, fantastic. Rolling back
:06:57. > :07:08.the years. He has done remarkably well. Three rounds each, and this is
:07:09. > :07:18.their seventh match already in this Championships.
:07:19. > :07:24.This man at the table, Ding, has gotten better and better.
:07:25. > :07:32.Particularly yesterday. For centuries and those eight frames.
:07:33. > :07:39.Really fantastic snooker. His pot success rate is 96% on the first
:07:40. > :07:44.four. I think it is more like 99%. He has not missed a ball.
:07:45. > :07:59.APPLAUSE A sign of confidence.
:08:00. > :08:05.A wonderful angle. To set up this opportunity. This is the sign of a
:08:06. > :08:18.guy who is in complete control himself. He will be disappointed
:08:19. > :08:21.that for a plea of his class, he has only had one semifinal. He has never
:08:22. > :08:23.really gotten used to the Crucible atmosphere. He has never really
:08:24. > :08:40.liked it here. Sometimes, players can take a while
:08:41. > :08:50.to get used to the atmosphere. The desire kiss there. He seems almost
:08:51. > :08:54.disappointed. I think he was thinking of a maximum. He wants to
:08:55. > :09:07.hit the joint of the two reds. 17. Interesting to see if he gets
:09:08. > :10:08.this pink. Amazing to work out where he
:10:09. > :10:17.disappeared to. A had a wonderful season. He hardly won a match. But
:10:18. > :10:18.he has found his form again. A wonderful player to watch in full
:10:19. > :10:30.flight. He lost the first round of the China
:10:31. > :10:36.open in Beijing. That knocked him out of the top 16. That is why he
:10:37. > :10:45.had to prequalify for this World Championship. Stephen Maguire was
:10:46. > :10:52.under 17. He had to get to the semifinals, but she did. In an
:10:53. > :10:56.adverse way, it might have been helpful because, it may have given
:10:57. > :11:16.him that bit of confidence. He has had such a per season and
:11:17. > :11:18.needed to get a few matches under his belt. He is a different player
:11:19. > :11:49.now. Will he start with another century?
:11:50. > :12:12.Alan McManus one two frames. Ding's highest break was 46. 48.
:12:13. > :12:23.He could equal the record if he makes a century year.
:12:24. > :12:39.If he gets this century, you would think he would go on to wait more.
:12:40. > :13:27.56. Just getting the tubal cleaned. -- the cue ball.
:13:28. > :13:52.He really big break on here. Just watch his cue ball. When he makes
:13:53. > :13:59.these breaks, his cue ball is never more than two feet within the
:14:00. > :14:05.vicinity of his object ball. His control is so good when he is
:14:06. > :14:16.playing like this. APPLAUSE
:14:17. > :14:25.We've always say, never hit the blue when you break off.
:14:26. > :14:46.He went for broke, going for the black.
:14:47. > :15:00.He probably needs the pink on the spot.
:15:01. > :15:22.I wonder if he knows what the high break is?
:15:23. > :15:49.94. Interesting to see him play for that difficult red.
:15:50. > :16:02.Well done, Ding! Fantastic. APPLAUSE Five centuries in nine
:16:03. > :16:18.frames. Unbelievable.
:16:19. > :16:25.He obviously does not know what the high break is. If he takes the pink,
:16:26. > :17:12.he can only equal it. He needs to go just past the blue.
:17:13. > :17:35.111. 113. His own highest break of the tournament so far is 132. 160.
:17:36. > :18:16.Absolutely remarkable! Ding Junhui leads. I know you were
:18:17. > :18:21.waxing lyrical about the first red. A lot of players would have played
:18:22. > :18:27.that. Absolutely. It shows the confidence. Alan McManus breaks off
:18:28. > :18:32.here. He had the blue, which is never a good sign for any player.
:18:33. > :18:39.And particularly first shot of the morning. He weighs up the situation,
:18:40. > :18:47.has a league at the long red. He can normally pops the long red. But look
:18:48. > :18:55.at what he does... He plays a wonderful shot, just playing ball
:18:56. > :19:02.right in the middle of the cue ball. Makes that wonderful control. Hits
:19:03. > :19:06.the red exactly where he wants it. And goes on to make a wonderful
:19:07. > :19:11.century and clears the table. It all came from a one shot. That is a sign
:19:12. > :19:22.of confidence. We've talked about O'Sullivan and Murphy, to make five
:19:23. > :19:35.centuries, in nine frames, probably he will win this match. Just
:19:36. > :19:52.amazing. It is tough for Alan McManus.
:19:53. > :19:55.Eight frames they will play in this second session.
:19:56. > :20:11.APPLAUSE When your opponent is making
:20:12. > :20:37.centuries, it puts so much pressure on just even your safety shots.
:20:38. > :20:45.In a situation like this, Alan McManus must just forget about the
:20:46. > :20:50.score. He needs to get frames on the board. Sometimes, you can get
:20:51. > :21:17.carried away with the score. Alan McManus just shook his head. He
:21:18. > :21:20.could not believe it. That his intent against Alan McManus. He
:21:21. > :21:22.knows he cannot stay in the safety departments and he has decided to
:21:23. > :21:37.play open. He has a possible shot here. He
:21:38. > :22:36.wants to try to cannon that read. He is still on this red but it is a
:22:37. > :22:37.bit of a stretch now. Will he be able to reach this without the
:22:38. > :22:49.spider? Or the stepladders? He is up there with Hendry and
:22:50. > :24:44.O'Sullivan. Just amazing. Some encouragement for Alan McManus.
:24:45. > :24:47.The red at the bottom of the pack, it is coming up to almost 30 minutes
:24:48. > :25:23.since he potted a red. There was a gap in between those
:25:24. > :25:35.three reds. But he is running through.
:25:36. > :25:47.Not too bad. It would be great if he could return with a high break. Just
:25:48. > :25:58.to let Ding now he is not going away.
:25:59. > :26:53.There is a possible cannon he could play.
:26:54. > :27:07.He could have played slightly differently. But still OK. He is
:27:08. > :27:22.letting his opponent now that he is still in this game.
:27:23. > :27:35.That one red that Alan potted, his initial,,... He can win the frame
:27:36. > :28:45.without using those two safe reds. He just needs these five loose reds
:28:46. > :28:59.before he worries about the other two.
:29:00. > :29:03.His highest century in the tournament was against John Higgins.
:29:04. > :30:47.He might be beating that now. There you see it. 51 ahead. Ding
:30:48. > :30:59.need say snooker. -- needs a snooker. That's better. Just what
:31:00. > :31:09.the doctor needed for Alan McManus, for sure.
:31:10. > :31:11.Brilliant. Kept off the table at the first frame, had just one shot. That
:31:12. > :31:48.was an excellent shot. This is great stuff. He is showing a
:31:49. > :32:16.lot of determination and fight, Alan McManus.
:32:17. > :32:25.Not been prolific in the break-building department this year,
:32:26. > :32:26.he has only had 15 centuries, but three of those have come in this
:32:27. > :32:49.championship. I think the record is sure to go
:32:50. > :33:00.this year, it is 71 if he gets one here. I think the record is 86.
:33:01. > :33:15.We still have a couple of days to go, it could possibly go.
:33:16. > :33:19.That record was set last year. This has been a great break. It was one
:33:20. > :33:35.red that set him up nicely. Potted macro the reds, set them all
:33:36. > :33:38.into position. Considering he has faced five centuries against Ding
:33:39. > :33:49.Junhui, this is a wonderful response. Well played. Well played,
:33:50. > :33:57.Alan McManus. We have been treated to some fantastic snooker already.
:33:58. > :34:11.Two centuries in the first two frames.
:34:12. > :34:22.A little trick shot. Wait for it... It does not have the likes. A
:34:23. > :34:27.wonderful break, though, from Alan McManus, of 107. It closes the
:34:28. > :34:36.deficit, but Ding Junhui still needs, 7-3. -- still leads.
:34:37. > :34:43.Ding Junhui got in first with a wonderful red in the middle pocket.
:34:44. > :34:49.He just caught the cannon slightly wrong. Is this likely on the right
:34:50. > :34:55.of the red? As we let it run, it catches on the left-hand side,
:34:56. > :35:00.taking the red into the pack. On the left-hand side of the left
:35:01. > :35:06.half of the red, of course, he was using the spider. He could not reach
:35:07. > :35:10.it. It was very, very difficult. It is difficult to side the ball when
:35:11. > :35:16.you are using the spider, reaching over the pack of reds, that is what
:35:17. > :35:20.happened. The shot from Alan McManus, the opening red, he had a
:35:21. > :35:26.red into the green pocket, but this was more aggressive. Just look at
:35:27. > :35:32.the cue ball, watch the bunch of red Sazy pots the red. Lovely control. A
:35:33. > :35:39.little bit of side spin, back on for the black. You will probably notice,
:35:40. > :35:44.always play that shot with a little bit of Czech side. You don't want to
:35:45. > :35:50.finish between blue and pink, you 1-2 finish low. They'd wonderfully.
:35:51. > :36:04.Played superbly. Does not get any better. -- played wonderfully.
:36:05. > :36:12.Alan McManus sat out 138, replied with 107, now he needs to try to win
:36:13. > :36:17.this mini-session to take into a Leeds and close the gap 7-5. -- into
:36:18. > :36:58.a lead. There was his intent. He just potted
:36:59. > :37:04.it in slightly the wrong side of the pocket. Rather than kiss the red, it
:37:05. > :37:08.has kissed the black. His tent this morning is to go for everything. --
:37:09. > :37:28.his intent. Ding Junhui has only missed 11 pots
:37:29. > :37:45.in this match so far. He has had 255 pots and potted 244.
:37:46. > :37:54.Foul and a miss, free ball. No point in Alan McManus putting them back
:37:55. > :38:05.coming here. He has to take the free ball, brown into left-centre.
:38:06. > :38:30.That would not have even crossed Ding's mind, as he played the green.
:38:31. > :38:40.Nicely held for the brown into right-centre. You can pot this and
:38:41. > :38:43.get down towards the reds. Red may be on the black spot towards the
:38:44. > :38:55.white, that might be his target, or the one just above it.
:38:56. > :39:16.He could play a lovely little cannon here, the red above the black spot,
:39:17. > :39:26.he could pot this and maybe just nudge the red to the right of the
:39:27. > :39:27.black. Now we can get the black on the
:39:28. > :40:03.spot. Never a doubt! Thank goodness for
:40:04. > :40:27.gravity! The feds he can't get to the bottom
:40:28. > :40:43.of the cue ball to screw across to the face of the black.
:40:44. > :40:49.He had to be careful with that, but played it well, didn't he? That shot
:40:50. > :41:12.was so delicate. He was very close. There has been a lot of talk,
:41:13. > :41:16.because lots of the top seeds have gone out, about whether the two
:41:17. > :41:23.semifinals would be exciting. It can be better than this, the standard is
:41:24. > :41:36.out of the top drawer. -- it cannot be better than this.
:41:37. > :41:40.Can just put a line-up, that was exactly the line that it needed to
:41:41. > :43:21.go. You can see his disappointment in
:43:22. > :43:26.seeing that red good side. He can't play this with any pace, and he
:43:27. > :43:42.leads pace to get out for the black. -- he needs pace.
:43:43. > :45:01.Sometimes they look easy on the television, but they are so tough.
:45:02. > :45:12.Look at the pots this session only. Should Ding win this frame at this
:45:13. > :45:23.visit, his potted success would go up past the 98% mark as well.
:45:24. > :46:34.Ding will be playing a controlled little cannon into the bunch.
:46:35. > :46:41.He may have to take the blue here, but the blue is too straight. I
:46:42. > :46:49.don't see how he can get to a red here? That little square of four, if
:46:50. > :47:20.he can screw back of it. He has to be so precise.
:47:21. > :47:29.He has to go through the gap of the two reds.
:47:30. > :47:37.He will possibly be cannon ink into them.
:47:38. > :47:54.-- possibly be Fed. He judged that a beautifully.
:47:55. > :47:55.Ding never misses a trick. Very similar to the great break-builders
:47:56. > :48:39.like O'Sullivan and Hendry. May have to play little cannon here
:48:40. > :48:46.again. He played a little cannon but he knocked the red towards the
:48:47. > :48:51.right-hand corner pocket. The way he has been playing, it is hard to see
:48:52. > :48:56.where he will miss from this position.
:48:57. > :48:59.This will hurt Alan McManus. Sometimes you can't do anything
:49:00. > :49:10.about centuries, but she had a chance in this frame. -- but he had.
:49:11. > :49:15.Can I explain to everybody watching, this game is not as easy as this!
:49:16. > :49:41.This is remarkable, they are both playing at the top of their game.
:49:42. > :49:48.Sometimes when you play a safety shot you might leave along red, your
:49:49. > :49:53.opponent goes on to make a century. There is nothing you can do, you
:49:54. > :49:57.start to accept that. But these types of friends really hurt you,
:49:58. > :50:01.you think you're going to win the frame, you miss a pot and your
:50:02. > :50:08.opponent comes to the table and clears up. That really hurts.
:50:09. > :50:13.It is a blow to the solar plexus, you know you have got the frame won
:50:14. > :50:51.and then you lose it. Any young players watching this
:50:52. > :50:55.would do well to take the tape of these first three frames, watch them
:50:56. > :51:00.and see how breaks are compiled. Both players have hardly put a foot
:51:01. > :51:08.wrong, just the one miss from Alan McManus has cost him the frame. Ding
:51:09. > :51:10.has been awesome. Well, the standard seemed to be
:51:11. > :51:21.getting better and better from these two players. Ding now leads 8-3.
:51:22. > :51:25.You were talking about when Alan McManus was in the balls, where he
:51:26. > :51:30.was a little bit of position? Absolutely. We are only nit picking
:51:31. > :51:35.up this level, sometimes just little shots like this. He is perfectly on
:51:36. > :51:40.the blue, he wants to get onto the red beside the cue ball. He is
:51:41. > :51:44.thinking about spotting the red, getting on the bloom again. Here's a
:51:45. > :51:50.little bit short his cue ball, instead of being able to pot the red
:51:51. > :51:55.once but packed nicely, he has to go down for the green, plays a canning
:51:56. > :51:59.on the green into the red and comes back awkwardly. Instead of being
:52:00. > :52:02.nicely on the blue, splitting the pack lovely art winning from
:52:03. > :52:07.opposition. He made that nice that the break, split the park of the
:52:08. > :52:12.green, didn't go especially well. Tell us how hard these are? If they
:52:13. > :52:18.red is tied to the cushion, it is easier just to drop it in. When
:52:19. > :52:22.there is a bit of a gap between the red and percussion, it makes it more
:52:23. > :52:27.difficult. You have to be so accurate. You are putting pace into
:52:28. > :52:32.the cue ball to try to get that out for the black as well, which makes
:52:33. > :52:36.the pot more difficult. This is on the cushion. For some reason, I
:52:37. > :52:41.don't know why, on the cushion, you know it is much easier to play the
:52:42. > :52:46.pot? We may see the red come away from the cushion, it comes away
:52:47. > :52:51.again. At this pace, you are giving the red a chance to get into the
:52:52. > :52:59.pocket. Much easier when it is tied to the cushion as opposed to
:53:00. > :53:08.McManus's last red Betty attempted, which cost him the frame.
:53:09. > :54:49.If he had seen that better, he might not have played so hard.
:54:50. > :54:52.That is the difference between attacking break-builders and people
:54:53. > :55:05.who prefer to keep things tight. I understand what you are saying. A
:55:06. > :55:19.big target. I think he can see just enough of
:55:20. > :55:21.the right-hand side of the cushion before the middle pocket to try to
:55:22. > :55:35.nestle into the pack of reds. Doing everything right, isn't it? --
:55:36. > :56:25.isn't he? Ding looking to play the aggressive
:56:26. > :58:15.safety shot again. Been working an awful lot with Terry
:58:16. > :58:21.Griffiths in these last few months. Trying to get back his confidence
:58:22. > :58:24.which he had lost. He is a great break-builder, as you can see from
:58:25. > :58:31.that shot. The safety is not too bad, either. Amazingly enough, in
:58:32. > :58:36.this match you would think that McManus would be in front in the
:58:37. > :58:38.safety Department, but Ding Junhui is at 86%. Anything above 85% is
:58:39. > :00:10.excellent. There have been a few close matches.
:00:11. > :00:16.There has been 24 hours of playing time in the just of the week and a
:00:17. > :00:21.half of this so far. -- just over a week and a half. Ding has had three
:00:22. > :01:23.hours and 40 minutes less. That has certainly split them up. At
:01:24. > :01:27.first glance, I cannot see a pot. Let's have a little look. There is a
:01:28. > :02:21.gap there. A wonderful pot, he found a gap. Did
:02:22. > :02:23.not expect that. What has he left Alan McManus? Nothing
:02:24. > :02:49.straightforward. He will have to manoeuvre in the cue
:02:50. > :03:00.ball around the back of the pack. A lot of pressure. This may be putting
:03:01. > :03:26.all your eggs in one basket. Maybe the wrong choice. I am
:03:27. > :03:33.surprised he took that on. There are easier shots. But when you 8-3
:03:34. > :03:46.behind, it is a bit different. In a funny way, that misfortune from
:03:47. > :04:26.Ding has created this opportunity. He may be disappointed. It is not
:04:27. > :04:29.normally his style to push the boat out like that. He has been talking
:04:30. > :04:55.to himself quite a bit in the chair. With the black and pink both play,
:04:56. > :04:56.this is likely to be another break. He cannot afford to make any
:04:57. > :05:16.mistakes. There are four players who have made
:05:17. > :05:23.five centuries or more. In a semifinal. The possible chance of a
:05:24. > :05:47.record. Ding could be the first man to make six centuries.
:05:48. > :05:54.He does not have to play a cannon. But if he did, he could bring every
:05:55. > :06:20.red into play. A choice of shot. He will just try to brush past the
:06:21. > :06:46.red. He will play this as a run-through.
:06:47. > :06:58.We have never had six centuries in any single match at the crucial. --
:06:59. > :07:08.at the Crucible Theatre. This will equal the record. The way he has
:07:09. > :07:18.been playing, this morning, throughout this match, it is a good
:07:19. > :07:27.opportunity. His cue ball control, just watch it. It is never more than
:07:28. > :07:57.18 inches or 24 inches from his next pot. Which is so good.
:07:58. > :08:07.49 points in front. Those two reds will have to be brought into play
:08:08. > :08:28.soon. I wonder whether he will get onto
:08:29. > :08:39.this red. If not, he asserted to get onto the black nicely. He could play
:08:40. > :08:45.this cannon. He will be on black or pink if he plays the cannon. He
:08:46. > :08:57.never misses a trick. That is what I like about Ding. A lot of players
:08:58. > :09:03.would just have made sure they will, potted the black. But Ding wants to
:09:04. > :09:05.make sure that Alan goes to the interval.
:09:06. > :09:18.APPLAUSE Trying to leave an angle on the pink
:09:19. > :10:11.and I think he has gone too far. A good effort. The reds are still
:10:12. > :10:44.pottable. Amazing! This crowd are witnessing
:10:45. > :11:24.some of the best break-building I have ever seen.
:11:25. > :11:34.He does not want to much side on this. What a shame. He would have
:11:35. > :11:45.been breaking the record of six centuries in a semifinal.
:11:46. > :11:59.Ding Junhui is absolutely on fire! He is leading 5-3. Smiling all the
:12:00. > :12:03.way. He did that in his match against Mark Williams. He is so
:12:04. > :12:08.focused and in the moment. He did not realise there is an interval.
:12:09. > :12:13.Almost equalling the record. Amazing stuff. Find centuries already. Six
:12:14. > :12:23.centuries to equal the record of anyone match at the Crucible. I did
:12:24. > :12:26.not realise it was interval time. The games have gone so quickly.
:12:27. > :12:36.Amazing performance from both players. Such a very high standard.
:12:37. > :12:45.But Ding is playing so well. Terry Griffiths is in Ding Junhui's corner
:12:46. > :12:51.these days. How influential is Terry Griffiths in these big semifinal
:12:52. > :12:55.matches? He has bags of experience. I think something was lacking in
:12:56. > :13:01.Ding's game. He had lost a bit of confidence. From winning five
:13:02. > :13:04.tournament a couple of seasons ago to the law of dropping at the top 16
:13:05. > :13:09.and not being able to get any extended run in any tournament. He
:13:10. > :13:13.needed somebody to talk to. And Terry comes with bags of experience,
:13:14. > :13:21.a former world champion. He has played semitones at the Crucible. He
:13:22. > :13:25.needed a shoulder to lean on. Alan McManus is in his dressing room,
:13:26. > :13:30.thinking, I cannot compete because Ding, when he is getting in, is just
:13:31. > :13:38.scoring so well. When you take on someone as prolific as Ding Junhui,
:13:39. > :13:42.how to visit? Every single frame is completely different. He has to go
:13:43. > :13:45.back into his dressing room and think, we have another four frames,
:13:46. > :13:52.take each one as it comes. He did push the boat out in that frame.
:13:53. > :13:55.Alan McManus push the boat out, which is not really has type of
:13:56. > :14:02.game. He is better trying to break things and trying to win the safety.
:14:03. > :14:08.Even the safety stats, he is low on bones, compared to Ding. He has to
:14:09. > :14:16.try to break Ding's rhythm. Thank you. Let's turn our attention to the
:14:17. > :14:24.other semifinal. The 2014 Crucible champion, Mark Selby, taking on
:14:25. > :14:30.Marco Fu. A 3-0 lead for Selby. But Marcu Fu got back into it. We will
:14:31. > :14:41.join it, with Selby leading by four frames to three.
:14:42. > :15:04.When he was 3-0 down, in no time at all, as we come to the 2.5 hour
:15:05. > :15:16.mark. These last few frames have been a bit slow.
:15:17. > :15:26.Average frame time is usually 17 or 18 minutes. 28 seconds each, a
:15:27. > :15:28.little bit pedestrian. But there has been a lot of thinking time with the
:15:29. > :15:43.safety play that is going on. Will he risk being slow for the
:15:44. > :16:30.black? The worst possible kiss. He is
:16:31. > :16:53.eyeing up the blue. He will be frustrated by where the
:16:54. > :17:15.white finished. A super shot. Not guaranteed to get
:17:16. > :17:27.nicely on the black. There is not a lot of room.
:17:28. > :18:19.That leaves him a shot on the brown. It could have been worse. This brown
:18:20. > :18:52.is no certainty. That was an excellent positional
:18:53. > :19:12.shot. He has judged that well. Always stay
:19:13. > :19:59.the right side of the blue line. Mark Selby deserves to win this
:20:00. > :20:27.session. Marco Fu has been hanging onto his coat tails.
:20:28. > :20:36.That is the most unbelievable kick. The only good thing is that the
:20:37. > :20:54.white did travel further through. It is the blade of in re snooker
:20:55. > :21:05.player's life. Heavy contact. -- it is the blight of every snooker
:21:06. > :21:18.player's life. You have to accept these things are going to happen.
:21:19. > :21:56.A strange play. He has covered the black spot. Maybe not the pink.
:21:57. > :22:11.Is it worth taking the risk of playing the red?
:22:12. > :22:26.It would be nice to have the pink on the black spot.
:22:27. > :23:13.He has not been very good at getting nice angles on the blue.
:23:14. > :23:22.The wrong side of the blue. He has a wry smile as he walks around the
:23:23. > :23:32.table. He will need two more of these
:23:33. > :24:16.remaining reds. His cue ball control is great. Well,
:24:17. > :24:25.average, but she needs another one here. I think the red just below the
:24:26. > :24:30.black could be a natural angle. He needs this blue and one moral, for a
:24:31. > :25:16.two frame advantage. Judged to perfection.
:25:17. > :25:37.Marco Fu is treating his glass of water. -- drinking.
:25:38. > :25:47.Mark Selby deserved the two frame lead. It is 5-3.
:25:48. > :25:58.STUDIO: And so we look for word to that. We talked about Ding Junhui
:25:59. > :26:03.looking good. Mark Selby in a different situation from Alan
:26:04. > :26:07.McManus. Absolutely. He got off to a bad start last night, Marco Fu, but
:26:08. > :26:13.he came back into the game. He will probably be happy with the 5-3
:26:14. > :26:19.deficit. A long way to go. When you play these many sessions, you want
:26:20. > :26:24.to try to win the session. If you keep winning sessions, you will
:26:25. > :26:28.eventually get there. The first job for Mark Selby was to win the
:26:29. > :26:32.session, which he did. But Marcu Fu is still in the session. Well when
:26:33. > :26:37.the match. He won three frames. I think it will remain close. What
:26:38. > :26:46.about the fact that Mark Selby is in familiar territory, insofar as he
:26:47. > :26:53.has been here recently. Marco Fu has not been here since 2006. It can
:26:54. > :26:57.make a difference. Marco Fu has been in a semifinal before but it has
:26:58. > :27:05.been quite a while. But I think Marco Fu has been playing a little
:27:06. > :27:11.bit better than Mark Selby. He has not had as much of a tough run as
:27:12. > :27:16.Marco Fu. Marco Fu will gain a lot of confidence. He is a tough player.
:27:17. > :27:23.One of the few players who has made over 400 centuries. It will be a
:27:24. > :27:29.tough game for both players. Experience may be the telling
:27:30. > :27:34.factor. But it will be close. Ken is a way to the commentary box. Alan
:27:35. > :27:38.McManus has just been in the practice room. Let's remind
:27:39. > :27:52.ourselves of Ding 's Mac career statistics.
:27:53. > :28:49.APPLAUSE He has had an amazing career.
:28:50. > :28:54.11 world ranking titles. The omission, the World Championship.
:28:55. > :29:08.Will this be Ding Junhui's year? Let's rejoin the commentators.
:29:09. > :29:22.COMMENTATOR: Mark Selby and Marco Fu are the two players are waiting.
:29:23. > :30:08.Ding's average frame time is 16 minutes.
:30:09. > :31:33.I don't know whether he is thinking of running through for the black?
:31:34. > :31:41.A very good shot. This is causing the problems under the table as far
:31:42. > :31:43.as getting to the black is concerned. He has to make this
:31:44. > :32:10.chance count. He has to play no miss snooker for
:32:11. > :33:17.the next four frames if he can, to get back into the match.
:33:18. > :34:12.No value in taking the cut, the black is not at its spot, it would
:34:13. > :35:04.just be playing safe. Not the best safety from Ding
:35:05. > :35:07.Junhui. What can Alan do here? He must have had a bit of a
:35:08. > :35:14.nosebleed just before the session this morning. It has not affected
:35:15. > :35:29.his play, thankfully, too much. Just as I say that... That is the
:35:30. > :35:35.first easy shot he has missed. But the pressure is on now. You have had
:35:36. > :35:44.a few nosebleeds when you got to the latter stages of tournaments! Didn't
:35:45. > :35:50.happen very often! A lot of stress goes on at the World
:35:51. > :35:51.Championships. 17 days, fading day in, day out. You don't get much
:35:52. > :36:02.sleep. -- playing day in, day out. It goes without saying that he
:36:03. > :37:29.completely mis-hit that. You have to take these chances now,
:37:30. > :38:27.Alan nicely played. Would have liked to
:38:28. > :38:37.have brought the pink into play. But still in a good position.
:38:38. > :38:44.He would love to get the black back of its spot at some stage. -- on its
:38:45. > :39:19.spot. Decided not to risk going in and out
:39:20. > :39:30.of ball, because the red was over the corner pocket.
:39:31. > :39:36.A little bit more of an angle this time. You could swing it around the
:39:37. > :40:08.three cushions. Just make sure you do not kiss the yellow.
:40:09. > :40:16.I just wonder whether he will this getting onto the black this shot. He
:40:17. > :40:33.played for the black. If he gets nicely with the next red,
:40:34. > :40:34.the black should go back to its spot and he should win the frame with
:40:35. > :41:02.this visit. Just watch Alan McManus' like as he
:41:03. > :41:07.comes to play the shot. It moved about three feet! -- Alan McManus'
:41:08. > :41:14.leg. Didn't quite get the desired screw
:41:15. > :41:32.on the cue ball. Always missable, those. If that cue
:41:33. > :41:37.ball had finished nearer the cushion... But it was so near the
:41:38. > :41:48.cushion. Particularly when you play across the map, -- across the nap,
:41:49. > :41:53.sometimes the cue ball can drift. He will be disappointed that he did not
:41:54. > :42:00.win from opposition. If he played that hard, he would not have missed
:42:01. > :42:05.it, he will be so disappointed, that is twice that he has been in first,
:42:06. > :42:29.lost the frame the first time. I wonder whether this will be costly.
:42:30. > :42:36.He played that with a tremendous amount of right-hand side. OK, he
:42:37. > :42:38.does not have to do much with the cue ball, but he has to be careful
:42:39. > :42:51.on his follow-through. No, it does not drop. That was not
:42:52. > :42:59.that easy. A chance for Alan McManus.
:43:00. > :43:33.With a 30 point lead, he will not need the two safe reds.
:43:34. > :43:48.It is not dead set, he could possibly make those balls into a
:43:49. > :44:10.plant. He must feel that he can make the two reds into a plant.
:44:11. > :44:16.He could not have placed the cue ball in a better position.
:44:17. > :45:02.Nice shot. 53 points in front, just red and a
:45:03. > :45:20.high value colour. You have to take your hat off to
:45:21. > :45:24.Alan McManus, he has been faced with a barrage of high breaks. He is
:45:25. > :46:03.still battling away. We have already seen a plant, we may
:46:04. > :46:25.see a double from Alan McManus. Alan McManus gets another frame on
:46:26. > :46:32.the board because Ding is not going to bother coming back to the table.
:46:33. > :46:36.But Ding Junhui still leads 9-4. That shot went McManus missed the
:46:37. > :46:40.red across the middle of the table, we suggested it could have been the
:46:41. > :46:45.end of the frame. Ding had to make sure he got on the black mobility
:46:46. > :46:46.slightly misjudged it. This was a shot when you would expect him to
:46:47. > :46:59.get on the black. As we see it here, here is the check
:47:00. > :47:05.size, if he gets the red baulk end, not a problem. He is trying to pot
:47:06. > :47:10.the black, he does not have to do much with the cue ball. But the fact
:47:11. > :47:15.that the cue ball is so close to the red, he takes his eye off it. He is
:47:16. > :47:18.more conscious of not fouling the red with the cue on the
:47:19. > :47:23.follow-through, he does not strike the cue ball where he would have
:47:24. > :47:27.liked, subsequently left Alan the chance to get another frame on the
:47:28. > :47:34.board. As long as he can stick with Ding Junhui, the barrage of breaks
:47:35. > :47:38.has all been from Ding Junhui. Alan has had one century. But as long as
:47:39. > :47:45.he keeps sticking within range of Ding and not letting him get too for
:47:46. > :47:50.ahead, maybe towards the final session Ding will cease sort of
:47:51. > :48:30.pressure. Still a big lead. Frame 14, Ding Junhui to break.
:48:31. > :48:36.Just a fraction too hard. He must have thought that it was going to go
:48:37. > :50:10.right behind the brown. Well, a few mistakes from Ding
:50:11. > :50:11.arriving now. His safety has been very good in these last couple of
:50:12. > :50:34.games. That statistic that we just showed
:50:35. > :50:37.you of the safety, Ding was in front before this morning's play. Coming
:50:38. > :50:54.into this session, it has changed. Good pot.
:50:55. > :51:00.Not perfect on the blue or the green. Normally with the reds spread
:51:01. > :51:04.you don't have to go hard into the paint, you can place low into the
:51:05. > :51:16.pink, but the blue is too thin to guarantee the kiss.
:51:17. > :52:50.It is amazing how much he lifts his head, even on a slow shot like he
:52:51. > :52:56.just played. There are always two or three inches of movement every time.
:52:57. > :53:00.When he plays a power shot, his head rises high about four or five
:53:01. > :53:07.inches. Unlike any other player in the game.
:53:08. > :53:15.Mark Selby sways from side to side a little bit. Marco Fu can sometimes
:53:16. > :53:18.move ahead slightly. That might remove his head slightly. Not many
:53:19. > :53:38.players like Alan. The face didn't get nicely on the
:53:39. > :53:43.previous black. Now he has slightly lost position again. -- he didn't
:53:44. > :54:07.get nicely on the previous black. I don't think pink will spot-on its
:54:08. > :54:11.own spot, it will go up on the highest available, which is the
:54:12. > :54:21.yellow. He has got three or four loose reds.
:54:22. > :54:27.He is beyond the stage where his opponent will need a snooker, so he
:54:28. > :54:42.can just concentrate on the loose reds.
:54:43. > :54:48.He missed a read into this bottom left-hand corner pocket, albeit much
:54:49. > :54:58.more difficult than this -- missed a red. Didn't go into the heart of the
:54:59. > :55:14.pocket. Rattled a little bit. Nicely on the black now.
:55:15. > :55:17.61 ahead, didn't play that as well as he would have liked. He would
:55:18. > :55:40.have wanted to be straighter. He played that nicely, lovely.
:55:41. > :55:48.The performance from Alan McManus has been absolutely top drawer. Ding
:55:49. > :55:49.has played at his very best that he is still hanging onto his
:55:50. > :57:13.coat-tails. It has been good stuff. 128. 107,
:57:14. > :57:14.three centuries on the balance. Another possible century now for
:57:15. > :58:24.McManus. A big plus of the cheeks from Alan
:58:25. > :58:30.McManus. A fantastic break, this. Still very much in this one. We are
:58:31. > :58:35.out of time on BBC Two. We will be back 4pm after The Daily Politics.
:58:36. > :58:41.You can continue watching this match on the red button and on the BBC
:58:42. > :58:49.Sport app. We will see what 1pm. Thank you.
:58:50. > :58:53.-- at 1pm. He has done it, Dennis Taylor, for the first time, becomes
:58:54. > :59:02.Embassy World Snooker Champion 1985. It's tense, innit?
:59:03. > :59:05.It's really tense.