Saturday, 1st Round, Afternoon, Part 1 Snooker: World Championship

As for today, the results from 4:30pm onwards. Hibs are on to the

Scottish Cup final. We switch from football to snooker. The World

Championships getting underway today in Sheffield and in round one,

Scotland's Anthony Metzer up against England's Sean Murphy. It is the

best of 19 frames in the first round.

His highest tournament break is a break of 144 which he made in the

2014 World Open. There is tonne up for Anthony

McGill. It would be nice if he could clear the lot.

Shone with a break of 61 in the early part of the frame and now

Anthony with the century. Game on. -- Shaun. A chance to equal that

personal best of 144. He got a massive bounce off the

cushion. He was a bit unlucky. He still has a chance to knock it in.

It is not going to be a total clearance, but he will not be too

concerned about that. He won the frame with that magnificent century

break. It is 1-1. HAZEL: It is Anthony's for the Crucible century.

That is the third on this opening day in the Crucible. There are a lot

of you who are pleased that the World Championship has begun and you

have been tweeting as. This is my favourite from Jody, see you in two

weeks. Thank you very much and we are

really excited to be back. It is a great time of year and it is a long

haul. It is the second longest annual sporting event in the world

behind the Tour de France, but we love it. Yes and because it is a

slow burn, and in the world of sport everybody is going you have to make

spot quicker to keep people's attention, this proves there are

people who do not need that, they like to get the slow burner. And so

be it, it should be this way all the time. How do you think people begin

to enjoy this? People watch it right from the start. Summer start zoning

in from the quarterfinals onwards. You would have been day one when you

were a kid. Oh, yes. My father could not wait for the beginning and

marked out every single session in the paper with a pen. He loved it

from ten o'clock on the first day and lots of people do. We have even

some of the tweets coming in. People love the fortnight. Is the longer

match format gives much more of the storyline. You can see the way the

game changes and goes from one side to other and it's much more

exciting. Whether you are in with us for the long haul or whether you are

dipping in and out, we will be with you for more or less every day until

the 2nd of May. Steve was a bit casually dressed

there, Dennis, what do you think? I think he borrowed that shirt off

Mark Williams. There is a dresser if ever I saw one.

Shaun Murphy missed a long read in this frame which normally you expect

him to get nine times out of ten. If Anthony McGill takes all the

chances he gets, he can put Shaun Murphy under a lot of pressure in

this match. He threw the cue right up in the air

after that to get the follow-through. He is a bit unlucky

to be on the cushion, but it is a great effort. If they had had a

shade like they have in the clubs on the billiards table, he would have

smashed a few bulbs. Going into the reds there is no

guarantee where they will end up. He is possibly thinking of taking down

the cue ball and going up for the blue. This is tough. I think the

first shot was the right one, Anthony. There was a bit more chance

to the positional side of it. Yes, he got a bit of unwanted side

digging down on it. Shaun can put him in a spot of bother if he judges

this correctly. Leave the white somewhere near to where the red is.

He has quit on that. It has just gone past the middle. He did not hit

that is intended. There was deceleration with his

follow-through. He is looking a little bit bemused with that last

shot. This could become a bit of an

awkward frame with the red up at the other end of the table.

I am with Steve in the studio talking about the World

Championships. I think they should keep it with the long frames. I do

not mind them changing the others, the best of seven, the best of nine,

but to win the World Championship is the biggest test of all and I hope

they do not change it. They call it the Theatre Of Dreams. 1977 is the

first time we came here and the crowd always love coming here. It is

never easy to get tickets for this. They are snapped up straightaway

when they go on sale. And he decelerated on that shot. That is a

shocker from Anthony. He will be so disappointed. He just quit on the

shot. He has left a great chance for Shaun.

He is one of the best in the business with the rest, Shaun

Murphy. Solid as a rock. I think he is the

best ever with the rest. He queues it exactly the same way as a normal

bridge hand. There is not a lot available here.

The reds are all blocking each other.

Is there one in the middle of that bunch that goes? Is there a possible

plant? He should be able to make this.

He has overdone that. That is careless. He was concentrating on

the white. He should have made that one.

He is up having a look at the red near the cushion. If he got on that

one, it would pass the brown, but it would be very difficult. He is going

to leave the red in the corner. Now he is looking at a plant. It

looks pretty set for the pocket. You have got to do it as if you are

trying to get the first one into the pocket and get the second one in.

Shaun missed a chance. What can Anthony do? He has done the same

thing. This was not a positive cue action.

There was deceleration. Just finished. Shot on the blue. I

think you believe the red to the right corner. -- he will leave the

bed right corner. Straight enough, he could leave the red to the right

centre. But that's quite tricky. Yes, he does not have too cannon.

When he pots this, it will cannon for another red. It should be pretty

straightforward, this. That attempted plant has cost Anthony

McGill this frame, you would have to say. He had a bit of a chance Labour

just misjudged the plant. The dose used the cue with great

authority, Shaun Murphy, he really does. See the tip of the cue? It

virtually comes back to his thumb of his bridge hand every time.

Generates tremendous cue power. They frame well and truly over.

Clearing up here, which won't be easy with that red on the bottom

cushion, but if he can get it past the green, behind that red, he might

just clear up. Well, he has still got a chance. He did not hit the

green full ball, but very, very difficult.

Not enough to make a century break, but it's a very good effort, this,

from Shaun Murphy. Good standard. These three opening frames.

Yes, it's been very entertaining so far.

Very well played from Shaun Murphy. A magnificent clearance. It takes

them into the lead at 2-1. It's hard to look past someone like

Steve Redgrave for me and when I met him he was like a man mountain, you

shake his hand up there. For atmosphere, being their lives, you

know, seeing it, hearing it, feeling the tension, I used to enjoy the

triple jump, and I used a quite enjoy rugby. Ireland once being used

as the example at tennis to receive serve off the PE teacher, and he

wasn't happy when I knocked it past him on the return. I think I've got

the best walk on music on the tour, disco Inferno. If there was a

ranking, I think it would be number one by some distance. My dream

retirement is always have an involvement in snooker, be it

coaching, managing, trying to inspire the next generation. I look

forward to the day when I can play golf three or four times a week. My

favourite venue would always be the Crucible, that's where Alex brought

out the family for the shot, where Dennis won in 1985, where Cliff made

147 and everything happened in that room. You can't beat it.

Very interesting. Not a bad golfer, either. Plays off a five handicap.

A person who played at his local golf club with him, the Masters

champion, Danny Willett. With a little bit of luck, we could be

seeing about green jacket at the Crucible Theatre. Not putting too

much pressure on you, Danny, but we would love to see you down here.

What a win that was for Danny Willett to win the Masters. What

excitement. And how he played the last three holes was quite

incredible. Has he left the red on? That's the

important part. No, there is a snooker on the red, so just a little

bit harder and he should be OK. I golf Masters champion used to come

here, the president of the golf Masters Association, Ian Woosnam,

who was my best man when I got married 13 years ago. They all love

their snooker, golfers. And all the snooker players love golf.

Same shot again with a little more pace.

He's not let Shaun and easy opener. He will be careering into the bunch

here. Concentrate on the pot. Digit think that was a kick, Stephen? --

do you think? From his reaction, there was something wrong. It

sounded like there was heavy contact. You can tell by the sound.

Yes, that was not Shaun's fault there.

That was a better shot than it looked. You have to control the cue

ball to get the right side of the blue. That was well played. His

problem is the black is blocked up. It's available.

Quite a big frame, this, for Anthony McGill. An excellent frontrunner.

Even this early in the match, he does not want to be three frames in

front. Stay with him. He's finished on a crow first here. -- red.

Looking to see if the pink goes to the yellow pocket. It may even take

the actress second up to the yellow pocket. I think that's the right

shot, position on a colour. Good cueing there. And a good call

from Stephen. Definitely the shot to play. He still got to execute it and

I am with you, it's an important frame. To go to the mid-session, 2-2

with a Shaun Murphy, I think he will be more than pleased.

Yes, he will be looking to take the lead, Shaun Murphy, into the final

session. 6-3. It's always a target I would be looking at. Anything else

is a bonus. I'd be looking at a 6-3 lead. An important moment for

Anthony McGill, who, himself, if he's looking at winning this match

will be looking a lead. The seeded player is always the one the onus is

on them to get the lead for the second session.

Just got to concentrate 100% now because, in the opening frame, he

had the lead and then missed a straightforward red. We know he's

cueing very well, without break of 119 in second frame. Taking his

chalk there. Had to move it across the table. It was catching. Oh, that

is careless. That is a bad one. Just wanted to slip past the pink. It was

better over stunning that than understanding it like you did

because it could have finished on the blue. Once he can and the pink,

it was the end of the break. That was a golden chance he has let slip.

A lot of pressure on Anthony here in this match, as I say. He has not

been used to get into the latter stages of tournaments this season.

He said before the programme it wasn't the best of seasons for him.

That's the way he has been playing this season. Attacking everything.

Expected into knock-about in but, I tell you what, he might just have

slightly got away with that. Once he missed a pot, he would've felt he

left something easy for Anthony, but he never got it in the jaws of the

pocket. Well, this red, passing the other red, it's OK. You have got to

go on and secure this frame now, Anthony. A golden chance handed to

you here. He has got a textbook stance,

Anthony, a bit like the old days. Jo Davies used to stand like that. A

lot of the modern-day players, including Stephen here, more square

on, so it's changed, slightly, the way the players come to the table.

Oh, he has done it again. Just when he was getting to the point where he

should have secured the frame, but that's just pressure. You know, lack

of experience playing at this stage in the tournament. How costly is

that miss going to be? After me saying Shaun Murphy is the

greatest wrist player of all time, that was a shocker. Well, nobody saw

that one coming. Anthony McGill can't believe he's back at the table

so soon after that bad miss. It is his third chance. He has got

to take this one. He could've done with coming just a

little bit further out into the table to play a cannibal, and it

should not be a common. Keep it as easy as possible for yourself --

play a cannon. 45, so not many pots away from making it 2-2.

And he will be feeling much better now, Anthony.

But pretty good standard, it has to be said. Shaun opened with a break

of 61. He responded with 119. Shaun had 93. No big breaks in this frame,

but... Anthony, well, he will go to the mid-session interval and he will

be quietly pleased. Yes, he will be very pleased,

especially with this frame because he's missed two or three

opportunities before this and got away with it. So it's a bonus.

There's been a few bad shots. You would expect that in the first

round. The surprising thing is Shaun Murphy's long potting has not been

what we expect from him. Tried to play that with lots of

side, but it does not really matter. Shaun said that's enough and, as we

go to the mid-session interval, it is even Stevens, all to play for.

HAZEL IRVINE: It is indeed, Dennis. A couple of glaring errors from both

players, not least that mess from Shaun Murphy, but you guys have

picked a couple of shots, one in particular, which reveals the rather

aggressive mindset Shaun Murphy is displaying in this match.

Shaun Murphy is left with a long speculative read, the type of shot

you could knock in. The cue ball is careering into other balls, it does

not know where it's going to end up or whether he's going to pot the

ball. The easier shot would need to play the safety shot of nestling

behind the red on the top question but Shaun Murphy always goes for the

attacking option. Effectively he knows he's going to lose the frame.

As it turned out, he didn't, but that's how he must've thought. It

has been evident over the last couple of months that after losing

the final here last year, he tinkered with his game, stripped it

down, not happy with his tactics and his technique. Then he came to the

conclusion two months ago there was nothing wrong with that at all and

suddenly one the world Grand Prix. It's business as usual and has gone

back to his natural way of playing. I don't blame him for doing it. We

are here to critique of the players. Sometimes I'm pernickety about it.

He's not the best player in the world. Others will always beat him

in certain departments of the game but he's a phenomenal break-builder,

scorer, brilliant cue action, so he's playing to his strengths. He

will lose a few matches along the line that will win a lot. He's just

decided his strength is attacking. He will score. And take his chances.

Effectively, it is what happened in a lot of sports. The players in golf

has had to go for the pen more because they don't someone else

will. All of a sudden, in the snooker world, if you don't take

your only opportunity, even if it's fraught with danger, you can't play

defensively. You could argue, back in certain parts of the game, you

could get away with playing more tactically but now you can't. Well,

it's going to be an interesting few months for Shaun Murphy because his

fiancee allaying is expecting their first child bash Elaine. Yes, he's

looking forward to playing golf three or four times a week on he

said, well, that's out of the window now. From Anthony McGill's point of

view, very pleased with his place at the interval. Yes, he's the type of

plane is a good tactical player and a good thinker in the game, so if

you can get in front of Shaun Murphy, and perhaps make him go for

more and more shots, that's the way to beat Shaun. Let's talk about the

match on the other side of the arena at the moment, the other two Scots,

McManus and Maguire. Stephen Maguire, a former semifinalist has

had a nightmare in previous years and is not won a match here since

2012. I wonder how this Glaswegian reflects on his time recently at the

Theatre of dreams? When I first turned professional, 17, 18, they

made this player is a distinction thing and that actually made us go

to Sheffield, but it refused to go into the arena. I said, no, I didn't

want to go, so the first time I actually walked out in the arena was

as a player, which is what I wanted to do. I was buzzing, playing Ronnie

O'Sullivan, as well, so although I was buzzing and nervous and that, I

was just wanting, come on now, let's play. I have been there a few times

now, I still go in, sit down and go, oh, it's too tight, it's far too

tight. It's got a different aura about it. I'm not the biggest fan of

it. I'm too big. I don't like sitting next to the guy I'm playing

because for that moment, I don't like him. Sheffield at that time of

year is buzzing, the sun is out usually, where the Crucible is, it

is full all the time, so it's hard not to get a buzz at this biggest

tour. I have played there twice in the semifinals, I like the arena a

lot better because all of a sudden, it goes from two small to a

completely different arena. It's a special arena when there was one

table. If somebody says to me, you are not going to win it, will you

still play snooker? Of course I would. It would mean more to my

family than me because if I wanted, it would be for them and I would

take about 5% credit. Well, he says he does not like to sit next to his

opponent by ensuring likes sitting next to this man because Alan

McManus is his practice partner and Alan treated, I was going to play

him today but we are going to play on Saturday. As we pick it up, a

break of 77, Allen, and it is McManus to play and it has all been

watched by Willie Thorne and Ken Doherty.

A little knuckle off the angle of the pocket there.

Looks like the pink will pot into the bottom corner. Stephen Maguire

just coming around to have a look at it. You can drop the red into this

bottom left-hand corner pocket. And get on the pink.

Plenty of reds in the open here. A 28 point lead.

Doesn't that to worry about the black at the moment. Six or seven

reds with pink would be enough. Just a little underhit, but still no

problem. The pink in the middle is available.

He is probably going to have to play a cannon or run-through for the

Boston red. -- bottom red. He has done very well making this

break for and counting. A bit unlucky. He follows a 77 in

the first round with a 76 in frame two. HAZEL: He made it 2-1, but it

was Stephen in the fourth frame with a 74. 77, 76 and 74 and a good

scoring from him. It is amazing to think that McManus is here having

made his debut in 1991 and 25 years later he is in his 20th campaign and

you have got interesting memories of Alan from

You can call it that if you like. I came here after being the champion

in 1991 and he inflicted the Crucible curse on me. It was like

playing against Ireland girders, you could not get rid of him, he was so

tough. So, yes, I have got very fond memories of him. It says a lot about

players like Alan that he can make it here again and he has made it in

the last few years. He is a great campaigner and when you see it is

harder to get through the qualifiers, he is done that and is a

great campaigner. But many players since him have fallen back off the

tour. He must be enjoying himself a bit to play like this. A tough

first-round match for him. I think Stephen Maguire, if anyone else is

overpriced in the betting, I reckon he could cause some problems. You

say it is tough for Alan, but it is really tough for Stephen Maguire. He

squeaked in as the last automatic qualifier. Yes, he bleed. He got to

the semifinals in China and there was pressure in that much. He is one

of the serial underachievers for me. I rate his game so highly. He is a

brilliant match player and I think he should have won a bit more. We

are going straight back into live coverage of the next five frames, or

as long as it takes on the other table. When we left it was Shaun

Murphy and Anthony McGill with two frames apiece. Here they come. They

have got five more frames to play this afternoon and we are in the

company of Stephen and Dennis. It is a very tight matches so far.

Well, it is hard to pick a winner. I hope Anthony can carry on playing

the way he did in the second and fourth frame. As the boys were

saying, Shaun will carry on playing attacking snooker. That might create

a few chances for Anthony. And he will have a go at this I am sure.

And there we go. Shaun Murphy special there. One good positional

shot here and he can get himself in and around the black spot area.

He wanted to be straight on this red.

That was the problem because he did not get on the red as he intended.

He had to play a delicate cannon and it has all gone wrong. He does not

look happy for himself. He misjudged that cannon.

He does not look totally composed, Shaun Murphy. You do not normally

see as many facial reactions from him as we are seeing today. That is

what the Crucible can do to you in the first round.

The way Shaun is looking if he is going to have another go at this

because he feels he can get around the back of the black. Continue with

the attacking policy. He might be able to have a go at a

pot here, the one above the black. But it is a very thin one. He is

looking at it, but decided on the other, avoid the double-kiss here

and get back up towards the green. Shaun looked very relaxed at

breakfast this morning. He told us the good news about his wife

expecting their first child. He was over the moon and he is really

looking forward to that. He made the plant that time. He

could have done with the white bouncing a little bit further. He is

going to have to roll up behind the green. That was a well-made plant.

With the reds as open as they are, he can get a good snooker here.

He is reluctant to roll up to the green, but there is not much else

available. Shaun is looking to see if he was to

land on that red would he leave the one near the black?

He was looking at the two-cushion escape. He needs to be a bit careful

with this. I do not think he has got that

right. Maybe he can't see enough of that red.

If it had travelled another inch, he might have been able to pot it.

That is the sort of line he is looking at to land on that. It has

to be very precise. Maybe he can take this red on along

the cushion and then go for the pink into the right centre.

He needs to see where he leaves the cue ball for the pink.

It is one of those shots that you really need to feel confident about

and get down and play it straightaway. But that red is worth

a risk. Especially when you play such a bad

safety. I am with you. If he had taken the pot on and played the

white into the circle, he would have been on the pink as you suggested.

And he would not have left anything. The balls are sitting differently

now. That is a good target now, the

green, brown and the blue sitting as it is. If he can get anywhere to the

left of where the cue ball is now, there is every chance of getting a

snooker. That was a better line. He has

covered the one near the left corner. Now it is important Anthony

gets a good cue ball otherwise he would leave shone with a shot at

that red. He has got to risk trying to get

behind the colours. I would rather than do that and put it in the jaws

of the left corner pocket. Oh! I thought it was going to be a

snooker behind the angle. At one stage I thought it was going to drop

and snooker him on the angle and then gravity took over.

This pot to the left corner will have an angle on it. I think there

is a gap to get the cue ball out into the middle of the table.

He was a bit unlucky. He played the shot you suggested and for a few

seconds it looked like he was going to end on the black. But look at the

red snow the way they are open. That at first glance looks pretty

good. He has got to get this one right. He

needs to get the cue ball up somewhere near the yellow pocket.

That is an excellent safety. Probably one of the best today. He

could quite easily have caught that red, the double-kiss was on, and he

judged it to perfection. We have not had too many long bouts

of safety. 61, 93, 119, they were winning the frames. It is whoever

makes the first mistake in this tactical battle.

But he has had a bit of a result. He could have left all sorts. He made a

very thin contact, but he got away with it slightly. That would pot,

but he will have to get a spider out. I don't know whether he can

reach it with a rest. He has got the spider out himself. He knows where

all these implements are. Usually the referee gets the spider out.

This is an important shot here. He could only play it into half a

pocket and he judged it well. Can he capitalise on that error from Shaun?

That will be blocked after he pots it here. He would like to get rid of

the red in the pink spot and bring that into play. It would not be too

bad for the pink to go on the blue spot.

That is as bad a shot as he is going to hit today.

A fair bit of mileage left in this fifth round. We are leaving it on

BBC One, but panic not, we are heading straight over to BBC Two to

keep tabs on the remainder of this session. I hope you will hop over to

BBC Two and join us there.