:01:12. > :01:20.Good morning. It is here. The final weekend of this year's Betfred World
:01:21. > :01:24.Championship is. We are backstage at the Crucible Theatre on day 15 in
:01:25. > :01:28.Sheffield out of 17. In snooker terms, there is still a long way
:01:29. > :01:33.before the champion lists the trophy and is put onto the winners board.
:01:34. > :01:36.We are in crossed another semifinal stage you are in crossed another
:01:37. > :01:41.semifinal stage you today. This morning, it is Mark Selby taking odd
:01:42. > :01:47.Marco Fu. This is a match that proves you need patience and skill,
:01:48. > :02:00.and now, and composure. Maybe even a tube of superglue in a Crucible
:02:01. > :02:06.semifinal. There is a perfect start. This will hurt Mark Selby.
:02:07. > :02:27.5-4, Mark Selby. He has played it well. He has played it absolutely
:02:28. > :02:39.inch perfect. Indigo is the pink, 6-4.
:02:40. > :02:46.If he had picked it up with his hand he could not have put it any better
:02:47. > :02:58.position. This black for the beautifully compiled century break.
:02:59. > :03:12.They share the first format frames. He spotted a plant.
:03:13. > :03:20.Marco Fu has won all three frames and has levelled the tie at 7-7. He
:03:21. > :03:21.is in the ascendancy at the moment, no doubt. He could not have played
:03:22. > :03:35.it any better. Did his tip come off? You are
:03:36. > :03:38.kidding. The worst thing any -- in the world that can happen to a
:03:39. > :03:46.sticker player, he must be distraught. Cannot believe it, what
:03:47. > :03:49.a thing to happen. And the semifinal of the World Championship, when you
:03:50. > :03:54.are in stroke, you could not pick a worse time.
:03:55. > :04:00.We hope it will not be a turning point but might it be? It really
:04:01. > :04:06.depends on how good a job that told us. Marco Fu will go to the practice
:04:07. > :04:11.table and have a couple of shots and if you looked down his Jew and it is
:04:12. > :04:14.the same, it is no problem. He were to get the fuel right, get
:04:15. > :04:18.confidence on the screw back. If he gives confidence on the screw back
:04:19. > :04:31.and gets the same reaction, then he will be all right.
:04:32. > :04:40.It is what is going on between the ears for Marco Fu. And he smiled
:04:41. > :04:45.that the audience. That might be a good sign. How well hasn't done to
:04:46. > :04:51.keep himself together and make this a frame-winning contribution? And he
:04:52. > :05:03.now leads the world number one, Mark Selby, by 8-7. That was a nice pot.
:05:04. > :05:05.And he has missed that explanation mark. He got a kick. That was a
:05:06. > :05:19.frame ball. Marco Fu leads the session 5-3. Mark
:05:20. > :05:21.Selby won the first session 5-3 and we have parity. They are all square
:05:22. > :05:30.at 8-8. And in the 1987 Champion Ken Doherty
:05:31. > :05:34.with me. Nervous moments before the players go out. Those that break of
:05:35. > :05:38.91 in the 15 frame for Marco Fu yesterday after the tip problems,
:05:39. > :05:43.how good was it and how terrible the moment boss that of felt? It
:05:44. > :05:48.could've been very disconcerting for Marco Fu. He was very composed. When
:05:49. > :05:52.he got the tip back on, he came back out and help themselves together. It
:05:53. > :05:57.did not seem to be too much of a problem. I had a chat with them. He
:05:58. > :06:02.said it was back on and he is perfectly fine, Beverley happy,
:06:03. > :06:08.until I mentioned it!. He was going so well. He won four any roll. That
:06:09. > :06:18.missed red in the final frame, he must've been very angry. -- for any
:06:19. > :06:23.row. It could've been a pivotal frame in this match. We will have to
:06:24. > :06:27.wait and see. Lots of snooker still to be played and some interesting
:06:28. > :06:31.frames. Fair to say that Mark Selby has not been at his best in the
:06:32. > :06:36.semifinal so far but as Stephen Hendry said, he does find a way to
:06:37. > :06:40.win. How dangerous does he remain? It is amazing, he has not played his
:06:41. > :06:45.best in the semifinal, there is still plenty of time for him. He has
:06:46. > :06:52.to take in courage and. He still has that ability we talk about. If you
:06:53. > :06:56.can bring his best game it will be a tough fight for Marco Fu. It is
:06:57. > :07:06.therefore Mark Selby. He just has to find it. It is time for you to get
:07:07. > :07:11.to work. Let us not on the door. Come on Mark Selby, tend to go to
:07:12. > :07:18.work. Are you fit? What time do you call this? You are late. Best of
:07:19. > :07:23.luck. This is the corridor. Everybody wants down the corridor,
:07:24. > :07:28.getting ready to go outside. We come down to Marco Fu's dressing room and
:07:29. > :07:36.let us see if he is ready. Mr Fu, it is time. What do you want? Time to
:07:37. > :07:39.go to work. Best of luck. This is probably the most nervous for the
:07:40. > :07:47.players, backstage before they go out. It is over to you, Rob Walker.
:07:48. > :07:49.Mission accomplished for Ken Doherty. Rob Walker, it is your turn
:07:50. > :07:59.now. COMMENTATOR: Good morning. We are
:08:00. > :08:02.gearing up to a grandstand finish for this Betfred strip World Snooker
:08:03. > :08:06.Championship. This is the day that we complete the line-up. -- the
:08:07. > :08:10.Betfred were in snooker champion ship.
:08:11. > :08:31.It is all to play for here at the Crucible.
:08:32. > :08:38.Please welcome a player emerging for one of the most important days of
:08:39. > :08:42.his career so far. A brilliant session yesterday afternoon has
:08:43. > :08:46.given him a chance of a first-ever Crucible final, 17 years after his
:08:47. > :08:51.debut. Twice a ranking event winner and he will draw on all those years
:08:52. > :08:53.of experience this morning. He is one of the global from Hong Kong,
:08:54. > :09:20.here is Marco Fu. And his opponent, the ultimate
:09:21. > :09:25.performer under pressure. He is hoping to take one step closer to a
:09:26. > :09:29.third Crucible final, multiple Masters champion, UK champion. He
:09:30. > :09:35.completed the Triple crown here in fine style two years ago. Can he
:09:36. > :09:39.once again produce his best on the ultimate stage? He is the world
:09:40. > :09:44.number one, he is the Jester from Leicester. It is Mark Selby.
:09:45. > :10:09.Two sessions to be played today. A back this morning. Willie Thorne and
:10:10. > :10:27.John Virgo on commentary. This is an important session.
:10:28. > :10:37.Handshake. This is the third session.
:10:38. > :10:46.He's a player that can release tension. Will he? He has to raise
:10:47. > :10:54.his game debut notches, I feel, if he is to get through this match. He
:10:55. > :11:01.really struggled yesterday. He will be pleased that the score is a
:11:02. > :11:02.Titanic hit. -- is 8-8. Who will take the lead going into the final
:11:03. > :11:20.session tonight? He has missed out so the first
:11:21. > :11:21.chance of the morning will go to Mark Selby. When you have not had a
:11:22. > :11:25.good session, even though he has been on the practice table this
:11:26. > :11:37.morning, you will be under pressure and the first few shots.
:11:38. > :11:42.Mentally, he is negative with his spots. He needs to get off to a good
:11:43. > :11:50.start but he has not done so through -- so far.
:11:51. > :11:56.That is normally one you expect to knock them and the fact that Marco
:11:57. > :12:00.Fu is looking towards the red that is beside the road, it suggest to me
:12:01. > :12:08.that he cannot get through to the one on the left corner. He cannot.
:12:09. > :12:45.The one that is left to the bank. -- to the pink.
:12:46. > :12:57.What a miss that was. Did not see that one coming. But we see it so
:12:58. > :12:59.many times, if you decelerate when you push that cue through, that is
:13:00. > :13:12.what you must've done there. I am not sure if he has done
:13:13. > :13:19.anything with his tip overnight, whether he has taken it off and put
:13:20. > :13:26.it back on again. Usually you hold the cue in exactly the same place.
:13:27. > :13:34.That certainly will not help his confidence. Somebody was asking me,
:13:35. > :13:35.do you get a reasonable time to put the tip back on the cue as it did
:13:36. > :13:52.yesterday? He needs to run past the yellow.
:13:53. > :13:55.That was a poor positional shot. You quickly noticed, when you looked at
:13:56. > :14:03.the tip of Marco Fu, there were superglue on it yesterday. There was
:14:04. > :14:06.no superglue this time. I was talking to Paul Collier, he wanted
:14:07. > :14:16.to clean it up that Marco Fu said no, leave it as it is.
:14:17. > :14:22.Poor positional shot to Mark Selby so did not make the most of it. This
:14:23. > :14:27.is what happened yesterday if you missed it. Just watch the tip of the
:14:28. > :14:34.cue. And that is a nightmare for the snooker player. It is like he does
:14:35. > :14:38.not have the blog of talk in the right place and was pushing it. It
:14:39. > :14:45.must've been worse. That is Paul Collier trying to replace it.
:14:46. > :14:53.He has got the black! That was careless. Somebody asked the cue --
:14:54. > :14:57.in the questioning and that reasonable amount of time you get to
:14:58. > :15:01.put the tip back on the cue, and you could not, what would you do? The
:15:02. > :15:02.bottom line is that you would have to get another cue to finish the
:15:03. > :15:07.session. It is never happen to me in my
:15:08. > :15:19.career. It would get me 3-4 days to get used
:15:20. > :15:28.to the new tip. It has never happened to me. That was two amazing
:15:29. > :15:50.Mr Johns from Marco Fu. -- misjudgements. It is just not
:15:51. > :15:56.there in the match. It is one you would normally expect to Putin and
:15:57. > :15:57.it was not real pressure. He would not leave anything other than the
:15:58. > :16:07.red you were playing. That gives us a beautiful view.
:16:08. > :17:05.Wonderful arena. Good pot. Foul. That was a little
:17:06. > :17:12.bit unlucky. The pockets are always in the same places. He just got back
:17:13. > :17:14.a fraction too thick. If he caught the red in the middle of the pocket
:17:15. > :17:29.it could have been enough. That was nearly a very good snooker
:17:30. > :17:35.but not quite. I think Mark King at this went in. -- I think Mark can
:17:36. > :17:53.cut this went in. He was up on the short very quickly
:17:54. > :17:57.and felt he had missed it. He was to get the blue into the bunch. I think
:17:58. > :18:04.it is too straight. There is a slight angle. And one night at the
:18:05. > :18:18.bottom of the pack. Can get there? It is not landed.
:18:19. > :18:35.Mark Selby has as much power as anybody when he is in full flight.
:18:36. > :18:43.He was playing that will be a lot of right-hand side to check the cue
:18:44. > :18:47.ball. And that checking process has left him near the blue spot rather
:18:48. > :19:27.than the Balkan cushion. An easy safety from Marco Fu.
:19:28. > :19:36.He did not make the most of that opportunity. If you were thinking of
:19:37. > :19:41.a target you would be thinking maybe, in yellow, if you could get
:19:42. > :19:47.near where the yellow is. It would be safe.
:19:48. > :19:58.He has taken it on and now he has got it. Does he have an angle? Can
:19:59. > :20:03.he force this yellow ribbon? There are a couple of reds available,
:20:04. > :20:04.particularly the one to the right of the black for the left corner
:20:05. > :20:25.pocket. He had to avoid the green. The red
:20:26. > :20:33.just below the bank is available. -- though the pink is available.
:20:34. > :20:40.This will tell you about how he is cueing at the moment. He will play
:20:41. > :20:41.with the run-through. He could play for the clue or try to hold for the
:20:42. > :20:53.black. -- for the blue. Just not cueing up long enough at
:20:54. > :21:09.the moment. Just caught the left part of the
:21:10. > :21:15.pocket. He will be disappointed to have missed it and a missed
:21:16. > :21:16.opportunity. He has had a couple in this opening frame. He still has a
:21:17. > :21:28.27 point lead. Mark Wood did not want to risk going
:21:29. > :21:54.back to the baulk end. -- Marco Fu. Is it a touching ball? He does not
:21:55. > :22:05.want the referee to give them three shot hit.
:22:06. > :22:09.If you could get the cue ball somewhere near that circle, the blue
:22:10. > :22:23.would cover the path to the red. Just a little delicate touch. He
:22:24. > :22:32.could not go over to the side because he would have the left --
:22:33. > :22:39.the red to the left of the black. Neither player wants to get
:22:40. > :22:42.embroiled in this type of situation. Get near the jaws of that corner
:22:43. > :22:49.pocket, the blue will be the cover. Make sure your phones are switched
:22:50. > :23:06.off, please. The blue has not came to the rescue
:23:07. > :23:13.because he has played for the clue to cover the path to this red near
:23:14. > :23:18.the corner. The problem for Marco, it is not to leave this red. The
:23:19. > :23:19.only way I can see it is to come off the site or top cushion just to
:23:20. > :23:38.nestle up to it. Easy enough to hurt. It keeps Mark
:23:39. > :23:47.Selby in control of this tactical exchange. With Mark having that 27
:23:48. > :23:48.point lead, every just gets the next chance, you think it will be a
:23:49. > :24:25.frame-winner. I thought he had understated and he
:24:26. > :24:29.has as far as the baulk cushion matters. He could have snookered
:24:30. > :24:34.him? Is there an age of sticking out? Just a fraction of the red
:24:35. > :24:43.sticking out. Just get past the blue.
:24:44. > :24:51.There is not a lot sticking out and that he catches it a fraction, I do
:24:52. > :25:00.not know if this is enough into the right corner.
:25:01. > :25:16.Well played. Brilliant. There was not a lot sticking out. Yesterday we
:25:17. > :25:29.saw a clip of Marco Fu with his wife and children walking into the.... He
:25:30. > :25:31.was wearing glasses. I do not think he needs them after seeing that
:25:32. > :25:46.shot. This is a good line. Decent length.
:25:47. > :25:47.He would rather to have drifted past the green. Nevertheless, a decent
:25:48. > :26:19.safety. It is a strange game, isn't it? On a
:26:20. > :26:25.bad day, that red stays in the jaws of the pocket. He did not want to
:26:26. > :26:30.test that red obviously. There was the danger of knocking upon. What
:26:31. > :26:38.happened -- Mark straight in the pocket and Marco Fu apologised.
:26:39. > :27:02.He has not apologise for that, though.
:27:03. > :27:10.That was the most obvious line. Always trying to make contact with a
:27:11. > :27:12.ball that is near the cushion. You feel you should nestle onto it and
:27:13. > :27:45.not leave anything. Cannot get in behind the yellow of
:27:46. > :27:48.the red on the site cushion but he can find the baulk cushion right
:27:49. > :28:04.behind the brown spot. That is what he should be looking
:28:05. > :28:11.That was not quite hard enough. It is imperative, Wendy brown is on the
:28:12. > :28:15.spot, you have to get good length with the cue ball. There is nothing
:28:16. > :28:43.to hide behind. Little bit thinner than he would
:28:44. > :28:49.like. That has been a problem for me, with Mark, there's not a lot of
:28:50. > :28:54.consistency in this match. The reliability usually expect from him.
:28:55. > :28:57.You have to suggest he is one of the greatest poker players of all time
:28:58. > :29:03.but it has not been happening in this match. To be fair, Marco Fu has
:29:04. > :29:05.not found the baulk cushion either this morning so neither appear to
:29:06. > :29:20.have settled yet. There is the pot on here. Mark will
:29:21. > :29:27.see this when he goes to the left-hand side of the table, beyond
:29:28. > :29:32.the green. It is not automatic. He has to do a little bit with the cue
:29:33. > :29:37.ball. They worry about this is the red on the top cushion. It would be
:29:38. > :29:51.an easy shot for battle free to drop in. -- for Marco. Very good shot. He
:29:52. > :29:55.went wide with the cue ball. I presume he played in between the
:29:56. > :30:00.black and pink area and got into the cue ball too much. It just clicked
:30:01. > :30:04.at the red in the middle of the table that I did not notice at the
:30:05. > :30:11.time and that is what kept the cue ball in the middle of the table. It
:30:12. > :30:16.is almost beyond this point. He does not have to do a lot with the cue
:30:17. > :30:18.ball supports this pink. The fact he can be checked is a bonus. He is on
:30:19. > :30:35.his tiptoes. That is a bonus. Here is an
:30:36. > :30:42.opportunity for Mark Selby to take the opening frame of the morning.
:30:43. > :30:49.He judged that beautifully. He could have potted slightly thicker and
:30:50. > :30:53.position would have failed. You would expect him to win the frame
:30:54. > :31:00.from here. He is just thinking of playing for
:31:01. > :31:03.the green. It would be a good ball to get for at least three of these
:31:04. > :31:30.rights. -- red.. Not straightforward. OK, he has got
:31:31. > :31:36.the easy road to the right corner but struggling for position after
:31:37. > :31:41.that. The read between the pink and black is thinner than he would like.
:31:42. > :31:43.He still has that positional shot away from making it easy for
:31:44. > :31:58.himself. Now he should be OK.
:31:59. > :32:14.The eye of a needle, wasn't it? Took his time filling the cue away
:32:15. > :32:30.after that shot. Now he is on the red to the right of
:32:31. > :32:43.the black, that should make things easier.
:32:44. > :33:07.This Red Bull put him 53 points ahead -- ten won.
:33:08. > :33:20.Would you believe it? Frame ball. It is absolutely amazing how many times
:33:21. > :33:30.we see a simple shot, not having to do anything there. Frame ball. It
:33:31. > :33:34.looked unmissable. I did detect a slight bones but I
:33:35. > :33:44.don't think that threw the ball off-line.
:33:45. > :33:50.Obviously struggling with confidence at the minute and the better choice
:33:51. > :33:59.might have been to just roll the red into the middle. It just shows you
:34:00. > :34:35.what pressure can do. Nothing is easy when you are under the cosh.
:34:36. > :34:40.He is having a good look at this particular think you can see enough
:34:41. > :34:59.of the red to potted. Controlled it very well indeed. That
:35:00. > :35:03.bit of cute power can help you out of those tricky situations and think
:35:04. > :35:14.he might have snookered Marco on the remaining four reds. Mark Selby only
:35:15. > :35:20.one red away from winning this first frame.
:35:21. > :35:36.Just caught the edge. He would love to take this red on. He cannot avoid
:35:37. > :35:40.the case of the black. Not sure if he can get enough screw on the side
:35:41. > :35:44.of it so he might have to play a safety shot. The bidder read --
:35:45. > :36:04.maybe the red onto the black. Did not knock it safe but got the
:36:05. > :36:12.desired path. He will be pleased with that. Lonely
:36:13. > :36:20.thing is, that red is close to the black. If you catch is this wrong,
:36:21. > :36:32.could not the black to the corner. Judged it well and this is an
:36:33. > :36:47.excellent line. He will be glad to still be in this
:36:48. > :37:05.frame, Marco Fu. It should have been over by now. That simple red to the
:37:06. > :37:14.middle that Mark Selby missed. I don't know if he can just get past
:37:15. > :37:32.the pink to get the edge of the red. There is not a lot sticking out.
:37:33. > :37:46.He doesn't like it. I think he is thinking just below the pink. He
:37:47. > :37:57.might run it tight to the top cushion. Then the cue ball will stay
:37:58. > :38:03.at this end of the table. Then it won't be beyond the realms of
:38:04. > :38:24.possibility that Marco Fu could win the frame. Got to get this safe.
:38:25. > :38:42.No, she has got to take the mess. Over to you, referee! The main
:38:43. > :39:06.reason he has got to take the The problem is, Mark Selby thinks he
:39:07. > :39:15.can see that red. This is going to be one of the worst re-rack 's of
:39:16. > :39:27.the tournament so far. He has got to be very precise, the
:39:28. > :39:38.referee. He is refereeing at the other semifinal. We will show you
:39:39. > :39:54.where they were. And this is where they are now. Very good.
:39:55. > :40:05.How does that look? Looks OK? Thank you.
:40:06. > :40:19.I shake of the head. That looks near enough to me.
:40:20. > :40:35.Judge it better this time and where is the cue ball going to finish?
:40:36. > :40:41.I did not think he could quite see as much of the red as he hit but it
:40:42. > :40:47.was a very difficult situation to get them exactly in the right place.
:40:48. > :40:58.Mark Selby is a very honest player. He played a remarkable shot.
:40:59. > :41:03.I cannot see any other short for Marco but to come round on these two
:41:04. > :41:20.reds together. If it is tight against the cushion
:41:21. > :41:47.he will be fearing the worst. He was very concerned about leading
:41:48. > :42:00.the red on the top cushion. I can only assume it is tight to the
:42:01. > :42:06.cushion. And it is. If this was frame ball he would take
:42:07. > :42:12.it on. He once red and a colour so it
:42:13. > :42:29.basically is frame ball. Those two reds were not in a
:42:30. > :42:47.pottable position. Good shot. Mark will be desperate to
:42:48. > :43:17.get in between the brown and blue. This frame should have been over ten
:43:18. > :44:14.minutes ago. This could be the longest frame of the match so far.
:44:15. > :44:26.It's been an edgy frame so far. He decided to go for it. Mark Selby
:44:27. > :44:29.refusing that pot along the cushion looks to be the right decision now.
:44:30. > :44:49.Just red and a colour needed. He is not making it easy for
:44:50. > :45:22.himself, is he? It was tricky. He just concentrated
:45:23. > :45:35.on the pot and got it a fraction too thick.
:45:36. > :46:02.He won't need all blacks if he should get an opportunity.
:46:03. > :46:52.Is it going to run? It just stops short.
:46:53. > :47:00.Eventually, Mark Selby pots the ball that leaves his opponent needing a
:47:01. > :47:22.snicker. -- snooker. Not the most memorable frame. An
:47:23. > :47:30.opinion on Marco Fu so far? The tip issue has obviously affected
:47:31. > :47:40.his confidence. Mark Selby the frame.
:47:41. > :47:44.Mark Selby goes one clear again. I think it is fair to say that
:47:45. > :47:49.confidence is not coursing through the veins of the world number one.
:47:50. > :47:51.That is painful from him getting across the line.
:47:52. > :47:54.He will be delighted to win the frame but what happens when you miss
:47:55. > :48:03.these types of opportunities is that it does the rout. Even though he has
:48:04. > :48:08.won the frame, missing those types of opportunities that you never see
:48:09. > :48:15.him miss. Even if you are not full of confidence, roll it in. That
:48:16. > :48:19.should have been done 1015 minutes ago so he has put himself through
:48:20. > :48:27.the ringer. That will make him even more edgy. Thankfully for Mark
:48:28. > :48:33.Selby, Marco Fu looks edgy as well. You get the feel that Marco must
:48:34. > :48:38.think he has an opportunity against the world number one.
:48:39. > :48:45.Absolutely. If ever he was good to have a chance to get to a final this
:48:46. > :48:48.will be yet. Mark Selby cannot play this bad throughout the semifinal.
:48:49. > :48:49.He has to get better. It is an excellent opportunity for Marco
:48:50. > :49:08.fool. -- Marco Fu. COMMENTATOR: Whatever happens, one
:49:09. > :49:24.of these players will probably be in front.
:49:25. > :49:41.That will be a confidence booster. You have got to find that all
:49:42. > :50:57.Not certain whether black will go when it is re-spotted.
:50:58. > :51:08.If he finishes low on this red, which he hasn't done, he could've
:51:09. > :51:11.got it into play. At the minute, he just wants to get 40 or 50 to get
:51:12. > :51:38.his confidence back. A little bit more straight on the
:51:39. > :51:49.pink would have been better. No other spots available. It is a pity.
:51:50. > :52:17.If it had been straighter he would have been going for the blue.
:52:18. > :52:24.He couldn't really generate the pace required. Did not have the best of
:52:25. > :52:30.angles on the black. That pretty well considering.
:52:31. > :52:32.Yes, he is very good at that shot. He could always pushed the pink
:52:33. > :53:36.towards the corner pocket. Going back to Ronnie O'Sullivan, who
:53:37. > :53:41.was favourite coming into the tournament, he said if he did not
:53:42. > :53:46.make 70, he did not win a frame. That shows you what a seasoned
:53:47. > :53:48.matchplay Mark Selby is. He is nowhere near his best but he is
:53:49. > :54:05.grinding out frames. If you are not winning frames in one
:54:06. > :54:15.visit, you are relying on your opponent making mistakes.
:54:16. > :54:24.If we look at the pot success, both players below 90%. They can both be
:54:25. > :54:32.pleased that neither of them are exactly on top form. The other
:54:33. > :54:36.semifinal with Ding Junhui and Alan McManus, they are up to 94% at
:54:37. > :55:04.times. He has got the colour. E is perfect
:55:05. > :55:25.and the black. This has been an excellent break.
:55:26. > :55:31.Maybe the confidence this tube was looking for.
:55:32. > :55:40.I don't know where it has come from. He struggled in the last session and
:55:41. > :55:49.in the opening frame. He probably will try to make the century. This
:55:50. > :55:53.will be a confidence booster fee can clear the table. Then Marco will
:55:54. > :56:32.have to up a gear. But she is capable of doing.
:56:33. > :56:39.It is amazing how many times she has finished short of the blue. It does
:56:40. > :56:44.not matter now the frame is over but he has done it so many times.
:56:45. > :57:20.Red and a colour for the 77th century break of this championship.
:57:21. > :57:29.88 as the record. Will it be beat? By at least ten.
:57:30. > :57:41.Fabulous. How he did it, I'm sure he does not know. That has kick-started
:57:42. > :57:45.this match for both players. You can get dragged down. If your
:57:46. > :58:15.opponent is not taking his chances. This is just what Mark Selby and his
:58:16. > :58:40.supporters were looking for. It just shows you his timing is not
:58:41. > :58:51.right. Never mind. That was more like it. Mark Selby for once
:58:52. > :58:52.mismatched gets the break of 125 and keeps Marco Fu in his seat and goes
:58:53. > :00:14.clear. Now breaking with a two frame lead.
:00:15. > :00:27.Two claims to go before the interview -- interval.
:00:28. > :00:52.He could have a fourth ringleader. -- four frame lead.
:00:53. > :00:59.That was a good shot from Marco. Good length. It was dangerous
:01:00. > :01:09.because he has played in the aggressive safety. With the black
:01:10. > :01:14.being tied up, very risky pot to take on, there are red sticking
:01:15. > :01:15.going to either corner pocket. I do not know where the colour comes
:01:16. > :01:28.from. As it happens he would've finished
:01:29. > :01:38.up on the black but that was risky. I'm not certain of any reward.
:01:39. > :01:45.You can see he would have finished on the black. This is an interesting
:01:46. > :01:53.opportunity. Nice easy starter for Marco. I am not convinced yet that
:01:54. > :01:56.he has came out this morning any great frame of mind. It could be
:01:57. > :02:03.something to do with that tip from yesterday. This is a good
:02:04. > :02:34.opportunity. It will be interesting to see what he makes of it.
:02:35. > :02:42.He felt that the two red to the left of the black, to get onto the black,
:02:43. > :02:45.but he played for bold colour. He will soon be back down the same.
:02:46. > :03:04.I cannot understand how he did not realise he was coming so close to
:03:05. > :03:17.the blue. Just a safety and Mark Selby will be
:03:18. > :03:25.delighted that he scored only four points from that happening. He
:03:26. > :03:31.potted the green in the centre of the pocket and it was a bad miss
:03:32. > :03:36.just from that. He probably did not think it was possible to stagger
:03:37. > :03:42.himself with the blue but anything is possible. -- snookered. A good
:03:43. > :04:43.chance and only scored four points. It is a difficult safety shot. Mark
:04:44. > :05:09.does not think you can get back to the baulk easily.
:05:10. > :05:16.Excellent shot but did not expect to kiss the blue. My cue ball will be
:05:17. > :05:18.in the baulk area if he missed it. He now has a chance of -- chance of
:05:19. > :05:46.hitting the blue or yellow. That has been the story of this
:05:47. > :05:49.match for me. For Mark Selby. He has knocked in some tremendous long
:05:50. > :05:58.beds, tremendous pot, but he does not have consistency. The red was
:05:59. > :06:10.easier than the yellow that he knocked them.
:06:11. > :06:25.It is the same tip that he played with yesterday. Just the fact that
:06:26. > :06:29.it came off would get you a little bit concerned and make you think of
:06:30. > :06:35.other things rather than the match. And also the fact he has Mark Selby
:06:36. > :06:39.until the last frame playing at no where near his best. Why am I not in
:06:40. > :06:45.front? He has put pressure on himself. It Mark Selby is not
:06:46. > :06:50.playing anywhere near this -- near his best, I should win this. He
:06:51. > :07:00.realised that he should be in front and he is 10-8 behind. He has to dig
:07:01. > :07:02.deep, Marco. Otherwise this vital third session could run away from
:07:03. > :07:39.him. With that shot, there was some to
:07:40. > :07:41.finish high. He could have rolled it through and missed the kiss on the
:07:42. > :07:51.red. He always is a couple of inches out
:07:52. > :08:20.from beauty wants to be at the moment.
:08:21. > :08:29.Not the best angle on the black to come off the top cushion with pace.
:08:30. > :08:32.He is looking at the possibility of the plant but whether or not he can
:08:33. > :08:44.get to it, I do not know. Forced into the reds and table set
:08:45. > :08:50.with that. He has landed on the red to the left middle. Masse of art on
:08:51. > :09:08.the cue ball. It smashes into the bunch.
:09:09. > :09:13.I think the problem for Mark, he is at the wrong angle for those red so
:09:14. > :09:25.he cannot screw back for the black. There is the pot success in the
:09:26. > :09:29.third session so far. We have only played 2.5 frames. 44% pot success
:09:30. > :09:50.for Marco Fu. That was a good shot. He has not got
:09:51. > :09:56.the perfect angle on the green. Not ideal so drop the browning and
:09:57. > :10:08.played to the red on the left. It is easy, guaranteed position.
:10:09. > :10:14.Now you would want to leave angle on the green if you could do get into
:10:15. > :10:26.the cluster of reds, just the pink and that would clear the path to win
:10:27. > :10:31.the frame. . No, no, no. It is unbelievable. Every time you think
:10:32. > :10:58.he is getting back to a bit of form, he froze in an easy miss.
:10:59. > :11:08.Good pot, excellent position. I have a feeling he is straight... He could
:11:09. > :11:14.be straight on the back. -- on the black.
:11:15. > :11:21.Trying to move this red away but that was no good. He had to catch
:11:22. > :11:32.that red better to stay on the left corner. This shot against the
:11:33. > :11:36.cushion is too tough to take on. We know that those two reds just below
:11:37. > :11:44.the bank at a plant into the middle porker. -- middle pocket. The pink
:11:45. > :11:52.might just be in the way. This is really tough. That was a really
:11:53. > :11:59.tough pot to take on at this stage in the match. People have to
:12:00. > :12:03.question that. We talked about the 44% pot success rate, when you are
:12:04. > :12:09.playing a shot that you probably only pot five out of ten, that did
:12:10. > :12:25.appear to be the right shot to take on.
:12:26. > :12:33.He got into it too much. There's no consistency of strike at the moment
:12:34. > :12:39.for Mark. He gets into them too much or not enough. There, he chewed that
:12:40. > :12:43.well. The only good thing from a proposed by point of view, when you
:12:44. > :12:46.hit the ball as well as he did have that black gives you confidence that
:12:47. > :12:53.you're getting through as you would like to. Even though he is not on
:12:54. > :12:56.anything. Maybe he is beginning to get his timing right. He has
:12:57. > :13:02.struggled most of this match with timing. This red is available into
:13:03. > :13:04.the middle. If you can come down for the black, he will leave the red
:13:05. > :13:18.into the yellow pocket. He was a long way away with that. He
:13:19. > :13:52.did not want to catch the phage. -- catch the phage.
:13:53. > :14:00.Thank goodness for the flick on the yellow. If it had hit the yellow
:14:01. > :14:02.full ball or man pass that, it would've left a choice of three rods
:14:03. > :14:21.-- three reds to left middle. There are one or two seats
:14:22. > :14:25.available. Some people have purchased season tickets and are
:14:26. > :14:29.waiting for the afternoon and night sessions. As usual at the Crucible
:14:30. > :14:32.Theatre on a Saturday morning, as with all the 17 days, it will be
:14:33. > :14:47.absolutely packed to the rafters. He is beginning to get the cue ball.
:14:48. > :14:58.The match time is six hours. It has been hard snooker. Not reached the
:14:59. > :15:02.heights we weren't expecting. What is at stake is the -- is a place in
:15:03. > :15:10.the final of the Betfred World Snooker Championship. When you are
:15:11. > :15:14.just slightly under par, as Patrick Kelly Mark Selby has been, you have
:15:15. > :15:23.to feel for Marco Fu with his tip coming off yesterday. The players
:15:24. > :15:29.are more concerned with getting a result rather than how they play.
:15:30. > :15:37.It is the old adage from golf. There are no pictures on the scoreboard.
:15:38. > :15:40.If they wake up in the morning and are in the final of the World
:15:41. > :15:51.Championship, they will forget about how bad this match has been.
:15:52. > :15:56.Nestling up against the red. He did not leave the red to the right
:15:57. > :16:27.corner and he did not play much better than that.
:16:28. > :16:35.Just struggled in. Because it did not go in the middle of the pocket,
:16:36. > :16:49.the cue ball has ran too far and has tucked up in the brown.
:16:50. > :17:02.Very hard to say how tight he is to the ground. -- to the ground.
:17:03. > :17:15.He is very tight. That line is not on looking at how close he is to do
:17:16. > :17:19.brown. He will have to go a different path. He is trying to
:17:20. > :17:34.nestle up to this red. He needs to judge it. Good shot. What will
:17:35. > :17:40.please Marco, he left the red to the right centre. Now he has nudged that
:17:41. > :18:04.red. Mark Selby is badly hampered. He will refuse the pot.
:18:05. > :18:12.The red going towards the corner but that will be covered by the yellow.
:18:13. > :18:19.REFEREE: Please make sure all your mobile phones are switched off.
:18:20. > :18:35.Can you catch this right and avoid the double-kiss at all costs? Very
:18:36. > :18:37.good. Having said that, it looks as if though Mark King get pass the
:18:38. > :19:07.brown. He has hit that so thin. Marco has
:19:08. > :19:12.got a chance here. He has to play a good shot. I do not know that he can
:19:13. > :19:20.go behind the black and hold for the black. Good cueing is needed.
:19:21. > :19:33.He decided to play the cannon on the black. He is on the PLO. -- on the
:19:34. > :20:14.yellow. Getting down and playing this very quickly.
:20:15. > :20:21.Not bad, not perfect. You would think the yellow would be the most
:20:22. > :20:24.obvious ball but he has to screw it directly and avoid the kiss on the
:20:25. > :20:39.blue. Perhaps force it on to the site cushion.
:20:40. > :20:44.The black is not available into the corner he is playing this red Andy
:20:45. > :20:51.has the problem of those two reds stuck together. Can you get the
:20:52. > :20:56.angle of this red? The run-through is on. It would be a risk just to
:20:57. > :21:01.flick the left-hand side of the two reds and bring them into play. If
:21:02. > :21:05.you does not get the pink is he is not on the black. It is not worth
:21:06. > :21:14.the risk but the angle looked me. Just click the left-hand red.
:21:15. > :21:22.Probably time to get onto the pink. He can kiss the reds now.
:21:23. > :21:26.He will do well to develop these two reds and leave one in a pottable
:21:27. > :21:42.position here. He will give it a try. Site cushion
:21:43. > :21:54.and top cushion, bringing them into play, the odds are slight.
:21:55. > :22:02.In the end he decided just to pot of the pink. I do not think this red
:22:03. > :22:24.can pot? The red hand side red of the two. It does not look like it.
:22:25. > :22:56.He is back in this frame now. 14 points behind.
:22:57. > :23:06.That has brought the reds into play and the full ball kiss on the brown
:23:07. > :23:10.does not help Mark Selby. If Marco can sneak this red pen, he will have
:23:11. > :23:12.to play it with the trace of left-hand side to straighten up the
:23:13. > :23:24.cue ball. He has hit it much too thin. He need
:23:25. > :23:33.some luck. And he may well have had it. The pink has came to the rescue.
:23:34. > :23:40.This red closest to the right corner was definitely pottable. Playing
:23:41. > :23:47.with just a trace of site, you missed that cut by so far. Play the
:23:48. > :23:49.cut along the cushion but the key thing is he would not be expected to
:23:50. > :24:00.put this red. The key thing in his mind was
:24:01. > :24:01.finding the baulk cushion. He looks like he has done that. Or very close
:24:02. > :24:33.to it. The cut that nicely. Very nicely,
:24:34. > :24:52.thank you. Might give him a chance to force an error from Mark Selby.
:24:53. > :25:02.It always slides of that third or second cushion.
:25:03. > :25:09.That is the line he is after. Look at the finish of my second line, I
:25:10. > :25:15.think he wants to be higher than that. It is too is when it comes off
:25:16. > :25:18.that second cushion it always seems to slide. I think it is on. The two
:25:19. > :25:37.cushion escape is on. REFEREE: Marco? He has decided he
:25:38. > :25:38.needs to go the other side of the yellow and play with what is of
:25:39. > :25:58.left-hand side. I think he has to play at a fraction
:25:59. > :26:06.harder soul it straightens up off the first cushion.
:26:07. > :26:12.The third attempt and he can have as many as he likes until he gets to
:26:13. > :26:52.the required stage. This looks better.
:26:53. > :27:00.With the thin safety shot, he would be pushing the red into the corners
:27:01. > :27:05.and he has come to have a look. Any sort of kiss on the second red, the
:27:06. > :27:19.one that is on the cushion... It could push to either corner.
:27:20. > :27:25.That was always going to be the problem, he was up off the shot very
:27:26. > :27:33.quickly and he knew he had missed that. As soon as he struggled, he
:27:34. > :27:36.was up and back to his seat. Wondering how much damage with that
:27:37. > :27:51.safety shot was done? He got into that too much. You would
:27:52. > :28:00.think pink to the middle. It is tricky. He will try to screw back
:28:01. > :28:05.direct. He can pot the black but I didn't see where the red comes from.
:28:06. > :28:10.The most positive shot is pink into the middle and try to drop onto one
:28:11. > :28:17.of these two reds. If he plays the black angular see how he can
:28:18. > :28:21.position. As they finished in the same place that he is now with the
:28:22. > :28:25.Waikiki get through to the pocket with the red. He try to play cannon
:28:26. > :28:30.with side and that was a great effort than just a little bit
:28:31. > :28:34.unlucky. He trusted his tip. He needed to play that with lots of
:28:35. > :28:42.left-hand side. You could see the site as it came off the top cushion.
:28:43. > :28:48.That was very unlucky. If the case that are fed full ball, you could
:28:49. > :29:00.imagine it would have been over. Two points in front.
:29:01. > :29:07.If you are going to play that type of shot, you have to be careful you
:29:08. > :29:10.do not run into the red. As that cue ball comes round of the two
:29:11. > :29:16.cushions, you have to the double-kiss.
:29:17. > :29:26.That is dreadful. I thought it was going to hit the first red, and not
:29:27. > :29:30.the second red. There was no pace with that. Another chance for Mark
:29:31. > :29:48.Selby. Just about on the yellow. He is
:29:49. > :29:50.getting down quick so that must tell us he is reasonably happy with the
:29:51. > :29:56.potting He has played as well. That now
:29:57. > :30:27.takes one point in front. He always knew he would be on the
:30:28. > :30:30.brown. He is looking at the green. He thinks it is better for position
:30:31. > :30:40.on the yellow but that is slightly tricky.
:30:41. > :30:49.Played it very nicely. Five points the lead. Yellow, green, brown, blue
:30:50. > :31:06.required. Could have done with the cue ball
:31:07. > :31:23.being higher. He knows it. He didn't want to be playing into
:31:24. > :31:27.this pocket but he should be OK. With that blue not being on the spot
:31:28. > :31:52.it can make things awkward. Marco Fu is not out of this frame
:31:53. > :31:55.yet. 14 points the difference, 18 remaining.
:31:56. > :32:16.A little awry smile. Marco Fu has been given a lifeline.
:32:17. > :32:42.Will he be able to see the blue? Yes you can.
:32:43. > :32:56.Just a containing safety but not a bad one. It is imperative that Marco
:32:57. > :33:11.does not leave him any chance of a pot.
:33:12. > :33:17.Mark didn't feel as if he could play an attacking safety so Marco in
:33:18. > :33:39.control of this important tactical battle.
:33:40. > :33:55.A chance for Mark to get the advantage.
:33:56. > :34:01.The key thing is to get the object ball safe and that is what he has
:34:02. > :34:26.done. Mark Selby will probably take the
:34:27. > :34:36.double on if you can get the cue ball back to the baulk cushion.
:34:37. > :34:43.If he can control the cue ball, the double is worth taking on. The only
:34:44. > :34:48.problem with the double is if it does not go in and it catches the
:34:49. > :35:04.wrong job of the pocket he can come back towards the white.
:35:05. > :35:12.When it hurts the jaw of the pocket, you never know where it is going to
:35:13. > :35:19.finish. I don't think I've ever seen at
:35:20. > :35:29.finish like that after a double. This blue is cuttable but if it does
:35:30. > :35:36.not go when it stays on the pocket. -- does not go in.
:35:37. > :35:41.If you hit it as soon as you can it is going to go in the pocket. I
:35:42. > :36:05.cannot see an easy safety typing keys got to play the pot.
:36:06. > :36:15.This is excellent. Absolutely to the inch.
:36:16. > :36:30.Mark Selby shakes his head. He had two chances and the blue.
:36:31. > :36:57.Well played, Mark Waugh Fu. He pulls one back.
:36:58. > :37:04.My deepest T need that. # My
:37:05. > :37:38.Mark Selby should have won the frame from there. That might be a bit of
:37:39. > :37:42.inspiration for Marco Fu. It is interesting to ask whether the
:37:43. > :37:51.problems he had yesterday with the Q-Tip have affected him. He has
:37:52. > :37:56.played some fine beautifully judged shots but then missed other ones.
:37:57. > :38:02.You wonder if the problem is in his head.
:38:03. > :38:10.Sometimes that can happen. I asked him this morning but he seemed OK
:38:11. > :38:16.with it. Sometimes if you're not playing well, it gets into your
:38:17. > :38:21.mind. He looked a bit edgy. Probably the most edgy since Barry Hawkins
:38:22. > :38:30.made that comeback against him. Maybe it is in the back of his mind.
:38:31. > :38:36.Edgier still because Mark Selby makes a century out of nowhere but
:38:37. > :38:41.you feel that Marco Fu must be thinking to himself, I've got this
:38:42. > :38:46.guy, this is the best chance I've had, and he is failing to do so.
:38:47. > :38:53.He's often shaking his head. You knew that was a great chance to go
:38:54. > :38:59.clear and put pressure on Marco Fu. Some teachers say certain frames can
:39:00. > :39:05.change a match. Maybe it might sway back towards Marco Fu.
:39:06. > :39:08.We will wait and see. This is the last one before the interval. Marco
:39:09. > :39:29.food to break, one behind. Mid-session interval after this
:39:30. > :39:31.frame. It is an interesting match. It has not been high quality but the
:39:32. > :40:01.stakes are so high. The crowd getting excited. It never
:40:02. > :40:03.looked like going in. But he really hit at that. Nothing smooth about
:40:04. > :40:36.that cue action there. Maybe this black is to them. -- too
:40:37. > :41:00.thin. It has been a bit of a grind. I'm
:41:01. > :41:01.amazed he cannot cut this black in. He probably feels he cannot
:41:02. > :41:11.guarantee position. You know better when you are done at
:41:12. > :41:37.the table. That was a good safety shot. Let's
:41:38. > :42:09.have a look at the virtual image. That is a good reply from Marco.
:42:10. > :42:12.With the green and brown being off the spot, it is not going to be a
:42:13. > :42:28.telling safety. During the turnaround of the frames,
:42:29. > :42:42.Marco chatting away to our Coventry City supporter. I agree with what
:42:43. > :42:46.Ken said in the studio, winning that last frame, maybe that will relax
:42:47. > :43:04.him. What a fantastic pot.
:43:05. > :43:12.He has knocked in some tremendous ports in this match.
:43:13. > :43:33.Could not have played it better. He is looking down the right-hand side.
:43:34. > :44:09.Looks like the left-hand side would be a better side to come down.
:44:10. > :44:21.He is going for another tricky red. The red immediately below the cue
:44:22. > :44:32.ball. That will screw back of the other red but this is no Jimmy. --
:44:33. > :44:47.pot. He has got to fit the price of one.
:44:48. > :44:55.He decided to try and make something happen. Apart from century break, he
:44:56. > :45:00.has been getting bogged down and you get what you deserve playing a shot
:45:01. > :45:04.like that. If he gets back into commission, it may not go into its
:45:05. > :45:06.own spot at the pink spot is freely available. It needs to get onto a
:45:07. > :45:23.red nicely to get onto the black. He needs that cue ball to get past
:45:24. > :45:34.the blue. It is just not happening at the moment, is it?
:45:35. > :45:43.Just looking to see if he can get another good pot but it is not
:45:44. > :45:49.obvious. A couple of rents will cut on but much too risky to take on.
:45:50. > :45:53.You don't mind playing them if you feel there is an element of nothing
:45:54. > :46:12.to lose. Nothing on so he play the safety and
:46:13. > :46:16.a good one. An excellent safety. Nice to see that from Marco, a tap
:46:17. > :46:34.on the table appreciating the safety.
:46:35. > :46:38.Whichever shot he decides to play, it is going to have to be hit
:46:39. > :47:05.perfect. It was always difficult to find the
:47:06. > :47:18.path. What has he left? Nothing easy on the first look.
:47:19. > :47:28.Sometimes luck plays a part in snooker. I don't know whether this
:47:29. > :47:33.red passes. It will be tight.
:47:34. > :47:52.No. Luck does even out although you never had any.
:47:53. > :48:01.One of life's mysteries how somebody could be so unlucky. This red is
:48:02. > :48:13.cuttable. I don't think you can get the path back into the baulk area.
:48:14. > :48:22.I would want to be certain I could avoid the case on the second red. --
:48:23. > :48:36.this kiss. There have been so very
:48:37. > :48:53.elementary errors from both players. He looks a bit stressed at the
:48:54. > :49:03.minute. Almost look like there were a few tears in his eyes. But he is
:49:04. > :49:12.struggling out there, I'm not sure. You get a little bit frustrated and
:49:13. > :49:32.embarrassed sometimes. But he has made a century this morning.
:49:33. > :49:55.Played the cannon positively and is nicely on the black.
:49:56. > :50:00.He shouldn't have any problems getting the cue ball away from the
:50:01. > :50:04.kitchen, just has to decide which is the easiest red to play. -- away
:50:05. > :50:36.from the cushion. The black goes on the pink spot,
:50:37. > :50:37.which will help. He is looking to screw around off a couple of
:50:38. > :51:03.cushions. Does the brown pass the pink? That
:51:04. > :51:04.is his only hope. I would suggest it does. Look at the body language of
:51:05. > :51:19.the player. You would have seen the drooped
:51:20. > :51:24.shoulders and dropping of the head, the disappointment if it wasn't
:51:25. > :51:25.going to go. But now a chance to go to the mid-session interval as they
:51:26. > :52:56.started this morning, all square. He will be a little bit disappointed
:52:57. > :53:07.leaving the cue ball close to the side cushion. The black goes back on
:53:08. > :53:10.the pink spot. Obviously not happy with the angle
:53:11. > :53:37.on the easy red. He is struggling but they are going
:53:38. > :54:10.in. I will be honest with you, I thought that was wide.
:54:11. > :54:21.The way the reds are situated, this is a golden opportunity to level the
:54:22. > :54:26.match. The pink will go on the blue spot, that will be the highest
:54:27. > :54:28.available. I see no harm in playing the pink and then playing for the
:54:29. > :55:00.red that is occupying the black spot.
:55:01. > :55:13.He overheard that slightly for the black.
:55:14. > :55:39.Red and the would leave Mark Selby needing a snooker. That is pretty
:55:40. > :56:12.good. Mark Selby will be very disappointed
:56:13. > :56:20.he has not won at least three of these first four frames. You have to
:56:21. > :56:21.take your hat off to Marco Fu. He will be delighted to have one to
:56:22. > :56:45.frames. In the first session, I felt that
:56:46. > :56:55.Marco Fu was more likely to win frames in one goal. He has taken
:56:56. > :57:04.these very well. Interesting to see after the mid-session interval how
:57:05. > :58:08.the other four frames per night. -- pin alt.
:58:09. > :58:15.Marco well over the line here and on his way to the best break of the
:58:16. > :58:20.morning. We are going to have to leave you here but do get your red
:58:21. > :58:23.button fired up for your laptop or tablets to keep watching this
:58:24. > :58:31.morning session live. We will return over on BBC One at 1pm to catch up
:58:32. > :58:34.on the remaining frames of this one and then into the concluding session
:58:35. > :59:02.of the second semifinal. We will see you again very soon.
:59:03. > :59:23.Your personal revision guide in the palm of your hand.