Tuesday, Quarter-finals, Evening Snooker: World Championship

We won't go out of their big mates and high-fiving. Sometimes I am out

there, I look around and I think this is where I want to be, this is

where I have always wanted to be and I will not complain about it. I have

as good a chance as anybody. I usually watch the quarterfinals back

in the house so it is nice to be in the quarterfinals. I need to keep my

thinking clear and simple. All eyes are on you, there is no where to

hide. If I can get through then who knows. I am technically a lot better

than I was ten years ago. I am in a quarterfinal of the World

Championship so I will be up for it. I felt fresh, but not as much as I

would have liked to be and that should in my first two matches. A

lot better appearance than two years ago to go on here, qualify and play

two matches here is unbelievable. Good evening. Welcome to the

Crucible. It is the elephant of the World Snooker Championship. This

time next week one of those players will be cracking open the champagne

celebrating becoming world champion. Three men in the drop know what it

is like to taste victory here and we have had already in the

quarterfinals. It is an all Scottish affair in one of the quarterfinals

as Alan McManus takes on John Higgins but it was second to 14

frames in a while to take a 5-3 lead against his pal. Also today, it is

Marco Fu against Barry Hawkins. The Englishman had a nightmare

turnaround to trail through 71 in their quarterfinal. Mark Selby at

his ruthless best, building up a 6-2 lead. Wilson has beaten Joe Perry

and Mark Allen am lost the first six frames but lost the last two of the

session. -- won the last two. And Mark Williams won the opening frame

of his best of 25 with Jin Jeong we. But Jin Yong Lee was able to

establish a commanding lead. Good afternoon. Good evening to Ken

Doherty. You could start for Marco Fu. Barry Hawkins looks remarkably

tired. We were talking about this afternoon. They just after the Lord

Mayor Cho, such a high when he played against Ronnie O'Sullivan, so

dramatic to finish as well. Then has become back and do it all again. And

he found it difficult getting off to the start. The weight Marco Fu that

didn't help. He was very consistent. Barry Hawkins has it all to do.

Wilson is struggling to get to grips with the event? Maybe and Mark Selby

is such a seasoned campaigner. The highs of winning the last 16 match,

getting into the quarterfinals and then Mark Selby got off to a good

start and kept the pressure on and the experience was showing. A long

way to go. That is the beauty of the second round. Both players in the

same situation. If they can win this session, 5-3 at least then they are

well backend. Dilshan we, he has gone under the great tour. Maybe is

his year. Does that lend weight to the idea it is his year? Baby has

come in under the radar. Before he was being picked up and he was a

favourite to win because of his previous success during the season.

This season he has been pretty providing some standards. He had to

qualify, won three matches, maybe that has given him a bit of

confidence that he needed. He has played beautifully so far in this

championship and he had a really good session this morning. This time

next week somebody will be celebrating. What does the world

champion do after the success? Good question, recover. Rob Walker is on

time as the players start. The semifinals are getting bigger and

bigger. Tonight, two players will take one step closer to the single

table setup. The stakes are getting higher. You can sense the tension

rising in this fabulous arena. Please welcome first of all a player

for whom it has been a sensational season, winning his first ranking

title in September and this week climbing into the world's top 16 for

the first time, year after that victory over Mark Allen in the

second round, he would be up for the big battle tonight because he is the

warrior, Kyren Wilson. His opponent, a player who first

made the Crucible quarterfinal nine years ago. This morning's session

was the best we have seen from him in this tournament. Multiple Masters

champion, would champion two years ago, the world number one, the

Jester from Leicester, it is Mark Selby.

On table one, it comes a player who is without doubt a national hero

back home. Winner of 11 ranking titles and the Masters. After coming

through qualifying and beating Judd Trump yesterday, he is bidding for a

second appearance in a Crucible semifinal, enter the Chinese dragon,

Jin Jeong we. And his opponent, back in the

quarterfinals for the first time in five years. Still going strong at 19

years after his Crucible debut, twice a champion of the world on

fire it up tonight, he is the Welsh legend, he is Mark Williams.

If you want Mark Selby the Kyren Wilson, that is available on your

red button. Levy on BBC Two in his Williams against doing. A lovely bit

of Welsh you give us there. Well, it goes without saying Mark Williams

was a little bit disappointing in the first session this morning. He

needs to up his game and start scoring a bit heavily. I was on this

much this morning and he had his chances. Plenty of chances but just

his cue ball, he was losing too many times. I watched a little bit of it

myself this morning and he put a new tip on yesterday. These new chips,

they said they are broken in and they can play straightaway but I

wouldn't be a big fan of that. Losing the cue ball is generally

down to something like that. In the old days, when you have a new take

on it was a week before it was played. Apparently he miscued in

practice on the practice table and split the tip which is why he was

forced to put a new bomb. I know the gentleman who put the new tip on. He

came over to the studio trend for transmission and he put it on.

Amazing the players don't know how to put a tip on. I was doing the

match with Peter Ebdon and he, like me, never liked to put his only tip

on. I have got lazy in an age that I used do it all the time. I got used

to do them. It looks lovely. It has a nice film on it. -- film on it.

He is a bit short of BSE. He has left a pop on here in the middle.

What was then like? He wasn't at his absolute best.

He needs to take those have chances now. He has had a half a result.

There is a red that is puttable to that corner. Not saying that was

easy but with the chance of carrying the other red you just felt pot of

it and you should be on the cover. I thought he got away with that but

there is this red. He just needs to do a little bit of work with the

tubal. The site he needs to put on this is the left-hand side. That is

taking the cue nearer to the red as he follows through. He needs to be

careful thousandfold the red. -- doesn't foul the red. His

follow-through would have gone close to the red. He had to get the cue

and the rest of the way. You have two remove the equipment from the

table yourself. I saw a few disasters with people trying to do

that. Scattering the rates everywhere. What a chance this is.

Plenty of balls in the open. He should have scored a viewpoint here.

You know when you see him at the Crucible, you think what a player

you are how have you ever been passed the quarterfinals. Too good a

player to have not done well here. There aren't many better players in

the world in and around the black the area. He will have stopped the

traffic for them to watch this young Mann play. There will be 100 million

people rooting for him in this match. There will be some bread at

home if he wins. Despite the fact there hasn't really been fireworks

in his matches so far his attitude has been spot on. I suppose you have

to credit Terry Griffiths with some of.

This table started of the tournament with a pot of bouncers and there

were a few bounces this morning. There is the table heater. Just

below 46. Usually they are on 50. The table theatre decided just to

prove the table down and that would help with the bounces. Peter Godwin

is the table future. Obviously the work he has been doing, he decided

to take the temperature down a touch. It had to get better. The

first few days it was terrible. It was unfair to the players. 68 points

is the target. But this black, played the cannon on the red above

it and just to the right as we look. He has played nicely. All set fair

for a frame-winning contribution here. That is why we say he is one

of the best. Just bad cannon, absolute perfection. Just the right

place as well. Didn't overheated. -- didn't over it it. When it is so

did, it looks simple. The tubal doesn't tend to move around a lot.

He always leaves himself with options. He is a top-class player.

There is still an open red hot this red is too soon. He is 52 points in

the lead, the will put him in 57. There are 83 remaining. He might

think it is worth playing a cannon into the bank. He will not win that

one is red. -- loose red. Just about OK, I think.

Because he is so close to this next ball, I don't know if the paint is

available, he has to be careful. He could gobble this. What a lovely

little short. -- double hit this. That could have gone wrong. It that

beautifully. He has lovely little moves when he is in and around the

pink and black area. He has taken these really well. This is top

class. Just this black to go 72 points in

front with just 67 remaining. And Mark Williams had a chance of a pot

of the red in the middle, I thought he might have gotten away with it

but his worst fears were realised. He has made this excellent break.

This was the red. Just playing to make the cannon. That is what caused

him to miss the pot. This is the highest break of this

match so far. Just drops. Now, that seemed to spring of the

side cushion there. That certainly did. Thankfully it wasn't that

important. This is very ominous. He is taking these beautifully. There

is a bit of inevitability about this break. The ball were there but he

just knew where they were going to go. He has certainly looked very

sharp and you could say he is growing in confidence. This black

for the 61st century of the World Championship. Brilliant. Superb.

Can't beat the highest break at the minute which is held by Barry

Hawkins at 141. A good break that. I thought there would be a maximum of

17 days. We are not finished yet. Well, the yellow didn't go in, but

he had already done the job. Mike Williams now knows that Ding Junhui

is in good stroke and he stretches his lead to five. A terrific start

by Ding Junhui. The first century brick of this match. Look at these

stats. These are the tournament 's entries so far. Last year, a

record-breaking year. Look at that graphic. We have gone past 58 in

2014. That was the total. We are on course to break the record.

Considering there were so many complaints about the tables, the

standards have been so high it is remarkable. The players have

contended with lots of kicks and bouncy cushions. Well on track to

beat the record, I think. I think it could be well prepared. We could

have 100 centuries which would be a remarkable feat. That was a super

start for Ding Junhui. He looks very sharp. That game against Judd Trump

will give him so much confidence. His positional play is so good. When

he watches cue ball in and around the pink and black, there are not

many players who are better. It is pinpoint every time. He made that

break look so easy and it was top quality. Can he needed it- too? --

make it yet- too? A shot like that, you have to play

with side. Lost the cue ball. Would be playing

the Lakmal. There might just be a gap between

pink and blue. If there is and Mark can get to the left-hand side of the

raids... He can. He will just have to play a containing safety. Ken

mentioned before about common through against Judd Trump. A lot of

credit from the match. He wasn't at his absolute best but it was an

unorthodox game. He can attack you in ways other players don't. You

have treatment in your own game, play the right shots and keep going.

Another tremendous pot from Ding Junhui. It was a containing safety

but the pretty played just notched one to make it available for the

middle. It certainly wasn't easy. Just notched that read on.

Nevertheless, take nothing away from the park. -- pot. Sometimes when we

think about Ding Junhui in the wilderness, that is why he came to

the qualifying stages, it wasn't that long ago when Judd Trump give

him a good beating in this championship. To get past Judd and

reversed that defeat would have given him confidence and he

certainly looks now as if he is -- plane full of confidence. When he

plays like this he is without doubt one of the best players in the world

and he is now a major contender for the championship. There is no doubt

about that in my mind. Just about made it for the black. Lovely just

to see that cue ball slip past the red. He runs round the Anglesey. The

red to the left. It should be available. As he hit it hard enough?

That could be a very rare mistake. A big margin for error there. The only

thing he couldn't the was low. Just look at those two grades. Could they

be made into a plant? They are close enough together. He thinks he can

just get through to the other one. I think there is a possibility of this

plant. If he plays the police want he will have to play it with a load

of side to flip it over but it is obviously not on. He doesn't think

he can make the plant. He decided to play safe. He has played a good one.

Couldn't get back to baulk Simpkins now advantage now. He needs to get

out to the ball cushion. It is imperative he gets a good point.

Well, fortunately for Mark, it has run safe. Bemused. Lucky not to

leave it. Didn't attempt the pot there. If he

hadn't been tight to the baulk cushion he could have played that in

such a way he could have swung the cue ball round the back of the

black. That is the advantage of getting it tight to the ball

cushion. Mark Williams has failed to do that this time.

Another attempt at the pot there. Contained the safety shot of me may

have another couple coming up. Going on the right-hand side is not

possible. Looks like there could be some safety coming up. He is

checking to see if he leaves the cue ball. Right-hand side of the table,

can he covered the red on the left, otherwise it would be an easy safety

shot. Played that well. Had to miss the

brown, he is calling the shots at the moment.

That was the typical Mark Williams, the pot from nowhere, he could have

picked that out and played it in such a way, how close was that? He

would have been on the green if it had dropped in. Always been a

feature, very clever player, always finds the shots with the other

players do not see. Good safety at the moment from both

players. There you go, safety success in the 90s. That is what you

need, 90% or above. Same with the pot success. You have to have that

high percentage. That is the problem that Mark Williams has had. That is

the main reason he is five frames behind, 82%, well below what is

required. He must be in a bit of trouble, it is not like him not to

have an answer, aside from being a wonderful break-builder and player,

he is very clever, knows how to get out of problems, but he is taking

his time, it must be trouble. Looks like years playing the pot. -- looks

like he is. I think he did play the pot and the only red he could leave

was the one he was playing and that is the one he has left.

Just offered by the blue, isn't it always the way, when you have a nice

lead? Ding Junhui has missed this and once he has the double kiss,

this red does go, watch out, the middle pocket! OK, managed to avoid

it. For now you feel he has the perfect angle, he has got to go into

them, there are a few reds, get into them. Surely he is on something. If

he isn't, he is cursed because that was a good shot, well played, went

where he wanted. Unlucky. Those are the wraps, unfortunately.

It is an knowing game at times. Right, he wants to have them and

unfortunately, he was not on one. That is the modern game, when you

get the opportunity, you have to go into them, these cloth split nicely

and if you get a red to carry on, you fancy winning the frame because

she brought the reds into play. In the old days, you might have played

for a couple of loose reds. Because they split open so easily, it

encourages you to take the chance early on. Very unlucky. Hass to miss

this red near the left-hand cushion if he is playing this. The other

thing, going back a few years, are the balls, I remember playing with

balls that you could not move. Everything is so reactive now. When

we get these bounces, you question whether it is the table heaters,

they have turned it down a notch or two.

Where is the red going, towards the left middle? It has stopped short.

It now Mark Williams has a problem. No wonder he tapped the table, very

good, but Ding Junhui has been in charge all the way through and his

cue ball has been very. I think that shows when a player is confident, he

is prepared not to take on a risky shot and eventually the chance will

come -- has been very good. Another clever little escape from Mark, up

to the red in the middle, lined it up with the other one so he could

not leave anything on. I think Ding Junhui can see the red on the

right-hand side, chip off that into the baulk area.

Well, half rescued by the yellow. This makes it awkward cueing for the

reds on the left-hand side of the table. There is a path back to the

ball, but he has to be careful. The blue and green in the middle of the

table could block the straightforward path to the ball.

Here is his view, if he could get not quite to the middle of the cue

ball, but almost, it makes it that much easier. Hampered badly by the

yellow, this would be a difficult shot to play. He is going to miss

the blue and the reds on the side cushion and the green.

Played it beautifully. What a good path he found there. Little bit

short of pace, but good safety nevertheless.

Do not know if he will settle for that or not but he did not get into

the cue ball, that is for sure. He was not playing the pot, he was

trying to screw of the two side cushions, but he has not done that.

He has left a possible reds to the left corner, but if Ding Junhui

decides to play at, he has to get it, no way this is a shot for

nothing. This is an all out pot. In it went. Is he on a colour? Can

he cut the black in? It is a thin one, that he can get through to it.

-- but he can get through to it. Did not even look at any

alternative. That is the actions of a confident man. It has been

apparent since his first visit to the table that he is feeling good

about his game. This is not straightforward, it would be if he

could get to the red that is over the corner pocket. He is going to

have to play the red one up, can he hold for the black? Good cueing.

Just about held to it, good shot. Very easy to miss the pot, being a

bit greedy but the pocket. Concentrated on knocking it in.

Getting himself into the driving seat.

Just looks in control of himself. His cueing and his break-building,

looking as good as he has done in the tournament. Did not screw back

far enough, but I do not know what sort of a potting angle he has got,

Mark Williams has 88% and now he is down to 82% in this match, he is not

producing the form he did. Wondering whether he will get back to the

table. I think he will but can Ding Junhui bring those to reds into

play? -- two. He can. How well did he play at? He knew he was getting

the cannon and just enough to promote it into the middle pocket,

lovely shot. 45 points, the lead, still 75

remaining. This is you would save the last of the EEC reds, good

position now required on the colour. -- easy. Not a straightforward run

to the winning line. If he is going to play the blue and try to cannon

in two the reds, he could do with hitting that one nearly full. That

will do. Great shot, Ding Junhui. With any other cannon there, he was

not guaranteed, he could not have hit that any better. He looked at

the one along the cushion, that would not have been my choice. This

is my choice. This black will put him 59 points in

front with 59 remaining. A simple red needed. To get the two snooker

is required. 67 ahead, 51 remaining, just the

question now, can he make back-to-back centuries? There is

answer, but I think Mark Williams would give a of concession. Mark

Williams has not had a good start, it has all been Ding Junhui. Ding

Junhui goes six frames ahead, 8-2. Fantastic stuff from Ding Junhui,

let us drop into the other table and show you what is happening between

Kyren Wilson and Mark Selby. Kyren Wilson has parted the pink to get

the first frame of the E 's Ashton Agar evening session -- potted. --

off the evening's session. Mark Williams looks a bit out of tune. I

know that he had a split tape after his second-round match, maybe it is

like trying to get used to it. It will not make much a different --

difference, but his long potting and when you are trying to swing the

ball and it does not catch quick enough and back can have a big

effect on your game. You can see the evidence of his long pot and it is

just not there and his safety has been slack and that is something he

prides himself on and at the moment it is all Ding Junhui. He gave an

interesting interview, he said he did not think he could win the

tournament but he could do some damage, you wonder if he has reached

that point. I do not think so. Sometimes when he says things like

that, it is taking the pressure off. You have to believe you are in with

a chance, particularly with so many of the top seed is out, everyone in

the quarterfinals will say it could be my year and I am sure Mark

Williams, no matter what he says, because we know what he is like, he

must believe that he has a chance if he plays to the top of his game. He

has to win the next one. As ever, interesting words from Chem. In one

of my finals, a split tape in the semifinal and I had to play with a

brand-new tip, I learnt my lesson, I could not pot a ball. I said I would

keep some old tips with me. At least I knew I could play properly. When

you have a new tip and they were so soft when you put them on, it was

like hitting the ball with a pillow at the end of your cue. I did not do

that again. That was a difficult shot. He went

for it knowing it was going to leave an easy starter for Ding Junhui,

that is very unlike Mark Williams. I say that, I thought that red went.

He is not unlike Mark Williams, he did not take too risky a pot on. He

played it in such a way that if you missed it, it did not leave

anything. I should never have doubted him. The thing is about the

cue, as we all know, it is not like golf where you have a different club

for each particular shot, you have to play every shot with that same

piece of equipment and your tip is not quite right, it will cause you

problems with the delicate shots as they said in the studio and that is

a careless one from Mark. I cannot believe he played that and he cannot

believe it. We said how clever he was and he has basically given him a

free shot which I do not expect him to miss. Very strange.

He cannot quite believe that himself. The one thing you cannot

afford to do is gift openings to your opponent.

I think he was trying to hit the red, he did not want to hit the

middle red, he wanted to leave one for the left corner and he hit it a

fraction too hard. Now he is back in his seat wondering what it will cost

him. I think that pink pots in the top

pocket. That tells us that it does. Lovely little shop that was, looked

like nothing, played an nice little cannon, put that red into a pottable

position, it wasn't before the shot was played. Very subtle little shot

that. Just looking, as he played that red,

possible plant into the same corner pocket, a bit of distance between

them, but it could be a plant or he could play at near the blue. He

feels as though he got a bit of a bounce, but no harm done will stop

but didn't half come off, it pinged off the cushion.

These quarterfinal matches, same as the second round matches, best of

25, Ding Junhui needs to get to 71, snookers required, so the first to

13. This match is scheduled to finish tomorrow afternoon and the

way things are going at the moment, it might not get there. The good

thing for Ding Junhui on this break is the way the reds are positioned

once he pots the red, those reds are right to be split open. The half

ball. In you go again, it is all about the split and if this goes

right, I can see the frame being over. Yes. You miss the pink angle

into the reds on the right-hand side. Just about OK. Three hour mark

of this match. Ten frames into the 11 frames, it has been quickfire

potting in the main. They are really starting to hit the back of the

pocket solid. That shot could be missed. I know it looks easy on your

screen but it is not going them, it is going in on the middle stitching.

-- going in. He has -- he is doing that beautifully. He was not 100%

this morning, he needed a couple of chances per frame but not so this

evening, he is playing good safety and when he gets the opportunities,

he does not have like missing. That is a potent combination and when you

are his opponent sat in your chair, every time he gets in, you fear the

worst. Nothing you can do when you are sat in that seat.

Just overrun that slightly, looking for an -- at red and colour for this

important session. Overstretching, but just found the

pocket and it is black now to go 72 points in front. He nearly missed

it. Just used the jaw to drop it in. Another beautiful cannon again.

Everything is easy at the minute. Look at that for a cannon. I will be

honest, I remember when he was really playing well when he won the

UK one year and he played some lovely little cannons and I have to

be honest, I had not thought of, but he has such good cue ball control

and he has been in the wilderness, that is why he had to qualify for

this year's World Championship. It would be ironic if he was working

with Terry Griffiths, that he had to qualify for the World Championship

and Terry qualified in 1979 and went on to win. Yes, for the first time.

This is the Ding Junhui that we used to see tournament after tournament.

Another feature with him, just extolling his virtues, he is a very

good front runner. All the top players are. Am players let players

off the hook. You do get it, some of them do not put the boot in. He is a

multiple winner. This is black for the century. He has missed it. That

is a shame. It looked like it was going to be two out of three

centuries, but he kept Mark Williams in his seat and very worrying times

for the Welshman, Ding Junhui now seven frames clear, 9-2 and just

needs four more for a place in the semi-finals. And we were watching

that frame and he had played a red in the middle, Mark Williams, had

not left anything and Ding Junhui brought him back to the top cushion

and all of a sudden he plays this shot and gives him the frame. We

were saying how clever he was and he has to roll onto the red, Flickr off

the side and as soon as he played it, he thought what have I left him

that for. The wading John Wii is playing, he knew it was going into

the corner. -- the way Ding Junhui. Can he find a way to get something

going, that is the question. They say every journey starts with

one step. There is a mid session interval after this frame, can he

take it? Another example, I have been talking about, when you have a

new tip on and you are trying to play shots, another example there of

not good contact from Mark Williams, far too thin.

There is the difference, look at the cue ball on the Ding Junhui,

perfect. That has been the difference. The consistency of

getting that cue ball near the ball cushion.

This is excellent stuff from Ding Junhui, his last ranking title

winner was the 2014 German Masters, he has won 11 ranking titles, will

he win it this year? If you want to carry on watching the match it is

available on connected televisions and the BBC Sport app. We are back

to round up all the action from the Crucible Theatre at 11:15 p.m.. We

will see you soon.