Wednesday, Quarter-finals, Evening Snooker: World Championship

It's a very big night for those four players. Welcome to the Crucible

Theatre in Sheffield. The quarterfinals are drawing to a

conclusion, we are edging towards the semifinals. Two men are already

through - Mark Selby and Ding Junhui. Bring won in two sessions.

He last reached the last four in 2011. -- Ding. This time I think it

is different, I have more confidence and I play well. I could be off. As

for the World War I, he beat Kyren Wilson to reach the semifinals.

Selby was the 2014 Crucible champion. -- for the world number

one. It was a tough game against Kyren. He is a great up and coming

player who has had a great season. He has broken into the top 16. It

was a relief to get over the line. It is a quiet night in for two mac

-- Ding. Let's remind you how these quarterfinal matches are looking

after the second session. Having suffered a major hangover against

Marco Fu, he registered a second frame, going on to reduce the

deficit to 9-4. Having compose himself, a total clearance of 136 by

Fu took the 18-year-old to within three frames of victory. Hoping to

make another appearance, Hawkins is eventually lost 10-6. Mark McManus

is a firm favourite to go through to his eighth semifinal. With luck

running against him, it was his fellow Scot who claimed the first

three frames and the lead. The 4- time world champion rallied to earn

a 9-7 advantage ahead of their final session. I am with John Parrott and

Willie Thorne, who will be commentating.

The match between John Higgins and Alan McManus, you would expect John

Higgins to have his nose in front because he is the favourite, but you

are full of admiration for Alan McManus. To be competing as well as

he has, they have played loads of sections together and they know each

other's game inside out. You would expect from Alan McManus's

perspective, that he gets off to a good start. He is 9-7 behind. It is

the nitty-gritty now. The first couple of frames are important.

Barry Hawkins against Marco Fu, it has been topsy-turvy. He was

probably packing eggs bags, ready to go home. As we know with Barry, he

never gives up, and he made it 10-6. If he makes it through the first

couple of friends, we could have a match. It seemed towards Marco Fu

struggling at one point. Lots of people have said that is a massive

match will stop he was trying to get back in and was embarrassed by how

he was playing. All credit, he has played well in the last few frames

and has a chance. Pressure on Marco Fu? Yes, especially if he loses the

last frame. Over to the commentary team. Thanks

very much to Steve Davis, who has just about recovered from the

impromptu marriage proposal he received earlier! It has been quite

a day of snooker here at the Crucible. Now we turn our attention

to the serious business. It is showtime here again in this

marvellous arena for live sport. Please welcome a player flourishing

into his 40s, bidding to become the oldest Crucible semifinalist for 31

years. It has been a brilliant run so far for the former Masters

finalist. Can he keep it going? He is Alan McManus!

MUSIC: Waterfront by Simple Minds

And his opponent, one of the finest sportsmen his country has ever

produced. He is four frames away from an 11th Crucible semifinal.

With three ranking titles last year alone, he is right back to his very

best. Four times a champion of the world, John Higgins!

MUSIC: Iron Sky by Paulo Nutini

On table two a player bidding for his first Crucible semifinal in a

deck of -- in a decade. He made his debut in 1999. He is a two-time

ranking event winner and one of the sport's ultimate global ambassadors,

from Hong Kong, here comes Marco Fu. MUSIC: Superheroes

by The Script And his opponents, from 9-1 down, he

has given himself a chance of what would be the greatest comeback in

Crucible quarterfinal history. He will believe this is possible. Here

comes the Hawk, Barry Hawkins! MUSIC: My Love

by Kele le Roc The Barry Hawkins fan club is in the

house. As you can hear, he has brought a lot of fans to the

Crucible this evening. If you want the all - Scottish clash, that is

available on the red button and the BBC sport application. Willie Thorne

and Terry Griffiths are your commentary team this evening.

The crowd getting a little excited, and I don't blame them. The standard

of snooker this afternoon was right out of the top drawer. Barry Hawkins

has dug so deep, with breaks of 95 and 75 in the last two frames. As I

mentioned earlier, if he can get off to a good start and maybe win this

session 3-1, there could be some tension here at the Crucible once

again. With me in the commentary box, a

gentleman who works very closely with Barry Hawkins - Terry

Griffiths. It will be very tense. Just great. Yes, it's a very

exciting evening here at the Crucible. Two matches to finish.

Marco Fu and Barry Hawkins, I think they have both been through the

ringer already. In this match. This is a big session. Marco Fu got I

think to the semifinal last time in 2006. I was working with him then.

I'm sure he lost to Peter Ebdon in a close one. Both players have been to

that stage, so they won't be frightened of winning the quarters,

obviously. They are both looking forward, I'm sure, to the

possibility of getting to the 1- table stage. It's special to all

players, whether they have been there or not.

He thought that was worth a try. Tough ones to start, which if they

had gone in, it was a chance to get up and running quickly.

Well, well! He would like that one back again. He was trying to get

behind the black, surely. There have been a couple of long pots played,

but this the first real chance. I expected him to get that one.

That was never there. Both players, I should think, feeling the tension.

Some tremendous snooker in this match. Marco Fu played a very good

session, first session will stop and the fightback from Barry Hawkins,

everybody likes that, don't they? If they are unbiased, anyway. Always

nice to see. So difficult when you are a long way behind. 9-1 is

definitely a long way. Both of these last quarterfinals

come to a conclusion, and I hope that they are hoping that both

Machin 's -- both matches go to 13-2 to take a little bit out of their

future opponent. His highest break six frames at one

point, Terry, was 13. Amazing, the difference at day makes. It was a

solid 13, though. -- the difference a day makes us. I think it is

touching both balls. Do they won't to rack them up again? They do.

There we are, the first frame will start again.

Let's talk a little bit about the last session. When it was 9-1, I

thought it was all over, but both players having a little chuckle

there. Barry with thing, I will win a few frames, so it would be

embarrassing. The closer he got, the more that Marco Fu started to miss.

I think Barry had got in before that and he had the kick in the pack of

reds, then Marco handed a chance. -- was handed a chance.

The first frame of the evening session, take two. A good length of

cue ball. This could be a real chance. Until

the white ended up there. Normally, the players would play the

brown into the pack, but the one about the black, that is the one he

will try to get onto. He shouldn't be anywhere near the blue. Two

cushions. He may play the screw to the left-hand corner. He played one

cushion, but he is still on this rent. -- red.

He played that well. He would be a bit disappointed when he came down

and saw he wasn't straight on that red.

Nothing, sweet nothing, I think, there. Lovely split. He's having a

little look now at this 3- ball plant. It is hitting the left-hand

jaw. He is looking at the 2-ball plan to the right of the pink. --

plant. Hit the pack, hit them hard and well.

He is having another look at this plant. It's dangerous, such an easy

safety shot. If he feels it goes in, he could win

the frame. Play gently to give the pocket a chance on the pink. Both of

these players are finding there is only one way to play when you're

under pressure. You cannot be waiting for the other man to make a

mistake, you have to go out there and do-it-yourself.

He won't be pleased with that. He is still on this red. He has given

himself plenty to do with the cue ball. It isn't anywhere near kissing

the red. He did remarkably well to get back out for the black again.

Barry Hawkins is very strong around the pink spot when he is in this

sort of position. Stephen Hendry mentioned that he thought when he

was playing he was more comfortable with the middle pockets.

A choice of three reds he can play here. One that fails the definite

position. He could screw back couple of inches on the pink. -- a couple.

He could screw across the face of the black, the black in the same

pocket. I don't think he had spotted this one at first, but it is

certainly the easiest shot. He didn't get a great contact, but

he was striking down on that. He got a red in the middle.

After going into the pack, and into the pink, looking as if he wasn't on

anything, he made a plant. It's a great chance now. I admire him,

Terry, don't you? From 9-1 behind and find the strength, dig deep and

claw his way back into this game. He has to be careful of playing the

cannon into the two reds. This must be the fourth time in this

little break of 50 that he has been cueing over the top of a ball.

Eventually, it catches you out. As he flipped it?

CROWD GROANS -- fluked eight. He turned round and

looked at what he had left on. He knows that if Marco makes this red,

there is a good chance he could go on and win this brain. Well played.

It all adds to the tension. -- win this frame.

Both players obviously have a lot of tension in their arms. He tried to

come onto the pink there and missed it.

Even though Barry is one in front in this frame, 27 point, he knows that

the next format reds and colours are important. -- the next four reds.

He will be delighted with that positional shot. He will probably

take the one in the middle first. It is the best option, compared to the

other two. Three reds and three blacks. Yellow

to green is a massive problem. Apart from one shot, where he played

a pink on the right pocket, after that red he has been absolutely

perfect with his positional play. That takes a large chunk of the

pressure alt by doing that. It will be a big blow for Barry if

he loses this frame. Why do you think Mark was having a

knock-about? He looks so calm and relaxed. He needs to be quite

straight on this blue. He may have to move the yellow, with the angle

he has left on the blue. He tries to drop on it. It needs to finish

almost on the cushion. CROWD GROANS

It was not easy, by any stretch of the imagination. The pace he had to

head the yellow to get onto the green, and he was sitting slightly

down because of his bridge and. Barry Hawkins, not a certainty to

pop this and get on the green. -- pot. That is as good as it gets,

really. He could have rolled the yellow, but that would not have put

him on the green. Two cushions now. It looks like he is playing one.

Well done. What a topsy-turvy frame this has been.

It looks like the comeback is on again, albeit on the wrong side of

the blue to get onto the pink. He needs the pink.

He needs the fight to slow up. -- the white.

Illers will be marked. Pink. Pink. APPLAUSE CROWD GROANS

Take a look at this shot. He is left with a really easy one, but the

first thing to see is the bridge length from where the bridges to the

cue ball. It's not massively long, so he has to play a power shot.

Barry, on this type of shot, very good and accurate. When he plays a

shot, he generates a lot of power with the cue. That screw back,

although not necessarily into the bottom half of the gave him a better

chance to pop the green. A fantastic performance. If the pink doesn't go

in the pocket, nightmare. What do you think is happening to

Marco Fu's state of mind? It started to unravel. He missed the blue at

the end of that session. He must've been panicking when that happened.

Now he has come out. He looks like he has a decent chance. Another

frame goes begging, and then all of a sudden, you can see the person

catching up. When you are in these long matches, it is like the

loneliness of the long-distance runner. You are right there mac,

effectively playing against yourself, the other guy not doing

much, and then suddenly he starts to reel you in. The panic can set in.

The fact that the other player hasn't been to the Crucible, does

that play on the mind? It can do but Barry Hawkins has been outplayed and

embarrassed for a long period of time. Now he's over that. His comp

it pif instincts have start. Now you'll see the back end of this, a

player as strong as O'Sullivan. Has Fu got enough in the bag and enough

frames to get over the line? Two interesting points when it comes to

Barry Hawkins's confidence, not only will he take a lot from winning that

first frame of this, the third and final session, but also there are so

many Barry Hawkins fans in the Crucible this evening. I think

relief was the word for Barry Hawkins after winning that frame.

Mind you, I'd rather be 10-7 in front.

What a great shot, tremendous shot, perfect. He needed that. He knew

there was a good chance he may leave a red on if he missed this. Got the

little flick on the red, so he's on the black. Had to slightly push

through the red that's above it to remove the red in the corner. That's

what he's done. These are nice. You can see 40 points at least coming

from this position. Eight. He couldn't possibly win this match,

could he, from 9-1 behind? Nine. He couldn't possibly win it when he's

9-1 behind! You never know what's going to happen here. I mean, I

remember Nigel Barn beating Cliff Farburn in one of the hardest

matches ever, 9-2 in front. Amazing. I guess this would be up there with

one of the most amazing Crucible comebacks.

Fancying the job now, Terry - his facial expressions have changed, his

demeanour around the table has changed, a little bit of bounce in

his step. We all know what happens with our emotions when we're out

there, and Barry, obviously, when he was 9-1 down was desperate. Really,

as you said, he pressed a little bit. All of a sudden, change it

around. Now he looks a lot more confident.

Doubts and fears tend to go away, and then, of course, adrenaline

kicks in. These players, both of them can do anything when they're

playing well. They're really, really top players. They have been around

awhile. They have been in these type of situation many times. I think

we're in for a great night. Go into the black - it just has.

APPLAUSE. 41. This is looking like a

frame-winning chance now for Barry Hawkins. This will be four on the

trot, should he win it. After this frame, the pressure will be on Marco

because he knows he needs to leave at least one before the interval to

keep his head in front. 47. At one stage in this match,

obviously, there was - Barry Hawkins had nothing to lose at all. Of

course, the man in front does have a lot to worry about and it doesn't

always turn out like that. As the player behind gets closer to you,

you start thinking I've got to win the next one, and that's the worst

thing. Marco has enough experience, for sure, a wonderful temperament.

Both these players score very well when they get in, so they could have

a run of two or three frames at any time, if not more.

He's going to need to get those five reds open before he can win the

frame at this visit. A little bit of a bounce off the cushion there. 61.

Too risky now to play off the edge of the pack to get on to the black,

so he needs a good angle on this next colour. He needs to get an

angle on this black to go into the bunch. 62.

Usually you don't suggest it, the red above a black but this time

he'll be pushing the red towards the pockets if it catches the four ball.

Barry is just coming around - do I need to - or should I play for the

loose ball? That's fine if you got on with it. 70 - should have gone to

that red, only 67 on. He's played the loose red, and this is a

beautiful positional shot, excellent, well played. 69.

You think you remain in this break if you lost the first frame tonight?

I don't think so. It's huge in sport.

Sighs from the audience. They'd like to see a break, but nothing on here.

Barry Hawkins goes 75 in front. 75. A little bit closer to Marco Fu at

10-8. Obviously, Marco going to carry on

with his 67 points on the table, needs two four-point penalty

snookers to tie, but if Barry knocks this in, Marco will stay in his

chair. APPLAUSE.

7 and a frame. In front, Barry Hawkins off the early 75. He's now

just two behind at 10-8. We could have two macing stories here this

evening because let's drop into the other table and show you what's

happening in the all Scotland match between John Higgins and Alan

McManus. He's wons the first frame of the evening session, as you'll

see very shortly, to make it 9-8. This is an incredible story because

Alan McManus reached the quarter-finals in 2014 losing 13-5

to Mark Selby and hasn't reached a semifinal since 1993 when he lost to

Stephen Hendry by 16 frames to eight, so we could be looking at two

amazing stories. If Alan McManus beats John Higgins and if Barry

Hawkins completes this remarkable comeback which he's on track to do.

Yes he's got off a flying start which is what he wanted. It was a

nice touch - just before the end before he cut back we saw Marco Fu

probably turning to his daughter, who is up there watching and just a

little wave which I thought was really nice. He's under severe

pressure but he has enough about him to say, it's OK. Everything is all

right. His temperament will be tested now. Going alternate and

things like that, and this is how the score would have ended up at

10-8, there would be no pressure on Marco. You would think with him two

frames in front, but there isn't. With a massive lead, his opponent

drawn back, the pressure is definitely on Marco Fu.

He had a little look at the red - the black there, but that was a

tough shot. His adrenaline will be pumping now to take something like

that on - possibly regret it, miss the red.

Takes a lot of courage for a person to a turn pot down when he feels he

can make it, but patience is a virtue out there.

Seems like Marco is reluctant to play the one that's sticking out

just below the Flinning and playing back into ball because he'll be

splitting the pack up and at the minute he wants to have a nice

scrappy frame, I would think, just to start feeling a little bit

better, and he can play very, very thin off the red to the extreme

outside of the pack, and that will cut into the corner, but that's too

risky. Beat all the top players in the

world, Marco, but perhaps in some ways this is the most pressure he's

likely to have ever been under. A strange shot, that was, but he'll be

happy with it, finished safe. I've got to see the light. Hang on.

It's touch and go. A little run inside on this, trying

to get behind the yellow spot. Pretty good. He's covered the one on

the left-hand side, but Marco Fu can get through to the one in the right

corner, didn't quite get it tight on the cushion, Barry there.

APPLAUSE. Might seem so simple in one way, but one shot can change a

game, change the way the players are thinking at that moment.

Overdone that. I don't think he played for it past the black into

the right corner pocket. He can still take it on, but

He will still take that pot on. He has to play for blue or baulk

Colour. That will do very nicely. The green

is a big target to go into the side of the pack near the pink. Mind you,

ain't that terrible? He scratches his head.

That was a good attempt. It's just stops him losing a bit of

confidence. It was a good strike, got very close to the pot.

I don't think he can take on this red. It looks as if he will cannon

into some of the reds there. He is staring it down.

If he catches this slightly thick, he's in trouble. That's a very good

shot. I wonder what angle he has on the green. Two reds look available

to the left of the pack. Sometimes you can make your own luck. If he

has the angle to get onto those two reds, he has made his own lock. --

luck. If the players play off the top cushion and down, it's been

coming out pretty quick and running fast and going to far. Yes, on the

bed, that is what's happening. He is giving it a little adjustment. Too

much there. Again, a good recovery. Barry Hawkins, very good at doing

that. I'm not saying he loses position that much, but when he

does... Loads of top spin. He needs that to slow down now.

Potting this red - that'll open the gap for another red to the opposite

corner. 11. He wasn't too worried about where he finished on the

black. There's the red he's looking at - pots - has a nice angle.

Doesn't have to play it this time. This last blue he played, Terry, was

hit beautifully, loads of top spin. Not many players from the world can

generate that much top spin. It's key now to get an angle on the next

killer, to get into the bunch. Needs to be low.

APPLAUSE. Nice and straight. 19.

Same pot as the black. Yeah, sorry. I was just asking whether the

outside red pot was - I didn't know it was a live mic. He's telling me

the outside red does pot. This is just a remarkable performance from

Barry. Marco Fu will be getting more and more worried. Not done too much

around Marco. He's had a couple of half chances, but the pressure on

him now will be immense. That's gone badly wrong for Barry

Hawkins. He can't, I don't think, drop this in deadweight and stay for

the red at the top of that bunch, but there may be one in the middle

he can play for. He's just got too much spin on it. I wonder if it will

be - three or four inches off the cue, even that will be OK, but...

-- very strict here, these chats when you can't get the tip on the

ball, deviate off the natural line. What a shot that was. Nervous. Need

a lot of bottle to play that at that pace.

Now he has got topside of the blue, doesn't have to play hard into the

red and pink. He knows it's worth the risk. He could screw the yellow

in or even play the brown off two cushions, but to bring those two

reds into play - this in front of the pink - he has chance to win the

frame at this visit. He played it nicely, played it very nicely.

APPLAUSE. 37. Doesn't seem that long ago when

Barry Hawkins was playing as if he only had one hand tied behind his

back. All of a sudden, he's looking at his very best. And he can win the

frame, Terry, with these two reds and two killers without worrying

about those three reds, has a great chance to be 10-9. Marco Fu sitting

there used to say to me when I asked him, what do you have to do to win

the World Championship? What do you have to have? "It's guts, mate." And

that's what Marco has now. He has got plenty.

What you need to do now is hit that red button for further live coverage

from the Crucible. Remember, Barry Hawkins was 9-1 down, the greatest

deficit from which a player has won a match, eight frames. Steve Davis,

you remember this, was 9-1 up to Dennis Taylor and lost 18-17. So a

red button for Hawkins against Fu. Higgins, McManus is available on BBC

Sport and online. We're back to round up all the day's play from the

Crucible later this evening. Bye for now.