Day 14, Semi-Finals, Afternoon Session Snooker: World Championship

John Higgins clears and needs the defending champion, Ding Junhui,

15-12. John Higgins wins the 2017 World Championship. Fantastic. It is

the best I think I have ever played in my life. To do it under that kind

of pressure is unreal. For the third time, as the crowd gives a standing

ovation, Higgins is the world champion. I won in 1998 and it took

so long to win another, and a couple of years after to win another one is

brilliant. He takes the title. That was absolutely fantastic and he

takes his fourth world title. 2011 was the last time and this was one

better, getting to the final. The semifinal stage of the bet fair

World Championship is a three-day drama, we had act one yesterday, act

two will further develop the plotlines. We will see the most

venerable protagonist arguably on the stage this year, John Higgins,

who is bidding for a fifth world title at the tender age of 41. He is

due back on at 2:30pm against Barry Hawkins, who is again once close to

a major breakthrough. With the other semifinal, big day for them with

morning and evening sessions between Mark Selby, the defending champion

Tom and the man who has arguably played the best snooker of anybody

so far, Ding Junhui, the last year's runner-up. Cracking semifinal in

store, a repeat of last year's final. This is when the tournament

comes into its own. He could not have played that any better. Max was

in great form coming into this and looked like he had the aura of a

champion. -- Mark Selby. Wonderful shot. That first frame mark was

walking around the table like he owned the place. It is a very risky

shot to take on but taking it on he is. And getting it. The first frame

I thought was so key to Ding. If he can beat Ronnie O'Sullivan he can

beat anybody. People were saying, will there be a bit of a hangover?

There definitely wasn't. He has done it to absolute perfection. Wonderful

first frame, if the match stays like that we are in for a cracker. I

thought the first four frames were excellent, you didn't fancy either

player missing an easy shot. All square, 2-2. Six points away and he

leaves the red on. Would you believe that? Amazing. It shows a sign of a

very confident player. Selby will be very disappointed, a couple of silly

errors you wouldn't normally see from him, especially from the safety

side, and it cost him a couple of frames. Wonderful, absolutely

wonderful play from Ding. He has a 5-3 lead over the defending

champion. Selby has a bit of catching up to do it Ding in fine

form. The defending champion was back here

at 915 AM this morning and was in the venue at 11 o'clock at night,

changing his cue. Ding made the tenth century this year. What a

dominant and confidence session from him. He lives in Sheffield and he

was here nice and early for the second session this morning. These

are the closing moments in the build-up before they were due to

take to the arena once again this morning.

Steve Davis and John Parrott are following every twist and turn of

the plotlines. We have seen all of this before, Mark Selby changed his

tip before the final last year, he is making a habit of it. It is not

ideal but if you start to lose confidence in the tip, and I think

Mark was telling me a couple of days ago that he thought it was a bit

hard, it is best to change things. We reckon he put in three and a

half, four hours of work breaking this in last night. He was able to

do an interview with me in the highlights programme last night

about that situation. Can you ever imagine in your pond having done

something like that? I certainly wouldn't have done an interview

during the match. And if it was something like a tip change you want

to keep it secret. It shows you how comfortable he is around the venue

and in his skin. We always put tips on and after two or three hours you

have played it in but he did the hours so if he is happy with it,

when he comes out today he can trust his tip when he is putting on

extreme side spin. Possibly of more concern is the form of Ding because

the bookmakers starting to side with him. How impressive was yesterday?

Very. From 3-2 through to 3-3 at could have gone either way but in

the last couple of frames he was brilliant. When you play Mark Selby

you have to compete and he has always been brilliant at that, his

cue ball control is brilliant, but if you don't compete against Mark

Selby you are in trouble and he did that. Let's remind you of the

respective the Crucible records of these men, starting with the

defending champion. He first came in 2005, reached his first final couple

years later, took another seven attempts before he inflicted a first

defeat on Ronnie in the final. The second win 12 months ago means he is

hoping to become the fourth man ever to win back-to-back titles. It is

ten years since Ding Junhui played here for the first time and --

amidst huge hype. He was taught a lesson by Ronnie, licked his wounds,

made it to the semifinals in 2011 and last year became a's first ever

Crucible finalist. He would love to complete the job and hundreds of

millions of people watching his every move here in China today.

These returned at ten o'clock for the second of possible four

sessions. We were like on BBC Two that. Selby started pre-5 down the

defending champion won the first of the day his fifth century of this

year's champion, absolutely no problems with the new tip, it

appears, and now Selby is 16 points behind in frame ten, being watched

by Willie Thorne and John Virgo. COMMENTATOR: He wants to recover at

least some of the red, and he has. He has played that well and normally

you say he has tried to come off the cushion first and kick the red up

the table. He can't do that here. He has just snookered him on the right

side of the brown, so to speak. Coming off two cushions, no

guaranteed to get right in behind this red. And no guaranteed to get

it safe. I don't see the value in this shot

anyway, even if you hit it you are handing the initiative to... Write a

bit, bit more. -- to the right. That is where it was, that is where it is

now. Perfect. Well done, referee. He doesn't want to run across it at

playing it like that is just keeping handing the initiative to Mark

Selby. -- but playing it. You always think whoever has the upper hand in

safety exchanges is going to create possibly that frame-winning

opportunity. Cat and mouse. Mark Selby is the

cat. Left a hot on here. -- left a pot.

It would be unnatural angle, you think, to pot the red and come back

for the pink or black. It needs to bounce or do something.

It is on nothing. A little trickle up the pink I think is the only

option here. Quick glance at the scoreboard, he is 11 points behind.

And played it well. Cut out the single cushion escape of the

left-hand side cushion as we look. Which now makes this yellow a lot

more difficult to hit. We have had some quick frames in

this match and some long ones. We had a 38 minutes and 54 seconds

frame. With the misrule as it is you are

sometimes just happy to hit the ball. One frame was just shy of 39

minutes. This is just shy of its 38 minute.

Close. But the worst possible outcome for Mark is he has missed it

and left it. Bit to do with the cue ball, though, to get back for the

green. Makes the yellow more missable.

There was plenty of room past the blue. That is a bit fortunate. But

the run of the ball goes to and fro. There is plenty of pocket there. He

just hit it too thin. But a chance now for Mark Selby to

get the upper hand once again. He has not got the snooker. He has

got the length of the cue ball and Ding will have to think of a good

safety shot. He can see a few options. Hitting it full on the face

he will miss the kiss of the green. I am not sure that fluke is in his

favour because he didn't want to attempt this green, surely. It is

very hard to get it safe. He is trying to get the yellow down

towards the black. That was, as we said, very tough.

Should Mark Selby pot this green, that fluke yellow has cost him the

frame! I think it is worth the risk to screw this end coming off the

cushion for the brown. It is just that I don't know whether he can...

If it was a three quarters ball he would fancy yet but it is half. What

a shot! That will surely give him the frame. Ding Junhui right behind

the shot, he knew like we did that it was in. And these types of frames

are so important, psychologically more than anything else. That is

when a fluke costs you the frame. Amazing, isn't it?

In it goes. That cracking pot on the green gave Mark Selby just what he

wanted, they are level, 5-5. HAZEL IRVINE: It was a perfect start

for the world number one, he pushed on after they're taking the next

two, so turning a two frame deficit into a two frame advantage, 7-5. A

brilliant response, but would his march continue after the mid-session

interview? Frame 13 now. COMMENTATOR: The way these reds are

situated around the black, if you made a mistake you wouldn't leave a

lot. Does this red go into the middle? It was worth playing. The

only red he could leave was the one he was going for. It has just caught

the top jaw here. Ding has been given a chance of the long red but

is refusing it. Once again he is not finding the top

cushion. You have to compete with Selby in the safety Department. That

cue ball should have been another two feet down the table.

That was difficult, because he was trying to do quite a bit with the

cue ball. I am looking at Ding Junhui's face there and there was

resignation, thinking, he has got away with it again!

That is OK but these three reds near the top cushion I'm not making it

too difficult now to come off the side cushion and nestle into them,

take target. -- big target. And if you hit them you don't leave

anything. No problem. That is what you would see if you

were sat in the auditorium, up at the back. Peter full view. --

beautiful view. Packed to the rafters, the morning session is.

Having watched the opening session, half of this match, I think Ding

will have to start playing attacking safety shots because clearly he is

not winning the battle playing the ordinary safety, he will have to

start playing a few safety shots thicker, opening the balls. If his

safety was finding the top cushion every time I would say continue, but

it is not at the moment. That is the nearest he has been to the cushion

for quite some time. Mark Selby has finished short this time.

The three reds closest to the top cushion, you wouldn't want to play

the left-hand one but if you caught it too thick you might knock the red

over to the right corner. We are now on five hours. For 12 frames. Well,

12 and a bit. I am just working that out, so that means the average frame

time is just over 23.5 minutes. 23 and 30, I was right, 23 and 38. You

worked it out superbly. Where did you get that he'd board from? --

bead board. He is looking at the possibility of playing the plant.

The two reds are two or three inches apart but the path of the cue ball

is going in the right place. He has played it and got it. Taking a tip

from you there, Willie, be a bit more aggressive. This is a pressure

loo. There is a red available to the same pocket as the blue but this

blue needs potting. Played it well and nicely on the

red. You wouldn't think this was a frame-winning opportunity but it is

a chance to build up a useful lead. Potting this red opens up another

just to the right of it. It may had a screw on and off the cushion but

it needed to be straight on this pink. -- it may be had.

Trying to get the white somewhere back near the pink spot. He has

snookered himself, has he? There is your answer coming up now. The

fractions are not favouring him at the moment. I don't think he can

bend it round. With a trace of left-hand side. I know he wants to

get his hand on the table, start scoring heavily, that is what he is

good at. Another good plants, well played.

Great shot. -- plant. He is on slightly the wrong angle onto the

pink to get onto the red that is nearest the cue ball at the moment.

But that is the only one that appears to be possible at the

minute. Yes, the red closest to the cue ball, don't think he can play

for anything else. Just wondering now, in potting that red after the

pink... You've just got to play it with

power and hope you can get position on a colour. No guarantee. OK, he

could possibly try to bring the black into play that he has no

guarantee to be on it. I think you have to play deep screw

here. If he plays a run through and hits the black or a red straight in

the face that cue ball won't come back up the table. I presume you

mean he is go to kiss of the two reds to the left of the black and

maybe come back the pink or blue. There is more chance of being on a

colour playing the screw shot, but don't miss the red. He is playing

the run through so he is hoping to get a good kiss on the black. And it

is OK. The fact that yellow and brown are off the spot makes this a

little bit easier. If they were on their spots it would be tough to get

around the table. Ride over the brown spot. It was a

good effort. He is having a look to see if one of these reds goes. Does

it? It is tight. It is one of those, we say so many times, if you were

right behind it and had the cue ball, ball and pocket or in line you

would fancy potting it. It doesn't go to the middle of the pocket, only

the left edge. Played it well, is he on the pink?

He is and he has brought reds into play. All of a sudden, from looking

to scrap and build up a useful lead, it has become a frame-winning

opportunity. You have to take your hat off to Ding, he has been

struggling in this opening for and a half frames and to develop this into

a frame-winning chance has been quite amazing. He has had to pull

out three or four shots on the trot which are right out of the top

drawer. He deserves to win the frame from

those shots. That is very careless, I have to

say. OK, good recovery, but if he had

left himself straight on the pink on the other side he would have had

those two reds just above the black to play for. Can he get a nice angle

on the pink this time? No. So the cue ball is not under complete

control at the moment. He chalked his cue with a lot of disappointment

there. Using the jaw. Clever shot. Could have done with catching it a

bit more because then the white would have come further down this

end. 58 in front, 67 remaining, but if he pots the red he goes 59 in

front. Very well played. This has been

possibly the best break of the match so far. He has had to try so hard on

every single shot Tom he has never really had at the cue ball under

control but he has developed them slowly, slowly.

That puts him at the point where his opponent needs two snookers. Great

contribution, this. Nothing has been going his way. He

is entitled to get frustrated, but as you suggested he needs to start

thinking of a more attacking game and open this up with a wonderful

plant. Kept it going with another plant. As the break break goes to

77, this is a remarkable break. Mark will know that, he will appreciate

the skill that has been on show here. Wonderful shot on the last

red. He couldn't make a century, could he? If he gets perfect on this

yellow, he can bring the brown into play, it shouldn't be ruled out as a

possibility. It would be unbelievable. No century, but that

was absolutely top drawer and at last he has got something to show

for his efforts. One behind though, Mark Selby leads 7-6. HAZEL IRVINE:

Ding Junhui white has a red-hot scoring style that he was frozen out

this morning until that's battling break of 84 and the man who knocked

out the Rocket, he is fighting hard, again, as we head into frame 14.

Just makes it awkward cueing now in the job is of the pocket. He will do

well to get this back on the board. He's got a beautiful line, if he

misses a brown, this is sensational. What a shot that was. I liked that

one. The best shot of the tournament so far.

A very difficult save shot. He never in his wildest dreams thought he

would be faced with a snooker in his next visit. There is no rhyme or

reason to it sometimes, is there? The safest place is to nestle up to

those to read just below the pink, just get in there.

He has had a good look, I wonder whether he's going to take your

choice, it looks as though he is. He picked it straightaway. Just the way

it slides off at second cushion. It's amazing how much that slaves. I

thought that would be going into the back.

An excellent safety shot which has given him a chance in this 14th

frame. He wanted to bring the pink or black into play, the red arrow

key at the moment. He needs to get these balls open. If you complete

the red to the right of the pink and hit that, it brings it into the

middle pocket. Just look at that now. He is bound to kiss other red

as well. Having another look. It's decision

time, do I play into the right of the pink? I fancy the red to the

right of the pink, that will prove more beneficial. He needs a bit of

luck now. He is still going to need lots of cue powder, he is putting up

his hand now. Wrong side of the blue and just

being slightly the wrong side of the blue, it is going to take some shots

here. I can't see how he can get back. Just the wrong side of the

blue line. How can he avoid the brown or the yellow? It looks

impossible. Where is the cue ball going? Not

another in off, unbelievable! There must've been a magnet on that white!

It levelled itself out. Over the period of the three sessions, Mark

Selby had all the good luck in the world in the opening for frames, but

to go off from there was quite amazing. It has got to be a telling

safety shot with a hand on the table, he has to get behind the

yellow. Fractions away from being OK. I don't think Mark can see the

left-hand side of the reds. He needs to sort that safety shot

out. You can see the red just below the pink, I think.

Much too thick. He left a cut on next year. -- here. He will be

disappointed with that. But it has to be said, Mark Selby has had a

couple of in off in this frame but he has been dictating the safety

side of it. He has just not been able to capitalise on those

mistakes. He came round in a few moments ago to look at the two reds

below the pink there, he'll be trying to get that gap, playing into

the two reds where the pink is. Maybe get the black into the corner.

He is looking to make this a frame with an opportunity with this one

shot. The gap is perfect. He has got the pink into play, he is on the

black. Excellent shot. Aligned to perfection as you pointed out. And

whenever players of this quality have the black available to both

corner pockets and the reds art spread, you expect them to win the

frame. But you still got to do it. Couldn't get the right side of the

blue, if you're going to be at the wrong side of the blue, may well the

wrong side and then you've got more room to manoeuvre. Easy up and down.

Not too sure whether the pink will be covered after this shot. These

reds are all perfect for playing the black. The pink goes back into its

own spot quite comfortably. He just has to win more safety

battles, Ding Junhui, that has let Selby in. As you said, a couple of

frames ago, it would be nice if Ding Junhui could play more attacking

safety shots. But you do that against Mark Selby and he can win a

free Mac in one visit just as easy as Ding can. There is a fine line

between attacking defence at the moment with Ding Junhui. Mark

Selby's game plan is usually very similar. Good, solid safety and

score heavily when you get in. You take a little beating that way. It

is a recipe for success. That caught the near jaw, I think

Mark thought he was going to miss that, he looked at someone in the

audience, I don't know if someone put him off. Anyway, the red went

in. Mark Selby didn't score a point in

the previous round but he has quickly got these balls in a

situation now where you would expect him to win the frame. He's always

got a smile on his face about something. -- obviously. If you can

be smiling, relaxed, it does help you out there, doesn't it? He's

smiling about something. LAUGHTER

Maybe he was waiting for the applause.

59 ahead, 59 remaining, but not for long, this is a sitter. To put him

60 points in front with just 51 remaining.

He wants to putt this red. -- pot. He needs to get as much rest as

possible. He's not got much to show, he is only one the one frame this

morning, and he came out this morning Ding Junhui and it was

obvious that he was, not trying to protect his lead, but a little bit

sensitive in the early frames. If you go back to the first frame where

he made the 30 odd break, he tried to make things happened and it

didn't happen. You are not going to win many friends playing safe

against Mark Selby. You are going -- you've got to force an opening

sometimes. This break of 78 has been very good, once again he is having a

little chuckle about something. I wish I knew what it was.

LAUGHTER I might have heard the referee

saying you put to reds on, pressed a button and did it twice.

Mark Selby knows whatever happens it can't be worse than all square going

into the third session this evening. He will also be looking for a chance

to push on. Thank you, frame at 15. Quiet down

please. Two more frames to be played in this session. Ding Junhui already

will be disappointed to have lost his to frame advantage coming into

this morning's session, but he has got to stay focused. These are two

important frames, I know it is the second session of a for certain

match, but you don't want someone like Mark Selby to start stretching

away. He will make it very tough for you to get back.

It's made of bit more difficult when you are striking down like that,

looking for a path back to the ball. He has not let anything easy for

Ding Junhui. -- left. He has got a red just above the black spot he

could cut in, or he's got red, the one immediately below the blue. Good

pot needed here. Well played. That could have done

with a little bit more pace in the cue ball, I assume the pink goes to

the opposite corner as he has spotted this red. Maybe he is on the

black. -- vaulted. He has played for the black. Played it well, played it

very well. And in the world of Ding Junhui, this is the frame with an

opportunity. He made a break earlier run of 80 for when there was hardly

anything available, so you fancy him to make the most of this. So good in

the black spot area. He decided to go up for the blue. And he has made

a mistake there, it is easily done, we have all done it. He thought the

blue was on his spot, it wasn't, and that is why he is straight on the

blue. A careless mistake to make. That is a terrific shot. He is back

in prime position. He would be extremely worried having lost the

first four frames, worrying what the score line would be going into the

final session. In some ways, he will be delighted with the chance of

coming out with 5-3. He decided to take that opportunity

to split the reds open, it didn't actually hit the ball that he was

intending to, or the way he intended, but it looks as though

he's got this red to the left corner using the rest to drop it in and get

position on the black. I don't think he can hold for the

black, though he is going for the blue. Once again, he is short of

pace. It just accept that little bit harder with that cue ball travelling

up and down the table. At this time he's got, it would have been a lot

more difficult to get the baulk of straight. If he gets on the next red

nicely, he can get back onto the black. He needs that cue ball to

slow up. It needs to be straight. It is not.

It is tricky. He is normally so reliable, isn't he? It is not a good

path for the cue ball. The clear path to the black is of this red,

but it needs due care and attention. Straight in the heart of the pocket.

He is so good at that, as lots of the modern-day players are. In

everyday, when there was a thicker nap, you had to play a little bit

differently, cleared from the jaw, let it drift and, now everything

goes straight. Not much nap at all on these tables.

But this is certainly where he's at his happiest, I range the black spot

area, there is not any better in the world. Yes, that's why suggested he

had to play a little bit more open. He was getting bogged down a little

bit. Just some 20 odd points away from

making this frame is safe and to trail 8-7.

There will only be one person who is delighted with the score line being

a possible 8-8 and that will be Ding. He must be thinking you has to

guide of the session with something. -- go out of the session.

Port this, goes 69 in front with only 67 remaining. He has taken

these well. He recovered the situation with the blues. And when

he gets in, as we said, in and around the black, he is a scoring

machine as he proved in his match against Ronnie O'Sullivan.

He has lost position a couple of times, but the rest of the time he

is absolutely perfect. A possible 143 with blacks. It took a long time

for somebody to make 8136 and then all of a sudden we had the 146 from

O'Sullivan, the 143 from Mark Selby. This looks like being the 65th and

Ding's 11. That is pretty good. Red right in the heart of the pocket

and the black for a wonderful century break. Very well played.

Ding Junhui at his best. He has shown good character after

the mid-session having lost the first four frames and not having the

best run of the ball. It takes a lot of self belief to just stick at it,

as we know there is a long way to go in this match, but you can always

have a bad session. One more frame to play after this

one to end the second session, and Mark Selby would have been thinking,

I want to win this session, after losing the first 15-3. He would love

to win this session 6-2, which he could do. -- after losing the first

5-3. Bert Ding demonstrating here what a heavy scorer he is given the

chance. Marvellous. Once he gets in and around the black you never fancy

him to miss. He is one frame behind the defending champion, 8-7 Mark

Selby. Century 11 at the Crucible for Ding,

one shy of the record set by Stephen Hendry in 2002. A very important

16th frame coming up. Will the champion have a lead tonight? Selby

ahead by 35 points as we join it. That is an excellent safety shot

once again. The red that is nearest the pink spot, does it pass into the

corner? No. That was the one I was thinking of,

but you can see the top one passes, just.

No attempt at the pot. Just played safe.

I didn't think he would get through to that. Where is the cue ball

going? It was heading towards the pocket. It is amazing, he has potted

a great red, thought it would be the green and brown, and he has overrun

it by a few inches. In those situations you can be forgiven for

thinking you are glad to get a kiss on something but that is not the

case. A brave shot would be cushioned first, nestle behind the

yellow. He is usually brave to play any kind of shot. If he can play the

snooker then going behind the yellow.

He couldn't have judged it better. There is a red that is close to the

side cushion, near the black, that Mark can get through to hit, but I

can't see a return to baulk after that. He is blessed with a lot of

cue power. There is every chance he can play deep screw because the red

is go to stay where the lack is and the black is going to go up to

baulk. -- where the black is. He's going to go for the deep screw, he

knows the black is going to come into play. Or is he just going to

rest a bit? That is a foul and amiss but it

might not be taken. Pot the red, bound to be on the

blue. Nice clean pot. I thought for a second he wasn't going to be on

the blue. Nobody could be that unlucky.

Just over six hours now. This is the second session, so they do say, my

former colleague Clive Everton used to say it, the World Championship

here, over 17 days, marathon of the mind. Couldn't be summed up better.

Good pot. And looks as though he is going to have a nice angle on the

brown. The perfect angle would be being able to pot the brown and

release the black and the red but that is not the case, but he can

play for those two reds close to the top cushion, and it is too risky to

bring the black into play off this shot. Unless he decides to play it

off the top cushion, the right-hand side.

Needs a bounce. That is nowhere. He will be horrified to have played

that so poorly. He had so much room. So much margin for error. He is

eyeing up the reds. If it is just off straight it is not bad but it

still takes some potting. That is what happens. Poor

positional shot. It cost him there. And Mark Selby comes back to the

table, as we see the shot again, but it was tough. And Mark will be very

pleased to still have an 18 point advantage in this frame. If he

knocks this in it could be a frame-winner.

But not quite. But he has a very good cue ball.

That is a cracker. That is a beauty. He has got all the shots.

Couldn't play the pot there. If he had, it could have gone off into the

corner, so purposely hitting it slightly thinner.

Big shot to take on. Kiss on the brown... Oh, the kiss on the green!

Mark Selby looking up to his friends and family in the balcony,

suggesting that they're has had it sparked off there. He has. But a

great run in the opening four frames.

The kiss on the blue has not made that a very good safety shot. Ding,

I don't know if this is on, but if he can hit the red full on the face

can he release the black in the red on the left-hand cushion? -- black

and. He got the black into thinking. -- he got the black into play. Good

thinking. Good shout, because being 18 points behind he made those big

colours in play. Especially where the reds are, because it is easy to

pot these three with the black on its spot, which it will be shortly.

Whoever puts the next red would be strong favourite to win the frame.

-- who ever pots. Mistake. Bad mistake. So Ding Junhui

gets a chance to go level at the end of this second session.

The yellow is not too awkward for a right-hander. But that is some way

down the line. The most important thing now is to reduce the arrears,

get right back in the frame. The shot you called previously and the

shot he played to release the black could be the catalyst to win this

frame. Don't like potting a red and trying to bring a red into play. It

is risky because you are never certain to have the position on the

colour. It is there and he will attempt it. There is a natural angle

around the back of the black. He doesn't have to play it. He has

played it. As John said, you don't always get position on the black.

There you go. In a way he has been fortunate the red went in. If it

stayed over the pocket, the question would have been, where is the

safety? They say you are taking a chance trying to bring a red into

play when potting a red. He could have played the half all, get the

yellow into play. He would have been worried about the double-kiss

playing that. Off the left-hand side of the yellow, still the double-kiss

is on. Needs a good safety now. He spurned a good chance. And he has

got the good safety. He has played it inch perfect. And now he is in a

good position. Just eight points behind.

Wonderful safety shot from Ding Junhui. This time I don't think he

can get to the red next to the yellow but he can certainly get to

the one in the corner. I am saying he does in particular

want to play the one on the cushion, because the cut red will be on. He

is just going round to have a look to see whether it is.

He doesn't really want the cue ball to come down this end of the table

because there is a possibility of that red... He has played that well

again. Playing snooker he is as good as anybody in the world.

Got to catch this just right. If you hit it thick it will be back down

the table with the cue ball. He decided to play it in behind the

black and he couldn't have played it any better. Excellent shot.

I know everybody likes to see breaks and frames one quickly, 12, 14

minutes, but some of the safety in this match has been superb. --

Triumph -- won quickly. That is an escape from there. It has

just run on. I don't think Ding can get through to the potting angle for

this red. Not quite. But he can hit it. And he would rather hit it and

play safe off this one the side cushion. -- than the one off the

side cushion. If that red misses the blue... Safe enough. Nobody really

has advantage in this important tactical exchange, just yet.

That is another good safety shot. Another frame lasting over half an

hour. But an intriguing one nevertheless. Two frame advantage

from Mark Selby, when he started the session two behind. Ding deciding to

come off the side cushion, must be just covered by the blue, the two

reds. Judged it nicely. The third session of this match

continues this evening. This safety shot could be a bit

risky, he is playing one red on another, could push the red over to

the corner. Could push through into the corner. The needs the pink to

come to his rescue, and I don't think it has. A little bit loose.

Mark Selby will play this cushion first, you would have thought, that

way he can get the cue ball into the middle of the table, and if he gets

good position of this red, surely he will take the frame, and this

session on the winning it 6-2. So from two frames behind, two frames

in the lead. Cushion first. That brings the cue

ball out nicely onto the brown. Will he get back to the table? It is

doubtful. He will be very disappointed if he loses this 6-2.

The first four frames the run was against Tim Bick he has had a fair

bit of run this time. He has played well enough to win this little

session. -- against him but he has had a fair bit. If he gets the blue

he will be sure to win this session and get that advantage going into

tonight's session. We have had four frames on the trot.

The previous four were the frame was one at a single visit. This has been

a real battle. He looks certain now to win this last frame, Mark Selby.

In goes the green. There will be no return to the table for Ding Junhui.

Mark Selby will have set out his stall for this morning's session, to

win it. And that he has done, and to win it by four frames, he will be

delighted. Mark Selby dictating things. Ding Junhui with a run early

-- a bad run early on, some chances later, but Mark Selby finishes the

session two in front. He has completely turned this

around, it would appear, Mark Selby. Impressions of the this morning.

Match day granite. Ding was going to the table with a headache every

time. He managed to get out of trouble and then he was back into

it. When you look at the facts and figures, Ding 5-3 in front but Mark

Selby has won 6-2. He has asked the questions of Ding that he did last

year. He is the ultimate snooker terminator, it might be the only

person who can beat him is Sarah Connor coming out of the woodwork.

Straight out the blocks, 101st go in the opening frame. We talked -- 100

first go. If you lose confidence in the tip you are playing with and you

get another one on, a few more shots become available to you. You can

play a screw back with less power, you don't have to bite into the ball

so much, then you start to grow with the confidence of the tip. This

could be him taking off in this tournament. Ding did enough to

remind us that he is fantastically dangerous, an 11th century. He is

hitting the ball very well but he isn't getting as many chances. You

can't pot what you can't see. The safety play is really good for him.

We have seen games going 30 or 40 minutes on it is the quality of the

safety play. What you have to do when you play against Mark Selby is

raise your safety game. That is being so ultra critical of Ding, who

is fantastic anyway, but to outplay Mark Selby in that department, I

would argue the only person who can is Mark Egan is in that apartment.

-- department. In percentage terms, because it is not the same style

again he likes to play, what is the degree extra of difficulty in

playing Mark Selby? It is difficult to quantify. It is the ultimate test

you will get in the all-round game. He is defending champion. His game

is at such an incredibly high standard, and so is his B game if he

is not scoring. It is a bit like an armadillo, if it rolls up in a ball,

you look at it and you think, I don't see a way in. With Ronnie you

sometimes get encouragement if he goes off the boil. Mark Selby just

digs in and that is the ultimate machine. We have had a terminator

and an armadillo. Here is what is coming up for the next three hours.

Scotland's John Higgins has an impressive strike rate in

semifinals, he has won five out of seven and hasn't lost one in 16

years. Barry Hawkins is in his fourth, he has pushed on to the

final before. Brianne Tutt Evans attempts to Nick the spoils from the

boys. Behind every good event there is a great event manager and here in

Sheffield she is, Watkins. -- Donna. Send in your videos, we will pick

the best from the day and try to make your game better. #cueffix.

John Higgins has nine major titles in this sport. When you bundle them

all up with everything else, 28 world ranking titles in total. Why

is he such a good cue man? Perhaps this can give us a hint. When you

are talking about consummate match players, he falls into that. He is

in the top of most lists, matchplay, all-round player, you can't have

those concessions without. His technique is a bit different from

most players. His action is a bit longer than would be accepted in the

modern game. On these clots that we play on, trying to control the ball,

but that comes from years of practising with Stephen Hendry in

the old days, where he would have seen what Stephen Hendry was doing.

John's action repeats, it is very deliberate, these long waggles,

doesn't hit it until he is ready and always good screw back. He never

decelerates on the ball. No, his shot selection let -- enables him to

play with complete commitment, he is never 50-50 on a shot, were

sometimes you can decelerate. He has always thought hard and he can give

it 100%. What about his break-building? This is a fine point

but from the start of a frame in a break-building position I would have

him as a vicar. I might look to get the reds opener as soon as possible.

-- I would have him down as a picker. He is more of an older style

player where he will look to pick of the lose reds, and that is just in

case it goes wrong, he leaves you with the puzzle. Many players would

get to the 50, 60 point mark and the reds are everywhere and if it goes

wrong you can lose in two or three minutes. I have played John so many

times where something will go wrong at 50 or 60, you come to the table

and you have a Rubik 's cube I have done some thinking of it and

since we have had the European tour with all the young players, we have

got 128 draws, things like that, John and players like him are at

experience, which you can't buy. It counts for so much. He very rarely

plays the wrong shot or leave themselves exposed to danger, he has

been to the mill so many times. He has got so many battle skies and

knows the right shots to play. I think I was in a school play or in

the playground where I used to live on the estate. I just treated people

how I would like to be treated. I'm not the most romantic person.

I was taught how to make spaghetti. My wife seems to like it. Going to

Vegas, that is another one. It sounded like it was a lot of fun in

the 60s. I like Susanna Reid on good morning Britain. She sticks in my

mind. In the practice room with the players, they have had lots of

matches to get to this stage. It is just to listen your arm up, pot a

fewer balls, get rhythm going, hit a view shots. Feel as if you are still

back playing in the tournament, get nice and loose and smooth, pot a few

balls and get yourself ready 15 or 20 minutes before you go out and

play is horrible, come and have a little brightness. Make no mistake,

every player suffers from pre-match nerves, and while you can get your

arm going on the practice table, it is the nerves of build-up in the

dressing room. Players bring in their coach or their friends, they

don't talk about the game that is ahead, but one thing is for certain,

the ten minutes before you go out is like the dentist waiting room, your

hands are shaking like a leaf. I have had my practice, I've been in

the dressing room, I've read the paper, I have been feeling

physically sick and their and standing in the corridor and just

want to get out there, I want these people to stop talking, get them to

introduce me and just get on with it. This is the man who is going to

do the knocking on the door, the tournament director Martin Clark

summoning John Higgins first of all, he is coming out for the night time

here. At the Chris Bell. -- Christabel. It is a Barry's tense

time awaiting the call. Is he there are? Busy chatting to himself, I

wonder? Wear has he gone? Command, Barry, there is a match on here,

semifinal. Yes, of course he's there. Barry is one of the nicest

guys in the game. Still to make the breakthrough and land one of these

big majors, he has been close in the past. I think we are ready. John

looking relaxed as we go into the second session and Nicol will come

from Rob Walker. Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen, in just two

days' time at one of the two players prowling around backstage will be

returning for the 2017 World Snooker Championship final. The prize is

absolutely huge, even though both of them have been there before. We are

in for an epic session of snooker today.

Please welcome a player who has become a regular fixture in the won

table set up here in recent years, making four of the last semi-finals.

From 4-0 down yesterday, he showed his class with three breaks over 60

to get right back in this match, runner-up in 13, winner of three

ranking event titles, and absolutely brilliant left-hander, he is the

court, Barry Hawkins. And his opponent, a player's whose

longevity at the top of the sport is quite staggering, 18 years after his

first Crucible semifinal, he is back at the one-table set-up for the

eighth time. This season he has extended his titles to 28, four

times the champion of the world, the Wizard of Wishaw, here is John

Higgins. And the are ready to play, a very

quick turnaround, only 25 minutes between the last session of our

first semifinal and this one. Big up to the Arena team each year, fastest

hoovering service you've ever seen. They have cleaned the place. We are

all ready. COMMENTATOR: Good afternoon, everyone can Barry get

the opening frame in this second session underway. A pretty good

break of shot. He got the pace of the table straightaway. He did very

well to win the last frame. You can see the pot success rate. Barry is

well ahead in the long pot success Department. Nothing to pick between

them in the safety Department. No centuries in this match, John 69 and

Barry 74, but I think both players looked a little bit tired. They

would have been glad of a lying in this morning to get ready for this

afternoon's session, a very important one. You just said about

the breaks, I expected both these players to be knocking the breaks

on, one visit frames. But maybe both players are just weary of each

other's strengths. Barry did remarkably well after

being 4-0 down to comeback in the mid-session interval and win the two

frames. Breaks of 62, 71. But then towards the end of the match, John

just lost his way in little bit, as we see Barry come up short with the

safety, but it's OK. John started missing a few easy balls, something

he has eliminated from his game. I mentioned he'd been doing that a few

seasons ago, but he seems to have eliminated. It was back again. At

crucial stages, he could quite easily have had a format frame

advantage. It makes it very interesting. This particular

session. When you've got these multi-session matches, especially

the semifinal and the final, when it is four sessions, you normally have

one session where you absolutely fly. I wonder if -- which one of

these players it will be today. It's not often you play your absolute

best in all four sessions. There is always one.

There is a half transfer Barry here, he is so good at this type of long

pot, but it is debate the cue ball. He will do well to avoid coming into

the two reds or the black and error. He has got to make sure he pot blue

the red. He's just got to trust the ball. He has overcome that. He

hasn't got away with it. He was playing a delicate little shot

there. It is just a little bit tentative, the way he instructed. --

the way he stroked it. He never managed to pot the red, which is the

most important thing. APPLAUSE

I like that side on view, it makes you realise how big the table is, it

is like 12 feet by six that sometimes. You don't realise just

how big the table is, but that side on view gives you a good indication.

Yet, in some view it looks quite small in this arena because it's

very bare. We had two tables in the first three rounds but now it is

just one single table. They did a thing before the match started

yesterday, John Parrott and I were sat in the seat, and you forget how

long you have to walk from your seat to the table. This is a good

opportunity for a John Higgins in his first frame. He has the black

available. 68 points required. He didn't want to kiss that red. He

just flipped it. It depends how hard he said, this is miserable now. He

didn't try to do anything too fancy with the cue ball there. He's got

himself a tricky black now. The positional side of this is not

straightforward either because it is very easy to snooker himself when

the red is closest to the right corner. He missed the black. And

because he missed the black, he didn't get the position on the red

that was next to the right corner pocket. He would have been on that

had he potted that. He would have no one straightaway. I think that's the

first black, believe it or not, that John has most of the sport in this

match. There is a long red that will go up as the pink and the blue

there. The black is over the pocket. He potted one like this yesterday,

which was a terrific shot. Not this time. It's going to be a bit of an

awkward free night with the black over that pocket. -- awkward. This

could get interesting. That's a clever shot, it blocks of

all the escapes down the right side of the table. At first glance,

that's what Barry is looking at their comedy player's view. He has

just got to nestle into the back of the reds here, off to cushions. That

is a bit narrow, is it? It's just OK. This could go on for some time

now that the black is covering the pocket.

Mark Selby didn't Junhui session finished fairly late. -- Ding

Junhui. They manage to turn around and get everyone back in more or

less on time, but this opening frame could last quite a while. That rule

has gone though, it used to be 40 minutes before the start of play to

take the players off, never to just the tournament director who decides

whether that last frame will be played or not. I think that's much

better because a lot depends on how the matches as well. What's happened

here? How did he potted that red in of the black? Is there a path

through to the black? If there is, what a bit of good luck. Look at

that. That's lovely, isn't it? What a result.

I cannot believe he done that. That is a shocker, Barry, I'm afraid. I

think he was playing it off the left ankle and just potted it right in

the middle. You don't see that very often.

That is unfortunate. He was trying to get an pink or black, the red

covered the pink and the other one went in the path of the black. That

was quite amazing, quite amazing they are what just happened. Just

have a look at this. He has played the cannon, the two beds, thinking

he is bound to be on pink or black. He gets the cannon, not as he

intended, but to knock that red and make the path that the black and the

other one to cover the pink, it's amazing.

I don't know if the red letters to the left of the black is ported to

the left corner, because if it is, I'm a little bit surprised John

wasn't tempted by the blue to the far left corner. The only reason I

can think why he didn't take the blue, he missed a view at the end of

the match and maybe he wanted to just play himself in again. Rather

than just take a risky one. I know you would certainly have been taking

the blue on. John Higgins normally takes that blew on all day. Both

players are having a very cagey opening to this first session.

Barry has thusly just, the red is closest to the left middle. He has

not meant to hit the first two reds. It is a very delicate little shot

that he's trying here. It is to perfection to do that, to just flick

of one of those reds. Great attempt. Great attempt there. You would

rather give four penalty points or eight penalty points as long as he

gets the shot as he wants, he doesn't want to hit this red fool

ball. That's pressure. -- that is for sure. Can we have a look at it

please? It is just a bit forward. Just pointing it was, back a bit,

left a bit, write about. It is like the Golden shot, many years ago. Bob

Monkhouse. Did he get warned? Here we go. In your own time. What shot

did he now? -- does deeply now? He is still shaking his head. Look

where he got the cue ball from that shot.

APPLAUSE I'm sure he got the in the correct

position, I was wondering why John was shaking his head there, because

he did say something to the referee on the way past.

Let's have a look where it was originally, that spirit was

originally, let's see where it is now. Let's have a look. Let's have a

look again. In the correct place. Maybe John was

right. Maybe that Watt wasn't available. That's why John was

shaking his head. I hope that's not going to upset things here. But he

should have raised it at the time, but he just stayed in his seat. I

think first we have to clarify that Barry Hawkins did nothing wrong, he

didn't try to gain an advantage. You would never have dreamt to have

taken that long red on in the beginning. He was forced into

playing it because he had to make contact with the red.

Whatever frustrations John Higgins was feeling, he is now getting rid

of it. He is experienced enough to just forget things and get on with

the match. But if he does believe the cue ball wasn't to be back on

the right place, he is feeling a bit aggrieved at the moment, he just got

to get rid of it. As a player, you do have the chance to come up and

look. The referee gives you the option, are you happy? Do normally

just trust the referee is going to have it put back in the right place.

It just shows you the tough jobs the referees have. That was quite a

crucial one. It was an unbelievable pot that Barry knocked on, but it

turns the whole frame completely around. It was such a tough pot. You

would be almost glad he was taking it on. The pace he played attack.

That's gone wrong, he's going to have to take this red up into the

corner pocket. He didn't get the cannon, as he anticipated. A key

shot coming up here, he is only five points behind now. Right in the

centre of the pocket. APPLAUSE

He is left-handed, if he can disturb those two reds when he pots the

green, he could win the frame. He could develop both read and still be

on the other one. -- reds. He hadn't quite got the angle to

force into those two. He's got to get it right this time. It is a good

angle this time, maybe he doesn't have to get into them. It was a

clever cue ball that he played there. He can with give himself the

option of this red audit the red to middle. He might leave the cue ball

into the same sort of area again. Obviously they do. I don't know if

you can't stretch over the table. Maybe he needs the rest. The angle

that is on this red he is going to pot, it looks like the one closer to

the cushion. I think he might just be, you know.

A bit tricky to pick the angle out when you are so close. You can

clearly pot it, but when you are that close to it, you need to be

very precise. He is not looking anywhere near where he is potting

it. It is all about judgment. No, it's not there. John, have you got

your focus back? It is not straightforward because he

is taking the green but it will have to go back on the black spot, so

somehow he has to get from the yellow back up to the green again.

He should not have been anywhere near the middle pocket. Now he will

probably play a safety shot. Didn't get enough stunned on that. Even

with the extension, to pot this yellow and get back up to the green,

especially with an extra piece on the end of the cue, I think he will

be better off with the safety shot here, because this will be some

shot, to get back up from here. Let's have a look.

I think that was totally the wrong choice of shot, and you don't often

say that about John Higgins. I think he is still frustrated, he has not

got what happened earlier in the frame out of his mind. I honestly

can't believe he took that shot on with the extension of the cue, he

didn't get anywhere near the pot because he had to generate so much

pace. A little frustration still there on his face. Barry is so good

with the rest, I wouldn't be surprised if he doesn't part of this

and get onto the green. -- pot this. Already the longest frame of the

match so far. So a very tense opening frame with a bit of

controversy. It was always going to be an

important opening frame, more so now, because I think John Higgins

needs to take this just to settle down, because he looks a bit flushed

in the face. And that is not going to help

things. I think if Barry is going to take

this frame here, I think John will do well to get out of the arena for

a couple of minutes. Calm down a bit.

It is a great frame for Barry to win. He was reminded by the referee

that if he missed a Reid three times he would lose the frame. That is all

history. He takes the longest frame of the match will stop -- if he

missed a red three. Ken Doherty has been granted a tour

wild card and he is missing no time, he is in the practice room. I

potentially controversial moment in that frame. Very controversial. John

Higgins looks livid and he may have a right to be. We talk about

fractions in this game. Putting the ball back is very important for the

referee and also consulting the marker. The cue ball was not back in

its original position. From Barry Hawkins's first position he missed a

red. He may not have even looked at the red initially that he potted

eventually but the referee put the cue ball back here instead of back

here. If he is back here he can't see the red and certainly can't see

the potting angle. He has moved it here a bit, Barry Hawkins is forced

into taking on the red and it proved very controversial because he was

forced into taking it on, he potted it, the cue ball came down and it

put John Higgins in a really tough snooker. Advantage over Barry

Hawkins, John Higgins absolutely miffed. It wasn't Barry Hawkins?

Fold completely, it was down to the referee and the marker. -- it wasn't

Barry Hawkins's fault. John has not left the arena, he is

stewing on this. In his position you would be pretty mad. You saw from

his actions that he knew the pot wasn't on, so to watch somebody

smack it in is not very nice. Between them all it didn't quite

work out for him but he put it behind him and got on with the rest

of the match but it was definitely a mistake.

COMMENTATOR: The white is in. He needs the red to run safe. He needs

the yellow to come to the rescue here. I am just wondering if he can

get the white in the D in such a way that he can cut the red in. He would

have to be very close to the yellow on the way passed to cut it in but I

think he can. He can place the white anywhere in the D area.

Just to let the viewers know, you can move the cue ball with your cue,

so long as it is not the tip. Having spent all that time getting the cue

ball into the right position, very surprising miss. You can see by

John's face how much pressure he is under, how he is feeling, very

frustrated with the way things have started this afternoon.

Can Barry Hawkins take advantage of this situation?

He has a red at the back of the bunch that pots into the right-hand

corner but it looks like he is playing the aggressive shot into the

pink with the cue ball. In fact he played a more controlled shot.

Perhaps because the blue is more of an acute angle. He actually played

this very nicely. He will be delighted to be on this one. He will

need of that of help inside right-hand side. He got a massive

kick. I was waiting for the reverse side

to come onto that to go nicely onto the red but he didn't play it with

that so it is much more difficult now.

Now he has missed it. I think he is still thinking about that opening

frame and the sooner he can forget about it the better. I think he

should have got out there in between frames, John Higgins. Gunn just gone

into his -- just gone into his dressing room just to calm down.

Looking at his face reminds me a bit of me when I got under pressure, I

went a bit of a flushed colour! He is all over the place at the

moment, John. OK, he hasn't left anything but... Mind you, towards

the end of his first session his safety had disappeared, his good

tactical game had disappeared and he had started missing easy ones, so he

really has to regroup. Barry Hawkins will be picking up on that.

Yes, he has to do... This game is so psychological, especially in this

place. He has to red signs about how your opponent is thinking and

reacting. He must be able to get past the

brown. And he has plenty of cue power that he can get this out onto

the black. No, didn't hit it very well, but he may have been

fortunate. Look where the cue ball has finished.

There is a half chance up into the corner but he is normally so good at

this kind of shot. He could get on the blue, wouldn't leave anything if

he missed it. That is a nice pot. That will make

him feel a lot better, but I don't know where the next pot is coming

from after this loo. Maybe the pink pots. He can't get nicely on

anything. If this red goes it is a big test of

the John Higgins. It is fairly tight but... It is a big test for John

Higgins. He played that well. A much better shot than it looked. Under

the circumstances that was brilliant. Should he have missed

that, reds were going everywhere. Those two good reds that John has

potted, they will put to the back of his mind what happened in the

previous frame. That red has gone awkward. He has

the pink and blue to work with but the red he can and, he has knocked

it towards the black spot area, may have put the black out of

commission. -- but the red he can end it.

Especially if those two reds are available, that is a help. He

doesn't have to play for them this time but... Not too sure about that.

He had the other one to the left but those two look a little awkward.

That close-up of John Higgins playing, he does shake a bit on the

shot, he always has. Not quite as bad as Mark Selby. There is movement

when he is feeling the pressure. That is a slip-up. He wanted a

slightly different contact on the cannon there. He has got himself 40

points in front, a very thin snick. He wanted to hit that three quarters

ball rather than full-ball. It wouldn't be a bad idea to play the

red onto the black and play a good safety shot down behind the green or

maybe hit the black into a safe spot to protect that lead. Wouldn't be a

bad choice of shot. He could have done with just

knocking a black further to the cushion.

John having a long hard look to see where the cue ball is before going

back to his chair. He is coming to have a look but he

will have it replaced, and not quite as crucial this time.

Bad misjudgement. That could have caused Barry the second frame of

this session. Surprised he doesn't leave his

extension on the table, it is a long way to go back for your extension,

the chair. He might be feeling a lot better now, looks like he is going

to get the second frame on the board of this session. He can just now get

on with the rest of this session, forget what has gone before.

It is a funny little shot, this one. That is why he is coming round to

look at the other. The other one is the better choice, a thin snick.

Good recovery pot. That should give him the frame because the one next

to the black is available after the blue. Already 60 in front. Just

getting up, quick glance at the scoreboard to make sure.

He has done well in this frame, John Higgins. It has not been plain

sailing, he has done very well to compose himself and win this frame.

Whatever colour he takes here, the frame is over. He can roll the black

in and Gary Wilson AM his seat even if John misses this. -- Barry will

stay in his seat. Doesn't matter. He has a two frame advantage, 6-4.

Perhaps John's blood pressure has gone down a little bit but it

rumbles on, quite a lot of reaction on social media, many people saying

surely John can't moan about the placement, when you have to tell the

referee that you agree where the placement should be. We saw the

first time that was the case but as a player would you get up every time

to check it again. Not when it is something not obvious like that. It

was a last resort from Barry Hawkins. In a more clean situation,

with one ball on the table, you will be making sure, but you trust the

referee. And the player. I am not casting aspersions at Harry, it is a

shot he may not have even looked at. He was put in that situation. -- at

Barry. The situation is not foolproof, a few years ago they had

a marker with a little circle in it, you could put a Dott in there with a

pen, but do you want to carry a pen all the time? There is a marker who

is trying to work out where it goes back to, but he is working from a TV

screen. It is the idea that you superimpose one on another. Any

other method is the poorest be on belief. One person on Twitter says,

a laser system above the table would ensure proper ball replacement.

Should that be looked at? It is more copper Katie Burnett, you don't know

when the missed is going to happen so it has to be foolproof. -- more

complicated than that. Barry Hawkins got that enormous kick some may be

fate played its part. I think we can agree that the replacement system is

a work in progress. COMMENTATOR: Meanwhile, back at the

Crucible... Not the best safety shot there.

This is much better. Better length here. And amazingly that 42 by John

Higgins was his highest break since the first frame. Which is pretty

poor by his standards. The strength of his game is his savage scoring.

People talk about his all-round game but at the end of the day he never

misses when he gets in. If he stops on a baulk colour, which he has

done, chance to get another score. It was a bit awkward screwing back

their because he was fairly close to the green.

As I mentioned before, just the last three or four frames John had lost a

bit of timing with his cue action and was coming up short with the

safety shots, missing easy pots. Just like that. That is something

that he had eliminated out of his game in the last couple of seasons,

it was something he was doing four or five seasons ago, and then all of

a sudden he puts one like this in. He looked a bit tired last evening,

he was rubbing his eyes, but he has had a good night's sleep, the

morning off. He has been here sunny times. But he can't afford to keep

missing the blacks off the spot. How do you fancy this black along

the cushion? I think he will be considering it. He has gone around

to see where the safest place in the baulk area is safest to leave the

cue ball. He can play for the black, he has

enough angle on it. He just cued slightly across that

one. Missed it by quite a way in the end,

didn't he? The second chance the John Higgins

in this frame, not a good chance with the pink tide up and the black

not ideally placed. If he could get a good angle on the

blue, he could cannon into the pink and red is. He's got a few other

options available to him before that. Brown, then red. That's near

the right middle pocket. When friends are scrappy, like these

have been, there hasn't been a break by either player in this match. It

needs one player to make a big break and it can spark both players into

life. Can't leave that angle now on the blue. He had to take the yellow

because he was overstretched for the brown. He's playing straight up for

the black. Anything but straight on the black to be able to get out on

the back of the reds. This bunch of reds. He's got a bit of angle to

work with. A key shot coming up now. This will

bring quite a few into play. That's poor. That was a bad misjudgement

from Jon Nurse. Yeah, these are like elementary mistakes John Higgins is

making at the moment. He knows he has a much thicker contact on red.

For whatever reason, even for the incident, he's not look relaxed and

focused out there this afternoon. -- even before the incident.

APPLAUSE Nice, long pot right in the middle

of the pocket. Nice, long angle on the black. City red above the black,

if he's going to make a cannon, it'll be the one between black and

pink. That's what he did. He's unlucky not to be something easier

than this. If he's on anything. By cannon this one, he would have been

on the right corner. A good shot, though.

Don't know if he can screw back and avoid the pink. Maybe there is a

place in the gap between red and pink. He took his eye off the pot.

This is really scrappy stuff, isn't it? Came round to have an anxious

look at what he'd left. Has he covered everything into the corner

pocket? He hires. -- he has. Very fortunate there. Touching ball would

help the situation here. He's not touching, though. But I think he can

hit the one that is near the left side cushion. He's got to hide the

cue ball in such a way that he can't put the one near the corner pocket.

He's got to be fairly precise with the cue ball here, if he plays down

the table on that single red. Doesn't like it. Little bit of a

stalemate. Lil Jon try and hide that red? -- will John try and hide that

red? The answer is, no. You've got to be careful you don't leave it

touching ball here. If he gets it where the tip of his Kiwis, it would

be pretty safe. -- tip-off is cue is. As to make sure he avoids the

blue. And he has done. And that's end of stalemate.

Well, he did cut it in. Barry thought he wouldn't be able to sneak

it in from that position. It was a terrific cutback.

That's about perfect. As we show you the cutback again. A guide past the

other red, to flick it in. This one red is easy. The other two

had enough, one of them will still be available. We'll find out very

shortly, the way he plays the positional shot. Yeah, the one to

the right obviously pots. Yeah, it's looking like John Higgins is going

to open a three frame gap. It's been anything but convincing. It's really

who makes the last mistake in each frame at the moment. There have been

plenty by both players. Barry knows if this pink disappears and John

gets one more red, the frame is over.

Two snooker is required. An easy buck to follow. It's definitely the

end of frame. -- and easy black. Still no fireworks with regards big

breaks. But a big break only wins one frame. Doesn't matter how you

win them. It's a shame where the green is, it

would do John well to clear the table here. I mean, it'll take some

shot from here. Top right hand side. Played the forcing the shocked. It

would be some cut down the cushion, this, wouldn't it? Good effort. Not

there. He won't be too concerned about that. That gives John Higgins

the frame and he opens up a three frame advantage. It's now 7-4.

Don McClure, not surprised I've seen you here, you are Sheffield born and

bred and love the snooker. Great to be here, enormous sense of pride for

Sheffield native to have the World Snooker championships here.

Delighted it's going to be here another ten years. I bet you are, is

it extra special because we kept the 40th anniversary landmark? Yeah I've

got a lot of great memories of snooker, my first ever memory is

snooker. The 85 final, the famous one, Dennis Taylor, black ball. My

mum, parents are both nurses, my mum worked nights, my dad works days. My

mum were at work, me and my dad watched it when I were a little

chap. I've been in love ever since with snooker, I think it's

wonderful. As a musician what do you make of Steve Davis's DJ skills?

Really well, he's got lots of gigs. I've heard one of his sets,

fantastic. I feel I need to get parley with Steve Davis. I saw him

in a cafe and I was tentative about talking to him. He's a swan, he's

blossomed in later life. Long may it continue. You have street

credibility with and the makers. I'd rather talk about snooker, I don't

know what to say. Are you a fan of theirs? Yeah, it's nice to embrace

all music. For me, it's just quite a nice breath of fresh air. Having my

snooker head-on, getting to the sharp end of this event... When we

moving here we start to feel the vibes. John Higgins has got over the

minicrisis. It was a good break to settle himself down. Looks like the

John Higgins we know. Let's see whether he can continue this. His

won five of the seven previous semifinals he has played in an

generally speaking if he gets through the semifinal he wins.

John gets the final frame before the mid-session interval underway.

Immediately, he's left a bit of a chance for Barry. It's a free shot.

If this red goes in, he's on the black. If not, the only good leave

is the one he's having a go at. Very important opening attempt here.

How did that not go in? That's the kind of shot that can really dent

your self belief. This was a horror. It's another horror. For whatever

reason both these players have come out today and looked under so much

pressure. It's only the second session of four. They are both

playing as if it's the final session.

Seems to be quite a lot of attention. Both players missing

shots they wouldn't usually. There is another. It wasn't an easy shot,

but look where the red has gone. I think with John, because it's been

so long since he's been to the one-table set-up here, six years

since John last lifted the world title here, for some reason he seems

to have lost his consistency. From the last few frames of the first

session. I must admit I listen to his interviews when he won the

quarterfinal, he's almost like a teenager, when he was talking about

looking forward to the one-table situation, I expected him to fly in

this match. I really did. For some reason, he seems to have frozen a

bit on the big stage. He's not played his normal free-flowing, high

break snooker. That has worked out OK. Didn't get the cannon as he

intended. The white slipped away a bit. Fortunately, the red came with

it. He hasn't had the best positional Schalk Burger he's going

to have to leave this thread. That's to the left of the bunch for the

middle pocket. He should have been playing it for right corner. As you

can see, he's dead straight. It means this is a much more difficult

pot. Potted a couple of cracking ones into the middle pocket

yesterday. You have an automatic angle on the black to get into the

reds. If this goes in. Yes, well done.

They'll have to power this one. Stuck in the back of them. If on

this one, it's bonus. Looked as though he was going to stick on the

red and there was nothing available. If that goes, we can push through

the reds. His left himself one of those shots. Year, the red, took all

his attention putting the red, forgot about the positional side,

really. Great shot, great shot. Terrific cueing. Look what he was

leaving if he had missed it. That was excellent from Barry Hawkins.

Every chance now to go to the mid-session and... Still just two

behind. It's not the best shot he's ever

played. Didn't really want to be having to take the cue ball through

these rents. The white's closer to the cushion

than he would have liked. He does cue these very well, as he proved

with the Blackheath potted in comedy White tucked up on the cushion. That

was never going to be a problem for Barry. 62. If he gets the red and

brown, he would need one more red. Every chance now to get the first

century break of this match. Barry's highest so far, 74. Very modest. At

this level, having played so many frames. Ted Ginn yellow because he

needs another red and colour now. That brown if he'd have knocked that

in, John could still have tied, that's why he chose the yellow,

because it was easier to get onto a red.

He can relax now and try to make that century break Stephen

mentioned. If he does go ahead and make it it'll be interesting to see

the reaction from John Higgins in the next frame. It's amazing how

many times when one player plays bad sometimes it can drag the other

down. When one player plays well, it can inspire the other. We always

say, a more John Higgins like performance in the second four

frames. 65 centuries so far. In this year's

World Championship. Barry's had two. It's going to be difficult to beat

the record, which was last year. 86. I don't think that'll be beaten now.

But a nice way to go to the mid-session interval, making the

highest break of the match so far. Barry Hawkins made five centuries in

one match. He is well capable of going into one. For a few frames.

Earlier I thought maybe he would head to the practice room after he

missed a long, straight read by a mile. You might not bother now he's

finishing the session like this. Just relax in the dressing room.

Because you can't do much better than this.

And there we go. There is another century. The 66th century.

Barry Hawkins with that magnificent break of 115 keeps himself just two

friends behind. 7-5 to John Higgins. -- two frames behind. STUDIO: 66th

century of this year's century, it couldn't have come at a better time

for Barry Hawkins, he was staring at an 8-4 deficit. It's now 7-5. We've

had three today, Mark Selby with 100 with a new tip. And 139, closing out

the session. A very, very good hole so far. From John Higgins

perspective he's the man who's been knocking on the centuries, he's made

five in the championship and you would have bet money on that fella

doing so in this match. As Stephen says, it's been a strangely subdued

performance from John so far. Yeah, this tournament takes it out of you,

who is to say John Higgins hasn't run out of steam about. We were

discussing in the studio while the frame was going on, is there a

difference between being over 40? At what age does it start to play on

your mind? It take it out of you? Mark Selby is in his 30s, perhaps

that is why he's coming to the forefront. Interesting point, Don

will turn 42 next month and know you've had a chat with him about the

progress in the last few weeks in this championship. I talked to him

in the practice room. Near the end of the session yesterday he started

to look tired around the eyes. He said, you're playing on vapours. He

said... You don't sleep, it's the sessions, your brain is working

overtime, you are waking up at 34 in the morning, you have to read for an

hour. Your sleep patterns are messed about so you turn up certain parts

of the day, get tired when you wouldn't normally. It's what the

Crucible does. And as you get older. He won the title in his 40s, does it

become more of a physical challenge? Ronnie O'Sullivan still runs,

physically in good condition, but even he hasn't won a World

Championship in his 40s. It's a tough ask for anybody. Barry

Hawkins, that frame, very important for him not to go 8-4 behind. A

black that was so miserable. Tremendous shot. From the whole

perspective Barry Hawkins, he'll go back to his dressing room very

relieved. A lot of life in this match. We've shown you over the last

few days the brilliant table fitters beat Godwin and his team getting

things ready, making bees perfect playing surfaces pristine. Where

does that 72 feet of cloth come from? The truth is, from 12,000

miles away. It starts with some prize of the sheep. -- prize

Australian sheep. OK, this really is the very start of

the process, this is the wool blend which has been put out from the veil

is here. Your blending different types of oil which comes from

Australia for the snooker. Deep blending process takes the

competitive bales of wool, opens it up, get it has light and full of air

as possible, get the fibres as well mixed and distributed as you

possibly can get them. This is where it ends up, from here, it goes to

the next process, carding. Loads of fine hairs, tearing fibres apart,

separates them, put them into a web, fixed the web and turns it to 90

degrees, does it all again. Combs it to such a degree where you have a

lovely, smooth, then separate it into individual friends. Spinning

takes the slope, soft yarn, and puts them in it, a twist. -- takes the

slub. Each of the individual threads is put onto a big beam onto a

suitable package to go into the back of the loom to start the weaving.

The precision is incredible, it has to be really precisely fed or you

end up with stripes in the fabric. In the weaving process you have the

warp mother lengthways ones going up the table, and you put the weft

across it, sideways yarns. We've taken the wool from straight off the

sheep's back and converted it into a woven product ready for the

finishing processes in the second half of the manufacturing.

You start with a mending process, people take off Notts, and they

repair imperfections in the fact, and any imperfection which stays in

the fabric is a flaw. -- knots. They have all got to come off, all of

those imperfections cannot go on a championship table. During washing,

washing out the imperfections, the spinning oil, grease and the dirt,

any impurity that comes in with a fleece, you want to get it as clean

as possible. So that it is good down the line. At the moment, still a

woven structure, you can see the weft, you can see the yarn. We want

to get beyond two burst open, you do this with the milling process, a set

of rollers, you feed the cloth through, it goes round and round for

many hours, creating heat and moisture and friction, to get

shrinkage, much like a willing jump on a hot wash, trying to control the

shrinkage and the length and the wit, to give you the thickness, and

if you go too thick, it is too slow, too thin, too fast and it will tear.

After a sequence of secret processes where we create the mat, we colour

it, using traditional dyeing methods that are gentle to the fabric,

setting it back. Gentle dyeing process. The green colour, that we

are also aware of. This goes towards the very end of the process, where

all the final touches happen. The map is reduced in height over

numerous passes. The number ten we have, multiple passes through the

sheer, and it is cut as many times as is needed, to make it perfect.

Then it is given a final inspection, then it goes through all of the

vigorous testing, strength, elongated, full speed, bed speed,

all of those things that are needed these days. STUDIO: Amazing how much

drama and controversy can be staged on that cloth! In fact, with that in

mind, frame nine, the controversy with Barry and John Higgins out

there, you have had a word with the referee...? Backing the balls back

up, I said, are you absolutely sure that that situation is right, he

said, chalk mark down the bottom end, marked off from the chalk mark,

if anything, I thought Barry was making it more difficult for himself

than anything. When you have re-spotted the ball, where it is,

you are adamant he could pot the ball anyway. He said, absolutely,

the only thing is, John Higgins looked at it from this end of the

table and sometimes when you look at it, it can make the shot looked like

it doesn't pot. You cannot tell unless you are down at the baulk end

area. He was adamant that the ball was pottable. Quickly talking about

Mark Selby, defending champion, 9-7 up one Ding Junhui but he has a

difficult afternoon, knee has to see if his quiz crown will remain in

place. Only one challenger can take it away from him, and she is causing

all kinds of ripples, having beaten Robin Hollyson to win the first ever

qualifying match in an attempt to become the first ever woman to get

here, to play at the Crucible Theatre, will -- only Rhiann Evans

can potentially stop them. We are delighted to welcome the 11 time

former ladies champion, miss Rhian Evans! You know the rules, you get

five questions, every question... Every question that is right you can

take the ball away. OK, so, and of course, you have a little bit of

work to do, because one minute 18 seconds from the world number one.

Very fast. For all the questions right four question. -- Reanne

Evans. As long as you be Barry Hawkins. -- Pete. No pressure. You

won your first ladies world title in 2005, who won it in 1995? Alison

Fisher or Karen... Karen called, correct. Which city hosted the first

ladies championship in 1976...? Somewhere in the north-east. Do I

get multiple choice? Newcastle or Middlesbrough... Middlesbrough.

Correct, well done. You were born in 1985... I didn't realise you were

that old! Can you name one of the two losing semifinalists in 1985 at

this World Championship in the men's World Championship. One was a

good-looking bloke from Bolton, and... One looked like a vampire...

Ray Reardon. Correct. Beat someone... 10-1... Ginger...

Remember? Remember when Steve Davis lost 10-1 in the World Championship.

Tony else. Very good, very good. What was the number one record the

day that you were born, freedom, was it the power of love, Jennifer

Roche, or was it every loser wins? The power of love, it was, by

Jennifer Rush. I knew that one. Yumminess woman to reach the

semifinals of the championship this year, the other English woman to

reach the semifinals of the women's World Championship this year?

Rebecca Granger. Very good! APPLAUSE Five questions right... Take away

five reds. Some of the ones in the middle are quite useful to take

away. This one as well. Only four... That one, yes.

A little hint, start there, and then... And the time will start as

soon as you hit the cue ball. One minute 18... That is the time to

beat. Two minutes 18... OK, she is off to a good start. Nice control.

Lovely style. Yes, very good. Keep the ball in a nice control, that is

the key. That is the electric toaster, well done... (!) LAUGHTER

The cuddly toy... That is the only one I wanted! LAUGHTER

40 seconds, this could be a record time, come on. You are doing very

very well. Come on, come on, go, go. You might have two roll it over the

pocket. Quick, quick, quick, quick. Very good! APPLAUSE

One minutes... You have got ten seconds to beat Mark Selby, and I

can't wait to tell him. Take your time, take your time, please go

in... Yes! CHEERING Yes! Yes! CHEERING

Well done, fantastic! Hold on, hold on, we have to get... The official

time... One minutes... Wait for it, 14 seconds! CHEERING

This is more exciting than the World Championship!

STUDIO: What a performance, fantastic, Reanne Evans is the

champion, what about the cut on the last red, and the black as well,

and-tastic, no prizes yet, just the honour of beating the men, to win,

and we very much hope we will be seeing Reanne playing in the

Crucible on this stage one-day, brilliant. All right. Time to meet

another lady who struts her stuff with great authority and grace,

backstage here in the corridors of power, always in the right place at

the right time, keeps everybody in check. She is a event manager, Don

Watkins. -- she is our event manager, Donna Watkins. I'm Donna

Watkins, this is my sixth World Championships, I think it is just

our holy Grail, you know that when you come, everybody is going to be

there, your whole family turning up, and it captivates everyone. Work

with the tournament director, they control everything on the table and

we control everything outside of that. Lots of jobs with lots of

detail. Sometimes I guess our little event office can be a hothouse of

pressures and different niggles that might happen, so it can be quite

tense in the moments before we are about to start playing, eyes on you,

a lot of people watching a lot of things. The best thing I think about

the job is... A little bit that I like, when you see a debutant come

to the arena, really nice to get that realisation that that is

somebody's dream, you are a very tiny pot in that, a friendly face, a

useful pair of hands. We always come out for the trophy presentation for

the final, we come down to the set and watch it and you can't help but

feel the hairs on the back of your neck dial-up, when they hand over

the trophy and that person, whether they have won it many times before

or it is their first time, all of us cannot help but get emotional, and

think, that is a fabulous thing to see, and knowing the players as we

do in that capacity, you just feel so pleased for them.

If I am on until finish, I find myself at the end of the night, when

everyone else has gone I will go to the arena and did a cursory check

that everything is as it should be, I will let in the players walkway

and think, it is really nice to still be here, the still of the

arena, a few little precious moments that I steal from myself before

anyone comes in the next day. Few other sports, if any, in which

the organisers, the broadcasters, the players all coexist, in a very

cramped space, and all get on well. We have talked about this work,

family, it seems like that, always a real pleasure to come back here and

work among the whole team. And dollar is a very calm and reassuring

presence, I can tell you. -- Donna. Everybody likes a try, if you have

got cue problems, John will fix them!

How important is it to keep your chin on the cue? Very important,

John Higgins, one of the great exponents of keeping your chin on

the cue, very important, helps the cue keep straight, of course, if you

lift up your head, the cue can go left or right, not good, so, here is

a little practice, keep your chin on the cue and play across the bold

line, and if you put it unwanted, it will not come back. -- baulk line. I

don't pot them like a used. Always keep your chin on the cue. Evans

says, how do you put a ball with side without throwing the white of

course? Side is very difficult to use! Why is it so difficult? Sort of

a contradiction in terms, every time you use aside, it will throw the cue

ball off course, particularly on the long distance. The tilt instance

here, right hand side here, it will go left, and then the side will

take, so what you have got to try and do, and this is really practice,

you have got to allow for the side, if you are playing that type of

shot, allow for the side to react from the baulk line. And then top

spin will go straight, one goes one way, one goes the other, the final

one that has come in, it says, how do I buy the right length of cue for

me, from the red Mist Millers. Generally you are looking at

something around the armpit area for the length of the cue, in Kevin

weight case... Ripa will be the shoulder! Just because... That's not

fair! LAUGHTER -- probably the shoulder. STUDIO: A

bit of abuse flying around backstage, meanwhile, serious

business. Barry Hawkins, all buoyed up.

Back to the commentary team. COMMENTATOR: Trying to imagine can

Doherty standing on top of a box... Good break shot from Barry Hawkins.

And will that magnificent century break from Barry Hawkins, to spot

John Higgins -- has brought John Higgins's game to life again.

Stephen Hendrie mentioned in the previous round, when it goes a

little bit ragged, both players tend to start missing, but when one

starts to knock big breaks in, it tends to spur on the other one. --

Stephen Hendry. The boys were talking about keeping

your chin right on the cue, acts as a site, I suppose, I remove somebody

used to say, Steve Davis winning all of those titles, it was cheeky,

because he had a groove in his chin for the cue! -- sight.