Day 16, Final, Evening Session Snooker: World Championship


Day 16, Final, Evening Session

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# Big and serious # I'm a chef city boy

:00:41.:00:49.

# We love snooker, the sport is real We know snooker's the real deal

:00:50.:00:54.

# No better place than the Crucible # Two weeks for the trophy

:00:55.:01:00.

# Pushed me to be more musical # Higgins in the same race

:01:01.:01:05.

# Everybody looking, at the title # Watching the set

:01:06.:01:09.

# Let this final be the best yet # Yeah,

:01:10.:01:18.

It is big and it is serious. A serious piece of silverware brought

:01:19.:01:26.

by Joe Davis with his prize money after winning the first world

:01:27.:01:31.

professional snooker title in 1927. 90 years on it is possession of a

:01:32.:01:35.

world number one and defending champion, Mark Selby, who does not

:01:36.:01:39.

want to hand this over to another careful previous owner, John

:01:40.:01:42.

Higgins, who wants to lift this for a fifth time. This is the Betfred

:01:43.:01:46.

World Championship final. To get there again, having come here

:01:47.:02:00.

as defending champion, it would be nice to go out and win it again. If

:02:01.:02:04.

I didn't, obviously I've had a good run as defending champion. I'll have

:02:05.:02:09.

to scrape myself off the table for the next two days for me not to win

:02:10.:02:14.

that title. John, fantastic. To be fair, this season he's had a great

:02:15.:02:17.

season, won two big events. It will be a tough match. Looking forward to

:02:18.:02:24.

it. It was ten years ago went I got to my first big final. John Higgins,

:02:25.:02:32.

we will be meeting again. John Higgins wins the 2007 World

:02:33.:02:35.

Championship. I thought, it's my first final, I will not give in. I

:02:36.:02:40.

nearly took it off John, but great play to John, he's gone and won it.

:02:41.:02:49.

Mark's done fantastic. He's a little bit unlucky I managed to out play

:02:50.:02:57.

him. He's a future world champion. A long time ago. Luckily for me I

:02:58.:03:03.

came out on top of that one. Obviously it is roles reversed now.

:03:04.:03:06.

I was favourite in that match. Obviously now Mark is big favourite

:03:07.:03:13.

and I'm the underdog. Next year will be the 20th

:03:14.:03:17.

anniversary of the first time I won it. I am proud to be competing

:03:18.:03:21.

against the best players. I know it will be a Titanic game against the

:03:22.:03:26.

best player in the world. He will try and defend. Only Davis and

:03:27.:03:32.

Hendry have done it before. It's one I know, I aif got to do it. I know

:03:33.:03:37.

I've got to play well. If I don't, Mark will beat me.

:03:38.:03:43.

It means everything. That's what everyone, all the snooker players

:03:44.:03:48.

strive for. That's when you put in all the work. I managed to become

:03:49.:03:54.

world number one. If I dropped down the rankings it would not bother me,

:03:55.:03:58.

so long as I was competing for the tournament. To be world champion, I

:03:59.:04:01.

would put that in front of me every day of the week. It means everything

:04:02.:04:05.

- the biggest tournament in the world. I have won four times. I am

:04:06.:04:10.

lucky to have won it four times. If somebody told me at the beginning of

:04:11.:04:13.

my career, I would never have believed them. To compete in the

:04:14.:04:16.

final again and try and add another one, to make it to five, it would be

:04:17.:04:21.

my best achievement in snooker. Before this match started this

:04:22.:04:30.

afternoon, these players had faced one and other in 201 competitive

:04:31.:04:35.

frames. Only one frame separated them. But in a fabulous opening

:04:36.:04:42.

session, the Wizard conjured up a significant lead and had everyone in

:04:43.:04:44.

here under his spell. THE COMMENTATOR: There's nothing

:04:45.:04:54.

like the final of the World Championship. You don't give Mark

:04:55.:04:58.

Selby anything. He takes the first frame.

:04:59.:05:03.

John Higgins... Something to think about.

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Well, would you believe it! ? And the defending champion goes ahead.

:05:12.:05:22.

Played to perfection... Immaculate... Well played.

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Absolutely superb! Terrific stuff at the moment, isn't it?

:05:30.:05:35.

What chance the Wizard. Goes clear now. It's 4-2. Can you believe it?

:05:36.:05:40.

That's the second one he's missed into that pocket.

:05:41.:05:47.

This looks terrific. It looks terrific. That is a huge frame for

:05:48.:05:55.

John Higgins to pinch there. What a great session for John

:05:56.:05:56.

Higgins. Leading by 6-2. Well, there's a special air of

:05:57.:06:05.

anticipation here in the Crucible for what will be a fascinating

:06:06.:06:09.

session of snooker. Nonetheless because of what happened this

:06:10.:06:11.

afternoon. That wasn't in the script, was it? Vy A theory. What if

:06:12.:06:17.

Mark Selby, as a great student of the game, is playing something like

:06:18.:06:21.

John Higgins, who has won this four times, has beaten Mark Selby in the

:06:22.:06:24.

final. What is Mark Selby in awe. That was the worst session of

:06:25.:06:28.

snooker he's played so far. John Higgins will have been delighted

:06:29.:06:32.

with what he produced. Possibly the semifinal where he didn't play well,

:06:33.:06:36.

he was desperate to get through it because he knew he would play this

:06:37.:06:40.

in the final. Possibly. Let's not talk rubbish. Mark Selby has to get

:06:41.:06:44.

balls in the pockets. How will he approach this session? A brand new

:06:45.:06:47.

session. Nine frames tonight. A longer session. Maybe a target of

:06:48.:06:53.

6-3 win tonight. Get back in it. John Higgins, he'll come out? He may

:06:54.:06:57.

not have experienced this going into this session 6-2 in front. He may

:06:58.:07:01.

have thought best shared. How does he approach it? More of the same.

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Keep going. Mark Selby is the one to choice now. John Higgins has found

:07:06.:07:09.

himself in a lovely position in this final. Keep the pressure on. The

:07:10.:07:15.

players are back stage and John Parrott is with them.

:07:16.:07:17.

A fantastic opening session. John Higgins was superb. Scored heavily,

:07:18.:07:24.

including the 141. As for Mark Selby he was not up to his usual

:07:25.:07:27.

standards. It is a very important session. If John can win the

:07:28.:07:32.

session, an overnight lead he'd take. Both are desperate to get into

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the auditorium. Rob Walker, it's all yours.

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Thank you. This is the Betfred 2017 snooker championship final. Two

:07:47.:07:50.

going toe-to-toe for the ultimate prize. History is about to be

:07:51.:07:54.

written once again here in the Crucible.

:07:55.:08:01.

Please welcome a player whose long gettive in the sport is incredible.

:08:02.:08:30.

He's won major titles for 22 years now. Still as hungry, talented and

:08:31.:08:35.

determined as well. This afternoon, he produced the joint highest break

:08:36.:08:39.

ever seen in a Crucible final. Without doubt, one of Scotland's

:08:40.:08:44.

final, the the Wizard Of Wishaw. John Higgins.

:08:45.:09:01.

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE His opponent A player whose journey has taken him

:09:02.:09:08.

from humble origins to the top of the sport. This is his fourth

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Crucible final, returning this year as world number one and defending

:09:14.:09:16.

champion. One of the finest ambassadors the game has ever known,

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he plays with the heart of a lion, he's The Jester from Leicester. He's

:09:22.:09:22.

Mark Selby. We have another nine frames to play

:09:23.:09:50.

this evening. In the final stage, over two full days. We will share

:09:51.:09:56.

the frames in the company of Ken Doherty and Dennis Taylor.

:09:57.:09:59.

THE COMMENTATOR: Can the defending champion take this second session?

:10:00.:10:34.

Both players back stage looked a little bit nervy. Couldn't wait to

:10:35.:10:42.

get out. That is the worst time waiting back stage, the build-up,

:10:43.:10:46.

the adrenaline. You want to get out and hit your first ball. At least

:10:47.:10:50.

you're in control out there. What a mountain to climb, as we look at the

:10:51.:10:54.

pot success from this afternoon. 93% for John Higgins. 89% for Mark

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Selby. A very important session. John

:10:58.:11:14.

Higgins's safety success. Mark Selby, you wouldn't have expected

:11:15.:11:18.

that, 81% from him. That must be one of the lowest percentages in the

:11:19.:11:23.

whole of the tournament for him. 141, highest break for Higgins. 76

:11:24.:11:29.

for Mark Selby. And neither player would have wanted

:11:30.:11:33.

this sort of start. There's a red gone up the other end of the table,

:11:34.:11:36.

which makes it an awkward frame. What a tremendous atmosphere the two

:11:37.:12:07.

lads came in to. A terrific ovation by this wonderful Crucible crowd.

:12:08.:12:14.

A big session this is for Mark Selby, Denis. You feel he has to at

:12:15.:12:24.

least win it. They didn't have much of a break.

:12:25.:12:29.

The first session didn't finish until 5. 30. The first frame was

:12:30.:12:34.

almost half an hour. We've had everything in this match. We've had

:12:35.:12:41.

141 break from John. We had some brilliant tactical play.

:12:42.:12:55.

You can see Mark taking longer with his average shot time.

:12:56.:13:01.

There are quite a number of occasions he was having to think for

:13:02.:13:06.

sometimes a minute, a minute-and-a-half, to see a shot. I

:13:07.:13:10.

wonder if John, well, he's got to be careful because if he took this pot

:13:11.:13:15.

on up into the right corner, he could leave the one at the back into

:13:16.:13:20.

the rest of the bunch. He's looking to run through with the red. It must

:13:21.:13:24.

be very straight. He's looking to see, if I could take the pot on,

:13:25.:13:29.

finish on the blue, it might be safe. The only one he could leave is

:13:30.:13:36.

the one he's having a go at. We're right down John's cue here. Look at

:13:37.:13:39.

that for a shot! No.

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He's found the spot where he was not going to leave anything. That was

:13:51.:13:57.

clever. It was a free shot. He'll be disappointed, John, that shot didn't

:13:58.:14:03.

go in. It was an interesting point Stephen

:14:04.:14:08.

Hendry made at the top of the show there, Mark Selby would have looked

:14:09.:14:12.

up to John Higgins for many, many years. After John Higgins, he's

:14:13.:14:16.

probably taken off the mantle of being like the master tactician in

:14:17.:14:24.

the game. And his match play is sort of, not match play, most of the

:14:25.:14:30.

other players, so tough. He would have learnt so much from playing

:14:31.:14:34.

John Higgins over the years and that final he lost a few years ago. He

:14:35.:14:37.

pushed John Higgins all the way. An early stalemate in this opening

:14:38.:14:56.

frame of this session. Not a lot available to either player

:14:57.:15:03.

now. A little early to talk about a

:15:04.:15:13.

rerack. All John can do here is just roll

:15:14.:15:23.

into the reds again. Nol twitching balls, so he just

:15:24.:15:55.

can't play away. 23 years, Ken... Fantastic! He's

:15:56.:16:00.

been a great referee. A great servant to the game.

:16:01.:16:05.

Become a board member as well now. As they open up, it'll get more

:16:06.:16:22.

difficult for John to play the type of shot he's going to play again.

:16:23.:16:34.

At the moment Mark Selby has a slight advantage. Maybe a

:16:35.:16:40.

possibility of a double into the right centre. Or Mark Selby can take

:16:41.:16:44.

this on. I don't think the red between pink and blue is blocking

:16:45.:16:50.

that double. He's looking where he wants the cue ball, just to make

:16:51.:17:06.

sure he's not going to leave a red. Surprised he's not taken the double

:17:07.:17:09.

on. It's almost like a free shot. Maybe he feels that red in the

:17:10.:17:13.

middle between pink and blue is a blocker.

:17:14.:17:26.

Blocked off the escape route to just roll up to the reds this time.

:17:27.:17:36.

This is more of a problem for John Higgins.

:17:37.:17:52.

He's trying to find this pot again. If he could take the pot on up into

:17:53.:18:03.

the left corner, could he get the cue ball into a safish position? I

:18:04.:18:08.

think that's what he's going to attempt.

:18:09.:18:11.

A change of plan. The way he's stretching there, he's

:18:12.:18:23.

going to try and get back spin because he's not tight on the

:18:24.:18:25.

cushion. Just didn't generate enough screw.

:18:26.:18:38.

He's left one to the right middle. First chance falls to Mark Selby.

:18:39.:19:04.

I was talking to Vicky, had a chat with Mark Selby's wife, up in the

:19:05.:19:11.

lounge. Said he felt a little bit tired. It is so draining for the

:19:12.:19:16.

players. 17 days, it is quite a long time. She said he felt a little bit

:19:17.:19:25.

flat and couldn't get into stroke. Maybe a good start in this opening

:19:26.:19:27.

frame. Just talking about Vicky there, 2014

:19:28.:20:09.

against Ronnie O'Sullivan he was 10-4 down and pinched the last two

:20:10.:20:16.

frames and Vicky and her husband were dancing up the corridor of the

:20:17.:20:20.

hotel. He was so delighted to take the last two frames. He went on to

:20:21.:20:24.

lift the title. Went into the pocket. Does have a

:20:25.:20:42.

nice angle on this black. He's looking to see about just getting on

:20:43.:20:45.

the lose red. He has done and he's not on

:20:46.:21:03.

anything. Normally a great exponent of that

:21:04.:21:06.

particular shot, but didn't get the back spin. See how the cue ball

:21:07.:21:12.

stopped very quickly. He wanted to bring it back into the reds and open

:21:13.:21:15.

them again. Taking this red on into the yellow

:21:16.:21:28.

pocket. What a confidence-booster that pot

:21:29.:21:39.

was. He's played this to perfection. The

:21:40.:22:15.

natural angle would be to come back and cannon the green. Couldn't have

:22:16.:22:19.

played it any better. What a confidence booster, as you said,

:22:20.:22:23.

Denis. They are the type of shots that really get you going.

:22:24.:22:47.

As he removes this, it will clear the path for a couple more reds to

:22:48.:22:55.

the right corner pocket. He had that well worked out in

:22:56.:23:00.

advance. All three now available.

:23:01.:23:05.

And even if he's straight on the black it's a matter of screwing back

:23:06.:23:13.

off the cushion and out on to a choice of reds, all waiting to be

:23:14.:23:17.

potted. If you overscrew one, you've got the other.

:23:18.:23:24.

Stay on the black here. I think he'll go for blue or pink.

:23:25.:23:35.

Well, this is just experience, isn't it?

:23:36.:23:44.

6-2 down. He's come out with a game plan this evening to get off to a

:23:45.:23:52.

quick start and he's certainly doing that.

:23:53.:24:12.

He's not one of those type of players, is he, who will ever panic,

:24:13.:24:21.

even if he does fall behind. He has a history of making some great

:24:22.:24:24.

comebacks in his professional career.

:24:25.:24:29.

You don't be world number one for just over two years, to be able to

:24:30.:24:41.

do that, as you said. Just checking the scoreboard on his

:24:42.:24:48.

way around. Not that many pots away from securing this important opening

:24:49.:24:49.

frame. The blue and the easy red just to

:24:50.:25:02.

the left of the brown would be enough.

:25:03.:25:13.

He's perfectly on that one. If we just go back to that red that he

:25:14.:25:22.

took into that yellow pocket. He was only on a 20 break. Set himself up

:25:23.:25:27.

for this. What a wonderful pot it was.

:25:28.:25:29.

That makes the frame safe. There it is. What a wonderful shot that

:25:30.:25:36.

Under a bit of pressure. Played it beautifully.

:25:37.:25:50.

Delicate screw shot he's played there. A chance to cannon the two

:25:51.:26:12.

reds out. Didn't look like there was a possible century on. If this works

:26:13.:26:17.

there may be. Nice playing for the lose red, first of all. I thought he

:26:18.:26:23.

might try to cannon those two. I don't think they are available.

:26:24.:26:39.

He's coming up to look at the angle. What a wonderful century this would

:26:40.:26:47.

be. This is a difficult shot to bring them in to play.

:26:48.:27:00.

It's a thin one, but I think he can do it. In it goes.

:27:01.:27:09.

He's going to need a cracking blue again. This is a little bit like

:27:10.:27:14.

that red we showed you again. Now he's three behind.

:27:15.:27:31.

6-3. We saw brilliant play from John

:27:32.:27:41.

Higgins in the first session this afternoon. You were watching all

:27:42.:27:44.

that. What was your interpretation of the opening frames? The first

:27:45.:27:49.

four were a little bit cagey. There was good play. John Higgins from

:27:50.:27:55.

five to eight, what was it, 96%? Yes. Doesn't matter who you are, it

:27:56.:28:02.

is hard to compete with that. Mark Selby didn't quite look the world

:28:03.:28:04.

number one we have seen this championship. He went out there and

:28:05.:28:08.

took his cue with him, which is a bit strange. It is interesting.

:28:09.:28:16.

Did you take your cue with you? Not that I remember. He's had tip

:28:17.:28:21.

problems. Both of them have changed. It is quite a strange thing to do

:28:22.:28:26.

that. Perhaps he can feel a little bit of something, like perhaps

:28:27.:28:31.

lightly sand paper the wood. Haven't got a clue. A magnificent first

:28:32.:28:38.

frame. The long red he potted to the yellow pocket, we will see. If he

:28:39.:28:44.

misses this, lets John Higgins In, possibly for the third counter

:28:45.:28:48.

attack. Shows what you mood he's in to get into this session early.

:28:49.:28:53.

Grit, determination. This guy, his game seems to be made for Crucible

:28:54.:29:00.

campaigns, isn't it? It is. He's up against a guy in the similar mould.

:29:01.:29:05.

A fascinating match to see. It's not turned into a dogfight. It's pretty

:29:06.:29:10.

open play at the moment. It's been very enjoyable so far. Stay with us

:29:11.:29:15.

here and we will keep you posted through the next eight frames.

:29:16.:29:24.

Just broke off but not a good cue ball.

:29:25.:29:35.

You look at where the cue ball finished from the break off. That's

:29:36.:29:52.

not good enough. They have a better angle on this

:29:53.:30:09.

green. Excellent shot. A little awkward,

:30:10.:30:55.

this one. If he could just get into the side of the red. That's what

:30:56.:31:04.

he's done but the white is heading up the table. If that red keeps

:31:05.:31:13.

moving he is OK. Finished a little awkward as we show you that shot

:31:14.:31:14.

again. I don't know if he can play a

:31:15.:31:26.

delicate little shot. Had to be so precise with that. Look

:31:27.:31:34.

at that great positional shot. He hit that a little bit harder than

:31:35.:32:16.

he wanted to. Get on the red that he is closer to in the left centre.

:32:17.:32:26.

This is left of the pink spot. He's looking at this with them left

:32:27.:32:36.

centre. He's got to judge that. This could go wrong.

:32:37.:32:44.

He got the part but will be very disappointed, after such a good

:32:45.:32:53.

positional shot, he has overhit the black by quite some margin. He will

:32:54.:32:59.

need to play a delicate little cannon of the bunch and it has gone

:33:00.:33:00.

wrong. He's found the perfect spot, locked

:33:01.:33:35.

all avenues down the right side of the table. With the two red balls it

:33:36.:33:42.

is very awkward to get back down the other side of the table. That is

:33:43.:33:44.

what he is faced with there. Have to be very precise with this

:33:45.:34:08.

one to find the gap. That's a wonderful safety shot. Even if he

:34:09.:34:16.

hit the green, to find the gap. He did well. It is one of those where

:34:17.:34:25.

he needs to face this and parted because he needs to find a way back

:34:26.:34:27.

down the table. Will he try and pop this and cannon

:34:28.:34:42.

into the red and haul the black into the same pocket?

:34:43.:35:01.

That think was knocked into a very awkward position to be able to get

:35:02.:35:12.

on the blue. It's another safety shot and we will just show you him

:35:13.:35:17.

going round the back. He just got a little bit too much stuff on it. He

:35:18.:35:30.

could have been nicely on the brown. Some players would just get down and

:35:31.:35:35.

play the safety shot. John is looking to find a spot that would

:35:36.:35:40.

really tie Mark Selby up. He left him in a similar situation

:35:41.:35:55.

here. Not easy to find the gap. There is

:35:56.:36:16.

an escape route but once again, you've got to be very precise. I'm

:36:17.:36:24.

just wondering whether he can leave the cue ball down here by the black.

:36:25.:36:31.

He's not playing that shot. He needs to be very precise with the safety

:36:32.:36:38.

shot. Very good to find that gap between the reds. John Higgins knew

:36:39.:36:48.

how difficult that was to find that. John Higgins has got to be careful.

:36:49.:37:05.

He's having a look at these reds. He does not wanted in left-hand corner

:37:06.:37:07.

pocket. Very good. Can he see enough of that red? If

:37:08.:37:40.

you tried to screw back to the ball area I don't think he can pull that

:37:41.:37:42.

off. He would cannon the red. He might have to play a screw shot

:37:43.:38:02.

to get the white backdown and hopefully leave the red up this end

:38:03.:38:07.

of the table. He's looking at the one nearest the middle pocket to see

:38:08.:38:11.

if he could wobble it in the jaws of this pocket and screw back into the

:38:12.:38:17.

safety area. There is no problem with cue power. The first person I

:38:18.:38:22.

saw to play this was a Canadian. He had tremendous cue power. He would

:38:23.:38:26.

clear screw shot to get back down the table.

:38:27.:38:41.

Once again, so much trouble. I think he will play the shot that I

:38:42.:38:54.

suggested. I don't think the red can go in. If it can it would be

:38:55.:38:58.

unbelievable but he will try and screw the white of the red. He's got

:38:59.:39:00.

to avoid the blue. He's got the white back but the red

:39:01.:39:14.

came up and is heading back up again. But this one is coming

:39:15.:39:18.

towards the middle pocket. Look where he got the cue ball off. This

:39:19.:39:30.

is a nice shot to be faced with. All the red all over the place. We'll

:39:31.:39:40.

avoid the red on the way back up for the black year. That unlucky. Great

:39:41.:40:01.

shot and he hit the -- Mr black on the way down. Through Bob Cass on

:40:02.:40:06.

the red and he might have had it in the centre. Too difficult to take on

:40:07.:40:09.

the black into the green pocket. There's a path down the table if he

:40:10.:40:54.

wants to the one to the left of the blue. He can get back down to that.

:40:55.:41:01.

I don't think he will be playing to cut it in. Just the safety shot.

:41:02.:41:07.

We'll go into the left corner and keep go back down the table. Not

:41:08.:42:05.

this time. We will they finish up? Where is the red going? Where is the

:42:06.:42:13.

right going? -- white. He's been very fortunate. This red potted to

:42:14.:42:18.

the right centre. I just wonder if it's the black that is possible.

:42:19.:42:24.

He's had a quick look at it. Selby will be relieved to come back

:42:25.:42:54.

to the table so soon after that shot that he missed by quite a great

:42:55.:43:07.

deal. There is a chance into the left corner.

:43:08.:43:29.

Can he screw the cue ball? He's looking at the safety shot. He has

:43:30.:43:42.

to be careful of the red. He does not want to knock it in the green

:43:43.:43:50.

pocket. It is a delicate little shot, this. Does not want to leave

:43:51.:44:04.

the red near the green pocket but the body language tells me that it

:44:05.:44:14.

has. It was a delicate shot but the white was in a position where he

:44:15.:44:17.

could not send round the angles and get it but I'm yellow.

:44:18.:44:31.

Needs to keep on running. Looks as if he will be hampered by the pink.

:44:32.:45:10.

The pink into the green pocket. Somewhere near where the red is. He

:45:11.:45:20.

needs the pink in the spot. 6-2 is a great lead to have. If you

:45:21.:47:21.

keep cheering the session it makes such a difference. Trying to play

:47:22.:47:31.

catch up but might risk the part here and there.

:47:32.:47:52.

He only needs one more red. A couple of red but they all stayed safe.

:47:53.:48:05.

With them being safe, will he have a go at the double here? Change of

:48:06.:48:20.

plan. He thought better of it. Now he's back looking at it again. He's

:48:21.:48:24.

pretty good at judging the doubles. The only problem when you take a

:48:25.:48:54.

double on, you're never sure if you will miss it and catch the jaw of

:48:55.:48:58.

the pocket where you will finish. He can do with it, Ken. He needs the

:48:59.:49:04.

black on the spot. His 56 behind with 59 remaining. Can only win this

:49:05.:49:13.

flame -- frame if he gets the black on the spot. That will not help.

:49:14.:49:21.

Have a look where the cue ball finished, absolutely perfectly. He

:49:22.:49:26.

was concentrating so much on his positional play that he forgot about

:49:27.:49:27.

the pot. Terrific part at that pace because

:49:28.:50:42.

he had to get on the pink. He's only got a couple of points to play with

:50:43.:50:44.

but played that almost straight. Great read. Bad pink. It was not

:50:45.:51:20.

easy but when you need the pink, just to stay in the frame, it makes

:51:21.:51:23.

it even more difficult. Two slickers required. I don't think

:51:24.:51:58.

this red goes. He's just going to push it past the pink. Change of

:51:59.:52:00.

plan. Probably at the moment the yellow is

:52:01.:52:40.

the best ball. It is near a cushion. Far too thin.

:52:41.:53:19.

Looking to see if he could hit the cushion first, if he could clip this

:53:20.:53:31.

red in. He played one earlier in the match but he was a long way away

:53:32.:53:35.

from it but he swerved round the ball and came off the side cushion

:53:36.:53:43.

and clipped the red end. This is a little bit closer and more awkward

:53:44.:53:51.

to judge, if any, but if anybody can it is Mark Selby. Just enough room

:53:52.:53:56.

to squeeze between the pink and the cushion. Pop the red.

:53:57.:54:13.

If he can pop the pink he will not be panicking just yet.

:54:14.:54:33.

Might be a little unlucky. Is he on this red into the corner pocket?

:54:34.:54:59.

Going to be difficult to hide it if he knocks the cue ball back just put

:55:00.:55:08.

the cue ball on the side cushion. It is still a tall order. 48 points

:55:09.:55:13.

behind with 43 remaining. Particularly with the master

:55:14.:55:17.

tactician -- tactician that John Higgins is.

:55:18.:55:28.

That is a free shot, really. Good target behind the yellow. Will have

:55:29.:55:32.

to come off three four conditions. He is in off. John Higgins goes back

:55:33.:56:16.

into the lead. Restoring the advantage. You look down at the

:56:17.:56:20.

success, 88% for John Higgins plays 84 Mark Higgins. I don't suppose

:56:21.:56:26.

that will surprise those who watched a huge amount of snooker but does it

:56:27.:56:32.

surprise you? He is verging on having too much respect for John.

:56:33.:56:41.

The fact, from those statistics, he is taking them apart. He is missing

:56:42.:56:47.

those by a mile. The first frame is impressive as he could do those

:56:48.:56:51.

again but it seems to be John who is getting the upper hand. There was a

:56:52.:56:57.

moment from Mark Selby. He did not play a great safety and he looked up

:56:58.:57:05.

to the heavens. It is tough to get behind that yellow but there is

:57:06.:57:10.

obviously a chance. You see a little look up. He looked up at the shot.

:57:11.:57:14.

We were discussing, if you played a bad shot like that, we would not

:57:15.:57:20.

look up at anybody. You want to hide. This trait of looking up at

:57:21.:57:26.

his friends. We wonder what it is about. Is it about being needy out

:57:27.:57:35.

there? No other players do it to the extent Mark Selby doesn't. It is

:57:36.:57:43.

definitely insecurity of some shape or form. Ronnie O'Sullivan doesn't

:57:44.:57:51.

work -- do that. It is a strange thing for the best player in the

:57:52.:57:54.

world to need that security from others. He's the only one that can

:57:55.:58:00.

play the shops. Devils advocate would be a situation where they look

:58:01.:58:07.

up at the gods but I take your point. Interesting thoughts from two

:58:08.:58:12.

men who have 13 world titles between them. Always fascinating to listen

:58:13.:58:23.

to the boys in the studio. I think Hazel knows more about the game than

:58:24.:58:30.

they do now. It is interesting that he does that. I suppose it gives you

:58:31.:58:38.

a bit of reassurance, I don't see anything wrong with it.

:58:39.:58:58.

That is the balcony there with Vicky, his sister, one of the top

:58:59.:59:09.

pool players in the world and Bobby, one of his good friends sitting

:59:10.:59:11.

there. That is something that he was doing

:59:12.:59:44.

in the semifinal. He's not done it so much in the final, but he missed

:59:45.:59:51.

a few very easy balls. Just loses that little bit of concentration.

:59:52.:59:55.

It's always on the very easy shots. What's he left this time. I am sure

:59:56.:00:16.

this red pots past the blue. I reckon there might be pink and

:00:17.:01:02.

black available. He's had a quick look to see if the pink will go into

:01:03.:01:08.

the right corner. There's the angle that he's looking at, so he can play

:01:09.:01:11.

for pink or black. Oh, he's missed it! A couple of edgy

:01:12.:01:24.

ones all of a sudden creeping in. But that's not like Mark Selby. You

:01:25.:01:29.

don't see him missing many easy shots.

:01:30.:01:49.

Still a little awkward. Is he just a little bit tired after that

:01:50.:02:08.

semifinal against Ding Junhui? I was just thinking, Ken, that blue John

:02:09.:02:12.

Higgins missed was the other side of the table. Ding missed a blue.

:02:13.:02:16.

Otherwise he could have been playing in the final because he had a chance

:02:17.:02:18.

to level against Mark Selby. Just looks a bit weary.

:02:19.:02:25.

Came right across that cue ball. John Higgins will sense, of course

:02:26.:02:54.

as great champions do, they sense blood. There you are - closing his

:02:55.:03:01.

eyes. Maybe he is feeling the effects of that semifinal.

:03:02.:03:18.

Could have finished a little better. Played that shot superbly well.

:03:19.:03:25.

Stunned it in, otherwise he was stuck in the pack.

:03:26.:03:33.

Now it is a terrific chance all of a sudden.

:03:34.:04:09.

Remember that the blue wasn't on its spot. Sometimes you can play that

:04:10.:04:17.

shot, you just automatically think the blue is on the spot, and you

:04:18.:04:22.

don't play the same position. He wasn't going to fall for that one.

:04:23.:04:29.

For the reds here. One good split. How does this look?

:04:30.:04:34.

Hard to believe. It's not good. You could play that shot ten times,

:04:35.:04:44.

particularly with that pace and you'd, nine times out of ten, you'd

:04:45.:04:46.

be on a red. He knew if he'd got a good split

:04:47.:05:22.

there probably would have gone on and made enough to take the frame.

:05:23.:05:27.

That's why he was having a little chat to himself when he'd seen the

:05:28.:05:29.

way it finished. A wonderful slow-mo to show the

:05:30.:05:47.

split there. Trying to put the cue ball up

:05:48.:06:15.

somewhere near the side cushion. Wants to make sure he's blocking

:06:16.:06:21.

that red near the baulk line on the right-hand side of the table.

:06:22.:06:29.

It's one of those situations where you're not playing to get the white

:06:30.:06:31.

on the baulk cushion. Too hard, I think. It means that

:06:32.:06:43.

Mark Selby can send that red back up the table and gain the advantage.

:06:44.:06:48.

John gets a nice round of applause for that.

:06:49.:06:51.

I think he can get through to take a pot on and the one above the pink

:06:52.:07:42.

would sneak into the right corner, with a safety shot in mind also.

:07:43.:07:58.

Maybe played that on purpose, you know what he didn't play on the

:07:59.:08:04.

baulk line, just to get the game back to normal and let Mark send

:08:05.:08:12.

that ball up the table. Didn't play it of course behind the

:08:13.:08:27.

yellow. Wanted it close to the baulk cushion. He'll certainly settle for

:08:28.:08:29.

that. John's got to be careful here: He

:08:30.:08:42.

cannot just nestle on to this on the right-hand side of the table because

:08:43.:08:46.

he'd be leaving a pot on. Just wondering if he can nestle on

:08:47.:08:51.

the one that's to the left of the black. Even that's got a bit of risk

:08:52.:08:54.

with it. I don't know if he's got the angle to do that.

:08:55.:09:00.

He might not just have the angle. He'll need a lot of side on if he

:09:01.:09:08.

goes that way. Possibly could do it. He's looking at the shot now, as you

:09:09.:09:13.

can see. He doesn't want to slip around the back of this.

:09:14.:09:15.

Has to be careful. Goes around the back of it. Now he's

:09:16.:09:31.

left a possible pot on. He had to be so precise with that escape.

:09:32.:09:37.

That particular shot, when you're playing the left-hand side, it's

:09:38.:09:41.

very hard to play dead weight. This sort of tells you, he's not

:09:42.:10:05.

quite confident. Going to take the more difficult red into the green

:10:06.:10:08.

pocket. He's playing this with an element of safety. At the moment it

:10:09.:10:13.

tells you how he's feeling. He's not very confident. He needs a good pot

:10:14.:10:17.

to get him going again and that's not it.

:10:18.:10:24.

I think the brown might have come to his rescue here. He's lost a little

:10:25.:10:29.

bit of confidence at the moment, Mark Selby. Make no mistake, John

:10:30.:10:32.

Higgins will pick up on that. He needs the red to be blocked by

:10:33.:11:32.

the other reds. Has he got away with it? Hand up to apologise.

:11:33.:11:34.

He has. He's been fortunate. I am just wondering if John can see

:11:35.:11:46.

what he's looking at, but there might be another shot, the one on

:11:47.:11:50.

the right of the table. If you can double that across he can get up to

:11:51.:11:55.

the safety zone and that red would go over to the red at the side of

:11:56.:12:00.

the pocket. He's playing a very delicate shot here to try and snick

:12:01.:12:05.

this red off the cushion. Well played! A bit pacey.

:12:06.:12:10.

A little bit pacey. I think he may have stuck the red up.

:12:11.:12:21.

A chance for Mark Selby. He'll try and make the most of this.

:12:22.:12:29.

Not straightforward, particularly with the reds on the left side of

:12:30.:12:31.

the table. OK. He can take the pink.

:12:32.:12:50.

Then he can get out for the red that's on the black spot.

:12:51.:13:06.

Needs a decent break here, Denis, just to get himself back on track,

:13:07.:13:13.

after that very first frame, a good frame it was.

:13:14.:13:16.

Lost a bit of confidence again. Could do with a break here.

:13:17.:13:55.

Three reds above the cue ball are available.

:13:56.:14:02.

The one on the right is not too bad. It is the three the left side of the

:14:03.:14:08.

table that are going to be the key balls in this frame.

:14:09.:14:28.

He's just brushing the cushion as if to say it's not coming off as fast

:14:29.:14:35.

as it was in the semifinal. He's come up a little bit short, but he

:14:36.:14:38.

should be OK. Use the other end, head up towards

:14:39.:14:40.

the blue. He's going to need a nice angle for

:14:41.:15:28.

potting this red. And the pink to try and... He needs

:15:29.:15:33.

a nice angle on the blue now. Screwed a blue in, a little bit of

:15:34.:15:45.

right-hand side off of the bottom cushion and into the back of those

:15:46.:15:48.

three reds. The bottom cushion and the side

:15:49.:16:06.

cushion first and caught the red on the way back up.

:16:07.:16:34.

He's left a shot for John. Thought John might have played the red

:16:35.:16:42.

towards the centre pocket, towards the green.

:16:43.:16:48.

Mark can play a similar type shot that John played. It's not as easy

:16:49.:17:12.

as the one John had. Playing a similar sort of shot to

:17:13.:17:18.

the one John played. As I said. He didn't play as well as John

:17:19.:17:48.

played his. A slightly different angle to judge.

:17:49.:18:13.

Just wondering, will he try and force the cue ball out? Can he just

:18:14.:18:50.

roll this red in, a nice angle on the black from, the right-hand side

:18:51.:18:54.

of the table, just to try and get the cue ball towards the two reds.

:18:55.:19:00.

Just drop the red in. A nice angle on the black, on this side of the

:19:01.:19:01.

table. That's it. Now, doesn't want to be

:19:02.:19:08.

too straight. He looks down, I don't think he's got the right angle.

:19:09.:19:13.

Just needed to roll that red in. He sort of stunned it and that pushed

:19:14.:19:17.

the cue ball up the table a couple of inches. Can't do anything now.

:19:18.:19:20.

Just pot the black. Wondering if he can get behind the

:19:21.:19:36.

blue here, a little thin one. That would be nice if he could judge

:19:37.:19:37.

this. Not the best safety shot that John's

:19:38.:19:58.

ever played. Mark can try the shot he tried before. This red will go

:19:59.:20:04.

close to the opposite corner pocket here, as he doubles it across.

:20:05.:20:22.

Just one point, the difference in this tense 11th frame.

:20:23.:20:30.

It might be a three-frame difference or a five-frame difference.

:20:31.:20:44.

It has given Mark Selby a possible chance here.

:20:45.:21:12.

Now, what does he do? Does he try and take the yellow out? Does he try

:21:13.:21:19.

and push the cue ball up behind the green?

:21:20.:21:27.

Has to reach. Ooops! Can you believe that. He was up off the shot

:21:28.:21:38.

straightaway. John can't believe it sitting in his

:21:39.:21:41.

chair, but that can happen, just trying to nestle on the green. We

:21:42.:21:45.

have seen that quite a few times. Twice across. Just to nestle on the

:21:46.:21:48.

red. He's going to leave it on. OK e, he

:21:49.:21:57.

may have hit it. That may be Mark Selby's only saving

:21:58.:22:26.

grace in this game, the yellow. A lovely angle on the black.

:22:27.:22:30.

He won't be going up the right-hand side of the table. He'll be coming

:22:31.:22:35.

off two, possibly three cushions, Denis. Wouldn't he love to have the

:22:36.:22:41.

cue ball just somewhere near the blue, in such a way that he's not

:22:42.:22:45.

hampered so he could roll the yellow and get out for the green. Let's see

:22:46.:22:48.

where he puts the cue ball here. Somewhere near the blue. Doesn't

:22:49.:22:53.

want to be straight on it. So difficult. If it's touching the

:22:54.:23:10.

cushion, it's made slightly easier. Mum up in the balcony, applauding

:23:11.:23:19.

her son. 15, just needs the brown. What a

:23:20.:23:45.

frame to take this is. Made a few errors and John Higgins

:23:46.:24:12.

has jumped on them. And the frame, John Higgins.

:24:13.:24:25.

Now leads 8-3. John Higgins's instincts are finely

:24:26.:24:41.

tuned this evening. How uncertain does Mark Selby look out there? We

:24:42.:24:45.

saw that when he failed to roll up to the green. You don't often see it

:24:46.:24:51.

these days. It was a tough shot to play.

:24:52.:24:53.

He stopped the one cushion escape. But I don't know. That's showing how

:24:54.:25:00.

tentative it is at the moment and worrying times. I don't think

:25:01.:25:03.

anybody could have foreseen what was happening here. You are so used to

:25:04.:25:09.

Mark Selby being dominant. And, this is possibly John Higgins at his very

:25:10.:25:12.

best. It would have been his greatest win if he could convert

:25:13.:25:17.

this. It would. Looking back at 2014, Mark Selby was 3-8 down to a

:25:18.:25:23.

certain Ronnie O'Sullivan, and indeed 10-5 and came back with a

:25:24.:25:28.

come back to win. There's plenty of fuel in the tank. I would think so.

:25:29.:25:34.

It is like the teacher giving the pupil a lesson here. He has probably

:25:35.:25:40.

watched John Higgins win all his world titles. He's been beaten by

:25:41.:25:44.

him in a final himself. He knows what kind of match player John

:25:45.:25:50.

Higgins is. He's been taken apart. One thing about John Higgins is he

:25:51.:25:54.

has his game-face on and has for a long time in this tournament. He's

:25:55.:25:58.

not smiling much. When something's happening he is serious around the

:25:59.:26:02.

table when things have happened. It's like he's sort of, he's

:26:03.:26:06.

enjoying himself, but he's not relaxed. He's there. A man on a

:26:07.:26:11.

And that mission is to win a fifth world title and he's going about it

:26:12.:26:15.

very, very well so far. Going about his business very well,

:26:16.:26:31.

John Higgins. A read pottable here.

:26:32.:27:00.

-- red portable here. I have never seen anybody who plays

:27:01.:27:32.

as well when awkward over a red like that and he generates pace as well.

:27:33.:27:44.

He's played that nicely. Judged the pace of that.

:27:45.:27:52.

He had to get, it is a tough shot just to roll it in, but to get the

:27:53.:27:58.

white back up into position there, it is terrific.

:27:59.:29:12.

He has to be very careful here. The black isn't in a great position to

:29:13.:29:30.

try to develop any reds. Well, it is a tough black. I wonder

:29:31.:29:51.

will he try to cannon. If he cannons the one to the right that would open

:29:52.:29:57.

the game up and he wouldn't have to force the black.

:29:58.:30:08.

If he just caught that red, maybe it would open up, but there maybe

:30:09.:30:17.

another one available. Now, what else is in the pack there? The one

:30:18.:30:30.

just - well, he hasn't got on that, I don't think, he will have it play

:30:31.:30:34.

this with a trace of side to make the angle. Well, he is looking at it

:30:35.:30:43.

from both ends. But he definitely needs to play it with a trace of

:30:44.:30:49.

side and we have the perfect picture there. A little trace of side. That

:30:50.:30:51.

will make the pot. That is That's unfortunate. He

:30:52.:31:28.

couldn't have hit that any harder. Ye, he is unlucky there with that

:31:29.:31:34.

pace not to be on. You see it didn't just arc enough, it didn't get to

:31:35.:31:38.

the desired top spin to go through the reds.

:31:39.:31:48.

I feel confident that Mark Selby would take that on, the confident

:31:49.:32:54.

Mark Selby. And then use one of the baulk colours. That's what he is

:32:55.:32:58.

playing, a little bit of pressure on that one. Just that little bit of

:32:59.:33:05.

pressure on that one. The 26-point advantage could disappear rapidly as

:33:06.:33:12.

we show you that attempt along the cushion but definitely a bit tighter

:33:13.:33:15.

than they were at the start of the tournament.

:33:16.:33:45.

Well, he will be relieved to see the blue going in because this was a

:33:46.:33:50.

horrendous kick. What a contact there. Just have a look at this.

:33:51.:33:53.

Watch the blue. And the white. It could quite easily

:33:54.:34:07.

have thrown it off line and that would have been unfortunate.

:34:08.:34:26.

Well, one good split here and what a chance.

:34:27.:34:36.

He is' played it well. -- he's played it well. But it's funny, Ken.

:34:37.:34:50.

The reds have split but they are still covering each other, aren't

:34:51.:34:56.

they? Well, he judged that nicely to get on the pink and make another

:34:57.:35:04.

cannon. Straight on the pink but there is a red in the middle of that

:35:05.:35:08.

four that will go into the bottom left-hand corner pock o et. I tell

:35:09.:35:13.

you what, if he's dead straight he might be able to hold the pink spot

:35:14.:35:21.

and he is. And he is dead straight and he has held the spot. And he is

:35:22.:35:26.

on that red. The pink will go on the brown spot. No, he hasn't held the

:35:27.:35:30.

spot but still held on the red. The pink was just off its spot there

:35:31.:35:32.

when he potted it. Oh, wow. Wow. Well, what a miss from

:35:33.:36:04.

John Higgins. And he knows it. He is so disappointed. Could that be a

:36:05.:36:13.

turning point? This may be the lifeline that Mark Selby needed.

:36:14.:36:15.

What a miss. It's early days this final but at

:36:16.:36:31.

the moment John Higgins has Mark Selby on the rack. What will this do

:36:32.:36:34.

to Mark Selby? Is it a lifeline? Well, he is under it out there. He

:36:35.:36:46.

is going to have to pull off a cracking cutback here.

:36:47.:37:06.

Fs There was a lot of pressure on that. John Higgins shakes his head.

:37:07.:37:15.

He knows the pink was crucial but there is still a bit of work to do.

:37:16.:37:27.

With John, that little lapse in concentration that has happened

:37:28.:37:33.

every now and again. It hasn't happened so much in the final. He

:37:34.:37:37.

did in the semifinal. He missed a couple of sitters. So just losing

:37:38.:37:41.

concentration. It is not pressure, that type of spot. I'm not quite

:37:42.:37:46.

sure whether Mark Selby has looked at the score board yet. He is 21

:37:47.:37:53.

points ahead. His target is 66. He can get three reds, another two reds

:37:54.:37:57.

and black after this black and he will be 44 in the lead with just 43

:37:58.:38:07.

remaining. There you see him, just glancing at the scores. He doesn't

:38:08.:38:13.

want to go for blue off this red. He didn't want, to Denis, did he? He

:38:14.:38:39.

didn't have the angle, as we saw there. So he is going to need at

:38:40.:38:45.

least one of the reds over on the right-hand side of the table if he

:38:46.:38:49.

is going to win the frame from this position. Wow, his sleeve was close

:38:50.:39:00.

to the red there but the referee was right down watching him.

:39:01.:39:12.

He's got a kick but it hasn't affected the pot. I think he is OK.

:39:13.:39:24.

He has enou angle on the black there.

:39:25.:39:29.

There you see the kick but John Higgins will go into the mid-session

:39:30.:39:33.

interval. It looks as though he will be sharing those four frames. Now,

:39:34.:39:41.

if this works out... Mm, it hasn't. It doesn't go past the pink. So 42

:39:42.:39:48.

ahead with still 43 on. It's not over just yet, this frame. And I

:39:49.:39:52.

don't know if he can get down behind the brown and green. He might be

:39:53.:39:59.

able to slide off the red. But, it was looking like John was going to

:40:00.:40:03.

take this little mini-session 3-1 and what a result that would have

:40:04.:40:09.

been. Yes, but this frame is not over yet. As you said Denis, 42

:40:10.:40:18.

points ahead. Two reds and blacks, if John gets a chance, 43 points on

:40:19.:40:24.

the table. A big target behind green and brown here but - he has to be

:40:25.:40:30.

careful of the red. He has to be sending the red into the middle of

:40:31.:40:34.

the table. He doesn't want to leave John Higgins a possible pot. The

:40:35.:40:40.

middle pocket is slightly in the way. He just has to get close to the

:40:41.:40:45.

middle pocket and up behind the brown there.

:40:46.:40:52.

Well, it passes the blue but I wouldn't want to be taking that shot

:40:53.:41:40.

on at this stage. He could try and take on this red,

:41:41.:41:59.

the one nearest the brown spot, into the yellow pocket also. It is a very

:42:00.:42:01.

fine one. Well, he has come up with long way

:42:02.:42:17.

short. He is very nervous, isn't he? He came up short when he tried to

:42:18.:42:22.

roll up behind the green. Again, a lot of margin for error there.

:42:23.:42:33.

I mean, the red cuts past the yellow you he would be going into the pink.

:42:34.:42:41.

I don't think he can generate enough spin to try to get around for the

:42:42.:42:46.

black. It would be almost impossible to hold for that.

:42:47.:43:04.

He didn't want top knock the pink safe, that's for sure.

:43:05.:43:13.

He can take this red on into the green pocket.

:43:14.:43:22.

Good shot. Good shot. It should be frame now. Quick glance at the

:43:23.:43:36.

scores. 43 points ahead. Just 35 remaining.

:43:37.:43:45.

It's a frame he didn't think he was going to win. He definitely couldn't

:43:46.:43:54.

see John Higgins missing that pink into the right centre when he was

:43:55.:43:59.

sat in his chair a few minutes ago. We are going to have plenty of

:44:00.:44:02.

turning points in this match, first to 18.

:44:03.:44:13.

That frame was the first one. John Higgins will be disappointed. Mark

:44:14.:44:22.

Selby thrown a lifeline. He duly took it but still four points

:44:23.:44:28.

behind. John Higgins leads the world champion and world number 1.

:44:29.:44:37.

STUDIO: Impressions of both men some far, Stephen? John Higgins has been

:44:38.:44:44.

pretty much in control. He has won most of the safety battles. Mark

:44:45.:44:49.

Selby started the four frames impressively but hasn't carried on

:44:50.:44:52.

from there but that fourth frame was massive. A complete lapse of

:44:53.:44:57.

concentration for John Higgins that pink. He will be fuming in the

:44:58.:45:03.

dressing roo. I know he is 8-4 ahead but he will be fuming. Do you stew

:45:04.:45:08.

on things like that back in the dressing room We don't always pot

:45:09.:45:12.

them into the middle pocket much it is a nice shot to try if you are

:45:13.:45:18.

rolling them in, but the modern way is to punch them in firmly and if

:45:19.:45:22.

you don't catch the middle you risk that happening and Mark Selby on the

:45:23.:45:29.

ropes gratefully received the chance John Higgins experienced enough to

:45:30.:45:32.

know, those shots, you don't go back saying - I'm still four frames in

:45:33.:45:36.

front. You think - I should be six frames in front. It is important,

:45:37.:45:41.

especially with someone like Selby to keep the hammer down, to keep

:45:42.:45:46.

your foot on his throat, as it were. And something for Mark to grasp at

:45:47.:45:51.

the end, he was under the cosh for the rest of it. Yes and there's five

:45:52.:45:57.

more frames to win this evening and he hoped to win this mini-session.

:45:58.:46:00.

He hasn't settled down, really, I think. He is still up against it. It

:46:01.:46:06.

doesn't seem like that. Well John Parrott is about to step into the

:46:07.:46:12.

commentary box but he is prowling around in the practise room. What

:46:13.:46:16.

are your feelings? I think the semifinal has left a Mark on Mark

:46:17.:46:20.

Selby. Concentration-wise he is not there. He spoke to his wife earlier.

:46:21.:46:24.

She said he felt tired until the afternoon session. He is bound too.

:46:25.:46:27.

An unbelievable semifinal he was involved in. It'll take time. In

:46:28.:46:33.

this session, if he can get out in the next one winning 3-2, brilliant.

:46:34.:46:37.

A good night sleep come back tomorrow. He doesn't want to lose

:46:38.:46:41.

the next session. If he goes too far behind against John Higgins he is

:46:42.:46:45.

not a player easily made up on. Thank you very much. You will be

:46:46.:46:47.

running into the commentary box shortly but this World Snooker

:46:48.:46:50.

Championship had something of a noed aic existence until 177. It had been

:46:51.:46:56.

staged everyone from Melbourne to Manchester but when snooker promoter

:46:57.:47:01.

Mike Waterson's wife Carol came here it the Crucible to watch a play, she

:47:02.:47:06.

went back home and said to him - I think I've found the perfect place

:47:07.:47:12.

and so began a 40-year love affair between snooker and Sheffield.

:47:13.:47:17.

This is the story about a city. A city once famous for only one thing

:47:18.:47:25.

- a city whose name could be found in tiny prints on tableware all over

:47:26.:47:29.

the world. A city that refused to be ground down and which is now

:47:30.:47:33.

renowned for more than one thing. This is also the story of a sport

:47:34.:47:38.

that was finding its way and arrived here. The two tentively entered a

:47:39.:47:43.

marriage that has endured for 40 years. This is the story of how the

:47:44.:47:50.

steel city opened its arms to the green baize.

:47:51.:48:03.

# You know that tonight # The streets are ours...#

:48:04.:48:08.

Oh, goodness. Winner winner, chicken dinner. For

:48:09.:48:24.

many years, the World Snooker Championship had been underwhelming.

:48:25.:48:29.

Held at numerous locations as far afield as Australia, there were

:48:30.:48:33.

tales of leaky roofs and matches interrupted by the sound of one

:48:34.:48:38.

armband its. Snooker needed a home. I believe in the long-run it will be

:48:39.:48:55.

simple - create our ideal elsewhere, relocate, Sheffield. In 1977, the

:48:56.:49:01.

Championship was to reinvent itself in Yorkshire.

:49:02.:49:10.

It was always, I think, an extremely friendly city but a very industrial

:49:11.:49:18.

city. It was mainly built around the industry of the steelworks but also

:49:19.:49:23.

around the neighbourhoods, the mining industry as well. Sheffield

:49:24.:49:30.

city centre or simply towns, to the locals had seen post-war structural

:49:31.:49:32.

experimentation City planners w their heads in the

:49:33.:49:45.

clouds had put streets in the science among this bold but brutal

:49:46.:49:51.

architecture was a controversial new theatre which had opened in 1971.

:49:52.:49:58.

The Crucible Theatre has been highly-praised and criticised. I

:49:59.:50:04.

talk to the Shakespearean actor, Ian McKellen and asked what he thought.

:50:05.:50:08.

I think the theatre is the best it will I have been in around the

:50:09.:50:12.

world. The sort of audience it'll attract I think will be excited.

:50:13.:50:16.

1,000 people into a with quite small room. The relationship between the

:50:17.:50:21.

audience and actors will be - I don't see anything can go wrong.

:50:22.:50:27.

Five years after this ringing endorsement and an entrepreneur and

:50:28.:50:32.

snooker enthusiast named Mike Waterson agreed to fund and stage

:50:33.:50:36.

the 1977 World Snooker Championship. My wife had been to see a play at

:50:37.:50:42.

the Crucible Theatre and when he was discussing the possibility of

:50:43.:50:44.

producing the World Championship she said - well the Crucible Theatre I

:50:45.:50:50.

went to the other night is absolutely perfect. So in Silver

:50:51.:50:54.

Jubilee year, the world's greatest players arrived in town to take

:50:55.:50:58.

their cues on to the Crucible stage for the first time Going into a

:50:59.:51:03.

theatre was obviously quite, a revolutionary thing to do. One thing

:51:04.:51:07.

that sticks in my mind was the amount of beer that was drank. I

:51:08.:51:11.

understand at that time they drank in one night the allocation for a

:51:12.:51:15.

fortnight. After negotiations, terms were agreed to continue to stage the

:51:16.:51:21.

event at the Crucible. Television coverage was increased and by the

:51:22.:51:26.

time two fresh-faced players from London travelled North, snooker was

:51:27.:51:30.

becoming increasingly synonymous with Sheffield. It is a tremendous

:51:31.:51:37.

am pi theatre. It is a bit like the gladiators pit. There is only a

:51:38.:51:41.

little bit that's not the people and you are surrounded entirely. And

:51:42.:51:48.

they are all steeped up. That makes it a tremendous arena, especially

:51:49.:51:53.

when down to one table in the and the semifinals. Then you do feel

:51:54.:51:56.

like gladiators in the dressing rooms. When it opened, the theatre

:51:57.:52:05.

was criticised for catering to anner artistic elite but one-third of

:52:06.:52:10.

Britain's population watched me play Denis Taylor in 1985. With snooker

:52:11.:52:16.

on the stage, the cruise I will was also for the common man. A good many

:52:17.:52:21.

people rived at work this morning feeling rather bleary-eyed. The

:52:22.:52:26.

reason - what's being called one of the most extraordinary snooker

:52:27.:52:28.

matches ever played. Three, two, one... As we were clearing the

:52:29.:52:33.

tables, the town was being tidied up as well. The Crucible has what

:52:34.:52:40.

watched many of its neighbours make way. The infamous egg box turned

:52:41.:52:49.

into our TV studio. Today traditional could habits with modern

:52:50.:52:53.

in the heart of the city after a number of years of regeneration.

:52:54.:53:02.

Even the streets in the sky have been refurbished after years of

:53:03.:53:06.

decline. In 1977 it was working men's clubs in the city and around

:53:07.:53:10.

the neighbourhoods and now we have vibrant bars and restaurants in the

:53:11.:53:14.

city centre. The Crucible has undergone a face-lift or two as

:53:15.:53:20.

well, including ?15 million worth of improvements completed in 2009.

:53:21.:53:25.

However, it remains the world's most recognisal building for those in

:53:26.:53:29.

love with snooker. We have tourists come throughout the year who want

:53:30.:53:33.

the opportunity to look at the theatre, to kind of touch the wall

:53:34.:53:37.

of the Crucible, to see where the action happens, to come and see the

:53:38.:53:41.

carpet in the foyer. This is its home. People here are also

:53:42.:53:45.

passionate about football and Sheffield can legitimately claim to

:53:46.:53:49.

be the birth place of the game. Sheffield FC is the oldest club in

:53:50.:53:54.

the world and of course both the city's league teams have been

:53:55.:53:58.

champions of England. On the morning of April 15th, 1989. I started the

:53:59.:54:06.

defence of my title against Steve Newbry. Across the city, events were

:54:07.:54:10.

developing that would radically change sport in Britain. 15 minute

:54:11.:54:15.

interval, ladies and gentlemen but please, please move quietly.

:54:16.:54:26.

Seven days on, the people of Sheffield are still cueing to sign

:54:27.:54:33.

the book of condolences in their Town Hall. Snooker star Steve Davis

:54:34.:54:44.

adding his signature today. At 3.00pm, a cathedral bell was rung 95

:54:45.:54:48.

times one for each of the victims of hills brunchts I remember turned up

:54:49.:54:52.

to the tournament. I played with an armband on, which was the least I

:54:53.:54:56.

can do to show respect to the people of my city. I remember it was a very

:54:57.:54:59.

black cloud that hung over everybody. Hillsborough was a

:55:00.:55:01.

terrible strategy. There was no doubt about that. I went down the

:55:02.:55:05.

morning after. I have never had an experience like that in my life. It

:55:06.:55:09.

affected my thinking about how we run sport in this nation. Rather

:55:10.:55:16.

than shying away from playing host, Sheffield welcomed athletes to the

:55:17.:55:22.

student games two years after sport's darkest day here. Well done

:55:23.:55:32.

Sheffield, and good luck everyone. The games triggered the construction

:55:33.:55:35.

of world class facilities and the city punches well above its weight

:55:36.:55:42.

in the sporting arena. Since 1991 Sheffield has produced England

:55:43.:55:46.

cricket captains, outstanding Olympians and world champions. It's

:55:47.:55:51.

the conveyer belt of making champions. Snooker is the best we

:55:52.:55:57.

have in the Crucible. I go to it every year and box in this gym turns

:55:58.:56:02.

out champion after champion. There is something in the air, something

:56:03.:56:05.

in the water but we produce champions. The Don Valley Stadium

:56:06.:56:11.

has gone but snooker remains a constant. Every spring the tables

:56:12.:56:15.

arrive for qualification and finals of the most important Championship

:56:16.:56:20.

in the game and in recent years, the great indoor sport has watched on as

:56:21.:56:25.

Sheffield rebrand itself as the outdoor city, beyond the elite

:56:26.:56:29.

athletes there has been a push to promote sport in chef Field and the

:56:30.:56:34.

neighbouring Peak District. No story set here can be told without

:56:35.:56:37.

touching upon what made the city staplous. Sheffield was the

:56:38.:56:42.

undisputed steel capital of the world. So by the 1980s, the industry

:56:43.:56:48.

was in decline. Snooker, however was heading in the opposite direction.

:56:49.:56:55.

The Crucible Theatre has been literally taken over by the BBC's

:56:56.:57:00.

outside broadcast operation. Last year the chip produced 80 hours of

:57:01.:57:05.

television. This year even more. That's a nice shot. -- the

:57:06.:57:13.

Championship produced 80 hours of television. Sport and television

:57:14.:57:17.

made easy bed fellows and snooker proved perfect for cameras. And so

:57:18.:57:29.

we are all set. Because of the boom in snooker's popularity there is

:57:30.:57:32.

probably no sport now with a more secured future. This year the prize

:57:33.:57:37.

money for the sponsors is ?110,000 and by 1995 that will have risen to

:57:38.:57:45.

?258,000. Sheffield has lost 40,000 industrial jobs in the past 15 years

:57:46.:57:49.

and more are going at the rate of 1,000 a month. The snooker that was

:57:50.:57:59.

being played was a big relief in the working men's clubs in this area

:58:00.:58:02.

where there was active conflict at their place of work. Their place of

:58:03.:58:08.

leisure and sport was looking up to Steve Davis and others who were

:58:09.:58:11.

playing their game and as they were playing out in the working men's

:58:12.:58:15.

clubs all around Sheffield. So there was a connection there. In 1997,

:58:16.:58:24.

landmark film was released which suggested that the only way a

:58:25.:58:27.

working man in Sheffield could make a living was by removing his

:58:28.:58:33.

clothes. The snooker commentators of the day responded with their own

:58:34.:58:34.

take. The events here over the last couple

:58:35.:58:45.

of weeks have been rather significant. Not only is it the

:58:46.:58:49.

centre of the snooker world at the moment, it's also the centre

:58:50.:58:54.

Yes, at long last people know where Sheffield is and there's a real boom

:58:55.:59:02.

in the industry. Sheffield is coming to terms with a

:59:03.:59:07.

decrease in its core industries. The association with snooker has helped.

:59:08.:59:14.

Over the years it is estimated the sport has brought ?70 million to the

:59:15.:59:16.

city. Over 200 million people watched the

:59:17.:59:26.

2016 edition. Over half of them in Asia. Many of whom tuned in to watch

:59:27.:59:34.

the Chinese players. We have a very large proportion of

:59:35.:59:46.

Chinese students. They want to stay in the city because of the economy

:59:47.:59:53.

and what they've brought. Because of that, we've attracted businesses

:59:54.:59:57.

because of the calibre of students that we're turning out.

:59:58.:00:01.

They still make the best knives here and more steel than ever is

:00:02.:00:08.

produced. Razor of sharp blades have been joined by cutting-edge

:00:09.:00:14.

manufacturing. Leading aircraft and luxury car makers have also

:00:15.:00:17.

announced plans to move to Sheffield this year. What I think we need to

:00:18.:00:22.

do now is show how this great city has changed. It has learnt from the

:00:23.:00:27.

past. Has taken the values and put them into a modern setting. No, you

:00:28.:00:31.

can never deny your past, but you can learn from it. And I believe

:00:32.:00:37.

Sheffield has learnt from that past. It's significant other has also

:00:38.:00:44.

flourished. In that first year at the Crucible the chasm Iship

:00:45.:00:50.

produced breaks. Last year there were 86. The standard went up and up

:00:51.:00:55.

and you had to get better. Now we have an influx of players to the

:00:56.:01:00.

game that were all incredibly good from 128th down.

:01:01.:01:06.

# Do you know that tonight the streets are ours

:01:07.:01:19.

The Crucible is a friendly, feisty, spiritual home. It is unthinkable

:01:20.:01:25.

that the World Snooker Championship could be held at any other venue. It

:01:26.:01:30.

continues for at least another decade when snooker and the city

:01:31.:01:33.

will produce its golden anniversary. The contract is signed until at

:01:34.:01:48.

least 2027 and you spent an awful number of years in this city,

:01:49.:01:53.

haven't you? I think we all have. I have been coming here since 1979 to

:01:54.:01:59.

compete. I estimate I probably spent a year-and-a-half of my life in

:02:00.:02:03.

Sheffield. I can not say anything other than it's been wonderful.

:02:04.:02:08.

Neven the short time I've been coming here, the regeneration of the

:02:09.:02:12.

public spaces in this city is remarkable. I think my first time

:02:13.:02:20.

was in '85. What I have seen, the change in the city, has been

:02:21.:02:25.

magnificent. Even now, as a commentator, a pundit, I still get

:02:26.:02:29.

goose bumps driving through the city. It is always a pleasure coming

:02:30.:02:36.

here. 80 hours, over 200 hours of broadcasting from this championship

:02:37.:02:38.

this year. And if you would like to be a part of it, you better get your

:02:39.:02:43.

skates on, because tomorrow at 9am, it is when the box office opens.

:02:44.:02:48.

Last year, I think the final, sold out within an hour. It is estimated

:02:49.:02:54.

that within one day of the box office opening again tomorrow, that

:02:55.:02:58.

at least half of the tickets for the entire event will be sold. So, you

:02:59.:03:03.

better get moving. Now, let's get into some chat with, I think part of

:03:04.:03:09.

the Higgins clan. I think the whole Higgins clan has arrived, hasn't it

:03:10.:03:16.

Ken? It has. You think it is nerve wrecking for the players, it is for

:03:17.:03:31.

the family. Happy birthday. : Denise, your boys doing all right

:03:32.:03:36.

all right, isn't he? We are proud to be here. It is a special occasion. I

:03:37.:03:41.

keep my fingers crossed he can win for a fifth time. How are your

:03:42.:03:48.

nerves? Terrible. John says it is nerve-racking for us than it is for

:03:49.:03:53.

him. What have you been doing at home - kicking him out of bed early?

:03:54.:03:58.

He's obviously hitting the ball really well. He's doing really well.

:03:59.:04:06.

He's confident. We all believe he can win another one. I joked with

:04:07.:04:10.

him in the room, I said, you know, John, there's an empty space on the

:04:11.:04:14.

wall for another picture of you winning the trophy. That would be

:04:15.:04:19.

nice. How are your nerves holding up? Ah... Yeah! More than that,

:04:20.:04:31.

please! It is brilliant watching our dad play. It pumps you full of

:04:32.:04:36.

adrenaline, wanting every single-shot to go in. He deserves it

:04:37.:04:40.

for all the practise and for his determination as well. I want to see

:04:41.:04:45.

him win a fifth one. Make his dream come through. What about mum? Happy

:04:46.:04:51.

birthday. How are your nerves holding up? Calm... You dirty liar.

:04:52.:04:57.

You must be very proud of him. Really, really proud. I must admit

:04:58.:05:02.

I'm quite calm because he's playing so well. What a way to celebrate

:05:03.:05:07.

your birthday. That's why he's playing so good. He'll get me a good

:05:08.:05:13.

birthday present. What do you think-of-your daddy? I think he's

:05:14.:05:18.

been playing great. We are nervous, but every shot we're on the edge of

:05:19.:05:23.

our seats. He's been playing great. It would be great for him to win

:05:24.:05:28.

another world title. If you think that was exciting, he's so exciting

:05:29.:05:35.

he's even put his daughter to sleep. Look at this. Fantastic. The

:05:36.:05:40.

youngest member of the family. She's having a kip there.

:05:41.:05:46.

A credit to this man. He's four frames in front.

:05:47.:05:57.

THE COMMENTATOR: Higgins gets play under way. Very important you feel

:05:58.:06:19.

that Mark Selby gets the better of John Higgins in this little

:06:20.:06:22.

mini-session. Looking at the score line you would have to think he'd at

:06:23.:06:27.

least a 3-2 out of it. You think maybe some attacking

:06:28.:06:30.

players would give you plenty of chances. John Higgins is not one of

:06:31.:06:34.

them. You have to earn your corner with all the chances you get with

:06:35.:06:38.

John, generally. It will be very difficult to come from behind

:06:39.:06:42.

against him. We know Mark Selby is a fighter, but John Higgins is a top,

:06:43.:06:48.

top match player. Very difficult to come back against.

:06:49.:06:54.

Mark Selby played that long red thinking the only red he could leave

:06:55.:06:59.

was the one he played. His worst fears were realised. That is the one

:07:00.:07:03.

he has left. It's not that easy to control the cue ball from this

:07:04.:07:05.

distance and this potting angle. As I say from, this distance you're

:07:06.:07:38.

mainly concentrating to polt the ball.

:07:39.:07:41.

Fortunately for John he didn't leave it. He's left a safety.

:07:42.:07:51.

It's pretty obvious so far in this match that Mark hasn't been anywhere

:07:52.:08:26.

near his best. That brings its own pressure doesn't it for John

:08:27.:08:29.

Higgins? You think to yourself, if I can step up and play my normal game

:08:30.:08:32.

here, I can give myself a lead. If he can get through to the red,

:08:33.:08:57.

it's a bit more difficult than the one already played before. He's

:08:58.:09:00.

playing safe off it. Not a very good one catching the

:09:01.:09:19.

blue. The yellow's come to his rescue. It will make it very awkward

:09:20.:09:25.

cueing for Mark Selby. I know what you're saying, John,

:09:26.:09:32.

that Mark Selby hasn't come out with his best game. And that lead that

:09:33.:09:37.

John Higgins got from the first session.

:09:38.:09:43.

He's had chances this evening to really build on that. I wonder, that

:09:44.:09:52.

pink he missed in the frame before the mid-session interval, that is a

:09:53.:09:57.

shock to your sis tnt, isn't it? When he -- system, isn't it? He knew

:09:58.:10:05.

straightaway. The players know when they've got their opponent in a bit

:10:06.:10:09.

of trouble. They know when they're not playing as well as they can do.

:10:10.:10:15.

They are great players and the champions, like the two boys in the

:10:16.:10:21.

studio, they have sensed weakness and if you show it they make it

:10:22.:10:26.

worse for you. Mulling over that missed pink. A terrific safety shot

:10:27.:10:29.

from John. John Higgins gets another

:10:30.:11:03.

opportunity. Position not easy from this

:11:04.:11:17.

particular red. Always difficult to get back up the

:11:18.:11:37.

table with those. Especially with how the cushions

:11:38.:11:39.

have been playing on this table. They have been trapping the white.

:11:40.:11:52.

Went confidently, he thought if he went with the reds spread as they

:11:53.:12:04.

are, a good chance to score heavily. Now that chance is Mark Selby's.

:12:05.:12:10.

He was just stretching slightly, but, you've got to take those on.

:12:11.:12:34.

A thin cut on the black here. Needs to get it.

:12:35.:12:48.

Not there and once again John Higgins thinking he was going to be

:12:49.:12:54.

away from the table for a while. He's back there with a scoring

:12:55.:13:00.

opportunity. A really big session this, the next

:13:01.:13:03.

five frames. Of course, if he was to win this

:13:04.:14:21.

frame, John, he'd be certain to have a lead overnight.

:14:22.:14:27.

He'd be coming out with being the first thought, to get at least this

:14:28.:14:31.

frame, give yourself plenty of bites of the cherry.

:14:32.:14:38.

Causing enormous pressure on Mark Selby just to stay in the match.

:14:39.:15:07.

41 points from this position to get to the snookers required stage.

:15:08.:15:13.

Still a bit to do. There is one red on the outside...

:15:14.:15:43.

But this is lovely if he can get in that gap.

:15:44.:15:51.

Coming a little low. To get that you cannot hit the cue ball too hard.

:15:52.:15:57.

You have to give chance for the back spin.

:15:58.:16:03.

That's what he's played. I think he can get past the pink for the one to

:16:04.:16:08.

the right corner. There are a couple of reds on the

:16:09.:16:45.

right-hand side of the table. The bottom one definitely will go to the

:16:46.:16:49.

left corner, same probably as the pink. But he cannot get off the pink

:16:50.:16:53.

this time. He'll have to play for one of those two balls on the

:16:54.:16:55.

left-hand side of the table. Didn't have a great angle there.

:16:56.:17:35.

There were a few options he could have played there. If he played the

:17:36.:17:41.

screw back he was guaranteed, wasn't he He was trying to make the next

:17:42.:17:47.

ball easier than playing for the red in the same pocket as the pink. Ran

:17:48.:17:52.

out of position. Take your medicine, play a good safety.

:17:53.:18:01.

Tight on the cushion, but that was three opportunities now he's had in

:18:02.:18:08.

this frame. Not clinched it by a long way.

:18:09.:18:32.

The yellow may just make this awkward cueing for John. That is

:18:33.:18:39.

what I have noticeded about Mark Selby, the number of time he's run

:18:40.:18:43.

into baulk colours. He's normally good at the line, the length of it.

:18:44.:18:47.

Inconsistent so far in this match. You Seaham perked by the yellow.

:18:48.:19:02.

This is a very tough shot. Oh, what a shot! What a shot!

:19:03.:19:06.

A top-class match player for you. He knows he's got his man in trouble.

:19:07.:19:48.

The blue by the side cushion. Insurance later on.

:19:49.:20:07.

Playing the containing safety. He lost the cue ball a little bit.

:20:08.:20:13.

I don't think he left a pot that John Higgins will be tempted by

:20:14.:20:17.

here. We saw when he, well, he didn't even look at the black, that

:20:18.:20:23.

he won't be pushing the boat out. His main concern, protect that lead.

:20:24.:20:43.

It's only really above the yellow that he can put the cue ball.

:20:44.:20:53.

So much so that John maybe considering getting the cue ball up

:20:54.:20:55.

this end. Always thought he may get a red to

:20:56.:21:20.

go to the side cushion. So if Mark Selby does get an opportunity

:21:21.:21:24.

there's a lot of work to do. Green near the cushion, red on the

:21:25.:21:30.

cushion... A 40-point lead. It's a big one.

:21:31.:21:46.

The Crucible Theatre, in all its glory.

:21:47.:22:12.

A cluster of three reds off the side cushion. Not much more he could do.

:22:13.:22:18.

He'll have to judge it right. He could leave one here.

:22:19.:22:34.

Looking whether he's left one for the green pocket here. He may very

:22:35.:22:41.

well take this on. We saw it earlier in the frame. That

:22:42.:23:12.

was an excellent shot from John Higgins.

:23:13.:23:14.

Thought he may have risked a little cannon there. Decided to play for

:23:15.:23:22.

the red. He's got a little bit of work to do here with the cue ball.

:23:23.:23:27.

Pots not that difficult. Get position on a colour, not

:23:28.:23:29.

guaranteed. Not so much the surprise of it, the

:23:30.:24:09.

fact he mind up his mind he's guarantee on the next red. The

:24:10.:24:13.

cannon, nine times out of ten would be easy for John to play. No, he was

:24:14.:24:16.

going to go up there and guarantee being on a red. And just this red to

:24:17.:24:26.

put him 60 points in front, with only 59 remaining.

:24:27.:24:32.

One snooker needed. He knows that Mark Selby will carry

:24:33.:24:39.

on here. Could possibly try to pot this

:24:40.:24:43.

black. If you were going to play the pot,

:24:44.:24:53.

it may be the corner, but black possibly the middl.

:24:54.:24:56.

Keeping it tight. 60 in front. 59 remaining.

:24:57.:25:11.

He's played a granite game of snooker here John Higgins.

:25:12.:25:31.

If he pots the pink, Mark Selby won't be coming back to the table.

:25:32.:25:56.

Just made certain of it. That equates to now four snookers

:25:57.:26:09.

required. I'll be surprised if Mark Selby will concede and he does

:26:10.:26:11.

concede. Is it John Higgins who is bossing.

:26:12.:26:35.

67% to John Higgins. There were two very good example ofs so of

:26:36.:26:39.

excellent long potting from John in this one. Superb shot. Hampered by

:26:40.:26:48.

the yellow. Obviously difficult to cue this.

:26:49.:26:52.

Mark Selby will be disappointed that John's not doing one visit snooker.

:26:53.:27:00.

That would worry him as far as Mark Selby is concerned. It is a little

:27:01.:27:04.

bit old school, but it can work. It's not the modern day way. It's

:27:05.:27:08.

more of an attacking way these days. Mark Selby has not been scoring as

:27:09.:27:12.

well. You can see that from the breaks. And it's given John Higgins

:27:13.:27:18.

the luxury of just shutting up shot enough to ask questions of Mark

:27:19.:27:22.

Selby. Doesn't mean to say John would play that way all the time.

:27:23.:27:26.

The way it's panning out he's not having to risk to try and win the

:27:27.:27:30.

frame. He's actually making it more difficult for Mark Selby and putting

:27:31.:27:35.

more pressure on him getting in. You were two arch predators and bullies

:27:36.:27:38.

around the table. I know your instincts are kicking in there

:27:39.:27:41.

tonight. What are your instincts telling you about Mark Selby's

:27:42.:27:45.

challenge at the moment, Stephen? At the moment it is withering. You have

:27:46.:27:50.

to be honest. You can comment on what you are seeing. Whenever he

:27:51.:27:54.

gets a chance he's concentrating so much on potting the ball that his

:27:55.:27:57.

positional play is all over the place. I would say against Ronnie

:27:58.:28:02.

O'Sullivan, as a way back in, there's not a way back in against

:28:03.:28:05.

John Higgins. THE COMMENTATOR: Four more frames to

:28:06.:28:16.

be played. Mark Selby is under pressure here. He's smiling. I don't

:28:17.:28:20.

know what he was smiling about. Maybe he felt he had a heavy contact

:28:21.:28:25.

on the break. At the moment not much to smile about on the table.

:28:26.:28:54.

That was more of a safety shot than a pot and a good safety shot it was.

:28:55.:29:14.

He found it back to the baulk I was going to say. But the thick he had

:29:15.:29:55.

to hit the red it was never going to be a good white but now it is

:29:56.:29:57.

nestled to the green. It is. You have to be careful with no side

:29:58.:30:16.

on this. He decided just to play the containing shot. Couldn't get the

:30:17.:30:22.

cue ball down into the baulk area. 'S got top win two of the next four,

:30:23.:30:28.

you think, minimum, Mark, here. Even that might not be any good but

:30:29.:30:32.

anything worse than that, he is going to give himself far too much

:30:33.:30:33.

to do. Yeah, I think it is also key, just

:30:34.:30:43.

looking at his body language, he looks a little bit frail at the

:30:44.:30:47.

moment, he looks a little bit worried but there are four more

:30:48.:30:51.

frames to play. He has to really dig deep here to try to get something

:30:52.:30:57.

out of it. As Stephen said, John Higgins is not winning frames in one

:30:58.:31:01.

visit. So that takes a little bit of pressure off you, but you can't keep

:31:02.:31:06.

hitting baulk colours full in the face. You just make it so much

:31:07.:31:11.

easier for your opponent to play safe. John Higgins is looking at a

:31:12.:31:16.

four-ball plant here. He is very keen on it.

:31:17.:31:21.

It's hard to tell from where we are. I think it might go to the right jaw

:31:22.:31:27.

as we look. It's very close. It's in. And he's on the green Yes,

:31:28.:31:47.

for Mark Selby, it never rains but it pours. He paid a safety shot

:31:48.:31:57.

there, left a four-ball plant on. Mind well, well-us issed by John

:31:58.:32:00.

Higgins. He was on to it straight away. Well-sussed. Yes, a lesson to

:32:01.:32:08.

all new up-and-coming snooker players, always have a look at the

:32:09.:32:11.

cluster because you never know what's there. As John said that was

:32:12.:32:14.

well-spotted. Yeah, it was a bit of aialy. The

:32:15.:32:25.

balls opened up lovely after he played the plant. They went into a

:32:26.:32:29.

nice little line. As long as John got the right position on the green,

:32:30.:32:33.

he was perfect to come down the table. Trust me, John Higgins will

:32:34.:32:41.

be trying to turn the screw here. He knows this is a session that he's

:32:42.:32:43.

seriously on top. I presume the red just below the

:32:44.:33:14.

pink is available to the left corner. That's why he has played it

:33:15.:33:18.

like that. Yeah and the other good news, I think if he runs through on

:33:19.:33:22.

this pink, he can leave an angle to pot that red and bring some more of

:33:23.:33:28.

them out to play. He needs to make it pretty straight. If he plays on

:33:29.:33:32.

that red he can open a few more out after this one. That's why he has

:33:33.:33:34.

left himself high on it. Enough to pay with too much pace,

:33:35.:33:46.

and screw-back and bring a few reds into play. Well, decided to play it

:33:47.:33:51.

a bit further. The only thing I didn't like about that was, you are

:33:52.:33:53.

going to use the cue ball somewhat. Well, the balls weren't going to

:33:54.:34:13.

open that much unless you put a bit of force in. Anyway, he has to

:34:14.:34:17.

negotiate this positional shot now. Can you put your crisp or sweets

:34:18.:34:35.

away, please. Begs the question, John Higgins' body language - he is

:34:36.:34:40.

not on a red. Don't tell me that there is another plant appeared from

:34:41.:34:45.

nowhere. Goodness me. If he is on another plant there, Mark Selby will

:34:46.:34:54.

be not believing. And this one looks on more than the four-ball plant.

:34:55.:34:57.

This is plant and it is on for me. He's got to hit the first red, thin,

:34:58.:35:11.

as though you were playing to pot it and surely this has come to his

:35:12.:35:14.

rescue here. APPLAUSE

:35:15.:35:31.

Well, a whole lot of things happened there but the ultimate, the red went

:35:32.:35:33.

in. Yeah, let's have a look at this

:35:34.:35:47.

again. As I say, he had to hit this red thin, it looked as though he

:35:48.:35:51.

hardly hit it and he played a cannon from the loose red on to the plant,

:35:52.:35:55.

that's why there was no pace in the plant. I'll give him the benefit of

:35:56.:36:01.

the doubt but... That was very lucky. I can't believe he played one

:36:02.:36:08.

cannon from one red on to the other there. I think he did, John. Do you?

:36:09.:36:14.

I do, I think that's exactly what he played. I think he thought the only

:36:15.:36:17.

way the plant could go was by striking the other one first. That

:36:18.:36:23.

was very well Sussed out. OK, well I'll give him the benefit of the

:36:24.:36:28.

doubt. Played more like a trick shot. Anyway, he is in amongst the

:36:29.:36:35.

balls and can win the frame in one visit now. Yeah, you maybe right,

:36:36.:36:39.

you maybe right. Maybe he did play the cannon from the loose red on to

:36:40.:36:41.

the plant, looking at it again. Well you can say he has been

:36:42.:37:06.

fortunate with a few of the plants he has had in this break but you can

:37:07.:37:10.

just see the match player that John Higgins is. The concentration is

:37:11.:37:16.

right there now and don't expect him to be missing anything easy in this

:37:17.:37:18.

break. He can go a long way towards that

:37:19.:37:27.

magical number of 18 frames this evening. He is seriously on top at

:37:28.:37:30.

thep minute. Well, in frames he is half way there

:37:31.:37:41.

and could be more than half way there just three reds, three colours

:37:42.:37:45.

and he will be well past the winning line.

:37:46.:38:07.

Yes, much was made at the start of this event that the top half of the

:38:08.:38:14.

draw was top heavy. All the best players they said were in the top

:38:15.:38:17.

and whoever comes through this one is going to win. But it doesn't look

:38:18.:38:23.

like the case at the minute. I never subscribe to that view - there are

:38:24.:38:28.

top class players everywhere in the draw. At the moment the defending

:38:29.:38:33.

champion, the world number 1 is in big trouble. And it is not looking

:38:34.:38:41.

likely to get better, any time soon. This red and he gets to the

:38:42.:38:44.

snookers-required stage. There are enough reds, can he get to

:38:45.:38:49.

position on pink or black? APPLAUSE

:38:50.:39:01.

He takes the applause. There is his wife. Everything happy in the

:39:02.:39:07.

Higgins' camp at the moment. Yes, John, there has been a

:39:08.:39:22.

remarkable turn around in John's form this seechlingts always been a

:39:23.:39:26.

class act but for a couple of years his long game wasn't quite there and

:39:27.:39:31.

he missed the odd shot that you wouldn't expect but this season,

:39:32.:39:37.

brilliant. -- John's form this season.

:39:38.:39:41.

Yes, and he almost admitted that himself in a press conference a

:39:42.:39:45.

couple of seasons ago, he thought he was becoming a journeyman pro but

:39:46.:39:49.

something has fired him up again this season.

:39:50.:39:57.

APPLAUSE And you know what it is like, John,

:39:58.:40:05.

you can't beat winners. It would do wonders for your confidence, a few

:40:06.:40:06.

good results. Well, the red doesn't go in but he

:40:07.:40:11.

has done enough. He is now six frames behind, Mark

:40:12.:40:31.

Selby And he is past half way if he wants a sixth world title he needs

:40:32.:40:33.

18 frames to win it. STUDIO: There are plants. You have

:40:34.:40:41.

to spot them to cultivate and there were two wonderful species here You

:40:42.:40:46.

never know after a safety shot the balls will open up and there is the

:40:47.:40:49.

possibility of that happening. Sometimes, when that second one went

:40:50.:40:53.

in, you sense it is not your day and I'm sure Mark Selby is getting those

:40:54.:40:56.

feelings which are very tough when you are sitting in your chair and

:40:57.:41:00.

you have to come out and show resilience, to not sort of buckle

:41:01.:41:02.

under that type resilience, to not sort of buckle

:41:03.:41:05.

under that type of exposure. But particularly, Stephen when you are

:41:06.:41:09.

the world number one, you are by far in away the world number one, you

:41:10.:41:14.

are dominant, you have won four major titles this season already,

:41:15.:41:16.

this is not the kind of experience you would expect to be suffering as

:41:17.:41:20.

world number one. I tell you what, if John Higgins wins two of the next

:41:21.:41:25.

three, he is in danger of losing the session early, the world number one,

:41:26.:41:29.

John Higgins could win this tomorrow afternoon, the way it is going. I'm

:41:30.:41:33.

looking back at 2007 and the scoring involved in the final between the

:41:34.:41:42.

two, John was 8-3 in front and 10-4 ahead and he is again.

:41:43.:41:57.

John Higgins breaks off. I have to say, John, he is having an easy ride

:41:58.:42:04.

at the moment. Yes, and I'm afraid his opponent, the world number one

:42:05.:42:08.

is mentally running on fumes a bit. He has been for most of the day. I'm

:42:09.:42:13.

absolutely convinced that Ding Junhui has taken the best out of him

:42:14.:42:17.

but you've got to learn to play through adversity. Not every session

:42:18.:42:21.

is easy and goes your way but no doubt about it will, the way that

:42:22.:42:25.

Ding Junhui played in that semi pushed him all the way. He had to

:42:26.:42:30.

come back to work today and he's just not been there.

:42:31.:42:45.

Yes, he has thwarted our former colleague, Clive Everton on many

:42:46.:42:50.

occasions but I think that has summed it up, marathon of the mind

:42:51.:42:57.

but it is, 17 days of tough snooker and you leave and breathe it. In

:42:58.:43:03.

fairness, John has had hard matches as well and he is bemused by that

:43:04.:43:11.

cushion there because it has been cracking all day and all of a sudden

:43:12.:43:17.

it has pinged off. Let's have a look or maybe he has played with a higher

:43:18.:43:26.

red. Whichever one he played on he is betwixt and between. I personally

:43:27.:43:31.

think he over-hit it. I think he played for the one above the black.

:43:32.:43:34.

Whatever, he is on nothing. No plant this time. Going back to, that I

:43:35.:43:40.

think John had his two real tough matches two start W Martin Gould

:43:41.:43:44.

must have been one of the worst qualifiers you could have' got. A

:43:45.:43:50.

very talented player and the match with Mark Allen was a classic.

:43:51.:43:55.

Higgins made two clearances in there that were vintage and Mark Allen if

:43:56.:43:59.

he plays like that he will go close to winning a World Championship

:44:00.:44:03.

himself, Mark. It was a brilliant performance but unfortunately for

:44:04.:44:07.

him John Higgins was at his best. So he had a tough two matches and then

:44:08.:44:12.

it has beencomfortable. Eye are enWilson. John said he didn't play

:44:13.:44:20.

and Barry Hawkins wasn't at his best either, so comfortable for him to

:44:21.:44:22.

get here. -- Kyren Wilson. Can Mark get past the green? It's

:44:23.:44:53.

close. He certainly can but you can tell better if you were behind the

:44:54.:45:05.

shot. He ought to be able to get to it because he played the pot. This

:45:06.:45:09.

is what he is seeing. Do you think he can see enough of it? No, not

:45:10.:45:14.

quite. And that's why he's playing the safety. But needs a good safety

:45:15.:45:24.

here. He needs a good cue ball. Red is going towards the corner. It's

:45:25.:45:30.

not gone in. Got a good cue ball but no good when you leave a red over a

:45:31.:45:32.

pocket. It's never been any different the

:45:33.:46:04.

game, is it? When you are in front. You always get the helpful little

:46:05.:46:09.

nudges. He is perfect on this to try to open some reds here. Oh, but the

:46:10.:46:18.

pace kept the pink out. An opportunity now for Mark Selby. A

:46:19.:46:24.

strange game snooker, isn't it? You can play the best safety shot in the

:46:25.:46:29.

world and not get a chance. You can see the pace, the power, how the

:46:30.:46:31.

balls jump. It goes without saying, Mark has got

:46:32.:46:45.

to make the best of this. Yes, from somewhere he has to find a bit.

:46:46.:46:55.

I mentioned earlier,s' not world number one for no reason.

:46:56.:47:07.

At the moment he has to find a way to survive or this match is going to

:47:08.:47:12.

go west. It's OK. There is a red to the

:47:13.:47:30.

right, centre. If he could just win in one visit or

:47:31.:48:12.

get back scoring, just to win a frame in an easier fashion, it would

:48:13.:48:16.

give him a boost for the last couple of frames.

:48:17.:48:21.

Yes, I notice the two reds at the top of the cluster of four. It is a

:48:22.:48:25.

certain plant into the left corner. So he doesn't have to do much here.

:48:26.:48:29.

There is enough to play a cannon. The plant is on.

:48:30.:48:35.

Well, he played the cannon. That looked a certain plant to me. Why

:48:36.:48:40.

would you play the cannon? Well, let's say he didn't have much

:48:41.:49:11.

to do the with you cue ball, he knew he would be on a yellow but now this

:49:12.:49:15.

cue ball is travelling from one end of the table to the other. It is all

:49:16.:49:19.

about line and length. 24 points the lead. Four reds in the middle of the

:49:20.:49:24.

table. Might just about get him there. Maybe one of the awkward reds

:49:25.:49:32.

needed. He's got to take this chance.

:49:33.:49:45.

Well, he thinks he can control the cue ball better off the brown.

:49:46.:49:52.

Right in the heart of the pocket. Good shot.

:49:53.:50:20.

Well, when he potted that black in the middle earlier, John, I was

:50:21.:50:29.

surprised with the bounce. It has happened to Mark Selby. I think the

:50:30.:50:33.

fact he is straight on the black, though, he may be able to play to

:50:34.:50:37.

the red in the right middle. Although he may have an angle to

:50:38.:50:43.

stun through a red in the corner. Yeah, the thing with the table is,

:50:44.:50:47.

if the cushion is trapping the white and it is doing it all the time

:50:48.:50:51.

that's fair enough, you can start to allow for it but it is when you are

:50:52.:50:55.

playing for it and it doesn't happen, it starts getting

:50:56.:50:58.

inconsistent. That's what players don't like. He played that with a

:50:59.:51:04.

little bit of side. And this is an excellent contribution from Mark at

:51:05.:51:10.

the minute. Survival instincts are kicking in.

:51:11.:51:18.

Yeah, it is John Higgins' missed pink that opened the reds and at

:51:19.:51:25.

this level when you miss when you are in, it can easily cost you the

:51:26.:51:27.

frame. That looks like the case now. This

:51:28.:51:37.

blue would put Mark 50 in front. Just a quick glance at the score

:51:38.:51:42.

board. So he needs red black and one of these reds near the side cushion.

:51:43.:51:53.

Red and a black will put him 48 points in front I with 59 remaining.

:51:54.:52:16.

-- 58 in front with 59 remaining. So just the red now to get to snookers.

:52:17.:52:27.

Well the red and a colour as it turns out. I'm sorry just the red.

:52:28.:52:31.

He will be pleased to see this red disappear.

:52:32.:52:42.

A great contribution from Mark Selby under the cosh. Well he is world

:52:43.:52:48.

number one. Yes, I couldn't agree with you more.

:52:49.:53:04.

There is a lot of pressure on him. OK, John Higgins missed the pink,

:53:05.:53:07.

opened up the reds. But there was pressure on him to take this

:53:08.:53:10.

opportunity and he's taken it really well.

:53:11.:53:20.

Oh, I thought that was going to stay there. It would be nice if he could

:53:21.:53:30.

make a century. This packed Crucible audience like a century.

:53:31.:53:36.

Oh, he played a cannon on the red. Further up the side cushion. Now

:53:37.:53:43.

he's not got t unless he plays an outrageous double. This will be the

:53:44.:53:53.

end of break. And it is, but he will be very relieved, Mark Selby. He has

:53:54.:54:00.

stopped the rot. Well, it is just a step in the right direction but it

:54:01.:54:03.

is a good one. John Higgins now leads by 10-5.

:54:04.:54:08.

STUDIO: He is on his third frame of the evening I wonder what relief

:54:09.:54:14.

that will be to Mark? He will have enjoyed that. It is obvious to stay

:54:15.:54:19.

but winning the frame in one visit is exactly what the doctor ordered.

:54:20.:54:23.

He will be going out now saying - come on, two frames, let's win both.

:54:24.:54:28.

He will have done a jo, instead of being four behind, he will be free

:54:29.:54:32.

behind. Well he is a player we've always expected will come back

:54:33.:54:35.

roaring into things. He has made a habit. It is one of his trademarks.

:54:36.:54:43.

The bringman. He has always been there or thereabouts come the end of

:54:44.:54:49.

these finals Yes and expect a big push tomorrow afternoon from Mark

:54:50.:54:52.

Selby regardless of what happens in these two fra. I think he will be

:54:53.:54:56.

able to regroup overnight, which is the interesting thing about a match

:54:57.:55:00.

played over more than one day. A reset, perhaps have a chat with his

:55:01.:55:06.

friends and say -- perhaps not now throw caution to the wind. I

:55:07.:55:11.

wouldn't say regardless of what happens, but if he loses the last

:55:12.:55:17.

two, 12-5. John knows this, a few years ago he came out and won the

:55:18.:55:22.

frames in the first investigation and did it with Ronnie O'Sullivan I

:55:23.:55:27.

remember being 12-4 up with Jimmy White and I was still worried the

:55:28.:55:32.

guy would come out. He was a great player and he came out and attacked

:55:33.:55:37.

and before long he was level. Momentum is great in these ma.s you

:55:38.:55:42.

can string two or three frames together. All of a sudden it is

:55:43.:55:47.

swings and roundabouts. From John's point of view a built-edged

:55:48.:55:50.

opportunity Mark cannot afford to lose both of them.

:55:51.:55:59.

Yes, two very, very big frames for either player, really. John Higgins

:56:00.:56:06.

to have won this session after winning the first session 6-2. That

:56:07.:56:12.

was important just to keep ahead. Mark Selby needs two frames to win

:56:13.:56:16.

this session 5-4. A step in the right direction.

:56:17.:56:27.

Oh, a funny thing happened while you were in the studio, John Higgins

:56:28.:56:35.

went for the ice. A big piece of ice. I'll just get a little one,

:56:36.:56:39.

that won't fit in the glass. Well there you go. Will it stop? I

:56:40.:56:58.

don't think it will. Terrific shot. Yes and that's what has come back,

:56:59.:57:03.

John. That's what has come back to his game his long potting. Back it

:57:04.:57:08.

viptage Higgins he has been all eggs soo. He used to do that with

:57:09.:57:12.

monotonous regularity when you played him and he has certainly

:57:13.:57:19.

sound something this year. Yes, I agree with you. We look at the

:57:20.:57:23.

safety stats and everything else but at the end of the day if you can

:57:24.:57:27.

knock them long reds in, they will give you chances and 71% is very

:57:28.:57:34.

good. I usually think about mid-60s is fair. And when you haven't got

:57:35.:57:39.

that in your armoury it becomes debilitating because you know the

:57:40.:57:42.

chances that come along and should be yours, they go to the opponent

:57:43.:57:47.

when you start missing them and generally, as you get a little

:57:48.:57:53.

older, the long game is the one that struggles first, so he has done very

:57:54.:57:55.

well to hang on to that. Is he on this red at the bottom of

:57:56.:58:12.

cluser? I don't think so. I don't think he can hit enough of it. Well

:58:13.:58:22.

the worst way, he finished in the middle of both. Not enough for the

:58:23.:58:27.

bottom one and not far out for the one on the left-hand side so just a

:58:28.:58:29.

safety. After such a good opening red, it

:58:30.:59:00.

only realised 12 points. He just had a little look there,

:59:01.:59:44.

John, to see if there was a plant on. But there isn't.

:59:45.:59:51.

There is a nice target behind yellow and proun. This requires -- brown.

:59:52.:00:00.

This requires excellent cueing to get the right contact.

:00:01.:00:06.

I think those two shots sum up why those two players have been at the

:00:07.:00:50.

top of the game in the tactical department for all of these years.

:00:51.:00:55.

Brilliant! Yes, as the great Ray Reardon once said to me, there's

:00:56.:00:57.

more to snooker than potting balls. It has caused a slight error from

:00:58.:01:09.

John. I don't know whether the red to the

:01:10.:01:22.

right corner, if Mark can see it. I assume he can't, or he'll be looking

:01:23.:01:24.

at the pot on that. I don't know.

:01:25.:01:35.

The only thing I can think of is if he played that one, he might play it

:01:36.:01:39.

with a bit of check side and he may be able to get into the baulk area,

:01:40.:01:42.

play it as a shot to nothing. It can go wrong, of course, if you

:01:43.:01:51.

get it too thick. He may play that. These super fine cloths, when you

:01:52.:01:55.

play with side, they act completely different.

:01:56.:02:01.

It looks as if he can see enough of it to me.

:02:02.:02:12.

We'll soon know he plays it when the cue ball comes off the cushion.

:02:13.:02:20.

Maybe you're right. Yes. He could do it.

:02:21.:02:25.

Oh, that's really unlucky. What a great pot.

:02:26.:02:29.

But to finish hampered on the blau Just got the edge of the pot. He

:02:30.:02:43.

would have been nicely on the blue. If he could get his hand on the

:02:44.:02:47.

table, you'd fancy him to pot this blue. But he's got to be careful. If

:02:48.:02:51.

I was playing the shot I would rather play it with a spider, so

:02:52.:02:56.

you're striking down more. There's a little bit of a gap. Got to be

:02:57.:02:59.

careful! Potted the blue. What a brilliant shot that is! The

:03:00.:03:13.

last two shots have been superb. He had to drag the cue back as

:03:14.:03:19.

quickly as possible. What a response this is.

:03:20.:03:28.

Just have a look at that again. How quickly he had to get the cue out of

:03:29.:03:35.

the way. If it had been straight, he'd have to get the rest of them

:03:36.:03:40.

out the way as well. You show us that good safety.

:03:41.:03:47.

Bless you! Thasm good safety forced the error.

:03:48.:03:51.

Somebody sneezed, so Mark doing the right thing. Get up, regain your

:03:52.:03:59.

concentration. This is a big moment in the match, this, for me.

:04:00.:04:07.

Played that beautifully. Also would be happy with the response off the

:04:08.:04:15.

cushion there. He's finding mental reserves here,

:04:16.:04:26.

Mark Selby. Hasn't had things his own way today.

:04:27.:04:31.

Definitely looked a bit jaded, but he knows how important this part of

:04:32.:04:34.

the match is. If he can get out winning these last two frames and

:04:35.:04:39.

only be 10-7 down, wow! What a result that would be!

:04:40.:05:04.

I don't think he's on it, but the pink goes, by the look of it.

:05:05.:05:12.

Just looking for another 41 points from this situation.

:05:13.:05:22.

He looked the low one, the two reds on the right-hand side of the table,

:05:23.:05:29.

he looked at the lower one, to see if by playing on the pink he could

:05:30.:05:33.

get on that. He's inch-perfect on the pink. There's not a lot of room

:05:34.:05:40.

to play for the red. As I say, inch-perfect on the pink.

:05:41.:05:47.

When he pots this red, of course, he clears the path for the other un.

:05:48.:05:55.

I mentioned before, the last frame, if he could win in one visit it

:05:56.:06:00.

might just give him a kick-start. It looks like it has.

:06:01.:06:06.

Been a struggle for most of the match so far for Mark, but that

:06:07.:06:12.

break in the last frame was excellent.

:06:13.:06:22.

As it turned out, it left him a nice angle on that red. Didn't have to

:06:23.:07:00.

play with any pace. 32 points to lead. He's playing the cannon.

:07:01.:07:08.

He's played the cannon. I'm looking at his body language. Is he on his

:07:09.:07:15.

red to the right middle? I would say, yes. I would say, yes.

:07:16.:07:22.

I could never tell looking from behind the pocket. Could you? I

:07:23.:07:33.

don't think that's a great way of doing it. You can make anything look

:07:34.:07:37.

like it goes from the other way around. It's only this side that

:07:38.:07:41.

will really tell the story. He may get through to it. He may have to

:07:42.:07:45.

play with a trace of left-hand side to turn the red over. For me, it's

:07:46.:07:48.

on. What a contribution once again.

:07:49.:08:32.

Brilliant stuff from Mark Selby. It's what great champions do...

:08:33.:08:38.

Back's against the wall - find something from somewhere.

:08:39.:08:43.

And what a massive final frame of the session this is going to be

:08:44.:08:49.

coming up. Yes. This was a big frame. As you say,

:08:50.:08:54.

the last one is going to be even bigger. Once you've lost that first

:08:55.:09:00.

session, you're playing catch-up, so you need to win the next section.

:09:01.:09:07.

OK, if he wins the next frame, it will only be by one frame. But he

:09:08.:09:11.

couldn't afford to lose this session. The kiss is OK. It's not

:09:12.:09:14.

the red on. Didn't give us the century break in

:09:15.:09:24.

the last frame. But every chance he'll give us one

:09:25.:09:26.

in this. 86 is the highest break in this

:09:27.:09:34.

match so far. Usually a ton machine. Purposefully going for the pink, if

:09:35.:10:13.

he's straight on the pink stun it in automatically on the yellow.

:10:14.:10:15.

Fancy 100 now. Already made six in the tournament.

:10:16.:10:29.

None in this match so far. May have made six, but none as

:10:30.:10:31.

important as this. And this is the 72nd century break

:10:32.:11:24.

of this year's championship and what a timely contribution from Mark

:11:25.:11:29.

Selby. Absolutely superb! He didn't need any help from John Higgins

:11:30.:11:33.

there. He played a tremendous safety shot.

:11:34.:11:39.

He took the rest of the frame in brilliant fashion. Still four

:11:40.:11:42.

behind, but he's got a foothold in the match now. 10-6, John Higgins.

:11:43.:11:48.

STUDIO: It was six. It's back to four. We were expecting the charge.

:11:49.:11:50.

Here it comes. It seems to have had the galvanising

:11:51.:12:07.

effect on him? John Higgins expected some response from Mark Selby. And

:12:08.:12:14.

as we sit, it's 4-4 in the session. So John Higgins hasn't got any

:12:15.:12:19.

reason to panic. Even if he was to lose the last, he would still say it

:12:20.:12:23.

is a good job done. A massive last frame. Before we talk about that,

:12:24.:12:31.

let's look at the century-makers in this championship, because Ding

:12:32.:12:35.

Junhui way ahead. But that's at the 7.4 mark. John had

:12:36.:12:41.

that 141 earlier on, which was, along with Ronnie's in 2012, earlier

:12:42.:12:46.

on it was the highest ever made in a Crucible final. We talk about this

:12:47.:12:49.

last frame of the session. You called it earlier, so much riding on

:12:50.:12:55.

this one, you would say, Stephen? The change in Selby, he doesn't look

:12:56.:12:59.

tired any more. Running around the table there. Fantastic play. If he

:13:00.:13:04.

wins this frame, he goes slight favourite for me. I know he's three

:13:05.:13:09.

behind but that is how big it is. Only a few frames ago we were

:13:10.:13:13.

talking about potentially Higgins winning with a second to space. That

:13:14.:13:19.

was me to be fair. Mark Selby could go favourite. It is what we want in

:13:20.:13:23.

a Crucible final. So many twists and turns and this is the last of our

:13:24.:13:26.

evening. THE COMMENTATOR: So big last frame,

:13:27.:13:41.

as we say. Is the deficit going to be five or three for Mark Selby?

:13:42.:13:58.

95% pot success Mark Selby. 93%, John Higgins. High quality.

:13:59.:14:08.

Well he played that, a half-hearted attempt to the pot.

:14:09.:14:22.

If he did drop it in he'd be on the black, automatic.

:14:23.:14:36.

Just a fraction high. A really tough shot, that one. You

:14:37.:14:44.

get used to players knocking them in, these days. Hardly see in the

:14:45.:14:48.

pocket with that angle. Very, very close.

:14:49.:15:06.

Wonderful! And where the red is, you get

:15:07.:15:29.

position of this blue. You can play on the blue, leave himself half

:15:30.:15:33.

ball. The cue ball's come a little low. Perfect he would have been

:15:34.:15:37.

higher up and left the angle. There's one red available at the

:15:38.:15:40.

back of the pack. The players sometimes play on that one.

:15:41.:15:46.

Could have got on that blue half ball, I am sure the pack would have

:15:47.:15:52.

been going everywhere. But there is one lose thread.

:15:53.:16:04.

He's not low on the red. He's come too straight, so he'll have to roll

:16:05.:16:11.

it through. And there is one lose red

:16:12.:16:15.

immediately above the black, so he may be thinking if he goes into them

:16:16.:16:20.

that that red may just become available.

:16:21.:16:24.

Needs a good angle on the black though.

:16:25.:16:27.

As we have seen this type of shot, you get bounces, you've got to pot

:16:28.:16:38.

the black. If he can screw to the outside red and the black, he may

:16:39.:16:43.

get one towards the corner. He's on one in the middle. He'll take that.

:16:44.:16:51.

Work on the cue ball. Trying its best to come back again. That little

:16:52.:16:55.

final cannon he got was perfect, wasn't it? He just flicked the one

:16:56.:16:59.

immediately above the black... 43 points needed from this position.

:17:00.:17:39.

So, he's going to have to open that bunch of reds at least one more

:17:40.:17:41.

time. What a competitor this boy is. He

:17:42.:17:58.

really is. Where's he found this from? I didn't seed this in his game

:17:59.:18:02.

so far. Absolutely marvellous. Everyone can play when the sun's

:18:03.:18:16.

shining. What a response this is from 10-4

:18:17.:18:28.

down. He's crept up level with John

:18:29.:18:40.

Higgins. Going into them. He's OK.

:18:41.:18:48.

I think the one to the right corner, and enough reds into play.

:18:49.:19:05.

He hit it, just under-hit it slightly.

:19:06.:19:14.

A red at the bottom of the cluster, immediately above the black, which I

:19:15.:19:17.

think is available. He'll need the rest, I think, to play this, John

:19:18.:19:22.

Higgins. Well, win or lose this frame, it will have been a good day

:19:23.:19:26.

for John, I believe. He'll look at the positives. But he may be also

:19:27.:19:31.

looking a at the fact he's missing an opportunity to really push on. He

:19:32.:19:36.

hasn't really done a lot wrong since he missed the pink a couple of

:19:37.:19:41.

frames ago, trying to get the pink in, that's the last bad ball he's

:19:42.:19:46.

missed. Well struck! Really well struck!

:19:47.:19:53.

He's motoring now. Cued this beautifully.

:19:54.:19:58.

And that is the word, cue in it. Sometimes you see players hit a

:19:59.:20:01.

ball. He just pushed the cue through there and got all the action he

:20:02.:20:06.

needed by cueing it well. Oh, he's missed it! Would you

:20:07.:20:08.

believe it? Players who do all the hard work and

:20:09.:20:21.

that lack of concentration, for a split second, chance gone!

:20:22.:20:26.

I used to love that one when they would shout, come on, and you'd go

:20:27.:21:03.

to the table and there was nothing on.

:21:04.:21:07.

It's even worse when you were snookered as well.

:21:08.:21:19.

If you could play that red on the baulk cushion, he'd have played it

:21:20.:21:25.

by now. He obviously continue get through to it.

:21:26.:21:46.

Just coming up to a minute. Thinking time. He doesn't want to make any

:21:47.:21:53.

silly mistakes. He made one last time he was at the table.

:21:54.:22:09.

He's taken the opportunity to stick that red right on the baulk cushion.

:22:10.:22:17.

What a shot. John Higgins appreciated that shot.

:22:18.:22:22.

A few frames ago it was jop doing it to him, wasn't it? -- John doing it

:22:23.:22:25.

to him, wasn't it? He'd love to mess this table up a

:22:26.:23:04.

bit. OK, he's got a couple of reds. One in the middle of the baulk

:23:05.:23:09.

cushion, which is awkward, but he's thinking about maybe playing this

:23:10.:23:14.

and one of these reds may kiss the pink and knock it to the side

:23:15.:23:18.

cushion. Wondering if he was thinking hitting this red into the

:23:19.:23:22.

green and then screwing back. Just mess the table up a little bit.

:23:23.:23:25.

Where's the red going? It's thin, but it will cut.

:23:26.:23:38.

Where that cue ball is, boy, this is tough!

:23:39.:24:01.

To pot like that, you have to make certain of the pot. Another day, he

:24:02.:24:26.

could have been perfect on the pink. A tricky one for Mark. He doesn't

:24:27.:24:54.

want to open this cluster of reds. He may nestle into them. He wants

:24:55.:24:57.

those reds together. If John Higgins was to get a chance,

:24:58.:25:04.

he doesn't want it to be an easy one.

:25:05.:25:21.

I am wondering if it will be that insurance. OK, he could win the

:25:22.:25:28.

frame before that, if he doesn't and John gets in, that red may just have

:25:29.:25:31.

saved the frame. Will go to the left middle.

:25:32.:25:43.

Sees the value in taking it on. If he could push the red to the side

:25:44.:25:48.

cushion, I am sure he would, if he could also control the cue ball.

:25:49.:25:54.

That's what he did. But he didn't control the cue ball. He pushed the

:25:55.:26:00.

cue ball through too far. So, sacrifice a good safety by

:26:01.:26:06.

putting a red safe. Was it the right decision? We'll wait and see.

:26:07.:26:47.

Of course the green being where it is handy.

:26:48.:26:54.

If John Higgins clears up from here, it will be one of the all-time

:26:55.:26:57.

greats. Could have played this a little bit

:26:58.:27:16.

better. Can only assume he's going to play the cannon into these three

:27:17.:27:18.

reds. He's playing. It's a good line.

:27:19.:27:27.

Well, he's knocked one out. He needs it to bounce. It has.

:27:28.:27:39.

He made a decision Mark Selby to push a red to the side cushion.

:27:40.:27:50.

Sacrifice a good safety. He's now got to sit there and wonder

:27:51.:27:52.

whether it was the right choice. Surely he's not left himself

:27:53.:28:13.

snookered there. It looks like he has with that impression. Oh, John,

:28:14.:28:18.

you had a massive margin for error there.

:28:19.:28:27.

Normally when you get a heavy contact, it takes the pace out of

:28:28.:28:32.

the cue ball. It's awkward to move one of the reds

:28:33.:28:53.

that on the side or the baulk curbtion as well. In a -- cushion as

:28:54.:29:00.

well. In a perfect world that's what he'd be doing.

:29:01.:29:10.

Well, he has but that was sheer, sheer frustration. Has he got away

:29:11.:29:18.

with it? I don't think so. I think there maybe a path to the red in the

:29:19.:29:26.

baulk head. I tell you what, he has put Mark under pressure with the red

:29:27.:29:29.

because they are both off the cushion now. He has to knock this

:29:30.:29:34.

in. Everything is available if he doesn't.

:29:35.:29:55.

It was a tough chance to try to win this frame at that visit but as I

:29:56.:30:07.

say, I think he paid that back double that called, John but I don't

:30:08.:30:11.

think it was right shot. He just did it out of sheer frustration, I

:30:12.:30:17.

think. So that green has put Mark Selby 347 points in the lead. And r

:30:18.:30:29.

and he'sp land -- and he's landed perfectly. Red colour red to reduce

:30:30.:30:35.

the deficit to three frames at the end of a long, hard first day. Yes,

:30:36.:30:44.

what a brilliant final frame this has been so far. John will be

:30:45.:30:49.

kicking himself he didn't get himself on position that Mark could

:30:50.:30:54.

take now here on the pink. It was an excellent long red that Mark potted

:30:55.:30:58.

in the green pocket and bizarrely, John, if this does finish 10-7 it is

:30:59.:31:02.

one of the results where both players will be relatively happy.

:31:03.:31:07.

Sqlon, John's entourage will be saying - well done, you are leading

:31:08.:31:11.

the match 10-7 and Mark's entourage will be thinking - well they were

:31:12.:31:16.

10-4 behind look what we've just done, winning the last three frames.

:31:17.:31:20.

So, bizarrely, both camps will be happy. Yes, I think, if you said to

:31:21.:31:30.

John Higgins at the start - by the end of the first day you will have a

:31:31.:31:36.

three-frame advantage, he would snap your hand off. There are a few scars

:31:37.:31:41.

from this session but Mark hasn't fallen perfect here. He is looking

:31:42.:31:45.

for the blue and one for red. A big, big shot.

:31:46.:31:58.

Well, he just needs one more red to leave John Higgins needing snookers.

:31:59.:32:21.

Right in the heart of the pocket. Where's the cue ball going?

:32:22.:32:29.

He will have breathed a sigh of relief there. So John Higgins, it is

:32:30.:32:36.

hard to see any way back in this frame and what a three frames he has

:32:37.:32:42.

produced here, John. With his back to the wall. This is as good as he

:32:43.:32:45.

could have' played there. You can see there, the fist pump. He knows

:32:46.:32:49.

how important it is and what a response from the world number one.

:32:50.:32:56.

Brilliant final three frames. Has to be said and we have a final. And

:32:57.:33:02.

that red means there will be no way back to the table for John Higgins.

:33:03.:33:09.

John Higgins have won the first sessions 46-2. They played nine this

:33:10.:33:16.

evening, OK only a slerned win for Mark Selby but he needed to win this

:33:17.:33:23.

session. He couldn't afford for John Higgins to win it and stretch

:33:24.:33:26.

further clear. -- only a slender win.

:33:27.:33:28.

It's been a marvellous response. And just typical of the man, really.

:33:29.:33:32.

Yes. Brilliant effort from both players today. And a good night's

:33:33.:33:37.

sleep needed by both of them and back again tomorrow Morientes of the

:33:38.:33:39.

same. Fabulous stuff. John qulinges getting out of his

:33:40.:34:20.

seat. It looked like all the world that the match was beginning to slip

:34:21.:34:25.

away from Mark Selby. You can see how pleased he is but remember he is

:34:26.:34:29.

still three frames behind. John Higgins will come into the final day

:34:30.:34:32.

tomorrow with a three-frame advantage but Mark Selby will be

:34:33.:34:37.

pleased and so shall John Higgins all to play for.

:34:38.:34:41.

STUDIO: Well Mark Selby looked sentive anxious under huge pressure

:34:42.:34:45.

as John Higgins established that six-frame lead at 10-4 with vintage

:34:46.:34:48.

play, including a 141. six-frame lead at 10-4 with vintage

:34:49.:34:50.

play, including a 141. But as you always knew, Mark Seoully

:34:51.:34:55.

has crawled his way back into T he hasn't put two frame wins together

:34:56.:35:00.

until that three in a row in the end but how will he reflect on that

:35:01.:35:05.

burst of form at the end? . Loads of adrenaline pumping from both players

:35:06.:35:07.

as they go back to their dressing room, for different reasons. It has

:35:08.:35:12.

been a fascinating session. By the end of the night they'll have

:35:13.:35:17.

cleared their minds of all of that. An astonishing standard by the world

:35:18.:35:20.

champion, number one, superb. You would expect it but for a minute it

:35:21.:35:24.

looked like it wasn't going to happen. He was on the ropes. John

:35:25.:35:28.

Higgins gave him breathing space and he got away with it. John Higgins

:35:29.:35:33.

will have a three-frame advantage. Will he feel like he has let him off

:35:34.:35:37.

the hook? For the next hour, maybe two, he will be disappointed. He is

:35:38.:35:42.

so experienced. He knows frames will make a difference come tomorrow

:35:43.:35:46.

night but once he is over the initial disagreement as John Virgo

:35:47.:35:50.

said, 10-7 is a nice lead going into the final day. Will he reflect on

:35:51.:35:56.

the shot that led it to Selby coming back n failing to get position

:35:57.:35:59.

having potted the blue? Horrendous bad judgment. If there was no bad

:36:00.:36:05.

contag. He should have played a semip stunt shot. The exasperation

:36:06.:36:09.

on his face. I don't know, what do you think happened? He wasn't

:36:10.:36:15.

playing past the black, was he? He can't possibly. Well in my opinion

:36:16.:36:29.

he can't have been playing past the black. He got a kick, I think. It'll

:36:30.:36:33.

take him an hour or two to calm down and in the cold light of day he has

:36:34.:36:37.

a three-frame lead. I think Selby will just have gone favourite We

:36:38.:36:40.

know what he has been capable of. Twice before, roaring back into the

:36:41.:36:42.

final against Ronnie O'Sullivan, memorably coming back and winning

:36:43.:36:45.

what, 13 of the last 17 frames. So he knows he has the form but of

:36:46.:36:48.

course John Higgins has the class and memories of four previous

:36:49.:36:50.

titles. Yes, certainly. I think whoever gets out of the starting

:36:51.:36:52.

blocks tomorrow afternoon will have a great chance in this tournament

:36:53.:36:56.

OK, a fascinating first day. Thank you very much for sharing with us.

:36:57.:36:59.

Thank you to you for sharing with us. He will be back for part 3 of

:37:00.:37:04.

this drama at 2.00pm tomorrow. John Higgins. He certainly had the

:37:05.:37:08.

defending champion on the rack but he has come storming back. What will

:37:09.:37:10.

we get tomorrow? Bye for now. Full disclosure - you're looking at

:37:11.:37:42.

a room of double glazing salesmen. we're not quite the social pariahs

:37:43.:37:45.

you lot probably know and loathe.

:37:46.:37:51.

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