:00:36. > :00:40.Good morning, it was a big night inside the Crucible Theatre on
:00:41. > :00:44.Friday night but we are as bright eyed and bushy tailed and is clear
:00:45. > :00:51.thinking as we could possibly be at 10am on a Saturday because it seems
:00:52. > :00:55.about 100 years ago since Mark Selby, defending champion got is
:00:56. > :01:00.under way here last Saturday and we officially in two weeks to the
:01:01. > :01:03.Betfred Championship. Mark returns this evening. This morning, this
:01:04. > :01:07.place is absolutely packed once again because it is the return of
:01:08. > :01:13.two snooker prizefighters. The last session of their much hyped grudge
:01:14. > :01:17.match. Yesterday, Shaun Murphy inflicted just enough pain upon
:01:18. > :01:23.Ronnie O'Sullivan to remind him he is still dangerous... If this
:01:24. > :01:29.session is anything like the first session, we are in for a treat!
:01:30. > :01:34.There you go! Ronnie never got a chance in that frame, it was all
:01:35. > :01:38.about Shaun Murphy. Thought it was worth the risk and he got it and
:01:39. > :01:43.played it beautifully. He is on a mission. Real determination and
:01:44. > :01:52.steeliness about his whole demeanour this year. A great shot and is the
:01:53. > :02:00.comeback going to get stronger? He's still trailing by four points. Shaun
:02:01. > :02:08.has a look of determination. Oh, he's missed it. Clearly
:02:09. > :02:18.unforgivable. Indigo is the black and Ronnie O'Sullivan makes a
:02:19. > :02:23.marvellous clearance. Ronnie went into the session 6-2 ahead and they
:02:24. > :02:25.shared the eight friends yesterday, so Sullivan's comfort blanket
:02:26. > :02:29.remains the same size. He needs three more this morning to guarantee
:02:30. > :02:34.an 18th quarterfinal appearance in what is his 25th time here in
:02:35. > :02:38.Sheffield. O'Sullivan first place in the Crucible in 93 and although he
:02:39. > :02:44.made the semis in 98 and 99, eight to nine attempts to finally land the
:02:45. > :02:50.title. He beat Higgins in 2001. He won against Graeme Dott in 2004, Ali
:02:51. > :02:56.Carter four years later and then that stunning back-to-back double in
:02:57. > :02:59.2012 and 2013, when O'Sullivan defended his title despite having
:03:00. > :03:03.taken the whole season out of the sport. It might have been a treble
:03:04. > :03:09.had it not been for Mark Selby's tenacity to deny him a sixth title
:03:10. > :03:13.in 2014, his first defeat in Crucible final. Stephen Hendry, a
:03:14. > :03:17.winner of seven world titles and 18 majors in all, well, you are
:03:18. > :03:27.champing at the bit to see this one, I am sure. At ten o'clock in the
:03:28. > :03:30.morning, it is 0- 60 in about two hours from breakfast time on words,
:03:31. > :03:32.a tough thing to have a final session in his key match. Yes. Both
:03:33. > :03:36.players have done this many times. They probably got up about 7am so
:03:37. > :03:39.they will be ready. I'm sure everybody was intrigued by events
:03:40. > :03:43.yesterday because it could have been 7-94 Shaun Murphy. He will be
:03:44. > :03:53.stewing on a final frame. It will have been a long night for Sean, he
:03:54. > :04:02.missed a trick. All to do this morning: he needs to do this against
:04:03. > :04:06.O'Sullivan. Is still possible? Inside the must believe. How much
:04:07. > :04:10.does he want it? How much does he still believes he can? I think if it
:04:11. > :04:13.was 9-7, he would have had a slight chance. But this morning he must win
:04:14. > :04:19.the first four frames, if running wince just one of them, I think the
:04:20. > :04:22.match is over. Thinking about 2007, he was five frames down against
:04:23. > :04:26.Matthew Stevens but he came back to win it. Is this a different kind of
:04:27. > :04:31.proposition? It is a different kettle of fish, night and day,
:04:32. > :04:36.Ronnie O'Sullivan is one of the best players of all time and he looks
:04:37. > :04:40.really up for this championship. I think Shaun missed a trick
:04:41. > :04:45.yesterday. Do you expect Ronnie's levels to dip to the degree they did
:04:46. > :04:49.yesterday? He looked jaded and fatigue in those last four frames.
:04:50. > :04:55.No, I think it will come out firing this morning. OK, you will be
:04:56. > :05:05.commentating shortly. This is backstage. The Kaiser pacing around,
:05:06. > :05:10.there is Ronnie, ready to go out. Into the back straight. Mark Allen
:05:11. > :05:16.produced a blistering performance yesterday. Despite three centuries
:05:17. > :05:21.and a 96% success rate. John Higgins is only two friends behind. A wily
:05:22. > :05:25.player. And there is Mark Allen. Their second session will be coming
:05:26. > :05:30.up today. One for the early birds, including all of you at home. Let's
:05:31. > :05:36.get on with it. Rob Walker will get the ball rolling.
:05:37. > :05:48.What a line-up. Four of the greatest entertainers the game has ever seen.
:05:49. > :05:50.One thing is for certain, Day 8 of the Betfred World Snooker
:05:51. > :05:50.Championship is starting with a bang!
:05:51. > :06:17.CHEERING AND APPLAUSE Please welcome one of the best
:06:18. > :06:21.break-builders in the modern game. He made the semis in 2009 but
:06:22. > :06:26.yesterday we saw arguably the best snooker he has ever produced at the
:06:27. > :06:29.Crucible. Three centuries and the other breaks over 60, the three-time
:06:30. > :06:32.ranking event when is fired up for this one, from Northern Ireland,
:06:33. > :07:00.here's Mark The Pistol Allen! And his opponent, without doubt one
:07:01. > :07:05.of the finest sportsmen Scotland has ever produced, winner of 28 ranking
:07:06. > :07:09.titles in all, four times a world champion and a huge clearance in the
:07:10. > :07:11.last train yesterday has kept him in touch, he's the Wizard of Wishaw, he
:07:12. > :07:31.is John Higgins! On table one, here comes a player
:07:32. > :07:38.who has been producing his best here for more than two decades, now just
:07:39. > :07:41.three frames away from a Crucible quarterfinal, reigning Masters
:07:42. > :08:02.champion, five times world champion, its Ronnie "The Rocket" O'Sullivan!
:08:03. > :08:14.And his opponent, a class act on and off the table. Winner of seven
:08:15. > :08:15.ranking titles in all, he will give it absolutely everything, he's the
:08:16. > :08:46.magician, Shaun Murphy! Hazel Irvine label so, early start,
:08:47. > :08:50.here on BBC Two we are sticking with the last phase of the match and a
:08:51. > :08:53.story that has run all week, a possible nine more friends to play
:08:54. > :08:58.and we will share it all in the company Stephen Hendry and Dennis
:08:59. > :09:06.Taylor. Good morning, Hazel and good morning to everyone watching. It is
:09:07. > :09:11.going to be a fascinating frames here and as Stephen Hendry said, he
:09:12. > :09:18.thinks Sean would need to win all four.
:09:19. > :09:31.He certainly would need to win the many session three frames to one.
:09:32. > :09:41.COMMENTATOR: The last frame was a huge one, Sean almost back to two
:09:42. > :10:07.behind after being 9-3 down. The brown is in. It has just cost
:10:08. > :10:23.him four points. Everything looks to be reasonably safe. Not easy for an
:10:24. > :10:24.opening attempt. Didn't make a great deal of difference, just cost him
:10:25. > :10:40.four points. This is far from easy. On the
:10:41. > :11:09.cushion, requires to be thick cueing to put this.
:11:10. > :11:19.You are right, that first was also...
:11:20. > :11:37.APPLAUSE A chance to go into the bunch, he
:11:38. > :11:39.can almost missed the two reds and bring the cue ball back to the
:11:40. > :12:06.right. That is the shot that Stephen
:12:07. > :12:12.suggested is not a bad choice. It seems as if he is reluctant to play
:12:13. > :12:28.that. Maybe first frame in the morning, just play for the open,. --
:12:29. > :12:41.the open red. In the end, he played the cannon. He still has this read
:12:42. > :13:01.to the far right. Possibly the middle.
:13:02. > :13:06.Looks very focused this morning. The boys would have been seven o'clock
:13:07. > :13:31.to make sure they have wide awake. I had the feeling Ronnie would come
:13:32. > :13:41.out not really 100% focused this morning. He kind of dodged one
:13:42. > :13:43.yesterday. In that session, it should have been 9-7 in front and
:13:44. > :13:50.then he would have been favourite but under more pressure. He wants to
:13:51. > :14:17.just put this match to bed now quickly. That's the end of break.
:14:18. > :14:24.When he won that last frame, I was coming out of the commentary box and
:14:25. > :14:35.he said to me he could not believe he got down to pot the black.
:14:36. > :14:36.Somebody walked out just as he was delivering the cue, they stood up
:14:37. > :14:55.and walked out! APPLAUSE A fantastic pot.
:14:56. > :15:06.That's too amazing reds he has wanted from the cushion this
:15:07. > :15:12.morning. I don't know if there was even a thought of playing safe. The
:15:13. > :15:22.cue ball ended up in and out of baulk. Ominous signs for Shaun
:15:23. > :15:31.Murphy, I would suggest. He's done nothing wrong, Shaun Murphy, and
:15:32. > :15:38.Ronnie knocked a cracking opening pot in. Dead straight on the blue
:15:39. > :15:43.there. That's where he would like to leave the cue ball. It's going to be
:15:44. > :15:50.in the gym length pot he's going to leave himself. -- a medium length
:15:51. > :16:05.pot. Going for the centre of the pocket
:16:06. > :16:20.at the moment. Has he got to the angle on this
:16:21. > :16:29.rock, to get on the black without having to nudge it? Just. And this
:16:30. > :16:43.is the key shot coming up. If you get the cannon on the red. That
:16:44. > :17:05.looks perfect. What a start in this opening frame.
:17:06. > :17:17.Yeah, this is one way of reminding Shaun Murphy he should have spotted
:17:18. > :17:31.that green yesterday afternoon. How do you like them apples?
:17:32. > :17:42.He has made 47 centuries this season, way head of last season,
:17:43. > :17:48.where he made 30. And then all of a sudden he misses a sitter. And Shaun
:17:49. > :17:59.Murphy has a glimmer of hope. APPLAUSE I think he just lost a bit
:18:00. > :18:05.of concentration. He was concentrating on the cannon
:18:06. > :18:13.Mac. No, that is just sheer carelessness. I think he won the
:18:14. > :18:26.friend mathematically. And just eased off on the concentration.
:18:27. > :18:35.I'm just looking at the situation of the balls. If he can get this black,
:18:36. > :18:39.the more reds and leave either red next to the pink, it would be
:18:40. > :18:41.perfect for the snake that he needs. So, there is a glimmer of hope here
:18:42. > :19:06.for Shaun Murphy. He is removing the red to the left
:19:07. > :19:18.of the pink. Oh, he has missed it! I thought I was going to the jaw.
:19:19. > :19:28.Let's have another look... He left about red to the right of the pink.
:19:29. > :19:35.So, just the one for snooker to tie but if he... If he does get a good
:19:36. > :19:44.snooker on that red next to the pink, always the chance of a free
:19:45. > :19:50.ball. To leave himself just the one snooker to time, he has to get a
:19:51. > :19:59.black of the next red. And need to keep on running.
:20:00. > :20:16.Pot the black and get taken behind that pink and this opening frame is
:20:17. > :20:31.far from over, let's put it that way.
:20:32. > :20:35.Have you lost the cue ball? I was about to say he might only get one
:20:36. > :20:56.chance at this, absolutely tight snooker. Oh dear. And the red pots.
:20:57. > :21:01.He didn't get the point where he wanted. Still expected Shaun Murphy
:21:02. > :21:12.to get in behind the pink but he just overscrewed it.
:21:13. > :21:15.APPLAUSE Shaun Murphy did make Ronnie pay for that.
:21:16. > :22:14.That earlier easiness. -- EEC miss. A tremendous amount of left-hand
:22:15. > :22:37.side. Shaun had a glimmer of hope. Ronnie
:22:38. > :22:43.extends his lead now. It is 11-6. It looked very sharp. Shaun had a go at
:22:44. > :22:48.a long walk or Mac and left the white tight on the cushion at the
:22:49. > :22:57.start of that frame. And the first red 13 knocked him was a cracker,
:22:58. > :23:07.wasn't it? Amateur players cannot try this. You have to cue it so
:23:08. > :23:20.well, not only pot the ball but a stunning shop. We thought he would
:23:21. > :23:36.play a safety shot. He played full-blooded. He came out colour, to
:23:37. > :23:42.cracking pots. Yeah, he is totally focused, the third session of the
:23:43. > :23:50.match to win, when you really have to be on it and more often than not,
:23:51. > :24:01.the best players are, Selby, Higgins, O'Sullivan, they know.
:24:02. > :24:10.As I said at the top of the show, Shaun needs to win all four frames,
:24:11. > :24:11.he definitely needs to win all three now to have any squeak in this match
:24:12. > :26:42.at all. Shaun left this angle on the red
:26:43. > :26:52.purposely because he knew the black was going up to the blue spot.
:26:53. > :27:02.Now he needs a good cannon here to develop a few more. He can't really
:27:03. > :27:07.crash into the pink the way they are sitting, so just a more delicate
:27:08. > :27:12.one. And the black will come back onto its own spot. He is hampered
:27:13. > :27:23.slightly. They want us to the right of the black will pot. He is looking
:27:24. > :27:27.to the one to the right goal and it was one in the right corner but the
:27:28. > :27:28.man next to the black would be the shot that would get a better
:27:29. > :28:58.position. Just have a slightly. It's going to be difficult to get 69
:28:59. > :29:04.points from this position. One more loose red Blood Moon Shaun he might
:29:05. > :29:11.play this with top spin to go into the bunch.
:29:12. > :29:25.Brilliant. A great shot. A very aggressive shot. So important to go
:29:26. > :29:26.into the bunch when you have one or two loose reds. You don't leave it
:29:27. > :29:39.to the last minute. He looks to be cueing beautifully,
:29:40. > :29:48.Shaun Murphy. He wants that cue ball to stop, just
:29:49. > :30:19.in time. I think Shaun Murphy is the best
:30:20. > :30:32.player in the world with the rest, so I don't see him missing this one.
:30:33. > :30:38.I don't want to say too much because when I said Ronnie Wood make a
:30:39. > :30:47.century in the first frame, he missed. But it is looking very much
:30:48. > :30:59.like one visit. Let's see, just as I say it... I am going to keep quiet
:31:00. > :31:04.now. That was just a little lapse in concentration from Shaun. In the
:31:05. > :31:13.first frame, he just lost the cue ball at the crucial stage. He looks
:31:14. > :31:17.a little bemused by that. Now he is going to have to need another chance
:31:18. > :31:22.and look at the way the red sand colours are situated. He will have
:31:23. > :31:24.to be very, very careful here because this is a must win frame for
:31:25. > :32:02.Shaun. There is a possibility of a very
:32:03. > :32:09.difficult pot into the left corner pocket. If he can't see the one past
:32:10. > :32:13.the green to take the safety shot. He is looking to see if he can get
:32:14. > :32:15.past the green to clip the other one. No easy safety shot and he will
:32:16. > :32:31.have a go at this. What a shot that is. What a part.
:32:32. > :32:43.You just can't hit the ball any better than that. Yes, it is not
:32:44. > :32:53.often you see any thing on Ronnie 's face after he pops a ball but look
:32:54. > :33:04.at him here... Yes. He is focused all right.
:33:05. > :33:09.And there is only the one ball that is near the cushion. The rest are
:33:10. > :34:16.all sitting very nicely indeed. He is already thinking ahead. That
:34:17. > :34:20.is where he would like to be in a few shots time. If he can get the
:34:21. > :34:27.red, a colour and leave it someone near that white, he can drop that
:34:28. > :34:33.difficult read in and get onto the black. Let's see. He may be able to
:34:34. > :34:49.move the red now, which is even better. Yeah, I don't think he
:34:50. > :34:55.wanted to play the cannon. Yes, he has had to leave it into the other
:34:56. > :34:59.corner but he has left it very straight on this. Now, he could just
:35:00. > :35:11.roll this in landing behind the black. And that is what... He has
:35:12. > :35:16.run it through. This is a tough shot he has left himself with. I thought
:35:17. > :35:25.he would pot the red and leave this behind the black. It is almost two
:35:26. > :35:31.feet further than he wanted. I think he's going to do exactly what you
:35:32. > :35:45.said, drop the red in and snooker Shaun. Well, he didn't play the
:35:46. > :35:55.double, he played the snooker there. Has he got the snooker? That's the
:35:56. > :36:03.question. Maybe he didn't get the snooker behind the pink. That is
:36:04. > :36:05.what he played. He is not going to drop this year low in now, surely.
:36:06. > :36:33.No. Quite a good shot. It is a straightforward escape but
:36:34. > :36:35.you still have to be very precise to try and knock this safe. It is so
:36:36. > :37:13.easy to push the yellow on. Well, this is a chance. If he can
:37:14. > :37:14.pot this yellow, come off the cushion next to the black and back
:37:15. > :37:26.down for the green. This looks very good. Played that
:37:27. > :37:59.very well indeed. Good judgment. As long as your opponent needs to
:38:00. > :38:16.frames, you always feel you have got a bit of a chance.
:38:17. > :38:26.He's not going to bother with the black. He opened the door for Ronnie
:38:27. > :38:29.O'Sullivan but Ronnie did not take it and Shaun badly needed that
:38:30. > :39:34.frame. He still trails by four frames.
:39:35. > :39:46.Back just in time. The balls have been set up and Shaun Murphy has got
:39:47. > :40:10.to take a frame at a time. That's all he can do.
:40:11. > :40:20.Well, that is a pretty good break off a shot. I think all Shaun can do
:40:21. > :40:28.here is come off the side cushion and nestle into the red. From the
:40:29. > :40:37.break of shot, you are usually looking to get the white tight on
:40:38. > :40:41.the cushion. It looks as if he is just planning to nestle on the one
:40:42. > :40:58.nearest the cushion and he's done well.
:40:59. > :41:05.The champions' lounge was very quiet this morning. Just Shaun 's wife
:41:06. > :41:14.Elaine and baby boy Harry there and they feel that Shaun can come back
:41:15. > :41:15.here and why wouldn't they? He is a delightful little boy, Harry,
:41:16. > :41:32.smiling all the time. Can Shaun take this much past the
:41:33. > :41:33.mid-session interval? He has to win one of the two frames before that
:41:34. > :42:03.interval. Ronnie O'Sullivan never plays
:42:04. > :42:06.anything playing ball. He never plays straight up and down shots.
:42:07. > :42:08.He's always trying to put some sort of said on the cue ball, trying to
:42:09. > :42:28.manufacture angles. Good connection on the red but has
:42:29. > :42:36.he left it? It is a very tough shot. Very easy to get a double-kiss.
:42:37. > :42:45.Ronnie has also got to hide that thread that is over the pocket.
:42:46. > :42:50.Played that with lots of Czech side, there might be a gap through to this
:42:51. > :42:56.red and the black might be available. The pink is portable. He
:42:57. > :43:01.can certainly get through to the potting angle and he is coming
:43:02. > :43:08.through to look to see if the black is available. It is one of those.
:43:09. > :43:13.You play for the black and do not get on it but the pink is therefore
:43:14. > :43:31.the middle pocket. It is an early chance for Shaun.
:43:32. > :43:36.Shaun Murphy has got to make the most of these opportunities when he
:43:37. > :44:23.gets in first in frames. He will know that.
:44:24. > :44:30.I don't think the red closest to the black goes to the right corner. He
:44:31. > :44:36.may just manage to nudge it ever so slightly and stay on it. He decided
:44:37. > :45:25.to play the more percentage shot and just get the cue ball out of there.
:45:26. > :45:35.Certainly could not have the reds placed any better. What a horrendous
:45:36. > :45:41.kick. That was a vile. Absolutely vile. I think that's one of the
:45:42. > :45:48.worst kicks I've ever seen. Watch the red. It has gone sideways. I
:45:49. > :45:52.mean, that's ridiculous. And what a time for that to happen. He was
:45:53. > :45:57.going along, cueing perfectly. Looked like he was going to make a
:45:58. > :46:06.sizeable contribution again and that happens. Surely that's not Shaun
:46:07. > :46:09.Murphy 's hopes of winning this much gone without, an incredible piece of
:46:10. > :46:36.bad fortune. Yeah, you don't mind losing a frame
:46:37. > :46:38.if you have played a poor shot or had a little bit of bad luck but
:46:39. > :48:05.that was worse than bad luck. I'll tell you what you notice with
:48:06. > :48:10.Ronnie. He very rarely has the cue ball clean. A lot of players would
:48:11. > :48:16.have the cue ball cleaned after a heavy contact but even when he is on
:48:17. > :48:25.a break, you very rarely see him get the cue ball clean. I suppose it is
:48:26. > :48:29.after the horse has bolted. There is always a chance of getting a couple
:48:30. > :48:37.of kicks in a row. He is one of the players in the game that never has
:48:38. > :48:40.the cue ball clean. Certainly not for the sake of doing it. He will if
:48:41. > :48:55.he sees something on the cue ball. I mean, how punishing can snooker at
:48:56. > :48:56.the top level B? What has happened to Shaun Murphy and he has just got
:48:57. > :49:12.to sit there and suffer. All the spots are occupied. Ronnie
:49:13. > :49:19.taken the opportunity just to sit down for a while while the referee
:49:20. > :49:23.from Belgium, he is a nurse in one of the big hospitals in Belgium, and
:49:24. > :49:37.manages to get time off to referee, a very good referee...
:49:38. > :49:42.But it was interesting that Ronnie went and sat down while he spotted
:49:43. > :50:12.the pink. Has he got the angle? 38 the
:50:13. > :50:17.difference. He would only need one more red and he's just looking to
:50:18. > :50:22.see if he can get on that one. I mean, if he was behind, he would be
:50:23. > :50:26.contemplating Canning into the red and pink but he doesn't need those,
:50:27. > :50:35.he just needs this one red and a colour. 43. In fact, the red is
:50:36. > :50:49.enough to leave Shaun needing a snooker. If this red goes in, it has
:50:50. > :50:52.cost Shaun the frame. Very, very unfortunate. Must have spotted
:50:53. > :51:30.something on the cue ball that time to have it cleaned.
:51:31. > :51:36.It was so cruel what happened to Shaun Murphy but I love what Ronnie
:51:37. > :51:43.has done. He has absolutely punished him. He has taken this superbly
:51:44. > :51:59.well. We have had 38 centuries so far.
:52:00. > :52:24.Ronnie has had three so far. He has made 871 centuries,
:52:25. > :52:34.incredible. 47 this season. Which is 70 more than last season. -- 17. He
:52:35. > :52:47.really is animal on the table when he is in this kind of mood. But it
:52:48. > :53:00.has to be said, he is cueing so well this morning. Very, very focused. He
:53:01. > :53:07.was lucky to get in here but... Shaun Murphy was so unlucky when he
:53:08. > :53:12.got that horrendous kick and Ronnie leaves the arena just leading the
:53:13. > :54:14.macro needing one more frame for a place in the quarterfinal.
:54:15. > :54:23.Some incredible stats there about Ronnie O'Sullivan. And Shaun is just
:54:24. > :54:28.sitting there waiting for Ronnie to come back. What happened to him in
:54:29. > :54:35.this frame? He is just rolling the red in and watch... Maybe he had a
:54:36. > :54:39.little bit of side but the kick through that read off path by so
:54:40. > :54:43.much but Ronnie came to the table and thought he might have the cue
:54:44. > :54:49.ball cleaned but he just carried on and cleared up from there. Yes, the
:54:50. > :54:56.fact that Ronnie is playing a stunning shot as well. But Shaun
:54:57. > :54:58.Murphy now breaking off. You mentioned, Dennis, when your
:54:59. > :55:06.opponent needs two frames, you'll have a bit of room for manoeuvre but
:55:07. > :55:09.it is the point of no return now. Ronnie will went to win the match in
:55:10. > :55:13.this frame. He will not want to go to the interval. Which is scheduled
:55:14. > :55:17.for after the fourth frame of every match. He will want to get this done
:55:18. > :55:53.now. He knocked one in in the previous
:55:54. > :55:57.round but have a look at this. He is tucked up on the cushion and he has
:55:58. > :56:01.rolled that in, perfect on the black. He has played a couple of
:56:02. > :56:07.wrong pots this morning which were quite incredible. I said in some
:56:08. > :56:13.interviews before this, I think Ronnie Wood when it and I actually
:56:14. > :56:20.didn't because of the way he has been playing Annie Nast were last
:56:21. > :56:30.few months. But in this kind of focus, he will take some stopping.
:56:31. > :56:32.That read he played at the start of the frame, well, that could win any
:56:33. > :56:48.hotshot competition. I mean, this would be tough if you
:56:49. > :56:54.were on the baulk line but from the cushion to roll that winning. It is
:56:55. > :57:01.a sign of how well he is cueing. You have to be cueing just supremely
:57:02. > :57:08.well. Striking the cue ball in the middle. Any millilitre of side
:57:09. > :57:14.either side of middle of the cue ball and you miss that by a mile and
:57:15. > :57:21.he won't be happy with that one. He will be furious that one. That is
:57:22. > :57:22.very careless. That is just adrenaline. He has seen the winning
:57:23. > :58:06.line. He may have covered that one. He got
:58:07. > :58:11.a terrific cue ball but the red sprang out of the pack and Ronnie
:58:12. > :58:17.might swerve around the greens here. Because he cannot leave that one
:58:18. > :58:26.there. He is looking at the pot to the right corner. If he knocks that
:58:27. > :58:34.winning, this is as the opening pot. I prefer swerving round the green.
:58:35. > :58:38.He has thought about that. There is every chance that he could finish on
:58:39. > :58:43.the back if he gets the swerve correct. But he has looked at that
:58:44. > :58:56.read and it is the very difficult one into the right corner.
:58:57. > :59:03.Did he just played to hide that cue ball? He has certainly covered it,
:59:04. > :59:11.that's for sure. I think he definitely took the pot on and for
:59:12. > :59:12.once, he was well wide of the mark. He has actually been quite
:59:13. > :59:30.fortunate. There is one read that Sean can cut
:59:31. > :59:37.in past that one that is over the pocket. That one, if he cut out
:59:38. > :59:40.across, but I don't think it would go in of the other. He has looked at
:59:41. > :00:01.that. I think that is the one he has
:00:02. > :00:10.decided on, the one with the circle. Will it go in of the other red? Will
:00:11. > :00:15.he knocks the other one in? Look at the cue ball full. Have a look at
:00:16. > :00:36.the Kewell. -- have a look at the cue ball.
:00:37. > :01:13.Lots of right-hand side, if he just pots the red a bit sooner... No.
:01:14. > :01:25.If he has covered that red, he has been very fortunate. He would like
:01:26. > :01:30.to pop this directly into a pocket. He would still be on the pink if you
:01:31. > :01:47.took this but if he puts it the black is there. And he potted it
:01:48. > :03:05.cleanly. That was terrific cueing from Shaun Murphy there.
:03:06. > :03:12.He lost a little bit of focus there, he was a bit disappointed with the
:03:13. > :03:17.way he left himself on the pink because he was having to go away
:03:18. > :03:24.from the reds. He just took his eye off bad pot there. It's just going
:03:25. > :03:32.slightly to the right side of the pocket.
:03:33. > :03:45.If this plant goes in... Shaun might just have played his last shot in
:03:46. > :03:57.this year's World Championship. He is taking the single red. And now an
:03:58. > :04:06.angle on the pink. To develop the reds if he wishes. He has to avoid
:04:07. > :04:10.the gap between the sets of the reds. Any contact and you would
:04:11. > :04:25.think it was framing match over. I am surprised he played for this
:04:26. > :04:45.red. He is not on the pink. He just has
:04:46. > :04:58.to avoid the green and the brown to go back up to those reds. This is
:04:59. > :05:01.the key shot coming up. The pot on the blue is pretty straightforward
:05:02. > :05:20.but he just has to avoid contact with the colours.
:05:21. > :06:17.He has got the red to the middle pocket. A strange shot.
:06:18. > :06:25.He is not on the pink. That was a little bit careless and now he not
:06:26. > :06:34.only has two pot the blue but leave the two reds.
:06:35. > :06:42.That's amazing. Usually someone like Ronnie, the top players have no
:06:43. > :06:47.problem closing a match out. But it shows you that even they can feel
:06:48. > :07:12.the pressure at the end of a match. But a couple he cannot believe he
:07:13. > :07:19.has missed. It looks like it has sapped any remaining belief that
:07:20. > :07:41.Shaun had of winning the match. APPLAUSE
:07:42. > :08:12.You would think one positional shot now.
:08:13. > :08:20.The joint favourites before the start of this year's Betfred World
:08:21. > :08:29.Championship, Mark Selby and Judd Trump, no longer here, Rory
:08:30. > :08:39.McLeod... If the bookies don't make Shaun Murphy favourite. He has
:08:40. > :08:42.looked very focused and has played very well against Shaun and it's
:08:43. > :08:58.going to be a tough match for Ronnie. He made that look easy.
:08:59. > :09:05.And what a mouthwatering match he has in the next round, the winner of
:09:06. > :09:13.Ding Junhui and Liang Wenbo will be at least a people watching that one
:09:14. > :09:20.regardless of who gets through because Ronnie is as popular out
:09:21. > :09:25.there as the Chinese players. That match will start on morning.
:09:26. > :09:33.Meanwhile, Ronnie going about his business here, just polishing off
:09:34. > :09:39.the colours. Shaun Murphy, the gentleman that he is, will come
:09:40. > :09:43.forward and congratulate Ronnie, there was a little bit of needle in
:09:44. > :09:53.this match but Shaun is the perfect gentleman.
:09:54. > :09:59.CHEERING AND APPLAUSE A very solid performance.
:10:00. > :10:11.Ronnie O'Sullivan and in the end, you have to say it was a comfortable
:10:12. > :10:17.victory. 13 frames to seven. Hazel Irvine: and Ronnie through to his
:10:18. > :10:20.final and you were absolutely right, Stephen Hendry, absolutely critical
:10:21. > :10:26.opening frame and he is well on his way. Very much so. He came out
:10:27. > :10:29.firing and I think he felt he really dodged one yesterday, it could have
:10:30. > :10:33.been 9-7 and the match could have been closer and sometimes you just
:10:34. > :10:38.switch on. I used to find the final session of a three session match,
:10:39. > :10:45.for some reason you just are focused. When you are here to win
:10:46. > :10:47.the tournament and that was a very impressive first session, some
:10:48. > :10:53.incredible's from under the coalition. Just awesome. Pin sharp
:10:54. > :10:58.potting and we have lined a few of those up today. In previous years,
:10:59. > :11:06.he has flitted in and out in terms of long pot success but in his later
:11:07. > :11:11.years he seems to have perfected it. It was just awesome. But one that we
:11:12. > :11:26.saw before, I can't tell you how difficult it is to claim that -- how
:11:27. > :11:29.difficult it is to cue that. The first session was full of bristling
:11:30. > :11:36.controversy but much more even tempered, Ronnie, out there today. I
:11:37. > :11:40.think he knows what to expect with Shaun Murphy. I think the first
:11:41. > :11:43.round, when you're playing a qualifier, someone who has never
:11:44. > :11:46.been at the Crucible before, sometimes you do not know what to
:11:47. > :11:51.expect and I don't think he could shake a Gary off in the first round,
:11:52. > :11:54.under pressure, he knew what to expect with Shaun and he knew what
:11:55. > :11:58.he had to do. What do you make of the comparison of performances
:11:59. > :12:03.between Gary Wilson in the first round on this one? What is the
:12:04. > :12:08.difference in Ronnie's playing? The second session against Gary, he was
:12:09. > :12:13.impressive then as well. I think it is hard to say, when you're in the
:12:14. > :12:22.World Championship, here to win it, you just sort of keep ticking away.
:12:23. > :12:25.I am impressed on his focus. It looks fascinating. He said after the
:12:26. > :12:28.controversial press conference on Sunday that his dispute with the
:12:29. > :12:34.authorities is actually cost and his concentration, in three tournaments
:12:35. > :12:38.this year, at least, so how has he been able to feed off that
:12:39. > :12:42.controversy going into this match? There is more attention on it in
:12:43. > :12:46.this tournament than previously but I think it is the World Championship
:12:47. > :12:50.and he knows what this means and is able to really switch-on. I have
:12:51. > :12:53.said in various interviews I did not fancy him to win this World
:12:54. > :12:56.Championship because of the way he has been playing in the past few
:12:57. > :13:00.months. You can only comment on what you have seen what I had seen from
:13:01. > :13:06.Ronnie was not good. But he has come here a completely different animal.
:13:07. > :13:11.He will play Ding Junhui or Liang Wenbo that match will be played to a
:13:12. > :13:14.finish. It is currently 9-72 Ding at the moment. It will be fascinating
:13:15. > :13:20.whichever way it goes and here comes! He's into his 18th
:13:21. > :13:25.quarterfinal since 1993. Congratulations. Well played. The
:13:26. > :13:31.chief positives would be what? I don't know, really. It is hard to
:13:32. > :13:38.assess performance, just try hard, trying to mentally hold it together.
:13:39. > :13:44.Impressive player of the cushions. I took a leaf out of your book. When
:13:45. > :13:48.it gets down to the nitty-gritty, I played Stephen in 1996 and he got
:13:49. > :13:51.more aggressive and I got more negative and he didn't make 100
:13:52. > :13:58.breaks but he just looked like he wanted it, so I just think, when you
:13:59. > :14:06.get into that situation, you have the winning attitude, if you miss,
:14:07. > :14:12.newness, but you have to try to win matches. Did you think you dodged a
:14:13. > :14:17.bullet yesterday? Yeah, when he missed that green. Next to him, you
:14:18. > :14:22.still fancy yourself? Yeah, I have just kind of relaxed a little bit.
:14:23. > :14:31.You have to expect that at this level. You're going to play guys
:14:32. > :14:35.like that who play games on the spin. We were just talking, Ronnie,
:14:36. > :14:38.before you came in about the controversy, not what happened on
:14:39. > :14:43.Sunday and the contents of that press conference but, you know,
:14:44. > :14:47.having been put off by this view you have had over the last few months,
:14:48. > :14:52.how were you able to turn the negatives into positives going into
:14:53. > :15:00.this? How much motivation did you feel? Not any more than usually, you
:15:01. > :15:02.know, I was pleased and I would rather not talk about anything
:15:03. > :15:09.during the tournament, just focus on the snooker. Some fantastic players
:15:10. > :15:14.here and it is a tournament, so let's just play and enjoy the event.
:15:15. > :15:17.Obviously, you have practised for this one because I said in
:15:18. > :15:25.interviews before that I did not fancy you to win it based on what I
:15:26. > :15:30.had seen before. I have practised, I have put in about seven weeks
:15:31. > :15:34.practice. I think snooker is like being a pop star, if you can make a
:15:35. > :15:39.brilliant album every year, you will do well but if you don't produce an
:15:40. > :15:44.album, you go missing, so I decided to play a lot of exhibitions and to
:15:45. > :15:48.pressure off me, really. I don't think I need to prove, I thought, I
:15:49. > :15:52.can give myself seven weeks to practice for this, it might have
:15:53. > :15:58.made a difference or not but I kind of just put a little more prep in
:15:59. > :16:01.for this. But I hadn't played for a year, basically. One of the tracks
:16:02. > :16:04.on the other may have been the match against Gary Wilson. We didn't talk
:16:05. > :16:11.a huge deal about it at the weekend but I wonder how much preparation
:16:12. > :16:21.you have for Gary? Amazing. It was one of the hardest matches. He never
:16:22. > :16:28.gave in. Every credit to Gary and if he continues to play like that, he
:16:29. > :16:35.will win tournaments. This place sorts the men from the boys. He
:16:36. > :16:41.certainly has the head for it. This is about doing it under the cosh at
:16:42. > :16:48.this level. We're sitting estimating time major winner. You've carved out
:16:49. > :16:55.a significant piece of history for yourself. You on that and I wonder
:16:56. > :17:00.how much of a taste that has given you again? Does that sort of stuff
:17:01. > :17:06.get Europe in the morning? Not really, just enjoying life, enjoying
:17:07. > :17:11.what I do, it would be great, when I won the seventh it was great, don't
:17:12. > :17:14.get me wrong but if you had to be 25 years ago, the feeling you get after
:17:15. > :17:17.winning the seventh, would you put the working? I would probably say it
:17:18. > :17:21.is not worth it for that feeling. It's not that great feeling. It is
:17:22. > :17:26.nice to do but the most important thing is the process and I think the
:17:27. > :17:36.matches you have along the way is what really means something to a
:17:37. > :17:41.player. 25 years you've been coming here, so... I feel younger now than
:17:42. > :17:45.I was then. I was bloated and drinking but now I am healthy and
:17:46. > :17:52.feeling 25 years younger! Do you feel more able of coping with it
:17:53. > :17:59.now? To be honest, it gets harder. You just see youth and you start to
:18:00. > :18:02.think, I used to get beat and it used to motivate me to get stronger
:18:03. > :18:05.but now, you knock them down and you think, I would like to keep them
:18:06. > :18:12.down but they come back stronger, the same as what I was when I was
:18:13. > :18:14.younger. I was watching over at John Higgins and I thought, we look like
:18:15. > :18:21.old men compare to some of these guys. We do! I think snooker has
:18:22. > :18:27.never been better in this era, so we may be able to give most players a
:18:28. > :18:34.ten year start. Obviously players like Selby, Ding, Murphy, but the
:18:35. > :18:41.others, I don't think they are that much. We're all pretty close. Still
:18:42. > :18:47.fighting and you still clearly have a chance at a sixth world title. I
:18:48. > :18:51.will just see what happens, 17 days out of the year, it's not going to
:18:52. > :18:54.be fun, probably the worst part of the job is coming here and having to
:18:55. > :18:59.go through this because it is really tough mentally. I struggle mentally,
:19:00. > :19:04.I must admit, I have to work on that, it's my weakest spot. It is
:19:05. > :19:08.weird because there is a time when it stops being enjoyable. Like a
:19:09. > :19:13.hobby, when you first start, but while you're here, you don't think,
:19:14. > :19:21.I am enjoying this. But you get to the end and you win and you say,
:19:22. > :19:25.next, OK. And next is Ding or Liang Wenbo. I don't know how cross that
:19:26. > :19:31.match your honour. From what you have seen, Ding looks fantastic but
:19:32. > :19:39.Liang Wenbo is a real firecracker. Yes, Liang Wenbo 's emotional type
:19:40. > :19:49.of player. Ding's probably a bit more balanced. Ding got his sessions
:19:50. > :19:56.6-2, he wasn't going to lose a session 6-2. That's the difference.
:19:57. > :20:09.You think Ding is the best scorer? Still another level above the
:20:10. > :20:16.Chinese players, Ding, for me. Yes, he is mental. His positional play is
:20:17. > :20:23.so good! He's difficult. Ronnie, you have a couple of days off, so you
:20:24. > :20:27.will be back on Tuesday morning. But well played today. They focused and
:20:28. > :20:30.professional performance. Well done. We will concentrate on the match at
:20:31. > :20:36.the other side of the curtain and before we do, it is Mark Allen's
:20:37. > :20:37.turn for Steve Davis's cab confessional. Stand-by the grand
:20:38. > :21:03.tour. Anyone order a taxi? I have to let you know, you are in
:21:04. > :21:08.safe hands, I've been practising in a gear change car and I know my way
:21:09. > :21:15.around Sheffield because I have spent a year and a half of my life
:21:16. > :21:21.in Sheffield. I have to apologise, everybody misconstrued my word
:21:22. > :21:27.championship player. It was misconstrued, I was asking Shaun
:21:28. > :21:32.Murphy, Mark Allen, Championship player? I said it as a question, not
:21:33. > :21:39.a statement. But all of a sudden, they are knocking on the doors. I do
:21:40. > :21:43.feel I am one of the top players. I don't think of myself as a
:21:44. > :21:47.championship player, so to speak. I know I am doing something right. But
:21:48. > :21:54.I want to start winning majors on a regular basis. You said three years
:21:55. > :22:01.ago at the World Championship, I have to get fit. What happened? To
:22:02. > :22:09.be honest, nothing happened, that's the thing. I did an interview with
:22:10. > :22:12.Hendry at the Masters and said I would try to get more fit but since
:22:13. > :22:17.the Masters I have lost 1.5 stones and I want to lose another three
:22:18. > :22:24.stones. It doesn't help in the long matches. It can only help me away
:22:25. > :22:36.from snooker as well. Sorry about that! Do you know where you are
:22:37. > :22:49.going? ... Let's turn right here... First time in this car. This is a
:22:50. > :23:02.better taxi than I am used to. Can I do a U-turn? Sorry, mate. That's
:23:03. > :23:09.nice... What's your biggest memory from the Crucible? YouGov is the one
:23:10. > :23:17.many titles. I think the thing that sticks in my mind is, and it has
:23:18. > :23:28.been talked about a lot, 1985. What happened? To be honest, it gets
:23:29. > :23:35.talked about so much back home. I am nearly getting fed up with that!
:23:36. > :23:40.Don't! It is amazing that you have world titles but that is what you
:23:41. > :23:44.will be remembered for. And then Dennis Taylor winning the
:23:45. > :23:51.championship. As if I let him. What happened? How can you go from 8-0 in
:23:52. > :23:59.front to collapsing like a cheap tent? You know that better than
:24:00. > :24:05.anyone. No lead is big enough. I imagine that a championship gets
:24:06. > :24:13.even more... The most annoying thing, what a lovely life you have
:24:14. > :24:19.but it's not like it's defined me as a player. People say, how did you
:24:20. > :24:23.miss that? The most annoying thing is that people every now and up and
:24:24. > :24:29.go, you let him win that, didn't you? It was fixed. And you are
:24:30. > :24:41.going, what? What do you mean? It annoys me. It is an insult me and to
:24:42. > :24:46.Dennis and the game. Can't you put your brain in gear? You can't put
:24:47. > :24:51.this car in gear! At least we're heading in the right direction. You
:24:52. > :24:58.can go through when the lights are flashing, can't you? Off when it
:24:59. > :25:07.says the arrow? It says the arrow right here. I am about to now go...
:25:08. > :25:14.I don't know if that is illegal or not... This is supposed to take 20
:25:15. > :25:22.minutes. It has taken one hour. I feel like we've married! That will
:25:23. > :25:33.be ?20. Thank you very much. You owe me ?20 but having to sit through
:25:34. > :25:36.that! What a lovely chaps to eavesdrop on. Mark Allen produced
:25:37. > :25:42.one of the Peak performances of any session in snooker at three
:25:43. > :25:47.centuries and a 96% pot success rate yesterday and yet, four times
:25:48. > :25:51.champion John Higgins stuck with him and he will feel happy to have got
:25:52. > :25:58.out of their only two frames adrift. What a match. We will be joining
:25:59. > :26:07.them at frame nine and watching this are Peter Ebdon and John Virgo...
:26:08. > :26:19.COMMENTATOR: Very tight. What damage has he done? At first look, I would
:26:20. > :26:32.say not a lot, amazingly enough. He is looking at a red to the left
:26:33. > :26:41.corner. First good chance of the morning for John Higgins.
:26:42. > :26:52.He played it well. Yes, and that was quite a bit thinner than it would
:26:53. > :27:01.have looked on your TV screen, so, not straightforward. A very good
:27:02. > :27:06.pot. And just watch John Higgins when he plays this next shot, how
:27:07. > :27:17.still he stays on the shot. His chin is on the cue all the way through
:27:18. > :27:21.the shot. For anyone looking to replicate one of the world's
:27:22. > :27:31.greatest techniques, you could do no better than to follow the example of
:27:32. > :27:39.John Higgins. Truly, one of the most outstanding and greatest players we
:27:40. > :27:47.have ever seen in this great game. Yes, when you look at the scoring
:27:48. > :27:49.with Mark Allen, he only finished two frames behind, his goal will be
:27:50. > :28:05.to win this session, at least 5-3. You would think he could afford to
:28:06. > :28:08.lose this session this morning. Mark Allen is in tremendous form and
:28:09. > :28:39.we'll be ready to pounce on any unforced error.
:28:40. > :28:51.He will probably have to go for the blue here.
:28:52. > :30:29.He could not have played it better. A lovely line.
:30:30. > :30:35.So far, this has been very good from John Higgins. Just the start he was
:30:36. > :30:48.looking for this morning. Mark Allen was playing a red witch
:30:49. > :30:54.from our view behind the pocket, didn't look as if he could get
:30:55. > :30:59.through to the potting angle. Maybe he just try to bend a little with
:31:00. > :31:01.side but it was a mistake. And it looks as though it is going to cost
:31:02. > :31:26.him. This was the shot. He may have tried
:31:27. > :31:35.to put a little bit of side on, anyway it was an error.
:31:36. > :31:42.I think in that instance, John, because Mark was aiming so high on
:31:43. > :31:48.the cue ball, the right-hand, the left-hand side rather has actually
:31:49. > :31:55.pulled the cue ball to the left and that is why he calls the other red
:31:56. > :32:00.first. -- why he caught the other red first. This frame now looks to
:32:01. > :33:04.be in John Higgins' pocket. Just come slightly long on the black
:33:05. > :33:08.and it looks like that could be end of break but the frame well and
:33:09. > :33:13.truly over. They do say he is one of the best doublers in the
:33:14. > :33:22.professional game. I just thought I would mention that. That's enough
:33:23. > :33:24.for Mark Allen. He concedes. John Higgins keeps hanging on in there
:33:25. > :33:36.and he is now just one frame behind. Higgins took the tenth as well.
:33:37. > :33:40.Allen scored only 20 points in the first two frames of the morning and
:33:41. > :33:48.it is all square, going into frame 11.
:33:49. > :33:53.COMMENTATOR: That is a good safety shot from
:33:54. > :33:59.Mark. I'm very surprised John Higgins did not try to get into the
:34:00. > :34:12.baulk end of his last shot. It is surprising.
:34:13. > :34:25.Is John playing a shot to nothing here? He is. Where is the cue ball?
:34:26. > :34:31.What a lovely flick on the red. That was an excellent long pot from John
:34:32. > :34:37.Higgins. It is one of those you feel, if he does not pot it, he will
:34:38. > :35:21.leave something on. But he was fully committed. That was excellent.
:35:22. > :35:39.He will be disappointed to finish straight on the blue.
:35:40. > :35:48.Playing the stunning shot here for the black into the same pocket.
:35:49. > :36:11.This is a very good opportunity for John Higgins now. There are five or
:36:12. > :36:12.six loose red is that he can work with before needing to go into the
:36:13. > :36:29.cluster of reds. He could also choose to leave
:36:30. > :36:35.himself slightly low on the next red.
:36:36. > :36:42.The red I was thinking about was the red on the other side of the pack,
:36:43. > :36:45.which he could have stunned off and gone up for the blue but no need to
:36:46. > :37:09.go for that yet with the open reds. Not the best of contacts but this is
:37:10. > :37:14.the dream start that John was looking for. Whenever you are
:37:15. > :37:17.behind, you are looking for a good start and winning the first to land
:37:18. > :37:23.the first chance in this third one of the morning. I don't think Mark
:37:24. > :37:31.Allen will be getting concerned just yet because he can't really pinpoint
:37:32. > :37:38.some glaring error that he's made. He's not really made a big mistake.
:37:39. > :37:42.He has to be patient and wait his turn. And hope that it comes sooner
:37:43. > :37:48.rather than later. But this is impressive from John
:37:49. > :38:06.Higgins. Yes, John is timing the ball
:38:07. > :38:11.absolutely beautifully this morning. As always, keeping absolutely dead
:38:12. > :38:16.still on the shot. There we see the long backswing. That was on a
:38:17. > :38:20.fantastic example of his long backswing and that means he gets
:38:21. > :38:24.more acceleration speed through the cue ball and he gets more work on
:38:25. > :38:31.the Cuba without actually having to hit the ball as hard as somebody who
:38:32. > :38:39.doesn't have as long a backswing, possibly one of the best techniques
:38:40. > :38:44.I've ever seen. And it's amazing how many of today's great players in the
:38:45. > :38:50.modern game are very long with their backswing. John Higgins, Stephen
:38:51. > :38:57.Maguire, Shaun Murphy, Ronnie O'Sullivan, Mark Selby. It's a
:38:58. > :39:03.common trait of the very best players in the world. Very difficult
:39:04. > :39:07.to do under pressure. As is keeping still on the shot, absolutely dead
:39:08. > :39:13.still. And there is nobody in the game that does that better than John
:39:14. > :39:22.Higgins. This blew to go 62 points in front. Still 75 remaining. He has
:39:23. > :39:28.not got the best angle but he can force the cue ball to get these six
:39:29. > :39:35.reds into play. This will be the key to the frame. And that is absolutely
:39:36. > :39:40.brilliant. That is frame over. I was going to say as well during this
:39:41. > :39:43.frame, he is still yet to make a century break in this match. I think
:39:44. > :41:29.we could be seeing one here. And just thinking back before he got
:41:30. > :41:33.in and made this marvellous break, I was saying that he has played a
:41:34. > :41:38.containing safety and I thought he should have gone back to the baulk
:41:39. > :41:43.end. Mark Allen had put him in a bit of trouble. He pulled out a
:41:44. > :41:47.beautiful long red and Mark Allen has been sat down ever since and
:41:48. > :41:51.this black for his first century of the match. Absolutely wonderful.
:41:52. > :42:32.Wonderful play. Well, the highest break of the
:42:33. > :43:03.tournament so far is 127. He can equal that year.
:43:04. > :43:13.Stuart Bingham has the highest break at the moment. He lost in his match
:43:14. > :43:18.against Kyren Wilson. He will be watching this and thinking, maybe
:43:19. > :43:22.they are going to take some more money off me. Pink and black to
:43:23. > :43:31.equal the highest break of the tournament. Stuart Bingham still has
:43:32. > :43:34.a hand on it. What a marvellous break that was from John Higgins. He
:43:35. > :43:39.will be disappointed he missed the pink but what a start he has had
:43:40. > :43:48.this morning. Trailed by two but now leads by one.
:43:49. > :43:51.John claimed the frame 12 as well. Completed his perfect start to this
:43:52. > :43:58.session by taking that for the frame on the bounce and so this match has
:43:59. > :44:01.completely turned on its head. John Higgins now leads by two. They are
:44:02. > :44:10.back out after their interval and we are live in frame 13. How has this
:44:11. > :44:13.one developed? COMMENTATOR:
:44:14. > :44:19.Very big moments in this match from Mark Allen. Frozen out in the first
:44:20. > :44:25.four frames, as we have seen. But John Higgins had a go at a long red.
:44:26. > :44:31.He missed it and a nice easy starter for Mark and you feel he has to make
:44:32. > :44:38.the most of this opportunity. Produce the play that he produced in
:44:39. > :44:41.the first session of this match. But John Higgins has been absolutely
:44:42. > :44:48.flawless. Practically flawless this morning.
:44:49. > :44:54.But it was a big chance, Peter, and so far, so good. He has taken them
:44:55. > :45:10.well. He certainly has. And apart from that hard stunning
:45:11. > :45:15.shot that he had to play because of the angle, he has been stroking the
:45:16. > :45:19.ball is beautifully himself during this break. This is a sure sign that
:45:20. > :45:23.he is handling the pressure out there. In the same way that John
:45:24. > :45:48.Higgins has this morning. Pot the red. He will be relieved to
:45:49. > :45:55.get this frame on the board and to do it in one visit.
:45:56. > :46:08.Already made three century breaks in this match. Yes, John. Under the
:46:09. > :46:13.circumstances, with the pressure that John Higgins has put him under
:46:14. > :46:14.so far in this morning 's session, this is a wonderful response from
:46:15. > :46:34.Mark Allen. Very gritty. And nothing less than what you would
:46:35. > :46:41.expect from a player of his class. Just looking at the balls he has
:46:42. > :46:47.taken in this break. That is now five pinks, six blacks. The referee
:46:48. > :46:58.had better get his skates on. And even though he went two frames
:46:59. > :47:05.behind after being two in front, he didn't do a lot wrong. So that is
:47:06. > :47:09.why you didn't really fear for him. If he had been getting in and
:47:10. > :47:13.missing loads of chances, you would have said, well, maybe his form has
:47:14. > :47:16.dipped, but this is the first real chance he has had. And he has taken
:47:17. > :47:38.it well. Already had 39 centuries and to
:47:39. > :47:41.celebrate his 40th year of the championship of the Crucible, we
:47:42. > :47:53.have our 40th century of the tournament. Well played, Mark Allen.
:47:54. > :48:00.Having been shut out for most of this session, he will certainly be
:48:01. > :48:06.feeling a lot better about things now. And this is a really important
:48:07. > :48:12.contribution from Mark Allen because he has let John Higgins know in no
:48:13. > :48:15.uncertain terms that he is up for this, big-time. And that he is
:48:16. > :48:32.timing the ball very well himself as well.
:48:33. > :48:42.He played it in the middle. But it is a century. He has said to John
:48:43. > :48:46.Higgins, you make a mistake and I will take the frame in one visit,
:48:47. > :48:51.just like you have been doing early on.
:48:52. > :48:56.A fourth century of this match for Mark Allen and the second we have
:48:57. > :49:05.seen after John Higgins' a couple of frames ago. Fantastic quality.
:49:06. > :49:08.Fantastic match. If you have not had much of a lock in, which Mark Allen
:49:09. > :49:16.did not have in the first four frames... To make that clearance, I
:49:17. > :49:21.have said it a few times, the long session matches, damage limitation.
:49:22. > :49:26.The difference between 6-2 and 5-3, yesterday, that was massive. John
:49:27. > :49:30.Higgins came out this morning with the upper hand but Mark Allen has
:49:31. > :49:35.shown he is an fantastic scoring form. They have produced some
:49:36. > :49:42.fantastic matches over the years. Mark Allen leads overall. But in the
:49:43. > :49:47.longer format matches at the UK championship and at the Crucible, it
:49:48. > :49:52.is John Higgins that has won the day. You just wonder if it is that
:49:53. > :50:00.experience and tactics that play a part. Yes, it is the venue. The long
:50:01. > :50:06.matches, it is such a test. Mark Allen is one of the best players in
:50:07. > :50:11.the world but that as venue, he is maybe that little level below. But
:50:12. > :50:15.you can tell that he wants to prove that he belongs there and you can
:50:16. > :50:20.see it means that much to him. He is such a pugnacious player. Such a
:50:21. > :50:23.great guy of the table. It has been interesting. The last couple of
:50:24. > :50:26.times they met, they met at the Masters and it was such a
:50:27. > :50:31.good-natured meeting, there was a lot of fun to be had as well as some
:50:32. > :50:35.fantastic snooker. I am sure you are told will be enjoying this. We will
:50:36. > :50:42.be leaving this one at midday and it will be continuing online. We will
:50:43. > :50:45.be back at 1:45pm on BBC One to round it all off for you. But in the
:50:46. > :50:52.meantime, let's enjoy the start of frame 14.
:50:53. > :50:59.COMMENTATOR: Another red just slightly off target
:51:00. > :51:07.from John. But I don't know if there is a red available to the left
:51:08. > :51:08.middle. He went all out for it. He is having to play this one and this
:51:09. > :51:16.is tricky. What a good pot it was. Nicely on
:51:17. > :51:34.the blue. Now, does he take the opportunity?
:51:35. > :51:37.Take the bull by the horns. And play the aggressive shot into the pack
:51:38. > :51:52.with pace. Decided against it. That is OK. He
:51:53. > :51:55.has got a choice of two reds into the right corner. The red that goes
:51:56. > :52:10.into the centre. And there is a red immediately above
:52:11. > :52:15.the black which is available. He dropped down to 94% pot success. He
:52:16. > :52:20.was 96 at the start of the morning session.
:52:21. > :52:25.He is OK. I think he can play this red to the right middle and still
:52:26. > :52:40.hold for the black. As I say, that red immediately above
:52:41. > :52:48.the black is available into the same pocket as the black. He will be
:52:49. > :52:51.playing for it now. But he will be certainly thinking in the next
:52:52. > :52:59.couple of shots how he can bring more reds into play.
:53:00. > :53:10.This has been an excellent match, full of quality. Between two of the
:53:11. > :53:17.game 's brightest stars. Played that very nicely. Leaving himself an
:53:18. > :53:21.angle to pot this red. And disturbed other reds. He is playing it with
:53:22. > :53:34.top spin. I always preferred to play the
:53:35. > :53:41.screw. You have a bit more control. You are never certain how it will
:53:42. > :53:53.run off the second red. He did not really bring many balls into play. A
:53:54. > :54:08.tough shot a list now. -- this now. But a good one.
:54:09. > :54:16.They are certainly treating this, both players this morning, to some
:54:17. > :54:21.quality snooker. Potting and positional play. Another 31 points
:54:22. > :54:25.required from this situation. He will not do it without opening the
:54:26. > :54:33.reds. John Higgins looking on, there is nothing he can do. It is that
:54:34. > :54:39.fine line between success and failure.
:54:40. > :54:52.That is unfortunate. That has gone wrong.
:54:53. > :54:59.I am sure he will be tempted to play this to the right-hand corner
:55:00. > :55:09.pocket. There is an element of safety. But he needs it in.
:55:10. > :55:21.Wonderful shot. That is what puts pressure on your opponent.
:55:22. > :55:28.He just didn't put that black in the middle of the pocket.
:55:29. > :55:34.That is why he is not perfect on this red to either the far corner or
:55:35. > :55:41.the middle. You would think the middle. He just hit the black on the
:55:42. > :55:45.wrong side of the pocket. If he had hated in the middle of the pocket,
:55:46. > :55:49.he would have been nicely on this red. He felt he had bad contact.
:55:50. > :55:57.That is why he had the cue ball clean. And that is well play. I am
:55:58. > :56:01.sure that there is a part of John Higgins that thinks, what is this
:56:02. > :56:04.man made of? I have thrown everything at him this morning
:56:05. > :56:12.including the kitchen sink and he has come back really strong.
:56:13. > :56:20.We know that red is bottom with loose at the bottom of that cluster
:56:21. > :56:26.but I don't know how he can get there. Does he want to risk playing
:56:27. > :56:31.for this? I am not quite sure what he has played for. I think he played
:56:32. > :56:39.for the ready to the right centre, he just lost the cue ball a little
:56:40. > :56:43.bit. This is a really tough pot. Red black red is easier would accrue all
:56:44. > :56:48.that is required but it should have been easier than this.
:56:49. > :57:02.Another tremendous pot. After this black, he is looking for one more
:57:03. > :57:06.red. Can he get on one? This to go 70 fonts will accrue points in front
:57:07. > :57:19.but 75 still remaining. Desperately looking for a plant.
:57:20. > :57:25.Just thin enough on the black that he could not really get into them.
:57:26. > :57:39.70 points the lead, 75 remaining. It is not over yet.
:57:40. > :57:44.He will be tempted to play the double with a degree of safety but
:57:45. > :57:55.the right shot really is to put the red behind the black. Well... Didn't
:57:56. > :57:57.play that as well as he would have liked but they fantastic and
:57:58. > :58:00.wonderful contribution from Mark Allen. Under the most extreme
:58:01. > :58:10.pressure. There is a bit of life left in this
:58:11. > :58:19.14th frame and it will continue online. We are going to reflect on
:58:20. > :58:24.these last potentially two and a half frames when we return at 1:45pm
:58:25. > :58:29.on BBC One this afternoon. A significant morning that has seen
:58:30. > :58:33.Ronnie O'Sullivan across the line against Shaun Murphy. We will be
:58:34. > :58:34.back to see who he will play next. That is this afternoon. Thank you
:58:35. > :58:40.for your company.