:00:30. > :00:34.Good afternoon. What a week it's been here in Sheffield at the
:00:35. > :00:39.Betfred World Championship. Talk about eventful. Mark Selby, our
:00:40. > :00:47.defending champion, turned up here last Saturday, won his first round
:00:48. > :00:51.match and went home for Easter:ism. Judd Trump beaten by a man 50 places
:00:52. > :00:55.below him. Ronnie O'Sullivan didn't intend to say much at all. Oh yes
:00:56. > :00:59.and in the meantime, the Prime Minister's called a general
:01:00. > :01:04.election. At least she's waiting until the trophy is presented here.
:01:05. > :01:10.Hoe a voracious audience in China would love one of their own to lift
:01:11. > :01:21.the silverware this season. Wi is in the mix in round two against the
:01:22. > :01:26.fellow Chinese. It's approaching 11 at night in China. You can bet the
:01:27. > :01:39.snooker fans are rocking there right now. Good start for Wi. 6-2. Seems
:01:40. > :01:58.to be doing good. Absolutely perfect and well played. Well controlled.
:01:59. > :02:16.That is just wonderful. Fabulous pot. He's been out played completely
:02:17. > :02:31.this evening. Played it beautifully. Deserved to win the frame. Wenboa
:02:32. > :02:34.trails 9-7. 210 million people tuned in to watch Junhui against Mark
:02:35. > :02:43.Selby and he just failed to get over the line. Now he's back trying to go
:02:44. > :02:47.one better. Ding is one of four Chinese cuemen hoping for this and
:02:48. > :02:54.he's guaranteed to play at least one player in the quarter-finals, but
:02:55. > :02:56.which one? Ding has been Asia's first world champion in waiting for
:02:57. > :03:08.almost half of his life. Wenboa is a great friend but he'd
:03:09. > :03:17.love to make ding wait a little longer. McTh McLeod returns having
:03:18. > :03:20.despatched Judd Trump and he's now taking aim at Scotland's Steven
:03:21. > :03:25.Maguire. He was twice a semi-finalist. He's quietly slipped
:03:26. > :03:30.into the reckoning this year. We'll be spending our afternoon here on
:03:31. > :03:34.Saturday in excellent company of two former world champions. These are
:03:35. > :03:47.the matches we'll be watching. One will start and the other will
:03:48. > :03:56.finish. Junhui versus Wenbo. Stephen Maguire versus Rory McLeod. Speaking
:03:57. > :04:02.of excellent company, messers Parrot and Davis. Day eight. How are you
:04:03. > :04:13.bearing up? Got my second wind now. Fantastic. You are readily for the
:04:14. > :04:17.all-Chinese event? Yes. Yesterday I had a treat, Higgins in the
:04:18. > :04:23.afternoon, the standard last night was tremendous and he deserved to
:04:24. > :04:27.come out of the session. He's 9-7 behind, Wenbo but the scoring was
:04:28. > :04:33.superb. We have 45 minutes and there is a lot to reflect on. We have been
:04:34. > :04:38.on the go for a long time, up early for a morning session which was to
:04:39. > :04:42.be decisive in a prize-fight match between O'Sullivan and Murphy. Could
:04:43. > :04:56.Sean punch his way back into this one?
:04:57. > :05:27.He's not going to bother. He badly needed that frame and he's got it.
:05:28. > :05:35.11-7 now. Oh, what an horrendous kick. That
:05:36. > :05:41.was vile. He really is an animal on the table
:05:42. > :05:58.when he's in this kind of mood. Superb break from the Rocket Ronnie
:05:59. > :05:59.O'Sullivan. Just needs one more frame for a place in the
:06:00. > :06:13.quarter-final. He rolled that in, perfect round the
:06:14. > :06:27.black. Looks like that kick that he got has
:06:28. > :06:31.sapped any remaining belief that Sean had that he could win this
:06:32. > :06:41.match. Sean is the perfect gentleman. But in the end, Ronnie
:06:42. > :06:45.was just a little bit too good. Very solid performance from the
:06:46. > :06:49.five-times world champion, Ronnie O'Sullivan.
:06:50. > :06:52.Superbly focussed O'Sullivan, striding over the line with hardly a
:06:53. > :06:57.glance behind him this morning and he brought that same level of focus
:06:58. > :07:01.into the practise room afterwards to discuss his win with Stephen Hendry
:07:02. > :07:06.and me. The chief positives from that performance would be what
:07:07. > :07:11.today? I don't know really. Pretty hard to assess your performance.
:07:12. > :07:16.Just trying hard, just trying to mentally hold it together. It's a
:07:17. > :07:23.really... Played off the cushions? I took a leaf out of your book, you
:07:24. > :07:29.know! I thought when it gets to the nitty-gritty, I'll play Stephen, in
:07:30. > :07:34.1996, he got more aggressive and I got more negative. He looked like he
:07:35. > :07:38.was ready to run over the line. When you get to that situation, rather
:07:39. > :07:42.than go tentative, the winning attitude is to try and attack the
:07:43. > :07:46.game. If you miss them you miss them but you have got to try to win. Did
:07:47. > :07:57.you any you dodged a bullet yesterday, 10-6 was a good result?
:07:58. > :08:05.Yes, when he missed the green, yes. 9-7 you fancy yourself, yes. He
:08:06. > :08:11.played well: You are going to play guys like that who can win frames on
:08:12. > :08:14.the spin. We were just talking before you came in about obviously
:08:15. > :08:18.the controversy. We are not talking about what happened on Sunday and
:08:19. > :08:23.the contents of that press conference, but having been put off
:08:24. > :08:27.by this feud that you have had over the last few months, how are you
:08:28. > :08:30.able to turn the negatives into positives going into this and, how
:08:31. > :08:34.much motivation did you feel going in against Sean this week? No, no,
:08:35. > :08:39.no, not any more than usually, you know. I was pleased that I just put
:08:40. > :08:42.a statement out to say that I would rather not talk about anything
:08:43. > :08:46.during the tournament and let's focus on snooker, which is the most
:08:47. > :08:49.important thing. Some fantastic snooker and players here and it's a
:08:50. > :08:54.tournament on its own so it's play and enjoy the event. Obviously you
:08:55. > :08:58.practised first. I said before I didn't fancy you to win it. What
:08:59. > :09:04.I've seen, you comment on what you see and you haven't played well. I
:09:05. > :09:08.haven't practised for a year. I put in practise, through the season I've
:09:09. > :09:15.been working. I think snooker is a little bit like, you're a pop star
:09:16. > :09:22.and if you can make a brilliant album every year, you'll do well but
:09:23. > :09:32.if you can't, that is it. I feel that I need to -- I don't
:09:33. > :09:39.feel that I need to improve. I just kind of put a bit more practise in.
:09:40. > :09:43.One of the tracks on that, that match against Gary Wilson, we didn't
:09:44. > :09:49.talk a huge amount about it at the weekend but I wonder how much
:09:50. > :09:57.admiration you had for Gary? I came off that table and went, that was
:09:58. > :10:01.one of the hardest matches ever. He never looked like he was down. Every
:10:02. > :10:05.credit to Gary and if he continues to play like that, he's already made
:10:06. > :10:10.the final, but he'll definitely wherein tournaments. A lot of it out
:10:11. > :10:18.there, this place sorts the men out from the boys and you've got to have
:10:19. > :10:22.to right head for it. This is about doing it under the
:10:23. > :10:28.cosh. You are a 17-time major winner. It's
:10:29. > :10:33.a significant piece of history for yourself. You own that in the
:10:34. > :10:38.Masters and I wonder how much of a taste it's given you again. Does
:10:39. > :10:42.that sort of stuff get you up in the morning? Not really, no. Just
:10:43. > :10:47.enjoying life, just enjoying what I do. It will be great. When I won the
:10:48. > :10:51.seventh, it was like, that's nice, you know. If you'd have told me 25
:10:52. > :10:55.years ago the feeling that you get after winning the seventh, would you
:10:56. > :10:58.put all the work in, I would say, no, it's not worth it for that
:10:59. > :11:02.feeling because it's not that great a feeling, it's nice to do but the
:11:03. > :11:07.most important thing is the process. The memories and the matches that
:11:08. > :11:11.you've had along the way is what really means I think to a player.
:11:12. > :11:16.You talk about it, 25 years you have been coming here. Almost half your
:11:17. > :11:22.life. I feel younger now than I did when I came in. I was 19, bloated
:11:23. > :11:26.drinking, now I'm sober, healthy, 25 years younger! Do you feel more
:11:27. > :11:32.capable of coping with it all now as you're getting older? No, to be
:11:33. > :11:38.honest it gets harder. You just see youth and you start to think, wow. I
:11:39. > :11:43.used to hurt when I got beat. I used to motivate me to get stronger. Now
:11:44. > :11:46.you knock 'em down and think, knock 'em down and they'll come back
:11:47. > :11:51.stronger. They are like I was when I was younger. You have got to be
:11:52. > :11:55.mindful of that. I looked at John Higgins and I thought, we look like
:11:56. > :11:59.old men today compared to some of the guys but we make up for it
:12:00. > :12:03.because we come along here and snooker's never better. We are able
:12:04. > :12:10.to give most of the players maybe a ten-year start. Obviously your
:12:11. > :12:14.Selbies and Dings and Murphies and Trumps, you know, I don't mean give
:12:15. > :12:18.them a ten-year start but the others, we are all close. How glad
:12:19. > :12:24.are you that you are still fighting and clearly got a chance of a sixth
:12:25. > :12:30.world title. I'll keep going to the end. 17 days out of the year that
:12:31. > :12:34.you have got to do this. It's probably the worst part about the
:12:35. > :12:38.job nowadays is coming here and doing this because it's tough
:12:39. > :12:44.mentally. I struggle mentally. It's my weakest spot, I have to work at
:12:45. > :12:52.it. This finds you out. There is a time when it stops being enjoyable.
:12:53. > :12:56.When you're here, I'm enjoying it, you don't think that to yourself,
:12:57. > :13:01.but you say, next OK,. That's what it's like. And next is Ding or
:13:02. > :13:04.Liang, two good friends of yours. I don't know how much across that
:13:05. > :13:10.match you are. From what you have seen, Ding looks fantastic but
:13:11. > :13:15.Liang, a real fire cracker and always fights back? He's an
:13:16. > :13:20.emotional type of player, either flies or is poor. Ding is obviously
:13:21. > :13:26.a bit more balanced and probably got more out of the sessions whereas
:13:27. > :13:33.Ding got his session 6-2. Ding was n't going to lose a session.
:13:34. > :13:39.Probably had the better score. Ding is... Still above the Chinese
:13:40. > :13:49.players on another level for me, Ding. And Wenbo is the second. He's
:13:50. > :13:55.mental, his positional play is so good. He gets excited sometimes! If
:13:56. > :13:59.you can manage that, he's difficult. You have a couple of days off
:14:00. > :14:01.because you are playing the quarter-finals on Tuesday morning
:14:02. > :14:04.then in the evening. Well played today. Very focussed and
:14:05. > :14:08.professional performance. Well done. Thank you. Good to get a chat with
:14:09. > :14:11.wonny there and some interesting points in that interview. Sean
:14:12. > :14:15.Murphy said in the press conference afterwards if he plays like that
:14:16. > :14:21.with that level of focus, I think he can win. What do you think? I think
:14:22. > :14:24.he's dead right. Plenty of people said they didn't think he could win
:14:25. > :14:30.coming here. When you look at the big events, he was beaten in an epic
:14:31. > :14:35.final in the UK by Mark Selby. He's won his seventh Masters. The big
:14:36. > :14:40.tournament he's come out to play and he's focussed. I loved that
:14:41. > :14:44.interview today. Very even keeled, everything ready to go. He looked
:14:45. > :14:48.focussed, it will take a good one to knock him out. A couple of
:14:49. > :14:51.interesting things he said about his practise, that he hadn't been
:14:52. > :14:57.putting the work in, but the last six, seven weeks he's knuckled down
:14:58. > :15:02.for a good tilt at this one? Yes. Only Ronnie knows how much he's put
:15:03. > :15:08.in effort-wise. Not just in hours but in mental preparation. And
:15:09. > :15:11.Ronnie is the type of player, I wouldn't think there is many around
:15:12. > :15:17.who can get themselves ready for a particular event. Most of us mere
:15:18. > :15:21.mortals, we tried to get ready but we never knew when it was going to
:15:22. > :15:27.come. If Ronnie has been coasting... I think you did all right! Well,
:15:28. > :15:31.that's not how it felt. But if Ronnie had been coasting through
:15:32. > :15:36.events on very little practise and effort, and then decides to put in a
:15:37. > :15:39.concerted amount of practise in the build-up to something and actually
:15:40. > :15:43.feels he's playing to a higher level, even though we keep on saying
:15:44. > :15:47.the rest of the pack's caught up with him and actually he can be
:15:48. > :15:50.outplayed now, we might be wrong. Perhaps Ronnie when he properly puts
:15:51. > :15:55.his mind to it can always outplay the rest. Then there's only a couple
:15:56. > :16:01.of players, Mark Selbies, John Higgins, who can withstand the
:16:02. > :16:07.pressure. He was very gracious about Gary Wilson in the end. He seemed
:16:08. > :16:10.much more at ease with himself. I wonder if the outburst on Sunday's
:16:11. > :16:14.almost got a few things off his chest and cleared his head? I don't
:16:15. > :16:18.think you can play this game if you have all things going on but I'm not
:16:19. > :16:21.a genius like he is so I don't know what goes on up there. I wanted
:16:22. > :16:25.everything to be perfect when you were playing, you didn't want any
:16:26. > :16:31.distractions, you wanted your whole world to be on an even keel when you
:16:32. > :16:37.turn up for events. Perhaps he's had a chat with Steve Peters and he's
:16:38. > :16:43.said, perhaps the reason why it's best to go as being a normal snooker
:16:44. > :16:47.player with normal interviews, it's better for your karma and well-being
:16:48. > :16:53.to not have any aggression and think the world is on your shoulders and
:16:54. > :17:03.people are having a go. Try to see the bigger picture and try to be
:17:04. > :17:09.under the radar, rather than on top of it. The ambition was bursting out
:17:10. > :17:12.of his chest. That's the perfect place for it to happen, at the
:17:13. > :17:16.table, but not off the table. Agree? Absolutely. Very impressed with the
:17:17. > :17:21.interview, good to see him like that and honestly, the way he played, the
:17:22. > :17:25.first match he played great. Gary Wilson played really good to get
:17:26. > :17:32.through that match. He is here for a job. Into his 18th quarter-final.
:17:33. > :17:39.There was another match this morning at 10 o'clock, the second session of
:17:40. > :17:45.the match and this was worthy of anything we have seen before because
:17:46. > :17:49.you may have seen the Northern Irishman knocked him back with a pot
:17:50. > :17:54.success rate of 96%, played like a God and yet he was still only two
:17:55. > :17:58.frames clear of the four-times world champion John Higgins at 5-3. This
:17:59. > :18:02.morning it was the Scot's turn to dominate. He took the opening four
:18:03. > :18:07.frames with a 124 on the way, turned the match on its head from two
:18:08. > :18:20.behind to two in front. At the interval it was 7-5. Allen replied
:18:21. > :18:23.with a 166to get it 7-6. When we left it earlier on BBC Two, we'll
:18:24. > :19:05.pick it up there. That red would have been frame ball
:19:06. > :19:09.so maybe a chance for a counterattack. Tough red to start
:19:10. > :19:14.with. Didn't expect him to miss that the way he's been potting. The last
:19:15. > :19:28.couple of frames. John Higgins can get past the brown.
:19:29. > :19:41.Dropped it in. A few points to play with. Not a lot. Came to the table
:19:42. > :19:45.70 behind. 75 remaining. Well, if there was one player that you had to
:19:46. > :19:50.put your life on making a clearance under pressure to win a frame, it
:19:51. > :19:59.almost certainly would be John Higgins. He's just lost the cue ball
:20:00. > :20:45.a little bit there. He won't be happy with that.
:20:46. > :20:50.John Higgins has cleared up to win crucial frames hundreds of times in
:20:51. > :21:33.his career. He doesn't want to be too straight.
:21:34. > :21:35.. He doesn't have much of an angle. May have to play along the top
:21:36. > :21:59.cushion now. If he's just off here, it's tricky.
:22:00. > :22:02.Don't Fay season him missing this. He finished absolutely perfect on
:22:03. > :22:13.the black. And because he's taken black just
:22:14. > :22:19.off the last few reds, he's looked at the score board, 32 points
:22:20. > :22:23.behind. He can afford to go red blue or red pink, whoever he feels would
:22:24. > :22:30.give him a better position on the yellow.
:22:31. > :22:44.Allen can see this frame slipping away. Six colours to go back to two
:22:45. > :22:50.frames in front. More importantly, what a body blow for Mark Allen, in
:22:51. > :22:57.first, break of 70, John Higgins has a chance to clear up. To pinch it on
:22:58. > :23:22.the black. John Higgins has done this so many
:23:23. > :23:31.times in his professional career. He seems to do it when the pressure is
:23:32. > :23:34.at its greatest. That's one of the hallmarks of an outstanding
:23:35. > :23:36.champion. He's been one of the greatest we have ever seen. Landed
:23:37. > :23:52.perfect on the blue. Pink and black to clear up with 72
:23:53. > :24:06.against the 70 that Mark Allen made previous.
:24:07. > :24:17.Superb. Superb. The pinnacle. Absolutely brilliant. Superb from
:24:18. > :24:23.Mark Allen but couldn't get that one he needed. Then he had a long pot,
:24:24. > :24:27.missed it, John Higgins then cleared up as only John Higgins can do. Mark
:24:28. > :24:33.Allen started the morning session two in front. He's two behind again.
:24:34. > :24:41.What a match. John Higgins Dishing up from way behind. That is classic
:24:42. > :24:49.Higgins trademark isn't it. Six points adrift, the Scot.
:24:50. > :24:58.Thought that one was in. Has he been unlucky here. He may still be able
:24:59. > :25:04.to pot the green but he'd have thought, sure to be on pink or blue
:25:05. > :25:07.but it's not the case. A bit of pressure on this green now. Perfect
:25:08. > :25:21.example. He's overcut it. Tried to play it
:25:22. > :25:23.plain ball and where the green went, he got a touch of unintentional
:25:24. > :25:33.right hand side on that one. We are so used to seeing the players
:25:34. > :25:35.make the game look so easy. A little bit of pressure on that green and he
:25:36. > :25:48.knew it. Obviously they handle pressure. That
:25:49. > :25:50.needs to slow down. May just have slowed down enough to be on the
:25:51. > :26:07.black. Obviously hasn't. He's having to
:26:08. > :26:27.play a pressure green. Oh, it's a great shot. Great shot. Well played.
:26:28. > :26:37.This match concludes this evening. And I suppose if Mark Allen can win
:26:38. > :26:43.this frame and the last one, bringing it to all square... He'd be
:26:44. > :26:49.reasonably happy, although John Higgins having won the first four
:26:50. > :26:55.frames will be thinking maybe he should have pushed on. Marvellous
:26:56. > :27:11.frame the last one. But that green caught him out in this.
:27:12. > :27:26.Chance for Mark Allen to get within one.
:27:27. > :27:37.Mark will be pleased to get the blue back on the spot. Just gives him a
:27:38. > :27:40.Faw more options. -- a few more options. Had to get on the new
:27:41. > :27:46.perfectly because it would have been a very tough pot into the centre
:27:47. > :27:58.pocket from anywhere other than where he finished.
:27:59. > :28:21.This is really good stuff from both players now.
:28:22. > :28:25.Safe to say both players are at the top of their game and it's making
:28:26. > :28:47.for a controlling contest. Might not get another one in this
:28:48. > :29:17.frame. Black to go 40 in front. Still 67 remaining. Two reds and two
:29:18. > :29:28.high value colours still required. Found himself on the blue.
:29:29. > :29:35.And after John Higgins' truly outstanding clearance in the
:29:36. > :29:40.previous frame, what a wonderful response this has been from Mark
:29:41. > :29:48.Allen. This is missable, this is not easy this red. Oh, well played,
:29:49. > :30:19.excellent. He is looking for one more red to
:30:20. > :30:31.clinch it. That is not perfect. 51 ahead, 51 remaining. He could have
:30:32. > :30:46.played for the blue after the last red he potted. No! Would you believe
:30:47. > :30:51.that? John Higgins can still tie. But he
:30:52. > :30:58.didn't. This time there was no comeback from John. A grandstand
:30:59. > :31:08.final frame of the session was coming up.
:31:09. > :31:19.APPLAUSE. At tap on the table from John
:31:20. > :31:30.telling him that he is in a spot of bother here. If he plays the red
:31:31. > :31:36.that is just away from the cushion, he will do very well not to get her
:31:37. > :31:39.double-kiss. The brown is covering the reds that are sticking out on
:31:40. > :32:05.the right-hand side as we look. Where is the red going? Well...
:32:06. > :32:07.Strange game this, isn't it? You can have all the skill in the world, but
:32:08. > :33:02.you can't beat a bit of luck. There is 137 macro he could get on,
:33:03. > :33:10.it is available into both corners. He has a nice angle on the green.
:33:11. > :33:16.APPLAUSE. He has judged that beautifully. Not all thoughts on
:33:17. > :33:24.getting a nice angle on the black to try and disturb some more reds.
:33:25. > :33:32.Nobody has really been developing the reds Leckey would normally
:33:33. > :33:41.expect. Normally the players tried to use a lot of back spin and arc
:33:42. > :33:46.into the reds. That is what he did. I have never seen the reds not open
:33:47. > :33:51.as much as they normally do, particularly off the black. It seems
:33:52. > :33:57.to me that the blue is the best ball to try to open up the reds. Maybe it
:33:58. > :34:01.is just the atmospherics out there today. The reds have not been
:34:02. > :34:05.opening the way they normally would do when players have been playing
:34:06. > :34:13.the power shot to try to screw through the balls. To be perfectly
:34:14. > :34:18.honest, from an impartial viewpoint, it would have been a shame for the
:34:19. > :34:27.free to have finished on a fluke on that visit. Will Mark Allen get an
:34:28. > :34:32.opportunity to level at 8-8? You feel the way both players have
:34:33. > :34:41.played they would deserve to go into the final session 8-8. That is a
:34:42. > :34:45.mistake from Mark Allen. He would expect John Higgins to take full
:34:46. > :34:52.advantage of this opportunity. Not happy with that safety shot, Mark
:34:53. > :34:59.Allen. If John gets this, it could be a very costly one. Right in the
:35:00. > :35:09.heart of the pocket, nicely on the black.
:35:10. > :35:21.Lost the first session of this match 5-3, if he can take this frame and
:35:22. > :35:52.get another 41 points he will have won this session 6-2.
:35:53. > :36:00.Just passing the four hour match time.
:36:01. > :36:19.Well! That looked wide. It just the celebrated -- decelerated.
:36:20. > :36:30.Got the cannon. Now as straightforward run, particularly
:36:31. > :36:38.with the -- if the red to the left of the pink goes to the right
:36:39. > :36:42.corner. With the blue up in the baulk end and the baulk colours on
:36:43. > :36:49.their spots, you wouldn't think it should be a problem. Well, he
:36:50. > :36:56.decided to roll again and come across the table for the pink.
:36:57. > :37:03.Maybe, he was just hedging his bets, slightly, which is very surprising
:37:04. > :37:08.for John Higgins. Yes, I don't think that John would have missed that if
:37:09. > :37:16.he had played the shot he suggested, the stun shot with a touch of
:37:17. > :37:21.left-hand side. It seemed to do celebrate slightly through the cue
:37:22. > :37:27.ball. That was a tough chance for Mark Allen there with the rest. I
:37:28. > :37:33.don't think he has left this red into the centre. It is certainly
:37:34. > :37:41.very difficult. You can see that it does go. But certainly not easy.
:37:42. > :37:52.Yes, then, you have just got to play it and let gravity takeover.
:37:53. > :38:03.It wasn't as difficult as it looked. He was able to control the cue ball.
:38:04. > :38:06.He has needed three chances here, John Higgins, which is unusual the
:38:07. > :38:15.way he has played so far this morning.
:38:16. > :38:23.Maybe that did affect him on a couple of shots he played, but now
:38:24. > :38:36.back in perfect position to take the frame. Look how far behind he has
:38:37. > :38:41.been in all the points, but that is because Mark Allen has made some
:38:42. > :38:47.centuries. Mark Allen came into this session with a two frame advantage.
:38:48. > :38:55.For all money now, it looks like he will be leaving two frames behind.
:38:56. > :39:04.If that were to be the case, I still feel that this match is evenly
:39:05. > :39:09.poised. John Higgins knows that Mark Allen is playing well enough to
:39:10. > :39:14.rattle three or four frames off if you get the opportunity in the next
:39:15. > :39:18.session. Absolutely. He will be taking nothing for granted. He will
:39:19. > :39:28.be over the moon that he has a two frame advantage. Going into the
:39:29. > :39:33.final session this evening. This match is already a classic, if it
:39:34. > :39:40.goes all the way it will be one of the most memorable matches ever
:39:41. > :39:45.played at the Crucible. As you like to say, there will be a few twists
:39:46. > :39:54.and turns before the end of this. Just this red to go 47 points in
:39:55. > :40:05.front with just 43 remaining. APPLAUSE.
:40:06. > :40:16.You have to take your hat off to this man. We talk about Ronnie
:40:17. > :40:22.O'Sullivan, John Higgins, Williams, that era, he is still here firing on
:40:23. > :40:33.all cylinders. He produces time and time and time again. But for three
:40:34. > :40:37.or four snookers, he will have that two frame advantage going into the
:40:38. > :40:42.final session. So, there we are, 9-7, two frames in
:40:43. > :40:49.front. A fantastic session of snooker. This is classic Higgins.
:40:50. > :40:54.Just a brilliant match round. Looking back on the match, the last
:40:55. > :41:00.frame yesterday afternoon and he got about -- but I do but 5-3 behind.
:41:01. > :41:06.Then he won the important last frame again. What a match player he is.
:41:07. > :41:07.Mark Allen has played fantastically, but John Higgins's matchplay is
:41:08. > :41:24.superb. The best ever is six centuries at
:41:25. > :41:29.this stage in a match, he has made four and is two frames behind! It
:41:30. > :41:32.used to be that you can ease your way into the tournament someone and
:41:33. > :41:37.you would try to pay for the final stages. I don't think that is the
:41:38. > :41:44.case now. You need to hit the floor running. Your second round opponent
:41:45. > :41:51.is Mark Allen or John Higgins, you need to be honoured all the time.
:41:52. > :41:58.You don't want to play anybody! Who will win this? Will Mark Allen
:41:59. > :42:07.comeback? He can definitely do that because he is playing well enough.
:42:08. > :42:13.The first frame tonight when they play is massive. You can share that
:42:14. > :42:19.with us on BBC Two and then the red button while evening from seven
:42:20. > :42:24.o'clock. Can't wait for that. This is the 90th anniversary of the World
:42:25. > :42:32.Championship, first played for in 1927. We have so many memories from
:42:33. > :42:37.the last 40 years. You will be able to see the gala celebration, I
:42:38. > :42:40.believe it is still on the iPlayer, which preceded this championship
:42:41. > :42:49.last Friday night. Judd and some big there is a new documentary by Steve
:42:50. > :42:53.Davis that is well worth catching. Join me, Steve Davis, for a Crucible
:42:54. > :42:58.celebration. Lots of things should not be right about the place but it
:42:59. > :43:02.just is. Once you get serious about snooker it is where you want to
:43:03. > :43:09.play. The best moments in snooker have all been at the Crucible. The
:43:10. > :43:15.saddest person in Sheffield. Heartbreaking. I like it when he
:43:16. > :43:25.tilts his. So much history attached to it. It is the shrine of snooker.
:43:26. > :43:28.BBC Two, Sunday nine o'clock. Definitely worth watching. You can
:43:29. > :43:34.vote for some of your favourite Crucible moments on the BBC sport
:43:35. > :43:39.website in the snooker section. Make sure you log on and pick your
:43:40. > :43:43.favourite. That must've been a labour of love in order to make
:43:44. > :43:51.that. You caught up with a lot of old friends. What are some of the
:43:52. > :43:56.high points in documentary? 85 final, not voting for it! It was
:43:57. > :44:03.lovely to talk to so many different people from all walks, the fans,
:44:04. > :44:08.celebrities comes, players. As soon as they start talking they open up
:44:09. > :44:13.about their memories. This places in our DNA. We all have such brilliant
:44:14. > :44:18.memories here and we are all richer for it. That was the overwhelming
:44:19. > :44:23.feeling I got. I'm looking forward to it. We had a chat about it during
:44:24. > :44:27.the Masters and all of the memories came flooding back from my short
:44:28. > :44:34.three years doing it. It is a heck of a place. Time for another
:44:35. > :44:42.confessional with her mother dodgy driver, Steve Davis. Liang Wenbo is
:44:43. > :44:47.excitable at the best of times, but put him through this, wide and J!
:44:48. > :45:14.Anyone order a taxi? Nice to see you! Steve. Not Stephen.
:45:15. > :45:21.Steve. Just leave. Never been Stephen. On my birth certificate
:45:22. > :45:26.that just says Steve. We were very poor, couldn't afford the final
:45:27. > :45:34.letter. Where do you live? SX and sometimes Manchester. What would be
:45:35. > :45:44.listened to in the car come what is your favourite music? Chinese music?
:45:45. > :45:55.I like this guy from Hong Kong. His music is the best. He is so famous.
:45:56. > :46:05.I don't know the words but only one Chinese song. Chalet sing it? I will
:46:06. > :46:14.sing the melody. It is a song from the 1990s. It goes like this.
:46:15. > :46:45.STEVE SINGS. BOTH SING.
:46:46. > :46:57.This song is so famous. He is so famous, yes. A lot of people like
:46:58. > :47:02.it. Perhaps I didn't do it justice. Deti karaoke in China? Sometimes,
:47:03. > :47:07.yes. You will not bring out a record? No.
:47:08. > :47:19.What do you walk onto? For the World Championship? Chinese man. For many
:47:20. > :47:30.years. Just what incompetent. How does it go?
:47:31. > :47:46.LIAN SINGS. I've got it. Do you know snooker
:47:47. > :47:54.loopy? I like poker face, as well. It is not as good as snooker loopy.
:47:55. > :48:00.No? OK. If you are not... If you are at
:48:01. > :48:15.home, did you watch a film, read books? I like the game, for people,
:48:16. > :48:32.online. Fighting game? Like poker, but different. It makes me relax. I
:48:33. > :48:34.watched Chinese movies. I concentrate very hard on movies,
:48:35. > :49:03.very loud. Keep playing snooker. Yeah. We are
:49:04. > :49:12.home. OK. Thank you very much. Thank you.
:49:13. > :49:22.Steve displaying extensive knowledge of the Mandarin folk scene. The new?
:49:23. > :49:30.He seems to be none the worse for his experience. He is only two
:49:31. > :49:34.frames behind Ding Junhui, having haven't the deficit in yesterday's
:49:35. > :49:40.session. Reading the honours board here. It was furious and flamboyant
:49:41. > :49:43.comeback last night. Ronnie got it right in his interview to say he is
:49:44. > :49:52.excitable. You don't quite know what will happen with him. His cue ball
:49:53. > :49:57.control is outstanding. I don't think there is anybody who has got
:49:58. > :50:02.so much body movement when he plays. I like watching him because there is
:50:03. > :50:06.a feeling that something could go wrong at any minute! He has won the
:50:07. > :50:11.Steve Davis Trophy as the winner of the English open last year. We saw a
:50:12. > :50:16.different side to this man, he has got the temperament to be able to
:50:17. > :50:20.claim big titles. We saw him in the UK championship final couple of
:50:21. > :50:24.years ago. All of a sudden he believes that he can play the game
:50:25. > :50:28.at the highest level, as well. Watching some of the snooker
:50:29. > :50:32.yesterday, they were just having a laugh, having a chap in the chair. I
:50:33. > :50:40.didn't know how their relationship is in China, but from the
:50:41. > :50:44.perspective of the, I would've liked to have been more reserved and kept
:50:45. > :50:51.himself away from other players, not talked as much. All four players
:50:52. > :51:01.backstage are ready. Stephen Maguire is going to be playing Rory McLeod.
:51:02. > :51:04.It is over to Rob Walker. Good afternoon, ladies and
:51:05. > :51:13.gentlemen. Welcome to another brilliant session of snooker here at
:51:14. > :51:18.the 2,000 1753 macro -- the Betfred World Championship.
:51:19. > :51:38.Please welcome first of all, a player who produced one of the
:51:39. > :51:42.biggest upsets in Crucible history on whether the night, knocking out
:51:43. > :51:47.one of this year's favourites, Judd Trump, with their superb display.
:51:48. > :51:53.The biggest win of his 23 year career so far. Here he is marching
:51:54. > :52:01.into the second round, his mates call him the Highlander, Rory
:52:02. > :52:13.McLeod! MUSIC.
:52:14. > :52:20.APPLAUSE. What a reception exclusion at his
:52:21. > :52:24.opponent, a player who this year came through qualifying and did so
:52:25. > :52:28.in fine style. That form continued here in the first round with a
:52:29. > :52:32.comprehensive win over his good friend Anthony McGill. Five times a
:52:33. > :52:39.ranking event winner, his seventh appearance in the second round, the
:52:40. > :52:46.pride of Glasgow, when he is on -- when he is good, he is on fire,
:52:47. > :52:54.Stephen Maguire! MUSIC.
:52:55. > :52:59.APPLAUSE. On table one, please welcome a
:53:00. > :53:04.player bidding for his second Crucible quarterfinal, I superb
:53:05. > :53:08.century break and four other 50 plus Ltd yesterday reduced the deficit.
:53:09. > :53:12.Remember, he is this season's English open champion. What a huge
:53:13. > :53:18.session of snooker that is for the man they call the firecracker, Liang
:53:19. > :53:34.Wenbo! MUSIC. APPLAUSE.
:53:35. > :53:42.Finally, a man who has inspired a generation of players back home. He
:53:43. > :53:46.is now for frames away from a fit Crucible quarterfinal. This season's
:53:47. > :53:51.Shanghai Masters champion and winner of 12 ranking titles in all, a
:53:52. > :53:56.national hero back home in China, so enter the Dragon, Ding Junhui!
:53:57. > :54:10.MUSIC. APPLAUSE.
:54:11. > :54:20.Here we go, Rory and Stephen getting going online. We will keep you
:54:21. > :54:28.posted on that all afternoon of course. So, through to this all
:54:29. > :54:33.Chinese match. STEPHEN HENDRY: Hazel, good
:54:34. > :54:39.afternoon. Really looking forward to this final session. In the first
:54:40. > :54:43.session, Liang Wenbo was very serious when he entered into the
:54:44. > :54:48.arena, last night he came out laughing and joking and played very
:54:49. > :54:55.well. He was very relaxed there, as well, interesting to see what
:54:56. > :55:10.happens. I have had the pleasure of doing both of these sessions. This
:55:11. > :55:18.is the final session, all to play for. That never looked like
:55:19. > :55:23.reaching. The breaks in this matchup been very good, the scoring has been
:55:24. > :55:28.excellent. You come to expect that from Ding Junhui. Definitely the
:55:29. > :55:43.first session he was the heavier scorer. Liang Wenbo, when he goes
:55:44. > :55:53.into one... Great character. I was with him last night, playing poker,
:55:54. > :56:00.Liang Wenbo. WILLIE THORNE: Stephen, he is quite a lad, isn't he? I don't
:56:01. > :56:04.know why the referee doesn't give the player the benefit of the doubt
:56:05. > :56:12.when he is going to play the same shot. Didn't seem too pleased taxi
:56:13. > :56:21.driver with Steve Davis, did he? APPLAUSE.
:56:22. > :56:36.It goes without saying this first frame will be very important. This
:56:37. > :56:49.little mini-session off for frames, I think Liang Wenbo has to win this
:56:50. > :57:01.4-0, or 3-1. I think that was a macro shot. The retina really
:57:02. > :57:12.thought that the red moved. I'm not sure if the player knows.
:57:13. > :57:20.Absolutely, the red rocks. That's fine, that's fine. You wouldn't
:57:21. > :57:22.guess it was the final session of the second round of the Crucible so
:57:23. > :57:55.far! Very relaxed. You have discussed in the studio
:57:56. > :57:59.with Hazel that you feel that Ding Junhui is the best Chinese player.
:58:00. > :58:03.But this is the session where he could command a player. He has a
:58:04. > :58:10.Chinese opponent, are busy trying to get to the quarterfinals of the
:58:11. > :58:14.championship, he will be trying to prove he is the Chinese number one.
:58:15. > :58:22.I wonder if that will put pressure on him today. We will see over the
:58:23. > :58:34.first couple of frames. It will be interesting to see the reaction.
:58:35. > :58:41.Approaching ten o'clock at night in China. I'm sure millions of Chinese
:58:42. > :59:10.fans will be glued to this match. APPLAUSE. Ding just held his hand up
:59:11. > :59:12.there, he was looking to find the baulk cushion, not be behind the
:59:13. > :00:01.brown. He is seeing if he could miss the
:00:02. > :00:09.two reds on the left-hand side... He has an escape but it is quite thin.
:00:10. > :01:06.Foul macro and a miss. Ding's got to be careful not to go
:01:07. > :01:19.too near to the red and go near the blue. Doesn't want to cannon into
:01:20. > :01:57.that. Oh, he's not settled. Very nervy.
:01:58. > :02:18.Needs a good pot. Well done. APPLAUSE.
:02:19. > :03:06.Hm. Long time since I've been in a position like that with my body,
:03:07. > :03:22.goodness me! Brought tears to my eyes him playing that.
:03:23. > :03:35.Oh, great pot. This is excellent. Look at that. Nothing to do with the
:03:36. > :03:50.cue ball. Right into the pocket under the cushion.
:03:51. > :03:55.If he wanted to go through and leave the black, he's got the pink there
:03:56. > :04:06.as well. Probably play for the pink until he clears the red above the
:04:07. > :04:08.black spot. Surprised at that. Why would he want to play that for the
:04:09. > :05:40.blue, I don't know. Trying to develop a couple of other
:05:41. > :05:44.reds. He'll be playing up for baulk or blue killer. Once he has the
:05:45. > :05:46.kiss, he's unlucky not to push them both into open play. The cue ball
:05:47. > :07:16.will be running loose here. Both reds available to the left
:07:17. > :07:44.corner. Lookings like possibly both reds are
:07:45. > :08:00.available. Decent visit to the table this. He's
:08:01. > :08:58.had to work really hard. Very aggressive shot. Hit them
:08:59. > :09:29.absolutely perfectly. He's got a 37-point lead which
:09:30. > :09:32.doesn't sound a lot but there are a few reds safe, black out of
:09:33. > :09:38.contention at the moment but he needs to put another red away if he
:09:39. > :10:04.can. Play a negative safety, that could put him in trouble.
:10:05. > :10:08.Taking the option of bringing the red off the cushion which obviously
:10:09. > :10:23.he'll need. I can only assume he's worried about
:10:24. > :10:29.kissing the blue. Yes. If he can get to play the red thick, he's almost
:10:30. > :10:30.going to get between the yellow and brown, the cue ball somewhere on the
:10:31. > :10:34.baulk cushion. Behind the green, brownish area.
:10:35. > :11:24.He's got a thick contact. APPLAUSE.
:11:25. > :11:29.. Every chance now of winning the frame. Seems to have settled quicker
:11:30. > :12:38.than Ding this afternoon. Hm, potted a lot more difficult one
:12:39. > :12:47.than a a few moments ago. That's given Ding Junhui a lifeline. A long
:12:48. > :12:49.way away, too. 44 points be hind, black in play. New favourite in this
:12:50. > :13:33.frame. Ideally he'd like to get the pink on
:13:34. > :13:39.the spot. It's easy to jump behind him. Doesn't have a particularly
:13:40. > :13:46.good angle on the pink though. APPLAUSE.
:13:47. > :15:08.Could collide on one of the baulk colours. This time it's a good shot.
:15:09. > :15:13.That was a nervy one. Too thick. The yellow's come to his rescue though,
:15:14. > :15:45.he's gotten away with it. A kiss on the blue and it would have
:15:46. > :15:52.been OK. It's worth taking this on, 29 points in front, reds relatively
:15:53. > :16:07.safe. Plenty of value in taking this on.
:16:08. > :17:01.Surprises me that, I thought he'd take this on.
:17:02. > :17:08.Answers on a postcard what he played there. Wow. That's up there with one
:17:09. > :17:11.of the worst shots Ding's played this week. He'll be horrified to see
:17:12. > :17:48.where that's finished. Red and black is enough to close
:17:49. > :18:58.within one. This frame hasn't been pretty but
:18:59. > :19:03.the important thing for Wenbo and his supporters will be that he's won
:19:04. > :19:08.the frame. And it's a worrying sign for me the way Ding's played that,
:19:09. > :19:14.especially the last shot, his last visit to the table. The shot he
:19:15. > :19:16.played was very weak. Yes. That body language is not good.
:19:17. > :19:20.There's a chance it might not mean anything the way he's sitting but to
:19:21. > :19:40.me it doesn't look right. APPLAUSE.
:19:41. > :20:29.Maybe he's just chilling while Wenbo is clearing the table.
:20:30. > :20:33.Very important opening frame, the win for Wenbo. Closes the gap to
:20:34. > :21:05.5-4. MUSIC
:21:06. > :21:45.. Apologies for that mistake, it's
:21:46. > :22:09.actually 9-8, but I knew there was only one frame in it!
:22:10. > :22:13.Wenbo has looked the far more comfortable and confident player so
:22:14. > :22:26.far this afternoon. I was a bit concerned about Ding's
:22:27. > :22:29.body language when he was in the chair. Didn't seem to be
:22:30. > :24:07.concentrated too much on the frame. Played a very thick safety shot
:24:08. > :24:13.there. Will need to avoid the blue. There'll be some sort of pot here
:24:14. > :24:37.for Ding. Is it time to have a go at the one next to the blue?
:24:38. > :24:46.Safety shot. Oh. Very surprised he refused the pot on the one next to
:24:47. > :24:50.the blue, the one that he hit any way. You can tell least not
:24:51. > :25:53.confident from his body language. He's gone for a pot there that was a
:25:54. > :25:59.million times more difficult than the last he refused. I would be
:26:00. > :27:12.worried if I was in Ding's camp at the moment.
:27:13. > :27:19.Hole for the red just above the white there, but he may decide to
:27:20. > :27:27.play for the right hand corner one. See the way he plays this shot. He's
:27:28. > :27:30.able to hold it. Already a good chance to score heavily and perhaps
:27:31. > :28:59.level the match at 9-9. Slightly hampered. 39 points in
:29:00. > :29:03.front and the break is still going. Just enough room to get through the
:29:04. > :29:07.two reds to get his hand on the table. A lot of cue out of his hand
:29:08. > :29:15.though. Not too sure if the red passes to
:29:16. > :29:51.get into the corner. That tells me it doesn't pot. That
:29:52. > :30:14.is an excellent positional shot. APPLAUSE.
:30:15. > :30:22.Such as the standard of these layers deride the tournament, they both
:30:23. > :30:28.have the same number of balls potted.
:30:29. > :30:39.It has been a very impressive start this afternoon by Liang Wenbo. He
:30:40. > :30:51.really has come out with a good attitude. It has to be said, the
:30:52. > :30:59.same can't be said for his opponent. Ding just doesn't look on it at all.
:31:00. > :31:41.He looks like he is on a mission, Liang Wenbo, today.
:31:42. > :32:47.Liang Wenbo has the highest break so far, 130. Red and the colour for
:32:48. > :33:04.another century. What a shame! How fantastic free via
:33:05. > :33:08.Liang Wenbo. The important thing is he has levelled the match at 9-
:33:09. > :33:14.night. Liang Wenbo was a couple of frames
:33:15. > :33:18.behind, but he has one seventh out of the last ten frames. The first
:33:19. > :33:24.two frames of this session following what happened last night, Ding had a
:33:25. > :33:32.couple of long pots that went nowhere near the pocket. It is
:33:33. > :33:40.possible that Liang Wenbo has been in thrall of Ding Junhui. His
:33:41. > :33:45.popularity is not as high as that as Ding. This is a top dog in Chinese
:33:46. > :33:51.snooker match as well, isn't it? I assume they think so. Liang's stock
:33:52. > :33:54.would have risen in China after winning the English open in
:33:55. > :33:59.Manchester. It is hard to know because we are not over there to
:34:00. > :34:04.know how it pans out. They seem to be getting on very well as friends.
:34:05. > :34:14.They have had to spend time in the UK over the years and they would
:34:15. > :34:21.have gravitated towards each other. He does look a little bit under it.
:34:22. > :34:26.I still fancy Ding to get over the line. I wouldn't have been chatting
:34:27. > :34:36.around the table with Liang Wenbo during the match. I would've myself
:34:37. > :34:45.aloof. 91% pot success for both men so far. Back to the commentary team.
:34:46. > :34:57.WILLIE THORNE: Steve Davis was always a little comment never said
:34:58. > :35:01.hello to anybody! STEPHEN HENDRY: I know what he is saying, though.
:35:02. > :35:05.Backstage they were laughing and joking together. I don't think that
:35:06. > :35:13.is Ding's natural character before a match.
:35:14. > :35:25.APPLAUSE. I was going to say that it seemed
:35:26. > :35:31.that Liang Wenbo was trying to get the conversation is gone, if that
:35:32. > :35:37.was a case, that was a good move. He is forced into taking the black on
:35:38. > :35:43.here. He will be delighted if he can't just kiss the red just beside
:35:44. > :35:46.the black. This is an excellent chance again to score heavily. Ding
:35:47. > :37:04.in my opinion is in serious trouble. He has the perfect angle to go
:37:05. > :37:13.through the gap in the reds there. One of these two reds must pot into
:37:14. > :37:19.the corner. You can clearly see that it does with the camera angle. It
:37:20. > :37:25.might be worth just glancing off the red that is closest yet, just to
:37:26. > :37:36.make sure that both those reds can pot. It definitely looked on. Just
:37:37. > :37:41.follow the cue ball through, contact on the second red and you would end
:37:42. > :37:48.up on the black. It would have made the break more straightforward. I'm
:37:49. > :37:52.sure he wasn't aware that he was on the black at the time, it is more
:37:53. > :39:00.important just to win the frame. New here to freeze in the zone said
:39:01. > :39:12.in lots of sports. That is exactly where Liang Wenbo is at the moment.
:39:13. > :39:20.These long frame matches at the Crucible, momentum is so important.
:39:21. > :39:32.The ability to read all three, four, five frames on the spin. The way
:39:33. > :39:36.Liang is going, he won't want to have an interval. He would like to
:39:37. > :39:41.keep going. There is only one more frame before the interval after
:39:42. > :39:45.this. Ding certainly needs an interval just to get himself
:39:46. > :39:51.together. He works very closely with Terry Griffiths. Terry will need all
:39:52. > :39:52.of his good work to get in the right frame of mind because he isn't at
:39:53. > :40:24.the moment. I think that shot needed a bit more
:40:25. > :40:28.pace injected into the cue ball. Because the red and pink are
:40:29. > :40:39.touching, he needed to help out a lot harder. Unless this red goes
:40:40. > :40:48.into the right middle, it is end of break. He will be a bit frustrated
:40:49. > :41:42.about that. APPLAUSE.
:41:43. > :41:50.Ding is worried that the red on the cushion would get the double-kiss,
:41:51. > :41:56.which is why he is going to play two cushions and go for the red alone
:41:57. > :42:00.the black. He hasn't had much table time, he could misjudge the pace,
:42:01. > :42:25.which he has done, by a mile. Ding is normally excellent at this
:42:26. > :42:54.sort of shot. Willie and I are both surprised that
:42:55. > :43:03.he had the cue ball replaced. Unless he is expecting Ding just to foul
:43:04. > :43:09.his way to needing snookers. Which I suppose is a possibility. He will
:43:10. > :43:37.get warned this time. So, will he have to force himself to
:43:38. > :43:48.take this red into the corner? He did attempt it.
:43:49. > :43:56.Liang has been left with the red to the right middle. The one that he
:43:57. > :44:14.turned down last time. The fact that Ding missed the pot by
:44:15. > :44:24.such a long way, he is on an advantage here. He only needs 137
:44:25. > :44:40.macro. Just checking the scoreboard. He would need a red and a colour.
:44:41. > :44:41.Two of the -- the only other alternative is to roll it up the
:44:42. > :45:25.table. It looks like he has decided to take
:45:26. > :45:55.it on. -- there. I suppose all he can take
:45:56. > :46:49.out of that is the red he played has gone safe.
:46:50. > :46:55.I'm not saying he is going to win the frame but this visit, but he has
:46:56. > :46:59.every chance of getting back into this frame. Very rarely if your
:47:00. > :47:25.opponent scored 72 points did you win the frame.
:47:26. > :47:38.He would love to just make sure three reds and three high value
:47:39. > :47:43.colours of these now. He will have the first chance of the safety shot
:47:44. > :47:52.on the red against the cushion if he clears up these other reds.
:47:53. > :48:29.A little bit dangerous in playing the cannon. He has left himself at
:48:30. > :48:42.Trickey back. 35 points behind. He can afford a couple of browns to win
:48:43. > :48:47.the frame. Is he looking at taking out the other red with this shot? He
:48:48. > :49:05.needs another colour, that is the problem. It is an acute angle.
:49:06. > :49:17.Now, he can't get on the red, so just make sure that you pot the
:49:18. > :49:21.brown and play a good safety shot. People might ask why he isn't ruling
:49:22. > :49:26.out behind the brown, but he would rather get the four points
:49:27. > :49:27.guaranteed, meaning he doesn't necessarily need the black off the
:49:28. > :49:47.last red. I would've been tempted there to
:49:48. > :49:51.make sure of the brown and leave myself in a really good position to
:49:52. > :49:57.play a good safety shot, or at least make it easier. It is a lot tougher
:49:58. > :49:59.from where he is now to play that telling safety and force a mistake
:50:00. > :51:09.out of his opponent. So, he is going to win this safety
:51:10. > :51:13.battle on the last red? If Ding does he would go in front again when, a
:51:14. > :51:18.few moments ago, it was looking like he was going to lose the first three
:51:19. > :51:23.frames of this session and go 10-9 behind. He will need to hit this
:51:24. > :51:25.quite firm, plenty of distance between the cue ball and the object
:51:26. > :51:43.ball. This could become a pivotal frame in
:51:44. > :51:53.this match. Ding could win it from 72-0 down.
:51:54. > :52:03.We'll Ding be tempted? Know, is the answer. The way the colours are
:52:04. > :52:08.situated in the middle of the table, it is not too difficult to get
:52:09. > :52:15.snookers more or less every shot to play, as long as you are of the
:52:16. > :52:17.aggressor. It looks like there is a gap between the blue and the black
:52:18. > :53:03.to get to that. For our breath I thought he had left
:53:04. > :53:10.that well short. He has the brown and black, they have come to his
:53:11. > :53:18.rescue. This is not straightforward. Because the red is so close to the
:53:19. > :53:23.cushion, he will be able to put any distance between them. The white
:53:24. > :53:31.will stay on that side of the table. This is not straightforward at all.
:53:32. > :53:45.Very easy to hit, I'm not saying that, but very hard to get safe.
:53:46. > :53:55.He just put his hand up there to apologise. He didn't play it that
:53:56. > :54:18.way. The kiss of the blue has left Liang snookered.
:54:19. > :55:29.These are all useful points for Ding Junhui.
:55:30. > :55:40.Liang Wenbo doesn't want to head the right-hand side of the red, he is
:55:41. > :55:44.trying to hit the left-hand side of the red as it goes up the table.
:55:45. > :55:50.Good shot. APPLAUSE.
:55:51. > :56:30.Ding still has the advantage. He has the advantage in this safety
:56:31. > :56:32.play at the moment. Another situation where he has to hit it
:56:33. > :56:56.quite firm. If he was in front, say he was
:56:57. > :57:04.leading the match 9-7 or something like that, he would take this red on
:57:05. > :57:07.but it is such an easy snooker for him. There are five balls that you
:57:08. > :57:25.can get snookers from. Sometimes you have to play to the
:57:26. > :57:57.scoreboard, really. Maybe Liang can get through to it this time.
:57:58. > :58:20.This is definitely an opportunity to take the red on here.
:58:21. > :58:29.No, refused it. Or did he refuse it? He raised his hand but it is not
:58:30. > :58:37.really any good to him, it hasn't given him a frame-winning chance.
:58:38. > :58:53.He is getting to play the next shot, that is about all you could say
:58:54. > :58:59.about that fluke. He has to be careful here he doesn't leave some
:59:00. > :59:00.kind of pot on the yellow. It is not easy to come to the yellow from
:59:01. > :59:16.there. Has he covered the yellow? That is a
:59:17. > :59:55.clever shot, if he has. He can just see it.
:59:56. > :00:03.That is a good reply. All of a sudden now, Liang is looking for
:00:04. > :00:19.safety. Be trying to kiss it from behind
:00:20. > :00:22.obviously but doesn't want the yellow to career into the blue,
:00:23. > :00:27.brown or black because that would leave some sort of pot on. Needs to
:00:28. > :00:36.try to avoid blue, brown and black with this shot.
:00:37. > :00:42.Needs to take the yellow though. If this is a free ball, this is the end
:00:43. > :00:47.of the frame. Boy, that was very careless from Ding. Still in the
:00:48. > :01:07.frame. Only 25 points in it but this is frame ball.
:01:08. > :01:13.Wenbo knows he should have won this frame ten minutes ago. All of a
:01:14. > :01:20.sudden now, he's trying to be too careful. And Ding can get through to
:01:21. > :01:28.this yellow. This is already the longest frame of the match so far.
:01:29. > :01:32.Ding has to sense this is a big moment in the match now and put
:01:33. > :01:57.everything into this yellow. Boy, that looked in, didn't it?
:01:58. > :02:40.That's amazing. I don't think he can hold it for the
:02:41. > :02:43.green into the middle so there is no great advantage in taking the yellow
:02:44. > :02:48.on. Can't play it slow enough to hold
:02:49. > :03:15.for the green. Decided to play it as slow as
:03:16. > :03:58.possible to hold for the green and it's cost him the frame.
:03:59. > :04:37.Going back to the chair when he's all the snookers and other colours
:04:38. > :04:41.to tie. A tall enough order but all four colours in the middle of the
:04:42. > :04:57.table and I don't fancy his chances at all.
:04:58. > :06:07.The only thing that could go wrong here, he could catch the far jaw of
:06:08. > :06:12.the middle pocket, so he's got to be a little careful. If he does catch
:06:13. > :06:21.the far jaw he'd miss the blue. But he's hit it nicely.
:06:22. > :06:27.Pink and black in the middle, this is going to be so difficult for Ding
:06:28. > :06:39.Junhui. One snooker now to win the frame.
:06:40. > :08:25.Not to tie. Last time he went in-off. Goodness
:08:26. > :09:11.me. He plays some strange shots, Wenbo.
:09:12. > :09:17.People may be asking why he didn't play to pot it formally. He was
:09:18. > :09:20.worried about the in-off in the top corner pocket. That's why he played
:09:21. > :09:23.it slowly. He's put himself through the wringer
:09:24. > :09:37.here for no reason. Having snookered Ding on the
:09:38. > :09:40.previous shot and put Ding back in again, he's been playing catch up.
:09:41. > :09:51.He's been trying to protect the lead. Clash 35 minutes this frame's
:09:52. > :10:40.been going on. Surely now this blue goes to right
:10:41. > :10:40.corner. APPLAUSE.
:10:41. > :10:59.Yes. Concedes. He now leads Ding Junhui
:11:00. > :11:03.10-9. It's the first time that Liang has led and it was Ding Junhui who
:11:04. > :11:09.took the opening frame a long, long time ago with an opening break of
:11:10. > :11:13.111 which seems like days ago. In fact it was yesterday morning. There
:11:14. > :11:17.was an opening red there from Liang which does seems like ages ago and
:11:18. > :11:22.it had you leaping out of your chair, a beautiful shot? Yes. The
:11:23. > :11:26.ball looked so risky. He was trying to get the cue ball down the table
:11:27. > :11:31.and escape from that, but what a power pot. He's in great aggressive
:11:32. > :11:34.mode and the alarm bells are surely ringing for Ding Junhui. The
:11:35. > :11:40.equivalent of a boxer being on the ropes at the moment, he's reeling.
:11:41. > :11:43.Exactly and that first session yesterday John, he knocked two
:11:44. > :11:46.centuries in and looked very much the aggressor. He seems to have
:11:47. > :11:52.retreated a bit into his shell in the last few frames? Yes, a bit of
:11:53. > :11:57.both. He's done that but also certainly last night, Liang's
:11:58. > :12:00.scoring was fantastic. He had something like 80, 84, 113, he
:12:01. > :12:05.should have the highest score of the tournament. He scored, which he
:12:06. > :12:09.hadn't done in the openings session, which has been the tale of this
:12:10. > :12:14.tournament. At 10-9 he's under the cosh. Tell you what, can you imagine
:12:15. > :12:18.what's happening back in China, this match will be being beamed live. It
:12:19. > :12:22.will be after 12 o'clock on a Saturday night and they are going to
:12:23. > :12:26.be watching it in the sports bars, the commentary and presentation team
:12:27. > :12:29.will be jumping up and down in the air, they'll be so animated about
:12:30. > :12:35.the prospect of who is going to win. Interesting to see what they are
:12:36. > :12:38.coming up with in their interviews. They know obviously that he's going
:12:39. > :12:41.to play Ronnie O'Sullivan, whoever it is going through, so there is an
:12:42. > :12:48.awful lot to look forward to and of course there are a couple of other
:12:49. > :12:52.Chinese players in this as well. Marco Fu is up against Neil
:12:53. > :12:55.Robertson too in what will be a really special match I fancy from
:12:56. > :13:00.tomorrow. That is definitely a cracker. We mentioned the old cliche
:13:01. > :13:05.fit to be a final, that is an absolutely - try and pick the winner
:13:06. > :13:08.in that one - I don't think Neil's been quite so good but there's a
:13:09. > :13:14.chance to put that right. Marco has been very consistent. That will be a
:13:15. > :13:17.great match. There's plenty of them and Mark Allen and John Higgins'
:13:18. > :13:20.second round matches have been brilliant. Second round matches are
:13:21. > :13:24.tough. We were talking about the fact that the draw seemed weaker in
:13:25. > :13:29.the bottom half. It's not really. The standard is going to be great
:13:30. > :13:32.for the rest of the tournament. You will be unlucky to buy a ticket and
:13:33. > :13:36.watch a bad session I feel from now on in.
:13:37. > :13:41.Let's talk about Ding Junhui and the pressure that's suddenly heaped upon
:13:42. > :13:44.him. He's last year's runner-up and the man who everybody thought would
:13:45. > :13:48.come through into the semi-finals to give whoever it is a run for their
:13:49. > :13:52.money and maybe in another final, but suddenly it's his friend,
:13:53. > :13:54.colleague, a man with whom he socialises all the time who's
:13:55. > :14:00.dominating now. He's got to find something. He's got to go through
:14:01. > :14:04.the gear box. He's been a little lethargic this afternoon, nearly
:14:05. > :14:07.pinched a frame. It's a huge frame that's happened there, but he's got
:14:08. > :14:11.to start playing, simple as that, he's got to get back and score.
:14:12. > :14:14.Ding's never won the World Championship and perhaps his
:14:15. > :14:18.temperament is in question here, perhaps he hasn't got the final
:14:19. > :14:23.piece of the jigsaw. These matches you have to overcome them. This is
:14:24. > :14:30.the last frame before the mid session interval. I'm sure Stephen
:14:31. > :14:32.will agree with me, it's more an important frame for Ding to win than
:14:33. > :15:04.Liang. It's a question of who wants it the
:15:05. > :15:13.most or badly enough. There's only one player out there at the minute.
:15:14. > :15:15.Didn't play the pot. Ding to me doesn't look like wanting it badly
:15:16. > :15:32.enough. You have to recognise situations in
:15:33. > :15:33.matches where you really have to put everything into it. Seize
:15:34. > :16:59.opportunities. Doesn't appear to be touching. Does
:17:00. > :17:04.he risk running off the three reds together or the left on one of the
:17:05. > :17:08.three and trying to get the cue ball into the green pocket? Just come
:17:09. > :17:11.round and have a look whether he gets in the jaws of the green pocket
:17:12. > :17:21.whether the red will be easy or hard. It will be a tough pot. That's
:17:22. > :17:35.not beneficial. We may have a rerack here. Wenbo looked at Ding to
:17:36. > :17:40.suggest a rerack. Ding... Oh, they are going to have a rerack after a
:17:41. > :17:54.couple of minutes' play. They have decided it's a stalemate.
:17:55. > :17:59.You've been in this situation where you have lost a couple of frames on
:18:00. > :18:06.the trot. What do you think about Ding's body language? What do you
:18:07. > :18:09.notice more than most? He just... Sometimes when someone's in their
:18:10. > :18:15.chair, you can tell when they're focussed. He could come out of this
:18:16. > :18:20.frame and make a century, you know, but he just doesn't look, I don't
:18:21. > :18:26.know, angry enough, maybe that's a way of describing it. He looks like
:18:27. > :18:33.he's looking all over the place, his arms are behind his head. If you
:18:34. > :18:43.look at Wenbo, he looks more alert. Ever since they came into the arena.
:18:44. > :18:51.One thing that is lacking with Ding Junhui, I don't think he's strong
:18:52. > :18:55.enough mentally. He's got every other aspect of the game, no doubt
:18:56. > :18:58.about it. Can he fight his way through this bad session? Frame 20
:18:59. > :19:41.take two. Another things about Ding, he's one
:19:42. > :19:45.of the game's great players and he's definitely my top three or four
:19:46. > :19:48.players of all-time, but some players never play great at the
:19:49. > :19:56.Crucible. He got to the final last year, but apart from that, every
:19:57. > :20:00.other year he's been struggling. Whether it's the mantle of being
:20:01. > :20:03.Chinese number one and what it would mean to him to win the World
:20:04. > :20:06.Championship, that could have an effect on him. I honestly think he
:20:07. > :20:26.needs to win this frame. If Ding Junhui does go through,
:20:27. > :20:32.he'll have the international. Always goes to the practise table.
:20:33. > :20:41.It's something he does. Of course, then you have the pressurable switch
:20:42. > :20:46.on to Wenbo. He'll be thinking about the winning line. So, a long way to
:20:47. > :20:53.go in this match. Few twists and turns to come yet I
:20:54. > :21:55.think. Clearly caught that a lot thinner
:21:56. > :22:04.than he wanted. He was trying to get in below the yellow. He could play
:22:05. > :22:37.the aggressive safety shot and open them up.
:22:38. > :22:43.Oh, he's had a bit of luck there. OK this red is cut above the middle,
:22:44. > :22:52.but I'm not sure he can get his hand on the table.
:22:53. > :23:16.This could be very tricky. The referee will be on his toes here.
:23:17. > :23:20.APPLAUSE. . He's done really well. Really
:23:21. > :23:51.well. Massive visit to the table here for
:23:52. > :24:13.Ding Junhui. Unless that red passes the black.
:24:14. > :24:18.It's been a very poor shot. It doesn't pass.
:24:19. > :24:29.A lot of margin for error there. He's still taking this one on. Could
:24:30. > :24:34.be a bit of frustration play, this. Oh, well played.
:24:35. > :24:44.APPLAUSE. Well played.
:24:45. > :24:50.That was almost like, whether I'm out of the position I'm going to go
:24:51. > :24:53.for this whatever happens. Playing a shot with disappointment can
:24:54. > :24:57.sometimes cost you, but boy that was a great pot. He played it to
:24:58. > :24:58.perfection because he screwed into the red to hold for the black.
:24:59. > :25:07.Absolutely perfect. This is not one of those that is a
:25:08. > :25:09.ten out of ten pot. Brilliant. Deserves exactly what he gets from
:25:10. > :27:05.there now. Pointing to the cue ball. Bad
:27:06. > :27:14.contact. Let us see if the black leaves the table. Yes. He's still
:27:15. > :27:25.got the red over the green pocket. Would you not just play one red on
:27:26. > :27:31.to another, the one that's in the baulk pocket Stephen and come out
:27:32. > :27:34.for the black? Yes, good call. The gap in-between the two reds on the
:27:35. > :27:41.side cushion is a wide gap and he's playing the one in the baulk pocket.
:27:42. > :27:50.These are always tough. Blue spot or short of the baulk line.
:27:51. > :27:57.I think that is probably a sign of how under pressure he is. He's not
:27:58. > :28:02.even landed on the blue. A disappointing end to that visit
:28:03. > :28:11.from Ding Junhui. Only scored 32. He's in control though. Certainly
:28:12. > :28:19.not easy to get safe. He's really got to dig in now, Ding
:28:20. > :29:11.Junhui. No problem hitting it, of course.
:29:12. > :29:16.Somehow, he has to find the red he can get to without leaving anything
:29:17. > :29:25.on. The red to the left of the brink, he could get near that one
:29:26. > :29:33.and it would be safe. I don't know what length of cue he needs to play
:29:34. > :29:42.with this spider. I'd be amazed if he plays it with the spider. If you
:29:43. > :29:51.could see a side cushion you would just hit it as hard as you can and
:29:52. > :29:57.hope for the best. I can only assume he is open to catch this red and for
:29:58. > :30:05.the cue ball to carry on down the table. I don't see that he can't
:30:06. > :30:25.possibly have a red and not leave one on here.
:30:26. > :30:39.Foul and a miss. Obviously, Ding would love to play a pot here, but I
:30:40. > :30:44.don't think there is anything easy, so he will have them replaced. He is
:30:45. > :30:53.just showing exactly where he would like him to leave the cue ball. It
:30:54. > :31:01.seems that Ding once this to be a jovial match, but he is in trouble
:31:02. > :31:05.here. Maybe it is a good time to lighten the mood. Obviously, not
:31:06. > :31:32.feeling the best about his game so far today.
:31:33. > :31:40.APPLAUSE. That was worth the wait. That was
:31:41. > :31:47.excellent. The first time he misjudged it and Ding could think in
:31:48. > :34:04.southern lucky he wasn't left on the red. But the second try, top drawer.
:34:05. > :34:16.Is there anything available in the left-hand middle? I suppose there is
:34:17. > :34:26.the slight chance of uplands. He is 36 points behind, so it may be worth
:34:27. > :34:37.the risk. -- slight chance of a plant.
:34:38. > :34:46.He feels that the plant is too dangerous. He could play the plant
:34:47. > :34:47.and screwed directly back and all he would leave honours a similar sort
:34:48. > :35:12.of shot into the middle. It looks like he is taking the long
:35:13. > :35:15.one on. He missed that by a long way. How does it look this time? A
:35:16. > :35:32.half chance. The fact he is 36 points in front
:35:33. > :35:37.means he will not want to play safe of the blue, he will want to leave
:35:38. > :35:53.that there. He will probably take this pot on then play for the green.
:35:54. > :35:57.Just a shame that he called the jaw otherwise he would have been perfect
:35:58. > :38:01.on the green. This looks good. This looks good.
:38:02. > :38:08.APPLAUSE. Great shot.
:38:09. > :38:20.He might be 37-0 down, but he might have just given him the edge in this
:38:21. > :38:25.frame. If you can get in between yellow and brown he should be able
:38:26. > :38:42.to rule on to the left-hand side of the bunch. Normally his touch is
:38:43. > :39:04.excellent on the sort of shots. -- these sort of shots.
:39:05. > :39:12.Boro moment I thought he had hit that too thick. He will need the
:39:13. > :40:13.spider. APPLAUSE. Well done. He doesn't have
:40:14. > :40:19.any sort of pot on a colour, so it will be yellow behind the blue
:40:20. > :40:27.again, I imagine. He could be aggressive, yellow in behind the
:40:28. > :40:28.green. With the blue wasn't where it was, I would suggest taking the pot
:40:29. > :41:15.on. APPLAUSE.
:41:16. > :41:20.He didn't play that to be taken behind the brown. He wanted the cue
:41:21. > :41:47.ball on the baulk cushion. Foul and a miss. Once again, Ding
:41:48. > :41:52.has been a little bit unfortunate there. Where the white has finished,
:41:53. > :42:13.he might ask for it to be put back. Yes, it has become a scrappy affair.
:42:14. > :42:17.A lot of pressure out there, this frame is already approaching the 23
:42:18. > :42:21.minute mark. I did not think we would have frames this long between
:42:22. > :42:27.these two players. Each issue shows you what the pressure does, the last
:42:28. > :42:33.session of the match in the Crucible. The first two sessions,
:42:34. > :42:39.the standard was absolutely out of this world. There was one chance and
:42:40. > :42:45.somebody would score 60, 70 or 100. As you say, this is the final
:42:46. > :42:51.session. We are coming to the end of our time
:42:52. > :42:55.on BBC One. This match does continue on the red button, so do follow us
:42:56. > :43:01.there. That forget, we will be back on BBC Two for the final session
:43:02. > :43:08.with John Higgins against Mark Allen. Then later tonight, the FA
:43:09. > :43:15.Cup semifinal, Chelsea against Tottenham. To press the red button
:43:16. > :43:18.and you will see you there again now. See you very soon. Goodbye.