:00:34. > :00:40.Hello, a very good morning, welcome back to the Crucible Theatre in
:00:41. > :00:43.Sheffield. Day nine remarkably the 2017 Betfred World Snooker
:00:44. > :00:46.Championship, two more second-round matches get under way from scratch
:00:47. > :00:58.today, forming already through the quarterfinals.
:00:59. > :01:12.Ronnie was just a little bit too good... Ding Junhui gets into the
:01:13. > :01:23.quarterfinal where he will play Ronnie O'Sullivan. What a
:01:24. > :01:36.performance, a very confident young man. What a performance from John
:01:37. > :01:42.Higgins! He is the best in my opinion. And this is the second
:01:43. > :02:23.round draw as it stands. Always top class action at the
:02:24. > :02:32.Crucible but I don't know about you, some of the snake has been
:02:33. > :02:38.scintillating. That was a fantastic match last night with John Higgins
:02:39. > :02:43.playing virtuoso snooker. Some of the clearances he made, the one from
:02:44. > :02:50.58 behind, the one from 17 behind to clear up with 72, two frames and it
:02:51. > :02:54.was a real sublime finish for John Higgins. How much are you looking
:02:55. > :03:01.forward to Neil Robertson v Marco Fu? Some might say their surprise
:03:02. > :03:05.that Marco is in the round. It might give him inspiration, I'm sure he
:03:06. > :03:10.would have packed his bags. He came back remarkably well. A long history
:03:11. > :03:15.of great comebacks at the Crucible another certainly one of them. They
:03:16. > :03:20.have performed admirably and he is prone to a few Crucible comebacks
:03:21. > :03:24.himself, this is going to be a cracking match, two players in great
:03:25. > :03:28.form. Do you share the view of John Parrott, Neil Robertson not really
:03:29. > :03:31.tested in the first round? This is an entirely different much? Not
:03:32. > :03:39.really test the still very good and very sharp. He scored very heavily.
:03:40. > :03:43.Neil Robertson, in the Crucible, he is always up-to-date. He was a
:03:44. > :03:46.winner here before so bags of experience. I'm really looking
:03:47. > :03:51.forward to this match against Marco Fu. Me too, thank you. The one thing
:03:52. > :03:53.you can be sure of when these two players meet, it will be high
:03:54. > :04:09.quality. They first met in 2008. Very happy with my game, I've been
:04:10. > :04:12.practising hard coming in here, I have never practised harder coming
:04:13. > :04:16.into championship before, so, I have done everything right, regardless of
:04:17. > :04:24.performances, at least I know I have done everything I can. Since the UK,
:04:25. > :04:29.I think I've been playing quite consistently, just producing the
:04:30. > :04:36.type of consistency I want, that's the most important thing, especially
:04:37. > :04:41.coming into the World Championships. Yeah, Marco has been playing good
:04:42. > :04:44.snooker throughout his career and an unbelievable season, really, you
:04:45. > :04:50.look at the draw, the players left, there aren't too many players that
:04:51. > :05:01.you could get a good draw from, everyone fights to the death.
:05:02. > :05:04.Strike-mac I think we just want to do some wonderful clearances and
:05:05. > :05:15.hopefully I can win as quickly as possible. We try not to miss shops.
:05:16. > :05:21.I am quite happy to be one of the lesser fancied players. You know,
:05:22. > :05:24.Ronny, Judd Trump, are ahead of me and I am more than happy to fly
:05:25. > :05:33.under the radar and quietly go about my business. I'm sure it's going to
:05:34. > :05:39.be a challenge for me, so it will be an evenly matched contest. I will
:05:40. > :05:46.play to my best and enjoy the occasion Kempley come out as a
:05:47. > :05:51.winner. Here at the players backstage. On table to then this
:05:52. > :05:54.wonderful arena, Barry Hawkins starts second-round match against
:05:55. > :06:01.Graeme Dott, the first session, frames 1-8 and then all four players
:06:02. > :06:05.back tonight for the 7pm session. Rob Walker is at the London
:06:06. > :06:11.Marathon, I don't know if he is running for BBC television, watch
:06:12. > :06:15.those hamstrings, Walker, let's get the players out for today, welcome,
:06:16. > :06:15.ladies and gentlemen to the Crucible Theatre here in Sheffield!
:06:16. > :06:38.CHEERING AND APPLAUSE First up on table two, a man who
:06:39. > :06:44.knows the sweet feeling of lifting one of the biggest prizes in World
:06:45. > :06:49.Snooker and one of the great British sporting venues, the champion of
:06:50. > :06:54.2006, who, as a qualifier, won three matches to get here, then dispatched
:06:55. > :06:58.Ali Carter in round one, please welcome the pride of Scotland,
:06:59. > :07:16.Graeme Dott! CHEERING AND APPLAUSE
:07:17. > :07:24.Sexed up, a special day for Barry Hawkins, not only is he about to
:07:25. > :07:29.embark on another second-round match here at the Crucible Theatre, but he
:07:30. > :07:33.will be cracking open the champagne tonight whatever happens because it
:07:34. > :07:39.is his birthday! Will you please welcome...
:07:40. > :07:46.LAUGHTER He did expect this! Will you please welcome the birthday
:07:47. > :08:10.boy, Barry Hawkins! CHEERING AND APPLAUSE
:08:11. > :08:16.We either do it or we do it properly...
:08:17. > :08:22.Happy birthday to Barry! On table one, another former Crucible King, a
:08:23. > :08:26.former world number one who made his 500th career century in the first
:08:27. > :08:30.round match and is looking to win the World Championship title again,
:08:31. > :08:39.he lifted the trophy, beating Graeme Dott, sorry, Graeme, in 2010, will
:08:40. > :08:57.you please welcome Peter Robinson! CHEERING AND APPLAUSE -- Neil
:08:58. > :09:01.Robertson! Next up, the world number eight, who
:09:02. > :09:05.we all thought was heading home after the opening session of his
:09:06. > :09:10.first-round match against Luca Brecel but you never have to write
:09:11. > :09:13.off this man, he remarkably turned it around, dug deep and found his
:09:14. > :09:18.way into the second round, three times a world ranking title winner,
:09:19. > :09:40.which is welcome Marco Fu! CHEERING AND APPLAUSE
:09:41. > :09:45.What a fantastic atmosphere here at the Crucible.
:09:46. > :09:48.If you want to watch Barry Hawkins against Graeme Dott in the company
:09:49. > :09:53.of Willie Thorne and Steve Davis, that is available on the BBC sport
:09:54. > :09:58.website and BBC Sport app, but live here on BBC Two, a very good
:09:59. > :10:03.morning. John Virgo and Ken Doherty. COMMENTATOR: Good morning Jason and
:10:04. > :10:11.good morning everybody. Lovely day here in Sheffield. A bit chilly but
:10:12. > :10:22.the sun was shining. The first frame of the second-round match. Two
:10:23. > :10:32.heavyweights here. Neil Robertson, former champion. Marco Fu, they have
:10:33. > :10:37.played 11 times. It is just slightly in favour of Neil Robertson, he has
:10:38. > :10:39.won six against Marco's five but I think the most important step for me
:10:40. > :10:47.is the fact that ranking titles, Neil Robertson has won 12, Marco Fu
:10:48. > :10:51.has won three. Yes, and of course, with the experience of actually
:10:52. > :11:05.winning here, when Neil Robertson did that. Yeah, he has a lot more
:11:06. > :11:11.experience at the Crucible. Marco Fu has been a long time as well. A
:11:12. > :11:18.couple of semifinals but a wonderful player on his day, Marco Fu, one of
:11:19. > :11:23.the best scorers in the business. And Neil Robertson, who made his
:11:24. > :11:31.500th career century in his last match and Marco Fu just looking at
:11:32. > :11:35.the stats has made 449 in his career, so big scorers. They are not
:11:36. > :11:46.so amateurs, nay? Incredible standing. And when he completed the
:11:47. > :11:53.hundredth centuries in one season that was quite incredible. It really
:11:54. > :12:11.was. Meanwhile, what on earth was Marco Fu playing there? It may have
:12:12. > :12:15.cost him... Hmm, the red's come out. He thought if he got close to the
:12:16. > :12:24.chores, it would have stayed at this end.
:12:25. > :12:35.He needs a bit of luck with the position for the cover. Well, he has
:12:36. > :12:42.two pots the red first. An edgy start, this, from Marco. He could
:12:43. > :12:47.have gone for the yellow instead of playing that safety shot on the
:12:48. > :12:54.brown. Bound to have some sort of nervous going into this match. An
:12:55. > :13:01.opportunity for both players. And of course, Marco, that first round,
:13:02. > :13:04.they finished the session 7-2 against Luca Brecel but what a
:13:05. > :13:11.remarkable comeback in the second session, to get through that round,
:13:12. > :13:16.was amazing. The great comeback and there have been many at the
:13:17. > :13:22.Crucible, that was up there with some of them. I agree. You get a
:13:23. > :13:26.victory like that and you might think, this is my year. You think
:13:27. > :13:31.you're out and you relax but he did play well to come back, he didn't
:13:32. > :13:37.just scraped over the line, he produced good snooker. But the first
:13:38. > :13:49.few shots this morning, very average. And of course, when Neil
:13:50. > :13:54.Robertson won here in 2010, in a second-round match against Martin
:13:55. > :13:58.Gill, he had checked out of the hotel, packed his barracks, came
:13:59. > :14:01.down to play the last session of the match, didn't get himself too much
:14:02. > :14:03.of a chance and then beat Martin Gill 13-12 and went on to win the
:14:04. > :14:29.tournament. He will pots this book, into the top
:14:30. > :15:22.corner and maybe make a little cannon just above it.
:15:23. > :15:31.He has not had the best of seasons, by his own standards, Neil
:15:32. > :15:38.Robertson. He won the Rico Masters back in June. That was last year. It
:15:39. > :15:42.is quite a long time. He's normally at the business end of most
:15:43. > :15:50.tournaments and the normally when several per season. But this has
:15:51. > :15:59.been a bit of a barren one for Neil Robertson. He is such a lovely
:16:00. > :16:09.striker of the ball, tremendous at potting. Of course, there are lots
:16:10. > :16:14.of tournaments now, best-of-7, and in the grand scheme of things, that
:16:15. > :16:24.is like playing three holes of golf, really. Anyone can win. He has
:16:25. > :16:28.already said, he has done lots of preparation for the World
:16:29. > :16:35.Championship this year. This is a big chance to get his career back on
:16:36. > :16:44.track. Marco is ranked number eight in the world, Neil nine. When you
:16:45. > :16:47.consider Neil was world number one for three years. It is a drop down
:16:48. > :17:03.the rankings, somewhat. He is a little straight on the
:17:04. > :17:09.black. He seemed to get a big bones of the side cushion. I think he can
:17:10. > :17:17.force the black incomer to get out for the red above the black. He has
:17:18. > :17:21.plenty of cue power, Neil Robertson. He decided to go back for the red
:17:22. > :17:29.into the left centre. He has this red close to the cue ball. Has it
:17:30. > :17:42.hampered his cueing? There is his target. 69 he needs. Good cueing,
:17:43. > :17:44.this. Considering that, that was an excellent shot. That could clinch
:17:45. > :17:59.the frame. 53 ahead, 83 remaining, two reds, to
:18:00. > :18:09.Michael Collins, that should be enough.
:18:10. > :18:55.Red and black would put him 69 points ahead with just 67 remaining.
:18:56. > :19:04.That was good, the frame ball, acknowledged by the crowd. Now he
:19:05. > :19:14.can concentrate on making a century. He does not need the safe red, close
:19:15. > :19:18.to the left centre pocket. The pink will go on the brown spot and these
:19:19. > :19:23.two reds will be pottable into the bottom right pocket. He is always a
:19:24. > :19:29.way of making centuries. He wants to keep going, he wants to catch up
:19:30. > :19:36.with the likes of John Higgins and Stephen Hendry, and even Ronnie
:19:37. > :19:40.O'Sullivan. As well as being a fantastic player, he loves the
:19:41. > :19:50.history of the game. He loves the records. Yes, two reds, two blacks,
:19:51. > :20:00.that would get into this century without having to play the awkward
:20:01. > :20:07.red knew the left-hand side cushion. This is one of these matches, in
:20:08. > :20:14.this rent particularly, -- in this rent particularly, where we may see
:20:15. > :20:19.lots of century breaks. It would be nice to start with one here. The
:20:20. > :20:38.very first frame. He let that positional shot slip. He
:20:39. > :20:50.will need a pot. Into the far right corner. He will screw back for the
:20:51. > :20:58.black. No problem. Great pot. And the black for the century. Well
:20:59. > :21:13.played. Just the start any player is looking for. Connacht. -- tonne up.
:21:14. > :21:26.He got his cue arm going. Hello. Weight is the red ball going? That
:21:27. > :21:31.is one of your trick shots, John. I have seen them on the television.
:21:32. > :21:39.You might have to have a few attempts at one like that.
:21:40. > :21:48.Well, once he had made the hundred, he was not bothered. I very
:21:49. > :21:50.tentative start from Marco Fu. It cost him in the end. Neil Robertson
:21:51. > :22:04.leads, 1-0. Yes, we talked about Marco, a little
:22:05. > :22:11.bit nervous. He potted red and got onto the brown. Look at this, before
:22:12. > :22:16.he plays the shot. He is just above the baulk line. Would you take on
:22:17. > :22:22.the yellow or possibly the green? Absolutely, the way the reds were
:22:23. > :22:28.spread. Have a look at the shot. I presume he was trying to leave Neil
:22:29. > :22:34.hampered by the brown, but he did not even do that, he left him a pot.
:22:35. > :22:44.Then he had the possible red into the left-centre that the misses as
:22:45. > :22:48.well. He was worried about were the cue ball was going, but he missed it
:22:49. > :22:51.by some distance. He was concerned about the line that the cue ball was
:22:52. > :22:58.going to take, but do not miss the pot. From there, that was the end of
:22:59. > :23:04.the frame. Not the start he was looking for, but the perfect start
:23:05. > :23:14.for Neil Robertson. The second frame, Marco Fu to break.
:23:15. > :23:21.Marco gets the second frame under way. We were saying, he did very
:23:22. > :23:26.well in his first round. He got way behind and fought his way back. He
:23:27. > :23:33.does not want to be doing that against a player of the stature of
:23:34. > :23:37.Neil Robertson. Certainly not. If you give Neil Robertson four, five,
:23:38. > :23:50.six frames start, you do not want to do that. A lovely pot. He played to
:23:51. > :23:57.get in and around the back of the red. There was a nice lunch on that.
:23:58. > :24:03.He is on the black. He can hold for the red into the same pocket or try
:24:04. > :24:14.to nudge the red towards the pocket. Wow.
:24:15. > :24:20.His body language would suggest that he got a kick. I am not sure that
:24:21. > :24:27.was in the middle of the pocket anyway.
:24:28. > :24:39.Anyway, it is a reprieve for Marco, I transfer him to get his in. We can
:24:40. > :24:47.see it again. A slight bones. He would never expect to mist a black
:24:48. > :24:58.like that. You're bound to blame it on something. -- a slight bounce.
:24:59. > :25:18.Let's see what Marco can make of this.
:25:19. > :25:33.Nicely on the pink or black. Or the black into the bottom corner pocket.
:25:34. > :26:02.The red below the pink pots into the right centre.
:26:03. > :26:10.If he goes into the pack, he has to be careful. The pink is a little bit
:26:11. > :27:10.away from the red. He decided to play for the red below the pink.
:27:11. > :27:19.He played that nicely. The perfect angle on the blue to cannon into the
:27:20. > :27:26.pink foul on. He could not wish for a better potting angle than this. He
:27:27. > :27:34.has played it well. That red bounces slightly against the top cushion. It
:27:35. > :27:35.was a good shot. Looking at the side bar, another 33 points from this
:27:36. > :27:54.position to clinch the second frame. He has got a couple, well, the red
:27:55. > :28:00.at the bottom of the pack goes, the red to the left goes, and of course,
:28:01. > :28:05.the red closest to the cue ball. He does not have to disturb any reds
:28:06. > :28:14.just yet. Well. Trying to put left-hand side on that. He has got
:28:15. > :28:22.away with it. That was a mistake. Watchou moves slightly. You see his
:28:23. > :28:24.head put. -- you see him lift his head, trying to get the power in the
:28:25. > :28:38.cue ball. He will not be happy with that,
:28:39. > :28:44.Neil. The cue ball should have been tight to the baulk cushion. He has
:28:45. > :28:59.left Marco chants, it is a to nothing. -- it is a shot to nothing.
:29:00. > :29:06.That was too thick. When Marco missed the black from the spot, you
:29:07. > :29:11.think, you have got away with it. He was just delighted to get back to
:29:12. > :29:16.the table. Even though he did not have anything to go out, but I know
:29:17. > :29:25.what you mean. I would have expected Marco to win the frame from that
:29:26. > :29:29.position. That is a better safety shot from Neil. That is top draw.
:29:30. > :29:34.That is why you need the cue ball welded to the baulk cushion. There
:29:35. > :29:53.is every chance he will force a mistake from your opponent.
:29:54. > :30:01.The referee, Jan Verhaas, had a look. If it had been touching, he
:30:02. > :30:10.would have declared it. There is no obvious path back to baulk for Neil.
:30:11. > :30:23.But there will be four Marco. He has put himself in trouble here, Neil.
:30:24. > :30:38.Marco can get a good cue ball here. That's a bit heavy. Eight kiss on
:30:39. > :30:41.the brown. He could target up behind the yellow, he can try to double the
:30:42. > :30:52.red across the table. That was always going to go pretty
:30:53. > :31:17.close. That was an excellent roll-up from
:31:18. > :31:26.Neil. I'm sure anyone who has ever tried to shout... Don't like them at
:31:27. > :31:32.all, I've never liked those shots. It was excellently played. He may
:31:33. > :31:37.have cut off the one-cushion escape, if so, it loses a little bit more of
:31:38. > :32:07.a problem for Marco Fu. He found the one-cushion escape and
:32:08. > :32:21.Neil wondered whether he could pots it. And that's the problem with
:32:22. > :32:26.this. He could knock the red on. He is afraid if he kept it to heart,
:32:27. > :32:34.this red could be onto the bottom right pocket. That was a lovely,
:32:35. > :32:42.lovely shot. I think he had it twice. If it is not touching, he
:32:43. > :32:49.might try to bring the black into play here. If it was touching, he
:32:50. > :32:52.could have knocked the black up and down the table. There you go. Two
:32:53. > :33:24.for the price of one. REFEREE: Quietly, please. It took me
:33:25. > :33:31.a while to work out that BOGOF thing, buy one get one free, isn't
:33:32. > :33:46.it? Not quite certain what Neil is looking at. Maybe to knock the pink
:33:47. > :33:51.into the opposite corner. He didn't think he could, over the pink, and
:33:52. > :33:55.once you play the extra bit of pace, it makes the pots more difficult and
:33:56. > :34:18.he has left the red on. I would have preferred to be on the
:34:19. > :34:25.yellow or brown hair, Marco, because playing the green at the black, not
:34:26. > :34:33.sure if he can avoid the black when potting the green. You may come
:34:34. > :34:43.around and have a look at the yellow. To pot the yellow into the
:34:44. > :34:49.left pocket. Can he popped the green and justified the black? He couldn't
:34:50. > :35:07.do it. He may still take this red on as he
:35:08. > :35:09.tries to avoid the black. They read about the pink, if it doesn't come
:35:10. > :35:16.in, you would think it would be covered by the other rates. He
:35:17. > :35:37.played it positively. Pot this blue, go for two points in
:35:38. > :35:44.front of the Bristol 67 remaining. If you pop toodle-00, the Civic to
:35:45. > :35:54.the player safety shot. Maybe put the blue safe.
:35:55. > :35:58.He is not getting through the ball this morning. Very tentative and the
:35:59. > :36:47.present pushrod. This looks like a decent line and
:36:48. > :36:53.length. But there is a red, one that would be in a direct line of the
:36:54. > :36:56.pink. I think Neil can get enough of this to play the pots, problem is he
:36:57. > :37:14.may run into the plinth, so they need to get it... -- ran into the
:37:15. > :37:22.blue. He has left the chance of a pot for Marco.
:37:23. > :37:35.APPLAUSE He played that well. Certain players play that shot and
:37:36. > :37:53.it never moves, but Marco just sort of lift up for the shot. The head
:37:54. > :37:58.just comes off the cue. The reason his game has improved slightly is he
:37:59. > :38:16.is bringing the cue further and getting more than the ball and...
:38:17. > :38:21.The extra power, that helps when you're splitting the pack from the
:38:22. > :38:36.black as well. It just opens up the reds easier. He has played this very
:38:37. > :38:51.nicely. 40 points ahead, so pink and red required. This will relax him,
:38:52. > :39:05.he has looked a bit tense. But now, with just this
:39:06. > :39:29.And particularly here at the Crucible, it is such a difficult
:39:30. > :39:47.place to play that this will make him feel a lot better. On the face
:39:48. > :39:52.of it, it is hard to pick a winner. It is a slight favour for Neil
:39:53. > :40:00.Robertson but anyway, that red didn't go in. Neil won't bother. So,
:40:01. > :40:10.Marco still looks a little bit nervy but he's got his first frame on the
:40:11. > :40:21.scoreboard. It is 1-1. Let's have a look at that missed black. His body
:40:22. > :40:30.language suggests heavy contact. Let's see. As he plays this shot,
:40:31. > :40:40.listen and see whether the black jumps. Maybe slightly. But I don't
:40:41. > :40:45.think it was going to be in the centre of the pocket anyway, the
:40:46. > :40:51.black. It's definitely jumped, as we saw that I don't necessarily think
:40:52. > :40:54.it through off-line, I think because of that red that was beside the
:40:55. > :41:03.black, he was wondering whether to promote that will try to get on the
:41:04. > :41:25.inside of the natural,. -- inside of that red. It has all gone, 1-1. A
:41:26. > :41:32.chance here for Marco if he can get through to the potting angle on this
:41:33. > :41:36.red. And he could. And that's the type of shot he knocks in the
:41:37. > :41:45.regular. As he left it to the middle? -- has he left it to the
:41:46. > :42:13.middle? No. There was a bit careless.
:42:14. > :42:21.Catching the blue. He may not have left a pot on but Marco will play a
:42:22. > :42:30.better safety shot than that, you would have thought. I'm looking at a
:42:31. > :42:32.lot of distance between the reds and he knows one has gone to this rate
:42:33. > :42:55.pocket. That's a mistake. Anywhere down the
:42:56. > :42:58.right-hand side of the table, it will put Neil Robertson in a little
:42:59. > :43:06.bit of difficulty but now, the fact that he has the cue ball-in-hand,
:43:07. > :43:24.this red is normally quite routine for Neil Robertson.
:43:25. > :43:41.That's fantastic. He didn't decide to go for the black. Beautifully
:43:42. > :43:47.cued. And he looks as though he has a nice handle on the blue. I think
:43:48. > :43:53.that red is available to buy the corner. Can he get it off the blue?
:43:54. > :44:12.Depends how straight he is. Well, he could hold and it looks as
:44:13. > :44:13.though he is on the red, just above the black and that is inch perfect,
:44:14. > :44:45.good shot. A bit straighter on this in black
:44:46. > :44:52.and it would have made the cannon to the left of the black, at the one he
:44:53. > :44:53.wants just to make a little cannon on to hold the red in the opposite
:44:54. > :45:12.pocket. That could have been a little bit
:45:13. > :45:16.better. It's one of those shops now, particularly if he plays the red to
:45:17. > :45:21.the right corner, which is the easiest pot, he's got to run through
:45:22. > :45:22.all the reds with the cue ball, not guaranteeing a good position on the
:45:23. > :46:24.cover. Just about on the blue. He has got a decent line, but not
:46:25. > :46:29.enough pace left in the cue ball. That is the problem. When the cue
:46:30. > :46:35.ball starts to travel, it is not only about the line, you need pace.
:46:36. > :46:40.At first glance, I cannot see anything he is on. I am a little bit
:46:41. > :46:44.surprised he did not play for the red in the other half of the table.
:46:45. > :46:52.I would have thought that would have been easier to play. He is playing
:46:53. > :47:00.it now. Hampered cueing. I do not know if he can risk the pot. Trying
:47:01. > :47:07.to get to the baulk cushion, behind the yellow.
:47:08. > :48:41.That is OK, decent enough safety shot. And he has covered the escape
:48:42. > :48:49.route down the left-hand side of the table, as we look. He has a little
:48:50. > :48:58.bit to think about, Marco. This is not straightforward. That is his
:48:59. > :49:01.view, from his point of view. He cannot play safe down the right-hand
:49:02. > :49:10.side. The blue is blocking that path. Just having to play the
:49:11. > :49:22.containing safety. And in these situations, Neil will
:49:23. > :49:29.once again keep the cue ball down the right-hand side the table.
:49:30. > :49:36.Because playing safe down the right-hand side of the table, there
:49:37. > :49:37.are few awkward reds on the right-hand side condition that he
:49:38. > :49:52.can run into. He will play safe against one of
:49:53. > :49:58.these. The blue is always a big ball. That is the line the Ken is
:49:59. > :50:16.looking at. In the end, he went for the red. Risky.
:50:17. > :50:22.He has either gone into that too much or not enough. I am not quite
:50:23. > :50:36.sure whether he wanted to screw off the cushion or not. It was a tough
:50:37. > :50:43.pot. He made it look easy. I am just thinking, here's a tall man. When he
:50:44. > :50:48.got down to play this shot, he was so close to the boarding at the
:50:49. > :50:54.side, where the audience are. That is the beauty of the two table
:50:55. > :50:59.situation. If you have never been to the Crucible, you are frightened to
:51:00. > :51:04.breathe. Particularly with all the people in the front row. It is so
:51:05. > :51:15.close. Yes, there is not a lot of room to
:51:16. > :51:23.step back and admire your work. That has not gone as planned. I still
:51:24. > :51:26.think he has the red to the left middle and possibly on to the right
:51:27. > :51:32.middle, but trickier than he was hoping for. It must be one of the
:51:33. > :51:38.very few sporting occasions, around the world, particularly for a World
:51:39. > :51:45.Championship in any sport, where the actual spectators get so close to
:51:46. > :51:50.the action. I suppose I can think of cycling, as the cyclists are going
:51:51. > :51:54.through, but the people in the front row, there are so close to the
:51:55. > :52:00.players. It is quite incredible. It adds to the atmosphere and detention
:52:01. > :52:04.in the room, it is fantastic. It is wonderful. I always say to people,
:52:05. > :52:12.if you have never been to the Crucible, put it on your bucket
:52:13. > :52:24.list. We were just looking at the points scored. Neil, 1000 points
:52:25. > :52:27.scored in the tournament. Now the black has gone in, he is looking for
:52:28. > :52:30.another 17 points to get to snookers required. It does not look
:52:31. > :53:06.difficult. Black and one more red will suffice
:53:07. > :53:28.for this frame. Yes, it was a bit short of pace, but
:53:29. > :53:37.it should not be a problem. As Ken says, he only needs the red. And he
:53:38. > :53:42.has finished on the blue. Yuki pots the blue and one more red, there
:53:43. > :53:47.will be no way back to the table for Marco, who took on a risky red. I
:53:48. > :53:52.was thinking about the safety, but he said in the pre-match interview,
:53:53. > :53:57.and we heard from both players, that they both liked the attack and get
:53:58. > :54:01.on with it. If that is the way you are going to play, that is the way
:54:02. > :54:10.your mindset is, have a chance and go for it. It cost him this frame,
:54:11. > :54:14.though. Yes, I put a line-up when he was shaping up for the particular
:54:15. > :54:24.shot that I thought he was going to play. I thought he was going to play
:54:25. > :54:33.the safety. Trying to disturb the reds.
:54:34. > :54:47.That was unlucky. Can they keep this break going? Brown, pink. Brown
:54:48. > :54:51.would not be a bad choice. The natural angle of the cue ball would
:54:52. > :54:56.be going back down towards the reds, but the pink would be easier. He has
:54:57. > :55:01.got to move the cue ball with some pace to get it over towards the
:55:02. > :55:16.reds. We could see an amazing trick shot.
:55:17. > :55:34.62 from Neil Robertson when is this frame. He now leads Marco Fu, 2-1.
:55:35. > :55:41.There you can see Kyren Wilson, getting ready for his match, his
:55:42. > :55:44.quarterfinal match, and what a cracking match that will be against
:55:45. > :55:54.the four times previous world champion, John Higgins. Up and
:55:55. > :56:00.coming players. That match starts on Tuesday, over the best of 25. It
:56:01. > :56:04.should be a cracker. Yes, and Kyren Wilson, like we did, he will have
:56:05. > :56:11.seen how well John Higgins played in that match, as bid Allen, the loser.
:56:12. > :56:17.I do not blame him, spending time on the practice table. It will be a big
:56:18. > :56:21.match he has got, but he will look forward to it, playing John Higgins
:56:22. > :56:24.at the Crucible. He played Mark Selby last year in the
:56:25. > :56:29.quarterfinals, lost to the eventual winner. This is the last frame
:56:30. > :56:44.before the interval. Yes, and just to remind you, how
:56:45. > :56:54.these matches are played, three sessions make up the 25. Two
:56:55. > :56:57.sessions of eight, and one of nine. They will play this morning, and
:56:58. > :57:04.come out again this evening. You have got to play them on session at
:57:05. > :57:09.a time. If you were to lose the first session, 6-2, you are really
:57:10. > :57:18.up against it, even though the winning line is 13. You get 6-2
:57:19. > :57:28.behind, and if you can only have the sessions after that, you're soon
:57:29. > :57:34.licking defeat firmly in the face. -- looking defeat. Most players have
:57:35. > :57:40.a target for the first four frames, they like to try and get the 3-1
:57:41. > :57:46.lead. If they find themselves leading 6-2, that would be a bonus.
:57:47. > :57:51.You have to keep it short in your mind, not get too far ahead. That is
:57:52. > :57:56.the way I have always tried to approach each match I have played at
:57:57. > :58:00.the Crucible. Even if you lose the first session, 5-3, sometimes you
:58:01. > :58:06.might have a bad session where you try and minimalise the damage. If
:58:07. > :58:13.you do have a bad session, 5-3 is not too bad. Meanwhile, that was a
:58:14. > :58:20.good shot from Marco. He seems to have snookered Neil on all the reds.
:58:21. > :58:26.If he is playing away from the top cushion with pace he has got to...
:58:27. > :58:30.No, it is gentle. Has he hit the red or the black? He has judged it well.
:58:31. > :58:43.Good shot. The great thing about these best of
:58:44. > :58:52.25s, and as we get onto semifinals and the final, four sessions, there
:58:53. > :58:58.is so much time to make those comebacks, even if you have some bad
:58:59. > :59:04.sessions. Well, everybody can have a bad session, whether it is due to
:59:05. > :59:06.your player or the bad run of the ball. You have to try and put that
:59:07. > :00:12.behind you. Decent cue ball. There was a danger.
:00:13. > :00:20.He has left this red to the left corner, but it could have been
:00:21. > :00:23.easier. Solid, right in the heart of the pocket. That is what makes Neil
:00:24. > :00:47.Robertson such a dangerous player. Great cueing. Kept so still on the
:00:48. > :01:01.shot. No head movement. Usual optimistic scorer, anyone pots the
:01:02. > :01:07.red and black. He has made three maximums in tournament play, Marco
:01:08. > :01:16.has made four. He made one against me once in Scotland. I don't like
:01:17. > :01:49.talking about masters with you. Oh! Their's a surprise. Now, what
:01:50. > :02:07.has he left? Is anything available into the left centre?
:02:08. > :02:16.The red is close to the pocket but it is not the type of shot that he
:02:17. > :02:37.can swear off the cue ball around the black and put -- pot the red.
:02:38. > :02:51.He has done that but it could have been closer to the ball cushion with
:02:52. > :02:58.the cue ball. Yeah, that's the last two frames, Marco was in, I think it
:02:59. > :03:02.was the second frame, when he missed the black off the spot, didn't cost.
:03:03. > :03:13.On another day, use this when you're in and that is the end of the frame.
:03:14. > :03:15.-- on another day, you miss when you are in and that is the end of the
:03:16. > :03:37.frame. You can see reds but his concern,
:03:38. > :03:44.the red that is closest to the left. He has plenty of balls to cover, the
:03:45. > :03:51.green, the blue, even the red, which is below the blue. If I had one
:03:52. > :03:55.slight, not a criticism but a concern about Neil Robertson,
:03:56. > :04:08.sometimes he can get himself bogged down. Andy has misused that
:04:09. > :04:18.completely, after all that thinking. I think you're right. Neil Robertson
:04:19. > :04:23.is such a fluent player and sometimes over the safety shot, he
:04:24. > :04:27.may think about too many options and sort of confused himself at times
:04:28. > :04:28.and that's exactly what has happened, he has misjudged that
:04:29. > :05:16.shot. And that could be very costly. Here's looking at this red to the
:05:17. > :05:21.left corner, obviously he doesn't have the angle to leave it in the
:05:22. > :05:27.middle but he has a nice angle on that one and is playing it nicely
:05:28. > :05:53.and usually very effective in and around the black spots, is Marco.
:05:54. > :06:06.It has gone wrong! He played a cannon on that red and didn't get
:06:07. > :06:13.into the cue ball enough. Now, there's a surprise. Mind you, to be
:06:14. > :06:30.fair, I say it's a surprise that he's not looked quite on it yet this
:06:31. > :06:39.morning. Such a margin for error, 90% for Robertson. Long pot success,
:06:40. > :06:51.71% for Robertson. That is better. Good recovery. Has he got an angle
:06:52. > :06:57.on this brown? On the yellow, maybe slightly hampered by the green but I
:06:58. > :07:03.think he just has a nice angle on the brown just to move that red into
:07:04. > :07:15.the right centre. Played it very well. A great relief for Marco Fu to
:07:16. > :07:16.get back in position after that additional shot from the previous
:07:17. > :08:42.black. Hmm, another loose shot,
:08:43. > :08:57.unforgivable putting the blue but that's what he did. He has run out
:08:58. > :09:09.of position. So, thanks to cut opportunities he has had here and
:09:10. > :09:16.has not made the most of them. Well, last time, she recovered with a
:09:17. > :09:31.tremendous pot but not quite bad time. -- not quite that time. Now we
:09:32. > :09:44.see an example of Neil Robertson's cue power, particularly if he is
:09:45. > :09:49.straight and he looks straight. And a nice kiss on the blue, deserved
:09:50. > :09:59.it, can't cue that much better than that.
:10:00. > :11:32.Not quite sure that cue ball has travelled far enough. Maybe just OK.
:11:33. > :11:47.He may have to play a slight cannon on the red just above it. The points
:11:48. > :11:53.now are all square. Just need another 29 points. That really
:11:54. > :12:14.equates to four more reds. Doing the maths, checking the
:12:15. > :12:24.scorers. APPLAUSE And the red on the
:12:25. > :12:28.left-hand side of the table will be no problem.
:12:29. > :12:36.It is close to the cushion in that left-hand corner pocket, shouldn't
:12:37. > :12:45.be a problem for a left-hander. Marco may have missed a trick here.
:12:46. > :13:06.He had a really good opportunity with balls at his mercy.
:13:07. > :13:27.Nicely on the black now. He can pot the black and get right behind the
:13:28. > :13:33.red. Him a screw back for the blue, if he does that, he can get away
:13:34. > :13:41.from the cushion and red and pink would do. And this blue whippet and
:13:42. > :13:57.37 points in front, with just 35 remaining. -- and this blue would
:13:58. > :14:11.put him 37 points in front, with just 35 remaining.
:14:12. > :14:24.And Neil Robertson will be the happier of the two. He has won the
:14:25. > :14:34.first mini-session, if you like, of the match, three frames to one, in
:14:35. > :14:39.just over an hour. Four frames, just over an hour, that's pretty quick.
:14:40. > :14:50.The green doesn't: but that won't matter. -- the green does not go in
:14:51. > :14:53.but that won't matter. It won't bother Neil Robertson, the
:14:54. > :15:00.Australian League at 3-1. STUDIO: Let's switch our attention
:15:01. > :15:05.to the other time taking place on table two. 2006 world champion
:15:06. > :15:09.Graeme Dott taking on Barry Hawkins, who famously marched all the way to
:15:10. > :15:19.the 2015 Crucible final, and the taboos to Ronnie O'Sullivan.
:15:20. > :15:27.I think I was three, riding a green bike, and following of it. For some
:15:28. > :15:33.reason, that sticks in my mind, in a school playground, or where we used
:15:34. > :15:37.to live, on an estate. I try to be polite to most people, and treat
:15:38. > :15:43.people how I like to be treated. I sold for a while after I lost. That
:15:44. > :15:49.is one of my bad qualities. My wife will tell you, not very much. I am
:15:50. > :15:57.not romantic. I took to Mexico when we first got together. Michael
:15:58. > :16:02.taught me how to cook a dish. It is spaghetti, with chicken. Every now
:16:03. > :16:08.and then, I could grab. My wife seems to like it. Going into space.
:16:09. > :16:17.I like that sort of thing. Going to Las Vegas, that is another one. The
:16:18. > :16:21.1960s, that sounds like fun. I quite like Susanna Reid, on Good Morning
:16:22. > :16:27.Britain. A little bit older but she sticks in my mind at the minute.
:16:28. > :16:32.None of the players like answering questions about their celebrity
:16:33. > :16:40.crush. His opponent, Graeme Dott, made his debut in 1987, losing 10-9
:16:41. > :16:45.against James Wattana. He won it famously in 2006. He has been the
:16:46. > :16:49.runner-up twice. After that, his record is littered with defeat in
:16:50. > :16:54.the quarterfinal and the first and second rounds. Let's show you the
:16:55. > :17:00.action from frame one. It is Dott to play, and he is trailing by three.
:17:01. > :17:05.The reason I mention Barry Hawkins with the rest, I noticed that he
:17:06. > :17:10.only missed one ball with his rest in the previous match. I was waxing
:17:11. > :17:17.lyrical about how good he was with the rest and he missed that one. A
:17:18. > :17:23.different day, a different game. That is the trouble. The start of
:17:24. > :17:33.matches are very important, even if you are informed. You can get out of
:17:34. > :17:39.form. Turning down the black into the right corner in preference for
:17:40. > :17:46.more mileage with the cue ball. I guarantee pot, but I wonder if he
:17:47. > :17:56.had another chance, would he play the black?
:17:57. > :18:03.That yellow looked like a big target, didn't it? I thought he
:18:04. > :18:09.might have screwed it in to take the kiss on the baulk colours out of the
:18:10. > :18:17.equation. He has taken on this long pot. Oh, dear. That was a prime
:18:18. > :18:19.example of a little unwanted side. He is looking up to the commentary
:18:20. > :18:25.box. He cannot believe how much he missed that by. After his first
:18:26. > :18:37.excellent long pot, he has gone off the boil in that department.
:18:38. > :18:46.Barry has not settled. What are the reasons? Is it gripping the cue to
:18:47. > :18:49.type, or is it a little bit of unwanted side that throws it out so
:18:50. > :19:01.far? You certainly have not settled down,
:19:02. > :19:06.even though you will have gone to the practice table to loosen up your
:19:07. > :19:11.arm. That extra attention, whether it is in your grip or your
:19:12. > :19:17.background, it makes you deliver the cue slightly differently. You need
:19:18. > :19:31.20 or 30 points, continuous shots on the table, to get into a rhythm. As
:19:32. > :19:36.if it is down the club. What do you mean by unwanted side? It is when
:19:37. > :19:40.they are trying to hit a plain ball, the way that Graeme Dott was trying
:19:41. > :19:44.to hate the last shot plain ball, and he did not deliver the cue in a
:19:45. > :19:49.straight line, and the cue ball goes off immediately. The fine cloth so
:19:50. > :19:51.good when you're cueing beautifully, but when it is bad, they can find
:19:52. > :20:17.you out. He did not really on the kiss on the
:20:18. > :20:28.pink. That was not in his plan. A bit more of the judgment pot then he
:20:29. > :20:30.would have wanted. Maybe these few shots are enough to settle Graeme
:20:31. > :20:47.Dott down. Not a bad situation for Graeme Dott.
:20:48. > :20:51.He can mop up quite a number of reds. And get close to the finishing
:20:52. > :21:02.line with very little risk. Yes, as soon as he gets rid of the
:21:03. > :21:07.red on the black spot, so the black can go back to its own spot, that
:21:08. > :21:12.makes those three reds accessible. He can get nicely on the black into
:21:13. > :21:18.Michael shots time, Susie can bring those three reds into play. Yes, I
:21:19. > :21:20.think he could get over the line without needing any of those. That
:21:21. > :21:36.would be a nice scenario. 29 in front, 36 with this black. Mop
:21:37. > :21:43.up the two on the right-hand side cushion. Onto the next frame. I am a
:21:44. > :21:48.little surprised he did not make sure he finished top side of the
:21:49. > :21:53.black. There was plenty of room. That makes a massive difference. Now
:21:54. > :22:08.he is three or four feet away from the red instead of one fit. -- one
:22:09. > :22:11.foot. He certainly took its time not to finish straight on the black,
:22:12. > :22:16.because he will not have any chance of getting onto a collar. He is
:22:17. > :22:23.trying to get an angle from this red. If he is high on the black, it
:22:24. > :22:26.could be perfect. Let's have a little lip. He can screw back on the
:22:27. > :22:36.one on the cushion that Steve mentioned. Past 51 points. He needs
:22:37. > :22:45.to be in front with three reds left. Sometimes you can get a good kick.
:22:46. > :22:54.That was a good one. Yes. It was. The perfect kick.
:22:55. > :23:02.There have been some horrendous ones. Shaun Murphy's yesterday,
:23:03. > :23:05.against Ronnie O'Sullivan, which eventually cost him the match. He
:23:06. > :23:07.was dead straight on the ball and it went sideways. He is taking these
:23:08. > :23:22.well. He probably planned it like that, to
:23:23. > :23:29.try and bring two reds into play. 52 in front with 51 remaining. He may
:23:30. > :23:34.not play this pot. That is a good scenario here. Touching ball is even
:23:35. > :23:51.better. Put another colour on the cushion. A
:23:52. > :24:48.break of 48. Graeme Dott takes the frame.
:24:49. > :25:01.Five and the frame, game Dott. Graeme Dott wins the first frame in
:25:02. > :25:07.this best of 25 match. A good start for Graeme Dott. Let's show you what
:25:08. > :25:16.happened in frame two. Barry Hawkins to play, leading 51-12. We cannot
:25:17. > :25:24.bring you that frame for now. We are busy pressing buttons to make sure.
:25:25. > :25:27.Here it comes. He has decided to play the
:25:28. > :26:27.containing safety and he has not played that very well at all.
:26:28. > :26:32.The black goes, but only of the left-hand side jaw, so the pink is
:26:33. > :26:46.the better choice for positional purposes. Still 24 points behind,
:26:47. > :26:48.but you would have to suggest that his favourite, B brown, is going to
:26:49. > :27:39.be the problem ball. If this red goes in, and no reason
:27:40. > :27:44.to believe it will not, it is very much a brown ball frame. What would
:27:45. > :27:47.you be thinking? Obviously get on the black, but would you want to
:27:48. > :27:56.play for the yellow and use the brown. It is tough to move the brown
:27:57. > :28:03.and guarantee position on the green. Brown to blue then becomes very
:28:04. > :28:07.hard. Yes, a difficult shot. He cannot play it now. He will have to
:28:08. > :28:11.get a nice angle on the green to play to move the brown. The chances
:28:12. > :28:16.of potting colour and moving the brown into a good position are
:28:17. > :28:22.pretty slim. The first thing, he has got to get the right angle, and that
:28:23. > :28:29.is quite tough. Even the kiss on the brown does not guarantee position.
:28:30. > :28:35.He can play behind it, get as close as possible, so he does not have to
:28:36. > :28:40.ban the brown in. A bit of an angle, but he has overscrewed dad. It is
:28:41. > :28:44.one of those, when you're playing, sometimes you have to hope you do
:28:45. > :28:49.not get perfect on the brown to make you go for the pot. Because it is
:28:50. > :28:59.such an easy safety shot. He will have to go for it from here. He has
:29:00. > :29:09.the perfect angle. Brown and blue. That would put him 14 points in
:29:10. > :29:14.front. It just shows you how difficult they are along the baulk
:29:15. > :29:20.cushion. He did all the hard work, I do not blame him at all, taking the
:29:21. > :29:25.brown. He was perfect on it. It is one of those where you are willing
:29:26. > :29:29.it in. I thought it was in but it caught the newer jaw. We have seen
:29:30. > :29:37.lots of balls going in and the far jaw, but not the new job. -- the
:29:38. > :29:56.near jaw. He has not played that too well.
:29:57. > :30:00.Both players need blue and pink. Barry Hawkins has not really been in
:30:01. > :30:05.this match this morning so far. He can pot the blue and pink to win the
:30:06. > :30:13.frame and they will certainly relax. He could and perhaps should be 2-0
:30:14. > :30:29.behind. Very good. It was a good pot. Pink for the frame.
:30:30. > :30:45.My word, why is that? An aberration. You wouldn't miss many of those in a
:30:46. > :31:03.season. That is the miss of the
:31:04. > :31:10.championship. An excellent positional shot from Graeme. He
:31:11. > :31:16.knows this will hurt Barry Hawkins. Barry Hawkins started with 31, but
:31:17. > :31:21.the important was the last 13 points, takes over the winning line,
:31:22. > :31:25.he now leads 2-0. STUDIO: Let's bring you right up to
:31:26. > :31:29.date, blue players emerge on table one after the interval, Barry
:31:30. > :31:35.Hawkins has a frame back, so Graeme Dott leet opens by 2-1, that much is
:31:36. > :31:40.available on the BBC sport website and the BBC Sport app but now, life
:31:41. > :31:44.here on BBC One, let's resume, Marco Fu, Neil Robertson in the company of
:31:45. > :32:05.John Virgo and Ken Doherty. COMMENTATOR: Players are back. They
:32:06. > :32:16.always said the first bit of water when they take the top off.
:32:17. > :32:34.For more frames to be played in this session.
:32:35. > :32:47.A decent break off. Average frame time, just over 15 minutes. And the
:32:48. > :33:06.average shot time, that's good. And 91% for Neil Robertson and 85%
:33:07. > :33:21.for Marco Fu, that need to be increased a bit. Not certain he
:33:22. > :33:32.played the pot there. I'm not sure, though. Neil was trying to create
:33:33. > :33:45.that cue ball in the behind the black but I think he has just left
:33:46. > :33:58.it short. I was a bit careless or from Neil. A good pot! And a bit
:33:59. > :34:10.close to the cushion but we fully expected Neil to have got that cue
:34:11. > :34:16.ball behind the black. He played that nicely. And he is on the red,
:34:17. > :35:12.immediately above the black. During the interval, I was in the
:35:13. > :35:22.practice room and Marco Fu came in with Wayne Griffiths, his coach.
:35:23. > :35:26.Marco obviously happy with the first session and want to just pot a few
:35:27. > :35:42.balls, try and loosen up a little bit.
:35:43. > :35:59.Not certain if the pink will in its spot... He couldn't be certain that
:36:00. > :36:05.red wasn't going to be tied up but no hesitation from yarn for house.
:36:06. > :36:09.He first refereed in 1995. He has been a professional referee for 25
:36:10. > :36:26.years and one of the best, it has to be said. -- Jan Verhaas.
:36:27. > :36:35.Just lost the cue ball a fraction there. It may tempt them into
:36:36. > :36:51.playing the cannon, cannon the pink, if you like, and that will bring red
:36:52. > :36:57.into play. But don't miss the black. Just another bit of evidence of the
:36:58. > :37:06.nervousness of Marco Fu at the moment. He just hasn't got that cue
:37:07. > :37:20.ball blue we would normally see from him. Kiss the brown in the previous
:37:21. > :37:24.frame, the blue... A good chance for some points there. What can Neil
:37:25. > :37:42.Robertson do? A tremendous shot. He really got
:37:43. > :38:31.through that ball so well, didn't it? Beautifully played.
:38:32. > :38:43.He's not really perfect on either pink or black, blue it turns out.
:38:44. > :38:53.You would think black would be the choice. Only one loose red. Will it
:38:54. > :38:58.be too risky to play the cannon? Well, if he scampered over the red,
:38:59. > :39:00.he will just content himself with this black here and play for that
:39:01. > :39:21.looks red. Judge did nicely. He would have
:39:22. > :39:30.possibly liked it to be a bit straighter. Just having a look to
:39:31. > :39:33.see if those three balls in a line or planted to this bottom left-hand
:39:34. > :39:44.corner pocket, it looks pretty close. Wire-mac that would help.
:39:45. > :39:59.That would help. It looks dead onto me. Blue long blue those will reds
:40:00. > :40:27.aren't touching each other. Nicely played, held for the blue.
:40:28. > :40:34.Could play a little cannon on the reds here. He's thinking about
:40:35. > :40:52.taking the brown. Now, he's going for the yellow, of
:40:53. > :40:56.course he is, blessed with tremendous cue power, these types
:40:57. > :41:06.are shops you can play with consummate ease. -- these types of
:41:07. > :41:14.shots you can play with consummate ease. Still five points behind. He's
:41:15. > :41:21.going to need that awkward red on the right-hand side cushion. There's
:41:22. > :41:33.always that one red, seems to be, anyway. Just looking at the position
:41:34. > :41:40.of the pink, John, I know it's going to be a few shots away but should he
:41:41. > :41:43.get on one of those reds around the pink sport and play the pink where
:41:44. > :41:47.it is, he could get a nice angle from the pink to knock that red out
:41:48. > :42:00.and I'm sure that is what is going through his mind.
:42:01. > :42:08.He has coped with that well, it could have come slightly wrong but
:42:09. > :42:20.it's OK, since the red to the corner. Still open for the blue.
:42:21. > :42:33.This will put him nine points in front.
:42:34. > :42:43.Being a left-hander, it's the wrong side for him. So, not shameful. --
:42:44. > :43:02.sowed not straightforward. Maybe if he can take this red into
:43:03. > :43:11.the pocket and then go up for the blue. If he gets on the red on the
:43:12. > :43:15.pink spot, he can pop that red after this blue, of course, and leave that
:43:16. > :43:17.pink because I think it is in the perfect position. He is having a
:43:18. > :43:39.look. He has to get in somewhere within
:43:40. > :44:03.that small circle. Blue long blue he has a nice angle on this pink.
:44:04. > :44:24.That will do nicely. Could not have worked out better.
:44:25. > :44:31.Beautifully played, to a bit of working out that people always
:44:32. > :44:36.asking how many shots players think of in their head and sometimes it
:44:37. > :44:40.may be two or three or even four, John, and I think in a particular
:44:41. > :44:55.case, he knew exactly where the pink was and was thinking maybe, four
:44:56. > :45:01.shots ahead. You just concentrate on a nice potting angle on each ball.
:45:02. > :45:03.But he worked it out nicely there. And now just this red required to go
:45:04. > :45:23.in front. With just 27 remaining. Yes, a bit nervous right from the
:45:24. > :45:28.beginning. OK, he won the second frame, but he has had his chance in
:45:29. > :45:39.this frame, in the fourth frame, the one just before the interval.
:45:40. > :45:52.Robertson certainly looks in good form.
:45:53. > :46:01.Up to 93 now, pot success. Marco has still got to get close to 90%, you
:46:02. > :46:09.feel. This is good for Neil Robertson. 22 second shot average
:46:10. > :46:12.time at the moment. This is when he is at his best, free-flowing, a
:46:13. > :46:26.tremendous potter and break-builder. Marco had some chances in that
:46:27. > :46:28.frame, but in the end, Neil Robertson ran out with a break of
:46:29. > :47:43.90. He now goes three clear. 4-1. That is the CV of Neil Robertson.
:47:44. > :47:54.The Riga Masters he won last season, it might seem a long way ago. It was
:47:55. > :48:00.the first tournament of the season. But I think agree, Ken, that when we
:48:01. > :48:04.come to the World Championships, the Crucible Theatre, and these longer
:48:05. > :48:12.matches, this is a real test of a player. Some of these best-of-7s,
:48:13. > :48:20.they are toss of a coin, really. Absolutely. It is a true test. And
:48:21. > :48:28.of course, the one that they all measure their season on, even if
:48:29. > :48:32.sometimes, players come to the World Championships, having won a couple
:48:33. > :48:37.of the smaller tournaments are even the bigger tournaments, but they
:48:38. > :48:40.always gauge how they deal with the World Championships. If they do not
:48:41. > :48:48.have a decent World Championship, they feel that the season is not as
:48:49. > :48:53.good as it could have been. This is careless.
:48:54. > :49:02.Things not going too well for Marco at the moment, it has to be said. He
:49:03. > :49:07.may have left the pot on. There is a line of three just before -- just
:49:08. > :49:09.below the pink. I think the middle one might go to right corner. Maybe
:49:10. > :49:29.not. Maybe yes. Beautifully picked out.
:49:30. > :49:36.He will be nicely on the yellow. Another couple of rolls. I thought
:49:37. > :49:42.it may not go. He went for it, and in a way, he was lucky not to be on
:49:43. > :49:50.the yellow. Just an inch short of pace.
:49:51. > :50:04.Now because the reds are loose, there is no guarantee that Marco Fu
:50:05. > :50:08.can hit one and not leave a pot on. Particularly the one adjacent to the
:50:09. > :50:26.left middle pocket. Not guaranteed to get this safe.
:50:27. > :50:35.He decided to rest on that one, but he has overhit it. There is
:50:36. > :50:37.definitely a pot on this red that is closest to the cue ball. Is there
:50:38. > :50:52.another one? I cannot see another red that will
:50:53. > :51:02.pot. This definitely's -- this definitely pots, the one closest to
:51:03. > :51:07.the cue ball, into the right middle. He is shaping up, though, to the
:51:08. > :51:14.green pocket, to try to get on the bike. Another difficult pot, but
:51:15. > :51:25.more reward if it goes in. A chance missed.
:51:26. > :51:36.He has not left anything easy. This red into the green pocket looks very
:51:37. > :51:45.straight. Marco is not blessed with the same amount of cue power that
:51:46. > :51:49.Neil Robertson has. So he would try and pot lad, and screw it, the cue
:51:50. > :52:11.ball up towards the blue, it would be very difficult for Marco.
:52:12. > :52:19.That is quite a clever shot. He has left the cue ball and the red in the
:52:20. > :52:26.baulk area, squid on, so to speak. It will not be easy for Neil to play
:52:27. > :52:27.a telling safety shot from the red. It is the only ones he can play,
:52:28. > :52:40.really. If he has covered the red with the
:52:41. > :53:28.yellow, that is an excellent shot. He has looked good this morning.
:53:29. > :53:34.He is giving there's plenty of fodder. If he tries to play the
:53:35. > :53:42.safety back to the baulk end, he could leave a very easy safety shot.
:53:43. > :53:47.The last time he left the cue ball square on with the red. Is he taking
:53:48. > :53:54.the bottom one. The dead. He played it well. He could never guarantee
:53:55. > :54:00.good position. He knew it was running into other reds. He just
:54:01. > :54:05.caught that red, and that is why he did not catch the third one fill in
:54:06. > :54:14.the face. If he had done, he would have been on the black. He has got
:54:15. > :54:25.to convert the red knew the baulk line. He has not done it. It is an
:54:26. > :54:27.easy safety for Neil. Send it down the table, the red, and the cue ball
:54:28. > :55:25.tight to the baulk cushion. On the face of it, he has an easy
:55:26. > :55:30.shot shot. -- on the face of it he has an easy safety shot. He does not
:55:31. > :55:39.want to catch it too thick and run into the green. He does not want to
:55:40. > :55:43.play the pot on this red. Using his cue power once again. When you play
:55:44. > :55:49.that shot, you're never certain where the ball is going to finish.
:55:50. > :55:54.The worst possible outcome for Neil, he has left the red over the corner
:55:55. > :56:01.pocket. Add pace, you can never be sure. No. The odds are against you.
:56:02. > :56:08.You have got two pockets, and you have got so many reds. One of them
:56:09. > :56:17.is bound to go very close. That is exactly what has happened. This will
:56:18. > :56:22.be an interesting shot. If he chooses to play a little cannon on
:56:23. > :56:33.the red. To try and hold for the black. Has he played it well? The
:56:34. > :56:41.pink is on into the left-centre. It was a good effort. If the pink is
:56:42. > :56:50.on, he will definitely take it on. He has got to get it. If he misses
:56:51. > :57:01.this, it could cost him the frame. Well played. Well played. There was
:57:02. > :57:09.a bit of pressure on that one. He kept still on the shot as long as he
:57:10. > :57:22.could. He knew the importance of it. Can he get on the black?
:57:23. > :57:32.There is a little cannon that he can play while potting this red. He can
:57:33. > :57:37.pot this red and play delicate little cannon onto the red just to
:57:38. > :57:39.the right of it, and hold the cue ball for the black to the opposite
:57:40. > :57:51.pocket. Yes, that is OK. If the red to the
:57:52. > :57:54.right of the black will go into the same pocket as the black, well, I do
:57:55. > :58:20.not think it does. It does not. This is where you feel Marco really
:58:21. > :58:28.has to win this frame on one visit, just for his own confidence,
:58:29. > :58:36.eradicate those only match nerves. They have been quite evident so for
:58:37. > :58:39.this morning. Yes, he got into that one a bit too much. He played for
:58:40. > :58:59.the blue, not the green. He has not really recovered ideal
:59:00. > :59:03.position. He is usually so good in and around the black spot area. His
:59:04. > :59:13.timing is just not there this morning. That can only be tension in
:59:14. > :59:16.the cue arm. Yes, he wanted the cue ball to travel at least another
:59:17. > :59:22.eight or ten inches for the red on the pink spot. He has this red into
:59:23. > :59:29.the right centre. It should be OK, but he must get top side of the
:59:30. > :59:36.blue. He has purposely played on this side of the blue. We saw in the
:59:37. > :59:40.previous frame, the frame before the interval, he was out of position on
:59:41. > :59:45.the brown. He has played this one a lot better. A much better shot. Well
:59:46. > :00:42.played. If he cannot get through to the red
:00:43. > :00:55.to the right of the black, he will have to go for the blue.
:00:56. > :01:14.He got there, just. He just found a nice angle on the blue.
:01:15. > :01:31.Once again, another poor positional shot. This is not the red he played
:01:32. > :01:42.for. Just 29 points shy of what is required. Not got the angle on the
:01:43. > :01:53.blue this time, looks to be very straight. Making hard work of this.
:01:54. > :02:20.Not much room to play with there, on the blue line.
:02:21. > :02:38.Again, a good pot. Slightly lost the cue ball. He's going to play this
:02:39. > :02:56.blue cue ball off the top cushion, side cushion. He has a nice angle.
:02:57. > :03:07.67 still remaining. I think he can get on the black here. And he has
:03:08. > :03:29.played that very well. Very nicely done, he has struggled
:03:30. > :03:45.through this rake back but has done well to keep it going.
:03:46. > :03:49.I am certain Neil Robertson would have thought he had a chance of
:03:50. > :03:55.getting back to the table here. He has been pulling out some good pots
:03:56. > :04:06.and this will make him feel better. Every possibility of a century break
:04:07. > :04:18.here. As long as you get to 73, when you come to the covers, valued at 27
:04:19. > :04:30.points, you will make 100. He has only had one so far, but he had that
:04:31. > :04:33.scare against Luca Brecel and I think he's more concerned about
:04:34. > :04:39.trying to get through that and making hundreds. Only one century
:04:40. > :04:48.but we said at the start of this match, both players, Neil made his
:04:49. > :04:52.500th century this week, I think we are going to see quite a few
:04:53. > :05:04.centuries in this match, maybe four mag or five.
:05:05. > :05:13.This will be a milestone, if he can make it, it will be his 450th. He
:05:14. > :05:24.looks to be perfect on the green, he has played this well. A good shot.
:05:25. > :05:35.It will be the 43rd century, 44th, and the record is 83. Sorry, 86.
:05:36. > :05:43.You'll get it right eventually! Of course I will, if you give me enough
:05:44. > :05:52.time. I can see the record century has been beaten this year. As I
:05:53. > :05:56.said, it was equalled last year, at 86 and now, with this break, we're
:05:57. > :06:07.just over the halfway towards that targets. And he's done very well
:06:08. > :06:13.here, has Marco. Lost the cue ball on numerous occasions that in the
:06:14. > :06:18.end, a lovely break. He will be feeling an awful lot better. Neil
:06:19. > :06:20.Robertson is sat in his chair, for almost all of that frame. Still
:06:21. > :06:34.lead, though, 4-2. It's got to be Michael Jordan
:06:35. > :06:38.because he makes the game look so easy, not only a great basketball
:06:39. > :06:47.there and off the court, a great role model. It may not be the best
:06:48. > :06:50.sport to watch live, snooker, but on TV, everyone loves it, that's why we
:06:51. > :06:54.get great viewing figures all over the world. I always wanted to become
:06:55. > :06:59.a footballer but when I moved to Canada I was into MBA, so I want to
:07:00. > :07:06.be a basketball player. The shot putt. 30 seconds is pretty fair. I
:07:07. > :07:11.think we should do that every tournament to help the game attract
:07:12. > :07:21.more viewers. Sports management or sports promoter but I took my mind
:07:22. > :07:28.off it, only in a practice session, a lot of people watching and
:07:29. > :07:33.laughing but my mind was elsewhere. I would love to become a snooker
:07:34. > :07:38.coach because I think Hong Kong has helped me a lot, so, after I finish
:07:39. > :07:40.playing professionally I would love to get back to snooker playing in
:07:41. > :07:56.Hong Kong and help the players out. He's certainly has a lot of interest
:07:57. > :08:00.in Hong Kong, as does Neil Robertson in Australia, I am surprised there's
:08:01. > :08:07.not been another Australian player come through, we have had quite a
:08:08. > :08:15.few but no Australians seem to be coming through at the moment. But
:08:16. > :08:20.plenty from the far east. Just have a look at those shops that cost Neil
:08:21. > :08:27.the last frame, he decided he didn't want to play the pot, thought he
:08:28. > :08:32.would run the red into the pink but he didn't envisage a red going over
:08:33. > :08:42.the corner. On another day, it might have dropped in. But not today.
:08:43. > :08:52.So, this frame and one more will conclude this procession of this
:08:53. > :08:57.match. You would feel that Marco Fu would have settled down a little bit
:08:58. > :09:00.after that nice break. And after that last break, he is now up to
:09:01. > :09:18.90%, he was languishing down at 84%. And Marco in that little piece wee
:09:19. > :09:25.soul is in favour of the shot clock at all tournaments. Not sure how
:09:26. > :09:40.that would work. It wouldn't work. Whatever you say, John. If it ain't
:09:41. > :09:56.broke, that's what they say. You like don't fix it.
:09:57. > :10:15.Just the pay kept out, really. -- just the pace kept that out. A
:10:16. > :10:19.chance for Neil, who will be well aware that if he was to win this
:10:20. > :10:21.frame he would be bound to have at least a two frame advantage going
:10:22. > :10:31.into the second session this evening. It's a funny thing, when we
:10:32. > :10:36.first started doing the Crucible Theatre, the average frame time by
:10:37. > :10:43.some within the reach of about 28 minutes. Really? Yeah but I think
:10:44. > :10:49.the average frame time now for a normal match, this one is just under
:10:50. > :10:53.16 minutes, would be about 18 or 19 minutes. Now, that's quick enough. I
:10:54. > :10:59.don't think you should have to restrict people to have 30 seconds
:11:00. > :11:00.to think about every shot because some shots are more difficult than
:11:01. > :11:26.others. The unexpected. He courted to think. You think it
:11:27. > :11:33.would be a good idea to not have a shot clock but to have players' and
:11:34. > :11:37.veg shops time documented so the public know the players are more
:11:38. > :11:42.aware of it and if they are more aware of it, they will be conscious
:11:43. > :11:49.to speed up. If you have a list from fastest to slowest. Absolutely. And
:11:50. > :11:52.also, the referee has the ability to tell a player to quicken up, it's
:11:53. > :12:00.not used but I remember years ago it was used with the likes of Dean
:12:01. > :12:10.Reynolds got warned a few times, I remember another player being warned
:12:11. > :12:19.for taking too long over shots. We gave them the misrule to play with,
:12:20. > :12:27.they're not weak too. -- they're not work on that.
:12:28. > :12:41.Someone who has a strong referee is Jan Verhaas. I have been chatting to
:12:42. > :12:46.some band encouraging them to be a bit stronger. He is shaking his head
:12:47. > :12:56.and he knows that was a fantastic chance to score points. Be
:12:57. > :13:03.disappointed with that. Looks like there is a gap, you never know from
:13:04. > :13:05.Marco's facial expression that he will be sacked their sleeping, I
:13:06. > :13:39.imagine. He can pot this. It would make life easier to get the
:13:40. > :13:44.red away from the top cushion. I think what is putting him off, it is
:13:45. > :13:54.definitely a gap. Not certain he wants to for the black. In the end,
:13:55. > :13:59.he had no choice but to play for the black. I can understand why,
:14:00. > :14:11.particularly if he's straight on this black. This is a tough pot.
:14:12. > :14:23.Certainly not got the best potting on it.
:14:24. > :14:39.You are right. He tried to move the red off the top cushion and it
:14:40. > :15:31.hasn't worked out. APPLAUSE
:15:32. > :15:39.Marco Fu will be coming back to the table, mightily relieved, having Mr
:15:40. > :15:50.red when he was in like that, it has only cost them eight points. --
:15:51. > :17:27.having missed a red. He is having a look at these two
:17:28. > :17:33.reds. I am not quite sure if he can make these into a plant. It looks
:17:34. > :17:38.very tight. He may be able to squeeze the second red past the red
:17:39. > :17:47.closest to the pocket, in that line. It could go in.
:17:48. > :18:04.Yes, it could going, indeed. He brings it to the left-centre. -- the
:18:05. > :18:18.green will go to the left-centre. He is going to take on the green.
:18:19. > :18:25.STUDIO: This is where we leave you on BBC Two. Both matches, Marco Fu
:18:26. > :18:32.against Neil Robertson, Barry Hawkins against Graeme Dott on table
:18:33. > :18:36.two, they are both on the BBC sport website, and the BBC sport at. Hazel
:18:37. > :18:42.Irvine will be here with John Parrott and Stephen Hendry from one
:18:43. > :19:03.o'clock. MOTD2 Extra is next. We shall see you soon.
:19:04. > :19:07.# You've made it this far Don't leave it to chance
:19:08. > :19:13.# No holding back No half measures