:00:33. > :00:39.Hello, 80 good evening to you, welcome back to the Crucible Theatre
:00:40. > :00:42.in Sheffield, Day nine of the 2017 World Snooker Championship. What a
:00:43. > :00:46.day of sport we have heard on the BBC and it will get even better,
:00:47. > :00:51.because tonight we are featuring two of the best players ever to emerge
:00:52. > :00:58.from outside the British Isles. Neil Robertson Huth won the title in 2010
:00:59. > :01:01.at against Marco Fu. They first met back in 2008, this is the 12th
:01:02. > :01:08.meeting between the two, the first time they have ever met at the
:01:09. > :01:10.Crucible and that is Robertson who ages those 6-5. This is the story of
:01:11. > :01:20.the first session. COMMENTATOR: Two heavyweights here,
:01:21. > :01:29.Neil Robertson and Marco Fu. That was an excellent shot. Ton up.
:01:30. > :01:37.Played that one well. One apiece. Fantastic. Good cueing. You can't
:01:38. > :01:48.cue that much better than that. He now goes three clear. 4-1. Well
:01:49. > :01:54.played. Neil Robertson will be very disappointed, he led 4-1. They're
:01:55. > :01:56.finished the first session. All square. Disappointment for delight
:01:57. > :02:05.for Fu. Beautifully poised this evening,
:02:06. > :02:08.four apiece, as predicted by Mike Colley, Ken Doherty, because this
:02:09. > :02:13.morning when we chatted you said this had the makings of going right
:02:14. > :02:18.down to the wire. A good session, a century age for both players.
:02:19. > :02:25.Robertson was incomplete control. FairPlay -- was in complete control.
:02:26. > :02:30.When you look at these two players and their form, please see anything
:02:31. > :02:34.in them? Any hint of how they are playing at the moment that either of
:02:35. > :02:44.these two players could challenge the favourites? Absolutely. Marco Fu
:02:45. > :02:48.had that wonderful final. Neil Robertson has not have the best of
:02:49. > :02:51.seasons by his own standard, but on his day he can beat anybody for stop
:02:52. > :02:54.fantastic players, both big break-builder is as well so any time
:02:55. > :02:58.they get in they are likely to make a century. I think we might see
:02:59. > :03:04.another couple of centuries but on their day these guys are a match
:03:05. > :03:07.anybody. Let's hope so. Marco Fu was pushed all the way by Luke Bussell,
:03:08. > :03:13.you could say he is lucky to be here mentally. Has he got over that first
:03:14. > :03:16.ran shocked evening? Absolutely. Sometimes a player may have had one
:03:17. > :03:21.of those where he has clawed his self back into the match. That is
:03:22. > :03:28.not happened to Neil Robertson in 2010. Could it be the same for Marco
:03:29. > :03:33.Fu? You never know. Some other stories from the Crucible, Stephen
:03:34. > :03:40.Maguire through to the quarterfinals after thrashing Rory McLeod. The
:03:41. > :03:46.opened up a 6-2 advantage, breaks of 114, 90 and 60 well is put him
:03:47. > :03:55.through to the last eight for the last -- first time since 2012. Mark
:03:56. > :04:06.Selby, the defending champion, is 10-6 in front against Joe Goodall,
:04:07. > :04:10.and they resume -- against Xiao Guodong. Neil Robertson taking on
:04:11. > :04:13.Marco Fu. That is the tournament offers, Marco Fu reading his
:04:14. > :04:19.biography by the looks of it. Reading the paper, there we are.
:04:20. > :04:24.Obviously completely overcome with it. Looks like he is reading his own
:04:25. > :04:25.match report. I wonder if he is making the back pages tomorrow.
:04:26. > :04:37.Let's find out. If you are just getting home, sit
:04:38. > :04:45.back, relax and enjoy the climax of day nine at the World championship
:04:46. > :04:46.because at Sheffield our Crucible marathon still has eight days to go.
:04:47. > :05:11.CHEERING APPLAUSE
:05:12. > :05:15.Please welcome, on table two, a man who always produces his best here on
:05:16. > :05:19.the spot's biggest stage, beating two-time runner-up Ali Carter here
:05:20. > :05:23.in the first round, three times a finalist, champion of the world in
:05:24. > :05:44.2006, here comes Scotland's pocket dynamo, Graeme Dott. APPLAUSE
:05:45. > :05:50.And his opponent, after taking six visits to register his first win
:05:51. > :05:54.here in Sheffield, he hasn't looked back since. Three times he has
:05:55. > :05:59.reached the one-table set-up and how that brilliant run to the final in
:06:00. > :06:02.13. He is the season's World Grand Prix winner, he is the fork, he is
:06:03. > :06:29.Barry Hawkins! -- he is the Hawk. On table one, here comes a man who
:06:30. > :06:34.has taken the game by storm since 's arrival from Australia just over a
:06:35. > :06:42.decade ago, WK champion, Masters winner and world champion in 2010,
:06:43. > :07:03.here comes the Thunder from Down Under, Neil Robertson. APPLAUSE
:07:04. > :07:12.And his opponent, who produced one of the greatest act of his career so
:07:13. > :07:17.far, from 7-2 down against Luca Brecel, cries he has made the
:07:18. > :07:22.semifinals here in Sheffield, -- twice he has made the semifinals.
:07:23. > :07:42.From Hong Kong, here comes Marco Fu! APPLAUSE
:07:43. > :07:50.Barry Hawkins against Graeme Dott is live on the red button. Stephen
:07:51. > :07:55.Hendry talking you through that one. But here live on BBC Two, Marco Fu
:07:56. > :08:00.against Neil Robertson. A very good evening to our commentators.
:08:01. > :08:07.COMMENTATOR: Good evening, everybody. What an atmosphere again
:08:08. > :08:18.here in the Crucible Theatre. It is just something special. Neil
:08:19. > :08:23.Robertson gets the first frame of eight that will be played this
:08:24. > :08:26.evening in this second session. He let a 4-1 advantage slip. I don't
:08:27. > :08:35.know if that would have affected him, but just looked a little bit
:08:36. > :08:39.nervy. That first session is always the tricky one, isn't it?
:08:40. > :08:44.Absolutely. Very important for the players to settle.
:08:45. > :08:50.What do we have in store this evening from these two great
:08:51. > :09:10.players? Close, but because he is overheated,
:09:11. > :09:16.he's left a nice, easy starter for Niall. He wanted to drop this in
:09:17. > :09:24.dead weight. He hit it thick, so he has just overheated just the start
:09:25. > :09:26.you would hope for first frame, get your hand on the table, get your cue
:09:27. > :10:40.arm going. Looks to have the right angle on it
:10:41. > :10:46.to set up for the black. He has come a little bit straight on it for
:10:47. > :10:51.playing a cannon into the cluster, so he may have to play for that read
:10:52. > :11:02.just to the left of the blue, screw back off the side cushion. Depending
:11:03. > :11:07.on the potting angle on this read, if he could get on the blue I would
:11:08. > :11:14.suggest he would do and then play a cannon. Had to play that with lots
:11:15. > :11:21.of right-hand side and cued that beautifully. Perfect angle on the
:11:22. > :11:25.blue. But this is a case that you really have to hit the pink dead on
:11:26. > :11:32.because the pink is not touching the red, there was a little bit of a gap
:11:33. > :11:42.between the pink and the rig. Missed the pink, went through the gap,
:11:43. > :11:47.nothing. Neil seem to get down and play that one a bit quick. As I
:11:48. > :11:53.said, I noticed in the first session both players looked very edgy. You
:11:54. > :11:56.know what it is like, not playing in these matches, looking for a place
:11:57. > :11:59.in the quarterfinal and you are frightened to make mistakes
:12:00. > :12:02.sometimes. Then you just lose the balance in the way you play. One
:12:03. > :12:07.minute you get aggressive, the next minute of it too tentative, and
:12:08. > :12:08.neither player really has found the balance in this match so far. I'm
:12:09. > :12:14.sure it will come. Average shot time pretty quick for
:12:15. > :12:51.both players. Marco just came round to have a look
:12:52. > :12:56.if the plant was on, and it's not. There is too much distance between
:12:57. > :13:02.the two balls. So a good safety shot needed here. He will be tempted to
:13:03. > :13:05.hit this thin. He has to watch the bump of the middle pocket here. The
:13:06. > :13:10.court had plenty of them. The reason he had to play it same, because of
:13:11. > :13:18.that lack never top cushion. Anything thick and he could have run
:13:19. > :13:23.into that, so not the best safety. Neil Robertson will be taking this
:13:24. > :13:33.on into the right corner. Slightly sick. The reason he played that with
:13:34. > :13:38.so much pace is because the red goes into the right back pocket. There is
:13:39. > :13:41.no way he could have played at and try to hold for the blue or perhaps
:13:42. > :13:44.even the yellow or brown because he would have lived a long red on. This
:13:45. > :14:01.red goes. Where is the cue ball going. But the
:14:02. > :14:06.main thing was he missed the chance. He is going to have to start taking
:14:07. > :14:10.these. He is normally so good at that type of shot, Marco. Didn't
:14:11. > :14:27.have to do anything with the cue ball, just pot the red.
:14:28. > :14:37.. Only fortunate not to leave a shot, he has been fortunate to leave
:14:38. > :14:47.Neil Robertson in a difficult situation here. Just had to play the
:14:48. > :14:55.containing safety, which gives Marco Fu the advantage to try to get a cue
:14:56. > :15:01.ball. I am just wondering this red, second left, if he could try and pot
:15:02. > :15:04.it in the middle with no risk. If the only red he could leave was the
:15:05. > :15:08.one he was playing, it would be worth to try and drop it in. I know
:15:09. > :15:15.it is a very acute angle but he would be on the black. But it is
:15:16. > :15:34.only if you are absolutely perfect and you could play it with no risk.
:15:35. > :15:47.That is a very good cue ball. Well played. Yes. Causes a little bit of
:15:48. > :15:57.a problem here. No escape down the right-hand side. And no escape down
:15:58. > :16:01.the left. So just playing the containing safety. Of course with
:16:02. > :16:08.this black being over the corner pocket, this takes this pocket out
:16:09. > :16:25.of the equation, so any safety shot will be made that little bit easier.
:16:26. > :16:30.He has taken the chance going back to the ball end. Needs to cover one
:16:31. > :16:47.of these words, and he hasn't done. -- baulk end. Similar type of red
:16:48. > :16:58.that Marco missed. But not Neil Robertson. Now he wants to be on the
:16:59. > :17:04.black. Can he get past the? -- past the blue? Well, he can just about
:17:05. > :17:09.get past the blue but to pot the black you may just have two bend it
:17:10. > :17:16.a bit, and then he will struggle getting on position on the next red.
:17:17. > :17:22.Or can he play it with pace and get out of the jaws of the pocket? Just
:17:23. > :17:34.looking if he pots the green, where he would have to leave the cue ball.
:17:35. > :17:41.That is all he could leave himself, a mid range pot. You'd fancy him to
:17:42. > :17:59.get it, but it is missable. Why did he hit it so hard? I would
:18:00. > :18:07.have thought he would have just stroked it in. Again, I feel he got
:18:08. > :18:12.down and play that quite quickly, again. Earlier in the frame, he got
:18:13. > :18:16.down and played a blue into the centre quickly and then did not get
:18:17. > :18:25.the correct cannon on the pink. I just think Neil needs to set himself
:18:26. > :18:30.down a little. It is very rare that he misses a bit distance red like
:18:31. > :18:33.that. Yes. It was one of those just off straight, I suppose he was
:18:34. > :18:39.trying to leave himself straight on it. But when he didn't come
:18:40. > :18:49.absolutely dead straight, I thought he played the run-through, kept
:18:50. > :18:55.control of the shot. Surely this red doesn't pass the black, does it? Is
:18:56. > :19:05.there room for a ball past the black? That's tight. If Neil
:19:06. > :19:09.Robertson was directly behind this red in a straight line, he could
:19:10. > :19:12.possibly play this, but being on an angle like this, it makes it all the
:19:13. > :19:27.more difficult, and there is a very good chance he will get a double
:19:28. > :19:29.case here. -- double-kiss. Does it go on the other side now? Neil is
:19:30. > :20:02.interested. Is Marco? You always get some special VIP
:20:03. > :20:06.Boro, and there is one, Roy Keane, legend. And I'm not saying that
:20:07. > :20:24.because he played for Man Utd. One of the all-time greats.
:20:25. > :20:34.Giving this a bit of thought. Two reds at the ball end. If you played
:20:35. > :20:43.one of them, you would leave the other one there. -- he has played a
:20:44. > :20:46.double on the rate. Wasn't a bad choice. Certainly wouldn't have been
:20:47. > :21:43.if it had gone in. Niall may be attempting to knock a
:21:44. > :21:46.red in the centre here, and the red that could possibly have gone into
:21:47. > :21:51.the centre can then enter the pin, but he played that very well. Played
:21:52. > :22:07.it as a shot to nothing, skewing -- screwing back with the cue ball.
:22:08. > :22:13.Yes, he has a slight problem, because he got such a good cue ball,
:22:14. > :22:18.as Peter mentioned, it is very difficult for Marco to get the cue
:22:19. > :22:22.ball back to this top cushion, and you feel to get it really safe,
:22:23. > :22:40.that's what he's going to have to do.
:22:41. > :22:47.They are in the audience, happy birthday, 89 today, Geoffrey
:22:48. > :22:51.Leicester has come along with his son and grandson, that is his
:22:52. > :22:53.birthday seat, and he has got one of the best seats in the house. Happy
:22:54. > :23:28.birthday, sir. Neil Robertson with the tactical
:23:29. > :23:33.advantage here at the moment. Marco is looking to see if he can possibly
:23:34. > :23:40.can in the first red into the red which is at the top of the cluster
:23:41. > :23:44.of four there, screw back to the black cushion, and the red that he's
:23:45. > :23:57.making contact with could possibly go in the left-centre. Good effort.
:23:58. > :24:03.But he has not got it safe. Don't get me wrong, there is a lot of
:24:04. > :24:07.pressure on this pot. There you see it, wasn't far away. He is not
:24:08. > :24:12.looking at the red near the baulk end. He feels if he gets it tight to
:24:13. > :24:15.the top cushion he will force Marco into a mistake. We'll see if he's
:24:16. > :24:41.right. Marco has just gone into the ball
:24:42. > :24:47.end to see if he can take the red he is closest to into the right centre.
:24:48. > :24:55.And leave the cue ball in a position in the baulk end, where he can see
:24:56. > :25:11.the black if the red goes in. Tough shot. He may not have too much of an
:25:12. > :25:14.alternative. If he misses the red, he is certainly handing the
:25:15. > :25:19.initiative to Neil Robertson, even if he does not leave him an easy pot
:25:20. > :25:25.on. Changed his mind. Looking to play safe. Cue ball on the baulk
:25:26. > :25:37.rail. Played it well. Yes, and he couldn't have played
:25:38. > :25:56.that any better. He is having a look at the potting
:25:57. > :26:08.angle on this red. It is very thin, but if he pots it, he will be on the
:26:09. > :26:16.black. He is taking it on. Would you believe it, he overcut it? And he
:26:17. > :26:20.must have left something. There was one of those that you are playing,
:26:21. > :26:26.you think if I hit it as soon as I can, there is a chance I can pot it.
:26:27. > :26:30.He hit it that Finn, it hardly moved. Yes, as a player, you are
:26:31. > :26:41.thinking this is almost impossible to overcut -- he hit it that Finn.
:26:42. > :26:43.And as things have worked out, it is Marco Fu that has forced the
:26:44. > :26:52.mistake, where Neil Robertson held the advantage -- he hit it that
:26:53. > :27:02.thin. Certainly for most of the way through that safety exchange,
:27:03. > :27:23.anyway. Big opportunity this now for Marco.
:27:24. > :28:00.Just managed to get a slight angle on the blue.
:28:01. > :29:52.Once again, he looks to have come a little too straight on the blue.
:29:53. > :29:59.Just three points behind, but it is not a straightforward race to the
:30:00. > :30:02.winning line. Especially with those three reds near the baulk cushion,
:30:03. > :30:08.he will have to content with those. Particularly playing low value
:30:09. > :30:16.colours as he had done over the last two reds. Just one point ahead.
:30:17. > :30:18.Still needs another 27 points. That means the four remaining reds, with
:30:19. > :30:51.colours. Once again, to straight on the blue.
:30:52. > :30:58.Locust frame of the match this. -- longest frame of the match, this.
:30:59. > :31:30.Playing the yellow. Make it easier to get on to this pot -- red.
:31:31. > :31:43.This is clever thinking. This pink when potted, would make the brown
:31:44. > :31:50.spot available. He tried to disturb them. He will be now thinking he may
:31:51. > :31:55.be should have played to get on one. That will be the end of the break,
:31:56. > :32:06.but he has got a lead, 11 points in front.
:32:07. > :32:23.If this runs, this is an excellent safety. Not quite. This is the sort
:32:24. > :32:29.of red that Neil Robertson knocks in on a regular basis, bit of pressure
:32:30. > :32:39.on this one, though. He struck that beautifully. So incredibly
:32:40. > :32:45.consistent. He has got enough angle on the black to get down for this
:32:46. > :32:54.last red. He has got plenty of cute power, could probably play this as a
:32:55. > :33:01.hard shot on the right-hand side -- cue power. Is there anyway you could
:33:02. > :33:05.on this red, where you would want to play it? He could pot the black and
:33:06. > :33:11.go three points behind. He might be OK if he got close to the red, from
:33:12. > :33:18.the knife potting angle, you may go for it, but it will be hard to do
:33:19. > :33:22.that. -- nice potting angle. He will be playing a safety shot now and he
:33:23. > :33:27.does not want that cue ball too close to the cushion, he wants to
:33:28. > :33:32.dig down on this and leave the white where the red is. Do you think there
:33:33. > :33:38.was value in playing snooker there are not taking the black or not? I
:33:39. > :33:43.think because he thought he could get close to the red, I know he was
:33:44. > :33:49.nowhere near it, but I would say, you are probably right now, because
:33:50. > :33:53.that is a bad safety. But that is only after the event, isn't it?
:33:54. > :33:59.Hindsight is a wonderful thing, isn't it?
:34:00. > :34:09.That is a beautiful shot from Marco. It was on the pink. In the middle.
:34:10. > :34:12.It is not the best angle in the world. He has got some work to do
:34:13. > :34:24.with the cue ball. It is an interesting choice of shot
:34:25. > :34:29.here for Marco. Could easily knock the yellow down the table and play a
:34:30. > :34:35.snooker behind the pink. We know a lot of players would punch the pink
:34:36. > :34:40.into the middle, screw off the baulk cushion for the yellow, but he does
:34:41. > :34:45.not have that type of cue power. But surely he has got to go for the
:34:46. > :34:53.yellow? Well, he did. Played for the yellow. It came back up and
:34:54. > :34:55.re-spotted, just a fraction out. I think he thought it was in for a
:34:56. > :35:09.second. Just caught the near bump. This is a lovely line. And it is a
:35:10. > :35:17.beautiful length. An advantage, Robertson.
:35:18. > :35:30.What an excellent shot that was from Neil Robertson there.
:35:31. > :35:42.I think he will be going back. Yes, it will not be too difficult for our
:35:43. > :35:47.referee to replace as the pink was on the brown spot, the green was on
:35:48. > :35:53.its own spot, it was just the cue ball that needs to go back in the
:35:54. > :36:00.right position. They agreed that very quickly. He needs to hit it and
:36:01. > :36:05.get it safe. He has hit it, he has not got it safe. Chance for Neil
:36:06. > :36:17.Robertson to take the first frame. Of the evening session.
:36:18. > :36:24.And these are the margins, very, very fine margins, at the highest
:36:25. > :36:29.level of snooker, just a few moments ago, Marco Fu knocked in a lovely
:36:30. > :36:34.long red into the pocket and if he finishes on the colour, he wins a
:36:35. > :36:39.frame. Finished awkwardly on the pink and decided to take a difficult
:36:40. > :36:44.yellow into the centre, missed it, Neil Robertson played a fantastic
:36:45. > :36:53.safety shot. Now the frame is his for the taking. Yes, and you cannot
:36:54. > :36:59.really see any great problems, a quick glance at the scoreboard, he
:37:00. > :37:12.is four points in front. He is just looking for green, brown and blue.
:37:13. > :37:19.Sometimes it is very hard for players, he is seven points in
:37:20. > :37:24.front, pot the brown, 11 points in front and pot the blue, he will be
:37:25. > :37:28.16 points in front with just 13 remaining.
:37:29. > :37:37.APPLAUSE. So, that was a frame that both players would have felt they
:37:38. > :37:41.could have won but it is Neil Robertson who has done the best.
:37:42. > :37:45.Marco Fu had a few chances, but in the end it was Neil Robertson who
:37:46. > :37:51.takes the lead once again. This time, it is 5-4.
:37:52. > :37:58.Join me, Steve Davis, for a Crucible celebration. There are lots of
:37:59. > :38:01.things that should not be right about the place, but if their
:38:02. > :38:05.justice. Once you get serious about snooker, you want to play. The best
:38:06. > :38:12.moments in Stoke have all been about the Crucible. He has done it. The
:38:13. > :38:17.saddest person in Sheffield. I liked it when he tells his hat. It has got
:38:18. > :38:24.so much history attached to it. It is the shrine of snooker. The
:38:25. > :38:30.Crucible does it to you, doesn't it? BBC Two, Sunday, nine p.m.. Don't
:38:31. > :38:35.miss it, all the big names interviewed. Where were you? I don't
:38:36. > :38:39.know. That was why it was only the big names. Anyway, it is a
:38:40. > :38:44.wonderful, I tell you something, I have seen bits of it and there will
:38:45. > :38:49.be a few tears. What is it about this place? It is amazing. I grew up
:38:50. > :38:54.watching the Crucible, as a young boy, I saw Alex Higgins when it in
:38:55. > :39:07.1982 and then Dennis Taylor in 1985 and as an Irish man, they were my
:39:08. > :39:10.heroes and I wanted to try and emulate them and then to come here
:39:11. > :39:12.and just walked out through those curtains, it takes your breath away
:39:13. > :39:15.and every time you come back. When you come into Sheffield, you see the
:39:16. > :39:18.signs for the Crucible and makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand
:39:19. > :39:21.up. It is a fascinating place. When you come back in here as a former
:39:22. > :39:24.world champion, do you still get the little tingle? Every time. The last
:39:25. > :39:27.time I came here, I kissed the carpet because that is what it meant
:39:28. > :39:31.to me. It is a very special place and it is the place that every
:39:32. > :39:39.player, growing up, watching it on television wants to play. Wonderful
:39:40. > :39:42.stuff, that is at nine o'clock this evening and at ten o'clock this
:39:43. > :39:44.evening, you can see it again, the rat Pack, the BBC snooker drama.
:39:45. > :39:54.That is your night sorted. I don't know whether he played the
:39:55. > :39:58.cannon on the black, but he will be pleased with that. The only thing
:39:59. > :40:30.is, the potting angle on the black is taking him away from the reds.
:40:31. > :40:43.It begs the question, what is he on? APPLAUSE. Just playing safe?
:40:44. > :40:53.If he couldn't just drop the black in and get on the red, he would have
:40:54. > :40:57.been trying to do something. Did he think he could hold it? There were a
:40:58. > :41:06.couple of reds, or at least two that would go. Just lost the cue ball
:41:07. > :41:13.completely. Good pot from Marco, needs just a kiss on a colour. He
:41:14. > :41:22.hasn't done. That was the archetypal shot for nothing. He got that pot or
:41:23. > :41:30.nothing. APPLAUSE. Nice touch, but with the
:41:31. > :41:35.ball the way they are, it shouldn't be a problem therefore Neil, just
:41:36. > :41:40.coming off the side cushion. You have to be aware that you do not
:41:41. > :41:45.slide. That is all he is looking for. Close to the pink. That is a
:41:46. > :42:01.careless six points to give away. Neil certainly major that he did not
:42:02. > :42:09.leave their red closest to the black, didn't he? Yeah, that is why
:42:10. > :42:16.he aired on the side of hitting the pink. It is a bit pacey, is that
:42:17. > :42:18.this? Is just stopped in time. Nearly overhit it there and left
:42:19. > :42:30.their red to the corner. Marco could try to get the cue ball
:42:31. > :42:32.behind the yellow here. He has played it with quite a lot of
:42:33. > :42:49.right-hand side. Trying to force Neil to play safe
:42:50. > :42:57.down the right-hand side. It is quite congested. I don't know, if
:42:58. > :43:00.there is a gap between the green and pink, if you get to their red on the
:43:01. > :43:07.left-hand side of the table, obviously he cannot, it is a big ask
:43:08. > :43:11.to get this back to the baulk if that is what he is trying. This
:43:12. > :43:16.needs to be really thin, it is a fantastic shot, that was so
:43:17. > :43:19.difficult. Duly acknowledged by Marco Fu, that was really a
:43:20. > :43:24.top-class safety shot from Neil Robertson there. Could not agree
:43:25. > :43:35.more, Peter. They do not come better than that.
:43:36. > :43:47.Well it drop? Is dropped. And looked to apologise. It will not be too
:43:48. > :43:52.costly, not from the pot, because he is not on a collar. -- colour. That
:43:53. > :44:00.could force a mistake from Neil. And this time, you see the line
:44:01. > :44:10.again. That is the line you could go, but
:44:11. > :44:15.if you don't get it right, he will not risk that, he will play this one
:44:16. > :44:17.near the top cushion. You have to be careful, you do not run across it.
:44:18. > :44:30.You want to hit it first. Well, he has left a red in the
:44:31. > :44:35.middle. It is not easy. Yeah, it is funny when you get that option to
:44:36. > :44:43.have them replaced. It tends you to think, do I need to risk this? To
:44:44. > :44:59.him, he has taken it on. Big shot this. Oh! Well! How did it drop in
:45:00. > :45:04.the end? Knock three Times. And knew the password. Look at that! It was
:45:05. > :45:16.coming out, it was going back in! Is dropped.
:45:17. > :45:22.Neil Robertson was certainly surprised that Marco took that on,
:45:23. > :45:27.because he was standing up, still, even had time to sit down before
:45:28. > :45:33.Marco played that shot. He expected Marco to put him straight back in
:45:34. > :45:40.again. Really gutsy shot to take on from Marco Fu there. Very, very
:45:41. > :45:48.tough. Having got this very tough opening and Anna, we have seen so
:45:49. > :45:58.many of those this week already with that sort of pace come in and out
:45:59. > :45:59.again from the pocket -- red. He deserves everything he gets from
:46:00. > :46:33.this visit. I must say, there has been a real
:46:34. > :46:38.difference in the approach from Marco Fu. I would say the Marco Fu
:46:39. > :46:43.of three or at four years ago, would be safety orientated and would not
:46:44. > :46:47.have taken up red like that on, but perhaps the extra confidence of
:46:48. > :46:50.being a tournament winner this season, he has certainly changed his
:46:51. > :46:53.game, he is more attacking and aggressive. He is certainly not
:46:54. > :47:02.reckless, but that was a very impressive shot to take on into the
:47:03. > :47:09.centre there. Just slightly put his hand up there, he played a cannon on
:47:10. > :47:16.three reds and one into the left corner, he finished nicely on one of
:47:17. > :47:24.the three reds he ran into. I think in all honesty, Peter, I have had a
:47:25. > :47:27.few chats with Marco, not long conversations, but because of the
:47:28. > :47:34.talent he has got, he is wondering why he is not winning more. I think,
:47:35. > :47:40.he needs belief to do that and I think he has found that, by just
:47:41. > :47:44.stepping up the pace and being a little bit more aggressive. If you
:47:45. > :47:54.have ability and he certainly has, you have got to give it a chance to
:47:55. > :47:58.come out. Sometimes, you can play it too much safety first and not give
:47:59. > :48:02.your ability a chance. He has done that in the last few seasons, as you
:48:03. > :48:10.say and looks a better player for it. Having said that, he was a
:48:11. > :48:14.little bit edgy this morning when he went 4-1 behind, but he has got
:48:15. > :48:16.himself right back in the match and has a good chance to level again
:48:17. > :48:20.here. 55 ahead, 67 remaining. And Anna and
:48:21. > :49:06.a colour needed. -- red. I presume he played for the pink in
:49:07. > :49:36.the left corner. I think there is value in taking the
:49:37. > :49:48.pink on, playing it dead weight towards the left-hand black pocket.
:49:49. > :49:53.If it goes in, it is a frame-winner and if it stays right over the
:49:54. > :50:02.pocket, he is not leaving anything on. This is to go 62 points in front
:50:03. > :50:06.with 59 remaining and it is there. It gave him a little bit of a scare
:50:07. > :50:32.from there with that of bad positional shot. Scare is over.
:50:33. > :50:37.This has been a very impressive contribution from Marco Fu under the
:50:38. > :50:44.circumstances. He has overscrew that, but it does not matter, he has
:50:45. > :50:49.won the frame. Took on a really gutsy red into the left centre at
:50:50. > :50:50.the start of this break, when Neil Robertson expected to be put back
:50:51. > :51:36.in. Well, there aren't many people that
:51:37. > :51:41.would have said a century was possible when Marco Fu came back to
:51:42. > :51:45.the table and decided to take that really difficult red into the left
:51:46. > :51:48.centre. But what wonderful contribution this has been and that
:51:49. > :51:59.such an important time as well, to level the match. Yes. He has already
:52:00. > :52:01.made a century in this match. And that was his 450th competitive
:52:02. > :52:53.century. Played it beautifully on the pink
:52:54. > :53:05.for the 47th century of the tournament. Wonderful. Wonderful. He
:53:06. > :53:09.played a red into the middle that not many would have played and as
:53:10. > :53:13.Peter Ebdon said at the time, he deserved everything he got for that
:53:14. > :53:18.and he could not have done any more, he clears the table and he levels
:53:19. > :53:22.once again at five frames all. 86 centuries last year and a year
:53:23. > :53:26.before, a joint record, to get the feeling that we are on to equal or
:53:27. > :53:29.to break that record? I definitely think so. It started off slow on the
:53:30. > :53:54.first day, there was only century about this from Ronnie
:53:55. > :53:56.O'Sullivan. Ever since then it has accelerated and these are two great
:53:57. > :53:58.protagonists of century breaks in the game. Neil Robertson this week
:53:59. > :54:01.alone has made his 500th century and Marco Fu is up to 451. Started with
:54:02. > :54:04.a wonderful red. Peter Ebdon talked about it and commentary. These
:54:05. > :54:06.middle pockets are so tight. A bit like Stephen Hendrie's pocket six
:54:07. > :54:09.and mean the pace he played out was even more difficult and that is what
:54:10. > :54:13.made the shot even more difficult. He deserved everything he got. News
:54:14. > :54:16.travels fast around the Crucible and no doubt Stephen Hendrie will have
:54:17. > :54:20.heard that whilst he is in commentary. The other pleasing
:54:21. > :54:25.thing, if you are a fan of Marco Fu, he is showing no signs whatsoever,
:54:26. > :54:29.this second session, of being almost haunted by that performance in the
:54:30. > :54:33.first round, where he almost got knocked out. I think he will be
:54:34. > :54:51.relieved that he is still in the tournament. Sometimes when you
:54:52. > :54:55.have that relief, it takes a bit of pressure from you, because you feel
:54:56. > :54:57.you have nothing to lose now and that is exactly what happened to
:54:58. > :55:01.Neil Robertson. We spoke about that in 2010, he should have gone out to
:55:02. > :55:04.Martin Gould but he went on to win the tournament. There was a long way
:55:05. > :55:06.to go in this match. I feel there will be another couple of centuries
:55:07. > :55:09.tonight. We are switching to the red button in about five minutes, so
:55:10. > :55:11.enjoy the next five minutes with Peter and John. Not the best break
:55:12. > :55:23.shot from Neil Robertson, but the brown came to his rescue. He will go
:55:24. > :55:27.back to his seat very relieved. Yes, it is still early days in this
:55:28. > :55:36.match, just the second session of three.
:55:37. > :55:43.At the moment, I just feel, Peter, if one of these players could just
:55:44. > :55:48.hit his top form, he might have a chance to just when two or three
:55:49. > :55:52.frames in a row, but you know what snooker is like, if someone starts
:55:53. > :55:55.to raise the game, the other man goes with them. I think it would be
:55:56. > :56:03.fair to say at this present moment in time, that there is such a
:56:04. > :56:07.healthy respect between the two players and for each other that they
:56:08. > :56:09.are just a little bit wary of each other at the moment. Yeah, I agree
:56:10. > :56:21.with that observation. You can't win it, particularly in
:56:22. > :56:25.the first session, but you can lose it and as Stephen Hendrie said in
:56:26. > :56:30.the studio this afternoon, it is a good analogy, it is like moving day
:56:31. > :56:35.at golf, the second session, can you take a decent lead going into the
:56:36. > :56:38.final session tomorrow? All to play for. Tentative look at this now. Hit
:56:39. > :56:55.the pink! Well, that is remarkable. I know he is playing it... He played
:56:56. > :57:03.it with a lot of left-hand side and he has struck down, so hard, he has
:57:04. > :57:08.pushed into the pink. And Marco, trying to force the cue ball across
:57:09. > :57:12.the table, he has missed and left their red to the left of the black.
:57:13. > :57:28.A slight comedy of errors at the moment.
:57:29. > :58:15.Cecil downplays, thank you. -- settle down please.
:58:16. > :58:22.This is where we leave you unfortunately on BBC Two, but if you
:58:23. > :58:26.press your red button right now you can continue watching Mark golf you
:58:27. > :58:31.against Neil Robinson and if you go online as well, you can choose the
:58:32. > :58:37.other table as well and we are back with highlights from the Crucible at
:58:38. > :58:42.11:30pm tonight on BBC Two, ten past 12 in Northern Ireland and at 1230
:58:43. > :58:45.am on BBC Two Scotland. We will see you then. Goodbye. Press the red
:58:46. > :58:48.button now. Full disclosure - you're looking at
:58:49. > :58:52.a room of double glazing salesmen. we're not quite the social pariahs
:58:53. > :58:58.you lot probably know and loathe.