Day 9, Evening Session - Pt 1 Snooker: World Championship

Hello, 80 good evening to you, welcome back to the Crucible Theatre

in Sheffield, Day nine of the 2017 World Snooker Championship. What a

day of sport we have heard on the BBC and it will get even better,

because tonight we are featuring two of the best players ever to emerge

from outside the British Isles. Neil Robertson Huth won the title in 2010

at against Marco Fu. They first met back in 2008, this is the 12th

meeting between the two, the first time they have ever met at the

Crucible and that is Robertson who ages those 6-5. This is the story of

the first session. COMMENTATOR: Two heavyweights here,

Neil Robertson and Marco Fu. That was an excellent shot. Ton up.

Played that one well. One apiece. Fantastic. Good cueing. You can't

cue that much better than that. He now goes three clear. 4-1. Well

played. Neil Robertson will be very disappointed, he led 4-1. They're

finished the first session. All square. Disappointment for delight

for Fu. Beautifully poised this evening,

four apiece, as predicted by Mike Colley, Ken Doherty, because this

morning when we chatted you said this had the makings of going right

down to the wire. A good session, a century age for both players.

Robertson was incomplete control. FairPlay -- was in complete control.

When you look at these two players and their form, please see anything

in them? Any hint of how they are playing at the moment that either of

these two players could challenge the favourites? Absolutely. Marco Fu

had that wonderful final. Neil Robertson has not have the best of

seasons by his own standard, but on his day he can beat anybody for stop

fantastic players, both big break-builder is as well so any time

they get in they are likely to make a century. I think we might see

another couple of centuries but on their day these guys are a match

anybody. Let's hope so. Marco Fu was pushed all the way by Luke Bussell,

you could say he is lucky to be here mentally. Has he got over that first

ran shocked evening? Absolutely. Sometimes a player may have had one

of those where he has clawed his self back into the match. That is

not happened to Neil Robertson in 2010. Could it be the same for Marco

Fu? You never know. Some other stories from the Crucible, Stephen

Maguire through to the quarterfinals after thrashing Rory McLeod. The

opened up a 6-2 advantage, breaks of 114, 90 and 60 well is put him

through to the last eight for the last -- first time since 2012. Mark

Selby, the defending champion, is 10-6 in front against Joe Goodall,

and they resume -- against Xiao Guodong. Neil Robertson taking on

Marco Fu. That is the tournament offers, Marco Fu reading his

biography by the looks of it. Reading the paper, there we are.

Obviously completely overcome with it. Looks like he is reading his own

match report. I wonder if he is making the back pages tomorrow.

Let's find out. If you are just getting home, sit

back, relax and enjoy the climax of day nine at the World championship

because at Sheffield our Crucible marathon still has eight days to go.

CHEERING APPLAUSE

Please welcome, on table two, a man who always produces his best here on

the spot's biggest stage, beating two-time runner-up Ali Carter here

in the first round, three times a finalist, champion of the world in

2006, here comes Scotland's pocket dynamo, Graeme Dott. APPLAUSE

And his opponent, after taking six visits to register his first win

here in Sheffield, he hasn't looked back since. Three times he has

reached the one-table set-up and how that brilliant run to the final in

13. He is the season's World Grand Prix winner, he is the fork, he is

Barry Hawkins! -- he is the Hawk. On table one, here comes a man who

has taken the game by storm since 's arrival from Australia just over a

decade ago, WK champion, Masters winner and world champion in 2010,

here comes the Thunder from Down Under, Neil Robertson. APPLAUSE

And his opponent, who produced one of the greatest act of his career so

far, from 7-2 down against Luca Brecel, cries he has made the

semifinals here in Sheffield, -- twice he has made the semifinals.

From Hong Kong, here comes Marco Fu! APPLAUSE

Barry Hawkins against Graeme Dott is live on the red button. Stephen

Hendry talking you through that one. But here live on BBC Two, Marco Fu

against Neil Robertson. A very good evening to our commentators.

COMMENTATOR: Good evening, everybody. What an atmosphere again

here in the Crucible Theatre. It is just something special. Neil

Robertson gets the first frame of eight that will be played this

evening in this second session. He let a 4-1 advantage slip. I don't

know if that would have affected him, but just looked a little bit

nervy. That first session is always the tricky one, isn't it?

Absolutely. Very important for the players to settle.

What do we have in store this evening from these two great

players? Close, but because he is overheated,

he's left a nice, easy starter for Niall. He wanted to drop this in

dead weight. He hit it thick, so he has just overheated just the start

you would hope for first frame, get your hand on the table, get your cue

arm going. Looks to have the right angle on it

to set up for the black. He has come a little bit straight on it for

playing a cannon into the cluster, so he may have to play for that read

just to the left of the blue, screw back off the side cushion. Depending

on the potting angle on this read, if he could get on the blue I would

suggest he would do and then play a cannon. Had to play that with lots

of right-hand side and cued that beautifully. Perfect angle on the

blue. But this is a case that you really have to hit the pink dead on

because the pink is not touching the red, there was a little bit of a gap

between the pink and the rig. Missed the pink, went through the gap,

nothing. Neil seem to get down and play that one a bit quick. As I

said, I noticed in the first session both players looked very edgy. You

know what it is like, not playing in these matches, looking for a place

in the quarterfinal and you are frightened to make mistakes

sometimes. Then you just lose the balance in the way you play. One

minute you get aggressive, the next minute of it too tentative, and

neither player really has found the balance in this match so far. I'm

sure it will come. Average shot time pretty quick for

both players. Marco just came round to have a look

if the plant was on, and it's not. There is too much distance between

the two balls. So a good safety shot needed here. He will be tempted to

hit this thin. He has to watch the bump of the middle pocket here. The

court had plenty of them. The reason he had to play it same, because of

that lack never top cushion. Anything thick and he could have run

into that, so not the best safety. Neil Robertson will be taking this

on into the right corner. Slightly sick. The reason he played that with

so much pace is because the red goes into the right back pocket. There is

no way he could have played at and try to hold for the blue or perhaps

even the yellow or brown because he would have lived a long red on. This

red goes. Where is the cue ball going. But the

main thing was he missed the chance. He is going to have to start taking

these. He is normally so good at that type of shot, Marco. Didn't

have to do anything with the cue ball, just pot the red.

. Only fortunate not to leave a shot, he has been fortunate to leave

Neil Robertson in a difficult situation here. Just had to play the

containing safety, which gives Marco Fu the advantage to try to get a cue

ball. I am just wondering this red, second left, if he could try and pot

it in the middle with no risk. If the only red he could leave was the

one he was playing, it would be worth to try and drop it in. I know

it is a very acute angle but he would be on the black. But it is

only if you are absolutely perfect and you could play it with no risk.

That is a very good cue ball. Well played. Yes. Causes a little bit of

a problem here. No escape down the right-hand side. And no escape down

the left. So just playing the containing safety. Of course with

this black being over the corner pocket, this takes this pocket out

of the equation, so any safety shot will be made that little bit easier.

He has taken the chance going back to the ball end. Needs to cover one

of these words, and he hasn't done. -- baulk end. Similar type of red

that Marco missed. But not Neil Robertson. Now he wants to be on the

black. Can he get past the? -- past the blue? Well, he can just about

get past the blue but to pot the black you may just have two bend it

a bit, and then he will struggle getting on position on the next red.

Or can he play it with pace and get out of the jaws of the pocket? Just

looking if he pots the green, where he would have to leave the cue ball.

That is all he could leave himself, a mid range pot. You'd fancy him to

get it, but it is missable. Why did he hit it so hard? I would

have thought he would have just stroked it in. Again, I feel he got

down and play that quite quickly, again. Earlier in the frame, he got

down and played a blue into the centre quickly and then did not get

the correct cannon on the pink. I just think Neil needs to set himself

down a little. It is very rare that he misses a bit distance red like

that. Yes. It was one of those just off straight, I suppose he was

trying to leave himself straight on it. But when he didn't come

absolutely dead straight, I thought he played the run-through, kept

control of the shot. Surely this red doesn't pass the black, does it? Is

there room for a ball past the black? That's tight. If Neil

Robertson was directly behind this red in a straight line, he could

possibly play this, but being on an angle like this, it makes it all the

more difficult, and there is a very good chance he will get a double

case here. -- double-kiss. Does it go on the other side now? Neil is

interested. Is Marco? You always get some special VIP

Boro, and there is one, Roy Keane, legend. And I'm not saying that

because he played for Man Utd. One of the all-time greats.

Giving this a bit of thought. Two reds at the ball end. If you played

one of them, you would leave the other one there. -- he has played a

double on the rate. Wasn't a bad choice. Certainly wouldn't have been

if it had gone in. Niall may be attempting to knock a

red in the centre here, and the red that could possibly have gone into

the centre can then enter the pin, but he played that very well. Played

it as a shot to nothing, skewing -- screwing back with the cue ball.

Yes, he has a slight problem, because he got such a good cue ball,

as Peter mentioned, it is very difficult for Marco to get the cue

ball back to this top cushion, and you feel to get it really safe,

that's what he's going to have to do.

They are in the audience, happy birthday, 89 today, Geoffrey

Leicester has come along with his son and grandson, that is his

birthday seat, and he has got one of the best seats in the house. Happy

birthday, sir. Neil Robertson with the tactical

advantage here at the moment. Marco is looking to see if he can possibly

can in the first red into the red which is at the top of the cluster

of four there, screw back to the black cushion, and the red that he's

making contact with could possibly go in the left-centre. Good effort.

But he has not got it safe. Don't get me wrong, there is a lot of

pressure on this pot. There you see it, wasn't far away. He is not

looking at the red near the baulk end. He feels if he gets it tight to

the top cushion he will force Marco into a mistake. We'll see if he's

right. Marco has just gone into the ball

end to see if he can take the red he is closest to into the right centre.

And leave the cue ball in a position in the baulk end, where he can see

the black if the red goes in. Tough shot. He may not have too much of an

alternative. If he misses the red, he is certainly handing the

initiative to Neil Robertson, even if he does not leave him an easy pot

on. Changed his mind. Looking to play safe. Cue ball on the baulk

rail. Played it well. Yes, and he couldn't have played

that any better. He is having a look at the potting

angle on this red. It is very thin, but if he pots it, he will be on the

black. He is taking it on. Would you believe it, he overcut it? And he

must have left something. There was one of those that you are playing,

you think if I hit it as soon as I can, there is a chance I can pot it.

He hit it that Finn, it hardly moved. Yes, as a player, you are

thinking this is almost impossible to overcut -- he hit it that Finn.

And as things have worked out, it is Marco Fu that has forced the

mistake, where Neil Robertson held the advantage -- he hit it that

thin. Certainly for most of the way through that safety exchange,

anyway. Big opportunity this now for Marco.

Just managed to get a slight angle on the blue.

Once again, he looks to have come a little too straight on the blue.

Just three points behind, but it is not a straightforward race to the

winning line. Especially with those three reds near the baulk cushion,

he will have to content with those. Particularly playing low value

colours as he had done over the last two reds. Just one point ahead.

Still needs another 27 points. That means the four remaining reds, with

colours. Once again, to straight on the blue.

Locust frame of the match this. -- longest frame of the match, this.

Playing the yellow. Make it easier to get on to this pot -- red.

This is clever thinking. This pink when potted, would make the brown

spot available. He tried to disturb them. He will be now thinking he may

be should have played to get on one. That will be the end of the break,

but he has got a lead, 11 points in front.

If this runs, this is an excellent safety. Not quite. This is the sort

of red that Neil Robertson knocks in on a regular basis, bit of pressure

on this one, though. He struck that beautifully. So incredibly

consistent. He has got enough angle on the black to get down for this

last red. He has got plenty of cute power, could probably play this as a

hard shot on the right-hand side -- cue power. Is there anyway you could

on this red, where you would want to play it? He could pot the black and

go three points behind. He might be OK if he got close to the red, from

the knife potting angle, you may go for it, but it will be hard to do

that. -- nice potting angle. He will be playing a safety shot now and he

does not want that cue ball too close to the cushion, he wants to

dig down on this and leave the white where the red is. Do you think there

was value in playing snooker there are not taking the black or not? I

think because he thought he could get close to the red, I know he was

nowhere near it, but I would say, you are probably right now, because

that is a bad safety. But that is only after the event, isn't it?

Hindsight is a wonderful thing, isn't it?

That is a beautiful shot from Marco. It was on the pink. In the middle.

It is not the best angle in the world. He has got some work to do

with the cue ball. It is an interesting choice of shot

here for Marco. Could easily knock the yellow down the table and play a

snooker behind the pink. We know a lot of players would punch the pink

into the middle, screw off the baulk cushion for the yellow, but he does

not have that type of cue power. But surely he has got to go for the

yellow? Well, he did. Played for the yellow. It came back up and

re-spotted, just a fraction out. I think he thought it was in for a

second. Just caught the near bump. This is a lovely line. And it is a

beautiful length. An advantage, Robertson.

What an excellent shot that was from Neil Robertson there.

I think he will be going back. Yes, it will not be too difficult for our

referee to replace as the pink was on the brown spot, the green was on

its own spot, it was just the cue ball that needs to go back in the

right position. They agreed that very quickly. He needs to hit it and

get it safe. He has hit it, he has not got it safe. Chance for Neil

Robertson to take the first frame. Of the evening session.

And these are the margins, very, very fine margins, at the highest

level of snooker, just a few moments ago, Marco Fu knocked in a lovely

long red into the pocket and if he finishes on the colour, he wins a

frame. Finished awkwardly on the pink and decided to take a difficult

yellow into the centre, missed it, Neil Robertson played a fantastic

safety shot. Now the frame is his for the taking. Yes, and you cannot

really see any great problems, a quick glance at the scoreboard, he

is four points in front. He is just looking for green, brown and blue.

Sometimes it is very hard for players, he is seven points in

front, pot the brown, 11 points in front and pot the blue, he will be

16 points in front with just 13 remaining.

APPLAUSE. So, that was a frame that both players would have felt they

could have won but it is Neil Robertson who has done the best.

Marco Fu had a few chances, but in the end it was Neil Robertson who

takes the lead once again. This time, it is 5-4.

Join me, Steve Davis, for a Crucible celebration. There are lots of

things that should not be right about the place, but if their

justice. Once you get serious about snooker, you want to play. The best

moments in Stoke have all been about the Crucible. He has done it. The

saddest person in Sheffield. I liked it when he tells his hat. It has got

so much history attached to it. It is the shrine of snooker. The

Crucible does it to you, doesn't it? BBC Two, Sunday, nine p.m.. Don't

miss it, all the big names interviewed. Where were you? I don't

know. That was why it was only the big names. Anyway, it is a

wonderful, I tell you something, I have seen bits of it and there will

be a few tears. What is it about this place? It is amazing. I grew up

watching the Crucible, as a young boy, I saw Alex Higgins when it in

1982 and then Dennis Taylor in 1985 and as an Irish man, they were my

heroes and I wanted to try and emulate them and then to come here

and just walked out through those curtains, it takes your breath away

and every time you come back. When you come into Sheffield, you see the

signs for the Crucible and makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand

up. It is a fascinating place. When you come back in here as a former

world champion, do you still get the little tingle? Every time. The last

time I came here, I kissed the carpet because that is what it meant

to me. It is a very special place and it is the place that every

player, growing up, watching it on television wants to play. Wonderful

stuff, that is at nine o'clock this evening and at ten o'clock this

evening, you can see it again, the rat Pack, the BBC snooker drama.

That is your night sorted. I don't know whether he played the

cannon on the black, but he will be pleased with that. The only thing

is, the potting angle on the black is taking him away from the reds.

It begs the question, what is he on? APPLAUSE. Just playing safe?

If he couldn't just drop the black in and get on the red, he would have

been trying to do something. Did he think he could hold it? There were a

couple of reds, or at least two that would go. Just lost the cue ball

completely. Good pot from Marco, needs just a kiss on a colour. He

hasn't done. That was the archetypal shot for nothing. He got that pot or

nothing. APPLAUSE. Nice touch, but with the

ball the way they are, it shouldn't be a problem therefore Neil, just

coming off the side cushion. You have to be aware that you do not

slide. That is all he is looking for. Close to the pink. That is a

careless six points to give away. Neil certainly major that he did not

leave their red closest to the black, didn't he? Yeah, that is why

he aired on the side of hitting the pink. It is a bit pacey, is that

this? Is just stopped in time. Nearly overhit it there and left

their red to the corner. Marco could try to get the cue ball

behind the yellow here. He has played it with quite a lot of

right-hand side. Trying to force Neil to play safe

down the right-hand side. It is quite congested. I don't know, if

there is a gap between the green and pink, if you get to their red on the

left-hand side of the table, obviously he cannot, it is a big ask

to get this back to the baulk if that is what he is trying. This

needs to be really thin, it is a fantastic shot, that was so

difficult. Duly acknowledged by Marco Fu, that was really a

top-class safety shot from Neil Robertson there. Could not agree

more, Peter. They do not come better than that.

Well it drop? Is dropped. And looked to apologise. It will not be too

costly, not from the pot, because he is not on a collar. -- colour. That

could force a mistake from Neil. And this time, you see the line

again. That is the line you could go, but

if you don't get it right, he will not risk that, he will play this one

near the top cushion. You have to be careful, you do not run across it.

You want to hit it first. Well, he has left a red in the

middle. It is not easy. Yeah, it is funny when you get that option to

have them replaced. It tends you to think, do I need to risk this? To

him, he has taken it on. Big shot this. Oh! Well! How did it drop in

the end? Knock three Times. And knew the password. Look at that! It was

coming out, it was going back in! Is dropped.

Neil Robertson was certainly surprised that Marco took that on,

because he was standing up, still, even had time to sit down before

Marco played that shot. He expected Marco to put him straight back in

again. Really gutsy shot to take on from Marco Fu there. Very, very

tough. Having got this very tough opening and Anna, we have seen so

many of those this week already with that sort of pace come in and out

again from the pocket -- red. He deserves everything he gets from

this visit. I must say, there has been a real

difference in the approach from Marco Fu. I would say the Marco Fu

of three or at four years ago, would be safety orientated and would not

have taken up red like that on, but perhaps the extra confidence of

being a tournament winner this season, he has certainly changed his

game, he is more attacking and aggressive. He is certainly not

reckless, but that was a very impressive shot to take on into the

centre there. Just slightly put his hand up there, he played a cannon on

three reds and one into the left corner, he finished nicely on one of

the three reds he ran into. I think in all honesty, Peter, I have had a

few chats with Marco, not long conversations, but because of the

talent he has got, he is wondering why he is not winning more. I think,

he needs belief to do that and I think he has found that, by just

stepping up the pace and being a little bit more aggressive. If you

have ability and he certainly has, you have got to give it a chance to

come out. Sometimes, you can play it too much safety first and not give

your ability a chance. He has done that in the last few seasons, as you

say and looks a better player for it. Having said that, he was a

little bit edgy this morning when he went 4-1 behind, but he has got

himself right back in the match and has a good chance to level again

here. 55 ahead, 67 remaining. And Anna and

a colour needed. -- red. I presume he played for the pink in

the left corner. I think there is value in taking the

pink on, playing it dead weight towards the left-hand black pocket.

If it goes in, it is a frame-winner and if it stays right over the

pocket, he is not leaving anything on. This is to go 62 points in front

with 59 remaining and it is there. It gave him a little bit of a scare

from there with that of bad positional shot. Scare is over.

This has been a very impressive contribution from Marco Fu under the

circumstances. He has overscrew that, but it does not matter, he has

won the frame. Took on a really gutsy red into the left centre at

the start of this break, when Neil Robertson expected to be put back

in. Well, there aren't many people that

would have said a century was possible when Marco Fu came back to

the table and decided to take that really difficult red into the left

centre. But what wonderful contribution this has been and that

such an important time as well, to level the match. Yes. He has already

made a century in this match. And that was his 450th competitive

century. Played it beautifully on the pink

for the 47th century of the tournament. Wonderful. Wonderful. He

played a red into the middle that not many would have played and as

Peter Ebdon said at the time, he deserved everything he got for that

and he could not have done any more, he clears the table and he levels

once again at five frames all. 86 centuries last year and a year

before, a joint record, to get the feeling that we are on to equal or

to break that record? I definitely think so. It started off slow on the

first day, there was only century about this from Ronnie

O'Sullivan. Ever since then it has accelerated and these are two great

protagonists of century breaks in the game. Neil Robertson this week

alone has made his 500th century and Marco Fu is up to 451. Started with

a wonderful red. Peter Ebdon talked about it and commentary. These

middle pockets are so tight. A bit like Stephen Hendrie's pocket six

and mean the pace he played out was even more difficult and that is what

made the shot even more difficult. He deserved everything he got. News

travels fast around the Crucible and no doubt Stephen Hendrie will have

heard that whilst he is in commentary. The other pleasing

thing, if you are a fan of Marco Fu, he is showing no signs whatsoever,

this second session, of being almost haunted by that performance in the

first round, where he almost got knocked out. I think he will be

relieved that he is still in the tournament. Sometimes when you

have that relief, it takes a bit of pressure from you, because you feel

you have nothing to lose now and that is exactly what happened to

Neil Robertson. We spoke about that in 2010, he should have gone out to

Martin Gould but he went on to win the tournament. There was a long way

to go in this match. I feel there will be another couple of centuries

tonight. We are switching to the red button in about five minutes, so

enjoy the next five minutes with Peter and John. Not the best break

shot from Neil Robertson, but the brown came to his rescue. He will go

back to his seat very relieved. Yes, it is still early days in this

match, just the second session of three.

At the moment, I just feel, Peter, if one of these players could just

hit his top form, he might have a chance to just when two or three

frames in a row, but you know what snooker is like, if someone starts

to raise the game, the other man goes with them. I think it would be

fair to say at this present moment in time, that there is such a

healthy respect between the two players and for each other that they

are just a little bit wary of each other at the moment. Yeah, I agree

with that observation. You can't win it, particularly in

the first session, but you can lose it and as Stephen Hendrie said in

the studio this afternoon, it is a good analogy, it is like moving day

at golf, the second session, can you take a decent lead going into the

final session tomorrow? All to play for. Tentative look at this now. Hit

the pink! Well, that is remarkable. I know he is playing it... He played

it with a lot of left-hand side and he has struck down, so hard, he has

pushed into the pink. And Marco, trying to force the cue ball across

the table, he has missed and left their red to the left of the black.

A slight comedy of errors at the moment.

Cecil downplays, thank you. -- settle down please.

This is where we leave you unfortunately on BBC Two, but if you

press your red button right now you can continue watching Mark golf you

against Neil Robinson and if you go online as well, you can choose the

other table as well and we are back with highlights from the Crucible at

11:30pm tonight on BBC Two, ten past 12 in Northern Ireland and at 1230

am on BBC Two Scotland. We will see you then. Goodbye. Press the red

button now. Full disclosure - you're looking at

a room of double glazing salesmen. we're not quite the social pariahs

you lot probably know and loathe.