:00:34. > :00:43.Hello. Good morning, welcome back to the Crucible Theatre. We're getting
:00:44. > :00:46.closer to the final of the 2017 Betfred World Snooker Championship.
:00:47. > :00:51.Four players hoping to land the biggest prize in the sport. In a few
:00:52. > :00:56.minutes, defending champion Mark Selby and Ding Junhui will walk out
:00:57. > :01:00.into this magnificent arena knowing a solid second session could edge
:01:01. > :01:07.them closer to the final. It's beautifully poised after yesterday's
:01:08. > :01:11.opener. Cracking semifinal in store. A repeat of last year 's final.
:01:12. > :01:18.Everybody wants to get to the one-table set-up, the tournament
:01:19. > :01:23.comes into its own. He could not have played that any better. Mark
:01:24. > :01:27.Selby was in great form coming into the semifinal and looked like he had
:01:28. > :01:35.the aura of a champion in waiting again. Wonderful shot! That first
:01:36. > :01:41.frame when Mark Selby got in first, walking around the table like he
:01:42. > :01:48.owned the place. It's a very risky shot to take on, but taking it on he
:01:49. > :01:53.is. And getting it. That first frame, I've felt, was so key to Ding
:01:54. > :01:58.Junhui. If he can beat Wally O'Sullivan, he can beat anyone.
:01:59. > :02:04.People saying will there be an angle? They're definitely wasn't. He
:02:05. > :02:09.is judged it to absolute perfection. Wonderful first frame. If the match
:02:10. > :02:13.stays like that, we are in for a cracker. I thought the first four
:02:14. > :02:18.frames were absolutely excellent snooker. You didn't fancy either
:02:19. > :02:26.player missing an easy shot. All square, 2-2. He will give six points
:02:27. > :02:34.away and leave a red on! Would you believe that? Amazing. It shows a
:02:35. > :02:37.very confident player. Selby will be very disappointed, a couple of silly
:02:38. > :02:43.errors you wouldn't normally see from him and it cost him a couple of
:02:44. > :02:48.frames. The only thing he's missed this afternoon is a century and he's
:02:49. > :02:55.got one now. Wonderful, absolutely wonderful from Ding Junhui will stop
:02:56. > :03:01.he has a 5-3 lead over the defending champion. Selby has some catching up
:03:02. > :03:06.to do. Ding is in fine form. What you need on a day like today,
:03:07. > :03:12.semifinal day, is a former world champion. There's one standing next
:03:13. > :03:17.to me, John Parrott. A session of high-quality snooker. Absolutely
:03:18. > :03:20.brilliant. The first three frames was free-flowing, high-scoring, and
:03:21. > :03:26.then two tactically brilliant frames. The last two frames, Ding
:03:27. > :03:30.was magnificent. If he plays like that, he will win the World
:03:31. > :03:36.Championship. Mark Selby is playing with a new tip. How important will
:03:37. > :03:40.that be? It's a big decision, but also easy. If you feel like the
:03:41. > :03:44.reaction off the cue ball isn't right, you have to change it. I text
:03:45. > :03:50.him last night and he's put a new one on. You don't really know until
:03:51. > :03:56.you get out there, but if it's gone, it's gone and you have to change it.
:03:57. > :04:00.If you are Ding at the moment, is the objective to stay in front of
:04:01. > :04:04.Mark Selby? That will ultimately be it, but the way he's playing at the
:04:05. > :04:09.moment, he will look for every opportunity score. Do you think he
:04:10. > :04:15.can win the World Championship? On yesterday's form, yes. The players
:04:16. > :04:23.are standing by. Good morning, Rob Walker. Welcome back to this
:04:24. > :04:27.intriguingly poised semifinal. 23 ranking titles, four Masters wins
:04:28. > :04:30.between them, but there's only room for one in Sunday's final. It's show
:04:31. > :04:53.time once again in Sheffield! Please welcome a player whose
:04:54. > :04:57.influence on the global game has been huge. This is his third
:04:58. > :05:04.Crucible semifinal and we've surely never seen better form from him here
:05:05. > :05:08.than this year. Superb against Ronnie and absolutely brilliant
:05:09. > :05:15.yesterday. He's a national hero in China so enter Dragon, Ding Junhui!
:05:16. > :05:39.And his opponent, undisputed world number one for more than two years.
:05:40. > :05:44.This is his fifth Crucible semifinal, a decade on from his
:05:45. > :05:51.first. A man of immense mental strength who never knows when he's
:05:52. > :05:52.beaten. UK champion, world champion, the Jester from Leicester. Mark
:05:53. > :06:20.Selby! Here we go, the second session of
:06:21. > :06:27.Mark Selby against Ding Junhui live on BBC Two. Good morning to John
:06:28. > :06:31.Virgo and Willie Thorne. Thank you, good morning.
:06:32. > :06:37.Apprehensive Mark Selby having to change his tip overnight. He trails
:06:38. > :06:44.5-3. Ding Junhui in the ascendancy at the moment. The last four frames,
:06:45. > :06:48.Mark Selby didn't have a break above 30, but we know what a fantastic
:06:49. > :06:53.player he is. World number one and the world number one for some time
:06:54. > :06:58.to come. The last session of his previous match, against Marco Fu,
:06:59. > :07:07.was the best snooker I've ever seen. Can he reproduce that form to get in
:07:08. > :07:11.front in this session? The break of shot from Ding Junhui was a good
:07:12. > :07:16.one. Mark was having a smile that something. I think somebody hadn't
:07:17. > :07:21.settled in or someone was looming into the press box. He is happy now.
:07:22. > :07:31.He'll be looking for a good start this morning. Slightly on the back
:07:32. > :07:37.foot. A long way to go, of course. First to 17th. These matches are
:07:38. > :07:43.played over four sessions. Three of eight and one of nine to make up the
:07:44. > :07:46.33 frames. Mark Selby experienced enough not to panic, but he'd like
:07:47. > :08:35.to win this session. I think it's OK. Or is it? Can mark
:08:36. > :08:40.get through to this red? Even if he can,... He can clearly get through
:08:41. > :08:46.to the red, but he's hampered so he can't do a lot with the cue ball.
:08:47. > :08:53.The pink and black aren't available. Is it worth the risk?
:08:54. > :09:01.If he does roll the red in, he will have a virtually straight blue. I
:09:02. > :09:05.wonder, with a new tip, if he will fancy it first thing in the morning
:09:06. > :09:10.or playing a safety shot on the blue. In the early sessions of this
:09:11. > :09:17.tournament, he would have taken the blue on, but I'm not so sure he will
:09:18. > :09:23.this morning. I think the fact that he's gone to the baulk end and had a
:09:24. > :09:28.look where he'd like to leave the tubal, where he would like not to
:09:29. > :09:43.have to play from. Purposely covered the escape down
:09:44. > :09:52.the right half of the table. I think the blue and the brown, the blue in
:09:53. > :10:00.particular, stopping that. Yes, blue stopping it. No gap. There's a gap,
:10:01. > :10:05.but no red at the end the gap. He's got a slight problem here. The two
:10:06. > :10:10.reds to the top of the black, you can get to the thin edge of that
:10:11. > :10:14.one. Take the white back into the baulk area. He is playing a
:10:15. > :10:37.containing safety. He's missed it. REFEREE: Foul, and a
:10:38. > :10:42.miss. Mark Selby four. The shot you described, you made it sound so
:10:43. > :10:47.easy. Not like he has to do anything with the cue ball, is just plain
:10:48. > :10:51.ball or quarter ball. I know what you mean. What he's really concerned
:10:52. > :11:01.about is the red on the left-hand side of the table. That's the red
:11:02. > :11:05.that Willie is referring to. But he doesn't fancy it. He might think he
:11:06. > :11:11.would be knocking one to the right corner as well.
:11:12. > :11:23.He doesn't want to hit this red... He's OK, he's caught it full. I
:11:24. > :11:25.can't believe that was the intention, but he'll settle for it.
:11:26. > :11:48.Safe enough. That's careless. Boy is that
:11:49. > :11:52.careless. Trying to get the cue ball tight to the ball cushion, but
:11:53. > :12:02.forgot about knocking the red over the middle. Not too sure whether he
:12:03. > :12:07.can avoid the kiss on the red on the left-hand side after potting this
:12:08. > :12:17.red. Getting onto a colour won't be easy. I think he can avoid the kiss.
:12:18. > :12:19.He has kissed it. But it's turned out to be OK. Not very often you get
:12:20. > :12:34.a good case. -- good kiss. We call them kisses when you don't
:12:35. > :12:57.play them. When you do, it's a cannon!
:12:58. > :13:06.Everything is in the way... All the reds are blocking each other. He's
:13:07. > :13:10.playing the green around the table because he needs to finish on the
:13:11. > :13:18.opposite side of the table. There must be something that pots. A plant
:13:19. > :13:26.not be on. He's dead set. Unmissable. The only thing he's got
:13:27. > :13:32.to be a bit wary of is the two reds are close together. You've got to
:13:33. > :13:43.hit the first read correctly. Yes, unmissable. That's the way it goes
:13:44. > :13:50.sometimes. He must have knocked that on when he potted the red to the
:13:51. > :13:51.middle. Taking advantage of the run while you get it as it can soon
:13:52. > :14:05.turn. That was a good short -- shot, the
:14:06. > :14:10.way he steered the cue ball between the book colours. Couldn't have
:14:11. > :14:16.played it any better. I wonder whether the pink pots in the middle.
:14:17. > :14:20.If he can finish low on the pink, pecan pot the pink and move the two
:14:21. > :14:25.reds away from the pink spot. He won't win the frame in this visit
:14:26. > :14:30.without bringing the pink and black into that's for sure. -- interplay,
:14:31. > :14:40.that's the shore. Doesn't want to be straight.
:14:41. > :14:48.Slightly the wrong angle on the pink. If that cue ball was two
:14:49. > :14:51.inches further to the left, he could move the reds away from the pink
:14:52. > :15:15.spot, but he can't do that now. He might be trying to find the best
:15:16. > :15:19.gap after potting the pink. He's got the red on the left-hand side as an
:15:20. > :15:28.alternative should the position go wrong.
:15:29. > :15:35.There's a red three down from the pink that pots in the corner. If he
:15:36. > :15:41.gets dead straight on that, he can screw back for the blue. I think
:15:42. > :15:46.there are a couple of reds. His concern is that when he pops the
:15:47. > :15:52.pink, he's not certain where he's going to go. -- pots. Maybe the pink
:15:53. > :15:58.spot isn't available. There are no other spots available. It might
:15:59. > :16:03.block the path to potting one of those reds. He is taking a long time
:16:04. > :16:10.over this. I think he's decided the pink doesn't go and it could go
:16:11. > :16:18.behind its own spot. That could block those three reds clearly
:16:19. > :16:23.available in the opposite corner. In the end, didn't want to risk...
:16:24. > :16:31.Let's see where the referee can find a place for the pink. He has to go
:16:32. > :16:40.as close to its own spot in the direct line with the middle of this
:16:41. > :16:45.black cushion. He's got the line. He'll use the line between the
:16:46. > :16:51.black, blue and brown. He's got to get it as close to the red as he can
:16:52. > :17:06.without touching. Delicate job with gloves on.
:17:07. > :17:13.Amazing because the reds are spread quite nicely. It's very difficult
:17:14. > :17:18.without the pink and black in play. He will need all his cue power here
:17:19. > :17:25.to screw it back. He might be able to flick the red to the left of the
:17:26. > :17:31.pink with this screenshot and makes the pink available. Let's see if he
:17:32. > :17:37.can manufacture an angle. No, had to screw directly back. That's not
:17:38. > :17:48.good. Could have done with that cue ball stopping on a half bald blue.
:17:49. > :17:53.-- half ball. Absolutely. If you're going to be just off straight, you
:17:54. > :17:59.want to be lots of straight to force an angle. This will take some doing.
:18:00. > :18:05.Tell you what, he's made a very good effort.
:18:06. > :18:13.Most of the speed in the cue ball was generated by lots of left-hand
:18:14. > :18:21.side. OK, top spin, but the running side. Wonderful shot.
:18:22. > :18:26.Considering the White has travelled a really long way, a little
:18:27. > :18:37.unfortunate to be so close to the cushion. I'm not sure if he can
:18:38. > :18:44.generate enough speed to make it a shot to nothing.
:18:45. > :18:51.Certainly taking his time over this break. A break of 23 and it's
:18:52. > :18:54.already been going for more than seven minutes. Now decided to play
:18:55. > :19:03.safe. But he realises the importance of
:19:04. > :19:22.this first frame this morning. Can't say he didn't make the most of
:19:23. > :19:23.that opportunity, Ding, because the reds were awkwardly situated. But
:19:24. > :20:03.he's played a good safety. He can hit these two reds to the
:20:04. > :20:09.left of the black very, very thin. Can he get around the back of those
:20:10. > :20:13.two reds on the crush and? That's a great shot. You can stand there all
:20:14. > :20:24.day and try to hit that shot so perfectly. That was absolutely top
:20:25. > :20:29.drawer. If he had any apprehension about the new tip, he shouldn't have
:20:30. > :20:48.now. Could not have hit a ball better than that. Wonderful shot.
:20:49. > :20:55.That was the thing. The safety shot from Mark Selby was so good, it
:20:56. > :20:57.forced an error from Ding Junhui. Now what you've got to do is take
:20:58. > :21:05.advantage. This will test the tip, screwing
:21:06. > :21:23.back for blue or black. That will make him feel a lot
:21:24. > :21:31.better. It was all about the pace. So easy to - roo or overscrew them
:21:32. > :21:47.with a new tip. That was perfect. -- underscrew or overscrew.
:21:48. > :21:55.It's a decent chance, this, mainly because when he gets the black on
:21:56. > :22:05.its spot, it will be available into both corners.
:22:06. > :22:12.A little bit closer to the conditions and you would like. -- to
:22:13. > :22:25.the cushion van you would like. Now got to judge the pace of this
:22:26. > :22:31.well. If he had put it there with his hand, he couldn't have put it
:22:32. > :22:36.better. That was an indication of how Britain -- break-builders do the
:22:37. > :22:41.job. He played for a choice of reds. If he had hit it slightly too hard,
:22:42. > :22:46.he would have had the red near the bottom cushion into the same pocket.
:22:47. > :22:50.Always play in areas, that the art of brick building. --
:22:51. > :23:20.break-building. Has it stopped in time? Looking at
:23:21. > :23:26.Mark's body language, it has. A little bit straighter than he wanted
:23:27. > :23:31.to be, though. It has to be said. Thinking about screwing this back
:23:32. > :23:35.and flicking off the red just in front of this one and getting back
:23:36. > :23:39.on the black into the same pocket. This would be some shot. He got the
:23:40. > :24:04.flick nicely. Clever shot. A cannon into the pink. That's OK.
:24:05. > :24:10.He's now got a ten-point lead. The four reds in the middle of the table
:24:11. > :24:17.with high value colours would be enough.
:24:18. > :24:27.Just thinking about it, they wouldn't be enough. He needs one of
:24:28. > :24:31.the reds along the top cushion. Four reds, four blacks would put him 42
:24:32. > :25:04.in front with 43 remaining. -- 43 in looking at the scoreboard now. 18
:25:05. > :25:09.point lead. No matter what colour is he takes, even if he took all
:25:10. > :25:13.blacks, it wouldn't matter. He knows he will need one of the reds along
:25:14. > :25:19.the top cushion. Might go back up for the blue here. If he could have
:25:20. > :25:25.done it with blacks, he would have made an effort to stay on the black.
:25:26. > :25:27.He glanced at the scoreboard. He now knows what he's got to do to win the
:25:28. > :25:39.frame at this visit. Just shows you how important it is
:25:40. > :25:44.not only to play safe in a decent area, but try to get the white glued
:25:45. > :25:52.to the baulk collision. The safety shot Ding played on his previous
:25:53. > :25:58.visit would have been easier if the cue ball wasn't on the cushion. Mark
:25:59. > :26:08.Selby's safety shot looks like winning the frame. Excellent so far.
:26:09. > :26:15.This red and he will probably play for the black. Needs a nice angle on
:26:16. > :26:21.the black to drop on one of the reds. He will only need the red. If
:26:22. > :26:26.he can get right in behind one of these reds, he can roll it along the
:26:27. > :26:49.top cushion. Doesn't have to play it with pace.
:26:50. > :27:00.Good shot. He thought he would play the cannon and if it goes wrong,
:27:01. > :27:06.I've still got the other red along the top cushion. This for the first
:27:07. > :27:16.frame of the morning. Well played. Superb break. Superb safety that
:27:17. > :27:21.forced the error from Ding Junhui. As I said at the time, he had to
:27:22. > :27:27.make the most of this opportunity and boy has he taken them well.
:27:28. > :27:32.There's a possible century should this red go in. He would be nicely
:27:33. > :27:37.on the black and that would be the 35 points needed to make a century.
:27:38. > :27:39.If he needed some confidence with his new tip, this will go a long way
:27:40. > :27:52.towards doing that. Ding Junhui did very little wrong
:27:53. > :28:28.apart from that one escape from the safety that went wrong.
:28:29. > :28:34.When he came to the table, it didn't look like a frame-winning
:28:35. > :28:41.opportunity, but he's played these very well. This should be Mark
:28:42. > :28:48.Selby's third century of the tournament.
:28:49. > :29:01.This is going to be the 64th century of the tournament so far.
:29:02. > :29:10.Very well done. His fifth century of the tournament and it's closed the
:29:11. > :29:16.gap again. Now he's just one behind at 5-4.
:29:17. > :29:20.(STUDIO) that is why Mark Selby is the defending champion at the
:29:21. > :29:26.Crucible. From our wonderful position, we can see every blow,
:29:27. > :29:30.every grimace. Ding Junhui, as he walked back to his chair, knew what
:29:31. > :29:36.he'd done. I think that tip is a keeper! We're going to go to a
:29:37. > :29:41.shopkeeper -- shot he played with the rest and it was brilliant. This
:29:42. > :29:46.is a test of whether your tip is any good. The screw. To time that as
:29:47. > :29:50.well as he has done and get perfectly on the blue suggests to me
:29:51. > :29:58.that it is great. It sounds nice as well. To make 100 with his first
:29:59. > :30:02.poke, he'll be very happy. Mark Selby was 5-3 down going into the
:30:03. > :30:07.second session, important he gets on the board, but look at the way he
:30:08. > :30:11.cleared up. The boys mentioned it on commentary, Ding took a really long
:30:12. > :30:16.time early in the break. Seven and a half minutes for a break of 23. He
:30:17. > :30:21.was really trying not to make a mistake. I might be reading too much
:30:22. > :30:25.into it, but he didn't look as fluent as yesterday. Perhaps he
:30:26. > :30:30.realised the importance of the opening frame. Mark Selby was so
:30:31. > :30:35.composed around the table. Fabulous break, tubal under control, fabulous
:30:36. > :30:43.shot on the pink. The cannon into the pink could have gone wrong but
:30:44. > :30:46.he played it beautifully. Great feel confidence to know your tip is fine,
:30:47. > :30:50.every shot is available and just get on with the match. Mark Selby's
:30:51. > :31:03.first century break of this match. Back to the chaps.
:31:04. > :31:14.COMMENTATOR: Just the start of the mark Selby was looking for in the
:31:15. > :31:26.first frame but not the best break of shot. So dangerous well, the
:31:27. > :31:32.break-off shot. You always seem to see the half full pot, that is what
:31:33. > :31:39.he is left with, in the corner. -- half-ball pot.
:31:40. > :32:03.Missed that by a long way. Hitching a little bit thinner. That is a wide
:32:04. > :32:14.in snooker. Check and see if the pink is available, if it is, he may
:32:15. > :32:24.take this on. This is a tip test. You have two strike these world to
:32:25. > :32:32.get an offside on. -- you have to strike these well to get enough side
:32:33. > :32:36.on. Could not be any closer, I am sure that when he hit it, when the
:32:37. > :32:46.cue ball hit the road, he thought it was going to drop. Court the white
:32:47. > :32:55.jaw. -- caught the wide jaw. Is desperate to see what he has left.
:32:56. > :33:09.Just a bit edgy, this morning, we have to play a cannon, wasn't easy,
:33:10. > :33:21.long pocket. Mark needs to jump on these chances now. As we said at the
:33:22. > :33:26.start the match, Ding had put him on the back foot. If he can win this
:33:27. > :33:38.frame, he will be back to all square, awful lot better off.
:33:39. > :33:49.He would love to get the gap in between the reds. Almost impossible.
:33:50. > :34:00.Was not on, luckily, he has won in the middle. Gap there would have
:34:01. > :34:10.been great. So hard to get back out. Fortunately have the red in the
:34:11. > :34:21.middle. -- fortunate to have the red in the middle.
:34:22. > :34:30.Did not try to be too clever with the red.
:34:31. > :34:40.Cut it to sin. -- cut it too thin. May have been a bit fortunate,
:34:41. > :34:56.already played on, not on it. Yes, strange, isn't it, cue ball is
:34:57. > :35:13.a foot further up the table, he has hit it further, has a little more
:35:14. > :35:20.pace, this is cuttable, chop -- not a shot you would like to play
:35:21. > :35:28.regularly. He has had a bit of luck, well, he has had a lot of luck.
:35:29. > :35:34.LAUGHTER It is a wry smile from Mark Selby as
:35:35. > :35:38.he is walking around the table, had a smile at each other, no matter how
:35:39. > :35:45.good you are, you want a little bit of luck now and again. Wondering if
:35:46. > :35:51.that wry smile, whether we could be having a re-rack here. Where is the
:35:52. > :35:57.safe place, with the red over in the far corner. Will they look at one
:35:58. > :36:06.another? Mark is waiting, Ding refuses to look at him(!) and Mark
:36:07. > :36:10.is still waiting. I would take a re-rack. I see no reason why not.
:36:11. > :36:14.He's waiting in the wings... Just when he looked at him, Mark
:36:15. > :36:40.turned his head away. Thinking of playing the double?
:36:41. > :36:47.Dangerous... Don't see how you cannot leave the ball over... Read
:36:48. > :36:56.over the corner. APPLAUSE There you go. -- red. Mark will be
:36:57. > :37:00.pleased he did not catch his eye now, because a little swerve should
:37:01. > :37:26.pop this red. He was mighty close to this double.
:37:27. > :37:45.Added that not drop? -- how did that not drop.
:37:46. > :37:56.Trying to get on the half ball blue, scene which one has the better
:37:57. > :38:10.chance to get back into the bunch. -- seeing which one. Yes, could be a
:38:11. > :38:15.bit concerning. I think... Tired of red, just off straight, slightly in
:38:16. > :38:21.two minds as to how to play it, decided to play for the blue rather
:38:22. > :38:30.than the green. As we say many times, the more pace you put in the
:38:31. > :38:52.cue ball, the more accurate you have to be. -- tight-off.
:38:53. > :38:57.All snooker buyers in the audience and all those watching at home will
:38:58. > :39:03.realise how difficult it is to play with a new tip and that was a prime
:39:04. > :39:07.example of negotiating the path to the side, you never know how much it
:39:08. > :39:12.will push in or push out, I know he had a centre back in the first
:39:13. > :39:27.frame, but always takes a couple of days, normally, to work a new tip
:39:28. > :39:39.in. Always a nice little night. If he catches it full in the face, left
:39:40. > :39:52.a pot on. Is there a gap? Edge sticking out below the pink? Can see
:39:53. > :40:00.some red just below the pin, in the wrong side. Trying to nestle on the
:40:01. > :40:12.red that is closer to the top cushion. All about line and length.
:40:13. > :40:24.Want the best line. These two have hit it. I think he has left it
:40:25. > :40:28.straight and enough. -- pleased to have hit it. If he puts it he cannot
:40:29. > :40:34.get onto a colour, he is only putting it for the one point and
:40:35. > :41:30.Mark Selby will be pleased enough with that outcome.
:41:31. > :41:34.The red will be going towards the pocket on the safety shop. Intention
:41:35. > :41:49.is to get the white behind the brown. -- safety shot.
:41:50. > :41:54.I'm sure you're right, trying to get in behind the brown, because that
:41:55. > :42:00.would have been a safety but considering where he was, that is a
:42:01. > :42:19.decent one, can Ding get a decent reply? Red going towards the corner,
:42:20. > :43:09.covered in the kiss on the brown, problem for Mark Selby.
:43:10. > :43:25.That's all he could think of, he may have left a pot to the left middle,
:43:26. > :43:28.but it's a tough one. Just think, Ding has set his stall out this
:43:29. > :43:37.morning, he's not going to take any undue risks at the start of this
:43:38. > :43:53.morning session, but you can't keep refusing things. Where is the blue
:43:54. > :43:57.ball going? Not the best safety. The two reds immediately to the left of
:43:58. > :44:02.the black, the left-hand one will go to the right corner, I think, I say
:44:03. > :44:05.the left-hand one, I think the right-hand one may just squeeze in,
:44:06. > :44:10.but the left-hand one will definitely... Well, right-hand one
:44:11. > :44:15.doesn't, but the left-hand one does. Thing is, how can you get the cue
:44:16. > :44:29.ball out and on a colour, so he is refusing the pot, playing safe.
:44:30. > :44:34.Called it a bit too thick. -- caught. If he can manoeuvre the cue
:44:35. > :45:06.ball, every reason to take it on. Nothing wrong with taking on the
:45:07. > :45:16.pot, unfortunate to have pushed the red towards the corner. Got the cue
:45:17. > :45:19.ball back into baulk and you could never see that happening from the
:45:20. > :45:21.shot he was playing, not sure how he got that, just kissed the red, how
:45:22. > :46:30.has it finished over the corner? That's landed nicely. I suppose he
:46:31. > :46:34.would have been happier if he could have drifted by the red, there was a
:46:35. > :46:41.couple of threads available to the left corner. He is on this one to
:46:42. > :46:45.the right corner. -- there was a couple of reds available to the left
:46:46. > :46:51.corner. If he screws back direct, he could run into the black. I don't
:46:52. > :47:01.think the black goes to the left middle. Otherwise he could play for
:47:02. > :47:12.the black. Just a little bit awkward. Gap between the red and the
:47:13. > :47:16.black, of course, whether it is hard enough to generate the spin to get
:47:17. > :47:20.out onto the pink or black. I think he can from the angle he has on the
:47:21. > :47:29.red, just missing the red he has on the cushion.
:47:30. > :47:38.Put plenty in the cue ball there, got there, just a fraction hard. One
:47:39. > :47:53.of those instances where you would rather be too hard and too soft. --
:47:54. > :47:55.rather be too hard than too soft. Nice little flick on the black,
:47:56. > :48:05.worked out perfectly. One of those, if he had just ran
:48:06. > :48:11.past the black and finished on the side cushion, he would have had a
:48:12. > :48:24.little bit of a problem, but not so now.
:48:25. > :48:33.The only downside of potting the black, the pink tide up at the
:48:34. > :48:36.moment, is when the black is re-spotted, I'm not certain it is
:48:37. > :48:39.going to be available into either corner pocket. Anyway, don't worry
:48:40. > :48:55.about that, pop the black. Could not guarantee good position.
:48:56. > :49:03.See where the black has gone. Out of commission, so is the pink. 30 point
:49:04. > :49:12.lead, the red just above the pink will go. 30 point lead, also found
:49:13. > :49:25.another to the right corner. Not a bad lead, 30 to build on, I mean.
:49:26. > :49:28.Very awkward, Ding did not get a chance, hard to get back into the
:49:29. > :49:34.frame, wonder whether he will play the cannon or get back into the gap.
:49:35. > :49:38.I'm surprised he's not playing the red above the pink. Now changing his
:49:39. > :49:44.mind to go for that. The one he was looking at, so much work to do with
:49:45. > :49:48.the cue ball, this is just a plain ball pot, finish on yellow or green.
:49:49. > :50:04.Don't make things difficult when they don't have to be.
:50:05. > :50:11.Where the cue ball finished, he mis-hit that completely. If it had
:50:12. > :50:15.gone in he would not have been on yellow or green, OK, if he had
:50:16. > :50:22.potted it, probably hit it a bit thinner, but not that much more pace
:50:23. > :50:27.on the cue ball. Edgy start from both players, good from Mark in the
:50:28. > :50:44.first, every credit for the 100. This frame getting scrappy now.
:50:45. > :50:52.Blessed with quite a lot of cute pad, don't know if he can cut the
:50:53. > :50:58.blue in the middle and get around the back, I don't think so, from
:50:59. > :51:01.this angle. To be able to run through this yellow with two
:51:02. > :51:08.questions of the left-hand side or screw it back is very difficult. --
:51:09. > :51:11.two cushions. Playing the screw, trying to get the cue ball somewhere
:51:12. > :51:18.near the middle pocket to leave him a shot to nothing on the red, close
:51:19. > :51:35.to this thread. -- close to this red. Very good shot.
:51:36. > :51:42.As we watch this, he has had a look, he was right, superb shot, he has
:51:43. > :51:46.had a look to see if the pink is available, if you can get to the red
:51:47. > :51:56.below the pink, fiercely, you want the pink on. -- obviously. Played it
:51:57. > :53:01.well, good shot. At least he has a higher value colour in play now.
:53:02. > :53:07.How is he going to get onto these two reds either side of the black of
:53:08. > :53:11.these shots...? Ideally he would like to be on the pink in such a way
:53:12. > :53:14.that he can screw the pink in the middle pocket, leave an angle to
:53:15. > :53:26.play the cannon on the black, he hasn't got that this time. He needs
:53:27. > :53:28.some sort of kiss. He has played for the bottom red, didn't realise that
:53:29. > :53:45.potted. Called the near jaw of that, that
:53:46. > :54:03.was close. -- caught. We have seen those stop out. Cue
:54:04. > :54:19.ball cleaned. This pink to go one point ahead.
:54:20. > :54:32.And now, one point advantage, to win the frame. Four reds. Four blacks
:54:33. > :54:39.will put him in the snooker required stage. As you can see, it's not
:54:40. > :54:44.going to be easy. -- snookers. Probably play the cannon on the red
:54:45. > :54:48.that is tight on the cushion now. If he can, if he can, he has got to
:54:49. > :54:54.choose the pace right because he could sneak himself, he would love
:54:55. > :55:00.to play the cannon. -- because he could snooker himself. I got to be
:55:01. > :55:02.honest, that surprises me, could have played the cannon quite easily.
:55:03. > :55:34.Put that into play. Tricky, this. He's got the problem,
:55:35. > :55:40.the potting angle he has got on the black, does he play a little can on
:55:41. > :55:45.the red near the top cushion? That reds near the top cushion stopping
:55:46. > :55:50.him playing for the red near the right-hand cushion, he could play
:55:51. > :55:58.the cannon here. It's not gone great. Think this red may still cut.
:55:59. > :56:14.Just called the red a little bit too full. -- caught. Two reds, two
:56:15. > :56:23.Carlas. 17 point lead. -- two colours.
:56:24. > :56:28.He has taken the cut on because the last red was running too thin.
:56:29. > :57:08.APPLAUSE Not playing the pot here, playing a
:57:09. > :57:13.thin one, off the top cushion, side cushion and back across. If he's not
:57:14. > :57:25.going to get behind the green, that's just as good. The nestler.
:57:26. > :57:38.Very awkward cueing this now. APPLAUSE
:57:39. > :57:48.Justified applause. Considering how badly hampered he
:57:49. > :58:09.was, very well played. That's a clever shot G-force Ding
:58:10. > :58:14.into playing the red on the cushion, seeing now whether he will be
:58:15. > :58:18.pushing the black on pocket with the cross double. What he doesn't want
:58:19. > :58:24.to do is miss the kiss on the black and pushed the red out of the side
:58:25. > :58:25.cushion. 17 point lead, seems a bit reluctant to even play the red that
:58:26. > :58:47.is in open play, that he can see. Has to be very careful with the
:58:48. > :58:56.cross double. Coming on another look. If the colours were on the
:58:57. > :59:02.spots, I'd be concerned. With the brown where it is, the blue, I'm not
:59:03. > :59:09.certain the blue is pottable, plenty of insurance lying about the table.
:59:10. > :59:12.Looks a natural cross double, just has too avoid the double-kiss, you
:59:13. > :59:18.would think this red would run into the black.
:59:19. > :59:37.Got it too thin. Got it too thin on that. Aslef a possible pot on. Not
:59:38. > :59:57.easy. -- has left. Not easy, it is a chance.
:59:58. > :00:03.No colour, but he can put him in all sorts of trouble here. Ideally,
:00:04. > :00:07.would like to bring the brown into play, but cannot do that, if he's
:00:08. > :00:12.going to nestle behind the yellow, he has got to try to cut out the
:00:13. > :00:16.escape route of the Leicester backhand and side cushion. He has
:00:17. > :00:22.seen how he can get the browning to play, and get a snooker, it is not
:00:23. > :00:30.guaranteed. -- he has seen how he can get the brown into play. --
:00:31. > :00:40.escape route off the left side cushion. Goes back to there.
:00:41. > :00:50.But he thinks there's value in bringing the brown into play.
:00:51. > :01:00.He's played it well. He's got the snooker. Not as difficult as it
:01:01. > :01:06.might have been if he'd been able to run tight up but hides the yellow,
:01:07. > :01:13.but I think he made a good choice in bringing the brown into the open.
:01:14. > :01:22.Absolutely. It's been a really tactical frame. Half an hour played
:01:23. > :01:28.so far. If he wants to play the red into the middle, he can, but if not
:01:29. > :01:33.he can lay a really telling snooker. I think the fact the blue is so
:01:34. > :01:40.close to the pocket, and whether brown is now, he can drop onto the
:01:41. > :01:45.cushion. Blue to pink wouldn't be a problem. Just roll the blue in.
:01:46. > :01:47.Whoever pots the next red is favourite to win the frame. Played
:01:48. > :02:00.the snooker. He was leaning, Mark. Has he got it?
:02:01. > :02:07.He'll be very disappointed if he hasn't.
:02:08. > :02:17.If it says snooker, it's a tough one. OK, he could play this word.
:02:18. > :02:21.But this way, you're not guaranteed to get the red safe. -- played the
:02:22. > :02:35.swerve. He'll be happy with that. Mark Selby
:02:36. > :02:40.still in control of this vital tactical exchange at the end of this
:02:41. > :02:46.second frame of the morning. Will it be white behind the green or behind
:02:47. > :02:51.the black? Either way, it will leave the red in the middle of the table
:02:52. > :02:59.to make it more difficult to hit the snooker. Played behind the green.
:03:00. > :03:18.Not quite. He can just get past the green. Doesn't make the shot any
:03:19. > :03:38.easier. But it's a lot easier than if he had been snookered.
:03:39. > :03:47.You think this blue is available, do you, Willie? If you're directly
:03:48. > :03:53.behind it, just to roll it in the middle, yeah. That's what made me
:03:54. > :03:57.say it's a red ball game, but since then the green has been pushed
:03:58. > :04:00.further towards the cushion. I think the blue will drop in the middle if
:04:01. > :04:17.you're directly behind it. Needs a snooker here or at least
:04:18. > :04:23.cover some of the red and he has. He's played that well. Normally with
:04:24. > :04:28.this type of shot you say you try to come off the cushion first and kicks
:04:29. > :04:33.the red up the table, but he can't do that off one cushion. He's
:04:34. > :04:40.snooker Tim on the right side of the brown. Coming off two cushions, no
:04:41. > :04:52.guaranteed to get right in behind the red. And no guaranteed to get it
:04:53. > :05:03.safe. I don't see the value in this shot anyway. Even if you hit it,
:05:04. > :05:14.you're handing the initiative... Write a bit. Write a bit. Bit more.
:05:15. > :05:21.-- to the right a bit. That's where it was. That's where it is now.
:05:22. > :05:27.Perfect. Well done, ref. Just nestling up to this and you don't
:05:28. > :05:31.want to run across it. Playing it like that... Just handing the
:05:32. > :05:44.initiative to Mark Selby. You always think whoever 's got the
:05:45. > :05:46.upper hand in the safety exchange, it will possibly create a
:05:47. > :06:06.frame-winning opportunity. Cat and mouse. Mark Selby is the
:06:07. > :06:42.cat. He's left a pot on here. A natural
:06:43. > :06:48.angle, you would have thought, to a pot of this red and come down for
:06:49. > :06:56.pink or black. Just got to judge the pace. The line is automatic.
:06:57. > :07:10.It needs to bounce or do something. It's done nothing. A little trickle
:07:11. > :07:22.behind the pink I think is the only option. He's 11 points behind.
:07:23. > :07:29.Played it well. Cut out the one-cushion escape. Off the
:07:30. > :07:31.left-hand side cushion as we look. It now makes this yellow a lot more
:07:32. > :07:53.difficult to hit. We've had some quick frames in this
:07:54. > :08:01.match and we've had some long ones. 38 minutes and 30 -- 54 seconds in
:08:02. > :08:05.frame six. Good fit. It's not really safe, though. With the miss rule,
:08:06. > :08:12.you're sometimes just glad to hit the ball. The longest frame in the
:08:13. > :08:23.match was frame six, just shy of 39 minutes. This is now in its 38th
:08:24. > :08:25.minute. The average frame time is pedestrian, really, at just over 21
:08:26. > :08:44.minutes. Close. But the worst possible
:08:45. > :08:49.outcome for Mark is he's missed it and left it. A bit to do with the
:08:50. > :08:59.cue ball, though, to get back for the green. Makes the yellow more
:09:00. > :09:09.missable. There was plenty of room past the blue. That's a little bit
:09:10. > :09:13.fortunate. The run of the balls goes to and fro. Plenty of pocket there.
:09:14. > :09:19.Just hit it too thin. But a chance now for Mark Selby to
:09:20. > :09:40.get the upper hand once again. He's not got the snooker. OK, he's
:09:41. > :09:48.got good length on the cue ball and Ding will have to try to think of a
:09:49. > :09:57.good safety shot. You can see a few options. Hitting it full in the face
:09:58. > :10:01.and missed the kiss on the green. If he can get the white somewhere near
:10:02. > :10:12.the green. The longest frame of the match so far and we're still no
:10:13. > :10:19.longer knowing who will win it. Some flukes are worth more than others!
:10:20. > :10:24.I'm not sure that's in his favour, that fluke. He surely doesn't really
:10:25. > :10:33.want to attempt this green and it's going to be hard to get safe. There
:10:34. > :10:40.you go. Trying to get the yellow down towards the black. 13 points in
:10:41. > :10:49.the lead. Green and brown would give him the frame. He's taking it on.
:10:50. > :11:09.Should Mark Selby pot this green, that fluked yellow would have cost
:11:10. > :11:16.him the frame! I think it's worth the risk to screw this in and come
:11:17. > :11:21.off the cushion for the brown. Yeah. I don't know whether... If it was a
:11:22. > :11:27.three quarters ball pot, you would fancy it. But it's half ball and if
:11:28. > :11:33.you miss it, you could leave the green. He's going for it. And he's
:11:34. > :11:40.got it! What they shot! Tremendous pot from Mark Selby. That's surely
:11:41. > :11:46.him winning the frame. Ding Junhui right behind the shot. He knew, like
:11:47. > :11:51.we did, that it was in. These types of frames are so important,
:11:52. > :11:56.psychologically more than anything else. That's when a fluke costs you
:11:57. > :12:04.the frame. Amazing what can happen. A brave shot he took on. Pink and
:12:05. > :12:30.black needed. In goes the black. He was in control
:12:31. > :12:35.of the safety exchange act the end of the frame, but that cracking pot
:12:36. > :12:41.on the Green sealed it. Mark Selby, just what he wanted, he's won the
:12:42. > :12:46.first two frames and we are level. A look of satisfaction on Mark Selby's
:12:47. > :12:53.face as he boarded the black. 41 minutes and 27 seconds. The only
:12:54. > :12:59.thing wrong with a 41 minute frame is if you lose it. You put in all
:13:00. > :13:03.that graft for nothing. That was a brilliant frame of snooker. It was
:13:04. > :13:09.always awkward. Tactically it was fantastic near the end. Ding had a
:13:10. > :13:13.fluke, 40 would win, but the pot on the green from Mark Selby. Wonderful
:13:14. > :13:18.strike. You've got to get plenty in the cue ball and you've got to knock
:13:19. > :13:26.it in. Position was guaranteed if he knocked it in, but a brilliant pot.
:13:27. > :13:29.The other thing we picked up on was the look of concentration on his
:13:30. > :13:34.face. As world number one, he's a very, very experienced match player
:13:35. > :13:38.and he knows certain parts of matches are very important. He knows
:13:39. > :13:45.nicking the frame will hurt him. Getting 5-5 was very big. Ding was
:13:46. > :13:51.on a break of 47 and there was a missed red. It looked really
:13:52. > :13:55.difficult. The break up to that point was brilliant. I thought he
:13:56. > :14:01.would be lucky to make 20 when he came to the table, but 40 was
:14:02. > :14:06.brilliant. A cracking frame. A typical Crucible frame. Lots of
:14:07. > :14:11.tension. We are back all square. Who can handle the tension? That the big
:14:12. > :14:15.question. Hopefully both of them, that would
:14:16. > :14:20.make an excellent match. I'd love this match to go to the final
:14:21. > :14:31.session, and at this moment in time it looks like doing just that.
:14:32. > :14:36.Good break off. Very unusual for the cue ball to end up Heinz brown on a
:14:37. > :14:41.break off, it's usually behind the yellow or green. -- behind the
:14:42. > :14:54.brown. Playing the two-cushion escape with
:14:55. > :15:19.pace. That's what we call a site. He
:15:20. > :15:26.doesn't want to leave a free ball. No free ball. It will be replaced.
:15:27. > :15:43.Just wanted a bit of exercise, stretch the legs!
:15:44. > :15:56.Well, this is the home of snooker. Isn't that a beautiful site? Change
:15:57. > :16:04.of plan. Trying to nestle into the bottom of the cluster. Looks to have
:16:05. > :16:09.judged it well. Possible red, possible red that cuts back to the
:16:10. > :16:21.right corner. But surely too risky to take on.
:16:22. > :16:31.Amazing, isn't it? Didn't even think about the whys and way fours or
:16:32. > :16:36.whether he should play it or not. He only had eyes for one thing, the
:16:37. > :16:42.pot. How on earth has he not brought the reds into play? You would have
:16:43. > :16:47.thought, playing that cut, he would open them far and wide. In some ways
:16:48. > :16:53.this is a more important frame for the Ding than Mark Selby. Mark Selby
:16:54. > :16:59.has done very well to win the opening two frames. Ding could have
:17:00. > :17:05.won both of them. Ding was in control of the frame before Selby
:17:06. > :17:13.made 100. A strange morning so far for Ding supporters. To be honest
:17:14. > :17:35.with you, I don't think he's done a lot wrong.
:17:36. > :17:43.It's a horrible pack to go into. He's had a quick look at the half
:17:44. > :17:52.ball pink rather than the black. If you place the black, he could be in
:17:53. > :17:58.trouble. I think he's going to play for the red in baulk. Yeah, it's
:17:59. > :18:07.going to be very difficult to pot this black and generate the pace off
:18:08. > :18:13.the cushion to go into the pack. From this red, looking for an angle,
:18:14. > :18:19.possibly on a baulk colour. He may risk coming back for the blue.
:18:20. > :18:24.Depends how he sees it. But the plan is to get nicely on a colour to be
:18:25. > :18:31.able to cannon into the cluster of reds in between the pink and black.
:18:32. > :18:41.I think we'd both prefer ripped off the brown or yellow. The pink is a
:18:42. > :18:46.little away from the cluster. Yes. He's played that poorly. Of all the
:18:47. > :19:13.places in all the world, he didn't want to finish there.
:19:14. > :19:21.Poor positional shot off the last red he potted. He had a choice of
:19:22. > :19:29.yellow, green, brown to get an angle and didn't get one on any. A risky
:19:30. > :20:02.opening red yielding him 25 points. A bit thin. Will the blue come to
:20:03. > :20:13.his rescue? Desperately looking to see if it has. It's tight. There is
:20:14. > :20:18.another one, second left of the pink, but the one on the left-hand
:20:19. > :20:24.side of the table, if he can get past the blue... He just has to pot
:20:25. > :20:28.it to be on the black. Has he spotted something else? A plant? He
:20:29. > :20:56.must have found a plant. You could say that Mark Selby was a
:20:57. > :21:01.little bit fortunate after his safety shot. Caught his safety shop
:21:02. > :21:07.too thin and it was only the blue, and only by a fraction, that stopped
:21:08. > :21:10.Ding getting through to a straightforward much red that would
:21:11. > :21:22.have given him nice position on the black.
:21:23. > :21:29.Playing a containing safety. Thought it was too risky to try to get the
:21:30. > :22:03.cue ball back to the baulk end. Looks safe enough.
:22:04. > :22:11.That won't please Ding, where the cue ball has finished. Wanted it to
:22:12. > :22:17.finish behind the brown, but hit the red too thin. You would expect Mark
:22:18. > :22:21.Selby to play a telling safety shot. Looking at the possibility of a
:22:22. > :22:27.plant, but more concerned about getting the due ball back to baulk.
:22:28. > :22:34.I don't think he can hit it thin enough without kissing the red. The
:22:35. > :22:40.pink is almost on, but I think he kisses the other red first. Just
:22:41. > :22:49.flicked the other red which made the plant on available. Good line with
:22:50. > :22:56.the cue ball, though. Just coming up... Just going past the four hour
:22:57. > :23:03.mark in this match. Ten frames, four hours. You do the maths, Willy.
:23:04. > :24:02.A little pedestrian. Can't do the maths.
:24:03. > :24:11.What a fabulous pot. Played it with a little trace of right-hand side to
:24:12. > :24:17.not only avoid the cannon on the red, but also to take it wide of the
:24:18. > :24:24.five red on the left-hand side. Really unfortunate to finish there.
:24:25. > :24:29.Right into the heart of the pocket. The side to take it around the back
:24:30. > :25:04.of the reds. How on earth he not on a baulk colour unlucky.
:25:05. > :25:14.Straightforward safety, this. Or escape. Coming off the side cushion.
:25:15. > :25:16.He would like to come off the top cushion as well. Couldn't have
:25:17. > :26:02.played that better. Not tight to the baulk cushion and a
:26:03. > :26:08.possible pot on. It's one of those, you don't want to hit it too thick
:26:09. > :26:16.or you could run into other reds. That's why he erred on the side of
:26:17. > :26:21.hitting it too thin, which has made the cue ball come in and out of
:26:22. > :26:29.baulk. No harm done, by the looks of it. Really important stage of the
:26:30. > :26:34.match. The safety play. Whoever wins this safety battle you would expect
:26:35. > :26:47.to win the frame. Whoever wins -- pots the next red. What an excellent
:26:48. > :26:55.safety shot this is. Just needed another inch. Mark Selby may have to
:26:56. > :27:04.take the pot on with the red on the left-hand side. If he does go for
:27:05. > :27:10.it, this will test his cueing. He can play the run-through, he feels.
:27:11. > :27:18.There are reds going with the cue ball. How is the kiss? He's been
:27:19. > :27:21.fortunate again. Ding Junhui was looking at him as if to say, are you
:27:22. > :27:40.not going to apologise?! Does this cut? Surely not. Mark
:27:41. > :27:45.Selby has had a result there. Ding potted a magnificent red a moment
:27:46. > :27:49.ago but didn't have a colour. That was unlucky. Mark Selby's run of the
:27:50. > :28:03.ball there was very fortunate. Decided he could play the
:28:04. > :28:07.run-through. He wanted to get the cue ball back to baulk. When he
:28:08. > :28:13.double-kissed the red, you thought he would leave it. Not only did he
:28:14. > :28:22.not leave it, he hampered Ding Junhui on the red to the left middle
:28:23. > :28:29.so a double whammy. I can't see this red is pottable. He needs a few
:28:30. > :28:35.extensions. Just going to stun the red up the table and try to leave
:28:36. > :28:41.the cue ball near the baulk cushion. It should be easy to find the baulk
:28:42. > :28:42.cushion this time, but he has to cover the red he's cueing over the
:28:43. > :28:53.top of. That was all he could do. Surely
:28:54. > :29:11.he's not left the pot... Not quite. He needs to put a bit of
:29:12. > :29:21.side on. He will take it on, he will try to swerve it. Yes, he can't get
:29:22. > :29:27.to it without a trace of left-hand side. A new tip. How will the side
:29:28. > :29:32.react? That's the only problem with new tips. If you're playing
:29:33. > :29:37.everything plain ball, the ball should go where you're aiming it,
:29:38. > :29:47.but he needs to bent this slightly. Playing it with left-hand side,
:29:48. > :29:53.digging down. No problem. A kiss on the pink would have been nice. But
:29:54. > :29:58.he's just stopped short of the cushion enough, you feel, to make
:29:59. > :30:07.the brown Potter ball. Not too difficult. Looking at Ding in the
:30:08. > :30:12.previous shot, kissing the pink half ball to leave that red. Decided the
:30:13. > :30:17.green was the better ball for position. Once again a little close
:30:18. > :30:19.to the cushion, but the red just to the right of the blue, just drop
:30:20. > :30:30.this in and be nicely on the pink. Yes, you could say the last few
:30:31. > :30:38.times that Ding Junhui has been at the table he has had no luck
:30:39. > :31:01.whatsoever. Just the way, sometimes, in any ball game.
:31:02. > :31:07.Anybody who potted after this would have been strong favourite to take
:31:08. > :31:13.the frame. Excellent chance to win the frame at this visit. All game on
:31:14. > :31:35.for Ding at the moment. Of Easley, the pink would not pass
:31:36. > :31:39.the black in the right corner, that is why he has played for the black
:31:40. > :31:44.and judged it very well. Not much to do here, just play the stunning
:31:45. > :31:46.shot, play for the red that will be just below the black when it is
:31:47. > :32:14.re-spotted. -- obviously. I was a little bit surprised that he
:32:15. > :32:18.played it that way but he played it that way because he did not have to
:32:19. > :32:21.put side on, had he gone up the other side of the table, played for
:32:22. > :32:25.the pink in the right middle, you would have had to put a trace of
:32:26. > :32:32.right-hand side, didn't want to risk it, because he didn't, not good on
:32:33. > :32:39.this black, this is tough, and at. -- and at full is rich -- full
:32:40. > :32:52.stretch. He has taken it on, as you can see,
:32:53. > :32:55.looking at the potting angle, one of these, you get the feeling, it it as
:32:56. > :33:17.soon as you can. -- hit it. It's on its way. It's a good shot.
:33:18. > :33:22.Doesn't look to be on a red. Little shake of the head, we saw there.
:33:23. > :33:29.Terrific pot, got the cannon he expected. Just too much pace on the
:33:30. > :33:43.cue ball. He has now got a 1-point lead.
:33:44. > :33:49.He knew he played a careless one there. The green has covered the red
:33:50. > :35:18.in the middle of the table. Coming up to the two-minute mark.
:35:19. > :35:24.Needs to miss the brown for it to be any good, he has done. That was an
:35:25. > :35:36.excellent safety shot. Worth the wait. Lovely line. He's got there.
:35:37. > :35:39.OK, not the perfect length, because Ding Junhui may decide to take a pot
:35:40. > :35:52.on here, hand on the table. He's got a touch of the nearly is at
:35:53. > :36:16.the moment. -- touch of the nearlys. Stopping short of the baulk line
:36:17. > :36:40.just about. On the yellow. That yellow puts mark four points in
:36:41. > :36:44.front. Depends what kind of value colours he is going to need, he will
:36:45. > :36:50.need at least four of these remaining five reds. And that is not
:36:51. > :37:06.going to be easy to get to the winning line in this frame.
:37:07. > :37:13.Just got there, I thought he was going to finish too short to make
:37:14. > :37:17.this red available. Now, the work starts, because the three remaining
:37:18. > :37:21.reds are all pretty safe, he's going to have to move one of them into
:37:22. > :37:25.play, or drop find one. Chance of moving the red away from the middle
:37:26. > :37:30.pocket here. Mysterious middle pocket. Hit it from behind, may drop
:37:31. > :37:33.onto the red that is nearest the pocket at this time, that is what he
:37:34. > :37:49.has played. Interesting way of playing it. Drop
:37:50. > :37:53.the cue ball to the side cushion, probably thinking that he will leave
:37:54. > :37:57.it too close to the cushion to make the pot on the black easy, this way,
:37:58. > :37:59.drops the red in, cue ball will come away from the cushion, be on the
:38:00. > :38:16.black. Very clever. Cue ball coming away
:38:17. > :38:22.from the cushion without having to play it with pace, move the red or
:38:23. > :38:28.drop behind it. But don't miss the black! He had done all of the hard
:38:29. > :38:30.work! Concentrating so much on the cannon, took his eye off the pot.
:38:31. > :38:45.Settle down, please. Thankfully, I suppose, in a way,
:38:46. > :38:59.missed a pot but Ding may play the double here. Not quite. That makes a
:39:00. > :39:06.difference to Mark Selby missing the black off the spot, 20 points, the
:39:07. > :39:11.lead, he needs red, colour, red. Ding Junhui I fancied on that, to be
:39:12. > :39:36.honest. Has it run? Didn't get past the
:39:37. > :39:41.blue. Mark Selby has not got away with that miss.
:39:42. > :39:58.This would be one heck of a clearance.
:39:59. > :40:13.Always the way. He misses, and leaves the red onto the middle.
:40:14. > :40:20.Fraction of help, that is all it takes on these tight pockets.
:40:21. > :40:32.Going to have to play the blue. Still looking for the last red and a
:40:33. > :41:07.colour. Avoiding the kiss on the black here.
:41:08. > :41:14.Not a bad target behind the green and the brown if he can get there.
:41:15. > :41:18.He has got there, wanted it to slow up now, couldn't have played it
:41:19. > :41:30.better. APPLAUSE No gap there. 26 points is the lead.
:41:31. > :41:35.Little shake of the head. Should have taken the most of the last
:41:36. > :41:41.opportunity, but could get one here. If Ding Junhui does not get this red
:41:42. > :41:50.safe, and he's not guaranteed by any means.
:41:51. > :41:56.I was going to suggest, playing it hard, I'm surprised he has played it
:41:57. > :42:00.slow. He is going to be in the same problem again in on it. Maybe not!
:42:01. > :42:05.APPLAUSE The way he has hit it, it has worked
:42:06. > :42:08.out very nicely. Would not have been my choice, I agree with you. He will
:42:09. > :42:23.be happy with that. Once again, as in the last frame,
:42:24. > :42:28.when you get down to the last red, and the colours, if you can get a
:42:29. > :42:34.snooker, then you have the advantage. Mark Selby did it in the
:42:35. > :43:25.last frame. He is in control of this frame at the moment.
:43:26. > :43:39.Hit the snooker last time, ran safe. Can he repeat the dose? I know it is
:43:40. > :43:41.easier to say, but Mark Selby is one of those people who plays 100% on
:43:42. > :43:49.his safety. Some players play it a little
:43:50. > :43:55.willy-nilly, but Mark Selby is looking to put the player in trouble
:43:56. > :44:00.every single time. As I said, in the last frame, as in this, if there is
:44:01. > :44:03.no big breaks made, it will always be decided on the last red and the
:44:04. > :44:09.colours, got control of the situation now...
:44:10. > :44:17.If he leaves the red on, where is the red going, where is the cue ball
:44:18. > :44:24.going...? Safe enough. We'll settle for that. Looking up to his friends
:44:25. > :44:26.in the balcony, probably suggesting, that is the first bit of good luck I
:44:27. > :44:32.have had in this opening session! Took the initiative away from Mark
:44:33. > :45:02.Selby now with the safety exchange. Just ran past the pink. Is there an
:45:03. > :45:09.edge of this red sticking out? Or does he have another snooker?
:45:10. > :45:27.Looking at the line coming off the cushion for the snooker.
:45:28. > :45:36.Left the chance of a pot now, these particular parts, three corner ball
:45:37. > :45:41.pot, and if you miss it, we'll go back up the table with the cue ball.
:45:42. > :45:50.-- pots. So you never play these as a shock for nothing. -- shot for
:45:51. > :45:56.nothing. He played it with an element of safety. APPLAUSE
:45:57. > :46:00.Now 27 points the lead, roll this black in. 34 points in front. Just
:46:01. > :46:25.27 remaining. No heroics here. Could not play it any harder, would
:46:26. > :46:36.have been snookered on the yellow. Surely too experienced to fall for
:46:37. > :46:39.that one. Ding Junhui As you say, has not had much running in this
:46:40. > :46:45.frame, finds himself needing to snooker 's full of -- finds himself
:46:46. > :47:27.needing two snookers. Over 33 frames, you would consider
:47:28. > :47:31.there will be eight or ten scrappy frames, Hammond of those scrappy
:47:32. > :47:37.frames would they win? So far in this match, not any. Just the one,
:47:38. > :47:40.John points out to me, so that'll be the important pot of this game, you
:47:41. > :47:43.know that Mark Selby will win virtually eight, nine frames out of
:47:44. > :48:14.ten scrappy. Doesn't matter about this... Getting
:48:15. > :48:18.out of his seat, only to put his cue on the table and go to the dressing
:48:19. > :48:20.room, dream start this morning for Mark Selby, started two behind, now
:48:21. > :48:30.one in front, 6-5. STUDIO: Probably needs to get out of
:48:31. > :48:33.the arena, Ding Junhui, to win any title in any sport, you need a
:48:34. > :48:38.little bit of luck, a little run of the balls, he's not getting that. In
:48:39. > :48:43.fairness he had it against Ronnie O'Sullivan, played well, but also
:48:44. > :48:46.had some luck. Yesterday, kisses but today, the game has just gone
:48:47. > :48:50.awkward and the frames have gone awkward, Mark Selby is a very fluent
:48:51. > :48:53.scorer, but those frames that go awkward and required to put 100%
:48:54. > :48:57.into everything, there's nobody better than Mark Selby at these type
:48:58. > :49:01.of friends. What it has worked out then this morning, especially with a
:49:02. > :49:05.cloud over him, is the tip going to be all right, these friends have
:49:06. > :49:08.worked out well. In the safety exchange, he was always in the
:49:09. > :49:13.driving seat, always have the upper hand, and for Ding it is
:49:14. > :49:17.debilitating, you are coming to the table only to get out of snookers.
:49:18. > :49:19.When you are looking at them and their body language, do you think
:49:20. > :49:25.Mark has settled that little bit better than Ding? I think he just
:49:26. > :49:34.needs a good chance, Ding, he needs a good chance, the ball to open
:49:35. > :49:38.up... He is a scorer, Ding, at the start of the frame he was in early
:49:39. > :49:42.and then lost position and could not get... These frames have been bitty
:49:43. > :49:45.and awkward, when they come up, no one better than Mark Selby at them.
:49:46. > :49:50.No tip problems, you have been looking closely. If you screw shots,
:49:51. > :49:54.one or two instances, not quite right around the black spot, he will
:49:55. > :49:58.be very happy with that but more importantly he will be happy with
:49:59. > :50:03.the scoreline, I think Ding needs a good chance to show his fluency, get
:50:04. > :50:06.in among the balls and score again. Looking over my left shoulder,
:50:07. > :50:14.bouncing back, really needs to get the frame on the board.
:50:15. > :50:21.COMMENTATOR: Last frame before the mid-session interval. Ding Really
:50:22. > :50:30.needs to win this one to take something out of this first session.
:50:31. > :50:36.Such is his lack of confidence, not even playing the pot here, could
:50:37. > :50:42.have rolled it in and got onto the black, could have gone for the one
:50:43. > :50:47.he was going for. During the break, Mark Selby still working on his tip.
:50:48. > :50:51.New tip sometimes it will spread after a couple of frames and he is
:50:52. > :51:04.trying to leather it back up. Hard on the sides of the tip. -- harden.
:51:05. > :51:55.Could not have wished for a better start than this.
:51:56. > :52:01.CO-COMMENTATOR: Tentative pot of the red, sometimes you play that type of
:52:02. > :52:08.shot, you think, if I had hit it a bit dinner, might go in, main aim is
:52:09. > :52:23.to cover it, but this red dust cut, I believe. Well, whether it did or
:52:24. > :52:34.not, it is on the corner. Is there a gap? Always a gap, you can get past
:52:35. > :52:43.the yellow. As we say, Ding Junhui not having any run of the ball so
:52:44. > :52:49.far this morning full of and a great pot from Mark Selby, at this stage,
:52:50. > :52:55.tough enough without any bad luck, he has not had any. Amazing, we are
:52:56. > :53:01.talking about fractions, just get through to it. Three of four more
:53:02. > :53:08.loose rates, get a chance here, back to the table, 30, 40 points behind,
:53:09. > :53:14.at least. May decide to screw this and just brush off the six rates,
:53:15. > :53:25.running through, same scenario, bringing a couple of reds into play.
:53:26. > :53:29.That could not have worked out any better, that has finished inch
:53:30. > :54:46.perfect. Won't be playing the cannon, just
:54:47. > :54:55.the stun run. Two reds in open play, can of them, somewhere in between
:54:56. > :55:02.the blue and pink spot area. Looks a bit straight. Played for it, not
:55:03. > :55:11.quite hit it hard enough. Two down from the pink will hot, but it is
:55:12. > :55:17.awkward. -- will pot. May need the angle, just flicked off the red to
:55:18. > :55:22.be on the black. The thing I like about this contribution, straight
:55:23. > :55:32.from the off, and I know we have had a couple of scrappy frames, the last
:55:33. > :55:35.two, good strong now. Amazing, Mark Selby, I know people say I am biased
:55:36. > :55:39.because I am from Leicester but that is not the case, you can have three
:55:40. > :55:44.or four scrappy frames and then when he gets the chance, 100 break, same
:55:45. > :55:48.players may be knocked out of their strike or their timing goes, but he
:55:49. > :55:52.is best for that concentration that locks into gear again, knows this is
:55:53. > :56:01.a chance, walking around the table now very quickly. Please make sure
:56:02. > :56:02.they are switched off. Yeah, seize the moment, has a great chance here
:56:03. > :56:23.now. Read on the baulk line but I don't
:56:24. > :56:33.question these top players weight shot selection, not often, anyway.
:56:34. > :56:36.-- red. This is the only one which could go slightly wrong, going
:56:37. > :56:42.slightly close to the ground, on and off the cushion, little bit too much
:56:43. > :56:45.side, this is the new tip, now, the tip they used to, this would be
:56:46. > :56:49.straightforward, you get slightly too much into the cue ball, kiss the
:56:50. > :57:10.brown on the way down or on the way back.
:57:11. > :57:20.Took out the risk, by playing a very good soft screw to haul the cue ball
:57:21. > :57:21.in the middle of the table. Excellent. Good positional shot
:57:22. > :57:46.here. Just about got the angle on the
:57:47. > :57:48.blue. All set fair. 47 point lead. Looking to see if we can get to the
:57:49. > :58:01.red on the pink here, on the corner. Decided it was too risky, played for
:58:02. > :58:28.the loose red. STUDIO: We are now live on the red
:58:29. > :58:30.button because we are leaving you hear on BBC Two, fascinating
:58:31. > :58:35.confrontation between Mark Selby and Ding Junhui and we live on the red
:58:36. > :58:40.button now, switch over, you will not miss a single shot. Hazel will
:58:41. > :58:45.be back at 1pm here on BBC Two with semifinal number two, as John
:58:46. > :58:49.Higgins takes on Barry Hawkins. We will see you shortly, goodbye for
:58:50. > :58:52.now.