:00:35. > :00:42.In early good morning and welcome back to the Crucible Theatre in
:00:43. > :00:46.Sheffield. The 2017 World Snooker Championship is hotting up.
:00:47. > :00:50.Yesterday we lost two more former world champions, Graeme Dott at Neil
:00:51. > :00:58.Robertson knocked out. We have reached the quarterfinals and things
:00:59. > :01:03.are hotting up. He is on a mission. He is an animal on the table when he
:01:04. > :01:10.is in this kind of mood. Enter the Dragon, Ding Junhui! It was worth
:01:11. > :01:19.the risk, he got it! Well done, Kyren Wilson. What a performance
:01:20. > :01:22.from John Higgins, back to his best. Fifth consecutive Crucible
:01:23. > :01:33.quarterfinal. Here comes the hawk, Barry Hawkins! He is a great player,
:01:34. > :01:37.in great form. Mark Selby is now through to the quarterfinal, without
:01:38. > :01:38.breaking a lot of sweat really. You never ever write off this man. Marco
:01:39. > :01:50.Fu. Very excited at the Crucible
:01:51. > :01:55.Theatre. John Higgins, four times world champion, taking on Kyren
:01:56. > :02:00.Wilson, who reached the quarterfinal last year. Barry Hawkins, 2013
:02:01. > :02:04.runner-up, taking on Stephen Maguire who had to qualify this year. In the
:02:05. > :02:09.top half, defending champion Mark Selby against Marco Fu. Ding Junhui,
:02:10. > :02:22.last year's runner-up, taking on Ronnie O'Sullivan.
:02:23. > :02:30.I love to perform, I love to play. The fans pay their money and support
:02:31. > :02:36.you over the years. As a pro, as an entertainer, you thrive off that
:02:37. > :02:42.stuff. My form is good. Sometimes the first session maybe not play
:02:43. > :02:47.good, the other player plays good. It is going to be a change of luck.
:02:48. > :02:53.Important to learn to stay in my form. You have to keep fighting all
:02:54. > :02:57.the way. If you are behind, the crowd want you to get back into it.
:02:58. > :03:00.If you are in front, you are just trying to get more and more in
:03:01. > :03:09.front. It's a place where you have to find your inner strength. I
:03:10. > :03:14.believe I can win this year. Try to challenge every match, challenge
:03:15. > :03:20.myself, see how I'm doing. And also I need to play good and thinking
:03:21. > :03:26.well. Bad time and good time, you need to mix that and sometimes take
:03:27. > :03:31.the bad times, you know? You just have to put your work in, practice,
:03:32. > :03:35.come as prepared as you can. And hope you get the rub of the green,
:03:36. > :03:38.things can go your way or you make it happen. You try not to let your
:03:39. > :03:50.opponent influence you. Stephen Hendry is part of the
:03:51. > :03:54.commentary team. Good morning, so, how do you think Ronnie Stam
:03:55. > :04:01.dealing? I am sure he is feeling good. -- Ronnie is dealing? Both
:04:02. > :04:08.playing well. I expect a high-scoring match. Two of the best
:04:09. > :04:11.in around the pink and black in the game today. I would be surprised if
:04:12. > :04:17.there was not six or seven centuries. Is this the stage where
:04:18. > :04:25.your game has to improve all-round? Very much so. There are no easy
:04:26. > :04:29.matches. The players that you don't fancy winning are now gone, and you
:04:30. > :04:34.have eight players who can win. Inevitably the standard is going to
:04:35. > :04:38.go up. We have a wonderful position in the practice room. There is no
:04:39. > :04:41.air of tension in here, no sign of nerves at all. Especially from the
:04:42. > :04:47.players who have seen it and done it. Very much so. Sometimes with the
:04:48. > :04:54.early starts, you take a bit of time to switch on. A bit like us! You can
:04:55. > :05:01.ease your way into it. But when they walk through the curtain, they will
:05:02. > :05:03.be switched on. This would be Ronnie's sixth-place world title,
:05:04. > :05:10.does that add any pressure whatsoever? I don't think so.
:05:11. > :05:15.Probably expectation on himself by himself to do well. One of the men
:05:16. > :05:21.to beat in this event. Ding Junhui has to overcome the mental barrier
:05:22. > :05:25.in beating Ronnie, as all of the players do. He is tough to play, he
:05:26. > :05:31.likes to bully opponents. Very aggressive in all parts of his game.
:05:32. > :05:36.A huge mental ask for Ding to come through. Looking at the head-to-head
:05:37. > :05:41.between these two players, we are talking about somebody in Ding
:05:42. > :05:45.Junhui, we used to talk about the pressure when he came to the
:05:46. > :05:49.Crucible. It seems to weigh on his shoulders, but reaching the final
:05:50. > :05:55.last year, you wonder whether somehow he can upset the odds today.
:05:56. > :06:01.Yeah. Last year he had to qualify, which took a bit of pressure and
:06:02. > :06:05.expectation off. This match is a huge test. I am looking forward to
:06:06. > :06:09.seeing how do Ding copes with this match, because he has everything
:06:10. > :06:13.technically to win the World Championship. Whether he has it
:06:14. > :06:20.between the ears remains to be seen. One., we are very excited about this
:06:21. > :06:27.game is on BBC Two. Our MC Rob Walker. We started a week ago on
:06:28. > :06:33.Saturday with 32, now the top eight remain. It is quarterfinal time at
:06:34. > :06:35.the BetFred World Snooker Championship, and what a session of
:06:36. > :07:02.snooker to start with this morning. Please welcome a young player
:07:03. > :07:04.brimming with confidence after a 13-10 win over former champion
:07:05. > :07:09.Stuart Bingham in the second round. This is his second successive
:07:10. > :07:14.Roosevelt quarterfinal. Shanghai Masters winner last season, firmly
:07:15. > :07:29.established in the top 16, we call him the warrior, Kyren Wilson.
:07:30. > :07:42.And his opponent, one of the finest sportsmen Scotland has ever
:07:43. > :07:47.produced. This is his 12th Crucible quarterfinal, 20 years after his
:07:48. > :07:59.first. After that excellent victory over the in-form Mark Allen, four
:08:00. > :08:09.times the world champion,, Wizard of Wishaw, John Higgins.
:08:10. > :08:17.On table one, a player who has been thrilling crowds here for 25 years.
:08:18. > :08:20.He secured an 18th Crucible quarterfinal with the brilliant win
:08:21. > :08:24.over former champion Shaun Murphy. Five times champion of the world,
:08:25. > :08:30.blink and you will miss them, the Rocket, Ronnie O'Sullivan!
:08:31. > :08:51.And finally, a player who has inspired a generation of players and
:08:52. > :08:54.fans at home. Here after that thrilling victory in the decider
:08:55. > :09:00.over compatriot Liang Wenbo, winner of 12 ranking titles in all, a
:09:01. > :09:09.national hero back home in China. Enter the Dragon, Ding Junhui!
:09:10. > :09:27.STUDIO: Something about Ronnie O'Sullivan backstage there, he
:09:28. > :09:33.couldn't wait to get out into the Crucible this morning. On the red
:09:34. > :09:39.button and on the BBC Sport app and website, you can watch table one or
:09:40. > :09:43.two. One, John Higgins against Kyren Wilson with John Virgo and Peter
:09:44. > :09:47.Ebdon. On BBC Two, get ready for fireworks with Dennis Taylor and
:09:48. > :09:52.Stephen Hendry. Good morning, Dennis.
:09:53. > :09:55.COMMENTATOR: Good morning. Five times world champion Ronnie
:09:56. > :10:08.O'Sullivan gets this enthralling encounter under way.
:10:09. > :10:19.The tournament pot success rate, 92% each, great form there. And fairly
:10:20. > :10:24.equal on the long pot success department as well.
:10:25. > :10:30.That red is going safe. Not a lot between them in the tournament
:10:31. > :10:36.safety success rate. Only four points of difference in
:10:37. > :11:03.total points, that's amazing. Both players having a go at fairly
:11:04. > :11:08.difficult pots. It will take a while to settle in, as Stephen Hendry was
:11:09. > :11:15.saying. Ten o'clock in the morning, not easy to get going straight away.
:11:16. > :11:22.I was amazed how late the players came into practice. When I had a ten
:11:23. > :11:24.o'clock session, I would be at the Crucible around nine o'clock for
:11:25. > :11:31.half an hour of practice and then relax. They both turned up at around
:11:32. > :11:37.9:45am. Doesn't leave you a lot of time to get warmed up.
:11:38. > :11:40.But of course, getting to the quarterfinal, they have played
:11:41. > :11:50.plenty of snooker. I really expect this match to show
:11:51. > :11:52.snooker the way it's meant to be played. These two among the best in
:11:53. > :11:57.the game. The way they go about winning
:11:58. > :12:10.frames. If you are a young amateur watching,
:12:11. > :12:11.with hopes to turn professional, you could do worse than recording this
:12:12. > :12:17.match. Definitely to learn the art of
:12:18. > :12:39.break-building. It's amazing all the times they've
:12:40. > :12:40.played, they've only ever played once in the World Championship, back
:12:41. > :12:52.in 2007. And you couldn't ask for the balls
:12:53. > :13:12.to be sitting any better than this. Controlling the cue ball, that's how
:13:13. > :13:14.you would set them up for a little practice, so let's see how many he
:13:15. > :13:25.can make here, early on. Just moving the red to the right of
:13:26. > :13:27.the black, because the black is not on the spot at the moment. That has
:13:28. > :13:37.gone wrong. He will be disappointed, Ding
:13:38. > :13:40.Junhui. I know it's very early, first frame, but he knows he has to
:13:41. > :13:44.take advantage of every chance that he gets. To pile the pressure on his
:13:45. > :14:04.opponent. No easy safety return for Ronnie
:14:05. > :14:33.here. He's looking at the long pot into
:14:34. > :14:37.the left corner if he can't find a safety shot. He may have to take it
:14:38. > :14:39.on, he knows it's difficult to get back down the table off the reds
:14:40. > :14:57.near the pink. That could have finished worse. He
:14:58. > :15:44.missed the pot by a long way. He had to pot the red to get the
:15:45. > :15:47.gap. If he'd have missed it, he would have cannoned into something
:15:48. > :15:52.and left the cue ball down this end of the table.
:15:53. > :16:02.Had to hit it exactly the way he did. Confident shot.
:16:03. > :16:08.Yeah, and it was a great shot to make you forget about the mistake
:16:09. > :16:13.when he was in with a great chance and messed up the position.
:16:14. > :16:24.Still not ideal. If this red goes, he's OK.
:16:25. > :18:04.Now he has a second bite of the cherry, let's see how many can make.
:18:05. > :18:54.Very rarely when he is in and around the pink and black does he have to
:18:55. > :19:20.go up for the blue. Positional play is just excellent.
:19:21. > :19:27.And of course, as soon as I say that, he goes up for the blue! Just
:19:28. > :19:31.finished slightly in the middle of all three reds there.
:19:32. > :19:41.But even that little shot, made sure he was right side of the blue.
:19:42. > :19:49.Did well to miss that red there. Has he come far enough? The one above
:19:50. > :19:51.the pink is available, and he only needs this dead straight red to
:19:52. > :20:32.secure this opening frame. Inode Ding is a long way behind in
:20:33. > :20:37.the head-to-heads, has only beaten Ronnie twice, but Ding is improving
:20:38. > :20:45.all the time. Because the last time they played, nearly three years
:20:46. > :20:49.ago... So I don't think he will be thinking about the head-to-heads,
:20:50. > :20:53.Stephen, he will just be taking this as it comes, because he is an
:20:54. > :21:00.improving player, gaining in experience all the time.
:21:01. > :21:09.Doesn't matter about that. Ronnie stays in his seat. Ding Junhui
:21:10. > :21:13.needed a couple of chances, he certainly took the second chance. A
:21:14. > :22:26.good start for the Chinese player, he leads 1-0.
:22:27. > :22:34.Not the best break off from Ding Junhui.
:22:35. > :22:48.No, a bit too thick, which means the white is going to cannon the red
:22:49. > :22:54.there. Has he covered everything into the right corner pocket? There
:22:55. > :22:57.is one to the left corner. And he can get himself onto the black if he
:22:58. > :23:11.plays a delicate little positional shot.
:23:12. > :24:06.That was close. And look at the white, perfectly on the black.
:24:07. > :25:02.Excellent shot, excellent length on the cue ball.
:25:03. > :25:06.Eight frames to be played this morning, and then the second session
:25:07. > :25:25.at seven o'clock this evening. Mmm, that's a mistake from Ding. And
:25:26. > :25:31.I think this red goes past the green and brown. So a chance for Ronnie,
:25:32. > :25:56.first chance of this morning. Let's see what sort of form he is in.
:25:57. > :26:05.I thought I saw Ronnie looking at the tip as he came out this morning.
:26:06. > :26:11.He had a new tip put on on Sunday. Les Dodd, the former player who
:26:12. > :26:13.still has a club in Southport, put on a new tip for Ronnie for the
:26:14. > :26:35.quarterfinal. That's a misjudgement. Needed a bit
:26:36. > :26:42.of good fortune and I don't think he's had it.
:26:43. > :26:53.Didn't want to catch that red there. End of break.
:26:54. > :27:01.It's been a little bit of an indifferent start so far. Only the
:27:02. > :27:07.second frame, but some of the shots Ronnie has played, the long pots he
:27:08. > :27:11.has gone four, he has missed by a long way. He's just so good, you
:27:12. > :27:23.never expect him to play positional shots like that.
:27:24. > :27:34.Played for the cue ball on the baulk cushion, so a nice run of the ball
:27:35. > :27:44.there for Ding Junhui. At first glance, it isn't easy for
:27:45. > :27:47.Ronnie O'Sullivan... Well, it's easy to hit a red obviously, but not to
:27:48. > :28:01.leave Ding Junhui a pot. He'd love to be able to land on the
:28:02. > :28:03.red near the left corner pocket, but where is the path through to that
:28:04. > :28:14.one? It's all blocked off. If he's going to try and land on the
:28:15. > :28:17.one to the right of the black, he has to be so precise. Baulk cushion,
:28:18. > :28:25.then missing the middle pocket and up towards that red. For the one to
:28:26. > :28:45.the right of the black. But it's not easy, that's for sure.
:28:46. > :28:51.Coming into the bunch. Needed a bit of good fortune. Could push a pot on
:28:52. > :29:07.here. I think he has. And what a chance for Ding Junhui in
:29:08. > :29:13.this second frame. We know he is cueing well.
:29:14. > :29:19.He won the first frame with his second chance, a break of 71. A
:29:20. > :30:34.chance to do the same thing again here.
:30:35. > :30:44.72 points needed. For Ronnie O'Sullivan to need a snooker. And
:30:45. > :31:51.looking at the way the reds are, shouldn't be a problem.
:31:52. > :31:57.Very rarely when Ding Junhui is in the balls do you see him rolling
:31:58. > :32:07.balls income often plays little stunts and screws. You do have
:32:08. > :32:14.better control of the cue ball when you're rolling balls in, not
:32:15. > :32:15.allowing a kick. He won't be happy with that one, he has underhit that
:32:16. > :32:30.one. He may just glance of the second
:32:31. > :32:39.read here just to hold for the pink. He was able to hold without it.
:32:40. > :32:48.Again, just lovely control of the cue ball. I think it was so
:32:49. > :32:56.important for Ding Junhui to get off to a good start against Ronnie
:32:57. > :33:08.O'Sullivan. And he's certainly doing that. It was a terrific match with
:33:09. > :33:12.his fellow countrymen, Liang Wenbo, when Ding won on the deciding frame.
:33:13. > :33:25.It really was a fabulous match, that. Just had a quick glance at the
:33:26. > :33:26.scoreboard on the way around. He knows these two easy reds won't be
:33:27. > :33:56.enough. He is already 49 ahead. Just this red needed, one red. He
:33:57. > :33:59.has left himself hampered on this one. He can cue to the side of the
:34:00. > :34:13.red, so he is OK. Looks very sharp this morning, Ding
:34:14. > :34:18.Junhui, when he gets in. He doesn't look like missing. OK, so the reds
:34:19. > :34:25.were in a perfect position, but you've still got to concentrate and
:34:26. > :34:30.do it. He's doing what he has to do, punishment six severely. -- punish
:34:31. > :34:40.mistakes severely. There you see, we've only been going
:34:41. > :34:50.coming up to 24 minutes, and the second frame is virtually over.
:34:51. > :34:53.Ronnie will stay in his seat again. It would have to be a ridiculous
:34:54. > :35:11.plant to keep this break going. Oh! I think that's probably one of the
:35:12. > :35:20.best plants I've seen. He just got down and nonchalantly knocked it in,
:35:21. > :35:31.but I think Ding was as surprised as anyone that it did go in.
:35:32. > :35:44.That is seven centuries now for Ding Junhui. The most that any player has
:35:45. > :35:49.played this year -- made this year. And that is the 51st century. And I
:35:50. > :35:54.think the first of a fuel in this match, for both players. -- first of
:35:55. > :36:39.a few. What a start for Ding Junhui in this
:36:40. > :36:43.quarterfinal match. A 71 break in the opening frame and then that
:36:44. > :36:49.magnificent 128, with that unbelievable plant in the middle of
:36:50. > :36:51.it. 2-0 to Ding Junhui. STUDIO
:36:52. > :36:57.Well, this is the perfect start for Ding Junhui. Let's take a look at
:36:58. > :37:01.the centuries so far. We are on 51 in 2017, and we were talking to Ken
:37:02. > :37:08.and Steve yesterday in the studio and can firmly believes we are going
:37:09. > :37:13.to beat the record set of 86 in 2006 and 2015. What a fantastic start for
:37:14. > :37:18.Ding Junhui. Actor Dennis and Stephen Hendry -- space.
:37:19. > :37:32.COMMENTATOR: Well, what a start. He had a bit of good fortune. It was a
:37:33. > :37:36.difficult safety showed he was faced with. He hit it a little too hard
:37:37. > :37:44.and was fortunate to come up behind the brown bear. Ronnie Heffron
:37:45. > :37:47.virtually no shot. Just trying to land absolutely dead weight. It was
:37:48. > :37:53.actually a pretty good shot he played, just glances of that red and
:37:54. > :38:00.then you see he just set it up for Ding Junhui, but a magnificent
:38:01. > :38:03.century break it was. Do you think we will get to the hundred
:38:04. > :38:12.centuries, Dennis? There is every chance.
:38:13. > :38:18.I wouldn't disagree with you, Stephen, because now we are at the
:38:19. > :38:22.quarterfinal stage, the main players here are all terrific break-builders
:38:23. > :38:29.and the standard is going to keep getting better. I would be shocked
:38:30. > :38:39.at the very least if we don't break the record. It stands at 86
:38:40. > :38:44.centuries. I think last year Ding Junhui made 15 or 16 himself and he
:38:45. > :38:47.has made seven already, so if he carries on in this World
:38:48. > :39:07.Championship, he's going to get close to that again.
:39:08. > :39:19.This is not an easy shot that Ronnie is faced with here. Well, I presume
:39:20. > :39:55.he didn't play the pot, there. What a start. Fabulous pot. Worth
:39:56. > :39:57.another look at that one. Look at the timing. The White stopped and
:39:58. > :41:32.then all of a sudden spun back. It wasn't easy to control the cue
:41:33. > :41:37.ball there, so in between brown and green, and brown and yellow,
:41:38. > :41:43.depending on which way he feels. Going between yellow and brown. The
:41:44. > :41:48.only problem is that the black is only available into the right corner
:41:49. > :41:57.pocket, so he will have two comeback for the blue here. -- have to come
:41:58. > :42:01.back. He's really got into that! Well, he's just struck it
:42:02. > :42:08.beautifully. The timing of this was just perfect. It's just the quality
:42:09. > :42:26.of the strike, the cue action. No effort at all.
:42:27. > :42:37.Hmmm. OK, that last shot he overscrewed it slightly, but I still
:42:38. > :42:41.expected him to knock the black in. So Ding is in with another chance
:42:42. > :42:49.and we know the sort of form he is in, he is only needing one chance at
:42:50. > :42:52.the moment. I know he will have potted quite a few blues of the
:42:53. > :42:59.spot, but that is only the second he has missed in the whole tournament.
:43:00. > :43:07.And look at the reds now. Just close to the cushion, there. He just got a
:43:08. > :43:08.trace of unwanted side on that. He was concentrating on the cannon onto
:43:09. > :43:26.the red as well. Well, he has. Through the cue ball
:43:27. > :43:42.there. It's worked out absolutely perfectly. Choice of two reds.
:43:43. > :43:50.Well, you'd have to say on the evidence of the first two frames,
:43:51. > :43:56.you wouldn't bet against Ding winning this frame at this visit.
:43:57. > :44:07.Again, the way the reds are, there has nothing to do with the cue ball.
:44:08. > :44:12.Yet, as I mentioned earlier, the black only available into the right
:44:13. > :44:16.corner. As soon as he can get on the black, he will be able to do
:44:17. > :44:25.something about the two reds next to them. Meanwhile, he's got the pink
:44:26. > :44:31.sitting nicely there. But this time he has come round for the black and
:44:32. > :44:50.he can free the black spot area will with a couple of shots here.
:44:51. > :45:02.Hmmm, maybe a wee bit awkward now. The red just to the right of the
:45:03. > :45:07.black, he has two cannon the black, so that makes that positional shot
:45:08. > :45:12.not an automatic. He might have just put himself in a little bit of an
:45:13. > :45:18.August situation here, Ding Junhui. -- an awkward situation.
:45:19. > :45:26.Yeah, just having to play the percentage shot, just get the cue
:45:27. > :45:35.ball out of there. Couldn't play an exact shot.
:45:36. > :45:43.The only positive about that was that he didn't put any is safe and
:45:44. > :45:54.the black is still in the open. So one more good shot here and back
:45:55. > :46:03.with a frame-winning chance. He has got into that too well. So from
:46:04. > :46:11.being perfect a couple of minutes ago, he's now got a tough shot here
:46:12. > :46:17.to keep this break going. Again, the cue ball is running loose.
:46:18. > :46:35.Well, he looks very, very sharp this morning, Ding Junhui, because that
:46:36. > :46:38.wasn't an easy pot he took on there. Still needs another good positional
:46:39. > :46:50.shot to get back into prime position.
:46:51. > :46:59.Well, that's not a bad case. He's got a red into the left corner and
:47:00. > :47:02.I'm sure he can get onto the pink or black with a delicate little screw
:47:03. > :47:14.back or even a stun onto the other red. It has to be said, these tables
:47:15. > :47:21.are playing beautifully. Play finished early yesterday and I had
:47:22. > :47:25.to go out and do a little exhibition with Peter Ebdon. Played on the
:47:26. > :47:32.other tablelands it was absolutely beautiful to play on, Stephen. How
:47:33. > :47:59.many centuries did you make? Just the none!
:48:00. > :48:07.He wanted the cue ball to travel another inch to the right for the
:48:08. > :48:17.pink to the left middle. A little careless one, there. Wanted to be
:48:18. > :48:26.dead straight on this pink just to follow through for the red that is
:48:27. > :48:30.next to it to the right corner. He just plays all these lovely little
:48:31. > :49:25.cannons. He makes it look so easy. There you see, 48 points ahead. Just
:49:26. > :49:27.the red and one more colour will leave running at the snookers
:49:28. > :49:40.required stage. This is just what Ding Junhui was
:49:41. > :49:48.after, here. And he's going to make Ronnie pay for that missed blue.
:49:49. > :50:00.Just under 40 minutes, and it is 3-0 to the Chinese player. There is
:50:01. > :50:01.still enough there for another century break, that would be
:50:02. > :50:33.back-to-back centuries. He's going to need a good shot here
:50:34. > :50:35.to keep the century hopes alive. Is there!
:50:36. > :51:06.He's just an absolutely ferocious scorer when he gets going. Oh, what
:51:07. > :51:07.a disappointing end! It was going to be two centuries in a row.
:51:08. > :51:19.APPLAUSE Yes, it's an amazing start for the
:51:20. > :51:24.Chinese player. He's certainly not intimidated, and as I say, that
:51:25. > :51:27.head-to-head where Ronnie leads 10-2, it's not having any effect
:51:28. > :51:33.whatsoever. He's just out there doing a job of work, every start is
:51:34. > :51:37.different -- every match is different. He needed a good start
:51:38. > :51:41.and he has asked the question. Ronnie, well, we don't know how well
:51:42. > :51:47.he's playing because he overscrewed the previous positional shot lightly
:51:48. > :51:51.but I still expected him... He was concentrating on the cannon here. I
:51:52. > :51:58.think he knows it more or less eight natural angle to cannon this read
:51:59. > :52:02.here. He just took his eye off the pot. He's not quite settled into
:52:03. > :52:05.this match yet. It doesn't matter how good you are, at the World
:52:06. > :52:09.Championship you get sessions where you just don't get going, it just
:52:10. > :52:12.takes you a bit of time to get going.
:52:13. > :52:18.Ding Junhui breaks off in the fourth frame. Just a perfect start. Three
:52:19. > :52:59.frames won in one visit. Well, they are not hanging about
:53:00. > :53:05.this morning, or as I should say, Ding Junhui is not hanging about. He
:53:06. > :53:09.has been doing all the scoring. Ronnie needs to get in amongst the
:53:10. > :53:16.balls and this would be a good frame to get in amongst them and get his
:53:17. > :53:21.first frame on the board. Because no matter how many world titles or
:53:22. > :53:26.titles you have won, you're never really settled until you get that
:53:27. > :53:32.first frame on the scoreboard. Ding at 92%. Ronnie, well, we don't know,
:53:33. > :53:42.he just hasn't been in amongst the balls. He has had a couple of goes
:53:43. > :53:57.that long pots but hasn't converted one.
:53:58. > :54:16.OK there is not a lot of distance between the cue ball and object ball
:54:17. > :54:49.but it was a dead straight pot, which needs dead straight cueing.
:54:50. > :55:00.I think he's just OK! He looked a bit anxious for a moment but he can
:55:01. > :55:06.just get past the red. He has overcut it, has he? No, no problem.
:55:07. > :55:11.And now the next shop will bring a few more reds into play. -- the next
:55:12. > :55:29.shot. Took his eye off the pot, didn't
:55:30. > :55:34.push the cue through. That is the first careless one, but has he been
:55:35. > :55:41.fortunate? He was thinking about the cannon and took his eye off the pot.
:55:42. > :55:45.But he has been very lucky, there. I think he held his hand up to
:55:46. > :56:00.apologise for getting away with that.
:56:01. > :56:08.Yeah, after the shot there, you can see he just holds his hand up to
:56:09. > :56:13.apologise for getting away with it. But Stephen, I know you go to China
:56:14. > :56:18.quite a bit. Ding Junhui is a huge star out there but Ronnie
:56:19. > :56:22.O'Sullivan, I was talking to Liang Wenbo, his good friend, and he was
:56:23. > :56:31.saying that Ronnie is as big a star out there as Ding Junhui.
:56:32. > :56:39.Hmmm, I don't know about that. I know Ronnie is huge, hugely popular
:56:40. > :56:45.in China. But Ding Junhui is one of their top two or three sports stars
:56:46. > :56:51.in the whole country. Everywhere I go, I've been to over 50 cities in
:56:52. > :56:55.China, and the question you always get asked everywhere is, when is
:56:56. > :57:03.Ding Junhui going to be world champion? This was an excellent pot
:57:04. > :58:12.to left middle. Key shot coming up, yellow and into
:58:13. > :58:26.the red. Needs a bit of good fortune... And he hasn't had it.
:58:27. > :58:48.REFEREE: Ronnie O'Sullivan, 16. APPLAUSE
:58:49. > :58:56.Ding Junhui is not looking for a plant to pot a red here, he's just
:58:57. > :58:58.looking to see if he will stick a red over the corner pocket here in
:58:59. > :59:17.playing the safety. The game, not a bad little flick off
:59:18. > :59:22.the green for Ding Junhui. If there is any run of the balls going this
:59:23. > :59:45.morning, he getting it. -- he's getting it.
:59:46. > :59:55.Just having a thing as to whether he takes this long red on. Got to get
:59:56. > :00:05.it, you would feel, if he goes for it. And it has gone towards the
:00:06. > :00:19.other corner pocket, so a chance for Ronnie O'Sullivan now. It would be a
:00:20. > :00:24.good time to knock in a sizeable contribution here, Stephen. He
:00:25. > :00:32.certainly doesn't want to go 4-0 behind. No, absolutely not. We have
:00:33. > :00:37.been reliably told that he has never ever been 4-0 behind in a
:00:38. > :00:43.quarterfinal in his career here at the Crucible. And looking at the way
:00:44. > :00:48.the reds are now in the position he is in, I don't think it's going to
:00:49. > :00:52.happen here. I fully expect him to focus and get this frame won.
:00:53. > :01:03.APPLAUSE Took a small risk there, going into
:01:04. > :01:52.them, but he is OK. I love watching that last shot, a
:01:53. > :01:56.stun run-through, one of the nicest shots in the game of snooker. It
:01:57. > :02:03.looks so easy, but difficult to execute. You stun the ball and hit
:02:04. > :02:26.it quite hard, and the white doesn't move very fast.
:02:27. > :02:43.All Ding Junhui has done is miss one easy red in these four frames.
:02:44. > :02:49.Just a couple more pots away from securing his first frame, but having
:02:50. > :02:59.said that he has just cannoned the red. He should be OK.
:03:00. > :03:25.We thought this was going to be a heavy scoring quarterfinal. It's
:03:26. > :03:32.proving to be that. Ding Junhui, breaks of 71, 128, another 71. And
:03:33. > :03:52.now Ronnie O'Sullivan with this frame-winning effort.
:03:53. > :04:01.The red does go up into the corner pocket past the green.
:04:02. > :04:09.Doesn't matter about that, there was no century break on. So Ronnie
:04:10. > :04:14.O'Sullivan can settle down now. But this first session has been all
:04:15. > :04:15.about Ding Junhui. Three fabulous breaks to win three frames, and he
:04:16. > :04:27.leads Ronnie O'Sullivan 3-1. Dennis is absolutely right. Stephen,
:04:28. > :04:30.Ronnie O'Sullivan couldn't wait to get into the Crucible but now he
:04:31. > :04:38.can't wait to get out. What's happened? He's had a slow start, but
:04:39. > :04:42.Ding has been very sharp. One visit, doing what he does best when he gets
:04:43. > :04:47.in the balls. More often than not, he clears up. Not much you can do
:04:48. > :04:56.about that, but that frame from Ronnie O'Sullivan was crucial. As we
:04:57. > :04:59.said, he has never been 4-0 down. Ding can reel off frame after frame,
:05:00. > :05:06.it was almost looking like damage limitation. Now he has that frame,
:05:07. > :05:09.he will feel better. It doesn't matter who you are, you need the
:05:10. > :05:15.first frame on the board to get into the match. After the mid-session
:05:16. > :05:19.interval, Ronnie has to find his rhythm and start putting much more
:05:20. > :05:25.pressure on Ding. He can't allow him to get too far ahead. Ronnie hasn't
:05:26. > :05:30.had too many chances in the balls. That was his first season chance.
:05:31. > :05:35.Ding has had a good run of the balls, missing a couple and not
:05:36. > :05:40.leaving Ronnie anything. Let's turn our attention to the other match
:05:41. > :05:43.taking place this morning. Also a quarterfinal. John Higgins, four
:05:44. > :05:49.times world champion, taking on Kyren Wilson.
:05:50. > :05:59.A good old foot massage. Most definitely James Bond. Daniel Craig.
:06:00. > :06:08.My dad playing his best mate... He had a pool room built, I was too
:06:09. > :06:11.young so I was banging at the door trying to get in. Dedication. Bad
:06:12. > :06:19.loser. I once wrote happy anniversary to my
:06:20. > :06:25.fiancee in the sand on the beach. She took it well.
:06:26. > :06:30.No, not really. I am quite laid back when it comes to that sort of thing.
:06:31. > :06:42.Bungee jumping naked! Probably the 1980s, I thought the
:06:43. > :06:47.nightlife was brilliant. Katy Perry. Chilling out with my fiance and my
:06:48. > :06:48.son, lovely warm weather. After winning in Shanghai, I bought myself
:06:49. > :06:53.a new car. Our cameras will not be there for
:06:54. > :07:03.the naked bungee jumping. John Higgins made his debut in 1995
:07:04. > :07:08.and he won it three years later, 1998. Four times he has been crowned
:07:09. > :07:11.king of the Crucible. Make no mistake, this is a very tough match
:07:12. > :07:16.for Kyren Wilson, the world number 14.
:07:17. > :07:21.John Higgins on the first frame, we are going to show you frame two,
:07:22. > :07:48.Wilson trailing by 34. A choice of yellow, brown or blue.
:07:49. > :08:02.Blue is a little bit thin. There is a red that goes into the
:08:03. > :08:03.left-hand pocket which will open up another red into the opposite
:08:04. > :08:08.corner. He has played that very nicely for a
:08:09. > :08:53.choice of two reds. And really get into that. -- did not
:08:54. > :08:55.really get into that. Not quite certain why he didn't just stun the
:08:56. > :09:07.red in. No, it decelerated. A bit of side
:09:08. > :09:26.on. A shaky start from Kyren, this. It was always missable, that black,
:09:27. > :09:30.particularly at the pace he played it. The only thing he had in his
:09:31. > :09:33.favour, he knew it would cover the pocket and wouldn't believe
:09:34. > :09:39.anything. But it's another chance he's not made the most of. --
:09:40. > :09:45.wouldn't leave anything. Gave himself an awful lot to do on that
:09:46. > :09:50.lack colour there. Either didn't get into the cue ball and played for the
:09:51. > :09:53.pink into the left corner or he got into the cue ball too much, because
:09:54. > :09:58.he should have been straighter than he was on the black and that was
:09:59. > :10:06.certainly missable. It was a nervy one. Decelerated.
:10:07. > :10:14.Playing with the left-hand side. And that time he pulled it thin. These
:10:15. > :10:17.are things that can really play on a player's mind, especially early on
:10:18. > :10:20.before you have got used to the cloth.
:10:21. > :10:27.A couple of long balls he has missed, playing with side and he hit
:10:28. > :11:01.them sick. And then he pulled the black thin. -- hit them thick.
:11:02. > :11:25.They possibility of Kyren taking a difficult red into the centre.
:11:26. > :11:38.That is a great shot. But he's been unlucky. As you say, Peter. Because
:11:39. > :11:43.of the difficulty of the pot, he had to put all his concentration into
:11:44. > :11:48.the pot, and it wasn't a natural to be on the black, and he's not.
:11:49. > :11:56.But that may make him feel a little bit better. Good safety shot,
:11:57. > :12:04.followed by a good pot. But it seems as though he's snookered on... I
:12:05. > :12:06.don't know why he can't swerve and hit the green. Maybe he's trying to
:12:07. > :12:45.play uptight and get the snooker. This could turn out to be an awkward
:12:46. > :12:49.frame. With the black being over the corner pocket, it's quite easy to
:12:50. > :12:58.play safety shots at the moment. It looked as though it was... What
:12:59. > :13:07.he's OK, a very good cue ball. John Higgins had to be careful of
:13:08. > :13:24.the double-kiss. The bump of the middle pocket, no
:13:25. > :13:52.harm done. Needed a very thin contact.
:13:53. > :13:55.Excellent shot. Top-class safety shot, well played. That is
:13:56. > :14:05.brilliant. Yes, good shot from Kyren, and
:14:06. > :14:08.that's what he will have to do in this match. He will have to compete
:14:09. > :14:15.in the safety exchanges with John Higgins. Not easy to do. But those
:14:16. > :14:21.last couple of shots, you can see he has sparked up a bit, Kyren. He has
:14:22. > :14:25.that look in his eye. Probably came out this morning feeling a bit edgy,
:14:26. > :14:28.and was letting the cue go through. Has now played a couple of good
:14:29. > :14:41.shots. I don't think that was the red John
:14:42. > :14:43.was attempting to hit. Does it go to the left middle? If it does, I think
:14:44. > :14:48.Kyren will take it on. It obviously does. He is eyeing up
:14:49. > :15:14.the pot. Always on the top jaw, wasn't it. We
:15:15. > :15:18.were right behind it and it was always there. Years ago, they used
:15:19. > :15:22.to drift in, but it was always on the top jaw. Only a fraction, but it
:15:23. > :17:07.may have cost him the second frame. Well, that should seal this frame.
:17:08. > :17:28.Just the red needed. That black puts him 61 in front with
:17:29. > :17:40.only 59 remaining. Three snooker is needed, but Kyren
:17:41. > :18:00.will not be getting back to the table.
:18:01. > :18:03.Just has to be patient and hope he gets a chance sooner rather than
:18:04. > :19:32.later. Well this is good, hard match
:19:33. > :19:39.snooker from John Higgins. Making life tough at the moment for Kyren
:19:40. > :19:43.Wilson. He now leads 2-0. STUDIO: John Higgins the ball very
:19:44. > :19:46.well indeed. This is the scene inside the Crucible Theatre. If you
:19:47. > :19:52.want to carry on watching John Higgins against Kyren Wilson live,
:19:53. > :19:57.it is on the red button, BBC Sport app and BBC Sport website. The live
:19:58. > :20:01.match on BBC Two, Ding Junhui and Ronnie O'Sullivan, the players are
:20:02. > :20:06.due back shortly. John Higgins is hitting the ball really well. Very
:20:07. > :20:11.much so. A lot of people touting Kyren Wilson as a future world
:20:12. > :20:16.champion. This would go a long way to convincing me he could be a world
:20:17. > :20:23.champion, beating John Higgins. John Hartson is with World Snooker this
:20:24. > :20:30.evening, a big Celtic fan, and he is hoping to beat Mark Allen -- hoping
:20:31. > :20:38.to meet John Hartson after beating Mark Allen. Ronnie has to get on the
:20:39. > :20:41.board early doors. When they get in first, they will win the frames, so
:20:42. > :20:48.it's just a matter of who gets in first. If you are Ding? More of the
:20:49. > :20:52.same. If he keeps scoring and punishing Ronnie's mistakes, that is
:20:53. > :20:57.the way to beat him. If he doesn't take his chances... He is 10-2 down
:20:58. > :21:01.in the head-to-head, he knows what will happen. If your opponent is
:21:02. > :21:05.winning frames in one visit, there is not much you can do, and that is
:21:06. > :21:10.the pressure you need to put on Ronnie O'Sullivan. At this level,
:21:11. > :21:15.the quarterfinal going forward, this is the standard of snooker you have
:21:16. > :21:21.to play. Back to the commentary box you go, Stephen, with Dennis.
:21:22. > :21:25.COMMENTATOR: Stephen will be here shortly. He is a fast mover, the
:21:26. > :21:30.seven time world champion Stephen Hendry.
:21:31. > :21:35.Ronnie gets the first frame after the mid-session interval under way.
:21:36. > :21:41.It's been quick stuff. All the frames virtually won with
:21:42. > :21:55.one visit. 19 and 20 seconds, they are not
:21:56. > :22:10.hanging around. Very little tactical play in this
:22:11. > :22:14.match, because when a player gets a chance, they are winning the frame.
:22:15. > :22:39.They are both very good safety players when needed.
:22:40. > :22:45.There's an indication of how good Ronnie is in the tactical
:22:46. > :22:55.department. In fact, looking at that, Ding well
:22:56. > :24:54.ahead, but of course he's had a lot more table time than Ronnie.
:24:55. > :25:15.There's a red to left middle, but it's fraught with danger.
:25:16. > :25:25.When you look at the way the reds are placed, the first mistake in the
:25:26. > :25:35.safety exchange could be a costly one.
:25:36. > :26:02.The cue ball glued to the back cushion.
:26:03. > :26:10.Well, I don't know if he got a heavy contact there, but I just think he
:26:11. > :26:14.hit it all wrong, that safety. It sounded a bit funny, but whatever
:26:15. > :26:21.happened, he hit the red far too thick. But he was tucked up on the
:26:22. > :26:22.cushion. It was Ronnie's good safety shot which created this chance for
:26:23. > :26:33.himself. Yes, so important with safety shots
:26:34. > :26:35.to get the cue ball tight on the baulk cushion. The amount of
:26:36. > :26:42.mistakes you can force from your opponent is incredible.
:26:43. > :26:49.A lot of players, myself included, Dennis, wouldn't concentrate enough
:26:50. > :26:52.on that side of the game. If you don't leave the cue ball tight, you
:26:53. > :26:55.don't create as many chances for yourself.
:26:56. > :27:02.Yes, this is where Steve Davis was so good. The break-building
:27:03. > :27:07.department, he was excellent. But Steve Davis' safety was extremely
:27:08. > :27:10.good, he used to put you in all sorts of trouble. You would make the
:27:11. > :27:20.mistake and go back to your seat while he won the frame in one visit.
:27:21. > :27:26.Over a minute thinking about that shot. Not straightforward. He was
:27:27. > :27:31.just walking round the table, planning how he was going to
:27:32. > :27:32.progress in this break. How to get the black back on the spot.
:27:33. > :27:53.Surveying the situation. Yeah, he had worked it out. He was
:27:54. > :27:54.thinking about the red in the circle there, planning three or four shots
:27:55. > :28:24.ahead. And he is nicely on it. A little cannon in between the black
:28:25. > :28:37.spot and the pink, or would leave a red to the right corner.
:28:38. > :28:45.As I said before, the first mistake in that exchange would be costly. I
:28:46. > :28:46.would be very surprised if Ronnie O'Sullivan didn't win the frame from
:28:47. > :28:59.this visit. In this match, the general pattern
:29:00. > :29:04.will be whoever gets in first, in a situation like this, will win the
:29:05. > :30:10.frame. Both players are so good in amongst the pink and black.
:30:11. > :30:16.He's worked these out very nicely indeed.
:30:17. > :30:33.All delicate little is boring Makarova and screw shots. --
:30:34. > :30:38.delicate little stun and screw shots.
:30:39. > :30:46.Making this look ridiculously easy. Well you are probably looking at the
:30:47. > :30:52.greatest break-builder the game has ever seen. He has made 872
:30:53. > :31:01.centuries. Stephen, you held the record of, what, 775? Yeah, no
:31:02. > :31:02.doubt, it is just how long Ronnie wants to play, but he's going to
:31:03. > :31:15.make 1000. It's amazing, it's not that many
:31:16. > :31:20.years ago when people were saying, this is a young player's game, in
:31:21. > :31:27.their early 20s, at their peak. But when you look at this man, 42. John
:31:28. > :31:33.Higgins, in his early 40s. Stuart Bingham, a winner. So plenty of the
:31:34. > :31:39.40 pluses starting to have a lot of success in the game. Going way back
:31:40. > :31:43.to the great Ray Reardon and John Spencer, they were at their peak in
:31:44. > :31:48.their early to mid 40s. Of course, the game has moved on. In those
:31:49. > :32:09.days, people used to have jobs as well as playing snooker.
:32:10. > :32:16.He can now make the century if he takes these three open reds with
:32:17. > :32:22.three blacks. This would be Ronnie's fifth century of the tournament so
:32:23. > :32:27.far. I believe the record for a quarterfinal is eight centuries,
:32:28. > :32:40.between two players. So I think these two will go close. He's taken
:32:41. > :32:47.a pink, so now he will need one of the awkward reds. It needs the
:32:48. > :32:55.cannon here to bring one out if he's going to make the century. And now
:32:56. > :33:05.he will hit these as hard as he can and hopefully fluked a red. No
:33:06. > :33:12.fluke, no century but a magnificent effort of 99 gives Ronnie O'Sullivan
:33:13. > :34:20.the frame quite comfortably, and now he is just one behind, it is 3-2.
:34:21. > :34:31.the interval -- just during the interval, Ronnie was looking at the
:34:32. > :34:35.tip, there. As we mentioned, it is a new tip that he had put on before
:34:36. > :34:44.the quarterfinal. But there's certainly nothing wrong with it.
:34:45. > :34:51.He's very comfortable with it. Just checking it there. A man with a club
:34:52. > :35:03.from Southport, a former player, looks after Ronnie's tips. But I
:35:04. > :35:07.think these days, I think we saw at the UK championship, Stephen, you
:35:08. > :35:11.can put a new tip on and it used to take three or four days to break it
:35:12. > :35:17.in, but they are slightly different now, aren't they? You can more or
:35:18. > :35:23.less play them instead away? Yeah, I think what the technology is on how
:35:24. > :35:27.they make tips, I don't know, but I know that sometimes it used to take
:35:28. > :35:32.me up to four or five days to play a tip in. Oh!
:35:33. > :35:59.APPLAUSE Well, he just played a gentle much
:36:00. > :36:07.there, but he's going to have to judge the cannon on the black also
:36:08. > :36:08.to put it on. I don't think he can avoid that, but it shouldn't be a
:36:09. > :36:35.problem for him. Just a little bit harder would have
:36:36. > :36:39.been better. He caught it a little fuller than he wanted, half ball on
:36:40. > :36:44.the black, than would have been ideal. -- half ball on the black
:36:45. > :37:03.would have been ideal. That was an interesting little
:37:04. > :37:08.safety shot. He could have played full ball on the black and left the
:37:09. > :37:22.cue ball on the cushion but he didn't want to put the black safe.
:37:23. > :37:31.Funny, I think Ronnie got an electric shock when he touched the
:37:32. > :37:35.table there. It can happen. Let's have a look at this. Yeah. There it
:37:36. > :38:04.is. It just reminds me, I'd forgotten
:38:05. > :38:07.about being able to get a little shock, as we show you what he's
:38:08. > :38:14.talking about, but I remember playing in Canada and is there were
:38:15. > :38:27.metal sides and everybody was getting electric shocks!
:38:28. > :38:34.You know, first look, he might have got away with this, which would be
:38:35. > :38:38.amazing, once he missed the pot you thought he would have left something
:38:39. > :38:50.easy, but at a quick glance I don't think he's left one. What a result
:38:51. > :38:51.he has had there. Once he can and the reds you thought he was going to
:38:52. > :39:04.put Ronnie Wright in amongst them. Another great safety shot. Look at
:39:05. > :40:06.that cue ball. I think he might have had another
:40:07. > :40:26.one, there. Shock number two. We've had a few
:40:27. > :40:27.shocks in the tournament so far this year, but we weren't expecting these
:40:28. > :41:16.sort of shocks! Lots of noise from the other side of
:41:17. > :41:20.the arena. Mid-session interval. It can take a while, spectators getting
:41:21. > :41:25.up and stretching their legs and going out for a quick tea or coffee.
:41:26. > :41:32.It really is a fantastic atmosphere in and around the Crucible Theatre.
:41:33. > :41:38.A bit of a careless one there, maybe, maybe just a little lapse in
:41:39. > :41:47.concentration while the noise is going on. Yeah, he has just played
:41:48. > :41:48.one or two iffy shots, Ding Junhui, since Ronnie O'Sullivan has won the
:41:49. > :42:04.last two frames. That wasn't easy. Still expected him
:42:05. > :43:33.to get it, but... It was not an easy pot.
:43:34. > :43:39.Not happy with the kiss on the yellow, there. It has left Ding
:43:40. > :43:48.Junhui with a chance to the right corner. All about controlling the
:43:49. > :43:58.cue ball here, you would think he is bound to finish on a colour. Well,
:43:59. > :44:01.now then. That is surprising, probably because he has been kept
:44:02. > :44:14.off the table for the last couple of frames. Yeah, this was a long way
:44:15. > :44:16.off, for a fairly comfortable long pot. He's starting to look under a
:44:17. > :44:35.bit of pressure now, Ding Junhui. I know it's very early days, but
:44:36. > :44:38.when he led 3-0, he was in with a very easy chance and he missed a
:44:39. > :44:43.sitter of a red with a chance to go on and maybe even take a 4-0
:44:44. > :44:50.advantage to the mid-session interval, but he missed a sitter. In
:44:51. > :44:55.fact we can show you, he was just concentrating on the cannon on the
:44:56. > :44:59.reds there and he missed this one, because the way he was playing at
:45:00. > :45:14.the time, he was winning a frame with one visit.
:45:15. > :45:19.He has come to or three inches short, there. He will have to play
:45:20. > :46:10.the red to the middle now. He's just having a word with the
:46:11. > :46:14.referee, there, Leo Scullion. I think as he was playing the shot,
:46:15. > :46:22.Leo just got himself into a position and Ronnie has just asked him to
:46:23. > :46:26.make sure he is still. Referees always try to get into a position
:46:27. > :46:31.where they are behind the player. It's quite tight with the two-table
:46:32. > :46:37.situation here, so it's difficult all round. They do a great job in
:46:38. > :46:41.the two-table situation and the cameramen to a fabulous job also,
:46:42. > :47:55.because there is not a lot of room for them to manoeuvre.
:47:56. > :48:01.Well, it's just a string of big breaks in this quarterfinal match.
:48:02. > :48:15.Always going to be a fascinating tussle. Ding had breaks of 128, 70
:48:16. > :48:28.one. Ronnie had 63, 99 and now this. Just checking the debt is exactly
:48:29. > :48:30.what he needs. He is 48 ahead. He will need the black and one more red
:48:31. > :49:02.to clinch the frame. Just drop this in dead weight, just
:49:03. > :49:10.to make sure... Can you believe it? Ronnie O'Sullivan, 65. I thought he
:49:11. > :49:15.would have just rolled it in but he played a stun shot and got a bit of
:49:16. > :49:21.unwanted side. OK he was using his other hand. But just roll it in. I
:49:22. > :49:29.think he plays the right shot. You've got to play for the black,
:49:30. > :49:43.it's just careless to miss the red. Oh! This is clumsy.
:49:44. > :49:53.He had a huge margin for error there to just leave himself a pot on the
:49:54. > :49:58.black. He needs to cut this in, doesn't he, Stephen? Otherwise he
:49:59. > :50:08.needs a snooker. And what a shot he has pulled off, there! OK, he's not
:50:09. > :50:11.on a red, but that was a must pot pink, there. So, he can still win
:50:12. > :51:16.this frame. This is the longest frame of the
:51:17. > :51:24.match so far, just 16 minutes. It's been a fantastic standard, at least
:51:25. > :51:26.eight 60 in every frame. Two 60s, two 70s.
:51:27. > :51:54.APPLAUSE The beauty of the three session
:51:55. > :51:58.matches are that you don't panic if you drop 3-0 behind, and that is
:51:59. > :52:01.what happened with Ronnie. He knew he could get it back again but he
:52:02. > :53:19.has done it in style. Finish with an exhibition shot to
:53:20. > :53:24.get on the black. Now, how about this? Tremendous amount of side,
:53:25. > :53:27.there. He's snooker himself, has he? CHUCKLES
:53:28. > :53:33.Well, I thought the pocket had to get him, but, what a response from
:53:34. > :53:37.the five-time former world champion Ronnie O'Sullivan. He lost the three
:53:38. > :53:42.opening frames but he has bounced right back and won three in a row.
:53:43. > :53:46.We are all square at three each. Well, Stephen, there is not a lot of
:53:47. > :53:52.mistakes being made out there and any that are made, they are punished
:53:53. > :54:02.with frame-winning breaks. Yes, we've had two misses from Ding
:54:03. > :54:08.Junhui in this frame. This cut into middle which he cut very thick,
:54:09. > :54:10.didn't really get close to the pot. Certainly in the first three frames
:54:11. > :54:19.you would have expected him to get it. He was very sharp in the way he
:54:20. > :54:26.started the match. He missed this one by a mile. Just signs that Ding
:54:27. > :54:31.is starting to feel it a wee bit. When he did get the chance to pinch
:54:32. > :54:35.the frame, look at all the table he has got to finish on the black. The
:54:36. > :54:39.whole of that side of the table. Yeah, that was a poor positional
:54:40. > :54:43.shot. He did manage to knock the pink in, which he needed to keep him
:54:44. > :54:47.in the frame, but he couldn't get on a red. But he will forget all that
:54:48. > :54:53.and just concentrate, sit there and just think of the way you started
:54:54. > :54:56.the match. Ronnie has left the arena, but the second session of
:54:57. > :55:02.this match will be this evening, and that is going to be a fascinating
:55:03. > :55:07.one arm and we've got the press box there and that is my son Damian on
:55:08. > :55:15.the left, who is a European tour coach in golf. He is at home at the
:55:16. > :55:19.moment with new baby Hunter. Great snooker player, Damian, good
:55:20. > :55:22.footballer, but he went into golf. He has been working with Bernd
:55:23. > :55:31.Wiesberger, who just won in China on Sunday. He loves coming to the
:55:32. > :55:39.Crucible. Just having a wee chat with the referee. When he's playing
:55:40. > :55:47.the part, just to make sure he is standing still. -- playing the pot.
:55:48. > :55:57.Yeah, Ronnie is just saying to Leo, no problem with him being in his
:55:58. > :56:06.sight, just as long as he is standing still. But this is the
:56:07. > :56:20.first test in this match for Ding Junhui. He had it all his own way in
:56:21. > :56:28.the first three frames. Now, two frames left to play in this session.
:56:29. > :56:34.It would not be a very pleasant afternoon if he were to finish 5-3
:56:35. > :56:36.down after leading 3-0, the way he played. That wasn't the best safety
:56:37. > :56:50.shot there, either. There are a couple of reds that will
:56:51. > :56:59.go into the right corner. The black is hampered for the left corner with
:57:00. > :57:02.that red next to it, but he needs to knock this type of pot in just to
:57:03. > :57:04.get his confidence back again, because he has been kept away from
:57:05. > :57:23.the table. It's amazing how things have just
:57:24. > :57:27.turned around. As we showed you in the previous frame, it all seems to
:57:28. > :57:31.have turned, as we show you this mess again, it all seemed to turn
:57:32. > :57:36.when he led 3-0 and missed the easy red in frame four. He just hasn't
:57:37. > :57:42.been in the game that much and has lost a little bit of confidence.
:57:43. > :57:48.That is why I said at the top of the show, it's going to take huge mental
:57:49. > :57:52.strength for Ding Junhui to win this match. He has got the game. But has
:57:53. > :58:46.he got the belief? This red into the left middle might
:58:47. > :58:52.be a big pocket, I'm not sure. If he doesn't go directly into the pocket,
:58:53. > :59:10.he might go in off the red. He had a look at that.
:59:11. > :59:17.Oh! We didn't expect that, did we? Ronnie has roared back into this
:59:18. > :59:20.one. This is where you're going to need your red button now. Live
:59:21. > :59:26.coverage continues on the red button and both matches are available on
:59:27. > :59:28.your BBC Sport app and the BBC Sport website. We are back at one o'clock.
:59:29. > :00:09.See you then. I've got some good news.
:00:10. > :00:11.Did you hear? What are you talking about?
:00:12. > :00:17.What? What?