Day 11, Quarter-Finals, Afternoon Session

:00:40. > :00:47.He's come here and he is on a mission. He really is an animal on

:00:48. > :00:53.the table in this kind of mood. Enter the Dragon, Ding Junhui!

:00:54. > :01:00.Thought it was worth the risk and he got it! Well done, Kyren Wilson.

:01:01. > :01:04.What a performance from John Higgins, back to his best in my

:01:05. > :01:12.opinion. Fifth consecutive Crucible quarterfinal. Here comes the Hawk,

:01:13. > :01:18.Barry Hawkins! He's a great player, that's for sure. And he's in great

:01:19. > :01:22.form. Mark Selby is now through to the quarterfinal, without breaking a

:01:23. > :01:30.lot of sweat really. You never ever write off this man, Marco Fu!

:01:31. > :01:35.Good afternoon, the last few gulps of fresh air before we immerse

:01:36. > :01:39.ourselves once again in the all enveloping tension inside the

:01:40. > :01:45.Crucible Theatre. 32 men started out 11 days ago in the BetFred World

:01:46. > :01:49.Snooker Championships, eight of them have played their way into the

:01:50. > :01:51.quarterfinals. And you know, this year, you could honestly make a case

:01:52. > :01:58.for every single one of them becoming world champion.

:01:59. > :02:06.Still on track for title number three, Mark Selby faces Marco Fu.

:02:07. > :02:11.O'Sullivan takes on Ding, can be younger man finally topple his idol?

:02:12. > :02:15.The youngest left, Kyren Wilson, against the wily four-time winner

:02:16. > :02:19.John Higgins. Fellow Scot Stephen Maguire, the only qualifier still

:02:20. > :02:23.standing, takes on Barry Hawkins in his fifth straight quarterfinal.

:02:24. > :02:27.Great matches, but the interesting one for me, Marco Fu went through

:02:28. > :02:35.the ringer last night against Marco Robinson. -- Neil Robinson. How will

:02:36. > :02:39.he feel today? A bit deflated, but the adrenaline keeps you going. He

:02:40. > :02:42.must be over the moon to get through the really tight match against Neil

:02:43. > :02:46.Robertson. How tired he will be after the big come-down remains to

:02:47. > :02:53.be seen, but he must get off to a good start against Mark Selby.

:02:54. > :02:58.Agreed. Stephen Maguire against Barry Hawkins, two fantastic

:02:59. > :03:02.matchplayers. Very tough to call, Hawkins on current form but Stephen

:03:03. > :03:06.Maguire has won the UK Championship, a big-time player. He has only got

:03:07. > :03:10.to the semifinal here in previous years. Had a great chance years ago

:03:11. > :03:17.against John Higgins, didn't convert. That will be close to call.

:03:18. > :03:22.John Higgins and Kyren Wilson is a very interesting match-up, young

:03:23. > :03:26.versus old. Still going strong, four times champion, it will be very

:03:27. > :03:32.close. John Higgins looks in imperious form, as does Kyren

:03:33. > :03:37.Wilson. The match most watched in China, Ding Junhui against Ronnie

:03:38. > :03:41.O'Sullivan. And snooker fans all around the world, on the edge of our

:03:42. > :03:45.seats. It is too close to call, for me. The way Ding played against

:03:46. > :03:49.Liang Wenbo was fantastic in the last couple of frames. And Ronnie

:03:50. > :03:53.O'Sullivan at his brilliant best against Shaun Murphy. It could go

:03:54. > :03:58.right to the wire, just like Fu and Neil Robertson. All for those

:03:59. > :04:11.matches feature on our menu this afternoon. -- four of those matches.

:04:12. > :04:16.Ronnie's favourite against Ding. Only the second time John Higgins

:04:17. > :04:21.and Kyren Wilson have ever match. The holder of Mark Selby has not had

:04:22. > :04:25.to reach top gear, plenty in the tank ahead of this afternoon. But

:04:26. > :04:30.his opponent, Marco Fu, may need a pit stop and an oil change after

:04:31. > :04:34.gliding through the gears last night against Neil Robertson. Nothing

:04:35. > :04:38.wrong with his competitive engine. Mild-mannered Barry Hawkins has won

:04:39. > :04:43.his last three matches against fiery Scot Stephen Maguire, but they're

:04:44. > :04:47.only contest here went to a decider. We would take that again. A

:04:48. > :04:54.behind-the-scenes glance at the Crucible, today, a day in the life

:04:55. > :04:57.of our MC, Rob Walker. And a big day in the Winter Gardens, as snooker's

:04:58. > :05:03.top dog takes on the pot quiz challenge. As always, we would love

:05:04. > :05:08.to hear your views, your predictions and any questions for the team in

:05:09. > :05:14.the studio. Get in touch using the hashtag #BBC snooker. Many of you

:05:15. > :05:20.will remember a formative night in the career of Ding Junhui, ten years

:05:21. > :05:24.ago, the Masters final 2007. China's great hope in the snooker world was

:05:25. > :05:28.still four months shy of his 20th birthday. He got to the final and

:05:29. > :05:34.was trounced by Ronnie O'Sullivan and reduced to tears. A very

:05:35. > :05:39.sporting Rocket comforted him. Ten years have gone by, he is now 30, he

:05:40. > :05:44.has won 12 big titles, he just needs this to join the greats of the game

:05:45. > :05:47.and become a Triple Crown winner. So is the young apprentice finally

:05:48. > :05:55.ready to topple the master? We have been canvassing opinion.

:05:56. > :06:03.We just want to know who you think has the edge in this one? Ding or

:06:04. > :06:09.Ronnie O'Sullivan? I think it would be a close match, if Ronnie's mind

:06:10. > :06:16.is right, I think he will win 13-11. I think Ding will win today. This

:06:17. > :06:26.session? I think Marco Fu will win the tournament. O'Sullivan. Is it

:06:27. > :06:30.dependent on his mindset? After the first round against Gary Wilson, and

:06:31. > :06:36.then to beat Shaun Murphy... It is between him and Higgins this year.

:06:37. > :06:44.Tight at the start. But I think Ronnie will win. Ronnie, definitely.

:06:45. > :06:50.No question? He really wants to win this year. It's going to be touch

:06:51. > :07:01.and go. I think it will be close, like 13-12. Who has the edge? Ding.

:07:02. > :07:06.I say Ronnie. Both big break-builders. It will be

:07:07. > :07:12.interesting. They have played a few times and it's always been quite

:07:13. > :07:18.close. Definitely Ronnie. Who has the edge? Ronnie, I love him. We

:07:19. > :07:23.have been coming for three years and I have been hoping to see him. It is

:07:24. > :07:27.tough because Ding Junhui is a very good player and has done

:07:28. > :07:32.exceptionally well to get to the quarterfinal again, but Ronnie on

:07:33. > :07:38.his day is the best. Let's hope for a Ronnie win. The head-to-heads did

:07:39. > :07:46.make comfortable reading for Ding Junhui. Two wins to ten for Ronnie.

:07:47. > :07:52.He suffered a 10-2 drubbing at the opening round in the Crucible. It is

:07:53. > :07:53.ten years since Ding beat Ronnie in any match. What an occasion this is

:07:54. > :08:09.for him today. I love to perform and to play. The

:08:10. > :08:14.fans pay their money and they support you over the years. As a

:08:15. > :08:22.pro, as an entertainer, you thrive of that stuff. My form is good.

:08:23. > :08:25.Sometimes maybe the first session doesn't play good, and maybe the

:08:26. > :08:33.other player is playing good... It's going to change a lot. Important to

:08:34. > :08:37.learn to stay in form. You have to keep fighting all the way. If you

:08:38. > :08:40.are behind, the crowd want you to get back into it. If you are in

:08:41. > :08:44.front, you are just trying to get more and more in front. A place

:08:45. > :08:50.where you have to find your inner strength. I believe I can win this

:08:51. > :08:58.year. Try to challenge every match, challenge myself, see how I'm going.

:08:59. > :09:04.And also, I need to play good, and thinking well. Have bad times and

:09:05. > :09:09.good times. You need to mix that in and sometimes you have to take the

:09:10. > :09:15.bad times. You just have to put your work in, the practice, come as you

:09:16. > :09:20.can and hope you get the rub of the green. Things can go your way or you

:09:21. > :09:21.make it happen. Opponents, you try not to let that influence your

:09:22. > :09:32.approach. This morning, Stephen Hendry and

:09:33. > :09:36.Dennis Taylor positively sprinted into the commentary box to see this.

:09:37. > :09:44.They saw Ding Junhui sprinting out of his blocks, breaks of 71, 128, 71

:09:45. > :09:53.giving him a 3-0 lead. But Ronnie hit back, 63, 99, 65 to level it at

:09:54. > :10:33.3-3. As you can tell, great stuff so far. This is frame seven.

:10:34. > :10:40.So, maybe that Mr red into the middle pocket for Ronnie will

:10:41. > :10:53.jump-start Ding. -- missed red. Not a bad chance, this, for Ding

:10:54. > :10:54.Junhui. Can he get the form back that he showed in the three opening

:10:55. > :11:13.frames? Ronnie hit it all wrong. He thought

:11:14. > :11:32.it was a big pocket in-off the red. Ding, well, he may be able to pot

:11:33. > :11:33.one into the middle pocket, but that last one, just lost a bit of timing

:11:34. > :11:42.at the moment. Good recovery. Very good recovery

:11:43. > :11:57.there. A nice angle on the black to stun

:11:58. > :11:59.into the red closest to the black. Looking for a possibility of a red

:12:00. > :12:16.into the right middle. You could see, that red was on its

:12:17. > :12:21.way, that's why he didn't hit it as hard as he normally would. Would

:12:22. > :12:23.normally go into these with a lot more pace, but the red going towards

:12:24. > :12:32.the right middle pocket... And because he hasn't hit it at the

:12:33. > :12:49.pace he wanted, he hasn't finished on one. A bit unfortunate there.

:12:50. > :12:55.Potted a terrific one in the middle pocket to keep this effort going.

:12:56. > :13:03.We'll have to play another good one into the same pocket.

:13:04. > :13:34.Not the best of angles, this. And he has to play it with a bit of pace.

:13:35. > :13:42.Had to be very precise. Nicely played. Good chance for Ronnie to

:13:43. > :13:52.continue in the form that he showed in the last three frames. Breaks of

:13:53. > :13:54.63, 99, 65 and 37 in the last frame. From 3-0 behind, all of a sudden he

:13:55. > :14:09.could go one ahead. That seemed to come off the cushion

:14:10. > :14:16.quite quickly there. He got a fast bounce off it.

:14:17. > :14:28.I think we are seeing now the reason why Ronnie has a 10-2 lead over Ding

:14:29. > :14:30.in matches. He has come back at Ding from 3-0 down to 3-3 and Ding seems

:14:31. > :14:55.to have gone into his shell. He has been at the end of some heavy

:14:56. > :14:57.beatings. The famous one, 2007 Masters, when he lost 10-3. He

:14:58. > :15:02.wanted to walk out. So a huge test, this match, for Ding

:15:03. > :16:00.Junhui. You can see by the average shot time

:16:01. > :16:08.how quickly Ronnie is starting to play.

:16:09. > :16:56.A quick glance at the scoreboard, but he has quite a few to pot.

:16:57. > :17:00.Just having the cue ball cleaned, which he doesn't do very often, it

:17:01. > :17:24.has to be said. Probably had it cleaned there just

:17:25. > :17:27.because of the type of shot he was playing. The run-through, the sort

:17:28. > :17:32.of shot sometimes you get a heavy contact on.

:17:33. > :17:47.Great shot, really was. The stun run-through that Dennis was talking

:17:48. > :17:56.about earlier, off two cushions. Just forced the angle.

:17:57. > :18:01.Getting to the stage now where it's going to be a good result for Ding

:18:02. > :18:24.to come out 4-4, and he led 3-0. Not a natural angle. The middle

:18:25. > :18:29.pocket's in the way to go down and play a cannon onto the two reds at

:18:30. > :18:31.the other end of the table. Not straightforward to get on the one

:18:32. > :18:42.closest to the cue ball either. That is a superb positional shot. He

:18:43. > :18:51.couldn't go down the left side of the table. Pulled out a terrific

:18:52. > :19:20.positional shot there. Shot of the match so far.

:19:21. > :19:58.This is a pretty good shot from Ding Junhui. Got the snooker.

:19:59. > :20:11.But with the two reds up the other end of the table...

:20:12. > :20:17.Going to be very difficult for Ding to get two reds, two blacks and all

:20:18. > :20:26.of the colours to tie the frame. Has got the snooker again. Easy to

:20:27. > :21:58.escape from. He wants to try and keep those reds

:21:59. > :22:11.up that end of the table. Because of Ding needing two reds, two black,s.

:22:12. > :22:18.I'm usual for Ronnie to think for this length of time over a shot like

:22:19. > :22:20.this. He could do with a colour safe or something, but it's not easy to

:22:21. > :22:49.play a good safety shot here. Now, can he get past the brown and

:22:50. > :23:04.get up onto the black? I think he can.

:23:05. > :23:11.He has overcut it. He was perfectly on the black. But he missed the red

:23:12. > :23:16.by quite a margin there. He is under a bit of pressure now,

:23:17. > :24:34.the Chinese player. A chance for Ronnie to close this

:24:35. > :24:44.frame out. Ding has an angle on this red to

:24:45. > :24:59.stun over behind the black. Surely we couldn't have a re-spotted

:25:00. > :25:12.black? Well, we just might. As long as he

:25:13. > :25:19.gets a good angle on the red, he can get back to the black.

:25:20. > :25:24.We have had everything so far in this quarterfinal match. Players

:25:25. > :25:35.winning frames with one visit. And every chance there could be a

:25:36. > :25:59.re-spotted black. It's all happening.

:26:00. > :26:07.This is going to be a tough positional shot, because he needs to

:26:08. > :26:13.be the right side of the green to get back to the brown.

:26:14. > :26:23.He has overdone it. By such a distance he might have to play the

:26:24. > :26:25.green into the corner. Possibly can use the blue to follow through off

:26:26. > :26:49.the side cushion for the brown. I think Ding thought he had missed

:26:50. > :27:00.the green but it went in-off the jaw.

:27:01. > :27:09.It's early in this quarterfinal, but this is a mini turning point.

:27:10. > :27:30.Ronnie was starting to dominate. Now he's faced with a re-spotted black.

:27:31. > :27:39.In goes the black and we do have a re-spot.

:27:40. > :27:44.Heads or tails, Dennis. I was always tales. I was always a gentle man and

:27:45. > :27:57.I let the other fella call! He is putting Ronnie in. It is a

:27:58. > :27:59.different shop these days. It used to be up and down the spots. Not

:28:00. > :28:02.these days. And you give the player a chance of

:28:03. > :28:19.taking the double on. He is thinking about it. Might be

:28:20. > :28:25.better pushing the black onto the cushion behind the black spot.

:28:26. > :28:31.That's put a lot of distance between the cue ball and object ball. Quite

:28:32. > :28:55.a good shot. He's got the DDK, the dreaded

:28:56. > :28:59.double-kiss. That's what he thinks about it.

:29:00. > :29:07.Well, for all the world, it looked as if Ronnie O'Sullivan was going to

:29:08. > :29:13.go from 3-0 behind to lead 4-3. And Ding Junhui has won that frame on a

:29:14. > :29:16.re-spotted black and is back in the lead at 4-3.

:29:17. > :29:21.STUDIO: Every frame so far has produced a break of at least 60, but

:29:22. > :29:28.that is the first to go down to the wire. Ding stops the reciprocal

:29:29. > :29:29.charge from Ronnie. Will the man from China emerge from the session

:29:30. > :29:44.with his lead intact? COMMENTATOR: It's going very close

:29:45. > :29:55.to the pocket. It is in the pocket. Ronnie O'Sullivan, four. This long

:29:56. > :30:03.red that Ronnie is looking at, he can only get on the pink, or

:30:04. > :30:04.depending on how he places the cue ball, could play it a little firmer

:30:05. > :30:21.for the blue. Terrific, going a little further

:30:22. > :30:31.than he intended, the most important thing was the cueing on that shot.

:30:32. > :30:58.This was sweet. Fantastic long pot. Shows you what

:30:59. > :31:01.big-time temperament is in snooker, disappointment at losing that last

:31:02. > :31:16.frame immediately forgotten, back, focused on the next frame.

:31:17. > :31:30.Off Ding Junhui had breaks of 71, Ronnie, 63, 95, 69. Brilliant stuff.

:31:31. > :31:34.Yes, I am just surprised they have not been bought century breaks. I

:31:35. > :31:46.thought there would be at least three this morning. But it has been

:31:47. > :31:50.pretty savage scoring, you must say. Ronnie just taking the opportunity

:31:51. > :31:58.to sit down and have a sip of water. And another pink is tied up also. --

:31:59. > :32:03.now the pink is tied up also. He might take the risk of trying to

:32:04. > :32:18.bring the black into play. If he can just click that read away from the

:32:19. > :32:23.black. -- flick that red away, which he has done. The cue ball going to

:32:24. > :32:25.the cushion, Cummings off the cushion and hopefully will be nicer

:32:26. > :32:50.than the red. Fat too seen a contact on the reds.

:32:51. > :32:52.-- far too soon. I don't think he meant to hit that one with the one

:32:53. > :33:17.just behind it. If you grimace is from Ronnie, he is

:33:18. > :33:25.not sure as to whether he should take on this red. It is not the pot,

:33:26. > :33:26.it is the angle. With the white heading over towards the red, and

:33:27. > :33:45.the black... Is he on the black? If he can cut

:33:46. > :33:59.this in he's going to go straight into the reds. It's an natural

:34:00. > :34:19.angle. And that has turned out very nicely indeed.

:34:20. > :34:30.I am not sure what someone in the audience has been asked to switch

:34:31. > :34:36.of, a camera perhaps, I'm not sure, right in the line of sight. I know

:34:37. > :34:42.that Ronnie was telling me in this last March he had to pot a very

:34:43. > :34:49.crucial black and someone at the front thought, he is going to

:34:50. > :34:51.pottery maxes, I will get up and got up just as Ronnie was delivering the

:34:52. > :35:06.cue. -- he is going to pot this. I will be shocked if Ronnie

:35:07. > :35:11.O'Sullivan doesn't make century now. He is a top player, he is in a

:35:12. > :36:08.situation where you switch on, you need this frame.

:36:09. > :36:28.That sounded very, very heavy, that contact. You could hear it.

:36:29. > :36:41.Very unlucky to get the kick at that stage but he has played a clever

:36:42. > :36:44.shot. If he pots that red is on the black, without the kick he would

:36:45. > :37:01.have made enough to have levelled the scores. Ding Junhui pinched the

:37:02. > :37:07.last frame, with two reds on. As we show you the contact again, you can

:37:08. > :38:19.see the black jumping off the spot. Which just pulled the cue ball up.

:38:20. > :38:28.Fat kiss on the blue might mean that Ronnie can take this long red on

:38:29. > :38:35.because if he ported it he would be on the black. Once again it is one

:38:36. > :38:41.of those situations, he's not bothering to have a go at it but

:38:42. > :38:46.look where he has doubled the reds two, it needs to pull up and it has

:38:47. > :38:52.done, just in time. He decided to make sure and cover the red that was

:38:53. > :38:55.near the right middle pocket. This is definitely worth the risk, taking

:38:56. > :39:21.on this one. Well done. He must be feeling good after

:39:22. > :39:23.winning that last frame. We know how good he has been when he has got in

:39:24. > :39:41.the balls this morning. What a chance. The last two friends

:39:42. > :39:43.have heard his opponent. -- the last two frames have really hurt his

:39:44. > :40:51.opponent. This is the key shot coming up. If

:40:52. > :41:04.he gets the cannon correct he will open up all four reds.

:41:05. > :41:16.Well, it has not worked out. If he plays the

:41:17. > :41:25.cannon he had a rather get the reds closer to the pink spot because the

:41:26. > :41:28.red he had was always going to knock the other one safe. He can and the

:41:29. > :42:06.wrong red. -- he Almost got a delightful flick off

:42:07. > :42:18.the yellow but he can see this read, to the left. -- this red. And the

:42:19. > :42:20.Green are coming to the rescue that was a pretty good cue ball that Ding

:42:21. > :42:56.Junhui got. And intentional cannon into the red.

:42:57. > :43:00.-- that was non-intentional cannon. Thinking he could finish on the

:43:01. > :43:09.yellow if he's able to pot this. It's a bit of a free shot but it

:43:10. > :43:18.could pay dividends if he this back. He's got a kick. What a horrendous

:43:19. > :43:20.kick. What a result. Talk about having bad luck and good luck in one

:43:21. > :43:57.shot. Every chance now fought Ding Junhui

:43:58. > :44:01.to pinch another frame. Although he was very fortunate to fluke the

:44:02. > :44:18.snooker there. Unlucky with the heavy contact. Ding what have you

:44:19. > :44:25.done. What a chance. OK, still got Ronnie into a lot of trouble. If you

:44:26. > :44:38.he's not going to get many more chances to pinch this frame. If you

:44:39. > :44:48.try to find the red closest to this cushion although it's not easy. Far

:44:49. > :44:53.from it. -- he will try. This would be some escape. He needs to hit

:44:54. > :44:59.possibly four cushions. Just look at this. There is the first question,

:45:00. > :45:07.the second cushion, the third cushion. He didn't want to hit that

:45:08. > :45:12.but he was trying to get on the one that Stephen mentioned but it was a

:45:13. > :45:17.tough situation, if he was to lose this frame he would be very

:45:18. > :45:24.disappointed because from 3-0 behind, he took complete control of

:45:25. > :45:29.the match and really Ding pinched that frame when he needed the two

:45:30. > :45:44.reds, the two blacks and all the colours. He has overcut it. Just a

:45:45. > :45:49.little bit of tension. In this last frame of the session. It will be

:45:50. > :45:52.relieved Ronnie O'Sullivan who comes to the table but Ding Junhui has

:45:53. > :46:14.thrown away a golden chance. He had three golden chances to pinch

:46:15. > :46:24.this frame. At this level you can't really afford to let three chances

:46:25. > :46:29.like that slip. Ronnie had made an early break of 59 and could easily

:46:30. > :46:32.have lost the frame but the standard, as I mentioned before,

:46:33. > :47:09.every frame that has been a break of 50 or more. Most of them 60 or more.

:47:10. > :47:19.I suppose Ronnie will be quite pleased, from 3-0 down to come out

:47:20. > :47:24.for- four but there was a chance that he could have won all five

:47:25. > :47:28.friends, almost did. It has been very quick stuff over the two hours.

:47:29. > :47:39.The longest frame was the last frame which took 22 minutes. An exhibition

:47:40. > :47:45.shot to finish. He's not going to bother with the black. Handshakes

:47:46. > :47:48.all around. A very entertaining opening session of this

:47:49. > :47:56.quarterfinal. Both players playing terrific stuff and in the end Ronnie

:47:57. > :48:08.O'Sullivan does well to come out of the session, all square, 4-4.

:48:09. > :48:17.What do you think of the qualities so far, John? Brilliant, it's been

:48:18. > :48:25.superb. All aid frames, it's just a bit longer than O'Brien took to

:48:26. > :48:32.qualify. Leave my mate alone! One century, 270s, and we spotted black,

:48:33. > :48:38.it has not been dull. How does Ding change the dynamic against a man who

:48:39. > :48:44.has led for so long in their matches in similar years? It is easy for us

:48:45. > :48:48.to the past but sometimes there are always memories at the back of the

:48:49. > :48:53.mind. And he will go through those emotions but you just have to get

:48:54. > :48:58.over it, go out and play the balls as you see them. Think about your

:48:59. > :49:04.own game, but how well you are playing. He is killing beautifully.

:49:05. > :49:06.I think of the two players Ding will be disappointed that he doesn't have

:49:07. > :49:11.a lead going into the session tonight. He should have won that

:49:12. > :49:15.frame, probably should have won the previous one, he had a chance to go

:49:16. > :49:19.ahead and didn't take it. Those kind of friends can come back to haunt

:49:20. > :49:24.you. They can be the difference between winning and losing. Stephen

:49:25. > :49:29.Hendry said if anyone has the game to beat Ronnie its Ding Junhui. He

:49:30. > :49:33.is a brilliant champion in his own right but the crucial question is

:49:34. > :49:38.does he have the strength of mind to beat Ronnie especially given this

:49:39. > :49:42.history between them. And other an elongated number of frames. You've

:49:43. > :49:47.just got to prove it. We can talk as much as we like, at the end of the

:49:48. > :49:50.day he has to do it with his cue. He has the capabilities because he is a

:49:51. > :49:55.scorer and if you don't score against Ronnie you want when. Nobody

:49:56. > :49:58.can help him but himself. Fascinating so far and another aid

:49:59. > :50:02.frames this evening. If you are lucky enough to have been at the

:50:03. > :50:14.Crucible of the last ten years you will have seen Rob Walker

:50:15. > :50:18.doing his stuff brilliantly. He is a good warm up act before the live

:50:19. > :50:21.matches begin. And more often than not you will see Rob out there

:50:22. > :50:24.strutting his stuff and mentioning some of the VIPs in the crowd,

:50:25. > :50:25.people who have come from around the world to celebrate, celebrate a

:50:26. > :50:30.birthday perhaps and sometimes singling out someone in the crowd

:50:31. > :50:34.for whom a visit to the Crucible has special significance. It could be a

:50:35. > :50:38.timely boost they need. It's the same as it was ten years ago for a

:50:39. > :50:44.lad named George Marietta was just ten years of age. Making his debut

:50:45. > :50:52.at the Crucible at the staggering age of ten. From Chesterfield please

:50:53. > :50:57.welcome George Marriott! It is hard to believe that was eight years ago.

:50:58. > :51:03.A few more wrinkles for me and at least two and a half feet for big

:51:04. > :51:08.George Marriott. George, it's nice to see you back here. To see you as

:51:09. > :51:14.well Rob. It's good to be back at the snooker. To me it doesn't seem

:51:15. > :51:18.like eight years ago. You were a little boy then come you are a man

:51:19. > :51:23.now, can you remember that vividly? If you might very remember the day

:51:24. > :51:27.vividly, it is one of those who can't forget, once-in-a-lifetime

:51:28. > :51:33.experience to wear a waistcoat made of baize, and when you are a big

:51:34. > :51:38.snooker fan and you knew Nigel Bond as well, to introduce at the

:51:39. > :51:41.Crucible was amazing. The Sheffield Children's Hospital Charity got in

:51:42. > :51:47.touch with you because at the time I had just been diagnosed with my

:51:48. > :51:50.brain tumour. I kick-started my charity campaign raising the money

:51:51. > :51:56.for them and that was a big boost to the start of my campaign. Seuk-hyun

:51:57. > :52:02.Baek I had a caravan back in the day and I met George and his family in

:52:03. > :52:07.France believe it or not. His dad recognised me from the snooker. We

:52:08. > :52:11.kept in touch and it sort of went from there. It was generous of you

:52:12. > :52:15.to allow us to bring George into the walk on because that is the time

:52:16. > :52:19.when many players would be fully focused on the job but you were

:52:20. > :52:25.quite relaxed about it. I was quite happy to do that. George, take it

:52:26. > :52:31.away. Let's get the boys on the baize. Liverpool it was a great

:52:32. > :52:37.moment for George and I was more than happy to do it for him. I've

:52:38. > :52:43.had quite a few operations since then and been in and out of hospital

:52:44. > :52:48.a lot but my main aim has been fundraising. You've impressed the

:52:49. > :52:52.sponsors. They've given you a job this time. And helping with social

:52:53. > :52:56.media, getting to know anything that happens at the snooker. And for me

:52:57. > :53:01.as a big snooker fan it's a wonderful experience to be here.

:53:02. > :53:08.This guy is dynamite. He's George Marriott. What a fantastic story and

:53:09. > :53:12.the start of something very special all those years ago for George and

:53:13. > :53:15.it's great to see him around the venue now working with World

:53:16. > :53:20.Snooker. Dreams are made of that kind of stuff. We are going to talk

:53:21. > :53:25.about the other quarterfinal now that features the youngest man in

:53:26. > :53:31.the draw, Kyren Wilson, 26, who is in back-to-back quarterfinals here.

:53:32. > :53:35.His nickname is the Warrior. That belies wiliness and ring craft, that

:53:36. > :53:42.nickname. Kenna rechristened him the wily warrior the other day. He will

:53:43. > :53:46.have to remaster all his wing craft because he is up against perhaps the

:53:47. > :53:47.greatest technician at the game has ever known, four times champion John

:53:48. > :54:03.Higgins. Is a great talent. He fancies it. He

:54:04. > :54:08.has been here lasted, he just lost to Mark Selby, the champion, last

:54:09. > :54:15.year. I be giving it my all. I know it will be an extremely tough game,

:54:16. > :54:20.definitely. He is a great champion, won it four times, been there and

:54:21. > :54:25.bought the T-shirt. It will be a tough match. I've got to prepare

:54:26. > :54:29.right. I will have to be at the top of my game to beat Kyren Wilson and

:54:30. > :54:35.whatever happens after that, it's tight margins at the top just now.

:54:36. > :54:38.These are all great players and teach my. I am in the quarterfinals

:54:39. > :54:44.now so it's only going to get tougher. -- these are all great

:54:45. > :54:50.players here. Not much to go on when you survey their previous contests,

:54:51. > :54:54.only one time has Wilson got the better of the Scots at which will be

:54:55. > :55:00.fascinating to see how he plays in his second consecutive appearance in

:55:01. > :55:05.the crushable quarterfinal. It must have aged him terribly because he's

:55:06. > :55:11.only turned 25. Apologies to him, he is just a young man. Peter spotted

:55:12. > :55:15.his potential as a six-year old and beta is keeping an eye on the

:55:16. > :55:19.session along with John Virgo. We left it earlier with Higgins having

:55:20. > :55:21.taken an early lead. We'll pick it up in friendly and this time the

:55:22. > :55:39.Scotsman is trailing by seven if he nestles to this Kyren he may

:55:40. > :55:46.leave a Kyren to the middle. The two-cushion escape. That was a bit

:55:47. > :56:02.of hit and halt. I think Kyren can get past the black. It's not like

:56:03. > :56:07.John to play a shot like that. So Kyren Wilson has been rewarded for

:56:08. > :56:19.an excellent safety shot. Played that nicely. Good control of the cue

:56:20. > :56:29.ball. Choice of pink or black. Just taking a look at the scores. Taking

:56:30. > :56:36.the black. Easier to do than it was in the old days. Personally if I am

:56:37. > :56:45.being honest I think I would have played the pink there. But it is OK.

:56:46. > :56:49.He's just got to be able to avoid the red that is close to the top

:56:50. > :56:52.cushion. He wants to be on the black. The pink is available and

:56:53. > :57:00.that he wants to stay around the black spot area. I wondered if he

:57:01. > :57:07.might take the opportunity to move with the pink in the middle so it

:57:08. > :57:14.was well thought out. And if that red has held the black spot it is

:57:15. > :57:18.even better. He would hope it has, because if it hasn't and he puts the

:57:19. > :57:27.black that red is going to be tied up. Two ways of looking at

:57:28. > :57:46.everything. Good shot needed on the pink. Lots of follow-through.

:57:47. > :57:54.22 points to lead but still 43 remaining. This would be a risky

:57:55. > :58:10.part, should he take it on. He is desperate to. This is really tricky.

:58:11. > :58:31.That is a great shot. Well played. He will not be winning the frame at

:58:32. > :58:37.this visit, though. So how does he play this? Looks like he's going to

:58:38. > :58:43.go thin off the pink. Just try to get the cue ball in the jaws of the

:58:44. > :58:51.far corner pocket. Could have thought of a better shot than that.

:58:52. > :58:56.Tried to get that cue ball near the cushion, he's left John with his

:58:57. > :59:01.hand on the table, kick it at the table, could give him the upper

:59:02. > :59:06.hand. A couple of ways that John Higgins could play this. He could

:59:07. > :59:16.move the blue and he could snooker Kyren behind the black as well. They

:59:17. > :59:22.did very well. -- played that are very well. Kyren coming to the table

:59:23. > :59:32.shaking his head. You need a good cue ball in those instances. He

:59:33. > :59:34.won't be shaking his head now as he walks back to his seat. It will be

:59:35. > :00:02.more of a nod. Good hit. But always the problem,

:00:03. > :00:09.it's not so much the hit, it is can you get it safe. John will feel

:00:10. > :00:22.miffed with Kyren fluking the snooker. And nicely potted. So it

:00:23. > :00:25.looks now as if Kyren Wilson is going to get his first frame on the

:00:26. > :00:37.scoreboard and nothing settles you better.

:00:38. > :00:44.27 points the lead, 27 remaining, but not for long.

:00:45. > :01:31.It doesn't matter about the blue, John Higgins stays in his seat.

:01:32. > :01:34.Kyren Wilson has his first frame on the scoreboard. John Higgins leads

:01:35. > :01:38.by 2-1. STUDIO: And there was no stopping

:01:39. > :01:42.the former Shanghai Masters champion Kyren Wilson, because he took the

:01:43. > :01:47.next as well with a break of 92 to get back on level terms. Frame five

:01:48. > :01:57.after the interval, Higgins at the table ahead by 16 points.

:01:58. > :02:04.COMMENTATOR: This red is going to be left on, but hampered by the green.

:02:05. > :02:11.He may just be able to get past the blue. He can, but the green being

:02:12. > :02:24.there just makes this very awkward cueing.

:02:25. > :02:32.That is absolutely brilliant. Such a difficult shot. Hampered by the

:02:33. > :03:09.green. Tremendous shot. What can be missed at the Crucible

:03:10. > :03:14.Theatre, the World Championship? Never take anything for granted.

:03:15. > :03:18.For somebody that is so good with the rest, that was an incredible

:03:19. > :03:37.miss. Straightforward yellow, and somebody

:03:38. > :03:42.like John Higgins who usually pounces on his opponent's mistakes

:03:43. > :03:48.to really make them suffer, misses a chance there.

:03:49. > :03:54.Very unusual for John Higgins. You feel maybe they are still seething

:03:55. > :04:04.from his last visit to the table where he felt he was distracted.

:04:05. > :04:10.If he hasn't left this yellow, he has been very fortunate. Quite an

:04:11. > :04:14.easy shot to play the snooker behind the black.

:04:15. > :04:20.Having taken on a very difficult yellow, he's been very fortunate not

:04:21. > :04:28.to leave John Higgins an easy opportunity.

:04:29. > :04:54.Whoever loses this frame will look back on chances missed.

:04:55. > :05:10.What John's got to do here, no option you feel but to send the

:05:11. > :05:25.yellow back up to this end of the table.

:05:26. > :05:34.John Higgins's turn to be fortunate this time. Because that could quite

:05:35. > :05:47.easily have ended up in an easier position.

:05:48. > :06:04.Yes, all that frustration of missing the chances earlier... Now needs one

:06:05. > :06:10.good positional shot. He couldn't have played that much

:06:11. > :06:20.better. Blue on its spot would have made it

:06:21. > :06:40.a simple frame-winning chance. It's not so now.

:06:41. > :06:46.The cue ball is OK, but the potting angle on the blue is taking him away

:06:47. > :07:02.from the pink slightly. Oh, and another opportunity has gone

:07:03. > :07:07.begging! As I say, just didn't have the right potting angle on the blue.

:07:08. > :07:19.Playing it at pace made it missable, and that's what he did.

:07:20. > :07:26.You could say fortunate not to leave the blue, but from John Higgins'

:07:27. > :07:30.point of view, you are just glad to come back to the table still with a

:07:31. > :07:36.chance of winning the frame. Absolutely. I must admit, I didn't

:07:37. > :07:41.fancy Kyren to pot that in the middle. They are so small, and any

:07:42. > :07:44.pace whatsoever makes the shots into the middle pocket so difficult. A

:07:45. > :07:50.lot of people at home will be thinking, how has he missed that? It

:07:51. > :07:54.was a very, very tough pot. If they could have dropped it in dead

:07:55. > :07:55.weight, it wouldn't have been a problem, but that pace, very, very

:07:56. > :08:05.difficult. A good line, but just a little bit

:08:06. > :08:10.short. It's easy to play safe on the blue at the moment. Just play to the

:08:11. > :08:17.left-hand cushion, the black is a blocker for that corner pocket.

:08:18. > :08:27.Looking to get the cue ball behind the pink if he can...

:08:28. > :08:35.John may have to send the blue around the table. Needs to be

:08:36. > :08:41.careful not to leave the blue near the left-hand black pocket. He would

:08:42. > :08:44.like to stun the blue around the table and leave the white on the

:08:45. > :08:56.baulk cushion. That looked a risky way to go, but I

:08:57. > :09:01.tell you what, he couldn't have played it any better. I think he

:09:02. > :09:10.played the safety shot, not the cross double.

:09:11. > :09:46.But hampered, making it slightly awkward.

:09:47. > :10:03.This is a tough safety shot for Kyren.

:10:04. > :10:10.He has played that really well. Excellent shot. Well played.

:10:11. > :10:18.He did play it well. It was a risky way to go. If he got too far in

:10:19. > :10:30.behind the blue, he could well have knocked the black in.

:10:31. > :10:34.Difficult at the moment to see how either player can force the other

:10:35. > :11:12.one into a mistake. I don't think so. Because with the

:11:13. > :11:26.black being tight to the cushion, it's going to double-kiss.

:11:27. > :11:56.And in it goes. That was a frame, whoever lost it would be

:11:57. > :12:00.disappointed. John Higgins on it. It's Kyren Wilson who will have the

:12:01. > :12:04.battle scars from that one, trailing 3-2.

:12:05. > :12:08.STUDIO: They don't call him the warrior for nothing, because he

:12:09. > :12:17.bounced back with a 61 in frame six to level it at 3-3. At the top of

:12:18. > :12:21.the next frame, Kyren Wilson miscues and unfortunately damaged the tip of

:12:22. > :12:26.his cue. The players went out of the arena for ten minutes as Wilson

:12:27. > :12:31.underwent repairs to the cue. The tip was repaired, not replaced. Upon

:12:32. > :12:34.their return, we will pick it back up again at the table, Higgins to

:12:35. > :12:45.play, 11 points down. The problem with this situation here

:12:46. > :12:51.is neither player may want to take the risk of sending the cue ball

:12:52. > :12:52.into baulk because of the red which is close to the left-hand black

:12:53. > :13:10.pocket. So unfortunately this could well end

:13:11. > :13:11.up being a re-rack. Foul. Interesting, John Higgins said he

:13:12. > :13:33.fouled. I didn't see it myself. Hard, in fairness, for the referee.

:13:34. > :13:37.Kyren has put him back in. If the red pots, why would he do that?

:13:38. > :14:13.He mustn't have thought the red was pottable.

:14:14. > :14:20.Well, it's not as costly as it could have been.

:14:21. > :14:26.Well, John Higgins is on this red along the top cushion, and if it's

:14:27. > :14:27.tight to the cushion, it looks as though he has enough angle to come

:14:28. > :14:38.out for the black. I don't blame him for not trying to

:14:39. > :14:53.00 hard to get further up the table. He is bound to cannon into the red

:14:54. > :14:54.just above the black, which should hold the cue ball. Just pot the

:14:55. > :15:03.black. Just a fraction too thin. Just

:15:04. > :15:16.caught the left-hand jaw. And when you see that type of shot,

:15:17. > :15:23.don't let anyone tell you these pockets are easy.

:15:24. > :15:30.Yes, at that pace, even though it did touch the near jaw, that would

:15:31. > :15:41.have gone in on most club tables. So we are seeing a few mistakes from

:15:42. > :15:45.both players now. This black will put John a point in

:15:46. > :16:34.front. Forget the two reds near the centre

:16:35. > :16:42.pocket, the six reds in the open, with high value colours, would see

:16:43. > :18:03.him get to the snookers required stage. So this is a good chance.

:18:04. > :18:10.Got complete control of the cue ball now.

:18:11. > :18:15.As I say, these open reds were always going to be enough, with high

:18:16. > :18:29.value colours. A 25 point lead. These three reds with pink or black,

:18:30. > :18:37.and he wouldn't need the two awkward reds.

:18:38. > :18:45.He's overdone that slightly. Not too bad. They have to play a little

:18:46. > :18:50.cannon, which wasn't part of the master plan.

:18:51. > :18:54.Pot the pink and cannon the red to the right of it, you would have

:18:55. > :19:05.thought. And hampered by the blue. Makes it a

:19:06. > :19:09.little bit more awkward, having to use the rest now. All because he

:19:10. > :19:18.just overran by about three or four inches.

:19:19. > :20:03.So back in prime position. It could have gone wrong, but good shot.

:20:04. > :20:15.Red, pink or black would put him in the snookers required stage.

:20:16. > :20:28.It will be the black. That will put him 47 in front. With 43 remaining.

:20:29. > :20:39.Got the cannon but has not developed the reds. One snooker required by

:20:40. > :20:56.Kyren Wilson. Kyren will play on for that snooker.

:20:57. > :21:06.But if he doesn't get the snooker, John Higgins, who led 2-0, 3-2,

:21:07. > :21:10.could be 4-3 in front. STUDIO: Higgins 4-3 in front. In the

:21:11. > :21:17.last frame, Higgins had already made a break of 59. They played for about

:21:18. > :21:19.six or seven minutes thereafter. Wilson are against it, having

:21:20. > :21:26.earlier had the trouble with the tip of his cue... A miscue again, and he

:21:27. > :21:33.would go on to concede that frame to trail 3-5.

:21:34. > :21:40.Eight frames to play this evening. That is a very disconcerting last

:21:41. > :21:45.couple of frames for Kyren Wilson, Ken. The good thing is he has a bit

:21:46. > :21:50.of time before the evening session, to change the tip, I would suggest.

:21:51. > :21:56.Sometimes players have old tapes. John Parrott is an old stalwart at

:21:57. > :22:02.that. -- old tips. Keeping them in your case in case of a situation

:22:03. > :22:06.like this. Put that on, plenty of time to practice before tonight.

:22:07. > :22:10.Should be OK. I was speaking to Ronnie the other day, he changed his

:22:11. > :22:15.tip after the Shaun Murphy match. He wasn't happy with it, so I don't

:22:16. > :22:19.think it will be much of a problem. Disconcerting and unnerving, but at

:22:20. > :22:24.least he has a bit of time. It would have been worse if it happened

:22:25. > :22:28.earlier in the session, but he has a bit of time now. No point creating a

:22:29. > :22:32.drama out of it, but when it happens it is extremely unknown thing. Last

:22:33. > :22:36.year, in fact a few months ago, Ronnie O'Sullivan in the semifinal

:22:37. > :22:42.of the Masters against Marco Fu, having to take the interval early.

:22:43. > :22:48.And last year Marco in the semifinal against Mark Selby, the tip flew

:22:49. > :22:53.off. It must be really difficult to get your head back on when this is

:22:54. > :22:57.going on. It is, and when you put the tip on, if you don't have one

:22:58. > :23:01.that's already broken in, it is very, very soft, so it is a

:23:02. > :23:07.different feel and it takes you a while. To get the touch and feel you

:23:08. > :23:13.had with the old tip. It takes a bit of time but thankfully for Kyren he

:23:14. > :23:17.has time now. I am sure we will see a lot of him on the practice table

:23:18. > :23:22.before this evening. So not a new situation but still not nice for any

:23:23. > :23:23.player that has to go through it. Stephen has been talking to

:23:24. > :23:32.tournament director Martin Clark. Kyren Wilson damaged his tip on a

:23:33. > :23:37.miscue earlier and that has generated a lot of discussion on

:23:38. > :23:40.social media. I am with Martin Clark, the tournament director and a

:23:41. > :23:48.former top 16 snooker player. Can you shed some light on what happened

:23:49. > :23:52.today? In frame seven, Kyren waseering off the baulk cushion and

:23:53. > :23:57.split the side of his tip, so he had to come off and do some repair work.

:23:58. > :24:03.How much do you think that will have thrown him off? He was level with

:24:04. > :24:08.Higgins. Higgins took the final two frames. Did that affect what

:24:09. > :24:11.happened? Sometimes in that situation you can lose a bit of

:24:12. > :24:17.confidence in the tip playing certain shots, so it could have had

:24:18. > :24:20.an effect. On social media, people have been asking questions. Andrew

:24:21. > :24:28.made an interesting point, you would think players would have a spare

:24:29. > :24:34.cue, never mind a spare tip. The question of why don't players carry

:24:35. > :24:39.a spare cue has been asked. Cues are unique, every bit of wood is

:24:40. > :24:45.different. It is a lot easier to get used to a new tip than a different

:24:46. > :24:51.cue. I take it he will have to practice if you are places the tip,

:24:52. > :24:55.to bed it in? If he decides to change the tip between sessions, he

:24:56. > :25:00.will need to go to the practice room and practice for a couple of hours.

:25:01. > :25:05.Stephen asked that question, he said, how long will it take? He has

:25:06. > :25:09.to practice, but what is the time frame he will have to allocate? A

:25:10. > :25:15.couple of hours to get confidence with the tip. Graham and Katie have

:25:16. > :25:19.both said, the one thing a player doesn't want is to break the Q-Tip.

:25:20. > :25:26.Katie thinks it will definitely throw him off. -- the cue tip. You

:25:27. > :25:34.do lose confidence. If you have certain shots, it could happen.

:25:35. > :25:39.Thank you very much, Martin. Keep your thoughts coming, using the

:25:40. > :25:43.hashtag #BBC snooker. STUDIO: Keep the responses coming.

:25:44. > :25:47.They will be back this evening for another eight frames, but this is

:25:48. > :25:52.the line-up for this afternoon. A lot to get our teeth into. Mark

:25:53. > :25:59.Selby and Marco Fu, renewing their rivalry that burst into life in the

:26:00. > :26:03.semifinal last year. Selby pushed past Marco in a memorable final

:26:04. > :26:07.session 12 months ago. Barry Hawkins has reached the last eight for a

:26:08. > :26:11.fifth time in a row, and for the 36-year-old Glaswegian Stephen

:26:12. > :26:15.Maguire, he has failed to win a match if for the last five years. He

:26:16. > :26:20.has won five in a row to come through qualifying and make it into

:26:21. > :26:28.the second week. We mention Rob Walker's warm up earlier. This is

:26:29. > :26:32.him doing his thing before the afternoon session, having a laugh,

:26:33. > :26:35.telling everyone to switch off their mobile phones, which of course

:26:36. > :26:37.someone will inevitably forget to do. It is all part of the day job

:26:38. > :26:49.for our Crucible MC. I am Rob Walker, snooker MC, and

:26:50. > :26:58.I've been doing this for ten years. It is so important that your

:26:59. > :26:59.contribution to the drama is at the start of the evening and at the

:27:00. > :27:07.appropriate moments... It's just the best place in the

:27:08. > :27:11.world to come and be a part of live snooker. There is no venue like it

:27:12. > :27:16.anywhere in the world. Because the place where people in the -- and the

:27:17. > :27:21.players deserve everyone to walk through the door and think, right,

:27:22. > :27:26.I'm going to do my bit to be part of another great year of snooker. A

:27:27. > :27:27.world-class weekend of live sport starts right here, right now in

:27:28. > :27:35.Sheffield. I get a lot of stick sometimes on

:27:36. > :27:40.social media for being cheesy, but that is part of the role. You are

:27:41. > :27:44.there to pump people up. The national hero in China, enter the

:27:45. > :27:48.Dragon, Ding Junhui! You have to give it a bit of welly, because you

:27:49. > :27:53.want the audience to give that back. Not to you, but to the players when

:27:54. > :27:59.they walk out. We call him the warrior, Kyren Wilson! If it is fun

:28:00. > :28:04.for me coming back, in my little role as MC, imagine what that must

:28:05. > :28:06.feel like for the players. First time, tenth time, 23rd time, must be

:28:07. > :28:13.amazing. I have two really strong memories of

:28:14. > :28:17.the Crucible. The first is when I made my big mistake when I

:28:18. > :28:20.accidentally introduced Steve as Dennis Taylor. He's a legend, he's

:28:21. > :28:29.Dennis Taylor! Steve Davis! When he came out, he was laughing

:28:30. > :28:31.and he hugged me. And then the crowd almost felt as though they were part

:28:32. > :28:38.of a moment. And the other one is Steve's

:28:39. > :28:44.retirement walk around the arena last year.

:28:45. > :28:50.That was absolutely amazing. I nearly had a tear in my eye, a login

:28:51. > :28:57.my throat, just watching him go around. -- a lot in my throat. And

:28:58. > :29:00.when he came round for the interview, I started asking him a

:29:01. > :29:04.question and I saw he was getting emotional. I thought, you know what,

:29:05. > :29:09.this doesn't need words for anybody. I just hugged him and I stood back.

:29:10. > :29:14.The wave of emotion through the applause and the cheers just wafted

:29:15. > :29:16.over him. That was incredible. That is about as good as it gets at the

:29:17. > :29:24.Crucible. It's just been so special to be part

:29:25. > :29:30.of such a great event. Very humbling. You are watching people

:29:31. > :29:35.live out their dreams under the most intense, immense pressure. So it

:29:36. > :29:40.means everything that I've had a chance to be part of it for ten

:29:41. > :29:44.occasions. And it also means a great deal to all of us that we know this

:29:45. > :29:50.tournament is staying here for another ten years. Ruby anniversary,

:29:51. > :29:57.it will go to Golden, and that's the way it should be.

:29:58. > :30:06.Ten years, hard to believe. We met Duncan, our, a man on his 60th

:30:07. > :30:12.birthday yesterday. We were assessing and underlining how big a

:30:13. > :30:14.family business. That our cameraman. Rob is an energising presence

:30:15. > :30:21.backstage and here, what do the players make of his walk of

:30:22. > :30:26.introductions. It's fantastic, he has done a tremendous job, he is

:30:27. > :30:31.like a dual cell battery, he keeps going. He introduces everyone, gives

:30:32. > :30:35.them their nicknames, build it up. He sets the tone for everyone in the

:30:36. > :30:40.audience. And that is very special. The players will feel the energy

:30:41. > :30:44.coming from the crowd and they only get that from Rob, he does his job

:30:45. > :30:50.and does so well, it's fantastic. Coming through those curtains to

:30:51. > :30:54.that introduction, there is nothing like it. He's brilliant at it and

:30:55. > :31:00.follows in a long line of slick and seas. Alan Hughes was one of my

:31:01. > :31:08.favourites, responsible for many of the nicknames in snooker, Whirlwind,

:31:09. > :31:13.Rocket... He was fantastic. He led the way for Rob and Rob learned from

:31:14. > :31:17.him that Allen was one of the greats. Allen, if are watching we

:31:18. > :31:27.still think about you and we always say hello. But it is the man doing

:31:28. > :31:32.the honours now, it is Rob who will get us under way shortly. He will be

:31:33. > :31:42.teeing up our live contest, the one we will be watching today. I don't

:31:43. > :31:46.feel as much pressure as I did two years ago, coming into this

:31:47. > :31:50.tournament I had the best season have had as a professional which

:31:51. > :31:56.always helps the confidence. I need to find some form. I'm playing well,

:31:57. > :32:03.I think, just not producing on a consistent basis. In all

:32:04. > :32:08.departments. I played Marco last year in the semifinal, we had a good

:32:09. > :32:14.game, 17-15. Had a great season this year. We had a great game last in

:32:15. > :32:20.the semifinal. Yet, we play a similar type of game. It's just

:32:21. > :32:25.about who can handle the pressure better. I think you have to make

:32:26. > :32:31.mark the favourite for this much but and still in the tournament. I just

:32:32. > :32:35.need to be ready straightaway. In a way I think it's a good thing, if

:32:36. > :32:42.you peaked too early there's only one way you can go, which is down.

:32:43. > :32:52.I'm playing OK, not great snooker, not bad snooker. If you ask him,

:32:53. > :32:55.same as me, you would like to get among the balls but sometimes when

:32:56. > :32:59.they are messy and can tie you up and get you into all sorts of

:33:00. > :33:08.trouble. His safety game is probably the best in the world at the moment.

:33:09. > :33:12.It depends. It could go both ways. Down in the commentary box with your

:33:13. > :33:16.brains trust. That much last night was a classic. You only get those

:33:17. > :33:29.matches at the Crucible and that is when you find out if you can play. I

:33:30. > :33:32.thought he was the better player, Neal Robertson hung on with Aussie

:33:33. > :33:39.grid but I thought he was the bed and play at the end of the day. He's

:33:40. > :33:42.like a bottle of wine, Marco Fu. Judging players is difficult, you

:33:43. > :33:47.don't know what they go through in their lives, on the practice table

:33:48. > :33:50.form is always going up and down. This increase in form may have

:33:51. > :33:55.collided with the fact that he is now with young Mr Griffiths! Is it

:33:56. > :34:00.possible that the young pretender to the throne is no better than Terry

:34:01. > :34:05.Griffiths! Has he gone up in the rankings? Marco Fu seems to have

:34:06. > :34:12.more belief around the table. Can he beat the predator? This is a

:34:13. > :34:16.fascinating matchup. And also he's had a hard match last night and gone

:34:17. > :34:19.through the ringer, this opening session could be very important. I

:34:20. > :34:24.think we've got a contrast of styles. If it gets into a tactical

:34:25. > :34:30.battle I agree with Steve that Mark Selby will be favourite. Marco has

:34:31. > :34:34.to take chances. You've got to keep this much open. Of the two he will

:34:35. > :34:38.score more heavily than Mark Selby. It seems strange that when Marco

:34:39. > :34:45.gets among the balls he looks like winning frames in one visit. His

:34:46. > :34:49.opponent is a competitive animal. They have been on a journey so far

:34:50. > :34:52.in this tournament and I don't think anything that Mark Selby can throw

:34:53. > :34:56.out those two will deter them from their mission. Plenty of people

:34:57. > :35:00.throughout this season have been saying that Marco Fu is a potential

:35:01. > :35:06.world champion this year. This could be Mark Selby's toughest test so

:35:07. > :35:09.far. Thank you very much, boys, looking forward to listening to you

:35:10. > :35:20.this afternoon. Let's get robbed to bring the players out. Good

:35:21. > :35:23.afternoon, ladies and gentlemen, four of the very best waiting

:35:24. > :35:26.backstage ready to go toe to toe for a place in the semis this year, in

:35:27. > :35:43.Sheffield. APPLAUSE

:35:44. > :35:48.Please welcome first of all a player back in the quarterfinals for the

:35:49. > :35:51.first time in five years, coming through qualifying and conceding

:35:52. > :35:56.only five frames so far at the Crucible this year. It's the best

:35:57. > :36:00.we've seen from him in Sheffield for quite some time, from Glasgow, when

:36:01. > :36:16.he's good, he's on fire, it's Stephen Maguire!

:36:17. > :36:25.And his opponent whose victory over former world champion Graeme Dott

:36:26. > :36:28.have seen him into a fifth successive Crucible quarterfinal.

:36:29. > :36:33.Runner-up in 2013 he is this season's Grand Prix winner with

:36:34. > :36:41.three titles in all, he's no doubt comfortable here on the world's

:36:42. > :36:56.biggest stage, the Hawk, Barry Hawkins!

:36:57. > :37:03.On table one, a player who came through a monumental match against

:37:04. > :37:08.Neil Robertson last night to book his fourth Crucible quarterfinal.

:37:09. > :37:11.He's been in superb form this season winning the Scottish open in

:37:12. > :37:17.December and storming back up the rankings, one of the most important

:37:18. > :37:33.players ever to emerge from Asia. From Hong Kong, he's Marco Fu.

:37:34. > :37:46.And finally a player who buy this season alone has added four titles

:37:47. > :37:51.to his collection and has now been world number one for an incredible

:37:52. > :37:55.115 consecutive weeks he is of course the defending world champion,

:37:56. > :38:11.the Jester from Leicester, Mark Selby.

:38:12. > :38:20.STUDIO: First session of them match between Hawkins and Stephen Maguire

:38:21. > :38:25.on the BBC website and the app. Last night Mark Selby quietly worked on

:38:26. > :38:28.his routines backstage while we were on the air with the Marco Fu- Neil

:38:29. > :38:33.Robertson finale and he will have seen how much that gripping contest

:38:34. > :38:38.took out of them, how much does Marco Fu have to give 48 hours later

:38:39. > :38:42.and how much does Mark Selby still the tank? Let's find out with Steve

:38:43. > :38:46.Davis and John Virgo. COMMENTATOR: Thank you, Hazel. It will be a very

:38:47. > :38:56.interesting first session, this, no doubt. As you say, Marco Fu was put

:38:57. > :39:09.through the ringer last night. And that is not the best break-off shot.

:39:10. > :39:20.That he is here in the quarterfinal. So he needs to be at the top of his

:39:21. > :39:25.game. This chance for Mark. Right in the heart of the pocket type of shot

:39:26. > :39:36.he had been playing on the practice table. Played nicely, bladed

:39:37. > :39:43.confidently as well. Staying well short of the lines to leave an of

:39:44. > :40:02.colours. -- to leave an option of colours. The bottom follow through,

:40:03. > :40:06.skimming back of this green. Just overran it a fraction. The reason I

:40:07. > :40:12.say that, I don't think the black goes into the opposite corner. He

:40:13. > :40:17.might be able to put this and just cannon off to the right of it.

:40:18. > :40:24.Stayed on the black, played it well. Pretty important, these first

:40:25. > :40:30.frames, and they, Steve. I know you set a lot of stock by them. Yeah.

:40:31. > :40:35.You think that there's plenty of time in a match that is the best of

:40:36. > :40:40.25 but even in a match of this length, when you look back at the

:40:41. > :40:52.opening frames can be the turning points. It has happened. Not exactly

:40:53. > :41:04.the turning points but the critical points in a match.

:41:05. > :41:20.Nice deft touch there. Excellent control of the pace of the cue ball,

:41:21. > :41:27.Mark Selby. Tables in general now are pretty uniform. So you can trust

:41:28. > :41:32.them much more than you used to. Especially the shot that doesn't

:41:33. > :41:44.require any bounces off a cushion, for certain.

:41:45. > :41:59.A couple of new ones to play from before he considers going into the

:42:00. > :42:04.cluster. Bit of a kick on that shot. Doesn't really make much difference

:42:05. > :42:10.to the outcome. Up for the blue Nile. Probably the right time to

:42:11. > :42:16.consider going into the pack. -- up to the blue now. At least not

:42:17. > :42:34.directly. Well he did take the opportunity...

:42:35. > :42:43.The problem is when you are coming off a cushion you don't get pace off

:42:44. > :42:48.the cue ball. Has he been unlucky? Brilliant effort. Not only to get

:42:49. > :42:54.the power on, and control the speed of the shot, also the correct amount

:42:55. > :43:03.of side spin to get into the pack. Just went. Just went. A bit closer

:43:04. > :43:09.to that red and he would have wanted but he struck it well. He could go

:43:10. > :43:16.into the side of the pack now but it would be the wrong short. - the

:43:17. > :43:33.wrong short. Probably aimed to be low on this

:43:34. > :43:42.black, then he can open the reds up, should he so wish. I would imagine

:43:43. > :43:47.the glands and that red pretty full in the centre of the pack could show

:43:48. > :43:56.dividends but looks like he's digging a bit deeper than that. I

:43:57. > :44:02.fancied this turn into them more than the screw back. I don't think

:44:03. > :44:06.he will be too happy when the black history spotted. He could see the

:44:07. > :44:15.back spin. I thought that was asking for trouble. It's tough to criticise

:44:16. > :44:26.the world number one and world champion! I feel a bit uncomfortable

:44:27. > :44:35.doing it! Well, don't do it! End of break. He's probably trying to park

:44:36. > :44:39.the cue ball into the reds and got the wrong red. Good contribution.

:44:40. > :44:45.Just one of those things, went into them. Made most of that poor break

:44:46. > :45:19.of shot from Marco. Doesn't want that read to be tempted

:45:20. > :45:25.into the middle and it is. Certainly not a guaranteed part, with the cue

:45:26. > :45:30.ball underneath the cushion, you would expect him to get it, he's had

:45:31. > :45:44.a bit of table time, cue action going. It was the fact that he was

:45:45. > :45:49.tight and the cushions, he just had to concentrate on the pot to look

:45:50. > :45:59.for position and didn't get a good kiss on the brown. It's not a

:46:00. > :46:10.guaranteed snooker behind the brown. Could use a colour to try and screw

:46:11. > :46:15.in behind it. It's going to be tough to snooker Marco. I think he's done

:46:16. > :46:22.it well. Trying to guarantee sniggering Marco and the extreme

:46:23. > :46:29.reds, table. It's pretty critical. It could have got a bit of a

:46:30. > :46:39.headache for Marco here. Yes, I am trying to see an escape route. It's

:46:40. > :46:49.not easy to see one. To hit a red and not leave a possible spot on. If

:46:50. > :46:53.you nestle on it you leave the cue ball in an awkward place, that's the

:46:54. > :47:03.only thing I can think of at the moment. He could get around the back

:47:04. > :47:09.of the brown it's just so much more difficult to judge hitting into a

:47:10. > :47:14.cushion more or less immediately. He could be miles out with this. And

:47:15. > :47:19.the problem is with a couple of reds available, and the pink, he's run

:47:20. > :47:24.into them, needs a bit of luck here and I think he's had some. I think

:47:25. > :47:33.he played it with an element of hit and hope. Does this red just below

:47:34. > :47:47.the pink go to the middle? If it's does he isn't in luck. It does.

:47:48. > :47:50.Because he's not in line with it it will look tighter from where he is

:47:51. > :48:07.standing but it definitely just goes.

:48:08. > :48:18.Some players might have been forgiven for playing that slower to

:48:19. > :48:27.try to make the most of the pocket. Mark Selby brand it in. Confident

:48:28. > :48:39.pot. -- he rammed it in. Wasn't guaranteed to have left anything up.

:48:40. > :48:48.That wasn't a good shot, however. So much margin for error, he's put

:48:49. > :48:59.himself in a difficult position. He's looking very solid. Is a very

:49:00. > :49:04.controlled final pull-back and delivery, very mechanical, very

:49:05. > :49:17.solid under pressure. Repeats all the time. In many ways it is the

:49:18. > :49:35.ultimate snooker machine. Just 59 remaining. First frame over, no

:49:36. > :49:40.doubt. In all honesty Marco Fu has not done a lot wrong OK, poor break

:49:41. > :49:41.of shot but at this stage of the tournament you don't have to do much

:49:42. > :50:09.wrong to lose a frame. The ante has been upped. He has

:50:10. > :50:16.missed the black, so Mark Selby looked very solid, very impressive

:50:17. > :50:21.in this first frame, 1-0 to the defending champion. STUDIO: Mark

:50:22. > :50:24.Selby off to a good start. A lot of question marks about how Marco Fu

:50:25. > :50:29.would respond after that late night last night. It is a big ask to pick

:50:30. > :50:33.yourself up again after a late finish. Nothing physical, just the

:50:34. > :50:37.mental aspect, he went through the ringer to get over the line and Mark

:50:38. > :50:41.Selby will know that, he is an experienced player himself, he's had

:50:42. > :50:48.a few friends that have gone to deciders. If he can put his opponent

:50:49. > :50:52.on the back foot right at the start, big help. If you are going to win

:50:53. > :50:57.this championship you won't have an easy run. You're going to have a

:50:58. > :51:01.last frame decider or a match that will go close and you have to be

:51:02. > :51:05.prepared for that. And I am sure Marco Fu, like the rest of the lads,

:51:06. > :51:10.would be prepared for that as well. Might be a little bit tired, his

:51:11. > :51:14.concentration might not be up to scratch yet but I am sure that once

:51:15. > :51:17.he gets into the match the adrenaline will kick in. I am sure

:51:18. > :51:22.it will because he came through quite a drama last night

:51:23. > :51:29.particularly two deciding blacks in the last five frames. And he was

:51:30. > :51:34.trailing 7-1 in his first much so he hasn't had and easy. He hasn't but

:51:35. > :51:39.he is in there fighting and many believe that this could be his year.

:51:40. > :51:46.A big, big match from Marco Fu, as indeed it is for Mark Selby.

:51:47. > :51:53.COMMENTATOR: Good break of shot for Mark Selby, good escape for Marco.

:51:54. > :52:03.Noticeably a lot of Mark Selby's break-ups, and how much he has

:52:04. > :52:09.worked on that, studied it if it is just a shop that suits him. -- shot

:52:10. > :52:27.that suits him. If I was a current top player,

:52:28. > :52:37.trying to work out why Mark Selby is able to do that and others are not.

:52:38. > :52:42.Some players are forever sticking a red at the break of shot. Then of

:52:43. > :52:52.course you have to hope that you hide it behind the green and yellow

:52:53. > :53:01.and get it tight on the cushion. That's not the best shot from Mark.

:53:02. > :53:06.A chance here for Marco. I think he can just get past... Or can he?

:53:07. > :53:19.Maybe he can't. I thought he could just get past the blue. He can play

:53:20. > :53:24.the two-cushion safety shot, all the more aggressive safety, three or

:53:25. > :53:29.four cushions swinging it around to get to the right-hand side of the

:53:30. > :53:42.table. The bit too risky. That's rubbish shot! It wasn't one of his

:53:43. > :53:46.best, that's true. What is going right for his mind, seeing the cue

:53:47. > :53:55.ball bounce off the cushion. It might not have done any damage. Not

:53:56. > :54:01.a we had 3-ball planned. Does it go past the red? It does. It does, that

:54:02. > :54:12.is more or less certain. It might not look like it but I would be

:54:13. > :54:18.astonished if it doesn't go in. And he just didn't hit that red thin

:54:19. > :54:29.enough. He just turned it over slightly.

:54:30. > :54:51.Just. Needs to play the good safety, here. Needs the green to come to the

:54:52. > :54:58.rescue. That did its best to get in the pocket. He's got a pot here.

:54:59. > :55:06.It's going to be tough to get on a ball. Looks like, in putting this,

:55:07. > :55:14.he might clip the red on the top cushion. He has to trust to luck

:55:15. > :55:21.with the cue ball ends up. He is under enough pressure safety wise.

:55:22. > :55:29.He has more Lescott to take it on. - more otherwise Lescott take it on.

:55:30. > :55:40.Look at the gap he found for the cue ball. He wants to port it. It is so

:55:41. > :55:51.hard to do that and control the cue ball. Magnificent shot.

:55:52. > :55:57.Long pots success, 56%. But the ones he has gone for in this he hasn't

:55:58. > :56:07.done a lot wrong in this match so far. Didn't get great contact

:56:08. > :56:10.between green and cue ball, slowed the cue ball down a bit. Looks like

:56:11. > :56:33.he's got the gap. A bit of a cut. Just had to do a bit now. As he left

:56:34. > :56:42.this red for Marco? Marco has yet to pot the ball in this match. He can

:56:43. > :56:49.get through to it. This could be his first pot of the match so far. Can

:56:50. > :57:04.he get on a colour. Does the pink go? Axiom it does. -- Ali assume it

:57:05. > :57:07.does. -- I assume it does. I'm not sure he played that. He rightfully

:57:08. > :57:23.take it. He potted the pink and then stopped

:57:24. > :57:34.and didn't look happy. I don't know why, perhaps he felt it could have

:57:35. > :57:49.held the cue ball better. Mark has had his chance. Make the most of it.

:57:50. > :58:05.If he has a slight angle, he is straight enough, isn't he. I think

:58:06. > :58:13.he's had to hold the pink spot to stay on that red nicely. If the

:58:14. > :58:22.black spot is not available, Mark Selby will be hoping it isn't

:58:23. > :58:37.available, the only one available is the yellow spot.

:58:38. > :58:48.Obviously that red is holding the black spot at the moment. We know

:58:49. > :58:55.that because obviously the pink would have gone on it if it had been

:58:56. > :59:03.available. Can he play for this red in the same pocket as the black?

:59:04. > :59:11.Because the black will have to go as close to its own spot as it can.

:59:12. > :59:35.Schoolboy error from the commentator!

:59:36. > :59:42.I always wondered if it was possible in a practice game to orchestrate

:59:43. > :00:01.every colour on the wrong spot. It is tough to do.

:00:02. > :00:09.Could have played that with pace and screwed into the cluster that it did

:00:10. > :00:16.not feel as though he was going to develop anything so purposely play

:00:17. > :00:21.for this red. Is a fascinating player to watch, Marco He doesn't

:00:22. > :00:27.seem to do anything particularly brilliant, he just quietly goes

:00:28. > :00:31.about being very efficient. I think his cue ball control is his asset,

:00:32. > :00:35.when he gets in and around the black spot. This is where he struggles a

:00:36. > :00:46.little bit. Was not easy to get on a red there,

:00:47. > :00:57.trusting a bit to luck. Getting that break.

:00:58. > :01:14.So, a bit like Selby in the first frame, could not actually convert

:01:15. > :01:18.the shot. Convert the chance. An alarm on a mobile phone going off in

:01:19. > :01:24.the auditorium. For anyone with an earpiece, putting a phone on silent

:01:25. > :01:25.these days is not good enough. Turning them off is the most

:01:26. > :01:45.guaranteed way. An excellent safety shot there for

:01:46. > :01:50.Mark Selby. And of these two players, this is where he will gain

:01:51. > :01:58.the most advantage in safety exchanges. I think that Marco can

:01:59. > :02:04.score just as well as he can, but it is the safety were obviously, if you

:02:05. > :02:07.play it, you can force an error. It may make you think that Mark Selby

:02:08. > :02:28.will get more opportunities than Marco. A good reply. A little closer

:02:29. > :02:37.to the middle then he would have liked but it was not a mis-hit. So,

:02:38. > :02:49.the possibility of the four-cushion safety behind the green... Swung it

:02:50. > :03:02.around very nicely. Although there is a gap. He has got to hit this

:03:03. > :03:09.just right, if it goes to fake it goes at the table with the cue ball.

:03:10. > :03:16.-- toothache. He tries to hit it thin but misses completely.

:03:17. > :03:20.This all depends, really. I cannot see him having the ball put back.

:03:21. > :03:30.Marco could get it right the next time. He could pot this, screwing

:03:31. > :03:32.between black and the left-hand red on the cushion. Get it out for a

:03:33. > :03:51.blue. Perfectly played. Only the pace denying him the

:03:52. > :04:03.perfect chance, you would expect him to screw this between brown and

:04:04. > :04:06.green. And come across the face. He hit that so welcome I think he

:04:07. > :04:16.overheated. He gets another red into the corner. -- he hit it so well, I

:04:17. > :04:17.think he overhit it. He has got chances, he really did strike that

:04:18. > :04:40.well. A little thin on the blue then he

:04:41. > :04:46.would like. I think he has got to play that blue though. He is having

:04:47. > :04:52.a look at the pink but has to do plenty with the tuple if he is to

:04:53. > :04:56.play the pink. That red is a little awkward, he is stretching over.

:04:57. > :05:21.Trying to control the cue ball, not easy on the superfast tables.

:05:22. > :05:35.No, not good. You must make sure that you get the right side, their

:05:36. > :05:38.trap areas, this is one of them where you leave yourself much

:05:39. > :05:45.farther away from a short uncomfortable. This is one of them.

:05:46. > :05:52.-- further away from the shot then comfortable.

:05:53. > :05:58.This shot is very similar to the opening one he played to get in. The

:05:59. > :06:04.only difference is the small extension, that does change the

:06:05. > :06:21.throw, if he puts on side spin. If he hits it badly, he could go thick.

:06:22. > :06:28.Right in the heart of the pocket. But once again, wrong side of the

:06:29. > :06:34.blue. The old-fashioned way of playing is

:06:35. > :06:42.between pink and brown. That is no longer played. That kind

:06:43. > :06:54.of shot... Chosen by nearly all of the players now. Full is to retch,

:06:55. > :07:02.just tiptoe on the floor. -- at full stretch.

:07:03. > :07:11.Still three points behind here, this is not a formality. He could win the

:07:12. > :07:21.frame in this visit... He made the last red look ridiculously easy. It

:07:22. > :07:27.was very missable. Not a great love affair with the blue today. Some

:07:28. > :07:33.difficult ones from the position aspect of it.

:07:34. > :07:41.Did not really want to be colliding with this red, perhaps he could not

:07:42. > :07:46.avoid it? In the end, he has got a difficult one out the way, but if

:07:47. > :07:50.you cannot get past the black, he obviously cannot, on this red into

:07:51. > :07:56.the corner here, going straight, that place you would have to play it

:07:57. > :08:01.at, it makes this red very missable. On reflection, I think he played to

:08:02. > :08:12.move the red but wanted more angle. Anything could happen here. He has

:08:13. > :08:15.hit it well but could never get it in a good position for the black, I

:08:16. > :08:31.think that the black just goes but boy, this is tough... He does not

:08:32. > :08:36.have to play it, in one respect... Don't really see the point of giving

:08:37. > :08:41.your opponent back to the table without him having to work hard for

:08:42. > :08:53.his chance. That is one of the great strengths of Mark Selby. Yes, the

:08:54. > :08:56.black was too risky. I do not see how he could have got position on

:08:57. > :09:00.the next red. He plays well, getting the cue ball

:09:01. > :09:05.tied to the baulk cushion. Marco has a problem, now he is three

:09:06. > :09:09.points behind. That was not just a containing safety shot. He has asked

:09:10. > :09:17.Marco Fu the question... I have taken the yellow off the baulk

:09:18. > :09:22.cushion. Can you play a telling safety shot? If not, the table is

:09:23. > :09:28.live. All balls in the open. The big

:09:29. > :09:33.problem with the red that he can see, he is not going to play it, but

:09:34. > :09:39.come off the side cushion, top cushion, nestle onto the red.

:09:40. > :09:43.But you need the touch of a surgeon to get this safe, he did not want to

:09:44. > :09:51.hit it on the way... He has left a chance here for Mark. Not an easy

:09:52. > :09:53.one but it is a chance. He won along the top cushion is as difficult, if

:09:54. > :10:18.not more so, than the cutback. A clever shot, nonetheless, from

:10:19. > :10:26.Mark Selby. Some insurance there. Should he have potted it, he was on

:10:27. > :10:35.a colour, so to speak. Maybe not perfectly, but... I don't

:10:36. > :10:39.know if Fu can get round the back of this red? I think he's trying to go

:10:40. > :10:48.around the back of it. A good shot for Fu, a little unlucky. Very

:10:49. > :10:54.unlucky, really. He knocks the red onto the right middle. If Mark

:10:55. > :10:56.knocks this end, all of the reds are in the open.

:10:57. > :11:08.More difficult than it looks on our TV.

:11:09. > :11:25.But once again, a difficult shot made to look very easy.

:11:26. > :11:35.John, I know that it is early in the match, but if Mark Selby converts

:11:36. > :11:40.this chance, our alarm bells ringing? A yellow alert for Marco

:11:41. > :11:45.Fu? Well, I don't think Marco has done much wrong. He should not be

:11:46. > :11:49.disheartened. He did not have much chance in the first frame. It was

:11:50. > :11:57.halfway through this frame he potted his first ball. But I still have the

:11:58. > :12:00.worry that Mark is going to get more opportunities to you to the better

:12:01. > :12:11.quality safety that he will play throughout this match.

:12:12. > :12:15.I think Marco has an age-old problem, the balance between attack

:12:16. > :12:20.and defence, I think he should be favouring attack more. But it is

:12:21. > :12:26.early stages. I want to see if he gets a real good chance and can win

:12:27. > :12:30.a frame in one visit, before I give an opinion on how this match is

:12:31. > :12:41.definitely going to go. I know that according to the bookmakers, Mark

:12:42. > :12:47.Selby will come in favourite. I had to admit, I know why you ask the

:12:48. > :12:55.question, Mark is looking solid at the moment, comfortable in his skin

:12:56. > :13:00.in these first couple of frames. Yes, it can have an effect on your

:13:01. > :13:08.opponent. You know full well how well flat Marco can play.

:13:09. > :13:13.He has proved it this week. Against a different opponent, although you

:13:14. > :13:21.play the table, your opponent does seem to come into the equation. A

:13:22. > :13:30.couple of balls now away from the finishing line... Yes, just yellow

:13:31. > :13:36.and green to get to the snookers required.

:13:37. > :13:38.Playing this perfectly... The green to go 26 ahead with just 22

:13:39. > :14:26.remaining. It's funny, it is that saying that

:14:27. > :14:33.you keep coming out with. You cannot win the match in the first session

:14:34. > :14:40.but you can lose it. Looking very assured. Not allowing any half

:14:41. > :14:44.chances at the moment, it is 2-0 to Selby.

:14:45. > :14:48.Two exponents of the cue action which is very good. If you want any

:14:49. > :14:54.help at your cue action, or bridging over balls or on the cushion, send

:14:55. > :14:59.us a written request or it can come through on your video.

:15:00. > :15:15.Get your head on shot or a side on shot, use the hashtag cuefix, I will

:15:16. > :15:21.get it right in a minute! COMMENTATOR: The beautiful scene

:15:22. > :15:31.that is the Crucible Theatre. First thoughts on this match, Steve? I

:15:32. > :15:34.think my thoughts would go along the lines of we are getting to the

:15:35. > :15:40.quarterfinal stages with great players. But when they come

:15:41. > :15:46.head-to-head commies you see a difference in class, that is why

:15:47. > :15:50.sometimes in these best of 25 matches, sometimes there are massive

:15:51. > :15:54.differences in the frame scores. Marco Fu needs to get going and get

:15:55. > :16:01.a frame on the board here in the third frame. Yes, you want to get

:16:02. > :16:05.your frame on the scoreboard sooner rather than later. Not the best

:16:06. > :16:11.break-off shot once again from Marco. You would never expect by the

:16:12. > :16:15.quarterfinal stages that the best of 25 matches would be finished with a

:16:16. > :16:27.session to spare, but it does happen.

:16:28. > :16:38.If anybody could get into the rhythm to do that, it is Mark Selby. As we

:16:39. > :16:47.watch that wonderful opening red again, nicely on the black. Marco

:16:48. > :16:54.would be disappointed. There is always the danger with the break-off

:16:55. > :17:03.shot, but finding that baulk cushion, that is what makes any shot

:17:04. > :17:09.difficult. The other great exponent of relentless snooker, John Higgins,

:17:10. > :17:17.still in the tournament. Some heavyweights certainly playing

:17:18. > :17:20.the game. Walking around positively, so the cannons worked out OK, it

:17:21. > :17:40.appears... You can't guarantee that is going to

:17:41. > :17:46.be held the cue ball releases but when it happens, it is a wonderful

:17:47. > :17:52.side, as a player. The always -- highways preferred playing the screw

:17:53. > :17:58.shot there. Selby has a very good snooker brain, doesn't he? He is

:17:59. > :18:02.very clever. Of course, he is that talented with

:18:03. > :18:12.the cue, he was once the 8-ball world champion at pool. He knows the

:18:13. > :18:27.little moves. There we go, three reds, three blacks...

:18:28. > :18:36.If anybody is due for one in the championship at the Crucible, it is

:18:37. > :18:51.the world number one. And the world number one by quite some margin.

:18:52. > :19:07.He can play for the black again there.

:19:08. > :19:20.I don't think you would necessarily be thinking maximum break just yet

:19:21. > :19:34.but when you get 289 reds or blacks, the frame will be over -- when you

:19:35. > :19:45.get to eight or nine reds. Something to show the grandchildren... Not a

:19:46. > :19:54.massive prize this year, more of a rolling prize. It keeps ticking up,

:19:55. > :20:00.but has made recently. Back in the day, at ?147,000, that was given and

:20:01. > :20:04.one of the reasons why that was possible was because there were not

:20:05. > :20:11.many made, and use nuclear association could insure against it.

:20:12. > :20:16.Now, the premiums are too I -- and the Sneaker association could insure

:20:17. > :20:20.against it. That was the right shot to play for

:20:21. > :20:42.the blue. The frame is more important.

:20:43. > :20:51.Playing that nicely, he would have liked to have been straight on this

:20:52. > :20:55.red but you would rather be too hard and too short, and not be on the red

:20:56. > :21:01.at all. Potting the red, he would be running

:21:02. > :21:10.into another. You need to judge the pace of this shot.

:21:11. > :21:26.Not perfect... As long as he can pot the blue and avoid collision with

:21:27. > :21:30.the yellow? I don't think you necessarily can bet he can get down

:21:31. > :21:38.the table to the black cushion, and get an easy red. If he has contact

:21:39. > :21:46.on the yellow he needs to trust his luck a bit.

:21:47. > :21:51.Nothing wrong with that. I think that was the only where he could

:21:52. > :21:56.miss the yellow, a pure strike in. If he played firmer than he could

:21:57. > :22:11.have run into the yellow but he knew the red was on.

:22:12. > :22:13.Not easy to judge that pace. For the blue.

:22:14. > :22:22.A loose red on the right-hand side of the table. In between yellow and

:22:23. > :22:30.brown, with left-hand side, the pack is protected by the pink. Screwing

:22:31. > :22:37.between brown and green... I think that he will be able to miss the red

:22:38. > :22:48.on the baulk cushion. They control to screw between these two balls.

:22:49. > :22:54.Could have played that better. 66 ahead, Selby. As soon as he parts

:22:55. > :23:02.one more red, there will only be 67 remaining.

:23:03. > :23:08.Was that a plant? A look on his face... I think there is a plant on

:23:09. > :23:17.here. Dead set. You need to be careful. He cannot hit the opposite

:23:18. > :23:21.part of the red in line with the pocket. So hitting this first red,

:23:22. > :23:37.that will push the second to the top chore. -- top jaw. He only needs the

:23:38. > :23:45.red and one more colour... 67! You were right. He played that

:23:46. > :23:56.confidently to give the red every chance of the drop. And it shows,

:23:57. > :24:04.always as Marco Fu has done, he has broke off, and overhit it slightly.

:24:05. > :24:08.He might be sat down now, and also... Unless something has

:24:09. > :24:18.happened while I was away, we could be seeing the highest break of the

:24:19. > :24:23.tournament here. 137, the highest break, made by

:24:24. > :24:31.Bingham. Although with that red near the baulk cushion, you could think

:24:32. > :24:40.otherwise. A good word, folly... I didn't know

:24:41. > :24:44.that you had been away, where have you been? Things happen when I am

:24:45. > :24:54.not commentating that I like to know about...

:24:55. > :25:06.That is not going to happen now. Throwing the extension onto the

:25:07. > :25:16.floor in disappointment. Petulant. Does not matter about the pink.

:25:17. > :25:19.That'll be enough. Mark Selby is just controlling every aspect of

:25:20. > :25:26.this match at the moment. 3-0 is the lead.

:25:27. > :25:31.STUDIO: He hasn't really been seriously pushed so far, a worrying

:25:32. > :25:36.start from Fu's perspective, he is up and running very quickly? Yes,

:25:37. > :25:39.looking in total control and very confident in everything he is doing.

:25:40. > :25:44.He has great cue ball control and makes it look easy at the moment. A

:25:45. > :25:51.few little mistakes but he is very good at picking out these shots. It

:25:52. > :25:56.looks like he had the wrong side but needed to make that plant to keep it

:25:57. > :26:01.going. He is such a clever player, and is very tough to play against.

:26:02. > :26:05.Every safety shot has a purpose, you come down the table and you are in

:26:06. > :26:09.trouble. He does not operate anywhere behind the baulk line.

:26:10. > :26:13.Always something to concentrate on. Here's off to a very good start and

:26:14. > :26:16.seems to be getting stronger in this tournament.

:26:17. > :26:20.Better in the second round than the first, he is getting to the top of

:26:21. > :26:26.his form. He said he had a lot of reserve, Marco Fu has been 7-1 and

:26:27. > :26:34.4-1 down in these first couple of matches, keys had to climb into the

:26:35. > :26:37.match but you would give yourself a heck of a task to climb back into it

:26:38. > :26:41.against this man. Let's go back now. COMMENTATOR:

:26:42. > :26:56.Arguably, the mountain to climb back from a deficit is harder this time

:26:57. > :26:58.around. Mark Selby is an Everest. Some table time there. And the

:26:59. > :27:14.points scored. Over 200 more , Mark Selby scored. I suppose in a

:27:15. > :27:19.way, Marco Fu was pleased he did not have to break off the frame. He

:27:20. > :27:33.broke off the first and it cost him 48 and the third cost him 82. There

:27:34. > :27:37.was the gap to get to the reds here but he cannot get to the edge of the

:27:38. > :27:42.red, it would be difficult to get the cue ball back to the bulkhead.

:27:43. > :27:48.We've spoken about it before, the break off and how often the players

:27:49. > :27:53.pot a red from it. You would think that surely a player should really

:27:54. > :28:02.investigate another way to break off the guaranteed no pot.

:28:03. > :28:06.Just about got the safety shot, has he got it far enough down the table

:28:07. > :28:11.to stop Selby from cutting the red in? You couldn't go into your club

:28:12. > :28:16.and practice because the tables play differently and the break off is

:28:17. > :28:21.very different. You would only have to be able to practice on the match

:28:22. > :28:31.tables. Even the practice tables at the venue are not the same. I would

:28:32. > :28:39.think this red cuts, but not much clue as to the white as it travels.

:28:40. > :28:48.Hit hard and hope... Wherever he hoped, he did not get. LAUGHTER

:28:49. > :28:56.I think there was a task from the crowd, as to how good a shot that

:28:57. > :28:58.was and a few people in the crowd did not expect that to be the chosen

:28:59. > :29:20.one, he played it so well. If Mark Selby were to win this

:29:21. > :29:28.frame, Marco Fu fans would be hoping that the interval could change the

:29:29. > :29:34.pattern of the match. A loose safety, not left anything on but can

:29:35. > :29:45.Marco play a more telling safety? You certainly can.

:29:46. > :29:54.Just wrapping his concentration for one second. When he wasn't on

:29:55. > :29:58.anything, he had some fun with the audience, that might have taken the

:29:59. > :30:03.edge of the safety shot that he was about to play. I think that Mark has

:30:04. > :30:09.spotted the possibility of a shot to nothing, although it is critical,

:30:10. > :30:14.the escape path... Yes, I think you would favour to overcut it rather

:30:15. > :30:18.than hitting it too thick. That is what he did. An excellent shot,

:30:19. > :30:23.guaranteed of getting the cue ball down the table, no attempt

:30:24. > :30:30.whatsoever to pot the ball. I would agree. That is why when I look at

:30:31. > :30:34.long pot success, if I see 66% that is good because a lot of the time

:30:35. > :30:36.you play a shot for nothing and you are on the side of hitting them to

:30:37. > :30:54.thin. That was lacking in pace. It needed

:30:55. > :31:00.to hurry. He has left a pot on. Mark Selby can get this red in. It looks

:31:01. > :31:06.to be going into the three reds next to the pink. He might be able to

:31:07. > :31:15.miss them and get down the table. He cannot put on any right-hand side.

:31:16. > :31:25.He had to trust to luck and was probably hoping to hit the red next

:31:26. > :31:31.to the pink and develop it, but he had to put almost all his

:31:32. > :31:36.concentration into the pot. The fact of the red did not go in the middle

:31:37. > :31:42.of the pocket probably changed the line of the cue ball. I do not think

:31:43. > :31:52.there is a colour he will go for to keep this going. He has Marco Fu, at

:31:53. > :31:53.the moment, just where he wants him. He would play the yellow normally,

:31:54. > :32:13.if the cueing was easier. Well, a bit close. He must've known

:32:14. > :32:21.he was unlikely to click it. Puts you under pressure. This excellent

:32:22. > :32:28.safety shot, the red in the bottom half of the table pots into three

:32:29. > :32:42.pockets down there. He is certainly calling the shots. Marco, a couple

:32:43. > :32:46.of poor break offs that have cost him a couple of frames, but he is

:32:47. > :32:53.not being left unlocked. The fact that Mark has won the first three

:32:54. > :32:58.frames, he is now in what could be described as a comfort zone. He is

:32:59. > :33:02.not forced to play anything, he can play within himself. I think Marco,

:33:03. > :33:37.as you said, needs a frame quickly. Another cut. And another dagger into

:33:38. > :33:48.Marco. Not a guarantee pot, but really cueing well.

:33:49. > :33:59.A bad kick, bad contact. Does that come to Marco Fu's rescue? Is this

:34:00. > :34:02.the way he gets back into the match? Does he have the ball cleaned, does

:34:03. > :34:18.he just carry on playing? Well, he cannot look a gift horse in

:34:19. > :34:33.the mouth. It was not a certainty that red, but

:34:34. > :34:38.you would have expected him to get it on another day, in another

:34:39. > :34:44.situation. He is under it a bit, now. Fascinating, so early in the

:34:45. > :34:50.match, best of 25, how quickly you can be under pressure.

:34:51. > :34:58.Not much of this red passed the pink.

:34:59. > :35:14.Another excellent safety shot. It is a killer blow. Oh. He did not expect

:35:15. > :35:20.that, but it is piling the heat on to Marco. Yes, obviously he was

:35:21. > :35:25.trying to get the cue ball tight to the baulk cushion. He underhit it

:35:26. > :35:32.slightly, but it has come out beautifully. Marco, having missed,

:35:33. > :35:37.and not had much chance, and 3-0 behind, there is a lot of pressure

:35:38. > :35:43.on the escape. He has to come off the side cushion, top cushion, and

:35:44. > :35:54.nestle on this red by the black. Wonderful. Wonderful.

:35:55. > :36:05.He is going to be back. Not behind the yellow, but in that area. About

:36:06. > :36:11.two feet along from the baulk cushion. He is checking to see if

:36:12. > :36:18.there is an advantage in getting behind the brown. If you can stop

:36:19. > :36:20.any escape paths that way. It depends on how much he can see off

:36:21. > :36:25.the right-hand cushion. Not enough of it to get behind the

:36:26. > :36:42.yellow. A little bit lucky? He certainly

:36:43. > :36:46.didn't play topside of the yellow. A misjudgement, certainly could not

:36:47. > :36:52.get down the table wide enough off the right-hand side cushion. But as

:36:53. > :36:56.we know, when you are under pressure, it seems like everything

:36:57. > :37:03.is going against you. Marco Fu still has a problem. The green made it

:37:04. > :37:13.hard that the pink would stop the escape route down the right. I

:37:14. > :37:20.cannot see a path back to book back -- back to baulk. Will he have to do

:37:21. > :37:26.pot his way out of this spot of bother?

:37:27. > :37:36.This is horrible. He cannot get back to baulk. The more I look at this,

:37:37. > :37:42.the worse it is getting, the same for Marco. There is a red to the

:37:43. > :37:49.left pink, the first one along that line. There is a gap between pink

:37:50. > :37:59.and the below it. Is that possible? Only just. If he hits it to thick,

:38:00. > :38:06.it will bounce off the pink. There is a gap. There is always a gap. I

:38:07. > :38:10.think it is a last resort shot. He is trying to see if he can contain

:38:11. > :38:17.the situation. I think he will take the pot on. It is a massive shot to

:38:18. > :38:19.take on. But if there is no safety... Perhaps he can play into

:38:20. > :38:34.the jaws of the left-hand corner. A tough shot. Sometimes, rather than

:38:35. > :38:43.just playing negative, he has tried to pot his way out of trouble. I do

:38:44. > :38:49.not think he has. OK. A little bit of hope for Marco Fu, it is not an

:38:50. > :39:19.absolute certainty, the first pot. He can obviously get past the black

:39:20. > :39:23.to the red in the left corner but he feels that is delicate. Can he not

:39:24. > :39:29.get past the black? Is that the problem?

:39:30. > :39:38.And interesting shot in one respect is if he does pot it using the blue,

:39:39. > :39:52.no guarantee he will be on a baulk colour. It is a big pocket, as you

:39:53. > :40:01.say. Not that big. He has got away with it, though. Mind you, by the

:40:02. > :40:10.same rule, so did Marco. Marco is desperate for an easy in, but he is

:40:11. > :40:12.not getting one. 37 and a half minutes since Marco last potted a

:40:13. > :40:23.ball. A straighter red into the left

:40:24. > :40:42.corner, perhaps. The thing about the thick shot into

:40:43. > :40:49.the middle pocket, it is hard to judge the cue ball. He has this one

:40:50. > :40:55.to the left corner. It needs good cueing. The harder you hit this one,

:40:56. > :41:00.a chance of missing it if he plays up for the green, which is what he

:41:01. > :41:05.decided to do. He tried to play it and not leave the red to the right

:41:06. > :41:13.middle. That was the 4-0 shot. I could not agree more. He hedged his

:41:14. > :41:25.bets, didn't he? Once again, Marco is left with a tester. Very

:41:26. > :41:29.understandable if he misses. On another day, certainly with a

:41:30. > :41:31.different scoreline, you would say it is more or less certain, but he

:41:32. > :41:45.is under it. Well, there you go. It is amazing.

:41:46. > :41:50.These players make the game look easy, but, sometimes, when you have

:41:51. > :42:00.been frozen out, and it was coming up to 39 minutes as he last potted a

:42:01. > :42:05.ball, it does not get any easier. He has a fantastic temperament, Marco

:42:06. > :42:09.Fu, as we know from recent performances. He needs to regroup

:42:10. > :42:12.and it is not easy to regroup when you are sitting there. Sometimes you

:42:13. > :42:23.need the sanctuary of the dressing room.

:42:24. > :42:34.This table has gone awkward. That is another time when Marco had a pot on

:42:35. > :42:40.and was not guaranteed position. This green need some potting. He has

:42:41. > :42:47.to play the stun run-through to get on the red near the baulk cushion,

:42:48. > :42:58.you would have thought. He missed it. Does Marco get another chance,

:42:59. > :43:03.he does. A funny table now, Marco. You are only four macro points

:43:04. > :43:14.behind. Your opponent has had good chances. Over 40 minutes since he

:43:15. > :43:22.last potted a ball. That is debilitating.

:43:23. > :43:25.That is almost embarrassment level for a professional player. He is

:43:26. > :43:31.really struggling out there. Fascinating moments in this

:43:32. > :43:47.quarterfinal. We were saying how much it has taken

:43:48. > :43:53.it out of him last night, the battle with Neil Robertson. What we have

:43:54. > :43:54.seen so far, it looks like quite a lot. I cannot believe you missed

:43:55. > :44:07.that red. We talked at the start of the match

:44:08. > :44:13.about how Marco Fu has improved drastically as a player. With Wayne

:44:14. > :44:17.Griffiths in his corner, he has been an inspiration. Wayne Griffiths may

:44:18. > :44:27.be required to earn his keep here. I am certain he will go on the

:44:28. > :45:03.practice table at the interval. He did not score in the first frame.

:45:04. > :45:07.He had a 36 break in the second. He did not score in the third frame,

:45:08. > :45:14.and he has not scored in this one, yet. I think failing to make any

:45:15. > :45:18.type of sizeable contribution and only getting to 36 points is

:45:19. > :45:39.arguably his downfall. A similar thing happened to Mark

:45:40. > :45:40.Selby and he is almost 4-0, so swings and roundabouts in that

:45:41. > :45:50.department. There is a little bit of work to do.

:45:51. > :45:54.He has to be careful he does not get into the cue ball too much when

:45:55. > :46:03.potting the yellow and he has to avoid the kiss on the blue.

:46:04. > :46:06.Sometimes you can pot a colour and almost be nailed on to be on a red,

:46:07. > :46:33.but this is not the case here. Just as Steve said, he potted the

:46:34. > :46:40.yellow, avoided the kiss on the blue. But where is the red? I do not

:46:41. > :46:42.think the one to the right of the black passes the black, I am certain

:46:43. > :46:58.it doesn't, so what is he on? This frame is very much alive. Only

:46:59. > :47:18.22 points in it. It is, but you feel like Mark Selby

:47:19. > :47:30.is going to go 4-0. It does not look like Marco will be effective, at the

:47:31. > :47:36.moment. That was a more positive strike and that is an excellent shot

:47:37. > :47:40.for Marco. Well played. Very well played indeed. And, for once, he

:47:41. > :47:49.will give Mark Selby something to think about.

:47:50. > :48:02.Possibly could risk playing full in the face on the red on the far side

:48:03. > :48:06.cushion but he would not want to hit the red and the red hit the far jaw

:48:07. > :48:20.and then he gets a double-kiss. I do not know if he can get past the

:48:21. > :48:22.blue to hit the side cushion just past the middle pocket and play a

:48:23. > :48:51.one cushion escape. He played a better shot! I think you

:48:52. > :48:55.played it, if you didn't, then it is all going wrong for Marco. Marco had

:48:56. > :49:02.him in trouble and he managed to pull one out. He can get back in

:49:03. > :49:19.control of this safety exchange. Of course the shot Mark Selby

:49:20. > :49:27.played, if the red does not pot, there is always the possibility that

:49:28. > :49:34.you don't stick it up and you contain the situation. Just the same

:49:35. > :49:42.as you played full ball and got the cue ball on the top cushion. The

:49:43. > :50:10.bonuses you can play telling safety shot off a colour.

:50:11. > :50:20.It seems to become on most occasions with Marco, he is having to give

:50:21. > :50:27.these safety shots a lot of thought. I thought he had Marco in trouble,

:50:28. > :50:34.but he pulled out a good pot. Marco is just trying to... Well, that is a

:50:35. > :50:41.tough ask to play that shot. REFEREE: Foul and a miss. And he had

:50:42. > :51:15.to hit that so thin. And that could be the killer blow.

:51:16. > :51:21.Deliberately played for position on that. I think that is one of the

:51:22. > :51:28.things with Mark Selby, he could have been forgiven for playing it as

:51:29. > :51:35.a shot to nothing and getting the cue ball further down the table.

:51:36. > :52:10.203 points without reply. It is not as if Marco has not had a couple of

:52:11. > :52:18.chances in this frame. It is not looking good for the man from Hong

:52:19. > :52:26.Kong. Just this black and one more red and he will be 4-0 down come the

:52:27. > :52:29.mid-session interval. We say so many times that intervals can turn things

:52:30. > :52:48.around. That is what Marco will be hoping.

:52:49. > :52:55.And whilst Marco Fu has been a professional many years and he has

:52:56. > :52:59.played in big matches, coming into this World Championship as potential

:53:00. > :53:06.winner, with more people tipping him, perhaps that has raised his own

:53:07. > :53:15.level of expectation. Against Mark Selby, a bigger question has been

:53:16. > :53:17.asked. Perhaps the biggest match of his career in his own eyes, or it is

:53:18. > :53:41.how the match has unfolded. The referees, the unsung heroes. The

:53:42. > :53:45.player, when he misses, goes to his seat, but they are on their feet all

:53:46. > :54:02.the time and have to keep the score and concentrate 100% of the time.

:54:03. > :54:08.This has not been flawless, this performance from Mark Selby, but

:54:09. > :54:16.Marco Fu has had chances in this frame. He has not been able to score

:54:17. > :54:18.a point so this is the third frame out of the four where he has failed

:54:19. > :54:46.to pot a ball. Well, he wants to pot the black.

:54:47. > :54:50.Just rubbing salt in the wound. Marco Fu needs to get his act

:54:51. > :54:56.together in the mid-session interval. Mark Selby is comfortably

:54:57. > :55:04.in front. I think the comfort level is high. The defending champion

:55:05. > :55:08.looks like he is on easy street. He was 3-0 up and more or less got

:55:09. > :55:17.nervous himself because he knew he should be 4-0 up and he had chances

:55:18. > :55:21.he made a mess of. He forgot to pot a few balls and it is only because

:55:22. > :55:26.Marco is really struggling Hugh won the last frame. Marco has not been

:55:27. > :55:31.able to come up with an answer when asked the question. He does look

:55:32. > :55:36.drained. Worrying signs, I know it is early in the match and hopefully

:55:37. > :55:40.the interval has come at the right time and he can talk to Wayne

:55:41. > :55:44.Griffiths, maybe recharge the batteries. He needs a couple of

:55:45. > :55:48.frames of the next four, otherwise this match may be over in the first

:55:49. > :55:56.session. I looked at last year's semifinal. It was a brilliant last

:55:57. > :56:05.couple of sessions and Marco went 3-0 behind but came out of the first

:56:06. > :56:08.session 5-3. It was a fantastic battle in the last session, but he

:56:09. > :56:17.is in danger of losing the plot right away. You do not want to keep

:56:18. > :56:22.doing it. What will you have left in the tournament? He was down against

:56:23. > :56:28.Luca Brecel. And against Neil Robertson, it went almost to the

:56:29. > :56:32.distance. 4-0 down to Mark Selby. I can think of some players I would

:56:33. > :56:38.not mind being 4-0 down to but not Mark Selby. Marco has won 23 frames

:56:39. > :56:46.and conceded 20. It is still possible to go through, as you did

:56:47. > :56:50.in 2003, you came through a huge number of frames, I think you played

:56:51. > :56:56.the most ever in one Crucible championship. 132 frames without

:56:57. > :57:02.winning the tournament. The most you can play, if every match as a last

:57:03. > :57:09.frame decider it is a 137. You are value for money! Just as well I was

:57:10. > :57:13.not paying for the light! You still had something left to go on. How did

:57:14. > :57:20.you convince yourself mentally to stay alert? You have to keep your

:57:21. > :57:25.concentration. Every match, every session, I was trying to focus on

:57:26. > :57:29.winning each session. That is what we try to do, particularly at the

:57:30. > :57:32.World Championship. You do not look at the number at the end of the

:57:33. > :57:40.second round, you think of the first four frames. Trying to get a lead.

:57:41. > :57:46.Play it in short spurts. If you think too far ahead, you get lost.

:57:47. > :57:51.Marco has to regroup, speak to Wayne Griffiths, try to get a couple of

:57:52. > :57:57.these frames. If he gets two, it gives him a chance. If you wake up

:57:58. > :58:01.on semifinal morning and think, I have to win 17 frames, you would not

:58:02. > :58:07.get round to doing it. You have to split it into mini sessions. It is

:58:08. > :58:13.time for the main man in Stoke, the world number one, to put the

:58:14. > :58:18.pressure on him. It is his turn now in the hot seat.

:58:19. > :58:27.Welcome to another edition of the competition more important than the

:58:28. > :58:28.World Championship. And today, the defending World Snooker champion,

:58:29. > :58:36.Mark Selby. APPLAUSE

:58:37. > :58:43.Did you play this lasted? I did. I cannot remember what time I

:58:44. > :58:48.got. The time to beat... As long as I beat Hawkins, I will be happy.

:58:49. > :58:55.That is impossible not to beat, over two minutes. The best time is Marco

:58:56. > :59:04.Fu. Did he get all questions right? I do not think so. Pot the balls as

:59:05. > :59:14.quick as you can. What was the number one record the day you were

:59:15. > :59:22.born, June 1983? A multiple-choice. Let's Dance, I Just Called To Say I

:59:23. > :59:33.Love You. Every Breath You Take. I will go for number two. No, it was

:59:34. > :59:40.Every Breath You Take. . I will go for that. Name all the players...

:59:41. > :59:47.This is tough. Name of the players he beat on the way to winning the

:59:48. > :59:53.title in 2014. The locked. Michael White. Correct. Ali Carter. Alan

:59:54. > :59:55.McManus. Neil Robertson. One in O'Sullivan. Ronnie O'Sullivan.

:59:56. > :00:07.APPLAUSE What an anorak! You will need to be

:00:08. > :00:15.an anorak for this third question. Who scored the first century break

:00:16. > :00:20.at the Crucible? That is cruel. But you are world champions. First

:00:21. > :00:28.century break at the Crucible. If I were Ken Doherty, I would give you a

:00:29. > :00:33.too. Ken. That was not a clue. The first ever century break at the

:00:34. > :00:41.Crucible. I do not think Ken was there. I will go for yourself. Eddie

:00:42. > :00:47.Charlton. Eddie Charlton, did he make a century? Just, 105.

:00:48. > :00:55.Who chose these questions anyway? Nothing to do with me! Including

:00:56. > :01:03.yourself, how many players have won two and only two World

:01:04. > :01:14.Championships? Mark Williams, Alex Higgins,... And including yourself,

:01:15. > :01:21.Mark Selby. Congratulations, yes. So far, two balls off. Lastly, what is

:01:22. > :01:28.your highest Crucible century break? I should know this... You should,

:01:29. > :01:34.you made it! You were there. I was, but I can't remember. From first

:01:35. > :01:42.ball to last... It definitely wasn't this year... 145?" 142. 2010. I

:01:43. > :01:48.cannot tell you any more information than that. It's not coming through

:01:49. > :01:56.my ear. Two balls off. You get to choose which ones... In your own

:01:57. > :02:04.time... You get to choose which two balls. That is one off... And I will

:02:05. > :02:12.go with this one... Place the cue ball wherever you want... And the

:02:13. > :02:21.time strikes... No, the time starts when you strike the cue ball. Ready?

:02:22. > :02:25.Go! He's off, the trademark wonderful pull-back of the cue.

:02:26. > :02:36.Totally in control... That's enough, that's enough! Enough time to chalk

:02:37. > :02:42.his cue... No time to even sway on the shot, this is amazing. So far,

:02:43. > :02:53.this is wonderful, it has to be said. 30 seconds gone so far, well

:02:54. > :03:00.in time. No ball yet has touched the cushion. All touched the sides! The

:03:01. > :03:06.first cue ball doing any kind of mileage. Four reds left. Nicely into

:03:07. > :03:13.the corner, for a minute he did not spot it. Slowly rolling in... Short

:03:14. > :03:19.of pace, dropping slightly... A sort of run around the table. A nice and

:03:20. > :03:27.controlled the top of the cushion there. He has got the angle... In

:03:28. > :03:30.goes the red. CLAPPING How many are we on? One minute and

:03:31. > :03:52.15 seconds. In it goes! Did not put a foot wrong, that was a

:03:53. > :04:04.good time. One minute 18 seconds, you go into top place! CLAPPING

:04:05. > :04:08.STUDIO: Nine seconds faster than his opponent Marco Fu today, is that an

:04:09. > :04:13.omen? We will see, that was brilliant.

:04:14. > :04:17.Let's check in on our last quarterfinal now, featuring the

:04:18. > :04:21.mild-mannered, quietly spoken Barry Hawkins, 38 years old and now a very

:04:22. > :04:25.big noise at the sharp end of major tournaments because he was a

:04:26. > :04:30.runner-up here four years ago and has always been thereabouts ever

:04:31. > :04:35.since. So too has Stephen McGuire, it has been a while for the

:04:36. > :04:39.36-year-old Scot, a former world number two and UK champion. Twice a

:04:40. > :04:44.semifinalist, falling down the rankings lately, he dropped down to

:04:45. > :04:48.number 24 but if he wins the quarterfinal he will fault back into

:04:49. > :04:53.the top 16 which would be a lovely consolation. It is the first time

:04:54. > :04:58.he's ever had to prequalify for the Crucible having not won a match at

:04:59. > :05:03.the Crucible in five years, he beat Anthony McGill and Rory McLeod, so

:05:04. > :05:09.he has made the most surreal progress of anyone at this stage,

:05:10. > :05:17.having only conceded five frames. A Scot won the first where they

:05:18. > :05:18.settling break. Six points ahead, it is all being watched by Peter Ebdon

:05:19. > :05:34.and Willie Thorne. COMMENTATOR: Just shows that at the Crucible, you

:05:35. > :05:43.could miss anything. That was most unlike Barry Hawkins. Missing that

:05:44. > :05:45.by a long way. You could see there that he was not happy, cueing right

:05:46. > :06:19.across that one. Covering the red with the blue, if

:06:20. > :06:30.he gets these three reds, they are all tied up.

:06:31. > :06:39.Trying to get the cue ball behind the black, on the cushion if

:06:40. > :06:55.possible. A good shot and well played. Stephen Maguire... Coming to

:06:56. > :06:59.the table. The red to the right centre is far too difficult. Try and

:07:00. > :07:05.get the cue ball behind the black on the cushion. To gain the initiative

:07:06. > :07:16.and the safety exchange, playing that very well. Looking at the

:07:17. > :07:19.statistics it is amazing that these two players, we played tournaments

:07:20. > :07:26.week in and week out, have not played in the country since 2014.

:07:27. > :07:50.Been abroad in China and places like that. They've played 17 times.

:07:51. > :08:00.That was a good effort. Get that red nearest the green with some of the

:08:01. > :08:05.left-hand side, that is no good, he may kiss into the green. It looks

:08:06. > :08:40.like a two cushion escape to rest that red into the baulk area.

:08:41. > :08:50.Peter's kindly put a line-up for me there, a two cushion escape, resting

:08:51. > :08:56.on that red. The first wasn't very good but the second and third was.

:08:57. > :09:24.He may take this one in the middle...

:09:25. > :09:29.That was an excellent pot, a lot more difficult than it looked on

:09:30. > :09:55.your television screens, I can assure you.

:09:56. > :10:03.They may try and get the Brownback on the spot here. It depends if the

:10:04. > :10:08.red closest to the brown goes back into that pocket and from where he

:10:09. > :10:15.has finished, he may have to take that red into the centre. And put

:10:16. > :10:21.the red in the yellow pocket, he does not want to finish straight on

:10:22. > :10:25.this. Certainly making sure he did not finish straight on it but I

:10:26. > :10:43.don't know if they would take it on now... This is really missable. A

:10:44. > :10:48.long red into the left-hand pocket. The problem with taking this red on,

:10:49. > :10:53.unless he plays it with a lot of pace, if he misses it, he could

:10:54. > :11:11.leave it right over the pocket. Playing that really well. A very

:11:12. > :11:23.nice kiss on the blue as well. We presume that they passed the green

:11:24. > :11:38.into the corner. That tells us that the red is definitely available.

:11:39. > :11:40.Looking to get a second bite at the cherry after missing that red on his

:11:41. > :11:56.previous visit. On reflection of the opening two

:11:57. > :12:56.frames, that is about right, that they share these first two.

:12:57. > :13:10.Barry Hawkins levels. STUDIO: You can't continue watching that live on

:13:11. > :13:16.the button and online but meantime, we will go back to the last four

:13:17. > :13:20.frames of the opening session this afternoon of quarterfinal one

:13:21. > :13:24.between Mark Selby, the defending champion, and Marco Fu. I wonder

:13:25. > :13:33.what advice the coach has given them as they go out 4-0 down. A lot to do

:13:34. > :13:37.as they head back to Steve and John. COMMENTATOR: Thank you. I do not

:13:38. > :13:45.know if it is down to wane that if they play a break of shot, they have

:13:46. > :13:49.not left a pot on. Every time he has gone off at this stage in the match,

:13:50. > :13:54.he leaves something for Mark Selby to go out. Not this time... That is

:13:55. > :14:40.a step in the right direction. That puts the cat among the pigeons,

:14:41. > :14:52.no safety at the baulk end of the table. The safety is what we called

:14:53. > :14:56.the top cushion. I know people call them different things, we all agree

:14:57. > :15:03.that is the baulk end but some people call it a back cushion. I

:15:04. > :15:07.called it the top cushion because in the billion days, they play cannons

:15:08. > :15:17.on the black spot, it is called top of the table but is that careless?

:15:18. > :15:46.He has, but so careless. Can't keep gifting opportunities

:15:47. > :15:53.like this... Mark Selby must have been amazed he got a pot on there.

:15:54. > :16:33.Good pot it was, but shouldn't have anything to go at.

:16:34. > :16:42.We were just about to say, poor positional shot, but he has run into

:16:43. > :17:06.the brown and left it nicely onto the middle. Fortunate...

:17:07. > :17:14.Nice angle on the yellow, it is all about line and length, no need to

:17:15. > :17:23.play cannons, two reds on the right-hand side of the table. That

:17:24. > :17:36.is absolutely inch perfect. A wonderful shot.

:17:37. > :17:40.It appears that the hole is getting deeper for Marco Fu here this

:17:41. > :18:03.afternoon. Just got to try and maintain

:18:04. > :18:10.concentration, just in case he does get a chance. It is easy to slip out

:18:11. > :18:17.of the zone, and when you get a chance, you are not fully focused.

:18:18. > :18:26.Effectively giving up for the whole session, Intel it is too late. --

:18:27. > :18:32.until it is too late. Arguably, the fifth frame of a match like this is

:18:33. > :18:39.important from Selby's perspective to keep the heat on. Yes, he would

:18:40. > :18:48.be guaranteed at least a two frame advantage going into the second

:18:49. > :18:52.session. Coming so easily for him at the

:18:53. > :19:05.moment, did not have to work for this chance. Playing for the bottom

:19:06. > :19:09.red... Does not mind going long. He may have two trust luck a little

:19:10. > :19:15.with that position but porting this, bringing other reds into play, if he

:19:16. > :19:24.gets that colour, it could be a frame-winning opportunity.

:19:25. > :19:32.I would imagine a fair bit of power in this shot... That white balls

:19:33. > :19:42.sprung off there, I don't know if he could have worked that out...

:19:43. > :19:51.Perhaps he could have done. Getting a bit close to the middle pocket. A

:19:52. > :19:58.couple of balls away from being a winning contribution here. Expecting

:19:59. > :20:05.him to miss an easy one, they set up like soldiers as long as he misses

:20:06. > :20:13.that positional shot. One good positional shot on the

:20:14. > :20:19.red... Think he can get through that gap there. He has played for it, I

:20:20. > :20:27.think. Making a pot easier. That was an interesting way of playing it. Of

:20:28. > :20:29.course, playing a drag below central strike. Slowing the cue ball down to

:20:30. > :20:59.retain position on the black. Purposely played with a bit of pace,

:21:00. > :21:05.a choice of reds. Had one in the right corner but he has got one in

:21:06. > :21:10.the left, 52 points in front, with help the balls are situated. Likely

:21:11. > :21:19.we will see Fu back at the table, this could be another frame where he

:21:20. > :21:21.does not pot a ball -- it is unlikely that we will see Fu back at

:21:22. > :21:28.the table. The only one where he did pot Kenny

:21:29. > :21:38.was in frame two. -- where he did pot any.

:21:39. > :21:49.A red and a black. Black, going 68 points in front with

:21:50. > :22:09.only 67 remaining. Easy at the moment for the defending

:22:10. > :22:15.champion. And the way he got in here, Steve, the last thing that

:22:16. > :22:22.Marco can afford to do, is just to roll up to the reds and leave a pot

:22:23. > :22:33.open. No part of Marco's game at the moment is sound. What a difference a

:22:34. > :22:40.day makes. Yes. You would be looking, OK, if I can win two frames

:22:41. > :22:44.in the next three, six twos, that isn't bad, but you begin to panic

:22:45. > :22:51.that you may not get single on the board. Marco must be disappointed,

:22:52. > :22:57.he sits in his chair and watches another frame slipped by to zero.

:22:58. > :23:10.Scoring 36 points in the match so far after five frames.

:23:11. > :23:21.It gets to the stage where if Mark was to miss now, he could just go

:23:22. > :23:25.and pot sunbird Mark Selby knows the significance of keeping his opponent

:23:26. > :23:38.off the table, going for the 100 break as well.

:23:39. > :23:45.The highest break was 82 in this match, but Steve, the chance of a

:23:46. > :23:54.century. He would like to get one...

:23:55. > :24:02.Misjudging that... I do not think you can get through to the red.

:24:03. > :24:09.Making a century break, if there are six pockets, can he get it in one?

:24:10. > :24:16.Not like that... Another frame, gifted to him. Rolling up to the

:24:17. > :24:21.reds, Marco Fu, left a red in the middle, another frame Fu has not

:24:22. > :24:24.scored in. STUDIO: Mark gratefully accepting

:24:25. > :24:31.that gift, nothing wrong with his cueing but a few of you have sent in

:24:32. > :24:35.your problems for Doctor Parrott, Lewis says he finds it hard to

:24:36. > :24:39.consistently cue straight and accurately, joined the club!

:24:40. > :24:44.Any tips to know if you are slightly off or is it all down to practice?

:24:45. > :24:48.Good question, one thing you want to use is the straight line on the

:24:49. > :24:52.snooker table, the baulk line, a good test for your cueing.

:24:53. > :24:57.If you line up with your Q-Tip on the brown spot, if you have a fault

:24:58. > :25:02.with your cue action and go through, and it turns that way, and then if

:25:03. > :25:07.it went a long can you go that way. If we exaggerated, what you want to

:25:08. > :25:12.do is take a nice cue action, finish the backswing and follow it through.

:25:13. > :25:16.You want your cue to go through and finished dead straight and write

:25:17. > :25:21.down the line. Then you know you cue straight through the ball. That will

:25:22. > :25:25.do it. Lewis, keep practising and report back! Meanwhile, back at the

:25:26. > :25:32.World Championships, frame six of the first quarterfinal...

:25:33. > :25:37.COMMENTATOR: Yes, did it goes straight, that cue? There is no such

:25:38. > :25:43.thing as dead straight. Just the degrees of it... Once again, Mark

:25:44. > :25:54.Selby breaks off and does not leave the wing red poking out, the best

:25:55. > :26:02.Marco Fu has is a speculative one into the right corner. Don't tell me

:26:03. > :26:06.that that red has poked its nose out into the left middle... Everything

:26:07. > :26:11.going wrong for Marco Fu, if it is happening... Those are the marks...

:26:12. > :26:24.But one has a know on the end. This is a chance that Marco Fu could

:26:25. > :26:35.not have envisaged happening. He has played it well. Just a

:26:36. > :26:43.procession at the moment. Certainly doing a job here, on his opponent.

:26:44. > :26:51.If you are to win the World Championship, you need to be

:26:52. > :26:55.clinical. You need killer instinct, and to be relentless.

:26:56. > :27:05.That is exactly what Mark Selby has in spades.

:27:06. > :27:16.A little more angles needed, he may just go up for the use read. By the

:27:17. > :27:21.blue, and then pot that in a play for the blue.

:27:22. > :27:28.Side, not quite enough... Plenty of side on it, a bit short of pace but

:27:29. > :27:34.so much side he is on the red. So, you can always use the baulk of

:27:35. > :27:38.colours to smash into the pack of the side cushions.

:27:39. > :27:42.He could hold for the blue a bit further away than he would have

:27:43. > :27:46.wanted. That makes the cannon on the paint a

:27:47. > :27:56.bit harder. -- on the pink. The pace, making the

:27:57. > :28:03.blue missable. Solid, a red all going. Unlucky! Mark Selby, 17. He

:28:04. > :28:11.did not check that cluster... I wonder if it was lined up... No.

:28:12. > :28:21.Could not possibly have foreseen the red going in, a chance for Fu. In it

:28:22. > :28:24.goes! One hour and five minutes later, the last time he potted a

:28:25. > :28:56.ball. I know that Marco would have loved

:28:57. > :29:03.to have won the frame in this visit, but he will not win anything easy...

:29:04. > :29:20.Going into them... This does not look too good...

:29:21. > :29:26.It is one of those nightmare sessions, Marco Fu has got involved

:29:27. > :29:31.himself involved in this here. Nothing going right. Must feel like

:29:32. > :29:41.it is not his day. Currently must feel like it is slipping away from

:29:42. > :29:47.him. In this first session... You must have quite a bit of reserve and

:29:48. > :30:04.resolve to be able to cope with the emotions of this happen.

:30:05. > :30:13.JOHN VIRGO: He has covered the escape route down the left-hand side

:30:14. > :30:23.of the table. It will give Mark Selby a little bit to think about.

:30:24. > :30:30.Has he found a path? He will have to be accurate with this.

:30:31. > :30:38.Did not find the path. He caught the red much too thin. Marco gets

:30:39. > :31:04.another opportunity. Just looking at the potting angle.

:31:05. > :31:09.He would love to go up and play for the black and get it back of its

:31:10. > :31:18.spot. He will not finish on anything good. He could cut the black in, but

:31:19. > :31:27.I think he will be hampered by the blue. Obviously, he has the green.

:31:28. > :31:36.Can he cued pass the blue for the black. He does not think so, so it

:31:37. > :31:47.is the green. Swinging it around oft two cushions. Not good on this red

:31:48. > :31:55.to the middle. He can pot it, but it is missable, but he has played it

:31:56. > :32:00.well. He will be on the black. He needs an angle of the black. It is a

:32:01. > :32:05.good shot and he has got an angle on the black. He may have to play the

:32:06. > :32:19.cannon. He needs luck, once again, and he

:32:20. > :32:35.never seems to get it when he needs it. One thing in his favour, an easy

:32:36. > :32:37.path back to the baulk end. For me, it is essential he does not miss

:32:38. > :32:44.anything easy when he gets the opportunity. If you pot the ball,

:32:45. > :32:50.you may run out of position, but you get to play the next shot. Find a

:32:51. > :32:55.spot near the baulk cushion where he leaves it awkward for Mark Selby. A

:32:56. > :33:08.touching ball, he should be able to do that.

:33:09. > :33:26.Trying to cover the escape path. That brown, or so. I don't know if

:33:27. > :33:30.Mark get through to a red in the middle of the table, if you can't,

:33:31. > :33:38.he can only get through to the red off the right-hand side and I don't

:33:39. > :33:40.see a safety from that one. Looking to come off a cushion to hit another

:33:41. > :34:20.red. He is in a spot of bother. He tried the two cushion escape with

:34:21. > :34:24.pace. A miss. No free ball. Marco does not even bother getting out of

:34:25. > :34:29.his seat, asking him to play from that same position again. He got

:34:30. > :34:42.very close to the two cushion escape.

:34:43. > :34:52.He has a very clever snooker brain, Mark Selby. You do not want to hit

:34:53. > :34:58.the red to thick. And that is what he did. This is a golden opportunity

:34:59. > :34:59.for Marco Fu to put his first frame on the scoreboard. He has got to

:35:00. > :35:13.take this chance. If it were the perfect angle of the

:35:14. > :35:18.red to the middle, he would stun across for the black to the right

:35:19. > :35:20.corner. He is obviously a little bit straight on it, nevertheless, it is

:35:21. > :35:32.a good chance. But he could stun over for the

:35:33. > :35:39.black. He may have to play for a red to the middle. If he tries to stun

:35:40. > :35:42.for a red in the same pocket as the black he could cannon into the

:35:43. > :36:10.ocean, but he avoided it. He will need one of the awkward

:36:11. > :36:19.reds. These two reds and two blacks is not going to be enough. He will

:36:20. > :36:24.be the red along the top cushion, maybe the one near the right side

:36:25. > :36:30.cushion. An awkward red anyway is needed to clinch the frame. Maybe in

:36:31. > :36:45.potting this pink he will bring the red away from the cushion. He did

:36:46. > :36:49.not make a great job of it. The trademark lifting at the back of

:36:50. > :36:54.Marco Fu and slight lifting up of the head on the strike of the shot,

:36:55. > :37:01.not so much on this type of shot, but anything with a bit of pace,

:37:02. > :37:03.just a little up in the air. Mark Selby is more rock solid on the

:37:04. > :37:20.shot. But it is the style he plays. No heroics here. This is to go 50

:37:21. > :37:24.points in front with 43 remaining. Asking the referee to clean the cue

:37:25. > :37:37.ball. He does not want to risk a bad contact.

:37:38. > :37:45.Oh, it struggled in but he has his first frame on the scoreboard now,

:37:46. > :37:50.surely. He dropped his chalk in the meantime! He could not find his

:37:51. > :37:58.pocket. Thankfully, with the red, he found that one. There will be no way

:37:59. > :38:06.back to the table for Mark Selby now.

:38:07. > :38:15.He had first chance in this frame, did Mark. Even though he has a good

:38:16. > :38:23.lead, he will be a little bit annoyed. Anyway, the frame is over

:38:24. > :38:29.now. It is tough to keep the pressure up on your opponent. To

:38:30. > :38:39.guarantee not leaving him any breathing space whatsoever.

:38:40. > :38:51.A nice position shot. Appreciated by the packed Crucible audience.

:38:52. > :39:01.Well, OK, he will be disappointed he missed the red, it doesn't matter,

:39:02. > :39:07.he has a frame on the scoreboard. Everything is set up now. Two more

:39:08. > :39:09.frames to play in the session and if he can win them both, he will forget

:39:10. > :40:17.about the 5-0 deficit. As you saw, he has been to two

:40:18. > :40:26.semifinals, Marco Fu. One quarterfinal. So he has got past

:40:27. > :40:35.this quarterfinal stage on two occasions. After what has happened,

:40:36. > :40:40.and this is the amazing thing, if he could win the next two frames and go

:40:41. > :40:50.to 5-3, he would be over the moon. A good pot. He will be on the yellow

:40:51. > :41:07.all brown at least. There are loads of variations of

:41:08. > :41:12.5-3. This would be a good one from Marco Fu's perspective. He would

:41:13. > :41:21.probably feel he had won the session! Absolutely.

:41:22. > :41:25.Trying to play the precise positional shot and it needed to

:41:26. > :41:42.run. Has it? Great effort. Really great effort.

:41:43. > :41:46.Could be forgiven by trying to gamble by going into the pack. You

:41:47. > :41:51.can see the disappointment. He wanted to be low on the black in

:41:52. > :41:56.order to play the cannon into the cluster. He will still be on the

:41:57. > :42:07.lease red. He has the blue. He wanted to be low. It is all about

:42:08. > :42:17.pace. Can he find a good angle on the blue? Need to hurry. He has more

:42:18. > :42:27.of a chance off two cushion is into the back of the pack. He was quickly

:42:28. > :42:32.down on it. He has this hit it. He stunned it fractionally and did not

:42:33. > :42:35.get enough top spin. When he plays that shot, he lifts up a little bit

:42:36. > :42:40.with his head and there is a tendency perhaps to hit down on the

:42:41. > :42:50.shot. Not happy with himself. A little muttering. He wanted to be on

:42:51. > :42:58.the black early and did not get that. Did not get the angle on the

:42:59. > :43:05.blue. A tip when you are playing that shot, obviously you need top

:43:06. > :43:11.spin, but you also need the side to get pace into the cue ball. The way

:43:12. > :43:17.it came off, it did not look like he played with a lot of side. It

:43:18. > :43:29.bounced a bit and never recovered. No top spin gripped the cloth and

:43:30. > :43:34.drew it towards the side cushion. A speculative shot. He is going for

:43:35. > :43:41.this. A screw back to the side. Well. Marco still has a chance in

:43:42. > :44:03.this session. Noticeably on that shot, you see,

:44:04. > :44:12.when any amount of effort has to be put into the shot, Marco lifts up a

:44:13. > :44:15.significant amount. It is as if he is moving his head and shoulder to

:44:16. > :44:23.give him room to get the cue through. Yes. A lot of players are

:44:24. > :44:29.not as gifted as some of the great power players of the game, like the

:44:30. > :44:37.Judd Trumps, Shaun Murphys. An excellent pot therefrom Mark Selby.

:44:38. > :44:44.He did not screw back far enough, Marco, when he played the pot down

:44:45. > :44:50.the side cushion. He did not want to leave that on. The red to the right

:44:51. > :44:58.next to the black, I think is available. If he could get on that

:44:59. > :45:06.red, of course, he would clear the black.

:45:07. > :45:16.He wanted to be straight on this red. Not certain of the potting

:45:17. > :45:19.angle now. He certainly wants to stay this side of the baulk line, if

:45:20. > :45:34.he can. No, he is nicely on the yellow. This

:45:35. > :45:42.red that is close to the black, it looks to be available. Unless he

:45:43. > :45:49.wants to play the cannon, I see no reason why not to play on it now.

:45:50. > :46:00.Needed more pace in the cue ball. I think you can pot the red from there

:46:01. > :46:04.but he will cannon the black from this position so he needs to judge

:46:05. > :46:16.the cannon correctly to develop the black into a pottable position.

:46:17. > :46:26.Good pot. He played it with base. -- with pace. It worked out nicely. Can

:46:27. > :46:49.he find a path? He could not have played it better.

:46:50. > :46:53.He still has the problem. This is the last of the pottable reds. Knees

:46:54. > :47:07.an angle on -- he needs and angle on a colour

:47:08. > :47:16.now. This could be the key shot to this frame, if he can bring reds

:47:17. > :47:25.into play. Nothing available at the moment, you cannot see any plants.

:47:26. > :47:31.The could not have given that much more welly.

:47:32. > :47:37.I think he can just get past the pink.

:47:38. > :48:01.You would rather be playing for a baulk colour here, so you can push

:48:02. > :48:11.the cue through firmer. And that is what he did. If you tried to play a

:48:12. > :48:16.delicate shot, you could hit it on the thin side. He almost did. But a

:48:17. > :48:56.chance now. He played it nicely. He has to be

:48:57. > :49:23.careful with this, digging down. It was a little bit shy of pace.

:49:24. > :49:26.Could have perhaps decided to play that to overhit it a little bit,

:49:27. > :49:37.which would be preferable to being on the side cushion.

:49:38. > :49:47.That was missable, but he has got it. He has not got the perfect angle

:49:48. > :49:56.on the pink. What has he spotted here? He has an angle on the pink to

:49:57. > :50:01.pot it and cannon into the cluster. Trust to look for position, but I do

:50:02. > :50:06.not see any other shot to play. I think he is checking whether pink

:50:07. > :50:12.would spot. If it does not spot, I think the brown spot is available.

:50:13. > :50:19.He is not allowed to ask the referee, not to use any type of

:50:20. > :50:26.measuring tool, so it is a judgment call. A great effort. Remember

:50:27. > :50:30.Ronnie O'Sullivan, was it last year, the year before, he actually put the

:50:31. > :50:35.chalk down to try to judge, which was effectively an illegal thing to

:50:36. > :50:46.do. He cannot see enough of this red, can he? I think he can. He got

:50:47. > :50:50.down quickly enough on it. I hasten to add it was not Ronnie O'Sullivan

:50:51. > :50:56.deliberately trying to cheat, just perhaps an anomaly in the rules he

:50:57. > :51:09.was not aware of. Canny hit enough of this to pot it? He got an awful

:51:10. > :51:13.kick. It went straight on. I was wondering whether he could have hit

:51:14. > :51:17.enough of it and the way it has gone, he could have hit it full

:51:18. > :51:26.ball. It shows you how a kick can make a ball go off-line. It is the

:51:27. > :51:36.type of shot where it can happen, a soft and deft shot like that. It

:51:37. > :51:40.pushed it off six inches. Marco Fu went care, he needs all the help he

:51:41. > :51:50.can get. This would be a turning point if he were to take the frame.

:51:51. > :51:59.He would have his tail up for the last of the session. It is OK. He

:52:00. > :52:04.has the red to the middle and I think at least the bottom of the two

:52:05. > :52:13.reds is available. He did not get the cannon as he wanted. I think the

:52:14. > :52:15.one closest to the black of the two will go to the right corner. He

:52:16. > :52:45.needs a good angle. I sense good things for the rest of

:52:46. > :52:55.this frame for Marco Fu. Somehow, he is digging himself a little bit out

:52:56. > :53:01.of the hole. On these occasions you could do with some help from your

:53:02. > :53:10.opponent, and, in this case, the balls. Passing by quite easily. He

:53:11. > :53:16.will be taking the one on the top cushion next.

:53:17. > :53:25.Under normal circumstances, you would be thinking that Marco Fu, now

:53:26. > :53:30.only two points behind, and the balls where they are, but it is not

:53:31. > :53:43.quite normal circumstances at the moment. But what an opportunity. As

:53:44. > :53:51.you say, what a fillip it could give him if he wins the frame at this

:53:52. > :53:53.visit. As he approaches the last frame of the session. Big moments

:53:54. > :54:12.for Marco. Any baulk cover. Normally you would

:54:13. > :54:20.play for the blue but with the brown not on its spot, he has to be

:54:21. > :54:24.careful. Of course, the yellow comes back up because it was spotted after

:54:25. > :54:33.he potted a red and now the colours are in sequence.

:54:34. > :54:42.He still needs the blue. The green and brown will put him 18 points in

:54:43. > :55:01.front, with 18 remaining. A nice, positive effort. Marco Fu

:55:02. > :55:09.looks to be re-gaining his composure in this match. What a fantastic,

:55:10. > :55:11.competitive animal he is. He does not know the meaning of the words

:55:12. > :55:38.giving up. And in goes the pink. Mark Selby had

:55:39. > :55:45.a chance. He played the red. He had a horrendous contact, but Marco Fu

:55:46. > :55:53.took advantage. With that break of 60, he has won his second frame.

:55:54. > :56:00.He is doing it again in this match. Very unfortunate for Mark Selby with

:56:01. > :56:06.a horrible kick in the middle. 5-1 up and this is to chip it is in the

:56:07. > :56:10.corner and it straightens up completely. Horrible. He has had

:56:11. > :56:16.three this afternoon, three bad ones, but that one, it has changed

:56:17. > :56:22.the momentum of the game. If Marco gets out of this 5-3, what a result.

:56:23. > :56:28.And gives him the chance to make his biggest contribution of the match so

:56:29. > :56:31.far, 60, which by his standards is not great, but take everything at

:56:32. > :56:36.this stage? Absolutely. A massive frame coming up. If you get a

:56:37. > :56:42.chance, you have got to take it and it is not just about luck, it is

:56:43. > :56:50.what you take advantage of and he did that there. If he gets the last

:56:51. > :56:54.frame, it could be huge. It will make him sleep better, coming back

:56:55. > :57:00.tomorrow. The eighth frame could be very important. Back we go.

:57:01. > :57:13.JOHN VIRGO: Yes, I agree with everything John and Ken said. When

:57:14. > :57:14.he was 5-0 down, he had only scored 36 points in the five frames and you

:57:15. > :57:34.really feared the worst. Well, a tentative pot. The way he

:57:35. > :58:09.played it the only red he could leave was the one he was playing.

:58:10. > :58:23.Just look at that. The first five frames. That needed to slow up. And

:58:24. > :58:36.it did. Just little runs like that, just beginning to favour Marco.

:58:37. > :58:48.This red going towards the corner pocket. The bump. I think Marco is

:58:49. > :58:53.all right, he can cue past the blue and roll it in around two cushion is

:58:54. > :58:59.for the black in the opposite corner.

:59:00. > :59:11.Has he run too far? Looking at his body language, I think he has. It is

:59:12. > :59:17.hard to get any reaction from Marco Fu, facially, but, for me, he has

:59:18. > :59:25.just run a fraction too far, or has he? Can he bend the cue ball in to

:59:26. > :59:30.the left-hand side. A shake of the head tells me if he could, it was

:59:31. > :59:34.too risky. They say it is about fractions. One inch less space, he

:59:35. > :00:40.would have been nicely on the black. That is a nice click, is that an

:00:41. > :00:49.edge on this red sticking out for Marco Fu, to play an easy safety? Or

:00:50. > :00:55.does the green cover the path? I think he can get through to the end

:00:56. > :01:02.red, he is looking to see whether he knocks a red over the left corner

:01:03. > :01:11.here. He has to be careful here. Ooh! Where is that red come over the

:01:12. > :01:20.middle pocket? What a strange situation. Marco Fu may be obligated

:01:21. > :01:40.to play a safety shot up to the top cushion now. Yes.

:01:41. > :01:43.Still no straightforward safety to play into the top cushion, there are

:01:44. > :01:54.a few rates -- reds available, one to the left

:01:55. > :01:59.middle. I cannot see him playing a pot on the brown, surely? That is

:02:00. > :02:05.the only ball you would consider playing a potty Macon?

:02:06. > :02:16.-- playing the part on. He has found a way to cover the red

:02:17. > :02:22.with the yellow. Good thinking! Obviously, you see shots better when

:02:23. > :02:25.you are down on the table. That was a good one. Selby with an

:02:26. > :02:33.appreciative tap on the table, more less obligated to play that red he

:02:34. > :02:37.cannot see over the middle to shift it, get some separation between the

:02:38. > :02:40.balls and get the cue ball into the baulk area. It is very hard... A

:02:41. > :03:01.good shot. I would think that with everything

:03:02. > :03:05.going on here, we say what a big frame this is for Marco Fu, I think

:03:06. > :03:15.it is becoming a big frame for Mark Selby as well.

:03:16. > :03:29.Nailed that safety shot. Very unfortunate, from his perspective.

:03:30. > :03:34.Just sneaking past the brown. It is strange, say that the session is 3-3

:03:35. > :03:40.and Mark Selby went to the last two in the session, he is delighted but

:03:41. > :03:46.if he ends it 5-3 from 5-0 in front, he is not a happy bunny...

:03:47. > :03:50.But I think he is experienced enough, to go OK, I won that

:03:51. > :03:53.session, we will wait for the next one.

:03:54. > :03:58.A bit unlucky to hit that bump, even though it was in this head. Looking

:03:59. > :04:04.to have done no damage at first sight. You say that, I wonder, there

:04:05. > :04:09.are two reds to the black, I wonder if he he could pot into this left

:04:10. > :04:11.corner? Not quite...

:04:12. > :04:26.But half a chance. Match time of two hours. I cannot

:04:27. > :04:31.say it has not been interesting. A bit one-sided at first, but it seems

:04:32. > :04:52.very interesting now. Not the best safety shot, from Mark.

:04:53. > :04:55.A couple of reds that Marco can have a go at.

:04:56. > :05:01.A poll safety shot, Mark is sitting in his chair, shaking his head a

:05:02. > :05:09.bit. Will he be punished? That needs to

:05:10. > :05:11.slow up, where is the cue going? Oh no, pockets are always in that same

:05:12. > :05:19.place. You cannot say it is bad luck. He

:05:20. > :05:25.seems to put some right-hand side on that. Making it go towards that

:05:26. > :05:37.pocket, he was not really on a colour after that pot.

:05:38. > :05:42.A tough shot, he put a lot of side spin on it... Where is that cue ball

:05:43. > :05:49.going? LAUGHTER

:05:50. > :05:55.Understandable that he missed it, he had to load up on the right-hand

:05:56. > :06:06.side, very much a judgment shot. Left-hand side? Yeah... Left-hand

:06:07. > :06:10.side, same as Marco's. Yeah, depending on, as we said, on the

:06:11. > :06:21.superfine cloth scummy you play with side and it is perilous -- superfine

:06:22. > :06:26.cloth is, you can play with side. Marco puts too much left-hand side

:06:27. > :06:32.on that shot, lucky to hide behind that green, surely he was playing

:06:33. > :06:36.behind the brown, that is the one to snooker behind.

:06:37. > :06:40.He has some luck, really. What I would say, he was fully winged being

:06:41. > :06:45.on that side of the table. The pink blocks that escape route down the

:06:46. > :06:55.right-hand side. He has a bit of a problem here. Is

:06:56. > :07:01.there an edge sticking out? Well... There is but he does not like it. He

:07:02. > :07:10.tries to Nassau on the red closer to the top cushion. -- he is trying to

:07:11. > :07:15.nestle it in. So good at this

:07:16. > :07:25.type of shot. Two for that... Marco Fu can jack up

:07:26. > :07:30.over the top of the red. Possibly snickering his opponent

:07:31. > :07:38.behind the brown that he is concerned about that red near the

:07:39. > :07:49.black. Touching ball would have been handy.

:07:50. > :07:56.So, he has the brown and yellow as snookering balls in that corner,

:07:57. > :08:08.does he move the red away from that corner? Playing this red he cannot

:08:09. > :08:12.get near the circle. He plays the red, coming back from

:08:13. > :08:19.where he plays it from. Putting that green... It comes to

:08:20. > :08:26.the rescue once again! Mark Selby with a wry smile, annoyed that Marco

:08:27. > :08:33.Fu got away with it. I think Mark was planning on playing the same

:08:34. > :08:39.shot he played last time around. I didn't think that would be on the

:08:40. > :08:50.cards... He should know the line of this shot.

:08:51. > :09:00.Does not want to leave a touching ball. Foul... A miss. I do not see

:09:01. > :09:07.any other way that Marco is going to have this.

:09:08. > :09:15.Just a slightly different feeling now, this match. From nowhere,

:09:16. > :09:23.really. Everything looked to be rosy in Mark

:09:24. > :09:32.Selby's camp and suddenly, he is on the back pot slightly.

:09:33. > :09:38.-- he is on the back foot. He has left a pot on.

:09:39. > :09:40.If Marco Fu can pot eight and get the cue ball somewhere near the

:09:41. > :09:50.middle of the table he could play to the middle.

:09:51. > :09:55.He is OK there. In an ideal world, you would want to play but they

:09:56. > :10:02.traced to the left-hand side, but just move the cue ball further up

:10:03. > :10:07.the table which makes that pot listenable, with pace.

:10:08. > :10:11.It is half a chance. He will play that pot, it depends

:10:12. > :10:15.where he wants to leave that cue ball.

:10:16. > :10:19.Roll it in, leave yourself on the green from that position? I would

:10:20. > :10:27.play a screw shot here. He is going to roll it in. The only question

:10:28. > :10:37.that I would ask now, in potting that green, how does he get back to

:10:38. > :10:41.this end of the table? Maybe he thinks with the red adjacent to the

:10:42. > :10:45.left corner, I do not have too... I think that he can get, I was going

:10:46. > :10:49.to say, how he is playing he will not try and get around the yellow

:10:50. > :11:00.and brown, you place an excellent shot there, digging down.

:11:01. > :11:06.Very missable. Could not have played it better, I would have been

:11:07. > :11:21.frightened. A very good shot... That corner pocket is very good. Digging

:11:22. > :11:25.his way out of trouble. He has a red that is open, he does not have to do

:11:26. > :11:45.anything with this, role in the blue.

:11:46. > :11:58.Currently does not seem good to put the pink back on the spot. A bit of

:11:59. > :12:06.chalk dust off the table... I think he would like to pot that red which

:12:07. > :12:17.is nearest the pink in a line down the table, anyway. Get that out the

:12:18. > :12:26.way before he pots the pink. Decided he could not start risking going up

:12:27. > :12:33.blue, I think he will be OK there. Be careful that he does not snooker

:12:34. > :12:37.himself with the pink when it is re-spotted...

:12:38. > :12:42.He could have rolled that in and got on the red. Easier than I thought.

:12:43. > :12:48.Much easier than I thought! It is funny how it resolves itself, tough

:12:49. > :12:54.from the commentary box and on a TV screen to exactly see that layout of

:12:55. > :13:01.the balls going past the others. We don't miss many pots in the

:13:02. > :13:06.commentary box, had you missed any? The pod

:13:07. > :13:16.-- the pot success rate at the moment is excellent. Could possibly

:13:17. > :13:25.be at 101%! I would not be far behind! Play for the pink in the

:13:26. > :13:28.middle again, again he is to be slightly wary.

:13:29. > :13:32.Ideally he would want to shift the reds around and maintain position

:13:33. > :13:38.but he will not have a chance of that with this one.

:13:39. > :13:46.Just run that cue ball... He is going to roll it in... No, has he

:13:47. > :13:54.gone far enough? He is hanging his head! Has he stunned it too much?

:13:55. > :14:02.No, a dog of a shot... Oh dear. Has he got away with it? Effectively...

:14:03. > :14:07.Make it on the left-hand side, he will sacrifice position on the pink

:14:08. > :14:11.for that. He plays it with a long left-hand

:14:12. > :14:17.side to turn it over, and he plays it well. He said he could play at

:14:18. > :14:24.any pace, he has had to play for the black. The unit, he might have the

:14:25. > :14:33.perfect angle to pot the black and shift the red along the top cushion

:14:34. > :14:38.which could resolve itself nicely. He did not risk doing that, he

:14:39. > :14:44.played for the pot along the top cushion but he is a little short.

:14:45. > :14:49.This is very risky now. I do not see how he can play this, to be honest.

:14:50. > :15:01.Just off the cushion, making it missable. A 38 point lead. This is

:15:02. > :15:15.tough... Could not see how you could play that. If it is tight on the

:15:16. > :15:20.cushion, get the red and the cushion together, they cling.

:15:21. > :15:23.But it is very missable. He had a chance to claw his way back into the

:15:24. > :15:29.match and could have done without risking that.

:15:30. > :15:34.If that is a turning point in the frame... I'm not trying to give them

:15:35. > :15:45.any overtime, I'm sure the lads in the studio would be discussing the

:15:46. > :15:57.rights and wrongs of his choices. No. No. This is a funny thing, this

:15:58. > :16:02.game. It is not coming easily to Selby any more. He has seen

:16:03. > :16:09.everything he did in the first four frames in particular, it is getting

:16:10. > :16:10.awkward for him now. Did not make the most of that

:16:11. > :16:28.opportunity. Good safety, but with those reds

:16:29. > :16:32.clustered closely together you would not expect Marco to make a mistake,

:16:33. > :16:37.coming around a two cushion mistake... It is a case of not going

:16:38. > :16:40.into hard, if he goes below the middle pocket... Should not be a

:16:41. > :16:48.problem. That is the line. Just don't want to

:16:49. > :17:56.hit it too hard, that is all. Snooker again, a tap on the table

:17:57. > :18:04.from Marco but once again because these five reds are tightly

:18:05. > :18:08.clustered, he would not think you leave one unless you hit it far too

:18:09. > :18:14.hard, coming off one cushion this time.

:18:15. > :18:26.Making it slightly less of a target. He has judged it well. Well played.

:18:27. > :18:31.This time, he has not left Mark Selby in his return to the bowl ten.

:18:32. > :18:39.Mark is not going to get much of an advantage here. -- the baulk end.

:18:40. > :18:47.He does not really want to play to the top cushion, it sacrifices a

:18:48. > :18:51.tactical advantage to Marco Fu. He may be forced to, I suppose, that

:18:52. > :19:03.way of not doing that would be to roll into the pack. Not the greatest

:19:04. > :19:08.way of playing things. Top cushion it is. Try and get it behind the

:19:09. > :19:17.black, that would be a great shot, if he can do that. As good an effort

:19:18. > :19:23.as you could hope for. Marco Fu looks like he can get past the

:19:24. > :19:29.black. If he tries to be too aggressive with a safety shot he

:19:30. > :19:36.opens up the road a little bit. -- opens up the red a little bit.

:19:37. > :19:45.An excellent cue ball. Mark Selby is 30 points behind and he knows that

:19:46. > :19:50.if he makes one more mistake it could be the end of a frame. Always

:19:51. > :19:52.an outside chance when you play that kind of shocked that you

:19:53. > :19:58.accidentally leave a long-range plant on. Not the case really with

:19:59. > :20:00.this. And less Mark Selby gets very aggressive.

:20:01. > :20:15.-- and -- unless Mark Selby gets very

:20:16. > :20:31.aggressive. A tap on the table... There is

:20:32. > :20:35.plenty of tapping going on today. He wants this cue ball to slow down...

:20:36. > :20:40.Not only does he miss that red but leaves the red between the pink and

:20:41. > :20:54.black. And by a long way, a bit of left-hand side on. It swerved quite

:20:55. > :20:56.dramatically. As you say, missing it by quite a way in the grand scheme

:20:57. > :21:12.of things. A good solid pot, he would not mind

:21:13. > :21:17.a bump on the middle pocket here, and he got one. Less than perfect on

:21:18. > :21:20.the blue. A big pot from Selby there, it would have been easy to

:21:21. > :21:28.have missed that one, and effectively sacrificed the frame.

:21:29. > :21:37.He is digging in as well now. A fascinating ending to this first

:21:38. > :21:47.session of three. Can Marco Fu get himself out of trouble?

:21:48. > :21:52.Can Mark Selby keep up the pressure? Half interested in the cannon on the

:21:53. > :21:58.two reds to the left of the pink, playing at such a pace if he did not

:21:59. > :22:01.get that cannon and the red into the right corner, he is, 20 points

:22:02. > :22:04.behind. Not a straightforward run to the

:22:05. > :22:13.winning line. Two reds near the cushion.

:22:14. > :22:13.Two reds together in an awkward position.

:22:14. > :22:28.This is not straightforward. Now, does he have angle on this pink

:22:29. > :22:32.to nudge these two red Phil Mack into

:22:33. > :22:46.-- nudge these two reds into play? He has got an alternative... Not

:22:47. > :22:51.ideal. I do not think either of those reds pottage, they may go into

:22:52. > :22:56.the left middle but the problem with this red, if you play with any pace

:22:57. > :23:01.to get that cue ball away from the cushion, it makes that pot more

:23:02. > :23:23.difficult. 13 points behind now...

:23:24. > :23:33.A good shot. He does not have the angle on the black toucan and those

:23:34. > :23:37.two reds into play and if he plays the black, he will have to go out on

:23:38. > :23:43.the baulk cushion, and as they are available on the right corner.

:23:44. > :23:49.They do not look like they are... But that cue ball is going to have

:23:50. > :24:01.to travel. Watch the middle pocket... Playing it well. Does the

:24:02. > :24:14.red go? Inch perfect, wonderful positional shot. Wonderful. Marco

:24:15. > :24:26.Fu's only hope is the red on the top cushion. Mark Selby looks like he is

:24:27. > :24:31.plain that now. I thought he was just going to roll

:24:32. > :24:36.it in. A little out with that one. He will have to play for it some

:24:37. > :24:41.time, he had perfect timing on the black to play for it then. It begs

:24:42. > :24:51.the question, why didn't he? Unless he decides to shift it, because it

:24:52. > :24:55.is too risky. It depends, I've said it many times, if the red is tied to

:24:56. > :24:58.the cushion it isn't a problem but if it is just off, it makes it

:24:59. > :25:04.difficult. It looks tight to the question to

:25:05. > :25:08.me... Did not like it. As you say, they

:25:09. > :25:15.try and move it but he has not moved it into an advanced

:25:16. > :25:21.-- advantageous position. The role on the cushion along the frame, it

:25:22. > :25:31.was the way that Ray Reardon played on that last red, leave it for a

:25:32. > :25:35.snooker, it's not the modern way now, but a last resort for Selby, if

:25:36. > :25:41.it does not pan out right, the release of that cushion, keeping the

:25:42. > :25:46.pressure on and not leaving Marco Fu an easy chance.

:25:47. > :25:54.He goes back to his seat with an 11 point lead. Marco with an age-old

:25:55. > :25:58.problem, not so much hitting this red, I don't think it is the

:25:59. > :26:06.toughest snooker to escape from, the longest frame of the match but he

:26:07. > :26:15.has to get this red safe... Disappointing not to hit it. What I

:26:16. > :26:18.would say, about the choice of shot of Mark Selby, not risking that red

:26:19. > :26:23.on the top cushion... What we have seen this week and last

:26:24. > :26:27.week they go along the top cushion and four in relatively easily. We

:26:28. > :26:34.never really got to see whether it was tight or not. We saw Marco Fu

:26:35. > :26:40.play that read along the cushion earlier in the frame, I thought it

:26:41. > :26:43.was risky. This is very important, that this

:26:44. > :26:50.cue ball is put back in the same place. That is where they were and

:26:51. > :26:54.where it is now. Perfect. Marco Fu does not have that right angle of

:26:55. > :26:58.the side cushion unless he swerves it before the cue ball gets to the

:26:59. > :27:06.cushion, he can play a swerve shot around an imaginary ball.

:27:07. > :27:14.To widen the angle and hit the red. He hasn't considered it yet. The

:27:15. > :27:18.middle pocket is in the way. That may a little less pace? If you are

:27:19. > :27:22.to play it with tons of left-hand side... Swerve it before it gets

:27:23. > :27:26.there. Anything could happen with this either way. If he misses it, he

:27:27. > :27:46.leaves a free ball. Mark checking if the red goes past

:27:47. > :27:51.the blue. There is still some damage that Mark

:27:52. > :27:57.Selby has put him in. If your opponent has a problem with

:27:58. > :28:01.escaping, you can more or less get over the line.

:28:02. > :28:05.He has had one go this way. He cannot play at this pace, if he hits

:28:06. > :28:08.it wrong he will knock it over the corner pocket. He hopes for a

:28:09. > :28:21.perfect Kiss, which he has nearly got.

:28:22. > :28:25.21 points is the difference now. Surely he can play the swerve onto

:28:26. > :28:35.the right-hand side cushion and widen the angle? He hasn't really

:28:36. > :28:42.contemplated that... This is better. But, not good

:28:43. > :28:46.enough. He leaves it, if he hits it forward, he is bound to leave it...

:28:47. > :28:54.You cannot play it like that, for me. Asking for the perfect contact

:28:55. > :29:00.on the road. Otherwise it is a miss all the time -- contact on the red.

:29:01. > :29:05.He did not play a shot that I thought was known, if that makes

:29:06. > :29:09.sense! The top pros would not know that, surely? First time he played

:29:10. > :29:14.it, he did not get enough side on, or whatever. He thought it was

:29:15. > :29:19.possible then, why not play that swerve shot and get the side? There

:29:20. > :29:24.you go, it is costing him the frame. No doubt of that in my mind, Mark

:29:25. > :29:27.Selby is looking for a red and a colour. He will finish the session

:29:28. > :29:40.with a four frame advantage. Just to clarify, we are not talking

:29:41. > :29:44.about playing a swerve to swerve directly on the red but swerved

:29:45. > :29:51.before the cue ball gets to the cushion, and it changes the angle of

:29:52. > :29:55.approach of the cue ball. And gives chance for the side spin to take

:29:56. > :29:59.effect. Anyway, Marco, after what happened, losing the first five

:30:00. > :30:04.frames, at least he has got something out of it, or it could

:30:05. > :30:09.have been much more. He played the red along the cushion when he was 40

:30:10. > :30:14.odd points in front in this frame. To me, I would not have played it.

:30:15. > :30:19.He had a good advantage and he should have been more patient,

:30:20. > :30:26.because this was an important frame. He will not have another chance now.

:30:27. > :30:33.It has been interesting in many ways, this session. It looks like a

:30:34. > :30:42.one-man performance from Mark Selby, but he made mistakes. They will all

:30:43. > :30:48.be forgotten. If you had asked him if he would take a four frame

:30:49. > :30:53.advantage after the first session he would have snatched your hand off.

:30:54. > :30:57.The brown does not go win. I am certain that is enough. Trying to

:30:58. > :31:04.find out where Marco is, where has he gone? Here hears, back in the

:31:05. > :31:07.room. He will say cams. A disappointing start for Marco Fu,

:31:08. > :31:12.losing the first five frames, but at least he got something out of it.

:31:13. > :31:19.Mark Selby, the fist bump, pleased to win that. Takes the overnight

:31:20. > :31:24.advantage 6-2. Nothing wrong with the defending

:31:25. > :31:28.champion's thought processes. A couple of interesting moments, not

:31:29. > :31:35.least Marco having a go down the cushion with this red. This is a

:31:36. > :31:39.tough shot. If it was tight on the cushion, he could have played a run

:31:40. > :31:47.inside and dropped it in but that was a massive shot to take on. It

:31:48. > :31:49.really was. The last red, instead of doing what Marco did, different

:31:50. > :31:56.thinking from the defending champion. Some players might have

:31:57. > :32:01.taken it along the cushion. The fact it was like Marco's shot, just off

:32:02. > :32:07.the cushion cover made it harder. Mark thought to put him in a good

:32:08. > :32:11.snooker, keep the pressure on. If it is close to the cushion, it is

:32:12. > :32:16.easier to hit and it was difficult to hit and eventually he left it on

:32:17. > :32:21.and he won the frame, a massive frame. The momentum firmly with Mark

:32:22. > :32:25.Selby. He would have been disappointed with his work if he got

:32:26. > :32:30.out of its hide - three. The last frame was huge and you could see

:32:31. > :32:35.what it meant, the fist pump. John made the point that Marco got out of

:32:36. > :32:41.it with something. He was 5-0 down. He is still fighting. He could win

:32:42. > :32:47.the next session 5-3, then he is back in the match. He got something,

:32:48. > :32:54.but he has to start of quicker the next one. He has the night off. He

:32:55. > :32:59.will be back tomorrow, there are two sessions to play and we will see how

:33:00. > :33:02.he gets on in the morning. In addition to his punditry and

:33:03. > :33:07.commentary role and presenting role, John Parrott has been busy and even

:33:08. > :33:15.found time to make new friends along with Steve.

:33:16. > :33:20.Sheffield's Becton centre is a facility for children and young

:33:21. > :33:24.adults with mental health issues and learning disabilities. We went with

:33:25. > :33:30.John Parrott to donate a snooker table and of course John had to show

:33:31. > :33:37.us how it is done. Tell us about what we have been doing today. It is

:33:38. > :33:42.about our sport's legacy. We have been guests in the city over 40

:33:43. > :33:47.years and want to integrate with the community and have a lot of fun,

:33:48. > :33:51.really to leave small tables in as many places as possible. My doubles

:33:52. > :34:04.partner was George. We are up against John and Ellis. I have two

:34:05. > :34:10.of these, now. You were the champions. He played well today, and

:34:11. > :34:14.for a brilliant cause. To see the smiles on their face, and we had a

:34:15. > :34:19.giggle when we did it and this table will stay here permanently. I have a

:34:20. > :34:24.suspicion it will be worn out. It will give them many hours of fun.

:34:25. > :34:32.And it takes your mind off things. You get engrossed in the game. I

:34:33. > :34:36.enjoyed it. You are cut off in the Crucible and do not know what is

:34:37. > :34:40.going on outside and these children are permanently living here, which

:34:41. > :34:46.is not easy for them and their parents. They have this and it is

:34:47. > :34:52.good fun. And you gave me a lesson. How did I do? I was impressed with

:34:53. > :34:56.the yellow and the long green was excellent. You almost got the double

:34:57. > :34:58.but unfortunately you got the runner up prize.

:34:59. > :35:07.Thanks for establishing that once again! It looks like a good time was

:35:08. > :35:12.had by all and we say hello to staff and the kids in the Becton centre

:35:13. > :35:22.and I know they loved being with you. John, you will try to sort out

:35:23. > :35:26.some cue fix problems. We have a question from Grant Wilson who says,

:35:27. > :35:34.when I aim on the snooker table, what am I supposed to be looking at?

:35:35. > :35:39.The cue ball all the red? Am I looking at the cue ball or object

:35:40. > :35:43.ball? When you strike you look at the object ball. Like a darts

:35:44. > :35:48.player, you do not look at the tip of the dart, you look at the board

:35:49. > :35:52.and what you are trying to hit. People ask why snooker players have

:35:53. > :36:01.a pause, it is there to get your eyes transferred to the point on the

:36:02. > :36:04.object ball. You get up to the cue ball and line-up. You come back, you

:36:05. > :36:09.pause, and your eyes on looking at the point on the object ball you

:36:10. > :36:14.want to hit. You can stay here all day, you do not have to rush. When

:36:15. > :36:19.you draw the cue back, get your eyes on the object ball. We have one from

:36:20. > :36:24.another John who says, yesterday you made a comment about top spin

:36:25. > :36:30.changing into back spin after Marco played a pink, how? He played a shot

:36:31. > :36:34.similar to this, he was trying to play down the table and if you put

:36:35. > :36:39.too much top spin on this, once it hits the cushion, because it is

:36:40. > :36:44.close, there is top spin on the ball and it hits the cushion and wants to

:36:45. > :36:48.go back, but it stops. If you want to get round the table you are

:36:49. > :36:53.better off screwing it. If I played top spin, and look what happens to

:36:54. > :36:57.the cue ball. It does not go anywhere but the top spin stays on.

:36:58. > :37:04.It reverts into back spin and the cue ball does not move. Keep them

:37:05. > :37:11.coming through the week. We are here all week to help with your problems.

:37:12. > :37:19.We can quickly bring cue up to date with what is going on on the other

:37:20. > :37:23.side of the arena. We saw some of the match between Stephen Maguire

:37:24. > :37:34.and Barry Hawkins. Last time it was 1-1. Hawkins is now 2-1 in front. We

:37:35. > :37:36.will show you the last before the interval in the company of Peter

:37:37. > :37:55.Ebdon and Willie Thorne. I am not too sure it was an optical

:37:56. > :38:09.illusion, but it looked like it flipped the green as it went in-off.

:38:10. > :38:19.But the green did not move. Does it flick the green? No. Maybe not.

:38:20. > :38:24.Stephen Maguire, as the white disappears, has a long, straight

:38:25. > :38:25.want to play. The way he has put the white, he is playing a screw back

:38:26. > :38:57.for the LA. -- for the yellow. It is decision time for Barry

:38:58. > :39:07.Hawkins. Just off straight. The middle distance red. He has an easy

:39:08. > :39:13.safety shot. By taking the red out of baulk, but he is going for this

:39:14. > :39:20.and needs to cue this smoothly. That is a lovely shot. Very well played,

:39:21. > :39:26.perfectly on the black. A lovely shot. He played the drag shot and

:39:27. > :39:31.managed to avoid the cannon onto the red.

:39:32. > :39:48.After that lovely opening red, this is now a very good opportunity.

:39:49. > :39:56.There you saw an excellent shot. Of Barry Hawkins' tip. With a slight

:39:57. > :40:09.dome, slightly overhanging. Different players have a different

:40:10. > :40:15.reference. We looked at the Kyren Wilson game earlier and he has a

:40:16. > :40:25.very small tip, virtually to the ferrule. What did you prefer? You

:40:26. > :40:31.were a big tip man. I played with a big, overhanging tip, with my old

:40:32. > :40:36.cue which was originally a ten millimetre ferrule, which went down

:40:37. > :40:50.to 9.3 over the course of 30 years. I played with a big tip, as big as

:40:51. > :40:56.11.4 on a 9.3 ferrule. You do not find many top players playing with

:40:57. > :41:01.that size tip these days. I remember when I practised with Tony Jones, a

:41:02. > :41:07.very good player, a former top 16 player. I think he won the European

:41:08. > :41:12.open. He played with a tip that was so wafer thin it actually cut into

:41:13. > :41:18.the cue ball. The ferrule used to damage the cue ball. I have never

:41:19. > :41:24.seen anybody else play with the tip as thin as Tony Jones. But he was a

:41:25. > :41:31.very good player. He was on my Christmas card list one

:41:32. > :41:33.year. He knocked me out of the top 16 by winning the European Open.

:41:34. > :41:43.Thanks very much! I thought he would have played that

:41:44. > :41:54.cannon Fermat, but still nicely on this red. That is the reason. He is

:41:55. > :42:02.now faced with a blue he would take nine out of ten times in practice,

:42:03. > :42:10.that this is not practice. Yes, a lot of pressure. Just a bit

:42:11. > :42:16.of movement in behind his eye line. He needs to keep still and hit this

:42:17. > :42:18.smoothly. Wow, he struck that beautifully. What a lovely shot.

:42:19. > :42:47.Well played. He just slightly underhit that. He

:42:48. > :43:01.played the stun shot with right-hand side. He would have liked to have

:43:02. > :43:03.been straight on this black. It was a good shot. Played the cannon. That

:43:04. > :43:24.is perfect. Very quickly developed this into a

:43:25. > :43:39.chance to win the frame one visit. Just ever so slightly the wrong side

:43:40. > :43:56.of the blue. He would have liked to have been a

:43:57. > :44:01.little bit straighter this red, so he could stunned past the red that

:44:02. > :44:03.is closest and get on the black and in the end he played a cannon, so a

:44:04. > :44:32.choice of black or pink now. He slightly overcut the black. But

:44:33. > :44:42.there was no problem, with the pace that he played it. Just a delicate

:44:43. > :44:56.soft screw shot to hold for the blue.

:44:57. > :45:06.He needed to play for the gap, which he negotiated. 62 ahead with 75 on

:45:07. > :45:09.the table. He is thinner on the red than he would have liked. He will

:45:10. > :45:23.not be bringing the red off the left-hand side cushion.

:45:24. > :45:33.This brown and another red. Just to make sure.

:45:34. > :45:48.To take a 3-1 lead going into the interval.

:45:49. > :47:00.Well played. It has been a first-class break, a super break.

:47:01. > :47:08.Barry Hawkins took the opportunity to try to dislodge the red from the

:47:09. > :47:14.side cushion. He just needs a good pot now. Well played.

:47:15. > :47:30.That was a very nice cannon on the blue. Just a little bit thin. I am

:47:31. > :47:40.sure this Crucible crowd would like to see Barry Hawkins make a century.

:47:41. > :47:43.51 centuries so far in the tournament will stop the double is

:47:44. > :47:49.not on, I am afraid. But an excellent break. Well played,

:47:50. > :48:08.Barry Hawkins. HAZEL IRVINE: Hawkins claimed two

:48:09. > :48:16.after the interval. With runs of 37 and 45. Having only lost five frames

:48:17. > :48:21.in his first two matches, he loses five in a row here. We are now live

:48:22. > :48:24.in frame seven. Seven points the difference with three colours left.

:48:25. > :48:45.Key frame, Willie Thorne and Peter? WILLIE THORNE: It is very tense

:48:46. > :48:49.here, Hazel, at the minute. Barry Hawkins in the position where

:48:50. > :48:50.Stephen Maguire needed two snookers and he got two snookers and he is

:48:51. > :49:04.back into it. Does he have an angle on the pink to

:49:05. > :49:24.move the black? REFEREE: Quiet, please.

:49:25. > :49:32.Well, what a massive frame this is for Stephen Maguire. For or money he

:49:33. > :49:34.was going to be 6-1 behind. Every chance with this double to be

:49:35. > :49:57.trailing by three. A thin clip. A safety shot for Barry

:49:58. > :50:05.Hawkins. He decided to play up and down. He has not played that well. I

:50:06. > :50:17.am very surprised at his choice of shot. This is an opportunity now for

:50:18. > :50:19.Stephen Maguire to pull back to 5-2 in a frame in which he needed two

:50:20. > :50:32.snookers. Well played, well played. A

:50:33. > :50:40.fantastic pot from Stephen Maguire. You can see how much that means to

:50:41. > :50:46.him. A fantastic shot on the black. HAZEL IRVINE: He is still fighting.

:50:47. > :50:51.He has probably got an injury them. He hit that hard. That has happened

:50:52. > :50:58.before. Michael Holt, when he broke his fingers. Such a big frame for

:50:59. > :51:02.Stephen Maguire. As Peter Ebdon said, surprised that Barry Hawkins

:51:03. > :51:07.tried that shot, he could have clipped the black onto the back

:51:08. > :51:15.cushion. What a fantastic pot. That might be the impetus to getting

:51:16. > :51:23.going. Barry Hawkins got five in a row. He can do that, all the players

:51:24. > :51:31.can, to win like that. But that is a bonus. They do not come along often.

:51:32. > :51:35.This is the shot. It is not only the pot, the fact he is close to the

:51:36. > :51:41.cushion. You can see what it means to him. Some things have gone wrong,

:51:42. > :51:48.Barry had flicks. But he has not capitalised on Barry's mistakes. He

:51:49. > :51:55.will be disappointed. But that was a massive last frame for Stephen

:51:56. > :52:01.Maguire. Stephen Maguire knows that at ranked 24, if he gets to the

:52:02. > :52:06.semifinal, he will get back into the 16. And it could be just the impetus

:52:07. > :52:11.he needs. The bizarre thing, I think the three qualifying matches have

:52:12. > :52:15.done him good. In the past years he has turned up at the championships

:52:16. > :52:21.and got beaten first round. He has been in good form coming in. He is a

:52:22. > :52:26.top 16 player all day, I do not know why he is not in the top 16. Ding

:52:27. > :52:32.Junhui hat to come through qualifying last year and won the

:52:33. > :52:36.frames he needed for confidence, the same with Stephen Maguire. I think

:52:37. > :52:45.Pete Godwin will have to go and level the table after that slap! All

:52:46. > :52:50.right, we are coming back shortly at 7pm for the second session of the

:52:51. > :52:55.other quarterfinals that began this morning and you will join Jason at

:52:56. > :53:00.7pm for that. We can give you a reminder of the block us to tie

:53:01. > :53:06.between Ronnie O'Sullivan and Ding Junhui. DENNIS TAYLOR: Ronnie

:53:07. > :53:13.O'Sullivan gets this enthralling encounter under way. Important for

:53:14. > :53:19.him to get off to a good start against Ronnie O'Sullivan, and he is

:53:20. > :53:26.doing that. That is seven centuries for Ding Junhui. He leaves Ronnie

:53:27. > :53:33.O'Sullivan 3-0. What a response. He has bounced back and won three in a

:53:34. > :53:37.row and we are all square at 3-3. Both players playing terrific stuff.

:53:38. > :53:41.In the end, Ronnie O'Sullivan will be more pleased, coming out of the

:53:42. > :53:51.session all square at 4-4. HAZEL IRVINE: Having been three nil

:53:52. > :53:56.down. Kyren Wilson against John Higgins, John Higgins is 5-3 up.

:53:57. > :54:03.Kyren Wilson damaged the tip of his cue and lost the last two. That has

:54:04. > :54:07.been fixed, we understand, and I am sure he has been practising with his

:54:08. > :54:12.new tip. I think the original one has been fixed. They will be back at

:54:13. > :54:16.7pm. We only have a couple of minutes left on BBC Two, but let's

:54:17. > :54:23.get back into the final frame of their session will stop if you want

:54:24. > :54:26.to watch it beyond 6pm, get ready to press the red button because it will

:54:27. > :54:33.continue there. But now, back to Willie Thorne.

:54:34. > :54:38.WILLIE THORNE: We saw Stephen Maguire pot an excellent red. He got

:54:39. > :54:43.that gap perfectly and this is a good chance to get his biggest

:54:44. > :54:49.break. He made 80 in the first frame and since then has not made a

:54:50. > :54:55.sizeable break pro. He has been kept off the table. This is the best

:54:56. > :55:38.chance since frame one. Can he win a framing one visit? -- in one visit?

:55:39. > :55:44.He just lost the cue ball slightly. This is certainly thinner than he

:55:45. > :55:51.would have liked. He will be trusting to lock with the

:55:52. > :55:57.cannon. He played that well. He could not

:55:58. > :56:11.have played that better. He is very thin on this red and it

:56:12. > :56:20.is not ideal. The problem was the previous red, where he lost position

:56:21. > :56:27.on the black. That was a lovely shot. Well played, well played.

:56:28. > :56:45.The reds either side of the pink will pot into either corner pocket

:56:46. > :56:50.but it is one of those where you can play for both of them. If you

:56:51. > :56:52.overhit or underhit. He has decided to go into the bunch, I thought he

:56:53. > :57:08.did. He misjudged that completely. Unfortunately, I do not think you

:57:09. > :57:16.saw the shot you called. That would have been the most straightforward.

:57:17. > :57:23.This is a tough red into the centre. You would expect him to play a good

:57:24. > :57:28.safety shot because if he misses the red into the centre, he could be

:57:29. > :57:39.leaving a red into the yellow pocket. This is really tough.

:57:40. > :58:06.HAZEL IRVINE: Stephen Maguire scrapping hard in the last frame of

:58:07. > :58:11.the session and if you would like to continue to watch it press the red

:58:12. > :58:16.button. It is their on the red button and online. We start again.

:58:17. > :58:20.Jason back with Steve Davis for the evening session. You will see

:58:21. > :58:26.everything in the company of those two. In the meantime, thanks to John

:58:27. > :58:28.and Ken for their company. And the yours. Goodbye.