Day 11, Quarter-Finals, Evening Session - Pt 1 Snooker: World Championship

Hello. A very good evening to you. Welcome back to the Crucible Theatre

in Sheffield. All four quarter-finals of the 2017 Betfred

world snooker hundredship are well under way and tonight, it's act two

of the major unfolding drama between Ding Junhui and Ronnie O'Sullivan.

Ronnie O'Sullivan who gets this enthralling encounter under way. I

think it was so important for Ding Junhui to get off to a good start

against Ronnie O'Sullivan. And he's certainly doing that. Seven

centuries now for Ding Junhui. Leads Ronnie O'Sullivan. Well, what a

response. He's bounced right back and won three in a row. We are all

square at 3-3. Terrific stuff. Ronnie will be more pleased than

Ding, they come out of the session 4-4. The five-time world champion

recovering from 3-0 down to share the morning's eight frames. Reigning

champion Mark Selby has a 6-2 lead over Hong Kong's Marco Fu. John

Higgins leads Kyren Wilson 5-3 and another Englishman leads Scotland's

Stephen Maguire 5-3. You can really feel the tension this evening in the

Crucible. Steve Davis, good evening to you. Ding Junhui got off to a

great start and he'll be kicking himself to allow Ronnie back in?

Possibly but the job has been done in establishing himself in the match

and it's 4-4 with all to play for. Looking at the previous matches,

both have things that count. Ronnie was very impressive against Sean

Murphy and I think Ding Junhui to actually turn around that match

against Liang Wenbo showed great character so it's all to play for.

Ronnie's got the upper hand against Ding Junhui and how much of an

impact will the past record have, given the fact that Ronnie has

absolutely thumped Ding Junhui in major showpiece events? It obviously

plays in his mooned but if Ding Junhui were to win this match

perhaps it would be the catalyst to him going on to win the World

Championship. You could argue this is the biggest match of his career

in pursuit of that. It's hard to explain to viewers at home or

wherever they are watching, what it's like in the Crucible when

Ronnie O'Sullivan walks out here. The fans love it, they get right

behind him. How difficult will it be for Ding Junhui to tackle that?

Possibly it's a problem but I think Ding Junhui has warmed to the

Crucible crowd and I think the people of Sheffield have warmed to

him so I think he's got more support and is more comfortable in his own

skin here and it won't be all one-way traffic in that department.

We are all excited here. In the commentary box, it's Denis Taylor

and Ken Docherty. Ken, how excited are you tonight? Very excited. Denis

and I are in the commentary box, you can feel the atmosphere and the

tension and anticipation from the crowd and Denis, you commentated on

the frames today, how fantastic? I was with Stephen Hendry, it was

fantastic, Ding got off to an absolute flyer, got the 128 as well.

The seventh frame was a huge frame. Ronnie came back to 3-3 and he was

42 in front or 43 in front. Ding could only tie. Somehow he tied the

frame and won a respoted black and I suppose Ronnie will be delighted to

be 4-4 but Ronnie could have won the five frames after going 3-0 down?

After being 3-0 down, I was watching it myself this morning, I was

fearing for Ronnie because Ding looked in crop pleat control? --

complete control. He missed a sitter of a red, if he hadn't have missed

that, I think he would have led 4-0 and it could have been a whole

different scoreline. What about tonight for Ding? At the start it's

got to be very important? He's got to get off to a good start. The fact

that it's 4-4, this is going to be a fabulous session of snooker, it

really is. Listen, the crowd are really up for it and even us

commentators are really up for it as well, we can't wait.

Thank you very much indeed. Just when you look at the tension on

those faces, I wonder what is going through these players' minds knowing

that this is, as you said, for Ding Junhui, a massive session? It is,

and from my perspective, I know what it's like to be out there, you just

can't wait to get going. The longer we are talking, the longer they are

going to be waiting! John Higgins has been here before,

he know Haas it's all about. We are very excited here at the Crucible.

Let's say a very good evening to Rob Walker.

Thanks Jason, good evening, ladies and gentlemen. Welcome to the climax

of day 11 at the Betfred World Snooker Championship with the

resumption of the two brilliantly poised quarter-finals, we are in for

an atmospheric end to Tuesday night here at the Sport's spiritual home,

the Crucible. APPLAUSE.

Please welcome a young player in his second successive Crucible

quarter-final, finalist in India, he won the Shanghai in 2015, he's now

firmly established amongst the game's elite and he'll be seriously

fired up for tonight, because he is the Warrior, Kyren Wilson!

And his opponent, winner of 28 ranking titles in all, without doubt

one of the finest sportsmen Scotland's ever produced. Contesting

this, his 12th Crucible quarter-final, after an excellent

win over Mark Allen in round two, four times a champion of the world,

the wizard of Wishaw, he's John Higgins!

MUSIC On table one, please welcome a

player who first made the quarters here 22 years ago, two decades later

he's still going strong. He showed all his experience to come back from

3-0 down to level the scores. Reigning Masters champion,

five-times the champion of the world, blink and you will miss him,

he's the Rocket, Ronnie O'Sullivan! MUSIC

And finally his opponent, a player who started brilliantly this

morning, two breaks over 70, a 128 and that respoted black. Runner-up

last year, reigning Shanghai Masters champion and winner of 20 12 big

ones in all, a national hero back home in China, so enter the Dragon,

Ding Junhui! Willie Thorne and Stephen Hendry

will talk you through John Higgins vKyren Wilson on the red button live

here on BBC Two though Denis Taylor and Ken Doherty for Ding Junhui and

Ronnie O'Sullivan. Good evening, everyone. Fascinating

second session this is going to be. All that was happening in the first

session Ken, one mistake and the other player was winning enough to

take the frame. Yes. Very high quality session. 71, Ronnie came

back with 63, 65, 69, 59 and 44, the breaks. Tough quality. What an

atmosphere as well. Hand shake and smiles all around.

Great respect for each other these two players.

And of course Ronnie in China is almost as well-known as Ding Junhui.

I mean this is a national treasure. Safe to say there'll be a few people

watching it over there, I'm sure. It's quite interesting that we share

what Steve said. Ding doesn't have a great record against Ronnie

O'Sullivan. But what an opportunity should he win this match, you know,

maybe it might be the catalyst, as Steve said. Maybe he could claim his

first World Championship. He's going to have it all to do. Ronnie

O'Sullivan looking in great form as indeed Ding Junhui is. It's amazing

they've only played each other once in the Crucible, back in 2007 and

Ronnie won that 10-2. They haven't played each other in a major

competition for nearly three seasons and Ding is improving all the time

so I don't think the head-to-head Ding will be worrying about that,

because he's been improving and it's all about what's happening today.

Opener from Ronnie O'Sullivan. Always tricky those shots, he's held

it for the black into the same pocket.

Straightaway, this is a terrific chance for Ronnie O'Sullivan.

That wobbled its way into the pocket. Just the pace. Any harder,

that was staying over the pocket. Beautiful little cannon on that red

to release the other one into the same pocket.

Nice angle on the black. Maybe the two reds that are close together, to

the right of the main bunch. Four reds, four blacks. He'd have to

swing this right around the angle. Couldn't hold for the black there.

If he finishes nicely on the yellow, or the blue, he's looking at both, I

mean the blue is perfect to go into the bunch. While this could really

open things up, he's almost downplaying that shot, but change of

plan, there is one red loose to the right of the bunch. That's what he's

played for. This is the last potable red.

So this is the key shot and he plays this shot so well. A lot of players

will stun into the pack and the white sticks there, just watch how

he plays it. Well... Oh, where's the black. Almost fluked it. Took his

eye off the pot there. Unlike Ronnie. Very rarely to see him miss

one off the black like that, or off the spot, rather. Concentrating so

much on the power into the pack I think. Ding would love to get the

black back on its spot here. That's exactly what he's played for. Hasn't

played it hard enough. He's having a look at the black. He

wanted it before it went down the table closer to the brown with the

cue ball so if he can pot the black and take the red that's near the

blue spot. Not quite sure whether the red

closest to the pink spot will pot into the corner pocket. Ding just

came round to have a look. He's taken this loose red. That red will

certainly pot into the left centre. If he can get a nice angle after

potting this black, he can't get on that red into the left centre.

Now, that is a surprise. He's normally so good, Denis, on those

reds into the middle pockets. I think it's because it's the first

frame in the second session. Ronnie never missed one black off the spot

in the first session. There wasn't too much tactical play

in the opening session because it was all one-visit snooker.

James Beatty on the left there and John heartson. James used to play at

Sheffield and Blackburn. Gary Monk is here this evening as well, the

Leeds manager. Both players just look a little edgy

in this opening frame of the session. That could prove costly.

Ronnie's been knocking in quite a few long ones. Well ahead of Ding in

that department. It's such a key factor in the modern

game who gets in with the long pots, Ken. Yes, it is. You can see lots of

players, particularly in the practise round, constantly

practising that type of shot that Ronnie just missed. Potting then

coming off the cushion and around the angles back up for the blue or

baulk colour. It's the shot that you always look

for isn't it to get you in. Ronnie was quite some way away from this.

Never even went near the jaws of the pocket and he'll be very

disappointed with that. Such a good long Potter.

He's trying to work out, as well as these other two reds, up near the

blue, working out the best position to try to win the frame from this

chance. Taken the opportunity to move the

red that Ken mentioned, that's one red back into play. He's still got

the one to the right and the one he just moved. So he's already thinking

about ways of getting to that. APPLAUSE.

If he could get a nice angle on the red, he could play exactly the same

shot. Gone too far because the yellow didn't go into the centre of

the pocket. Right side of the pocket. Because of that, he wanted

to leave a nice angle on the red so he could knock the other red off the

side cushion but he can't do that now. Already just got a perfect

angle on the pink to pot this and come up off the cushion and bring

the red. Doesn't want to hit it too hard.

In's the shot that's available to Ding here -- that's the shot that's

available to Ding here. Brilliant shot.

APPLAUSE. Lots of noise coming from the other

table, but that last shot, Well she you it again, he judged that to

perfection. Couldn't have placed it any better. That was a wonderful

positional shot. Once again, he potted the yellow off

the right jaw, that's why he's come across a little bit too far.

Should be straightforward but it would have been nice not to have to

use the rest and the extension. The whole of the first session, it

was one chance and the frame was over. It's been a wonderful break.

He's taken these really well. It will be a bits of a blow for Ronnie

O'Sullivan. Looked like he had a good chance at the start of the

frame, then of course that long red. It doesn't matter about this black.

And he started the way he started the opening session with a break of

63, Ding Junhui back into the lead at 5-4.

Looked like Ronnie O'Sullivan came steaming out of the blocks, Steve?

Hit a brick wall, missed a couple of shots and missed what he'll be

considering is quite a disappointing, quite a distance away

from this. Sometimes when Ronnie's long game has not been in place,

he's not been happiest around the table. Ding Junhui played a great

shot there, he repeated it later on, that escape to get the red off the

cushion, wonderful shot, wonderfully weighted shot as well, he didn't

blast it. He knew if he connected properly, he'd push it over the

pocket. That's a good start for Ding Junhui. Is Ding looking comfortable?

I think perhaps that scare in the last round's calmed him down.

Especially for a big match against Ronnie O'Sullivan. As we said at the

top of the show, he's given Ding a few pummellings over the years.

Perhaps there are a few mental scars on the heal and perhaps this is the

time to do it. Ronnie looks nervous. You don't know what the players do

on their time off in matches. That is the biggest problem to some

degree, how you fill your time and, can you keep focussed, but also

relaxed in-between matches. Every player does it a different way,

perhaps that's the one part of the World Championship that Ronnie's not

got right. 5-4, back to Denis and Ken.

I mentioned Gary Monk earlier. He's doing a fabulous job at Leeds, he

did a fabulous job at Swansea. Smashing fella. First time at the

Crucible. He'll be enjoying it. And John Hartsson, t the first time he's

been here too. Again not as close to the pocket as

he would have liked. As well as a possible plant in the bottom right

hand corner, the red's come over to left middle.

Love to get on the red just above the black to the left.

I don't think he can get on that red from this position. He may elect to

try to take a couple of reds that are just right of the pink. That's

why he's coming this side of the table.

He's already looking at the shot that Ken mentioned there.

And he can take that red and leave the black and then maybe get that

red to the right of the black out of the way also.

APPLAUSE. I think if he screws it back, that

red's OK, if not, he can follow through and nudge the red.

is a 21. It is almost a carbon copy of the first session, Ken. Will be

interesting to see what he can do here, he has a wonderful angle to go

into the pack but a couple of loose red are open and available. Decide

to go into the pack of reds, now, how does this look? By that facial

expression, not very good. He hit well enough a three quarters pink

ball and he deserved to be on something there. Very unfortunate.

They have had 144 pots each, incredible. Tier they had been going

at a very good paster, average frame time of 15.5 minutes. The average

shots time is 19 seconds for Ronnie O'Sullivan and 21 seconds for a Ding

Junhui, certainly not messing around.

The red he played has gone near the left corner pocket. Just looking at

the angle he will have to get this because there is no easy path back

down the table so it is a must pots, isn't it? That does add pressure. It

is not like you are playing a shot to nothing, he will be going into

the two reds. He would feel above the black and even into the pack if

he misses those. A bit of pressure on this one. Izzie on the pink? Just

about. He went full-blooded for the pot, he

knew he would cannon the reds and he thought he had every chance of

getting a couple and he deserved to finish the pink there.

What has he done here? That was a strange shot. He got up off the shot

and back down again. I don't think he is hard, I think he is out of

position again. He is trying to get onto the red just below the pink

that parts into this bottom corner pocket. What he should have done,

what you would normally do, is just play a little cannon on that red

directly above the black. He sort of quick on it a little bit. He should

have played the more positive shot and it has cost his position and a

great chance to win the frame. Well, it is another great length of

cue ball from Ronnie O'Sullivan 's safety shot but once again he has

been a little bit unfortunate here, Ronnie, he has knocked this red

close to this right-hand corner pocket. A similar shot to the

previous long red on the opposite side. Again, pressure on this one.

He is just so good. That is so good. He is unlucky he is not on matte

black, but what a shot. I mean, the cueing is just superb. He put

everything into the pot and this time no colour.

I mentioned this morning about Ronnie having a new tip put on the

cue after the Shaun Murphy match. Les. Came over from Southport. He

has a club over there and he used to be professional and Ronnie has him

working on the tips. He decided he wasn't happy with the tip that was

on solos came over on Sunday and put a new tip on for him. -- Les came

over on Sunday and put a new tip on for him. List the long pot this

time. Is he going to stick it up? I think he is.

A loose red right up the pack. A couple of threads above the black

spot as well our pot of also plenty of options here for Ronnie. That was

nicely played. Every frame he has one so far, I

mentioned earlier, he has won with one visit. Can he do the same here?

A lovely little cannon on the reds. This would look like his most

difficult pot along this top cushion. He has to give this red a

little bit of respect. He played it well.

Look at that statistic there, tournament total points. 2951 for

Ding and 2954 for Ronnie O'Sullivan. They are so close.

Quite clever, Ronnie taking the pink here. It will go up onto the brown

spot but that will of course release the red that is close to the pink

and in a portable position so Allred 's close to the open. Leo had his

ball marker but Ronnie... You can't ask beforehand if the spot is

available or not, you just have to use your judgment.

This is lovely to watch. Two of the game 's great boat builders and

probably the greatest at the table at the moment. Ding had a couple of

chances in this frame already. It is like two boxers, isn't it, going

round for round, this is a good response from Ronnie if he can win

this game in this visit. He never looks like getting a chance after a

couple of good long pots from Ding Junhui earlier on in the frame. But

he has responded to a bit of pressure.

It is, he doesn't want to get too close to that brown. Is it rocked

back? Izzy on the green? It looks like years but he had to stop in his

tracks for a minute. Just about. That was close!

It is just magnificent, isn't it? So good to watch. I commentated on all

of the opening session with Stephen Hendry, and it was a delight to

commentate on. What I match we have in store here. A fantastic frame

from Ronnie O'Sullivan and it clinches the frame. Ding had a

couple of chances that he should have combated but he didn't. Ronnie

O'Sullivan obliged and it is 5-5. Ken is right, you don't give those

opportunities to Ronnie O'Sullivan. If you want to get in touch with us

on social media we would love your comments and your questions for

Steve Davis this evening. Any questions about your game or about

this match or who is going to win the title as well? As Ken says,

don't give those chances to Ronnie. No, he doesn't usually need that

many. Perhaps no clues as to yet who is going to unlock this match. Both

players making a couple of errors, once in amongst the balls. The key

to modern-day snooker is how many times you can actually make a

frame-winning visit to the table from the off, and don't let shop

owner back at the table. It doesn't mean to say it will always be like

that but the more times you can do that, the better.

That was very different to the morning session because we actually

had that with Ding Junhui getting to the table and finishing the frame

and one visit and there is not much then that Ronnie O'Sullivan can do.

If you start to become that relentlessly become a problem and a

headache to your opponent but I do not know how this will pan out. It

is not that they are both wary of each other at all, it is just that

as yet we have not got a player that has totally taken off in this

session. It is very early as well, and eight frame session so perhaps

all you could hope to do is win it 5-3. A few nights ago I was here

with Ken clear that the Neil Robertson Marco Fu match would go

the distance. It was tit for tat and I suppose in a way, given what was

at stake, we could be on for the same sort of match. It seems that

way, doesn't it? Unless one of them has an aberration and drops off the

face of form so to speak we could be in for a grandstand finish and said

the last session, second session finish. Then becomes a little bit of

a lottery on who has the biggest heart. We nobody O'Sullivan doesn't

falter under pressure. He is a great front runner and a great under

pressure but also Ding Junhui is coming to the fore in that respect

as well. Ken, we were talking about what a session it was with the Neil

Robertson and Marco Fu. Yes, we have had so many good matches in this

championship and this is shaping up to be another classic. Another good

long putt from Ding Junhui. It is a interesting point that Steve was

saying in the studio there. Ronnie O'Sullivan is well-known for being

able to clear up and cope with the pressure but Ding Junhui, if the

chance comes to Ding, I don't think he will bottle it. No, he is faced

with a medium length blue. He had a fabulous win against his

fellow countrymen on a deciding frame. I mean, this would be great

if it went all the way, but you just deal with these two players that one

of them is just going to grab hold of it and have a run of two or three

frames. At the moment there is nothing to pick between them.

I am just talking about breaks. The century break spat Ding Junhui has

made, 347 and he only turned professional in 2003. He is the

leading century maker in this years BetFred world with seven. He has

made 49 centuries at the Crucible. Incredible. One of the best scorers

that we have ever seen in the game. He has made a maximum six times as

well in competition. It is just his cue ball control that is so good. He

makes every shot so easy when he is in the right form. It is so

important when you break-building, just control of that cue ball. It

just takes hours and hours and hours of practice. Which a lot of the

Chinese players do. At the Academy in Sheffield they are so

disciplined. I know the contract has been signed

to keep the World Championship at the Crucible for another ten years.

In ten years' time you might be seeing a lot of Chinese players

competing at the Crucible. Now, he has been unlucky again. Unless, I

was just going to say unless he could get past the pink to hit the

red and not the red in that is over the pocket, it is end of break. If

he can see the one past the pink to flick it onto the one over the

pocket, but I don't think he can do this. This is a thin cut back end

that he is looking at into the left corner. Had it dropped on a red

nicely it would have been end of frame. He could not hit it much

better. Oh, it is right in the centre of the pocket.

Well, held for the blue. The pink will pot. He is coming around to

have a look. The pink will definitely put into the left centre

if he can just drop this red in. Hold for the pink.

The problem is when the pink respot it is not going to be available into

any pocket. He can only concentrate on the blue all the baulk colours

after this. But he won't be too concerned because he only needs, he

is 57 a head, he only needs a couple more rounds with high value colours,

a couple of blues will do. He has overhit that one back a long way.

Now, that has given him a bit of a problem now. He should have been

nicely on the blue. He is 58 in front though so he is a good few

points away from securing this. It is the 11th frame, a friend that

could take him back into the lead again. This should have been a lot

easier. He has overcut it. Oh, it just crept

in. Then he has probably just overdone that slightly. Yes, just

the pace, I think. Any hard and the blue was going to stay out. Now he

has to negotiate the cue ball between red and black while potting

this red into the right corner pocket. Back out for the blue again.

This could go wrong. He has got to stay away from the red that is

closest to the left corner pocket. There is a possible get round to the

blue but don't forget the pot on the red. He can avoid the reds here, I

think. No, he has played for the... Well... It was very, very precise to

finish on the pink and it is not a gimme, this, by any means. He is 64

in front, still a possible 67 on. No, he has missed it. Ding Junhui,

64. The black is tied up slightly but there is enough points there.

Ronnie doesn't necessarily have to take all blacks. He has three points

to play with there. But he has took the chance to bring the black into

play. He was always going to have the pink, that was such a clever

little shot that all of a sudden, what a steal this could be. A

wonderful shot, that was, very, very clever. He had to just get one

quarter of the black to knock it just off the condition and is now

just one good positional shot here from Ronnie O'Sullivan and he has

got a great chance. This looks very good. If it misses the black, and it

has done, this is perfect. What a shot he has played there. He had to

play with lots of right side. This could be, as Ronnie looks at

the scoreboard, one of the many turning points of this match. Ding

Junhui has made a break of 64, meanwhile Ronnie just contemplates a

tricky red, he just let this go and this is a little bit more difficult,

the cutback. He played a very bell. -- very well. And he can just about

afford the pink it. This will put him 42 points behind with a possible

43 still left on the table. Oh, has he hit it... He has hit it lovely.

He needs two reds and two blacks and all the colours to win by a single

point. What a clearance this could prove to be.

What has he done there? Goodness me. Well, Ding Company for Ronnie has

just played there. That was a little lapse in

concentration because out straightforward pot. In fact he

concedes the frame and what a body blow that could have been for Ding

Junhui. He should have cleared up. Look at the expression, that is what

he thinks about it. Ding is back the lead. It 6-5.

Amazing. We were looking at that unthinking, goodness me. You are so

used to Ronnie O'Sullivan clearing up in situations like that and to

make a basic error of putting the cue ball in a place where it is

impossible to miss the final black is a little bit worrying from 's

perspective. That is quite a lack of judgment in kiss of the shot,

obviously playing with the rest before that for the red, but he

won't be happy that all of a sudden some of the things that on occasions

come naturally to him, all of a sudden they are falling to pieces.

Dennis called it a lapse in concentration but is it more than

that? It is a judgment of pace. You can say you put too much into

potting the ball and do not put enough on the black, these shots are

quite obvious for players but it is quite a misjudgement of pace. Our

cameras caught Ronnie mouthing, that's horrible and it certainly

was! We will go to the red button very shortly but we stay with you

for the next couple of minutes and keep your red button ready. We will

be there very shortly. A chance to redeem things if he can

knock this in. No. Just take a little while to put that out of his

mind, that last frame. All he had to do was just drop the red in and it

has got to be just a little lapse in concentration, he hit it too hard. I

am not quite sure why he didn't try and touch the pace by coming off the

cushion because you can afford to it it a little bit harder. Meanwhile a

good long red from Ding Junhui. A good pot. He held it nicely before

the baulk line. Ding is one of the players who keeps

his head absolutely still on the shot. A lot of players have a little

bit of movement, also a lot of players keep their head still and it

is a key factor, it is not all about that, it is all about delivering the

cue, but it does help if you keep your head still, even on a power

shot. He needs to make something happen

now. The pink and black are tied up and it will not be easy to score

from this position. Ding Junhui, 17. We are leaving you

hear on BBC Two but we are switching to the red button and you will not

make is a shot for this match with Ding Junhui against Ronnie

O'Sullivan. Meanwhile on the sport website and applicant flick between

the two tables with John Higgins against Kyren Wilson and we're back

with highlights of today's play of the BetFred World Championship 20s

17 at 11:15pm on BBC Two and 11:45pm in Northern

As your wife, I don't like who you've become.

Do you believe in your dreams? No, sire.