Saturday, 1st Round, Afternoon Part 2 Snooker: World Championship

Good afternoon, once again, from our Winter Gardens home here, John,

Steve and I settling in for the next 17 days in the Bet Fred World

Championship. Day one of course and this afternoon we have been

following the progress of the five times World Champion Ronnie

O'Sullivan, he is playing a man who came through a very gruelling

qualifying round, the world number 59, Gary Wilson. And Ronnie 3-1.

They have just come back after the mid-session break, they have five

more to play and so let us hand you straight to Dennis Taylor and

Stephen Hendry. Thank you very much Hazel. Ronnie looks very focussed. I

shook hands with the doctor who came out of Ronnie's dressing room. The

way he started. He cut this red in, that is a terrific start.

He is still in among the ball, there could be more open after this next

shot. Played perfectly. Didn't have tos

for it that time. -- to force it that time.

You can see how focussed he is there, he didn't even smile, almost

tripped over the referee there. But he has already played a couple

of cracking shots in this fifth frame here.

Yes, this is a shot row don't see played that often. I think it is a

great way to go into the bunch. You can generate so much pace with the

cue ball, with that run-in side off two cushions.

You are right Dennis, he looks back to full focus. A couple of instances

of frustration getting to him in the fourth ream. -- frame.

I think he is just OK. He is coming round the see if the two reds just

above the black are available. I think they are, so he can follow

through, when potting the blue and leave choice of those.

It will be interesting to see if he can clear this frame with one visit.

Well, that looks like it could be the shot that will give Ronnie this

frame, with one visit. Well this frame is not going to last

very long, is it? It is coming up to nine minutes. Frame safe, so just

concentrate, so if he can get a century.

What a shot that was to develop the last red. That could have prevented

him from making a sent, it's on now. And I think it will be the first one

in this year's Bet Fred World Championship.

Better get your skates on Brendan, the Rocket has lifted off.

Hurry up Brendan. I think he even had a little smile there Ronnie as

well. And there we go, for a century, the

first in this year's World Championship. A tonne up for the

rocket. It has been sublime break, really has. O'Sullivan at his best.

Rocket. It has been sublime break, really has. O'Sullivan at his best.

That is going to hit the middle pocket and come out on the pink.

Well whatever Steve Peters said to Ronnie at the mid-session it

certainly work. He won the frame with that magnificent century break,

he extends his lead, it is four frames to one now.

And really, straightaway, the opening part of this frame, he

knocked a couple of cracking pots in. We showed you this one before,

this was a lovely little cut into the corner pocket. That got him

started but there was a few other nice shots. He got a nice touch on

the yellow there. You can see the red was next to the

black, he wanted to get that out of the bay to free the black up, and he

played on that one immediately, and after that, Steven, it was all plain

sailing. Yes, we see that with the top-spin takes effect in time to

stop the in off. Also it didn't go into the meat of the pack but this,

a lovely target there, because he knew he was going to put that red

over the right corner. We had a bit of strum there with Ronnie and the

referee. -- Strictly Come Dancing: I would love to see Ronnie on strictly

come dancing, I think he would be brilliant.

He come out after the interval and has that done against him, Gary

Wilson, in the next frame. To see Ronnie on strictly come

dancing, I think he would be brilliant.

A very popular lad up in the North East, is Gary, a lot of support

there, and... I know there is a lot of supporters all packed into the

Whitley Bay snooker centre there, Paul Rinadldi who has done coaching

over the year, they are all there, hoping their man can perform well

here, but what a task he faces. He didn't cue that one very well.

Missed the pot to the left of the pocket. But worst still, he stuck

the red up that he missed. Sometimes you get away with it, and sometimes

you don't. Sometimes you get away with it,

sometimes you don't. Ronnie got away with it that time.

He had a little glance into the crowd there, Ronnie, I'm not sure

what that was about, when he missed that. It was rather strange.

Let us look at that when he missed. He looked into the audience. Not

sure what that was about. Got to be careful when he screws

back off the two reds to get behind the pink or orb brown. Won't be sure

how they are going to react when he hits them.

He has left a possible long red, the black is not available, but if there

is a slight angle, he could take this on and he could come back up

the table and finish on blue or pink there. You see, slight angle to play

this with top-spin. To send the white through after the red.

Not quite. That was the length of the pot.

Got to be very precease with that top of shot. -- precise with that

type of shot. I think the pink spot might be

occupied, so the pink would have to go back on the brown spot, that the

highest available, but more importantly it's what happens to the

cue ball here. Careful here off the reds. That

middle pocket always comes into play. I bet the last colour he

thought he was going to finish on is the brown. But enyou make contact

with another red, when you are screwing back, it is easy to lose

control of the cue ball. There are a couple of attacking shot

he could play. He could go one cushion into the bunch.

Played neither. And if he was just playing for the

red it is not the best shot he has played, to finish hampered.

If he could get himself on the red that is above the black in such way,

but I don't think he can do it from this position, but in a few shots

time, he could get the black into play.

Wow. That is the end of break. But there was a possible chance to get

the black into play there, but didn't want to hit the green. That

was the end of any thoughts about that.

Pretty decent cueing that, tight against the cushion.

We might see this shot again, off two cushions.

This time he chose to go directly into them. He hit them pretty well.

Unlucky not to be on something easier than this.

Had to hit them very thick. He could have gone in-off there. It is

potting balls but it is not getting any easier this break.

He had no guarantee of getting on a core there.

-- colour. It is is a little awkward, he is hampered here and he

doesn't want to hit the yellow full ball, he wants to get up near the

cushion with the cue ball. And that is a pretty good effort

there. From that awkward position. He has played that well. Applause

and nice to see so many ladies here, in fact there is probably adds many

ladies in the audience as there are men. It has always been that way,

they have always loved snooker since the early days of Pot Black but nice

to see them here in the Crucible. It is going to leave the red up.

That is is a bad mistake from Ronnie.

He was just playing to nestle on the red that was tight on the cushion

there, I think he can get on out to the yellow here.

Yes. Played it nicely. If he can get a nice angle on the

blue it is worth playing the cannon on to black and those two reds.

Has gone there, it is definitely the right shot play. Doesn't have to

play it with too much pace, if this goes right. A great chance to win

the frame. Just could have dope with that much

thicker contact. I said it didn't need a lot of pace but he could have

hit it harder than that, he needed to make contact with the red and

black. He tried to hit the red full-back and caught it on the side.

This is the big test, we which ever read red he choose, the one from

from the middle he is tight on the cushion. Not easy to make a good

bridge hand. Very awkward this.

But what a good recovery that is. Much better shot than it looked.

39 the difference. Just drop this in, dead weight. Make sure of the

red. Well, I don't know why he didn't

roll the red in. Ronnie would have stayed in his seat but as it is, it

is not just over yet but you think he has pulled one back.

He is now thinking, I should have just rolled this in. Didn't have to

get on the plaque. Ronnie would have stayed in his seat.

-- black. It is only one snooker to tie, but,

Ronnie has misjudged that slightly. He was trying to get in behind the

black. He has the snooker behind the blue though.

And the middle pocket slightly in the way of escaping down the right

side of the table. But is there a gap, no, he is playing to swerve, he

has to make sure he gets the swerve on this, otherwise could hit the

pink. Well, look that the for at show.

Right in between his cue action, can't get any closer than that.

He is looking at a way to play a snooker here and looking at way of

keeping the reds safe also. I think in the end, he was trying to

pot the red, get on the black an then look for the snooker he needs

on the yellow, because if he pots red and black one snooker to tie.

That has put the green into a better position for snookers. He has now

got the pink and green in a good position. Where is the cue ball?

Surely not! Oh, dear me. How often do you see that happen? Now Ronnie

can tie and he can pop this and get on the black. It is amazing what

happened out there on a snooker table. Not the best shots that

Ronnie's ever played. It is a must pot here.

That was incredible how unlucky that was, wasn't it?

Just got to judge this little positional shot. Try to miss the

blue. Almost a natural angle to come off to questions there, so this

looks like it could be the first re-spotted black of this world

Championships. Well, this would be a real body blow because Gary thought

he won the frame. That last red, why didn't he just drop it in? I know he

was very unlucky, but had he had just rolled in the red in, to hit

the jaw of the pocket was incredible. He has still got the

pink and black. Now, this is not going to be absolutely spot on. It

is quite a thin cut back. But it is safely in. Gary can't quite believe

it. The audience can't quite believe it, but we have got a re-spotted

black. It looks like he was back to just two behind. Well, Gary won the

toss. He puts Ronnie in and I'm wondering whether he'd going to play

this shot that most modern-day professionals play. Just push the

right side question. Just push the back onto that. Yes, that is the

shot for the player nowadays. It leaves a possible double on, but if

you take the double on and don't get it, you live the black on. He's gone

fully double! And if you don't get the double... And where's the cue

ball going? Look where the lack's on. I thought Gary might chipped the

black onto the cushion by the black spot. This is a frame that is going

to hurt so much. It still needs good cueing because he could follow this

in if he doesn't get it right. No problem. I do not know how he one

that frame, and Gary does not know how we lost it. Ronnie O'Sullivan

extends his lead, it is now 5-1 and not 4-2. It looked like a really

positive response, and it just shows you how thin the margins are in this

sport. A massive turning point because Gary Wilson looked like he

was starting to relax into this game and it looked like 4-2. He didn't

want to be close to this middle pocket, but it catches that front

jaw and it put some side pocket on and it clings to the cushion. It is

hindsight, but looking back, Dennis was right in what he said. Just drop

the last red in. You don't have to play at any pace. What happens in

the rest of the frame wouldn't happen. Yes. From 5-1 behind here,

it doesn't look good at all. No, and when you think of Ronnie O'Sullivan

bashing his hand on the table because he knows he has lost

something, he would have been very happy. Ronnie would have said about

frame before the interval was the one he wanted a win. Now it could

completely change the match. How does that change Ronnie's

perspective on the match? He is four frames ahead any will try and push

on now. It is a massive gap. It is a great opportunity and I expect

Ronnie in the next frame to be really focused. Great champions know

that when things happen and they win frames they shouldn't have, they

take on. It is a test of Gary's composure as well, isn't it? It is.

If Ronnie can sense the pull-out a big frame that Gary will be saying

everything is against me, why me? That is the kind of thing that goes

through your mind. Ronnie can try and help them along that road. 5-1

for the five-time champion. Here we go for frame seven of nine in his

opening session today. Commentators Mac.

You have seen the grimace from Ronnie O'Sullivan, not because there

was a bad break off, but look at what has happened with the black.

I wouldn't be surprised to be just flicked off the black and play the

cue ball to the balk cushion. A little safety off that red. Get the

black into play. But that black that he was left to put Dennis, I think

he thought he was going to go in. Added that he hit it as well as he

wanted to. He potted it quite straight. -- I don't think that he.

He has caught that safety shot much too thick. That last frame will have

affected Gary. Here is the black ball. You can play this with a bit

of angle, but he put it quite straight. You see the reaction. He

thought he mis-hit it. You have seen a couple of shakes of the head from

Gary Wilson, he has not shown much emotion today, his temperament has

looked good. But maybe his coping mechanisms disappeared and that last

game. -- in that last game. Yes, you can always pick out even a best of

19 one turning point and I think that was the turning point. That

last frame. A long way to go, but I think Gary has got a bit of a

mountain to climb now. OK, the reds are nicely open here, the black is

tied up Stephen mentioned and the pink looks tied up also. It might

possibly be available in one corner. You can see the pink goes into the

right corner, so he has got be pink and blue to work out, so he might

just carry on and try and win the frame with the pinks and blues. I

think you looked at the possibility of two cushions to Cannes and the

red and black because even if he misses the cannon he has to be on a

read. It is worth a gamble. -- cannon.

This might just type the pink up. I'm not sure if it is on its spot or

not. I don't think it is looking at it. It is usually in line with the

middle and corner pocket, so is... It is just off its spot. It might

have to go in behind. The green spot is available, it might have to go up

there. We will find out shortly. Well, it is the only spot that is

available, the green. He made that chocolate very easy. --

he made that shot look very easy. Well, that just makes me laugh.

Left-handed, gets down and screwed it back. People just get so used to

it now, he switches hands, you don't even get a reaction. But to screw

back like that with the opposite hand, it to reflect. -- it is

terrific. That is not the best positional shot

he has ever played. It has now become very missable. He has got it,

but he has to go in and out of baulk.

He is faced with a horrible shot here. He has got to try and land on

a red. We would just love to nestle on the one next to the black, but if

he goes into the three reds next to the pinks, that is tough also. Let

with a lot of sight. Is he going to get away with this? Not quite. That

was very, very difficult. To hit those and not leave a read on.

-- red on. It is such a hard shot to get the amount of action he needs to

get back to the blue because it is so close without playing a per shot.

He is just going to leave himself sure on the blue, try not to be too

dodgy. Try not to use the cuteness match -- try not to use

the cue as much. The angle is too acute. Trying to play that, he has

hit the red far too thick. That won't go, but there is one to the

middle pocket that will go. A bit of a chance to get right back into this

frame that he could do with winning. That is a good start to it. The

chance is there now. This would be a huge boost to Gary after what

happened in the previous frame, but he has got an awful lot of balls to

pot. At least he has got the chance to do that.

Yes, he has landed on this red nicely. He can play for the black

into the pocket. This really is a golden opportunity.

He doesn't have to play a cannon. Those three reds on the pink spot or

clear each other if he pops one. -- all clear each other. This is a

great test of Gary's temperament here.

Yeah, temperament and belief in your own ability. If you believe you can

clear up... The only possible stumbling block is

the green that is near the question, but it is still possible. He will

already be thinking about that. He just hit that a little harder than

he intended. You have to keep it as simple as possible for yourself.

Has this gone a bit closer to the cushion that he needed? He needs a

good part here -- good pot here. He cued that nicely. When you run

slightly out of position, it takes you a view shots to be back in the

perfect spot. And that was a very delicately played to shot, you stop

for a brief second there, he thought he might have missed that, but to

hold it like that, this is the key shots to be nicely on the green. To

be able to be out on the brown. He has taken these very well. I don't

want to put the jinx on him too early, but he looks very composed in

this break. Granted, the reds were all an excellent positions, but when

you're 5-1 down, it shows good character here.

It doesn't matter about the pink. Absolutely brilliant that by Gary

Wilson and, barring snookers, he has won a very important frame and

deserves that drink. Unusual to see Ronnie coming back to the table

needing to snookers. -- two snookers. If he knocks the black

onto the cushion he will concede the frame. You would think. Well, it

doesn't matter now, doesn't? Showing an awful lot of character that to

come back after what has happened in the previous frame, it is an

important frame, but he still trails 5-2. You have got to hand it to him,

that is the highest break of the match for him so far. What a time to

do it. There are other balls in front of you coming you might not

practice every day, but it is not here -- you might do it in practice

everyday, but it is in the Crucible. Takes up strength of mind to come

back in that situation. 5-1 down having really mucked it up in the

last set. It does. The qualifiers help you get into that zone. The has

already had three heart matches and you are match up. Even so, this is a

different venue and a different standard of player, so you have

still got to fight against all those demons that build up. What do you

make of Ronnie's fighting spirit this season? It is interesting that

Doctor Stephen Peters is with him from day one. He seems to be

revelling and -- in his fight and being a villain. -- and being an

arch enemy. Yes. Maybe he is looking at thinking I have got a few more

goes on this, winning a UK and winning a Masters and he is putting

everything he had got on that. He has done that in the last 12 months.

He is tied up the last few dollars. On occasions, people have commented

that Ronnie O'Sullivan has looked happier in the commentary box than

he has playing, so from my perspective, the fact that he has

actually called Steve Peters in means that he is not ready to bail

out, he had actually looking forward to the tournament and he wants to do

the best. The phone call is not a worry phone call, he has got

business to do. He has indeed. Let's does have a look at what is going on

in the other side of the curtain in there. The match we have been

following is David Grace against Kyren Wilson. Kyren Wilson has taken

that lead 5-2. The that like they are in the eighth frame right now.

David Grace is not afraid. We reached the semifinals of the UK

championship a few back. Had a marvellous time there. We are

actually nearly finished here on BBC Two for the afternoon, but don't

forget you can see all of these matches online. In fact, how can you

watch all 17 days on the BBC? There are myriad ways of doing so and the

dye them. There are plenty of ways to enjoy our coverage of this year's

world championship. Stephen Hendry brings a great championship to an

end. There are features and more on the BBC website. Radio five live

will bring you updates throughout the day. Steve Davis, for ten years

at tapestry of titles. You can join in to the conversation via social

media. There is live action on the BBC sport at, mobile phone, tablet

and a connected TV. John Parrott wins the world championship. But

don't forget as well as our extensive coverage on BBC One and

BBC Two, we are on the red button. Join Hazel and the rest of the team

from 7pm tonight. Just press red. And indeed, we will be presenting

every session live for you and we will be able to see us here in the

Winter Gardens and the players practice studio as well. The man we

will be watching this evening is Mark Selby, he is going for a third

win in three years, the defending champion, and he really is the man

of the moment. Mark Selby, I have known since he was 14 years of age.

When I say this, I mean it's an silly, Mark Selby to me was never

going to be a top 16 player. He used to cue this far away from the cue

ball. They got close, he improved 40 points overnight. He wins ugly.

Where as other players who if they are not playing well go out on the

first round, he can scrape through matches. Ladies and gentlemen, your

champion, Mark Selby. It is so hard these days to dominate. You had got

the Hendry 's, Davis, riddance. It is impossible to dominate now. If it

is that easy everyone would dominate. Mark Selby, this is the

best comeback I've seen for many, many years. He wins the world

championship for the very first time. You have to scrape him off the

table and that means that the opponent must have much mental

stamina to keep him off the table because he can keep going. Your

mental strength gets tested. Your champion, Mark Selby! He is

definitely the man to beat. He is 11. Oddly not going to be another

year or 18 months until anyone can catch on. He is raising the bar at

the moment, and the rest of the rest of us must try and reach. What is

not to like about him? He is the greatest player to ever come from

Leicester, which I hate saying. He certainly is the greatest at the

moment and he is best -- besting Fergal O Brien. Then Fergal managed

to take the ninth frame to avoid the whitewash. There has only been one

of those and John Parrott inflicted in 1992. Still, Fergal is ten points

shy of the lowest score in a match in Crucible history. 191 points. He

definitely wants to avoid that. Let's does reflect on how he played

today. I think this fact is helped by vocal not being able to get the

engine started. Much as did his job. Made of ending champions have

crumbled in the first round and stumbled to get over the round, but

he has got to be happy with that. Fergal has grafted so, so hard to be

in this championship. Just reminders about this incredible world record

that he was and bolted to be in. Well, he had the world record length

of one frame. He said it took me seven years to get here, I figured

another two hours wasn't going to make any difference. He absolutely

grafted to get here and unfortunately for him, he just

hasn't got the engine is going. Nothing has happened for him today

and Mark has looked ready comfortable. An interesting match we

will also be concluding tonight, Anthony McGill finds himself 7-2

behind to Stephen Maguire and he is the seed this time is Anthony

McGill. He is in real hot water. The pressure of being the seeds are

perhaps underestimated little bit. You haven't had the match play in

the build-up in the qualifiers, all of a sudden, you are looking over

your shoulder just a fraction more. Honestly, I'm a massive fan of

Stephen Maguire. It is about time he played well here. He hasn't in fact

won a match since 2012. Very interesting to see if he can close

it up. He has actually lost three of the last four years. His galloping

towards that lies for -- that line for all he's worth. Live coverage,

seven o'clock with the damage this evening's session. As Selby and

McGuire aim to finish off in style. We will be here for many more of

morning, noon and night. They won is done for us. Good night. --

once again, your champion, Mark Selby.