:00:08. > :00:13.Old friends reunited, what memories these men have given us over 40
:00:14. > :00:17.years in Sheffield. Last night champions past and present came
:00:18. > :00:20.together to remember and celebrate in this most iconic venue in the
:00:21. > :00:59.sport, The Crucible Theatre. Good morning. We are about to get
:01:00. > :01:04.this World Championship underway. Mark Selby, the defending champion,
:01:05. > :01:10.is about to walk out, leading the gang of 32 in another quest for
:01:11. > :01:15.Crucible glory. Even before a ball was potted, Larsen I is for
:01:16. > :01:36.developers in the event kicked off in files. -- in fine style.
:01:37. > :01:42.Thanks to whoever thought this up, this is great! OK. You know what to
:01:43. > :02:20.do. When we met up, it was fantastic. He
:02:21. > :02:25.put his arm out to shake and is, I disregarded his hand and I gave him
:02:26. > :02:31.a hug. I feel like I'm more consistent. 17 days of this is fun!
:02:32. > :02:36.These lovely people are about to sign a document which will keep this
:02:37. > :02:45.great championship at the Crucible and in the city for another ten
:02:46. > :02:48.years at the very least. It's a fantastic tournament, it doesn't
:02:49. > :02:54.matter whether you've been here one time or ten times, you still get
:02:55. > :02:59.goose bumps. John and Steve were part of that amazing Parade of
:03:00. > :03:04.champions. 17 of you. What an amazing way to start. Absolutely
:03:05. > :03:08.brilliant, I haven't seen a player who said they didn't enjoy
:03:09. > :03:13.themselves. So much history in this place, but to see all those players
:03:14. > :03:22.was fantastic. Peter Ebdon said he was about to crack up! 950 seats
:03:23. > :03:28.this morning, all packed. There were two moments that resonated with the
:03:29. > :03:32.crowd. Barry Hearn mentioning there will be two wild cards to Ken
:03:33. > :03:38.Doherty and Jimmy White. How popular was that? The round of applause told
:03:39. > :03:43.its own story. How much they've given to the game of snooker. They
:03:44. > :03:47.don't want to retire so the extension of two more years gives
:03:48. > :03:52.them a chance to bow out in style or get back on the main tour. They will
:03:53. > :03:56.both take up the option. The other moment was the signing of the
:03:57. > :04:01.document. Many other cities were in for this championship, they wanted
:04:02. > :04:06.it, they know how good it is. A very important statement. There's always
:04:07. > :04:10.been uncertainty about whether it would move. We are here for the next
:04:11. > :04:16.ten years, it's an iconic venue and this is where the World Championship
:04:17. > :04:22.should be played. A possible 705 frames to play before somebody lifts
:04:23. > :04:31.this trophy. These are the 32 in it to win it this time.
:04:32. > :04:35.Mark Selby goes for the title number three. Fearless Fergal O'Brien isn't
:04:36. > :04:42.fazed. One Welshman in the draw this year, Ryan Day, up against one of
:04:43. > :04:50.six from China. Neil Robertson faces the lowest ranked here. Yan Bingtao,
:04:51. > :04:56.born in 2000, against Shaun Murphy. Ronnie O'Sullivan's 25th campaign.
:04:57. > :05:01.Liang Wenbo against Stuart Carrington. He knocked out Mark
:05:02. > :05:07.Williams. Ding Junhui meets Zhu Ying long. Battle of the ex-champions,
:05:08. > :05:11.being against Ebdon. Kyren Wilson facing Yorkshire's David Grace.
:05:12. > :05:18.Northern Ireland's world number 11 Mark Allen against Robertson. John
:05:19. > :05:23.Higgins against Martin Gould. Barry Hawkins, finalist four years ago,
:05:24. > :05:30.takes on Tom Ford. A bruiser of a tie, Ali Carter against Graeme Dott.
:05:31. > :05:34.As is this, McGill against Maguire, both from Glasgow. The favourite,
:05:35. > :05:40.Judd Trump, against Rory McLeod on Tuesday. Amongst the five newcomers,
:05:41. > :05:44.we have a man who was born and becomes the first player born in the
:05:45. > :05:54.21st-century, Yan Bingtao. Makes you feel a bit to credit! He doesn't
:05:55. > :05:59.even remember who I used to be! The standard improves and the players
:06:00. > :06:04.come through. Amongst the qualifiers, Fergal O'Brien, 45 years
:06:05. > :06:10.of age. He set a world record to be here. He came through a final frame
:06:11. > :06:16.decider into two hours, three minutes. I could have watched the
:06:17. > :06:19.break off in Liverpool and seen the handshake in Carlisle. Fergal said
:06:20. > :06:24.it took in seven years to get here I figured another two hours wouldn't
:06:25. > :06:28.make a difference. He will be up very shortly. The qualifiers have
:06:29. > :06:31.removed a large number of bigger name players. No Mark Williams for
:06:32. > :06:38.the first time in about 20 years. Joe Perry, Mark King, Anthony
:06:39. > :06:44.Hamilton, the list goes on. Of the nine qualifiers out of 16, nine of
:06:45. > :06:50.them are ranked 40 in the world or above. What does that tell us? It
:06:51. > :06:55.shows you the standard is tough. That qualifying section is a total
:06:56. > :07:00.bunfight. A tournament within the tournament. To get through, the
:07:01. > :07:03.relief on the players faces. The top-quality players are getting to
:07:04. > :07:08.the stage where they are getting bunched up. You never know exactly
:07:09. > :07:13.who will come through. 20 or 30 players could be in the field for
:07:14. > :07:19.these places. The qualifiers can go a long way. Alan McManus got to the
:07:20. > :07:24.semis last year. The bookmakers make Trump and Selby joint favourites.
:07:25. > :07:29.Talking about the bottom half being easier, but there's no such thing at
:07:30. > :07:34.The Crucible. Unusual not to see Ronnie O'Sullivan is the favourite.
:07:35. > :07:39.11-2 best for price. If he turns up with his best game, it might be a
:07:40. > :07:44.big price. It might be liberating for him. Regardless of how the next
:07:45. > :07:48.two weeks ago, Mark Selby will be ending the season as the world
:07:49. > :07:52.number one for the sixth time. We are in the Selby in rack. He's
:07:53. > :08:01.getting the hang of this place with two wins the last three years.
:08:02. > :08:11.Walking down then steps into the final knowing I'm on the verge of a
:08:12. > :08:15.little bit of history, being one of only a few players to have won it
:08:16. > :08:20.more than once, very exciting and looking forward to it again this
:08:21. > :08:24.year. I come here with not much expectation because my form isn't
:08:25. > :08:28.great. You just come here and relax and play. On the other side of the
:08:29. > :08:32.coin, as far as the pressure goes, I put a lot of pressure on myself
:08:33. > :08:40.because if I play how I'm capable of, I know what I can achieve. If
:08:41. > :08:42.I'm not achieving that, I'm quite hard on myself so that's where the
:08:43. > :08:46.pressure comes from, not the occasion. Mark Selby, for the second
:08:47. > :08:55.time, lifts the world title and he becomes the world champion 2016. To
:08:56. > :08:59.win it once is a great achievement. To win it twice is something
:09:00. > :09:03.unbelievable. To think I was going to do that at the start of the
:09:04. > :09:10.career, I have to pinch myself. To win a tournament this special is
:09:11. > :09:16.very difficult. I know what to expect now. Before walking out as
:09:17. > :09:21.defending champion, I didn't know what it would be. I had The Crucible
:09:22. > :09:27.KERS against me, nobody had ever retained it. -- curse. I can just go
:09:28. > :09:32.out there and enjoy it and give it my best shot. Mark Selby must be
:09:33. > :09:39.absolutely delighted. He lifts the UK title 2016. To win that for the
:09:40. > :09:44.second time, beating Ronnie in the final, it gave me huge confidence
:09:45. > :09:48.and I clicked on from there. Working hard on the practice table, as
:09:49. > :09:56.always. Believing in yourself and being confident. Fergal is a great
:09:57. > :10:00.player, he's been here many times, he understands the occasion and he
:10:01. > :10:04.knows what to do. He's achieved great things in his career. Great
:10:05. > :10:13.player, tough competitor and really hard to beat. He sure is. Welcome
:10:14. > :10:21.back to 45-year-old former world number nine Fergal, who returns
:10:22. > :10:24.after a seven-year wait. A rather mind-numbing to our and three
:10:25. > :10:25.minutes decider against David Gilbert on Wednesday night, Thursday
:10:26. > :10:37.morning. We have that at epic frame. After
:10:38. > :10:45.about 20 minutes, half an hour, the balls were scrappy and safe. A lot
:10:46. > :10:52.of good safety. What's at stake tends to loom large and you can
:10:53. > :10:57.become too cautious, afraid to make a mistake. In previous years I've
:10:58. > :11:03.lost 10-9 on the pink, on the black. The fear of losing another close one
:11:04. > :11:07.was pulling my strings. You are tired, concentration is going so
:11:08. > :11:13.you're trying to give yourself extra time to concentrate. You're probably
:11:14. > :11:19.making it worse. I just got over the line, thankfully. When you lose,
:11:20. > :11:23.chances are you're walking by the place to get your hotel. It's
:11:24. > :11:28.literally within touching distance. You come around the corner and see
:11:29. > :11:33.this magic. A tough draw, but a great occasion. The defending
:11:34. > :11:37.champion comes back on the first day and place all day. Always a great
:11:38. > :11:44.atmosphere on the Saturday morning at the start of the tournament.
:11:45. > :11:49.Since the first couple of times it's been pretty poor. He's beaten me 4-0
:11:50. > :11:55.a few times. Hopefully over a longer match things will be different. This
:11:56. > :12:01.is the seventh time these two have met. Selby holds the aces. Fergal
:12:02. > :12:05.asked beat the world champion 11 years ago. This match and a local
:12:06. > :12:11.Glasgow derby between McGill and Maguire are the first of 31 matches
:12:12. > :12:16.between now and May one in the championship. Here comes Rob Walker
:12:17. > :12:23.with the first of 50 sessions. Lozenges at the ready!
:12:24. > :12:28.Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. After an absolutely epic season, we
:12:29. > :12:34.are back at the sport's spiritual home for this seven day and day
:12:35. > :12:41.marathon of drama and glory. This is The Crucible and this is the 2017
:12:42. > :12:47.Betfred worlds Snooker championship. -- World Snooker Championship.
:12:48. > :13:07.Please welcome a five-time ranking event winner who came through
:13:08. > :13:11.qualifying brilliantly to book a 14th consecutive appearance at The
:13:12. > :13:16.Crucible. Twice he's made the semis, when he's good he's on file, he's
:13:17. > :13:39.Stephen Maguire! -- on fire. His opponent, a player who thrilled
:13:40. > :13:43.us all with that superb run to the quarters two years ago on his debut.
:13:44. > :13:48.Winning the Indian open and the Snickers shoot out this season, is
:13:49. > :13:53.into the top 16 for the first time. He's back at The Crucible with
:13:54. > :14:09.nerves of steel, here comes the smiling assassin, Anthony McGill.
:14:10. > :14:24.On table one, please welcome back a player who last appeared here in
:14:25. > :14:27.2010. He has secured his tenth Crucible of parents with that
:14:28. > :14:31.record-breaking display of determination, beating Gilbert in
:14:32. > :14:36.the epic two hour three-minute deciding frame in the qualifiers.
:14:37. > :14:49.Here comes Ireland's Marathon man, the fabulous Fergal O'Brien!. Jump
:14:50. > :15:06.Around by House of Pain. Finally, here comes a player in
:15:07. > :15:11.absolutely sensational form. This season alone he's added four more
:15:12. > :15:16.majors to his collection. Reigning UK champion, winner of this month's
:15:17. > :15:19.China Open, the current world number one, the defending world champion,
:15:20. > :15:26.the Jester from Leicester. Mark Selby!
:15:27. > :15:50.We are off. Live coverage on the red button, connected TVs and online of
:15:51. > :15:54.the match between McGill Anne McGuire. For now, we'll watch the
:15:55. > :16:03.opening exchanges featuring the world champion. All settled in?
:16:04. > :16:14.Good morning, everybody. We are back. Crucible Theatre, nice warm
:16:15. > :16:16.handshake. As has already been mentioned about Fergal, boy did he
:16:17. > :16:33.have to work hard to get here. I suppose a past -- apart from your
:16:34. > :16:41.first year, Stephen, you never had to qualify. I didn't. It's a
:16:42. > :16:44.sporting event in its own, especially that last day when
:16:45. > :16:52.everyone is grasping for the places to get here. As was said, what a
:16:53. > :16:57.struggle Fergal has had to get to The Crucible. We mustn't forget how
:16:58. > :17:05.he can play. The UK Championship, five centuries in the best of 11.
:17:06. > :17:10.Unbelievable, yeah. When I came through the qualifying stages a
:17:11. > :17:15.couple of times, not only does it make you match sharp, in a way you
:17:16. > :17:20.relax when you get to The Crucible. It's a tournament of its own, it's
:17:21. > :17:27.an achievement to be here. I expect Fergal to play well. I hate that
:17:28. > :17:37.thing where you got nothing to lose, but he can relax. He's playing the
:17:38. > :17:42.world champion. Four matches I had to play at the Preston Guild Hall to
:17:43. > :17:54.qualify. I played Willie Thorne here in the first round. He never forgets
:17:55. > :17:59.that! I think this match, a lot will depend on the way the ball is run.
:18:00. > :18:03.If the balls go awkward, the pink or black get tied up, we could have
:18:04. > :18:06.some long frames. Both players will score heavily. If the colours remain
:18:07. > :18:26.in the open. Mark Selby has been playing at his
:18:27. > :18:29.best. He won the China Open, the UK Championship. World number one by a
:18:30. > :18:43.long way. Not the most attacking of safety
:18:44. > :18:52.shots from Fergal O'Brien. He does that quite a lot. He concentrates
:18:53. > :18:55.more on getting it safe than playing an aggressive shot. But he's up
:18:56. > :19:01.against the king of containment today. I don't think he will force
:19:02. > :19:07.Mark Selby into making any rash shots. This is a more attacking
:19:08. > :19:20.shot. Best of 19, of course, these
:19:21. > :19:27.first-round matches. They will play nine frames in the first session and
:19:28. > :19:38.they will finish this match tonight with the remaining frames. First to
:19:39. > :19:44.10. I remember I was reminiscing last at the 40th anniversary
:19:45. > :19:50.celebration. I said that Patsy Fagan and I, that first morning, we sat in
:19:51. > :19:57.the arena and there were only 20 or 30 people here. It was the first
:19:58. > :20:07.place we'd ever played where there were two tables in the same room.
:20:08. > :20:09.Played the cross double and got it. If the cue ball bounces, he's on the
:20:10. > :20:34.black. Perfect. Just sit still, please. Obviously
:20:35. > :20:40.coming into the World Championship in good form. On the back of a win
:20:41. > :20:51.in Beijing. That was two or three weeks ago. Oh! That was horrendous.
:20:52. > :21:02.From having a lovely opportunity to score, that kick means end of break.
:21:03. > :21:13.I hope we are not going to be bogged down with bad contact. Nearly
:21:14. > :21:21.through the read off-line. It did go in, but disappointing. You're right.
:21:22. > :21:25.Surprising to see it so early in the frame. You hope it will not be one
:21:26. > :21:34.of these tournaments that will be affected by that. I remember last
:21:35. > :21:40.year the first game on this table was horrendous on this side of the
:21:41. > :21:46.arena. Always that first morning, the doors have been open while the
:21:47. > :21:51.table fitters have been putting up the table and you get cold air and
:21:52. > :21:58.it can change it slightly. It takes maybe a day to settle down.
:21:59. > :22:07.It looks like he can get through to this red macro to the left middle.
:22:08. > :22:08.Not certain where the cue ball will finish. Tried to play it dead
:22:09. > :22:45.weight. Not quite. Fergal off the mark, he played it
:22:46. > :23:09.nicely and perfect on the blue. Good chance.
:23:10. > :23:18.I'm not sure if this is the red he played for. This is a thinner cut
:23:19. > :23:27.than it looks on screen. You have to control the cue ball. It was always
:23:28. > :23:32.running away. I don't think that was the Reid he played for. I think he
:23:33. > :23:38.played for the want to the left corner. -- Reid.
:23:39. > :23:46.He obviously didn't have as good an angle on the blue as I thought. I
:23:47. > :23:55.can't see him taking on the black and the pink is risky. If the pot
:23:56. > :23:58.sitcom he will run into the blue. -- if he pops it, he will run into the
:23:59. > :24:19.blue. Looks like he's taking it on. He did take it on. I didn't see a
:24:20. > :24:29.lot of value. He could have kissed the blue on the other side. He
:24:30. > :24:30.doesn't appear to have left much. Possibly this red to the left
:24:31. > :25:51.corner. Good shot. And nicely controlled.
:25:52. > :25:53.Played that well with the rest and stunned across for the pink into the
:25:54. > :26:22.left middle. Played the attacking shot. Possibly
:26:23. > :26:31.didn't hit it as hard as he should have. Could have got the pink...
:26:32. > :26:36.Maybe had to create a bit of an angle, but didn't disturb a lot. I
:26:37. > :26:59.don't think the pink pots to the right corner. Up for a baulk colour.
:27:00. > :27:10.Don't know if I agree with that shot. Didn't look possible. If he's
:27:11. > :27:14.going to play it, I think ideally you want to play it with a trace of
:27:15. > :27:20.side if it's natural to run into the balls, but he just wanted to make
:27:21. > :27:30.certain of the red. He could get a snooker behind the black. It turned
:27:31. > :27:40.out OK in the end. Tense opening frame. This is what I said at the
:27:41. > :27:44.start of the frame. Mark Selby was very unfortunate with that kick when
:27:45. > :27:48.it looked like he could score a few. The black is a bit further off the
:27:49. > :27:58.crucial now and the pink doesn't go to all the pockets. It could be
:27:59. > :28:02.quite a scrappy opening frame. Trying to find the two reds to the
:28:03. > :28:13.left of the pink. He's done that well. Yeah. Absolutely into perfect.
:28:14. > :28:24.I think Fergal will get him black -- back behind the black. The table
:28:25. > :28:29.seems to have a nice speed. I thought that would finish short of
:28:30. > :28:38.the black and leave a red to the middle, but it kept rolling.
:28:39. > :28:42.Dangerous, the red on the right cushion if Mark Selby plays the cue
:28:43. > :28:45.ball back behind the black. I don't think he can get to the right-hand
:28:46. > :28:54.side of the cue ball to play the shot.
:28:55. > :29:04.He didn't take on the double. This is a great shot.
:29:05. > :29:11.The last two visits, the escape from the snooker was inch perfect and the
:29:12. > :29:19.same with that safety. Great snooker.
:29:20. > :29:33.Not guaranteed to get this safe, Fergal. He's in a of bother. -- a
:29:34. > :29:39.spot of bother. I'm looking at the table. If he tried to nestle on one
:29:40. > :29:45.of the reds in between the pink and black, he could leave one. Any value
:29:46. > :29:54.coming off two Prussians and playing the red near the baulk Kristian? I
:29:55. > :30:03.was going to say that. -- the baulk cushion. It's worth a try. I don't
:30:04. > :30:06.think he even looked at that shot. No. And he's left this and it could
:30:07. > :30:29.be very costly. Mark Selby will want to make sure he
:30:30. > :30:36.takes advantage. He doesn't want to get drawn into long frames, or
:30:37. > :30:39.script frames. As defending champion, playing the first day, he
:30:40. > :31:13.wants to get this first round over and done with as quick as possible.
:31:14. > :31:18.He just let that cue ball ran away slightly. Could have been straight
:31:19. > :31:33.on this red. A little careless. He was able to drop it in and still
:31:34. > :32:08.hold are baulk colour. He didn't hit that well. That is to
:32:09. > :32:16.poorer position Shockley has played now. I don't even think he can get
:32:17. > :32:40.on a colour if he popped this redback.
:32:41. > :33:13.Guaranteed be one of those two reds to the pocket. Even if he misses he
:33:14. > :33:15.could cover it with the slow pace. That will do a little bit, but it is
:33:16. > :33:23.still going. It just tries to pull a little bit
:33:24. > :34:06.to the right hand side. 25 point lead, he still needs three
:34:07. > :34:07.of these remaining red. I don't see him potting one of the reds near the
:34:08. > :34:28.baulk. For him, that is a poor shot. Maybe
:34:29. > :34:42.Saturday morning jitters. It certainly looks that way.
:34:43. > :34:49.As we always say, at least if you pop the ball you get to the next
:34:50. > :34:51.shot. It might not be a Snicko, but it will be difficult for Fergal to
:34:52. > :35:04.get this safe, 32 point behind. He cannot afford to leave mark
:35:05. > :35:10.another chance. He has to go of 23 cushions. It is a good line and a
:35:11. > :36:32.good length, a good shot. Much too thick. And I think this red
:36:33. > :36:37.will cut to the middle pocket. He will need red, colour, red. It looks
:36:38. > :37:04.as though he can cut it. I think he got the balance their
:37:05. > :37:11.author baulk cushion. If he has an angle on the pink he will not be too
:37:12. > :37:15.disappointed. Again, disappointed about this, and a massive kick and
:37:16. > :37:43.then a balance of the cushion. This red for the first frame, to 40
:37:44. > :38:06.ahead. This could be a steal and a half. It
:38:07. > :38:11.is one of those, you think you just hit it in and it is down to drop.
:38:12. > :38:18.But a chance now for Fergal to steal this. In food mark under a bit of
:38:19. > :38:23.pressure. I know it is the first frame, and the best of 19, but this
:38:24. > :38:29.would hurt. The only problem, the red tight against the cushion. I
:38:30. > :38:37.wonder if he has the angle on the Brian to go and disturb it. Potting
:38:38. > :38:45.the brown coat and 34 behind, so he will need black to win the frame. It
:38:46. > :39:05.is pop the brown and played good safety.
:39:06. > :39:16.I thought he might have tried to bring the black out with the red.
:39:17. > :39:17.But he has the safety shot. If the red does not run into the pink, he
:39:18. > :39:34.would have had it. You might be thinking of the left
:39:35. > :39:43.corner, he only needs the red, remember.
:39:44. > :39:51.It was definitely worth the risk. With the blankets, it will be
:39:52. > :39:55.difficult for Fergal O'Brien. Not only to pot the black, but also to
:39:56. > :40:13.get position on the yellow for a clearance.
:40:14. > :40:30.Much too thick. And that could cost and this first frame.
:40:31. > :40:37.Right in the heart of the pocket. So Mark Shelby, the sheik, this first
:40:38. > :40:53.frame. But he has won it now. As the favourite and the defending
:40:54. > :40:56.champion, certainly a strong favourite to win this match, it is
:40:57. > :41:01.important that he keeps Fergal as long as possible without winning
:41:02. > :41:05.that first frame, because that is very important for Fergal O'Brien in
:41:06. > :41:44.this match. To get a frame under his belt, to relax.
:41:45. > :41:53.A little bit of an exhibition shot from Mark. The frame nicely in the
:41:54. > :42:01.back, and just getting his queuing I'm a bit more loose. But over 25
:42:02. > :42:07.minutes, but the reigning champion is one frame in front. HAZEL IRVINE:
:42:08. > :42:11.and it is no wonder that the boot-mac is making joint favourite
:42:12. > :42:17.along with Judd Trump. Ronnie O'Sullivan comes not as favourite,
:42:18. > :42:22.but not too far off at 5-1. What do you make of the rest of the
:42:23. > :42:28.rankings? Neil Robertson is fancy about Ding Junhui, last year's
:42:29. > :42:31.runner-up. He has not really done it this season. It is unusual for Neil
:42:32. > :42:35.Robertson, he has gone off the boil slightly, but that's not to say he
:42:36. > :42:38.can find it here. The bookmakers have long memories, and they know
:42:39. > :42:43.that Neil Robertson still has a chance. I am looking at Marco Fu,
:42:44. > :42:48.having a fantastic season, got very close last year. Yes, he is in a
:42:49. > :42:52.tough section as well, he might have to play Neil Robertson in the second
:42:53. > :42:56.round, and he will be in the Mark Selby section as well, so it is not
:42:57. > :43:00.an easy draw, but there are no easy draws. You can put yourself anywhere
:43:01. > :43:05.in there and you will not find an easy match. Fergal O'Brien ranked at
:43:06. > :43:10.500-1 by the bookmakers, he has tough match. And we find ourselves
:43:11. > :43:13.in our beautiful studio here in the Winter Gardens in Sheffield, we will
:43:14. > :43:16.be reflecting on the rather lovely environment here in a second. But
:43:17. > :43:20.Mark Selby is having the best session of his career, he has
:43:21. > :43:26.already won four picture in and, in the form of his life, to Sheffield.
:43:27. > :43:29.Yes, and also he is very comfortable around the circuit. I was chatting
:43:30. > :43:33.to him just before he was going out to play. He was not uptight or
:43:34. > :43:37.anything, he was just enjoying the moment. I think he is in a good
:43:38. > :43:42.place in his mind as far as tournament players concerned. And he
:43:43. > :43:47.tough defeat and shake off. Even when he is behind, he has a
:43:48. > :43:51.calmness. He came here having one the China open last weekend, and no
:43:52. > :43:55.one has ever managed to take the China open and the world title. It
:43:56. > :44:01.is no longer a Crucible curse, but again he is trying to buck the trend
:44:02. > :44:09.of history. You love your stats! Back we go. JOHN VIRGO: yes, Mark
:44:10. > :44:12.Selby certainly has chance of proving that statistic wrong. But
:44:13. > :44:31.that is a poor break-off shot. He will be a little bit disappointed
:44:32. > :44:33.with that. In the practice room this morning, having a go at shots like
:44:34. > :45:15.that. It wasn't the cleanest pot you will
:45:16. > :45:17.ever see. The pocket swallowed. Surprised to see it coming off the
:45:18. > :45:28.job at that pace. I said earlier about stamping your
:45:29. > :45:36.authority on matches as the favourite. Playing nine frames this
:45:37. > :45:47.morning, I'm sure Mark Selby would have target of something like 7-2.
:45:48. > :45:52.Maybe even 8-1. But he would like a 7-2 lead going into tonight's
:45:53. > :46:32.session. You can win these long frame matches in the first session.
:46:33. > :46:35.Electing to play this red just to the left of the pink. It clears the
:46:36. > :47:07.thing for both corners. Will the pink still be in the open?
:47:08. > :47:13.It didn't go in either corner pocket none, so it is tied up a little bit.
:47:14. > :47:23.A good angle on the blue note is imperative. Just about made it.
:47:24. > :47:29.He wants to go for the red that is just to the left corner of the
:47:30. > :47:46.black. I don't think red above the black pots anywhere.
:47:47. > :47:55.That is well played. That is an excellent position shot. Coming to
:47:56. > :48:32.see the black is available to the left corner.
:48:33. > :48:45.A well-controlled cannon. I think possibly the red above the black
:48:46. > :48:58.will pot to the left corner. So this break is developing nicely.
:48:59. > :49:03.You can see, the red will go in this pocket, a nice angle on the black
:49:04. > :49:06.just to come off the cushion and play for the red that is now
:49:07. > :49:21.available. This is the last of the loose read
:49:22. > :49:32.this. And it is a good angle on the black to go into them.
:49:33. > :49:38.I think he will be a little bit disappointed with that. He should
:49:39. > :49:44.have left himself a bit more of an angle on this. It is certainly not
:49:45. > :50:07.the angle he was looking for. Careless.
:50:08. > :50:15.How well did he hit that? The acceleration on the cue ball was
:50:16. > :50:18.fantastic. Look at the pace pick-up. There was a delay of a couple of
:50:19. > :50:28.seconds there before this group took effect. Yes, he could not have
:50:29. > :50:42.struck it any better. Can he cut this in? He has done. It was like
:50:43. > :50:49.the ministry of funny walks trying to get the cue ball back past the
:50:50. > :50:59.baulk line. It worked for John Cleese, but not Mark Selby. A safety
:51:00. > :51:05.shot man. Behind the green, unless he wants to put the green on the
:51:06. > :51:14.cushion. That is what he has played. Just for a bit of insurance should
:51:15. > :51:20.Fergal get an opportunity. A little bit disappointed, but it was a poor
:51:21. > :51:28.positional shot on the black which basically made the break harder. And
:51:29. > :51:37.that is what has put him back in his seat. The problem with this shot, he
:51:38. > :51:42.has to get a thick contact on the reds to avoid the green, which will
:51:43. > :51:54.obviously open them up. He needs a good cue ball here. What a result!
:51:55. > :52:03.You never thought of that one, did you? Not even a flicker from Fergal.
:52:04. > :52:34.As you say, John, there is always a gap. Always a gap!
:52:35. > :52:43.He has to be a little bit careful with this type of shot. If you catch
:52:44. > :52:53.it and it thick you can get the double-kiss. He has played it OK,
:52:54. > :52:58.but with the brown on its part, the green on the site cushion, there is
:52:59. > :53:01.only the yellow on the baulk end to hide behind. It is difficult to play
:53:02. > :53:48.a telling safety shot at the moment. He could play this with right-hand
:53:49. > :53:54.side to go into the four reds. If he misses he still has every chance of
:53:55. > :53:57.being on a colour. He is playing it with left-hand side, plaintiff avoid
:53:58. > :54:09.the middle of the table. I thought it was going to land
:54:10. > :54:48.perfect on the blue. One can only assume these two reds
:54:49. > :54:55.around the black area must be a plant. I am wondering what he played
:54:56. > :55:05.for. Mark is having a look... It could be made, I suppose. I can't
:55:06. > :55:16.think of any other reason to play the blue.
:55:17. > :55:47.Mark didn't want to risk it. Where is the cue ball going?
:55:48. > :55:56.Certainly very awkward queuing for Fergal. Basically with no room for
:55:57. > :56:06.your hand, you have to put your fingertips on the pocket.
:56:07. > :56:27.He had to hit it absolutely perfect, the first red, and he did. He will
:56:28. > :56:37.not play the pot here, he will try for the smoker. -- the snooker. Yes,
:56:38. > :56:42.and in potting that plant, he flicked the green into play. So if
:56:43. > :56:44.he does get an opportunity, it is a much better one to try to pinch this
:56:45. > :57:06.second frame. That must have been like a dagger to
:57:07. > :57:14.Fergal O'Brien, that red going in. Absolutely. I'm sure he tried to get
:57:15. > :57:17.the snooker behind the brown, but he thought with the cue ball tight on
:57:18. > :57:28.the baulk cushion them was not going to be a lot of danger. What a pot
:57:29. > :57:34.that was. There you see it. Which means that if he pots this red
:57:35. > :57:46.committee will go 54 ahead with just 51 remaining. No. He just
:57:47. > :57:52.decelerated on that. Yes, definitely. That's what happens, you
:57:53. > :58:01.missed them thin, you don't accelerate through the cue ball. He
:58:02. > :58:04.missed by a long way. I think if you get the cue ball straight on it, it
:58:05. > :58:21.is unmissable, the plant. He is still in this frame. But he
:58:22. > :58:56.obviously needs the next chance. I don't know what kind of angle he
:58:57. > :58:58.has on this red, whether it is thin enough to avoid the red to the right
:58:59. > :59:14.of it and stay on the black. A chance missed, and that will cost
:59:15. > :59:42.in the frame. Snookers are needed. I know it is
:59:43. > :59:50.only 2-0, but Fergal O'Brien needs to get a frame on the board quickly,
:59:51. > :00:32.I feel. I said before, just to calm him down, get into this match.
:00:33. > :00:38.This is what you create when you're the world number one player and
:00:39. > :00:44.defending champion. You can have your opponents on the back foot
:00:45. > :00:55.before you even get to the table. Every chance they have, there's so
:00:56. > :00:59.much pressure on it. I don't The Hammers points or frame -- I don't
:01:00. > :01:05.know how many points of frames that's worth, but it's a few.
:01:06. > :01:12.Absolutely. If you're going to have a result, you need a good start, we
:01:13. > :01:17.always say that, but it's true. Fergal has had the worst start,
:01:18. > :01:23.really. Mark looked a little bit shaky in the first frame.
:01:24. > :01:29.Understandable. You come here with a big weight of expectation on your
:01:30. > :01:34.shoulders. But he'll be getting a lot calmer now. He's not had to do
:01:35. > :01:48.too much to take these opening two frames.
:01:49. > :01:59.That's enough for Fergal. Easy Pisi at the moment for Mark Selby.
:02:00. > :02:05.He leads 2-0. (STUDIO) a very confident start from the defending
:02:06. > :02:08.champion. You noticed a shot which signalled his intentions early. A
:02:09. > :02:14.clever little shot. A lot of players would have rolled up behind the
:02:15. > :02:17.green and he decided to chip the green on the side cushion for safety
:02:18. > :02:23.and leave him looking at the pack where he has to open the pack.
:02:24. > :02:29.That's what makes him a tactical player. You feel Selby appreciates
:02:30. > :02:37.he will have to be clinical against a man famous for never giving in. He
:02:38. > :02:41.has a lot of Digg. He has. I don't think Mark Selby would have been
:02:42. > :02:46.that disappointed with the draw. He knows what he will get from Fergal
:02:47. > :02:53.O'Brien and he knows he can probably cope. Nobody can outplay Mark Selby
:02:54. > :02:58.in that department. A good draw. Not necessarily a good draw for Fergal
:02:59. > :03:03.after having a tough... He could have done with a player who is a bit
:03:04. > :03:08.more up and down in his form. Stephen made a good point which we
:03:09. > :03:14.remember from December when Fergal was in a match against Barry Hawkins
:03:15. > :03:18.and made five centuries in a best of 11 frames. That was another world
:03:19. > :03:24.record in a world record-breaking season. He can play, all right. But
:03:25. > :03:29.he's had a poor record recently against Mark. Fergal won the first
:03:30. > :03:35.two, but since then it's been one-way traffic and Mark as won
:03:36. > :03:41.three of those to kneel. Good to see people like players like Fergal
:03:42. > :03:45.qualifying. It shows the strength in depth within snooker, like golf. You
:03:46. > :03:48.have the youngsters, but you still have the capacity for the older
:03:49. > :03:55.fellas. The more experienced players. As long as you keep
:03:56. > :04:00.yourself in good nick, you can play this game. It's the age-old thing
:04:01. > :04:05.about experience against youth. They can both work. When it comes to the
:04:06. > :04:11.big stage, The Crucible, it helps to have a track record. From Fergal's
:04:12. > :04:15.perspective, it maybe another ask too much, this match, but even so,
:04:16. > :04:21.it establishes himself with plenty of prize-money, plenty of ranking
:04:22. > :04:27.points, to keep up. It's still important to qualify for The
:04:28. > :04:32.Crucible. In terms of age and qualifiers, we saw Alan McManus last
:04:33. > :04:38.year, into his 40s, getting to the semifinals. It shows people like
:04:39. > :04:42.Fergal, who's had this great warm up through the qualifying rounds, they
:04:43. > :04:46.can be dangerous. Alan McManus proved it's possible. Players around
:04:47. > :04:51.the same age of thinking there's a chance for me. Back we go.
:04:52. > :05:00.If he's going to have a chance, he needs to win a frames sooner rather
:05:01. > :05:03.than later. Four frames and then a mid-session interval. He needs one
:05:04. > :05:48.of the next two, you would have thought.
:05:49. > :05:57.Just a containing safety. Interesting to see what Mark does
:05:58. > :06:01.here. I was thinking, will he play the red to the left of the black
:06:02. > :06:07.just to bring the black interplay? That tells me he's now looking or
:06:08. > :06:11.feeling a lot more confident. He wants that black in play, available
:06:12. > :06:36.to both corner pockets so when he gets a chance he can score heavy.
:06:37. > :06:42.There is another thing there, Stephen. There's a few players may
:06:43. > :06:46.have played for one of the reds into the left middle. With Fergal, you
:06:47. > :06:53.almost know what he's going to play. He's not going to take any undue
:06:54. > :06:57.risk. I don't blame him. Similar to what Steve was saying. He's in a
:06:58. > :07:04.comfort zone, Mark Selby, in this match. If he was playing perhaps one
:07:05. > :07:13.of the young Chinese players, he wouldn't know what to expect if they
:07:14. > :07:18.came out firing. Yeah. Fergal's game is built around good safety. As
:07:19. > :07:25.we've mentioned, when he does get on the role and gets amongst the balls,
:07:26. > :07:37.he can score as heavy as anybody. He's having a look at this red.
:07:38. > :07:52.Not certain to get this safe, this is risky. I think he may have left a
:07:53. > :07:54.red to the left middle. Even the red closest to the cue ball may cut to
:07:55. > :08:22.the left corner. A flick on the yellow didn't affect
:08:23. > :08:27.the position. The cue ball came in and out of baulk and nicely on the
:08:28. > :08:41.green. With the black available into both corners, a good chance.
:08:42. > :08:54.He wouldn't mind having that one again, though.
:08:55. > :10:53.Played that nice. Lucky to have that good angle on the red.
:10:54. > :10:58.He had to get into the cue ball when -- well there and he did so, to
:10:59. > :11:17.avoid the brown. Just hasn't got past the blue. It
:11:18. > :11:23.goes without saying he would love to get the black back on its spot. The
:11:24. > :11:36.red he's looking at playing next, he could play for the black. One
:11:37. > :11:44.cushion 4-2 cushions. -- or two cushions.
:11:45. > :11:52.Just got to avoid the red close to the right cushion. He's looking at
:11:53. > :11:58.the path he wants the cue ball to take. Stunning off two cushions to
:11:59. > :12:06.the black. He got into the cue ball... He went
:12:07. > :12:47.the other side of that red. A chance to go for the black here.
:12:48. > :12:57.If he's short of pace, he will have the blue for insurance. Didn't even
:12:58. > :13:02.look like he played for the black, which surprises me because he has
:13:03. > :13:07.the cue power to comfortably screw up there. And if he had got a nice
:13:08. > :13:08.angle on the black, he could have come off the side cushion into the
:13:09. > :13:29.reds. How is he? I'm looking at his body
:13:30. > :13:35.language. Is he on a red? No. End of break.
:13:36. > :13:45.He could have played that with top spin off the left cushion, with lots
:13:46. > :13:51.of top and left-hand side. I think that would have been an easier shot.
:13:52. > :13:57.You don't see that shot played much. No. As you say, there's no reason
:13:58. > :14:02.why he couldn't have played it. When you're forcing an angle, like he was
:14:03. > :14:09.then, you hit a little bit below centre. Rather than stun, you get
:14:10. > :14:13.back spin. I'm sure he played to run into the pink. Just got a little bit
:14:14. > :14:22.too much into the cue ball and missed the pink. He's unlucky, in
:14:23. > :14:24.all honesty, not to be on a red. You can have good luck and bad luck in
:14:25. > :15:40.this game, we all know that. Needs a good cue ball. Boy has he
:15:41. > :15:49.got one! That's the best shot he's played in this match so far. The two
:15:50. > :15:57.reds near the right cushion are very close to a plant to the right
:15:58. > :16:06.corner. But that's very risky. Just hitting the left hand side jaw. He
:16:07. > :16:14.won't be looking at that. He's in a tough situation here.
:16:15. > :16:23.If he comes off the right cushion and drops on the red near the
:16:24. > :16:34.pocket, it wouldn't be a bad result to go in off.
:16:35. > :16:57.That was a very honest shot. A few players might have been tempted to
:16:58. > :17:11.drop the cue ball in the pocket off that red! No names! I might have!
:17:12. > :17:18.Of course, Fergal can't leave this read here, he has to nudge it away
:17:19. > :17:20.from the pocket. Needs a good cue ball, needs it tight on the baulk
:17:21. > :17:33.cushion. Where's the red going? Has the black
:17:34. > :17:37.come to his rescue? He's had a quick look. Just. A shake of the head from
:17:38. > :17:51.Mark. He was lucky. He might be forced into playing the
:17:52. > :18:14.swerve. I fancy him getting this. Good shot.
:18:15. > :18:21.Striking down, right hand side. Don't hate it too hard, you have to
:18:22. > :18:25.give it a chance for the side to take and he played it perfectly.
:18:26. > :18:32.Inch perfect on the pink and he should win the frame now. He played
:18:33. > :18:35.for the pink. He didn't play it just to pot the red and nothing else.
:18:36. > :19:03.Excellent shot. Worrying times now for Fergal
:19:04. > :19:32.O'Brien. Just a red needed to go 63 ahead
:19:33. > :20:12.with just 59 remaining. There you go. Three snooker is
:20:13. > :20:20.needed. No way back to the table now for Fergal. One more frame before
:20:21. > :20:25.the mid-session interval. You feel as though he needs that just to give
:20:26. > :20:51.him some hope. There you go. One hour for three
:20:52. > :20:57.frames. It took Fergal over two hours to play one frame in the
:20:58. > :20:59.qualifiers! Unfortunately for Fergal, Mark Selby is making all the
:21:00. > :21:18.running and scoring all the points. Not quite. Fergal coming to the
:21:19. > :21:23.table. I can only assume he wants a bit of potting practice. I don't
:21:24. > :21:33.blame him. The next frame coming up is very important for him. I agree.
:21:34. > :21:38.Over 20 minutes since he's potted a ball, very important to get his hand
:21:39. > :22:17.on the table and get his cue moving. He would love to clear up here.
:22:18. > :22:21.Not great position on the pink. As Stephen said, he would like to clear
:22:22. > :22:49.up here. Played the double. He will look at
:22:50. > :22:54.Mark and say that's enough. Mark Selby gratefully receives the
:22:55. > :22:56.concession. Fergal O'Brien, 3-0 behind, one more to play before the
:22:57. > :24:06.mid-session interval. Impressive stats. The world number
:24:07. > :24:32.one and reigning champion, Mark Selby. He's made the perfect start.
:24:33. > :24:39.The interesting thing, Stephen... As Mark was getting down to break, he
:24:40. > :24:45.noticed the brown wasn't on its spot. A few years ago if you played
:24:46. > :24:50.and the ball was put on the wrong spot, it's a foul against the player
:24:51. > :24:54.at the table. They've changed the rule, the onus is now on the referee
:24:55. > :24:57.so it wouldn't have been called a foul, he just wanted to tell the
:24:58. > :25:09.referees the ball wasn't on its spot. That rule was changed a few
:25:10. > :25:16.years ago. I suppose the players should be aware where it is. He's
:25:17. > :25:35.just looking and he's saying, the brown isn't on its spot.
:25:36. > :25:41.Which way does Fergal play this? Keeping it tight, playing a
:25:42. > :25:49.containing safety. No thought of coming off the main
:25:50. > :26:06.bunch. Opening them up. He has to try and do something
:26:07. > :26:10.different in this match, Fergal. At the moment its pipe and slippers
:26:11. > :26:22.time for Mark Selby. Very comfortable out there.
:26:23. > :26:34.He will be all day playing negative safety shots and waiting for a
:26:35. > :26:45.chance, I'm afraid. As it turned out, he's left a pot on. -- he had
:26:46. > :26:46.left. You just feel as though Fergal has got to try and make things
:26:47. > :27:01.happen. He's just in such a difficult
:27:02. > :27:06.situation at 3-0 down. We say play more aggressive safety shots, but
:27:07. > :27:11.what if he does that and leaves Mark Selby in. Selby is more relaxed and
:27:12. > :27:14.he will probably win the frame in one visit. Really tough now for
:27:15. > :27:24.Fergal O'Brien to get into this match. That was half a chance, that
:27:25. > :27:38.one in the middle. He's not left anything, it doesn't appear.
:27:39. > :27:48.That was a kick. Fergal gets a chance. Dear me. That stamp from
:27:49. > :27:52.Mark tells you how annoyed he was. No way in the world he could have
:27:53. > :27:58.hit this red and Canada and the other one, but look at the contact.
:27:59. > :28:05.It jumped in the air. And then the stamp.
:28:06. > :28:13.That stamp is because he knows he has a stranglehold in this match. He
:28:14. > :28:18.doesn't want to give Fergal any easy starters to get into frames. This is
:28:19. > :28:25.such an important chance to take for Fergal O'Brien in this match.
:28:26. > :28:33.If he can get on this red and a nice angle on the blue and then get into
:28:34. > :28:40.the pink ball, split the reds everywhere. We know how he can score
:28:41. > :28:46.when he gets in. Looks to be perfect on the red and he could basically
:28:47. > :28:59.put the cue ball wherever he wants for the blue.
:29:00. > :29:09.I think that's now going to be the option. Absolutely perfect. Pot the
:29:10. > :29:15.blue, try to hit the pink fall in the face. How aggressive is he going
:29:16. > :29:29.to be? He hit it well, just didn't catch
:29:30. > :29:36.the pink full in the face, though. The pace was right.
:29:37. > :29:45.Just hits the pink half ball. You have to be fortunate to be on a red
:29:46. > :29:50.when that happens. The cue ball invariably ends up near the black
:29:51. > :29:57.cushion. He has a red to the far right corner. He's looking at all
:29:58. > :30:04.the places where it can be safe if he misses the red. Just go for the
:30:05. > :30:06.red 100%, Fergal. When you start to think about leaving it safe, you
:30:07. > :30:35.missed the pot. Good shot. Good shot. Yes, excellent
:30:36. > :30:39.shot. As you said, this is a massive visit now for Fergal. Because
:30:40. > :30:49.through no fault of his own, Mark Selby left this chance, the
:30:50. > :30:56.horrendous kick. He was in control, he was keeping Fergal in his seat.
:30:57. > :31:02.All plain sailing, and then this safety, as you see, look how the
:31:03. > :31:25.ball jumped in the air. And left a nice easy starter.
:31:26. > :31:40.Well! A chance missed. Yes, he will be fuming in his chair, Fergal
:31:41. > :31:47.O'Brien, after that. After a great red to the green pocket. You said
:31:48. > :31:51.before coming into this match, the only chance of winning would be if
:31:52. > :32:06.he did not miss when he got in, Fergal.
:32:07. > :32:14.So difficult, this place, when you go behind in these long matches.
:32:15. > :32:18.Yes, and after qualifying as he did, the euphoria of coming to the
:32:19. > :32:26.Crucible, and when he saw the draw, playing the defending champion...
:32:27. > :32:30.You know, it is something you would really look forward to. This is not
:32:31. > :32:48.the start he was looking for. He absolutely loves snooker, Fergal
:32:49. > :33:01.O'Brien. So looking forward to be being back here at the Crucible.
:33:02. > :33:10.This could be the key shot. They read directly above the black, he
:33:11. > :33:16.can cannon into that quite full, but then he might not think, he might
:33:17. > :33:23.not play a specific red, just go into them firm. Looking at that red
:33:24. > :33:29.now. Just hoping he does not make it into a plant for a red to the
:33:30. > :33:39.middle. But if these open nicely, a frame-winning chance. He will settle
:33:40. > :33:44.for that. Yes, played this perfectly, he stunned into the red.
:33:45. > :33:48.Could not play it at the bottom of the cue ball because that would
:33:49. > :33:54.bring the cue ball back to the black cushion. You would expect this to be
:33:55. > :34:17.4-0. Mark Wood expected to be 4-0. Pretty straight, but I think he can
:34:18. > :34:20.just avoid that red. He didn't, that he did not hit it full, which was
:34:21. > :34:25.the most important thing to avoid. It has opened up the red to the
:34:26. > :35:17.right middle. A 13 point lead to build up.
:35:18. > :35:22.When he played this black he rubbed his hand across the cushion, he was
:35:23. > :35:28.concerned he had gone a bit too far the own this red. He pleaded a bit
:35:29. > :35:30.tentatively, but you would not expect him to miss this red to the
:35:31. > :35:50.middle. Playing for this red, and the two
:35:51. > :35:53.reds just below the pink. Once again, he underrated slightly
:35:54. > :36:09.because he is frightened of overheating it.
:36:10. > :36:22.And he has left himself a tricky black.
:36:23. > :36:36.Right in the heart of the pocket. And that is the confidence you get
:36:37. > :36:38.by winning the first three frames. Yes, that is so much easier that
:36:39. > :36:56.black and if you are 3-0 down. This will put him 45 points in
:36:57. > :36:59.front, so he still needs another red and colour, and it is not obvious to
:37:00. > :37:15.see where that will come from. A good shot needed here. A good
:37:16. > :37:18.effort. He mist-mac a red similar to this already in this match.
:37:19. > :37:30.Decelerated and missed it then. He had the right hand side cushion a
:37:31. > :37:37.long way before the pocket, let's see if he can get closer this time.
:37:38. > :37:46.If he can cue more positively. Great shot.
:37:47. > :37:54.Maybe if the red had gone right in the heart of the pocket he would
:37:55. > :37:56.have got more run on the cue ball. He has a 46 point lead but there is
:37:57. > :39:17.still 51 remaining. What a pot that was! Couldn't see a
:39:18. > :39:31.way out. Couldn't see a safety, so he was forced into it.
:39:32. > :39:36.He won't be thinking of winning the frame at this visit, but he can
:39:37. > :40:08.certainly get right back into it. He has left an angle. If he parts
:40:09. > :40:17.the black he will be 30 points behind. That is why he is looking at
:40:18. > :40:25.the scoreboard. 30 points. Red, blue, brown, pink. He does not need
:40:26. > :40:29.a black of the last red. Could be worth it if he has the angle, to
:40:30. > :40:36.disturb it. I think he is just looking at spotting the black and
:40:37. > :40:40.playing a safety. A good chance of getting the cue ball in behind the
:40:41. > :40:48.pink, I suppose, with the red at this end of the table. He would have
:40:49. > :40:57.an angle in the end. But now it is not an easy safety shot. Yes, if you
:40:58. > :40:58.are going to play the cannon, get it, and that was not the most
:40:59. > :41:08.difficult of cannons. When he was looking at the angle for
:41:09. > :41:13.safety I thought he was a bit too straight on the black, but in the
:41:14. > :41:26.end it was an almost perfect angle. He may have had to widen it a little
:41:27. > :41:32.bit, but he needs to get this safe. Where is the red going? It is going
:41:33. > :41:42.towards the pocket. And he has not covered it. And Mark Selby only
:41:43. > :42:03.needs the red. Disappointment for Fergal.
:42:04. > :42:12.He has had a couple of chances the last couple of frames, Fergal, and
:42:13. > :42:27.not make the most of them. You are always going to get chances.
:42:28. > :43:20.He played this nicely. He may just have the snooker, but the problem is
:43:21. > :43:30.at this level, just bending it slightly, left-hand side on the cue
:43:31. > :43:33.ball. I can't think of too many players I dislike trying to get
:43:34. > :43:44.smokers against more than Mark Selby.
:43:45. > :43:51.I think if I was Fergal I would get to the practice table and try to get
:43:52. > :44:13.the cue going for the next session. I suppose that green and blue are
:44:14. > :44:15.close to that side cushion if he could get tight behind them he might
:44:16. > :45:11.cut out the one-cushion escape. In an ideal world he would like to
:45:12. > :45:28.keep the yellow on the table just as more colours to snooker behind.
:45:29. > :46:31.Not quite, but as I say, you have to get tight behind the snooker in all
:46:32. > :47:14.if you're going to force a player this level to miss.
:47:15. > :47:20.He did want to come off the baulk cushion first, will not want to take
:47:21. > :47:25.a chance trying to clip that thin yellow. And hit the pink back by
:47:26. > :48:27.mistake. The most obvious thing here is to
:48:28. > :48:32.try to get the cue ball in behind the black. He wants to put the
:48:33. > :48:33.distance between the cue ball and the object ball. And of course get
:48:34. > :48:55.the object all safe. That wasn't a bad idea, but he
:48:56. > :48:58.underhit it by a long way. You feel this Mark Selby knocks in this
:48:59. > :49:16.yellow, that will be the end of frame and off to the dressing room.
:49:17. > :49:26.I suppose you could think of one reason for Fergal playing on is to
:49:27. > :49:31.knock Mark office rhythm, if he misses a couple of long parts like
:49:32. > :49:40.that it could knock his cue action out of rhythm. Where the pink is, I
:49:41. > :49:44.think that will give Fergal some hope, if he is not behind the pink
:49:45. > :50:02.himself, yeah. I do think his time would be better
:50:03. > :50:54.spent back in the practice room. You can hear the hubbub at the
:50:55. > :51:01.Crucible Theatre. Things that 40 years ago when we first came here
:51:02. > :51:07.you never had before. To table situation. Anyway, that will be the
:51:08. > :51:14.end of this frame. Fergal has conceded to stop has he? No. He
:51:15. > :51:25.disappeared out of my shot. I could not see him. I suppose it is not
:51:26. > :51:34.etiquette to concede when it is your opponent's turn at the table.
:51:35. > :51:41.And he is playing it with the extension.
:51:42. > :51:47.And that is the concession. So it is not the start that Fergal O'Brien
:51:48. > :51:50.was looking for, but just the start that the defending champion was, he
:51:51. > :51:55.leapt at the mid-session interval 4-0. HAZEL IRVINE: an emphatic start
:51:56. > :51:59.by the defending champion, absolutely pin sharp and perfect so
:52:00. > :52:04.far. Yes, it is comfortable. The boys mentioned it in commentary,
:52:05. > :52:10.probably looking like a good draw, he has a good record with them, full
:52:11. > :52:12.of confidence up the winning in China, and Fergal is not used to
:52:13. > :52:16.playing at the Crucible. It looks at one-way traffic. Before the jumping
:52:17. > :52:20.ship Stephen Hendrie was talking about horses for courses, and the
:52:21. > :52:25.fact that Mark Selby's mental stamina more than anything seems to
:52:26. > :52:30.suit him coming here. He seems to always find a way when he asked to.
:52:31. > :52:33.When you look at the last couple of times he won the championship, he
:52:34. > :52:37.has always had one match along the way when he really had to pull
:52:38. > :52:41.something out of the bag to get through. He seems to have this
:52:42. > :52:47.different years to go through. Yes, and also he has perhaps more
:52:48. > :52:52.departments of standards in different areas than any player
:52:53. > :52:55.we've ever seen. Even John Higgins we mentioned on many occasions, and
:52:56. > :53:02.last night talking about great match players, arguably Mark Selby is
:53:03. > :53:07.making a case for being the greatest player the game has ever seen. The
:53:08. > :53:10.think so? ! Greatest match player the game has ever seen. Greatest
:53:11. > :53:15.player you have ever seen is a different thing. I mentioned coming
:53:16. > :53:21.over here to the Winter Gardens that we are in the Mark Selby era. Does
:53:22. > :53:25.it feel like that? He is so far clearer head in the rankings list
:53:26. > :53:28.and the prize money, it is hard to argue with the stats. His game is
:53:29. > :53:33.tailor-made for this place. The length of it. The long frame
:53:34. > :53:37.matches, everything about it suits him. He is a snooker chameleon,
:53:38. > :53:43.because he can change from being a scoring machine to somebody who has
:53:44. > :53:45.a back-up game that is incredibly difficult to play against, and
:53:46. > :53:50.everything about this tournament suits them. Difficult to play
:53:51. > :53:54.against. People say that the reason he can get back into Amat is that he
:53:55. > :53:58.is dog-eared and slows down, he is not, he is granite. He has plenty of
:53:59. > :54:02.bottle. You don't get back in a match that is going wrong if you
:54:03. > :54:07.don't have it in yourself to get back in it by giving everything
:54:08. > :54:09.inside of you. These are best of 19 frame first-round matches, they have
:54:10. > :54:13.another five frames to play after the interval. We will change channel
:54:14. > :54:18.very shortly, but before we do let's focus on the match on the other side
:54:19. > :54:22.of the curtain, and it has the two Glaswegians, it is Anthony McGill,
:54:23. > :54:26.27-year-old who has come of age this season from an up-and-coming to
:54:27. > :54:30.multiple world ranking winner this season with victories in India and
:54:31. > :54:34.the snooker shoot out. He is the automatic qualifier. The boot is on
:54:35. > :54:37.the other foot, because Stephen Maguire, a former world number two,
:54:38. > :54:43.has had to come through qualifying. He well remembers a few years ago
:54:44. > :54:46.when he was the main man. McGill beating here on what was Anthony
:54:47. > :54:51.McGill's debut, in a very sore one, 10-9. It is a repeat between this
:54:52. > :54:58.match between two old friends. We will join them with McGuire 2-1 in
:54:59. > :56:11.front. It is frame format, good quality so far with 4/2 centuries.
:56:12. > :56:17.It is do- to add their interval and that one continues live online for
:56:18. > :56:26.the last five frames of the opening session. We will be back at 1:15pm
:56:27. > :56:29.on BBC One to rounded up for you. It is day one in the big Crucible
:56:30. > :56:35.house, and all the housemates are really excited! We hope you are as
:56:36. > :56:39.well. We are ramping up our coverage like never before, because every
:56:40. > :56:44.single session will be presented live either on BBC One, BBC Two, or
:56:45. > :56:47.on the red button. That is our commitment to you. And there is an
:56:48. > :56:50.awful lot of snooker to be played between now and the 1st of May when
:56:51. > :56:54.a trophy is hoisted aloft by the new champion. And you don't just have to
:56:55. > :57:01.sit on the sofa and watch it, you can watch it anywhere you like.
:57:02. > :57:10.There are plenty of ways to enjoy our coverage of this year's World
:57:11. > :57:13.Championship. As well as our extensive coverage on BBC One and
:57:14. > :57:16.BBC Two, we are also on the red button. During the evening sessions,
:57:17. > :57:23.Hazel, Jason and the studio team will bring you fool coverage. Just
:57:24. > :57:29.press red. It belongs to Ken Doherty. You can watch all the
:57:30. > :57:33.action on the BBC sport act on your mobile phone, tablet and connected
:57:34. > :57:42.TV. Radio 5 Live will bring updates throughout the day. There are news
:57:43. > :57:54.features and more on the BBC sport website. And you can join in the
:57:55. > :57:59.conversation on social media. I think it is fair to say we are all
:58:00. > :58:04.over it. Are you dug in boys, ready for the next 17 days? Yes, it feels
:58:05. > :58:09.like only since last year, marvellous to be back. I absolutely
:58:10. > :58:12.love this. It is a great time to watch snooker. Looking forward to
:58:13. > :58:17.spending the next 17 days in your company and the company of all the
:58:18. > :58:21.team. But don't forget we will be back at 1:15pm over on BBC One. We
:58:22. > :58:26.will finish off the opening session and then we will see live, Ronnie
:58:27. > :58:32.O'Sullivan, coming back for its 25th campaign ticking on the debutante,
:58:33. > :58:38.Gary Wilson, who made a 147 to get here. Lots to come on day one here
:58:39. > :58:45.in Sheffield. See you soon.