:00:35. > :00:44.Hello again. The 2003 World Championship was a tournament of
:00:45. > :00:52.records. Stephen Hendry made his 100th tonne at The Crucible. Paul
:00:53. > :00:55.Hunter scored the 750th in Crucible history and Ronnie O'Sullivan
:00:56. > :00:59.excited the crowds against Michael Fu. But we were to reach even
:01:00. > :01:05.greater heights of excitement and drama in a semifinal that featured
:01:06. > :01:10.the popular 24-year-old, Paul Hunter from Yorkshire and Ireland's former
:01:11. > :01:16.Crucible king Ken Doherty. Paul was one of the top players in 2003 and
:01:17. > :01:19.he was one of the men to win the World Championship -- one of the
:01:20. > :01:21.favourites to win the World Championship because he had been
:01:22. > :01:27.playing so well. The people loved him. The Beckham of the base was his
:01:28. > :01:29.nickname. He had all of the looks going for him and then there was me.
:01:30. > :01:34.LAUGHS . He was one of my best friends. He
:01:35. > :01:38.liked to laugh. We had a lot of fun together, but on the table, he was -
:01:39. > :01:43.he wanted to win at all costs. He was a great player. Paul Hunter was
:01:44. > :01:47.widely considered by many as a champion in waiting at the cruise
:01:48. > :01:51.cruise. At 24 years of age, he was already a double Masters champion
:01:52. > :01:56.and a lot of people thought that 2003 would be his year in Sheffield.
:01:57. > :02:01.He already had beaten the defending champion Peter Ebdon in a
:02:02. > :02:04.final-frame decider in the quarterfinal and was soon taking
:02:05. > :02:11.Doherty apart in the first session of this semi. 8-4 he led as we pick
:02:12. > :03:43.them up in Frame 13. Thank you, 13th frame. Paul Hunter to break.
:03:44. > :04:07.Foul. Greg Hunt 4. Cut that safety a little too thin.
:04:08. > :04:15.Last shot to stick on the black. APPLAUSE
:04:16. > :04:19.Which, being slightly protected by the red to the right of it, Hunter's
:04:20. > :04:36.decision to go back up for blue. He's coming around to have a look at
:04:37. > :04:40.what is available. Black out of commission at the moment, as is the
:04:41. > :04:48.pink. But, if he could drop nicely - he's got a choice of reds to play
:04:49. > :04:52.for. He looked to see if he could get on the red on the right of the
:04:53. > :04:56.black. He tried to get onto it. He had the one for the right middle. So
:04:57. > :05:02.if he's got an angle on this one, and the black is available into the
:05:03. > :05:12.opposite corner, this would open things up.
:05:13. > :05:30.This is a promising start after the mid-session
:05:31. > :06:10.It wasn't a good pack to go Still a couple of reds available.
:06:11. > :06:47.Before he has to disturb anything. Now an important shot coming up now.
:06:48. > :06:52.This cannon the left of the two reds. One will be available on the
:06:53. > :06:57.right and one next to the cue ball. If this works out nicely, he could
:06:58. > :07:19.open up a few reds here. APPLAUSE
:07:20. > :07:25.We talk about Paul's temperament, Clive, I think that match against
:07:26. > :07:29.Peter Ebdon when Peter played two flawless games, the way he clinched
:07:30. > :07:36.the deciding frame, he's got everything, this young man, hasn't
:07:37. > :07:40.he? A very cool temperament. Gritty when he is behind and he's got the
:07:41. > :07:58.killer instinct when he has a chance to win.
:07:59. > :08:04.Even that shot there, I mean that was awkward cueing there. He played
:08:05. > :08:13.the cannon with the amount of rescue. Just watch the reaction on
:08:14. > :08:17.the white. Top draw there. 45. He would have to miss something very
:08:18. > :08:23.freight forward not to clinch the frame here. He's done all of the
:08:24. > :08:25.hard work. He's had breaks of 50, 61 and frame 11, 53 and frame 12 and
:08:26. > :08:28.now this. There have been a couple of pack
:08:29. > :09:16.openers in this break. 61. We are at the stage now where
:09:17. > :09:20.you see the best snooker being played when you get to the
:09:21. > :09:24.semifinals at the Embassy World Championship. No distraction from
:09:25. > :09:26.the other side of the arena. Only one table playing. It doesn't get
:09:27. > :09:41.any better than this. 68. So, this is effectively frame
:09:42. > :09:50.ball. 69. APPLAUSE
:09:51. > :09:56.It is amazing how the audience know when the frame is safe. You always
:09:57. > :10:10.get a round of applause. So they really do know their snooker here in
:10:11. > :10:17.the cruise cruise. 77. -- At The Crucible. 77.
:10:18. > :10:28.82. Right from the start of the tournament Hunter has been very
:10:29. > :10:47.fluent and assured. When there has been a big break on,
:10:48. > :10:51.he usually has made it. And this reminds me of a few seasons ago when
:10:52. > :10:55.he played in the final of the Masters and was 6-2 down. He came
:10:56. > :11:00.out in the evening and he made four centuries and six frames and almost
:11:01. > :11:03.equalled Stephen Hendry's five centuries and seven frames.
:11:04. > :11:06.Something that I thought would never be equalled and this young man
:11:07. > :11:22.almost achieved that. But four centuries in six frames!
:11:23. > :12:21.This is quality. It is so helpful in long matches. If you can win frames
:12:22. > :12:30.in a single-scoring visit, it is taking less out of you that way.
:12:31. > :12:49.That white flew off the top. It is really quick out this. -- out there.
:12:50. > :13:04.APPLAUSE And with that, 135. Greg Hunt goes
:13:05. > :13:18.five frames clear and he leads by nine frames to four. Db, but there
:13:19. > :13:34.isn't one there this time. This is a chance for Ken. He can pop
:13:35. > :13:46.this red and with a bit to the side he can avoid the cannon closest to
:13:47. > :13:51.it. He didn't completely avoid it, but it has been a help there, just
:13:52. > :13:59.catching it slightly. It has kept him in position. As long as he did
:14:00. > :14:29.it hit it faux ball. Ken, in this session has only made
:14:30. > :14:33.two mistakes. The frame before the mid section interval he took his eye
:14:34. > :14:40.off the brown. He was concentrating on the white and it cost him the
:14:41. > :14:44.frame albeit with a 73 clearance. He missed in the -- he missed the black
:14:45. > :14:48.in the frame before and the same thing happened. Although, at the
:14:49. > :14:52.time, Clive, you said that the black had just dipped down do the top
:14:53. > :14:56.cushion and you were right because I spoke to Ken's friend, Mik, in the
:14:57. > :15:20.dressing-room and he said it just drifted slightly that black.
:15:21. > :15:28.You might have heard him say, "Just a sec, Ken." That is because the
:15:29. > :15:31.pink won't go in its own spot. The others are occupied. He's got to get
:15:32. > :15:37.it in a direct line behind it without touching the red. That puts
:15:38. > :15:42.the pink out of economics now. So he's only the -- commission now. So
:15:43. > :15:47.he's only the blue to work with for the time being. He might just elect
:15:48. > :16:08.to cannon the two reds and pink. That is not all that bad. He's freed
:16:09. > :16:23.the pink. The one he is looking at would be a
:16:24. > :16:27.bit risky. He is thinking of counting the red and black, but he
:16:28. > :16:28.wants to keep at the table, so he is playing for the blue again.
:16:29. > :16:59.APPLAUSE He'll have a look at that red again
:17:00. > :17:09.because that is still a possibility. He is going to still have to
:17:10. > :18:03.concentrate on the blue. It just depends where the pink goes.
:18:04. > :18:09.I am not sure if the spot is available. Those two reds I think
:18:10. > :18:16.are on it. If it goes onto the black, it might just be available
:18:17. > :18:42.into the pocket he's just pocketed it into. And it does.
:18:43. > :18:48.I was just thinking, Clive, it was a similar-type shot to that when he
:18:49. > :18:51.rolled the black along and that is the one that stayed along the pocket
:18:52. > :19:11.and he lost the frame, but no problem this time.
:19:12. > :19:17.We mentioned that black in the third frame. Watch this. When he first hit
:19:18. > :19:32.it, it looked in the pocket. It touched that near knuckle.
:19:33. > :19:42.That mistake cost him that frame. He's built up a usefulful lead in
:19:43. > :20:14.this one. The standard in this session has
:20:15. > :20:23.been as good as any session we have seen in the Embassy Championship. It
:20:24. > :20:33.really has been top-class. He breaks a 62. 11 1. Now this here. A bit
:20:34. > :20:55.special. Just this red then will secure the
:20:56. > :21:08.frame for do do. -- Doherty. 62.
:21:09. > :21:16.APPLAUSE Specific
:21:17. > :21:24.And he's clinched this frame without the aid of the black. The black has
:21:25. > :21:26.been tied up until that last shot until he brought it into play. A
:21:27. > :21:41.good break, this. APPLAUSE
:21:42. > :22:33.He developed an awkward red. Pity he lost position with the
:22:34. > :22:39.black. The way this has gone, this might go in the corner pocket.
:22:40. > :22:43.APPLAUSE Now that it has, you've got the
:22:44. > :22:53.prospect of back-to-back total clearances. Hunter potted all 15
:22:54. > :23:01.reds with colours, plus the colours in sequence to make 135 in the last
:23:02. > :23:14.frame. This could be a total clearance in reply from Doherty.
:23:15. > :23:16.This will get a terrific round of applause, this.
:23:17. > :23:39.APPLAUSE You could say, Clive, this is just
:23:40. > :23:39.what the doc ordered. LAUGHS
:23:40. > :23:53.. The quality of this effort from
:23:54. > :24:00.Doherty shows that he is still capable of winning this match.
:24:01. > :24:06.Doherty shows that he is still his opponent is playing
:24:07. > :24:11.exceptionally well, too. Yep, a fantastic break by Ken, but, try as
:24:12. > :24:16.he might, he was continuously out-played by the flamboyant
:24:17. > :24:17.youngster. Breaks of 84 and 92 extended Hunter's lead to 5, as we
:24:18. > :24:39.rejoin them in Frame 18. Fully committed. Had he missed this
:24:40. > :24:46.red he was leaving a sitter for Paul Hunter, the one next to the black.
:24:47. > :24:48.Maybe just gone a little bit too far this time. He wanted to be
:24:49. > :24:56.straighter on this red. Let's see if he can avoid not hitting the black
:24:57. > :25:03.and staying on it. Yep! Now, if he can catch the Reds, not the middle
:25:04. > :25:10.red, just the end would be better - that is perfect.
:25:11. > :25:12.APPLAUSE ust the end would be better - that
:25:13. > :25:14.is perfect. APPLAUSE
:25:15. > :25:21.He took the cue ball through the thinner part of the bunch.
:25:22. > :25:27.That made it virtually certain he was going to finish on a red. If he
:25:28. > :25:28.had gone into the heart of the bunch, the cue ball could have stuck
:25:29. > :25:41.on it. Well, Paul Hunter hasn't had a
:25:42. > :26:06.chance yet. But he is very cool. He won't be
:26:07. > :26:11.getting bothered yet. After that final frame with Ebdon b after Peter
:26:12. > :26:16.made two plus breaks to level, he kept his cool in the first chance of
:26:17. > :26:18.the deciding frame and he won it. He has got the complete game, has Paul
:26:19. > :27:01.Hunter. APPLAUSE
:27:02. > :27:15.It only lasted 35 first one, Clive. That was less
:27:16. > :27:19.It only lasted 35 10 minutes. It must be fairly tight
:27:20. > :27:49.because he's had two or three looks at this.
:27:50. > :28:03.He hadn't quite got the angle into the reds that time. He may have
:28:04. > :28:08.to go in for the reds after. I thought for a moment he almost
:28:09. > :28:13.missed that. He was way ahead of himself there. It is all about this
:28:14. > :28:19.cannon. Once again, he doesn't want to go into the middle of the reds.
:28:20. > :28:22.He could stick in there. That is exactly what he has done. So he
:28:23. > :28:46.would like to take that one again. Not an easy safety shot by the looks
:28:47. > :28:50.of things. All he can do is roll into them. Ken Doherty 59.
:28:51. > :29:19.APPLAUSE Well, he's got the cue over there.
:29:20. > :29:22.That is where I was going to put the little white ball. If he leaves the
:29:23. > :29:26.white over there, thin off this red, everything would be fairly safe. As
:29:27. > :29:28.long as he doesn't push this one into a potable position that he is
:29:29. > :30:09.going to glance off. Maybe that could have been foreseen.
:30:10. > :30:14.In doing so, he shunted a red. That was dangerously near the right
:30:15. > :30:18.corner. You have got to watch the white that is going towards the red
:30:19. > :30:19.on the left side of the table if it goes around the back of the black.
:30:20. > :30:32.APPLAUSE That was the problem. It was at an
:30:33. > :30:41.angle to hit that red. So one long blue and he rescues back.
:30:42. > :30:42.APPLAUSE Moving that red will work to his
:30:43. > :31:05.advantage now. I don't think he intended to move
:31:06. > :31:07.it. A great spot. He moved into a potable position and they are all on
:31:08. > :31:21.now. This would be a body blow for do do
:31:22. > :31:27.if Hunter cleared up here. He had a flying start to the session. 92
:31:28. > :32:11.break in the opening frame. First in with 59 and this one.
:32:12. > :32:21.He would have to make an elementary mistake and h didn't make many in
:32:22. > :32:28.this morning's session. As you said, Clive, what a frame this would be to
:32:29. > :32:36.pinch. It would be a real body blow, but a real boost to the young man
:32:37. > :32:38.from Leeds. That smile on his face when Alan Hughes introduced the man
:32:39. > :33:11.with the golden cue. I like that. Very fluent. Very assured. Very
:33:12. > :33:36.confident. So just one mistake from Ken. He
:33:37. > :33:46.tried to open the reds up and stuck in amongst them. That is all this
:33:47. > :33:47.young man seems to need. This was the shot, didn't quite get the
:33:48. > :34:28.cannon as he wanted. Doherty lost that frame. He seeps to
:34:29. > :34:34.be on his way. Hunter with a 75 who guess six clear at 12-6. Paul Hunter
:34:35. > :34:37.just blew me away. I was trying to hang onto his coat tails and going
:34:38. > :34:42.into the last session I was 59 down. I have to win eight of the nine
:34:43. > :34:45.frames that we were due to play in that afternoon session. No-one gave
:34:46. > :34:50.me a prayer. I didn't give myself a prayer. All I wanted to do was try
:34:51. > :34:56.to make it hard for him, try to stick in and use that sort of
:34:57. > :35:01.determined, fighting Irish spirit that we are renowned for and not
:35:02. > :35:04.give it to him too easy. That fighting Irish spirit was clearly
:35:05. > :35:09.evident as we went into the final session on that fateful Saturday
:35:10. > :35:13.afternoon. Ken made breaks of 73 and 93 to reduce his arrears to only
:35:14. > :35:17.four frames now. We will pick them back up in Frame 27. Paul had made
:35:18. > :35:25.31 points here, but he is out of position on the black.
:35:26. > :35:32.What sort of shot was that he's just played? I thought he would have tied
:35:33. > :35:36.the black, put it on the cushion and left the white on the cushion. He's
:35:37. > :35:39.left a pot here, Clive. I don't think he could see what he was
:35:40. > :36:02.doing, reaching over like that. Well, that would do it.
:36:03. > :36:08.You mentioned, Clive, he couldn't see exactly what he was doing, but
:36:09. > :36:44.he didn't need to hit it at that pace.
:36:45. > :36:49.A couple of reds were hotted into the right corner. Ken has the
:36:50. > :36:51.perfect angle on the yellow to come off the side cushion and come up for
:36:52. > :37:18.one of the reds near the pink. If he can reach this, there might be
:37:19. > :37:22.a gap to pot that red he is looking at and rescue into the gap. If he
:37:23. > :37:25.can pot that red and just rescue between the others, he would finish
:37:26. > :37:27.nicely on the black. Even if he touched one of the reds on the way
:37:28. > :38:01.through, he would still be OK. He judged this very well. Didn't
:38:02. > :38:34.matter touching a red, as long as he only touched it gently. The pink is
:38:35. > :38:36.not available at prent. He might have to head up towards the blue
:38:37. > :38:45.here. Just a quick glance at the
:38:46. > :38:49.scoreboard. He's got a long way to go here in this frame, but he's at
:38:50. > :39:04.the table and that is the main thing.
:39:05. > :39:12.Just too thin a cut to hold for the blue. He's got quite a bit to do
:39:13. > :39:24.here. It is far from a clear-cut chance just yet.
:39:25. > :39:33.Extension on the cue preferred to a rest shot.
:39:34. > :39:42.He will have to leave himself a longish pot, by the looks of things.
:39:43. > :39:53.Yeah, he couldn't do much better than that. So a big shot coming up.
:39:54. > :39:55.Red into the left corner, rescue the white across. He would finish on the
:39:56. > :40:11.black if he pots it. That is the sort of angle he would
:40:12. > :40:18.be looking at. It is not straightforward.
:40:19. > :40:45.Just skimmed across the face of the black.
:40:46. > :41:47.That is the first slip-up. It could be pretty costly and it was a fairly
:41:48. > :41:48.straightforward pot as well. I think he was thinking about the white and
:41:49. > :42:07.he never dreamt he would miss this. The way appeared clear for do do to
:42:08. > :42:23.reduce his arrears to two frames. This is Hunter's chance to go five
:42:24. > :42:34.up with six to play, assuming that he is still on that red to left
:42:35. > :42:40.middle. Only just, I think. Very tight, obviously. He wouldn't be
:42:41. > :42:44.looking at -- or he wouldn't be looking at it this long. Well, he is
:42:45. > :42:46.not on it. This is a much more difficult pot.
:42:47. > :42:56.We have said about him being a cool APPLAUSE
:42:57. > :42:59.We have said about him being a cool customer. He played a poor
:43:00. > :43:21.positional shot and he pulled out a difficult pot there.
:43:22. > :43:28.This match would be more or less level apart from Doherty
:43:29. > :43:33.unexpectedly missing easy balls like that. There have been four or five
:43:34. > :43:36.of them in this match. That is not the best positional shot that Paul
:43:37. > :43:42.has ever played. He can still cut the pink in, but it is quite a thin
:43:43. > :43:45.one. He will have to come twice across the fable to finish ob on
:43:46. > :43:48.that red. He will want to finish between that rd and the blue. -- red
:43:49. > :44:21.and He is going to need the yellow. He's
:44:22. > :44:25.got the perfect angle on the black to slide the white past pink and
:44:26. > :44:42.blue and leave a pretty straightforward yellow.
:44:43. > :44:50.That is the first sign of weakness from Paul Hunter. He put a quick one
:44:51. > :44:54.in there. He is such a smooth cuist. He wasn't smooth on that one. Just
:44:55. > :45:01.watch the cow. You could see that there. That was for five up with six
:45:02. > :45:14.to play. Just have a look at this shot that
:45:15. > :45:26.Ken has played. What a difference that missed yellow
:45:27. > :45:36.can make. We have talked about Paul's temperament. He's still got a
:45:37. > :45:42.bit to do and he's left that a little bit short and he will have to
:45:43. > :45:44.come off the top cushion. How is the space on the white? It is pretty
:45:45. > :46:33.good. It looks certain that Paul Hunter
:46:34. > :46:37.would go five up with six to play, but Ken Doherty reduces the gap to
:46:38. > :46:44.three frames, which is the least it has been since it was 7-4. Hunter's
:46:45. > :46:49.lead now reduced to 15-13. Round 27 was crucial. He is 26 points ahead
:46:50. > :46:53.and looks like he is going to win the frame. He just needs the yellow.
:46:54. > :46:56.There is 27 left on the table. He has a straightforward yellow into
:46:57. > :47:02.its own pocket. Just came off the cushion and onto the green. OK, it
:47:03. > :47:07.is a mid-distance pot but it is a pot you would always fancy getting.
:47:08. > :47:11.I never thought he would miss it. He potted the balls and all of a sudden
:47:12. > :47:13.I have closed the gap even further and that is when the tension started
:47:14. > :47:37.to build, you know. A round of applause. But I think he
:47:38. > :47:44.left Paul at the back of the pack. He didn't skip from that as he
:47:45. > :47:47.intended. That is just the sort of pot that Paul needs to settle him
:47:48. > :48:01.down again after that miss on the yellow.
:48:02. > :48:08.He might just be OK. He is having a long, hard look. He might be able to
:48:09. > :48:19.get to the potting angle with that red to the right of the bunch.
:48:20. > :48:29.What has he spotted? Is there something - he can get through the
:48:30. > :48:35.gap past the pink, can he? No, yes. APPLAUSE
:48:36. > :48:50.It looked as if it was going to hit that near knuckle.
:48:51. > :48:54.How is the luck this time? It could have been better. He's covered
:48:55. > :49:02.everything into the right corner. Everything into the left corner.
:49:03. > :49:06.He's got one to the middle. He's looks at the possible plant, but
:49:07. > :49:07.there is quite a distance between the two reds. Not straightforward
:49:08. > :49:23.here. That was a bit unlucky there. You
:49:24. > :49:33.don't really want to be trying to make that plant at this stage.
:49:34. > :49:49.Can he get through to pot the other one? There you go. I think he had to
:49:50. > :49:53.band that, Clive, because he never looked at that one before, did he?
:49:54. > :49:53.Yes, he did. Hughes right of centre striking.
:49:54. > :50:42.APPLAUSE Just slightly the wrong side of the
:50:43. > :50:44.blue, but there might be a red either side that he can play on just
:50:45. > :51:06.by dropping the blue. He might need the extension on his
:51:07. > :51:09.cue to reach this. That corner pocket will be in Paul's way
:51:10. > :51:30.slightly when he reaches over the table.
:51:31. > :51:40.We have got a mid-session interval coming up after this frame. I think
:51:41. > :51:43.a lot of people, most people in The Crucible didn't think we were going
:51:44. > :51:52.to get to a mid-session interval, Clive.
:51:53. > :52:05.We are going to have one and if Hunter were to lose this frame, I
:52:06. > :52:14.imagine that 20-minute interval would be a time of some anguish.
:52:15. > :52:30.What a thumping kick. Now, that is so unlucky, that. Look at the black
:52:31. > :52:33.jump. Absolutely amazing and Paul, well, he smiles about it, but that
:52:34. > :52:37.was so unfortunate there. I thought for a moment he might have got away
:52:38. > :52:41.with it, that the black was going to cover the pocket for this red, but
:52:42. > :52:56.there is a gap past. I think there is a little bit of
:52:57. > :53:00.tension creeping in again. Quite a bit of tension, actually. So Ken has
:53:01. > :53:20.let him off the hook. He is starting to get anxious, isn't
:53:21. > :53:23.he, Dennis, if he lost this frame he would be very anxious during the
:53:24. > :53:24.mid-session break. Yes, I think that bad contact in the
:53:25. > :53:30.mid-session break. Yes, I think that like he was going to go on and
:53:31. > :53:35.clinch the frame. Well, both players have missed sitters there. But that
:53:36. > :53:47.It really is fabulous to be out excitement of The Crucible Theatre.
:53:48. > :53:49.It really is fabulous to be out there. Nerve-wracking, but very
:53:50. > :54:25.enjoyable. A long way out. He can only see one
:54:26. > :54:37.red and he might have to have a go at it. That is the only red he can
:54:38. > :54:41.see on the table to hit. Now, wouldn't it be ironic if he knocked
:54:42. > :54:49.this in after the one he just missed. He's got the white where he
:54:50. > :54:57.wanted, but there is a red coming up as well. He is OK, though. But Ken
:54:58. > :55:01.could have the advantage, a snooker at this age with the reds and
:55:02. > :55:05.colours as they are, and even though he is 44 points behind, it could
:55:06. > :55:24.give him a chance to get right back into this frame.
:55:25. > :55:28.It might be difficult to get the snooker, but he needs that white
:55:29. > :56:08.tight on the cushion. Looking to see if he could cover the
:56:09. > :56:20.red left middle. You could hear a pin drop out there.
:56:21. > :56:35.A terrific shot. APPLAUSE
:56:36. > :56:40.That is as good a safety shot as you will see because he's put Ken bang
:56:41. > :56:52.in trouble. Nowhere back down the table, the
:56:53. > :56:56.only chance is to rescue the white down and where is this red going to
:56:57. > :57:05.go? I don't even know if he can see enough of it to play that shot.
:57:06. > :57:17.Well, this red could go anywhere, if he takes this on. That is unusual to
:57:18. > :57:20.put the extension on your cue playing the white from that
:57:21. > :57:22.position. Is it giving him a little bit more weight to screw the white
:57:23. > :57:42.back? He was in a tough spot there and he
:57:43. > :57:46.hasn't got out of it. He is already 44 behind. I think you had a point
:57:47. > :57:57.about the heavier cue, though, Dennis. The American pool players
:57:58. > :58:01.break off with a heavier cue. A heavier cue than they use for the
:58:02. > :58:20.rest of the game. It is just I have never seen it done before, Clive.
:58:21. > :58:25.48 in front in a couple of shots time he will be in a perfect
:58:26. > :58:37.position, you would feel. As long as it is nicely onto a red,
:58:38. > :58:38.then there shouldn't be any problem. He has four or five reds to finish
:58:39. > :58:52.on here. He celebrated with a magnificent
:58:53. > :59:06.safety shot. This is the one. Absolutely superb. He's let that
:59:07. > :59:09.slip. He's let that slip. That was a straightforward cannon onto the red.
:59:10. > :59:18.It looked like a clear run to the line. This looks like an attack of
:59:19. > :59:27.clinch's disease, making unexpected errors.
:59:28. > :59:55.Within sight of the winning post. You would still have to make him
:59:56. > :59:58.favourite for this frame. He's kept the brown with his last shot
:59:59. > :00:18.reasonably safe, keeping it close to the cushion.
:00:19. > :00:28.Well, that was so close. He got a good white again. When I say a "good
:00:29. > :00:31.white" Ken Doherty needs a good white here because a thin snake of
:00:32. > :00:38.white will be heading up towards the red and blue.
:00:39. > :00:44.He's got a good kiss. A very fortuitous kiss.
:00:45. > :00:46.APPLAUSE And a chance to get right back into
:00:47. > :00:51.it. Hunter continues to be put through
:00:52. > :01:03.the ringer. The general expectation was that he
:01:04. > :01:04.would clinch a comfortable victory this afternoon. The general
:01:05. > :01:23.expectation was wrong. He took the chance to develop that
:01:24. > :01:46.red there. With the red being sow close to the
:01:47. > :01:54.pocket, I wasn't sure what would happen on the right but what a nice
:01:55. > :01:58.way to leave the easy pink. How much apart will that brown that is off it
:01:59. > :02:06.spot play in this frame? He's got quite a few balls the pot before he
:02:07. > :02:40.gets there. But that is the only one that is reasonably safe.
:02:41. > :02:48.You need plenty of self-belief to withstand this sort of pressure. At
:02:49. > :02:58.some point Hunter has got to come out this afternoon and do the
:02:59. > :03:02.business. There is a lot of snooker left in this frame. If Paul Hunter
:03:03. > :03:06.wins this frame, I think he would be a comfortable winner. If Ken Doherty
:03:07. > :03:19.nicks this frame, what a semifinal we could be left with.
:03:20. > :03:25.He won't do anything about the brown until he pots the yellow and leaves
:03:26. > :04:04.an angle for the green and then he will worry about the brown.
:04:05. > :04:11.He wants to be dead straight on the yellow so he can pot it and rescue
:04:12. > :04:18.trait back to more or less where the white is now. It is all about
:04:19. > :04:20.getting a good angle on the green to give himself a chance to do
:04:21. > :04:39.something about that brown. Well, just looking at it, he's gone
:04:40. > :04:42.a little bit too far, so what he might do is try to play this
:04:43. > :04:45.righthand side as you look at it to take the white off the bottom
:04:46. > :04:47.cushion and drop in behind the brown. It would give him a choice of
:04:48. > :05:02.pockets. How is the pace on the brown. It would give him a choice of
:05:03. > :05:04.What a big shot this is. It would give Doherty a passport to take the
:05:05. > :05:24.CHEERING frame.
:05:25. > :05:29.Absolutely amazing. He's played three perfect frames.
:05:30. > :05:30.Absolutely amazing. He's played missed a few in this frame.
:05:31. > :05:35.CHEERING Cheer
:05:36. > :05:41.At the start of play Paul Hunter was within two frames of a place in the
:05:42. > :05:47.final. He still is, but his lead has been reduced to only two frames.
:05:48. > :05:50.Hunter leads by 15 frames to 13. So the pressure levels are really
:05:51. > :05:54.beginning to squeeze these players and Paul in particular because his
:05:55. > :06:01.once commanding 5-frame lead is now down to two. In we go to Frame 29
:06:02. > :06:26.and it is Paul, 11 points behind and one red left.
:06:27. > :06:35.You would have to say that the run of the ball at the moment is
:06:36. > :06:39.slightly favouring Ken. If the red had dropped in, as it well could
:06:40. > :06:40.have done, it would have given Hunter an excellent chance to take
:06:41. > :07:15.the frame. He is going for the brown, just
:07:16. > :07:18.looking at it. And that - hit perfectly. What a fightback from Ken
:07:19. > :07:39.Doherty. Hunter can only wait to see if
:07:40. > :07:59.Doherty clinches this frame to reduce his lead to one.
:08:00. > :08:17.Amazing! APPLAUSE
:08:18. > :08:24.A 5-frame winning streak for do do. He is only one behind. Hunter's lead
:08:25. > :08:54.is reduced to 15-14. CHEERING
:08:55. > :09:02.He was always going to play the pink next, but would have preferred to be
:09:03. > :09:17.able to reach it without art official aids. It is the fact he has
:09:18. > :09:22.to get quite a bit of power in this to give himself a possible pot on
:09:23. > :09:25.the next red. He had a look at the red on the left middle pocket. That
:09:26. > :09:56.is not an option. It is far too an acute angle.
:09:57. > :10:01.Pretty reliable with the rest, but at this stage of the match you want
:10:02. > :10:06.to be getting your hand on the table.
:10:07. > :10:19.Not quite far enough back with the white. I don't think he can cannon
:10:20. > :10:24.the red. He tried and he got very close to leaving an angle to pot the
:10:25. > :10:36.pink and cannon that red. The white is going away from it now.
:10:37. > :10:42.But that is second best. He was trying to swing that all the way
:10:43. > :11:02.around the angles and avoid the green and brown.
:11:03. > :11:34.A good shot. A brilliant shot. APPLAUSE
:11:35. > :12:01.Not that straight forward to send the red back up the table. He's got
:12:02. > :12:30.to be careful. The brown is in the way, I think. But this is difficult.
:12:31. > :12:40.Where is the red? Where is the red going?
:12:41. > :12:49.It is Ken's turn to have a little bit of bad luck to push the red over
:12:50. > :12:52.the pocket. But it is not easy por Paul to get good position with the
:12:53. > :13:12.red being so close to that pocket. He's got to force this.
:13:13. > :13:18.If he could have forced out another 4 or 5 inches, it would have been so
:13:19. > :13:31.much easier. What a test for this young man.
:13:32. > :13:51.That is pretty cool. A terrific pot. Awkward cueing. Had to just drop the
:13:52. > :13:54.yellow in to stay on it. The crowd absolutely engrossed. The crowd,
:13:55. > :14:06.which I am sure didn't expect to finish lick this. He's overrescued
:14:07. > :14:10.it, has he? Not quite. I don't think the brown passes the pink. That is
:14:11. > :14:14.what Paul was having a look at there and if it doesn't, he might not have
:14:15. > :14:18.the angle to leave it to the opposite corner. It is very tight.
:14:19. > :14:22.He's got the perfect angle on the green to rescue up behind the brown,
:14:23. > :14:31.but I don't think it passes the pink, so he might just rescue up
:14:32. > :14:39.into them. -- rescue up into them. APPLAUSE
:14:40. > :14:55.He's still got a shot at it. Brown and blue needed.
:14:56. > :15:03.Where is the brown going? He seemed to hit that a little bit harder than
:15:04. > :15:28.he needed. That is anxiety doing its work.
:15:29. > :15:35.Well, it is amazing, but this is the sort of thing that can happen out
:15:36. > :15:44.there in The Crucible Theatre. At this stage, anything can be missed.
:15:45. > :15:49.That was Doherty's chance to level the match, although he needed the
:15:50. > :16:09.other colours as well. CHEERING
:16:10. > :16:15.He held his nerve that time. That was a difficult pot.
:16:16. > :16:30.APPLAUSE The blue was the clinching colour.
:16:31. > :16:35.CHEERING Doherty had his chance to level the
:16:36. > :16:38.match, but with a huge sigh of relief, Hunter took the frame to go
:16:39. > :16:59.two up with three to play at 16-14. Another terrific safety shot.
:17:00. > :17:12.APPLAUSE He really has Ken in trouble here,
:17:13. > :17:20.although he can see the one red. It is so difficult to snip that red and
:17:21. > :17:27.get the white back down the table. He's snookered almost full ball on
:17:28. > :17:32.that. He's going to have do give this a little bit of thought. He's
:17:33. > :17:35.going to play the swerve shot. He can hit the other red, so this is
:17:36. > :17:49.risky. Foul. It will have to go back again.
:17:50. > :17:55.It might even be a free-ball. If it is a free ball, it is not a
:17:56. > :17:59.free-ball, if it had been a fro-ball Paul could have played the yellow
:18:00. > :18:06.and put the ball tight up against the brown.
:18:07. > :18:13.Ken is reluctant to move the other red. He knows how difficult it is to
:18:14. > :18:14.get safe on the red on the cushion. That is why he is swerving around
:18:15. > :18:31.the brown. We will just show you that is where
:18:32. > :18:38.it was before. Let's look where they have got them now. Not too far away.
:18:39. > :18:46.Almost perfect. Well done, Colin. That wasn't easy. He is a very
:18:47. > :19:00.capable, ref, is Colin. Try No. 2. Too much. Now then. Foul, miss. Now,
:19:01. > :19:05.if Paul doesn't fancy this red, he may take the red on, but if he put
:19:06. > :19:06.it back and Ken did the same thing, three miss and you lose the frame
:19:07. > :19:18.would have applied there, Clive. It would, but he got the ball in the
:19:19. > :19:22.pocket. APPLAUSE
:19:23. > :19:54.Good cueing. Awkward bridging, but excellent cueing there.
:19:55. > :20:01.It is not quite tight. So this is not a straight snoreward pot. --
:20:02. > :20:24.straightforward pot. It wasn't easy, but it is perfectly
:20:25. > :20:34.safe. And the last few exchanges have, including this failure at that
:20:35. > :20:38.difficult red, the last few exchanges have changed the position
:20:39. > :20:45.and both players now need to pot the green. Five minutes ago Doherty
:20:46. > :20:53.could have won this frame without it.
:20:54. > :20:59.This could be a snooker. He has played some fantastic safety shots.
:21:00. > :21:23.CHEERING It's not a snooker. Ken will settle
:21:24. > :21:31.for the outcome. You never know where you are going to folk a red
:21:32. > :21:33.when you are snookered like that. -- knock a red when you are snookered
:21:34. > :21:48.like that. Is he taking it on? He took it on because the green was
:21:49. > :21:50.safe. He knew it was highly unlikely if he missed it, he would leave the
:21:51. > :22:04.lot on. Not a bad result for the red to
:22:05. > :22:25.finish up there. That is a good shot also.
:22:26. > :23:03.APPLAUSE Well, foul and a miss because he
:23:04. > :23:12.just caught the brown. Ken won't have them put back. This is a
:23:13. > :23:15.pressure red here. This crowd in The Crucible came here this afternoon
:23:16. > :23:19.and thought they were going to have a casual little afternoon, relaxed
:23:20. > :23:25.in The Crucible. They are all on the edge of their seats now.
:23:26. > :23:45.Blue no problem. Yellow no problem. But what about the green? It is
:23:46. > :23:58.better placed than it was a few minutes ago. And it is the green Ken
:23:59. > :24:02.put safe when he made the 52 break. Had a kick there. Would have been
:24:03. > :24:10.straighter on the yellow but for that. Well, that could make such a
:24:11. > :24:14.difference because now he hasn't got the angle to screw back behind the
:24:15. > :24:19.green. He might still have, but he will have to use the rest, but what
:24:20. > :24:35.a shot he is faced with. He's got to screw over behind that green.
:24:36. > :24:45.His plan, if he had gone earlier, he wanted to pot over that green. To do
:24:46. > :24:48.that with the rest, it has to be some shot. If he doesn't and can
:24:49. > :25:09.phons the brown, it could spoil things. But he must pot the yellow.
:25:10. > :25:20.You can never guarantee what is going to happen to that cue ball.
:25:21. > :25:32.It also has knocked the brown to a worse position.
:25:33. > :25:36.Doherty tried to get behind it. APPLAUSE
:25:37. > :25:49.It That is as good as a snooker.
:25:50. > :25:51.Although he can hit the green, he might leave it on for the right
:25:52. > :26:14.corner. There is no way he can pot the green
:26:15. > :26:49.and get to the brown. Knocking the pink safe has made it
:26:50. > :26:59.very difficult for Paul Hunter. Paul needs them all. Ken only needs
:27:00. > :27:47.the brown and the blue. It started off with a
:27:48. > :27:50.applause there and as the brown got closer to the cushion it got louder.
:27:51. > :27:51.They appreciated the strength of that shot. Look where he's placed
:27:52. > :28:17.the brown. Is Doherty going to go for this?
:28:18. > :28:27.Needing just blue in addition. Six inches further towards the
:28:28. > :28:53.brown, I am pretty sure he would. His
:28:54. > :29:10.Hunter can't win the frame without the pink. Well, if you are playing
:29:11. > :29:14.an exhibition you try to pot the blue and moo on the pink, but this
:29:15. > :29:18.is not an exhibition. But he still tried it. He still tried it!
:29:19. > :29:21.APPLAUSE What a brave shot. He was a bit
:29:22. > :30:09.unlucky. What an effort. I am not sure, I don't think he
:30:10. > :30:15.tried to remove the pink. Because Ken only needs the blue. This could
:30:16. > :30:24.get him back to just one frame behind. A big shot.
:30:25. > :30:32.Went all out for it. Ken must be very pleased to see the blue run
:30:33. > :31:25.safe. With the pink in the situation that
:31:26. > :31:29.it is, Ken is a slight favourite for this frame.
:31:30. > :31:38.He's not now. It is anyone's frame now.
:31:39. > :31:47.APPLAUSE That was such a good shot. Whoever
:31:48. > :32:03.pots the blue, you would fancy to take the frame.
:32:04. > :32:08.Doherty walks around anxiously to see if he's covered the blue with
:32:09. > :32:24.the pink and he has covered the potting angle.
:32:25. > :32:31.Well, if he has to come off the top cushion, you are never sure where
:32:32. > :32:42.you are going to knock the blue. You are hoping it will go safe.
:32:43. > :32:59.Doherty needing this blue to get back to one behind. Hunter needing
:33:00. > :33:16.this frame for a place in the final. He has fluked a snooker. He has
:33:17. > :33:20.fluked a snooker. Ken holds his hand up on the way around the table to
:33:21. > :33:37.apologise, but just look at that. A full-ball snooker.
:33:38. > :34:01.Another chance. He missed the previous one by a long way.
:34:02. > :34:26.APPLAUSE What a time for a fluke.
:34:27. > :34:31.Unbelievable! It was frame ball. Well, Ken has played that blue. He's
:34:32. > :34:41.hit it so hard. I don't know why. But what a fluke. Why did he hit the
:34:42. > :34:43.blue so hard? I didn't expect him to play it pocket weight, but I didn't
:34:44. > :35:33.expect him to play it like that. He must have left a chance this
:35:34. > :35:35.time. I thought that Hunter should have played something more
:35:36. > :35:38.conservative there. Just get the pink safe and wait for a better
:35:39. > :35:45.chance. CHEERING
:35:46. > :35:53.This incredible semifinal continues. Paul Hunter is still one up with two
:35:54. > :36:00.to play. But Doherty had to fluke that last frame to keep in
:36:01. > :36:06.contention. I couldn't believe he hit it so hard, but he won't brother
:36:07. > :36:10.about that now. What a fluke -- bother about that now. What a fluke
:36:11. > :36:13.as he looks to the heavens. That was a huge frame, a really big frame.
:36:14. > :36:18.Instead of losing, because he could have won that match there and then,
:36:19. > :36:22.but all of a sudden, now it is 16-15. I am one down with two to
:36:23. > :36:26.play. The pressure the confidence it gave me, the pressure that sort of
:36:27. > :36:44.built up on Paul, his head went down a little bit.
:36:45. > :36:57.He's got to be a bit careful on the next shot.
:36:58. > :37:08.If he is looking to play it off that red he has to be careful of the
:37:09. > :37:14.double kiss. There is a possible pot-on but it is far too risky.
:37:15. > :37:22.He can pot the one that is in the circle and that looks as if it is
:37:23. > :37:28.the one that he will have a go at. Watch the white.
:37:29. > :37:36.Very risky, that one. But perhaps h thought it no more difficult than
:37:37. > :38:20.the safety. Is he on a red? Has it gone too far?
:38:21. > :38:21.It is perfect. APPLAUSE
:38:22. > :38:50.Choice of reds. I know there is a gentleman up in
:38:51. > :38:57.Scotland who will be watching this with a lot of interest. He had a
:38:58. > :38:59.flutter on Doherty. He is the manager of Celtic, Martin O'Neill.
:39:00. > :39:03.He is a great snooker fan. I don't know what odds he got, but I
:39:04. > :39:13.He is a great snooker fan. I don't is Bighting his nails as well here.
:39:14. > :39:57.Not much to do with the cue ball here to leave a red for the opposite
:39:58. > :40:02.middle pocket. He's got one that is up near the black spot. He can also
:40:03. > :40:09.play a four, but I would think he would play for that one to the right
:40:10. > :40:15.middle. Oh, he played for the other one. It meant he had to hit it a
:40:16. > :40:44.little bit harder and that pink almost came out of the pocket.
:40:45. > :40:50.He is having a look at the score, 25 the difference. Is he going to play
:40:51. > :41:00.to develop that difficult red? He sure is.
:41:01. > :41:10.Pink. The red colour would see Doherty pass the post in this frame.
:41:11. > :41:16.And that cannon from red to red. When he potted the red to develop
:41:17. > :41:44.the red was a great shot. We are going in to a deciding frame.
:41:45. > :42:24.40 in front but only 35 on the table.
:42:25. > :42:30.Ken Doherty 42. APPLAUSE
:42:31. > :42:36.Both of these players are giving everything they have got out there.
:42:37. > :42:55.# two snookers required at the moment.
:42:56. > :42:57.Hunter's attempt to lay a snooker went badly wrong.
:42:58. > :43:10.APPLAUSE That red puts us beyond doubt that
:43:11. > :43:12.this match is going the full 33 frames.
:43:13. > :43:19.CHEERING It is 16-all.
:43:20. > :43:27.How incredible! The momentum was now all with the whiley Irishman and
:43:28. > :43:32.perhaps recent history was on his side, too. After all, he had
:43:33. > :43:37.prevailed in two final frames already in the earlier rounds of the
:43:38. > :43:44.championship. This was proving to be a marathon effort for them both.
:43:45. > :43:52.Deciding frame, Paul Hunter to break.
:43:53. > :44:00.And how seriously, I wonder, did Hunter consider the possibility of a
:44:01. > :44:04.recovery like this from his opponent? Of course, he knew that it
:44:05. > :44:06.was logically possible, but surely in his heart he thought, well, I
:44:07. > :44:41.have only got to win two frames. Peter only won two frames to draw
:44:42. > :44:43.level. Can he do it again? APPLAUSE
:44:44. > :44:54.One. We have talked about his temperament
:44:55. > :45:03.time and time again. This is the ultimate test for this young player.
:45:04. > :45:11.Is he on the red? Has he again far enough?
:45:12. > :45:31.He couldn't pot it. The blue was a bad shot. He didn't get onto the
:45:32. > :45:40.red. He was trying to just swerve it slightly to make the angle.
:45:41. > :46:14.He's got a straight red for the corner. It wasn't the red that he
:46:15. > :46:24.played for. Is the experience going to tell in
:46:25. > :46:53.this deciding frame? Doherty has played so well to put
:46:54. > :46:58.Hunter under pressure. He has wilted.
:46:59. > :47:06.Hunter's highest break this afternoon is a modest 39 and he's
:47:07. > :47:14.made only 3 over 30 and he normally is such a prolific break-biller. --
:47:15. > :47:19.break-builder. The young man is in completely new territory. The
:47:20. > :47:36.semifinal of a world championship at The Crucible Theatre.
:47:37. > :47:47.What other thoughts are running through Paul's mind at the moment?
:47:48. > :48:00.He knows that this is not a great chance for Ken just yet.
:48:01. > :48:06.It is that one red before Ken has got to go into them. I don't think
:48:07. > :48:14.he's got an angle here to go into the reds.
:48:15. > :48:42.A little bit further to the red to cannon that. He
:48:43. > :48:48.Now, this is the shot. He doesn't want to screw him to the middle of
:48:49. > :48:50.the three reds otherwise the white will stick there. He wants to stun
:48:51. > :49:06.this. A big shot. I think they are all covered to the
:49:07. > :49:16.left corner. He has to settle with a 44-point
:49:17. > :50:13.lead. A good safety. with it. I don't think the red. I
:50:14. > :50:43.don't think the red will pass the green. No way. It is a full-ball.
:50:44. > :50:48.Plenty of tension there, but not as much, I fancy, as there is in
:50:49. > :51:05.Hunter's stomach at the moment. Is there a path through for the red
:51:06. > :51:08.that is over the corner? APPLAUSE
:51:09. > :51:15.Can he get past the blue? He might have to swerve a little touch. Not
:51:16. > :51:21.guaranteed to get position, even if he pots it. But that last shot from
:51:22. > :51:26.Paul Hunter has opened the he pots it. But that last shot from
:51:27. > :51:32.right up. He's got to bend it slightly. But not too much.
:51:33. > :51:52.APPLAUSE If he pots the blue and avoids the
:51:53. > :52:02.brown and the green, he could be in the final.
:52:03. > :52:06.He hasn't avoided the green. This red near the middle is a thin snip
:52:07. > :52:28.now. The natural angle will take him
:52:29. > :52:38.around the back of the red, but where is the white going to finish?
:52:39. > :52:47.That is quite fortunate if the pink pots. He didn't know what was going
:52:48. > :52:53.to happen to the cue ball there, but he got the main pot of the shot. He
:52:54. > :52:58.got a bit of good fortune. He has had it. Hunter knows that the match
:52:59. > :53:12.is now in Doherty's hands. Doherty has got to contain his excitement.
:53:13. > :53:33.Absolutely unbelievable this semifinal!
:53:34. > :53:40.Ken Doherty is one of the nicest lads you could ever wish to meet,
:53:41. > :53:43.always laughing and joking around The Crucible Theatre, but when he
:53:44. > :53:54.gets onto the snooker table, he is a little terrier.
:53:55. > :54:04.Paul Hunter is getting resigned to defeat. It is an easy
:54:05. > :54:12.match-clinching opportunity. It will be a bitter disappointment for him.
:54:13. > :54:14.Yes, there were times today when Paul didn't get the run of the ball
:54:15. > :54:19.when he needed it. APPLAUSE
:54:20. > :54:23.But he would be the first to congratulate Ken Doherty because he
:54:24. > :54:35.will know that this is one of the best comebacks seen at The Crucible.
:54:36. > :54:52.This red is match-ball, in terms of leaving Hunter needing a snooker.
:54:53. > :55:00.APPLAUSE Regardless of what happened, Paul
:55:01. > :55:03.Hunter has done so noump the game of snooker here over the last two weeks
:55:04. > :55:20.-- so much for the game of snooker here over the last two weeks.
:55:21. > :55:24.This man is a great ambassador for the game of snooker and he puffs his
:55:25. > :55:40.cheeks out. What a performance! Paul Hunter, I think, is in shock.
:55:41. > :55:51.He just can't believe what has happened here.
:55:52. > :55:57.A crushing disappointment for the young Yorkshireman.
:55:58. > :56:01.APPLAUSE In my experience it has always been
:56:02. > :56:09.-- he has always been modest in victory. Generous in defeat. He's
:56:10. > :56:19.never moaned. APPLAUSE
:56:20. > :56:21.But this will take some getting over, unless miraculously he gets
:56:22. > :56:45.the snookers that he needs. If he does get a chance he needs to
:56:46. > :56:48.take three reds and three blacks. What is Ken Doherty feeling inside?
:56:49. > :56:56.I bet he capital believe that he's pulled this off.
:56:57. > :57:02.-- I bet he can believe that he's pulled this off. Players have won
:57:03. > :57:11.big matches here from a long way behind. You have done it yourself,
:57:12. > :57:15.Dennis, but not with so many behind from behind the winning post. I
:57:16. > :57:22.think we will have a handshake. CHEERING
:57:23. > :57:28.An absolutely unbelievable afternoon and Paul Hunter, someone who has a
:57:29. > :57:34.gracious smile, despite his crushing sense of disappointment. An
:57:35. > :57:38.incredible triumph for do Doherty. He had to win this concluding
:57:39. > :57:45.session 8-1 against one of the world's best players. He did. He is
:57:46. > :57:48.in the final. Doherty produced some fantastic snooker. Paul Hunter has
:57:49. > :57:54.again from not missing a ball to missing a few and Doherty got
:57:55. > :57:57.stronger and stronger. It was one of the greatest victories that I will
:57:58. > :58:01.ever, ever have played in and to do it in the semifinal of the World
:58:02. > :58:04.Championship from such a long way back, I will never ever forget that
:58:05. > :58:09.match. He was very dedicated, Paul Hunter. He would probably have been
:58:10. > :58:14.a world champion. This was by any standards a quite stunning comeback.
:58:15. > :58:19.It put Doherty into his their world final where he would stage yet
:58:20. > :58:24.another comeback against Mark Williams, falling just short,
:58:25. > :58:27.though, 16 frames to 18. It was Williams title but many will
:58:28. > :58:33.remember 2003 as Doherty's championship. After all, he played a
:58:34. > :58:39.record 123 frames in total. As for Paul Hunter, he took that semifinal
:58:40. > :58:42.defeat with a dignity. He went onto become a three-times Masters
:58:43. > :58:44.champion, but very sadly he never fulfilled his quest for the world
:58:45. > :58:49.title. He lost his battle fulfilled his quest for the world
:58:50. > :58:54.only three years later. That is why that semifinal will be special and
:58:55. > :58:59.will always be remembered for so very many reasons.