:00:07. > :00:43.Hello again. In 2000 World Championship was a classic year for
:00:44. > :00:48.drama, particularly from the semifinal stages on wards. On one
:00:49. > :00:54.side of the draw, you had Stephen Hendry beating Ronnie O'Sullivan in
:00:55. > :01:01.his semifinal, in a really heavyweight contest to reach a ninth
:01:02. > :01:04.world final. The other half of draw featured England's Peter Ebdon and
:01:05. > :01:10.Welshman Matthew Stevens. This was the match that really set the
:01:11. > :01:14.tournament alight. The match against Peter was a fantastic match, one of
:01:15. > :01:18.the best matches I played. We do chat about it sometimes. Just really
:01:19. > :01:24.looking forward to it, and knowing that I would see to play really,
:01:25. > :01:28.really well. Matthew has always been a top class match player. And he
:01:29. > :01:34.seems to reserve his best form for the Crucible. Ebdon dominated the
:01:35. > :01:41.first session. He seemed determined to reach a second Crucible final.
:01:42. > :01:45.But Matthew Stevens was appearing quite the long match specialist. And
:01:46. > :01:50.his comfort and confidence levels were growing. This was his third
:01:51. > :01:56.semifinal in a row at the Crucible. In fact, he ensured had match was
:01:57. > :02:04.all square going into the final session, and it was xerngsally high
:02:05. > :02:10.in quality twel. No fewer than 24 breaks over 50. It turn out to be an
:02:11. > :02:27.unforgettable conclusion on the heady
:02:28. > :02:35.he finds a nice gap there. He needs a good positional shot on the blue.
:02:36. > :02:46.He has a nice angle to play on the baulk.
:02:47. > :02:56.It would be lovely if he could play for the black, get the black on its
:02:57. > :03:01.spot. Just depends how he is on this red. If he is on the red in such a
:03:02. > :03:10.way he can drop on the black, and pot the black, this could be a great
:03:11. > :03:17.chance. He's got the nice angle. But it just shows, you see, this is how
:03:18. > :03:22.certain players play the game. He preferred to rely on this technique
:03:23. > :03:26.and push the cue through firm, rather than play a delicate little
:03:27. > :03:32.shot. That's because he's feeling the pressure and that's how he copes
:03:33. > :03:41.with it, if you like. He would rather play a full shot than a half
:03:42. > :03:46.shot. Rather like my golf, my chip-in. If he is going to make a
:03:47. > :03:50.frame-winning contribution here, he has to get the black into play. When
:03:51. > :03:59.will he take the chance to play for it?
:04:00. > :04:08.He's got to go up and down again. With the colours not on than spots
:04:09. > :04:30.-- not on their spots. All the room in the world to do that.
:04:31. > :04:37.Now he's got the pink on the spot and freely available. Peter Ebdon,
:04:38. > :05:00.that safety mistakes could be very costly.
:05:01. > :05:08.Uses his extension a lot, does Matthew, rather than use the rest.
:05:09. > :05:18.An extra bit of reach. It has to be said - he plays it really well. You
:05:19. > :05:24.notice he left the smaller butt on the baulk cushion. If the cue ball
:05:25. > :05:29.had run down and hit that, it would've been a foul shot. He's the
:05:30. > :05:33.only one I've seen leave it on the table. Well, he assumes he is not
:05:34. > :06:14.going to miss. I assume he's playing for a plant
:06:15. > :06:22.here, into the left corner. As you can see. The result.
:06:23. > :06:25.APPLAUSE Always mentioning a while ago, it
:06:26. > :06:32.would be lovely to get the black on the spot. He won't need it now. Got
:06:33. > :06:34.the pink available and that's of course the advantage of the pink. 2
:06:35. > :06:50.centre pockets, two corner pockets. Enough loose reds. This is a bit
:06:51. > :07:05.different to the last frame. Again he refused to play for the
:07:06. > :07:09.black. Obviously, he's firing it along the cushion. It's a little bit
:07:10. > :07:14.tight. He's not come perfect on the pink.
:07:15. > :07:21.So it's the blue. With a bit of work to do with the cue ball.
:07:22. > :07:28.APPLAUSE Well, OK. He may have thought the
:07:29. > :07:33.cue made it a big pocket, but any snooker player would have played
:07:34. > :07:36.that blue into the middle. Alright, the green helped, and he knew that
:07:37. > :07:41.could happen if he was wide on the left-hand side. So it wasn't as
:07:42. > :07:50.lucky as maybe you probably thought at first.
:07:51. > :07:59.Well, tried to get the black into play, but covered it with the red
:08:00. > :08:04.that he cannoned. Yes, I think he made his mistake on the red before
:08:05. > :08:06.he potted that blue. He was perfect on the red - he should've played for
:08:07. > :08:30.the black then. He is 52 points in front, but still
:08:31. > :08:45.a possible 67 left on the table. Peter Ebdon isn't out of this yet.
:08:46. > :09:04.Ebdon hasn't put Stevens under any pressure with that safety though.
:09:05. > :09:13.Here is the Stevens with the dreaded rest. He doesn't dread it quite as
:09:14. > :09:19.much as our old friend John Spencer used to dread it, John. World
:09:20. > :09:29.champion 3 times. Funnily enough, I was talking to thosh thosh thosh
:09:30. > :09:31.again, I don't know -- talking to Cliff Thorburn, we used to dread at
:09:32. > :09:45.the instruments. Not a bad shot. But it's not really
:09:46. > :09:52.a telling safety. The only thing Peter Ebdon will have to be a little
:09:53. > :09:57.bit wary off, if he plays the red near the right-hand side of the
:09:58. > :09:58.table, he doesn't cross it across the table and maybe knock the black
:09:59. > :10:17.in. I'm sure he's aware of that. APPLAUSE
:10:18. > :10:22.Good shot! It might not fb in with a chance, but the thing is, he made it
:10:23. > :10:35.difficult for Matthew to play a good safety shot, because of the length
:10:36. > :10:39.of the cue ball. And with black developed in this safety exchange,
:10:40. > :10:44.and therefore, pottable from more or less anywhere on the table, if Ebdon
:10:45. > :10:52.can manage to pot an niche red, there would be a chance of a winning
:10:53. > :10:57.clearance. Well, you can see his brain taking over here. There's a
:10:58. > :11:02.possible pot on a red into the right corner. It's not a shot for nothing,
:11:03. > :11:10.it's a shot, if you're confident, you take on. If he pots it, he's
:11:11. > :11:18.certain to be on the black. If he misses this, he loses the frame.
:11:19. > :11:28.Played it with confidence. Surely, he is not snookering himself for the
:11:29. > :11:33.black. How unlucky is that. Committed to this pot, knew it
:11:34. > :11:36.wasn't a shot for nothing, in it went and that tells you all.
:11:37. > :11:57.Unlucky. It may be possible to pot the black
:11:58. > :12:02.by playing cushion first. Yes, I think, it's, Clive, but... But he's
:12:03. > :12:07.not certain to pot it. It's a little bit away from the pocket. He is
:12:08. > :12:13.using all the extensions. It's not as if he is close in there. If he
:12:14. > :12:18.did pot it, he may not be guaranteed to be on a red. If that red hadn't
:12:19. > :12:22.have been there, it would've been simple, just drop the black in, no
:12:23. > :12:37.problem. He played one good shot, he needs another now.
:12:38. > :12:53.Well played. It also interesting now to see, he played it slow - so when
:12:54. > :13:00.the black is spotted, is he on a red? Yes, he is. But off this red,
:13:01. > :13:05.can he guarantee a position on the colour? If he can get this right,
:13:06. > :13:22.this could be a chance. Tough one but a chance.
:13:23. > :13:31.Played for pink, coming through the second ball, which was the black.
:13:32. > :13:46.Stevens knows there's a possible clearance on now.
:13:47. > :13:56.Good shot. I was saying earlier in the frame, when Matthew Stevens
:13:57. > :14:02.played a shot firm, that when the little bit of tension on, he prefers
:14:03. > :14:06.to hit them solid. I noticed with Peter, when the pressure is on, he
:14:07. > :14:24.doesn't mind rolling a ball. He's got a chance now to win this frame.
:14:25. > :14:35.Not ideal. Straighter would've been better.
:14:36. > :14:39.Yes, a disappointing positional shot, that, in the way
:14:40. > :14:59.Yes, a disappointing positional played for pink or black. So
:15:00. > :15:10.APPLAUSE Safely in though.
:15:11. > :15:18.And with the next red straightish... From not too far away... It's not
:15:19. > :15:25.too complicated to keep the break going. Yes, if it wasn't for the
:15:26. > :15:42.give him this. But not using the give him this. But not using the
:15:43. > :15:51.Potted it but not clean. And he's not perfect on the pink. He's at the
:15:52. > :15:55.wrong angle. If he was straight on the pink,
:15:56. > :15:58.wrong angle. If he was straight on pot it, a screw back for the red in
:15:59. > :16:05.the left corner. Can he hold for this last red? Just seeing where he
:16:06. > :16:18.would finish if he cannoned into the black.
:16:19. > :16:31.APPLAUSE Well! He fooled me. What a pot to go
:16:32. > :16:35.for. But as we always see, with difficult pots, he concentrated that
:16:36. > :16:36.much on the pot, he overscrewed and he's not on this red. Not ideal,
:16:37. > :16:51.anyway. This is a very awkward cutback to
:16:52. > :17:00.the right corner. And because it's a cutback, it's
:17:01. > :17:02.bound to be a And because it's a cutback, it's
:17:03. > :17:26.on the cue ball. He refused it.
:17:27. > :17:30.APPLAUSE Ebdon doesn't like balledness --
:17:31. > :17:31.boldness, but he refrained from going for what he thought was one
:17:32. > :17:47.too many. It looks as though the safety shot
:17:48. > :17:53.was the right choice. A poor safety choice for Matthew has left a chance
:17:54. > :17:59.at this red, this red, any colour and the six remaining colours... And
:18:00. > :18:04.a frame that Matthew Stevens looked as though he was going to win, this
:18:05. > :18:28.could be one of these crucial frames that just turn a match.
:18:29. > :18:40.Well, he just run a touch too far... If he was a little bit straighter on
:18:41. > :18:45.the green wouldn't have been a problem. I don't think he can just
:18:46. > :18:51.roll it in. That's why he's looking at the blue. This is a big shot on
:18:52. > :18:59.the blue. If he's straight, he'll go for this left corner pocket. The
:19:00. > :19:04.screwback... You see, if he was in a club on a practice table, he would
:19:05. > :19:12.play the green and use a lot of left-hand side. But on the super
:19:13. > :19:18.fine cloths, if you have a choice of playing a shot with side, and the
:19:19. > :19:21.plain ball, you pick the plain ball. That's why he's playing the blue,
:19:22. > :19:22.but it's more difficult than the green.
:19:23. > :19:50.APPLAUSE Peter's concentrating it. Always
:19:51. > :19:51.amazes me, one person coughs and it seems everybody gets a coughing fit.
:19:52. > :20:50.Quiet, please, this is a big frame. Too far, but if you're going to be
:20:51. > :20:57.wrong side of the blue, it's better to be much too far. In and out of
:20:58. > :21:00.baulk for the pink. That cue ball needs to slow up
:21:01. > :21:07.Well, he's on it. Still needs pink and black.
:21:08. > :21:21.He's making a little bit hard work of this, is Peter.
:21:22. > :21:28.APPLAUSE But now a good shot on the pink,
:21:29. > :21:41.perfect on the black, this for the frame.
:21:42. > :21:51.APPLAUSE A lot of resolve. Peter Ebdon wins
:21:52. > :22:06.the frame and the black to level at 13-all.
:22:07. > :22:16.If steef steef hadn't lost so -- if Stevens hadn't lost so many frames
:22:17. > :22:21.from well in front, he would be in a commanding position. In the opening
:22:22. > :22:29.session, he lost two from more than 50 in front, another from more than
:22:30. > :22:36.60 in front. In the second session, he lost one from 73-0, and the
:22:37. > :22:43.previous frame, he was 50 in front. But, he is playing one of the game's
:22:44. > :22:49.great battlers. Yes, and Peter had a very close look at this. I think he
:22:50. > :22:57.thinks it could be a 3-ball plant into the right corner.
:22:58. > :23:04.He was having such a close look at the 3 balls, I thought they would go
:23:05. > :23:12.to the right corner. In the end, not quite sure what he played. But I
:23:13. > :23:17.tell you what - he would be very pleased after the last frame.
:23:18. > :23:27.Probably he might have a slight edge now, confidence-wise, over Matthew.
:23:28. > :23:34.When you get in the final session of one of these match, every frame is
:23:35. > :23:41.so important. It has its own tlt story to tell. Does it boost one
:23:42. > :23:46.player, does it upset another? That was the type of frame I'm certain
:23:47. > :23:59.that Peter Ebdon thought he lost and it was a bonus to win it.
:24:00. > :24:06.Trying to get behind brown and yellow. Hought
:24:07. > :24:14.Trying to get behind brown and yellow. Good length. And the reds
:24:15. > :24:19.are widespread. There's a let on here, second from the left. A little
:24:20. > :24:26.tap on the table from Matthew, appreciating a good safety. I can't
:24:27. > :24:27.see a safety for Matthew. I think he'll be forced into going for this
:24:28. > :24:52.red. It's risky. Well, the only thing good about that
:24:53. > :25:14.is that Stevens has put the black safe.
:25:15. > :25:18.Only the blue and baulk colours to play for. The pink tied up, black
:25:19. > :25:32.tied up. The whites are a slightly better
:25:33. > :25:37.chance than normal. Obviously, you got to keep going the right side of
:25:38. > :25:41.the blue. But he's got the comfort if he doesn't, there's a red in the
:25:42. > :25:51.baulk end. If he needed it, the red would be there. Just being careful
:25:52. > :25:57.he doesn't catch the black. So this time he's not got the right angle on
:25:58. > :25:58.the blue. As I say, he's got that red in the baulk end, should he need
:25:59. > :26:18.to play for it. There you go. You always get one
:26:19. > :27:07.tall sat in front of you, don't you? Couldn't avoid the cannon on the
:27:08. > :27:13.yellow, so didn't know exactly where the cue ball was going. Yes, and
:27:14. > :27:21.he's going to need a good shot here to keep this going. He can't just
:27:22. > :27:28.roll it in cos he will cannon the red. He has to find a gap here to
:27:29. > :27:29.finish on nothing. Trying to find that gap, concentrating more on that
:27:30. > :27:57.than the pot. That was a APPLAUSE
:27:58. > :28:01.That was a good pot from Matthew. Had to play with pace and when the
:28:02. > :28:10.cue ball is near the cushion, that's not simple.
:28:11. > :28:17.Well, careless positional shot, Peter Ebdon immediately looks up.
:28:18. > :28:20.Looks at Matthew and the reason he looks at Matthew, when he looks at
:28:21. > :28:26.the other player's body language. Needs a good pot here.
:28:27. > :28:34.Didn't try to do too much with the cue ball. Just by potting it, he
:28:35. > :28:39.would be on the green. He hasn't recovered the situation. OK, he's on
:28:40. > :28:46.the green and the next red is easier to follow... But he's going to have
:28:47. > :28:47.a job clinching this frame unless he can get the pink in play, something
:28:48. > :29:05.like that. Need a good shot now, only the blue
:29:06. > :29:12.to play for. He's going to have to, I imagine, stun it round if he can.
:29:13. > :29:32.That's improved his position. Although, he still hasn't got the
:29:33. > :29:52.pink into play. A bit too straight on the blue, it
:29:53. > :29:54.helps he's got the red in the baulk end. He may have to play for it now.
:29:55. > :30:28.And he is doing, off the green. Well the cue ball's got to travel
:30:29. > :30:32.significant distances, Stevens's easy cue power, is such an
:30:33. > :30:41.advantage. Can hit the ball pretty hard... Without losing any accuracy.
:30:42. > :30:51.He develops the pink at last. That could be the frame-winning shot and
:30:52. > :30:58.he realise it -- and they realise it. The pink's in play niceline oi
:30:59. > :31:50.the next red. -- nicely on the next red.
:31:51. > :31:58.Steve Steve hasn't Wong this frame yet. -- Stevens hasn't won this
:31:59. > :32:03.frame yet. Particularly not now. What a careless positional shot that
:32:04. > :32:12.was. That pink could be a saviour for Peter Ebdon. It's on the spot,
:32:13. > :32:16.not touching the cue ball. We say he doesn't like using the rest. Has he
:32:17. > :32:21.touch the pink, remember? Oh, tremendous pot!
:32:22. > :32:53.35 points in front. Well, you can't see him getting a black off this
:32:54. > :33:01.red. So he needs red, colour, and one more red. Another rest shot.
:33:02. > :33:12.APPLAUSE I think we better stop saying he's
:33:13. > :33:16.not very good with the rest, Clive, because that was an excellent pot,
:33:17. > :33:17.excellent position. He needs the pink and one more red to clinch this
:33:18. > :33:22.frame. Couldn't get really close on the red
:33:23. > :33:31.he needs, though. Ebdon very interested in this one.
:33:32. > :33:38.This is frame-ball. But he if pots it, he certainly wins
:33:39. > :33:53.the frame. Excellent! And it was also in his
:33:54. > :34:07.favour, was that the black, which Ebdon needed, was safe.
:34:08. > :34:16.Having a think, but he has lost a frame. Where Peter Ebdon needed a
:34:17. > :34:23.couple of snookers. So yes, tucked up behind yellow. Should be enough.
:34:24. > :34:28.43 in front, 35 on the table. That was indeed enough for Stevens to
:34:29. > :34:32.regain the lead. But as we pick them up in the next, it's Ebdon fighting
:34:33. > :34:51.back, as he always does, on a break of 35.
:34:52. > :35:08.That looked very dangerous. He had to hit that very thin.
:35:09. > :35:17.I wonder whether Stevens might risk rolling the one red onto the other.
:35:18. > :35:19.Well, it's a risk, Clive, but he is 17 points behind but maybe it's
:35:20. > :35:27.worth it and that's what he's playing. Good shot.
:35:28. > :35:31.Giving himself a great chance now. To clinch this all-important last
:35:32. > :35:54.frame before the mid-session interval. Big chance.
:35:55. > :36:10.Ebdon knows his fate in this frame is in his opponent's hands.
:36:11. > :36:26.Key shot coming up. If Stevens gets well on the black... It would be a
:36:27. > :36:51.very heavy odds-on favourite. Oh, Peter, going to have a sip of
:36:52. > :36:54.water. The next one I think he'll have is in his dressing room. I
:36:55. > :37:00.don't think he'll come back to the table now in this frame. He's got a
:37:01. > :37:01.perfect angle on the yellow, stun the yellow in, he is overstretching
:37:02. > :37:11.though. He would rather than use the rest, but he's at full
:37:12. > :37:20.stretch here. And a long distance between his hand and the cue ball.
:37:21. > :37:27.As we said before, he plays that shot so as well. 9 points in front.
:37:28. > :37:36.Green, brown and blue for the frame. And a big frame.
:37:37. > :37:42.A frame which could put ebb teb two behind. -- which could put Ebdon two
:37:43. > :37:59.behind. APPLAUSE
:38:00. > :38:15.Just had to make sure of the blue. APPLAUSE
:38:16. > :38:18.Stevens within two frames of the winning post. He leads by 15 frames
:38:19. > :38:30.to 14 at the mid-session interval. And getting the cue ball somewhere
:38:31. > :39:04.near the baulk cushion. 964 seats at the Crucible. And a
:39:05. > :39:28.uniquely intimate atmosphere. Just shows
:39:29. > :39:32.shot a few shots ago. As I say, you are never certain where the ball you
:39:33. > :39:37.played is going to are never certain where the ball you
:39:38. > :39:41.the black away and left this red. Stun it in. Can play for the black
:39:42. > :39:43.in the same pocket. And I'm sure that's the shot to play back
:39:44. > :39:52.in the same pocket. And I'm sure the pink. You need a lot more pace.
:39:53. > :39:57.What can Peter Ebdon make of this reasonable chance?
:39:58. > :40:42.Played with considerable power. To get back for pink or possibly blue.
:40:43. > :40:47.Ebdon has to win four of the remain be five frames to go true to the
:40:48. > :42:08.final. Yes, not straightforward, and the
:42:09. > :42:13.problem he didn't pray the black, there was a red. If he potted the
:42:14. > :42:22.black, it would be unavailable into both corners. That was a strange
:42:23. > :42:25.reaction from the cue ball. Tough pink, this. He got down to play it
:42:26. > :42:40.very quickly but this is missable. APPLAUSE
:42:41. > :42:47.Good shot. Particularly with the added pressure of the match
:42:48. > :42:49.situation. Were he to lose this frame, he would be three down with 4
:42:50. > :43:10.to play. And another terrific pot from Peter.
:43:11. > :43:11.He missed a few shots, just recently, uncharacteristically for
:43:12. > :43:21.him. And what can happen - particularly
:43:22. > :43:27.in pressure situations likes this, you miss a few shots and because you
:43:28. > :43:32.didn't cue it well, you maybe snatched or didn't get the cueing
:43:33. > :43:37.angle in through, maybe Peter is just now trying to shake that off.
:43:38. > :44:59.He's playing with a little bit more pace around the table.
:45:00. > :45:47.APPLAUSE Well he used that red on the side
:45:48. > :45:53.cushion to pull the cue ball at this end. He may even elect to play the
:45:54. > :45:56.red he just cannoned. The red he's got to the right corner, going to be
:45:57. > :46:02.running into other reds, no guarantee of position. If he plays
:46:03. > :46:05.the red into the far left corner, stun it in on the blue, this is the
:46:06. > :46:28.easier pot but not guaranteed position on the colour.
:46:29. > :46:36.Stevens taking a big interest now Ebdon has run out of position. It
:46:37. > :46:46.was the wrong shot. Luck had to be on his side to get good position
:46:47. > :46:51.there, going in all those reds. Yes, he really took the easier way out.
:46:52. > :46:55.It's understandable in these situations, but having done it, he
:46:56. > :47:03.may be wishing he played a different red. Send a break. At least he
:47:04. > :47:14.didn't miss a pot and he's got a chance of playing a good cyst. -- a
:47:15. > :47:42.good safety. And the 45-point lead is a pretty good one.
:47:43. > :47:50.Needs to run on a bit. Heations. The red is -- he grimaces. The red is
:47:51. > :48:15.cuttable to the middle. Well, that's the worst thing that
:48:16. > :48:18.could have happened for Peter. He hit that so thin it hardly moved.
:48:19. > :48:25.Worst of all, he brought the black into play! It was thin, but it
:48:26. > :48:33.wasn't as thin as he played it. And he's been a little bit fortunate in
:48:34. > :48:39.the respect that had only red he's left on, not got an ideal potting
:48:40. > :48:44.angle. The only advantage for Matthew is the pink is knee the far
:48:45. > :48:49.pocket. If he can pot the red, odds are he can pot the pink.
:48:50. > :48:58.And he needs to pot this, though. He played it in the corner. It's there!
:48:59. > :49:06.Great pot! APPLAUSE
:49:07. > :49:15.Great pot! And he's on the pink. , well, that was just the different.
:49:16. > :49:20.The not to middle was easier. -- the pot to middle was easier, but the
:49:21. > :49:29.not to corner was the shot to play. For positional reasons.
:49:30. > :49:46.Uncertain a few shots ago that Matthew thought he lost the frame.
:49:47. > :49:53.It had gone bound recall. He's got a chance now to go within one frame of
:49:54. > :50:01.a frame in the final. Peter had his chance.
:50:02. > :50:24.Got into that a bit too much. Yes, Clive, you get the feeling the old
:50:25. > :50:35.adrenaline is getting a bit too much pace in these shots. Wow! I didn't
:50:36. > :50:37.expect him to miss the pinch some of the the chance he
:50:38. > :50:41.expect him to miss the pinch some of frame has now gone and I think he's
:50:42. > :50:47.going to lose it. Just that extra
:50:48. > :51:35.produced And only red and colour needed now.
:51:36. > :51:37.Stevens resigned to losing this frame when he had a chance to steal
:51:38. > :51:51.it. APPLAUSE
:51:52. > :51:56.Yes, well, a big miss that could be for Matthew Stevens. Peter won the
:51:57. > :52:01.frame now. Easy black, just to drop on this last red. And it was
:52:02. > :52:05.noticeable to me that Peter Ebdon came out with a lot more aggressive
:52:06. > :52:08.attitude. His pace around the table, if he had lost this frame, that
:52:09. > :52:10.would have definitely slowed him down. But not now. He got the result
:52:11. > :52:27.he wanted. 42 in front. A snooker behind the
:52:28. > :52:30.black. Stevens concedes. Ebdon reduces the gap to a single frame
:52:31. > :53:07.but still trails by 15 frames to 14. I don't know how seriously that is
:53:08. > :53:22.going to restrict the angle at which Ebdon can play away.
:53:23. > :53:32.There was still a fair-sized gap to play through. Yes, but he didn't
:53:33. > :53:37.really want to kiss the yellow. You can see there's a red to this right
:53:38. > :53:41.corner. The black is in the opposite corner, but you got to work out the
:53:42. > :53:51.percentages and the risk factor is too great.
:53:52. > :54:00.A nice little kiss off the yellow, and the Peter can't get to the angle
:54:01. > :54:04.on the red so he can come down the left-hand side of the table, and it
:54:05. > :54:06.doesn't look as though he can, he's got a problem here. He's got a big
:54:07. > :55:00.problem. Yes, within a fraction of an inch.
:55:01. > :55:04.It's quite right for the miss rule in this instance, because slow is
:55:05. > :55:54.safe. A fraction too hard could be dangerous.
:55:55. > :56:02.Well, I don't think he can make his mind up whether heck see enough of
:56:03. > :56:07.this red to pot it in the right centre. He still can't make his
:56:08. > :56:14.mind. He can clearly pot it. He needs to be sure.
:56:15. > :56:22.In it goes. APPLAUSE
:56:23. > :56:26.So quite right, Clive, he didn't get out that snooker. Just a fraction
:56:27. > :56:44.too hard and that's what left that red on. Well, what a good positional
:56:45. > :56:48.shot is. That cue ball needs to bounce. If it had just bounced an
:56:49. > :56:54.inch, he could have potted the red and held for the black. Now he's
:56:55. > :57:04.going to have to come round with two cushions, play for pink or blue.
:57:05. > :57:37.Ebdon hoping that Stevens isn't going to make too many here.
:57:38. > :58:11.Not got the angle to stay on the black here. So he has to go for the
:58:12. > :58:12.blue. It's OK so long as he gets a good angle on the blue. That's
:58:13. > :58:47.perfect. Just looking for the next red. The
:58:48. > :58:56.ones in the middle of the table will go. Short of pace for that one. So
:58:57. > :59:03.red to the right centre. Best for the cue ball to be cleaned, so maybe
:59:04. > :59:10.it wasn't the cleanest of contacts. But he's just not in perfect
:59:11. > :59:14.position now. Been a tremendous match and well, it's getting near
:59:15. > :59:18.the winning line. The tension is getting higher and higher. Right
:59:19. > :59:24.centre... Clean as a whistle. Nice angle on
:59:25. > :00:11.the blue. Still got a good chance. Looking more and more likely he's
:00:12. > :00:47.lost this frame. Just blue to go 60 points in front.
:00:48. > :00:56.So, after this blue, a red and a black... Would be enough to leave
:00:57. > :00:59.Peter needing a snooker. If after the red he gets a blue... Then he'll
:01:00. > :01:18.need two reds. 60 points in front, 75 remaining. If
:01:19. > :01:22.he pots this red and a black, he goes 68 points ahead with only
:01:23. > :01:24.he pots this red and a black, he left. He is looking at the
:01:25. > :01:27.scoreboard, he's working it out with his mind. He should roll this red in
:01:28. > :01:52.and play for the black. No heroics needed from the black. I
:01:53. > :01:56.just just going to suggest, Clive, as he already lost a frame in this
:01:57. > :02:00.match, when Peter Ebdon needs snookers, it may be worth the risk
:02:01. > :02:15.in potting in black and playing a deep screw to open these four reds.
:02:16. > :02:26.Or maybe, the back red? Or even the red neext to it -- next to it will
:02:27. > :02:33.give him the extra insurance he needs. Looks as though he may have a
:02:34. > :02:42.choice. If he pots this red, surely the frame is clinched. And that's
:02:43. > :02:49.why he didn't have to play the cannon. 69 points in front, only 59
:02:50. > :02:58.left. 3 snookers required for Peter Ebdon.
:02:59. > :03:23.So Ebdon knows that he's going to have to win the remaining 3 frames.
:03:24. > :03:32.Break of 76 will takes Matthew Stevens 16-14 ahead with within one
:03:33. > :03:36.frame of a place in the final. Obviously, I was under a lot of
:03:37. > :03:39.pressure. I went to the toilet and something very, very strange
:03:40. > :03:44.happened in the way back to the Crucible. I walked down the steps,
:03:45. > :03:50.and all of a sudden, it was like a video running in my mind and I could
:03:51. > :03:55.see myself shaking his hand, having just beaten him 17-16. I thought,
:03:56. > :04:00.what was all that about? I was quite shocked to see it happening. Nothing
:04:01. > :04:05.like that had ever happened to me in my life before, or since. All I can
:04:06. > :04:06.say is, that certainty flowed through my veins and I felt
:04:07. > :04:23.convinced I would win the game. Completely miss hit that. I do
:04:24. > :04:29.believe he was attempting the pot to the right corner. Which was about
:04:30. > :04:52.three-quarter ball, but he hit it about a quarter-ball.
:04:53. > :05:03.Well, Matthew, putting this down as if it was a putt at golf. Not this
:05:04. > :05:10.he wants in the hole, it's this red. He played it in such a way, he had
:05:11. > :05:15.check side. The only red he could leave or he wouldn't played on this
:05:16. > :05:16.side of the table, if he played it check side, made the pot more
:05:17. > :05:25.difficult. Everybody looking on. Wondering
:05:26. > :05:28.whether Peter Ebdon can stay in this frame. He's got a red in the middle
:05:29. > :05:45.of the take table that is pottable. Good pot it was. Maybe the fact it
:05:46. > :05:49.was a shot for nothing, little pressure on it. When you consider
:05:50. > :05:51.some of the pots he missed, in comparison, that was a lot more
:05:52. > :06:04.difficult. As so rightly said, Clive,
:06:05. > :06:08.considering his mistakes, he is still 23 points in front, and under
:06:09. > :06:13.normal circumstances, you say favourite for this frame. Not saying
:06:14. > :06:19.he would win it at this visit, but should get a few points more to this
:06:20. > :06:25.lead. But that was the shot, well, there was pressure. And surely, he
:06:26. > :06:32.hasn't got away with this. He is struggling, Peter. He is struggling.
:06:33. > :06:45.And the way the reds are set, Stevens could make it the last
:06:46. > :07:12.frame. All those hours and hours of the
:07:13. > :07:23.practice, and tonight, he's not produced. Hard to know what the
:07:24. > :07:27.reasons are for these situations. He's played so well up to this
:07:28. > :07:34.semifinal. 12 each at the start of the evening, set up for a grand
:07:35. > :07:40.stand finishing hard to -- finish, hard to pick the winner. He had his
:07:41. > :07:44.chances tonight, Peter. Matthew having to play the red in the far
:07:45. > :07:46.right corner. Pressure on that but in it goes. So he's back in perfect
:07:47. > :07:55.position. And now one point in front in this
:07:56. > :08:08.frame. This match is now in his hands.
:08:09. > :08:12.Well, sure, the reason that he didn't take the near red originally,
:08:13. > :08:18.was because it wouldn't go, or was very tight.
:08:19. > :08:24.Well, you would have thought that, wouldn't you? If it had gon a bit
:08:25. > :08:27.further up with the black, he could have had the one on the right. It
:08:28. > :08:42.looks to me, Clive, it just goes. It just goes.
:08:43. > :08:54.Not the easiest black, though, particularly
:08:55. > :09:45.He's obviously not on the black as he would like. He looks a little bit
:09:46. > :09:50.agitated. A little shake of the head there. 18 points in front. He needs
:09:51. > :10:09.the two remaining reds. That required pretty fine judgment.
:10:10. > :10:24.He can get through to the potting angle, past the other red.
:10:25. > :10:36.Black and red to secure a place in the final.
:10:37. > :10:43.Well, Peter is only sit and hope. You got to feel for him.
:10:44. > :10:51.In way I look at this, it may be worth screwing back to the side
:10:52. > :10:55.cushion and maybe attempting the right in the far right corner
:10:56. > :11:01.pocket. The yellow is in the pocket, which would make the pocket look a
:11:02. > :11:06.little bit big. If he tries to run around, it could go
:11:07. > :11:13.And that's what he decided to do. He needed it to bounce off the cushion
:11:14. > :11:19.a bit more than that. He may even play the pot now. Maybe the snooker
:11:20. > :11:21.behind the pink. Peter will be coming back to the table. It's not a
:11:22. > :11:27.snooker, I don't think. Should've been tighter behind the
:11:28. > :11:55.pink. Peter Ebdon looked at the
:11:56. > :12:00.scoreboard, he can't play the 309 on this red, because he -- play the pot
:12:01. > :12:06.on this red, because he needs at least pink or black off it. It's a
:12:07. > :12:14.good safety. It's a good safety shot, is that. He -- play the pot on
:12:15. > :12:17.this red, because he needs at least pink or black off it. It's a good
:12:18. > :12:19.safety. It's a good safety shot, is that. If he can, Stevens will want
:12:20. > :12:33.to drive the red past the green. Just looking at that down the line
:12:34. > :12:54.there, don't know whether Peter get to the thinnest edge of this
:12:55. > :13:00.red. But if he could, as you can see, maybe he could, but he'd only
:13:01. > :13:03.be knocking it to the left corner. And it's not the natural angle
:13:04. > :13:07.coming off the top cushion. He's going to have to play it with pace
:13:08. > :13:12.and hope for the best here. He needs a bit of luck.
:13:13. > :13:26.He needs that red to stop. He's had a bit of luck!
:13:27. > :13:37.LAUGHS Well, it looked a mound
:13:38. > :13:43.LAUGHS position. Matthew is of looking at
:13:44. > :13:47.the pot, clie, and if it had bounced, it would've been a
:13:48. > :13:49.formality. He is going to take it on. Thin cut, just the red and that
:13:50. > :14:22.would win the match. Over cut it! Peter looking to see if the green
:14:23. > :14:26.will pass the brown. It's pretty tight. It's 33 points behind. He
:14:27. > :14:35.needs at least black or pink or this red.
:14:36. > :14:47.Well, he played for the black. If he pots the blue, he can only tie.
:14:48. > :14:55.I think he'll have to play the blue now. Better to tie than to miss the
:14:56. > :15:23.pink and need snookers. He's got to dig deep now.
:15:24. > :15:32.Well, I don't know where the yellow is covering part of the pocket. I
:15:33. > :15:39.can't think of any other reason why Ebdon wouldn't have taken the blue
:15:40. > :15:42.by now. Well, that could be the only reason. If they misses this pink,
:15:43. > :15:59.he's out of the championship. Terrific shot. Almost the bravest
:16:00. > :16:05.shot I have ever seen. That is unbelievable. To play that pink,
:16:06. > :16:11.knows that if you miss it, you're out... That was incredible. And if
:16:12. > :16:15.they clears up here, it would rank with all the great clearances we've
:16:16. > :16:19.seen here at the Crucible Theatre. He keeps checking and checking to
:16:20. > :16:23.whether this green will pass the brown, I'm in line with it. It only
:16:24. > :16:30.just goes, but he needs to be perfect on the green. And this looks
:16:31. > :16:36.perfect. That is exactly where he wanted to be. To
:16:37. > :16:39.perfect. That is exactly where he that's all he'll have to do and he'd
:16:40. > :16:58.be on the brown. What a shot on the pink!
:16:59. > :17:04.Stood over that pink. But now he has an opportunity to close to only one
:17:05. > :17:56.behind. Well, maybe a bit
:17:57. > :17:58.absolutely perfect. Still a little bit of work to do with the cue ball.
:17:59. > :18:06.But he's on the blue. Needs to bounce for the pink. He's
:18:07. > :18:41.short. He's short of pace. What a shot. We could get the Ebdon
:18:42. > :18:57.roosh if his goes in. -- the Ebdon roar if this goes in.
:18:58. > :19:03.Terrific! And a very cool completion of the clearance which brings Ebdon
:19:04. > :19:17.to only one behind. At 16-14 ahead, and the match was
:19:18. > :19:22.sewn up, really. It looked like the red was going towards the pocket for
:19:23. > :19:28.me to pot it and win 17-14. It stayed tight to the cushion and he
:19:29. > :19:32.potted a fantastic pink. To get on the yellow, which was, to this day,
:19:33. > :19:40.I think the best shot I have ever seen.
:19:41. > :19:54.I said a little earlier that Stevens had a reputation of being slightly
:19:55. > :19:55.shapy clincher of winning -- shaky clincher of winning positions. And
:19:56. > :20:25.he was in a match winning The black slightly pocketed to the
:20:26. > :21:12.other corner pocket. There is a theory that a reprieved
:21:13. > :21:22.man gets a new source of energy. And we may see that syndrome with Ebdon.
:21:23. > :21:31.APPLAUSE Yes, some vital things happened in
:21:32. > :21:40.the last frame, and obviously the pink he potted but to clear up like
:21:41. > :21:47.that, when you've been struggling... It can just give you that little
:21:48. > :21:53.feeling back. Hold on, I can still produce under pressure. But of
:21:54. > :21:59.course, if there's another turning point, he was snookered and he hit
:22:00. > :22:02.the red as hard as he could and it looked like it was going to the
:22:03. > :22:07.corner pocket. Maybe a little fate is going to play a hand here as
:22:08. > :22:13.well. If that red hit a bounce in the last frame, just two inches to
:22:14. > :22:14.the cushion, Matthew would have potted it and he would've been doing
:22:15. > :22:33.the press conference now. It would be handy for Ebdon to keep
:22:34. > :22:37.Stevens in his chair for a good few minutes, to allow him to dwell on to
:22:38. > :23:06.sort of thoughts. They are bound to have occurred to him.
:23:07. > :23:11.It's a flat back four in the bunch but there's no alternative but to go
:23:12. > :23:41.into them. APPLAUSE
:23:42. > :23:48.Not dissimilar to his vital pink in the last frame.
:23:49. > :23:49.APPLAUSE Different side of the table. Same
:23:50. > :24:20.result. That's OK. He's on a red to the left
:24:21. > :24:36.centre, so the black is available in Touching the red closest to the cue
:24:37. > :24:38.ball, but he's firing away from it, so it's not a problem. If he moves
:24:39. > :24:42.it on the way back, it's not so it's not a problem. If he moves
:24:43. > :24:59.problem either. He could have screwed back a
:25:00. > :25:26.He's just beginning to raise his game.
:25:27. > :25:38.better. Just pressured back it -- brushed past it, developed in for
:25:39. > :25:41.the right corner. I'm not saying frame-winning chance, too much
:25:42. > :25:49.pressure out there and too much at stake. But he's -- got to keep
:25:50. > :25:50.himself together, composed. But so far, this is the best he's played
:25:51. > :26:15.this evening on this break. Stevens can see all too clearly the
:26:16. > :26:16.possibility that Ebdon can win the frame at this vest. Pressure and
:26:17. > :26:28.all. Yes, I was thinking he would be
:26:29. > :26:32.thinking of a deciding frame. Thinking that maybe this match
:26:33. > :26:43.should've been over. That is quite natural. But he's not out of the --
:26:44. > :26:48.out of it yet. If Peter wins this frame, if he's favourite to do. He
:26:49. > :26:54.played a loose positional shot, but he has to judge the bounce off the
:26:55. > :26:55.cushion for the black. He's just I think walking around the table,
:26:56. > :27:04.trying to compose I say that, he now taking a pressure
:27:05. > :27:05.ball to the right centre, and they are all pressure at this stage of
:27:06. > :27:18.the match. Well that just shows you how his
:27:19. > :27:21.confident has grown. He looked down and -- how his confidence has grown.
:27:22. > :27:30.He looked down and out to me. He looks very much in it now.
:27:31. > :27:36.Yes, he is got a new sense of purpose in this stride. He looks
:27:37. > :28:11.altogether perkier. This black and one more red and we
:28:12. > :28:23.are almost certain to be in the frame and the decider. -- in the
:28:24. > :28:44.33th frame and the He didn't play for one of the loose
:28:45. > :28:50.reds. He shouldn't miss it, but it could have been easier.
:28:51. > :29:13.It's there! It's there! Well played, Peter Ebdon! Er Ebdon!
:29:14. > :29:31.Stevens is resigned. To playing a deciding frame. -- 33th frame. By
:29:32. > :29:40.far and away Peter Ebdon's best break of the night. ANSMIT what a
:29:41. > :30:11.turnaround. APPLAUSE
:30:12. > :30:19.If Ebdon does make the century, it would be the 60th of this
:30:20. > :30:27.championship. Which will break the 1998 record of 59.
:30:28. > :30:33.That in itself is an indication of the phenomenally high standard in
:30:34. > :31:00.this year's championship. Playing for the pink and he likes
:31:01. > :31:02.the pink on the spot. He will want the century and the applause that
:31:03. > :31:26.goes with it. APPLAUSE
:31:27. > :31:32.The moment numb now strongly with Ebdon. The question is going to be
:31:33. > :31:42.whether he can maintain it in the deciding frame.
:31:43. > :33:02.Stevens was in a match-winning position. But didn't clinch it.
:33:03. > :33:10.Peter Ebdon's immaculate table clearance is 138 brings the match
:33:11. > :33:16.level. It's all on the decider. Yes, an immense effort from Ebdon, one of
:33:17. > :33:21.the most courageous efforts you will ever see, particularly having stared
:33:22. > :33:26.defeat in the face. And after 10 hours of this match, we were now
:33:27. > :33:31.into a Saturday night decider. Understandably, that was tense and
:33:32. > :33:32.cagey early on, but after the opening exchanges, Ebdon emerged
:33:33. > :34:06.slightly ahead. How would you like this pink in a
:34:07. > :34:09.deciding frame of a world championship? I bet he'd rather be
:34:10. > :34:51.playing it than We talked long and hard about Peter
:34:52. > :34:53.Ebdon being a determined gritty competitor. If you needed any proof,
:34:54. > :35:10.you got it 16-14, he looked down and out. He
:35:11. > :35:15.produced a little bit of a magic. And now looks on course. It would be
:35:16. > :35:21.very difficult to suggest he would win the frame at this visit. But
:35:22. > :35:34.with those foul points that Matthew gave away... It doesn't leave Peter
:35:35. > :35:36.with that much to do to build a 60-70-point lead. And that's a big
:35:37. > :36:31.lead in a deciding frame. Playing for the pink in the middle.
:36:32. > :37:19.If you overrun it slightly, it's not the best positional shot.
:37:20. > :37:24.Red to left corner looks a natural angle to come through the gap. And
:37:25. > :38:13.bounce up onto the pink. Stevens's 38 behind. And wondering
:38:14. > :38:21.whether he is going to get another shot. The position of the remaining
:38:22. > :38:30.reds gives him some encouragement that he will.
:38:31. > :38:35.But it looks at the moment he is going to be at least 50 behind, if
:38:36. > :39:08.and when he gets back to the table. Peter looking which he can play for.
:39:09. > :39:12.He could go for the blue. He favoured the blue here, really. If
:39:13. > :39:21.you get a nice angle on the blue, you could do a lot more things than
:39:22. > :39:26.off the pink. And that's why he has played it. Been a little bit too
:39:27. > :39:30.far. But he's in control. I think he may have to play a cannon, though. I
:39:31. > :39:37.don't think he can just drop onto a red here. I don't think at the
:39:38. > :39:41.moment there is anything available into the right corner. So he'll
:39:42. > :39:53.trust a little bit to luck. Can he get any?
:39:54. > :40:01.You'd settle for that, wouldn't you? A perfect result for Peter Ebdon.
:40:02. > :40:43.57 points in front. A red and a pink, will put him 64 points in
:40:44. > :40:50.front. Because of those fouls, still a possible 83 left on the table. So
:40:51. > :41:01.he still needs... Well, a couple more reds at least. But I think he's
:41:02. > :41:07.got a red to the right corner. And as I said, if you -- a few moments
:41:08. > :41:14.ago, he has shown his tremendous competitive instinct. And produced
:41:15. > :41:16.his best form, certainly, of this evening's session, at just the right
:41:17. > :41:23.time. APPLAUSE
:41:24. > :42:01.Those are red. Well, Matthew, are you going to get
:42:02. > :42:06.another chance? It's down to Peter Ebdon, whether he does. The blue
:42:07. > :42:25.puts him 70 points in front. The 70 points won't be enough
:42:26. > :42:27.because there is still 75 left on the table. The pink now and still
:42:28. > :42:45.one more red needed. Had two chances though. His
:42:46. > :42:54.preferred option was the one third right of the picture. If he wasn't
:42:55. > :42:58.on that, he would've had a shot at the one along the cushion. But this
:42:59. > :43:20.is effectively match ball. APPLAUSE
:43:21. > :43:24.What a great offer. And what a heartbreak for Matthew Stevens. He
:43:25. > :43:33.was within a ball of victory at 16-14.
:43:34. > :43:39.72 in front. Frensively snookered -- comprehensively snookered. It looks
:43:40. > :43:50.like Ebdon through to the final. Yes, you got to feel for Matthew.
:43:51. > :43:57.I'm sure he thought he was in the final when he looked as though he
:43:58. > :44:02.was going to win 17-14. If he misses this red now, think he'll call it a
:44:03. > :44:06.day. Well, good hit, but he left a chance of a red along the top
:44:07. > :44:13.cushion. This is a cruel game, snooker. He has a great future,
:44:14. > :44:20.Matthew. But I don't think in the immediate future he's going to be in
:44:21. > :44:24.the final of this championship. This man is on, what a performance.
:44:25. > :44:36.Pulled himself up from his boot laces. He looked down and out to me.
:44:37. > :44:39.I'm statistic a little bit shocked. 1 shot changes it of course. A
:44:40. > :44:51.wonderfully courageous pink from his last red. In the 31st frame. Which
:44:52. > :45:06.he went on the win with a cool clearance. Then came a total
:45:07. > :45:14.clearance of 138 to level the match. And now Ebdon, barring something
:45:15. > :45:17.almost unthinkable, is in the final. Yes, considering everything, Matthew
:45:18. > :45:23.Stevens potted a tremendous ball there, and now he has got to pot
:45:24. > :45:24.every now. If he misses, he shakes hands and concedes. And that was a
:45:25. > :45:31.tremendous shot. hands and concedes. And that was a
:45:32. > :45:38.if he was to get high value hands and concedes. And that was a
:45:39. > :45:42.say high value colours, because he doesn't necessarily
:45:43. > :45:45.say high value colours, because he the reds. A possible 59 left on the
:45:46. > :46:17.table. He could play for the pink here.
:46:18. > :46:51.The two to admire this young man's courage. What must be going through
:46:52. > :46:55.his mind. But he's still pulling out the good pots. And another
:46:56. > :47:03.sensational pot. This on the green would help and he's got one.
:47:04. > :47:10.50 behind, only 43 left. 2 snookers. Pot this red Pot the black. And then
:47:11. > :47:29.he can play a snooker. Well, Stevens yesterday lost a frame
:47:30. > :47:36.from 73 in front. He came to the table 72 behind. Surely, it couldn't
:47:37. > :48:00.happen that he could snatch frame and match out of the fire.
:48:01. > :48:06.A little bit careless of Matthew to leave himself using the spider here.
:48:07. > :48:15.Snooker behind the black is what he wants.
:48:16. > :48:25.Matthew Stevens it, 30. It's not a snooker.
:48:26. > :48:36.I'm sure 2 would've been, had he left himself slightly differently on
:48:37. > :49:02.the red and been able to use a hand bridge, or even the ordinary rest.
:49:03. > :49:08.Well, he's giving them a lot of thought. It's hard to know why. I'm
:49:09. > :49:13.sure he can get through to hit this red. If he can't, it would be easy
:49:14. > :49:15.to come off the baulk cushion with a bit of right-hand side or easy to
:49:16. > :49:48.swerve slightly. He is 42 points in front. Two
:49:49. > :49:59.snookers required. Only one if he can get a snooker and a free ball.
:50:00. > :50:40.That was half a chance, that, to get in behind the yellow.
:50:41. > :50:50.Rolled the red over the pocket, inviting Stevens to pot it. The
:50:51. > :50:53.theory being that as soon as the red goes down, Stevens couldn't get a
:50:54. > :50:59.possible 8 extra points by means of a free ball.
:51:00. > :51:03.Gentlemen, and he's taken that opportunity now. It's very, very
:51:04. > :51:21.important here, where he finishes with the cue ball.
:51:22. > :51:39.Cue ball needs to travel. Not far enough.
:51:40. > :51:52.It's not there. Tight up behind the brown, possibility.
:51:53. > :52:00.He went for the red down the cushion a few moments ago, I'm sure this
:52:01. > :52:06.yellow was worth a try. It's almost tight on the cushion. If he hits the
:52:07. > :52:11.yellow and the cushion together, you fancies him potting this. Still two
:52:12. > :52:55.snookers required, 3 if this went in.
:52:56. > :53:01.Well, there's a little bit of applause, but that can't be the
:53:02. > :53:04.right shot to play. The green was tight on the top cushion, and you
:53:05. > :53:10.could not possibly snooker behind it. Now he's brought it on the
:53:11. > :53:15.table, Matthew has got five colours to snooker behind. Still needs two
:53:16. > :53:21.snookers but at least there's another option.
:53:22. > :53:26.I think he is too far away from the yellow to get behind the green this
:53:27. > :53:32.shot. That would've put Stevens to 3
:53:33. > :54:44.snookers Ebdon checks the scoreboard. Stevens
:54:45. > :55:02.needs 3 snookers. It's going to end in disappointment,
:55:03. > :55:48.a big one. Matthew Stevens, 36 points behind,
:55:49. > :55:51.only 25 on the table. 3 snookers required. Can't blame him for
:55:52. > :56:24.trying. But it looks an impossible task.
:56:25. > :56:35.Tried to get in behind the black. But I think that Stevens needing 3
:56:36. > :56:39.snookers would probably have thrown the towel in, had it been any frame
:56:40. > :57:09.other than the world championship semifinal decider.
:57:10. > :57:35.APPLAUSE A snooker but not a difficult hit.
:57:36. > :57:45.That is it! A from Peter Ebdon from two down, with
:57:46. > :57:50.3 to play. Agonising disappointment for Matthew Stevens. Who loses in
:57:51. > :58:00.the semifinal for the second consecutive year. Peter Ebdon goes
:58:01. > :58:07.through to the final. Winner by 17 frames to 16. After a Titanic
:58:08. > :58:12.struggle. In the match, I think I made 17 breaks. So it was like, what
:58:13. > :58:17.could have been? But, yeah, it was just time. My lasting memory of that
:58:18. > :58:22.match was how well Matthew played against me. To this day, it's still
:58:23. > :58:29.a match I can't belief I won. I don't know how I won that match. I
:58:30. > :58:35.remember Steve Davis describing Peter Ebdon as a high wire artiste.
:58:36. > :58:45.He would meet and beat Stephen Hendry in the final, in a reversal
:58:46. > :58:46.of the result six years earlier. He denied Hendry his eighth world
:58:47. > :58:54.title. He remains the only player ever to
:58:55. > :58:55.do that.