:00:00. > :00:43.Hello again. Quarter-final matches at the Crucible tend to be filled
:00:44. > :00:47.with even more tension and drama. Because the winner knows that they
:00:48. > :00:53.are guaranteed toll play on the one table set-up at the Crucible on the
:00:54. > :00:55.final weekend. But in 2007, Shaun Murphy and Matthew Stevens had
:00:56. > :01:03.already a great deal of experience in doing that. In fact, they had in
:01:04. > :01:08.2005, just two years earlier, contested the final itself. It was
:01:09. > :01:13.won in quite extraordinary fashion by a 22-year-old Murphy, who had
:01:14. > :01:17.become the second lowest ranked player in history to lift the title.
:01:18. > :01:25.As for Stevens, he had a history of near misses. He lost in the final of
:01:26. > :01:29.2000 to this great friend Mark Williams and featured in 3
:01:30. > :01:33.semi-finals since then. This quarterfinal featuring Murphy and
:01:34. > :01:41.Stevens was the first time they had met at the Crucible since that
:01:42. > :01:45.final. Everyone was bigging it up as the rematch, you know, it was
:01:46. > :01:55.Matthew trying to get back at me. It was a big like that -- a bit like
:01:56. > :02:01.that. 2007, I had Shaun beating me in the 2005 final, so I was looking
:02:02. > :02:05.for revenge. It all started terribly well for the Welshman. He took the
:02:06. > :02:15.opening frame. This is the second - it's Murphy to play.
:02:16. > :02:24.I don't know what it is with Shaun, the early morning start, but he
:02:25. > :02:30.hasn't turned up yet. He has left this red to the left centre, and if
:02:31. > :02:33.he has, that's very, very careless. The one in the left centre is
:02:34. > :02:42.definitely the one she should've covered.
:02:43. > :02:48.You can't afford to gift opportunities at this level. Has he
:02:49. > :03:11.still got a bit of sleep in his eyes?
:03:12. > :03:20.Well, it's a very good shot, and he had the reserve red up on the table,
:03:21. > :03:25.or so he thought. And he can't get through to. But I think the red, to
:03:26. > :03:33.the left of the pinch, will go to the left middle. And if he can roll
:03:34. > :03:37.that in, kiss off the other two reds, he'll leave himself the pink
:03:38. > :03:39.in the right corner. He's not playing it, he's playing this one, a
:03:40. > :03:47.little bit more freely. And in it goes. And that's all you
:03:48. > :03:56.ever look for when you open the reds. An easy starter. The reds are
:03:57. > :04:00.nicely placed. At least 3 or four in the open. So a good great building
:04:01. > :04:50.chance. Pretty well to hold there. He didn't
:04:51. > :04:57.have a very straight angle on the blue.
:04:58. > :05:08.He has overhit... It would be top side, but not quite as far as that.
:05:09. > :05:12.He could play the blue, but the yellow may interest him as well, if
:05:13. > :05:18.it was a direct screwback on the next red. If he's straight on the
:05:19. > :05:22.blue, I'm not sure what red he can play. It must go in the right
:05:23. > :05:30.corner. That's the one he's played for. The one he marked before is
:05:31. > :05:35.available into the middle pocket. Wasn't happy with the angle there.
:05:36. > :05:36.He would have liked to have been a little bit straighter on this but
:05:37. > :06:08.it's OK. Yeah, nicely played. If that's dead straight It's
:06:09. > :06:20.perfect. He's still got 2 open reds, one
:06:21. > :06:23.below the pink that will pot to the right coverage as well. Doesn't
:06:24. > :06:28.necessarily have to go into them this time. I mean from the black, of
:06:29. > :06:34.course. When I say this time. Depends on how he feels about it
:06:35. > :06:39.really. The pack are a little bit low down, towards the blacks. So
:06:40. > :06:45.it's maybe a little unusual shot he's going to be left. He could
:06:46. > :06:49.play, as I say, that red he is sheaping up now, into the right --
:06:50. > :06:54.he is shaping up now, into the right coverage.
:06:55. > :07:02.Yeah, he's got a nice angle on this red. It's difficult - unless you're
:07:03. > :07:08.right down on the table, to see what he's seeing. He is thinking I need
:07:09. > :07:14.more reds in the open to win the frame at this visit, but... If you
:07:15. > :07:23.can't get that angle you're looking for... He's got to be careful here.
:07:24. > :07:28.It's one of our colleague Willie Thorne's flat back pack. They are
:07:29. > :07:33.looking a bit loose, but if you catch one full, the cue ball doesn't
:07:34. > :07:39.get them. Well, he was second for that. He finished with 8 perfect, I
:07:40. > :07:46.believe, on a let to the right corner. But plenty in it. Hit them,
:07:47. > :07:50.didn't look at though he developed anything, but because of the action
:07:51. > :07:51.he got on the cue ball, came back across. As you can see, this red
:07:52. > :08:03.nicely on. And took that the opportunity. This
:08:04. > :08:11.was a clever shot from Matthew to release another red into play. Frame
:08:12. > :08:17.winning chance now. Yeah, mentioned he was struggling in the ranking, as
:08:18. > :08:23.low as 24 in the provisionals. He's a much better prayer than that. But
:08:24. > :08:29.the rankings, they don't lie. You only get point for matches you win.
:08:30. > :08:34.He's down there because he hasn't been winning. But as we all know, he
:08:35. > :08:40.likes the longer matches. He's been in the final twice. He settles into
:08:41. > :08:46.his game better. He feels he got a bad contact there. He's got athlete
:08:47. > :08:50.the angle from the next shot. You see a slight jump but not much. He
:08:51. > :08:52.does have the angle to go into the packs. Into the 2 reds. Into the
:08:53. > :09:02.bottom, next to the pink. Yeah, that's the line. If he can get
:09:03. > :09:11.that. Cannon, doesn't have to play it hard. Red available into the
:09:12. > :09:16.corner. I'm surprised he didn't play the little cannon, but he obviously
:09:17. > :09:18.felt there was enough room in between the pink and other red to be
:09:19. > :09:38.on that. You can't argue with him -- inch-perfect. Not scene a lot of
:09:39. > :09:43.Shaun Murphy in this match. This red will give Stevens the second frame.
:09:44. > :10:00.A near miss. MIT A near miss. And it was that very careless safety shot
:10:01. > :10:04.from Shaun Murphy that left a red to the left middle. Didn't see any
:10:05. > :10:06.problem in getting it safe. Left it on. Matthew knocked it in and that's
:10:07. > :10:20.it. Look that! For a stat. Balls potted, nil. A lot to think
:10:21. > :10:44.about, even at this early stage. He may be able to make a century,
:10:45. > :10:47.especially if he can push a red off the left cushion, it would seem a
:10:48. > :11:16.natural to do it. Nice shot. APPLAUSE
:11:17. > :11:24.Well, the left-handed shot, only Ronnie O'Sullivan can play with his
:11:25. > :11:30.other hand. We've had 41 centuries so far at the Crucible this year.
:11:31. > :11:48.This will be century 42, the second for Mathew. A lovely break.
:11:49. > :11:56.Quite a few low colours. It would be a pretty low total clearance, this.
:11:57. > :12:20.Total clearance, but a tremendous break of 118 by Stevens. He made a
:12:21. > :12:26.very bright start to this quarterfinal match, and they leads
:12:27. > :12:33.Shaun Murphy by 2 frames to nil. A fabulous break from the gifted
:12:34. > :12:37.Welshman. He took the next with a break of 64 to lead 3-0, and he's on
:12:38. > :12:44.a knock of 11 here as we pick them back up on frame four. Missed it.
:12:45. > :12:59.Never comfortable, as you say, Neil. And Shaun Murphy will be pleased he
:13:00. > :13:04.is coming back it the table and only 8 points in arrears. What can he do
:13:05. > :13:40.with this, in live play, he's first chance.
:13:41. > :13:47.Sonchts the first little sign of maybe weakness from Matthew Stevens.
:13:48. > :13:49.The first miss he made that was possibly going to be to be
:13:50. > :13:55.significant in this match. What can Shaun Murphy do? First good hope,
:13:56. > :14:01.really, for him. Yeah, and this is the key now, Neil, isn't it, when
:14:02. > :14:06.you get this chance, you've got to make your opponent aware if you make
:14:07. > :14:12.a mistake, you're going to get punished. Not a boxing match, if
:14:13. > :14:19.someone hits you, you can't hit them back. But what you do, you start to
:14:20. > :14:27.make these sort of opportunities count. That's not a good shot.
:14:28. > :14:33.Nearly went in off! Yeah, the table time we saw there, was maybe one of
:14:34. > :14:37.the reasons. I mean... If you're at the table only 30% of the time, and
:14:38. > :14:46.you're watching your opponent, you go into these situations a bit cold
:14:47. > :14:50.and that last shot was not good. ? And because he's so cold, he can't
:14:51. > :14:51.just drop it in and play for one of the reds just below the pink. He
:14:52. > :15:05.needs to cue this really well. Well, he got the cannon. Does this
:15:06. > :15:23.red go to the left corner, past the black? Oh, it does.
:15:24. > :15:40.No angle there. Hassa he's just playing the run-through shot.
:15:41. > :15:56.Couldn't get anywhere towards the red from that blue.
:15:57. > :16:08.A nice shot from Shaun. Lovely play for the red, just to the right of
:16:09. > :16:12.the black here. Don't have to do a lot with the cue ball. These
:16:13. > :16:19.cushions seem to be playing better. You can just feel the cue ball just
:16:20. > :16:20.sinking into them slightly, you know, rather than seeing before,
:16:21. > :16:32.they were just bouncing off them. I think that most of the players
:16:33. > :16:33.left in the tournament, and he knows we got beat, said the tables are an
:16:34. > :16:47.awful lot better. And so they should be! Coming here
:16:48. > :16:53.30 years, you would have thought they'd have known about it. I heard
:16:54. > :16:57.1 reason, Neil, the weather has been unusually warm for this time of
:16:58. > :17:04.year. Global warming is to blame, maybe, for the conditions, John.
:17:05. > :17:07.That's what they are saying. I always remember all the years we've
:17:08. > :17:08.been coming to Sheffield, we've always been blessed would good
:17:09. > :17:38.weather. Spring-like. Just the red needed. Mid-session
:17:39. > :17:39.interval after this. The cup of tea-taste a little bit better now
:17:40. > :17:55.he's got his first Hardly any table time in the first 3
:17:56. > :18:00.frames, hardly potted a ball. Didn't pot his first ball until the third
:18:01. > :18:07.frame, in fract, to win this fourth frame is great for him.
:18:08. > :18:18.Been a good break, this. Mostly high colours. He's in good control
:18:19. > :18:22.throughout. Starting to cue now. Everything points to a terrific
:18:23. > :18:25.match between two players with a very similar style of play - highly
:18:26. > :18:43.attacking. Another century already in frame
:18:44. > :18:50.two. Shaun Murphy can go on to make one here.
:18:51. > :19:00.He's already knocked in two centuries.
:19:01. > :19:14.And this is hope for his third in the championship so far.
:19:15. > :19:23.Low century break but a good 82 and Matthew Stevens leads Shaun Murphy
:19:24. > :19:28.3-1 at the mid-session interval. Well, a shell-shocked Shaun Murphy
:19:29. > :19:32.dug in and show managed to halt the Welshman's flow. He got it back to 2
:19:33. > :19:40.frames to 3 Got up twice on it. 12 shot though.
:19:41. > :19:57.APPLAUSE So he continues a good run of long
:19:58. > :19:58.pots into the pocket, especially. He still looks very, very sharp, even
:19:59. > :20:18.though he's lost 2 frames in a row. A terrific long pot, right in the
:20:19. > :20:21.heart of the pocket. What has let him down in the last two frame, one
:20:22. > :20:33.or two loose positional shots. Now, playing for the red that is
:20:34. > :20:37.just to the left of the black, and that is inch-perfect and the beauty
:20:38. > :21:12.of potting this red, he clears the black spot area.
:21:13. > :21:22.He finished high on the plaque deliberately. Playing on the loose
:21:23. > :21:28.red. Just gone a bit too far from that cugs. -- that cushion. Asking
:21:29. > :21:30.for the cue ball to be cleaned. Don't think it's going to be a big
:21:31. > :21:54.problem. Here it is. . Just trying to see where he's next
:21:55. > :21:56.red is going to come from. Is there anything free? That's what he was
:21:57. > :22:26.looking. This red goes in the middle. There
:22:27. > :22:31.is one more loose red on the left-hand side of the cluster after
:22:32. > :22:35.this one. And that's where he'll have to pray for. He certainly
:22:36. > :22:39.hasn't left himself a good angle on the black to go into reds, which
:22:40. > :22:47.could've been in the back of his mind. You see - dead straight.
:22:48. > :22:53.Looking to see if there's any plants in the middle pocket. And if there
:22:54. > :23:00.isn't, then he has to play a very precise positional shot. Could screw
:23:01. > :23:02.back off the side cushion, finish in the circle, play for the loose red
:23:03. > :23:12.to the left of the cluster. Just say - got to judge it well. Hey
:23:13. > :23:22.has lot the line? Played it well! OK, on the right line. And just
:23:23. > :23:25.enough. Now it's imperative he gets a good angle. I don't think there's
:23:26. > :23:51.any more reds that can come to his rescue.
:23:52. > :23:54.Opener nightsly there and he's on this red. -- nicely there and he's
:23:55. > :24:12.on this red. APPLAUSE
:24:13. > :24:15.Once he cued that in, it was always going to be a fairly straightforward
:24:16. > :24:23.shot. And he's got some breaks open now. If all came from, well, only a
:24:24. > :24:36.half chance. But he's flowing now all right.
:24:37. > :24:56.Red to the right corner next. Still a little bit of work to do with all
:24:57. > :25:02.the points remaining, 83 left, but he'll make short work of that. It
:25:03. > :25:04.was such a bad contact that he's not got to worst shot really. Blew up to
:25:05. > :25:18.the top right pocket. Left himself a straight blue,
:25:19. > :25:23.shouldn't be a problem to a potter of Matthew's talent. And now, just
:25:24. > :25:32.looking for one more red and a colour.
:25:33. > :25:43.Just a red will do. That puts himself 68 in front with only 67
:25:44. > :25:53.remaining. Well, Shaun, didn't do a lot wrong in this frame. A terrific
:25:54. > :25:59.opening red. So in fact this is as good a contribution he made. He made
:26:00. > :26:04.a century break in frame two, but never out of control here.
:26:05. > :26:07.Particularly after losing the last two frames, there could've been a
:26:08. > :26:15.few seeds of doubt, but taking them well.
:26:16. > :26:24.No, I agree. Been a very flupt break. Pot success rate - 94%. It
:26:25. > :26:37.reflects how well he's played. Ent It's beatable here. The highest
:26:38. > :27:09.break of the championship. Is APPLAUSE
:27:10. > :27:13.And he does have an angle on this. Tremendous shot!
:27:14. > :27:20.APPLAUSE Now, he'll look at the scoreboard,
:27:21. > :27:28.well, he's unlucky. He's unlucky. The pink and blue have gone
:27:29. > :27:34.together. Now, 107, a possible 35 left, he can play for the black, but
:27:35. > :27:40.has to play for the pink. He's checked the pink is in the left
:27:41. > :27:47.corner. A red and a pink for 141. And must pass the blue.
:27:48. > :28:01.The highest break still belongs to Neil Robertson. A very fluent break
:28:02. > :28:13.for Matthew Stevens. He now leads four frames two over Shaun Murphy.
:28:14. > :28:21.Mistake... OK, play the red in the top corner as a shot for nothing,
:28:22. > :28:26.but don't kiss the red on the left-hand side of the table and
:28:27. > :28:30.leave a sitter, particularly after your opponent has just missed a
:28:31. > :28:36.chance. You didn't let them straight back to the table. I don't blame him
:28:37. > :28:41.going for that, but he kissed the let on the left-hand side of the
:28:42. > :28:45.table. That was careless. He left the one he's playing. That could be
:28:46. > :28:50.unlucky. But the one down the left-hand side of the table isn't.
:28:51. > :28:54.Nothing worse, is there, nothing better for a player, whichever way
:28:55. > :29:01.you look at it. Shaun Murphy has missed that chance. He went back to
:29:02. > :29:06.this seat, thinking, "I missed an opportunity there. " Without doing
:29:07. > :29:10.anything, he comes back to the table and he's got a red to go at. Could
:29:11. > :29:12.have played it better. But I think you can get past the green for the
:29:13. > :30:01.yellow. This as shot he missed so many
:30:02. > :30:05.times. He'll play it off the side cushion into the cluster. He dropped
:30:06. > :30:11.that one well. He would be unlucky not to be on one.
:30:12. > :30:20.He is not on anything easy. He played the shot pestly. If he can
:30:21. > :30:25.get through to this red near the top cushion, but well, it's difficult.
:30:26. > :30:28.The one down the left-hand side cushion, as you say, it is perfect.
:30:29. > :30:31.And for a second, it looked as though it was perfect. But that red
:30:32. > :30:34.just drifted to As I say, a couple of reds he can
:30:35. > :30:59.pot. But missable. Good recovery. I say recovery, he
:31:00. > :31:25.was unlucky in shot before. This time he's in prime position. A
:31:26. > :31:27.choice of reds. May fancy the one down the cushion with the rest into
:31:28. > :32:10.the left corner. Didn't have to go into in pack
:32:11. > :32:16.there, but the way he played it was beautiful. Almost certainly secured
:32:17. > :32:19.him the frame, you would think. Think some other players may have
:32:20. > :32:24.chipped away at the reds that were open and won the frame that way, but
:32:25. > :32:39.it's not really Shaun's style. He's a very attacking, aggressive player.
:32:40. > :32:50.Just wants this red then, and the frame is safe. Yes, needed two
:32:51. > :32:57.chances. Not the first one, missed the red in the middle and next time
:32:58. > :33:05.he kill to the table -- next time he came to the table. His pot success
:33:06. > :33:13.is coming up. It was 84 a few frames before. He is right back in this
:33:14. > :33:15.match now, is Shaun. You see, 68 ahead, 59 remaining. It's all over
:33:16. > :33:29.bar the count, shall we say. As in the last round, his best of 25
:33:30. > :33:36.matches. 3 sessions, two sessions of 8 frames and the final 9 frames to
:33:37. > :33:45.be played in the third session. So a chance for Shaun to come out of this
:33:46. > :33:47.4 apiece. Which, he would be quite happy with. He lost the first three
:33:48. > :34:27.frames. He got a bad kick. Yes, it was the
:34:28. > :34:31.start you don't need. He was 3-0 down, he hadn't pot adball, and in a
:34:32. > :34:36.situation where he could win. He pot adfew balls at the end of the third
:34:37. > :34:43.frame. It was a nightmare start to the match, really.
:34:44. > :34:50.Just looking at Matthew there... He would be kicking himself a little
:34:51. > :34:58.bit. Because, he handed this chance to Shaun to clinch the frame. And
:34:59. > :35:00.whether it be in the first session or the final session, you can't
:35:01. > :35:08.afford to gift frames to your opponent.
:35:09. > :35:18.But he's taking these nicely, Shaun. 1 more frame to be played in this
:35:19. > :35:24.first session. An important 1, even though it's early on in the match. A
:35:25. > :35:29.chance for Matthew Stevens to keep a 2-frame advantage or Shaun Murphy to
:35:30. > :35:37.level. In goes the pink, nicely round the angles with the cue ball.
:35:38. > :35:54.An 89 will do for Shaun Murphy. He pulls back within one frame again.
:35:55. > :36:00.But he still trails. The way he started, he started like a train. We
:36:01. > :36:03.certainly gave good value for money in the first session, but these
:36:04. > :36:12.matches at the Crucible, they are not won and lost in the first
:36:13. > :36:19.session. It was the aperty. It was -- it was the aperitif. It was a
:36:20. > :36:28.taste of things to come. He just needed to world title to complete a
:36:29. > :36:33.triple crown, he surged ahead again. He leads 8 frim frameses to -- he
:36:34. > :37:20.leads 8 frames to 5 as we head into the 14th.
:37:21. > :37:31.He looked to the freen but it is a -- he looked to the green but it's a
:37:32. > :37:37.bit thin and a bit risky. He is trying to make an angle on the brown
:37:38. > :37:42.but it not there. The reds are in each other's way, he would love to
:37:43. > :37:48.open them up. This as very difficult shot, virtually level with it, on
:37:49. > :37:53.the baulk listen. This would be a terrific shot if they goes to the
:37:54. > :37:56.pack with this. A little rueful smile. He's taken over a minute
:37:57. > :38:23.presiding over this particular shot. Well, he made that shot beautifully.
:38:24. > :38:28.He got it in the cue ball to ark it around the green. Perhaps a bit
:38:29. > :38:34.unfortunate to finish on the cushion. This shot slightly more
:38:35. > :38:38.difficult than it would've been if the cue ball was in open play. In
:38:39. > :38:59.goes the red. Is he hard enough for the black? Just.
:39:00. > :39:06.That's the best shot he played in the frame, positionally. This time
:39:07. > :39:11.he got into the pack and nudged a couple of reds on. A good shot,
:39:12. > :39:17.really. The red was protecting them, as we said. But he was able to push
:39:18. > :39:23.that into the back. He's having a look to see if they can get into the
:39:24. > :39:29.pink here. That's the reason he played for the pink. He needs to
:39:30. > :39:37.play a stun shot here to push the white through the reds. It's exactly
:39:38. > :39:38.what he played and that one shot has given him the chance too win the
:39:39. > :40:01.frame. Excellent A little bit taken aback by the
:40:02. > :40:08.bounce on the cushion. It's'sly all right. But he stopped in his tracks
:40:09. > :40:14.when he saw is come away from the cushion.
:40:15. > :40:35.Whatever happens now, it looks like Matthew Stevens is going to take
:40:36. > :40:42.some sort of lead. At least two frames, going into tomorrow's final
:40:43. > :40:47.session. But now Shaun Murphy must really dig deep and try and,
:40:48. > :40:51.obviously, try to win both, whatever happens, he must win at least one.
:40:52. > :41:00.Anything worse than 10-6 would be tough. Just a little bit of work
:41:01. > :41:04.still to do. He didn't land perfectly on the red into the left
:41:05. > :41:11.centre. He's playing it. He's having a long look at the angle. He missed
:41:12. > :41:12.a couple when he took a really long time looking at the potting angle
:41:13. > :41:22.alone. No mistake this time. He rolls the black in, then this
:41:23. > :42:28.should be enough. Just get the feeling that Matthew
:42:29. > :42:31.Stevens is growing in confidence. He won a couple of hard-fought tactical
:42:32. > :42:39.frames earlier. Since then, they scored well.
:42:40. > :42:47.Shaun Murphy nods his head and concedes. Played it very clever.
:42:48. > :42:49.Matthew Stevens extends his lead and he's current in front by 9 frames to
:42:50. > :43:06.5. Tremendous pot. Absolutely super
:43:07. > :43:12.shot, that. They don't come better than that. He has got an angle on
:43:13. > :43:17.the green that he perhaps deserved after potting the red. Now a chance
:43:18. > :43:59.to go 10-5 in front with one to play.
:44:00. > :44:13.Matthew Stevens, he likes a game of poker. He's good at that game. He
:44:14. > :44:20.has played street-wise snooker today. He's playing a screwed game
:44:21. > :44:35.tonight. A bit of -- a exclude game tonight. He is running away
:44:36. > :44:43.He didn't mind Matthew going for the long road. A high percentage he
:44:44. > :44:57.would not pot it, but he's potted it cleanly. And he's won the frame, I
:44:58. > :45:02.think. RANSMIT that was a beauty, that opening red. Had no choice.
:45:03. > :45:10.Sometimes it makes up your mind for you if you've got no safety on.
:45:11. > :45:17.Well, this 36 break has come because of that red and it was an excellent
:45:18. > :45:22.shot. The equation appears simple now for Shaun Murphy. He has to win
:45:23. > :45:29.the last frame of the session to have a chance of winning the match.
:45:30. > :45:34.It would be tough to see him winning from 11-5 behind. Matthew Stevens
:45:35. > :45:40.had a lot of things on his shoulders. He need to win to stay in
:45:41. > :45:44.the top 16. That's a lot of pressure. The fact he lost the Shaun
:45:45. > :45:54.Murphy the last time they played in the final, that was a bit more. No
:45:55. > :46:10.too bad, left-handed. He had a century break left-handed,
:46:11. > :46:18.Matthew Stevens's highest break. In some ways, that 57 was up there with
:46:19. > :46:27.the best of them. He now leads by 10-5.
:46:28. > :46:31.Slightly awkward cueing on the yellow, that distracts
:46:32. > :46:40.Missed it by a long way. Not been his night at all.
:46:41. > :46:48.He can't afford to have sessions quite as bad as this one. This was a
:46:49. > :46:53.long way off. When he first got down, I thought he was playing the
:46:54. > :47:00.couth in the middle. It would've been the slightly easier pot. If
:47:01. > :47:04.Matthew Stevens can pot this 1 here, he has a chance of winning the
:47:05. > :47:09.frame. The pink looks to be OK, half ball. Does pot.
:47:10. > :47:17.The thing about this pink, with the red up the table, he should land
:47:18. > :47:23.right in behind it. That's why he's taken the pink instead of the blue.
:47:24. > :47:36.The slightly easier pot. A difficult little cutback.
:47:37. > :48:36.Good shot naturally on the red. Excellent.
:48:37. > :48:42.Glad shot. Played it with power. To get the cue ball out of the once he
:48:43. > :49:00.hit them. What a chance this is now for
:49:01. > :49:07.Matthew Stevens to take an 11-5 lead. He will know how important it
:49:08. > :49:16.is, and to far, around the interval, Matthew Stevens played better than
:49:17. > :50:00.they did before the interval. And he led 5-3
:50:01. > :50:11.Matthew's improved as the session has gone on. He really had a sense
:50:12. > :50:13.he had a chance to pull away from someone that may not be playing as
:50:14. > :50:30.well as expected in Shaun Well, this is more tricky than he
:50:31. > :50:36.would've thought. The pink has covered the blue to the top right.
:50:37. > :51:01.The yellow is on, but had hits him down towards the reds.
:51:02. > :51:09.Well, had a pot. He is forced into it, because he knock the blue and
:51:10. > :51:10.pink into a safe position. That pot, could've put him a step close tore
:51:11. > :51:19.the semifinal. The last two frames, Matthew Stevens
:51:20. > :52:05.has been flawless. All credit to mathure... --
:52:06. > :52:08.Matthew... He pulled away. He loves this venue, he loves the long
:52:09. > :52:14.matches. Twice he's been in the final.
:52:15. > :52:20.And this is a very big advantage to take into tomorrow's final session.
:52:21. > :52:31.Because Shaun Murphy does need snookers already.
:52:32. > :52:40.As I mentioned earlier, he played a shrewd game, terrific safety. As the
:52:41. > :52:43.session has gone on, he started to score more heavily.
:52:44. > :52:50.His long game has been good. A couple of times he was forced into
:52:51. > :52:57.long pots, which he got, scored off them. This has been almost vintage
:52:58. > :52:58.Matthew Stevens. The former UK Championship winner, who loves the
:52:59. > :53:18.long matches. So no century for Matthew Stevens
:53:19. > :53:26.but a wonderful session from his point of view. Shaun Murphy greats
:53:27. > :53:30.him on that. He's got a lot of work to do, the 25 world champion,
:53:31. > :53:35.because Matthew Stevens powers away. I just wasn't in the game at all. I
:53:36. > :53:40.did well to win 5 frames. But you know, I remember coming out for the
:53:41. > :53:44.third session, on the morning, feeling a little bit different. And
:53:45. > :53:48.I thought, if I can win the first session, and be here, if I make the
:53:49. > :54:07.tea break, then I felt I was in and a chance.
:54:08. > :54:11.Just a little bit too far for the blue. So having to use plenty of his
:54:12. > :54:20.cue power on the Struck that beautifully. It's hard
:54:21. > :54:27.to know what went wrong in this match. I know you did the second
:54:28. > :54:28.session, Neil, but Shaun looks to be cueing beautifully, just frames kept
:54:29. > :54:36.slipping away. Yeah, that's right, John. The frames
:54:37. > :54:43.tended to take a pattern, which is often the case in a long match.
:54:44. > :54:48.Everything that Shaun, something awkward about it. He will tell you
:54:49. > :55:00.himself he didn't play well last night. Wonder how he will come out
:55:01. > :55:06.today. There is no way he can come back from this unless he starting
:55:07. > :55:10.knocking in balls and doing it in his own rhythmic way. If you're
:55:11. > :55:13.Matthew Stevens, you expect some kind of backlash this morning. He's
:55:14. > :55:18.not going to lie down and die. There could be a few balls going in and
:55:19. > :55:27.the pressure for the moment is off Shaun.
:55:28. > :55:35.There's a red to the, just to the right of the black, which is
:55:36. > :55:38.available. And you play a cannon into the main bunch, but I don't
:55:39. > :55:42.think he's got that angle. Maybe playing for the loose red. No, he's
:55:43. > :55:45.trying to get into the cluster. Doesn't look bad but he needs a bit
:55:46. > :56:11.of luck. Not much. Oh, nicely played. Well, he wanted
:56:12. > :56:16.to make sure he gave himself enough to fet up for the blue. He's gone
:56:17. > :56:23.too far. And the red down by the black is the target ball here. Nice
:56:24. > :56:28.to land behind that one. Well, he's getting into them a little bit too
:56:29. > :56:49.much this morning. Once again, he overhit that. Almost hit it too
:56:50. > :56:56.Well, I'm sure his intention was to try and get into the cluster. But
:56:57. > :57:01.work to do here. He played for the red near the top cushion. So long as
:57:02. > :57:05.he's not strait, he'll be OK. -- straight, he'll be OK. That looked
:57:06. > :57:09.straight to me. If it is, he's got a problem. Well, it's straight enough,
:57:10. > :57:23.you try to force these, you can miss it. He'll be OK. -- straight, he'll
:57:24. > :57:26.be OK. That looked straight to me. If it is, he's got a problem. Well,
:57:27. > :57:30.it's straight enough, you try to force these, you can miss
:57:31. > :57:39.Oh, and trying to do that, missed them. He didn't want to get into the
:57:40. > :57:46.middle of them, just tried to catch the edge, but didn't hit it at all.
:57:47. > :57:53.Left-hand red, he needs to catch. Well, he could have hit it full ball
:57:54. > :58:07.and it would have split the reds open and the white wouldn't have
:58:08. > :58:23.Well, only 25. Did think he looked very good in that break. He came out
:58:24. > :58:27.to really cue the ball today. And you never what can happen if he can
:58:28. > :59:16.pick up two or 3 frames early. Matthew is going for this red, right
:59:17. > :59:26.corner. Well, he nongd in a lot of long
:59:27. > :59:30.balls, especially into that pocket yesterday. Didn't get very close to
:59:31. > :00:22.that one. Cue ball has come away from that
:00:23. > :00:23.cushion. I'm sure he played on the black. He may actually be on the
:00:24. > :02:23.pink. This is the kind of start that Shaun
:02:24. > :02:29.wanted. He's so far dominated the frame. Now he's in absolute prime
:02:30. > :02:36.position. Just think sometimes, John, you get a player so far behind
:02:37. > :02:41.to this, he has resigned himself to the fact he may well lose. It can be
:02:42. > :02:49.very dangerous for a while, especially someone who cues as well
:02:50. > :02:54.as Shaun. Yes, it looks such a big deficit, doesn't it - 11-5. Well, he
:02:55. > :03:01.won this frame, you would have thought, more or less. If he makes a
:03:02. > :03:08.silly mistakes, and if he wins the next 3 frame, all of a sudden, we
:03:09. > :03:16.got 11-9 on our hands. But it's a big ask, because he's playing a
:03:17. > :03:20.great player. And OK, Matthew has missed 1 chance at a long pot, but
:03:21. > :03:29.he's been in the meanwhiles and two finals, so he knows what it takes.
:03:30. > :03:34.-- but he's been in the finals and two finals, so he knows what it
:03:35. > :03:38.takes. So just the start that Shaun needed. He's had plenty of table
:03:39. > :04:33.time and looks to be cueing very nicely.
:04:34. > :04:42.Shaun gets a lot of work on the ball for hardly any real effort. He's one
:04:43. > :04:48.of the better cuemen in the game, I always think. Tends to hit the ball
:04:49. > :04:52.beautifully. Sometimes even too well for the cloths that
:04:53. > :05:32.He started well today and he's rushing around the
:05:33. > :05:39.APPLAUSE Matthew Stevens hasn't potted a
:05:40. > :06:07.ball. But he still leads 11-6. Right when you have the object ball,
:06:08. > :06:11.the cue ball, pocket in your line, I don't think he miss those. He
:06:12. > :06:17.doesn't want to hit the near jau of the pocket, just too much. But not a
:06:18. > :06:24.bad lead, the way the balls are situated. The blacks are now tied
:06:25. > :06:34.up. There was a possibility 67 left on, but as we can see, the way the
:06:35. > :06:41.black is... It's going to be tough to win the frame at this visit. I
:06:42. > :06:46.think what you do to do, initially, well, maybe he's trying to bring the
:06:47. > :07:21.black out into play here. Well, a second prize. He drew a red out.
:07:22. > :07:27.. He'll need to it pretty soon. This is a cueing shot. If this goes in,
:07:28. > :07:42.there's some chance. Nicely done. Now then, what will his
:07:43. > :07:47.plan be here? Obviously got to run through on the red. Will he leave an
:07:48. > :07:54.angle on the red, disturb the other red. Probably that is his best
:07:55. > :07:57.chance. He can apply with top spin, disturb the other red, maybe push
:07:58. > :08:13.the black a little bit , now then, where has he finished?
:08:14. > :08:18.That's not far away from being perfect. Heads got the shot, top
:08:19. > :08:23.spin, disturb the red, push it maybe nearer a pocket. Positionally, he
:08:24. > :08:28.has to finish on a colour, which he's not guaranteed. Oh, that's a
:08:29. > :08:35.great shot. That's a terrific shot. A bit unlucky. Wonder what he'll do.
:08:36. > :08:41.It was nicely played, John, wasn't it? Yeah, it had a bit of top spin.
:08:42. > :08:47.You saw the white sort of banana once it hit the black. You feel
:08:48. > :08:53.he'll play the black, if he misses it, he's lost the frame. So lots of
:08:54. > :08:59.pressure. Lots and lots. Great shot! APPLAUSE
:09:00. > :09:09.Great, great, shot! As I say, if he misses it, he loseses the frame, it
:09:10. > :09:13.would have -- he lose the frame, he would have gone within one frame of
:09:14. > :09:18.defeat. That shows me a lot of character with Shaun Murphy. Still
:09:19. > :09:21.got to clear up. He is 28 points behind. This black and the six
:09:22. > :09:30.remaining Well, this would be a frame to win
:09:31. > :09:44.and he's absolutely inch-perfect on the yellow.
:09:45. > :09:55.Matthew my have thought he was in chand in the frame. -- was in
:09:56. > :09:58.command in the frame. He missed a frame it was tight. This has been a
:09:59. > :10:06.fantastic performance from Shaun Do or die shot on that black
:10:07. > :10:15.earlier. And well, this would be a good frame to win. Looks a formality
:10:16. > :10:17.now. He finished inch'-perfect on the blue. What a black he potted
:10:18. > :10:40.there, He's won the opening two frames of
:10:41. > :10:43.the day and he trails Matthew Stevens by 11
:10:44. > :10:51.To 7. He is trying off the two cushion and trying to catch an edge
:10:52. > :11:00.off the red. Be a good hit. Never mind, catch the edge of it.
:11:01. > :11:06.Well, free-ball here, but I don't think Shaun will be tempted to take
:11:07. > :11:12.anything difficult on. He'll have it replaced again. So it's a free ball,
:11:13. > :11:17.but he couldn't get a better shot than the one he'll have if it's
:11:18. > :11:20.replaced. If he takes the brown as the free ball, it's a little bit
:11:21. > :11:28.risky. But he's taken it! This is a very positive shot. I don't know
:11:29. > :11:34.whether it would be my choice. I really don't. But in it goes! That's
:11:35. > :11:44.how confident he is. Beautifully struck, again. Like you, I wasn't so
:11:45. > :11:49.sure that was the right shot, but now he's potted it,
:11:50. > :11:55.Was thinking that Matthew was in enough trouble trying to hit that
:11:56. > :11:58.red, but Shaun is trying to take it away from Matthew and clear the
:11:59. > :12:03.table himself. Which I think is a good sign. Yeah, basically, he's not
:12:04. > :12:07.going to rely on his opponent to make mistakes. He feels as though
:12:08. > :12:12.he's playing well enough to takes shots on, and that was an excellent
:12:13. > :12:19.brown. If he pots his red and gets on a colour, he's favourite to win
:12:20. > :12:21.the frame. Oh, would you believe it! ? Would you believe it. Just a
:12:22. > :12:39.fraction wide. Yeah, Matthew needs to clear the
:12:40. > :12:43.table here. And that would be, for the moment, the alarm bells will
:12:44. > :12:47.stop ringing, I think, for him, if he can do this. A vital clearance,
:12:48. > :12:55.you wouldn't think so, with four frames up.
:12:56. > :13:03.Well, that isn't actually very bad at all. He underscrewed, but if he
:13:04. > :13:11.finishes dead straight on the blue, that isn't bad. He can play for the
:13:12. > :13:12.yellow. So slightly fortunate. Could've been much more awkward than
:13:13. > :13:44.this. So you wouldn't expect a mistaking,
:13:45. > :13:46.but a little bit of pressure creeping in and he knows what a
:13:47. > :14:01.vital frame this is. What a chance he had there to put
:14:02. > :14:20.another frame on the He's 22 points in front, only 18
:14:21. > :14:46.left on the table. It's no there. But for Shaun Murphy,
:14:47. > :14:52.getting the snooker, Matthew Stevens is one frame away from a place in
:14:53. > :14:58.some semifinal. 12-7 to Matthew, and one frame away from victory. Shurl
:14:59. > :15:06.he was going to take his -- surely he was about to take his place into
:15:07. > :15:07.the final. Into frame 20 we go, but Matthew is slightly ahead, but
:15:08. > :15:22.snooker behind the brown. Oh, well played. Just a little bit
:15:23. > :15:27.too hard and he's left the green, the brown, we know is pottable...
:15:28. > :15:34.Shaun Murphy comes to the table just two opponents in arrears. -- points
:15:35. > :15:39.in arrears. This is the last frame before the mid-session interval. To
:15:40. > :16:13.keep this match going. Brown after the green, blue and pink.
:16:14. > :16:21.And he's left with the perfect angle to go down for the Pacific, which is
:16:22. > :16:27.all he needs. -- for the pink, which is all he needs. He could have won
:16:28. > :16:28.all four frames, and then we would've had a closer match.
:16:29. > :16:38.Absolutely. APPLAUSE
:16:39. > :16:42.So Shaun Murphy does clear up. He punks the air, so he -- punches the
:16:43. > :16:51.air, so he believes the match is still on. Pretty strong on the black
:16:52. > :16:59.to go 12-8, I remember giving a fist pump. I thought there's no way I was
:17:00. > :17:05.going to lose this. I think I won the first mini session 3-1, and made
:17:06. > :17:10.it 12-8 at the interal. When your opponent gets on the hill, you know
:17:11. > :17:16.exactly where you stand. Every frame could be your last. That changes
:17:17. > :17:23.things. Stevens was still odds-on favourite to go through, but as we
:17:24. > :17:24.see so often, the one fraick you seek for victory is the one frame
:17:25. > :17:45.that is the hardest to campaign. Screw back a little bit more.
:17:46. > :17:47.Slightly hampered by the reds. Can he move the cue ball to be on the
:17:48. > :18:07.next red? Matthew just looking what was going
:18:08. > :18:15.on the left corner, and he's very straight on this. He could make a
:18:16. > :18:21.slight angle, but cueing awkwardly, doesn't want to take any really
:18:22. > :18:28.liberties with the pot. If he plays it forcefully to get the due ball
:18:29. > :18:33.around, it could go wrong. There was the problem. It was straight. There
:18:34. > :18:39.is no doubt about that. But sometimes if you are not bridging
:18:40. > :18:45.awkwardly, you can do something with that than put it into the side of
:18:46. > :18:49.the pocket. Just a question of not being too abirbs, and maybe he was
:18:50. > :18:59.there. -- ambitious, and maybe he was there.
:19:00. > :19:10.APPLAUSE Good work. But he's just let the cue
:19:11. > :19:13.ball run a little bit loose. It would've been nice if he could've
:19:14. > :19:19.been on the plaque. A nice clean pot. But the cue ball a little bit
:19:20. > :19:24.close to the cushion for comfort. Particularly as there is no obvious
:19:25. > :19:29.red to play for. Has to do a little bit with the cue ball.
:19:30. > :19:35.Drove into it. That was an excellent shot. Deserves to be on a red. If
:19:36. > :19:48.he's not, he's very unlucky. What's he on? He walked around very
:19:49. > :19:55.positively, Neil, as if he was certain to be on a red to the left
:19:56. > :20:00.corner. I wasn't so certain. Yeah, he's a bit unlucky if he's not on
:20:01. > :20:02.one. I wonder if he could have potted 1. It's a safety shot, that's
:20:03. > :20:11.all he Should have played a better safety
:20:12. > :20:25.shot than that. The thing is, he's not going to put
:20:26. > :20:26.a foot wrong now, Shaun Murphy. Every shot he plays, he's got to
:20:27. > :20:35.play perfectly. He's got away with that, in a way,
:20:36. > :20:40.because it wasn't a difficult safety shot for Matthew and he's not made
:20:41. > :20:46.the best job of it. He's left Shaun with his hand on the table.
:20:47. > :20:55.And where the reds are spread, good safety could get you in here. Needs
:20:56. > :21:17.to miss the brown... Has done. Good shot.
:21:18. > :21:24.He's not playing it because he must think, if he plays that, it'll kis
:21:25. > :21:31.the red near the top cushion. There was no danger. Once again, underhit
:21:32. > :21:36.from Matthew. Not finding the baulk cushion. Just finding the baulk line
:21:37. > :21:43.and he's left the red, the one we indicated before, the one just above
:21:44. > :21:49.it, it had go -- it will go. Just less than half ball pot into the
:21:50. > :21:57.left corner. O the left corner. Nicely played. Is he going to be on
:21:58. > :21:59.a baulk colour? If he runs too far, he'll play the snooker behind the
:22:00. > :22:25.yellow. He's just about on the yellow.
:22:26. > :22:35.He'll start to fancy this job, I think P it was noticeable when he
:22:36. > :22:39.pinched the last frame, that he punched the air, so he firmly
:22:40. > :22:40.believes there is everything to play for, still. It's not beyond him,
:22:41. > :22:50.this. Won't be easy, winning this frame
:22:51. > :23:05.from here, mind you, with the mack awkward, the pink on. A couple of
:23:06. > :23:14.reds a bit tangled up on the left. Not bad. Might have been a little
:23:15. > :23:21.bit close tore the pink than he is. Such a good pot, you wouldn't expect
:23:22. > :23:28.him to miss it. And now a chance to pot this red and clear the path to
:23:29. > :23:33.the black into the pocket. Not with this shot, but the later stage.
:23:34. > :23:41.Yeah, I think when you've got a deficit like this to make up, Neil,
:23:42. > :23:49.it depends how you're playing whether you fancy the job. If Shaun
:23:50. > :23:56.feels he hasn't shown his best, he still feels he's playing well, it
:23:57. > :23:57.gives a bit of hope, given the opportunities you'll be able to take
:23:58. > :24:07.them. I get the feeling from Well, he cues nicely all morning,
:24:08. > :24:15.really. I didn't think he played well at all last night. A bit
:24:16. > :24:19.subdued, not as aggressive as usual but he is placing well today. He's
:24:20. > :24:25.not -- playing well today. He's now got the black open.
:24:26. > :24:34.Well, that's a good shot. And he could easily play on the black from
:24:35. > :24:37.this and leave himself an angle naturally to come over the left of
:24:38. > :24:56.the table, whether there's plenty of reds waiting for him.
:24:57. > :25:04.The reds will go to right centre, right corner. And they all go in the
:25:05. > :26:07.left as well. So, really good chance now. To pull another frame back.
:26:08. > :26:15.Red and the chores is what is needed for Shaun. He's 59 left, but taking
:26:16. > :26:21.the next red, it goes down to 51. So it's a red and a colour, any colour.
:26:22. > :26:38.Yes, and he's taken this very, very well.
:26:39. > :26:50.So the pink he's played for. This to go 54 points the front with only 51
:26:51. > :27:10.remaining. And he's nicely on the next red, if
:27:11. > :27:17.he pots his red, no way that Matthew will bother coming back to the
:27:18. > :27:21.table. So... You say in these situations, normally, Neil, he is
:27:22. > :27:26.hanging on in there. He's not exactly hanging on in there. You
:27:27. > :27:32.feel if he gets the chance, he is at the moment likely to score more than
:27:33. > :27:38.Matthew. And That's the case at the moment. I guess, if he got close, it
:27:39. > :27:39.may change again. At the moment, it's Shaun Murphy doing all the
:27:40. > :28:08.playing. Deft hand. Matthew still has a 3-frame lead,
:28:09. > :28:18.but Shaun Murphy is not going to give up without a fight.
:28:19. > :28:32.Well, you are thinking... The black or the brown, that could cover the
:28:33. > :28:38.red near the far right corner, but that was a good red to pick out.
:28:39. > :28:45.Ooh! He missed the black after a good red. He was on the black, he
:28:46. > :28:49.missed it. So Shaun Murphy comes to the table as Matthew can't believe
:28:50. > :28:54.that. He thought the black must have been in.
:28:55. > :29:02.And there's nothing better, I mean, seeing your opponent knocking a good
:29:03. > :29:07.red and get on a black, you come to the table with an easy starter.
:29:08. > :29:13.Straighter on the blue, he would've played the blue. But he's playing
:29:14. > :29:24.the yellow for the red in the baulk A couple of reds that he can play
:29:25. > :29:28.on. Obviously, he's going to play this. I don't know with this shot.
:29:29. > :29:34.Do you play for the blue or do you play for a baulk colour?
:29:35. > :29:42.Not quite certain what you play for there. I know he's on the green, but
:29:43. > :29:47.I don't know. Anyway, there's 2 reds that can pot in the left corner.
:29:48. > :29:52.Needs to be on them nicely. He played it with one inside.
:29:53. > :30:00.And he's also got another one. The one that's just to the right of the
:30:01. > :30:02.black. He's checked the pick. The question I would ask - where does
:30:03. > :30:20.the pink go after it's potted? Had Does it go on its own spot? Or will
:30:21. > :30:23.it have to go on the black spot? If it goes on it own spot, will it be
:30:24. > :30:39.available It will go in its own spoxt it does
:30:40. > :30:45.go comfortably and it will go into the left corner. Still early days in
:30:46. > :30:54.a real comeback story here, but well, the signs are there. Matthew
:30:55. > :31:03.is looking edgy. He played a terrific shot before missing a black
:31:04. > :31:06.that he would've potted 9 out of 10. Gns are there. Matthew is looking
:31:07. > :31:08.edgy. He played a terrific shot before missing a black that he
:31:09. > :31:11.would've potted 9 out of 10. Shaun Murphy is reading the signs that
:31:12. > :31:12.Matthew is keen to fet this match over. Starting to show a bit of
:31:13. > :31:31.anxiety in his game. And what's more, not surprising,
:31:32. > :31:35.because obviously every frame is there for the winner, us feel you
:31:36. > :31:43.got to win frames in one visit. Apart from the first frame this
:31:44. > :31:49.morning, where Shaun made a break of 92, he's not been winning the frame
:31:50. > :31:53.in 1 visit. But he's winning framing after frame and Matthew, has had his
:31:54. > :31:58.chance in this frame, didn't make the most of it. So he's probably
:31:59. > :32:06.just beginning to feel a little bit averageous. -- anxious.
:32:07. > :32:12.Just resident short of pace from Shaun. But -- just a little bit
:32:13. > :32:19.short of pace from Shaun, nothing that should cause him a problem.
:32:20. > :32:24.We know the problem is at the moment the pink is only available into the
:32:25. > :32:32.left corner. It's also available into the right stra. -- centre. Hmm,
:32:33. > :32:37.straighter on the red. A bit of formality to play for the pink, but
:32:38. > :32:42.he may be able to screw past the pink. He held it for the stun and
:32:43. > :32:52.held 12 well. That was a lovely shot. Not certain he could've held
:32:53. > :32:57.it. He played it nicely. The right corner, that would be handy. Yeah,
:32:58. > :33:03.if that one goes, which it does, it opens up the path for the other two
:33:04. > :33:11.on the left. He's not straight on this red. And he will realise he's
:33:12. > :33:14.got a bit of work still to do. Doesn't want to give Matthew another
:33:15. > :33:22.hope in this frame at all. There's the angle.
:33:23. > :33:30.Good shot. Yeah, the only thing is, if he's straight on the pink, fine.
:33:31. > :33:34.Just wondering whether the potting angle on the pink has taken him away
:33:35. > :33:39.from the reds, but the way he looked there, it doesn't look as though
:33:40. > :33:46.he's too certained. He can roll this pink in. Yeah, he was straight. So
:33:47. > :33:53.right, Neil, it was a good shot. He need to keep the pink straight, so
:33:54. > :34:00.he can stay amongst the reds. 33 points the lead. Red colour red
:34:01. > :34:11.needed. And you can see the determination on his phrase and he's
:34:12. > :34:18.played for the blue and he's inch'- -- inch-perfect. So winning the
:34:19. > :34:25.frame at this visit should be a formality. He only needs the
:34:26. > :34:54.39 ahead, 43 remaining, pot the red, go 40 ahead with only
:34:55. > :35:00.Well, the applause before that shot was because the equation is simple -
:35:01. > :35:02.Matthew Stevens needs plenty of snookers and he won't get the
:35:03. > :35:29.chance, I don't think, to get He played a very determined third
:35:30. > :35:33.session and he's definitely in with a chance now.
:35:34. > :35:44.All the way through this morning, he cued puflly.
:35:45. > :36:14.He played that shot with all left-hand that he didn't need to do.
:36:15. > :36:19.A left-handed one. The finish off with.
:36:20. > :36:28.Brilliant stuff! 94 clear from Shaun Murphy. He's won five out of the six
:36:29. > :36:35.frames this morning and the comeback is
:36:36. > :36:40.Matthew is playing a difficult one with the reds here. This would open
:36:41. > :36:54.things up a bit Well, he developed the black. But
:36:55. > :37:00.the black has gone over the red now, which was going to be his next one.
:37:01. > :37:05.So, not easy from here. Awkward cueing on this pink. With a bit of
:37:06. > :37:07.work to do to get onto the next red. Not going to get easier for Matthew,
:37:08. > :37:31.these shots. As you say Neil, he would have liked
:37:32. > :37:35.to have been on the red in the open, but that's not just the case. He
:37:36. > :37:41.can't trop the red in dead weight. You need to do a little bit with the
:37:42. > :37:44.cue ball, maybe put a little trace in. All those things can make this
:37:45. > :38:04.red missable. I think he wanted to come across a
:38:05. > :38:20.bit further to the left, actually. I have the angle to hard stun right
:38:21. > :38:33.across the table if he could. Just about get there. It's not
:38:34. > :38:40.He does this - he likes to look at this angle right from the
:38:41. > :38:49.Now then... It's all leading up to the last red. He's got an angle on
:38:50. > :38:53.both the pink and the black. Different shots, the pair of them,
:38:54. > :39:01.and he's applying the black. Good for a right-hander, that would be.
:39:02. > :39:07.Well, would you believe it?! He finished perfect on the red... Wide.
:39:08. > :39:20.It was always wide. And he finished on the red, which
:39:21. > :39:22.would've, that red and a colour would have given him the frame and
:39:23. > :39:53.match. It's all about finding a line and
:39:54. > :39:58.getting a good length. Digging in even more difficult.
:39:59. > :40:07.He's not going to be good on the yellow. The only thing is, when
:40:08. > :40:12.you're close to the yellow, and you feel as though you can play a decent
:40:13. > :40:15.safety, although he would have liked that cue ball to come a little bit
:40:16. > :40:23.further away from the baulk cushion. Eight points in it. Pushing it down,
:40:24. > :40:28.or thinking about pushing it down. There's a few ways you can play
:40:29. > :40:38.this. You can push it down and use the blue and possibly the pink to
:40:39. > :40:42.snooker. You can try to clip off the yellow and drop the cue ball down
:40:43. > :40:48.this end, behind the black. Always feel in this situation, the business
:40:49. > :40:49.end of a frame, if you can get a snooker, it gives you a tremendous
:40:50. > :41:04.advantage. Easy to get the yellow safe. But you
:41:05. > :41:28.want to try and do something that can force your opponent into making
:41:29. > :41:31.Dieded to run the yellow into the green and he's played it very well.
:41:32. > :41:39.I think it's a snooker. Yes, Matthew having to come off the
:41:40. > :41:50.baulk cushion. Easy hit. Can he get it safe? Will
:41:51. > :41:56.the pink come to his rescue? No, it won't!
:41:57. > :42:29.The black, I'm sorry, the brown... Is the only tricky colour.
:42:30. > :42:37.That's the only way he could play it. It would've more difficult, a
:42:38. > :42:40.bit -- it would be more difficult, got further to travel on the
:42:41. > :42:45.cushion. It would be a hell of a shot to get from brown to blue.
:42:46. > :42:51.Well, it does look that strit, doesn't it, Neil, the more pace he
:42:52. > :42:57.puts in this, the more likelihood he is going to miss the brown.
:42:58. > :43:01.It's a decision - personally, I think that playing the pot on the
:43:02. > :43:06.brown with a lot of pace. Well, too dangerous for me.
:43:07. > :43:14.Well, he decides to play it. With less pace. But it was still a great
:43:15. > :43:21.pot. Couldn't get perfect on the blue. I think the blue to the right
:43:22. > :43:23.centre is where you favour. And try to hold a cue ball, send it up and
:43:24. > :43:42.down the table. Big shot. Now where's the blue finishing up?
:43:43. > :43:48.It's safe. It's gone safe. All you could hope for. One point in it.
:43:49. > :44:14.Shaun Murphy in front. Both players need blue and pink.
:44:15. > :44:23.We saw the fraist shot we've ever seen, from -- the greatest shot
:44:24. > :44:29.we've ever seen, from Matthew. He could be in trouble here. Shaun is
:44:30. > :44:32.capable of playing a snooker. He didn't get anywhere near the
:44:33. > :44:37.snooker, but the whack has come to his rescue by way of awkward cueing.
:44:38. > :44:42.Matthew can't play the same shot to get the cue ball in behind the
:44:43. > :44:49.black. A bit fortunate, a couple of times, Shaun. I know what you're
:44:50. > :44:53.saying, Neil. No frb betting the blue safe, but -- no problem getting
:44:54. > :44:57.the blue safe, but he can't get a good white. If he tries to get a
:44:58. > :45:01.good white, he could sacrifice getting a good safety shot on the
:45:02. > :45:06.blue. So twice across, fine. He got the blue safe. But he couldn't keep
:45:07. > :45:21.Shaun from getting his Both players need 2 balls. Matthew
:45:22. > :45:25.Stevens needs them for a place in the
:45:26. > :45:57.Shaun Murphy to keep his hopes alive.
:45:58. > :46:01.The shot to nothing is no use it. Takes him away from the pink. He
:46:02. > :46:19.can't even avoid the pink with it. Played the safety shot in behind the
:46:20. > :46:20.black. He hasn't got the snooker but it's an extremely good shot all the
:46:21. > :46:32.same. He's got the cue ball tight on the
:46:33. > :46:35.top cushion, and the blue practically tight on the pauck
:46:36. > :46:43.cushion. This is very, very difficult to get
:46:44. > :46:52.Half ball right-hand side of the blue, you may be able to squirt the
:46:53. > :46:58.blue into an angle that can get it down behind the pink, but so tough,
:46:59. > :47:01.this. He played the thin one. He played the thin one, which was
:47:02. > :47:02.always going to send the blue towards the corner. What sort of
:47:03. > :47:14.white has he got? Well, it's not easy. As you can see
:47:15. > :47:22.from Matthew's face. It's a horrible kind of angle to get down the table.
:47:23. > :47:28.The pot is one thing. He could play this with lots of top spin and get
:47:29. > :47:33.the white down. He got the power in this game, but the pot's know not
:47:34. > :47:38.easy. It cue ball could come down. It would be a great shot. The pace
:47:39. > :47:43.you have to put into it that makes it harder. That kind of pace, you
:47:44. > :47:49.got to be so accurate. He missed is, and he's
:47:50. > :47:52.The agony goes on for Matthew Stevens at the moment. Shaun Murphy
:47:53. > :48:10.needs blue and pink. Not good on the -- not good on the
:48:11. > :48:15.pink. He'll take it on. Determination etched on his face.
:48:16. > :48:31.Shaun Murphy keeps his hopes alive. Now Matthew Stevens will be getting
:48:32. > :48:32.very, very worried. He led 11-5, not anymore! He's only one frame in
:48:33. > :48:49.front. Soon as he hit that, he knew. Much,
:48:50. > :49:05.much too thick. He was up on the shot straightaway.
:49:06. > :49:24.He got the power, that's one of the his great assets. He is fairly
:49:25. > :49:29.straight on this, and he can screw this the with his cue power easily
:49:30. > :49:34.on the red. There's absolutely nothing to him, a shot like that.
:49:35. > :49:41.The way he higts the ball. Look for the -- he hits the ball. Look at the
:49:42. > :49:46.scoreboard. 11 points the lead. Might not risk placing for the
:49:47. > :49:50.black. After that, he would only need yellow and green, but the
:49:51. > :49:54.black's not on its spot. He sided to go up the table. He's
:49:55. > :50:02.I'm sure he'll play for the green, but he's on the yellow. 12 points
:50:03. > :50:09.into the lead. Another glance at the scoreboard. Remember, when he pots
:50:10. > :50:11.the yellow, because he just potted a red, the yellow will come back on
:50:12. > :50:25.the So the yellow to go 14. He would
:50:26. > :50:53.still need to yellow when it's re-spotted, green and brown.
:50:54. > :51:02.It's a possibly 9 frames and Shaun Murphy would love to play all 9 of
:51:03. > :51:07.them. 1 good shot here and he'll get at the wish.
:51:08. > :51:15.Is So looking that way now. He'll know full well he only needs this.
:51:16. > :51:23.Don't expect anything flash whatsoever so here. The blue is not
:51:24. > :51:29.in his thoughts yet, not until he pots this. We didn't think it's
:51:30. > :51:36.possible. 11-5 is not a lead you see a player come
:51:37. > :52:04.APPLAUSE It's in! So snookers needed.
:52:05. > :52:30.Matthew concedes. Shaun Murphy battled away without any significant
:52:31. > :52:37.breaks but we've got a Crucible thriller. Of course, from 12-8,
:52:38. > :52:41.every frame was my potentially last. Going into what was the last frame,
:52:42. > :52:48.it was all right for me. I had it for an hour. I remember that Matthew
:52:49. > :52:53.left the arena prior to the deciding frame, for white a bit of time. I
:52:54. > :52:58.stood, having a chat with some of the guys with the crowd, I was quite
:52:59. > :53:06.chilled out, because you know, at that stage, everyone was happy to
:53:07. > :53:09.see more snooker. When Matthew led 11-5, no-one -- no-one, particularly
:53:10. > :53:17.not Murphy, could have predicted this. Can the former champion come
:53:18. > :53:29.back to claim a memorable victory, or would Stevens fall over the line?
:53:30. > :53:37.A little bit pacy. A little bit pacy. Left Shaun with his hand on
:53:38. > :53:39.the table, and there's a red, the one immediately above the black, for
:53:40. > :53:50.certain it will cut into Well, maybe, either one of 2 reds
:53:51. > :53:56.above the black would go. Just the one I mentioned. It's gone in!
:53:57. > :53:59.He finished on the green. I don't know whether that's perfect.
:54:00. > :54:23.Deep screw. Lots of right-hand side. Played it inch-perfect.
:54:24. > :54:32.He won the 2005 World Championship... Looked as though he
:54:33. > :54:39.was going to go out of it with an overnight deficit of 11-5. The balls
:54:40. > :54:49.are there now for a remarkable history-making victory.
:54:50. > :55:05.Well, it isn't over yet, but he played a tremendous last frame under
:55:06. > :55:10.this kind of pressure. At the moment, Matthew has not had a
:55:11. > :55:34.chance. Took a long time for Matthew to get
:55:35. > :55:43.over this, his top 16 place looks to be gone. But meteorite more
:55:44. > :55:46.importantly for the moment, he is going to get out of this
:55:47. > :55:49.championship. This black and one more red will be enough for Shaun
:55:50. > :56:00.Murphy to make a stunning It's remarkable. All about
:56:01. > :56:04.self-belief. And a bit of ability. But self-belief this morning... To
:56:05. > :56:11.convince yourself that the match wasn't over.
:56:12. > :56:19.And this will be sweeter than any victory he's ever had. Matthew
:56:20. > :56:23.played well in the middle session, but has not produced the goods. He
:56:24. > :56:29.had plenty of chances this morning. He'll be disappointed. But he's such
:56:30. > :56:35.a lovely lad, Matthew, he won't hold anything against Shaun. This is a
:56:36. > :56:40.sweet moment for Shaun Murphy and a sour one for Matthew. His World
:56:41. > :56:44.Championship hopes, Matthew Stevens's dashed again. Beaten by
:56:45. > :56:49.Shaun Murphy. In the 2005 final, remember?
:56:50. > :56:53.Trying to get revenge for that, and looked as though he had. But not to
:56:54. > :57:04.be. Remarkable performance from Shaun
:57:05. > :57:06.Murphy. And who's to say a victory like this can give you the impetus
:57:07. > :57:16.to believe that you're invincible. And to me now, Neil, becomes one of
:57:17. > :57:21.the major, major players for this championship.
:57:22. > :57:31.Obviously, thinks it's a plant. It doesn't matter. Even if he misses,
:57:32. > :57:36.Matthew will shake his hand. He says, well done, Shaun, and very
:57:37. > :57:40.well done it is. Shaun Murphy, no-one has ever won from 12-7
:57:41. > :57:46.behind. With a lead that Matthew Stevens had. As he throws his
:57:47. > :57:50.catwalk into the crowd, the young man from Rotherham is in the
:57:51. > :57:57.semifinal. He couldn't believe it. Nobody could! But he's there.
:57:58. > :58:01.Remark! I look back at that match, as a classic game where people were
:58:02. > :58:07.trying their absolute best to get over the line. A scamble for the
:58:08. > :58:13.line. And in the end, either one of us could have fallen over the line.
:58:14. > :58:17.And I was just thankful it was me. I missed a few balls. Fair play too
:58:18. > :58:22.Shaun, he never gives in. And yeah, I think it cost me a top 16 place
:58:23. > :58:30.that year as well. That was a hard one that take. It was a really
:58:31. > :58:34.career body blow. It took him five years to return to a Crucible
:58:35. > :58:38.quarterfinal. As for Shaun Murphy, although the lost to Mark Selby,
:58:39. > :58:45.he's been a regular contender at the sharp end at the Crucible ever
:58:46. > :58:52.since, reaching two more finals and completing snooker's career Grand
:58:53. > :58:56.Slam along the way. I hope you enjoyed reliving one of snookers's
:58:57. > :59:00.classic quarterfinals. It's a match that Shaun Murphy will remember
:59:01. > :59:01.forever, Matthew Stevens would rather