:00:34. > :00:41.Hello. It is round two of the United Kingdom championship here in your's
:00:42. > :00:47.Barbican Centre. The man of the season so far in snooker, John
:00:48. > :00:51.Higgins, at the age of 40. He has won the titles in Australia and
:00:52. > :00:55.China, taking him to 28 world ranking titles in his career. That
:00:56. > :01:04.is level with Steve Davis. Somewhere to go to catch Steve Henrich. He is
:01:05. > :01:10.aiming for a fourth UK title. His second opponent was China's Tian
:01:11. > :01:15.Pengfei. He has had some success. Wedding you sit back, relax, and
:01:16. > :01:25.enjoy it is 11th frame is match. -- why don't you.
:01:26. > :01:41.It is the inform John Higgins who breaks off in this opening frame. He
:01:42. > :01:47.has played so well this season. He is up against Tian Pengfei. All the
:01:48. > :02:01.way from China. A lot of Chinese qualify this year for the UK title.
:02:02. > :02:03.-- qualified. Just about OK. Or is he? May be that red goes into the
:02:04. > :02:39.corner. A chance for him. That is a pretty good safety shot
:02:40. > :02:58.from John. A lot of people will not have seen
:02:59. > :03:06.Tian play. He certainly has a couple of scalps under his belt. He beat
:03:07. > :03:13.Ronnie Sullivan in the 2010 China open. He can play the game. Fell off
:03:14. > :03:22.the tour and then back on again. So difficult these days. There are so
:03:23. > :03:27.many players. A certain Neal Robertson fell off the tour once
:03:28. > :03:31.upon a time. He came back to be one of the best of all time. You have to
:03:32. > :03:33.be dedicated to go off the two and still want to compete. That is what
:03:34. > :04:13.he is doing. -- tour. Looks like he is tempted by the one
:04:14. > :04:18.in the middle. If it goes in he is on the black. You can see the
:04:19. > :04:23.confidence, John Higgins. It is amazing. He was a little out in the
:04:24. > :04:34.cold in the last few years. Is it just down to practising again?
:04:35. > :04:43.What a mess after that build-up. He concentrated on the cannon and
:04:44. > :04:52.missed the pot. It is quite easy to do. An unexpected chance for Tian.
:04:53. > :04:58.He needs to pull up a little bit or he will have to take the green. On
:04:59. > :05:05.the blue. The green at might be too straight to get nicely onto the red
:05:06. > :05:15.that is next to the cue ball. That is why he is looking at the brown.
:05:16. > :05:25.The green SNE Cea pot. -- is an easier. It is almost straight. A pew
:05:26. > :05:29.pauses in that queue action. A little bit different. He does have a
:05:30. > :05:51.wonderful? -- queue action. May be going into the pink in the
:05:52. > :06:28.middle. This has not worked out well. A poor shot.
:06:29. > :06:46.That was very good cueing from Tian. That was far from easy.
:06:47. > :06:55.A tricky spotting situation there. No room. The pink goes on the
:06:56. > :07:12.black's spot. The pink and black we now can play.
:07:13. > :07:16.This is a perfect angle. If he goes in that little cluster of three just
:07:17. > :07:21.to be left of that red he will open them far and right. He will be
:07:22. > :07:29.getting one in the right-hand corner and one in the left-hand corner. He
:07:30. > :07:32.has played for the loose one. He may regret that. If he does not get a
:07:33. > :07:40.good angle on the pink you will have missed a chance. He could not fail
:07:41. > :08:45.to be on the red. Let us see what happens.
:08:46. > :08:56.Pot the blue and into the bench. A little more difficult at this time.
:08:57. > :09:00.Pretty close to the cushion. That is the problem. He has been very
:09:01. > :09:04.fortunate. The way the game is played today it is an all-out
:09:05. > :09:06.attack. When you have a chance to go into the bunch you have to go into
:09:07. > :10:03.them. Every chance of getting behind the
:10:04. > :10:15.blue this time if he can avoid the middle pocket. Just sneaking off the
:10:16. > :10:23.red. He has played it twice a cross to get the cue ball over there. --
:10:24. > :10:32.across. A bit risky to trying to get in behind the blue off one question.
:10:33. > :10:39.Not the best safety shot. That is far too thick. It has worked out to
:10:40. > :11:02.Tian's advantage. He has to be careful not to send the
:11:03. > :11:10.cue ball into a pocket. Has he dropped nicely on a colour?
:11:11. > :11:18.Certainly did not play for the blue. But he is on the blue. Power needed
:11:19. > :11:24.to get back to this end of the table. Should be getting up around
:11:25. > :11:52.this end of the table. This red is not a certainty.
:11:53. > :12:06.There were a couple of shots only on in this frame... Black off the spot.
:12:07. > :12:12.Missed it by a long way. He has not settled yet. He is obviously very
:12:13. > :12:18.excited by the fact he is playing very well. There is nothing that
:12:19. > :12:25.breeds lack of confidence than missing easy balls like that. They
:12:26. > :12:51.were two of the easiest all season. He just hit that far too hard. Did
:12:52. > :12:59.not time it well. That red along the cushion not a lot of use. Not unless
:13:00. > :13:01.he can get himself on the pink. It is the one in the middle he is
:13:02. > :13:25.looking at. Not that bad. They red to the right
:13:26. > :13:33.corner. I cannot see how Tian will get nicely onto a colour. A few of
:13:34. > :13:41.those reds will go. Taking the left-hand red, so as he can get
:13:42. > :13:51.himself back down on a colour. The middle one would go as well. Will he
:13:52. > :13:57.get a favourable kiss? He has to take full advantage of this. He has
:13:58. > :14:03.seen his opponent miss a few easy shots. If he can get the first frame
:14:04. > :14:21.under his belt that would certainly fill him full of confidence.
:14:22. > :14:29.That will help his confidence as well. You don't often see them
:14:30. > :14:54.wobble and go across on the opposite pocket on these tight tables.
:14:55. > :14:58.This is a great chance. A delicate touch on the other red. It will
:14:59. > :15:17.leave him in perfect position. Most matches this season have been
:15:18. > :15:29.the best of seven frames. Not on this occasion. It is the best of 11.
:15:30. > :15:33.He will not be too perturbed. He will be perturbed about how he has
:15:34. > :16:05.played in this opening frame. He has missed three simple shots.
:16:06. > :16:19.Had not seen too much of Tian. He has a few pauses be for the final
:16:20. > :16:29.pause -- before. That is unusual. The key is delivering the cue in a
:16:30. > :16:54.straight line. APPLAUSE. Not many players queue
:16:55. > :16:58.like that. Already 43 in front. Just this at along the cushion. The first
:16:59. > :17:37.frame will be his. He must make sure this last red, he
:17:38. > :17:45.does not want to miss this. He is a past master from winning frames I
:17:46. > :17:51.snookers. That cannot go in, surely. He is having a look at the
:17:52. > :18:00.scoreboard, Tian. He is having a thing about it. He concedes the
:18:01. > :18:21.opening frame. -- John. Tian will be delighted.
:18:22. > :18:30.Might just be able to get through to this red. But look at the black. A
:18:31. > :19:07.red either side of it, tying it up completely.
:19:08. > :19:11.I could not quite tell from the angle is that just pulled up a
:19:12. > :19:28.little bit. He has covered it. What it did do, that last attempt,
:19:29. > :19:34.it has cleared the black into one corner pocket. It has opened the
:19:35. > :19:48.game up. Maybe try and get in behind the black, if he can, off the red.
:19:49. > :19:59.Even if it is a snooker is no problem. He will come of the side
:20:00. > :20:10.cushion and nestle into the bunch. -- off. I do not know what he is
:20:11. > :20:22.looking at four. Off the side cushion and into that pack and he is
:20:23. > :20:29.perfectly safe. That is a dreadful shot from Tian. It was such a wide
:20:30. > :20:41.target. He cannot believe what he has just done. It is up there with
:20:42. > :20:52.one of the worst shots we have seen. The target is six inches. Did not
:20:53. > :21:17.even play its low enough. -- it slow.
:21:18. > :21:23.John, what have you done here? Snooker the himself on the pink.
:21:24. > :21:33.Might be able to bridge passed the red to get to the blue, but... That
:21:34. > :21:41.tells you he does not fancy any of the colours. Can he see enough of
:21:42. > :21:48.the black? Just flicking off of it. Still has not settled. If you did
:21:49. > :21:52.not know any better you would think John Higgins is having a terrible
:21:53. > :21:56.time and trying to get his confidence back and trying to win a
:21:57. > :22:03.match. He has won so many this season. Three tournament victories.
:22:04. > :22:13.Left a pot on here as well. Not the greatest he has played. A little
:22:14. > :22:44.surprised he pushed the boat out. Funny
:22:45. > :22:57.That is the last thing John wanted to do, pushed the black off the
:22:58. > :22:59.cushion. Four reds. Might be a few more before the frame gets sorted
:23:00. > :23:32.out. have to concentrate on the pot and
:23:33. > :24:04.hope he gets have to concentrate on the pot and
:24:05. > :24:15.there or not. I tell have to concentrate on the pot and
:24:16. > :25:01.What he did not want to do was You would expect John to make
:25:02. > :25:06.enough. He didn't miss a couple in the opening frame. Just forget about
:25:07. > :25:24.the black. He has the blue and pink to concentrate on.
:25:25. > :25:30.He is reluctant to take the pink this early in the frame because it
:25:31. > :25:35.will be tied up. Ideally would like to get top side of the blue and play
:25:36. > :25:42.can enter those four reds. That is why he is not taking the red to get
:25:43. > :25:43.onto the pink this time. A good weight. Needs to get nicely on the
:25:44. > :26:04.blue. -- white. Just between the brown and red. He
:26:05. > :26:07.will leave the other easy red. Does not matter if he kisses that. He
:26:08. > :26:11.still has the white where he intended. That little kiss was a
:26:12. > :26:28.bonus for him. Superb queues, John Higgins, always
:26:29. > :26:34.has been. A player that got to be world champion and world number one
:26:35. > :26:44.in six seasons. Is it a weakness in his game. Very few weaknesses in his
:26:45. > :27:00.game. White reminds me of Steve Davis. He gives 110%. That is what
:27:01. > :27:06.some players do not do. I would have John Higgins in my top four players
:27:07. > :27:08.of all time. He is 40 years of age and playing as well as he has ever
:27:09. > :27:31.done. Quickly forgot about the three easy
:27:32. > :27:36.shots he missed. He is working on the blue at the moment. He knows the
:27:37. > :27:42.pink will be put out of commission. He will take one of the reds away.
:27:43. > :27:49.Ideally the one just above the four reds. That will free the pink in the
:27:50. > :27:54.right-hand corner. This is what it is all about. You have to seize the
:27:55. > :27:58.opportunity. He is doing this now. He does not mind taking the pink at
:27:59. > :28:32.some stage now. He will not be tied up.
:28:33. > :28:49.I think you might have had a slight kick off. -- he. You're of a six
:28:50. > :29:02.time world champion. A great tactical player. Ray is doing
:29:03. > :29:13.fantastic. If it's raining, he plays snooker, if not, he plays golf. His
:29:14. > :29:21.hair is a bit spiky. Let's see whether the pink will still be
:29:22. > :30:01.there. APPLAUSE One Reg to throw -- red.
:30:02. > :30:06.That was unintentional, but he is 66 ahead. He would have liked to have
:30:07. > :30:18.carried on and played the ball up here, but this is very tough.
:30:19. > :30:31.APPLAUSE Can't cue any better than that. Just streaking and around the
:30:32. > :30:35.middle pocket. -- stretching stroking it. Enough to double the
:30:36. > :31:24.scores at 1-1. He avoided the cavern, if he can get
:31:25. > :32:04.the blue back on its spot, it would help. Hasn't quite got his timing
:32:05. > :32:13.right yet, Tian. I've watched him a couple of times this season, he gets
:32:14. > :32:19.into the ball. Trying to win the frame, sometimes not as aggressive
:32:20. > :32:23.as he should be. They all look as if they are sitting nicely, but they
:32:24. > :32:25.are blocking each other into both corner pockets. Having to give it a
:32:26. > :33:10.little bit more thought. The good thing about that shot, he
:33:11. > :34:10.cleared the pink. He can take it in a moment 's time. -- moment's.
:34:11. > :34:32.Taking the red into the middle, rather than the one in the corner.
:34:33. > :35:47.Better position. I think the red just below the pink will pot into
:35:48. > :35:58.the opposite corner. APPLAUSE Either pink or blue, he's
:35:59. > :36:07.go a little bit closer to the site. He might be better planned for the
:36:08. > :36:10.blue rather than the pink. Playing for the blue, he could keep it two
:36:11. > :36:16.or three inches off the cushion, if not more. Otherwise, the pink would
:36:17. > :36:28.be difficult. Certainly better off playing for the blue. Unwell to keep
:36:29. > :37:35.the white in play -- done well. A key shot coming up, he will have
:37:36. > :37:50.to counter the other red. Not guaranteed to get nicely onto the
:37:51. > :37:54.pink. That was always going to be a problem for him, trying to force his
:37:55. > :38:15.way through. Trying to finish on the pink but it didn't work out. Quite a
:38:16. > :38:42.decent advantage with the black tied up. Would have been a bonus to get
:38:43. > :38:57.behind the green. Slightly thicker than he wanted. He has played at a
:38:58. > :39:06.little bit hard. The might be a gap between the brown and blue --
:39:07. > :39:15.there. A free shot, he went cavern into the black and should be able to
:39:16. > :39:25.get around the back of The reds. -- the reds. A long way off. Good cue
:39:26. > :39:57.ball, but did not even get the red in the jaws of the pockets.
:39:58. > :40:08.If this is dead straight, he will attempt to play a bit of a screw
:40:09. > :40:21.back. Very dangerous, but he can run through. Interesting angle he's got.
:40:22. > :40:29.He has hit the wrong side of the ball. I think he just had a little
:40:30. > :40:39.bit of side on the cue ball that he didn't intend. That is one of the
:40:40. > :40:44.keys, the secret is, on a straight shot you have to hit the cue ball
:40:45. > :40:50.right in the centre. Whether it is top or screw back. Getting a bit of
:40:51. > :41:01.unwanted side is the sort of thing that can happen. If the white hadn't
:41:02. > :41:09.have gone in, it would have been left on the table. The White goes in
:41:10. > :41:20.the deep. The safety play for both players has not been good so far
:41:21. > :41:36.today -- white. The referee asking Tian to top his shirt in -- tuck.
:41:37. > :41:40.Must be a new rule. Have a look at this shot. You mentioned earlier,
:41:41. > :41:45.one of the great safety players. That was a prime example. A triple
:41:46. > :42:04.here. APPLAUSE I can't see him not leaving
:42:05. > :42:11.a pot. I wonder if he's playing the one to the left of the black. It
:42:12. > :42:16.looks like it. Could be under frame. Maybe it should be. He is in
:42:17. > :42:49.front by 42, the second favourite. He made a nice break to secure the
:42:50. > :43:03.second frame. APPLAUSE A terrible shock, he might
:43:04. > :43:14.have won in the middle but he doesn't have the pace of the table
:43:15. > :43:38.just yet -- have one. Should be OK, but has to keep it as easy as
:43:39. > :43:46.possible. You couldn't ask for the balls to be sitting any better. He
:43:47. > :44:02.has every chance of going on to take this frame. Not always a long pot
:44:03. > :44:06.that gets you into the frame. The next snooker. It is almost
:44:07. > :44:20.impossible to hit one and get it said. -- safe. He can only sit and
:44:21. > :44:30.hope that the green will come to his rescue. Looking at the point --
:44:31. > :45:27.points, this could be the saviour. He will have worked out that he is
:45:28. > :45:32.going to need the difficult green. He would have to get perfect on the
:45:33. > :45:50.yellow if he gets that far to give himself a chance of getting on the
:45:51. > :45:55.green. Might even, he will have to go up the table. That angle. He can
:45:56. > :46:11.hope for the pink. A key shot coming up. How he leaves himself on the
:46:12. > :46:24.yellow. Doesn't want to be straight. If he doesn't get on to the green.
:46:25. > :46:35.He had gotten angle, was able to force it across the table. Will need
:46:36. > :46:40.the brown as well. It's one of those you would like to have it straight.
:46:41. > :47:00.You can see the pop it in your eye line. If he just while sitting, it
:47:01. > :47:08.makes it -- if he just wipes it in, it makes it more difficult. Very
:47:09. > :47:11.good. You can tell he is growing in confidence. A few mistakes, starting
:47:12. > :47:46.to look very good. Doesn't matter about the blue, if he
:47:47. > :48:06.misses. Awkward, he just can't find a place to rest it. Not quite over
:48:07. > :48:14.yet, barring a snooker John Higgins will take a 2-1 lead. Can he get
:48:15. > :48:22.himself a good angle? Get the snooker? On the pink? Make sure you
:48:23. > :48:24.get a nice angle either side so you can play a half wall and get it
:48:25. > :48:57.behind the black. -- ball. Not the best place to put the cue
:48:58. > :49:05.ball when trying to get a snooker. Behind the black. Only needs the one
:49:06. > :49:13.snooker. He should concentrate on leaving a debtor angle than this.
:49:14. > :49:20.Could it even attempt to snooker where he left the cue ball --
:49:21. > :49:32.couldn't. Trying to get in behind the black. Just thought about pace,
:49:33. > :49:45.if he gets it right. The angle of the cue ball... Obviously still the
:49:46. > :49:56.big favourite. You usually need two or three snooker 's. -- snookers.
:49:57. > :50:39.Getting behind the black. A half chance to get it behind the
:50:40. > :50:41.black. A lot more difficult to play. John Higgins rolling the pink over
:50:42. > :51:05.the corner. A check here if he hits the right
:51:06. > :51:12.side of the pink. He could swing the white around the ankles. -- angles.
:51:13. > :51:33.Doesn't look as if he is putting any side on this. Trying to keep it
:51:34. > :51:40.safe. Trying to push the black over the corner. A bit of a surprise two
:51:41. > :52:06.shot ago when John failed to put the pink in the left-hand corner pocket.
:52:07. > :52:17.I would like the black away from where it is sitting, in a good
:52:18. > :52:22.position to get a snooker. If the black is in the middle of the table,
:52:23. > :52:27.it is tough to get a snooker behind. Where it is, if you get the right
:52:28. > :52:31.angle, not in a bad spot to get in behind. From this position, not so
:52:32. > :53:17.much. Much more difficult to get in behind
:53:18. > :53:21.the black, close to the question. Do a chance but not as good. -- still.
:53:22. > :53:44.That is why it was further away. That should just about wrap it up.
:53:45. > :53:56.Having said that, a few safety shots cueing to finish this frame off.
:53:57. > :54:52.Good cueing from John Higgins who lost the opening frame. He took the
:54:53. > :55:07.next two, and now leads. I know Stephen Hendry favoured John to do
:55:08. > :55:13.well this year. Has he left a path to the red in the left corner? No,
:55:14. > :56:10.too tight. Never gain advantage with that kind
:56:11. > :56:18.of shot. Making it easier for your opponent. It is what we call a
:56:19. > :56:24.containing safety shot. Waiting for an attempt to get back into a
:56:25. > :56:28.position where he can get to a snooker. He can't do it at the
:56:29. > :57:13.moment. He has to suffer for a while. That's what you're looking
:57:14. > :57:28.for, yet the white as close to the cushion as possible. Very
:57:29. > :57:37.difficult. Still got a possible rollup available. I just wonder if
:57:38. > :57:39.he's looking... No. Flexing his arm. I thought he was going to try to
:57:40. > :57:53.create some backspin. Won't have to move too far, back in
:57:54. > :58:14.the same position again I would feel. It was key that he got tight
:58:15. > :58:24.on the cushion. Got to gain the advantage. Away from the cushion,
:58:25. > :58:42.John can generate enough backspin. You can see him raising the cue.
:58:43. > :59:01.Looks a little bit more comfortable. A little concerned in the opening
:59:02. > :59:09.frame when he missed a few. That is good.
:59:10. > :59:18.Straightforward this time for John. Those two reds. He could leave a
:59:19. > :59:23.couple for the middle pocket. Might be able to play the Wandown the left
:59:24. > :59:29.corner pocket. Off the side cushion. Just nestle in behind that. If he
:59:30. > :59:41.does not fancy the two reds between the pink and black spot. I think he
:59:42. > :59:49.will try to get the white up near where I mentioned. A very good shot
:59:50. > :00:25.indeed. That is very tight, isn't it? White
:00:26. > :00:30.past the brown. When you are so close to it is difficult to judge
:00:31. > :00:39.it. John is having a good look over his shoulder it looks good to me.
:00:40. > :01:01.The next one will be better. Good putt that. I cannot see an easy
:01:02. > :01:10.safety shot to put John Higgins in trouble. -- pot. The only way
:01:11. > :01:19.Keating get an advantage is to get the white tight on the cushion
:01:20. > :01:25.directly behind the brown. -- he could.
:01:26. > :01:54.Has he taken this on? Takes a pot on here, I will be very surprised. I
:01:55. > :02:23.think it was a little bit of both. Half pot, half safety.
:02:24. > :02:35.Nice attempt there. I don't see anything that pots in the middle.
:02:36. > :03:43.They all seem to be covering one and other.
:03:44. > :03:54.He would like to get the cue ball close to the yellow. If he can sneak
:03:55. > :04:04.him on that red, which is trying to do... -- snooker. The only problem
:04:05. > :04:13.if he plays that red, it is not going anywhere.
:04:14. > :04:23.That is why he has just played to roll up to it. A spot of bother
:04:24. > :04:36.now. Always tricky, that type of shot. It can roll off new slightly.
:04:37. > :04:44.It did there. -- off on it you. Tian is smiling a way to himself. Maybe
:04:45. > :04:51.it did drift slightly. The last frame, it was not as bad as this
:04:52. > :04:55.situation. He was in a much tougher predicament, made one mistake, and
:04:56. > :05:02.it cost him the frame. That is why he is giving this plenty of
:05:03. > :05:07.thought. At first glance, the two reds, just above the black, it could
:05:08. > :05:19.rest on those. If he over or under hits it could be a problem. I cannot
:05:20. > :05:26.see an easy red to play. He has problems. That is why he is taking
:05:27. > :05:34.so long. Even the cushion to flick of a red, that does not seem to be
:05:35. > :05:46.on either. It has got to be so precise. That is nowhere near. Once
:05:47. > :05:53.again, he has to go and sit down and see how many John Higgins will pot.
:05:54. > :05:58.It is like these young players, they practise and practice the breaking,
:05:59. > :06:02.but they have to spend more time on realising what these cushions do. It
:06:03. > :06:07.was a big target to finish. You cannot afford to hit them on the
:06:08. > :06:11.left-hand side. So you favour hitting them fickle or on the
:06:12. > :06:13.right-hand side. That is to hit them on the left-hand side. So you favour
:06:14. > :06:16.hitting them fickle or on the right-hand side. That is two shots
:06:17. > :06:17.he has played in the safety department that has not been good
:06:18. > :10:26.enough for the level. Just the way the reds are, you are
:10:27. > :10:31.not playing from one specific red, you are giving yourself a choice of
:10:32. > :10:36.three possible reds. Watch the white as it comes off the cushion. He is
:10:37. > :10:48.leaving reds to the left corner and reds to the right. Those are bit
:10:49. > :10:56.harder, one to the middle. -- goes a bit.
:10:57. > :11:04.Although he has not been at his best and had a shaky opening frame, he
:11:05. > :11:07.has had a break of 60 and a break of 63. He is getting better with each
:11:08. > :11:34.frame. You are looking at a player who has
:11:35. > :11:40.won 28 ranking titles. Equal with Steve Davis now. Stephen Hendry has
:11:41. > :11:47.had 36. It is great to see him at the age of 40 back playing like
:11:48. > :11:52.this. It becomes a more difficult game. You have battle scars, having
:11:53. > :12:04.lost a number of matches. You start to wonder if you can ever do it
:12:05. > :12:12.again. I think in-out has a table at home. -- he now has. It makes a
:12:13. > :12:16.difference. And they think he changed cues a couple of times. The
:12:17. > :12:22.one he has now he is comfortable with. That is important, getting the
:12:23. > :12:26.right cue that suits you. It is not like golf or tennis where you can
:12:27. > :12:36.just pick up or change a racket. You can get two cues made identical and
:12:37. > :12:40.they will play differently. Is getting close to the 600 century
:12:41. > :12:47.breaks. There is an excellent chance of making the century. He is one of
:12:48. > :13:08.the game's great safety players. Tried to bring the pink into play to
:13:09. > :13:34.make it easier to get the clearance. What a change. It takes Joe Higgins
:13:35. > :14:15.into the interval. The interval is over. John Higgins
:14:16. > :14:17.broke off. Left a slight chance of a pot. Do not think he will be playing
:14:18. > :14:37.it. It is not bad, as it has turned out.
:14:38. > :14:44.But he could have left all sorts on. I think he thought he had a
:14:45. > :14:48.chance of getting on the black. He would have been awfully close to the
:14:49. > :14:59.black. I thought he would play the dump a shot, as we call it.
:15:00. > :15:13.Unfortunate not to leave the red on that he played for. Tricky. It has
:15:14. > :15:17.turned out now to Tian's advantage. He is thinking that he would not be
:15:18. > :15:37.John Higgins in the tactical department. Maybe he will go for
:15:38. > :15:43.more of his shots. Not quite hard enough for the blue. To take the
:15:44. > :16:30.yellow. The easiest ball to get on to his next red.
:16:31. > :16:38.Mentioned in the opening frame about some of his wins throughout his
:16:39. > :16:43.short career. Against Ronnie O'Sullivan and Ryan David. Last year
:16:44. > :17:00.he defeated Neal Robertson at the German Masters. He was a runner up
:17:01. > :17:05.in one of the European two events -- tour. As we mentioned, falling off
:17:06. > :17:14.the tour and getting back on again does some doing.
:17:15. > :17:21.This did not quite have enough angle to pot the pink and bring the red
:17:22. > :17:26.into play. Don't think he can screw round the back of the black. It
:17:27. > :17:31.looks thin. He may be able to do it. The cushion seems to be quick. He
:17:32. > :17:35.has to be careful not to lose their white. By that I mean get it towards
:17:36. > :18:09.the left-hand side cushion. It takes a bit of getting used to
:18:10. > :18:12.watching Tian's cue action. He has two or three pauses before that
:18:13. > :18:22.final pause. It is certainly different. You think is going to hit
:18:23. > :18:25.it there. Then he stops again. The key is delivering the cue in a
:18:26. > :18:42.straight line. It is terrific to see so many good
:18:43. > :18:51.players coming from China. That win in the final of the World Cup, John
:18:52. > :19:07.Higgins, Stephen Weigh, they lost to a 17 and a 15-year-old from China.
:19:08. > :19:12.That is incredible. 15 years of age. I think he was the same player that
:19:13. > :19:19.beat Shaun Murphy in an event in China. I think he also beat Neal
:19:20. > :19:24.Robertson, the Champion of champions. Also Thailand. There are
:19:25. > :19:31.a couple of players from there. I was impressed with the one who won a
:19:32. > :19:40.tournament. Looks like another Jimmy White, he hits the ball so good.
:19:41. > :20:02.Left-handed, like Jimmy was. He is a fabulous player.
:20:03. > :20:10.Looks to have run out of reds. It is essential he gets a good angle on
:20:11. > :20:34.the black. Not a great pack to go into. Two good shots on the trot.
:20:35. > :20:49.Has he got the angle? It is offstreet, but he will have to power
:20:50. > :20:54.it a little bit. -- off straight. Even then, it was difficult to
:20:55. > :21:00.generate enough pace and spin to open the reds. The angle he got on
:21:01. > :21:06.the black was not what he intended. That would have won him the frame if
:21:07. > :21:07.he had a nice bit there. He knows, against John Higgins, the game is
:21:08. > :21:21.far from safe. As it turned out, it is a terrible
:21:22. > :21:36.shot but it might have worked to his advantage. He has knocked the blue
:21:37. > :21:37.to a safe position. It is one of those occasions where the poorer
:21:38. > :22:47.shot works to your advantage. The shot he is playing might open
:22:48. > :22:59.the pink. He has to get a good cue ball to open the game up a bit. He
:23:00. > :23:08.did not leave the pink -- move. John coming around to have a look. See if
:23:09. > :23:15.he can have a go at a red-back and get himself onto the black. If he
:23:16. > :23:18.stays at the right side of the table, not easy, there are a couple
:23:19. > :23:28.of reds in the way of getting onto that black. He has played it well.
:23:29. > :23:46.Kuyt that beautifully. The chance for the counter-attack. -- cued. If
:23:47. > :23:54.he plays a plain-ball he does not get the position he got there. John
:23:55. > :24:08.Higgins is favourite to win the frame now with where the balls are.
:24:09. > :25:18.This would hurt Tian Pengfei as he knows he should win this frame.
:25:19. > :25:24.Depends what colours he takes here as to whether he will need the blue
:25:25. > :25:30.that was accidentally knocked into a safer position. John might be able
:25:31. > :25:34.to score enough to leave Tian needing a snooker when they get to
:25:35. > :25:40.that stage. There are an awful lot of bolster be potted before that
:25:41. > :26:28.situation -- balls to. As we mentioned, he had a little
:26:29. > :27:00.shaky start in the opening frame. He is starting to motor.
:27:01. > :27:10.He could get nicely back onto the black again. Does not want to be
:27:11. > :27:16.straight. He could have played that a little better. He wanted that
:27:17. > :27:26.white further off the cushion. A little bit careless, that. As you
:27:27. > :27:33.can see, now he has to Forsett. -- force it. That is no good. We'll
:27:34. > :27:34.have to play the smirk Enow. He would have wanted to have clinched
:27:35. > :27:51.it. -- snooker now. We will see how he plays the escape
:27:52. > :27:57.from the snooker. He has not once got away with it. It is not about
:27:58. > :28:18.hitting it, it is about getting it safe. That is dreadfully
:28:19. > :28:19.unfortunate. It was a good escape. Tian is smiling. But how unlucky was
:28:20. > :28:57.that? Took the chance, puts him 18 in
:28:58. > :29:11.Florence. Trying to put the blue into play. He will be disappointed
:29:12. > :29:17.he didn't play the brown. Now it is difficult to hit. I think he will be
:29:18. > :29:22.playing the shot. There is no way for him to get onto the blue. It
:29:23. > :29:26.will be a big advantage if he can knock it in, even if he doesn't
:29:27. > :29:46.finish on the blue. It would leave him 18 in front.
:29:47. > :30:01.Not an easy situation for John, got to be a wee bit careful.
:30:02. > :30:18.A bit lucky, the way he played it. The double-kiss. Going back to his
:30:19. > :30:34.seat with a little smile. Massive fluke. Still well into the game, 18
:30:35. > :30:43.behind. Played that pretty well. Good shot from Tian. Even on an easy
:30:44. > :30:58.escape, you're never sure whether blues going to finish up. -- Blue's
:30:59. > :31:17.you just hit it and hope for the best. The referee cleaning the cue
:31:18. > :31:34.ball. This is a chance. Got to cue this perfectly. Not easy. Will he
:31:35. > :31:42.risked a double? Easy to play a snooker behind the luck. Might take
:31:43. > :31:47.a double on to secure the frame -- black.
:31:48. > :32:07.APPLAUSE Safely in the middle pocket. All looking very good for
:32:08. > :32:22.John Higgins. The pink as well. Tian had a chance, was a bit unlucky.
:32:23. > :33:50.Higgins grabbed his chance. In the lead, 4-1.
:33:51. > :34:09.You mentioned he came out looking to be a bit more aggressive, he has a
:34:10. > :34:17.chance here. Very good, I'm lucky. Pledge to drift past the pink. Still
:34:18. > :34:45.got a pink he could pot in the middle. Not straightforward at the
:34:46. > :34:55.moment. Slightly hampered with a few reds. Played that well, delightful
:34:56. > :35:05.shot. A good run through to leave himself on the black. I think he
:35:06. > :35:12.knows that this is a must win frame. Down against John Higgins,
:35:13. > :35:26.you wouldn't give him much of a chance. Finished a bit straighter
:35:27. > :35:33.than he intended. Still got the red to the right, he could screw back of
:35:34. > :35:40.the side question and out onto it. You can see some reverse, as it hits
:35:41. > :35:47.the cushion and spins to the right. Didn't get the side. Full got to put
:35:48. > :35:56.a trace of side on it. A big margin for error. Callous. Even if he
:35:57. > :36:06.thinks it is not onto plate, you could put a little bit of sight to
:36:07. > :36:30.make sure. He needed that white behind the yellow.
:36:31. > :36:43.Very close to being the perfect safety shot from John Higgins. He
:36:44. > :37:32.must get a good weight this time. A bit better.
:37:33. > :38:04.APPLAUSE There is a path around the black taking him into the left
:38:05. > :38:14.corner. Should be able to avoid hitting one of the other balls.
:38:15. > :38:22.Nicely played. Good chance, he has to take full advantage. If he can
:38:23. > :38:30.get it to four - two, he still might have a chance. -- Seattle Seahawks.
:38:31. > :38:50.Plenty of reds to -- play for. Leaving the black into
:38:51. > :39:06.the left corner. Just have to be a bit careful, but should be OK.
:39:07. > :39:16.Nicely played. A lovely shot to see. It is hard to play. You have to
:39:17. > :39:23.practise it for quite sometime. A lot of stun run-through is a played
:39:24. > :39:29.in the lineup. That is where you put six reds between the pink and black.
:39:30. > :39:36.Just try and practice your break the thing without disturbing the red.
:39:37. > :40:16.You have to pick them off. Good practice routine for break-building.
:40:17. > :40:24.This is where he has to keep full concentration. To the stage where he
:40:25. > :40:27.was in the previous frame. Trying to open the reds up. Nothing to disturb
:40:28. > :41:31.him. Back in perfect position now. open the reds up. Nothing to disturb
:41:32. > :41:38.him. Back in perfect position open the reds up. Nothing to disturb
:41:39. > :41:56.he is a player who will do well in tournaments. Not
:41:57. > :41:56.he is a player who will do well in breaks. Already got ten this season.
:41:57. > :42:23.Could make it 11. breaks. Already got ten this season.
:42:24. > :42:31.strongly favoured. He must have played at least eight is done
:42:32. > :42:49.through shots in this break, their's and Ottawan -- eight stomp
:42:50. > :43:23.through the back -- stun through -- and there's another one. Just one
:43:24. > :43:30.more key positional shot. Could do with an angle on that road. Let us
:43:31. > :43:46.have a look what angle he has got -- red. Could just about get it off the
:43:47. > :43:51.cushion. Did not fancy that. Outshot kind of moves to the red, has he got
:43:52. > :43:59.the angle to do it? We will find out shortly. -- that shot. I think it
:44:00. > :44:11.will pass the blue, not the yellow. Have to cut it to the middle. It
:44:12. > :44:25.would be nice if he made a century. APPLAUSE
:44:26. > :44:32.You can imagine how good these players are in practice. It is like
:44:33. > :44:41.a job of work, practising. Up to eight hours a day. They would not
:44:42. > :44:45.miss in practice. It's the ones who can take that to the tournament
:44:46. > :44:50.table that get the success. It has been a superb effort. Especially
:44:51. > :44:55.after the disappointment of the previous frame. Saw the white
:44:56. > :45:18.disappear into the top corner pocket. Needs to gather his thoughts
:45:19. > :45:33.and make that century. Free. -- lovely. He is getting right back
:45:34. > :45:35.into this match. Well done to Tian. He fell behind after the frame, but
:45:36. > :46:21.he played so well. A good job the yellow is where it
:46:22. > :47:44.is, he knows he is sure to have some sort of pot on it.
:47:45. > :47:52.Didn't use that cannon nicely. Can't expect to get near the cushion.
:47:53. > :48:30.Could play the pot in the middle, a bit fraught. He would not really
:48:31. > :48:36.have a great shot. Very thin. A terrific cut to the middle pocket,
:48:37. > :48:51.got the perfect angle to the red and pink. Just caught the side. It makes
:48:52. > :49:03.all the difference. Hitting the side of the red rather than full on. You
:49:04. > :49:07.have to be extremely careful here what you do in this safety shot.
:49:08. > :49:14.Playing down the right-hand side, kiss on the green or the brown. A
:49:15. > :49:28.bit of trouble if he misses the kiss on the brown. Wants to get the red
:49:29. > :49:32.two up from the pink. Got to get through the gap between the green
:49:33. > :49:34.and brown. If he kiss as those, he could get a pot in the middle. This
:49:35. > :49:49.is not straightforward. -- kisses. Not too sure about the way he played
:49:50. > :49:56.that. I thought he would have played it thicker. Noise in the crowd, John
:49:57. > :50:13.Higgins turning around to have a look. That is why it was such a poor
:50:14. > :50:47.safety shot. You can't afford to play a bad safety shot against John
:50:48. > :50:50.Higgins. In a couple of shots, he could leave himself on the pink. It
:50:51. > :51:21.would be perfect to open the -- bunch up. Hasn't got the angle
:51:22. > :51:30.this time, he will have to play for the blue. Unless he can come off the
:51:31. > :51:39.side of the bunch. Just off the side of the blue. Have a look around.
:51:40. > :51:57.Always worth having a look. That is what he is doing. He could hit it
:51:58. > :52:03.with a bit more pace. A red that goes. The one above the pink.
:52:04. > :52:12.Nothing wrong with that choice, he can open the reds. Plenty of room
:52:13. > :52:45.for that one. Going to be perfect on the pink. He thought he would be, he
:52:46. > :52:49.is still OK. Slowly but surely getting close to a position where he
:52:50. > :52:53.feels he can win the frame. Plenty available. Whatever happens, should
:52:54. > :53:40.get a sizeable lead. Not sure about this one. It has kept
:53:41. > :53:41.travelling. That's good, got right down the side of the pink.
:53:42. > :54:25.Completely mishit a shot. -- that V3 reds are awkward. One will go
:54:26. > :54:47.into the middle pocket. A little triangle of reds. A bit of work to
:54:48. > :54:51.do to seal the match. If this one goes to the middle pocket, it will
:54:52. > :55:04.be the end of the match you would think. It must be tight. Played
:55:05. > :55:13.beautifully, the case was fine. He can screw back for the black or the
:55:14. > :55:42.pink. Can't leave anything on. Brilliant, well done. Didn't quite
:55:43. > :55:57.get enough on the reverse side. Still OK in the middle. That's
:55:58. > :56:08.nearly popped out. It looks like the end. It looks like a comfortable win
:56:09. > :56:16.for John, but there were a few frames that Tian could have won.
:56:17. > :56:22.Yes. We talked about it in between frames. He looks very capable in all
:56:23. > :56:37.departments. Could have easily won at least two
:56:38. > :56:50.more frames. Can he finished with a century? Apart from the opening
:56:51. > :57:03.frame, where he looked a bit edgy, everything else has been pretty
:57:04. > :57:10.good. Solid stuff. APPLAUSE He has not really given any
:57:11. > :57:16.impression that he would not be one of the favourites to win this
:57:17. > :57:27.tournament. It would be great if he could win the UK championship at 40
:57:28. > :57:30.years of age. Generous odds. 12-1. I think he was higher than that before
:57:31. > :57:39.the tournament started. Take a bit of beating with this sort of form.
:57:40. > :57:46.Safely through this match if he can get a century. He will only have to
:57:47. > :58:08.make one more century to get into the 600 centre break club. There are
:58:09. > :58:14.only about two players in that. Absolutely superb! Completing the
:58:15. > :58:27.match with 103. Taking him to the second round. Good win for John
:58:28. > :58:33.Higgins, he only conceded three frames in his first two matches. 20
:58:34. > :58:41.more snooker coming your way from 1pm on Sunday. -- plenty. You will
:58:42. > :58:49.be able to access it via the BBC website and the red button. We will
:58:50. > :58:52.be on BBC Two at 5:25 p.m.. Could it be before that, depending on how
:58:53. > :58:56.things go at the crucial Davis cup match in Belgium. We will catch you
:58:57. > :58:58.at some point, in the meantime, sleep well.