Day 4 UK Snooker Championship Highlights

Hello. Shaun Murphy is back in the tournament that provided him with

his last major title in 2008. He is one of four former champion still

left in this year's williamhill.com championship. It is his match

against Graeme Dott that is our first port of call. This promised

to be a tough match for Murphy but he made a great start, winning

three of the first four frames as we join it in frame five.

Commentators are John Virgo and Steve Davis.

Your worst fear when you play that shot. You think the only bed you

can possibly leave is the one you are playing. When you get the

double-kiss, as he did it, that is That could have worked out better.

He will have to play the green now. Got to find a target here. It is

Just a little bit short of where he wants to be. Straight on the red,

he would have had the option to run through on the black. Now he is

Just about on the pink but not that advertising. Great cue power there

from Shaun Murphy. Just had enough to get free of those reds and then

put the pink towards the green But was not as risky as it looked.

Right in the heart. -- that was not. A very good shot. Particularly when

you are striking down, as he was. Right in the heart of the pocket,

as you say. I think he thought he was on this red in the corner. Is

A little nudge on the red to the right of it. He is asking for the

pink to be respotted. Perfectly within his rights. He thought he

could get to this red a bit more There are loads of positions that

are on the spot, on to there? remember many, many years ago, with

another referee who is no longer with us, as is the player I am

going to refer to, Alex Higgins. He could just get through and leave

himself on the pink and Alex Higgins asked if he could respot. I

think it was a pink, funnily enough. The referee said no and walked away.

It is an interesting situation. You ask the referee to respot if you do

not think it was put on the spot properly. The referee could say he

thought it was but you could then ask for him to cleaned the ball

because there is to stun it. The same thing. You could get round it

that way, couldn't you? He got a kick there. He came low on the pink.

That is no good. -- on the pink. he was a bit straight on the pink...

Well, you can see the hop, skip and jump. If he had been straighter, he

could. He was able to manoeuvre the Can he hold for the pink into the

left middle? If not, he has a problem he played that well. I did

not think that was on to play it like that but he cued it

He should be able to maintain position on the pink and perhaps

even disturb a few reds. More than a few! That is fantastic. If he had

got the right side of the blue, it would have been even better. Just

crumbled through. He will have a longer pot and he would have wanted.

There you would not bet against him getting this. It is the type of

No reason to suspect he will not win the frame because he has done

Nothing Graeme Dott can do. He got the double-kiss and maybe did not

think it was going to cost him the frame. But it could well have done.

Apology for the loss of subtitles for 51 seconds

That puts him 67 points in front, with just 59 remaining. Nicely on

the black. I don't think Graeme Dott will be getting back to the

There is a possibility of bettering the highest break, which at the

moment is joined the hunt at 131 by Marco Fu and Stephen Maguire. --

I do not the 131 will be the highest break at the end of the

week. -- do not think. He has a chance to equal it. Not any more.

It is a long time since a 131 has won the highest break of the

tournament. Power Snooker from Shaun Murphy here, though. The

important first frame after the break. Any hope that Graeme Dott

had that he could get back into the Missed the time, had to use the

pink. He has played some very good positional shots. Now just a little

Excellent! Just one bit of bad luck for Graeme Dott when he played a

part, got the double-kiss, left the red on and Shaun Murphy did the

business. Tremendous break of 130, one shy of the highest but he will

not be too bothered. He now leads four frames to one.

STUDIO: Graeme Dott and said that to win the next frame to stop but

Shaun Murphy won the next to lead 5-2. The world number four closed

out the match in frame eight, thanks primarily to a break of 57,

and ensured he is through to the last date of the UK Championship

for the 5th time in the last six years. Graeme Dott Exits the

tournament for the third successive year in round two. But it seems

that Murphy, who turned 30 this year, is currently in a rich vein

of form and will now play either Mark King or Luca Brecel.

I have never seen anyone have so much bad luck in such short match.

I thought Graham was really unlucky. Every time he came to the table,

something terrible seem to happen. A bad bout, a bad kiss, about split,

and I think that was the determining factor tonight. On

another night, it would have been a lot closer. It is a big event this,

our second biggest tournament, and comes just before Christmas.

Everyone is looking to finish their year off nicely and have a great

Christmas holiday so too have come here and done all right and got to

the quarters, half way, is good but there is a lot left to go and I'm

keen to push on. So, Shaun Murphy is through to the latter stages of

a major tournament once again. Let's see who else has joined him

in the quarter-finals from this afternoon's matches.

Mark Joyce produced the shock of the tournament to defeat defending

champion Judd Trump but could not repeated against Ali Carter. I have

not played anywhere near my best stuff but I am in the quarter-

finals. Today was a potential banana skin, really, but I felt

under pressure. It was a match I was there to win because I lost him

a couple of years ago. I was not very well then. But he is a good

player and has beaten Judd Trump in a big tournament so all credit to

him. But I think today, I just showed my experience and I am

pleased to get through. Joining Carter in the quarter-finals is

Welshman Matthew Stevens, he came through a tough match against Marco

Fu, winning 6-4. It is the first time since 2003 that he has made it

to the last eight, when he went all the way to being the brown champion.

If you win a couple of big matches, you are feeling good for the rest

of the tournament. I have got either John Higgins or Mark Davis

so I am just pleased to be in the quarter-final and looking forward

to the next match. So we have news on one more match to bring you and

that features one of the most improved snooker players of recent

seasons. He is now established among the world's top 16 for stop

Give me a cue and a table, I will play anywhere. Playing a lot of

tournaments. It is about 30 now this season. It is tiring. There is

a lot of travelling, jet lag, but It just seems like I am literally

getting home one day, packing, doing my washing and ironing,

packing again and then off I go. I came back from China a couple of

weeks ago on a Sunday morning. Monday afternoon, I was going to

Gloucester to play in one of the PTCs. That is the way it goes.

People look forward to going home to the hotel but it is a bit of a

ball sometimes. But at the end of the day, we are there to play

snooker and that is the job. I am so my son grow up and my

stepdaughter, missing my fiancee and my mum and dad and my friends.

But we keep in touch through Facebook, Twitter and places like

that. But it is hard. You get very lonely sometimes and it can get a

bit boring but that is part of life. That is part of my job and I have

got to do it. To win that first tournament is a major breakthrough

and from then, I have gone strength to strength. You cannot go any

further than Australia and it is an unbelievable feeling to beat the

world number-one and to time Mark Williams in the final. It gave me

the self belief that I needed. It would be great to get to the final

in the UK and lift that trophy. I was watching it on TV and they

showed you the trophy and I said to one of my mates, "that would be

lovely in my front room and angry. Stuart Bingham was up against 2000

of for UK champion Stephen Maguire and this proved to be a high

quality encounter. There was little to choose between them, with Stuart

Bingham holding a 3-2 advantage. Commentary comes from Willie Thorne

DENNIS TAYLOR: I think he pushed that, you know. He turned around to

the referee and said it was a push. That is why we are so proud in our

game. A player called a foul. You know yourself that you have pushed

it. He is not safe in the frame. He can't believe that. There was only

that right hand red on Lee cushion that is a problem. He will be

thinking that three more reds and three more cushions will be enough

Apology for the loss of subtitles for 51 seconds

to play for the green. That is the This two reds are available into

the left corner pocket. This could be a big turning point in this

match. First to six. Stephen Maguire looked almost certain to be

But he immediately declared that push shot. It was one that was

debatable but he knew himself that he had pushed it. It is where the

tip, the cue ball and the object ball are all in contact at the same

Not the best. I don't know if he can pot the pink and hope for the

two reds. He wanted to be a bit further across the table to make it

comfortable for himself. There may He is thinking about that red that

I don't know if he can pot the pink and go up past the green and maybe

move the red on the way back down because if he misses that red, he

will get on to the two reds. But how close to the green would he

have to do with the cue ball? Can he just screw straighter over on to

the difficult red? He could hold it. That was about the best he could do

there. He has been playing catch-up asked four or five pots. He has

never been perfect on any of the He has got on the pink nicely. He

was not guaranteed to do that. It will be tough to get on the green

If he does not play for the green, it is going to be very difficult to

move that red from one of the high value colours. He has got a bit of

an angle here. Would you risk going in between the blue and pink for

He took the risk and played it absolutely perfectly. Maybe it has

come up just a little bit short for I think that goes past the yellow.

That was the key shot. It really was a wonderful shot on the last

put one red to get into the green with a chance of moving that last

red out. That was the key shot, wasn't it? It certainly was because

to get between the green and the blue and leave the gap, that was

the best shot of the match so far. Stuart is returning the compliment.

In frame three, he started with 52. This time, the choir started with

60. Can Bingham clear it to win? -- What a time for Maguire to have

played a push shot! This has been a Let's first of all congratulate

Maguire on being a true gentleman and admitting the push shot and

then second be, let's congratulate Stuart Bingham for clearing to go

4-2 in front. Who knows how costly that foul by

Stephen Maguire will be in the long run? As it is, he is two frames

down as we rejoin the action in frame seven, Maguire in the table

This puts him 12 and front, so two red and two high value colours two

he can probably do it with two You always have to keep one eye on

Apology for the loss of subtitles for 51 seconds

the scoreboard when you are playing. 18 ahead. Sometimes you look at the

scoreboard and can't quite added up because you are thinking about so

many things. B&B added it up. But he does not need the green. Heath

flew off the cushion and he could have played for pink but blue or

pink and the yellow would have secured the frame. He has left

Apology for the loss of subtitles for 51 seconds

Amazing! Absolutely amazing! He is He had to take the blue there. If

Stuart doubles this green, he might Nick another frame. Stephen Maguire

had a break of 60 in the previous frame with a push shot. Stuart

Bingham cleared up to 63 and now if this double goes in, he might pinch

At least he has not left the green. He has not hit this. He has quit on

the shot. He has not stuck the green up but he did not push the

That was a terrific shot. He brought the black into play and has

put the green safe - and look where he has put the cue ball! Even

Stephen Maguire attacked the table there. That is a fabulous shot that

he has just played there. All of a That was unbelievable. Probably the

shot of the tournament there, what's to would be understood. It

really was fantastic. -- what This will be an unbelievable steel

It could quite easily have been 4-3 the other way to Stephen Maguire,

and every chance now that he could Two ways of playing this - plain

ball and miss the pocket on the left. That is the more

straightforward way, rather than trying to stun it around the angles.

Just make sure you don't go near the middle pocket, or not too close

He swung it around and he has gone too hard. That was a little bit of

an edgy one from Stuart Bingham. A That is what he was worried about.

All he could see in his eyes was the middle pocket so he tried to

get enough with an side on, but he overhit it so badly. Having played

one of the best shots of the tournament so far, he has played

almost the worst positional shot. Now, he is looking at the safety

shot, rather than trying to pot the pink to the middle and leave a

The safety shot, he has played, and it looks to be a good one, although

not quite, the pink is on. You have got to keep the object ball safe

when you're playing that type of pot. He will have to be careful

with the cue ball, it is going to That is a super shot but it has to

be said, Stuart Bingham should not have let him the chance. Stephen

Maguire will be very well leaked. And he is just one behind, now, at

4-3. 4-3 became 4-4 as Stephen Maguire took frame it with a break

of 69, the 9th half-century of the match, so far, here is frame nine,

Well played. Lovely shot. Needs to pull up a little bit otherwise he's

going to be hampered on the black. Played with top-spin and a little

touch of side. If that had pulled up six inches shorter, he could

I don't know if he can reach over here with it the extension on his

cue. He is of to get that, because the black is in the way when he

Apology for the loss of subtitles for 51 seconds

That is a pretty good shot. This is a really good chance to take a want

rain beat again. -- a one frame lead. Of course, he has got a

terrific temperament as well, Stuart Bingham. He has quickly put

out of his mind what has happened in the last couple of frames. That

comes with experience. And I suppose, winning helps you in the

sort of situation when the pressure's on. Having had previous

success, that stands you in very That was a little careless, getting

the red right over the middle and then he failed to get over the top

of the blue. So after a bit of distance between cue ball and

object ball in his next shot. He will certainly be a little bit

Considering he didn't play particularly good shot match on the

Apology for the loss of subtitles for 51 seconds

previous red, that was an excellent He is taking his time, and I don't

blame him. He is at a crucial part of the match a. He has the red to

the middle pocket as a little bit of insurance, at the cannon doesn't

quite work out. Which has come to his best you on this occasion,

because those six reds, he has used the cannon and not put any of them

into a pottable position. He missed the one he played the cannon onto.

He is OK, he has got a choice, this one to the right, or that one to

the middle. This time he is straighter on the black so he might

just pay the up a loose red. -- tidy up the loose red. He has

overscrewed that, somewhat. His plan of attack would have been to

drop this red into the middle pocket than cannon into the pink

and red. If he has got a slight angle, he might be able to one to

run and do that. -- to run through and do that. It is make your mind

up time. Does he go full-blooded into them? That would develop the

one to the left, and make the one to the back of the bunch available.

He went into the wrong side of the reds, there. This might still past

the black. He did definitely not want to come on that side of the

As you can see, there has just the slightest gap, there, but I don't

know whether he is playing the pot, he has done, and what a good pot it

was. He had got himself in trouble there, on the wrong side the bunch,

but it looks like he has got away with it. If he gets on that red, it

He is showing a lot of class, here. Lost the last two frames, and some

players might start to panic slightly, but not Stuart Bingham.

He is so full of confidence. One of Just 59 remaining, 60 in front,

with the black to come, so, no heroics, just pot the black and

A quick glance round at the scoreboard. This red will make

These high standards continue. Only one frame where that has not been a

break of 50, or a Bob. He has made 23 century breaks last season and

20 p centuries this season. -- 50, or above. At the Bluebell

Children's Hospice in Sheffield will be hoping he gets another

century here - that will be another This is fabulous. He was asked the

question. He was put under pressure by Stephen Maguire with his 69 the

previous frame, and this is the stuff of champions, to come back

like this. I thought that Stephen Maguire had become favourite, but

now, Stuart Bingham is back favourite. It is anyone's match,

but it is nice to have that one- Terrific break-builder, he has made

185 centuries, three maximum breaks And there is another century for

It has been a superb it worked, this, it will be has, and the

standard continues in this terrific match. That was a superb break of

one other than 20, and Stuart Bingham gets himself back into the

lead by four, he only needs one more to get into the quarter final.

Stuart Bingham just one frame away from what would only be is there

appearance in the last autumn back of this tournament, so can Stephen

Maguire effect a late comeback? He's at the table, trailing by 60

points, and he needs something very special. That was a big shot. That

was a tough shot. It certainly could have been his last shot. The

black could be frame ball and match ball. On reflection what we have

seen so far this evening, Stuart has definitely been the better of

the two players. He has controlled a many of the frames and there have

been only a couple of Mrs -- of misses. He has showed great

strength and his temperament. He could have led, by 5 and do, and he

let that slip away, but, if anything, he has played even better

Superb stuff. Stephen Maguire won this UK championship back in 2004,

you look after his first round when he made three and second of

centuries that he was going to be the man to beat, but he has come up

against a man at the top of his At the moment, Stuart Bingham just

loves the game more snooker. He loves knocking balls in. -- the

It is all so easy now. Fuming so good inside. What a way to clinch

the match -- feeling so good inside. He has scored 230 points without

reply - that is just awesome snooker. He is differently one of

the players to beat this year, on A little exhibition shot, pot the

pink all the way around the table, well, he is not going to pot the

black, what a way to finish, it was 4-4, then Stuart Bingham made the

break of 120, then 60, then for the poor, to put himself into the

quarter-finals. He goes out a All these are, a few bad shots, but

I played pretty solidly in the end. Steve Maguire has a tough opponent

to play. It is unbelievable the standard of play just now. Either I

am getting worse, or everybody is just getting better. It seems to be

whenever you miss, whether you and 50, 60, 70, you are losing the

frame. It is not just the top 16 players, it is a very one on the

main tour, basically. But the thing is coming through, really good, I

am coming through matches. Hopefully it will continue for the

rest of the week. We are halfway through the last 16 of this year's

williamhill.com UK Championship and that is all bubbling up nicely. On

snooker extra tonight you can see more of the match between Ali