Day 5 UK Snooker Championship Highlights

Good evening. And ostia Autumn Statement and severe winter weather

beginning to bite around the country but, despite it all, we can

promise you some warmth and excitement and excellent snooker. I

absolutely guaranteed excitement this evening in the williamhill.com

UK Championship. It comes in the match between John Higgins and that

John Lennon pro, or at least that is what he has been called up until

now, Mark Davis, but the four-year- old has enjoying the best season of

his career. Both men shared the first couple of frames, then there

was a prettified minute grind, then the cue ball was changed, both

players are unhappy with it, then Mark Davis lobbed in back to back

centuries on the way to a 5-2 advantage. John Higgins, back

against the wall going into frame it, and he can produce some amazing

stuff in those situations. Stephen Hendry and John Parrott

Actually, where it has finished that might be all right, down into

the yellow pocket - another big ask. Makes another bad contact. When you

are not playing well and more striking the ball well, you do tend

to get more kicks. You can get a pure strike and sometimes get a bad

That was a lovely strike, the right Of all the players on the circuit

who play this wonderful game, John Higgins has made more comebacks

Beating Marks will be in the World Championships, one of the years

that he won, 13-12 against Mark Selby and it is the best a hard at

the seen anyone play at the Crucible, and when John Higgins

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found that on, I will never know. - That as the shot he has played,

maybe he is deciding, he is 5-2 And you, of all people, cannot have

a go at him for that. The maximum was always the first thing on your

Quite ironic if he went on to make one, since he has not had his

shooting boots on this evening, brick-wise -- break-wise. It may be

needs something like a maximum rate to restore his focus. -- maximum

Still OK. To the right hand side of these reds he will be following the

cue ball through and cannoning the other red, to stay on the black. He

has to disturb the five reds at Do you think it might be now?

plays a cannon on the right red of the five, he could bring it out and

pot it, but he has got to win the frame first, so keep an eye on this

In fact he didn't have to play a cannon. In potting this red, he is

going to be disturbing the four Rex, so this is a great chance. -- the

The red to the left of the four This is one of the great advantages

of having the open a winner, people on the other table are well aware

of what is going on and can watch and see the scoreboard and see what

Red to the left centre, just sneaking in on the right hand side

so cannon on the right hand red all these three. The cannon has got to

be quite palm to get the cue ball He would like to play direct to the

middle first, but I think it is too John's made a maximum this season

already in the final of the Shanghai Masters. He needs that cue

ball to run, he needs an angle. That is just off straight the wrong

way. It will be a difficult black, What a magnificent shot that is,

We said he needed something to happen, to give him focus. And for

the rest of this match he could not do any better than this. When you

hold yourself together and make the If he is dead straight, it is just

as screw back on to the side cushion and he should have a nice

Absolutely perfect - what a Superb, John Higgins. Coming up to

the biggest buyers you can get in snooker. -- biggest buzz. It is

there, brilliant from John Higgins, 147 maximum break, superb cue ball

control all the way through. He takes the frame, 5 had into the to

Mark Davis, there is plenty left to play in this match. Maximum break.

Well played. His second career maximum and the second of this

season. He made one and the Shanghai Masters final when he was

five-zero down against Judd Trump, and that inspired him to come back

and beat Judd Trump by a neck in that final. Well that have the same

effect in this match against Mark Davis? It has potentially earned

him a �13,500 bonus, but of course what he wants is the title for the

I'm to make sure no red comes up to that end. -- trying to make sure.

He wants to make sure that John Higgins, whilst potting this cannot

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That is not bad. He will settle for He just looks different round the

That was a nice fluke on the red. - Will he play the cannon, or settle

for a loose red summer? -- somewhere. I do not blame him for

that blue coming into play in the I don't know if the pink goes to

the left corner. I don't think so. He will need to make sure he gets

on the right side of the blue each time. The pink does go, and that is

a huge help. He can stun for the pink also enter the right centre. -

- also into. The cue ball is on a string at the moment. So much of a

contrast with his scoring ability earlier one in this match. He is

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coming round the pink, inch perfect. Slight disturbance from the other

table, were the match has just He is fully focused now and once

again perfect on the blue. Now he is hitting the ball properly the

That is the first shot he has missed in a while, he played the

cannon on the red just to hold for the one behind the pink, but once

again he just slipped past, and such is the art of break-building,

you play it such that you are on one, if you're not on another. Look

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You have got to take your hat off. What a competitor this boy is. He

never knows when he's beaten. He is always in there, fighting. Great

professional and personal pride in 58 ahead, 75 on, so a couple of

reds and colours needed. At the If he can keep going and make

another century, that would be very unusual, four centuries on the

bounce, two from Mark Davis and two from John Higgins, at that does not

He won't mind too much about the century - he has won another frame

in one visit. But two-times UK champion John Higgins wins another

frame and it is 5-4, Mark Davis. John Higgins completed a comeback,

with a break of 44, so we are now it in the deciding frame, and this

was it. We have the customary handshake before the final frame.

For all the world, it looked like Mark Davis was going to go through,

you can never leave John Higgins out of your calculations, because

he can battle back. All to play for. Well, how do you like this long red

A little bit similar to the long pot. Same sort of shot, straight,

stun shot. He does not have to cue as hard for this one, but

nevertheless, circumstances make He has left the red onto left

centre. John will be taking that one on. Now be best to screw the

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That was a great pot, but he is going to need another one.

Fantastic effort, that was. This will be another exceptional popped

on the green, although the position will have to be pinpoint accuracy.

There is a red at the back of the pack available, but it is a small

window to leave the cue ball in. He could play the screw shot instead

for the red that is near the baulk area. That was a great effort, two

He has a great chance to leave the cue ball either on yellow or green.

Then side cushion into the pack. As I mentioned earlier a couple of

loose reds at the back of the pack. Makes the position more difficult

when you only have got one to play That is the one he is playing on,

When you play the deciding frame and a match, all you wish for is to

He has got a red to the left centre - not bad. If he screws back for

the black he has knocked leaving a lot if he misses it, so not a lot

of pressure on this red. -- he is Superb. So far, this is a fantastic

effort. He has been more or less frozen out of the match for the

last three frames and the momentum definitely seem to be with John

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Higgins. So far, this is a good He would have liked another little

Well played, and now, the perfect angle, although he does really not

want to hit the pink, but that red to the left of the pink, the three

in a line, if he can hit that full ball, he would be very unlucky not

But, he hit the pink. He wanted to miss the pink and hit the red on

Look. He that was the right shot, to win this match. -- he knew that

Another very good pot, this has been an exceptional break, didn't

quite get the cannon, some great pot. The opening to pot and the

middle were superb. He is tucking Left John Higgins with a problem.

Great effort that was. He has left him a won the cushion to get on to

these five reds, got to be careful he doesn't slide past them, like

39 point lead. Another chance, Doesn't have to play a cannon into

the five reds, Ken just drop this in and played the loose red on the

side. -- he can just. Priority here, you have got to leave yourself an

angle to play the cannon up into the five reds. Had a look at the

pink as well in the centre. Police a cannon into the back of the three

If he can get that wiped into the gap between the two reds he cannot

He didn't get the gap. Still on this red, but it is not easy.

didn't really hit it hard enough. A bit harder than that and you would

catch that red thick. Got to move 53 ahead, probably a couple of

shots away from getting over the Slightly too thick. John can play a

similar type shot here, to the left centre, bring the white roundabout

I am surprised he didn't have a go Mark Davis has got a 53 point lead,

but there is not a ball safe on the table. Hasn't got an insurance

policy, no colours on the cushion. This is ripe for a county clearance

Far from easy. Circumstances dictate that, but he will be taking

That is phenomenal. You rarely see courage from a snooker player. That

was much ball if he missed that. -- match. It might be match ball

because he has potted it. The week these balls were positioned, there

is a chance of a clearance. If there is any player in the game I

wanted to make it, I would be Mark will be fearing the worst. He

knows how good John Higgins is in this situation. That one of split

Just needed to hit that harder when he had those five reds and the

black. A little further and it Some pressure on this. I think

Mark's only hope is the red on the left-hand side, it is off the

cushion, the only one that might go I think the easiest played -- way

to play that is moved the pink into the centre. The easiest colour to

I think Mark Davis is sitting in his chair resigned to the fact that

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he is going to get knotted on the I thought he had missed that.

Because he has overcut it, he has got to use the rest. The cue ball

has run about a foot across the table too far. Mix the position

more difficult for the brown. easy to let the football -- the cue

ball get away from you. He has been Just a little short. Position on

the green, not right on the brown, this is thinner than he would have

liked. I think he has to play in This man is an animal on the table,

Would you believe it, he has just potted one of the best blues under

pressure and he has missed the pink. I am flabbergasted. I honestly

Could play a double in the corner and leave the snooker behind the

black. And he has played it in a John Higgins needs both pink and

black, Mark Davis just needs the He will take that every day of the

week, and twice on Sundays. Forget that, it so safe, the right result.

All Mark Davis can do is push the pink up and down and hope to get

the weight right. He have to feel for Mark Davis, it you have to have

thought when he played that snooker, John doesn't deserve to get away

Mark will be happy, a good shot he played, in a lot of trouble. World

John Higgins play the cross double. No. Played it to the top cushion.

Not absolutely tight. Would you go for this, Stephen? I think you have

to go for it. Three minutes ago he was out the tournament, now he has

got a lifeline, you have got to take it as far as I am concerned.

The only problem, if he misses it, he has got to leave it over the

It is there, what a fantastic pot into the corner pocket, Mark Davis

after an absolute three-and there - - thriller comes through against

John Higgins and wins the quarter frame will by 86-5. -- by 6-5.

champion's comeback with the maximums and big breaks, a thought

he was going to queue up in the last frame, but luckily he missed

the pink. Just clipped the final pink, a bit of side to come back

for the black, a bad shot on the brown. Absolutely sick. Every time

you beat John Higgins, if you can't take something from that, a

brilliant winner, I have not got a good record against him in the past

so nice to beat him. Matthew has always been a class player, since a

junior, just as hard tomorrow, I expect.

What a match, best of the championship you would have to say

with the maximum break and the century, all came down to the final

pink. It goes down as one of the finest victories of Mark Davis's 21

year career, through to the corner for idols -- quarter-finals. We

will check in on the progress of the hotter favourite, your

Robertson. But not before we have updated you on a couple of classic

Mark Selby and Ryan Day had met five times prior to this match, and

the gesture had had the last laugh in the previous four, but this time

he was the Welshman he burst out of the blocks taking a three frame

advantage. The world number two wasn't going to lie down and he

eventually found his rhythm to claim the next two. Frame six

looked to be giving Ryan's way, until he missed that vital pink.

Only for his mistake to be compounded by a wonderful snooker

The momentum was with the man from Leicester, within a frame of the

quarter-finals. All-over in the 10th with Ryan Day confined to his

chair. The world number two It was a struggle, I have gone out

and wanting to win it really badly, probably tried a little too hard,

and the harder I try the worse I seem to get but I managed to stick

in there, come at the interval 3-1, got a scrappy frame to go 3-2 and a

turning point was when I needed a snooker on the pink, if he goes 4-2,

and may be sitting here not won the Score to settle, it was young Luca

Brecel who knocked out Mark King in final qualifying for the Crucible

earlier this year. The Essex man's revenge mission was on track early

on in this match, as he notched up But the young Belgian fought back,

this break of 76 tied the scores 3- 3. Things were going from bad to

worse for the Essex man. 20 when years a pro, clearly not happy with

things. -- 21 years. Mistakes were to prove costly with Luca Brecel's

mother looking on, a superb second victory for her son, first place

ever in the quarter-finals. first two frames were so bad, I

wanted to go home, after that I played OK, and still won. Very

happy. I was in front at 3-0, played two shots instead of one,

played a poor safety shot and he cleared up. Every frame after that

I had chances, but couldn't get nothing going, so frustrating and

disappointing, that is one of the reasons why I have never won a

ranking event because my consistency is about as consistent

as meet growing a fringe by the morning, it is just so frustrating.

He makes you laugh. Congratulations to Luca Brecel, but Mark King is

sick after that one. An update on Neil Robertson macro polly --'s

progress. The reigning Masters champion, were he to land this

title he would become the eight player in history to complete the

Triple Crown. He is still on track after a 6-2 win over Barry Hawkins,

he knocked in four centuries in his first match, and much more tactical,

tight game. His top break tonight, 68. After two days' worth of second

round matches the quarter-final line-up has emerged through the

he's Essex. Shaun Murphy against the dangers Belgian. Stevens