04/12/2013 UK Snooker Championship Highlights

Each opponent you play throws up different kind of styles but you

need to be involved in games until your game comes together. You have

to be patient and hopefully it comes when you need it. I've knuckled down

and started practising hard. I would like to win a ranking event before I

finish, you know? I need to find my consistency. I know I can win one

it's just trying to do it for all the tournament instead of three or

four matches. He's one of them players, he is established top 30,

top 16 player now. You are always in for a tough match.

Good evening from York. Ronnie O'Sullivan is a four-time winner of

this WilliamHill.com uk championship but he is chasing 6-1 by Steve

Davis, the Nugget, who has not been with us over the last week he has

been sweating out in the Australian jungle. This evening, he was voting

-- voted out. We hope you will be here for the final on Sunday but I

doubt it. The grub is a lot better in Yorkshire, I can tell you. Ronnie

O'Sullivan has been hoovering up snooker titles over the last

decades. Robert Milkins has been waiting 18 years to land his first.

And he is getting much closer. A couple of major semifinals already

this year, and the man whose walk on music is I Am A Cider Drinker is up

to 14th. These men are playing for a place in the quarterfinals tomorrow.

Ronnie O'Sullivan took the first frame and we pick them up early in

the second. The best of 11. Dennis Taylor and Stephen Hendry have

teamed up to to talk this through. This is where he has improved quite

a lot, Robert Milkins. Safety and tactical game.

But he is up against one of the best tactical players in the game. Ronnie

O'Sullivan, when he wants to, he has got a superb safety game.

Ronnie tapping the table, there is another cracker.

Cat and mouse at the moment, who was going to make the first mistake?

This is a half chance. He's usually very good at these, Robert.

First chance again with some very good tactical play. Let's see how

many he can manage this time. The black is available into the left

corner pocket. I'm not sure if he has got an angle to screw over to

the black. You would hope he has learnt from

the first frame when he didn't pop that easy black.

Robert is one of the players, his bridge hand is quite away from the

cue ball. Peter Ebdon is another player who

does that. They all looked to be portable, and

this time he had the angle. And now he has got himself on the back.

After every single shot, the professionals will always talk the

cue. He hasn't in about three shots. He has left himself very awkward.

But that is a good recovery. I'd never noticed that about him,

chalking the cue. That was four shots he didn't chalk his cue.

When he gets going, he is good to watch.

The pottable reds are getting very difficult now.

That's finished in the worst possible place. He cannot take that

pot on now to the corner. You will need to the extended spider. Another

five or six inches across the table, it would have been perfect.

That was difficult because he was fairly close to the red. He hasn't

done it again, has he? Missed the black in the other pocket, and now

he has missed the pink! I don't think it kicked.

If he gets the cannon on these two reds, he can open the game up with

one shot. That is the difference between

Ronnie O'Sullivan and a few of the other players, he took the chance

straightaway to bring it into play. What a body blow this would be to

Robert. When Ronnie came to the table, he

didn't look like he would pinch the frame. But he is favourite now.

He'd like to get as close to the yellow as possible. He made that

look so easy! What a brilliant shot. Just the one mistake in each frame.

And it is costing him both frames. This time he is going to pot the

black. Robert Milkins hadn't earlier chance but it was that easy pink

that he missed to the left middle pocket that cost. Ronnie O'Sullivan,

he dishes up and he now leads 2-0. He kept on dishing up. He was in no

mood to hang around. The world champion rattled in breaks of 93, 58

and 67 to take the five - zero lead within an hour. He looked in

blistering form. He needs just one more frame to win on that even of

his 35th birthday. You would have Ronnie win the match

at this visit. It's one of those matches where

Robert feel he hasn't been involved. You can't remember much about it,

it's all going to be over soon. Especially after knocking out the

former UK champion, Matthew Stevens, Robert will be Dott just look at the

difference there. He was looking forward to this match, Robert. You

would have got himself psyched up and thought he had a great chance

against Ronnie O'Sullivan. And it just hasn't happened.

He is shaking his head, he's probably thinking about those two

mistakes. There is still read at the back of

the that is available. -- there is still a red. He's got one above the

bunch of reds and one at the back that will go.

He just developed one there, but there might be a few more in play

after this shot. He has pleaded for the loose red maybe he will head up

for the blue before going into the bunch.

He went through a spell, Ronnie, when he was working with Ray Reardon

where he just tried to knock one or two reds out, because of the way

that Ray has played. But the cloth sidelight, the balls-mac spread

easier. -- the cloth is our lighter. The brown was awkward, this pot

should have been so difficult. He hit it in the heart of the pocket.

Never taken his foot off the pedal, has he? Some snooker players lose

their concentration. He looks as focused as he was dishing up the

first frame. They've played each other on two occasions. It was 5-1

in the 2003 Grand Prix. Nobody likes to see a whitewash, but that is

clearly what is going to happen. Robert Milkins, he has run into a

Ronnie O'Sullivan at the top of his game. We have had everything here.

Only a century break. It has all been done pretty rapidly as well.

One hour and seven minutes. This sends the warning.

two frames, he missed two easy balls mac, he never got a chance after.

Ronnie O'Sullivan runs out, a very comfortable winner in the end. It is

a whitewash, 6-0 to the Rocket. I'm pleased to have got through that

much. I didn't think I would. I'm pleased I got through. Ronnie has

that thing about him where you can't do too much wrong, but he has

tomorrow lies to you. After that, it was an uphill struggle. It's nice to

be doing something on my birthday. I've got a couple of friends down

here, so they will probably bring me a birthday card in the morning, sing

happy birthday to me. Ronnie will face the 10th seed here,

Stuart Bingham. He enjoyed a 6-1 win over David Morris. A great

performance from the qualifying school graduate to get past the last

extreme. Mark Selby came through 6-2 against former world champion Graeme

Dott who had been in research and form recently. Selby's top break was

73 and he knocked in 450 plus contributions in total. Graeme Dott

not pass the last 16 for fully seven years now. Judd Trump and Northern

Ireland's Mark Allen played. These two players produced in Berlin final

couple of years in which Trump prevailed playing his Regent brand

of what he calls naughty snooker. He looked unstoppable for a time

earlier on in this match. But Allen, who had appeared out of

sorts, somehow hung in and clawed his way back to this point, for

frames appease. We will join them in the ninth. -- four frames at peace.

We've seen everything in this match. Good, bad, indifferent. And they

hugged. And that Frank had the feel of a decider. We've still got that

to come, the kind of match it has been, it could literally go down to

the last few pots. There was a little friendly exchange between

them. They don't know what is going on here.

It has been a very curious match. There have been some very good shots

played. Like this one. The agony continues Alan Little. --

the agony continues a little. I didn't think he would hold it for

that red. Judd keeps getting presented with

chances. Same old story of playing slower and

it would have dropped. I keep thinking this match will spring to

life, but something happens and the players break down, just when they

seem to be getting into their stride.

It is an important game. One of the biggest tournaments the game has to

offer. It is easy to lose sight of that.

He deserves to be on one of them, he hit it well. Look at this. I think

he can play the swerve and get on the black. I don't know if he would

fancy it, the way things are going. He could not have hit the pack

better than that. He will have two play it. If the

black was nearer the cue ball he could get the swerve in early but

this is a slightly delayed swerve with that distance. He is limited.

Good shot. With his cue action, the backswing, he can play those shots

better than other players. He has a chance to take the lead for

the first time in this match. That would be an unbelievable feat. As I

have said, when he is pumped up, that is when he is a better player.

I sense this is his moment to get fired into this match. And we will

see the best of him. He has been known to be outspoken in

the press conference, maybe the table is not to his liking today.

It'll be interesting to see what his press conferences like. A lots of

bounces off the cushion. The press gather round when he is in there,

that's for sure! Just high enough to play the

run-through. He is taking Beasley well so far. This is the first time

in some time he has had the cue ball under control. -- taking these.

Trump will be kicking himself. John Parrott said Mark Allen has

gone in there. Getting ready for tomorrow.

He missed judge to that one. Read and colour is what he needs. This

might be a slight relief the red is taking him up the table. Lovely

cueing. Much better. Any colour will do. Yellow makes it 31.

Yes, all of a sudden we are seeing the reason why Mark Allen is such a

good battle. He has raised his game. Judd Trump has stop -- stopped in

his tracks. An excellent break under the circumstances. Judd Trump is

behind to Allen. He has reeled off three in a row now. And he reeled

off another one. What a turnaround. Mark Allen almost amused at how he

managed to do it. It could have gone 5-2 up. The Northern Irishman

complete a hat-trick this season over Judd Trump. He is three. I

don't know how I have won the game. I was poor from start to finish. I

was edgy and never recovered. I felt like I was the better player, I am

disappointed. I had a few chances but he missed more balls than I did.

For him to get the luck, I am disappointed. It has been a long

time since I won from a fluke. It is part and parcel of the game. So,

Mark Allen faces Ricky Walden who ended the stunning three titles in a

row over the rocky. When your emotions are up and down and you

have won and lost and a few frames over, up to an hour. It takes it out

of you. It can be gruelling. It is time to have some practice time,

private, to get back to the next tournament. You have to rest. He is

a fantastic player and in form at the moment. The run will come to an

end at some point. He will win more tournaments. He's an unbelievable

player. One more piece of fourth round business today and it involved

Neil Robertson against his great friend and practice partner the

Englishman Joe Perry he credits much of his improved form this season to

his practice sessions with Robertson and watching how he prepares. Neill

said before the match I just have to go out and tried to demolish him.

And he looked good going 3-1 up. The Australian 24 points ahead,

commentary from our team. Good effort. The red has come across

the jaws and left him a relatively easy starter. Four open breads.

Without worrying about going into the pack. A chance of going further

clear. He did not see that one coming.

Both players have had problems with that red in that pocket. And a

wonderful chance for Neill. I saw him at the end of the session and he

said he thought there were three or four shots were getting a bad

reaction, a bit surprised. He will keep his concentration and try to

find a way through to the next round.

Topside of the blue, slow blue into the pack. He hasn't gone high

enough. He wanted to be higher than that. He doesn't want to have to

take that red this time. It is amazing he didn't make it

there, the topside of the blue. Everything was set up, the back-up

red over the pocket. He has done pretty well. He got one

red out. The red over the pockets coming into play.

He might leave the red over the pocket again, and then the right

angle on the black to go into them again.

That is the split. He hasn't got an angle on the black to go into

That is the split. He hasn't got an easy read. -- red. Asking for the

cue ball to be cleaned. He is worried about getting a bad contact.

In between brown and green and screw round the cushions and on all four

reds. He can concentrate on another

century. His first this evening but his 53rd of the season.

He missed a red to the right corner. In general he scored well in

this match. He has not played at his absolute best. He could have made

100s in the first and second frame. I don't think he has a good angle

for the red. It is an acute angle. A good shot now. He is looking at it.

There isn't much of a pocket. Oh, yes, very nice.

APPLAUSE A nice angle on the blue to get to

the pink for the century. Very nice.

APPLAUSE Lovely stuff. His first century of

the evening. His 4-1 lead over Joe Perry. A century and another break

and a 6-1 win in the end. His mum has flown in from Australia to watch

him. The playing conditions were tough. I don't know if there was

extra moisture. The balls were not making correct contact, there were

kicks and bounces. It was a difficult match to make the breaks.

It was a funny match. I think Neil missed more easy balls but when he

missed one, he left the awkward or nasty or nothing at all. Every time

I missed, I left one hanging over the pocket. I have not had to pull

off as many pots this season because my break has improved with

positional play. It's nice to know I pulled out some good shots. Yes,

please to get through to the next round. So, 128 players began, now

these remain. Memories of a terrific battle in the

Airlie rounds from Sheffield. For all of the shocks and surprises

and schedule, we have been left with a world champion, Ronnie O'Sullivan

and the 125 in the world. Those numbers all adds up to some pretty

high-quality quarterfinals tomorrow. It kicks off with Jason at BBC Two

at TPM. I will Tkachev tomorrow at 7pm. We are past midnight tonight

and that means it is time to say happy birthday, Ronnie. Have a good

one and this is a place where he has had many happy returns. 20 years of

good memories. Goodbye. Tonight belongs to the 17-year-old Ronnie

O'Sullivan!