Last 16 - Part 2 UK Snooker Championship Highlights

MUSIC

Good evening from the Barbican

Centre in York, home of the United

Kingdom Championships, snooker's

first major of the season. If you

were with us at 7pm on BBC Two, you

will know Ronnie Sullivan, the

runaway favourite was in an

intriguing match against the lowest

ranked player left, Sunny Akani, the

world number 84 from Thailand.

Incredible match. We will show you

it in a moment after a quick look at

how the other results are shaping

the quarterfinal line-up. Shaun

Murphy, the only other surviving

member of the top 16 to make it this

far. No surprises, a 6-1 win over

Ricky Walden. Has been good to see

him on the comeback trail after a

year of back problems but Shaun

Murphy is through to the quarters.

I

played nicely. A few shots here and

there that didn't go to plan and on

another day, Ricky, being more

clinical might have punished me and

we might still have been playing.

The game turns on a little mistake

here or there and I have lost

matches from 3-1 ahead, 4-1 ahead

and you can never afford to take

your foot off the gas.

A tortuous

first part of the match for Xiao

Guodong and Martin Gould.

I made a

good start. And then other than

that, I think it was a case of

neither of us really got going. The

last two frames were good from my

perspective making two, 60s. There

was a couple of sticky one I managed

to pots, which I did feel like my

elbow was coming out a little bit.

But it is nice to be in the

quarterfinals.

He awaits the winner

of this match and everyone expected

Ronnie O'Sullivan to cruise through

against Sunny Akani Thailand.

Everyone except for his .com who

travels with him. But he beat Barry

Hawkins in the last round and he

started off in the most amazing

self-possessed form and took the

first two frames. Ronnie hit back

after the interval. Watching this

contest is Stephen Hendry and Dennis

Taylor.

COMMENTATOR: Ronnie is getting

frustrated now, he wants this match

over with.

I think this is a more

important frame for the young Thai

player, led 2-0.

What a debut this would be.

Longest frame of the match so far

and what an important shot this

series. It was close, but look at

the cue ball. He took the double on,

but he knew he was coming towards

the pink and black.

He needs the three colours. If he

pots the blue and pink, Ronnie can

still tie with the black.

Not very good. He doesn't want to

look. Look at that smile, but

nothing for Ronnie to smile at. That

was unfortunate after that horrific

pot on the blue. He might be able to

get a snooker back if he just clips

the pink, half ball. If he doesn't,

he could leave the pink. Got to be

very precise. Does this pink go into

the corner? If not, he can get the

snooker in behind the black. He

needs the pink and black does Sunny

Akani. If he doesn't fancy the pots,

he can quite easily screw in behind

the black. He is very close to the

pink. Don't thing he will push it.

He went for the parts. A bit unlucky

not to be on the black. Could quite

easily have made the snooker there.

He's gone for the safety shot. He

hasn't. He was looking for the black

to be tight on the baulk cushion.

But this is far from easy.

Wasn't easy. Where is the cue ball

going?

He's looking at the potting angle.

Got to be potting the black into the

pocket that Ronnie is sitting

behind.

Ronnie won the two frames before the

mid-session interval but now he is

back in the league 3-2.

Majestic shot and Sunny Akani forged

ahead. Playing fearless snooker.

This wasn't in the script. Once

again, a Sullivan made up the two

frame deficit to level up at 4-4. So

here we are again, Ronnie to play.

COMMENTATOR: Hang on, it can you get

your breath?

Sunny Akani, can't get his breath.

He didn't have time to finish his

water. He thought he would be

sitting for a while. Have a look at

what he did with the cue ball.

APPLAUSE

Managed to flick the black and stay

on it. But these sort of things

happen when you do what Ronnie has

just done. You shouldn't have been

anywhere near the middle with the

cue ball. You just sense sometimes,

when that sort of thing happens,

when things can change around again

and he has won the last two to level

at 4-4, but what a chance early in

this frame for this young Thai

player.

How well did he play back? Looking

at that smile, he can't believe he

hasn't finished on a red because

that last shot, he couldn't have

played it any better. He hit the

pink, full-ball, scattered The reds.

Absolutely landed on nothing.

Hang on, is there a gap? Does the

red go?

He is still smiling to himself. He

can't believe where the ball has

finished up. He is having the cue

ball cleaned. There doesn't look to

be a gap. He could play the other

one at the other end of the table.

But because he is playing such a

good shot when he's playing the

reds, he wants to take something on.

He must feel like he can see enough

of this.

Well done. Well done. There must

only just have been enough pass the

pink.

Need to watch those reds. He's

leaning over there. Well clear.

I will tell you what, Stephen, this

boy has a lot of bottle?

Twice he

has been two frames ahead and twice

Ronnie O'Sullivan has come back to

make it level. He just keeps

powering forward. Clumsy cue ball.

Shouldn't be a problem. Should be

able to get on a red. In between

green and brown, right-hand side.

Just make sure he plays it with

enough pace. Has gone the other way.

He keeps going to the opposite way

to the one I suggest. You just

played the shot you see. This will

be a nice, just to get through. Has

he gone too far? Perfect. What a

chance to go 5-4 up.

You can tell there is a little bit

of tension creeping in. When he

played to get on the blue, it was

Adrenaline centred. Too far. That is

tight. He is smiling to himself, but

that was very careless. He had so

much margin for error.

I can't believe he's not got on the

black. If he does lose this match,

that is the shot he will remember.

Play it with a little trace of side,

if you are not absolutely sure.

It

doesn't look on, to me. It is there.

Panic over.

No cannon on the pink here.

Played it well. He wasn't on the

black as he intended. Using the pink

as a stopper.

I suppose he deserves to win this

frame. The shot he played when he

opened everything up and looked like

he didn't drop on one. He deserves

to win the match because he played

this shot to perfection. Hit the

pink full-ball and looked like he

had dropped on nothing but he picked

one out he could only just get to.

It was the control of the cue ball,

enough action on the cue ball to

keep it in the middle of the table.

That always gives you the best

chance of being on a red. When you

move the cue ball to the corner

pockets, that is when you are in

trouble.

Look where he has put the cue ball

here. He is only a few pots away.

Definitely feeling the pressure.

Almost two feet, too far the cue

ball has travelled. This is tough.

Great shots, grapeshot!

Just keeps getting out of position

but keeps potting balls. I keep

waiting for him to show a real

weakness and it's not happening.

Yes, does he realise where he is?

He's in the barbican, playing

probably the world's greatest ever

player. And he keeps knocking them

in. UK championship, second biggest

event in our calendar. One good

pink...

I am very, very impressed with this

young player here. Now then, where

does the pink go? You would like it

to go on the spot, is there enough

room? Just. It might have caused a

bit of a problem. That is the frame

secure. This is unbelievable, Steve.

The highest break is 79 in this

championship. Looks like he's going

to that here. What a time to do it.

Doesn't matter, he is well past the

winning post in this frame and this

pact barbican won't believe what

they are seeing here.

APPLAUSE

What a performance.

He's made five centuries this

season, eight last season. He's made

14. That is number 15.

His highest break as a professional

is 125. He could beat that. He won't

be thinking about that, I am sure,

but I am so impressed with this

young player.

Brilliant. Absolutely brilliant.

So pleased for Sunny Akani. 128

break, Sunny Akani takes the lead

again to Ronnie O'Sullivan. He needs

one frame to cause possibly the

biggest shock of the tournament so

far.

STUDIO: Said the man who'll idolise

as the Rocket has put him in a

position to knock him out. He has

charmed the Barbican crowd tonight

but can he complete the job in frame

Number Ten? Just two red here.

COMMENTATOR: where is this red going

to end up? Automatically down for

the pink or black.

What a shot that was. I can see a

bit of determination in Ronnie's

face.

Watched this shot, he has an

angle. Here comes the cue ball. He

has been unlucky.

Doesn't want the red in. I don't

think he's got the snooker. He can

send this across the table, twice

across and get the white up towards

yellow and brown. Will he play it

that way? No, he has played it the

other way. Looks good to me.

Look where he has put the green.

It was a tough snooker to get out

of.

Well, another big pressure shots.

If

he goes for this, you have to go for

it 100%. Don't play it too hard,

just drop it in. You have to be on

the yellow, green or brown. What a

pot. If he is on the low to middle,

that is possibly the shot. Yellow,

then yellow.

I think I would be playing yellow,

stunning across and playing yellow

to the green pocket.

I don't think

he has looked up that shot.

He has played to leave the long

yellow. Need to have a lot of

confidence to leave yourself that

shot under these circumstances.

It

is a strange shot choice, very

unorthodox. But if the yellow goes

in, who is to say it is wrong?

It is there. Left himself on the

green. Can he get nicely onto the

brown here?

He must be doing

cartwheels inside, Sunny Akani.

If you are playing an exhibition,

you would pot the green and flick

the blue out and hope to be on the

brown. This is not an exhibition.

The orthodox shot here is top spin

two questions. I have given up

predicting the shots he is going to

play. How unlucky can you be! If

that blue stays over the pocket, he

could win the match.

Dear, oh dear.

That is so unfortunate. Because he

decided to play that shot because he

knew if he had a pot at the green

and brown he would have a difficult

blue.

Is that his chance of winning this

match gone?

Cruel.

Well, Ronnie can't believe that he's

at the table. He knows that the shot

that his young opponent took on was

a brilliant effort, it really was.

It doesn't matter about that.

REFEREE: 12.

That should take us

into a deciding frame. It's one

snooker that is needed. What has he

done there.

HAZEL IRVINE: Akani came back.

O'Sullivan having been so close to

defeat, survived to face this, a

final-frame decider, Akani 13 points

behind in it.

DENNIS TAYLOR:

Tension, pressure of

a deciding frame. Ronnie's had a

second bite of the Cherie.

-- cherry.

STEPHEN HENDRY: Wasn't the smoothest

delivery, the cue. Surely this time.

Is I suppose nothing is going to

surprise us, Dennis, tonight?

Yeah,

nice little cannon required here.

He's played it perfectly. He's

opened most of the game up.

He would have to do something

careless, but we've seen him do that

in a few of the frames, but he can

taste victory here. Yep. If you're

not absolutely sure, get back up and

make sure you have full

concentration. You know what I mean!

Pressure getting to you, Dennis?

Do

you know, my hands are perspiring

here. I've enjoyed every minute of

this match.

It's harded to see were it can go

wrong. The fact he missed that blue

will make him try even harder,

Ronnie, concentrate harder.

You know what, Dennis, if Ronnie

comes through this match I wouldn't

like to be the player who you play

next, when you should have gone out

you relax the next day and just play

incredible snooker.

Yeah. I think

Ronnie will be full of praise for

his young opponent here because

no-one could see this coming.

While he's got a kick there, he's

got a kick which has spoiled the

position somewhat. Look at the black

jump there.

Is there one more twist?

Yeah, one more twist. Can you

believe it? What a time to get heavy

contact. A couple of pots away from

winning the match, and he gets a bad

contact.

Watch the black jump.

I think he will be playing the red

near the blue spot. He could play

for the pink, it goes to the right

corner, or black to the right

corner.

APPLAUSE

What drama we had in the previous

frame. Is there more drama to come

here? There's one red that's on the

side cushion. The other four are

perfectly placed.

He just hit that all wrong. OK,

potted the black, but he didn't get

any side on the cue ball to avoid

cannoning the reds, but he's

fortunate, the reds look pretty

straight to the yellow pocket.

He's concentrating so hard on

potting the ball that it's taking

his mind off the position. That's

the pressure.

Yeah. I mean, if he

underscrews it he's on the pink. The

only way he could go wrong is

overscrewing it. Now what a pressure

pot this is.

A possible plant. They are just off,

so if they're close together he'd

have to hit the first red on the

right side, as we look at it, to

push it on, to squeeze it. It goes

the opposite way when they're that

close together. Looking at that you

would think, if he hits it on the

left side it will make it into the

plant, but that's not the case. He

has to hit it on the opposite side.

It's what we call a "squeeze shot."

Ronnie knows he's got a couple of

reds that are awkwardly placed. Even

if he makes the plant. If he hits it

that side, I think he won't pot it.

It might squeeze away from the

pocket. If he hits it that side,

with them going so close together,

he might miss this. Let's see. We've

got the perfect picture.

Yeah. I can't believe he couldn't

work that out. He's only a young

player, and he hit the wrong side of

the red there, Stephen.

Yeah. He

needed to hit the left side of the

red as he looks at it the opposite

to where you would normally play a

plant.

APPLAUSE

I think Ronnie was always

comfortable in his seat knowing

where the reds were. Ronnie is

desperate to get this match over

with, he really is.

Not the night he was expecting.

Yeah. It's not the night that this

Barbican crowd were expecting. They

thought they were going to see a

comfortable victory for the strong

favourite. But what an exciting

match it's turned out to be. Is

there another twist?

Oh, what's happening here? What is

happening here? That's not a bad

result in the end because the red

has gone safe and the white has gone

near the cushion, but Ronnie hit

that all wrong.

His head is

scrambled at the moment, Ronnie

O'Sullivan. It's not often you say

that.

You get the sense it's becoming too

much of an ask for Sunny Akani to

win this match now.

APPLAUSE

44 points behind and all the reds up

the other end of the table. It's a

very difficult situation for this

young player from Thailand.

APPLAUSE

That helps his cause. Getting the

red up towards the high valued

colours, should he get a chance.

Well, he did try to pot that because

he knew the red wouldn't pass the

pink, but that's got to be the wrong

choice of shot under the

circumstances. Surely, that was a

bit too much even for the great

Ronnie O'Sullivan to take on.

Now, can this young man hold himself

together and get right back into

this deciding frame?

APPLAUSE

Well, if he can pot these two open

reds, wouldn't it be ironic that the

last red he plays in this match with

that infamous technique with the

rest.

Can he get himself to that position,

that is the question?

He doesn't

want to over think things here.

He could do with screwing back. If

this is straight, he screws back for

the blue, if you go too far, you're

on the pink. I don't think he should

be playing for the yellow.

He needs the points on the board.

He has done. He's not played a

single shot I've chosen tonight,

Dennis, but he's not done too badly.

This now needs a really good

positional shot. If he's on blue or

pink, it's very straight-forward.

Yeah, that was tough.

Now because he takes the yellow,

Ronnie O'Sullivan only needs the red

to leave him with a snooker.

Now, he hasn't hit that hard enough.

That might be OK. Am it wasn't quite

as he played it, but the pink has

covered that red, that's to the left

of the yellow.

He's anxiously looking there.

Might be snookered on both. That

could be the winning shot.

Oh! The red hitting the yellow could

be very costly indeed.

As Stephen said, he only needs this

red now.

APPLAUSE

That might be the one that gets him

over the winning line.

It will be a very relieved Ronnie

O'Sullivan because this young man

has played stunning snooker this

evening.

APPLAUSE

He knows he's put up a fantastic

performance. OK Ronnie O'Sullivan's

been far from his focused Betts, but

what a performance that young man's

put up.

Well, it doesn't matter about

potting the green or the brown. What

a performance. He led Ronnie

O'Sullivan 2-0, then he lead 4-2. He

was unlucky when he potted the green

and knocked the blue in. Just look

at that, acknowledging this crowd

here in the Barbican centre. Ronnie,

well, he will be a very relieved

player. Well done to Sunny Akani.

Great match. Ronnie O'Sullivan takes

it on the deciding frame. 6-5.

Great match. Ronnie O'Sullivan takes

it on the deciding frame. 6-5.

Here

he is after the closest of close

calls. Relieved, Ronnie?

I don't

know, really. You know, he put up a

great performance. You know, he his

first time out there. You know,

he's... He played better than I did,

really help probably deserved to

winch I got very, very lucky there

tonight. So I'm relieved to win.

I've got to improve on that. I mean,

to think if I have any chance of

womening another match, really.

0-2,

2-4 down and it looks like like it

might be over in frame 10. He pots

the green he bangs the blue in as

well. Were you fearing the worst at

that point?

I didn't really care, to

be honest with you. I thought -

let's see what happens. Anything

could happen, you know. By then, you

know, sometimes the fight goes out

of you not that I was fighting,

nothing I done tonight really went

right. You know, it was all very

stop start. It's difficult, you

know, for me to play the game when

it's like. That I had to hang in

there and hopefully something

happened. Even in the last, the game

at my mercy I managed to make hard

work of it. That's how it goes

sometimes.

You might have made hard

work in your terms, the instinct

kicked in. You got over the line and

you want to be in this?

Yeah.

There's no pressure. ' Here to enjoy

it and have fun. I I've had a great

week. I would love to win it. I

would have to improve massively on

the four performances I put in.

What

did you think of this fella, he was

as cool as a cucumber at some

points?

Fantastic. Such a lovely guy

as well he was talking to me after

we were going to the toilet he went

- ah, the blue. He's a lovely guy.

You know, comes from a great culture

in Thailand. He's fantastic. You

know, brilliant character for the

game.

A great match. Thank you very

much for playing a fantastic part in

it. See you in the quarter-finals.

Cheers.

Cheers.

Over shadowed on the

other table tonight a match that was

of great significance for the two

fellas involved. It was the world

number 42, Mark Joyce and Lyu

Haotian who reached the semi-final

of the most recent event in Northern

Ireland. The Chinese player launched

a rescue attempt from 2-5 down. He

succumbed to the Englishman 6-4.

Joyce into his second UK

quarter-final and after a seven year

wait as well. Indeed here

quarter-final and after a seven year

wait as well. Indeed here is the

quarter-final line-up:

Two seasoned pros in the bottom half

of the draw, Stephen Maguire means

this year's Masters runner up, Joe

Perry. And Ronnie will meet Martin

Gould. Snooker Extra follows next.

Here's our line-up.

Gould. Snooker Extra follows next.

Here's our line-up. .

It has been quite a day here. One

very Sunny star is born. The crowds

love his style. Ronnie's star keeps

on rising if only just tonight. We

will catch you again very soon. In

the meantime from all of us here in

York, it's been a great day, goodbye

for now.