Day 1, Part 1 UK Snooker Championship

After a magnificent summer of sport, whose will be a winter of content

here in the York? Seven months after the Crucible in Sheffield,

snooker is back with the williamhill.com United Kingdom

championship. Put this trophy in the Cabinet and you will for ever

be considered one of the big noises Steve Davis has now won the United

Kingdom Championship six times. Tonight belongs to Ronnie

You're champion, Judd Trump! Judd Trump is the latest box-office

smash, since winning this championship eight years ago. He

has now become the world's number one player. But the snooker season

is halfway through and he is one of three players with more to pull

titles so far. The prizes have been spread around remarkably evenly

with 13 different winners of 17 event since June. They have been

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around the world and back since They have been around and cruising

in rather relaxed fashion in the studio is recently retired Steve

Hendry, while Steve Davis's engine is idling quietly ahead of wedding

up, because he has gone and qualified for this championship

once again. Since you called it the date in April, however is life as

an ex-player? I have still been very busy. I have been in China

once among since I retired, playing Chinese eight-ball pool. I'm

enjoying my retirement. The is there anything you miss at all?

Nothing, I should have done it years ago. Seriously? Yes. That is

a keen affirmation of retirement, but no plans for you, Steve? I am

going down the other road. It is part of my blood. Very hard to stop.

I did hear that you had now reassess your goals and you're

going to continue as a professional until you get your bus pass. You

have five more years to go. That is the challenge, to see how long you

can stay on the tour when the standard is brilliant, and the

young Players of fantastic. In the UK championship event to see some

of the new blood. To think I'm playing again some players and I am

far older than their fathers. are thinking of taking back the Bus

Pass the 65 in England, keep practising! There are plenty of

other issues to update you with in the snooker world. If you look at

the top 16 ranking she can see what I mean. Judd Trump's reign at No. 1

began last month when he took over from Mark Selby. John Higgins is

still very much a force in the game this season. Stuart Bingham is in

late form of his career and is at No. 11. Barry Hawkins, after a

breakthrough win in Australia is in this UK championship and did not

have to pre-qualify because he is in for the suspended number nine,

Stephen Lee. Conspicuous by his absence is a certain Ronnie

O'Sullivan. As you are probably aware, because it has been all over

the media, Ronnie announced last month that he would not be playing

in any of the remaining events this I do not know how many times we

have addressed this issue of Ronnie threatening to quit, and certainly

taking a very long sabbatical. How big a shock has this been to the

world of snooker, and is this the end? I do not think it is

necessarily the end but it is a statement that he has not been

happy playing on the table, and whatever has been happening in his

private life. But think it is the right decision, because you have to

be fully relaxed around the table. But the snooker bandwagon rolls on

and is getting more and more popular worldwide. It will not make

any difference in the end to snooker whether or not Ronnie plays.

He can still come back for the World Championship. The entries are

put in later, so if he changes his mind, he can do. But a fully fit

and raring to go Ronnie O'Sullivan is what we've won. He finished last

season at number nine and is now down to No. 19, and that will

clearly slipped down. If you think of all the events he could have

entered as world champion, how much might this hiatus cost him?

longer that he stays away, the more he will lose the appetite to get

back practising. I think when the best player in the world is not

playing, I think it does make a difference, and Ronnie has been the

best player in the world for a few years now. I think some of the

players will be rubbing their hands, thinking I am now finding it easier

to win tournaments. Could it conceivably be less difficult for

him to pick up and run where he left off? Long term, I think the

game is going to go to the situation where everybody comes in

at the first round. Therefore, it does not matter so much from a

seeding perspective. The Masters is an invitation event. But I do not

think Ronnie is really bothered about that. He wants to play and

enjoy it when he is playing. He's not enjoying it at the moment, so

he is not playing, and that is end of story. We wait until he is ready

to go. As Steve says, it is going to be tough. Getting back into the

mental swing of things is difficult, and the hunger can go. It is in the

balance, I think, whether he continues to be a force in the game.

We do not know the specifics of the problems, and clearly we wish him

well, if you're watching, Ronnie, because we would like to see you

back in the game. Stephen Lee is under suspension at the moment from

the game. This is while he is being investigated over suspicious

betting patterns in his Premier League match against John Higgins

in October. So, two notable absentees. But, at the show goes on

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without them and this is the look It is the similar situation as it

last year. It is best of 11 frames with the want session finishes.

That was a formula that seemed to work last year. Yes, I played here

last year, and I do think it is an improvement at best of 11 matches.

It is quite a long session, but it is great for the viewers as well.

And no central curtain between the two tables today, so it the crowd

will get to see an awful lot of snooker. I think it is something

that was trials and it was generally considered to be good.

There were some questions about when eight table was being brushed

and I and and there was somebody out on the area that was not a

player for referee, that it was disconcerting, but I do not think

it was a problem. What is the stand-out match, of them many?

Allen against Marco Fu is interesting after their shenanigans

at Sheffield! The standard of players in the last 32, at so many

great players and so many great matches, and the new kids coming

through on going to have caused problems for some of the older

brigade. You have Michael White, practising behind us at the moment.

And also, of course, 7 red. He has been blasting through everybody and

making great centuries -- Luca Brecel. He dumped Peter Ebdon in

qualifying, 6-1. We got started at 11am, two tables, or three sessions

in a date and six matches to finish. We start with John Higgins up

against Michael Holt. Last season for John was a write-off. But he

started this new season with a fresh attitude and a new cue, and

it has led to a 25th world ranking title for John. He has also thrown

in a maximum and want a smaller event as well. So he is in pretty

good nick. It is not a bad record in this championship. A three-time

winner of the title, first in 1998, beating Matthew Stevens. In 2000,

he beat Mark Williams. Then, in 2010, it was Mark who was beaten by

an amazing comeback from John Higgins. Today, he is facing the

gloriously temperamental Michael Holt, who has beaten John Higgins a

couple of times, most recently in Braque. But Ken John Higgins mess

with his head, as he has done before?? Please welcome a player

with two wins in the last two seasons. This year he has run for a

half-marathon, he is studying for a degree. He is the pride of

His opponent, one of the finest sportsmen Scotland has ever

produced. Four times per world champion, three-time dig UK

champion, he showed us all he still has it with a remarkable comeback

in the Shanghai Masters. Ladies and gentlemen, the Wizard of Wishaw,

It is Denis Taylor and John Parrott who are in the commentary box. We

have the score at two frames a piece, just after the interval.

John Higgins and may just be over DENNIS TAYLOR: Pretty evenly

matched. John Higgins at 116 in frame three, but Michael Holt has

A couple of Fair lead long frames where the balls got a little bit

He will not worry about missing the black. John Higgins is in a bit of

a hurry, but his back in the lead at 3-2.

HAZEL IRVINE: Just when you thought you could relax, you have to do

some work! Michael Holt has talk about his temperament and how he

has had to work on it. What has been the problem for him? That

stuff between the two years! He is quite open about that, he is a

lovely guy. Temperament Wise, on the table, sometimes he just loses

it. He wears his heart on the sleeve on the table, great to watch.

What is that about losing it? Is it decision making, is it mechanical

action, what is it that goes? think some days you can control it,

some days it is so fragile that the slightest thing can throw him off.

He is close with John so it looks like he has got it under control

today. You're going to my shots, stupid things are going to happen

out on the table, you cannot control close, but you can control

how you feel about it afterwards and what happens after. Sometimes,

Michael loses control and that is where sports psychologists can come

in very handy. Michael has beaten John twice in their eight matches.

Do you see the kind of hunger that we saw a couple of seasons back

from John now? I've only just heard that he has got a new cue, so

perhaps there were problems with that last year. That can sometimes

give you a new lease of life. This year, along with Judd Trump, he has

been the most consistent performer. How do you assess his performance

this season? He has started to get his competitive juices going. I

think he was a bit shocked that he did not perform last season. But

this is the John that we know, more often than not a winning machine.

The to screw back to Dennis. -- let The black is out of commission but

to get the next shot correct he could finish on the red a pot the

black and all the sudden it will be implied. -- apart the black and it

We were talking earlier before you joined us about this cloth being so

lively. JOHN PARROTT: It also makes you underhit the ball in certain

shots because you are expecting John will consider that a chance

The cue ball should not have been anywhere near the corner pocket

Nice to see the boys in the studio there looking very relaxed. Stephen

is enjoying his retirement. I just wish Stephen had gone for a few

years earlier, it would have been The last BBC, was the world

championship, it is quite a gap. But we have the Masters coming up

in January, at Alexandra Palace. No curtain between the two tables, and

a great crowd in for the first session of play. The Barbican

Centre has always been very popular Looking at whether a week ago, I

thought we were going to have debts went to the venue. It was certainly

bad on the way up, there were a couple of football pitches with

He hit that far too thick. This is a chance to pot the red and stun

He missed hit it completely. I think he was trying to force it

This is as good position as he has been faced with throughout this

He could not hold for the red but I He has a much better angle now to

screw back on to the next red and But he could not quite to that some

There is applause from the other table, but when you are playing

well, you do not notice it. If he was struggling you hear what goes

Hazel mentioned that John is playing with a new cue this year. I

spoke to him in the players' lounge and he said he only had one of what

two to try. This was what he It takes a little bit of getting

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He has finished awkwardly. Even the red to the right of the blue will

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not pot. He will have to take the He has looked the more steady of

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He made a mistake there. I didn't Needs a bit of luck here. That was

well played. Difficult to judge He is a bit unlucky. He couldn't

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He could have rolled up and been tight against the blue. He has

thought about it for coming up to He was never going to leave

anything easy after taking that He had looked at another one he

might be able too to sneak in, the A slight angle on the brown, but

everything is tough here. This time If he had landed on the brown he

would have been taking it, come down the table and be on one of

That was a hit and hope shot. He just played that, he has no plan,

it was a matter of hitting those and hoping for the best. I tell you

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what, it hasn't turned out all that What sort of angle has he got on

He needs a good angle on the colour If he leaves the cue back over the

other side he could screw off both It all defend, if he can crew back,

he might be able to move them. He needs a bit of angle though. How

straight is he on this black? I think he can do this. If he screws

back with reverse side, it will Well, I think that was the wrong

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choice there. Why did he not try What a mistake from John Higgins,

that is an old billiard type shot. That is a shot you used to play in

bill yards, it clings to the cushion, I am surprised. OK, how

He has got into it too much. As it turned out, he is perfect. He can

pot the pin, he can move the red, but that is no what he intended. He

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. He had a big chance there, he was That was about the best John

Higgins could do. He knew he was sending it towards the corner

pocket. This is a tough one. Not even an easy safety shot. He might

be forced to have a go at the pot If the safety shot is different, he

might as well have a good the pot. I don't blame him for going for

that. If John sends the red on the black, he will have to be careful

he doesn't plant the black into the REFEREE: Foul. That was always a

possibility. He has the perfect white, but can you believe it?

called it. That is exactly what It has been a struggle since that

red. The balls don't forgive you. I don't know, this is the red that

John missed earlier in the frame. Michael has decided to play the

It is developing into a very good A chance here, the pink has gone up

to the brown, which doesn't help Michael Holt's cause, but he has a

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Maybe gone a bit too far. It means he's will have a medium range,

rather than an easier one. Looking at the yellow, whether the angle is

It is all about getting a good He has to be careful. The only way

he can get on the brown, is to make sure that the cue ball is to the

right side of the green. He can Now he has to move the pink. He

can't drop in behind it it. Just He will settle for that. Couldn't

One more good positional shot and That is not bad, but he has a lot

That is the first quick bounce we have had off a cushion and it has

left him with a more awkward pink now That was a serious bounce. I

mean, that is two foot, two-and-a- half foot further than he wanted.

It kicked. First thing, yon is shaking his head. It took all the

Very well played Michael Holt. That was a great win for molt. He is all

square, three frames all. Quite. You were talking about some of the

shots in that and particularly, the bounce, that he got off the blue.

That was not a straightforward conclusion to the frame in the end.

It looked like he was over the line. You can never be sure, you know,

guaranteed position, and we were both sitting thinking perhaps he

without pot the blue off two cushions. It went one. A couple of

players start chatting, we talk about Ruth maps all the time.

will test to that! He got a big bounce off the cushion. Monster.

You were making observation Steven, during that frame, about the early

rounds of big Championships like this, particularly for the stellar

players like John. Yes John some mistakes in that frame, if he was

in the semifinal he would never make. When you get to the business

end of the tournament your concentration is dialled in that

much more, he played a couple of lax positional shots. Put a

careless safety in. You would never see him do it later on. He is most

vulnerable in this round. Could have been 4-2 up. Suddenly we have

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a game on, 3-3. We certainly have He can't go over the right side of

the table. He has to make sure he judges this correctly, just to land

He has hit it too hard. This will open reds up and every chance he

Baby snooker? I have never heard that before John. Once you one you

don't give any attention to but you They are the type of shots when you

think the cloth is fast, you underhit. John did there. Wary of

it running away. He can drop on the I thought he was going to nestle on

How can you get through a gap like that? He was just wanting a little

Played that with a bit of bottom on the cue ball. Takes the pace out of

He didn't hit that very well. Struggled in, but put his cue ball

I have never seen him miss one by that much before. That wasn't a

very smooth delivery of the cue He knows he should be 4-2 up.

has happened quite a bit in this match. He has not left Michael

stuck in the balls with an easy chance. It has been something

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He is a more confident player, now, Michael. The fact he has won two

evens has given hit added confidence, but this would be some

feather in his cap, if he could pull this victory off. His ability

is not in question. Certainly He could play on the loose red that

is up near the black, if he wanted He would like to get that red out

of the way. It would clear the black into both corner pockets. He

couldn't get on it from the angle on the blue. He can get back to

It is almost time for us to go, rugby and Wales against Australia

is calling. But you can continue to watch this match shortly on the red

button. Here is the situation between Barry Hawkins and Liang