05/12/2013 UK Snooker Championship

It has been a wild old ride here in York. We are not just talking about

the weather in this part of the world. This championship has seen

120 players come and gone from this Barbican Centre n the most

prestigious event of the sport, leaving us with eight of the world's

best. As for Ronnie O'Sullivan, celebrating his 38th birthday today,

he didn't get many happy returns from Stuart Bingham today. The

Rocket is out. Oh, that is a good shot!

He's cleared the table there with a magnificent 131 and he leads 2-0.

Ronnie O'Sullivan will be much happier now.

He leads by 2-1. Good cueing here!

Brilliant! Absolutely brilliant! He now leads 4-1. This is tough!

Brilliant! And look at that for a shot!

What a shot - it is 4-3. He now leads 5-3.

Needs one more! There you see it... And now you

don't! Well done Stuart Bingham. 6-4.

Another brilliant torn. I've had a brilliant match. He's having a good

season again. He's getting to the latter stages of the major events

now. I have to congratulate him on a victory. Whoever you are, you get

chances. I've played him three times in the past three weeks. It's nice

to get one on his birthday. There you go - right in the heart of

the pocket! 4-0 is a fair score line, I think.

How frustrating this game can be at times!

Jimmy Robertson, pretty pleased, he's through to the semi-finals in

the end. 6-2. I felt for Stephen a bit there. He had some massive

bounces off the cushion, which led the white to be out of position.

That happened to me as well. I just think I dealt with it a little bit

better and was more solid on the day. A convince convincing win. John

Parrott won this 22 years ago. Ronnie O'Sullivan will not win a

fifth this year. How well did Stuart Bingham stand and hold his ground

today? I think he came of age today. This is the biggest biggest

tournament in the world. It means so much to the players. It is so

prestigious. Everything at him from 3-1 down. He stood up to everything

he was given. He only previously had one victory over Ronnie. He had all

to baggage and jibes from other players that he didn't have the

so-called bottle to be able to finish the job. I think he proved a

lot of people wrong today. That is as good as I have ever seen him

play. Because of how well he was playing, I felt he was brilliant

today. He thoroughly deserved to win. Not many stood up to Ronnie at

the Cruisable. As for Robertson, a very slick job on Maguire. That will

hurt the Scot, no doubt about it. Is he the man to beat this week? He's

dismantling everybody in his way. He's outstanding. He's focussed.

When he speaks to us he looks like he wants the first prize and And his

mum has come all the way from Australia to see him play. Robertson

is in the semi-final along with Stuart Bingham. What about the other

two berths? These are the matches we will enjoy.

Ricky Walden reached the last four of this year. He is up against Mark

Allen, the man who knocked out Judd Trump.

And the World Championship runner up in May, Barry Hawkins, is having

another great run. He finds himself up against Mark Selby, for what is

the sixth time this year. By the way, the Hawk has the keen advantage

in those matches. How do both of those players view this re-match

once again tonight? Obviously Mark is so hard to play

because he's so good at everything. He's a different class and then he

can score obviously unbelievable as well once he gets going as well. So

I don't get any tougher. I beat him a few times. Hopefully he'll think

the same, he's got a tough game with me.

Played each other recently in Shanghai. Barry won 5-4. We both

played really well. If we play similar to that it will be a good

match. Whoever comes out in top, let the best man win: In a big BBC event

like this one - to be in the thick is great. I'm in the quarter-finals

now. I'm in the business-end of things. Anything can happen now. Won

it last year. It will be nice to defend it this year. There is a long

way to go. Remarkably this is Barry Hawkins's

first time in the UK quarter-final in this championship. Mark Selby

attempting to become the third man in history to win back-to-back

titles in this event. Only when haend Davis have done that. So --

only Hendry and Davis have done that.

All yours, Rob. Thank you. Good evening, ladies and

gentlemen. Welcome to buoyant Barbican Centre in York, where after

ten days of action at the snooker championship there is only room for

two more players in this year's semi-finals. Sit back, relax and

enjoy this snooker feast tonight. Please welcome first of all, a

player semi-finalist at this year's championship, he reached the

quarter-final here in 2011. A two-time ranking winner in China -

Ricky Walden. APPLAUSE

His opponent, beating Judd Trump yesterday n a re-run of their final

here two years ago. Twice a winner of the World Open. One of the best

young players to watch on the circuit. That is why he's the pride

of Northern Ireland. Here comes Mark The Pistol Allen.

APPLAUSE And here, on table number one,

please welcome a player who came of age winning the ozsy open a year

ago. He knocked out a former world and UK champion, Shaun Murphy,

yesterday. He's the Hawk, he's Barry Hawkins.

APPLAUSE And his opponent, one of the most

colourful colours on the circuit. Bidding to become the first player

since Stephen Hendry 17 years ago to successfully defend his UK crown.

Beating Graeme Dott yesterday. Here comes the Jester from Leicester,

it's Mark Selby. APPLAUSE

Both matches are available online via the BBC sport website tonight.

First of six frames will play into the semi-final. Waiting for us in

the commentary box, two men who know what it is like, Ken Doherty and

John Virgo. Good evening, gentlemen. Good evening, Hazel. We are all

ready to go. What a match this promises to be. Barry Hawkins, as we

know, runner up in the World Championship, playing the current

champion. Both in great form and hard on the face of it to pick a

winner. I just hope that both players play at their best, Ken, and

then we will see some fireworks. Yes. I am looking forward to this

match. It will be tough to call. On paper you would say Mark Selby is

the favourite as defending champion. By the way Barry Hawkins has been

playing and particularly the way he played on the match we comment tated

on the other night when he beat Shaun Murphy, he played

exceptionally well, Barry Hawkins there. He's becoming one of the

toughest players to play on the circuit now. Barry Hawkins had a

great run of course to the World Championship final and that has

given him great confidence going forward into this season as well.

They are both tough match players. You don't get easy chances against

these two guys, who know their way around the table.

If it wasn't the first frame, he may take it on, but just once we get

used to the ta pace of the table and get your arm going before you take

any undue risks. There's a first example - the first

good safety shot from Barry Hawkins. Mark Selby just coming down to see

if he Nestle into the back of the pack. He's on the red, next to the

Pink, but that is no good to him. Maybe go off one cushion. It looks

like two. He has to be careful he doesn't leave a red to the centre

here. here.

NEBREAK He spotted it. He has left a red to that left-middle.

Yes, he didn't want that. He was not certain where the cue

ball would finish. He kept his eye on the pot - that was the most

important thing. Just avoided that. That is what you're looking for in

the first frame - get your hands on the table. Some points on the board.

Nothing settles you better. I am sure he's had a look to see the

that the pink will be covered after this. I am sure it will be.

The referee is going to have a quick look - no, he doesn't. I think it's

worth getting the ball-marker out. So it will go in line with the black

and the cushion, in line with its own spot, of course. As close to

those reds as potssable. -- possible.

They have played quite a few tournaments now before we, usually

the UK used to be one of the earlier tournaments in the season, but of

course now they go over to the Far East, in Europe and an interesting

fact, and I don't know whether this bears any relationship on the form

they are showing, this season Barry Hawkins has made nine century

breaks. Mark Selby, 25.

Well, that may tell a story in itself. This match will have to wait

and see. It's a bit of a difference, isn't

it? Wants to try and go into the pink and possibly the red next to it

and split this. That's a nice shot. Just look the cue ball. He's still

on the red behind the black. As you say, he's still on this red

behind the black. He can drop it in. Doesn't have to do much with the cue

ball. He played it beautifully and very

confidently. Just looking at Barry's record of

century breaks. The rank in tour is 151 century breaks. Of course Mark

Selby, 314. But the funny statistic I am looking

at in front of me, John, is that they played each other ten times.

Barry Hawkins has won six out of those ten. So, he's got a good

record against Mark Selby. Not a lot of players in the game could say

that over the ten matches they've played. I think one of the main

reasons for that, you alluded to at the very start, Ken s the fact that

Barry is one -- Ken, is the fact that Barry can compete against Mark

Selby if it comes to a tactical safety game, he will not be phased

by that. Going into them. Well, he's on one - possibly two,

but it should have been easier than. This look at the gap he found there!

And he's got a red to the far right corner, but as I say, he was

expecting and entitled to be on something easier.

He decided to play in the middle and the reason he did that is because he

felt there was an element of safety in it.

Once he came to the baulk line, the yellow was a possibility.

Boy, that cue ball was close to the middle, wasn't it? Just feel that

the cue ball could have gone wider. He did it well. You just feel now,

if he can knock this red in, get on pink or black, he's going for the

blue, is he? No, pink or black - if this goes in, he should win the

frame. That would be a dream start. Do it in one visit. A couple of

beauties in this frame already. Especially with the cue ball close

to the cushion. Well, would you believe it! It is

probably the easiest one of a lot more difficult ones that he's

potted. You would never have expected him to miss that one.

So a chance for a count er a -- counter attack.

In his last match, when he beat Graeme Dott. I thought Mark was

cueing very well. It was just occasional, simple pots he was

missing. And he's not good here with

position. If he played for this, he would want to be straighter on it.

He may have got away with it. The cue ball looked straight to the far

left corner. Barry Hawkins missed that last red

he missed on his last visit and didn't have the confidence to play

it. It was a poor positional shot to

leave himself that angle on the red. It caused the miss.

Wants to get these two reds out into open play.

Pink more than the yellow came to Barry's rescue there. This red that

Mark is playing safe off will cut to the corner. Whether he wants to hit

it that thin or not - I don't know - but it will pot.

The length of the cue ball - excellent!

More or less forced to take this thin cut on.

He's left this red for Mark. But close to the cushion. And well, the

straight straightest red, certainly if you pot it, you will kiss into

the red near the top cushion. He would love to be on the ground

and he is, just about. A fantastic pot. Tucked under the

cushion. Excellent cueing. As you said, John,

what a cracking pot. He's got a lovely angle if he wants to take

this other red into play. Not on this occasion, but the angle is

there. Would have expected him to get it

though. Would have expected him to get it

Would have expected him to get with that shot. He's left this red,

certainly far from easy, but, A chance of a pot into the right

corner. He's going to be running into other balls. Concentrate on the

pot. Make certain you get it.

It was OK trying to play back, but if you didn't cover the red in that

half of the table, then you were asking for trouble I is an easy

safety now -- for trouble. It is an easy safety now for Barry.

They didn't make the most of it. To me, when you play that shot, you've

got to get that cue ball as close to the baulk cushion address you can.

OK, he was -- as you can. OK, he was thinking - you can make it easier

for your opponent to play a better safety, with his hand on the table.

Much too thick. Something easier, but here's half a

chance for Mark. As clean as a whistle. An expel

leapt pot. -- excellent pot.

There's a good chance black will go on the spot and pot into the upside

pocket. He's on the bottom red.

Must finish high on the black. It's not what he would have liked.

There is still that red next to the pink, of course.

Would have preferred to try and take these two below the black first.

Just got enough on the blue now to come back to the black spot area.

Yes and these are the type of situations that Mark Selby is so

good at. John Parrott, nicknamed him the

hoover - he was good at cleaning up the last few, especially when he's

40/50 behind. A little bit short of pace there.

Still OK. Go in and out of baulk. Take the red - that's closest to the

green. Should he win this for the visit.

Barry Hawkins has had a couple of chance chances to win this frame

already. I am not sure what happened there,

John. Did he get a big bounce off the cushion? I can only assume he's

played this red near the top cushion. It was easier to play for

the red that he's playing now. I see no harm done, but he's still

got to play a shot to get on the red near the top cushion. Maybe he felt

that the blue was the best chance to play for this red, but he was well

short. Now, can he judge this one right?

It's not straightforward, this. I think the main ball that would catch

his eye is probably the yellow. So, you know, you can swing it wide.

He checked it to play with a lot of right-hand side now. Is it going to

run? You bet! A beautiful positional shot. A fantastic shot, wasn't it? A

nice angle on the red as well. Just drop it down for the black.

Yes and they are all there. One good positional shot now. Black

to yellow. So, that now puts Mark six points in

front. So, yellow, green, brown and blue and Barry Hawkins will be very

disappointed. He had the frame at his mercy. This, an easy red.

This is the one. For all the world, you thought he

would win the frame. If you could pot this green and

leave the cue ball almost exactly where it is now it would be perfect.

Somewhere around there. He'd prefer to be able to reach it without using

the rest, of course. That looks pretty good. Almost in

exactly the same spot. This is frame ball. A bit of

pressure on this shot. As you say, Ken, that was the frame

ball, because he would automatically be on the blue and the blue now to

go 20 ahead, with just 13 remaining. So, an early setback for Barry

Hawkins. Well, he may come back to the table.

Two snookers required, but that is enough for Barry. He concedes. So

Mark Selby will be well pleased to get that first frame on the score

board. He leads 1-0. Something of a steal there for

Selby. What was remarkable was that you could see Selby's arm shaking as

he drew the cue back there. It's actually shaking from side to side.

See it there - look! I don't know how he pots the ball doing that! Is

that adrenaline, nerves or both? He's keyed up for it. It is unusual

to see it so pronounced as that. He's obviously keyed up. When you

think about Selby's season last year, he won this, he won the

Masters and a couple of smaller events. The constant thorn in his

side was Barry Hawkins. Beat him of course at the World Championships.

What makes these two so evenly matched? The way they play. I think

they are as close to anybody in the circuit in their style of play. The

boys said it in commentary, he can match him for safety play, for the

all-round game he's got. They are very, very similar. It makes for a

tough match. You look at this and you think, if they play it should be

6-4, 6-5. Are we in for a long night? I think so. I would get a

take-away number ready! What will we have tonight then? Let's have a

think as we go back! So Mark Selby breaks off.

It is quite interesting listening to John Parrott there about how much

Mark Selby actually shakes on the shot.

Totally different to Barry Hawkins. When you watch Barry Hawkins, when

you get a close-up view - his head, he's so still on the shot. Just

watch his head. It never moves. So straight - the cue is very

straight. Mark Selby, when he's down and a few of those pots and that

last frame, visibly shaking, his arm and his head shaking.

There we go - nice and straight. Nice and still.

If you get a chance to look at Mark Selby's...

It is moving slightly. His body is moving a little bit, but - the rn

most important thing is delivers the cue nice and straight.

Thin he wanted to be. As soon as he hit it, he must have feared the

worst. I remember another player who used

to move around on the shot, John Higgins.

-- Alex Higgins. I think, his natural ability just gets you

through it. And he's a very talented player is

Mark Selby. It is amazing the improvement he's

shown. I think he came of age. That one he lost in the final of the

world to John Higgins, he seemed to come from age from that moment on to

me. Became a different class of player.

It is confidence, isn't it? He was 12-4 down, wasn't he in that world

final. Came back to within one or two frames of John Higgins.

A real dogfight. Over the last few years he's so consistent. Probably

the toughest player to play on the circuit now.

Got such a great knowledge of the angles. Safety always top quality.

And a great fighter as well. He's... He never gives up. We saw that many,

many times over the last few years. If he can just drop it in and still

be able to pot the red that he's developed, then fair enough.

When you're near the cushion, you have to play with that extra power,

it makes the pot more difficult. He fell for it there.

Pok ketds always in that -- pockets always in that same position. He

must have just hit the red a little bit thinner than he intended. It

went right in the middle of the pocket. No excuse. That's not

unlucky. If he doesn't catch the brown there,

it will be the perfect safety. That target - the brown, black and green

is there for Barry. Just checking he's not going to

knock anything towards the right corner. He's got to knock something

towards the right-hand side of the train, just concentrate on that big

-- of the table. Just concentrate on that big target.

If he's not covered the red, it's a poor shot.

Wanted to catch both reds together. If he had done he would have pin

finished on the pink. If he caught the two reds together it would have

spotted the cue ball. Catching one the cue ball kept running. Now he

can get that cue ball behind the green, black and brown.

OK, he may have left one red, but there's no return to baulk, so a

little bit of a problem here for Barry.

He may be forced into having a go at this red.

He's coming around to look. If believes the cue ball near this

pocket, he'll still be on the pink. He's looking to see what he may

leave. The red looks very, very straight though.

Coming up to 25 minutes now since Barry last potted a ball.

That's what he wanted to do. Leave the cue ball as close to the cushion

as possible. What he's left. There is one red to the left-centre.

I would be tempted by this red to the left-middle.

If he avoids the kiss on the blue, then he'll run into the black and

the brun, but could be onnen -- brown, but could be on one of them.

He's missed it. Has he left it? I think he may have

done. I think it was a pot worth taking

on. So, after quite a time, Barry now

has got a chance. Of He seems quite happy with that.

He looks like he's inch-perfect. A good chance this. If he's got the

angle, no reason why he can't nudge up to that cluster. Oh! Barry!

Well, he's going to struggle to win this match if he's missing

opportunities like this. He did knit the first frame. It cost him. It

could well cost him in this. He was perfect! . No excuse.

He could have left something easier. This is no... He has to hole for the

pink. The red is in. How's the pace? Pretty good!

APPLAUSE The way he's sizing up there, he's

not taking this red on. A bit of value taken along, particularly

where the black is, but well, maybe if we look at the double, the double

come safety shot. Maybe that is what he was looking at. Was there a path

through those reds? Well, the usual sign the the player will apologise

if he has a bit of luck. Maybe he did look at that cross double. He

never looked at Barry. He never put his hand up and apologised. Just a

smile that he's hampered by the brown. He should still pot this

black. And I think that, well, obviously

the black has occupied the highest available. The brown spot, so what a

chance now to clinch the frame at this visit. And this will really

hurt Barry Hawkins. Or maybe not! Or maybe not!

If there's one thing that will make you forgive yourself for missing an

easy chance is if your opponent doesn't punish you. What an

opportunity Mark Selby had there to keep Barry Hawkins in his seat.

This isn't going to be easy for Barry to win the frame at this

visit. He's 17 points behind and a little bit messy, the table. At

least he's got the pink and the black at the business end.

He's going to need at least that yellow, even if he takes four reds

and four high-valued colours with these reds, of course.

He knows he's going to need that yellow. And the green, I think

that's the thing. Of course, being left-handed, the yellows slightly on

the wrong side of the table for him. Just need needs cue-ball control at

this vital stage of this frame. Come around and have a look and

leave the cue ball somewhere just a couple of inches above where the red

is now. Pot the red and the cue ball low on the black, because he wants a

nice angle from the black to yellow. It is just about perfect. Ideally

would love to get that cue ball as close to the yellow as possible.

That's pretty good. He's got a nice angle now.

He's 20 points ahead. So, he only needs yellow and green.

APPLAUSE Expel leapt shot. He's doing very

well here. You have to say, he was given a second chance, but when you

get them, you still have to take them and he's taken them very well.

As I say, this will make him forget that easy miss in the first and the

easy miss in this frame. He will make certain this brown, he doesn't

want Mark Selby to come back to the table.

That's what will happen - he'll be disappointed, but at least his

opponent does need a snooker. Well, he's got the full ball of

snooker. You would expect Barry Hawkins to come off one cushion to

hit this blue. Well Mark Selby, he's missed it. He cannot believe it. It

is such a straightforward shot! Mark Selby was disappointed with that

particular shot because he wanted a cue ball tight. He hoped Barry

Hawkins would hit this blue very easily, but that's a surprise. You

always think if you leave one cushion escape at this level that it

won't be good enough. Can't believe he didn't hit the blue. The blue,

pink and black needed. Didn't go for it that time.

Can't blame him for not going for it. It was one of those that if you

went for it and you didn't get it, more likely he could leave it. So,

Barry - would he consider taking this blue on? He only needs the

blue. He's looking at the potting angle. I think he's going for it.

He decided against it. He thought, hang on, there's a better shot here.

He's not played a bad one. Oh, it is tantalising, isn't it? You

will not believe this - we have to go here on BBC Two. Do not worry, I

hope we've given you a decent an tiezer. You can stick with both of

these matches throughout the evening if you fancy. They are available

online for you. Otherwise I will be back at 11. 20pm with a look at how

it all turns out in the highlights programme. Mean time, from John and

me and the rest of the team here in York, it is goods bi. Enjoy your --

it is goodbye. Enjoy your evening.